"How Do I?": Survive My Husband's Job

As many of you know my husband works as a college football video coordinator. He basically pulls coaches hours, and let me tell you, it's hard. It's hard when your husband works 12-14 hour days 7 days   a week, is out of town every other weekend, can't go to church with you on Sundays, and this happens for 5 months out of the year. But, that's only during football season. We're not talking about the hours put in during January to get ready for signing day, the hours he puts in during spring practice, or the hours he puts in during high school camps in June. I thank God every day that he is not a coach. Those men are out recruiting on the road several months out of the year, and those wives, well, they're amazing.

I think it takes a special woman to put up with a man who works that much. I never thought I'd be that woman, but somehow when I met DJ, I knew that football would be our life. We even spent our honeymoon at a Bowl Game! I always say I couldn't be married to a man that is in the armed services, because they'd be deployed and gone much more than my husband is. Yet at the same time, I feel like that's sort of the hand I was dealt.

Most of you ladies (and men) look forward to football season. I tend to have mixed emotions of excitement and dread.

So, here's how I attempt to survive the football season every year. 

- The girls and I go to my mom's house for a week every August. DJ goes several days without seeing the girls, and it can wear on all of us. Every year, we spend a week with my mom just so they don't have to think about how their daddy is gone all the time. It also allows DJ to work long hours without feeling guilty.

- I don't cook. Well, maybe once a week, because I get tired of peanut butter & jelly sandwiches, but if I cook, it's something I know the girls will love and it may be something DJ hates. He hates having breakfast for dinner, but the girls and I love it. While he's gone, it's the perfect time to treat the girls. Sometimes we even have ice cream for dinner. 

- I try to have fun things for the girls to do. With Adalyn being a newborn, these fun things most often include movie nights. We curl up in our pj's and watch a girly kid friendly movie. Gretchen loves having girl nights! We also have nights where we paint our nails, or when DJ's out of town, i'll let Gretchen have a sleep over in my bed. Making memories with the girls, helps keep our mind off daddy being gone.

- When DJ is able to go to church with us, we make it a point to go as a family. It's hard to not want to all sleep in, especially after a late night game, but we take advantage of going to church as a family. Often times, we have to drive separately, because he has to head to the office as soon as church is out, and sometimes he has to sneak out early!

- We have dinner at football about once a week. It gives the girls time to spend with their daddy, and gives DJ a break from cafeteria food. Last year, Monday was family dinner night at football, and the staff had Mexican food brought in. I looked forward to heading up to the office after G's gymnastics, and I didn't have to think about what we were going to eat!

- I take the girls to the game with me. I want them to see where daddy spends all of his time, and I want them to take pride in what he does. They love spending time at football.

- I try to stay organized and keep the girls on a schedule. The girls have bedtime, and we keep it consistent. I feel that if they're on a routine, they'll know what to predict, and they'll be better adjusted.

- We face time. Thank goodness that the girls can see their daddy through the phone or computer and talk to him a bit.
-We watch the games on t.v. If the game is away and on t.v. it's on at our house. We played last Thursday night, and the girls and I popped popcorn, Gretchen did a few cheers, and I attempted to teach Gretchen what offense and defense are, and what it means to get a first down. I want her to have knowledge of the game and to understand what is going on. I didn't acquire this skill until well after I was married to DJ. Someday, her husband is going to appreciate the fact that she may know more about the game than he does!

With everything in life, I have the attitude of you have to do what you have to do. Sometimes, you just suck it up and do it. I'm often asked how, especially know that I have three girls, that I manage to do everything I do, which is the point of this series of blog posts. But, if I don't do it, then who will? It's hard to take the girls to the grocery store or to a birthday party, but I want them to have a normal life, and if I don't take them, no one else will, or no one else will go to the grocery store for me.

As a coaches wife, I know that my husband will be fairly unavailable from August through December. It makes the times that he is home, that he is available, so much better. So much more memorable for our family. I cherish those times that he's home, just like I cherish our time spent at football games cheering on our favorite team.

By: Unknown On 05.40

Continue Reading

"How Do I?" Get Ready for Baby

This post wasn't in my original thought of a "How Do I?" series, but driving home Saturday night, I thought it would be a good one to add since Adalyn is scheduled to arrive on Friday!

When I was first pregnant with Gretchen, DJ and I were very prepared! I'm talking months in advance. I found out I was pregnant in May, and in August, we had already purchased her carseat and stroller, and had put it together by September! 

I had my first baby shower in October, and my mom and grandma came and helped me set up her crib and changing table in our bedroom that same month! (We had her in our bedroom for the first two months because my grandma was coming to live with us while I went back to work.) I also purchased a package of different size diapers or baby shampoo every time I went to the grocery store.

When I was pregnant with Megan, I made the decision to cloth diaper, and I started buying diapers in January. (She was born the end of May.) In February, I had gone through all of Gretchen's clothes, and was able to get rid of the clothes that were stained or that weren't the correct season for Megan. Because we moved two weeks after Megan was born, I didn't focus on setting up a nursery, but I was able to put her pac-n-play up in our room, wash all of the diapers, and I left out all of her newborn clothes, but packed everything else for the move. I really felt like I waited until the last minute to get things settled and organized for Megan, but that probably had a lot to do with our move.

