Disclosure: Some of the links below are affiliate links, meaning, at no additional cost to you, I will earn a commission if you click through and make a purchase.
These affordable ways to keep your home safe while out of town can be used year-round so be sure to save it somewhere if you’re going to be on vacation throughout this next year. These are all items you already have around your house or at your local hardware store.
I’m sure you’re aware of the rise in crime during the holidays and we ourselves have been victim to porch pirates more than once. I will never understand what could possess someone to take something that doesn’t belong to them, in broad daylight no less.
I am not an expert on home security. If you’re looking for an expert then you should watch my good friend, Kevin McCallister in Home Alone for ideas.
Alright, let’s get into it!
My last gift guide of the season! You know what that means?! Christmas is next week!! Who doesn’t love Amazon? I may have addiction but I can’t be the only one. You have 2 days left to order on Amazon and still have it delivered by Christmas Eve! No judgment here if you’ve procrastinated this long and haven’t bought anything. I am normally running around the week of Christmas trying to find the perfect gift. Fear not, here is a list to help you shop from the comfort of your recliner…in your PJs… while watching the office. Or whatever you watch on TV.
I come from a family of teachers and each Christmas I hear about all the gifts they have received from their students. My mom, sister, and mother-in-law are all teachers and have received some very thoughtful gifts in the past that they have enjoyed so I thought I’d share them with you and I’ve also made a list of items that they may get too much of or that may be a bit too personal to give an educator.
Let’s get into the gifts!
I always try to put myself in my guest’s shoes and see what they might need while they’re staying with me. I’ve been known to forget shampoo or face-wash if I’m staying with someone so it’s wonderful if these items are readily available for guests. If you’re having anyone stay at your house this holiday season, then I bet you’re wondering what extras you need to lay out for them. Here is a list I’ve come up with to make sure you’re the best host!
*Disclosure: This post contains affiliate links, meaning, I will earn a commission, at no additional cost to you if you click through and make a purchase.
We took Isla on a road trip to northern Illinois this last summer. She was 8 months old at the time and we learned a lot during the 12 hour car ride. Since the holidays are upon us and some of you may be traveling for the first time with your baby, I’d like to share some tips about what I learned from this experience. You probably already know to bring EXTRA outfits for yourself and baby, but if you’re on a road trip then you should already have those items in the car with you. I hope this list of road trip essentials for baby helps you to stay on top of things when packing for an upcoming trip.
Before I begin, let me give you some background info on Isla Rose. The longest car ride she had been on prior to this was the hour and a half it takes to get to Evan’s parent’s house. She might doze here or there, but never for very long. Even when she was a newborn the car NEVER worked. Oh, how I wish it had. Our baby is not a car seat sleeper. I thought it was because she hadn’t ever had to sleep in the car and she would surely be fine on a 12 hour road trip. Boy, was I wrong. She did not have a good time. She likes to be sitting up when she is awake and she likes to sleep on her stomach which is not ideal for the car seat.
So, let me tell you a few kernels of wisdom I picked up during this trip:
I’m so excited to show you 3 different ideas for your dining table at Christmas time! I hope you enjoy these ideas as much as I enjoyed putting them together! These are all Christmas Tablescape looks you could recreate with things you probably already have at home!
All three looks have a book page table runner that I felt added some dimension to the table. It was so simple to make. I just used pages from an old book and scattered them down the center of the table. The three tablescapes all include fresh greenery that was found at Trader Joe’s. Make sure your greenery isn’t dried out. It’s important to never leave a candle burning, especially around dried out pine.
Let’s dive in!
Can you believe there are only 16 days until Christmas? December is flying by. Normally this time of year, I’m busy running around and trying to find last minute gifts and I’m guilty of not being present in the moment. It’s easy to get so distracted by everything else and forget what the season is all about. That’s why Family Christmas Traditions are so important – they keep us focused on what’s important.
This year is different than years past – I was done with my Christmas shopping before Thanksgiving. (that never happens!) I’m not sure how it happened, but I started thinking about what I wanted to give everyone back in October so that helped. It’s given me so much more time to pay attention to how fast Isla Rose is growing and just how magical Christmas can be through the eyes of a child. She loves to say, “OH WOW!” when we turn our Christmas lights on. We took her to see Santa this year and even though she didn’t cry, she certainly didn’t smile either, but I’ll take what I can get.
I’ve probably been driving Evan crazy with all my talk of family traditions lately (feeling a little like Clark Griswold over here trying to get him in a Christmas-y mood) and even though we already have a few that we have done for years, it’s Important to start some now that we have our own little family.
So below I have a list of Christmas traditions we already have and some that we are starting this year!
I absolutely love cold weather. Bundling up to play in the snow is my favorite. I also enjoy planning a vacation here and there. I have an ongoing list of places I’d like to visit and places that I’d especially like to visit in the winter months!
Disclosure: Some of the links below are affiliated links, meaning, at no additional cost to you, I will earn a commission if you click through and make a purchase.
I am so tired by the end of the day that I don’t really have the energy to focus on self-care. I am up by 5 am during the week and usually I don’t stop running around until I collapse into bed at 10 or 11. I have tried in the last few months to dedicate one night a week to take care of myself. I try to set aside Friday nights for my self-care routine. Below you will find my idea of a self-care routine for a busy mom.
Disclosure: Some of the links below are affiliated links, meaning, at no additional cost to you, I will earn a commission if you click through and make a purchase.
Don’t you just hate it when your little one is sick and you don’t know what to do? I have spent countless on the phone with on-call nurses in the middle of the night and have stayed up googling symptoms that just seemed to freak me out even more. I thought that for my first December post that I’d share some helpful tips for when your little one is sick. These are all things that I’ve done myself and they really work. It’s a useful list to give you something to do while you are waiting for a call back from the Doctor.
Once again, I am not a doctor, just a Mama who has picked up a trick or two over the last 13 months. Flu/cold season is among us, friends. Keep this list of sick baby tips and tricks handy for when sickness strikes in your home.
When Baby has a Fever
- It’s so easy to forget if you gave the Tylenol or Motrin last and how much of which to give. Keep track of what medicine you gave and when with a chart that lists the last dose you gave. I usually have a notepad on the fridge to do this with but some people just write it directly on the bottle.
- Both of these medicines are given by the weight of the child. Ask your pediatrician to do the math for you and figure out the right dose to give. We weren’t giving Isla enough Motrin because we were going by the age chart on the bottle. Isla is pretty tall and weighs more than most 1 year olds so the dose didn’t seem to work until our doctor told us that were should be giving her more.
