Bonfires and Wine

October Love, Life Lately

2016-10-27T12:43:00.001-05:00

Hey y'all! I wanted an October printable for my kitchen and couldn't find a free one I liked so I decided to make my own. Figured I'd drop in and share it with you. You know. Since it's October 27th and all. Just save it for next year, ok? :)

We've had a busy start to Fall. Weddings, birthdays, baby showers, school field trips, our first year of soccer - you know the drill. There's just something about October though. The leaves start to change and fall. That breeze. Oh, that breeze. Windows open. At home AND in the car. Radio up. Deer season. October baseball - because....CUBS.

Octobers are good for the soul y'all.

(printable at the bottom)

We took the kids to their first MLB game. It was cold and rainy and they totally weren't feeling it. Best part? We were at a Cardinals game and the kids kept yelling "Go CUBS!". We were like right behind the Cards dugout where all the legit fans sit. LOL. At least we didn't actually put them in their CUBS shirts!

The girls painted pumpkins and managed to not make too much of a mess actually.

Paisley had such a great time playing soccer for the first time. Charlie got to help coach and Guthrie dressed like the team every single game. Thank goodness for friends with last years' shirts! :)

We got to fish at Aunt Lan's during a birthday party. G isn't so sure about those fish!

We visited a farm/pumpkin patch with Paisley's class and we also checked out a local farm that put on a big vendor event called "Pickin' at the Patch". The girls loved both!

We also survived another September. That month means alot around here. My Dad is in charge of our hometown Apple Festival and of course we're all committee members. It's a family affair. But, this year, Charlie and I put together and pulled off a brand new event (with the help of lots of amazing friends). It was called the Taste of Murphysboro and we were able to provide two scholarships to a couple of our hometown kids. It turned out better than expected even though it was an insane amount of work. Being able to give back and work in our own little town feels so good. If you're not somehow involved in making your hometown a better place, I sincerely challenge you to get involved. It will make your heart happy. I promise.

Well, there it is. Life lately at the Eisert Farm and a free printable.

You know lately I've been trying to take more pictures. I know some people think that today's society is too addicted to their phones and tablets. But I can't imagine not having all of these photo's. I don't carry around my big ol' fancy camera in my purse and one day....I'll look back and be so, so thankful for these captured memories because y'all, we can't slow down time. And it's flying by.

I saw this post on Facebook today and I think it fits perfectly here.

Source

And, now. The October Printable. Because I want you to be overly prepared come next October... You're welcome. ;)

Just right click and save :)

Have an awesome day. Thanks for stopping by!

-Em

Farmhouse Kitchen Remodel

2016-05-13T07:30:00.000-05:00

Happy Friday!!!!! Did you check out our living room remodel yesterday!? Wanna see our kitchen progress!?

Check us out - two posts in one week! haha!

Once we finished the living room, I knew it wouldn't be long and Mama Bear's creative juices would start flowing and she would want to move onto the next project. We had talked about finishing the kitchen for awhile and I knew thats where her focus would be next. So, I beat her to the punch and said "Why don't we do a shiplap wall in the kitchen?" (I know, asking my wife to do a shiplap wall is like asking a little girl if they want a pony)....and thats where project #2 took life. Some of you might remember the wall we gave a makeover from our diy chalkboard and wine shelf tutorial. If not, you can check it out here. This wall was supposed to be green and somehow when we painted it when building the house the green turned to a brownish color.

Disclosure: I forgot to take pictures of the before and each process throughout the project. I know....... Emily made the same face when I told her I forgot.

This wall gets treated the roughest out of all the walls in the house. It leads to the outside patio, which the kids, dogs and everyone else are constantly in and out. We always wanted to paint this wall but did not know what color to help hide the beating and dirt and dust it endures. You can see where the chalkboard and wine rack used to sit in this picture.

We've used the same trim in various parts of the house and we are slowly fazing it into every room. The top header trim is easy to install and comes from Lowes. Notice how the door is that gaudy orange color that matched the living room paneling. (not sure what we were thinking when we built the house and chose that stain color.)

Laying out the shiplap is fairly easy. Make sure to get your bottom row completely level. If your bottom row is off just the littlest bit you will notice it more and more as you go. Be sure to stagger your joints in the wood. My smallest cut was at 16 inches so it will it would hit a stud with each board. Normal interior wall studs are spaced at 16".

As with every project I came up a few boards short and had to run to the lumber yard to get some extra material. As we were headed to the checkout Guthrie climbed up on the cart and I snapped this picture on the right. I went back through my pictures and found the picture on the left of Paisley. Both pictures were taken almost exactly 2 years to the date from each other. Apparently Em had me working on a project on that day, too!

Not sure if this is coffee or a whiskey drink.......Both are acceptable forms of drink when painting. Just FYI.

Here is the finished project. This wall is by far is my favorite in the whole house. We finally got to put our "the farm" sign and our "E" up that we scored at the Nashville Flea Market. This entire room is still a work in progress. Em needs to put some final touches on the wine holder and the bench is going away sometime soon. We'd also like to to refinish our kitchen table.

Project #3 (Still in progress)

So after we finished the shiplap wall, we decided that our kitchen cabinets needed a major facelift. Being that they are builder grade cabinets they lack character. Again, that gaudy orange plagued our cabinets. I finally was able to talk Emily into buying me a paint sprayer. (A new project means a new tool. I've got this figured out) So now I am in the process of sanding down each cabinet to remove the stain and painting each of our 34 cabinets.

So far I've got the top cabinets painted (except the last one on the end.) Theses cabinets got painted twice because the first time I painted them I thought the paint was white which ended up being a light grey. Thank goodness Emily came home and found my mistake. Each day I try to get a couple cabinets sanded and painted so I don't burn myself out from painting. My least favorite thing to do in the world.

Stay tuned to check out the finished project in the kitchen. Im sure before its all over Emily will talk me into a farmhouse sink and new countertops. We're also going to try to post more regularly so you can see what we've been up to around here!

-Charlie-

Our Industrial, Farmhouse Living Room Overhaul!

2016-05-12T07:00:00.000-05:00

Hey, Ya'll....... We've been MIA for a little while now. Not going to beat around the bush here, we've just been busy with life. We just celebrated both Paisley's and Guthrie's birthdays in April. Paisley turned 4 and Guthrie turned 2. (I know......sigh, I can't believe it either.) Now that the girls are getting to that fun, almost self sufficient age, we have been able to do more things with them. Which results in being on the go a lot!

Enough with the excuses! ;) Let's talk about some before and after's shall we? When we're not running to toddler tumble classes or to and from pre-school - we've been working on some more home improvements.

Project #1 - Operation Living Room Overhaul

So mama B&W and I were tired of our old, outdated, orange-stained paneling living room and decided that something needed to be done about it. The living room always seemed dark and gloomy and we wanted something that would make the room we spend most of our time in brighter, airier, and more refreshing. (sorry for the phone photo's! That's what happens when Mama isn't home and there's two toddlers running around your construction zone!)

We originally put the paneling up in the living room when we built the house. After living in the camper for 9 months while building the house, we wanted something that would go up quick, cheap and get us out of the camper and into the house as quickly as possible! So paneling was the answer.

Elsa and Frozen to the rescue to keep the kids happy while working!

See ya later orange paneling! :) Look how much bigger and brighter it seemed without that gloomy solid orange wall!

The rest of our house has a farmhouse, industrial, rustic style, so that's what we wanted to go with for this room too. We decided we wanted to drywall the top half and shiplap the bottom half.

After hanging the drywall on the top half of the room, we started to install the the bottom boards. We used 1x10 pine boards that we stained in american walnut.

We added white accent trim for the baseboard, chair rail and new trim around the window. This easy project added so much life to this room!

We ended up adding some shelves on the wall with the TV. We wanted to bring in that industrial feel to go with the barn wood furniture we have in the living room. We used galvanized pipe that we painted black and a 2x10 that we stained american walnut to match the wall.

And, here's the almost finished project.

Yes, I said almost.

Of course Em isn't completely satisfied with it yet. She says we need new lamps, new pillows and a new industrial style, long locker style entertainment center. She also mentioned something about those end tables needing to be white. Sounds like I have some more work to do! So stay tuned. I'm sure this room will look different again in a few months! lol!