With this pregnancy, I was in denial for the first few months. I also knew that because she was our third girl, that I didn't have a lot to do. I had originally thought I'd use Megan's bedding for Adalyn, but my mom convinced me that Adalyn needed brand new bedding too. In February, we were able to pick out fabric and go shopping for accessories. I finally set up store registries in March, because I had two planned baby showers in April and May.

I didn't stock up on anything while I was pregnant. I bought a few more cloth diapers, because I knew we were very likely to have two babies in cloth at one time, and I bought a few outfits for winter when I found them on sale. 

In May, my mom and grandma came up while DJ was out of town and we set up the nursery. The two weekends before, DJ and I moved Gretchen's room upstairs and I was finally able to go through clothes. 

It was finally the end of May when I started making to-do lists and figuring out what we'd need to buy. Panic mode finally set in realizing that in 10 weeks, Adalyn would arrive, and I still felt like I had nothing together, even though clothes were hung up and the nursery was ready.

I finally bought new bottles, milk storage bags, and bottle liners. 

On Saturday, I finally purchased Adalyn's baby book.

Last week, I also made a month long menu and went to the grocery store, so we would have meals and food. I made a written list of phone numbers, directions to the hospital, our alarm code, and a list of things to do in our area, for family that would be coming in from out of town, and emailed everyone that would be coming in.

We have still not put the carseat in the car or put together the bassinet, but I plan on having DJ install the carseat before he comes to pick us up from the hospital and we'll put together the bassinet sometime this week or right after we get home from the hospital.

With every child, the preparation is different. But, here are my main tips for getting ready for any birth, your first, third, or fifth.

• Make purchases throughout your pregnancy. If you are going to use disposable diapers, purchase a variety of large packages. Don't forget the wipes. 
• Decide if you are going to breast feed, formula feed, or pump and bottle feed. Read at least one book on breastfeeding, if you go that route, so you'll be well informed, and set up a good support system for yourself. If you plan on breastfeeding, research pumps and purchase milk storage bags if you have to go back to work.
• Set up childcare for when you do go back to work. 
• If this is your first child, I wouldn't purchase too many clothes. You'll receive tons of clothes at your baby showers and have outfits that your child will never wear. If you absolutely can't resist, make sure to buy a variety of sizes, and think ahead about how old your child will be so they are seasonally appropriate.
• Set up your registry. Go ahead and over-register. You can take back whatever you get too many of, or if you decide you don't want something; just make sure you know your stores return policy.
• Plan the nursery and decide if you'll co-sleep or have the baby sleep in your room.
• Don't forget to register for the hospital by the beginning of your third trimester. I waited until the middle of my third trimester when my doctor reminded me to do so, and then I also had to register for my epidural. It's also helpful to attend a class and tour the hospital, sometime in your 2nd trimester.
• Decide who you want in the delivery room, and who will be able to visit you while you're there. If you have older children, decide who will care for them and where they will be staying.
• Freezer cook meals ahead of time or see if your friends and family will be brining you pre-prepared meals.
• Have a date night or go on a baby moon.
• Spend some extra one on one time with your older children.

I think we're ready for Adalyn to arrive. We'll get to enjoy the 4th of July with family tomorrow, and then we make our way to the hospital Friday morning! By Friday evening, we should be holding our sweet baby girl in our arms!

By: Unknown On 06.00

Continue Reading

"How Do I?" Blog

To check out my other "How Do I?" posts go here. 

I started blogging a few years ago as a way to document our growing family and my business. I probably started my blog more for marketing purposes, thinking I could reach an entirely different audience, but it quickly grew into more family posts, and random tid bits of things that I love! 

Blogging quickly grew into such a fun hobby and I love that I can document our girls lives! But, it can be overwhelming, especially if I try to venture away from blogging just about hair bows and family!

When planning a series of posts, such as this one, I really have to think ahead and brain storm what all these posts will entail and how to keep y'all interested and provide meaningful information, and let me tell you, i'm glad I don't try to do these every single day! 

My "Teaching Tots" series was so much fun when G was younger and I planned a slew full of educational activities and themes to keep us busy! Now, those posts are few and far between as life has been filled with two (almost three) kids! And now, pinterest provides us all with fun activities and fresh ideas whenever we may need them!

"All About Birthdays" was started when I was planning one of Gretchen's birthdays one year! I still love party planning, but I typically only post in that subject matter in January or May, when i'm busy planning one of my own little honey pie's parties! I encourage you to click on the blog buttons on the right side of the page, because there are tons of birthday party ideas, and many that I haven't even used! Of course, pinterest and Etsy provide easy ways to plan your own child's parties!

