BBQ White Queso Nachos

It’s almost as if there’s a feeling of “Now what?” as I reveal my home office makeover. Why? Because I’ve been teasing promising you for so long, that I’d have it done soon, and it seemed as if I kept finding ONE more thing that would just look PERFECT for the office, so I needed to wait one more week before the photo shoot.

I’m happy to say, I finally found that “ahhhh,” moment, and decided it was time to reveal. (You know, the day after my new white Keurig came in the mail. I had to wait for that new beauty.)

I’ve always been fond of the mint and coral color scheme, that I had in my first office reveal, in our initial home tour, when we moved in. So I left that alone, but maaaaaybe added (and improved) a few items. So now I’m super excited to show you my happy place, that people practically have to pull me out of.

Home Office Makeover Reveal

First, a quick spin through the whole office, and then we will get zoomed in on some of the specs…

That’s a brief little 360 degree tour. Now let’s get down to the nitty gritty, and some details.

The Desk: Where the Magic Happens

Ok, I shouldn’t say “magic,” but it is where I spend a lot of my “let’s get down to business,” chats. Whether that’s on Skype, or Facebook “live.” It’s also where I do a lot of concentrated work. Such as, finalizing details over a sponsored post, writing an ebook, creating an online course, or anything that needs some serious attention. Regular ole blog posts are typically created on-the-go, or in my living room on the couch, during nap time.

Desk Legs (Buy HERE) // Desk Top (Buy HERE) But double check size of what you’d need! They have multiple sizes.

Buy the chair here: White Faux Leather Swivel Chair

White Desk Chair (Buy HERE) // Gray Client Chairs (find similar HERE) // Mint Blanket (find similar: (TJ Maxx) // Gold Glitter Coasters (Buy HERE)

Desk Lamp (Target) // Pink Letter Box (Sugar Paper: Target)

Paper Flowers (Buy HERE, and they’ll custom make any color/style you like! Plus, 100% of the funds go to support kiddos in Haiti. So, so cool.)

“Hands On” Area

I’m not quite sure why I call this the “hand on,” area… but it is the area where I do most of my crafting, photo-taking, and coffee making. So “hands on,” just seems appropriate.

For my “But First Coffee,” shirts that I still make occasionally, I have all of my shipping items near my Silhouette Machine, so I can make the shirt.. and ship it out, all in one place!

** See that photo up there? We’ve been together since our freshman year, and that’s our first photo taken together, at the age of 14. I sure don’t even remember what life was like before he fell in to it.

Desk with drawers (Buy HERE) // White Shelves (Similar HERE)

So I can hear some of you now… “Seriously? You have a coffee maker in your office?” You bet. Want to know why? Because if I run out of coffee, and need to run upstairs for a refill, there’s a chance I’ll get so distracted (either by the kids or dirty dishes), and waste up to 30 minutes of my day, for one trip for a quick cup of coffee. So having it right there by me, guarantees I’ll stick to the nitty gritty of gettin’ things done.

White Keurig (Buy HERE)

Shhh… Yes, that’s RumChata in my coffee bar. How else do you think I get through the work day? Totally kidding. I promise there are other creamer options available. But at times, those RumChata creamers DO break out.

White square bin shelf (IKEA) // White Filing Cabinet (Similar HERE)

White Table (Buy HERE) // Bakeware (TJ Maxx)

Showcase It

I absolutely ADORE having all of my stationary in one place. This makes it so easy to write up a thank you note, fill out a birthday card, or replenish my planner with notepads!

I have such a crush on those spice racks from IKEA. If you saw my son’s room reveal, then you saw that I painted them dark brown to match his room, and used them as book shelves too! They’re so perfect for that!

Rolling Cart (Buy HERE) // Book Shelves (Buy HERE) I bought shelves unfinished, and painted myself.

Yes, I have a cake stand addiction. But at least I have a place for them… right!?

“Custom Built” Bookshelf (Buy the 2 outer book cases HERE & the middle book case HERE)

Inspiration & Full Tutorial from Love. Luck. Kisses. & Cake

Bible Binder from The Preppy Christian – from Jessica McLain

Magazine Holder (Sugar Paper at Target) // Cork board (.25 cents at a yard sale) Woot!

Some days I’ll spend 8 hours of uninterrupted time, down in my office. So just like someone that works away from home, I love having photos of my family to stare at, during the day-dreaming minutes. Lining the ledge are pictures from super special moments in my life, from the birth of my babies, to vacations with my hubby.

Champagne Sign (TJ Maxx) // Gumball Machine (Hobby Lobby) // Gumballs (Buy HERE)

So there it is! It’s my ultimate happy place! Now please… PLEASE don’t let me find something in at least, less than a year, that tempts me to re-do my office all over again! I just don’t think the people around me can take it! The curse of a creative mind… always wanting to change something.

Greenhouse Gardening Ideas: A look at a real-life greenhouse, using old recycled items to organize and operate a DIY greenhouse operation!

What’s that saying? “If I’m half the woman she is, I’ll be lucky.” Or something like that.

As an inspiring “green-thumb,” I tend to get the jealous “bug,” when I visit my mom’s back yard, on the farm. Her greenhouse has caught the eyes of many “passer-by’s,” and is the topic of many inspiring greenhouse dreamers.

Right now, with the temps are hanging around the 80 degrees in Missouri, working INSIDE the greenhouse is out of the question.

She’s been doing most of her planting outside, but she starts her seeds for all the veggies and plants lettuce inside during the winter. The weather was stinking gorgeous the other day when I was visiting, so I decided to snap a couple of shots, in case you’ve been on the hunt for greenhouse ideas. She is the ultimate creative thinker, and I’m sure you’ll snag a few ideas…

Greenhouse Gardening Ideas

She used so many recycled pots/pans/containers, etc., to plant everything in. Keep your eye open for little DIY tricks that she created during the greenhouse building and set-up process.

