5 Back-to-School Must-Haves Your Exchange Student NEEDS!

August 12, 2015August 12, 2015 - Mama Leave a comment

This shop has been compensated by Collective Bias, Inc. and Walmart Family Mobile. All opinions are mine alone. #JustACallAway #CollectiveBias

I didn’t realize how prevalent hosting exchange students was until my family started hosting about a decade ago. Through the years, I’ve met a lot of host families, and I’ve gathered some tips of the must-haves that exchange students need to go back to school. In some ways, it’s just like back-to-school shopping for your own kids, but in some ways, it’s just a little bit different, and I’m so excited to share the 5 things your exchange student really needs before they go to school in America.

Summer Grilling: Fruit and Veggie Skewers with 5-Minute Dips!

July 15, 2015January 13, 2017 - Mama 11 Comments

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

Looking for an easy summer recipe? Try these 5-minute dips. One is perfect for fresh vegetables, with it's easy cheesy flavor. The other, a fruit dip with tart lemon flavor! You'll love how they taste with these fruit and vegetable skewers-- get your summer grilling tips here! #FireUpTheGrill #Ad

In summer, I totally hate heating up the whole house. I mentioned that recently, and I’ll say it again– dinner is not worth turning an oven on for! That’s why summer dinner is better on the grill. But how often do we think of grilling as being all about the meat? Forget those days– fresh veggies and fruit on the grill are all the rage, and I’ve got the easiest way to do it, plus two dips to pair with dinner!

How to Get Your Car (And Family!) Road Trip Ready!

June 10, 2015June 12, 2015 - Mama 3 Comments

This shop has been compensated by Collective Bias, Inc. and its advertiser. All opinions are mine alone.
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Are you road trip ready? It's more than just packing a few snacks-- it's total car re-organization! Don't miss these must-have checklist items to be sure your car AND your family have everything they need for a safe and fun road trip, whether you're traveling 3 hours or 18 hours! | travel | traveling with kids | #FuelTheLove | #Ad

Every year, we take several summer trips– some are close (an hour to the Kansas City), and some are far (18 hours to our favorite island destination). All of these require a little bit of planning to make sure our car, and the kids, will get there without breaking down or totally losing it on each other. After a few summers, I think we’ve got this down to an art, so I wanted to share my best road trip tips with you so you will be totally ready for your summer vacation!

Why Moms are Basically Superheroes

May 27, 2015 - Mama 2 Comments

This shop has been compensated by Collective Bias, Inc. and its advertiser. All opinions are mine alone. #V8EnergyBoost #CollectiveBias

Come on, moms, we do it all-- quick changes after baby spit up, mind control through redirection techniques, and the power of sonic hearing! Moms are essentially superheroes, with a whole list of incredible superpowers! What's your super power? #V8EnergyBoost #Ad

My son has gotten really into superheroes lately. Every time I ask what he wants to watch before bed, it’s always, always superheroes. And the other night when I was watching, I realized with all of the quick changes, invisibility, and super speed, Super Powers really aren’t that far removed from what being a mom is like. Moms, we’re basically superheroes, and I’m pretty sure our families don’t know our secret identity, but if you aren’t convinced, here are a few ways that moms are pretty much superheroes…

The $1 DIY Gift Box (And How to Create a Last-Minute Gift under $15!)

May 25, 2015May 28, 2015 - Mama 8 Comments

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

Did you forget a birthday until the last minute, and now there's no room in your budget? Trust me, you've got this-- try this awesome $1 reusable gift box idea that is personalized to the recipient, and see ideas for last-minute gift giving under $15. Don't let a forgotten birthday get you down! #SendSmiles #Ad

I am the worst when it comes to birthdays. A few years ago, I thought I’d get better– I made this great birthday calendar of everyone’s birthdays and thought “I’ll never forget a card again!” However, instead of helping me remember the birthdays, it just made me realize I’d forgotten to plan for them. And what usually happened on the rare occasion I did remember, was that I didn’t really have a ton of room in the budget anyway. Then, I realized that planning for birthdays didn’t have to be that hard or that expensive if I kept some great gear on hand for birthdays (and if I could find some really affordable go-to gift options!)