So, how do I find time to blog? When I'm working, I typically blog during my lunch break. I rarely ventured down to the teacher's lounge this year, because I was at so many schools, so blogging gave me a way to get a break from work! I also blog on Sunday evenings after the girls are in bed.

I really have to stay on top of my picture taking! Thank the good Lord for the iphone and it's capability to take pictures, edit them, and upload them! I think the majority of my pictures are iphone pictures, because it's the only camera that is ALWAYS with me!

If I have tons and tons of pictures from one weekend, like Easter, then I break those posts into several days! I have a really hard time narrowing down which pictures to share!

I love that Pinterest has made blogging easier to upload your posts over- just click on the Pinterest icon on top of a photo, and you can easily pin any of my posts!

Google Reader is going by the way side, make sure you follow my blog via Bloglovin (that icon is on the right side of the page too)! Thanks to Bloglovin, my posts are automatically shared with my facebook page and my twitter feed! 

I also love the scheduled posts feature, because I can sit down one evening and schedule an entire weeks worth of posts and then not have to think about it later in the week!

I think since the end of April almost every single post has been a scheduled post!

I don't try to blog for money or giveaways or free things. I blog for me, and I blog about what I love! I don't have a running theme, but I blog about what interests me at the time! I'm pretty hodge podge in my real life, so why shouldn't I be on my blog too?!

What are your tips for staying up to date with your blog posts? Make sure to leave me a comment, and i'll follow your blog if i'm not already!

By: Unknown On 05.00

Continue Reading

"How Do I?" Honey Pie Accessories

Welcome back ladies (and gentlemen) for this weeks "How Do I?" series.... 

Go here to check out my other "How Do I?" posts. I've covered everything from my cleaning schedule, buying groceries, making time for family while still taking care of myself, and this week, i'm going to talk to y'all about how I manage a work at home business while still holding down a full time job, a husband, two little girls, and being pregnant with our third... tired yet?

I started HPA when Gretchen was just 6 months old. She's now 5 1/2 so it's been 5 years y'all!!! When I first started I ran HPA through my personal facebook page, and then through a website, this blog, and finally a business facebook page. 

I started with just hair bows and tutu's, and blinged shirts... I then convinced my mom to make and sell pillowcase dresses for me, and then I branched out with applique shirts, wipe cases, paci clips, and now i've ventured into skirts and dresses- and I'm still not sure i'm done! 

My business has had it's ups and downs, and rather than thinking of it as a full time venture, it's more of a part time hobby. It's how I make "me-time" and it gives me the ability to be crafty, while making my own girls something or creating for your little honey pie's! 

There were months in the first few years where I was so busy, that it was really taking a toll on my marriage, and I knew my husband missed spending time with me. It's then that I decided that HPA had to be more of a part time for fun gig than a real life second job. After all, we had a daughter we also had to take care of! My husbands job is pretty demanding as well, so it's important that we make time for each other when we can!

I read all the time about crafters that have messy houses, or stay up until the wee hours of the morning, and I just decided that I cannot run like that. I need to function on a full nights sleep and I need to know that my house is picked up. I think I had to accept a happy medium, and decide what was best for me and my family... since then, I think we can say that we've been truly happy with what HPA has brought to our family.

So, here's how I get things done.....

• I work on crafting while MC is down for her nap on Sunday afternoons. This gives me 2-3 hours of work time.
• I work when the girls are in the bed, but only for an hour sometimes two.
• Once I manage to get items finished, I take pictures of them, and then upload them throughout the day via my iphone.... whatever did we do without smart phones y'all?
• If i'm not taking the time to make products, then i'm taking the time to write my blog posts, upload and edit pictures, and market my products via my blog, pinterest, or facebook page.
• I state that my turn around time is 2-3 weeks. In all reality, I can get a project complete in 1-2 hours depending on it's size and how complicated, but I need time to work at my real full time job during the day as well as managing my family and household. Now that i'm off for the summer, my turnaround time is down to two weeks. 
• I ask first that my customers understand that this is a part time gig for me. I'd love to turn it into a full time business, but right now, that's not what I feel that God has in store for me. 
• If i'm not crafting in the evenings, then I make sure to spend time with DJ while we catch up on our favorite tv shows... however, my mind cannot just sit and watch t.v. So, i'm typically on the computer posting and catching up with whatever needs to be done.
• I use to run to the post office to mail my orders, but I realized that it was taking so much time and often times I couldn't get to the post office before it closed, or I'd need to run on my lunch break. Then, I decided to purchase a postal scale and ship through paypal and I'm in love! I should've started this method years sooner and I regret that I didn't! Now, I can package my orders, write the weight, and then print out my shipping labels, and throw the packages in the mailbox before I leave for work. 
• Offering pre-orders and product testers has really helped to ensure that I don't waste time making products that people aren't going to buy! I offer discounts on products in exchange for pictures of their honey pie in the shirt, skirt, dress, etc. and then I can gauge how many people are interested. It helps me get orders, and also ensures that my own daughters aren't wearing my own creations 24/7. Although, they do wear a lot!
• I also started a ready to ship album, where everything is posted that i've pre-made. I still welcome custom orders, but my business was based solely on custom orders in the beginning that it made pricing and completing products more difficult. Now, I feel like I can offer the best of both worlds! 
• I take breaks when I need it. If i'm feeling burned out, or have just had a baby, I take a break! I need that time to refresh my creativity and adjust to life's changes. The past few years, I typically take the entire month of July off because that's when we have our family vacations. Two years ago, when I had Megan, I took several months off (we also didn't have the space) and when Adalyn arrives in a few weeks, I plan to slow down again too focusing on ready to ship and product tester orders.

