Monday, April 30, 2018

5 Ways to Stay on Top of Life’s Messy Moments

This post is sponsored by Clorox®, but the content and opinions expressed here are my own.

Okay, moms we all know there is nothing better than finishing your day and walking into a clean house; or stepping into your car and smelling a fragrant lemon fresh scent instead of eau de two day old baseball cleats. Having our lives clean and orderly just makes us feel good, but the reality is life is full of messy moments. Ones that we have to tackle daily and continuously. Who knew that little people could create such big messes?!

But tackling life’s messy moments just comes with that whole mom job description. As moms we tend to take this into stride, accept it as our grown-up duty, and happily move forward in our wash rinse repeat phase of life. 

At least until it’s time to clean the kid’s bathrooms. Then we just put on a hazmat suit, arm ourselves with the strongest Clorox® Disinfecting Wipes in our arsenal and pray we come out alive. 

Kidding. 

Sort of. 

These messy moments could overwhelm us, but as pro-moms we’ve learned a few tips and tricks to keeping our sanity while combating anything thrown our way (and that mysterious puddle on the floor). 



5 Ways to Stay on Top of Life’s Messy Moments 


Don’t Fall Prey to Cleaning ADD - We know it is so easy to get distracted. Between the little people in your house running around, and your email inbox constantly dinging at you from both your phone, wi-fi tv, and your fancy smart watch it’s hard not to. But we find it best to really try to focus on one task at a time. We are total list people. Create a list and start with your first task, and - here’s the key part - stick with that one task before diving into another. If you decide to clean bathrooms (bless you), resist the urge to start organizing that make-up basket under the sink since 2006. Get in and get out, and leave all the “extra” stuff for another time. And you will get a little thrill checking something off your list. 




Make Time for the Small Stuff - Yes, we know all the majors when it comes to cleaning. Vacuuming the living room, folding and putting away the laundry, cleaning the playroom…when it comes to our most lived in areas we knock it out of the park. But make time for those lesser traveled areas too. Maybe not every other day do you need to do a full wipe down of your car, or clean out your guest bathroom linen closet, but incorporating these smaller, less obvious tasks into their own timely routine will save you from being overwhelmed at a later date. 




Just Say No to Clutter - It’s inevitable. You’re a busy family, and with that comes a lot of “stuff”. One minute you have sparkling clean counters, and the next minute you turn around and it looks like a paper bomb exploded and brought contents of your pantry along with it. When stuff piles up it makes life seem messier. Combat clutter as it comes at you. Get rid of junk mail right away. Throw away unnecessary school papers. Donate toys you notice aren’t getting played with. Tackling the clutter as it comes at you is way less an arduous task than when it covers every surface of your house. 

Have Powerful Products on Hand - Listen, when you see what destruction small toddlers can do in a short period of time, you know you need to have some powerful back-up on hand at all times. We make sure to keep powerful multi-purpose products on hand to help us combat any mess that might come our way. 



These new Clorox® Disinfecting Wipes with Ultra Strength Blue Fibers are some of our favorite! We buy them in bulk from Walmart (available in store or online) and store them in multiple places in our homes ready to be used when ever the cleaning call of duty arises. The Clorox Disinfecting Wipes with Ultra Strength Blue Fibers work great on grease, cleaning up crumbs, and even are strong enough to eliminate those mystery stuck on messes that occur on occasion. 




Not to mention they can work on a multitude of surfaces - stainless steel, finished hardwoods, and even granite counter tops. Having such a powerful disinfecting wipe that is multi talented on hand definitely makes combating life’s messes that much easier. 

Take a Break - One of the most taxing things is knowing that the messes will never stop. That’s life. But it can be overwhelming at times and sometimes you just have to know when to take a break. Take a moment from the clean routine to sit down and do something you love. Give yourself small amounts of time to enjoy your favorite show, read a good book, paint your toenails that new shade of pink you grabbed at Walmart with your new favorite disinfecting wipe, and ignore the mess around you. It will still be there after you are done with a little “me” time, and to be honest, it will probably be something that will occur approximately 4,607,299 more times. So taking a five minute scroll through your social media won’t be a big deal in the grand scheme of life’s messes. That five minute refresh for yourself can do wonders for your mental heath. When you are refreshed and rejuvenated you are way more equipped to be able to tackle all of life’s messy moments. 

To learn more about Clorox® Disinfecting Wipes with Ultra Strength Blue Fibers and how you can stay on top of life’s messy moments click here



How do you stay on top of life’s messy moments? Share with us your tips and tricks! 


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Friday, April 27, 2018

Fashion Fix: One Piece Swimsuits

Happy Friday friends! This week we are changing our Friday Favorites up a bit, and chatting about one subject. But it's a good one!!


