Archive for November, 2015

My Little Holiday Home Tour

Monday, November 30th, 2015

Can you believe that December is here? I am so excited to celebrate another holiday with my family in our home. You know bloggers that do those beautiful home tours? I am always in amazement at their beauty & style and it inspires me so much. Our ’60’s fixer upper has never felt blog tour worthy, but I started to think about the types of things that really appeal to me in my real life. They aren’t always the big and elaborate homes with loads of store-bought accessories or even what one might find Pinterest-worthy, but more simplistic in beauty & a nod towards homemade.

Doable stuff, that’s what I am after. I think that our home accomplishes those two things so well so I wanted to invite you in for a bit!

I hope you like coffee because that’s what we serve around here! Please leave your shoes at the door in our beautiful boot tray that I have left out for you. It’s usually one of the first things people remark on and I found that gem at Target years ago! It’s perfect for the narrowest of hallways like ours!

(bells: michaels)

Guess what? I will have already known you have arrived because I put bells on our door. Typically, I am more of a wreath girl, but I loved the minimalistic simplicity of these bells. I also happened to get them while they were 60% off at Michael’s and I had a gift certificate to spend from my birthday so these babies were FREE. Yay! Welcome to our little house- we are awfully proud of it!

Pay no mind to our hideous yard and feel sad for our neighbors who must view it every day. Notice this is not a yard tour because, seriously, we aren’t that amazing at yard work.

Let’s just ignore it for now and move on into our front room where no televisions are allowed, only vinyl.

(sources: bucky cardboard deer head/yarn pom pom trees tutorial/every day i’m hustlin pillow/knitted leaves centerpiece tutorial/pillows (a daily deal)/curtains (a daily deal)/fabric-lined bookcases tutorial/ thumbtack pumpkin tutorial/charlie brown vinyl)

Here is a wide shot of our front room. I am leaving my mountain of knitted cabled earwarmer projects because I am too lazy to move them.

Now that I think about it, this is probably why I don’t get invited to do blog tours.

Hey, we live here!

We just had this room painted in my favorite Benjamin Moore Gray Owl paint color along with fresh ceilings, new trim, and the window trim painted. This was a much needed update to this tired old house. This is my favorite room in our home now because it houses our record player that was gifted to us by my husband’s father and all the light spills into this room making it warm & cozy in the winter.

Our favorite accessory is our deer (I even included him in our gift guide!). We have way too much fun with this cardboard deer and decided to move the furniture around to really put him on display because Bucky is the star of the show. I loved decking him out for the holidays, although there is rarely a day when Bucky isn’t decked out in some way. In fact, he looks ridiculous now without glasses.

(sources: love grows best in little houses pillow cover/eddie ross modern mix/vintage home ec trophy (similar)/ pom pom wreath tutorial/ laura ingall’s wilder collection reissued b&n classic (similar)/wuthering heights reissued b&n classic)

I wanted a creative spot to put our keys and found a vintage first place home economics trophy from the 60’s on etsy that I absolutely love for throwing our keys into. Let’s face it, no one is giving me any awards around here so I have to award myself. Well done, self. It’s not Christmas-y, but it is one of my favorite things in our house.

My pom pom wreath was so labor intensive that I never put it away and it is now a year-round addition. I find that happens with a lot of homemade goodness around here. When you work that hard on something you really should show it off!

(source: mrs. meyer’s everything/ painted desk with bookshelf tutorial/ painted kitchen table tutorial/painted kitchen cabinets tutorial/ barclay light gray armchairs/yellow metal dining chairs/furry throw/ornament wreath handmade/succulent wreath/ yarn pom pom garland tutorial/chalkboard)

I have found the addition of red to anything green instantly makes it feel like Christmas. I tacked on a few bows to my green wreaths so I don’t have to switch them out for a month and just wired them on with a little floral wire for easy removal. Instant holiday!

Our kitchen is transitioning slowly which can be hard to do for this go-getter, but the funds needed for a complete kitchen overhaul just aren’t there. I wasn’t ready to make a big financial commitment in a new table & chairs so we switched out chairs for now and added a fresh coat of paint to our 13 year-old table to make things feel new again. Those two things have brought a lot of contentment for me in this space.

(source: owl ornaments/ornaments/bells/plaid ribbon/have yourself a merry little christmas pillow- all from Michael’s! Grab your coupons!)

We divided and conquered our tree this year. The boys went tree shopping and the girls purchased fresh ornaments. Our fifteen year-old ornaments looked REALLY bad last year, but I thought my kids would appreciate the sentiments behind them. When I “broke the news” that I thought we should get some new ornaments, Emily said, “OH GOOD! You mean we will have Santas for our tree with TWO LEGS?”

So….surprisingly, they did not care one bit.

My husband was the only one who was like, let’s still have a tree with Santas with only one leg, but he got vetoed by the three unsentimental people in the family.

I guess he can have a tree for his office with the Island of Misfit Ornaments and we will keep this shiny tree here for the fancy folks!

My best friend said I should show you all this because she had never seen anyone do this before. I wire my ribbon garland to the tree limbs. I know it is completely OCD, but I never want it to move once I put it on. You can twist it there or just do what I do which is kind of bubble it up and then cinch it with an ornament hook. It makes it look super PROFESSIONAL. Which I am not.

When I was in high school I worked at a hardware store where we decorated trees every holiday season so I know a lot of things that seem useless like how to make bows and make garland stick and wrap lights around limbs like your life depends on it, but these useless things definitely comes in handy around the holidays!