We've also tackled the kitchen. It's looking more farmhouse-ish everyday complete with a white shiplap accent wall. The cabinets are being transitioned to white. New hardware. New decor. Lots of stuff happening in that space! Check back soon for pics of the Farmhouse Kitchen progress!

Thanks for stopping by today. Hopefully you'll be able to check in a lot more often from now on!

-Charlie

Eco-Home Giveaway!

2016-03-14T10:18:00.001-05:00

We're celebrating the coming of spring with our Eco-Home Giveaway, sponsored by Mommy Scene and featuring products that help make life more Eco-friendly! All of the sponsoring brands offer products designed with families in mind, to encourage greener lifestyles. Check out these awesome brands and enter to win an amazing prize set below!

Thinkbaby | Thinksport

Prize: Thinkbaby GO2 Container + GO4TH 350ml + Stainless Steel Baby Bottle OR Sippy Cup OR Thinkster - winners choice + Thinkbaby Safe Sunscreen, 6 ounces
Thinkbaby and Thinksport's founder, Kevin Brodwick, brought his interest in health and preventative medicine and his background in biotechnology together to form a company whose sole purpose is to create alternative products for babies to athletes alike. With a team of physicians and scientists focused on the latest biological and chemical sciences, Thinkbaby and Thinksport continue to lead in the usage of safe, non-toxic materials for consumer goods. Thinkbaby and Thinksport's efforts are further energized by working with both leading child and health advocacy partners and like-minded individuals. Learn more at gothinkbaby.com.

Crane

Prize: Crane Grey Droplet Humidifier
Crane's Droplet Humidifiers are a half gallon cool mist humidifier that runs for up to 15 hours. They are whisper quiet during operation, do not require a filter and they are energy efficient requiring less energy than a standard household lightbulb to run. All Crane cool mist humidifiers use an anti-microbial material to help fight bacteria buildup. Crane USA was founded with the continuing goal to "Design for Better Living." For everything from natural cold and flu remedies to relieving croup in infants, Crane's cool mist humidifiers are the perfect addition to any child or adult's room. Learn more at crane-usa.com.

Fresh Wave

Prize: Full Size Set of Fresh Wave products
Fresh Wave natural odor-removing products use simple, pure and natural ingredients to actually remove odors from your life. No harsh chemicals. No harmful ingredients. No masking fragrances. Fresh Wave products remove the odor at its source - on the molecular level. With Fresh Wave, odors go away. Happiness stays. Products are available at Target, Bed Bath & Beyond and Ace Hardware. Learn more at freshwaveworks.com.

Little Dundi

Prize: 2 sets of Eco-friendly Hangers - choose from 6 designs
Little Dundi brings to life products inspired by baby. Our innovative line of Eco-friendly clothes hangers started with a cloud shaped infant sized model has grown to include hangers sized for toddlers & kids clothing. These hangers come in 6 attractive prints and are made of thick and sturdy recycled paperboard with an aqueous coating for a more polished look. All glues used are vegetable starch based and the inks are water based. Our hangers are our way of being friendly to the Earth. Learn more at littledundi.com.

Beachfront Baby

Prize: Recycled Beachfront Baby Wrap
Beachfront Baby makes fashionable water baby carriers! Each Beachfront Baby Wrap made with 100% Repreve PC polyester contains approximately 15 plastic water bottles! Each Recycled Wrap comes with its own matching drawstring carry bag, which is also made with Repreve, and our packaging for this wrap is printed on 100% recycled paper. Made in the USA, all our carriers are sewn with care by work-at-home-moms in the San Antonio, Texas area. Learn more at beachfrontbabywraps.com.

Wicks Beauty

Prize: Gift set of top sellers: Neem Skin Salve, Bentonite Clay Mask, Sea Salt Face Scrub, and Lavender Goat Milk Soap
Wicks Beauty is offering a gift set of a few of our top sellers: Neem skin salve, bentonite clay mask, sea salt face scrub, and lavender goat milk soap - a $36 value! Wicks features a family-focused array of products made with all-natural oils and butters that detox and heal skin while protecting its natural moisture. Our products help soothe and prevent eczema, psoriasis, and acne. Breathe new life into tired skin the natural way. Check out our line for babies and pets! Learn more at wicksbeauty.com.

Silikids

Prize: $50 gift set including newly released silicone cups, straws & universal fit straw and sippy tops
Siliskin Silicone Cups are made with 100% food grade silicone with an embedded stainless steel ring so they won't collapse when gripped. Dishwasher safe and great for indoor and outdoor use.
Siliskin Universal Silicone Sippy Tops fit over any size cup. The silicone top grips the cup top while air suction keeps it in place. The spout is free of intricate valves allowing for easy use and cleaning. Also dishwasher safe and perfect for on-the-go and indoor and outdoor use.
Siliskin Universal Straw Tops stretch over and grip the top of glasses of multiple sizes, while also kept in place with air suction. Use with a Siliskin silicone cup or a glass of your choice for an instant, no-spill straw top cup.
Silikids products are safe, modern & practical, easy to clean, and made from 100% food grade silicone. A great alternative to plastic! Learn more at silikids.com.

Sudsy Dough Moldable Soap

Prize: 12 oz. tub of Sudsy Dough with surprise toy inside! Fragrance of choice
Sudsy Dough is an interactive bath toy that doubles as a moldable scented dough and a cleansing soap. Kids can squeeze and squish Sudsy Dough in the bath, rub it on as body wash, or take it outside the tub and make custom-shaped soaps that will dry when left out in open air. Sudsy Dough is scented and infused with moisturizing ingredients such as Shea Butter and beeswax. Each ball also has a surprise bath toy hidden inside! Available fragrances include Merry Mango, Sassy Strawberry, Awesome Apple, and Bubbly Blueberry. Learn more at revelae.com.

Yummi Pouch

Prize: Set of 3 cloth snack or sandwich bags, style of choice
Take snacks on the go with Yummi Pouch cloth snack and sandwich bags. Our cloth bags are lined with a moisture resistant interior and decorated with colorful prints, choose from 16 cute patterns! Perfect for crackers, sandwiches, and dry snacks, or small items like bottle parts, teethers, and hair accessories! They open with a silent zipper that's simple enough for a child to use. Reduce the trash during lunchtime or organize your purse with our modern cloth bags. Learn more at revelae.com.

Back Buddy

Prize: Back Buddy Support Pillow
Back Buddy is an award-winning maternity and feeding support pillow, designed by a Chiropractor and nursing mother. It alleviates common back pain during and after pregnancy, and provides comfort and support for mom while holding or feeding baby. Made in the USA from high-quality structural foam that is certified to be made WITHOUT harmful PBDE flame retardants, phthalates, CFC's, formaldehyde, mercury, lead, and other heavy metals, and is tested for performance, durability, and emissions.
Learn more at back-buddy.com.

hipNgo

Prize: hipNgo - brand new, black on black design or color of choice
The hipNgo provides the ideal child carrying solution for the family with an active lifestyle and a busy toddler. The patented saddle seat centers the child against the adult hip and provides proper weight distribution, relieving strain on the arms, shoulder and hands. The simplistic shape, size and weight offer families on the go, a handy solution to the challenges of traveling with a toddler. The hipNgo can be adjustable for male or female versatility, left or right handed dexterity, as well as large and small build body types. Say goodbye to the bulky stroller and say hello to the 5-ounce hipNgo with its own storage bag. Available in several colors as well as classic black. Learn more at hipngo.com.

Enter to win these great prizes!

This giveaway is sponsored by Mommy Scene and is open to US entries. One winner will be chosen and displayed on the giveaway widget after the giveaway ends on March 28th, 2016. Mommy Scene and the participating blogs are not responsible for fulfilling brand-sponsored prizes. Prizes will be shipped directly from each brand.
a Rafflecopter giveaway

Free TuTu Printable

2016-03-09T21:00:00.000-06:00

I was checking my email to respond to a blog request and noticed I had saved this cute little printable I made. I decided I'd pop in and share it with you real quick! I know, I know. It's been like forever since we've shared anything with y'all! We still post pics every now and then on Facebook (like recently, because Charlie's installing my awesome new shiplap wall in the kitchen! You should check it out! I'm in LOVE!), but this little ol' blog has definitely taken a back seat this past year. I mean it's pretty far back there....like not even in the car! LOL! Life is busy. But, y'all know that. We've been busy chasing a strong willed almost two year old and running a 3 - almost 4 year old to cheer practice.