All right ladies - swimsuit season is almost here! The biggest trend in women's swimsuits lately seems to be the one piece. For the record this is a trend we can fully get behind. We spend most of our year on the water, and while we love a good bikini or a tankini, we've found that the one piece is our new go-to swimsuit style of choice.


We love the one piece for a lot of reasons, but the biggest is that it's a no worry piece. As water loving moms we are constantly bending down, playing in the water, digging in the sand, doing cannon balls with the best of them, and occasionally breaking out that old wakeboard of ours. We want to be able to play and have fun with our family and not worry about pieces of our bikini floating away at inopportune times. (Is there ever an opportune time for that to happen?)

We used to think the one piece was "old lady-ish", but totally not the case. There are so many trendy, fun, sexy, and our personal favorite - slimming! - ones out there. Now that we've found the magic of the one piece we might not ever go back to our separate swimsuit ways. 

Here's a peek at some of our favorite one piece swimsuits!

ALL ABOUT THE DETAILS

We've noticed the difference between it being a mom swimsuit and feeling like a mom swimsuit is all in the details. Little subtle additions or details can make the swimsuit go from frumpy to fabulous. Here's a peek at some of our favorite tiny details that make a huge difference!


This navy swimsuit was a favorite of ours last year, and even with it's inexpensive price it held up great. We love the little criss-cross detailing in the back and in the front. It comes in tons of fun colors, has great reviews, and is definitely going to be one of our go-to's this year too! 

Here's a peek at some other fun detailed swimsuits we love...

Fun one piece swimsuits for women. Little details to make that mom swimsuit stand out!

2. Scalloped Edge Swimsuit (comes in a ton of fun colors and patterns too!)

RUFFLED

Ruffled details might just be our favorite out of the one piece swim suit trend. I (Jen) spotted this little hot pink swimsuit in the most unlikeliest of places - in the middle of nowhere South Georgia at Walmart. I was halfway into my spring break road trip and realized I ran out of wipes. I was checking out and spotted this out of the corner of my eye. It was pink and ruffled - I couldn't leave it behind!

Pink Ruffled Swimsuit for women

I bought it on a whim and instantly texted CB about it. The next day I wore it on the beach and got stopped at least three times by other women asking where I purchased it. I also put this photo up on Instagram, and to date it might be the most asked about item we have ever shared. I answered probably close to 50 emails about it. 

And because it was just that awesome...


Carrie Beth bought it too! 

It's under $20 and we've had several people send us their photos or purchases of this swimsuit saying they love it too! We are all feeling the love for the ruffle! Here are a few more favorite ruffled swimsuit options we've seen out and about...




ONE SHOULDER

This black ruffled one shoulder swimsuit is probably my all time favorite swimsuit. The cut is so flattering and the slight ruched siding is slimming. Even with tons of wear over last summer and being packed on several trips since then it has held up great and still looks brand new. It comes in a few other fun colors (white, coral, and blue) and I'm tempted to order them all now!



Here's a look at some of our other one shoulder favorites we've spotted in our shopping travels...

One Shoulder Swimsuits for women


And this black one has been on our list to try on for awhile! Has anyone tried on a Miracle Suit? We know some ladies who rave about them, and anything to give us a little ten pound lighter look and feel - we're in!


OFF THE SHOULDER

We love the look of these off the shoulder suits and although our tan lines might not be ideal after wearing these, we think it is definitely worth it for the cute factor! While picking up the pink ruffled swimsuit mentioned above, I also spotted this one and fell in love! 


Some other's we are eyeing and adding to our carts...

CROCHET

Crochet details seem to be everywhere the season, and swimsuits are no exception!

This crochet one piece swimsuit is a new addition this year. We saw it on a few Instagram feeds and purchased it just before Spring Break. I've heard mixed reviews, but I personally fell in love the minute I put it on. Fair warning, it doesn't hide anything, but I love that it gives great coverage without feeling like I am wearing so much material like I do with some one pieces. It comes in a few different colors, and I would suggest ordering one size up especially if you are a little bustier. (Sorry for the bathroom selfie!)


Here's a look at some other great crochet options...

On trend: Crochet one piece swimsuits for women


1. White Crochet One Piece Swimsuit
2. Crochet Inset Neck One Piece Swimsuit
3. Crochet Trimmed One Piece Swimsuit
4. High Neck Crochet Swimsuit
5. Crochet Bandeau Swimsuit
6. Peach Plunge Crochet Swimsuit

And we've been eyeing this one too...


It's a little more revealing than some, but since we are at this retailer often (sometimes several times a week), this crochet one piece keeps growing on us each time we cruise by with our cart. One day soon it might just hop in without us even realizing. It wouldn't be abnormal for this store.

Now we want to know...are you on board with the one piece swimsuit trend? Which style is your favorite? Share with us! 



