Archive for the ‘It’s the 3 Little Things’ Category

33 Joyful Activities That Are Getting Me Through Hard Days

Friday, June 26th, 2020

Hands free reading

If there is one thing that I am NOT good at, it is being fake about my online life.

This has been a truly awful year, in more ways than I can count.

Just like you, I’m worried what this year holds, frustrated with the lack of empathy right now, and just can’t seem to focus on anything except the hard. 

I am also very aware that we are all bringing our own emotional and physical luggage into this pandemic and my scenario may look way more ideal than what you have been dealt. 

That’s why empathy is so damn important. 

I miss the days of, “we’re all in this together,” moments that we had in the beginning COVID days.

Pile on the heartbreaking and senseless death of George Floyd and I just don’t know how to do the internet anymore. 

I decided to take a couple of weeks and do some internal work.

I’ll be honest, even though I thought I was doing a great job with inclusion and showing up for others, I have learned that I have so many behaviors that I need to unlearn.

I’m also acknowledging that my history classes sure didn’t share a heck of a lot of this stuff. 

Doing anti-racist work and acknowledging my own bias is an ongoing project, but I think the biggest blessing that I’m taking out of this is that there is SO much room for expansion in my heart.

After all, when we see things we can’t unsee them. 

We must do our part right now, especially if our eyes weren’t open to the injustice before. 

And, when we know better we do better. 

Sprinkled within this miserable life cake though have been several difficult health diagnoses among our friends, the loss of employment for those in our circle, and my own mounting anxiety with an immune compromised family.

It’s just A LOT. 

I’m realizing it’s okay to not be okay.

This week I decided to start a gratitude list because, in all this hard,  there have been good things that have happened during this time of sheltering in place.

Our family feels closer than ever before.

Our kids have adapted in ways that I find quite admirable.

We have had important family talks because we are together so much. 

Although there is nothing life-changing in today’s gratitude list, I think any glimmer of joy is worth celebrating right now. 

If you have time, leave a comment and share something you are finding joy in right now. 

Big or small, joy is so needed right now. 

 

33 Joyful Activities That Are Getting Me Through Hard Days

cozy minmalist bouquet

One: Yard Bouquets

Inspired by Cozy Minimalist Home, I have been picking greenery in our yard to make bouquets for our home. What I didn’t expect was the same sense of satisfaction a real bouquet brings me.

Two: A Quiet Alarm Clock

I bought an affordable little step counter and use it now as an alarm. The gentle buzz on my arm is a lot less intrusive than a loud alarm and it’s been nice not waking everyone up when I sneak down for a quiet cup of coffee. 

It’s also been a handy reminder to move every hour (move? what’s that?) and to figure out what day it is.

Honestly, I’d have no clue otherwise.

Three: New York Times Cooking App

We haven’t subscribed to a newspaper in years, but the pandemic felt like a great justification to keep informed. When I activated our account, I added on the NYT Cooking app and it has been worth every dollar. I’m trying to do a recipe each week and it’s been a way to make all this cooking a tiny more fun.

iced coffee pitcher

Four: Unlimited Iced Coffee Refills

My new evening routine is making a batch of iced coffee for the next day. Although I used to make it without a pitcher, I am embracing this cold brew pitcher (a holiday gift) since it makes the process almost effortless. The inner filter holds all the grounds for you and screws into the cap. You just fill it up with cold water, screw in the filter, and give it a good shake. 

Five: Lunchtime Walks

Our life has gotten unbelievably boring. 

I mean, is the most exciting thing you do a prescription run? 

I’ve picked up a new lunchtime habit of taking a loop through our neighborhood with my husband.

Normally, he is at his workplace and while that’s come with some necessary adaptations (more below), we are embracing the challenge and taking a daily walk together on our lunch hours. 

Six: Working on Consistent Habits

My days had started to blur together and I realized that one of the reasons was because I had no real “goals” for the day. 

I was on the hunt for something to start helping hold me accountable and stumbled on The Fabulous app. I tried it out for a week and decided to buy a year to help me through this season. 

You set a goal that you have in mind (mine is to increase my energy levels) and then it works on habit-building by creating challenges for you each week. Although you don’t need an app to do this, it has some really great information on why these habits are important and how to reinforce them.

Right now, I’m working on an energy building trilogy of daily exercise, starting my day with water, and eating breakfast. 

I haven’t been doing any of these things consistently so I’m loving the accountability factor. 

Oh, and guess what?

It really is improving my energy.

Paint By Numbers for Adults

Seven: Painting & Audiobooks

I’m not very artistic so I’ve been embracing doing paint-by-number kits to get my creativity on. Once I started my painting, I realized that this pairs perfectly with audiobooks. 

I got a kit for my girl too so we sit with our respective earbuds and paint together.

If you have a teen girl, this is a joy-giver all around right now.

Eight: My New Oven

In the earliest days of all this mess, my oven decided to quit. It, honestly, was the most inconvenient time since no one would bring it into our house or (at that point) was even open.

I am sure we made a memory that day with all the teamwork involved trying to get the old oven out and a new oven into our home.  

Now that the oven drama is behind us, I can say that having the option for convection has made my dishes taste so much better. 

Also, is there anything better than a shiny new appliance after sixteen years?

I can now see my goofy reflection again when I peek at what’s cooking.

Absorbent Hair Towels

Nine: Hair Towel Time

I have never been big on washing my hair, mostly because my hair is so thick and it takes forever to dry.

I’m not sure why I’ve never bought a hair towel before, but it has motivated me so much more to wash my hair. I also love that it keeps my head cozy while my hair is drying.

Despite not seeing a hairstylist since August (yikes), my hair feels so much healthier.

These little self-care rituals are luxurious little treats these days.

Ten: A Minimized Wardrobe

A minimal wardrobe isn’t a new thing, but this summer I only got out about a quarter of my summer wardrobe. 

This pared down wardrobe includes only things that make ME happy and are super comfortable.

No need to impress the neighbors on our loop through the ‘hood.

Pull-on shorts, simple sundresses, and breezy skirts (HIGHLY recommend these if you are doing the same) are on repeat over here.

If you need a few comfortable go-to pieces:

This sundress with adjustable straps is my absolute favorite

Swing dresses for the win.

Anything labeled pull-on shorts, from this company, have been a hit.

This shirt is so lightweight and wrinkle-free with sleeves that look perfect rolled up. I wear it to death.

I hope you have these. I love the scoop & v-neck options (depending on what I’m wearing).

 

 

Eleven: A Renewed Appreciation for Oatmeal

In an effort to minimize charges for grocery delivery, I started making steel cut slow cooker oatmeal for our breakfast instead of buying multiple boxes of cereal.

Frankly, I just couldn’t keep up, even with the wholesale club size boxes. 

We had a couple of people who weren’t as big of oatmeal fans that have converted since I started making these. 

If I’m not making this, I’m baking up trays of granola

I feel so much better when I eat this way and, thanks to the habit tracker, this has become a new priority.

Twelve: A Hand Sanitizer That Moisturizes

If you have to use hand sanitizer, multiple times a day, it’s nice when you find one that smells good and doesn’t dry out your hands.

Add, this bottle of hand sanitizer to the surprising list of things you never thought you’d be grateful for in 2020. 

It smells soooo good, it dries fast, and it isn’t sticky.

If you want to add another layer, I discovered this inexpensive hand cream and add a layer of that before bed.  

Thirteen: News Without the Noise

Three Instagram accounts have made digesting all this news a little easier this year and THAT is something to be grateful for right now.

I highly recommend following these three accounts to stay updated on everything.

Kinggutterbaby– Laurel is an infectious disease researcher that does an incredible job on her Instagram Stories (you can check her highlight bubbles on her profile page too) translating science into layman’s terms and also explaining if headline news is real or not.

Jessicayellin– Jessica is a former White House correspondent that does a really great daily briefing of the news you need to know. I appreciate her reporter instincts to report the news without any particular agenda except making sense of all these headlines. 

Pantsuitpolitics– Sarah & Beth do a phenomenal job with their briefing on the headlines too. They focus on grace-filled politics which is something I think we desperately need right now. I’m really thankful for the compassionate way they help you understand what’s happening in the world.

ALDI Curbside

Fourteen: ALDI Curbside Pickup

I am so darn thankful for Instacart and now I’m doubly thankful because I can pick up my groceries and save money on tips.

Our local store recently joined the curbside gang and now I can order my groceries and pick them up in their newly designated spots.

We tried it out this week and the entire transaction took less than five minutes. 

Everything was bagged, loaded, and had contactless fulfillment.

I guess our prescription runs just got a whole lot more exciting.

We saved about $35 in delivery and tip fees on a single order alone. 

I’m planning to use this moving forward, until the unmotivated winter months.

Fifteen: A Unicorn Haircut

What did we do before YouTube and Pinterest? 

I am so thankful that we were able to navigate this time with some inexpensive clippers because it has been many years since I cut hair at our house. 

Outdoor haircuts are the latest pandemic craze and I’ve been cutting everyone’s hair, including my own.

Have you ever used the unicorn haircut trick for your long hair? 

Well, I did. 

Although it is a pretty shady haircut, I’m thankful I am able to stay away from the germs for now and my ends feel so much better.

Oh, the things I have learned in quarantine.

Panini Night

Sixteen: Dusting Off Those Small Appliances

So many dusty small appliances have been living in our basement and I’m thankful to be rotating them in our house again.

From my bread machine to the panini press, we have been using a lot of things in our home that have not seen any love in our house in a long time.

In fact, panini night is back at the Clark house.  (jazz hands!)

Our favorite combo is pesto, provolone, roasted chicken (try this easy method with frozen chicken), spinach, and tomato. 

Don’t have a panini press? Cover a brick with foil and smash those sandwiches in a skillet instead. 

Seventeen: Direct Care From My Physician

I didn’t know we would be in a pandemic when I switched to a direct care option for my medical stuff, but I am SO thankful I did.

It has been invaluable to have 24/7 access to a physician that knows my patient file inside and out.

Navigating all of this has been much easier because I know what is happening on a local level. 

If you can afford the monthly (or annual) rate, this is the year to pay for that access.

Eighteen: Podcast Nights Together

What could be better than a glass of wine and a really intriguing podcast that allows you to escape the current day issues for a little awhile.

Our happy hour is now paired with the Rabbit Hole podcast.

Once we started it, we couldn’t stop.

Imagine exploring someone’s YouTube journey, from start to finish, and witnessing how the algorithms affect their moral compass.

We thought we knew where this was headed, but we had no idea.

Nineteen: My New Workspace

We have a double desk in our office, but rarely worked side by side. With both of us working from home, we were getting pretty annoyed with each other.

Give me soft lights, bubbling essential oils, music, and YouTube breaks.

Give him bright lights, absolutely no talking or sound ever, and Zooming all day.

Not ideal.

This foldable desk and this foldable chair ended up being the perfect solution for a temporary workstation.

Of course, once I realized how glorious it is to have the windows open and sunshine on my face, this may be the permanent solution.

I’m looking forward to picking out some fun wallpaper to dress up the top of this desk.

Twenty: Watching The Office (For The First Time)

I am sure we are the only people on the planet that haven’t seen, “The Office,” but I can’t tell you how thankful I am that I waited. 

We have been belly-laughing through every single episode and I, FINALLY, can appreciate why this show is such a cult-classic.

Twenty-One: My Hair Coloring Smock

According to Madison Reed, I have been a hair color subscriber since 2018 and I am still appreciating the convenience of hair color delivery. 

The brush and bowl set has made application easier, but the hair coloring smock is being used so much more than I would have imagined. 

Now I get dressed and put this on over my clothes to protect them while doing my makeup and hair routines. 

Twenty-Two: Mastering a Favorite Takeout Dish

I’ve been more motivated to figure out some of our favorite takeout dishes, mostly because the delivery fees can really add up and the amount of packaging can be a little sickening.

The recipe of the summer, for sure, has been this sheet pan chicken shawarma

With all of these struggles in the meat plants though, I’m looking forward to working on some more plant-based dinner ideas to help do our part.

For now, gratitude for mastering a takeout favorite.

Twenty-Three: Socially Distancing With Neighbors

What’s the point of having a fire pit if you never use it? 

We had our first neighbor night (socially distanced) around the fire and it made me feel almost…well…normal. 

We ordered Papa John’s pizza (one for each of us), sipped wine, and gabbed forever in our backyard. 

If there ever is a time you are thankful for a huge backyard and sitting area, it is right now!

Also, it’s great that when they need to use the bathroom, they can just go to their house.

Hahaha! 

Twenty-Four: New Family Systems

A very first world problem is to miss the amazing crew that helped you maintain your home, but we are trying to not introduce any germs into our home, as much as possible.

These chore charts have really worked out well and I am proud that we are working together as a team through this.

My husband also suggested a dry erase board for our refrigerator, to help us use up the leftovers and to jot down any items that a family member uses up.

When you have a deep refrigerator, it is easy to have a lot of food waste, so this board is really helping us be more accountable to our food.

Twenty-Five:  Shower Pumps Changing My Life

I’m in charge of deep-cleaning the bathrooms weekly, and moving all of these bottles around (many of them emptied and sitting on ledges) was driving me bonkers. 

Are you ready for the thing that changed all that?

Wall pump dispensers in our bathrooms have removed ALL the ledge clutter. 

I reinforced these with some waterproof command strips (because kids), but it is one of my favorite purchases we have made. 

Not moving around all this clutter (or looking at it when I take my bath) is bringing me a ton of joy.

Twenty-Six:  Streaming Podcasts Through Spotify

I’m embarrassed to say that, despite paying for a premium membership, I have never used Spotify to stream my podcasts

I love how seamless this platform moves from episode to episode, unlike the apps I was using before. I find it way easier to navigate and follow my favorite podcasts.

Even better?

They are testing out ads that will help remember those promo codes for you, should you get sucked into an ad or two. 

P.S.- Need a playlist or 55 for these months ahead? You can follow me over here.

Twenty-Seven:  The New Family Lake House

Is there anything better than having someone in your family buy a lakehouse that you get to hang out at?

I think not.

We are so thrilled for my husband’s parents as they built a little slice of heaven as their next forever home. 

The view is so peaceful and it has the biggest porch for us to park on and watch the kids swim.

We can’t wait until this is all over, for fun sleepovers with grandma & grandpa, and catching that sunrise view. 

For now, the porch is the vacation destination we all need right now.

Twenty-Eight: Celebrating 20 Married Years With My Husband

I am not going to talk about any first world losses, but this pandemic wasn’t the 20th wedding anniversary trip that I was expecting.

 Katie Whitcomb is my dear friend and a phenomenal wedding photographer. 

To celebrate, we did a social-distancing photo session and got anniversary pictures.

We never had engagement photos or have had photos done without our kids, so what better time than 20 married years to get these?

These images are, honestly, something we will treasure forever and I’m planning to make an album.

If you are local, please hire her, and give yourself this gift. 

Oh, and every single thing I’m wearing (including those heels) was bought on consignment from thredUP.

I’m so proud of my new-to-me wardrobe.

Immune Compromised Button Pin

Twenty-Nine: Etsy Seller Protection

If anyone has showed up this year, it is CRAFTERS. 

After a horrible first outing (since March), I realized how weirdly confrontational people were being about social distancing and wearing a mask. 

I thought maybe a SIGN might help with that SIX FEET stuff. 

I wanted to figure out a way to get people to exercise that social distancing stuff so I ordered this inexpensive button.

 

My Spouse Has a Compromised Immune System Button

I also ordered a button for my husband because it’s, honestly, causing him more anxiety than me since he’s doing all the necessary errands for our family.

Speaking of Etsy sellers, I ordered these masks, as soon as this all started, and they are PERFECT.

They are pleated (for a wider expansion), have a metal nose piece to help it stay on better, and have a filter pocket for extra protection.

In all this fun, I also discovered that a coffee filter is perfect for this pockets and blue Dawn, smeared on your glasses (don’t rinse) help with the summer steam up. 

This paper clip trick has helped EVERYONE in our family. Pull it in tighter for a snugger fit and it makes taking a mask on and off a heck of a lot easier.

Yes, it seems weird that these things bring me joy right now.

I *DO* love supporting crafters though and I’m thankful for these well-made & well-thought products.

Thirty: “Free” Disney Plus 

Our cell phones are with Verizon so we were thrilled to discover that, if you have the unlimited plan, Disney Plus is free for the first year. 

Say what?

That freebie couldn’t have come at a better time.

My husband has been in Star Wars heaven and it didn’t cost us a dime extra.

Also, who couldn’t use a little Disney magic?

Thirty-One: New Post Workout Routines

I shared my favorite ways to work out at home, in my April happy list, and I’m still loving every minute of it. 

Since I’m saving so much time on a gym commute, I have a little more time for my post gym routines. 

The best combo I have found is dry brushing my skin before I shower (it REALLY helps if you struggle with ingrown hairs- although some say it has numerous health benefits) and after showering, I add a little Peppermint CBD Balm to my lotion. This is body tingling magic and helps my muscles recover a little better. 