Pegboards:

She lined the inside walls with pegboard to hang a lot of her tools on, including old shower organizers, old shelves, and anything she had already laying around the house. This woman is incredible at finding multiple uses out of ordinary things.

Did you SEE how she uses old plastic knives to label her veggies in the first photo? Yeah. Like that.

Tubs for Rain Water:

Although my kiddos (her grandkiddos) think that these tubs are for playing in, she uses them to catch rain water off of her roof of the greenhouse. She’ll then use the rain water to water plants, or anything else she may need water for while hanging around out there.

You can barely see the sink that her and my dad were working on at the the time I took these photos. I tell you… these two and their creations out of what’s on hand. Cinderblocks, and plywood turned outdoor greenhouse vanity.

DIY Walkway:

To keep out of the mud, she put down old plank boards to create a walkway. Even if you don’t think you’re building in a muddy area, think about all of the water that will be around when you’re watering your plants, or if you get a rainy season. You may want to think about a walkway of some sort too!

Using Old Pallets:

Using old pallets to build raised beds, has been extremely helpful when it comes to “farm critters,” strolling by to steal a bite. Not to mention that it reduces having to spend a lot of time bent over in the garden. (Can you tell I’m getting older, since that’s one of my “bonus,” thoughts of why having a tall, raised garden, is a good idea?)

My favorite part of this greenhouse, is all of the fresh-grown tomatoes that she gives us every year to make my favorite bruschetta! I won’t lie about that.

I hope you found some greenhouse gardening ideas for your own project!

DIY Patio Curtain Tie Backs: How to make patio curtain ties for your patio, affordably and easily!

If you’ve been following along on my Facebook page or Instagram, you’ve probably noticed the talk about my new DIY Patio Curtain Tie-Backs that I’ve hinted around about. You know me, and when I find a good thing, I can’t keep it to myself. So this time it was no different, and I have been keeping you updated on the whereabouts of this project. Some of you have asked for me to share a tutorial, so you can do it too! So here we are:

DIY Patio Curtain Tie Backs

Like with anything else, I headed to Etsy, the minute I needed something. I found EXACTLY the look that I was going for. A natural rope, (with a modern touch). Friends, I almost paid $50 for a pair of curtain tie-backs. I was trying to prepare myself to spend that much, when I realized that I may be able to make them myself.

I started “Pinteresting” and found that someone had already tackled the DIY brainstorming part, for me! (Call that COMPLETE luck.)  Crazy Wonderful had created a tutorial on curtain tie-backs that looked very similar to what I wanted, so I was able to play around with it, and make a trip to Home Depot to score the exact goods that I wanted. You all, I was able to make these for $5.00 a piece! That’s a HUGE savings, compared to what I was preparing to pay!

DIY Tutorial Curtain Patio Curtain Tie-Backs

I called my momma when I had the supplies, and told her what my plan was. Thankfully, she invited us down for dinner and to have a little “craft session,” so she could help me assemble them. I thought it was going to be so much harder than it looked. Turns out, it was super easy… but the helping hand was nice, to get them finished sooner than I would have by myself!

Type of String: The tutorial that I found, used twine to create the hooks. However I found this Twisted Mason Line, and thought that it may work better for my white curtains. Plus… I was hoping that this would hold up better outside in the rain, than twine would.

Type of Rope: I almost used manilla rope like she had used in her tutorial as well, but decided to go with a coated rope. I was a little nervous using regular rope, afraid that it could stain my white curtains. Plus, I’m hoping the coated rope and line will hold up better outside in the rain. She used a ¾ rope, but the coated type that I used was a bit different (close) in size, but not much. It still worked! I also had the super nice man from Home Depot, cut the rope in to 2 ft. sections. He then “burned,” the edges for me, to keep them from shredding.

P.S. My friend told me about a product called “Neverwet,” that I should use on my patio furniture and curtains. It keeps it from getting wet, and literally shoves the water right off of it. So I sprayed this on my patio curtains, hoping it would keep them from getting soaked and staining. Not sure if it will work with the “staining,” aspect, but it’s worth a chance!

Metal Couplings: I needed 9 curtain tie-backs, so I grabbed 18 ½″ Rigid Threaded Couplings, to use for the ends of the ties. (2 on each one.)

Start with cutting 3 strands of Twisted Mason Line, about 6 inches long. (The size can depend on how big you want your “hook,” to be.)

Using electrical tape, tape one end of the strings to one side, & one end of the rope.

Braid the three strands together, and tape the other end, (making a loop) to the other side of the rope with electrical tape.

Slide a coupling over the end of the rope, covering the tape and the extra stings, if any. Note: Since the couplings are rigid, it secures it on the rope a bit more! If you have trouble slipping the coupling on the rope, try “twisting,” it on. That seemed to work best for us.

The DIY patio curtain tie backs are done!

Then they were all ready to tie my new curtains back! Plus… I saved a TON of money doing it! It cost me $48 to make all 9, when I was going to have to pay $50 to receive two. That’s around $5 a piece! Woot! Success!!!

Pin this DIY Patio Curtain Tie Backs tutorial on Pinterest so you don’t forget!

Baby Travel Checklist: This baby traveling checklist free printable can be your lifesaver!

Traveling with a baby, can be super stressful at times. But honestly, that never kept us from planning a last minute trip with the baby, to get outta dodge. So if you’re notorious for planning last-minute trips, or you’re the “planner,” type… my free baby travel checklist  can be a HUGE life saver for you.