But, today. We're back. With a cute little TUTU printable that I created for the girl's first and third birthday parties.

Yes, they're turning two and four next month which means it's only taken me a year to write this post!

Anyways, don't get too excited just yet. I'll have to dig out my SD card full of pics from the party to share the entire thing with you. I promise I'll try to get to that though. It was the cutest little tea party ever! :)

But, until then....grab your tutu and just be happy!

Healthy Family Giveaway!

2015-09-30T09:06:00.001-05:00

We are excited to partner with Mommy Scene and celebrate Fall and the launch of a new product — Sudsy Dough moldable soap on Kickstarter! What better way to celebrate than with a Healthy Family Giveaway featuring some great family-focused products! Be sure to check out the Sudsy Dough Kickstarter Campaign and all the other prizes below and enter to win!

Sudsy Dough

Prize: 2 tubs of Sudsy Dough moldable bath soap, 12 ounces each

Now on Kickstarter! Sudsy Dough is a interactive bath toy that doubles as a moldable scented dough and a cleansing sensory soap! Sudsy Dough was created by a mom to make bath time fun for her own daughter. Kids can squeeze and squish Sudsy Dough in the bath, rub it on as a cleansing body wash, or take it outside the tub and make custom shapes that will dry into soaps. Each ball also has a surprise bath toy hidden inside! Sudsy Dough is offering some great rewards to thank their campaign supporters — all deliverable before Christmas for a great gift!

See the Sudsy Dough Kickstarter »

Piggy Paint Hug Life Gift Set

Prize: Hug Life Gift Set with 3 shades of non-toxic nail polish including Let's Flamingle, Wild Child, and Periwinkle Little Star
Piggy Paint is a natural, eco-friendly nail polish for kids. It's non-toxic, hypoallergenic formula makes it safe to use on all piggies. Piggy Paint dries to a hard, durable finish that can easily be removed with the eco-friendly, low odor Piggy Paint nail polish remover. Both are made in the USA! piggypaint.com

SOPHi Nai Polish

Prize: 2 shades of SOPHi natural nail polish for adults plus SOPHi's PRIME + SHINE + SEAL System for maximum durability
From the maker of Piggy Paint, the non-toxic nail polish for kids, SOPHi is a natural nail polish in SOPHisticated colors for adults. These polishes are virtually odorless, eco-friendly, hypoallergenic, and made in the USA. SOPHi is free of all harsh chemicals and does not cause nails to yellow or become brittle. sophinailpolish.com

Baby Comfy Care

Prize: Baby Comfy Deluxe Safety Nail Clipper

The patented single-blade design of Baby Comfy Nail won't cut baby's skin. Baby Comfy Nail Deluxe safety clippers have only one blade! The bottom flat plastic ledge pushes baby's skin back out of the way while the top blade cuts the nail... and only the nail. The unique ergonomic design and larger size makes it easier to hold and operate when you don't want to make a mistake. The design also protects from cutting too closely to the sensitive nail bed. babycomfycare.com

Leaf Therapeutic

Prize: Leaf Skin Therapy Lotion - 2 ounces

Leaf Skin Therapy Lotion features a formula that is both hydrating and healing for damaged skin, without using toxic preservatives. Leaf Skin Therapy Lotion uses natural and safe (and expensive!) fermented radish root and goldenseal extract. It is safe enough to use on babies and, although this lotion was specially designed for people with eczema and other dry skin conditions, it works great on normal skin, too. Best of all, it has an extremely low toxicity rating on the Environmental Working Group website. If you are looking for an ultra-hydrating, hypoallergenic, unscented lotion, this is the lotion for you! leaftherapeutic.com

Little Standout

Prize: 100% Silicone Diamond Teething Toy

Add a little bling to your day with Little Standout's 100% silicone Diamond Teether! Made for tiny hands and achy gums, our silicone teethers are non-toxic and free of BPA, PVC, phthalates, lead, cadmium and all that other yucky stuff you don't want to see your baby putting into their mouth. They are dishwasher safe, making them super easy to clean and totally awesome!littlestandout.com

Young Living

Prize: One Bottle of OrthoEase massage oil, one Oola Book + samples from Young Living

OrthoEase massage oil soothes and warms tired and stressed bodies, helping to combat the damaging effects of everyday activities. With a calming blend of oils, it will leave you feeling relaxed and refreshed. OrthoEase contains: coconut oil, wintergreen, peppermint, juniper, eucalyptus, lemongrass, marjoram, thyme, vetiver, sweet almond oil, and olive oil
The international bestselling book "Oola, Find Balance in an Unbalanced World. The 7 areas you need to balance and grow to live the life of your dreams" is written by Dave Braun and Troy Amdahl. This book inspired Young Living's Infused 7 Line.
As a Mom and wife, I strive to provide my family with a lifestyle of wellness and abundance. My life has changed since November 2014, using Young Living Essential Oils. I have less anxiety, more peace, more energy and an overall sense of well being. Not only do I apply and diffuse them every day, I cook and clean with them and save tons of money. Our body is our greatest asset. The healthier we are and better we feel, the more we can enjoy life, our families, friends and go after our dreams. Each day we get older and each day we are given a fresh new opportunity to age better, to have more joy, energy and focus and to truly experience "young living". Follow me for upcoming class updates and daily Oily Living.
Erika Miller
Independent Distributor
Young Living Essential Oils
#2108472
ylwebsite.com/ErikaMiller

Baby Buddy

Prize: Baby Buddy 360 Toothbrush (Step 1 & Step 2)

The Baby Buddy 360 degree toothbrush is truly innovative - it is the world's first 360 degree designed toothbrush. Developed in the Osaka University Dental Hospital of Japan, the 360 Toothbrush has unparalleled cleaning power thanks to over 10,000 micro fine bristles - 10 times more than the average toothbrush. Circular rings firmly hold bristles in place, while spacing washers between bristle layers make it more effective for removing plaque and keeping the brush clean. Works great for cleaning the tongue and for massaging gums. Take a 360 Toothbrush to work, out camping, or on the road, as it may be used effectively with water alone when you are on the go. Available as Step 1 for ages 4-24 month olds and as Step 2 for 2-12 year olds.Smile4BabyBuddy.com

Genesis 950

Prize: Gallon of Genesis 950 & spray bottle

Genesis 950 is a green, all purpose cleaner that makes cleaning your home safe. Genesis 950 is free of harsh chemicals and works as a concentrate with water to break the bonds of stains by making them water soluble. When a stain becomes water soluble, it can then be broken down and flushed from the surface. In doing so it removes the toughest stains and biggest messes.genesis950.com

Babycook Pro

Prize: Babycook Pro Original Baby Food Maker, prize color may vary - winner may be able to select preferred color if in stock

babycook pro is the original baby food maker on the market. It makes up to 4.7 cups of food in a sleek, patented countertop appliance that steam cooks, blends and reheats all-in-one, in 15 minutes or less. Refrigerate or freeze leftovers, then simply defrost and reheat right in babycook. Steam cooking locks in vitamins and nutrients, a multi-purpose mixing blade provides just the right texture, the timer has an audible alert to tell you when meals are ready, and all of this with total one-handed operation. This appliance is loaded with features that make any parent a "pro" in baby food preparation. beabausa.com