(source: bar cart tutorial/blanket scarf tutorial/forbidden desert/carcassonne/boss monster/tapple/ticket to ride/alvin & dexter/boss monster extension/love actually/white christmas/annie (don’t forget a treat!)/nightmare before christmas/yarn garland tutorial)

I switch the bar cart out for the season and it doubles as a great entertaining tool when hosting large groups in our home. Although our house is on the smaller size (about 1,500 square feet), we maximize every space with little storage ideas like this for our home. For the winter, it is loaded with our favorite board games, holiday movies, holiday puzzles, and all my vintage records that I collect from Goodwill for just a quarter each!

(source: blanket scarf tutorial/diy painted laminate fireplace/furry throw/copper deer head (michael’s)/winter garland (michael’s)/storage ottoman)

The picture above the mantle distracted from the beautiful copper deer head so I covered it with one of my blanket scarves for the holiday. This little fireplace is probably one of the smartest home investments we have made. This is our sub-basement (our home is a quad level) so it can get chilly down here in my office. This addition not only added warmth, but it added a focal point to this room that wasn’t my work and desk.

The only bad part is feeling motivated to work when I have such a cozy spot to curl up in.

I mean…look at that focal point.

(source: yarn pom pom & ornament garland tutorial/yarn-wrapped letters tutorial/sherpa blanket/bed/nightstand/nobody puts baby in a corner pillow (similar)/q&a for couples/ yarn trees/bell wreath (similar))

I photographed my bed with yarn pom pom garland, but I think I pushed too much yarn bombing on my husband so we are back to the minimalist metal frame. He’s actually such a good sport about yarn, but maybe that is because his mom is a knitter.

Basically, he was raised right.

One vow I have always made to myself is that our room will be treated like a sanctuary which means NO CLUTTER. There is nothing relaxing about sleeping in a room that is filled with stuff so this is truly a retreat space for me during the holiday season. I would stay in this room all day if I didn’t have kids and have to work.

And just because everything feels more magical at night, I wanted to close with this photo. I love the twinkle of Christmas lights!

I don’t know if this home is “blog tour worthy,” but I couldn’t be prouder of our sweet little home if I tried. It is filled with my favorite people which makes it the most special place of all.

And if I want to retreat from those special people even more, you can find me hiding out in my She Shed thanks to the heating unit out there. It’s like my own private getaway.

I hope you liked touring our little house with us! Happy holidays! xoxo

*This post contains affiliate links. I promise to only recommend what I love!

Pin It

Tags: Fixer Upper Home Tour, Holiday Decorating, Holiday Home Tour, Holiday Style, Quad Home Tour, Trilevel Home Tour, Trilevel Renovation
Posted in Celebrations, DIY, Holidays, Home, Knitting, Uncategorized | No Comments »

Circle With Disney: The Only Cyber Deal a Parent Needs

Monday, November 30th, 2015

Sometimes it is difficult to share here and keep a sense of privacy around certain issues that we have in our family. We have been dealing with a personal struggle with our kids and creating a good balance of online time and offline time with them. Our biggest struggle though has been protecting them from the internet and potentially harmful content as well as monitoring the amount of time they are spending on their devices.

There are a few things that I became aware of over the past couple of years about my loss of control as a parent.

One was that one of my children was getting up in the middle of the night to play online games while we were sleeping because we were monitoring the amount of technology hours they were allowed online. We found out that this child had been getting up at 3 in the morning every day, slipping on their uniform, playing Minecraft until I needed to wake them up, and then pretending to read in their room, absolutely wowing me that I did not have to pull them out of bed. Of course, the routine started to slip when they became an absolute disaster at school and emotional mess when they came home. We checked our internet logs to discover what was happening and realized it had been a routine for quite awhile before we realized they had been doing it.

The second was that one of our children left open their Google searches on our computer and a peek at their open search history yielded a serious discussion we needed to have about sex and the potential that their search could yield pornography or put them at risk of child predators. We should have had the talk sooner- it felt like a parenting fail to see what they were looking for.

The third were some unsavory jokes at our dinner table that apparently had been found on YouTube skits.

Clearly, we had lost our control.

We started locking down the internet in as many ways as possible. No one could get on during certain hours, their Kindles had every parental restriction we could set, and we blocked any potential sites that we could that might pop up in their searches. We became police monitors of their behavior as best as we could, but still situations arose where we felt we lost control. My husband did hours and hours of research on what we could do to make this better, but we couldn’t find anything that fit our family’s needs. These blockers for our kids created blockers for me all day trying to do my job and I didn’t know how to reset the blockers my husband enabled. Potential monitoring systems would not work with our router so this is the crappy “block you from everything,” solution that we had come up with for now.

Until THIS. It’s called Circle. The company reached out to me to help spread the word about their service for the holidays. Honestly, I almost cried when I watched the video because this is what we needed. THIS is what our family has been waiting for. THIS is the answer to our issues and I am so excited to show it to you today. I am over the moon excited that we are implementing this system in our home to help protect our kids and I can’t encourage you enough to consider the same system especially if you are having these struggles too.

I received a beta unit this week and would love to walk you through it. Even though I am a blogger, I can admit that I am not very tech savvy. Watch the video to see how easy it was to set up for our family!

Every family needs this in their home.

Don’t believe me? Here is another video clip of it in action!

Best part…

It’s only $99 FLAT (meaning no monthly fees!!)

Are you tired of letting the Internet dictate what your family is exposed to? Not Anymore! With Circle, you are the boss!