Baby Travel Checklist – Free Printable

A couple of weeks ago, I shared my updated “Toddler Packing List.” After updating that free printable, I knew the Baby Checklist HAD to be next. The toddler packing list went viral on Pinterest, and that told me that there’s a major need for organization when it comes to traveling with kids. I’ve also heard that tips for flying with a baby, are in high-demand from you all, so I’ll work on that asap. I’ve flown a time or two a hundred times with babies, and have learned some tricks along the way! I’d love to share those with you!

But without further ado… save my FREE baby packing travel checklist here: Baby Travel Packing Checklist

Enjoy this free printable, and remember to “pin” it here, so you have it when you need it the next time! I hope this makes your life a little easier with traveling with a baby.

Before you get to packing, make sure you see HOW I pack clothes for my kiddos when we head out on vacation too. Talk about a major life saver! You can see my little trick HERE!

If you’re on the hunt for more printables and organization printables, feel free to browse our free printables!

Spring 2016 Fashion and appearance on Access Hollywood!

If you’ve been following my Facebook page, then you know that I’ve been sharing updates of my recent trip to L.A./Hollywood.

About a month ago, Stitch Fix, contacted me and asked if I’d be interested in appearing on Access Hollywood to help announce their new shoe line that released on March 16th, 2016. I’m not even sure if I ran it by my husband, to see if he minded if I went. I hit reply immediately and practically yelled, “YES,” through email. 🙂

Access Hollywood: Stitch Fix Segment

What an AMAZING experience it was! I can’t thank Stitch Fix enough for allowing me to participate in this super fun tv appearance. I’m such a fan of theirs, and I’m not quite sure where my fashion sense would be, if it wasn’t for them. As a mom of two little guys, I rarely have time to do clothes shopping for myself. So Stitch Fix comes to my rescue, every two weeks! (Yes, I selected to receive it as often as possible. But you can set it to fewer “fix,” shipments, if you like!

To give Stitch Fix a try, you can head over to the Stitch Fix site, quickly fill out your profile and get your first fix SOON! And remember… you only pay for what you want to keep! Yay!

Thank you so much to all of you for always encouraging me to follow my dreams, and for being a 24 hour best friend!

Free Printable Baby Shower Advice Cards: “Late Night Wishes…” for the Mom to be! Free printable for a new mom, or a multiple-time mom!

I recently helped cohost a baby shower for a dear friend who was expecting her second little bundle of joy. With the mindset of keeping it laid back and casual, we decided to keep everything low key, and do a little something that would be meaningful… rather than play baby shower games.

Free Printable Baby Shower Advice Cards Instead of Games

The idea of each guest writing a little note to the mommy, came to mind. So… since I love creating things like birthday invitations in Canva, I had been toying with the idea of creating a printable for each guest to use, rather than just a blank sheet of paper, and the Baby Shower Advice Printables, were born.

An Advice Card for Everyone!

When it came to topics to “write,” about, I wanted to give each guest a starting point, so they would’t have the pressure of having to get creative, starting from scratch. Since some guests weren’t mommies yet, I wanted them to be able to give “best wishes.” Then, there were mommies there, who had little girls at home, so they may have been able to offer “baby girl,” advice. Lastly, since this mommy was going to be a second-time mommy, the mommies of multiples were able to give “Multiple Kiddo Advice.”

When each guest finished filling out their cards, I provided a small burlap favor bag, to slip their card in to. Then the mommy was able to take her little advice cards home, and could pull them out, one by one, during a late night feeding, when she was needing a little advice or encouragement.

Just select the image of the item that you want and it will open up in to a PDF for you to save/print! 

Free Baby Shower Printables:

New mommy of a boy:

For the new mommy of a girl:

Second-time mommy, having a girl:

For the second-time mommy, having a boy:

Printing Details:

I simply printed my cards, as a 5×7. You could print them smaller/bigger, just change your printer settings!

Extra Note:

To go a step further for the mommy of honor, you could find a super cute container or basket like this, to put all of the advice cards in, that would look adorable on the dresser or nightstand in the nursery. (Something to match the room decor.)

I hope you enjoy these baby shower advice cards. I know I would have LOVED to have them, when I had my babies!

“Pin” this image below, to remember for the next baby shower you host!

Free Toddler Packing List: This checklist has saved my sanity a TON! No frantic, last minute things to worry about forgetting.

Our family loves to travel, and about 90% of the time, it’s last minute. So I’ve learned to save my sanity, by always having my toddler travel packing list, for our toddler’s items to pack his bags super quick.

This is a snapshot below of my little guy and me, when we visited Gulf Shores Alabama, when he was just an itty bitty guy. I was also horribly sick with morning sickness, at 3 months along with baby #2, so excuse the pale skin color….

Toddler Packing List

Save, and print my FREE toddler packing list here:

Toddler Travel Packing Checklist

Since we spent most of the summer traveling with the kiddo, I’ve learned A LOT from experience, so I’m also working on sharing with you all my packing list for a newborn, travel tips with kids, and toy ideas to keep your kiddos occupied on a road trip! Follow me on Facebook, Pinterest, and sign up for new posts, to make sure you don’t miss these FREEBIES!

My heart is full. FULL you all.

Let me explain…

A few months back, I was invited to speak at the Pinners Conference in Salt Lake City, Utah. Sharing my passion for throwing parties & entertaining, was on the agenda, and I couldn’t WAIT to get to the mountains.

First Night in Camp

First day in town, we spent cruising around soaking in all that Salt Lake had to offer. Shopping ladies… TONS of shopping in Salt Lake.

I propped my computer open, and was along for the ride, working & scouting out where I was headed the next day, for a little retail therapy. 😉

We broke for lunch at the Market Street Grill, and I had to celebrate with a martini that was TO DIE FOR…

and a pound of shrimp cocktail. Yes, I shared with my hubby and friends… but I could have tackled this glorious pile of deliciousness on my own.