Sip & Spin

Prize: Sip & Spin Straw Cup

The Sip & Spin straw cup has a unique fun-factor - a pinwheel in the lid that spins as you sip. Playful artwork on the pinwheel disc coordinates with the cup art, creating an engaging drinking experience for your child. The racing trucks and soaring butterflies can encourage playing kids to take a water break, cheer up and rehydrate a sick child, or motivate a toddler to transition from a bottle or spouted sippy to a straw cup. As parents, we know what a pain it can be to clean kids' cups, so we made sure all the components come apart easily for cleaning and are dishwasher safe. The Sip & Spin straw cup is a cute gift and a fun way to keep kids hydrated... Hydration Motivation! nuspinkids.com

kidSTAT

Prize: kidSTAT First Aid Kit

kidSTAT is targeted for active toddlers and kids. This kit is equipped with hospital-grade products to treat the most common childhood emergencies: aches+sprains, bites+burns, and cuts+scrapes. kidSTAT has easy-to-follow, first-aid instructions to reassure you when your child is in distress. Together with "red flags" warnings on when to seek medical attention, this comprehensive kit was designed by moms, who happen to be ER doctors, too.
kidSTAT contains:

91 items
Doctor-written, step-by-step instructions
Full-sized items, latex & BPA free
Hospital-grade products
Red flags to go to the ER
Emergency contact/Pediatric CPR card
threemommydoctors.com

Pacific Baby

Prize: Natural Feeding Starter Set - Green

Made from Natural Bamboo. Safe & Healthy. Machine Washable and Biodegradable. pacificbabyworld.com

Yummi Pouch

Prize: Yummi Pouch Brights Reusable Food Pouches

Yummi Pouch Brights (Set of 4) combine style and convenience in an eco-friendly container you can fill with homemade smoothies and blended snacks! Easy to fill and clean through the top zipper opening and enjoyed by drinking from the side spout, Yummi Pouch reusable food pouches are great for kids taking healthy snacks on the go. Includes set of 4 assorted patterns.revelae.com

Enter to win these great prizes!

This contest is sponsored by Mommy Scene and is open to US entries. One winner will be chosen and displayed on the giveaway widget after the contest ends on Oct. 8th, 2015. Mommy Scene and participating blogs are not responsible for fulfilling brand-sponsored prizes. Prizes will be shipped directly from each brand.

a Rafflecopter giveaway

Mother's Day Giveaway!

2015-05-11T10:57:00.002-05:00

We are excited to bring you another Mommy Scene giveaway featuring 5 natural brands and celebrating 7 days of Mother's Day! After all, Moms deserve more then 1 day!

Each of these natural products is perfect for pampering yourself after a long day, or serves a practical use for health and cleanliness. Many of these products are handmade, and all are crafted from natural ingredients! One lucky winner will win all of these wonderful products and the chance to try something new!

Dr. Fedorenko True Organic Bug Stick and Bug Bar Tick and Mosquito Repellent

Dr. Fedorenko True Organic Bug Stick and Bug Bar are designed to protect and nourish skin to keep it looking and feeling healthy while keeping mosquitoes, ticks, gnats, horseflies, black and biting flies away. Works quickly to protect you and the whole family. Luxurious botanical butters infused with pure essential oils help to hydrate your skin. Powerful blend of pure essential oils keep biting insects away for hours. Aromatheraputic properties of our advanced formula energize and elevate the soul. drfedorenko.com

Sudsy Dough Moldable Soap - 2 12oz containers

Sudsy Dough is a new interactive bath toy that doubles as a moldable scented dough and a cleansing soap! Kids can squeeze and squish Sudsy Dough in the bath, rub it on as a cleansing body wash, or take it outside the tub and make custom-shaped soaps! Sudsy dough shapes will dry to become scented soap shapes when left out in open air. Each ball also has a surprise bath toy hidden inside! Sudsy Dough is infused with Shea butter & Coconut Oil and is Paraben-free, phthalate-free, and sulfate-free. Available in fragrances Merry Mango, Sassy Strawberry, Bubbly Blueberry, and Awesome Apple. sudsydough.com

It's the Balm Lavender Gift Box

This Lavender Gift Box is filled with everything the Mom in your life needs to indulge herself. Made with pure lavender essential oil, these products are truly luxurious, therapeutic and relaxing. Packaged in a beautiful damask gift box filled with soothing, relaxing treats including 4 oz. Lavender Body Scrub, 4 oz. Lavender Body Lotion, 8 oz. Lavender Foaming Body Wash, 2 oz. Lavender Body Mist , 4 oz. Serenity Aromatherapy Spray, and Lavender Lip Balm.
Each product is made using pure, therapeutic grade essential oil. Allow the dreamy scent of lavender to ease the mind and give a feeling of peace and calmness. Indulge the Mom in your life with these natural treats. etsy.com/shop/itsthebalm

3 Wythe & Berry Creams

Wythe & Berry Apothecary offers botany-based, natural, handcrafted wellness products, rooted in genuine aromatherapy. This package contains a trio of oil-based creams including Cedarwood; Lavender, Chamomile and Lemon and Eucalyptus. These creams are handcrafted, completely natural and package in glass as to avoid toxins from plastic leaking into the product. Each 4 ounce cream is plant based, with the main ingredients being Cocoa Butter, Shea Butter and Apricot Kernel Oil. wytheandberry.nyc

Buds and Scrubs Facial Serum

Crafted using Rosehip Seed Oil, our facial serum is a vitamin for your skin. What is Rosehip seed oil? With its amazing healing properties and ability to moisturize with a non-greasy, oil-free feel, your skin will look and feel hydrated and revitalized. This unique oil not only penetrates dry skin, it has also been known to heal scars as well as treat wrinkles and premature aging.

Enter to win one of these fabulous products!

This giveaway is hosted by Dr. Fedorenko. The giveaway winner will be chosen May 17th, 2015. Giveaway is open to US entries and void where prohibited. No purchase is necessary to enter. Mommy Scene and the affiliated blogs are not responsible for brands who do not fulfill prize obligations. Entrants may receive a thank you email from one or more of the participating brands.

Free Printable Menu Planner!

2015-05-07T11:59:00.001-05:00

It's almost Summer time.

It's almost vacation time.

It's almost swimsuit time.

Any other mama's out there dread that combination!?!?

I've taken a huge leap over the past several months towards becoming the healthiest I can be.

For myself. For my husband. And, for my kids.

I work out with the girls at lunch every single day. We run 2 days a week and do circuit training the other 3. I run once on the weekend. They're such great motivation and if they weren't doing it with me, I wouldn't have been going on about 3 months straight of working out!

Let's be honest....if it weren't for them, I probably wouldn't have started to begin with!

That's step one.

Get a friend or someone else to do it with you.

If they're waiting for you at the gym, you're way less likely to stand them up and not go!

Anyone else struggle with finding the time?

That was my biggest obstacle.

I already work 40+ hours a week. Plus several hours on my side job, Thirty-One.

I am on a committee for our annual hometown Apple Festival which requires time for planning and meetings.

I'm also helping to plan my 10 year high school reunion for this summer.

I'm not willing to give up any more time from my family that I already have to.

That was always my reasoning. And, really it's still true. If I didn't make it work during my lunch hour, I still wouldn't be doing it. I'm not a morning person. At all. So waking up at 5AM to do it, just isn't going to happen for this night owl.

And, we don't live in town. So driving all the way back to town after the girls go to sleep just never seems like a good idea either.

Bottom Line - find a time that works for you. Whether it be early morning, late at night, during lunch. Whatever. Just find the time that works with YOUR schedule and make it happen.

Lastly, meal plan and get your nutrition in order. Charlie and I use Advocare products and really like them. We're starting a 24 day challenge this weekend so that we can kick start ourselves again before vacation! Part of the challenge is making sure your food is on point! So I made this meal plan worksheet to help me keep track of everything.

I'm filling this out, then flipping it over and making my shopping list on the back so I make sure I have everything I need.

Just right click, save and print! :)

Or click HERE for a higher quality version.

If you're interested in trying out Advocare, send us an email! We'd love to have you do the challenge with us! I'm a distributor only because I love the product discount. I'm working towards getting to the next discount level so I'm handing out some major discounts to anyone who wants to order! :)

True Life: The Men Behind Women Bloggers

2015-04-06T14:11:00.001-05:00

Blogger (person), a person who writes a blog, or web log

Since the late 90's there has been a vast growing of blogs on the world wide web. A quick Google search of the word "blog" and you will find someone writing a blog for almost anything. From DIY, how to dress, how to eat, exercise and some are even personal diaries. What ever it may be, there is someone out there writing their thoughts and feelings on a specific topic. Well I am here to tell you about a specific group of people who are associated with a blog. I refer to them as...