Here are 4 Awesome things you can EASILY do with Circle:

1. Set appropriate filters for EACH DEVICE. Use the pre-designed ones or customize your own.

2. Track where your family is spending their time online.

3. Give your devices a BED TIME!

4. PAUSE the internet! Yes. you. can.

If you are still not convinced, read what these Circle customers are saying about it:

“As the father of four kids from elementary through college age, I am not exaggerating when I say Circle is EXACTLY the device I have been looking for to control the internet in my house. Circle truly is peace of mind in a little white box.” – Wayne Stocks

“Circle has literally changed our lives and how our family spends time on the internet. My worries of what my children could be exposed to online has changed overnight by the use of Circle. I can pause the internet anytime making getting chores or homework done much easier these days.” -Terra Nyce

“Circle makes it easy for me to protect my kids online, monitor usage across all our home’s devices, and create conversations with the entire family. It’s rare that something is simple and effective, but Circle is both.” — Michael Lukaszewski

We are so excited to finally have control again. Get control of the Internet and give your family this gift of Circle on Cyber Monday.

*This post contains an affiliate link, but I only promote things I believe will add value to your life.

Tags: Circle Review, Disney Circle Internet Monitoring Service, Disney Circle Review
Posted in Early Childhood, Family, My Work | No Comments »

M Challenge Giving Syllabus Notebook 11.25.15

Thursday, November 26th, 2015

As a wrap-up of each month’s M Challenge theme, we will be using the last Notebook of the month as a sort of “Cliffs Notes” edition of the challenge – a place where you can find a list of all the articles we’ve published for the challenge, as well as more inspiration and links from the web around the challenge theme. Our hope is that this will be something that you can refer to in the future as well as catch up on in case you’ve missed anything!

November M Challenge: Focus on Giving

Start With a Clear Plan & Goals

I am a big believer in getting everything on paper and when I came to the team with my big dreams of birthday wishes I didn’t speak vaguely of what I believed I could do. Let me be clear though, saying it out loud is hard. I did not want to let a single person down. At the same time, knowing that I was trying to commit to a goal, offered motivation for me to really pull through for Burkina Faso. We shared that our family was financially committed to one well and we hoped to raise enough funds for at least two more wells.

I shared every avenue I was willing to tap into, how we could gather our funds, what I would need from the team to get people to connect to our cause, and what would be happening each day in that first week on our site.

Get People Curious About What You Are Doing

I began posting teasers that we were up to something a couple of weeks in advance of launching our project. We wanted to get people excited that something big was going to be happening and that we would be calling on them to be a part of it. You can do this even if you don’t have a blog or website, but just through your social media channels.

State Your Needs Clearly So People Know Who They Are Helping

People need to know what they are funding and what organizations they are helping. In a case like ours where there are numerous organizations involved, I tried to clearly state exactly who the partners in this project were, facts about the community & people that would be impacted, and what a donation would mean to this cause.

Saying that we need clean water for people in Africa would not be as impactful as, “One out of three children will probably die before they ever reach the age of ten. The deaths are mostly due to a lack of fresh water. The women of Burkina Faso often walk several miles to a dirty stream or stagnant pool, just to fill a bowl with water.”

Children dying before they are ten?

Women walking for miles to find a water source?

It is awful, but truthful information that calls upon people to help in a very visual way.

Find an Avenue for Easy Collection

I have been a longtime fan of Pure Charity and knew that I wanted to use this site to spread the message of what we needed. I cannot recommend their site enough for what they can bring to your passion projects.

I could go on and on about why I love them so much, but it all boils down to people being able to connect with your cause, see their money grow, and know how many they have impacted. You can take a peek at my campaign to see how this looked. I can’t tell you how many people went back in and donated a little more after their first donation to the project, just see the money bar go up a little more. After each donation is given, through Pure Charity, the person is told exactly how many lives their donation impacts. Even if you were only about to offer $10, you knew that you had impacted five people that day once your funds were submitted.

This method of collection was easy and you can connect your organization right to the funds.

Donations Are Great- Whether Big or Small

Unless the organization’s collection form states that you need to have a minimum donation, show people small and approachable ways of donating. Anything over $1 was considered a donation on Pure Charity so I tried to think of things that were a little over $1 that people could “give up” to give a child clean water. A Redbox flick, a Starbucks coffee, a ticket to the latest movie, or a quick stop for a burrito is money that could be spent to give clean water to Burkina Faso.

It worked so well that people were donating after they went through the drive-thru or they gave up their weekly latte run or pizza night for my cause.

The point of this was to prove that you don’t have to be a millionaire to give. Every donation was important to me. Every. Dollar.

Connect Your Cause With Your Social Media Channels

If you are active on social media, use it to your advantage and ask your friends to spread the word. My two biggest audiences on social media are Facebook & Instagram.

Here’s a fun fact, I absolutely despise video or hearing myself on video or anything to do with video. That being said, some people like pictures, some people like videos, and some people just like to read a status. I tried to utilize every avenue from the beginning. An intro video connected you to our cause, I did a couple of thank you videos to thank people as we met goals, and we shared lots of pictures. If you want to make quick banners or collages for your cause, PicMonkey is great for your websites and if you are looking to add text to your phone images, I love Rhonna Designs app.

Thank Everyone for Everything Often

Each time we received a donation, I thanked them, whether publicly or privately. I was so grateful to everyone who gave, whether it was a dollar or a hundred dollars. The fact that they connected with my cause and helped meant the world to me.

Anytime I have ever donated to someone and received a thank you, it acted as double validation for what I did. With 121 contributors to our campaign, I tried not to overlook a single person and sent an email or message to them as soon as I could to say thank you.

After all, if we didn’t have these AMAZING friends we could never be sharing our success story with you today. My friends ROCK!

