Mothership Confessional

Time for another simple, fun activity for your toddler! For this DIY, you'll need:  *1 gallon-size Ziploc bag *Some sort of " suspension liquid" - I used some body gel oil that I didn't care for and was planning on throwing away. You can use just about any clear/semi clear liquid you have on hand - hair gel (dollars store sells it for cheap!), baby oil, olive oil, vegetable oil, or even water! It doesn't really matter what you use! *Next, you'll want to add some goodies . Any random art supply will do; I had pom poms, beads, and sequins on hand so that's what I used. If you don't have a stash of art supplies built up yet, you can easily use household items! Torn up magazines or junk mail flyers, paper clips, rubber bands, or even Cheerios...be creative! Now you can fill your bag! *Lastly, you will need clear packing tape to secure the bag to the floor. Make sure your bag is sealed well! The body oil gel I used ...

I have always had an eye for creating fun things for kids as a preschool teacher, and now that I am a mommy, I have been anxiously awaiting Ava to "come of age" for some DIY toys from household items! We recently emptied a roll of paper towels, and my instinct was to just throw the empty roll away.  But I stopped myself. What can I make with this? A baby rainstick! It's not fancy by any means, but my baby loves it! Here's What You'll Need: Empty paper towel roll (or a toilet paper roll) Clear packing tape Jingle bells (or other fillers - see below) Tissue paper Here's What to Do: Begin by taping one end of the paper roll closed. You will want to fold the tape over itself so the items inside won't stick to the tape. Tape well so the contents will not come out. Fill your paper roll with the jingle bells. And by fill, I mean toss a few in . There really doesn't need to be that many "noisemakers" in there...

I knew for awhile that creating a freezer meal stash was something I wanted to do for my husband and I. Then, I got pregnant, and I knew  that making freezer meals was something that I had to do for our survival! But the thought of dropping an extra 100 bucks or so at the grocery store and slaving away in the kitchen for a whole day  just did not sound like fun to me. Especially once I got into my third trimester. So here are some useful ideas (that I found helpful) in case you don't want to turn your kitchen into a disaster zone and pass out from exhaustion! Buy Some Supplies I purchased a bunch of square aluminum baking pans from Walmart. They were like 97 cents for a 2-pack. I bought the entire stack on the shelf! I am just cooking for 2 adults, so if your family is larger, you will probably want to pick out a larger size. You will also want to have some aluminum foi l on hand (the heavy-duty variety is best). I also used plastic wrap to wrap around each p...

I'm trying to do better at drinking more water. I've found that I drink more water (without consciously thinking about it) if I drink out of a straw or straw-type water bottle as opposed to out of a glass or open container. Not sure why, I just do. I really don't like to reuse a water bottle more than a few times before I was it. Just doesn't seem clean to me. So I swish some hot, soapy water around and run some through the straw and wipe around the mouthpiece. Then the other day I was looking closely at my Camelbak water bottle, and this is what I saw: You see that?! Besides sparkly lip gloss smudged on the outside of the mouthpiece, there was "stuff" on the inside, too! I started yanking on pieces so that I could thoroughly clean the mouthpiece area. I never realized the mouthpiece came off; this could explain why it was accumulating/growing gunk. So, fully disassemble your water bottle. Besides using ...

I'm always looking for new fun ways to style my hair into a creative updo. Similar to my recipe requirements , I have specific criteria a hairstyle must meet before it can become a go-to for me.  A hairstyle that becomes a standard in my repetiore must: •not be hard to learn (sometimes the first time takes a few tries, though) • not  require me to curl/wave/straighten BEFORE turning into an updo (takes WAY too much time and effort - if I'm going to style it down, I'm not going to put it up!) •take not more than 10-15 minutes (after blow drying - I have a life!) I especially love hairstyles that work well for second-day hair.  Which is why this style is perfect.  Now unfortunately I do not have fancy photos of me doing each step of this updo since I don't have a tripod or a self-timer, or someone else to take my photos.  But this is what it will look like when you're done: Bangs pinned in front, bun on top, and twist in t...

I have been trying really hard not to wash my hair everyday. I have heard this is what is best for your hair so that the natural oils are not stripped from the hair shaft on a daily basis. I have come across some information that says only to wash your hair 2-3 times a week. That seems a little...out there...to me, but the natural oil helps keep your hair soft and healthy. So...then what do you do between washes? Put your hair in a ponytail? Try using just conditioner in the shower? Put on a hat?? I have tried a couple of dry shampoos, and I have not been impressed. The idea is genius, of course, but they turn my hair white and leave a funny texture in my hair after applying and combing it through my hair. I went to Beauty Brands and asked one of the ladies what she recommended for a dry shampoo that would not turn my hair white, and she handed me this: AG's FastFWD dry shampoo.  I use the AG brand for my regular shampoo and conditioner as well. ...

I am enjoying my day off with open windows, running errands, and crafting/organizing around the house. I was out of town for a week and then worked 4 days in a row. To me, it felt like Friday was Monday, Saturday was Monday, Sunday was Monday...and then finally Monday was Monday! I am glad to get things back in order! Hubby is in the field this week, so now I have some quiet time to get stuff done. It's definitely obvious when school gets out around here - the neighborhood practically erupts with LOUD NOISES! Lots of shouting, giggling, doggies barking, and lawnmowers. I saw some middle school-aged boys walking around with a weed whacker and a rotary grass cutter. It made me laugh! I hope they come back this way; I will gladly pay them to mow my backyard! We have some grass that has shot up to almost knee-height! Ok, onto this "rug" business! We all have this problem: This rug moves and slides around no matter what I do. Mainly because we have t...

I'm so excited to be blogging...from my bed! Why is this so exciting, you may ask. My poor laptop had a battery life of basically zilch unplugged, so I've been tethered to the wall for a good 2 years with this thing. A replacement battery was going to cost almost $100, and for that price, you are on your way to a brand new laptop! So I was avoiding it and making it work, until my husband found one on Amazon for less than half that price! So now I'm back in business, and I can compute where ever I want again!  Well, it's that time if year again...to get your tan on! The weather has been absolutely BEAUTIFUL these past few days! Those of you who know me know that I will never lay in a tanning bed. Ever. I'm not going to pay for skin cancer. And that about sums up how I feel about it. So I, as a pale person, have to resort to tanning from a bottle. I must say, with my recent change in job field, I now must look good and represent good fashion choices. N...