Like most moms, I want to have a healthy dinner on the table each night for my family to eat. But between work, kids’ activities, errands, housecleaning, and everything else that fills up a day, finding time to cook a healthy dinner can be a real challenge. For most of us, by the time we …
Died and Gone to Heaven French Bread. This stuff might not make it to the dinner table. Not only is it delicious, but it’s easy as pie and only requires one rise and then it’s into the oven to get golden and delicious. If you are like me, one of the things that keeps you …
After watching shows like Extreme Couponing, you realize it’s possible to save money on your groceries. But really, who has time to cut all those coupons, organize them, and then plan out your shopping trip? The gals that truly save tons of money, spend loads of time doing this. You can still see great savings …
I feeling uniquely qualified to talk about tackling dog hair. After all, I have two Labradors. Meet Margo and Agnes. Margo is the black lab and she is 4½ years old and Aggie is 8ish. Both of these girls were rescues from the shelter and have been such sweethearts from the moment they arrived. We …
Recently, a new restaurant came to town, and we are smitten!! The Baked Bear takes our two favorite foods (Ice cream and cookies) and offers them in any combination or variety! And OH MY!! It’s amazing. It’s so amazing, that the three times I’ve been there, there has been a line all the way to the …
In the last six years, I have moved my family four times. The last three times with young kids. When I was a young single adult moving meant throwing my clothes in garbage bags, my few pieces of furniture in my dad’s truck and hitting the road. Moving a family of four is a whole …
5 Minute DIY Project: Earring organizer These are my earrings. I keep them in this super organized tupperware. Booooring. Actually, I really like this container, and whenever I travel I use it to take jewelry with me. So yeah, it’s actually a good way to organize earrings and jewelry. BUT, I want something pretty to have …
Ready to see my linen closet makeover reveal? (If you didn’t see part 1 where I made the $5 towel rods on the door, you can view it here.) Before I show you the big reveal, I need to show you another project that helped me get my linen closet organized. I contacted the adorable Shelley over …
Whether you’re planning on a beach vacation, or just dreaming of one, here’s a quick DIY project for getting all your sunglasses organized. I am a sucker for knock off sunglasses myself, and my stash has sadly been living in a ziplock bag. But I’ve been disappointed too many times to take one out and see …
When everything in your life is starting to get more organized, why ignore the organization of your cleaning bucket? With all your cleaning supplies at your fingertips (just like the Pro’s) cleaning is quicker and easier. One problem I’ve always had with cleaning caddies, is that they never quite fit all the cleaning supplies …
It’s no secret that breakfast, with a good amount of protein and fat, can not only be filling, but also help kids focus during those early morning school hours! It’s common that my 14 year old will eat noodles (ok- it’s ramen and portion control is not in his vocabulary) and quesadillas for breakfast! But, …
This post is written and photographed by Erica Roskelley, a 16 year old aspiring Marine Biologist. (A sponsored post in collaboration with Mom It Forward and the Loveland Living Planet Aquarium) As long as I can remember, every opportunity we had for a local field trip, that was educational, as well as fun, my mom took us! …
You are ready!! You are sick of cleaning your house, organizing your things, and taking care of stuff you never use! TODAY IS THE DAY!! If you were inspired by the idea from Marie Kondo that you truly only have to declutter one time in your life, and your house will stay clean and you …
After reading several inspiring blog posts, I decided to organize my bathroom drawer with some DIY drawer dividers. While it isn’t quite a junk drawer, it sure had accumulated a lot of junk. Now I am going to share with you a before photo… but be a good friend and don’t let this circulate the globe, n’kay? …
All three of my teenagers share a bathroom. And the bathroom is TINY! Two drawers and a sink is all they have to organize ALL their teenage bathroom clutter. Many people in our area can’t imagine making 3 teenagers share a bathroom. But I look at it as an opportunity for them to learn …
For most kids, sitting still and staying quiet for any length of time is a challenge. In life, there are many places we take our kids where quiet is not only expected but necessary. Simply telling my kids it’s time for quiet and expecting them to zip their lips and sit still has never been …
Repurpose Products to Organize Your Home We had friends over for dinner and while we were sitting in the kitchen, the husband noticed our shoe organizer, hanging in my pantry. He started to laugh and said, “The Turner’s have one of those and they use it to put shoes in.” He seriously thought it was …
This article is sponsored by Kelley Blue Book as part of the Mom It Forward Network I’ll be honest, when my first child was born my husband and I decided to keep right on driving the compact cars we’d both had since we were young and single. A single car seat fits safely in the …
While we are generally a healthy family, we do have our weaknesses. We love baking cookies (and do so most Sunday’s). We love celebrating any event or achievement with dessert. And we are involved in activities in the community where treats are present, almost always! We decided, for the month of March (ONLY …
Have you been struggling to come up with a great family motto that can unite and inspire everyone? Family mottos can give your kids a real sense of identity as they try to figure out exactly who they are. They can also give them something to remember when they are out with their friends. It …
