Monday, September 7, 2015

DIY a Bike Rack: Mommy Madness Tip # 8


This tip may be overkill for small families…but it is a must for outdoorsy families with multiple children.
My family fits in this category. 

Bikes were everywhere. Scooters were between the bikes. A wagon, plasma car and a skateboard were thrown in somewhere…it was a M.E.S.S. and a little embarrassing every time we opened the garage door. 

Pictured above is our bike rack. It is by no means as pretty as the other ones you will see, but it is FUNCTIONAL (all that is important to my husband really). 

My 3 year old understands where to put her bike. She used to leave it in the driveway, now as soon as she is done, she parks it in her spot. It's magical! 


My husband cannot tell me what site he got the instructions for building this beauty from. Typical non blogger thing to do right? So, unfortunately credit will not be given to where it is due. Forgive me! There are countless tutorials and styles that you are bound to find a size or shape that works for your situation. 


If you are sick of tripping over bikes and scooters, build a rack to make your life easier! Have fun organizing your garage! Here in Michigan, we will be getting ready for the winter soon. Hopefully, it is a short one this year! 


Blogaholic Designs”=

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Friday, September 4, 2015

The Fundamentals of Periscope: A Social Media Every Blogger MUST Try!



ANOTHER social media platform??? 
Yes. 
Meet Periscope. 

I'll be honest, when I first heard of Periscope I made a secret vow to resist scoping for a longgggg time. There is NO WAY that I could handle another social media account. 

That didn't last very long. 

Fast forward to today, I am participating in a 30 day #SeptemberScope challenge and it is actually FUN! Not to mention addictive as a viewer. You can watch what someone is doing 300 miles away from you AT THAT VERY MOMENT. Heavy stuff! It's like teleporting to Chicago when you live in Phoenix. OK, maybe not as dramatic…but it is pretty amusing. Read on to see how Periscope works. 

Wednesday, September 2, 2015

Welcome Home Wednesday Link Party #4

Hello

Welcome to the third Welcome Home Wednesday link-party! We party every Wednesday at 7am CST so mark your calendars (or sign up for reminders) to attend each week! Grab a seat, get comfortable then peruse/comment on some of the links left in the party. Once you have shared the love, leave up to 3 links for us to comment on in return.


* indicates required

Welcome Home Wednesdays with Happily Ever After, Etc.

Friday, August 28, 2015

4 Tips to Make Packing Lunch Fun for Mom & Kids



The start of a new school year can be an emotional time for parents. For example, sadness may be felt because our babies are growing up WAY. TOO. FAST.  Others (like myself) may be flooded with relief -big sigh- because we ALL (children included) survived the summer! Even better, how about feeling stressed? It's time for a new routine, new environment, being on time and so on. 
Add packing a lunch to the mix, emotions of anxiety and frustration show up. 

It doesn't HAVE to be so traumatizing! 

Don't panic, but your child's homemade lunch will be scrutinized. It's human nature.  Your child's peers, school staff, nutritionists and so on will be analyzing the contents of that cute Frozen lunch box. Yup. There is no way to stop it so deal with it, embrace it, ignore it…whatever...
but it is best if the lunch is diverse and somewhat healthy! 
Easier said than done right? The sad reality is that we can send celery all day long…but will they eat it? The REAL struggle is getting your child to actually EAT their lunch instead of trading or throwing it away.

Wednesday, August 26, 2015

Welcome Home Wednesday Link Party #3

Hello

Welcome to the third Welcome Home Wednesday link-party! We party every Wednesday at 7am CST so mark your calendars (or sign up for reminders) to attend each week! Grab a seat, get comfortable then peruse/comment on some of the links left in the party. Once you have shared the love, leave up to 3 links for us to comment on in return.


* indicates required

Welcome Home Wednesdays with Happily Ever After, Etc.

Tuesday, August 25, 2015

Tell It Tuesday #11: Weeds

“The question isn’t who’s going to let me; it’s who is going to stop me.” – Ayn Rand 



Wednesday, August 19, 2015

Welcome Home Wednesday Link Party #2

Hello! Welcome back! 

I am excited that you are here! New? Check out our Welcome Home Wednesday link-party! Last week we were estatic that so many cool people wanted to party with us! I'm sure this week we'll see the same smiling faces from last week... and a couple new faces as well! Either way we'll be here each week at Wednesday at 7am CST... bright eyed, bushy tailed and ready to party! Stop by and share your posts... we would love to read them and share them with our friends!
 
Welcome Home Wednesdays with Happily Ever After, Etc.


Meet your Fabulous Hosts!


DIY Just Cuz  
MidMichigan Mom  
Sequins in the South
At Home with Sweet T
Happily Ever After, Etc.
Five Kids, a Dog & a Blog 

Monday, August 17, 2015

Thrift Store Swap Teaser/National Thrift Shop Day

Today is National Thrift Shop Day! 
You all know I am a huge sucker for thrift stores and that my favorite hobby is to repurpose outdated items into something new and fun. 