BTW- If you are low-income or a veteran, I adore this CBD company because they give out a 60% discount to these families, on anything in their store. 

Thirty-Two: Still Finding the Funny

Gosh, it is hard to find anything that funny right now, but if we don’t laugh than we cry. 

I curate ten laughs every Tuesday and, I won’t lie, it takes the entire week to gather.

Finding these is half the fun and the other half is giving the joy to others. 

Here is the hashtag to laugh all day and you can follow me on Instagram if you need a little cheer-up.

Thirty-Three: Getting Back to My Infant Feet

I do miss that summer pedicure treat, this year, but this weird foot mask is my new treat.

It’s just as satisfying and gross as you might expect.

What better time to shed your skin than while your home.

YOLO.

That’s it from me! I’d love to hear the unexpected joy in your life. I hope something on MY list can make YOUR list during this crazy time. Sending giant virtual hugs!

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Love this post? You might enjoy these!

this happy list was the first one since the quarantine fun- tons of goodies made for you!

May 2020 Must-Reads looking for your next book stack. here’s what I’ve been reading this summer.

Creating a Weekly Cleaning Routine (Free Printable Charts) Header here is how we are dividing the chores right now

still working through your pantry from the panic stock-up? here are 45 recipes to try!

33 Joyful Things Getting Me Through Hard Days

 

April Happy List

Wednesday, May 6th, 2020

Hi! How are you? It seems a strange time to share a happy list, but a necessary thing too. April was a challenging month, but I’ve been so thankful for so many ways I can connect with my loved ones and for the many welcome joyful distractions. 

Did you know that I send you a happy list every dang week? It’s a huge labor of love, but your feedback has made it SO worth putting in the effort.

If you would like to receive my happy list newsletter, just sign up over here!

Want to see more posts like these? Check them all out over here!

Before I share MY list, let’s check out YOUR favorite things on MomAdvice!

these kool-aid slushies are getting a lot of love this month

Top Ten Most Visited Articles in April

  1. Homemade Sidewalk Chalk Paint
  2. The Best Kindle Daily Deals Book List
  3. No-Sew Jigsaw Puzzle Mat
  4. How to Make Slushies With Kool-Aid Mixes
  5. How to Stain a Picnic Table
  6. DIY Reusable Floor Pads for Your Swiffer Mop
  7. How to Organize Your Board Games
  8. Buttery Bread Machine Rolls
  9. DIY Fluffy Slime Recipe
  10. 33 Copycat Starbucks Drinks

Top Ten Most Purchased Items in April

  1. Paint By Numbers Kits
  2. My Favorite Jigsaw Puzzle spot (they shipped these so quick!)
  3. $3 Manicure Sets
  4. Bob’s Red Mill Gluten-Free Flour (you must be making my favorite 5-ingredient gluten-free pizza crust!)
  5. Mainstays Washcloths (to make those diy swiffer pads)
  6. Amy’s Quarantine Pants (these sold out, but these are very similar)
  7. Over-the-Door Mirror
  8. Bernat Blanket Big Yarn (you must be making my favorite diy chunky knit blanket!)
  9. Spray Paint Gripper (this article on how to spray paint furniture is also going bonkers right now!)

Top Ten Amazon Purchases in April

  1. The Mother-In-Law (this one is sooo good!)
  2. Miracle Creek (loved it so much)
  3. The Extraordinary Life of Sam Hell (this is my favorite book of 2020, so far!)
  4. Followers (this one is excellent)
  5. Tell Me Three Things (one of my favorite YA reads- would be great to do a mother & daughter book club)
  6. The Girl He Used to Know (this is such a great contemporary fiction romance)
  7. The Scent Keeper
  8. The Sound of Gravel (this is one of my favorite memoirs)
  9. How to Walk Away (adorable start to finish)
  10. Midnight at the Blackbird Cafe

April Happy List

Did you know that I’m a professional homebody? When my health took a turn, it really forced me to stay home more, conserve my energy, and make my life as easy as possible.

Just so you know, this was one of the hardest things that I had to adapt to so I just want to acknowledge that if you aren’t adjusting well to quarantine, I do understand. 

Honestly, I felt very lonely and isolated for a long time. 

In my newsletter, I shared my favorite homebody resources so I wanted to share that here as well. 

These are the things that made my life feel normal and have also saved us a ton of money.

My resources for the Best Homebody Life EVER!

love grows best in little houses pillow cover

SAVE MORE MONEY BY USING YOUR RAKUTEN APP– ALMOST ALL OF THESE HAVE CASHBACK OFFERS FOR YOU! Learn more about how this can give you cash back in this article I wrote.

this pilates wheel is my weekly PT appointment with myself

Working Out At Home:

Support a local gym owner and take advantage of their online memberships to support a small business. 

Online Workout Options-

If you don’t have a gym, but feel like you need to burn some steam, my favorite apps for at-home workouts are Cyclecast (for spinning classes) & Openfit (for barre, pilates, & yoga).  

I also have a Pilates Wheel (ideal if you were doing Pilates Reformer classes) and access to their on-demand classes.

Also, YouTube has tons of great FREE full-length online classes to get you moving. Try Yoga With AdrienePopSugar Fitness, or The Fitness Marshall.

In light of what is going on in the world, Down Dog and Peloton apps have been offering free trial memberships too.

Self-Care At Home:

Madison Reed (this link should give you $15 towards your first purchase)– 

Interested in coloring your hair at home?

I have been using this company’s products for a year and it is an idiot-proof way of picking the right color, having the right stuff to do it, and is always salon quality. The color is thicker (so it doesn’t drip) and it doesn’t have heavy smells. 

As someone with mast cell disorder, it also has not caused any weird scalp reactions like other hair coloring products do.

In fear that I might not get my orders for awhile, I went ahead and stockpiled this when all this started.

Bonus, if you are struggling, they have stylists that can help you navigate doing this at home (via online chat) and have video instructions for the first time.

Personally, the bowl & brush make it easier (for me) and I love their salon cape that saves my clothes from dye mishaps. We got to use the cape again when I gave my hubby a quarantine haircut so it has come in handy.

$3 Manicures– 

Many women get regular shellacs, but I never liked to spend the money unless we had special occasions.

I opted for nail stickers instead and love that I can get $3 manicures at home now.

My nails are so much stronger especially since my top (and bottom) coat is this nail strengthener.

I will say, they take some time to get the hang of and pattern helps disguise any wrinkling a lot more than a plain color. 

If you are still dealing with shellac removal, I couldn’t believe how good this worked when removing my holiday shellac.

Hair Remover-

So rude that our body hair persists amidst all this- hahaha! Try this for your lady mustachethese strips for body hair (warm with your blow dryer), and this defuzz tool that are helpful until you can get back to your salon.

this $28 tracker is amazing

Health Concerns:

Anxiety? Cha, cha, cha! Here’s what’s helping me over on my struggle bus.

Heart Monitor

Before things really heightened, my physician stressed the importance of baseline numbers so I knew if I was healthy or sick. When he asked about how high I’ve been getting my heart rate up (when working out), I admitted that I could only assume that I was hitting the suggested number. Having baseline numbers lets you know when your body is “off” and minimizes mental stress when it is anxiety-driven. 

I do not have a fancy watch or tracker so I got this $28 tracker and am loving it. Now I know what my resting heart rate is, if I am hitting the heart rate zone for fitness, and I can make sure I’m moving enough.

As we are changing our routines, step count and activity levels do become more important to me. I find this tracker to be a help and love the reminders to move, the vibrating alarm (that doesn’t wake up the whole house while we are different schedules right now), and being able to monitor my sleep is really important right now.

Pulse Oximeter

My physician sent out a letter on how we were to handle our symptoms if we were worried about COVID-19. He is one of those, “knowledge is power,” people and advised purchasing a pulse oximeter as one way to minimize anxiety or to assess whether you should puruse treatment or testing.

In his words, “I recommend that those at risk get a pulse oximeter that you can buy for $30-50 at Amazon or any drug store. It clips on your finger and tells you your oxygen percentage, normal is usually 96-98%.  You do not need a prescription for it. Get a baseline. If you do get sick and feel short of breath it is an objective way to see if there really is a lack of air—those below 93% consistently should get evaluated. It helps to take the worry and guesswork out.”

While we are on the subject of this, I have never been MORE thankful that I went the direct patient care route this year.

Getting an immediate response from a physician and staff have been invaluable.

Here is where you can read more about that how that works and see if it is available in your area.

Nurx 

This is a mail delivery option if you need to get your birth control delivered to your doorstep. They also offer other women’s services that might be helpful to you.

CVS– 

A $5 membership will give you a $10 store coupon every month and gives you access to prescription delivery (can’t be controlled substances though like ADHD or opioids). Please note, it takes 1-2 days to process your prescriptions.

Curable

I have talked non stop about how much this app has helped me. Did you know that your pain increases during stressful times like these?

They are offering their app for half price and making many of their premium resources available to you for free right now.

Talkspace or Betterhelp– 

If you need to talk things through with someone, these apps allow you to have virtual counseling sessions.

If you have already established a relationship with a therapist, see if they are willing to connect via Zoom or Facetime for a session.

Keep these options in mind if you have a child/teen that is struggling with their new normal.

Shopping:

As grocery stores struggle to stay stocked, try to think about places that aren’t usually on your radar.

We were able to get a lot of necessities “off hours” at a local gas station. We don’t usually separate out meat purchases, but Shelton Farms (local) had fresh daily deliveries so we could stock our freezer.

We rounded it out with these options below:

Instacart 

I could not be more thankful for Instacart right now.

Not only does this service shop ALDI, they also handle my Costco runs too.

In our town, they are able to shop Kroger, Target, Petco, Meijer, Gordon Food Services, Sam’s Club, CVS, and Fresh Thyme too.

With so many people shopping, these aren’t the typical two hour deliveries that I’ve come to expect.

I advise making your list a day prior (at least) and picking the first slot. If you know when your grocer stocks (or can call and ask), you can time this to their delivery.

I ask that they leave everything on our front step so we don’t come in contact with any unnecessary germs.

Walmart Grocery Delivery or Pick-Up

Walmart Grocery Pick-Up is free, but they also offer a similar service for grocery delivery. This link should give you a 15 day free trial. Memberships are running, roughly, the same price as Instacart.

Grove

I have been using Grove for years for all our cleaners, hand soaps, cleaning tools, beauty products, toothpaste, and paper products. If you are struggling to find toilet paper, for example, this is a great way to get it without battling the crowds.

If you haven’t used it before, this link should give you a free 5-piece gift set on your first order

We did have help cleaning our house (physically hard on my body) and now that we are under self-quarantine, we will be responsible for keeping up with stuff.

I got two caddies with necessary cleaning items (microfiber towels, cleaners, grout brush, tub cleaner, tc..) so we can divide and conquer around our house. 

Groupon For Wine 

I am not about to compromise my health for booze so we decided to order online.

Instacart will not pick up wine for us, in Indiana, so I ordered a box of wine from Groupon

Yes, desperate times call for desperate measures. 

Wine Insiders is usually one that is offered everywhere and I’ve been really happy with how it is shipped and how quickly it arrives. We did a mixed box of white and red so everyone is happy over here. 

Keep in mind the shipping prices, look for coupon codes, get that Rakuten cashback offer, and I hope it saves you tons of money (and germs).

just zooming around schitt’s creek with my best pals

Online Meeting & Connection Options:

Most of my friends have been meeting up on Zoom, but without a premium membership your meeting times are shortened. 

Google has made premium memberships to Google Meets free though so you can do your conferences at home with no fees. I rely a lot on Zoom, but you can’t beat a free premium membership.

Marco Polo

This is my favorite app to stay in touch with people (locally and far away) It’s a video walkie talkie app that allows you to send a video message to someone you love and they can reply with a video message back when it is convenient for them.

It’s a REALLY cool tool, that has improved so many of my relationships.

Netflix Party

Missing your friends? SAME. My friends and I decided it would be fun to pick up a show together now that Netflix is offering the coolest app (or extension- depending on how you view shows) to throw a virtual Netflix party.

Basically, you can watch a show or movie together and chat together about it while you are watching.

 

Reading Resources:

Scribd 

This is an online app if you are a big reader or just need something to escape with.

You don’t even need to own a Kindle- it is one you can do on an iPad or even your phone.

If you have tweens or teens, this service has SO many great books and the rates are super affordable.

They offer unlimited audiobooks, books, and magazines. This link should give you a free 60 day trial membership to help you escape.

Library Online Services- 

There are SO many great partnerships that you can look into that are available with your library card. 

Love indie films? See if your library is partnered with Kanopy so you can stream a great flick.

Looking for a great audiobook but don’t want to pay a membership fee? HooplaLibby, or Overdrive are all great options that you can access with your library card. 

Love magazines? Check if the library is partnered with Flipster for digital browsing.

Digital Courses (For You or Your Kiddos!):

Skillshare (this link should give you two free months)  or Bluprint are two of my favorite resources.

These sites have classes that you can take that can be a great boredom buster for tweens/teens or even for yourself. Crafting and cooking are always a go-to therapy for me. I’ve had a Skillshare membership for about three years and have taken so many amazing classes.

More Happy List Fun

Making the Cut

Available on Amazon Prime, this reality series is similar to, “Next in Fashion,” and features a slew of amazing clothing designers that are tasked with making over-the-top fashion and wearable fashion for the everyday consumer.

Hosted by Heidi Klum & Tim Gunn, it is one of those reality series shows that showcase how makers bond together on projects and true creativity.

It’s perfectly mindless, set in Paris, and has been a welcome escape from headline news.

Creating a Weekly Cleaning Routine (Free Printable Charts) grab a free blank printable

Newly Divided Household Duties

I realize that  one of the reasons that I have had a hard time keeping track of my days is because my day didn’t have a rhythm anymore.

As I struggled to keep up with our house (and food prep and e-learning and work) I realized that no one else was on the struggle bus with me.

Everyone could see that I was stressed, but directing everyone on what to do was another stressor. How can I get people to help me though if I don’t know what I need?

I decided to sit down and divide all of the household tasks to make things easier on myself.

I made charts for each family member (yes, including my husband, we are all in this together).

Copies were made and hung on a kitchen cabinet and each person is responsible for helping. 

I am sharing how we are divided  the chores and a blank printable for making your own routines. The daily routines sheet has been a helpful reminder to get moving and to end the day as a team (with cleaning up after dinner).

My kids did remark that this is helping them keep track of their days better and they DO want to help their mom and dad right now.

I’m calling this one a win!

read this article on how to create your own care budget

Creating a Care Budget

Taking care of everyone else in our lives can feel really overwhelming right now and it can be really stressful when you have divided yourself in so many ways. It is overwhelming when so many in our lives are hurting. 

The care budget helps you decide what you need to prioritize and how to conserve your energy so you can take care of yourself too.

I plan to take pen to paper and figure out what needs to make this list while conserving our own resources (money, energy, time, etc..) in the days ahead. 

Knowing that I have a clearly outlined plan does contribute to my overall happiness right now.

watch this movie on hulu

The Female Brain

Last weekend, my husband and I decided to have a she shed date night and it was just the pick-me-up with both needed. We ordered a little food from our favorite Italian place, popped popcorn, cracked a bottle of Groupon wine (pinkies up!), and curled up for a movie. 

I’m not sure how this rom-com movie never made my radar, but if you have Hulu, it’s a must-see date night flick.

It has multiple stories (similar to Love, Actually) and it is just the kind of feel good, laugh-out-loud date night movie you need. 

It is a bit like a documentary as it explores the reason why we have certain attractions to the opposite sex.

It also explores why our brains does the the things it does and how this impacts our relationships that we create. 

This won’t change your life, but it was a really fun distraction for a date night at home and you can’t beat that right now. (see the trailerwatch the movie on Hulu)

check out this incredible resource while you practice your social distancing

The “Stay Home Take Care” Care Package You Need

We are all looking for different things right now and Girls’ Night In wanted to create a little care package to help address whatever you might be needing this month.

Looking to stay connected? Trying to be useful? Looking for ways to entertain your kids? Looking for ways to stay entertained? How about caring for yourself?

This virtual care package allows you to click on what you need the most and spits out ideas to make your life just a tiny bit better.

There are loads of ideas that will fill your cup while waiting out this pandemic storm. I hope it entertains you as much as it has entertained me this week.  (check out your virtual care package here)

This Tiny Desk Concert

Any Harry Styles fans out there?

You must, must, must watch this beautiful concert.

It  blew me away. I also have a not-so-secret crush on this guy.

If you do too, be sure to read this steamy romance that just might be based on my not-so-secret crush.

Be warned, this one is HOT, HOT, HOT.

I Am Not Okay With This

My daughter is a HUGE Stranger Things fan so I had a feeling that she would flip for this series..and I was right.

Disclaimer, this series is much more adult than Stranger Things and is recommended for kids ages 16 and up, according to Common Sense Media.

That said, we are in a time where we just want to see our teen daughter having joyful moments with us so we bended our usual standards to watch this with her. 

Produced by the same people that made Stranger Things, it is a coming-of-age story that has just 7 short episodes, with a heck of a cliffhanger ending.

