I thought I was being wise by installing carpeting that matched the dog. No one could see how rarely I vacuumed, unless they looked closely. Then my baby started crawling, and vacuuming became important. Really important. I spent a lot of time vacuuming regularly. Then I had a second child and bought a dark red oriental rug. I was in over my head.It became readily apparent that I did not have the skills or discipline required to both raise my kids the way I had … [Read more...]
New Feature: A Few of My Favorite Things
I'm trying out something new and I want you to come check it out!A couple of times a month, I'm going to be sharing a few of my favorite things over on my Instagram Stories.My hope is that it'll help you find a new book or show to enjoy, a new product to make your life easier, or something to keep your kids engaged and occupied.Head over there for my detailed review and check out below for affiliate links to each of them! #1 - How to Be the Parent You Always Wanted to … [Read more...]
Parenting Styles: How to Get Siblings to Play Nice When Stuck Inside Together
So much of the country is dealing with crazy cold weather and/or tons of snow right now. At our house we're on our 7th snow day!First priority, of course, is keeping everyone warm and safe. Second priority? Keeping everyone sane!At our house, we've got a 10-year-old, 8-year-old and 4-year-old and, let's just say, being stuck indoors together for long stretches of time can be challenging if we don't plan for it.The problem is mostly that it can be hard to … [Read more...]
Kid-Friendly Baking: Chocolate Heart Rice Krispy Treats
Did you know that cake decorators sometimes use rice krispie treats to mold under fondant for things like, say a giant cowboy hat?It's true! The rice krispie treat recipe can be used as a type of playdough. Once it has slightly cooled, you can mold it into any shape you like.In honor of the upcoming holiday, we decided to make up a batch and shape them into Valentine hearts.You can stop there, or you can really take it up a notch by dipping them in white chocolate and adding red … [Read more...]
7 Skinny Coffee Drinks You Can Make at Home
I'm a morning person. I wake up at 5:00am to work out, I come home and enjoy a cup of simple black coffee. It starts my day out right and I'm packing lunches and making breakfast for the kids like a pro.This leads into my work day where I'm ticking off my to-do list, preparing myself a healthy lunch and picking up the kids from school. That's about the time I hit a wall.It's that afternoon slump that gets my every time. Instead of reaching for a snack that will only … [Read more...]
The Cozy Stuff You Should Totally Ask for This Valentine’s Day
Valentine's Day looks different for everyone. Some folks go all out; dinner, flowers, lingerie... all the things! These days, for me, it's much more low key. I want nothing more than a quiet night-in spent with my sweetheart and maybe a little something special to take care of myself.If you're on board with this plan, I've got some especially awesome finds from my favorite purveyor of all things indulgent- Anthropologie.While I don't often shop at Anthropologie due to price point, it's … [Read more...]
Making Tasty & Healing Hot Pot Meals at Home
Is there anything better than a piping hot bowl of nutritious goodness in the middle of winter? With it being peak flu season, I'm especially drawn to the healing powers of asian soups right now. The problem, though, is that I've always been intimidated by foreign sounding ingredients and cooking utensils.Enter the amazing new cookbook, Simply Hot Pots.Not only can you grab this beautiful guide to learn everything you need to know to become a legit creator of some hot pot magic. It's now easier … [Read more...]
Stay at Home Parents Deserve Our Own Sticker Charts
In elementary school, I watched the kids who lined up to go home for lunch, or the one whose mom was room mother, or the kids whose parents picked them up in front of the school every day. I promised myself that when I had kids, I would stay home, too. I was 32-years-old when I had my first child. Staying at home was not economically feasible.The day before I had to return to work, I sat in a rocker and held my 3-month-old all day. I didn’t think I’d live through the separation—but of … [Read more...]
Project Organize Your ENTIRE Life: Principles of An Organized Playroom
Now that Christmas is over, the inevitable question lingers - what to do with all those new toys? Never fear, our in-house professional organizer, Annie, has us covered with some pro tips and she's here today to help us launch our best year yet.Here are her pearls of wisdom... If you feel you're in an ever-losing battle with your children's games and toys, take comfort in the fact that you're not alone. I've encountered few families who've had difficulty navigating the toy jungle.Before … [Read more...]
DIY Personalized Alphabet Book
It's so hard to believe I first shared the personalized alphabet book I made for my son 7 years ago. It's been an extremely popular post ever since so I thought it was time to bring it out of the vault. And with all the options out there for creating photo books now, it couldn't be easier to do! But it can still be surprisingly hard to think of something that's salient to your child for each letter - I'm hoping sharing my picks might help.Please enjoy and let me know if you … [Read more...]
Here’s Every Dinner I’m Cooking to Eat for Energy this Week
I just realized there's something I haven't told you yet. I got so excited to be able to share the Ultimate Healthy Meal Planning Bundle was finally available, I totally forgot to share which meal plan I've been using, and loving.So sorry, let me rectify that right now.There are over 30 month-long meal plans in the Ultimate Healthy Meal Planning Bundle and many of them are worth getting excited about.The Budget Friendly Plan The Busy Mom Plan The One Pot Meal Plan The … [Read more...]
The 9 Kitchen Hacks I Use Every Single Day
January has us all ready to organize and eat healthier. Every year I try to be more efficient in the kitchen.I'm always asking seasoned moms about how they do things and sometimes I stumble on tricks of the trade on the internet or simply by accident. I wanted to share with you the nine down-and-dirty secrets that I use in the kitchen every single day to make my life easier. Cutting lots of vegetables once a week Every morning my husband and I eat some form vegetables and eggs. … [Read more...]
Pick Your Sale – 30% or 40% off Our Best-Selling Organization Printables for The WHOLE Family!
It's a new year and time for a new routine. Time for a little less chaos and just a little more calm at home.If simplifying your life by organizing yourself and your family is on the top of your wish list, we've got great news, the BRAND NEW 2019 POYEL Printables and our Kids' Responsibility and Money Management Kit are on sale! For 7 days only, save 30% on each or buy both and save 40%! I want this to be the year that we all finally slow down and find some extra time to connect with our … [Read more...]
Free Printable: Family New Year’s Resolutions & Year-in-Review
How is it possible that we can easily countdown the final days of 2018 already? Whether I'm ready or you're ready, the end of the year is quickly approaching.It's just about this time when I always ask myself: Should I make New Year's resolutions this year? And if I'm making that plunge, which goals are both aspirational and approachable?This year we've come up with a simple tool to help you and your family make some goals for this year while reminiscing all the happenings of last … [Read more...]