I think my biggest piece of advice, is that if you're going to start a work at home business, you need to love what you make and figure out how to make it work while maintaining balance in your normal every day life!

I'm still working on revamping things, and I try to change things up from time to time to keep things new and fresh for myself and my customers! I've joined craft groups that I can bounce ideas off of, or just vent about how my machine might be crapping out or get suggestions. I'm still trying to figure out my best packaging materials, I'd love to get sew on labels, and eventually start an etsy page, but for now, i'm very happy with where my business is.

I truly love my little business, and i'm thankful that i've made it work for me. I do hope you love HPA as much as I do!

If you own a work at home business, please leave your link in a comment below along with your one piece of advice for maintaining balance!

By: Unknown On 05.00

Continue Reading

"How Do I?" Take Time for Me

Welcome back to the fifth week of "How Do I?" I'm actually proud of myself for continuing this series and I can't wait for the rest of the posts! Today, I'm going to share with y'all how I take time for myself! As a mother it is so important that you remember to take care of you! We are so busy taking care of our children, our husbands, our jobs, our house, that we often forget about ourselves! Well, not today ladies! I want to challenge you that you'll do one thing for yourself as soon as you're done reading this post! Or at least by the end of the day!

For my other "How Do I?" posts go here. You'll see how I make time for my family, clean my house, buy groceries, and meal plan all while running a work-at-home business, working a full time outside the house job, and with being a wife and mom to two (almost three) girls!

So, how do I manage to do all of that and still keep myself sane?

First of all, my sewing business is my stress relief.  I honestly think that every wife/mom/woman needs a hobby- something that she enjoys just for herself. In college, it was scrapbooking, my first few years of marriage, it was shopping, now it's sewing & bow making. Any time my husband is home and can watch the girls, or once they go to bed, I spend about an hour sewing; sometimes two hours.  

I had to find a balance between sewing and family time, so I don't sew every day, but I do try to sew two to three days a week.

Because I work outside the home and I travel between schools with my job, I make sure that I take myself out to eat at least once a week. My favorite has been Backyard Burgers, and i've made that a weekly lunch stop. I rarely go in, just to avoid that awkward eating by yourself, but i'm more than happy to drive through and then sit in my car and eat and scroll through facebook or instagram on my phone.

I often do some light shopping while i'm on my lunch at work. I might run into Old Navy to pick up shirts for appliques or dresses, or I run into Hobby Lobby for fabric or just to browse. Getting a few moments of quiet really puts my mind at rest and then i'm ready to get back to work.

If I don't get a lot of "me time" during the week, then I make up for it on Sunday afternoons while MC is down for a nap. I can get a lot done in that three hours!

DJ and I also take turns sleeping in on the weekends. Getting an extra hour or two of sleep makes a world of difference!

It is much easier for me to relax while DJ is home more. I know in the fall I can pretty much throw any dreams of 'me time' out the window, so I make up for it in the spring & summer. It's also helpful to have a spouse that understands that sometimes I need a break. I know there are times where he wishes I would be spending more time with him, but having those breaks away are so refreshing, and I feel make me a better wife & mom.

There are times where I can't get away, so I'll be honest that I can easily sit on the computer reading or pinning while watching t.v. at the same time. Sometimes, you just need to veg out and do nothing!

Here are a few other ideas:

Take a bubble bath

Get or give yourself a mani/pedi

Enjoy a glass of wine

Go running or workout

Get a massage

Go to bed early

What are a few ways that you get 'me time' and your favorite ways to revitalize yourself? Leave a comment, and then start relaxing!

By: Unknown On 05.00

Continue Reading

How Do I? Make Time for Family

To see other "How Do I?" posts go here. 

Today I want to talk about family, and how I make time for my family. It's so difficult for a working mom to balance time with her kids, husband, and extended family! I think it's a battle that all working moms have within themselves and struggle with.

I'm so blessed that for 5 years i've worked in the public school setting. As hard as it can be, i'm so thankful for the hours of my job. My kids are not the first to arrive at their daycare and they are not the last to leave. That is so important to me! I drop the girls off around 7:45, and by 4:00 (or earlier) I've picked the girls up from school.

I also have a teacher's schedule so I'm blessed to have fall break, Thanksgiving break, winter break, spring break, and summers off! I don't have to take off work just to be home when the kids are out of school.