It has the same kind of sci-fi feel we have come to expect with these producers, as the main character discovers she has some superhero powers that can uncontrollably erupt when she gets angry.

As she learns more about herself, she realizes that her dad’s death also may be connected to her own daily struggles to control the consequences of her anger. 

This has a very Breakfast Club feel, a killer soundtrack, and it sucked us in within just a few minutes.

My only disappointment is that we completed it in two days and now have to wait for season 2.

Again, use your best judgement on parenting with this one or devour it for your next couch date with your partner. (watch the trailerwatch the show)

Together Apart Podcast

Looking for a new podcast?

Although there are only a few episodes, I am already madly in love with this sweet podcast.

Since gatherings and celebrations in groups are temporarily put on hold, this podcast focuses on ways to celebrate when you can’t physically be together.

It isn’t just the specific answer to these celebrations that makes this one so sweet, it has tips and tricks that I plan to apply to real life celebrating when we can be together again. 

There are a million nuggets of wisdom on making people feel special and seen that I had to pause and take notes. I also had to look up the podcast’s hostess and just discovered she has a book out that I now am dying to read

One gorgeous idea, that was shared, was the idea of sharing a playlist of songs that are special to you with your friends.

Each person listens to their friend’s playlists and then get to tell their stories over a Zoom chat about why those songs are special to them.

Personally, I think this would be a great date night OR a fun option to do with your teen or tween that gives you a chance to learn about what music is important to them. (check out the podcast)

Quarantine Pants (noted above- these pants did sell out, but this is a similar style and by the same company)

I remain committed that I do not want you to spend your money right now unless you really need something.

So, please skip this one if you have a closet full of comfy pants right now.

Personally, I live in jeans, but that is not what I have been wanting to wear at all.

Poorly timed, I had been working on my capsule wardrobe (before the pandemic) and had been looking for a dressy jogger that I planned to wear out and about this spring.

These joggers are now the thing that I have been reaching for every day and I’m so glad I had added them to my wardrobe. 

They don’t pill or wrinkle, they washed up with no shrinking, fit true to size, and are lightly fleece lined (warm, but not too warm). They are the perfect jogger and, unknowingly, became the official quarantine pants of 2020. They look perfectly business appropriate, but are actually sweatpants. (shop them only if you need them please- true to size)

follow history cool kids on instagram

History Cool Kids on Instagram

Looking for a great distraction? I am not sure how I stumbled on this Instagram account, but I’m so glad that I did.

Be prepared, this is quite the Instagram tunnel, but you will learn so much.

The account gathers images from the past and puts together all the research behind the photo.

My husband and I spent an entire evening going through the account and learning all sorts of interesting things. I’ll pick out three that I can’t stop thinking about.

This is an image of the only man ever who was born a little person and ended up a giant because of a medical condition

Did you know that they tried to make a motorcycle communication device so that the biker could talk to their passenger behind them? So wild!

This woman became a legit library. Like, strapped it to her back and sold books for twopence each. I feel a Halloween costume for next year coming on!

If this account doesn’t offer you a distraction for an evening, I’ve got nothing. Looking back at history is one of my favorite things to do these days.

check out the trailer for this true crime documentary

My New True Crime Addiction

Have you seen, “How to Fix a Drug Scandal,” yet?

In 2013, Massachusetts State Police arrested a 35-year-old crime drug lab chemist,  named Sonja Farak, for tampering with evidence, but it ended up being only the beginning.

Over time, details emerged that Farak had been in fact using the drugs that she was tasked with testing.

Many people ended up going to jail for drug-related crimes and were sentenced to years in prison, without having a fair trial.

This is an incredibly thought-provoking documentary and has so many layers to unpack. I’m trying not to rush through it. (watch it on netflixwatch the trailer)

check out my sexy date night playlist- cha, cha, cha

A New Date Night Playlist  

I’m putting my college dorm DJ skills to work and made a fun playlist for our date night.

Titled, “Closer Than Six Feet,” these are the steamy songs I’m loving.

I made a fancy dinner for us and we got a bit of a dance party going on thanks to these fun songs. 

As a disclaimer, this is not a playlist for everyone because LANGUAGE.  

If language bothers you, here is your Earbud Escape from COVID-19 that I think you will just love and is more censored. 

Unfortunately, Spotify doesn’t offer a lot of the radio cleaned-up versions of the songs. If you want a steamy, fun playlist that has LANGUAGE (hahaha!), then check out, Closer Than Six Feet.

Also, if you aren’t following me on Spotify, you are missing such a gorgeous collection of music.

All of the playlists (minus this one) are clean! I love every kind of music so I’m confident there is a playlist for you.

I love music as much as I love books and I hope that shows in these playlists.

One of my biggest joys is so many artists reach out to me now to be included and I get to introduce songs that people would have never heard. 

I hope you enjoyed this month’s round-up of February fun. My goal is that my happy brings a month of happy to you too! If this post doesn’t convince you my newsletter is fun, I’ve got nothing. Sign up over here to get this fun weekly in your inbox.

As an Amazon Associate I earn from qualifying purchases.

This post contains affiliate links.

Love this post? You might enjoy these!

April 2020 Must-Reads from MomAdvice.com here all 11 incredible books that I devoured in april

Best Easy Granola Recipe this month I’m sharing our family’s favorite granola recipe

17 Movies From the 90's You Must Share With Your Kids have a fun night with the kids and watch these ’90’s movies together

Easy Crafts for Kids to Keep Them Entertained Header this month we rounded up some easy crafts you can do with your kids to keep them entertained

I hope my happy brings you some happy too this week. What topped your April happy list?

February Happy List

Friday, March 6th, 2020

Amy Allen Clark

How are you? I am so sorry it has been so long since I have shared a Happy List with you. 

Just so you know, these little gems are delivered into inboxes on Friday and I’d love to send you a happy list too. 

Crafting the happy list has, honestly, become one of my favorite elements of my job. I promise to only send you unique fun and refuse to spam you.

If you would like to receive my happy list newsletter, just sign up over here!

Want to see more posts like these? Check them all out over here!

Before I share MY list, let’s check out YOUR favorite things on MomAdvice!

DIY Chunky Knit Blanket from MomAdvice.com make this chunky blanket with my free knitting pattern

Top Ten Most Visited Articles in February

  1. How to a DIY No-Sew Blanket Scarf
  2. 3-Ingredient Instant Pot Ribs
  3. How to Make a Homeless Care Package
  4. DIY Chunky Knit Blanket
  5. DIY Roll-Up Jigsaw Puzzle Mat
  6. Easy Fruit Infused Water Recipes
  7. DIY Minecraft Costume
  8. How to Make a Yarn Pom-Pom Wreath
  9. How to Organize Board Games
  10. The Best Books of 2019

you must get one of these- it is GORGEOUS

 

Top Ten Most Purchased Items in February

  1. True Body Racerback Tanks (I’m OBSESSED with these)
  2. Novel Teas
  3. Loops & Threads Jumbo Knitting Needles
  4. The Giving Plate
  5. Time & Tru Coatigan (pictured above)
  6. Mainstays Washcloths (I have a feeling you must be making your own DIY Swiffer Pads)
  7. RBG Paint By Numbers Kit
  8. Goodee Mini Projector
  9. Political Pottery Pieces
  10. Nevertheless She Persisted Puzzle

Top Ten Amazon Purchases in February

  1. Photo Storage Boxes (you must be organizing those board games)
  2. RIT Colorstay Dye (you must be dying those faded jeans)
  3. Sagely Pill Organizer
  4. Rice Storage Bin
  5. Rust-oleum Spray Paint Trigger (are you spray painting furniture this month?)
  6. Luxury Bamboo Bathtub Tray
  7. Light Therapy Lamp
  8. Glass Meal Prep Containers
  9. The Productivity Project
  10. Facial Hair Shaver

February Happy List

The Dream Podcast

The Dream Podcast is Back

Last year one of my absolute favorite podcasts was, The Dream.

If you haven’t listened to season one, it really is a must!

The first season explores MLM (or multi-level marketing) companies and they really dive deep into the reasons why women are attracted to join them, what they are really looking for (friendship, a community, financial freedom), and the predatory nature of how these companies operate.

I was so excited to discover that this podcast is back and this season is tackling the health & wellness industry.

I’m no stranger to feeling targeted by snake oil companies, after dealing with my own health issues, and the intent is to tell us if the things we are buying work or if we are just flushing our money down the toilet.

Although this season hasn’t been as strong, I still have learned a lot and think it brought a great new perspective on the buzzy products and claims that are happening in the wellness industry. 

(check out the podcast)

Coloring My Hair Got Even Easier

I have been coloring my hair for years and had switched to Madison Reed when I started to really have to put on my gloves to fight the resistant gray.

Despite coloring my hair for years, I have never bought myself a proper cape or tool set.

With this month’s order I threw in their coloring tool kit (brush, bowl, clips, etc..) and a proper hair coloring smock.

The brush has made application SO MUCH EASIER and the smock made me feel like I am having a real salon day experience at home.

Of course, saving my clothes from disaster is also incredibly awesome.

They give out coupon codes, so here is $15 if you ever want to give coloring at home a spin.

I did notice that they now offer highlighting kits too, but this girl has never been brave enough to attempt that one on her own.

If you have a sensitivity to smells or harsh chemicals, this is one of the only ones that doesn’t trigger a reaction on my scalp and it doesn’t have a strong scent.

It is surprisingly gentle while still being effective on those grays. 

(check out madison reed)

The New Mocktail I’m Sipping

I’m not sure why I had never discovered that they make Diet Ginger Beer, but now that I know it, I am looking forward to many mocktails without the guilt!

I had my neighbor over for a sushi and mocktail night and wanted to make something fun for us.

For this Moscow Mule Mocktail, just add crushed ice to a copper mug, a can of diet ginger beer, the juice of half a lime, and a splash of club soda or lime-flavored sparkling water.

These were just as refreshing as the real deal and I loved the zero guilt about calories with this one! 

(shop the diet ginger beer)

Temperature Blanket

I’m Working On My First Temperature Blanket

Have you heard of a temperature blanket before?

The idea is that you assign a range of temperatures to a yarn color and knit a row a day for the entire year to make a blanket that shows the weather patterns.

I wanted to make this uniquely mine so I’m developing a knitted pattern and will share it with you when I’m done.

This has definitely kept my mind busy as I’ve been working through different stitch patterns and trying to come up with a pattern that isn’t overly complex, but also interesting enough that you would look forward to doing it each day.

Obviously, with all the color switches, I had no idea how I was going to manage the yarn situation.

Stitch Happy Knitting Bag shop similar products to my yarn boss

Luckily, I got a Yarn Boss and it has made it SO much easier.

If you knit or crochet, and like to keep a couple of things going at the same time, you would absolutely love this solution. It has kept my yarn tangle-free and my cat away from chasing it.

Honestly, I think this one would be a fun project to do EVERY year, but in the same color scheme to see how the weather patterns change over the years to have a visual representation of global warming.

Look for my blanket at your next gallery showing- hahaha!

Yes, I am a nerd and, yes, I’m loving doing this each week!

(learn more about temperature blanketsshop products similar to the yarn boss that is out of stock)

Unbelievable on Netflix

Unbelievable

My sister-in-law moved into a new house and asked if I wanted to come stay the night for a girls night in. I can’t tell you how much fun we had- ordering sushi, watching true crime, and staying up wayyyy too late gabbing.

slumber party

Fun fact? We shared a locker in high school.

Who knew I would be 42 and having a sleepover at her house in this late age of life?

I married into an amazing family!

Of all the things we watched, Unbelievable (a limited series)  was absolutely incredible.

I know I am late to the Netflix party, but if you haven’t seen it yet, it is a MUST.

The story is heartbreaking, but the way these women detectives work on this case is phenomenal and showcases how important it is to believe women.

I don’t want to give anything away, but know that I could not stop watching these episodes and am blown away that this was a true story.

I doubt you will be able to stop once you start this show too. 

(watch the trailer here)

ALDI Skyr

Skyr at ALDI

Did you see me spill ALL my ALDI shopping secrets?

Don’t miss that post!

Have you tried skyr before?

When we visited Iceland, our hotel provided a beautiful buffet breakfast every morning.

It was one of those breakfasts where we discovered skyr, an Icelandic yogurt. 

This article explains the difference between Skyr and our yogurt, but it boils down to the cultures that are used and what is achieved with the different cultures.

To achieve their version, they need more milk so it ends up being more protein-packed than our version of yogurt.

Skyr is creamy and not as sour as our version and it became a morning treat we looked forward to each day.

Although I have tried a few different versions, sold at our grocery stores, we found them lacking.

Luckily, I stumbled upon the skyr that is now available at ALDI.

If you haven’t tried it RUN TO YOUR STORE. Every flavor is incredibly delicious and super affordable too.

My trick for the ultimate skyr snack?

I put this in my cold drawer, in my fridge, and it gives it almost an ice cream taste.

It’s my new nighttime not-so-guilty pleasure.

All the flavors are delicious, but the blueberry version is, by far, my favorite.

Did you know ALDI delivers groceries too?  The best part? They list all those ALDI finds now so you can have them grab you a workout mat, for example, AND your groceries.

Now that’s amazing and dangerous! 

(get $10 off your first Instacart order)

Long Shot

Long Shot

We had a lazy date night, last week, and decided to just order in sushi and watch a movie at home. 

Long Shot was not really on my radar this year, but we were just in the mood for something light and funny.

For the record, if you like a clean movie, then skip this one.

Now that I’ve said that, I haven’t laughed this hard in a movie in ages.

The premise is that, Charlize Theron’s character, is running for presidency and ends up running into an old friend from high school.

She hires him to be her speech writer and the two end up falling in love.

As implausible as this pairing is, I had a big cheesy grin, plastered across my face, at the end of this one.

It had a great plot, the soundtrack was so good, and the potty humor was just the escape we needed.

(watch the trailer)

Takeya Cold Brew Iced Coffee Maker

A Cold Brew Gadget That is Saving Me Serious $

I got some really amazing gifts this year and one of those that has made my week is this Takeya Cold Brew Iced Coffee Maker.

Long time readers may recall that I did a cold brew coffee tutorial on my blog.

While this is easy to do, it can be messy with straining the grounds and we often didn’t have room in our fridge for a big pitcher.

This little gadget is so cleverly designed that it has made this process a million times easier.

It has a fine mesh strainer that just screws right into the lid.

You add your coffee, attach it to the lid, fill it with cold water, give it a shake, and the next day you have delicious cold brew coffee. No mess, no straining, and perfection every dang time.

I fill mine with crushed ice, a splash of flavored coffee syrup, and a little almond milk. It is my new favorite afternoon treat.

If you love iced coffee, this gadget is under $20 and I can’t recommend it enough to save serious Starbucks cash. 

(shop it here)

Ronny Chieng Destroys America

Ronny Chieng: Asian Comedian Destroys America! 

If you are looking for an absolutely HILARIOUS comedy set, I can’t recommend Ronny Chieng’s new comedy special on Netflix enough.

If you were worried it is just a presidential rant, than you will be pleasantly surprised that it is not about that, but just about his own observations about Americans and the things that Americans take for granted.

With a lot of humor and heart, it reminded me of the abundance we have available to us that I didn’t even think about.  

Tears were rolling down my face as he shared these poignant observations with absolute hilarity.

We also took in the new Seth Meyers comedy special that had one of the most clever little Netflix features.

When he starts to rant about politics, a little button pops up that allows you to skip his political rant which was pretty freaking genius. We stuck around for that section, but you don’t have to.

I loved his special, but Ronny’s special was absolutely brilliant from start to finish.

You can catch it on Netflix, but click my link to watch one of my favorite clips that will have you dying with laughter.

(watch this clip for the perfect friday lol)

I hope you enjoyed this month’s round-up of February fun. My goal is that my happy brings a month of happy to you too! If this post doesn’t convince you my newsletter is fun, I’ve got nothing. Sign up over here to get this fun weekly in your inbox.

As an Amazon Associate I earn from qualifying purchases.

This post contains affiliate links.

Love this post? You might enjoy these!

learn how to invest in yourself today

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November Happy List

Thursday, December 5th, 2019

Thanksgiving 2019

How the heck are you?

It is that fun time of the month where I get to share what’s been making me happy this month.

I hope that you had a wonderful Thanksgiving with your families. I know we had a more relaxed holiday this year and that was SO very welcome.

Thankful list

Thanksgiving get the tutorial for my table runner for the holidays

There, honestly,  has been a lot going on at our house these days.  Not only did what we celebrate the holidays with my husband’s family, but my sister also got married this month too. 

I am so excited to see the next chapter of her life unfold and got her this as a wedding gift to celebrate those new milestones with their new family members. 

Isn’t that the best little gift? 

I was also thankful to see my daughter’s thankful list this year (which then topped MY thankful list). Anyone with a teenage daughter knows how special these little things are right now.

diy chunky knit blanket pattern

Speaking of my sweet girl, we are celebrating her FOURTEENTH birthday this month.

