Book Review – Lemons are a Girls Best Friend by Janet Hayward

Happy Friyay everyone! I hope you are as ready for the weekend as I am (even though I have to work, I am excited to spend some QT with the kiddo and see friends since the rain is finally gone away) We had a pretty busy week, but I was able to get in some time for myself. I had lunch at Coco’s Tea Room on Thursday (amazing!) and then we walked around the Antique Mall. Today I wore my favorite shade of Pink (makes any day better) and took the dog and kid to the park ( because I needed a work break since I was doing the second half of my day from home)

 

I also received my next book to review in the mail this week! “Lemons are a Girl’s Best Friend” by Janet Hayward talks to us about 30 different superfoods, giving a description of the food’s benefits and then two recipes for each superfood, one for the inside and one for the outside. This book could not have come at a more perfect time for me. I have been slowly detoxifying my beauty routine and using learning how to use foods, herbs, and natural things is just what I needed. I also was inspired by Vegains Food to start eating more colorfully so the “Inside” recipes are amazing places to begin. I am excited to try each of the recipes. This book makes a great gift and is a must-have for my Book Shelf.

 

 

 

 

 

**I received this book from Blogging for Books in exchange for my honest review**

Closet turned Office

After 2 weeks of being laid up and not working or doing much of anything I had the urge to organize today (let’s hope I don’t regret it soon)

I ended up cleaning and organizing the Laundry Room (it is the size of a closet) that I had made into an Office a few months ago, but unfortunately it had become a collect all 😦 and there was nothing productive happening in there. (I don’t have a before picture, sadly)

I thought I would share with you what my home (apartment) looks like on a good day:

This is our living room, some sun still shines through the hand print plastered sliding doors. The futon next to the porch folds up to a couch and even has cup holders. The chair in the back corner has freshly cleaned toddler pee and marker stains under that blanket.

The other side of the living room is my husband’s office and our wall mounted TV so that a certain someone doesn’t knock it over onto himself (that could be very dangerous and honestly if you have small children get a good wall mount so they don’t climb the TV stand and knock it over onto themselves)

I paid $0.99 for that clock and no it does not work, but I love how it looks! Our cables are all zipped up with cable keepers, another way to stop the tornado from dangerous stuff.

Kitchen! In the far back corner behind like 3 other things is a jar with all the sharp objects (he has gotten into them once, but not since) and everything valuable, dangerous, or breakable is in a top cupboard (because he can open all the child safety locks I put on all lower cupboards 😦

Note beautiful flowers from Hubby (and yes that is an elephant holding random tiny dishes while they dry)

Dining Room. Behind those bi-fold doors is what would normally be a laundry room (closet)

My favorite part is that I can close the doors and forget about whatever is in there when I need to, and when I am in there it is almost like being in another room, but I can still see and hear the kiddo. I also love that the locks I installed are up so high he cannot reach them even by standing on a chair so my stuff is safe… ish.

Inside I have my books, journal, board games, paperwork, work stuff, craft stuff, essential oils, electronics, our embarrassingly large for 2017 DVD collection… and there is a power outlet for my laptop and if I want to put a lamp or diffuser in there 😀

Down the hallway and in the rooms are some of my favorite wall art… all free or under a dollar at thrift stores.

                

 

Kiddo’s bathroom (vinyl letters on the wall that remove with no residue or marks) and the only way that I can make the house look like this and have time to sit down and blog… passed out while playing on the tablet.

Toys are locked away in the closet, he asks to go in and can pick out a few toys or buckets at a time (makes life less overwhelming for everyone) I swear he has more books than any other kid. All of these are for at least 5 years from now.

Master Bath has some sweet little wall storage places (since we don’t have a cupboard or shelves in there) The clear drawers are one of my favorite (Amazon)

 

That messy picture is a folding card table with all the stuff I am sorting out for donations and doing laundry (the never ending task). I really try to clear out clutter and things I don’t use or need at the start of every season. Project 333 is my minimalist go to (I am far from a minimalist, but her way of thinking and living help me stay humble and sane…ish)

The photos and art on our bedroom wall are so special to me. I even framed a letter my husband wrote me while we were dating. The Daisy is by Sarah Ann Photography

The shelf above my dresser has specific items representing each of us and then us as a whole.

Curtains… I know they don’t match (not much in my house does) but they are amazing! One is shear and lets the light in and the other is a black out curtain. Both are a MUST if you live in an apartment complex and your bedroom window faces the parking lot on the first floor.

Last but not least, Master Closet… where laundry goes to die. It is usually quite organized (or at least somewhat organized) this last week we had to get laundry done (at the laundry mat) and I could not lift or bend. So here are all the clean clothes until further notice 😉

 

I hope you enjoyed the humorous tour and were inspired by the Closet Office. Check out my previous post, Closet Nursery, and see how I turned our Laundry Room (Closet) into a nursery for kiddo when he was a newborn in our old apartment.