Hoggers(person), the husband, fiancé, boyfriend etc. of the woman who writes the blog.

(I completely made this word and definition up)

These men are true vikings of the world wide web. The resume of a Hogger is forever long. There is no job that we are not very skilled in. We are experienced in everything. You see, the life of a hogger is o' so complicated.

The DIY Hogger: You my friend, are part carpenter, electrician, plumber, and Pinterest Ninja. You find yourself always making things at the midnight hour. Working in the cold, blistering heat and during Football Sunday. If building a masterpiece of wood, metal, plastic is not hard enough; you are now required to take pictures of every step you take....and then explain why you did what you did. The hardest part of your job, by far, is trying to comfort your wife in the nicest way, when this happens...

The Cooking Hogger: This group of men have an iron stomach. You can eat anything no matter the smell. Your metabolism is a finely tuned machine. You also probably have the best job in the world. Pinterest has been the best thing to have ever happened to you. You now have a plethora of recipes at your disposal.

The Fashion Hogger: You are a modern day Arthur Fonzarelli. Always quick with your words. For you, always get the question; "Does this look good on me? I want to write a blog post on my outfit but want to know if you think it looks good." AHHHHHHHHH!!!!! Not that question, How do I answer??? Relax, You're the Fonz.... you've done your research, you know to say that the scarf compliments the boots, and the dress makes you look younger. You have seen every episode of Say Yes to the Dress, Fashion Star and Americas Next Top Model.

The Exercise Hogger: Everyone should have healthy eating and exercise a part of their everyday life, but you are on a whole other level. Instead of getting to sit on the couch and play Xbox on a lazy saturday morning, you are up at the butt crack of dawn preparing for the next 5k. Go ahead and say it my friend, "would a piece of cake, a beer, and my ass planted on the couch for a day really hurt?"

The Coupon Hogger: Your wife is the thriftiest person you know. She has a binder full of coupons just like your baseball collection when you were a kid. You are glad that she is saving money on every item she buys. You've spent an entire Saturday at Sams, Costco, Walmart, Target, and Walmart.

But you often find yourself asking " do we really need 16 bottles of toothpaste, 4 cases of Qtips, and 9 bags of brown rice." We spent 2 hours of our time to save 65 cents on a case of soda. To spot this Hogger, just look for a man pushing a cart as fast as he can out the front doors of a shopping center and jumping on it as it is an oversized skateboard. Don't judge him, for this is his only excitement for the day.

You see, the life of a Hogger is oh-so-complicated. We could also be referred to as BOB. We are part Bob Villa, Bob Harper, Chef Bob, Bob Timberlake. For we do everything in full support of our wives, even if it means missing the game, missing a finger, or missing beers and cigars with the non Hogger guys. Writing a blog is something that your wife enjoys and you will go to no end in full support of her. I say this to all of the other Hoggers out there, " Keep doing what you are doing, you are appreciated more than you know. Continue to make things, endure healthy food and exercise, spend weekends doing things with your woman, for there is one thing you will never have to do, Be Bored In Your Relationship, for there is no greater bond than working together to achieve a common goal."

THE END

A Woodland Themed Baby Shower for Baby Fox!

2015-03-22T12:58:00.003-05:00

My adorable friend Erin (seriously though, who looks that cute prego!?!?) is about to have a sweet baby boy and I had the honor of throwing her a little sprinkle last weekend!

Her last name just happens to be "Fox" so we decided on a woodland themed baby shower!

I got to partner up with the amazing Sweet Bee Design Shoppe and had these cute little invites personalized for Erin's party! She also designed matching food labels, cupcake toppers and a banner!

Tori is sooooo great to work with and has some of the cutest designs in her shop!

If you're planning a baby shower, bridal shower or birthday party - you NEED to stop by Sweet Bee Design Shoppe!!!

It was just a small get together of Erin's closest friends and family so we just had it at my house.

(You'll have to excuse the quality of the photo's.....I blocked my only source of natural light with my table setup!)

I made the welcome sign for the door on Picmonkey so that guests knew they could just come on in without knocking!

I also made this little favor bag tag on Picmonkey and everyone went home with a smore kit!

I found most of my food ideas on Pinterest of course!

The toad stools were string cheese, tomatoes and french onion dip!

The Forest of Trees was a yummy broccoli salad!

The Tortellini Trees were just skewers of cheese tortellini and tomatoes with moss dip (pesto sauce)!

Salad...aka Rabbit Food!

Hot dogs and croissants for 3 Pigs in a Blanket!

And, chocolate cupcakes with chocolate icing for the Black Forest Cupcakes!

I served regular ol' H2O (morning dew) and Green Apple Kool Aid (pond water) for refreshments!

I picked up this book and had all of the baby shower guests write a special message inside for Baby Fox! Hopefully this book will be something Erin and Baby can always hold on to and look back and remember their special day!

We had so much fun showering Erin and baby and it was so fun for this Girl-Mom to do something a little boyish for once!

Thanks so much for stopping by! Have a great week!!!!

Don't forget to check out Sweet Bee Design Shoppe for your next party!!!

Thank You Card for Wedding Reception {Free Printable}

2015-03-09T17:30:00.000-05:00

Y'all remember my beautiful friend Brie, right?

And, her amazing rustic wedding covered in burlap and lace?!?!

Well someone in Pinterest world when buck wild on that post recently and everyone's dying to have the Thank You Card printable file!

I'd love to take full credit for the beautifully written note, but in all seriousness....I found it on pinterest, too. I designed one for my wedding about 4.5 years ago (<--holy crap? Was it really that long ago???) Then, designed another for Brie and Tim's wedding last year.

People have been asking daily for the file, so in an attempt to get the file to you quicker than me emailing it.......HERE YA GO! :)

We used the purple and yellow version for Brie's wedding but I turned it black and white for you just in case that would work better. Just right click and save to your computer. You can use Picmonkey or any editing software to add your names at the bottom. Or else of course, just cut that part off if you want! We printed them in 5x7 size on Kraft cardstock paper. They turned out beautifully and gave such a nice personal touch to all of the tables.

I hope they work for you like they did for Tim and Brie!

Have a great week everyone! Thanks so much for stopping by!

Ollie Swaddle Giveaway!

2015-02-11T06:30:00.000-06:00

Welcome to The Ollie Swaddle Giveaway!

Sponsored by The Ollie World and hosted by Game On Mom

Although you and your little both wish you could cuddle all day and night, there are times when you have to put him down to rest. Swaddles are a perfect solution for keeping infants cozy, but many don’t stay put as your baby snoozes—or aren’t snug enough to provide that comforting pressure babes love. Thanks to the mama behind The Ollie World you can wrap your itty-bitty burrito with a swaddle that moves with him through the night, while keeping him comfy and cool.

Named after and invented for Oliver, a foster baby that wasn’t thriving until Ollie Swaddle founder (and his foster mom) Hindi developed The Ollie Swaddle. Stretchy, soft and breathable, this swaddle is designed to reduce overheating and improve quality and duration of sleep. We know the security of swaddles helps keep infants calm—and the Ollie swaddle is perfect for keeping them tucked in all night long and encouraging self-soothing skills. Depending on your baby’s size, the top Velcro closure allows you to wrap him tightly when he’s younger, but is adjustable as he grows and has more mobility. (And don’t worry about diaper changes—they’re a snap in this wrap. When you finish the dirty deed, you can fold the bottom up under the Velcro closure, or you can use the handy elastic loop to keep little legs tucked in—but free enough to kick those feet!) Your babe will be happier when he sleeps, and you can rest easy knowing he is safe and content in The Ollie World’s capable swaddle. To learn more about this amazing swaddle or to make a purchase, visit The Ollie World. Now for the giveaway! Winner will receive one swaddle, value $48. Giveaway is open to US residents who are 18 and older. Ends February 24th, 2015 at 11:59 PM EST. Good luck!