Her birthday request was one of my diy chunky knit blankets

I have a feeling another girl in our house would like this for a gift too.

Paper Poppies Pattern

Paper Poppies get the paper poppy pattern

This has also been my first time being a part of the annual holiday ball committee for our local Junior League and the festivities are happening this weekend. 

Our theme is, “A Night in Emerald City,” and we are adorning each of the bouquets with paper poppies for the centerpieces. This is  a sweet little nod to Dorothy’s nap in the flowers, in the film. 

It was so fun to make these with our new members this year and I’m excited to lead the committee next year.

I have, definitely, learned a ton about event planning through this experience. 

Before I share the happy list, I would also love to say a special thank you to each of you for doing your holiday shopping through our site this year.

Our family has appreciated your support so much and shopping our affiliate links helps us keep the lights on at MomAdvice. 

Before we dig into my happy list, here is what made the cut on YOUR happy list for November!

Top Ten Most Visited Articles in November

  1. Easy Burlap Wreath Tutorial
  2. Gluten-Free Cake Mix Cookies
  3. How to Make a Blanket Scarf
  4. The Ultimate Make-Ahead Gravy Recipe
  5. 3-Ingredient Instant Pot Ribs
  6. Unique Gifts for the Man Who Has Everything
  7. The Best Kindle Book Deals (updated daily)
  8. DIY Chunky Knit Blanket (FREE Pattern)
  9. How to Make a Pom-Pom Wreath
  10. Unique Gifts for Kids of Any Age

Top Ten Most Purchased Items in November

  1. Neck LED Book Light for Kids
  2. Rocketbook Reusable Notebooks (we are obsessed over here!)
  3. Magnetic Wrist Bands
  4. Groopdealz Daily Deals (lots of UGG Gloves & YETI Tumblers for the holidays)
  5. Bluetooth Beanies for Men
  6. Smartphone Mini Projectors
  7. The Book Lover’s Journal
  8. Ticket Stub Diary
  9. Ew David Coffee Mugs
  10. Shiatsu Back & Neck Massager (I love this thing so much!)

Top Ten Amazon Purchases in November

  1. A Woman is No Man
  2. Facial Hair Remover for Women
  3. Fruit of the Drunken Tree
  4. CLOVER Pom Pom Maker
  5. Light Therapy Lamps
  6. Goodthreads Women’s Boucle Cardigan
  7. Thompson Tees
  8. Korean Skin Care Snail Repair Cream
  9. Beard Comb
  10. Stuffed Animal Storage Bean Bag Chair

My November Happy List Fun and Reviews

 

My New “Fauxse” Recipe

I don’t know the proper spelling for a fake rose, but I’m going to call my recipe the “Fauxse” fix that I needed to unwind with in the evening.

I’m trying to slow my roll with wine, but definitely crave a little something fun after a long day of work. That’s how I came up with this super easy recipe for a drink that seems to help me get my wine fix.

Take one can of La Croix (plain or lime flavor) and add one Nuun Strawberry Lemonade Tablet. Add crushed ice and serve in a copper mug.

It is DELICIOUS and is a great way to hydrate. My husband says it is nothing like wine, but I think it works as a great alcohol-free option.

I always try to keep a roll of these electrolytes in my purse too, especially if I am going to be drinking.

Adding one of these tablets to a glass of water (or sparkling water) really helps reduce wine hangovers, especially during the fa-la-la season.  (shop for Nuun Tablets)

Dolly Parton's America

Dolly’s America Podcast

You don’t need to be a big Dolly Parton fan to appreciate the new podcast, Dolly’s America. I did happen to be a huge fan though, but am learning SO much more about Dolly through the interviews that are within this podcast.

The big exploration of the podcast is how Dolly was able to rise to fame, when so few women in country were, and why she has such wide appeal with EVERYONE. 

You could be a gay liberal or a religious conservative and show up to a lovely Dolly concert together because Dolly has an uncanny ability to find common ground among all her fans.

What is this magical quality and how do we unlock it when we ALL need it more than ever?

My husband and I have been listening to this one in the evenings and it is absolutely fascinating and such a great way to look at such a well-loved icon in country music.

I have gotten chills through moments, cried, and laughed through her incredible story.

I think you will love it too. (listen to the podcast)

Ugg Rain Boot Socks

My Cozy Boot Socks Are Back On

If you haven’t heard me rave about my UGG rain boots, I am here to tell you that they are my FAVORITE rain boots. I have wide feet and these fit perfectly, with room to put on thicker socks. 

It also has the cozy UGG insert (PSSST- even if you don’t have these boots, I bet you could add these cozy inserts to your current boots!!) so my feet are always warm.

These boot socks though REALLY make the boots adorable and I get more compliments on those than any other shoes I wear.

I wear them so much that they could probably stand on their own and walk themselves to the washer. 

I’m also already bookmarking these adorable additions for a fun holiday gift to myself. Merry Christmas, to me!

I can’t recommend them enough especially because they are MUCH more affordable than the ol’ Hunter Boots! (shop the bootsshop the knitted boot insertshop the faux fur insert)

The Kanopy App Through My Library

When I was doing research on how to check out library books for free on your Kindle, I stumbled upon a resource for something that I didn’t know existed at our library.

Have you heard of Kanopy? The Kanopy app can be used through your phone, laptop, or even your Roku. 

On Kanopy’s about page, this is how they define their service: “The films that truly resonate with us do more than just entertain. They inspire us, enrich us, and challenge our perspectives. Kanopy ensures that these films reach viewers around the world.”

If you love a good documentary or indie film, you can check out (up to) ten movies for free monthly with your library card.

A lot of the award-winning indie films don’t make it to my small town so this has been a dream come true to be able to stream so many great films that I would not have known about. (check out the free Kanopy app here)

Two Movies I Loved Through Kanopy

Of course, I can’t just tell you about the app, I wanted to share two great recommendations for you to stream!


Hearts Beat Loud

Single dad and record store owner Frank (Nick Offerman) is preparing to send his hard-working daughter Sam (Kiersey Clemons) off to college, while being forced to close his shop.

Hoping to stay connected through their shared musical passions, Frank urges Sam to turn their weekly “jam sesh” into a father-daughter live act.

After their first song becomes an Internet breakout, the two embark on a journey of love, growing up and musical discovery.

I find Nick Offerman to be incredibly charming and he plays this part in such a beautiful and vulnerable way that it made my eyes well up.

This beautifully shares how hard it is to let our children go off to college and also how hard it is for people to leave their loved ones behind to grow up.

This is just the sweetest story and I can see why it was an official selection at the Sundance Film Festival & the SXSW Film Festival. 


Tell It To the Bees

If you are looking for a beautiful historical fiction film, I absolutely loved, “Tell It To The Bees.” 

In 1952 Dr. Jean Markham (Anna Paquin) returns to her Scottish hometown to take over her late father’s medical practice. 

She soon becomes ostracized by the community when she begins a passionate romance with a young mother named Lydia (Holliday Grainger). 

This movie is just BEAUTIFUL and the acting is incredible.

It is a coming-of-age story too for Lydia’s son. He has to decide who he must side with (his community or his mother) and they show these challenges in such a real way. 

This was an Official Selection at the Toronto International Film Festival.

Verilux Happy Light

My Happy Light

I do feel like I need to mention again how thankful I am for this happy light gadget, especially after the time switch!

Seasonal depression is no joke and the Midwest winters can be brutal on a girl’s happiness levels. 

I bought a tabletop happy light that is supposed to help remedy the winter blues, give you more energy, and regulate those sleep cycles. 

I read a lot of articles about it (I found this one to be really straightforward ) and it is recommended that the light should be 10,000 lux. 

When browsing, you will find ones in a cheaper price bracket, but they aren’t offering the 10,000 lux that are recommended for effective treatment so I went for the big guns.

I use this for an hour in the morning with a good book and a tall cup of coffee. 

It is super important to be consistent and so I aim for around the same time and duration each day.

I love that this is so small that it could be taken on trips, when we travel, and doesn’t take up a lot of storage in our home.

If you struggle with the seasonal blues or regulating those sleep cycles, this is a great low-risk drug-free investment to try!

Book Clamp Stand

The Book Table Clamp That Saves My Neck

I have been REALLY excited (and swamped) with screening all 12 of our book club selections for 2020.

That means, my head is in a book all day and that causes me a ton of neck and back issues.

You don’t need to be a book blogger to benefit from having your books at eye level. 

Originally, I bought this book clamp (shown above)  because I was having shoulder and hand issues.  What I discovered though was the enormous relief there was when I didn’t have my head in a bent position to read. 

The company took these off the market for awhile, but I’ve been faithfully checking to see if they brought it back because I get asked about it a lot. 

LEVO carries two different varieties and it really depends on your budget and your own physical needs on which option works best for you.  

I mention this today because this would make an incredible holiday gift to yourself.

I use it every dang day.

I recommend it for any power reader or anyone who struggles with holding a book or suffers from neck/back issues.

This is the more expensive version, but you can roll it. That’s really awesome if you are a senior or if you picture yourself walking it around your house and need the extra wheel help.

The less expensive version is this clamp stand. Keep in mind, this would be only for digital devices (like, if you read a lot on an iPad or Kindle). If you want to secure a printed book, you just buy this add-on (which is freaking amazing) and switch it out.

They both are amazing and have made a big difference in my reading life.

Electric Kettle

The Electric Kettle Makes The Whole Family’s Happy

Years ago, I got the opportunity to take a tour around Celestial Seasonings to share with our readers (have you been? you can read more here).

They gave us all electric kettles, as a gift, to brew our teas at home and I never realized how amazing it is to have hot water ready in seconds and to keep warm all day for tea and cocoa sipping. 

It has also come in handy for a quick bowl of oatmeal or for a cup of noodles. 

It feels downright luxurious to have hot water at the ready in the winter months.

They have a lot of varieties- just pick a model with good reviews and that fit your family budget.

Looking for something to mix up for sipping? We made our first batch of cocoa mix (the secret ingredient is instant pudding!) and our first batch of vanilla chai mix. 

Wouldn’t this make the best gift idea too? An electric kettle, a homemade drink mix, and a fun mug So easy and thoughtful!!

thredup

Affordable Holiday Cocktail Dresses

If you have any holiday events coming up, don’t forget to check thredUP for your fancy frocks. I scored an INCREDIBLE cocktail dress for $19.98…NO JOKE.

Here is my trick to finding EXACTLY what I need when shopping consignment through thredUP.

Search for Dresses and then narrow down your categories to what cuts fit you best and what length you are looking for. Select the type of dresses you need (Formal or Cocktail) and then you can even sort by color.

Also, this is my first stop for accessories. If you need a clutch, pretty jewels, or a new pair of dancing shoes, check here! 

You have FOURTEEN days to return the items. 

If you haven’t shopped before, this is where 90% of my wardrobe comes from. I feel good about giving these clothes a new home and I also love the savings. It’s a win for being eco-friendly and a win for my wallet too. Here is $10 to put toward your own holiday frocks.

A quick word on their return policy-

    • As soon as you know that you are returning it, go ahead and get your return labels printed so you don’t forget.
    • These items are used so read those descriptors carefully so you can reduce your returns. I look for items with tags, that say they look like new, or gently used. I also avoid dry cleaning because it will never happen- I have no time for one more errand.
    • Make sure that no item you are getting says FINAL SALE. That means that you don’t have the option to return it if it doesn’t fit or ends up not being your style.
    • They do charge a restocking fee ($1.99). They give you a full store credit if you return an item, or you can opt for a cash return, but they charge $8.99 to give you cash. Obviously, I always go with the store credit.
    • If you receive multiple orders, you can condense your carbon footprint and just return everything in one box. No need to make it complicated.

Brittany Runs a Marathon

If you are looking for a good movie to watch this weekend, I can’t recommend, “Brittany Runs a Marathon,” enough. 

This movie is based on the truly transformative story of a woman who changes her life through running. 

Brittany is down on her luck in every way- she’s broke, she surrounds herself with toxic people, and she sabotages her life with booze and food. 

When a neighbor challenges her to join a running club, Brittany decides to train for the New York City Marathon.

She starts with just running around the block, but it builds into an INCREDIBLE transformation that no one (including herself) could ever expect.

She finds love and community through the hobby and it takes her on a path she never knew she could explore. 

I can’t recommend this one enough- it was endearing, real, funny, and beautiful. This is available free through Prime!  

skillshare

Skillshare Classes

My husband gifted me a Skillshare membership for Christmas one year and I can’t recommend it enough for giving as gifts (or as a gift to yourself).

This is an affordable way to take courses on anything you might be interested in.

I’ve taken classes on loom weaving, marketing courses, photography classes, how to take better Instagram photos, understanding SEO, and courses on home decorating. 

I love to do these classes during my lunch hour.

It’s a great way to learn a skill and I love that I can do this from the comfort of my own home.

Here are two free months of a premium membership, if you would like to give this one a spin too. It would make such a fun stocking stuffer!

Memory Foam Chair Cushion

My New Desk Chair Cushion

As we ramp up towards the next round of holiday fun, I have been working long hours at my desk. I decided to get one of these memory foam desk seat cushions for my office chair to see if it would help make these hours a tad easier on my body.

Not only does this make the seat more cushy, it also helps force your body into better alignment so that you don’t suffer from so much back pain after a day at the desk. I can’t believe the difference this makes in my posture and in how I feel after a long day of work.

This would make a great gift for anyone who has a desk job or as a gift to yourself to help your body feel better after a day of work. (shop it here)

I hope you enjoyed this month’s round-up of November fun. I hope my month of happy brings a month of happy to you too! If this post doesn’t convince you my newsletter is fun, I’ve got nothing. Sign up over here to get this fun weekly in your inbox.

*this post may contain affiliate links- I only recommend what I love though. Check out past editions of It’s the 3 Little Things

October Happy List

Wednesday, October 30th, 2019

MomAdvice Book Club 2020

Hello, friends! Do you see me peeking out at you behind this mountain of books? 

This year I’ve got SO many big plans for the MomAdvice Book Club.  Right now, I am diligently working to pick the best books for our 2020 year of reading together. 

Unfortunately, that means that the reviews on here will be a bit thinner the next couple of months.

I REALLY want to surprise you with my selections this year. 

I guess December’s reviews are  going to be in one packed month as I reveal the 12 selections for our chats.

Not only are we doing this (!!!), but we are planning a fun project around each book. From printables, to craft ideas, to cooking the dishes (inspired by the stories)…it’s going to be AH-MAZING.

I’m teaming up with my amazing artist pal, M.J., to REALLY deliver on some beauty for your home and life.

Did I mention that I’m already dreaming up our next reading retreat.

Seriously, if you haven’t joined my FREE club, what are you waiting for

I love sharing good books with you all. With almost 3,000 members, this community is booming! 

If you are just on the hunt for Kindle book deals, be sure to sign up for my daily deals book newsletter. This is different than the weekly happy list and only contains the curated book deals for the day.

IMPORTANT REMINDER!! If you have Amazon Prime, be sure to get your FREE OCTOBER BOOK. This month’s selections expires on October 31st. 

the couch halloween episodes podcast

One of my favorite things to do is guest spot on podcasts. This week, you can catch me on, The Couch Podcast! Mary asked me to join her to chat about All-Things-Halloween!

We are dissecting our favorite Halloween sitcom episodes, my favorite spooky book, and my must-see list of Halloween movies. I think this episode should really get you in the mood for the season. 

If that isn’t enough, Mary also wrote a great post on 8 Halloween sitcom episodes that she has loved

I loved this one so much, she is going to be sharing one for Thanksgiving and Christmas.

Just think of all the fun we can be watching while we get ready for the holidays! 

Have you been missing the 3 little things list each week? Just so you know, this feature didn’t go away…it just moved over to my newsletters each week. 

Sign up is super quick over here.  

I promise to never spam you. 

Life is too short to spend time deleting worthless emails, amiright? 

Today I wanted to share what you might have missed this past month in one big giant happy list!!

October Happy List Fun and Reviews

 

Perfect Fall Sweater

The Perfect Fall Sweater

Are you on the hunt for the most perfect fall sweater? 

I can’t recommend this one enough.

The cut is forgiving, the weight of the yarn is not too heavy, and it pairs so well with everything in my wardrobe.

I ended up snagging this in blue, but had to place a second order for the other colors. You won’t regret this purchase- I promise! (true to size)

The Politician

The Politician

Are there any other Gleeks in the house?

I watch, pretty much, anything that Ryan Murphy comes up with so I was THRILLED to see that he had developed a new series for Netflix with Ben Platt.

If you aren’t familiar with him, this piece opened my eyes to his discipline and talent.

If Wes Anderson & Ryan Murphy had a baby together, I believe that baby would be this new series.

Platt’s character is set on winning the presidency of his high school election. He believes this win will propel his fate to win the U.S. presidency and secure his spot at an elite college.

He never expects he will go up against the guy he loves though. In a doubly cruel twist of fate, his running mate commits suicide. 

If you think that secures his win though, you are wrong.

The story is reflective, rewinding eighteen months, and how that relationship evolved. 