I'm currently struggling with where I'm going to work after Adalyn arrives. Part of me would love to go part time (3-4 days a week) and the other part tells me to stay in the schools so I can have these holidays off. To be honest, I am not 100% sure where i'll be working in September, but the fact that I currently have holidays and summers off is a huge contributing factor to my decision.

I know that not all of us go into professions that belong in the public school setting, and believe me, I don't work in the schools for the money. I could make 15-20,000 more a year if I worked in a different setting. So, if you're not blessed enough to work in the schools how do you make time to spend with your kids and still juggle all of the responsibilities as a mom? Hopefully, you'll get some good tips here.

As I mentioned before, I can have my kids picked up no later than 4:00, and we are home within 15 minutes. There are many, many days where we are walking in the door at 4:00. That gives us an entire hour to spend together before I have to cook dinner.

In that hour, we usually play together in the playroom or downstairs. We might catch up on Princess Sofia episodes, or we may go for ice cream. There are times where I let the girls play together in the playroom where I work on sewing projects. The point is- we are together.

When it's time to cook dinner, MC is always hanging out in the kitchen with me. She loves to be in the kitchen! I'll also encourage G to help where she is able, or I'll have them sitting at the bar coloring. Our kitchen and living room connect, so if they're in the living room, I feel like i'm with them when i'm in the kitchen.

After dinner comes baths. DJ or I give them a bath and we'll hang out in the bathroom while the girls are in the tub. We try to make bath time fun by letting the girls play with tub crayons or having bubbles or just splashing around with them. DJ is so good about this- he gets a little crab wash cloth and pretends its a puppet. The girls get a kick out of it!

After bath is bedtime. I try to read to the girls every single night. Currently, G and I are reading Stuart Little, our first chapter book, and we read one chapter each night. We also say prayers every night.

While we are in the car, I try to keep the radio off. I talk to the girls about their day, or ask them questions about their friends, and their own thoughts and feelings. I also try to stay off the phone, unless I haven't talked to my own mom that day. Then, i'll call her on our way home from school.

Taking G to gymnastics once a week, gives me an hour of time with Meggie, as does G's soccer. DJ usually takes her and then Megan and I can stay home together.

Once a month, I try to take Gretchen on a "date". In April, we went to see Angelina Ballerina, in May, we went to the bookstore to visit the illustrator of Fancy Nancy and i've taken her out for ice cream. This gives us bonding time without having another child present. I want to continue our "date nights" once Adalyn arrives and school starts again. She's at such an impresionable age, that I feel these are so important to us!

On the weekends, I typically spend the mornings cleaning the house, but Saturday afternoons are reserved for family time. Sundays are pretty much the same way. We go to church in the morning, then when we get home MC naps, and we are home.

I'm not always playing with my girls, but I am with my girls. I've always heard that quality not quantity is important, so we do try to have those special quality moments together. I also want to make memories with my girls, so getting out of the house to go to the zoo, park, or aquarium are special moments for us!

I think most importantly as mom's, we need to accept what we can't change, and just live in the moments that are there. Appreciate the time that you're with your kids and make memories with them.

How do you as a working mom fit in quality time with your kids? What are some of your favorite activities?

By: Unknown On 05.00

Continue Reading

"How Do I?" Clean

Welcome to this week's post of 'How Do I?'... i'm going to share with you how I clean and managed to keep a 2,000 + sq. ft. house clean with two kids, a husband, a dog, and a baby on the way! Oh, and did I mention that I work full time outside the home? It's laughable really.

To check out my previous 'How Do I?' posts go here.

"A clean home is a happy home" and I have a type A personality, so you know having a clean home is very important to me! I go back and forth on cleaning and what works best, so i'll be sharing two methods that I use to keep my house clean.

In April of this year, we were out of town every single weekend. I knew that I wouldn't have time on Saturday mornings to play catch up, and that I had to keep my house clean throughout the week. It was in this month, that I was determined to keep my house manageable on a daily basis. Now, i've tried methods before, such as the Fly Lady  and I loved her concept, but it was hard to keep up with, so I developed my own routine...

The kitchen is cleaned every night immediately after dinner. This involves clearing the table, rinsing all of the dishes, loading the dishwasher, wiping off the table, putting our cloth napkins in the laundry, and wiping down the countertops.  I would start the dishwasher when DJ and I went to bed. The next day, the dishwasher would be unloaded as I was cooking dinner.

If the girls need a bath, then DJ and I will take turns cleaning the kitchen or bathing the girls. The girls get a bath every other night, so the nights when it's not bath night, I have a bit more time to clean and pick up.

I feel like if my kitchen is clean, then the rest of my house is clean.

I also make our bed every single day. MC's crib was pretty easy, and G's room.... well, I would just close the door. I read that people who make their beds every morning get more accomplished throughout their day. So, I started making the bed every morning. DJ usually helps put the pillows on.

We don't have laundry baskets in our bathroom. There's just no space for them. We tend to just dump our dirty clothes on the floor in front of the bath tub. When the pile starts to overwhelm, I divide them into colors (towels, reds, darks, and whites). Then, I'm easily able to throw a load in the washer in the morning, and I set the timer for the machine to automatically start around 3:30 pm. That way, the clothes aren't in mildew water all day, and the washer goes off after we get home, reminding me to put them in the dryer. What, your washer doesn't have a timer? Get one. It's one of my favorite features of our washing machine.