Entry -Form

Finally Friday {Take 12}

2015-02-06T17:15:00.000-06:00

We're bringing back Finally Friday!!!

If you have no flippin' clue what I'm talking about, you can get caught up here.
And as in caught up, I mean the last Finally Friday post was a year and a half ago!!!! ooops.

Emily

1) Me and the girls at my office started a work out session during our lunches on Monday, Wednesday and Fridays. One of us brings a healthy lunch and we work out together. It's awesome. And it hurts. Hurts so good. Follow along on Instagram to see what we're up to each day.

2) We're planning a little getaway around some training I have coming up. We'll be in Nasvhille, Gatlinburg, Pigeon Forge and then finally Atlanta. Any tips on what we should see while we're there??? (More info on Facebook, too.)

3) We're almost finished with our master bedroom. FINALLY. And, I cannot wait to show y'all. Charlie gave some sneak peaks in his previous post. Just a little more work on the trip and a few more finishing touches to the fireplace and it will officially be done! You can't tell I'm excited, right?

Charlie

1) My parents live in Northern Illinois and this past week they had 10 inches of snow. Have to admit I was kind of jealous. I like snow.

2) With that being said, I am really looking forward to spring getting here. This year I plan on planting a larger garden, since my girls absolutely love fruits and vegetables........And of course fishing season starts!!!!!!!!

3) Our little girl Guthrie is 10 months old and is seriously only a couple weeks away from full out walking. Just this week she has been standing straight up off the ground and staying there without holding onto anything. I'll have my hands full once she's off walking. An almost 3 year old and almost 1 year old running right past their dad.

Favorite pin of the week:

Source

Because seriously.

Y'all know we have like a huge, huge, huge gun safe taking up way too much room in my house, right?

It's big and bulky and ugly.

But, this.

THIS is surrounded by gold itself.

gold = barnwood.

THIS is a safe I could get on board with!

Printable of the week:

This was part of our "Year of Printables" gift post.

See the rest HERE.

Favorite meal of the week:

Our Healthy CrockPot Chicken Enchilada Soup! We took a few recipes we found online, made them healthier and quicker, with less ingredients! Nothin' easier than throwing a bunch of stuff in a crockpot! Am I right!?

Thanks for hanging out with us today!

We hope you stop by again soon!

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On The Go in 2015 - GIVEAWAY!!!

2015-01-28T15:49:00.000-06:00

All moms understand that it's really hard to travel with kids, even if only going to the park or the store. Here are some great products to make getting out of the house a little easier, whether it's just for an afternoon or for a whole weekend. We are excited to bring you this awesome giveaway in collaboration with Green Scene Mom!

Make taking kids on the go a little easier, and definitely more fun!

The Shrunks Wally Inflatable Bed Rail - $25
At The Shrunks, we believe that kids are cool. Creating stuff that makes bedtime fun and safe for them, wherever they are, is what we love to do. Keep your child safe from rolling off the bed with The Shrunks Inflatable Bed Rail! Its slim design allows the bed rail to slip conveniently under any fitted standard sized twin, queen or king size bed sheet. Each package comes with a bed rail, foot pump, and a carrying bag for easy transport to all of your destinations. Recommended for kids 2 years and up. Shop @ theshrunks.com.

Milkdot Popdots Go Pouch - $20
Popdots Go Pouch is the perfect carryall for everyday or for travel. Plus, it's insulated so it makes a great snack bag too. Use it as a toiletry bag, storage bag or quick change diaper bag. With one large elastic pocket and three smaller elastic pockets, your items will stay in place and organized. It's the versatile pouch for children, teens and women to take on the go for school, work or travel with plenty of room for school supplies, arts and crafts, toys, cosmetics, medicine, toiletries, first aid, baby essentials, snacks, drinks and much more! Shop @ milkdot.com.

Poncho Baby Pack-N-Run Organic Diaper Pouch - $35
This eco-friendly and portable organic diaper bag pouch is perfect for those times when a diaper bag is too big. Made in the USA with 100% Cotton Muslin Imported. Use it for a quick trip to the supermarket, the park or an airport bathroom. It's been carefully sized to hold just the necessities. Also works great as an insert in a purse or diaper bag. Shop @ ponchobaby.com.

Poppy Drops $30 Gift Certificate
Poppy Drops was created due to a dilemma lots of us face — when to pierce a little girl's ears? Poppy Drops earrings really are the perfect solution that is practical for parents and super fun for kids! From our signature earrings came other solutions for modern kids! We now offer Tattoo Nail Art, Mix & Match Tattoo Jewelry, Perfume Sticks & Lip Luster — all of which are designed for little ones but are great for EVERYONE! All of our products are made with natural ingredients — 100% safe for any age. We make staying young even more fun than growing up! Shop @poppydrops.com.

Yummi Pouch Reusable Food Pouches set of 6 - $15
Yummi Pouch reusable food pouches combine style and convenience in an eco-friendly container you can fill with homemade smoothies and blended snacks! Yummi Pouches are easy to fill and clean through the top zipper opening and are great for taking healthy snacks on the go. Shop @ yummipouch.com.

Zippyz Baby Footed Pajamas - $27.99
Zippyz are baby footed pajamas with a patented design to make diaper changes quick and easy. Zippyz have a zipper from foot to belly so parents can change diapers quick and easy while keeping their baby covered and warm. Shop @ shopzippyz.com.

Pacidoodle Personalized Pacifiers set of 2 - $12.50
Pacidoodle Personalized Pacifiers are the Cute, High Quality Solution to Accidental Paci-Swapping! Baby's name, monogram or cute saying is engraved on pacifiers and will not rub off or fade. "A little paci love made with a lot of His love". Shop @ pacidoodle.com.

Enter to win this Amazing Prize Set!

This giveaway is open to United States and Canada.

a Rafflecopter giveaway

SLOW DOWN.............and sip your coffee.

2015-01-27T21:02:00.004-06:00

As I sit here, on this couch of mine, with no TV, no kids a stirring, just silence...... it hits me that life doesn't have to move at the speed of light. Life moves at the speed in which you make it move.

Slow Down.....and sip your coffee.

One day last week was probably one of the scariest moments I've experienced in my life. I went to the ER last week experiencing chest pains, arm numbness and indescribable pain in the back of my neck. Heart attack at age 30? How could I be feeling like this? Why is this happening to me? What about my girls? Who will teach them the things they need to know about life? Who will protect them from the boys that will break their hearts as they grow? What about my wife? How will she go on? We are on a journey together, we are a team, there's no I in team.... Then I think, I've got to much to do to be dealing with this right now. I've got too many projects that aren't complete?

WHAT????

I've got too much to do?

Who says that?

Well. This guy says that. WHY? I don't know, but as I sit at home today, I know I won't ever say it again. Long story, but it wasn't a heart attack I was experiencing but some other health related issues that I've been putting off for a while. Side Note: when your body tells you something, don't put it off, it's a lot smarter than you give it credit for.

At the age of 24 I lost my best friend to a motorcycle accident. We were 2 modern day, Bo and Luke Duke friends (minus the badass 69 charger with rebel flag roof). We ran hard, experienced life like any midwest 20 something year old kids should. One thing that set him apart from me, was his Life's a Garden, Dig it!! mentality. I envied that quality in him. Now that I look back on it, I think he knew that he would not be on this earth for a long period of time and wanted to make the most of it. From the day that I carried him to his final resting place, I vowed to carry that trait into my daily life.

What happened? Life Happened? No, I chose to let it go by too quick. I read Emily's last post and realized that she was thinking the same thing. So now, under this roof we will be moving at our own speed. We will enjoy watching our kids grow and will not be the ones who in 20 years tell new parents it goes quick they don't stay babies for long. No, we will tell them, enjoy them, it will be the best years of your life.

Under this roof, we will do things we enjoy. Things that bring us great joy.

Under this roof, we will not be afraid to try new things and experience life.

BE A REBEL...REBEL AGAINST A HECTIC LIFESTYLE. REBEL AGAINST GOING TO FAST IN LIFE. REBEL AGAINST NOT HAVING FUN.