Don’t Stop Once You Reach Your Goal

Our goal was to raise enough funds for three wells. In the end, the money kept trickling in and bit by bit we were inching closer to our fourth well. If we would have given up when we reached our goal, we would have never known we could have achieved an additional well.

I’m not done with Burkina Faso though. The water of funds will continue to trickle as I knit my way to another well this year. I am working on my first round of wares for an Etsy shop to give all the profit to Burkina Faso.

If you have a talent for something and a burning desire like this amazing young lady that shared her story with our readers, you can continue raising funds in whatever little ways and pockets of time you have in your day.

Whatever your project, I pray that God blesses you abundantly in it. I also thank each of you for helping us reach and surpass our goal of giving clean water to the people of Burkina Faso. Thanks to your donations, we will have water for up to 4,000 people. What an incredible gift you have given us and these people.

Thank you for celebrating the site’s tenth anniversary with us in such a grand and beautiful way! It solidifies my belief that this is just what God wants me to be doing with my life.

xoxo,

Amy

Pin It

Tags: Burkina Faso, Charity, Charity Fundraising, Pure Charity, Pure Charity Fundraiser
Posted in Announcements, Frugal, The M Challenge | 3 Comments »

The MomAdvice Unique Holiday Gift Guide 2015: 20+ Ideas for Everyone On Your List

Saturday, November 21st, 2015

Each year I look forward to sharing a few fun gifts to add to your holiday wish list. This year we added a new weekly feature called It’s the 3 Little Things where you will find loads of recommendations for things that I love, but I still wanted to honor our annual list for you. Today’s list includes a few I have shared before and lots of new things that I think you will love. My promise to you is that I only share gifts that I believe will add value to your home and life, not more items to junk it up. There are gifts at all price points so I hope you find a few gift ideas that will inspire you for the giving season!

Puffin In Bloom Collection

I have been coveting these Puffin reissued classics for our family’s bookcase for so long now that I am adding these to my Christmas wish list this year.

Little Women & A Little Princess were two of my favorite books as a child and I would love to share this classic set with my family and dive in with these with my daughter.

Adele

It is killing me to wait on purchasing this one, but Christmas is just around the corner and I would love to have Adele’s album on vinyl for our collection.

Although Hello is being way too overplayed on the radio right now, I still can’t get enough of this lady and know that this would be an incredible addition to our collection.

Following closely behind it on my vinyl wish list is the 500 Days of Summer album since that has become one of my favorite little films.

Ticket to Ride

Ticket to Ride is our ALL TIME favorite game in the world to play and share with friends.

Players collect train cards that enable them to claim railway routes connecting cities throughout North America.

The longer the routes, the more points they earn. Additional points come to those who can fulfill their Destination Tickets by connecting two distant cities, and to the player who builds the longest continuous railway.

For 2 to 5 players this one is recommended for ages eight and older.

Once you have the game, I highly recommend adding a couple of expansion packs on it.

The first one we added was the 1910 expansion ($21.99) because the cards are really tiny in the board game and these give you the full-size cards.

To really create havoc on your board though, we love the Alvin & Dexter expansion pack.

Nikibiki Seamless Tops

I am obsessed with these Nikibiki seamless layers to go underneath my layers in the winter.

They are long enough to cover my rear, don’t add a lot of bulk under my sweaters, and they keep me cozy.

If you are local, check out Ali on the Boulevard to snag a few and support a local business!

These are made in the US and are a one size fits most item.

UGG Ansley Slippers

This past year, I found a pair of brand new UGG slippers on eBay and I wear them every single day without fail.

Quit throwing out cheap slippers and invest in good slippers- it is a gift that keeps on giving.

As a gift to my husband, I got him this pair too and now we are both super cozy this winter.

These UGG Ansley Slippers look delightfully cozy and I love all the colors they come in.

If you are already a proud UGG slippers owner, a fresh pair of inserts makes a lovely stocking stuffer.

Should I Wash My Hair Today? Flowchart Print

I hate washing my hair so this Should I Wash My Hair Today? Flowchart is one of the first pieces of art I picked out for our bathroom.

It makes me laugh when I see it and is always enjoyed by the guests in our home.

Poor hygiene always makes for a great ice breaker with new friends, doesn’t it?

Do you have a hair washing problem?

Consider this print from ChipperThings for a spot on your bathroom wall!

Kamik Boots

I have been coveting the lace-up furry boots for our Indiana winters that so many of my friends own.

Kamik sent me these boots & my daughter received an adorable pair of Girl’s Solstice boots to sample this winter and this helped quiet my urge to spend a lot more on the Sorel boots I have been eyeing.

These Kamik Porto boots are really cozy and well constructed to keep your feet toasty while still looking stylish.

I have never had a really good pair of snow boots and always wished I did when playing outside with my kids or for our sledding days.

I am excited to break these in with my kids and tackle some hill. Half the price of Sorels and just as cute!

If you are in the market for these, I recommend sizing up one size for the perfect fit.

Janet Hill ANYTHING

Janet Hill is a Clark favorite and I dream of adding one of her original oil paintings to our walls.

The English Major was a print that I asked for last year for Christmas and is one of my favorites in our home.

It would be perfect for a little girl’s room too!

My Janet Hill wish list is LONG (this one is on my list right now!).

We have 7 of her prints in our home and it is never enough.

I dare you to look at her art and not find something that speaks to you!

Carcassonne

I purchased Carcassonne after playing it at Secret Door Games and we have already played it three more times this week.

This is one of those rare games that can be played with up to five people (yay for families with three kids, am I right?)

Basically, the game board is a medieval landscape built by the players as the game progresses.