The girls clothes would be carried to the laundry room after their bath or on Saturdays when we did most of the laundry. They have so many clothes, that we don't have to do all of their laundry throughout the week.

I got in the habit of doing a load of laundry almost every day and this helped so much when we were out of town on the weekends!

We started keeping hangers in the laundry room. This way our clothes get immediately hung up when we pull them out of the dryer. 

I pick up the toys in the living room every single night. I also straighten the couch pillows and blankets, and place everything that should be carried upstairs at the bottom of the stairs. I encourage the girls to grab something and take it up to the playroom anytime they go upstairs. 

I vacuum every other night. I'd vacuum every day, but that drives my husband insane. When, i'm home though, I typically vacuum every day. No more than every three days.

Now, the other method I use is called the procrastination method..... with this method nothing is done in the middle of the week, or after Wednesday night, saving everything for Saturday mornings. With the exception of football season, and being out of town, we have no obligations, such as soccer games on Saturday mornings. I like it that way. 

I start with cleaning the kitchen, then our bedroom, and then I move on to laundry. Megan's room comes next, then the living room, bathrooms, and finally Gretchen's room. 

If I clean throughout the week, dusting and bathrooms are almost always saved until Saturdays.

I don't have written checklists of what should be cleaned each day. I've pinned tons of helpful cleaning tips on Pinterest, but I haven't used them. It just helped that I came up with my own method.

This week is my first week out of school, and I plan on spending every morning doing a bit of light cleaning, and then every evening tidying up the house after the girls go to bed. Mainly, it's picking up the clutter from the day. I always clean the kitchen after every meal. Like I said, I just feel that if my kitchen is clean, the rest of my house is clean.

Now that you know my cleaning "schedule", you need to know my cleaning products. I use to spend a ton of money on cleaning products, then throughout my journey to save money and be more "green", I learned that I can spend very little on cleaning products and still have a clean home. The only cleaning products that I purchase include Method dusting spray and Method window spray. (I do purchase laundry and dish detergent as well.) But, every surface in my house is cleaned with a mix of water, blue dawn soap, and vinegar. I don't use bleach. I'll also throw in baking soda to scrub the shower, tub, and the floor. 

Using a large bottle of vinegar takes about two months. It's about the same for the dawn and the baking soda. The Method products lasts three months probably. I haven't really kept track, but I do know that i'm not buying cleaning products like I use to. 

DJ and I are trying to encourage the girls to help us when we clean. However, we've been more successful with Megan helping than with Gretchen. So, start young!  MC loves to "dust" so I give her a clean rag while i'm dusting and she goes behind and dusts after me. Both girls are able to pick up their toys in the living room, and I encourage, but don't force G to help me make her bed or pick up all of her toys. I find that if she and I work together, it helps, but most of the time, she argues, and I find it easier for her to not help. DJ takes care of most of our laundry. I prefer to dust and clean the bathrooms myself, as well as vacuum, although I do let him help vacuum if he offers. I know that during football season, most of the cleaning will fall on me, and i'm okay with that. But, I also expect DJ to help when he's off, and he's more than willing! I'm currently in the process of coming up with a system for G to help more without complaining and i'll share when we figure out what that is!

I feel like I have to mention that I have read over and over again that mothers wish they wouldn't have spent so much time cleaning when their kids were little. I really struggled with this and for a long time thought that I wasn't a good mom. Then one day, it hit me that I AM a good mom because my house is clean, and my girls aren't playing in a mess. I know they don't care, but I do, and I want to provide the best for them. Having a clean house is part of that. There's nothing I hate more than visiting someone's house where it feels dirty. I don't appreciate dog hair on the couch or even on the floor. I don't want to see a pile of dirty dishes in someone's sink. To me, that's not welcoming, and I always want to welcome our friends and family into a clean home. So, come up with a cleaning method that works for you- whether you save it all for the weekends or you clean a little each day.

I'd love to read your comments about how you manage to keep your house picked up and clean!!! And yes, I've thought about hiring a cleaning lady, but it's just not in the budget that I'd rather give up right now.... maybe this fall!

By: Unknown On 05.00

Continue Reading

How Do I? Buy Groceries

Welcome back for week 2 of "How Do I?" I'm so excited about this series and sharing my tips with y'all! Last week, I went over how I meal plan, so naturally, I thought I'd share with y'all how I buy groceries!

First, I don't coupon at all. I use to, and I may try to get back into it, but I just don't have time for it. I really wish I did. I need to install the coupon printer on my computer at home, and try to print out coupons.... Okay, now i'm just lecturing myself and trying to talk myself back into it. But for now, I don't coupon.... moving on.