Our waitress was fabulous, and the food/drinks were superb. If you’re ever in the area… go. eat. here.

Change of Seasons in Minutes

My mind is STILL blown. After lunch, we headed out, and up the mountain to see the white stuff…

In just minutes of starting in beautiful, colorfully Fall leaves…

we were on top of the mountain, covered in snow. HOW? How in the world can you be in a warmer, colorful surrounding… and then minutes later, be freezing… surrounded by all the makings of Frosty the Snowman’s?

It was ABSOLUTELY beautiful.

Trip Outtakes

Hungry for a local pizza, we decided to order a “little,” take out… while we were there. I don’t know about you, but my hubby and I LOVE having a pizza delivered when we are visiting somewhere, trying new styles & flavors. Well… not looking closely at the menu, my husband orders:

Just bring us the biggest one you got. Pepperoni.

I must say, we learned our lesson of double checking pizza-size in the future. A 36 inch pizza {think about how big that is for a minute. There are typically ONE of those little white stands, in the center of a large pizza. There were 6.} shows up at the front door. I’m pretty certain the box had to be turned sideways to fit through the front door. We never finished the WHOLE thing, but did put a hurtin’ on it at least.

Checking in on the blogs Facebook page on Day 2 of the trip, I noticed Fantabulosity’s FB page reached 5,000 followers!!! I celebrated with another martini. 😉

A bit of “window shopping,” was on the agenda in Park City, and we found our inner snow bird “look.”

But they were $500 hats. We gently sat them back down after the photo opp., and ran out of the store, afraid we would be stuck with paying for something if we broke it. 😉

On day THREE, I visited Home Goods and scored the cutest little table for my Party Styling 101 Class, and decided that I wanted to give it away as a BIG thank you for attending my class. Have I ever told you how much I love Home Goods?

On VIP night at the conference, I popped in for a bit, and ran in to Gloria from Simply Fit Board, and my hubby and I had seen her on Shark Tank the week before! I love success stories, and had to get my photo with her immediately.

I gotta say… if we ever move to Utah, I’ll have a FABULOUS time, playing with fashion. Those Utah girls KNOW how to style it up, and if I could have packed more back home… I wouldah. My new faux vest and gray boots were my favorite purchase of the trip!

Party Styling 101 

The day arrived, and I was more excited than ever. I opened my class up by admitting to them all:

I seriously thought there would be like 2 people in my class, considering I didn’t really know anyone in Utah.

I was ridiculously flattered…

Party tips, party tips, & party tips! I spoke for an hour, but could have talked all day.

If you weren’t able to attend, I’ll fill you in on one little secret I told them.

Adding “garnishes,” to your drinks can add fabulous “umph,” to your party decor.

Dip the ring of a glass, in to white Kayro syrup. Then dip the glass in to glittery sprinkles. The look is not only fabulous…. but it adds a “sweet,” touch! 😉

I created a “mini,” tablescape for the audience, to show examples of how to stagger and add height to a display table…

“Think Outside of the Box,” is a common phrase of mine, and using this table that I scored from Home Goods, gave a great example of how you could utilize what you may already have at home, to create the perfect party tablescape.

I have a new love of party goody supplies: Alexis Maddox Design let me use this cake topper for my class, and now I’m HOOKED! It added the exact “look,” that I was going for.

I bought a few store-bought cupcakes, and added little party flags for an easy cupcake topper idea.

While standing in the checkout at Home Goods, I saw yellow macaroons, and KNEW they’d look darling on my dessert table example. They fit perfectly in the little polka dot cups that I’m obsessed with.

In my class, I gave the attendees a quick and easy way to add some pizzazz to party favors. I hope you’ll attend one of my classes one day, so I can teach you this little trick too! 😉

So I’m back there… behind those people. After my class, person after person came up to chat & ask questions. I was so caught off-guard by the sweetness of everyone. You all are too incredibly sweet, and now I feel like I have a lot of friends in Utah. 🙂

No matter where I am, or when it is… It makes my DAY when someone comes up to me and says,:

Hey! It’s me! I follow you!

My heart skips a beat when someone makes a special trip to say hello. We both share a love for Stitch Fix, So I made her take a photo with me. 🙂

The special lady standing by me, won the little table that I gave away at the end of my class. She was so happy to receive it, and I was sooo happy to have her and the gals with her, to come up and get a photo!

I don’t know how I got so stinking lucky, to have met Toni with Design Dazzle. I had posted in a private FB group before heading out to Utah, that I was coming by myself, and didn’t know anyone. Toni took me under her wing, and made me feel right at home. Much love to her, and PLEASE visit her blog, because she’s not only the sweetest, but you’ll LOVE what she shares. {Especially her home decor ideas. OMG}

If you haven’t attended a Pinners Conference, you MUST! Good news… they’re expanding to Dallas Texas, and Phoenix Arizona in 2016! I can’t WAIT to go, and support Pinners in the new locations. Ticket… booked. 😉

After my class, I browsed around the expo at all of the different booths, and ran in to Lisa Bearnson… like the host on HSN… Lisa Bearnson. Yes, really! Guys… she’s as sweet and welcoming as you imagined!

I’m getting crazy excited for what she and Anthology has planned ahead. Don’t worry, I’ll keep you posted on what fabulous things she has up her sleeve too!

Literally on cloud 9 at this point… on my way home from Salt Lake City, where the mountains are breathtaking, the pizzas are HUGE, the shopping is PERFECT for a gal like me, and the people are incredibly wonderful.

Thank you SOOO much to everyone who came to my class, to the Pinners team, and to all of you for your support leading up to this point and the future. Without you all… I wouldn’t be living my dream.