The sets, costume, and quirky writing are everything I’ve been missing on television and I am HERE FOR IT! (watch the trailer here)

Whoa Wait Walmart Magazine

Whoa Wait Walmart Magazine 

Do you follow my friends over at Whoa Wait Walmart? Bethany & Amanda have this incredible account where they find and share all their cool finds at Walmart. It’s an Instagram account that I, honestly,  get excited to see each day. 

I promise, I’m not saying that just because they are my pals.

Want to know what’s more exciting than that though?

They came out with their VERY OWN MAGAZINE!

You can find it on the magazine stands of your Walmart store and it is filled with those fun finds that I’ve come to love, paired with incredible lifestyle pieces.

This magazine also contains a pretty cool high tech element.

If you like something, you can scan the QR code to order the item or find it in your stores. I have a feeling that this is just the start of other brands launching similar publications for their customers.

I was so honored that they sent me a copy and can’t wait to head to my store to replicate their finds!

Be sure to grab your copy ASAP!! 

New to Us House Exterior before

New to Us House After after

Our House Is Getting a Makeover

We have done all we can (for now) on the interior of our home so this has been an exciting month as we work on the exterior. 

Built in the 1960’s, our little tri-level has been a bit of an exterior challenge to modernize it. The house had aluminum siding and we discovered that aluminum is very easy to paint and it weathers really well too. 

A boring beige throughout, we switched it up with Benjamin Moore Kendall Charcoal, a popular gray exterior choice these days. 

I am soooo happy how it turned out and it, truly, feels like we have brand new siding with the fresh coat. 

Now we start the process of figuring out new details like a much-needed lamp post, house numbers, and exterior light fixtures. 

I stumbled upon this Etsy seller who makes BEAUTIFUL cedar shutters, for a fraction of the prices I was looking at, and I couldn’t be more excited to get rid of our weathered shutters that were hanging on the front. I also am a big fan of supporting crafters so it feels like a purchase win-win to me! 

I can’t wait to share our results after we finish the last details. With paint alone, I feel like I have a brand new-to-me house.

Want to see what else we have done to our little house? Here is our biggest renovation, here is what we did to our storage shed, here’s how I cozied up our office, and here is a holiday home tour (if you are interested in that stuff!). 

Every dang day, I love my little house more.

Trim Financial Services Review

 

Trim Saved Me $79 This Year

As I’m working through our Passive Income series, I’ve been doing a deep dive into money-saving apps and new strategies for passive revenue. 

It is how I discovered this service called Trim and how we just saved a bundle on our internet bill. 

I will probably dedicate a post to this, at some point, but I had to share it with you now because I want you to save money too.

Trim is, basically, a bot service that negotiates rates, on your behalf, to lower your payments.  You give them permission to act on your behalf and see if they can secure your family savings.

Our Comcast internet bill was $80 a month.

Trim sent me a text that they were able to get a fee refund (of $2.32) and they also applied a promotion for $9.95 off for 12 months.

That is a savings of $119.40 over the course of the year.

What’s in it for Trim? Well, they take 33% of the savings they get on the bill. We will be charged $40.17, but we still end up saving $79 for the year. 

Right now they are plugging away at our Verizon bill.

They also were able to flag a few things that were monthly charges that we may not want to continue spending money on.  

They even send them your cancellation requests for you so you don’t have to add it to your to-do list.

If you have a lot of personal debt, it also can negotiate credit card rates. 

The app is free, but they also offer a premium service where you can pay $9.99 per month to work with a financial coach. I decided to purchase the premium so I could tell you if it is worth it. 

For the most part, reviews are pretty positive, especially from the personal finance community.

Personally, we haven’t had any hiccup with the changes.

In fact, Comcast sent us a video to understand anything that changed on our bill after the negotiation.

My husband thought that was a bit of an overkill, but I didn’t hate it. 

I will keep you posted on this experiment, but here is a link if you are interested in trying it now. (check out the service here)

thrive tape review

Thrive Tape

One item I go through A LOT of, in our house, is KT Tape.  Weekly, my awesome husband tapes my shoulder blades and neck in place and it GREATLY decreases my pain throughout the day.  

Not only have we become experts at taping techniques that work, but we also can speak to the longevity of the tape. 

Thrive Tape is a new product that launched and they were looking for people to give them some honest feedback on what they brought to the world of tape.

When I shared that I’d love to give it a spin, they sent me some to try for my pain. The condition I have is lesser known so I was blown away that they had a dedicated page just for EDS’ers

Here are the pros and cons with this new product.

PROS:

The tape is not divided into precut strips and has a paper back that reminded us of gift wrap, with simple graphing lines for measuring and cutting evenly. 

I did find it more durable than its competitor. KT Tape has a threaded quality to it and this tape doesn’t have the threading that can come loose on the edges. 

The tape feels like it holds my body in place more because of the sturdier nature of the tape. It feels almost like I have a brace on, without the bulkiness. 

The design is attractive and not medical looking. 

The adhesive is not irritating. Since I have mast cell activation disorder, adhesive is a tricky terrain.

CONS:

Currently, it is only available in black. I do prefer a nude tone to my tape because it doesn’t attract as much attention and blends better with my clothing. 

The tape is not as stretchy. That’s not to say it is a bad thing, but the give on it is less. 

The corners are not rounded on the tape so you do have to cut those. Rounded corners tend to catch less on clothing so I prefer the tape corners rounded. If you have hand issues, it could be a little more challenging with scissors. 

That’s my honest opinion.  I can see myself purchasing this because it seems to have more longevity than the tape I currently use. Since I find it more supportive, I think it can benefit people like me.

I don’t really understand why tape works so well, but the best way I can describe it is that it feels like someone is putting a supportive hand on the areas that hurt.  

Taping is always one of the first tips I share with chronic pain sufferers because it has become such an important part of my routine. 

If you want to try it, they are giving MomAdvice readers a 20% off coupon. The coupon code is THRIVEMOM. Just use that when you go to checkout and it should take a discount off your order. No pressure, but if you use tape regularly, I think it is something to check out!  (check the tape out here)

Disclosure: I received two rolls of tape to try out and give my feedback with you.

best peach fuzz remover

The Peach Fuzz Remover Of My Dreams

Have you ever seen these little razors the beauty bloggers recommend for getting rid of peach fuzz?

I have no idea how people on the internet can convince me to take a blade to my face, but that’s where I seem to be getting beauty advice these days.

Seriously, I decided to give it a go and made tiny cuts all over my face that bled.

My sensitive skin was so angry that I had to take a break from a lot of face products until the wounds healed.

In hindsight, thin skin that’s prone to scarring probably isn’t the best type of skin for razoring your face.

I ordered this little gadget though and it is the BEST THING EVER for peach fuzz on your face.

I have had no irritation with it and no severe facial wounds.  It takes off the hair, but does not pull/hurt/stab you to death  and that’s exactly what I’ve been looking for. 

I can’t recommend this enough for taming the fuzz. I’m so impressed! 

Aldi Pumpkin Coffee

ALDI’s Pumpkin Spice Coffee

If you are looking for a little fall in a cup, you have got to snag some of ALDI’s Pumpkin Spice Coffee.

It is my new favorite coffee and I think it will be yours too. 

This coffee smells heavenly, has just the right amount of spice, and has been a wonderful way to wake up. 

If you are still on the coffee pod game and thinking about switching to drip, this has been an incredible greener alternative for us.

I am linking to Bed, Bath, & Beyond because that’s where I now buy all my kitchen appliances because of their great return policies.

As silly as it may sound, we do keep a folder of receipts for all of our small appliances because you never know when one will quit on you and if you still might be able to return it or if the warranty is still active. 

I’m Off to the Races to Pick the 2020 MomAdvice Book Club Selections

Did you catch my Instagram picture this week? I reserved 20 books, that I think have MomAdvice Book Club potential, to start making next year’s selections.

While there has been joy in reading along with everyone (and not pre-reading everything for you), I am excited to make a little space to fully screen these.

Instead of choosing brand new books and buzz books (that always seem to lack the buzz), I’m going through best-of lists, from prior years, to make our picks.

I wish I could tell you more, but half the fun is in the surprise. Not only are the books going to be amazing,  we have another amazing bookish surprise to go along with next year’s selections.

As I’m awaiting the announcements, I have three friends that have agreed to be my “beta testers,” and read the books so I can get some good feedback before I share them with you.

If you don’t see me chatting as much, now you know why!

I know this is a crowd that can get behind a good day of reading though.

Corala Weighted Blanket Review

My New Obsession With Weighted Blankets

Have you ever slept with a weighted blanket? Corala Blanket reached out to me to see if I would like to try one out for our family.

Personally, I have always been curious if they could help my pain and insomnia at night.  

I was also really intrigued that  it came with a spring/summer and fall/winter duvet cover that could be switched up for the seasons (and WASHED). I took them up on their offer and I have had such good sleep since I started using this in my nighttime routine.

Not only is this blanket beautifully sewn, but it really does help me to settle down at night. 

Why would a weighted blanket help with chronic pain?

Well, it provides deep pressure that helps calm down your nervous system. 

This article really helps explain who weighted blankets are good for as well as why this helps with pain relief.

I also quickly realized what a great thing it is to curl up with at night. I never realized how busy I am and the pressure of this has me being still for the first time.

It, honestly, felt really weird.

As a busy mom, I don’t do a lot of sitting and the weight of this kept my body quiet…with a book, of course!

Honestly, I can’t rave enough about how beautifully this is made and how beneficial it already is to me!

PSST….My husband was slow to jump on the ol’ weighted blanket train, but last night he gave in and slept the best he has in a lonnnggg time. I think I have converted him this week to that weighted blanket life. – Shop This Blanket

ellevest review

 

I Invested In Myself

If you keep up with MomAdvice online, you may have already heard this one. I still have to tell you how proud I am to have started my own retirement account.

I have been a small business owner for sixteen years and have never put money away for my own retirement.  I didn’t really know what my options were and never made time to get the answers I needed.

This series has PUSHED me really hard to come up with practical ways to save.

It was through that research that I found the perfect spot for investing in myself and I’m so excited to see YOU investing in YOURSELF.

It is worth reading my article (linked above), even if you are all set with retirement.

The company I used also has smart ways you can create buckets for what you want to save for.

Dreaming of a great trip?

Want to own your own business?

Have kids (like, whoa, expensive)?

You can set up accounts like that and more.

Put it on automatic and you don’t even have to think about one more thing.-  Here is $20 to get you started! 

Unnatural Selection Netflix Documentary

An Intriguing Documentary Series

Are you looking for a fresh documentary series to sink your teeth into?

Unnatural Selection is an absolute must see.

With so many breakthroughs with genetics, it is no surprise that the laws are far behind on where they need to be on this topic.

There are so many incredibly amazing things that can be done, but it is also a Wild West with people taking their own genetics in their hands.

This one brought out strong opinions and a great discussion. It is balanced and thought-provoking.- See the trailer

Top Ten Most Visited Articles in October

  1. Easy Burlap Wreath Tutorial
  2. Painting Pumpkins With Acrylic Paint
  3. How to Make a Blanket Scarf
  4. Minecraft Costume Ideas
  5. How to Make Glow-in-the-Dark Jell-O
  6. How to Dye a Faded Pair of Jeans
  7. Gluten-Free Cake Mix Cookies
  8. How to Make a Yarn Pom-Pom Wreath
  9. The Best Homemade Non Stick Spray in the World
  10. 3-Ingredient Instant Pot Ribs

Top Ten Most Purchased Items in October

  1. Prison Mike Air Freshener (best stocking stuffer ever)
  2. Jumbo Wooden Knitting Needles (you guys must be whipping up my big fat hygge blanket this month!!)
  3. Flannel Fabrics (and you must be making blanket scarves)
  4. Support Your Local Library Shirt
  5. Bookshelf Bullet Journal Printables
  6. Shaker Stitch Sweater
  7. Buffalo Plaid Earrings
  8. Rib Trim Longline Cardigan
  9. Faux Leather Leggings (so much cheaper than the Spanx version!)
  10. Grove Awake Essential Oil (MY FAVE!)

Top Ten Amazon Purchases in October

  1. The Lying Woods
  2. I Miss You When I Blink
  3. The Name of the Stars
  4. Cruel Beautiful World
  5. The Secret Life of CeeCee Wilkes
  6. Facial Hair Remover
  7. The Heart’s Invisible Furies
  8. The One
  9. An Unwanted Guest
  10. Korean Skin Care Snail Cream

I hope you enjoyed this month’s round-up of October fun. I hope my month of happy brings a month of happy to you too! If this post doesn’t convince you my newsletter is fun, I’ve got nothing. Sign up over here to get this fun weekly in your inbox.

*this post may contain affiliate links- I only recommend what I love though. Check out past editions of It’s the 3 Little Things!

September Happy List

Friday, October 4th, 2019

Looking for the next great find? I’ve got you covered with a new skin care routine, how to make that pressure cooker feel like new again, all the things you should be streaming this month, and my new favorite pajama jeans! Let’s talk about this month’s happy list! 

Happy Friday, friends! I’m so excited to share a brand new happy list with you. 

September was such a fun month on the site with loads of new recipes, a new series on how moms can begin making passive income, and I redesigned our newsletter for you!

Have you been missing the 3 little things list each week? Just so you know, this feature didn’t go away…it just moved over to my newsletters each week.

Sign up is super quick over here

I promise to never spam you.  Life is too short to spend time deleting worthless emails, amiright?

Today I wanted to share what you might have missed this past month in one big giant happy list!!

Korean Skin Care Snail Repair Cream

New-To-Me Korean Skin Care Products

I have been on the hunt for a great anti-aging moisturizer and have heard a lot about snail repair creams and how beneficial they can be to the skin. I added this Snail Repair Cream and this Vitamin C serum to my usual oil-cleansing and argan oil routine and I can’t rave enough about how much better my skin feels. 

Keep in mind, most people don’t need two oils to have moisturized skin. I have very dry skin so I add a couple of drops of the serum to my argan oil, after cleansing. I then layer this wrinkle repair cream on top of that and my skin is feeling so much better. Most people could get away with just this moisturizer and serum after cleansing their face.

If you are a bit squeamish about the snails, just know that this has a tangerine smell and a little goes a long way towards improving the look and feel of your skin. It looks like your standard moisturizer, it just has a little snail slime in it. Hahaha!

I do plan to reorder these and loop this into my routines moving forward. I really notice a big difference in the condition of my skin.

My Recent Grove Order

I needed to order some new hand soaps and decided to add a few “fun” items in my cart to share with you in this little happy list. 

Here are a few items I snagged and what I thought-

Grove Sink Caddy– This is so nice for organization around the sink area. The tray comes apart for easy cleaning and there are two clever spots for hanging your dishcloth and a place to put your sponge. I do wish that it had a wider spot for multiple scrub tools (like my bottle cleaners), but really like this overall.

Flour Sack Towels– I love flour sack towels because they don’t wrinkle and always look fresh. Truth be told, these were for food photos because they make a great backdrop. If you are trying to up your photo game on Instagram, they are pretty handy! 

Eucalyptus Apron– I was looking for a more structured apron with pockets for doing my food photography. This apron fit the bill perfectly. I’m a mere 5’1″ so aprons can look a little ridiculous on me, especially if they aren’t tailored. This one fits beautifully though and I love the adjustability on it.

Cleaning Gloves– Is it just me or do no cleaning gloves actually fit? I decided to give these a spin and I am absolutely loving these. The trim helps to block water and the sizing is better, especially if you have wee lady hands.

Bubble-Up Dish Soap Dispenser– I go a little CRAZY when it comes to dish soap so I love this clever little soap dispenser that helps distribute just the amounts you need to get the job done. It also happens to fit beautifully in my new sink caddy.

Coconut Scrubber Sponges– These do a  great job getting my pots clean and are very absorbent. Due to their color though, they can look pretty dingy quickly, especially when cleaning up big messes. They did do a great job with getting stuck-on food off. 

European Dishcloth– My husband hated these and things they are germ-breeders so he won’t use them. I actually think these work as well as a paper towel and you can run them through your dishwasher or microwave to sterilize, but what do I know? They are highly absorbent, but can look a little off-putting because they harden when they dry. 

Grove Awake Essential Oil– This smells AMAZING and has been my new favorite scent to start the day. It has such a pleasant citrus smell and a few drops seem to go a long way. 

Grove Sleep Essential Oil– Didn’t do it for me. I prefer lavender over this one, but it was worth a try to share with you. 

If you haven’t tried Grove before (or haven’t heard about it from a million bloggers), it is a subscription-based service that you can use to have green products delivered to your doorstep. Just like most services, you can cancel at any time and adjust your orders as you need to. 

They used to be mostly cleaning products, but have expanded into a lot of other fun categories like your personal care items and more decorative items for your home. I have been with them for years and really love the convenience of it, particularly, trying out there own branded items. If you want to try it for the first time, this referral code should yield a 5-piece gift set for FREE to add to your cart. 

ASMR Sleep Phones

ASMR SleepPhones

Speaking of sleep, I need to share with you about these new ASMR SleepPhones that I got to try out. I have mentioned, in the past, that I have been watching ASMR shows on YouTube to try to unwind and help with better sleep. I haven’t found it as beneficial though because the screen has really been disrupting my sleep. 

