If you are considering adding a dog to your family, PLEASE give a new puppy care package on Christmas day and not the actual puppy. The holidays are a stressful time and chaos is not healthy for raising puppies. A puppy care package, with a sweet 'puppy IOU' and a new pet gift or two is a much better plan! I thought I would share a few puppy supplies you might want to include in your pet gift basket. New Puppy Care Package Ideas Christmas is actually not a very good time to bring a puppy into your home. … [Read more...]
Gift Wrapping Station Ideas to Help Keep You Organized
November 27, 2018 by · 2 Comments
If your holiday wrapping is as chaotic as mine, I am sharing a few gift wrapping station ideas that might help you stay organized. The holidays are a magical yet very busy time of year. There is baking to do, parties to plan, outfits to shop for and gifts to buy. And, of course, holiday budgets to worry about! Staying organized during the holidays is an absolute must! With all of the gift buying that is going on this month, I will soon be neck deep in holiday wrapping. Every year I swear to myself that I am going to set up … [Read more...]
Family Tradition Ideas You Need to Start
November 12, 2018 by · Leave a Comment
Everyone has their own family tradition ideas that play a part in their holiday planning. I grew up enjoying the chaos of friends and family during the holidays. Big holiday dinners, multiple stops at different people's houses, playing with cousins and general chaos. Those were some great times that I look back on with fondness now that I'm an adult. After college, my husband and I moved halfway across the country from both of our families. After that, holidays had no cousins, or traveling, or chaos. It was … [Read more...]
DIY Home Decor Ideas That Won’t Break the Bank
November 9, 2018 by · Leave a Comment
Have you tallied up your bills recently? Don’t just cheapen your house in light of a tight budget. Instead of hitting the mall, consider some DIY home decor ideas that allow you to pocket more and personalize the room. This is your sanctuary, and the interior should be styled as such. Unlike kings and queens, however, most homeowners don’t have a royal budget. Frugal home decor is one way to LOOK like you live a royal life without going broke! Seven DIY Home Decor Ideas That Won’t Break the Bank It’s easy to get carried away when … [Read more...]
How to Make Women’s Voices Heard in Public Dialogue
November 5, 2018 by · Leave a Comment
This post about how to make women's voices heard in public dialogue has been sponsored by GenderAvenger. All opinions are my own. When I went to college about 25 years ago, I chose to major in Microbiology. As a women in a STEM field, there were definitely more men than women in my classes but I was certainly not the only female in my science classes. Times were already starting to change, even way back then. When my mom had considered college, her choices were pretty much nurse, teacher, or librarian. She never ended up going, a fact … [Read more...]
How to be Productive Even with Kids at Home!
November 2, 2018 by · 1 Comment
This post about how to be productive with kids at home has been sponsored. All opinions are my own. Being a mom is stressful. You may have teens who need to be driven places and babies who need naps. There is homework to help with even though you don't understand basic math anymore. There are field trips to remember and possibly chaperone. And there are more after school activities than you remember signing up for. If you have any hope of getting the housework done, you need to learn how to be productive while balancing a baby on your hip … [Read more...]
What to Do with Halloween Costumes Once Trick or Treating is Over
October 29, 2018 by · Leave a Comment
When my children were younger and dressed up for trick or treating, I used to spend a ton of money on Halloween costumes and accessories. For an event that lasted about 2 hours. I know, I was a sucker for cute princess dresses and rakish looking eye patches. Then November 1st came around and had me wondering what to do with Halloween costumes after all the fun and games of trick or treating were over. It seems silly to spend all that money and only get a few hours enjoyment out of your adorable dress up clothes, right? Well, over the … [Read more...]
Upcycle Candle Jars into a DIY Succulent Garden
October 23, 2018 by · 3 Comments
If you love indoor gardening, you can upcycle candle jars into a DIY succulent garden. I like to reuse candle jars for this and I have plenty! I hate to throw them away or even just recycle them. Reusing them is a great way to save money on indoor gardening! On any given day, you can walk into my house and it will smell like something baking. And usually, I am not actually baking something! I have an obsession with food scented candles. Apples and cinnamon, Rosemary and Thyme, Vanilla Mint...if you can eat it, I probably have a candle … [Read more...]
How to Rock Family Movie Night with Teens
October 12, 2018 by · Leave a Comment
This post about family movie night with teens has been sponsored by BestBuy. All opinions are my own. When my kids were young, we watched a lot of movies together. There was plenty of Disney, cuddly blankets, and popcorn to go around. Now that the kids are older, they have a tendency to hide in their rooms. They emerge occasionally for food or money. Then they just want to go hide again. Now that my oldest is off to college, I see him about once a month. It's been a hard transition. If you feel like you are disconnected to … [Read more...]
Advice for my Son: Those First Few Steps Are Always the Hardest
October 8, 2018 by · Leave a Comment
This advice for my son is part of a paid campaign with The Mission List and the Center for Parent and Teen Communication. All opinions are my own. The last two months have been incredibly emotional for me. I sent my first born off to college 2 months ago. There were tears (both mine and his), the worry over college costs, and the chaos of shopping and moving. Where did my baby go? How is this college kid the very same boy who struggled to read in kindergarten? Then and now.... how did we get here so fast? Advice for my … [Read more...]