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Thursday, April 26, 2018

DIY Anchor Pallet Wood Sign

Easy DIY Anchor Pallet Wood Sign


This DIY anchor pallet wood sign might be one of the easiest projects we have ever done! Mostly because it wasn't a long thought out project. On Friday night I was sitting in our office and glanced over at a box that had been leaning against the wall for well over the year. I was sipping on wine, catching up on emails and suddenly thought, "I know what to do with that!".


In the box contained a wooden anchor monogrammed with our initial. I had ordered it last spring or summer. I knew where I wanted to hang it, but always thought it needed a little something more in the space so I tabled the project. Until wine-aspiration hit.

I knew we had some left over pallets from a Christmas present. We kept meaning to put them in the trash collection or give them to someone who could use them, but never did. I thought if we could use the pallet wood to make a backing for the anchor sign it might look good.

I called over Mr. Cute and made him one of my infamous design drawings. He took two seconds to look at it and said it would be super easy for him to knock out.


Saturday rolled around and after our soccer parent duties were done for the day, he broke out his tools and got to work. Within an hour we had our sign ready to hang!


I took a few pictures through the process in case anyone wants instructions on how to make their own.


HOW TO MAKE A DIY ANCHOR PALLET WOOD SIGN

WHAT YOU'LL NEED
  • A wooden anchor or design in your choice (obviously these instructions could work with anything. You would just have to adjust your dimensions). I ordered my monogrammed anchor from here
  • Pallet wood - This project used approximately two pallets of wood. 
  • Trim nails (We used a nail gun to mail this process a little quicker.)
  • A compound miter saw (Not sure if this is necessary, but it made the project go much faster. You could probably saw and sand, it would just be a longer process.)
  • Chalk paint

INSTRUCTIONS
  • Pull all usable boards from your pallets. We made our sign 19" across, so Mr. Cute made sure to pull good boards with enough length for him to trim down. 
  • Measure, mark and cut down the boards to your desired size. Again, we knew we wanted a sign around 19" wide so Mr. Cute cut down around 8 boards at that length with his compound miter saw. 

  • Arrange the boards in the order you want before adhering them together. Because of the varying colors of wood we made sure to arrange the boards in a pattern we thought would look best. 


  • Once you've chosen your desired layout you can begin nailing the boards together. Mr. Cute cut  two boards the length of the sign for the back (our was approximately 26" in length). He placed the boards in the pattern we chose on top and then nailed each board into them with trim nails. 


Note: Originally we were going to frame in the sign too, but we didn't have enough usable wood left over from the pallets. 

  • Now that the pallet backing is done, lay flat and place the monogram on top to make sure everything looks the way you want it and measures correctly. 

  • Time to paint! 



Originally I had plans to paint the pallet wood white and the monogram navy, but once I saw it all together I thought it actually looked good natural. Mr. Cute suggested maybe just painting the monogram so I went with a white chalk paint and loved how it turned out. 



  • Let the chalk paint dry and then paint over it once with a clear coat

  • After everything is dry, remeasure and place your anchor on the pallet wood for final attachment. 

  • Attach the sign with two small trim nails at the top and the bottom. Fill in any holes with a quick touch up of your paint color. 

  • Time to hang! Now your DIY anchor pallet wood sign shoulda be ready for display! 




We have a little rolling bar cart/cooler someone gave Mr. Cute a few years ago on one of our patios and I placed the sign over it. The minute we hung the sign I knew it was the perfect use for the monogrammed anchor.  We hung the sign a little higher than normal because I didn't want anyone to knock into it when they were opening the top of the cooler when getting a drink. It is super heavy and falling on someone would most definitely hurt. 



I have plans to add a little something to each side of the sign. Maybe glassware holders or two smaller signs? I'm tossing a few ideas around in my head. A little more wine-spiration and I'm sure I will come up with something good. ;)


But for now, I love that it was a quick and easy project and it looks great in the space! And I never thought I would be a pallet wood kind of girl, but after seeing it all together I am already thinking of other projects I can make with it.

Do you have a pallet wood project you have done? Share with us! I can't wait to see what all the possibilities are! 


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Wednesday, April 25, 2018

My New Mom Car

I first have to say that this post is not sponsored in anyway. I just have had a ton of questions from friends who have seen my new car and because I looked and looked for a long time I though this might be helpful to some of you who might be in the market for a new car.  

We've been contemplating getting new car for a few a while now.  We keep cars a long time so I knew I wanted to make sure what I got was something that I really loved and something that would make me happy and check all of the boxes for what I was looking for.  The problem was, I loved my last car so much that it made it hard to find something I loved equally as much. I didn't want to get rid of a car I loved for something that I just liked if that makes sense so it was long and drawn out process.

I got my last car before Boo-Boo was born and it seriously served me well for 7 years.  Here I was, pregnant and so excited when the Mr. came home and surprised me with it.