If you haven’t heard of ASMR before, this is a great introduction to what it is all about.

SleepPhones launched a new product that offers eight hours of ASMR content, with many of my favorites from YouTube. The nice thing is that this doesn’t involve a screen and you can rest comfortably on your pillow without the annoyance of earbuds or cords. 

If you aren’t sure which ASMR sounds work for you, this has lots of different options for you to try until you find the ones that work best for you.   Certain sounds are not pleasant to me and, thankfully, you can fast forward to the segments that fit your needs best. 

If you were wondering, I love the sound of a brush, hair cutting, and cleaning sounds.

Basically, I just need someone take care of me.

Would you like to try out a pair of these? You can use coupon code MOMADVICE  for $5 off anything in the store (excluding gift cards) with a minimum purchase of $39. 

One Protein Bars

One Maple Glazed Doughnut Protein Bars

When I went on my last trip, I stocked up on a few good snacks for the road. Protein bars are usually something I suffer through because they are often rock hard or lack flavor. I decided to take a risk and pick up some One protein bars and, guys, THESE ARE DELICIOUS.

This is the first time I have loved the flavor and texture of a protein bar. It is also the first time that a protein bar felt like a legitimate treat and was something I looked forward to. If you struggle with the same thing, the maple glazed doughnut was delicious and this flavor wasn’t too shabby either. Did I mention the second one has sprinkles? 

So. Dang. Good.

National Geo Shorts Series

National Geographic Short Film Showcase

Don’t ask me why, but my husband and I have a routine of winding UP at night about world issues. Doesn’t that sound so relaxing? While I definitely feel it is important to stay informed, I know this is not a good way to end our day. 

Instead, I discovered the National Geographic Short Film Showcase and we have started watching a couple of these digital shorts and going to bed with a smile on our face. 

Can I share a few to end your day with, that will warm your cold Grinch heart?

United by Ping Pong
A Look at the  Whimsical Life of a Traveling Showman
This is the Extraordinary True Story of the First Camera Phone
He Tastes Water Like Some People Taste Wine
Can Cell Phones Save Rainforests?
Iceland is Growing Forests for the First Time in 1,000 Years 

This Genius Phone Hand Strap

My hands and fingers become quickly fatigued when holding a phone and lately I have been having thumb pain from using it as the ol’ kickstand when my fingers get tired. I stumbled upon this simple phone hand strap that you wrap around the back of your phone for comfortable support for your hands. Bonus, the finger holder also can double as a kickstand if you are watching shows. 

I also was excited to use it this week, looping it through my bike handle, to clock in my 500th mile on my amazing stationary bike. If you are on the hunt for a spinning class on a budget, I highly recommend this option

rockstar jeggings

The Perfect Jeggings for Fall

Sometimes thrift shopping leads to more inevitable purchasing and that was the case when I scored this pair of jeggings from my local shop. I had no that Old Navy carried such cute jeggings in their stores and I have been wearing these daily since I got them. 

I loved them so much that I ordered three more pairs and can’t wait to add these to my regular rotation. They are slimming, have gentle compression, cover any muffin top issues, and no one would ever suspect how comfortable they are. 

Have a different body type than me or don’t like a skinnier cut? No biggie! They actually have loads of different sizing options,  including plus sizes, tall, and petite versions of these in loads of different washes and styles.

If I’m looking for jeggings that feel like sweatpants (with zero compression and just feel like pajamas), I am still reaching for these in my closet

I love the thrill of the hunt with thrift shopping because it is such an inexpensive way to find new brands to love. This dress was my other favorite score that I can’t stop talking about. What a great shopping day that was!

sealing ring

A New Pressure Cooker Sealing Ring

If you use your pressure cooker a lot, I have discovered a new seal on this gadget really has cut down on my cooking time. I ended up ordering this three pack from Amazon. Since they are all different colors, they allow you to assign sweet and savory dishes to the seal so you don’t end up with overlapping flavors.

As exciting as this was (hahaha!), I had to share that this is the first time that I’ve ever received a written thank you note from an Amazon order. It was a simple note that thanked me for supporting their small business and ordering through them. Although I have become accustomed to this through my Etsy orders (crafters are THE BEST), it was such a fun little surprise this week to see that from a third party Amazon seller. 

Our Netflix Obsessions Continue

Are you looking for your next great show? Here is what I’ve been loving this month on Netflix.

Bombshell Documentary– If you are looking for a REALLY incredible documentary, we absolutely loved Bombshell this month (thanks to An Oregon Cottage for this recommendation!) This documentary is about one of the most beautiful women in Hollywood who also happened to be incredibly smart. She is so smart, in fact, that she cracked the code on secret communication and is the reason why we enjoy our wifi communications today. She never profited from her invention, but we all are. This would be a fantastic documentary to share with your daughter! (Watch the trailer)

American Factory–  Fun fact: I come from a family of factory workers (my mom, dad, grandpa, and grandma all worked for Miles (later, Bayer) when I was growing up. This is why I was excited to see this incredibly moving documentary on a Chinese billionaire who acquires a Midwest factory and brings their own factory workers over to train American workers. I absolutely loved this glimpse into their daily life, the relationships (both good and bad) that were brought between these workers, and the glimpse into the incredibly hard jobs that factory workers do every single day. ( Watch the trailer)

Hello, Privilege! It’s Me, Chelsea– Love her or hate her, I do think Chelsea Handler has been doing some interesting things with documentary films. This month’s special explores how white people can be better allies to others and what white privilege really is. Although this one didn’t have as much meat as I was hoping, I do think it brought up some interesting angles to privilege that I had not thought of as a privilege. (Watch the trailer)

The Mind Explained– We absolutely loved this first series that Vox did and spent an evening watching the entire new series on the human mind last weekend. Emma Stone narrates this series and it does a deep dive into mindfulness practices, where anxiety stems from, how our memory really works, and why we dream. As I am leaning into meditation and mindfulness practices, I found this to be really encouraging. The memory one, in particular, was really interesting, as they explore one woman’s memories of 9/11. (Watch the trailer)

Books, Books, & More Books

I went to the library and checked out an embarrassingly large stack of books. It was so large, in fact, that I almost didn’t make it to my car without dropping them and REALLY embarrassing myself. 

I’ve been trying to get up at 5 AM and really squeeze in two solid hours of reading time and I’ve read some REALLY incredible books this month. The Dearly Beloved become one of my favorites this year. It is the kind of story that I think ANYONE would love. 

Read my September Book Reviews HERE!!

Curable App

Curable App

Did you know that September is Pain Awareness Month? It means loads of companies are offering discounts to their customers. The Curable app is something I have been thinking about using, but the price tag always made me reconsider. This month they offered a 50% special and I decided $60 for the year would be a heck of a lot cheaper than even a single therapy session.

Cognitive Behavioral Therapy is what it is all about and the app teaches you ways to turn off those pain signals so that you can reduce your pain response. It sounds too good to be true, doesn’t it.

Should I tell you now that I have no affiliation with them before I begin?

Honestly, this has transformed my relationship with pain in ways I never imagined. It has brain training exercises (to stop the pain loop response), meditation, and interviews with leading experts on the mind body connection.

I don’t believe in woo-woo (or however you refer to things like that- hahaha!) so I was skeptical. Hearing a neurosurgeon explain pain and why my brain is doing certain things though is believable and grounded.

For the first time in a couple of years, I have slept pain free without the need to take anything or (honestly) drink a lot of wine to make it stop. It doesn’t take away my disease (ehlers-danlos syndrome) so I will still experience these things. It has transformed my relationship to pain though.

I’m putting it out in the world that I hope to write an e-book very soon about what has helped. This will definitely be on the list. (check out the app

Inside Bill's Brain

Inside Bill’s Brain

This new special from Netflix takes a deep dive into how Bill’s brain works and what consumes it. It is really balanced with stories from friends and family about what Bill was like growing up. Clever animation really brings these childhood stories to life. The first episode  explores his efforts to develop a high-tech toilet for third world countries who have lost so many children due to sanitation issues. Bill Gates brings on the best and brightest to help him figure out how to save the lives of these children in some really incredible ways. Watch it just to hear about his reading routines alone- it’s quite astounding. Fun fact: my husband interned at Microsoft and got to go to a BBQ at Bill’s house. How cool is that?  (watch the trailer here)

Rakuten App

You can read more about this app on the blog this month, but I just have to give it a shout out today. Basically, this site can give you cash back rewards on your purchases, if you shop through their page or through the phone app itself. Every three months, they send you a Big Fat Check with all the cash back rewards you made. That’s it. No points to cash in, no weird hoops, no nonsense. Here is ten bucks to get you started and be sure to check out my article below to learn why I’m using this as a money-making tool for our family this year. (check out the app here)

Top Ten Most Visited Articles in September

  1. Easy Burlap Wreath Tutorial
  2. The Best Kindle Deals
  3. How to Make a Blanket Scarf
  4. 3-Ingredient Instant Pot Ribs
  5. Passive Income Ideas for Busy Moms
  6. Painting Pumpkins With Acrylic Paints
  7. How to Make Fluffy Slime
  8. DIY Minecraft Costume Ideas
  9. August 2019 Must-Reads
  10. How to Spray Paint Furniture

Top Ten Most Purchased Items in September

  1. Long Sleeve Leopard Tie Top
  2. True & Co Bras at Target
  3. Sealing Rings for Instant Pot
  4. You’re Doing it Wrong Dishwasher Card
  5. Support Your Local Library Shirt
  6. Ponte Jogger Pants
  7. Convertible Half to Full Linen Apron
  8. First Edition Baby Onesie
  9. Ribbed Funnel Neck Pullover
  10. Bed Shelfie

Top Ten Books Purchased in September (join the club to be notified of daily deals!)

  1. The Two-Family House
  2. Castle of Water
  3. The Night Olivia Fell
  4. Call Your Daughter Home
  5. The Dream Daughter
  6. Moloka’i
  7. Annabel
  8. The Sound of Gravel
  9. The Night Tiger
  10. Daughter of Moloka’i

I hope you enjoyed this month’s round-up of September fun. I hope my month of happy brings a month of happy to you too! If this post doesn’t convince you my newsletter is fun, I’ve got nothing. Sign up over here to get this fun weekly in your inbox.

*this post may contain affiliate links- I only recommend what I love though. Check out past editions of It’s the 3 Little Things!

July Happy List

Wednesday, July 31st, 2019

Love old Hollywood? Want to listen to audiobooks in bed? Want to see what a restored picnic table looks like? It’s all here in this month’s HAPPY LIST.

I hope you guys have had a great month and have been soaking in a little sunshine this summer.  Our summer will be soon coming to a close so we are trying to plan a little spontaneous trip to celebrate another summer in the books.

If you have any suggestions for a day trip to St. Louis, I’m all ears! 

Would you like to hear what’s been making me happy this month? I’d love to share those fun things with you today! 

If you have been missing the 3 little things list each week, I promise it is still here. I just moved it on over to my monthly newsletter so you can enjoy it in your inbox instead.

Sign up is super quick over here. I will even send you some free printables to help you put together an incredible home management binder and a FREE SUMMER READING GUIDE.

Let’s explore the happy for July!

My New Favorite Instagram Account

I stumbled upon This Was Hollywood on Instagram and I couldn’t be happier. This account shares lots of little known facts about film and movie stars with incredible behind-the-scenes images and fun clips from older movies. I am such a nerd for things like this and really crave escaping into the nostalgia these days. You will definitely want to take your time and read the captions on these because you will be the hit of any dinner party with all these fun facts and scenes in your head. 

Here are a few of my favorite posts from this account to get you acquainted:

Stars and Their Stand-Ins
The First Interracial Dance Pairing on Film 
Black Cat Casting Call
Let’s Say It With Firecrackers
Gene Kelly Performing Dig-Dig-Dig For Your Dinner

Our New Patio Set-Up

We try to stain our patio table each year (here is a tutorial if you have a wooden table!)  and usually I’m the one cranking out this project for my family. I really wasn’t looking forward to doing that this year so I was VERY thankful my hubby volunteered to handle the task this year. The finish we chose last year was the darkest stain so my husband sanded it down to create a bit of a weathered pattern and then we sealed it with a waterproof seal. Skipping the stain saved a bit of time, more importantly though, I love the unique finish on this piece. 

If you are curious about the rest of our set-up, we ended up buying this umbrella last year and it is worth every penny. It survived all the crazy Midwest weather and looks just like the day we brought it home. We, honestly, didn’t even store it during the winter.  We also paired it with this gorgeous rug that I scored on sale earlier this year.

Not sure how to keep your outdoor rugs clean? Here is the quickest way that I discovered. How easy is that?

Stranger Things Season 3

My daughter requested a sushi and Stranger Things marathon for our 4th of July and I couldn’t have been happier about that. The only thing I discovered though is that sushi deliveries do not exist on the 4th so Whole Foods had to come in with the sushi save for our marathon.

Have you seen it yet? This season definitely was a lot darker and gorier (in my opinion) than past seasons. The moments where it really shined, for this mom, were the ones that addressed the big shift that happens in middle school and how we can become separated from our peers when we are embracing different levels of maturity. I also loved the section on boundary setting with kids and just how hard it would be to set boundaries with a kid that can do incredible power moves with her mind. Overall, I loved it and thought the writing was (as always) incredible. 

I can’t wait to see what they dream up for next season!

The Best Summer Pajama Set

I was in need of new summer pajamas and our reading retreat ended up being the perfect excuse. Since I have wee legs, I am constantly challenged with pajama pants that drag on the floor. I snagged this unbelievably soft pajama twin set that has cropped legs and I can’t rave enough about how amazing these are. They come in three beautiful hues and wash up amazingly well too.

Not a fan of the cropped pant? This same style comes in a nightgown and in a cute little pajama shorts set too. 

My New Strategy for Audiobooks in Bed

Have you heard of SleepPhones? The company reached out and shared with me a pair of SleepPhones to try and I can’t rave enough. 

As someone who has sensitive ears, headphones often bother me and I have never figured out a way to wear these comfortably while lying down. The SleepPhones are charged (just like all your other devices) and the headphones are hidden within a soft headband that lay flat and flush against your ear. You can check out the different versions over here

If you are a side sleeper, these are REALLY amazing because you can still do your side resting/sleeping while listening to white noise, a podcast, or audiobooks. I have been trying out this app with them this week. 

This week they are also sending me their latest ASMR version that they came out with and I CAN’T WAIT. Don’t know what ASMR is? Here’s a great explanation

A New CBD Oil Company to Love

I have been on the hunt for high quality CBD that doesn’t cost an arm and a leg. The dosage I take and the amount I need is a lot. I happened to stumble upon the Lazarus Naturals Company that offers CBD products at affordable prices and decided to give them a spin. 

I can’t say enough good things about the communication, quick shipping, and the quality of the product that was sent to me. I am in no way affiliated with them- I just had to share! 

What I appreciate the most is that they offer a 60% Veterans Discount (for my amazing Dad!!) and discounts for low-income or people living on long term disability. If you fit ANY of these criterias, head here to apply. If not, just consider them for your needs because they are doing such great things for these people. 

Here are a few of my favorite July captures (follow me on IG for more)!

our boy celebrated his 17th birthday! I can hardly believe it! how are we this old?

I was proud to have clocked my 500th mile on my foldable stationary bike. This bike gets sooo much love over here.

It’s s’more season. We have been spending a lot of time out here by our fire pit now that we FINALLY have the perfect cover for it

we have been getting in a lot of board games on the ol’ picnic table. Azul, Betrayal at the House on the Hill, and Love Letter have been in our rotation. Also, I’m madly in love with these tabletop tiki torches. They look like antique glass and have kept the bugs away when we have been outside.

I’ve been making my Pilates Wheel time my own version of physical therapy. I can’t believe how much better I feel, especially with the spinal mobility classes they offer. It’s saving me a ton on expensive equipment classes this year too.

I’ve been missing going on good old-fashioned library visits so I had to make up for lost time. This was my reward after the reading retreat successfully concluded. I really know how to treat myself. Can’t wait to share this next stack with you!

I love checking out new restaurants in town. If you are on the hunt for a good gluten-free pizza, The Lauber Bar & Grill has you covered. 

Let’s talk about what YOU loved this month!

Top Ten Most Visited Articles in July

  1. Easy Burlap Wreath Tutorial
  2. 3-Ingredient Instant Pot Ribs
  3. June 2019 Must-Reads
  4. How to Make DIY Fluffy Slime
  5. DIY Kool-Aid Slushies
  6. March 2019 Must-Reads
  7. How to Spray Paint Furniture
  8. Best Kindle Daily Book Deals (be sure to bookmark this page!)
  9. How to Make Quinoa in the Rice Cooker
  10. How to Stain a Picnic Table

Top Ten Most Purchased Items in July

  1. Crepe Pull-On Shorts (what a steal right now!!)
  2. Too Many Books? I Think Not. T-Shirt
  3. Cat Petting Guide T-Shirt
  4. Mama Bird T-Shirt
  5. Sally Hansen Airbrush Legs
  6. Scrabble 2-in-1 Message Boards
  7. Introverted But Willing to Discuss Books T-Shirt
  8. XL Air Fryer
  9. Personalized Pony Pins
  10. Sannibel Platform Wedge Sandals 

Top Ten Books Purchased in July- still tons on sale right now! (join the club to be notified of daily deals!)