The game itself is not complex (although they do have a junior edition), but it is more the point system and your own strategies they make it complex and interesting.

It reminds me of a combo of Blokus & Ticket to Ride, but medieval.

Building roads, castles, and land has now become a highly addictive game in our house.

We watched this video the first time to get the hang of it and now we can’t stop playing!

Locals can find this at Secret Door Games.

Skin Authority Cleansing System

I have tons of friends that swear by these facial brushes for helping reduce breakouts and keeping their skin looking fresh.

I am a newer convert, but am already seeing great benefits with this Skin Authority Cleansing System for my sensitive skin.

I liked the price tag on this system and appreciate that it is battery powered since we have a tiny bathroom and minimal outlets for charging.

This would make a great stocking stuffer for a teen girl in your home!

Coobie Bras

Looking for a bra that is the equivalent of your favorite yoga pants. Let me introduce you to the Coobie Bra.

There are no wire, no hooks, no clasps, and these are perfectly lightly padded. I mean, what more could a girl ask for?

It comes in the plain version or you can get ones with a lace detail if you prefer a lacy cami look.

They are intended to fit women from a 32A to 36D, but they also make a full-size version for just a few dollars extra if you need a little more support.

This is another great gift for a teen, yourself, or for your bestie!

A Man Called Ove

If you are looking for a book that would be perfect for anyone (your mom, your grandma, your best friend, your husband, your father, ANYONE), I must recommend, A Man Called Ove to share with them for the holidays.

This is the most beautiful fictional book on aging that I have ever read.

It really served as a reminder to me how we all have things that happen to us that shape us as we get older and how we often neglect to listen to those layered stories of our elders.

I laughed and cried over this sweet story of Ove & the stray cat that claimed him.

The touching story of his beautiful bride and the difficulties of seeing your friends age and forget you just really pulled at my heartstrings.

Beautifully written supporting characters in the neighborhood just brought the whole story together for me and rounded out the beauty of finding “home.”

Holiday Knitted Boot Cuffs Crafternoon Kit

I love putting my own products in my gift guides- ha! If you do have a crafter in your family though, they will love my Holiday Knitted Boot Cuffs Kit that I created with Hazel & Ruby.

The kit comes with a recipe card to walk you through your knitting a pair of boot cuffs as well as a code on that back that you scan to access a video tutorial.

No need to understand double-pointed needles with this one since the kit provides needles that let you work this one just on smaller circulars.

This would be a fun gift for a tween, teen, or perfect girlfriend gift for them to craft or you could make the set and give it as a gift for a non-crafter.

The link to the DIY version on MomAdvice.com is here.

Harry Potter Illustrated

Jim Kay is going to be illustrating the entire Harry Potter series and the first colorful book is the Harry Potter & the Sorcerer’s Stone in this newly illustrated series.

This first one had over a hundred illustrations, but each illustration is like a million illustrations because of his incredible detail.

Watch this piece on BBC to get a peek at his technique and artistry- it is jaw-droppingly beautiful!

What is more impressive is that he is putting his own interpretation on each of these characters which I would think is one of the biggest challenges since the movie versions are so beloved.

You will be proud to add this to your library.

Amazon seems to have trouble keeping this one on the shelves so I’m linking to Target to grab it!

Our Q&A 3-Year Journal for 2 People

If strengthening your marriage is something you want to work on, this Q&A journal is a great way to bond with your spouse especially in busy seasons of your life.

Each day there is a writing prompt like, “What feels vitally important right now,” or “Do you have enough independence,” for example.

On one page, there is room for three years that gives each person the opportunity to write a line or two to answer the question.

Each year, you answer the same question so you begin to see how your answers have changed each year.

We have this on our bed and I move it to his side after I fill it out.

I look forward so much to reading his responses and it has been a good way to begin talking about things that we didn’t even know were important to each other.

Tapple

Tapple is a game that our whole family loves and every family member could play.

The object of the game is very simple and there aren’t a lot of rules.

There are a set of cards that tell you a topic like, “Pizza Toppings” or “Animals at the Zoo.”

You start the timer and then you try to think of a word that starts with each available letter on the game board that fits under that category.

If you can’t get it under the allotted time, you are out, and play continues with the remaining players.

The kids absolutely loved this and really loved making up their own categories (an option available on the cards) to create their own game like, “Words to Describe Our Cat Lulu,” or “What Mom Is Like Before Her Coffee” (hardy-har-har!).

We love this one!

Bucky

For the person who has everything, may I present to you Bucky.

We love this guy so much in our house that my husband got one for his office too.

They come in a flat package and you assemble them much like you would a very beginner LEGO set.

This cardboard guy is a statement piece in any room and comes plain or patterned.

So beautifully made that it is a treat to put him together, he is always a great conversation piece in our house.

Nerdy glasses and accessories you might want to add to him are all sold separately.

Sherpa Comforters

If you are looking for a gift that will keep your recipient cozy all winter long, these sherpa comforters are my family’s new favorite thing.

We have one on every single bed after I ordered one for my post that I was writing for BHG at Walmart.

It’s the perfect blanket- warm, but not too warm, velvety on one side, furry on the other, and a surprisingly lightweight warm layer.

These do make it a difficult bed to leave, but a delight to stay in on the weekends.

11/22/63

Have a history nut to buy for?

Give them 11/22/63 right now so they can wait with bated breath for the Hulu series to come out.

King offers up the hypothetical scenario, if you could change something in history, would you alter it?

Jake Epping discovers a secret portal to 1958 that he uses to time travel in the back pantry of a restaurant.

The goal?

See if he can alter the JFK assassination, killing Lee Oswald Harvey before he kills JFK.