The girls were pretty pumped, too. (Side note, miss those sweet babies.) 





I loved everything about my car.  I loved the size of it, I loved the viability and how easy it was to drive and park.  I loved having all three of my kids in a bench seat in the second row because they were so young and constantly needed something from me. It made it easy to pass back snacks, waters, pacis, etc.


As they got bigger it still worked great for us for my everyday, around town stuff. 


When we went on road trips we would always take the Mr.'s truck because the back seat was so much bigger and more spacious.  It worked out fine and we were all happy.  Then I got stranded on the way to the beach a few summers ago.  And after that it has just been one problem after another my my favorite car ever so we started looking and thinking about a new car for me.  Also, my kids were getting bigger and needing more space.  Boo-Boo had been sitting in the third row just so everyone could be spread out, but he climbed in through the tailgate every time we got in and out of the car so it just wasn't ideal.  Then on a trip to a cheer comp a few months ago I had another big issue with the Land Rover and decided that was the last straw.  

The Mr. is a car guy. He researches them, reads about them, watches car shows and anything else he can so he knows about all different kinds and engines and seating configurations and pretty much anything you need to know about a car so I trusted his input. However, I was the one that would be driving it and I knew that I spend a huge chunk of my day in the car shuttling kids from one sport to the next so I wanted to love it.  

We asked about y'all's favorite cars on Facebook and got TONS of feedback!  We looked and looked and went back and forth between several different cars.  I dug my heels in because it wasn't my first choice, but eventually I ended up going with the Ford Expedition.


I remember texting Jen as soon as we signed on the dotted line telling her that I have never felt so American.  Here's the thing though. As much as I didn't want this car to begin with, the more I looked at it the more I started to like it and now that I own it I love it SO much more than I thought I would.


What I Wanted In A Car 
-The next size up.  So while I loved my Land Rover and at the size of it before, I knew I needed something bigger.  With carpooling and driving kids around all of the time, we just needed more space for them and all their sports stuff. 

-Captains seats in the second row.  This was a HUGE requirement. I was so sick of my kids complaining in the car, touching each other on trips, and arguing about the dumbest stuff. It made road trips so miserable and they had resorted to putting up blanket barriers just to be able to not be annoyed by each other.  


-Full sized third row seats. I didn't care as much about this because I wasn't going to be the one riding back there, but this was a biggie for the Mr. Because we do keep cars a long time we knew that at least one of our teenage kids would be sitting back there at some point and didn't want to have them complaining because there was no space for their legs. 

-Automatic folding third row. I knew I wanted a third row that would fold with the push of a button and go flat into the floor to allow for more space to carry bigger things, if needed. 

-4 Wheel drive. I almost got stuck once in the snow for hours and I'm never doing that again. Plus, we tow our boat occasionally so need 4 wheel drive for that. 

-Technology. I wanted the latest in technology.  I LOVE having Apple Car Play.  When I plug in my phone it pulls it up and there are several apps that work on the screen from my phone.  We can listen to my music, I can voice text and it reads my texts as they come in (love this feature!).  The other thing I really like is being able to click an address from my phone and have it pull up the navigation to that address.


My kids love that they can control the radio channels, volume and of course their heat or air from the back seat.  And the chargers!!!  Every seat has a place to plug in and charge their devices, which they thought was the coolest thing ever! 



-Easy to park.  Driving on the road is easy...you just go in a straight line. It was the parking that worried me because at places like the school or in parking decks downtown or really anywhere, I was so worried about being able to park a big car.  I got the model that has the birds-eye view camera and it has been SO, SO helpful. I didn't want a bigger car without this feature and it is probably the thing I have used the most since owning it. I haven't parked once without this.  The car is so big that I literally can't see the lines and this shows me exactly where my car is, where the lines are, and how I need to adjust my parking.  I still park away from other cars if I can, but this feature helps so much! 


-Comfortable and Nice.  Yes, it is a mom car, but I spend a ton of time in the car each day, so I wanted it to be something that felt nice to me.  The first day I had it I wanted the Mr. to take Boo-Boo to baseball practice because I just knew it would get dirty. He looked at me and said, "It is only a matter of time." And he was right! I knew dirt and grass would get tracked in from the baseball and soccer fields, I knew snack wrappers and homework papers would be laying on the floor and the pollen would be covering every surface, but I still wanted something that felt nice.  My kids have been really good about trying to keep it clean, but we've already had one kid get sick in the car (less than a month in) so I guess it is nice and broken in now. I feel like this car is a perfect mix of practical and nice. 


So there you have it!  My new mom car that I love and the one I'll be driving for quite some time. Now she just needs a name.  Do y'all name your cars?  The kids named my old car Snow White. Still brainstorming for this one.  Do you have a car you love?  In the market for something new?  Let us know in the comments below!



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