So my nearly 90 year old mother lives with me half of the year and my sister the other half. Upon her arrival this summer she brought a slew of memory books, genealogy books, and old picture books. I began going through them with her, and wow, was I surprised of the little gems she …
September is National Preparedness Month. Do you have your food storage or emergency supplies ready in case of natural disaster or personal crisis? Food storage is peace of mind. When a natural disaster or personal crisis strikes, having essential food items stockpiled can make or break the situation. You may be thinking: “I’d love to store …
Moms are busy and that’s a fact. With our to-do lists a mile long, we put ourselves and our self-care dead last. And even when we do set aside some precious alone time, watching Netflix with a pint of ice cream probably wins out over exercise more often than we want to admit. But what …
Add a little personality to your grocery shopping trips with personalized grocery lists. Let’s face it, grocery shopping is a necessary task. Some of you may love walking down each aisle, slowly perusing all the goodies, comparison shopping, and choosing just the right product. Some of you may find grocery shopping a bothersome chore. …
Meal Planning made simple! Meal planning can be overwhelming, especially if you’ve never done it before. When I was single, I used to make one big meal (like a casserole) and then eat it for an entire week! Now that I have a family, there is a little more planning and preparation that goes into …
We all want our kids to love books. Reading to your kids at bedtime can be a wonderful bonding experience. It’s one of those activities that makes you pat yourself on the back, and feel like you’ve finally mastered this parenting gig. You think to yourself, “Look at me, the best mother the world has ever known, …
Staying on top of kids’ schedules, appointments, and developmental phases is time consuming for any parent. For those who are parenting a child with special needs however, organization becomes absolutely key to your child’s health and your sanity. Over the last decade, I have attempted to organize our life with varying degrees of …
During any natural disaster, you don’t have to flip through too many channels to see that people weren’t prepared with an adequate food storage. I am sure that I am not the only person who feels a little skip in their heartbeat when they think of how their family would be prepared in such a …
If you are like me, toy storage is a constant battle. It seems like every time I have a handle on it, someone gives my son something else. It’s maddening! One of the biggest storage hogs in our house is jigsaw puzzles. The boxes are all different sizes, and they all seem to be much …
It’s never too early to start reading with your child! Books are a great way to promote language and encourage pre-literacy skills. My one-year-old loves to turn pages in books but sometimes has a hard time sitting through an entire book. Here are 7 tips for choosing age-appropriate books for children, toddlers under three and …
I love planning and hosting parties! They allow me to be creative in some really fun ways. Some of my go-to party supplies are things that you will never find at a party store. One of my favorites party supplies is kiddie pools. I’m talking about the hard plastic molded pools you can get almost …
A simple and inexpensive way to show a friend you are thinking of them on their birthday is to give them a candy bar with a special birthday wrapper! When I was searching online for candy bar wrappers, I found lots of valentines wrappers, and even Halloween wrappers, but not a ton in the way …
There are certain tools you need to be a great baker! A few of these I even have, and had NO idea what it was called, let alone what it was used for! Your bakeware can come in all sorts of materials too. There is stone, aluminum, glass, silicone, steel, etc… All of the above …
If you’ve ever hated the high price of protein bars, you should definitely consider making your own! Most protein bars cost between $1-$4.00, but when you make your own, you can get it as low as $0.25. These protein cookies have 140 calories each , 5 grams of Fat 13 grams of carbs and 11 grams of …
Journal Keeping Ideas for Recording Your kids Memories It’s the start of a new school year, and there are so many things you want to document! With today’s technology however, it’s impossible to know what method you not only like, but that you’ll stick with for 18 years of their life. My kids love reading …
A long time favorite of my kids are these mini taco bowls! These are easy to make for a quick and delicious dinner. The first time we made these was after a Jr. High foods class my daughter took. They made it in school, and she couldn’t wait to come home and make it for …
The task of decluttering can be daunting! After a massive purging of all the things you haven’t used in 10 years, you would think it would be done, and you’d never have to do it again! At least that is what Konmari teaches. She claims decluttering is a one time event. However, in the real …
My kitchen could definitely use some serious help, and some of these kitchen cleaning hacks are simply genius. Who knew salt was magic, and kool-aid was a cleaning agent?!? Check these out and you’ll never clean the same old way again! Source: Consolidated Foodservice
When motivation is difficult for a certain task, try this easy tip to get yourself going! Some days I wake up ready to tackle the day and my to-do list with energy and motivation. Other days I can’t seem to get myself going. And, often, my days get so chopped up with appointments and kids …
This post was sponsored by P&G as part of an Influencer Activation for Influence Central. I received complimentary products to facilitate my review.” Summer is here, school is out, and things have slowed down a bit at our house. My boys have settled into a morning routine that centers around making pancakes for breakfast. All …