Hang on tight, this is a true adventure!

Happy Socks

My husband has a million pairs of Happy Socks and they have become a go-to gift for him for the holidays from everyone in our family.

I love the trend of wildly patterned socks for men and I also love seeing these peeking out from his normally neutral attire.

For the guy who has everything, I present Happy Socks.

What If?

What If? is the book I am recommending for the boys in your life!

Munroe explores the absolute craziest, “what if” scenarios and comes up with a truly scientific explanation of the outcome for each of them.

It is accompanied by hilarious drawings of what might occur in these scenarios, making it a perfect book for tween & teen boys who loved the Diary of a Wimpy Kid series.

Adult Coloring Books

I love the stress relieving trend of adult coloring books and my friend Wendy has a beautiful mandalas collection she has designed that I am hoping to give as gifts this year.

I plan to pair one of these with beautiful colored pencils for gift-giving.

This would also make a great teen or tween gift for the holidays!

I hope this little list helps as you plan your holiday shopping.

You can also find a great list of 54 handmade gifts you can make for those special people in your life!

Anything from my list on your wish list?

Share below!!

xo

This post contains affiliate links. I only recommend what I love though! Promise!

Pin It

Tags: Best Holiday Gift Ideas, Holiday Gift Guide, Holiday Gift Ideas, Holiday Gifts for Men, Holiday Gifts for Tweens, Holiday Gifts for Women, Unique Holiday Gifts
Posted in Celebrations, Gifts, Holidays | No Comments »

It’s the 3 Little Things: Cozy Bras, Virgins, & a Taser

Friday, November 20th, 2015

Hey, did the title get your attention? It’s been so quiet around here that I thought I would lighten the mood and bring you in before the holidays. I miss your comments, friends! I have been considering starting a private Facebook group where we can chat. Would you be interested in something like that? Let me know in the comments today and I will try to execute that before our new year!

This week included a rather surreal moment of seeing a product I designed in a real store for the first time. It’s been such an honor to be a part of the Hazel & Ruby team for the holidays and my Holiday Knitted Boot Cuffs Kit has been flying off the shelves. Don’t forget it’s available at Jo-Ann’s nationwide I hope you can snag one before they run out. This would make a lovely holiday gift for yourself or for a friend.

You can read a fantastic post from Kim (from Everything Etsy) on what she thought about it as well as read Crystal’s (from Money Saving Mom) experience with knitting in the round for the first time. I’m so proud to know these ladies and thankful for their support on this adventure!

This week I just started this book that you all have been raving about and I plan to listen to this one on audio while I tackle my Thanksgiving feast today. I want to give it a listen before I see the film which looks INCREDIBLE! Have you read either of these?

Here are a few other things that are making me happy this week!

Coobie Bras- HELLO, MY NEW BEST FRIEND!

I was in Asheville this past week for a conference and popped into a boutique that was selling a bra called the Coobie Bra. I decided to buy two since they looked super comfortable and I am IN LOVE with these bras and their affordable price tag! What makes these so special? Well, I can’t wait to tell you!

So here is what the bra looks like all on display which, to me, looks just like a tank top or a camisole when it is peeking out of other layers, but it doesn’t add a lot of bulk under bulkier clothing items. The reason I love them is that they have no wire, no hooks, no clasps, and are perfectly lightly padded. I mean, what more could a girl ask for? It comes in the plain version (like I am showing here- these are the ones I purchased) or you can get ones with a lace detail if you prefer a lacy cami look. They are intended to fit women from a 32A to 36D, but they also make a full-size version for just a few dollars extra if you need a little more support.

I am LIVING in these and intend to buy a few more as a treat to myself. It’s the next best thing to no bra all! Am I right, ladies? Ha!

Jane the Virgin- Acting Perfection

Netflix secured the first season of Jane the Virgin and I thought I would give the show a watch since I had heard it was so highly rated. You guys, have you watched this? It is AWESOME! The story is about a girl named Jane who comes in for a routine Pap Smear and is accidentally inseminated by her doctor when she mixes up the patient’s procedures. Jane is a virgin, thus her name, and finds out that she is pregnant which is just what she has avoided her whole life. Newly engaged and ready to start her life with her boyfriend, she is faced with a pregnancy with a man who just so happens to be her handsome boss. Delightfully campy coupled with incredible acting, it is so dang good and I am loving every minute of it. The first season is available for streaming on Amazon if you don’t have a Netflix membership! You must watch it!

Taser Tuesdays (Laser Hair Removal At Home)

My dream is to never shave my legs again, but the treatments are not cheap and I am also very bad about escaping work to make any appointments and there are many to get rid of body hair. I did a ton of research on at-home laser hair treatment options and this Veet Infini’Silk Pro was rated the highest and seemed to have the best results from reviewers. I went ahead and bought it for myself and once a week, I spend about an hour doing this one evening a week. This night has been lovingly nicknamed Taser Tuesday by my husband. Isn’t he such a funny guy?

Is it painful? Well, I was using an epilator so this feels like sunshine & roses in comparison. Sensitive areas like the backs of thighs, the bikini line, and a little under the underarms can be a little painful, but not unbearable…just maybe a tad uncomfortable.

After three treatments, I am down to shaving about once a week so I do feel like it is working, but I am an ideal candidate for this. Fair girls with dark hair are exactly who they recommend to give this a try.

I will keep you guys posted on this one, but for now I am seeing results that make this girl very happy and fit into my price range. Have you ever tried laser treatments or the DIY kits for at-home? I would love to hear your experience.

Final happy- this sign made me laugh in Asheville. I thought you would get a kick out of it too! I hope you have a wonderful weekend! xo

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

Now it’s your turn! What’s making you happy this week?

