Keep it Clean

Ok folks growing up I was not the cleanest child. I definitely wasn't the worst but I wasn't the child prodigy that kept everything perfect. As an adult I still have my areas that I struggle with, but I've learned some tips on keeping things bright, fresh, straightened up, and clean. I have always hated clutter. I can't think, breathe, or most importantly relax in a cluttered space. To begin with we all have way too much stuff! It's definitely part of life but we should be parting with more things way more often. In fact it should be part of a routine habit. Piles of mail, toys that aren't played with, boxes, garbage, and old or unused things need to be gone through and sent to the DI or thrown away. This should be done monthly not yearly. Getting rid of the old also makes so much more room for the new, and we all love NEW! Now that you have really cleared out your space you can focus on clearing your surfaces. I'm all for a few decorative items on your kitchen counters and on dressers but clearing them off will make everything cleaner and brighter! Put out those Pellegrino bottles or that mint kitchen aid, but put the rest away! Now that you have conquered the clutter it's onto the deep cleaning. Grab that Meyers surface cleaner and wipe those surfaces down, and do it daily. I'm very serious about cleaning daily. Just a quick straighten up and wipe down will really keep things under control and smelling clean and fresh! I decided to commit to keeping things a lot cleaner this year and so I decided that in addition to straightening and clearing surfaces daily I would also make Saturday Mornings the day to really deep clean. By keeping things pretty picked up all week, Saturday mornings are for vacuuming, cleaning floors, scrubbing toilets, dusting, fluffing pillows, and wiping doors, walls, and mirrors. All of this cleaning then gives me the free time I need the rest of the day to play, run errands, and relax. Luckily for me my husband is incredible at cleaning and has really inspired me to keep this up. We have also been majorly involving our kids. Beds are made daily, toy room is organized and straightened up by them, and bathroom products all have their place and get put away. Of course if we get too busy all these things aren't that big of a deal. We do this to feel better and have more quality time together we aren't that strict. I have also gone through everything in the past year and organized so much, so it really makes it all pretty easy on me and the kids. We are all incredibly busy and home life needs to feel as uncomplicated as possible. Lastly I'll give you my favorite and very best tip for keeping your space clean and bright, ADD WHITE! It can be white dishes, a white vase, white chairs, or white flowers but clearing, cleaning and adding some bright white will really make everything feel cleaner and brighter! Happy Cleaning! Cheers to less clutter and more freedom! 

All at once it's Spring

Oh Spring Spring it's a wonderful thing! Every Spring I start to feel so much happier, and with Easter coming and warmer days already here I'm ready to play in the sun and start prepping for those long amazing Summer days! Here is my list of must haves for this Spring/Summer and where to find everything. I truly love all the seasons for different reasons but I'm really ready to embrace Spring!

First up on my list is this darling headwrap from Alittleladyshop. The pineapple pattern just screams Summer! I love it on my toddler with her piggy tails. 

Next up is this darling dress from Target. I can just see my baby playing at the park, running through the grass, and heading to the pool in this adorable $8.00 dress! You can't beat that price!

Another pineapple find is this ruffle swimsuit from Carters. Aren't baby girls just the most fun to dress up ever!

Shoes are always my favorite and these jellies are no exception. We can't live without these cute shoes for all our Spring/Summer activities. 

These heart glasses from Carters are photo perfection! I can't wait for pics by the pool in these babies. 

I can't go anywhere without my Young Living essential oils lately. I've been diffusing my citrus oils like crazy and we are happier and healthier for it. Lemon, lime, and orange are absolutely three of my favorites. Orange wakes me up and gets me going, lemon keeps everything fresh and clean, and lime is basically Summer in a bottle. Contact me if you are ready to start your journey with essential oils. Or click the link on the right to purchase a starter kit today! You won't be sorry! 

I'm so ready to start toning up for Summer. I just ordered the Beach Babe DVD from the tone it up girls. If you don't follow these girls on instagram you should be. They are the cutest and have the best workouts and heathy eating tips to be your best self. I'm so ready for some serious healthy changes. 