It’s a DIY Christmas with this easy Let It Snow Ornament! Each ornament is filled with sparkly snow and mini snowballs and sports a stamped tag with a cute baker’s twine bow!

Make them alongside these gingerbread ornaments and you’ll have a full holiday season of DIY and Crafting!

Let It Snow Ornament

I love handmade Christmas ornaments – there is just something about hanging those hand print reindeer and popsicle stick frames alongside with my rustic wooden nativity ornament and wood slice snowman. And this year, I’ll add a few Let It Snow ornaments to our tree … since that is the only snow we’ll ever get in Florida 🙂

Supplies

• Plastic ornaments
• Winter Snow (*see notes below)
• Faux snow (*see notes below)
• White card stock
• Black ink pad and letter stamps
• Small hole punch
• Blue/white bakers twine
• Ribbon for hanging

*The Winter Snow is from FloraCraft – it is basically shredded foam that has a little sheen/sparkle. You should be able to find this or something similar at your local craft store. The Faux Snow (mini foam balls) was at my local dollar store.*

Cut a thin piece of white card stock and stamp “Let It Snow” on the tag. Use a small hole punch to add a small hole at the top of each tag.

Carefully remove ornament hanger and separate the metal hanger from the collar of the fastener and slide the tag onto the hanger.

While the ornament hanger is removed, fill each ornament about ⅓ – ½ full with the Winter Snow and Faux Snow. If you have a small funnel, that will help corral the snow as you fill the ornaments.

Replace the ornament hanger. Tie a bow with blue and white bakers twine around the ornament hanger. You can use a different color of twine to match your tree, but I love the blue, white and silver combo for these ornaments!

Finally, add a length of ribbon through the ornament hanger to hang the ornament. Easy right?

A romantic weekend with your husband may be just what you two need. But are you ready for it? Here are my 5 ways to prepare for your alone time!

Disclaimer:
Mom… I told you about half way in to my post “5 Simple Ways to Make Your Husband Want to Come Home,” to stop reading, because I was going to say some things you may not want to know about your daughter. Well… don’t even read this post. Ain’t nothing in it that you’ll want to see. 😉

Ok, now that my mom  has been forewarned…

5 Ways to Prepare for a Romantic Weekend with your Husband

Oh snap! You have a sitter for a whole weekend?  (Babysitter, Dogsitter, Housesitter, whatev… you got a sitter.)

Let’s make it a good one, shall we?

My husband and I try to go away for at least a night, I’d say about once every 2 months. There’s nothing like getting away from home, out of the normal every day routine, and makin’ it happen. A whole weekend away doesn’t happen too often, but when it does… I wanna prepare for it. (I like to prepare for the one nighters too… but there’s something special about a whole weekend or even WEEK away.)

Let’s face it. When you go away for one night…

Going to bed by 9pm sounds exhilarating, with the thought that you won’t be woken up by a screamin’ baby in the middle of the night. You MAY get to dinner, but after that… it’s off to sleep. Ahhh… a full night.  But if you’re gone for more than one night, you can leave the next night for the good stuff.

A Romantic Weekend with Your Husband

Mom… you’re reading this aren’t you? Stop it.

Go Shopping. (For the right things.)

You know, the funny thing I’ve realized, and heard from others, is that some men don’t really care about the fancy-schmancy lingerie outfits. They really only care about what’s underneath.

So you’re telling me, I just spent $70 on this white lacy piece of fabric, (that is so small, it should be a “swatch,” for a larger version available in stores)… and you don’t even care about it?

Nope.

Crap.

But… I don’t know about you, when I have a pair of new underwear, and bra… I’m feelin’ better than ever. Plus, you can wear and wear and wear those again. That leather-strapped babydoll teaser onesie thing, isn’t going anywhere but the back of your undergarment drawer, when you get home. But if you’re like me, go buy that new underwear and bra, because if anything… it will make YOU feel good.

So in my experience (and research) a lot of men like what’s underneath…

Which brings me to my next point:

Groom Thyself.

In the Ways to Make your Husband Want to Come Home post, I suggested you may want to tend to your female upkeep. Trust me… I need to practice what I preach. Grab a new razor (If you’re like me, you’ll need a new one. Because an old one’s not gonna cut it. Literally.)  Get to shavin’. (Or even see my tips for getting laser hair removal like I did, and that’s even better!) Put on some of that smelly good lotion, and pack it in your bag, so you can reapply and reapply while you’re gone.

Some of my friends even go get waxed. (And I mean WAXED. I haven’t been brave enough to do this yet. I may, or may not have gotten about 5 minutes away from my Brazilian wax appointment, and chickened out. No lie. I called them, & told them I was sick to my stomach-thinking about how my hair was about to be ripped out of my special place), and went shopping instead.

Save the tough talk.

You know those conversations that you and your husband have every once in a while, that ALWAYS cause a fight, or extreme tension? For years, I would think…

Oh good. We won’t have the kids, so we can maybe finally talk about the finances. Or how he decided on that huge life changing decision, without me.

Oh please no. If I’ve learned anything, there’s nothing worse than preparing for an entire romantic weekend away, to have it go down the crapper in the first 30 minutes. I know it’s alone time, and you don’t get that often to talk about the important things… but this weekend is about romance. If it’s not crazy important… do yourself a favor and wait. Enjoy each other’s company, not attack each other.

 Drink some caffeine.

Don’t let a second night get away from you, where you just end up wanting to go to sleep right after the early bird special at the restaurant down the road. Do whatever it is that gives you energy and makes you want to stay awake past your toddler’s normal bedtime. For me? I drink coffee at 4:00 in the afternoon. That seems to keep me up to at least 11:00. 😉

Do something he loves.