 

Have an amazing week!

Train Playroom

It was 65° outside yesterday morning ♡ December 17th. 

By the time I took the kids to the playground in the afternoon it was 32 and windy 😦 

We can’t avoid Winter forever. I also can’t avoid Christmas forever. I’ve been slowing getting all of Little Man’s presents in the mail and pilling them in his room along with anything else I want to procrastinate on. After he laid down for a nap, yesterday, I decide it was time to get motivated. I’d gone to At Home and found a wire flatware holder that I planned to repurpose as a train shelf. 

It worked perfectly! 

I put together his Train Table and Gorilla glued the bridge together. The other pieces I left loose so he could rearrange. The top flips over and the other side is a chalk board. 

This wooden sign was given to us by a dear friend when he was born. 

I wanted this to be an uncluttered space where he could play and be creative without being over stimulated. 

I read about Toy Rotation about a year ago, and I love the idea. Last month I went through all his toys and clothes and donated almost 4 boxes worth of stuff. I tried to be purposeful with what toys he kept. In his closet are 2 shelves neatly stacked with toys that he can take out one at a time and play with in the open space on the other side of his room. The closet locks so he can’t just drag everything out and make mayhem. It’s been studied that children do better and are less overwhelmed when they do not have too many stimulating factors around them when they play. So we are implementing toy rotation. Also, the walls are not too busy. 

I picked up a few baskets at the Dollar Tree for his wooden train and blocks. I still need to find some clear contact paper to make the window so you cannot see into it (the parking lot is RIGHT there and my toddler doesn’t always keep his clothes on).

In the other corner of his room I will be installing these wire baskets on the wall along with a few small wall lamps. Then a few oversized throw pillows and his reading corner will be complete (I love how many books he was giving for Christmas. Thank you to family for understanding the power of reading).

The last thing I did was unpackaged all his gifts (make them play ready) and wrap them (STAR WARS wrapping paper found at the Dollar Tree!) 

If you have any creative Play Room ideas, I’d love to heat them! I’ll be sure to update with pictures of the reading corner once it is complete.

Happy Holidays! 

Update:

Today (December 23rd) I finally put the finishing touches on Little Man’s Playroom. His reading corner is set up. 

thThese baskets are from At Home. They are perfect for his board books. Instead of throw pillows I used some of his character pillow cases over new pillows. I put a spot light on the wall for better lighting at night. 

The window treatment I was looking for was $15 and I wasn’t ready to commit. I ended up getting some contact paper from the Dollar Tree that did the job perfectly. 

I decided the leave the final corner of the room empty for his to play and use his puzzles. 

ey

 

Father’s Day Gift Basket – Under $10

Father’s Day is almost here, and since there is no way I can top last year’s gift (our son was born on Father’s Day last year) I decided to go super creative and hope that it is good enough 😉

The book was one I reviewed recently, “How to Tie a Tie”. I hope he is as excited as I am about it!

The shaving balm and shaving cream I snagged at the Dollar Tree (they look classy to me). I had wanted to buy him a straight razor (something he has wanted for years) but instead I am going to let him pick out his own razor and strap.

There is also a Super Hero eye glass cleaner in there (to wipe tiny finger prints off his glasses).

Little Man made the card (with help from mommy and the crayons Aunt Sarah bought him)

Last but not least, I bought some of his favorite candy and wrote him a note ❤

There you have it!! Under $10!

What did you do this Father’s Day?

Pirate Birthday Party

Our son turned 1 this week, so we threw a Cook Out to Celebrate!!!

His nursery and Baby Shower were Pirate themed, so we followed suit.

He LOVES VocabuLARRY from Baby First TV.

My MIL was able to snag him one for a review. He was SO EXCITED!!!

My SIL made his cake. It came out soooo good. How cute is this!!

She even made him his own Smash Cupcake!

Everyone had such a good time. We couldn’t have asked for better weather.

      

For the Kids we has a few kiddie pools set up. Instead of pre-packaged Goodie Bags we set up a Fun Table where the kids could decorate their own bag and grab toys to use throughout the day.

Mini Beach Balls, Squirt Guns, Pirate Mustaches, Crazy Straws, Cake Bibs (disposable bibs), Bubbles, and Sun Block.

   

Simple was best for his First Birthday. It was an enjoyable day for everyone (me included).

🙂

Jojoba Hair Oil

I have naturally curly hair. The winter has not been nice to it at all. My poor frizzy, broken, dead end hairs are screaming to be let loose and curl rather than be tied back all day. With warmer weather slowly happening, I want to have those sweet summer curls.

 

I made this amazing hair oil spray today. It is 1/3 jojoba oil, 2/3 water, a drop of rosemary oil, and a few drops of orange blossom water (I love how it smells!).

I spray it on my hair while still damp and scrunch.

