DIY

As a mom, it can be exhausting to come home after work or a full day of activities, only to look in the refrigerator and see this… I mean, that’s sad right?! Confession, this is what my refrigerator looks like on Sunday night. Notice the bottle of Pinot trying to make an appearance. While you wouldn't realize it from this picture, over the past few years I’ve been meal planning. I know the idea of meal planning can seem overwhelming at first, but I promise it will save you time, money, and sanity in the long run. Here’s how I do it: 1. Pregame. Survey the refrigerator, and throw out all the old left overs and expired food. Whew, that felt good!...

Here is a simple, all-natural way to dye your eggs this Easter! And it can be done with things you already have around the house. Start a new, beautiful tradition as you follow these steps: 1. Start with a dozen of your sister-in-law's fabulous "home-grown" eggs. (Well, at least my sister-in-law's. I'm lucky.) Aren't they pretty? If you don't have a family member who raises chickens, you can most certainly get a dozen eggs at the grocery store. 2. Take out a pile of onion peels from standard, yellow onions. Just save the skins of the onions you cook with (like I do) or go to a grocery store and ask if you can clean out their onion bins. They'll be...

Scarves.  Goodness gracious I LOVE me some scarves! I remember wearing scarves about 8 years ago teaching junior high students who relentlessly made fun of these funny looking things around my neck.  And I remember telling those shiny little faces, "You don't know warmth until you know a good scarf!" Scarves are still used for warmth, but now are a huge fashion piece!  My scarf hoarding reached its peak last Christmas.  It was a bundle of colors and fabrics and fringe all rolled into a big MESS!!  I set out looking for a way to help me organize these scarves so that I could see them displayed in all their glory.  If you are like me and are tired of rummaging...

Ok mammas, we are talking baby food!  With this post, I want to take you through the ins and outs of my baby food adventures.  The time spent, lessons learned, and the reward at the end of the day. First, a little back story....When I was pregnant with Kade, there were two things I had high hopes for: breastfeeding and making my own baby food.  I wanted to experience the feeling of being able to give my newborn bundle of joy his nutrition, help save a few dollars in our seemingly maxed out budget, and prove to myself that I could actually do it. A month into Kade's little life, lots of trips to the lactation consultant, and a stay in the hospital...

A few years ago, I decided to jump on the Elf on the Shelf  (in our house Jake) bandwagon, and I have never looked back. The original concept of the Elf watching the kids and reporting to Santa was definitely a draw, but this is a common misconception because the scout elf in the book also encourages good deeds. Regardless of telling good or bad deeds, I was sold on being an Elf family once I saw my kids' reactions to their very own Elf.  I admit that there have been times when I cursed the whole thing as I was walking to bed and remembered that Jake forgot to move that day, but overall I have been pleased with my decision to be pro-Elf. I'll...