I can’t talk about The Five Love Languages enough. What is it? It’s a book, written about how everyone has a certain “love language.” (Read more about it here: The Secret Weapon in my Marriage)

1. Acts of Service

2. Touch

3. Quality Time

4. Gifts

5. Words of Affirmation

Find out what your husbands love language is, and pick something that “fits,” what that is, and act on it, on your romantic getaway. If you’ve been together for any time, you may think you already know what his is. You may be surprised, after you read the book… or he may have more than one. If you don’t have time to read a book before your weekend, no worries. I’ll see if I can help and give examples:

Disclaimer:  I’m using my own words and definition of these. PLEASE read the book if you can. It was a total life changer in my marriage.

5 Love Languages

1. Acts of Service – Do something for him, that he hates to do, or that he likes for you to do.
   (Example: He’s not in to details or super busy…so plan and book the hotel, so that’s one less thing he has to do.)
2. Touch – He loves the physical touch that you can give him. Hugging, kissing, etc.
   (Example: Give that manly man a massage. Grab massage oil and get to work. WARNING: This may lead to something else, so scroll up and read “Groom Thyself,” again if need be.)
3. Quality Time – Spending time together as a couple, alone. P.S. This is mine, so I feel like I can explain this one well.
   (Example: You’re already spending time alone together on a romantic weekend, so that should be a huge quality time “love deposit,” but take it even further if you can. Schedule a couples massage. Or if you go shopping, shop together in the same store. Don’t drift off to Sephora, while he’s in Dick’s Sporting Goods.)
4. Gifts – Buying/Making something and giving it to him.
   (Example: It could be something HUGE, like tickets to his favorite sporting event while you’re on your romantic weekend… or something small like his favorite candy that he never eats at home.)
5. Words of Affirmation – Telling your husband all the good stuff that he likes to hear.
   (Example: Tell him multiple times – in different ways – how he’s the best husband for taking time to get away with you for the weekend. Go one step further and brag about him on your Facebook status. That MAY just get you bonus points. 😉 )

I hope you have a FABULOUS time with your romantic weekend with your husband! Really… you deserve it. I’m DYING to know if you did any of these. Let me know,

Until next time.

This shop has been compensated by Collective Bias, Inc. and its advertiser. All opinions are mine alone, promise! #MARVELSnackBar #CollectiveBias

Sometimes I wonder what in the heck we were thinking when we decided to go out to eat with two little boys. Forcing them to sit still for a long period of time, is almost a cruel joke.

Since the majority of the time, we decide to eat out at the last minute, I may not have time to round up toys & snacks for a restaurant trip. So the new trick up my sleeve, (thanks to Blue I Style) is my “Restaurant Kit.” My toddler busy bag is always ready to go, whenever we decide to head out the door.

Restaurant Kit

The restaurant kit is FULL of goodies that I think will help keep my children occupied. By only bringing out the kit during… you guess it… restaurant trips, the toys, and goodies are “new,”(since they haven’t played with them already that day) and they can’t wait to see what’s in it.

So what do I use for the bag?

A makeup bag! It has a handle and little compartments. Perfect to store the goodies.

What do you Put in a Toddler Busy Kit?

• Small Figurines. I don’t know what it is, but my children LOVE playing with small figurines. Probably because it’s easy for their little hands to hold on to.

• Plastic Eggs. The small figurines usually end up going inside the small plastic eggs, and the constant open and shutting of the plastic eggs, REALLY hold their attention span… quietly. Buy plastic eggs HERE!

• Triangular Crayons. (Buy them HERE!) Have you ever heard of these? Yes? Oh… I guess I’ve lived in a cave. They’re triangular crayons, so they won’t roll off of the table at the restaurant, and since they’re larger… my youngest child can grip on easier. (Not like those itty bitty crayons the restaurants usually hand out.)

I usually keep a small notebook in the restaurant kit too, because even though some restaurants give my children a coloring sheet, it’s like there’s never really anything to color? It’s all crowded up with menu items, pictures of characters, etc. A blank sheet of paper is a free for all!

• Play Dough. (Buy the small containers HERE!)I’ll admit. I’m totally that mom that tries to do everything from having to entertain with play dough. It’s messy, get’s all over my floors at home, etc. But it DOES hold their attention span really well at a restaurant, and totally worth it sometimes.

(I will try and pick any up off of the floor before we leave because I don’t want to be “that,” customer, that makes the restaurant workers have to clean it up.)

• Sticker/Coloring Book. Stickers are a FAVE in our house. I think I have stickers on every chair in my house, at the moment. Peeling each sticker off, and sticking it on to a sheet of paper requires concentration for those little hands. (A.K.A quiet time.)

• Utensils. (Buy my favorites HERE!)There are times we visit a restaurant, and the spoons for the kid meals are gigantic! In case that happens, I like to keep an extra set of utensils in the restaurant kit for a backup.

• Bib. (Buy the thin bibs that fit well inside, HERE!)Let’s get real. Kids menus are full of dishes that contain red sauce, ketchup, and other messy colors. Plus, when we are going “out,” my kids are usually wearing their “better,” clothes. Nothing irks me more than to see a big red stain on a new little toddler shirt. Keeping a bib in the restaurant kit comes in VERY handy. Wipe it off with my next item below, and it’s good to go for next time.

• Wet Wipes. (Buy the small individual packages HERE!)Oh wet wipes can serve so many purposes. Clean those little hands. Wipe off the table of the germies. Clean the bib after use. Wipe up the spill on the table. They’re super handy for everything. Stock up. You’ll use them.

• Granola Bars.  (Buy them HERE!) I also always keep a “bar,” (what my children call it), in the restaurant kit, in case the food takes a little long getting to the table… so they can have a snack to hold them over. If a snack wasn’t needed… they are the PERFECT dessert, that I can negotiate with, so they’ll eat their veggies.