Recently our state employees went from a 5 day work week, to working 4 ten hour shifts a week. As I was counseling employees on eating healthier, they always tell me there is just not enough time after a ten hour workday to get a healthy meal on the table. Often they will stop on …
Recently, we took up the hobby of canyoneering! Living in Utah gives a literal playground of some of the best and most beautiful canyons in the world. One problem is that we have a pile of harnesses, ropes, helmets, climbing shoes and carabeeners that has evolved into a spaghetti like mound, that makes it difficult …
The ability to park your car in the garage is such a nice feeling. The car won’t be blazing hot, or freezing cold when you go to get in it. It is SAFER for your car. It will protect it from break-ins and gasoline theft! Also, if you correctly utilize the space in your garage …
I have found that a lot of home organization projects can be done in a short time (read some ideas here). However, there are some projects that just get so big and out of control that they require a lot of time and effort. The results from these organization projects are very rewarding and can make …
If you’re like me, you enjoy making lists. I get a lot of relief from writing everything down and getting rid of that “I feel like I’m forgetting something important I need to do…” feeling. However, a big, long to-do list can be daunting and overwhelming. 1. Brain Dump Get rid of all the nagging thoughts …
These 10 habits are not only a great way to shape your morning routine, but can truly make a difference in your productivity, happiness, and success! I pretty much do the exact same things in the exact same order every single morning. I’m sure many of you can relate. For example, I have to eat …
For me, packing for a trip has always been a huge headache; whether its a weekend get-a-way or a 2 week vacation. I’m always super stressed that I’m going to forget something important or that I won’t have what I need. This past month, I’ve taken 3 separate trips and spent about 11 days away …
It’s time to get outside and revive that garden. Do you know where all your garden supplies and tools are? I love this time of year, but also have found it difficult to keep everything in one spot to survive the winter! Below, I’ve found some clever storage ideas so that every spring, you’ll know …
Summer yeah! I love summertime and having my kids home for awhile. It is nice to have a break from school routines and take things at a slower pace. At our house, we stick to a daily schedule with reading, chore time, exercise, as well as free and friend time. One day per week we …
This post is for you want to lose weight, but you are overwhelmed, overworked, stressed out, and your coping mechanism is FOOD! I’ve always wanted to be that girl who, when she gets stressed out, busy, or overwhelmed, she forgets to eat! No such luck! I eat the MOST when I am stressed or overwhelmed. I’ve …
Grocery shopping is one of my least favorite tasks. It is, however, an evil necessity. I did at one time enjoy it. I think it was during the years that I was a stay-at-home mom and it was a chance to get out of the house. These days, as a working mom, it has become …
Storing your food properly will help keep them fresh longer, saving you money! So what is the proper way to store food? I’m so glad you asked. Milk, butter and eggs should be stored in the BACK of the fridge. They should also be stored away from any strong smelling food. These items take on …
If you ask me how many times over my adult life I decided to “get into couponing”, I wouldn’t even begin to count! I get jazzed about doing it, saving money, and having a garage FULL of non-perishable items I got for free through couponing. Some seasons, I was successful! But when I did …
Buy Now! Pay Later! I can’t even count how often I’ve seen on TV… “No interest for 50 bazillion years!” (ok I may be exaggerating SLIGHTLY). It seems everywhere you turn someone wants you to get into debt. I can’t even go to Target without being asked if I want to “save” 10% by opening …
Hi there! Organized Daughter, Melissa, here. I’ve been a little MIA lately and thought I’d share a few updates…some exciting things have happened since my last post! In January, my husband and I closed on our very first home! This is the best photo I have because, currently, we have no grass and a whole …
Does it feel like laundry is NEVER finished? Does it feel like doing laundry is like shoveling snow while it’s still snowing? Feeling like this task is actually complete can be exhilarating! Unlike other cleaning jobs you can do to completion, there will always be more laundry to do. But, it does’t have to be …
Get your bathroom clean once and for all! If you want your bathroom to not only BE clean, but to STAY clean, these tips are for you! You never know when that impromptu guest is going to come knocking on your door, and the bathroom is one place you can have magazine ready at all times! …
Organization is a way of thinking and also a collection of habits. People who are highly organized often think and act in an organized way because it is part of their personality. Being in an unorganized environment creates stress and tension for them. (I’m just going off life experience here, I’m not citing any official …
Looking for a toy that can calm a hyper child, reduce aggression, promote creativity, stimulate the senses, and encourage learning? Look no further than your kitchen pantry. With 5 common ingredients you can make this wonderful play dough in minutes. As a former preschool teacher, I have tried many dough recipes and this is definitely …
I often fall into the trap of thinking that I don’t have enough time to work on an organization project. Therefore, the clutter and mess build and make projects more and more overwhelming. As a working mom, managing time is vitally important and household tasks often fall to the bottom of the priority list. Here …