My passion for DIY and repurposing is what motivated the creation of the Thrift Store Swap. I am excited (yet a little humbled) to admit that we had so much fun with the first swap that we decided to continue to do the swap 4 times a year. Now, these ladies are more than swap partners, they are a network of friends that I love and support.  This endeavor has flourished into something that I never dreamed it would! 

We are well into Swap #2 but this time we are open to suggestions for our swap items. My swap items were sent from Maggie at Less House More Home. She sent 2 items and my creative juices started to flow…then they kind of simmered away. I'd like to hear your input on what I should do with this item. 


Ok, Ok. I'm being somewhat of a pain. 

Here is the REAL item. 

Wednesday, August 12, 2015

Welcome Home Wednesday Linky Party!



Hey y'all,

For the last couple of weeks my friend Betsy from Happily Ever After Etc has been hard at work on a special new project... Welcome Home Wednesdays! It's a brand new link-party that will be hosted by her, me and some very special friends every Wednesday at 7am sharp! (Central time, by the way) These ladies are down to earth and supportive so the party should be fantastic! Stop by and share your fabulous posts… we want you to be excited to stop by to mingle with us…to feel right at home! So kick up your feet, get comfortable and let us share your posts with our friends!

Welcome Home!

Meet your Fabulous Hosts!

DIY Just Cuz @
MidMichigan Mom @ Sequins in the South @ At Home with Sweet T @ Happily Ever After, Etc. @ Five Kids, a Dog & a Blog @

Tuesday, August 11, 2015

Oh My Heartsie Girls Linky Party #41


Hello all! Here is another opportunity to browse several awesome blogs at once =) See something you enjoy?  Leave a comment…and remember sharing is caring! 

This is our 41st Week since the "Oh My Heartsie Girls" Wordless Wednesday began Our Wordless Wednesday is an opportunity for you to meet and make friends with bloggers from around the world. We are honored to have visitors from USA, South Africa, Europe, UK, Japan, Austria, Romania Germany, Australia, Asia and more!!! Where do you blog from?

One Party (12) Blogs

Oh-My-Heartsie-Girls-WW

Oh My Heartsie Girl and Co-Hosts, Welcome you to The Oh My Heartsie Girl Wordless Wednesday, Week 41 where we take the opportunity to introduce you to new friends, as they are highlighted in our posts each week. Something new each week!! Something new on our event our Co-Hosts make the Feature Choices each week, highlighting their favorite links from the past week. #OMHGWW Wordless Wednesday where we start early ❢❢

Tuesday, August 4, 2015

Oh My Heartsie Girl's Wordless Wednesday Linky Party #40

I am very excited to share that I will be co-hosting The Oh My Hearstie Girl Wordless Wednesday Linky Party! Here is an opportunity for ya'll to peruse through several blog posts without having to click on any that do not interest you.  Make sure to check out the post that I picked to be featured by My Creative Days. She turned a curbside find into a beautiful Farm Table. It's right up my ally!  

This is our 40th Week since the "Oh My Heartsie Girls" Wordless Wednesday began Our Wordless Wednesday is an opportunity for you to meet and make friends with bloggers from around the world. We are honored to have visitors from USA, South Africa, Europe, UK, Japan, Austria, Romania Germany, Australia, Asia and more!!! Where do you blog from?

One Party (11) Blogs


Oh-My-Heartsie-Girls-WW

Tuesday, July 28, 2015

DIY: Mini DiaperCake and Personalized Name Decor


Monday, July 27, 2015

DIY: Scrabble Name Decor


Tuesday, July 21, 2015

Tell it Tuesday #10- Must like noises to try new things



While we were watching a fireworks show, the loud noises scared a young boy about the same age as my youngest. He started to cry so his father carried him away. Instead of empathizing with the young man she made a conclusion. 



Seriously, I don't know where she gets this stuff. Loud gun shot type sounds make a young child upset…and he must not like to try new things. I would have never put the two together. 

Do you want more wisdom of a three year old? Click HERE! 


Does your child say the cutest things that cannot be ignored? Why not share them to brighten our day?  
Fill out our form and you may see it next Tuesday ;)




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Wednesday, July 15, 2015

DIY WASH Laundry Decor

Decor for a laundry room? Yes, it's a thing now…but I can't bring myself to pay for decorations that will be rarely seen. Honestly, if it's expensive I lose interest, no matter how pretty it is. 

Something handmade. Something that I enjoy making is more my style. 


Want to see how I made this easy laundry decor? Read on!

Fresh Laundry Makeover

Creepy laundry rooms in the basement are now a thing of the past. Laundry rooms today are functional AND pretty.

My laundry rooms have always been privy to non public areas of my home- such as the garage or basement-until now. The whole concept of a pretty laundry room is new to me. 

Meet my budget friendly laundry room makeover.  Check out my before pictures. 


Tuesday, July 14, 2015

Tell it Tuesday #9- Cuddle Party


One night my family of 5 ended up crammed into my bed for a pre-snooze cuddle session. Mind you, I own a queen sized bed. It wasn't the most comfortable arrangement but we probably could have made it work if we were tired enough. Between giggles and various sized feet in my face, my son wonders out loud. 



Chirp chirp. Chirp chirp….