Take it from a mom that knows… get your restaurant kit put together today. You won’t regret it!

Pro Tip:

Did the kids have good behavior while at the restaurant? If so, maybe think about rewarding them with a “Caught you being good” ticket! We love using this at home.

Even if your kids aren’t toddlers anymore… if you need a way to keep them from getting bored while out, and so you don’t resort to letting your kids watch YouTube, yet again, try a busy bag!

Now, although this is specifically for a restaurant busy kit, there’s no reason it couldn’t be beneficial for a road trip with a toddler too!

WHEW! There are some brutal people out there! Ever since I published this post, it has gone crazy viral and some of you are NOT afraid to speak your mind. So I feel I must explain my intentions with this post, to explain where I’m coming from.

My husband is very good to me, and does extremely nice things for me. So in return, and out of respect, I like to do nice things for him.

Have you ever heard someone say,

Be the wife your husband can’t wait to come home to at night?

No? Yes? I’ve heard it a million times, and I always try to keep advice in my head. As I would hope my husband would think the visa versa. Right?

So I began to think,

What are some things that he would love, to really make him feel special?

and this post was born.

No people, I’m not saying rewind 60 years and be a Stepford Wife. I’m just saying what I like to do for my husband to show my appreciation, and I would very well expect respect in return. Right?

So let’s carry on with this post, and maybe all of the bullies will stop “hating,” on this post. If not… sorry. This is something that works well in my marriage, and I hope it can give someone else great ideas too! If not, I’d LOVE to hear what works in your marriage. Every marriage is different.

You May Also Love This Marriage Talk:

• 29 Tips on How to Be a Good Wife
• How to Respect Your Husband
• What to do When Your Husband Doesn’t Come Home

Back to the post:

It may be a husband who is in the military and is coming home after a year stay overseas, a husband that has only been gone for 3 days, or a husband that is coming home after a long day at work.

  (P.S. You gals that have husbands gone for a super long time, I COMPLETELY adore your strength.)

A little behind the scenes…

My husband owns his own company, and like many other professions, those days as a CEO of a large company, can be excruciating. There’s nothing more that I want to do when he comes home, than to show him my appreciation for working hard. Don’t hear what I’m not saying. I’m not saying I don’t work hard.

I’m a stay at home mom, and I run and operate THIS… my blog. But I AM saying that I want to make our home a place that he’s excited to come home to, every night. ESPECIALLY when he’s been gone for a few days.

How to Make Your Husband WANT to Come Home:

So how do I do this so-called, “making him happy to come home,” thang?

Just don’t ask my husband, because he may tell you different. Haha! Kidding. Only kidding.

• 
  

  His love language.

  
  

  Every husband is different. If you read my post on the secret to a marriage, then you know that everyone has their “language,” that speaks to their heart. (Some husbands, may have more than one.) Read up on what your husbands love language is, and think about something that would fulfill that language that he speaks! 😉  You can buy the book “The Five Love Languages” HERE!

• 
  

  Be positive.

  
  

  Yes, I know real-life happens, and sometimes life throws us some curveballs. The kids were acting awful, the lawn-mower chucked a rock at the dining room window, or the bank account is in the red because it’s been a rough month. But keeping a positive attitude when he walks through that door, can really help for the later part in the evening when it’s time to have a conversation about the not-so-fun things. So when he walks through the door, maybe wait just a bit before you throw up all of the “uglies” at him.

• 
  

  Send him love notes.

  
  

  Once a day, I will try to remember to send him a love note, through text. Yeah yeah yeah… I could get up early, write him a sweet note, and stick it in his coffee cup sleeve… but that’s not going to happen. So when breakfast is over, the kids are playing on their own, I’ll send my hubby a little love note, through a text. “How did I get so lucky to deserve you?” Or something like, “I can’t wait to see you when you get home.” That little “surprise” with something nice can really make his day.

• 
  

  Ask him.

  
  

   In the evening after the kids are off to bed, many times, I’ll ask him:

I’m grabbing something to drink, do you want something?

Or before he leaves for work, I may ask him:

I’m pretty free today. Is there anything you need help with?

Not only are you doing something nice for him by offering to help him… you may also figure out some of the types of things he likes for you to do for him. He may say something like:

You wouldn’t have time to take my truck for an oil change would you? Or I’ll have to take it on Saturday, and miss the little guy’s soccer game.

What?! Who knew? I thought he liked getting out of the house on Saturday mornings by himself to get the oil changed.

• 
  

  Get fancy-schmancy.

  
  

   Now Mom, (my mom), you may want to stop reading here. I may say some things that you don’t want to read or know about your daughter.
  
  (Mom… you’re still reading aren’t you? You’re such a rebel.)
  
  As a mom, I’m usually jumping in the shower as quick as I can, while my kids sit in the bathroom floor. So tending to my female upkeep, can be considered a rare and special occasion. 🙂  Shave those legs. Don’t forget the armpits, and whatever else you shave. Paint those toe-nails. Put on that lotion that’s supposed entice your hubby in to the sheets. (But like he needs a lotion from Victoria Secret to put him in the mood.) Put on that “Woah Baby,” outfit you bought at the mall a year ago that you’ve been dreading, putting on. And surprise him with a raring and ready to go attitude. Every man may be different, but I have a feeling most would appreciate this one. 😉

Wrap Up.

I so hope I didn’t offend you, but rather give you some ideas to try and show your husband that you love and care for him. I’d love to hear what you think below! But please remember, I’m human. I’m not a computer. So although I want you to be honest, I would love for you to also be kind. XOXO

Just remember…”Be the woman your husband can’t wait to come home to.”