Tags: At Home Laser Hair Removal Review, Coobie Bra Review, Hazel and Ruby Crafternoon, Hazel and Ruby Holiday Crafternoon Kits, Jane The Virgin Review, Veet Infini Silk Prop Review
Posted in It's the 3 Little Things | No Comments »

Host a Friendsgiving Feast

Thursday, November 19th, 2015

I love the concept of Friendsgiving and plan to continue this special tradition – the giving to both our friends AND our added component of giving to our community at the same time makes this a perfect post to share again with our November M Challenge Focus on Giving. I hope you all are inspired – it really is a wonderful time!

This post is sponsored by Walmart AND ALL PROCEEDS WERE DONATED.

I feel like such a lucky mom to have so many incredible women in my life. Most of these friendships started when I was a new mom still trying to figure out the ropes of motherhood. Now my kids are growing up, but I need them as much as I did in the early days. Unfortunately, our schedules have all become so crazy that it becomes nearly impossible to get our group together anymore. I decided a few weeks ago that I really wanted to see them all before the holidays took over and we all began to hibernate for the Indiana winter. I invited them to my home for my first annual Friendsgiving feast to share in a meal together before the holidays and I couldn’t wait to share about it with you.

Let me disclose by saying that I wanted to make this as easy on myself as possible and, if you are considering hosting a feast of your own, I would advise you do the same. I wanted to do it on budget, make it as effortless as possible, and I wanted the cooking to be easy too.

Here is how I executed the world’s easiest Friendsgiving Feast and helped give to our community in the process.

Create a Facebook Event (And Get Positive Responses)

Like I said, my friends are crazy busy and getting our group together is nearly impossible. Instead of setting up an event and shooting blindly in the dark for a date or receiving a million responses and being responsible for sorting people/dates, I utilize Doodle to schedule get togethers. Simply plug in the dates and times that will work for you and send out the link to the scheduling tool for each person to vote for the days that work best for them. Once you receive the responses you can set the date for the one that received the most positive response.

Once you have the date, it couldn’t be easier to invite your friends especially since everyone (at least in my group) is on Facebook. I just put up an event and asked that everyone respond there. It was easy to create, to monitor, and gave me an accurate headcount for making food purchases. Make sure that you set the privacy to, “Invite Only” for viewing otherwise everyone who is a friend can see a response (and might not be included- ouch!) I admit, the only time I wish I had a bigger house is when I host events like this. Believe me, Invite Only for viewers is the way to go.

You Supply the Turkey, They Supply the Fixins’

Last year I hosted my family for Thanksgiving all while photographing each and every dish for the site. This year I wanted to take an easier approach so I offered to supply the turkey, gravy, and stuffing, but requested that each person bring their own dish and a bottle of wine to share. To make sure all the categories were filled, I utilized Jooners to create a sign-up sheet for dishes. Be sure to specify what you need under the, “Needed,” box. That is where I asked for side dishes, desserts, bread, and appetizers. This will help you have a well-rounded feast and since everyone can fill in the dish they are bringing, it helps cut down on anyone bringing the same dish.

Not only did I do store-bought stuffing and gravy, I purchased turkey breasts (here is my favorite method of preparation) instead of dealing with the bones and carving. It killed me a little bit to do this when I know I could do so much more, but this also helped me to truly enjoy the evening with my friends and allowed me to not worry about laboring over dishes and missing out on all the fun together. Not to mention the cost factor that I saved on by having everyone help me with dishes and drinks.

Of course, there is always our make-ahead feast that gets you out of the kitchen that day altogether! Here are my make-ahead mashed potatoes, make-ahead fresh green bean casserole, make-ahead gravy, make-ahead stuffing, make-ahead cranberry sauce, make-ahead appetizers, make-ahead rolls, make-ahead pie crust, and even some great make-ahead ways to dress up a store-bought pie… just to name a few!

Invest in Smart Party Supplies That You Use Over & Over Again

Over the years we have hosted so many gatherings that I have accumulated an arsenal of tools so that I can pull a get together at a moment’s notice. I honestly didn’t buy a thing other than disposable cups for our get together, but that is because I have invested over the years and I try to create handmade items that can double as centerpieces if I don’t have time to run out and purchase fresh flowers.

The things that I have used the most over the years:

Centerfold Table– I bought this three years ago and I use it at least three times a year. It has a handle on it and folds down the center making it easy to pack up and take it if you need to and also making it easy to store when you don’t. I purchased this tablecloth (you can see it here in a game day party I did awhile back) because it was stain-resistant. To save on time ironing, I just wash it and then spread it on the table the night before since it is so lightweight and dries quickly without even going through the dryer. It helps cut down on wasting time ironing and is wrinkle-free in the morning.

Elegant Plastic Dishes– Elegance and plastic might not seem like they go together, but plastic dishes have come a long way. I hosted a shed-warming party (totally a thing!) this summer and since we had so many guests coming, I decided to buy twenty of these dishes. If you go to Walmart, you can purchase the plates individually, which is exactly what I did. Unfortunately (but then fortunately), they didn’t have enough in a single style so I ended up getting three different styles which adds a bit of fun to the dinner table. I love that these are lightweight and can be reused over and over again.

Bar Cart– This summer I transformed a tool cart into a bar cart and it is truly one of my favorite entertaining tools. Since we live in a small home (which we are very committed to) we don’t have a lot of counters or surfaces to use for putting out drinks and food. My bar cart resides in my shed, but I wheel it in when I am entertaining and it offers a fun place to tuck bottles of wine and glasses.