I make a meal plan, and then off my meal plan, I make my grocery list. There are things that I might buy every time I go to the grocery store: deli meat and cheese, bread, milk, fruits, etc. and they still go on my list. I'll look at my bi-weekly menu and write down how many packages of chicken I need, how many packages of ground turkey (we don't eat ground beef), and how many cans of whatever I need. I put tally marks off to the side, so i'm only writing cream of chicken soup, one time, and then I might have I,I,I, tally marks beside it, so I know I need to buy three cans.

I try to go to the grocery store alone. It helps me think and not impulse buy. Last Sunday one of my friends posted a picture of her at Sams Club by herself with three kiddos and I had a mini panic attack. She has a 4 1/2 year old, 3 1/2 year old, and 7 month old. She was by herself y'all.... And, had one of those flat bed carts and a regular buggy. I don't know how she did it, but she is supermom. I however, am not. So, I like to grocery shop alone. If I don't go on the weekends when DJ can watch the kids, then i'll leave them at daycare and go after work, and then go pick the girls up.

So, when I get to the store, by myself, I immediately head to the right of the store. I've heard of studies that show that marketers set up stores where all of the most expensive things are on the right side of the store because people naturally head toward the right. Well, so do I. Plus, I can't go to the left side- thsoe are the registers and it wouldn't do me much good heading their first.

My first stop is the deli counter where I buy 1 lb of turkey meat and 1 lb. of slice cheese. I'll also pick up some pita chips. Then, I head off to the produce. I tend to get grapes, strawberries, oranges, and sometimes blueberries, and always bananas. I'll also pick up whatever fresh veggies we may need for our meals: bell pepper, spinach, squash, potatoes. I don't tend to buy a lot of fresh veggies. I know I should and they're healthier, but I prefer frozen because it's easier.

I then head over to the butcher and I pick up the chicken breasts. I typically buy three to four packages with three breasts in each one. The girls are able to share a chicken breasts, so that's why I buy three. I have them placed in a plastic bag and then in the white butcher paper. My grocery store use to place them in freezer paper and then in the white butcher paper, but if I'm in a hurry and need to throw dinner in the crock pot, then I need the chicken in the bag, because the paper freezes to the chicken.

Next, I pick up the ground turkey, bread, and then orange juice, milk, yogurt, cinnamon rolls, cheese..... anything that's in the open freezer section. If I have the girls with me, then we stop and get them a free cookie. And, I forgot to mention, but the deli, will almost always give them each a slice of cheese to snack on.

I tend to skip the left side of the store altogether. Unless, I buy frozen veggies, but usually a large bag can last us a month because we just rotate through them, and I cook just enough so they're not left over. Plus, I cook mostly casseroles or one-pot dishes, so we don't go through a huge bag of veggies every week.

I start at the back of the right side and just work my way up. The first row is where the cream of crap soups are, the mexican food, and any broth/stock I may need. Then, it's on to pasta, sauce, pb & j, then cereal, baking products, can goods and finally chips.

Sometimes I head to the other side and pick up snack foods and more juice, but not always. It just depends on what we have at home and if we're going to be home a lot. When we're home more, we snack more.

I try to buy some organic, but i'm not always good about it. It depends on the budget and what organic produce is offered. I am pretty brand loyal, and will buy kashi cereal or Muir Glen tomatoes. I also have specific can of black beans i'll buy, but I don't know the brand- I can just tell by looking at the can. I will buy store brand cream of crap soup. I am also loyal the brand of bread that I buy. This being said, when I have more time to plan and budget, then i'll buy more organic, and my goal is to slowly transition us to gluten free. I'll start with breads and pasta, and then go from there.

I also don't buy a lot of frozen pre-cooked dinners. I do buy Pillsbury cinnamon rolls and crescent rolls, but I don't buy frozen pizza, for example. I also don't buy bisquick because I can make my own pancakes or waffles from scratch. I've also found that by not purchasing these pre-packaged dinners and meals, that I can save a little more money.

I typically spend $150-200.00 every other week at the grocery store.

My grocery store also offers curb side pick up! I don't take advantage when I'm alone or with the girls, but when MC was a baby, I took full advantage, and I probably will when Adalyn is here!

I also make weekly Target trips. I'm able to run to Target between school sites if I don't have to buy anything that needs refrigeration. If I can't go between schools, then i'll go right before I pick up the girls. Target is a totally different ball game, and these trips are usually reserved for picking up things that we ran out of between grocery store trips- milk, cereal, cereal bars. I also go to Target for any toiletries we may need. I usually have a big toiletry buy once a month, and then we have the smaller trips to pick up any random toiletries we've ran out of.

I rarely have a list for Target, and I do usually get sucked in by the hypnotizing bullseye, which means lots of impulse buys. I spend anywhere from $50.00 to $150.00 on my Target trips.

So, hopefully that helps you know how I get my grocery shopping done while working full time! It really helps when I'm prepared with a shopping lists and when i'm organized and alone! If not, then my list doesn't vary too much from week to week, so I'll just pick up what we usually have to buy.

What are your grocery store tips? How do you save time there and money?