I am so excited to have my curls back and manageable!

             

Zoo Baby Diaper Bag

 

 

I received a request for a diaper bag set and toys for an upcoming baby shower. I instantly fell in love with this animal print (come on how adorable is that?) So I went a Pinteresting and found some inspiration.

 

The diaper bag pattern I used was from PoppySeedFabrics. The first one I followed the directions exactly. Her instructions are flawless, but it was a bit small (this one they will end up gifting to the grandparents, which is a great idea).

I decided to edit the pattern a little. For the second bag I made the dimensions 30 x 22, and 20 x 22. I think it came out the perfect size. (elephant for size difference).

 

Then I used some of the excess fabric to make these fun crinkle tag toys. I found the pattern on SoSewEasy. My son really wanted to play with them, I will have to make him one on my next day off. At least I know they are baby approved!

26 Days of Toddler Learning Fun – Part I

Whether you are a stay at home mom, nanny, or working mom it can be hard to come up with new ideas everyday to keep that tiny busy mind and body learning and having fun. Here are the first 5 days to “26 Days of Toddler Learning and Fun”. The age range of these activities could go from age 1 -5 easily. You can mold it to fit your child, it is simply an outline and inspiration. I would suggest setting aside time before the week begins to prepare for each day. Maybe a trip to the library on Monday to get all the books you will be reading that week. (or you can use nap time to prepare for the following days activities)

 

HAVE FUN!!!

 

 

DAY 1 – The Letter A

 

Snack – Apple slices & dipping sauces (peanut butter, nutella, honey, Greek Yogurt)

Animal Crackers

 Sensory – Animal Sensory Box

Play – Match the Animals

Animal Noises

Alphabetize the Animals

Are You My Mother Matching Game

 Story – Animal Orchestra

Are You My Mother

Animals and their Sounds

Exercise – Animal Crawls

 Sing – Way Up High in an Apple Tree

Animal Sounds Song

 

 

DAY 2 – The Letter B

 

Snack – Bananas, banana ice cream, berries.

Sensory – Rainbow Ball

Texture Balloon

Blowing Bubbles

Play – Cotton Ball Painting

Ball Sorting Tray

Toss the Ball (or roll the ball)

Boxes – Color and climb in big ones, stack and knock down little ones

Story – The B Book

Where Do Balloons Go

Exercise – Keep the Balloon from touching the ground

Bike (or tricycle)

Sing – Bumping Up in Down in my Little Red Wagon

The Wheels on the Bus

Balloon Color Song

 

 

DAY 3 – The Letter C

Snack – Cookies, cantaloupe, crackers, cake

Sensory – Color Slim

 Mess Free Painting

Play – Visit cats at the Animal Shelter

Make this colorful cake

Help with cooking dinner or lunch

Camping (or indoor fort)

Story – Cats, Cooking, colors etc

Cat in the Hat

Exercise – Kick the Can

Cha Cha Slide

Sing – C is for Cookie

 

 

DAY 4 – The Letter D

Snack – Dino crackers, dragon fruit, dip

Sensory – Dino Goo

Visit Dogs at a Shelter or pet store

Play – Driving Cars

Salt Fossils

Dino Eggs

Dig in the Dirt

Story – Dinosaurs, Digging, Dirt, Dad, Dogs etc

Exercise – Dancing

 ReFit

Sing – BINGO

 

 

DAY 5 – The Letter E

Snack – green eggs and ham, eggplant,

Sensory – Elephant toothpaste

Play – Expression Eggs

Horton Hears A Who Painting

Elephant craft

Trumpets

Egg shakers (musical instrument)

Story – Horton Hears a Who

Green Eggs and Ham

Elephant

Exercise – Get Moving Dice

Sing – Do Your Ears Hang Low

          Head and Shoulder, Knees and Toes

 

Check in next week for Letters F through J!!!

Portable Diapering Station

Use an old shoe box as a portable diapering station in the living room. Can be tucked onto a shelf or under a chair.

#mommyhacks

DIY All-Natural Acne Treatment

I never struggles with acne until I was an adult, go figure. I have tried many different remedies, some not so great ones in there. Strides pads dry my face out completely, causing rashes and dry spots. I didn’t know this until a few years ago, but adult acne can worsen when the skin is dry. Honey is an amazing moisturizer and face wash (straight up raw honey).
I recently made my own “stridex pads” to use after showering and before bed. I love the results.

What you need:
– an empty baby food jar (or any clean glass jar with a lid)
– cotton balls or rounds
– water
– tea tree oil (melaleuca)

Fill the jar half way with water.

Add two to three drops of the tea tree oil.

Cover and shake well.

Slowly add cotton balls until jar is full.

Use as you would a stridex pad

Remember, adult acne is also affected by what you eat. You may not see immediate results. It took a few weeks for me to notice an improvement.

Good luck!