  1. Saints for All Occasions
  2. My Notorious Life
  3. Next Year in Havana
  4. My Not So Perfect Life
  5. The Psychology of Time Travel
  6. Honolulu
  7. The Roanoke Girls
  8. Light From Other Stars
  9. We Were Liars
  10. The Cactus

I hope you enjoyed this month’s round-up of July fun. I hope my month of happy brings a month of happy to you too! If this post doesn’t convince you my newsletter is fun, I’ve got nothing. Sign up over here to get this fun weekly in your inbox.

*this post may contain affiliate links- I only recommend what I love though. Check out past editions of It’s the 3 Little Things!

June Happy List

Tuesday, July 2nd, 2019

when you ask your husband for a picture for your blog…#dramatic

I hope you all are enjoying your summer and looking for a fun week of holiday fun! My daughter has already written “SUSHI & STRANGER THINGS,” on our calendar for our 4th plans. Usually, we are out of town for this holiday, but my son will be starting driver’s ed (!!!) so we needed to stick around town for that.

How am I old enough to have a child taking driver’s ed? How am I old enough to have a daughter planing a sushi agenda for my 4th plans?

Time flies when you are having fun (or surviving? maybe that’s more accurate?)

This is always a fun week on the blog because I share all my book reviews and happiness. Be sure to check out that post for your holiday stack!

Have you been missing the 3 little things list each week? Just so you know, this feature didn’t go away…it just moved over to my newsletters each week.

Sign up is super quick over here. I will even send you some free printables to help you put together this incredible home management binder.

Today I wanted to share what you might have missed this past month in one big giant happy list!!

A New Summer Playlist

Here are a few things that may or may not surprise you about me. I played the violin, I took voice lessons, I did show choir, I did musical theater, and I worked as a D.J. for my college dorm’s radio station. My favorite gift to share with my friends were my mix tapes and, later, my CD’s that I would burn and fill with my favorite music. They were so lovingly treasured, in fact, that my girlfriend swears she is still killing it to Ghetto Mix 10 (when her kids aren’t joining her- of course) and my husband kept all the mix tapes I made for him for a summer U.S. History trip he took in high school.

It is why I absolutely LOVE making a killer playlist for the different seasons. I wanted to craft a new playlist for the summer for you so here’s a link to my new playlist AND a link to all the other playlists so you can enjoy any of the other virtual mix tapes I share. I hope you love this interpretation of my 2019 summer jams.

My Next Guest Needs No Introduction (Season 2)

If you haven’t dived into David Letterman’s interview series, My Next Guest Needs No Introduction, I can think of no better way to spend your evenings. I was thrilled to see that Netflix released a second season of this show and very intrigued about who was chosen to be interviewed.

Letterman opens with an interview with Kanye which, honestly, sounded like a moment of bravery given some of his past interviews. Letterman REALLY has to work hard to keep this guy on topic, but I think it really wowed me more because of his kindness and ease that he seemed to possess when steering this conversation with Kanye.

While I find him to be a bit intriguing, I can’t say enough good things about the interviews with Ellen & Tiffany Haddish, in particular. I learned so much more about these women that I was completely blown away by elements of their own life stories they were willing to open up to with him.  I doubt you could watch this series and not learn something new through these interviews.

I Tried Acupuncture for My TMJ

Many moons ago, I tried acupuncture for an ongoing elbow issue I was having and, honestly, didn’t feel like it brought any relief. I ended up dismissing it as a voodoo type service that wouldn’t work for my pain.

Last week, my jaw got all out of whack again and I thought I would visit my chiropractor for some gentle intervention and a massage. In case you didn’t know, some chiropractors offer services that you might get at a spa, but these services are deemed “medical,” so they can often be processed through your health insurance. Imagine paying your co-pay in lieu of the hundreds of dollars you might spend to have this service. #winning

When I went (if you are local GO HERE- he’s AMAZING!), Dr. Jerry mentioned that they had added acupuncture to their list of services and that it might be worth trying for my jaw issues. With my pain being at high levels, I thought it would be worth giving it a spin again and, YOU GUYS, it helped SO FREAKING MUCH. I would have never thought to use this service for TMJ, but this explains why this new approach can really help minimize your pain.

Honestly, I was really freaked out to have these needles inserted in my face and around my head and it did feel very painful, at first. Keep in mind that the pain was pretty excruciating to begin with though. Once I calmed down, I didn’t notice it as much and tried to relax. After it was over, I felt pretty awful for a few hours and I also burst into tears which was really obnoxious.

Like, GET IT TOGETHER, CLARK.

Apparently, it is quite common though to have an emotional reaction to acupuncture so it wasn’t just me being dramatic after all. This article does a great job at explaining some of the side effects you might experience from this service.

As the day progressed, I started to realize how little my jaw was bothering me and how relaxed my jaw had become from the treatment. It really felt like a mini miracle and I’m going again next week for one more round. If you struggle with jaw pain, I really recommend looking into this option and having a night guard made to help reduce your symptoms. Both of these things have been worth their weight in gold for my issues.

Flattering Shorts for Moms

I tend to gravitate more towards skirts and dresses in the summer, but I was on the hunt for a few easy pull-on short options. I ended up stumbling on these shorts and THEY ARE PERFECT IN EVERY WAY. The cut is flattering, the width on the shorts is generous, the length is just right, and the material DOESN’T wrinkle. They only come in two shades, but they are beautiful basics you will reach for over and over again.

Looking for a print instead? These were my second favorite and these were my third favorite from my summer picks. I love the fun feminine details on these and the pull-on short is what summer is allll about. Unfortunately, I paid a lot more when I bought these so take advantage of these awesome sales today.

It’s Cold Brew Coffee Season

I love, love, love cold brew coffee in the summer. We try to keep a pitcher going at all times and I love the ability to have full control over the sugar content and to be able to sweeten it with fun coffee syrups. If you haven’t made it before, it’s super easy. All you really need is water, coffee, and a strainer. Here is my recipe for a foolproof brew. Every year I usually get tagged in a few photos of people who have been mixing up this momadvice brew over the years.

This season though, we are starting another drink recipe project. Want to know more? Here’s what arrived on our doorstep this week.

A Rom Com For the Weekend

If you are looking for a sweet rom com for the weekend, Always Be My Maybe was a fun little Netflix treat. This was such a sweet little story about two best friends that have a romance in their teens and then find each other again. Honestly, the Keanu Reeves cameo makes the whole dang thing. And if you are intrigued by Keanu, as much as I am, I think you’ll find this piece to be a real treat too.

Like that movie? Can I recommend this book and this book to you?

The Wall Version of Scrabble

With teens, we are always on the hunt for new ways to bond with our kids and that’s why this Scrabble Magnetic/Dry Erase Board ended up being such a great gift. My sister-in-law got this for us and I hung it this week (with these handy wall fasteners– it makes it so easy) and we have had a game going together every day. If you want a laugh, here is our actual board in action.

I ended up sharing about it on my feed and it was so fun to hear how many people decided to order these for their family, their work spaces, and I even had a teacher that ordered this for her classroom. Wouldn’t that be so much fun?

If you are wondering how it works, the board is magnetic and the tags are where you hang your magnetic letters. The dry erase board is just where you can keep your score… or talk trash about each other like we do in our family.

Anything that gets my kids off screens is a win in my book and this is DEFINITELY a win!

Ultimate Ears Boom Speaker

I have been on the hunt for a new bluetooth speaker that could weather some outdoor fun and nights in my little she shed. When Target dropped these on major discount, my husband and I picked up one of these, a bottle of wine, and some makings for a fun charcuterie board. After testing all the speakers, we settled on this one because the sound and design were so clever.

I have had music blasting in my kitchen every day and have been loving the ease of compatibility with our devices this one is. The charge on it lasts forever! If you are on the hunt for a good affordable speaker, this one fits the ticket! Unfortunately, they aren’t listing these online anymore, at Target, but Amazon came in with the shopping save and has them also deeply discounted!

Rocketbook Reusable Notebooks

My husband has always been a part of the Moleskine carrying club so when I stumbled upon these Rocketbooks, I just knew that this was going to make an incredible Father’s Day gift this year.

Basically, the notebook feels like paper, but each of the pages can be swiped down (like a dry erase board) and can be used again. The Rocketbook pairs, cleverly, with an app that allows you to take pictures of all your notes, intuitively filing them for you, allowing you to erase your pages and start fresh again.

Keep in mind, these are the pens that are compatible with this device so you might want to pick up a pack if you are buying these as a gift.

Overall, this was the Father’s Day winner with all of the recipients!

Here are a few of my favorite June captures (follow me on IG for more)!

we bought a fire pit cover and I couldn’t be happier to not have ash flying at me this year. praise be.

having grown-up pleasures like my bath tray, a good book, and a mug of electrolytes.

destroying my children in wall scrabble, especially the one that put, “your worst nightmare,” as her player name.

next month I’ll be hosting my first reading retreat with 16 phemenonal women. jealous? join the club so you can join me next time!

Top Ten Most Visited Articles in June

  1. 3-Ingredient Instant Pot Ribs
  2. Easy Burlap Wreath Tutorial
  3. How to Make Quinoa in the Rice Cooker
  4. How to Make a Homeless Care Package
  5. How to Make DIY Fluffy Slime
  6. How to Dye a Faded Pair of Jeans
  7. Fruit-Infused Water Recipes
  8. 7 Things I’ve Learned that Save Us Serious Money
  9. DIY Kool-Aid Slushies
  10. DIY Outdoor Movie Night

Top Ten Most Purchased Items in June

  1. Rocketbook Reusable Notebook
  2. Cat Petting Guide T-Shirt
  3. Scrabble 2-in-1 Message Board
  4. Political Pottery
  5. Crepe Pull-On Shorts
  6. Orch Dork T-Shirt
  7. Boom 2 Bluetooth Wireless Speaker
  8. Supersoft Jersey Jumpsuit
  9. Dressweights
  10. Introverted But Willing To Discuss Books T-Shirt

Top Ten Books Purchased in June- still tons on sale right now! (join the club to be notified of daily deals!)

  1. The Girl He Used to Know
  2. Finding Dorothy
  3. No Exit
  4. The Things We Cannot Say
  5. Moloka’i
  6. I Found You
  7. I Think You’re Wrong, But I’m Listening
  8. Where the Forest Meets the Stars
  9. The Orphans of Race Point
  10. Be Frank With Me

I hope you enjoyed this month’s round-up of June fun. I hope my month of happy brings a month of happy to you too! If this post doesn’t convince you my newsletter is fun, I’ve got nothing. Sign up over here to get this fun weekly in your inbox.

*this post may contain affiliate links- I only recommend what I love though. Check out past editions of It’s the 3 Little Things!

May Happy List

Wednesday, June 5th, 2019

May was a bit of a blur and I’m so happy to be back at my desk and sharing on the blog again! I squeezed in so much this past month including a trip to Austin for the Mom 2.0 Summit, a trip to Kansas City to celebrate a fellow mama’s 40th birthday, an incredible Mother’s Day date with my childhood best friend, and too many celebrations to even count!

The blogging conference felt eye-opening in many ways. There has been a strong shift in this industry that many of us are struggling to weather. The industry continues to ask more and more and more, but the real shift is moving from blogging evergreen searchable content to the Instagram platform where things only stay in our feeds for a short time. In fact, many couldn’t weather these changes if they didn’t have their ad networks running (myself included).

It gave me a lot to think about, on my way home, and what pivot I will need to do to stick around. I’m thankful I had started that process with growing our book club and building out our first reading retreat (this July!!). I have also started the outlining process of writing my first ebook on life hacks for moms with chronic illness. It is something I have been carrying around since this journey began and I’d love to pass it on to someone else.

I still have so much to share and do here so I don’t feel done yet, but I think it is good to talk about this stuff in real ways with you!

Should we move on to the happy list? Let’s do it!

Have you been missing the 3 little things list each week? Just so you know, this feature didn’t go away…it just moved over to my newsletters each week.

Sign up is super quick over here. I will even send you some free printables to help you put together this incredible home management binder.

Today I wanted to share what you might have missed this past month in one big giant happy list!!

A 3-Minute Pain-Relief Routine

I was on the hunt for some drug-free pain relief this winter and stumbled upon this book that delivers a 3-minute strategy for chronic pain. This doctor offered some miraculous stories of people being able to overcome pain through this simple stretching routine that can be done daily to help relieve body pain. The poses are similar to yoga poses that I have done, but what makes it different is the sequential order of the movements and the holding of the movements versus a yoga flow.

For the last month, I have been doing this routine daily and I am seeing a remarkable difference in my pain. Along with this simple routine, the book offers targeted pain relief exercises for specific types of pain through an encyclopedia of exercises to try to help with pain management.

Dr. Weisberg encourages readers to make this a part of your daily routine, like brushing your teeth, to see the best results.

If you struggle with chronic pain, from an injury or a chronic pain illness, I can’t recommend this resource enough. Not only have the exercises been helpful, but it also offers strategies for routines that will help with your spinal alignment.

John Mulaney Kid Gorgeous Netflix Special

I have a growing appreciation for John Mulaney and was so excited to see that he had a new Netflix special out.

My husband and I watched it and belly-laughed through the entire thing. Mulaney is a breath of fresh air when it comes to humor and he isn’t too proud to not lean into how our humor changes as we get older.

Normally, I find his comedy to be really conservative and this time he brought some humor into today’s politics, our jobs being taken over by robots, and how annoying it is that his college is asking for donations (relatable!).

It was so funny that we are going to watch it again with our teenage son, a boy whose humor could only be matched by John Mulaney.

Definitely add this one to your weekend Netflix binge!

Rescued Food Feeding Kids

Have you heard of the concept of food rescue? I had read about this happening in other countries, but had never seen this in action in the states…until this past month.

Cultivate Culinary, a local nonprofit, is feeding area kids with the extra food from catered events in town and even area schools are sending food to be packaged for students that need meals on the weekends.

Shared in this news article, “Mostly, we rescue food that’s been made but never served by catering companies, large food service businesses, like the school system,” said Jim Conklin, Cultivate. “You don’t always think of a school. Over-preparing is just part of what happens,” said Conklin. “We take well-prepared food, combine it with other food and make individual frozen meals out if it.”

Right now they are preparing hundreds of meals weekly that go home in insulated backpacks for kids in need.

If you are looking for a place to volunteer with friends (or to make new ones), consider volunteering. It is so fun and it feels really good knowing you are helping our kids!

It’s also a great place to make a donation to support their efforts to feed kids in need.

I shared a quick video and pic from my time this week volunteering.

I, honestly, can’t wait to go back!

Warm Rustic Woods Scented Candle

There is a new favorite candle over at our house and it is the Warm Rustic Woods candle from BHG.

I am not a big fan of floral candles and I can find the food scented candles to be a little overwhelming.

This fragrance is slightly more masculine, but warm and delicious. It is one of those scents you can use all year long and never get tired of.

If you are looking for a new candle, you can’t beat the price on this one.

Make it last even longer with a candle warmer instead of burning it!

e.l.f. Glow Primer Stick

I have dry skin and I have never been able to find a primer that didn’t dry my skin out more than it already is.

e.l.f started carrying a glow primer stick, that contains coconut and shea butter, and I thought I would give it a try since it seemed geared towards people with my skin type.

I can’t rave enough how awesome this primer stick is and how moisturizing it is to my skin. It adds a subtle glow (no fake glitter effects with this one) and you can’t beat the price at just $8!

If you have dry skin and are hunting for the perfect primer, give this affordable option a spin.

Homecoming Documentary

Last month my husband and I watched the new Homecoming documentary from Beyonce and, I’m almost positive, our mouths were hanging open the entire time.

Homecoming documents the grueling schedule and work that went into Beyonce’s triumphant return to stage following the birth of her twins.

She was the headliner for Coachella and decided to use this opportunity to educate and represent all aspects of black culture in one of the most phenomenal show displays that I have ever seen.

She was responsible for every element of this show from writing, directing, producing, and starring and had made all decisions down to those nitty gritty details of measurements of seating on her stage.

As a mom, she gives you an intimate look at what a sacrifice this was and I am blown away by her discipline to get her body back back in such a short time all while managing the incredible duties of this show.

More importantly, her work shows us what is possible when we have a platform and how we can use it to teach people in incredible ways. We all might not have a platform like her, but what could we do in our smaller ways to bring joy and love to others?

I could go ON and ON about the incredible representation and inclusivity that she pulled off, but I just think you should watch it.

I am looking forward to listening to this album now that I have seen the show. It’s incredible!