By: Unknown On 05.00

Continue Reading

How Do I? Meal Plan

I thought I'd start my "How Do I?" series with meal planning..... a subject that i'm not particulary fond of, but one that must be done...

If you know me, you know that I really hate to cook. I could bake all day (maybe) but I'm not big on cooking a meal.

I'm also not good at meal planning every week, and now you're probably wondering why i'm even bothering wtih this post......

Thanks to Pinterest, my meal planning has been so much easier! I really wonder how we survived before Pinterest.

I typically try to plan enough meals for two weeks, taking at least one of those days for dinner out, and one for leftovers. If DJ is not planning on being home, or if he has to prepare dinner, I might not plan a meal, but we'll heat up chicken nuggets, corn dogs, or i'll cook breakfast foods for the girls. I also take into account any trips we may have out of town.

We also have two nights per week where dinner needs to be ready when we get home or prepared within 15 minutes of walking in the door. On those nights, I try to use the crock pot, or take something out of the freezer that I've prepared before hand.

I meal plan right before a trip to the grocery store. I typically go to our large grocery store twice a month and spend around $200.00 each trip. (more on that to come). Then, I have weekly Target stops where we pick up milk or anything we've ran out of.

Back to Pinterest, and why I love it...... because I loathe cooking; I loathe planning just as much. I have the hardest time coming up with new meals to make, and I fell into a routine of serving the same meals on a rotation. Our meals would typically consist of a taco dish, spaghetti, homemade pizza, and chicken with vegetables. They were just boring, and I had a harder time getting Gretchen to eat.

So, this year, I've really tried to be better with meal planning and coming up with new meals to try. You can find some of my meal planing lists here as well as a few recipes I've tried out here.

I don't usually make a Monday meal plan, followed by Tuesday, followed by Wednesday. I've found that I skip around, so now, I write down meals that I'd like to cook, as well as a summary of the recipe, so I don't have to go back and search for it later. 9 times out of 10, I never find it anyway.

I do tend to stick with a chicken and veggies one night; but I try to change up the way I cook the chicken: oven baked, grilled, or with different seasonings, and we often have homemade pizza at least once, but I've been changing that up too. I've started making my own pizza crust, or i'll use crescent rolls and wrap pepporoni and cheese inside with a marinara dipping sauce. And, if we have pasta, I buy fun shapes rather than spaghetti.

I also refer to my Pinterest board "Dinner Ideas/Main Dishes" and come up with new dishes to serve. After we try them, I may add them into future meal plans, or I get inspired and add new meals with every meal planning session. Some of my pins are a flop, and i'll make a mental note to not try it again.

One of my new favorite blogs is Mix and Match Mama. I've found that it's easier to follow her on Pinterest and just re-pin foods that she has pinned that look yummy!

Now, when do I find the time to meal plan? I often meal plan while i'm on my lunch break at work. I will get on Pinterest and scroll through my DIMD board and then think of what we already have in the freezer, or what I typically cook in a rotation. I grab a notebook and write down a meal with its recipe and then later, I write a grocery list of what to buy.

I also make a note of if i'll need two or more cans of the same ingredients and put tally marks beside that item, so I'll know to buy more than one. If I remember, I'll double check when I get home the ingredients in my pantry so I don't end up with 5 cans of rotel or more!

In the summer, I try to meal plan on Sunday afternoons.

So, now that you know how I meal plan, i'll share with you my current meal planning list!

- Cajun Chicken Pasta

- Doritos Cheesy Chicken

- Spaghetti

- One Pouch Feast

- Tortellini Crock Pot Dinner

- Lasagna Rolls

- Cheeseburger Macaroni

- Turkey burgers

- Homemade Pizza

- Two Timin Pasta Bake

Most of these recipes, I've pulled off my DIMD Pinterest board, a few I typically cook, and the Cheeseburger Macaroni is a dish my co-worker suggested...

You'll see that I do a lot of one pot dishes, or casseroles. I know they're not the healthiest, but it saves me some time, and i'll try to sneak in a few veggies into the dishes (pureed squash or carrots, spinach, or tomatoes).

So, what's your favorite way to meal plan? Do you use a fancy app or website? Are you good at meal planning and thinking ahead?

By: Unknown On 05.00

Continue Reading

How Do I?

This series of posts has been jumbling my brain for the past few weeks. I'm constantly asked how I manage my time: From being a wife and mom to working outside the home and to running a business. Sometimes, I even wonder how I do it, but my mom and grandma instilled in me a value to just do it. No matter how hard things are, how much I have to do, just keep your mind focused and get it done.

Plus, everything that I do, I love. And, if you love what you do, then you're going to find time to get it done!

So, join me over the next several weeks as I explain to you how I manage my life!

If you've been a reader of my blog for a while then you've gotten little bits and pieces of how I manage my time, but now you'll easily be able to find everything all in one place! Just by clicking the button located on the side bar.

I can't wait to share this series with y'all! And, I look forward to hearing your tips as well!

By: Unknown On 05.00

Continue Reading