Once you have all your fun goodies you need something to pack it all in and get out the door. I'm dying over these Petunia Pickle Bottom totes. I want every color! 

So many of these fun finds are perfect to put in an Easter basket. Do Moms get Easter baskets because I need one! Lol! Happy Shopping! 

- The Mommy

Watercolor Art

A while ago I wanted to pick up a new hobby that I could do with the kids. My husband has always loved watercolor painting! He likes to paint scenery and I wanted to do more graphic pop art. I also thought it would be a fun family activity. My oldest Daughter has always loved art, so I knew she would take to it right away and sure enough both my girls were loving watercolor painting. Now that we have experimented with it a bit we realize that it's something we all love and a great way for us to connect as a family and get our creative juices flowing. We pulled out the watercolors just the other day to create some fun Valentine's Day decor. We love our finished products! Here are my tips for getting started with watercolors.

1. You don't need expensive paints. Honestly for kids the crayola watercolors are great.  

2. Brushes and Paper are more important. HobbyLobby has some pretty good options and DickBlick has some amazing products if you are really loving this hobby and can spend a little more money. 

3. You need two jars of water. I like to use Mason jars. One is your clean water to use for activating the watercolors and the second is your cleaning water for when you want to clean and switch colors. 

4. Use warm to hot water in your jars, it will keep your brushes nice. 

5. Get a large plastic palette to mix colors in. 

Have fun and experiment a lot, let colors run together, use more water or less, use white to mix with to get those pretty pastels, and don't forget you can let paint on your palette dry and re activate it with water, that way you don't lose all that hard work it took to mix those perfect colors. Also try to mix colors you know you will love. You will be so much happier with the finished product! 

Happy Painting! Tag me on instagram if you try this!

- The Mommy 

Felt Garland Fun

My love of these little felt balls started a few months ago. I started to follow Hellomaypole on Instagram and fell in love with her beautiful, colorful, little felt balls. The are the perfect accessory for any Holiday or Child's room decor. After Christmas I purchased some on sale here for my girls shared room. Then I found some locally that were perfect for a Valentine's Day garland. If you haven't made felt ball garlands before and want to try this darling trend for your next party, holiday, or simple decoration I am going to share a few tips.

You will need a few supplies

1. Twine or String - I prefer twine it's cuter! 

2. Sewing needle

3. Most importantly and the secret to it all, a small pair of needle nose pliers. 

Once you have your supplies it's pretty simple. Thread the twine through your sewing needle, then push the needle through the felt balls and onto the twine. This is where you are really going to need those pliers. Once you push the needle through one side of the felt ball and through the the other side you will need the pliers to pull it all the way through. It's a bit time consuming but the finished product is too cute! It's the perfect Valentine's Day decor! 

We plan on having lots of fun with this cute trend this year!

- The Mommy 

BabyLit Books

Over Christmas time I started to see these darling books all over Instagram. Then my cousin text me telling me how much I would love these books. Then I knew I had to get my hands on some BabyLit books. They are your favorite classic stories turned into baby and toddler books. Pride and Prejudice, Sense and Sensibility, Alice in Wonderland, Wuthering Heights, Wizard of Oz and so many many more. They have numbers, colors and other great sensory features. My 18 mo old absolutely loves these books. She likes them read to her but she also likes to flip through the darling colorful pages herself. I have to admit these perfect little books are a little bit for me too. Sense and Sensibility is one of my all time favorites not to mention that the colors photograph beautifully! Get your hands on these little beauties as soon as you can! Also included in these photos are the crazy popular FreshlyPicked Moccs. Can you even have a baby or toddler anymore without owning a pair or two of these? I don't think so! Really though I have to talk about the baby leggings. My darling friend made these and they are seriously the cutest! The different fabric on each leg makes them so unique. Her Etsy shop Lily'sCloset has even more unique gems, so check it out!

Thank you for stopping by!

- The Mommy