Inexpensive Silverware– I actually hit our local restaurant supply store for inexpensive silverware that reminds me of some of my favorite diners. There is never a shortage of forks, spoons, or knives at our home.

Decor That Can Be Used Over & Over Again- I love to craft and in the back of my mind, I am always thinking how I can weave these items into our seasonal decorating especially when it comes to the holidays. For our Friendsgiving feast my Knitted Leaf Centerpiece was perfect for my table (and is on display year-round in my craft room). This winter the table will be adorned with these Yarn Pom Pom Trees that I made. Think of creating something that you can get out every year and that can save you money when entertaining.

REALLY Make it a FriendsGIVING

I have some truly generous friends so I called upon them to assist me with giving back to our community. First, I asked each of them to take a moment to clear out their pantries so that we could make a donation to my church’s food pantry. Right before the holidays is a great time to clear some space and make room for all of those items you will need to tackle your holiday baking and dishes.

The shelter that I have helped in the past where we achieved our MomAdvice Big Give, the Elkhart Faith Mission, is a charity that I love to support. Longtime readers may recall the MomAdvice Big Give we executed with them. Here is a little throwback footage for you.

It costs a mere $.1.79 to give a Thanksgiving meal to one person at the shelter. I left an envelope out and asked if anyone felt like giving that they could donate as little as two bucks to give someone something to look forward to for the holidays.

Consider making a true FriendsGIVING experience and find a scraps of life way to give back or gather together to make care packages for the homeless.

Each year I like to dedicate one post from Walmart to those in need and today’s post is for the families heading to Faith Mission that need a holiday dinner to look forward to.

I understand that sponsored posts aren’t always the favorite posts here, but the proceeds from this post today and the donations I collected fed 187 PEOPLE a Thanksgiving meal and many of our posts this year gave a community of people clean water this year. How cool is that? Please support our sponsors because they do help many- perhaps, more than you realize!

I hope my Friendsgiving inspires you to give back to your community and to throw a get together with your own amazing friends!

Have you ever hosted a Friendsgiving? Any tips or tricks you would like to share!

Pin It

Tags: Charity, Friendsgiving, Make Ahead Thanksgiving, Thanksgiving Charity Ideas, Thanksgiving Recipes
Posted in Celebrations, Holidays, My Work, The M Challenge | No Comments »

Archive for November, 2015

(bells: michaels)

(sources: bucky cardboard deer head/yarn pom pom trees tutorial/every day i’m hustlin pillow/knitted leaves centerpiece tutorial/pillows (a daily deal)/curtains (a daily deal)/fabric-lined bookcases tutorial/ thumbtack pumpkin tutorial/charlie brown vinyl)

(sources: love grows best in little houses pillow cover/eddie ross modern mix/vintage home ec trophy (similar)/ pom pom wreath tutorial/ laura ingall’s wilder collection reissued b&n classic (similar)/wuthering heights reissued b&n classic)

(source: owl ornaments/ornaments/bells/plaid ribbon/have yourself a merry little christmas pillow- all from Michael’s! Grab your coupons!)

(source: bar cart tutorial/blanket scarf tutorial/forbidden desert/carcassonne/boss monster/tapple/ticket to ride/alvin & dexter/boss monster extension/love actually/white christmas/annie (don’t forget a treat!)/nightmare before christmas/yarn garland tutorial)

(source: blanket scarf tutorial/diy painted laminate fireplace/furry throw/copper deer head (michael’s)/winter garland (michael’s)/storage ottoman)

(source: yarn pom pom & ornament garland tutorial/yarn-wrapped letters tutorial/sherpa blanket/bed/nightstand/nobody puts baby in a corner pillow (similar)/q&a for couples/ yarn trees/bell wreath (similar))

Every family needs this in their home.

It’s only $99 FLAT (meaning no monthly fees!!)

Here are 4 Awesome things you can EASILY do with Circle:

November M Challenge: Focus on Giving

Other Links: Ideas for Giving

Source: Lia Griffith

I hope you enjoyed our M Challenge syllabus notebook, a collection of the Mom Advice articles and gathered links all around the month’s challenge focus. Nothing brings me more joy than to highlight other fabulous bloggers. Follow me on Pinterest for daily inspiration!

Source: Design Mom

Source: Design Mom

I hope you enjoyed our notebook, a collection of gathered links to DIY crafts, food projects, thrifty ways to spruce up your home, and thoughtful reads. Nothing brings me more joy than to highlight other fabulous bloggers. Follow me on Pinterest for daily inspiration!

Start With a Clear Plan & Goals

Get People Curious About What You Are Doing

State Your Needs Clearly So People Know Who They Are Helping

Find an Avenue for Easy Collection

Donations Are Great- Whether Big or Small

Connect Your Cause With Your Social Media Channels

Thank Everyone for Everything Often

Don’t Stop Once You Reach Your Goal

Holiday Knitted Boot Cuffs Crafternoon Kit

I hope this little list helps as you plan your holiday shopping.

You can also find a great list of 54 handmade gifts you can make for those special people in your life!

Anything from my list on your wish list?

Share below!!

xo

Coobie Bras- HELLO, MY NEW BEST FRIEND!

Jane the Virgin- Acting Perfection

Taser Tuesdays (Laser Hair Removal At Home)

Now it’s your turn! What’s making you happy this week?

Create a Facebook Event (And Get Positive Responses)

You Supply the Turkey, They Supply the Fixins’

Invest in Smart Party Supplies That You Use Over & Over Again

REALLY Make it a FriendsGIVING

Have you ever hosted a Friendsgiving? Any tips or tricks you would like to share!