As a mom, wife, sister, friend, employee, boss, and whatever else society calls you… we sometimes need to be reminded what it is that makes us happy, so we can fulfill our duties with the best intentions and the way we choose and want.

DISCLAIMER from the owner/founder: “I fail each day, trying to be the “best,” mom, wife, sister, and friend. But if I can be intentional & recognize one LITTLE thing that I accomplished that day… I can be “happy,” with that, and should celebrate it.”

I call this my hangover kit idea because even though some of the snacks and goodies can be enjoyed during the party day, these will come in so handy the morning after too!

It’s rare when a large group of us can get together for a girls night out. Make it a “couples night out,” and it gets even rarer.

We are known for having an abundant supply of wineries at our fingertips. So when we all get together, we know a winery tour, MUST be on the agenda.

What to Put in a Hangover Kit

The minute I knew all of us were getting together for a winery tour, I started getting the “itch,” to do something creative for them. All of these people are so special to me, so I wanted to show them a little love by giving them a small little, “Got ya covered,” items, in their winery day favors.

You can get the cutest kraft favor boxes on Amazon.

You see, we are all fairly new moms and dads, and I had a feeling we were going to be “go hard,” and make the best of it.

 So each couple received a Hangover Kit!

If you’ve never been on a wine tour, you may not know that the wine “tastings,” can get a little fuzzy after the first stop. 🙂  So I knew that I wanted to fill the boxes with small snack foods, that would pair well with wine & would be a great service after the wine tour. 😉

• Chocolates, beef sticks, & cheese crackers.

• Water to rehydrate (that wine can really make you thirsty!)

• Mini Muffins & granola bars for breakfast the morning after.

• A small container of pain relief meds for that pounding headache the next morning.

• and a special little somethin’ somethin’ for the couples who may not be ready to add a new addition to their family any time soon, that’s hidden in that little white bag. 😉

So what’s in that little white bag you ask?

 I think my friends were a bit shocked when they opened the bag. (But I’m sure the husbands were secretly grateful.) 😉

I bought the super cute little white bags from Shop Sweet Lulu too.

Winery Snacks

Remember my White Chocolate Lemon Puppy Chow?  I made a big batch of this for the whole group to snack on, while we transitioned from winery to winery. I already had these boxes in my (ahem) craft closet, or… craft throw-up closet.

Transportation Ideas for Wine Tour and Party Bus

How did we transport to each winery? This is possibly my fave-o-rite part…

Our friends offered up their RV, so we could hire a designated driver, and all transported together! THIS… my friends… is the way to do it.

 One of my cuter, than cute… friends, opening up her party favor for the day.

We are also super lucky, that most of the wineries around here, also brew their own beer. So the people who aren’t the biggest wine fans, and prefer the brew… can kick back, and have a drink too.

I even got to hang out with THIS guy (my hubby) all day, and that wasn’t too shabby.

“Let’s Party,” “Party On,” & “Cheers”

If you’re going on a wine tour soon, and looking for party favors, I totally recommend this Hangover Kit. But don’t forget to make yourself one… you’ll need it. 😉

My kiddo will be starting his second year of preschool this year, and we are BOTH looking so forward to it. He loves going, and I love it for him for a couple of reasons:

•  I love it, because HE loves it

• He’s making friends and being social

• I get to have one on one time with my youngest for a few hours a day

Although he only goes for only a few hours, his teacher plays HUGE part in his life. So I wanted to tell her “thank you,” and help her survive the school year with a little treat.

Teacher Survival Kit

I’ve heard before that teachers are overwhelmed with homemade gifts every year. The DIY coffee mugs, framed art made out of crayons, homemade cookies, etc. always seem to be an abundant supply.

 So I wanted to create something that the teacher could put to good use. I hear a lot that teachers spend a lot of their own money on school supplies, and I wanted to help ease the pain.

What’s Included:

• Desk Organizer {to hold everything}

• Scissors

•  Small Notebook

• Notepads

• Hole Punch

• Stickers

• Glue Stick

• Hand Sanitizer

• Highlighters

• Dry Erase Markers

• Tape

• White Out

• Pens

• Pencils

• Gift Card to an Office Supply Store

• Head Ache Medicine

• M&M’s

Now… the beauty of this teacher survival kit, is that you can totally downsize this gift if you need to.  Please understand my little guy is in preschool, so he has ONE teacher. I know that when kiddos start elementary school, they’ll have their primary teacher, music teacher, art teacher, P.E. teacher, etc.

Downsizing this same gift is so easy to do!  Grab a small little basket, and only put 3-4 goodies in it, and it’s STILL the cutest…useful gift!

Another money saving idea: You can also head to your dollar store, and grab the gift goodies more affordably, than probably an office supply store.

TIP: Any time I create a “gift basket,” type gift… I try to take as many things out of the package as possible. Big, bulky packaging can really take away for the contents inside of the gift.

Free Printable – Teacher Survival Kit

As you know, I wouldn’t create a printable, and not share it with you! Besides, I’m here to make your life a little easier… right? 😉

Download the “Teacher Survival Kit,” printable here —-> Teacher Survival Kit

Make sure you ‘”scale,” it down to the size you need. With the setting I have it on, it will use a whole 8 ½ x 11 sheet of paper

I asked you all for feedback on my Facebook page, and I LOVED all of the teacher gift ideas! I couldn’t believe all of the creative and fun tips that you had. You all are brilliant, and that’s just ONE of the many reasons that I adore you all!

More Teacher Gift Ideas

If you missed the incredible list of teacher gift ideas, that real-life teachers provided, where they shared their favorite gifts to receive, then you’ll want to check that out for sure.

Or, if you’re more of DIY gift giver, you’ll love these DIY Bath Salts that are specifically packaged as a gift for teachers.