With four children, I have given up on having a home that looks pristine. If I'm being completely honest, I don't want it to look pristine. I want it to look like a home that our family loves to be in, to hang out in, to play in. I love to look at spotless homes in magazines, but even more, I ...
House & Home
Summer Cleaning Hacks for Families
Messes don't take a break, especially as spring turns into summer and pollen is everywhere. However, we don't want to spend all of our time cleaning. The key is to keep the house (inside and out) tidy as we go and then it is easy to clean the house to set the stage for an amazing summer party. ...
DIY healthy, green lawn care tips
Yesterday, Mickey opened his e-mail inbox to this question... " I saw a picture of your house on your blog. How do you always get your yard to look nice?" I laughed because a green lawn is his pride and joy, so that reader just made his day! Mickey and I have lived in three houses since our ...
Cleaning with kids teaches them so much more than cleaning
Cleaning with kids teaches them so much more than cleaning Being a parent involves a lot of things. Guiding our kids through a daily routine is part of that job. Teaching our kids what needs to be done as a child and what it looks like to do these things as an adult is part of that job, ...
Teaching a child to keep their room clean
Teaching a child to keep their room clean can be a challenge, but this is working great, so I had to share it with you! I love to have a clean house and I love to know where everything is, so I want my kid's rooms to be organized, too. Otherwise, they are complaining of being "bored," but ...
The link between clutter & stress (How to declutter)
Is there a link between clutter & stress? Do you ever wonder how to declutter and why you feel the need to declutter? "Dishes in the sink, toys throughout the house, stuff covering every flat surface; this clutter not only makes our homes look bad, it makes us feel bad, too. At least ...
DIY Fluffy Slime (non-sticky slime!)
Shaving Cream Slime - non sticky, fluffy slime Today we are making non-sticky slime! I wanted to make slime, but I always wondered how to make slime less sticky and we finally figured it out. Our kids have been asking to make shaving cream slime for weeks (really), but I've been putting it off. ...
5 Meal Prep Lunch Hacks to Engage Your Kids
With four kids at home, packing lunches can become overwhelming and time-consuming, but I do it because I love my kids, and I want them to be healthy. A few years ago, I knew that I didn’t want to pack lunches every night, but I also didn’t want to wake up and pack lunches in the mornings. ...
DIY Glitter Shamrock Canvas Art Project
Our kids and I created these DIY Glitter Shamrock Canvas Art projects that are the perfect St. Patricks Day Craft. Not only are they super easy to make, but they were very inexpensive and it they look so cute! Decorate your home for St. Patrick's Day with this DIY glitter shamrock silhouette ...
Working mom to Stay at home mom (finance how-to)
When I was pregnant with our first son, I was teaching at a school that I loved. I was enjoying working and loved the children and staff that I worked with every day. With all of that said, I knew that I wanted to be a stay at home Mom. I was going to have to learn how to become a stay at ...
DIY Ikea homework station (with build in desk!)
We finally made our Ikea Homework Station that we had been putting off for about a year. My husband build it for me and I love it! (He can build just about anything- like our DIY wall bed that he & my dad made!) I knew that I wanted a homework station, but I couldn't figure out where ...
DIY Murphy bed for under $150 – with video & plans
Murphy Bed Plans Are you looking for a Murphy Bed Kit? Now you can make your own! You don't need the Ikea Murphy Bed because this DIY wall bed will save you a lot of money & look just as great! This post has two videos (of the murphy bed), so be sure to stick around to watch them! (If ...
Chore Chart – The best I’ve ever used!
Chore Chart - Why or Why Not (and the best chore chart we've ever used!) There came a day when I stopped using a normal chore chart and started using my Swap Chores for ScreenTime chore chart for their daily chores. Chores for kids are very important and I want our kids to do them, but I didn't ...
How To Get Stains Out Of White Clothes: Tide vs. My Grandmother’s Baking Soda Hack
In partnership with Tide. I love getting my kids involved in dinner prep but I hardly ever do it because let me tell you, with four kids in the kitchen, things get MESSY. I usually end up supervising the cooking and their clothes, knowing I’m the one who will be trying to get tough food stains ...
10 bedrooms that look like playrooms
I love decorating our kid's bedrooms and I love bedrooms that look like playrooms, because the kids love spending time in that sort of space. I have found a surefire way to keep them cleaned (the kids are great at cleaning up with this rule in place), so now I feel like I could decorate how ever I ...
Christmas like it’s 1985
Thanks to Clorox for partnering with me for this sponsored post. Christmas in 1985. It was simple. I had nothing to worry about but helping my mom decorate the tree. I remember being in my living room while the Christmas music was on, my brother and I putting ornaments on the tree, while my ...
How to have a clean house with kids
This is a sponsored conversation written by me on behalf of Whirlpool. The opinions and text are all mine. This post has been sponsored by the Whirlpool Corporation. I received appliances and compensation, but all opinions are my own. I love to have a clean house. While I ...
Christmas Hacks (making life easier)
I hope that these Christmas Hacks will give you some great ideas for your holidays! Making life easier, so you can enjoy it more, is always on the top of my list. :) Christmas Hacks: These Christmas hacks are going to give you MORE family time, because this is the time of season for ...
The BEST Modern Farmhouse Christmas Decor ideas!
Modern Farmhouse Christmas Decor I wanted to share my favorite Modern Farmhouse Christmas Decor today. I love Rustic Christmas Decor all through the year, but it's especially fun to decorate our house in Modern Farmhouse Christmas Decor with pops of plaid, wood & metal. Even our Elf on the ...
How to clean in a Hurry!
This is a sponsored conversation written by me on behalf of Endust. The opinions and text are all mine. This post is sponsored by Endust. The holidays are just around the corner. Friends visit, family comes for a stay, and dinner parties happen often. Imagine that you just had the busiest ...