Okay, enough of that business. It's been a while since we have shared some DIY projects with you. I figured I would take some quick pics of the things I've recently built and some things many moons ago. This is one of the things I love most about our house. Almost all of our furniture in our house I have made. Basically, Emily says I saw this (insert some sort of crazy idea off Pinterest) and I was thinking that you could make it for me...But better. That's where she gets me hook, line and sinker. Always up for a competition. I always give Em a hard time about having to make another project for her (shhh...I actually enjoy doing it but don't tell her or Pinterest will be the death of me.)

I made this hutch soon after we built the house. All of the barn wood came from an old barn that a friend was tearing down at his new property. (Word of advice - if you are getting barn wood in the middle of the summer; take a gun for snakes, spray down for ticks, and have plenty of ice cold beer. Barns built back in the day were built when men were steel and ships were wood.)

I also built these tables soon after the house was built. My lovely wife said "we just have to get us some end tables. None of the ones at the store are what I like!" Cue Charlie out in the garage making some end tables.

I found this saw milled log in our creek behind the house. I had a couple buddies hook a chain onto it and we pulled it out with my truck. It was water logged beyond belief, weighing close to 400lbs. I let it sit in the garage for about a month to air out. Emily came home the night I pulled it out and said I know where that's going......

We just hadddddddd to put a gallery wall in our house (or seven).............we wanted something different then just your standard picture frames, so i decided to make a large frame with pictures in it!

We like Wine......Could've guessed huh? Well Em always wanted to have a Chalkboard in the house. So I decided to surprise her and make her one with a wine shelf. Check out the tutorial on how to build one for yourself.

This is probably my favorite piece in the whole house. Im not quite sure why, but it just seemed to fit perfect in our house. The barn wood came from the Nashville Flea Market and the guys I got it from said they removed it from the old stalls at the Kentucky Derby years ago. (My little helper was asleep on the couch today while I was taking the pictures)

I built this as the guest book signing table for our wedding. The wood from this also came from my buddies barn. After the wedding I had this pretty cool table and didn't want to get rid of it. So we decided to ditch our old entertainment center and put this in its place.(Notice how fixer upper is on the TV. Yea, its on almost all the time at our house and I frequently give em the superman shirt pose that Chip gives JoJo)

Those end tables I made for the living room, well yea we needed some for our bedsides. When we remolded our master bedroom I built these to go with our decor. Check out how I made the Flea Market Lamps here.

This is our latest project. With the recent addition to our family with Baby Guthrie, we needed to add on. So, I lost my garage and a master bedroom was added in its place. So we went with vaulted ceilings, fireplace, wagon wheel chandelier and barn doors. This is by far my favorite room in the whole house. Stay tuned to future blog posts and we'll show you how we transformed the garage into the Master Bedroom and some step by step instructions on how to add a fireplace and barn doors to your house.

That's all for today. Since we're pledging to slow down and spend time doing things we love, you'll want to stay tuned. We love building and creating and making our house into a home and we plan on showing you a lot more real soon!

Hold on January, let me take a breather....

2015-01-02T22:49:00.000-06:00

Holy long time, right? You might have thought we forgot how to type or something! Almost friends...almost.

Are you a "New Years Resolution" kinda person? I'm not. Never have been. But this year's different.
More on that later.

It's been downright cray cray around here. Please tell me you relate?

We spent Thanksgiving in Nashville, as we always do. We came home and got to have an awesome date night out with none other than Mr. Garth Brooks!!!!

Then left two weeks later for Disney. Came home and two days later it was Christmas! Talk about hectic.

Like packing and unpacking, then packing again. And long car rides and long shopping days. Then another car ride and a quick flight that ended in puke.

Yes, puke.

Then princesses and parades and lines.

Ohhhh the lines.

And more charters and yes...more lines. And trolleys and monorails and some not-so-friendly mousekateers (more on that in a future post....they lied...it's not the happiest place on Earth).

Then baking cookies and frantic last minute wrapping at midnight. Lots of family and a whole lot of food. More gifts. More food. More toys. Noisy ones...thanks family...

But most importantly....

MEMORIES.

Soooooo many gosh darn memories....

It's 10PM right now and I have two sleeping babies. The house is quiet and as I sit in my dark bedroom typing... I'm taking my time...watching Shark Tank (secret obsession) ....taking deep breaths and .....soaking it all in.

All of it.

I've had a lot of time off of work over the past two months due to holidays and our Disney vacation. I normally work 8-5 everyday and have little time at home with my girls and hubby. This past two months has been stressful and exhausting but oh so fantastic all at the same time. I've been able to spend some quality time with my family and make memories that will last a lifetime.

We're so very blessed and sometimes it's easy to forget that.

Enter New Years Resolution here...

We've got a very sick baby on our hands this week, which led to more time off of work for me. I've seen doctors twice, Walgreen's too many times to mention and have a small pharmacy sitting on my kitchen counter. About 3 hours ago I found myself sitting in the middle of the living floor surrounded by building blocks and dress up clothes and tissues and Tylenol, with a two year old on one knee and an 8 month old laying helplessly on my shoulder. And slowly but surely the tears began to fall. I felt helpless and exhausted and like I couldn't make it one more hour until bedtime routine. Then, Paisley turned around and looked at me like she'd just seen a ghost. I'm not sure if she's ever seen me cry. She slowly sat back down on my knee, this time facing me. She very slowly and gently wiped away my tear and whispered "ohhhh don't cry baby".

Enter more tears...

She somehow got it. She knew sissy was sick and Mama needed her help. Her little finger to wipe away my tear and her sweet little whisper made it all ok.

Unfortunately, my girls are used to me being gone a lot. I have to wake up almost every day and explain to Paisley why I can't play with her today, but will as soon as I come home. And then, I lie and tell her I'll be home really, really soon. The 3 hours a night I get with them seems to fly by. So these past two months of vacations and holidays and me being home a lot more than normal has created a couple of adorable little mama's girls.

And this mama is choosing to be present.

Because in a few short days, life goes back to normal. God-willing my sweet little Guthrie is healthy by Monday, our normal routine will once again be in full swing. And, my hours with my family will be minimal again.

So, I'm choosing to be present. I'm putting away the phone. I'm not thinking about work. I'm playing on the floor with my kids and having real conversations with my husband. I'm going to stop staying up too late and start eating healthier so that I feel better. I'm going to spend more time doing things I want to do that I don't take the time for. If I do things that make me happy, I'll be happier for my kids and my husband. And, I want to show my children how to be happy. Not stressed and tired and on a time crunch.

I'm choosing to be present in 2015.

What are you choosing???

Giveaway Time!

2014-12-03T09:10:00.002-06:00

It's time for another giveaway! Check out this awesome prize package!!! Good luck y'all!

Green Scene Mom's Holiday Gift Guide Giveaway features top picks for Eco-friendly and innovative Christmas gifts for moms, kids and babies! Each of these items inspire Eco-friendly lifestyles, learning, and creative expression. Check out Green Scene Mom's Gift Guides and enter to win these amazing prizes from our giveaway sponsors!

Giveaway Prizes

Buttons Diapers - Diaper Cover, 3 Daytime Inserts & Flannel Wipes
Buttons one-size cloth diapers are soft, durable, and leak proof with double gussets around the legs. They fit babies 9-35 lbs and come in many colors and prints. The snap-in inserts are made from soft microfiber or a natural hemp/cotton blend, with a layer of soft fleece on top. Shop @ buttonsdiapers.com.

Oogaa - Plate, Placemat & Spoon
oogaa designs and manufactures non-toxic feeding products for kids. Their award-winning divided plates are stackable, soft, durable and easy to clean. oogaa's silicone plane and train spoons make mealtime fun, featuring molded designs that kids will love using! Shop @ oogaa.com.

Yummi Pouch Brights
Yummi Pouch reusable food pouches combine style and convenience in an eco-friendly container you can fill with homemade smoothies and blended snacks! Yummi Pouches are easy to fill and clean through the top zipper opening and great for taking healthy snacks on the go. Shop @ yummipouch.com.

Artterro - Collage Jewelry Kit
Embellish wooden pendants, beads and a bangle to create 6 gorgeous jewelry pieces, and proudly wear your own fashions! Shop @ artterro.com.