There was a noticable delay in my husband's answer…followed by a "It's time for bed!" 
Guess he didn't agree eye to eye. Haha, I'm sure there will be plenty of those in the future.

Everyone sleeping in one bed was fun to try while my children were still semi little.
It was a nice thought…
or not!

Want more kid quotes? Click HERE! 


Thursday, July 9, 2015

I Made it Myself Hero: Meet Stephanie B!

Someone needs to fight,someone needs to sacrifice, someone needs to inspire, someone needs to be a hero.” 



*Gasp* A Made it Myself Hero? It's been so long! 
Too long!  Don't fret, we're working on introducing you to more craft heroes! 

Meet Stephanie B! 
I'll let her introduce herself and her project! =) 


Tuesday, July 7, 2015

Tell it Tuesday # 8- Don't Judge Me

One of the joys of having a 9 year old and a 3 year old is the randomness that is exchanged between the two.  



We were out of coffee in my home…and me + three children - coffee = disaster.
On our emergency trip to the coffee shop, my son and daughter were arguing over their toys.  

Did you know hostage negotiator was part of a mom's job description?  It's a critical skill or else blood is spilled.  

After neutralizing the situation and placing the stuffed dog in protective custody, my three year old simply responds with- 


I can see her telling her preschool teacher this in the fall. 
They have no idea what they are in store for. 
*Sigh*

Want more kid quotes? Click HERE!



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Wednesday, July 1, 2015

Thrift Store Swap Reveal!

I'm excited to share this Thrift Store Swap reveal!  It's here, the time is finally here! 



5 bloggers and I collaborated for a Thrift Store Swap. We each shopped locally and found $10 in random thrift store treasures.  We swapped our finds…and now it's time to see how our junk was repurposed! 

Lisa from Five Kids, a Dog and a Blog sent me my project items.  I have to admit that I felt very spoiled when I opened my box.  It was like she knew exactly what I needed!  

Here is what I got. 



What did I do with it?  Keep scrolling to find out! 

4th of July Wreath Makeover


I received this adorable fall themed wreath from a Thrift Store Swap that I was participating in.  


Even though I liked it as is, I had to give it a new look.  

Tuesday, June 30, 2015

DIY:Silhouettes-Easy Tutorial



Silhouette portraits of my children have been on my agenda for YEARS.  

The idea originated from a Mother's Day card compliments of my son's preschool. The card contained a mini silhouette of my 3 year old son and I absolutely loved it!!  I made a vow to replicate it with all of my children…maybe even adding a cute vinyl "count your blessings" saying above it. 
Well….
My son is about to start 1st grade…and I figured that I should make these silhouettes before the kids leave for college.  

Tell it Tuesday # 7- About the Hair…Again

Never a dull moment in my home, especially after my kids learned how to say what they REALLY think


 
Whyyyy does she always have to comment on the hair?!  
And then there is my age….

Thank you son, yes I am older than 13…
WAYYYYYY past even.

Want more? Click HERE!


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Monday, June 29, 2015

Mommy Madness Tip # 7- Hot dogs to go




Planning an all day family outing? Save money with this "hot" alternative to the boring sandwich.

Wednesday, June 24, 2015

Midland Local Kid Friendly Events for the Summer



I have to admit that I have a love/hate relationship with summer break. I appreciate the freedom to venture outside of Midland without the worries of being back in time before school lets out.  I enjoy the extra half an hour (sometimes 1 hour) of extra sleep in the morning. 

But. 

My kids are typical kids. They fight. A LOT!  Those are the moments when I wish school was year round and I yearn for a few hours of quiet time.  Obviously, I would never survive if I had to homeschool my children…especially my son who is the middle child.  His favorite activity is annoying his sisters and he has become quite good at it. 

I realize that it is a losing battle at home. Here's my plan…and it may help you too. Distract them with outside activities! They fight less and love their siblings more in public. So far so good.  

Here are a few ongoing events to try out.  
Check out the complete list HERE

Tuesday, June 23, 2015

Tell It Tuesday # 6- Eye Blinkers

I have a little one who will be starting preschool this fall.
Don't let her small stature fool you, she is a 16 year-old stuck in a preschooler's body. 

Monday, June 22, 2015

MCFTA: Be The Dino


"Be The Dinosaur" traveling exhibit is now at the Midland Center for the Arts and will be available until September 3rd.  

Will your children enjoy it? Honestly, my children and I had a blast! I have read mixed reviews from other moms via social media and I can see how some families may be disappointed. Don't let their views dissuade you from experiencing it for yourself; every family situation varies.  

Keep reading for a few things to consider...
BUT before we get into that, 
I would like to share how positive and fun it was for MY kids! 

Sunday, June 21, 2015

Dow Gardens: Viva La Pollination



I own an annual pass to the Dow Gardens because I adore the monthly events and the children's garden. Recently, they hosted Viva la Pollination, a mini family friendly fair to celebrate pollinators.  

Friday, June 19, 2015

Beach Themed End-of-Year Party



It's that time of the year again- a time every school aged child celebrates, yet Moms near and far dread- you know, the time that teachers live for- the last day of school. Dun-Dun-Dun!!!
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