Coca-Cola, Cupcakes, and Crafting Party!

May 8, 2015January 13, 2017 - Mama Leave a comment

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

We’ve all either been to one, been invited to one, or seen one (or fifty) on our Facebook newsfeeds… I’m talking those “corks and canvases” or “pints and portraits” or… whatever the spin on a whine and painting class is in your area. But here’s the deal. There is a much better option this summer for you to share with your friends– and it involves Coke, Cupcakes, and Crafts.

Recycled Regatta: How to Make Sailboats out of Recycled SunnyD Bottles

May 5, 2015May 5, 2015 - Mama 11 Comments

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

It's time to pull out the sails and have some summertime fun! If you're looking for a summer craft to add to your summer bucket list, or if you just need a boredom buster for your kids, they'll love these fun recycled DIY boats! #WhereFunBegins #ad

I am a huge fan of crafts made with supplies I pretty much have on hand. When my son says “I’m bored!” I like having a project available for him to do. Because of that, I tend to save things like bottles and straws in a bag in our pantry– they make the COOLEST homemade toys!

How to Get Kids to Do Chores (With Free Chore Chart!)

May 4, 2015May 4, 2015 - Mama 9 Comments

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

Are your kids slobs? Are they fighting you on pitching in with the chores? Do you struggle to get organized because of the clutter, mess, and lack of family participation? You can get your family to help with chores, without a fight! Get some tips (and print a free chore chart) to get your family motivated to clean up! #CleaningUntangled #Ad

Why does it so often feel like it’s mom’s job to do all of the housework? And how many times have you asked your kids to make their bed, clean up their toys, and help out with cleaning, only to get a fight? It’s an absolute pain, and in our household, it was time to say Enough. Is. Enough. It actually isn’t hard to get kids to do their chores– without the fight. You just have to get a little bit creative.

Blended Strawberry Mock-aritas and Hot & Spicy Cheese Dip for Cinco de Mayo!

April 24, 2015January 13, 2017 - Mama 3 Comments

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

Wanting to celebrate a delicious Cinco de Mayo with friends and family? You'll love this delicious strawberry mock-arita... it's just like your favorite restaurant margarita, without any alcohol! Strawberry and lime abound, and they're delicious. It makes for the perfect drink recipe for summer. #DelimexFiesta #Ad

Green chiles and hot sauce add a little kick to this cheesy delight! You'll love this dip for your next fiesta, whether it's Cinco de Mayo or anytime! It's creamy, cheesy, and served hot, which makes it SO good for any time! #DelimexFiesta #Ad

I’m coming at you today with not one, but TWO recipes that will be perfect for your Cinco de Mayo fiesta! You’ll love these recipes for sharing with friends, or even enjoying yourself after a long day. The first is a perfect blended strawberry mock-arita (it’s alcohol free, so even your littlest sippers can enjoy some this summer!) and the second is a hot and spicy cheese dip that will be the hit of the party, whether you’re dipping chips or the Delimex Taquitos and Rolled Tacos that pair perfectly with it!

How to Tackle the Laundry Pile (And Get Your Kids to Help!)

April 20, 2015April 20, 2015 - Mama 2 Comments

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

Laundry stinks... sometimes literally! But tackling the laundry pile isn't impossible. Even the youngest of kids can help with laundry-related chores, because there's an age-appropriate task for almost anyone! So read this post, gather the family, and conquer the laundry pile, once and for all! | household tip | cleaning | laundry hack | #longlastingscent #ad

Laundry stinks. Sometimes literally. I’m not kidding, laundry is my least favorite chore. I don’t mind washing so much, but the remembering to move clothes from the washer to the dryer, the act of folding and sorting and turning everything right-side out drives me bonkers. And don’t even get me started on putting it away– I’d live out of a laundry basket if I could! But the laundry pile? It has to go, and with a little help from your kids, it won’t even take that long! Who says mom should have to do all of the laundry? It’s time to tackle the laundry pile, and get your kids involved in lightening the load, so you can all have a great break afterwards.

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Making Life Easy So You Can Get Back to What Matters Most

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