I am sure we all are pretty okay at keeping out houses clean, right? The floors get mopped or vacuumed pretty regularly, clutter is picked up and surfaces are dusted. But have you considered your air vents? You know, those spots on the floor where all your warm air comes out to keep your house …
In honor of my kids, who would truly starve without pancakes, I decided to find the BEST pancakes I could find on the internet! Pancakes never have to be boring. We found NEW ways to make pancakes you may have never thought of before. The Best Pancake Recipes 1- Cinnamon Roll Pancakes Why not combine …
Organize a Chest Freezer once and for all! You know what happens when something lands at the bottom of a chest freezer? It never gets seen again! This has happened to me so many times! Meat with freezer burn, unidentifiable soups without labels, and frozen veggies that are half open and filled with ice. Organizing …
10 Different ways to use the envelope system and make it work for you! Although people have been using some form of the “envelope system” for generations, it was really, Dave Ramsey who popularized it as a way to get out of debt. I’m a big fan of Dave Ramsey. The idea that you …
Technology is everywhere and kids these days are getting pretty tech-savvy at a very young age. There are so many apps out there and it can be difficult to figure out which ones are actually educational and which ones are just for entertainment. I’ve made a list of the apps that I think are most …
If you are struggling with easy dinner ideas, a meal plan is key! If you have a baby or a toddler you know what happens during the witching hour – whining and crying and kids who just want to be held makes it tough to get a meal together. With school age kids, it’s hard …
Do you feel that you are always running late? Have your friends and family remarked that you will be late for your own funeral? Do you feel that your life is so chaotic that you have no chance of ever being on time to anything? Have you accepted that always being late is just part …
The entryway can be one of the biggest traps for clutter. Every family member that enters the front door is looking for the nearest spot to drop all their belongings. From backpacks, to car keys – dog leashes, and extra jackets; how do you stop the pile-up? Try a minimalist style entryway. Minimalism design encourages …
Reverence is basically the opposite of children in general. Like when you think of a crew of kids, you never think of reflective, quiet children enjoying the peace and serenity of an important moment or atmosphere. No, it’s more like WWIII as they mess up their nice clothes, scream at one another and throw things …
When it comes to storage in your garage, are you making the most of your space? Like many families, my husband, kids and I own a variety of outdoor recreation equipment, tools, and yard maintenance items we store in our garage. Just over six months ago we moved to a new home where our garage …
Every room needs beautiful artwork, but yes, it can be very expensive. I’m a big believer that everyone should love their home (and their art!) no matter their budget. So I’m sharing my tips on how to put together a gallery wall on the cheap. And I mean really cheap. I’ve clicked on “affordable” art guides …
One day, you look at your kid’s toys and realize there’s just too much stuff. You start sorting through toys to donate when your child asks you what you’re doing. When you explain you’re cleaning to get rid of things we don’t need anymore, the hysterics start. Your child pleads with you about why they …
My husband and I work hard to try to give our children a better life than we had. That’s the dream, right? A bigger house and more income for family trips, dinners out, and big birthday bashes. On paper it seems great, but I worry my children, who want for very little, are taking it …
Gretchen Rubin once said, “The days are long, but the years are short.” For me, this quote sums up motherhood better than anything else can. Raising children is one of the hardest jobs on the planet, but the time just flies by! Sometimes, during those long days, it can be difficult to forget why we …
Our #1 Caramel Corn Recipe for Crispy caramel corn Last night was the Super Bowl. My kids had some friends over, and they obviously needed some snacking food! However, this was a last minute party, and I didn’t want to go shopping. So, the next best thing was to make what I make best- CARAMEL …
10 Non Candy Valentines Ideas for Kids to Take to School Valentines is nearly here and that usually means copious amounts of candy are brought home from school, just like with Christmas and Halloween. Here are a few idea for you to change it up and do something instead of candy. You might be surprised …
Delicious homemade artisan bread is great for soups, sandwiches, or even just toasted with butter! You only need 5 minutes to mix, and another 15 to bake and you’re done! Every Sunday we’ve been baking bread. I’d like to make bread during the week, for breakfast, school lunches, etc., but the truth is, homemade …
With four active kids who love to build snowmen, go sledding, have snowball fights, and make snow angels, we end up with a lot of snow gear! I love watching my kids play in the snow, especially now that they are older and I can watch them from my warm kitchen instead of trekking out …
As your kids reach the age where they start getting invited to birthday parties, your calendar can fill up pretty fast. Suddenly it feels as if you’re buying a birthday present every other Saturday. Not only can that be expensive; but it gets exhausting coming up with creative gifts, and dragging your kids to the …
Dusting is one of my most neglected household chores. A home in need of dusting is not as obvious as a carpet that needs to be vacuumed, a floor that needs to be swept or a bathroom that needs cleaning. But the truth is a buildup of dust can and will eventually scratch or damage …