Free Challenging Workouts from PopSugar

I might be the last person in the world to know about the free YouTube fitness channel, but PopSugar’s free workouts have really been making my workouts a ton of fun! I love to do my favorite spinning routines and then polish them off with a 10-minute sweat session through this YouTube channel.

If you think ten minutes sounds so easy, go ahead and give this booty blast workout a try and tell me all about how you almost died too.

Prefer a barre-driven workout? This workout blew me away at how challenging it was while feeling restorative at the same time.

I am excited to explore more classes and love that these save me a ton of money on a gym membership while giving me the variety that I am after.

Class lengths can be anywhere between a short and effective ten minute sweat sesh to forty-five minutes in length. Bringing in a variety of fitness instructors, you can take advantage of loads of different workouts from cardio dance to weight lifting to yoga.

Basically, no excuses.

The Perfect Sleep Mask

I managed to leave behind my sleep mask in a hotel room this month. For me, a good sleep mask is essential for a good solid night’s sleep. When my husband found out, he ordered a new mask for me, and for himself, and I have to say, this guy NAILED IT!

This cotton sleep mask is beautifully designed, in a way that TRULY keeps the lights out when you wear it. Made of breathable cotton, the nose area has a foldable piece of boning that allows you to shape it around your own nose, to keep all the light out from that area.

Straps are usually troublesome for me, but this is wide and has the clasps in an area that doesn’t cause discomfort for side sleepers. At under, $10, I can’t rave enough!

It even comes with a handy carrier case that clips to your bags so you never lose it in a hotel room again.

For me, it is all about these little things and I’ve enjoyed getting some really restful sleep with this blackout sleep mask!

Electrolytes Daily

I can’t tell you how many of these electrolyte tablets I had shared with friends over my last few trips. Nuun is my favorite brand because they come in a really smart portable canister and the flavors just can’t be beat. I really think of these as a portable IV that is the perfect sports recovery drink or (let’s be honest) the perfect hangover cure.

I double the water on mine, which is the perfect amount of flavor for someone who is a big LaCroix fan. Doing it with the recommended amount of water yields a stronger flavor that reminds me of a Gatorade drink.

The best part is that these are low in sugar and carbs, unlike a lot of the electrolyte drinks on the market. They recently added an immunity-boosting blend that I’m excited to try. As someone who has POTS Syndrome, electrolytes are one of my body’s best defenses against my ongoing symptoms.

Although I feel it goes without saying, ALWAYS travel with a reusable water bottle on your trips. I bring it empty, to get through security, and take advantage of the water bottle filling stations that are now placed in all the airports.

It is such an easy thing to do and many hotels now have filling stations in their lobbies, so you are never without water.

Not only are you saving a load of money, but you are doing a little part for the environment too.

Adding tablets, like these, is a fun way to keep the variety going all week long.

Dead to Me on Netflix

I can’t stop talking about how much I loved the new Netflix series, Dead to Me. If you haven’t seen it yet, I really wish I was you right now. Fans of Big Little Lies will be swept away in this twisty layered plot.

Linda Cardellini & Christina Applegate star in this dark comedy about life after loss. Jen is a real estate agent whose husband is brutally killed in a hit-and-run near their home late one night. She joins a grief support circle where she meets Judy, who also is going through a loss of her own. The two become fast friends and boundaries become blurred very quickly because Jen really needs someone to be her friend through this season.

Jen can’t seem to move forward though until she finds the person who has killed her husband. It consumes her and she is filled with rage and bitterness. Applegate shines in these vulnerable moments that really showcase her acting chops.

Cardellini has a very complex role in this show too where you can’t decide if she is good, bad, or crazy. As secrets are uncovered, it threatens their fragile friendship in some surprising ways.

I love that the episodes are 30 minutes, which feels like the perfect amount of time at this stage in my life, and that each one ends on such a cliffhanger that you have to keep pushing through. I, in fact, finished the whole series in two days and loved how they chose to end the first season with ANOTHER cliffhanger. Definitely add this one to your weekend agenda!

My Amazing New Cordless Vacuum

We are reaching that point where everything in our house seems to be breaking on us and I was in desperate need of a new quick vac to replace our broken one. I stumbled upon this Hoover Impulse, on my Target run, and knew this would be perfect for our house. It sweeps all my floors like a dream (carpet, tile, & laminate) and it can be taken apart to be a small handheld vac on your furniture or used with attachments to clean the tops of cupboards and light fixtures.

Basically, it does ALL THE THINGS and is lightweight and cordless.

While I would love the Dyson, this one was in a much sweeter price point and offered similar benefits.

I highly recommend it! It has made me cleaning a lot more fun!

Supporting a New-To-Me Local Potter

Justin Rothshank is a Goshen potter that creates pieces featuring some of your favorite people on them. For Mother’s Day, I snagged a beautiful mug of our mayor for my Mother’s Day treat. I have to say, these are even more beautiful person and would be a treasured gift for anyone in your life. The mug is just the perfect size and I love leaving it out to display it in our cabinets. I can’t rave enough about the product or how good it feels to support local artists. Check out his Etsy shop!

Here are a few of my favorite May captures (follow me on IG for more)!

I got a squeeze from Jen Hatmaker at the Iris Awards

way too many belly laughs with my roomies- Sarah & Meagan from The Mom Hour Podcast

snagged this fun dress from thredup for $30 and paired it with these fun block heels from Target #livingmybrand

spent mother’s day with my childhood best friend- toasted ourselves with a couple of good margaritas & a little boutique shopping!

celebrated 19 married years with my hubby. time goes by fast when you marry your best friend.

how could this mother’s day card not make you happy?

doing my part to help this walmart dress sell out online. they have some cute dresses this season. #notsponsored #justhappy

nothing makes this girl happier than a flower delivery on her doorstep!

Top Ten Most Visited Articles in May

  1. Amy’s Notebook 03.07.19
  2. Easy Burlap Wreath Tutorial
  3. April 2019 Must-Reads
  4. 3-Ingredient Instant Pot Ribs
  5. How to Stain a Picnic Table
  6. How to Make Quinoa in a Rice Cooker
  7. How to Spray Paint Furniture
  8. Fruit-Infused Water Recipes
  9. DIY Fluffy Slime Recipe
  10. DIY Roll-Up Jigsaw Puzzle Mat

Top Ten Most Purchased Items in May

  1. First Edition Baby Onesie
  2. Rothshank Pottery Mugs
  3. Time & Tru Summer Dresses
  4. Copper Mugs
  5. Personalized Wood Watches
  6. Personalized Metal Photo Keyrings
  7. Teacher Mugs
  8. Navy Floral Jumpsuit
  9. Introverted But Willing to Talk About Books T-Shirt
  10. True Body V-Neck Bras

Top Ten Books Purchased in May- still tons on sale right now! (join the club to be notified of daily deals!)

  1. Beasts of Extraordinary Circumstance
  2. No One Can Pronounce My Name
  3. Whiskey & Charlie
  4. Class Mom
  5. The Overdue Life of Amy Byler
  6. The Gown
  7. Everything Here is Beautiful
  8. Dark Matter
  9. Harry’s Trees
  10. Stay With Me

I hope you enjoyed this month’s round-up of May fun and I look forward to sharing more in June! I hope my month of happy brings a month of happy to you too! If this post doesn’t convince you my newsletter is fun, I’ve got nothing. Sign up over here to get this fun weekly in your inbox.

*this post may contain affiliate links- I only recommend what I love though. Check out past editions of It’s the 3 Little Things!

March Happy List

Monday, April 8th, 2019

Well, hello there! My husband and I just got back from our Iceland adventures and I can’t begin to tell you how amazing it all was.  If anything topped my happy list in March, it was FOR SURE visiting the Blue Lagoon and celebrating my husband’s 40th birthday.

As amazing as it all was, there really is no place like home. I couldn’t be happier to be reunited with our kids and our fur baby.

Perhaps, not as excited to be reunited with laundry, dishes, and cleaning the house.

Ah, you gotta love real life.

You will be happy to know though that I still have a few amazing reads for you put together for March so don’t miss this month’s must-reads list.

Also, can I brag for one moment before we get started on the happy list? Check out who is up for Mom Blog of the Year again this year!

I can’t tell you how honored I am and to be listed among such incredible women that I admire and respect.

Have you been missing the 3 little things list each week? Just so you know, this feature didn’t go away…it just moved over to my newsletters each week.

Sign up is super quick over here. I will even send you some free printables to help you put together this incredible home management binder.

Today I wanted to share what you might have missed this past month in one big giant happy list!!

I Got that Glow Going

As I have aged, I feel like my skin has gotten duller in appearance and I’ve been looking for some ways to bring the glow back to my complexion.

I discovered these Aveeno Maxglow Infusion Drops and have started adding 2 drops of this to my moisturizer and it really works at adding a subtle glow to your face.

Paired with this tool that I have in my makeup arsenal, my husband has even started commenting on my glowing skin (trust me, that NEVER happens).

I really love this stuff and a little goes a long way! I highly recommend adding these to your makeup routine!

We Have Been Doing a Little Time Traveling

My husband and I were married in 2000 so we thought it would be fun to relive those good old days through this amazing series you can find on Netflix.

This CNN docuseries, produced by Tom Hanks, explores each season through the pop culture, social, and political trends of a different decade, starting with the sixties.

Each decade is explored through about eight episodes and it is filled with amazing interviews with people who played some part in these stories and through the eyes of historians.

After finishing the 2000’s, we moved on to the 90’s and now are enjoying reliving our high school days. I highly recommend diving into these if you haven’t before. It has been both fun and informative!

A Selfie Clip-On Light for Picture Taking

Our home doesn’t have a lot of natural light in it and I often struggle to take photos for my feed because of it.

I happened to stumble upon this e.l.f. selfie light at Walmart and I can’t rave enough about how much light it can bring to your pictures.

It illuminates you with three settings, that ramp up the brightness, and it comes all ready to go with batteries and everything.

It is so small that it is perfect to tuck in your purse for those selfie moments with your kiddos. Priced at just $12, it is one of those inexpensive gadgets that make a huge difference in your photos.

Stitch Fix for Men

I knew as soon as my husband found out we were headed to Iceland, he would start panicking about what items he would need to wear while we are there. Did you know that Stitch Fix now styles for men? I remembered that I read that in my emails and decided to utilize this service for his birthday gift.

If you are pulling off a surprise getaway somewhere or planning a vacation where you know your wardrobe isn’t prepared, I can’t recommend this fun service enough.

In my husband’s box, for example, were two REALLY amazing waterproof packable jackets, a heavy-duty flannel shirt, and a thick sweater.

It was just what he needed and it took the stress out of shopping for him. If you want to give the service a spin for a gentleman in your life, here’s $25 to spend on your first purchase!

My Trusty Dinner Bell

If you have read my blog for a long time, you may already know about my little bell, but I had to mention again how much I love our little antique hotel bell for getting everyone to to the dinner table.

I forget that other people don’t do this so when my brother came for dinner, he started laughing when I gave it a little ding-ding-ding and the whole family came to the kitchen.

As an INFJ, I can’t stand yelling and our split-level home means that people scatter in all directions.

A little tap of the bell and everyone gathers,  saving me from yelling and running around our house to find everyone.

We found our bell at an antique shop, but here is an inexpensive alternative if you can’t find one for your house. I can’t rave enough about how much I love this low-tech item.

ALDI Tikka Masala Simmering Sauce

I might be dating myself, but when I was growing up, we ate a lot of Chicken Tonight.

All you had to do was brown some chicken and then you poured the sauce over it to simmer in and called it dinner.

When I saw that ALDI was carrying a tikka masala simmering sauce, I decided to give it a try and now we eat it every couple of weeks or so.

I shared about it on Instagram Stories and had several people send me DM’s back that they decided to give it a spin after my endorsement and absolutely loved it.

The best part is that you can choose what you want to simmer with it for your own spin. Chickpeas, tofu, chicken, and shrimp all make for a delicious (and way easy!) weeknight meal. We serve it with rice and the baby naan that the store carries (it is the perfect size!) and I consider it almost like a night off from cooking.

I hope you love this sauce as much as as we do!

Slip Shorts

After dressing for one week in a dress this month (to help raise funds for Junior League!), I can tell you that my favorite slip shorts were worn and loved daily.

If you have parents with Southern roots, you know you were not allowed to be running around in a dress without a proper slip.

I can still see images of my mom shaking her head and pointing to the door when I would come out for church without a slip.

That is why I love this more modern approach with these slip shorts for helping smooth those lines and to give a clean finish underneath your dresses.

If you are not a fan of compression garments, give these a try! While still minimizing lines, they are comfortable to wear all day long!

I don’t think we can always say the same thing about Spanx- hahaha!

Sally Hansen Airbrush Legs

I also went without tights for a week and it was a CHILLY experience in the Midwest.

Spring, where are you?

Luckily, my legs weren’t turning blue thanks to my favorite beauty hack-  Sally Hansen Airbrush Legs.

Simply squeeze a little on your hands and spread on your lightly moisturized (but dry) legs.

Then just use your hands to spread the make-up on your legs and it all air dries in one minute. It is truly an airbrushed leg experience and, provided you blend well and pick the right shade for your own coloring, it gives a beautiful finish to your legs.

It has a little shimmer to it too, but not overly noticeable.

The best part is that it is waterproof so if you are even at the beach, you will be fine.

You need soap to get it off, otherwise it stays right where you put it.

Since it has good staying power, one bottle usually gets me through the entire summer!

Queer Eye for the Straight Guy

The New Season of Queer Eye

I was such a fan of the original cast and the work they did, but I feel like the reboot of Queer Eye is on another level!

It sounds kind of cheesy to say that each episode teaches me something, but it REALLY does.

The guys help makeover people that are often overlooked by others and embrace them with warmness and inclusion.

The ability to meet people where they are and provide solutions for them is a valuable lesson in how we help others in our life.

I, honestly, bawl through every episode because of these beautiful moments.

Through the show, they are able to teach people to embrace others with compassion and empathy.

This is one that we watch with our kids and has given us a lot to talk about- especially the focus on inclusion.

It is easy to judge others if we aren’t walking in their shoes and many of these people have felt let down by the world.

The lessons that are garnered from this are impactful and beautiful.

My favorite episodes this season (so far) have been Jones BBQ (two strong business woman who have put family first before themselves), When Robert Met Jamie (a lesson on how we talk about ourselves and present ourselves to others- really good lesson for kids!!), and Black Girl Magic (not allowing boxes and labels to determine if we are displaying characteristics of our own race & how to form family if you are rejected by your own).

You guys should watch it if you haven’t yet.

Also, thanks for coming to my Queer Eye TED Talk!

Here are a few of my favorite March captures (follow me on IG for more)!

Enormously excited that I got a signed copy of Mayor Pete’s new book and that I got to hear him speak. You would have to be hiding under a rock to not know that South Bend’s mayor is getting a lot of buzz on the news as we all ready for his official announcement that he is running for President! If you are unfamiliar with him, this is one of my favorite interviews that he has done (and, yes, I’ve watched them ALL!!). 

I participated in the Little Black Dress initiative to help raise funds and awareness for the work we do locally in Junior League. If you are local and interested in joining, send me a message and I’m happy to connect you! I’ve volunteered more hours than I ever have and feel more connected to my community and its organizations. REALLY excited to volunteer this month at this organization, that is making national news, through the done-in-a-day projects that this organization offers. 

Loved this sunset we caught as we boarded our plane to Iceland. It is one of those little things that I will never get tired of! 

Top Ten Most Visited Articles in March

  1. Easy Burlap Wreath Tutorial
  2. 3-Ingredient Instant Pot Ribs
  3. How to Organize Board Games
  4. How to Make Rice Cooker Quinoa
  5. Amy’s Notebook 03.07.19
  6. DIY Roll-Up Jigsaw Puzzle Mat
  7. How to Make a Blanket Scarf
  8. January 2019 Must-Reads
  9. How to Dye Plastic Eggs
  10. February 2019 Must-Reads

Top Ten Most Purchased Items in March

  1. Initial Stacking Rings
  2. Soft Touch Foot Peel Masks
  3. Belei Beauty Products
  4. Neck & Shoulder Relaxer
  5. Hilor Women’s One-Piece Swimsuit
  6. Jockey Slip Shorts
  7. Alphabet Wood Tracing Board
  8. Perfect Fit Open Neck T-Shirt
  9. iPhone Acoustic Speaker 
  10. Women’s Drape Jogger Pants

Top Ten Books Purchased in March (join the club to be notified of daily deals!)

  1. I Think You’re Wrong, But I’m Listening
  2. The Seven Husbands of Evelyn Hugo
  3. Born a Crime
  4. Inheritance
  5. A History of Loneliness
  6. What Alice Forgot
  7. What if It’s Us
  8. Z.
  9. This is Where I Leave You
  10. The Dry Grass of August

I hope you enjoyed this month’s round-up of March fun and I look forward to sharing more in April! I hope my month of happy brings a month of happy to you too! If this post doesn’t convince you my newsletter is fun, I’ve got nothing. Sign up over here to get this fun weekly in your inbox.

*this post may contain affiliate links- I only recommend what I love though. Check out past editions of It’s the 3 Little Things!