Pacific Baby - Natural Feeding Plate, Bowl & Cup - Green
Pacific Baby's all natural feeding bowl and cup is completely plastic-free and made from natural bamboo. It's strong, durable and dishwasher safe on the top rack. Made from biodegradable and compostable materials, this feeding set comes in several colors and is a stylish way to go-green at mealtime! Shop @ pacificbabyworld.com.

Austin Lloyd - 1 Month Subscription Box
A 1 month subscription of engaging surprises from Austin Lloyd. Each box includes 3-5 toys and at least one book that are customized to the development stage of your child. Shop @austinlloyd.com.

Preserve - Mixing Bowl Set - Red
The Preserve Mixing Bowl set includes three nested bowls (2 qt, 3 qt, and 4 qt) made in the USA from 100% BPA free, recycled #5 plastic. Bowls are wide for comfortable mixing with an easy grip handle that aids pouring. Available in assorted colors. Shop @ preserveproducts.com.

Ubbi - Cloth Pail Liner
This Eco-friendly luxury liner is washable & reusable, pvc-free, waterproof, and odor resistant. Holds 7 gallons and closes with a drawstring. Shop @ ubbiworld.com.

pediped Shoes - 1 pair boys or girls
Exceptional quality, unsurpassed comfort, and distinctive styling have made pediped the fastest growing children's footwear brand in the United States. pediped is sold in over 2,500 US stores and 40 countries worldwide with an offering of more than 140 designs for boys and girls. The award-winning footwear is available in EU sizes 17 to 36. Shop @ pediped.com.

MAM Holiday Pacifiers
MAM pacifiers are available in boy and girl holiday themed packages. Each pacifier is decorated with fun, seasonal designs and will help keep your little one calm during the year's most joyous festivities. These pacifiers feature an anti-slip silicone nipple and curved shield with multiple small openings to allow air to circulate and baby's skin to breathe. Shop @ shopmambaby.com.

Wobabybasics Swaddle Me Blanket & Sweet Dreams Nursing Gown
Whether it is for swaddling, cuddling, warming or playing, this soft blanket will be a perfect companion for your little one. The unique hook and loop strap allows you to secure a pacifier, toy or to transform the blanket into a cozy cape. Mothers will appreciate the convenience of the simple yet stylish, pull-down nursing gown. Wobabybasics provides easy-to-wear, comfortable and practical organic cotton essentials for children up to 8 years old. As the healthiest option for babies and the planet, only GOTS certified organic cotton textiles and chemical free dyes are used. Shop @ wobabybasics.bigcartel.com.

Wishy Life Buddies - Interactive Book Set
Children bring their 'Buddy' to life by naming him and sprinkling him with Wishy Dust. The book includes a 'Buddy', Wishy Stem, Wishy Dust and seven empty eggs that can be filled with stickers, treats and small gifts. Shop @ wishylife.com.

Wristy Buddy - Teething Wristband
Wristy Buddy is designed for babies who haven't developed the motor skills to hold traditional teething objects. It is made of absorbent and non-toxic materials to help keep little faces and clothing dry. Shop @ wristybuddy.com.

Bert&Bratt pure-Go Portable UV Sterilizer
Pure-GO by Bert&Bratt is a Portable UV Sterilizer for pacifiers, bottle nipples, small teethers/sippy cup tops. NO heat, water or chemicals required. Just push a button to eliminate up to 99.9% of harmful germs in 4 minutes. This small/light sterilizer is perfect for travel and easily fits in your purse or diaper bag. No more hassles to try to find soap and water or do the "drop and pop". Just grab a Bert&Bratt sterilizer to conveniently help keep your baby healthy. Shop @ bertandbratt.com.

Enter to win this Amazing Prize Set!

This giveaway is open to United States entries who have a US mailing address.

a Rafflecopter giveaway

Fall Awards Giveaway

2014-09-29T11:52:00.003-05:00

Once again our partnership with Green Scene Mom is allowing us to provide this awesome giveaway opportunity! Check out these awesome products and enter to win at the bottom of this post! Good luck y'all!

The Green Scene Mom Awards celebrate niche, eco-friendly products and innovative product designs. We are very excited to announce the 2014 Fall Award Winners! Many of these great companies have also contributed prizes to Green Scene Mom's Fall Awards Giveaway. Enter to win below!

Baby Buddy Tooth TissuesTooth Tissues make cleaning a baby's teeth simple and easy to introduce regular oral care to a young child. Tooth Tissues are the natural first step to brushing a child's teeth after every meal and they're a simple way to ensure a baby isn't negatively affected by oral bacteria. Award Details »

bambu natural utensilsbambu's natural feeding products are an eco-friendly twist on conventional baby utensils. Each product is created to meet a need within the various stages from infancy to childhood and each item is shaped to be easy to use by kids learning to feed themselves. Award Details »

Bumkins Finer Baby ProductsBumkins has a huge selection of eco-friendly products that are available in coordinating prints. Bumkins waterproof bags and cloth diapers are easy to use and clean and help reduce household trash. Award Details »

Buttons Cloth DiapersButtons Cloth Diapers make diapering easy and Eco-friendly. Their new prints are so adorable and feature quality details, sturdy leg gussets, and a simple adjustable snap system that allows the diaper to grow with your baby. Award Details »

Cache Coeur Signature Maternity LingerieCache Coeur offers elegant solutions for pregnancy and nursing to make life more comfortable and stylish. Their lingerie line includes designs that are functional and embellished with feminine details. Award Details »

Cupcake Organic Nursing PadsCupcake Nursing Pads are made from high-quality cotton and are easy to assemble and clean. They offer great coverage in preventing leaks and provide peace of mind while breastfeeding. Award Details »

Cushy CloserCushy Closers are an innovative and streamlined way to keep a door from latching. They are ideal for use on doors to rooms where kids are napping, since the cushion allows the door to be closed but muffles any door closing sounds. Award Details »

Eepples MilkCharmsEepples MilkCharms are designed to help moms easily label, track, and organize their breast milk supply. The MilkCharm is a reusable dial system that lets moms quickly and easily set and read the day and time when breast milk was pumped. Award Details »

Emily Press Write Your Own LabelsEmily Press waterproof labels are an innovative way to create your own personalized labels. Write on the labels with a permanent marker then seal in your writing with the built-in laminate. These dishwasher-safe labels make it easy to personalize or label your items. Award Details »

It's The Balm Pregnancy Pamper KitIt's The Balm Pregnancy Pamper Kit includes belly balm, cooling foot scrub, whipped foot balm, and peppermint lip balm, each created with a combination of natural and essential oils formulated to heal and soothe. Organic raw shea butter, peppermint, eucalyptus, and tea tree oil are among the natural ingredients used in this natural pampering kit. Award Details »

Lotus Everywhere CribThe Lotus Travel Crib by Guava Family is an everywhere crib designed for easy portability and set up. It has mesh breathable sides all the way down to the mattress and a zipper opening in one side for easy access into the crib. The crib can be set up in 15 seconds and it fits into a compact case small enough for a carry-on. Award Details »

Milkies Milk-SaverThe Milkies Milk-Saver collects leaking breast milk as a mom nurses, allowing them to store extra breast milk effortlessly with each feeding. The Milk-Saver collects the milk that is leaked when breast milk lets down. It's slim and portable, minimizes leaks and comes with a durable case. Award Details »

Poncho Baby Roly BlanketsThe Poncho Baby Roly Blanket is a super-soft blanket that rolls into a compact clutch for easy carrying. The blanket is made from a double layer of soft cotton. It rolls up and attaches with a snap fastener. Award Details »

Rubber Ducky & Friends Kids' ShowerheadRubber Duckie & Friends showerheads are a fun way to introduce showering to young children. The character shower heads look like bath toys and help parents transition their kids from bathing in the tub to taking showers on their own. Award Details »

Shaikoo Hands Free TowelThe Shaikoo Towel Wrap was designed to simplify bath time and make baby bathing a fun, safe and relaxing experience. With a simple and durable Velcro-brand fastener around the neck, parents have both their left and right hands available to safely lift, cradle, and dry their wet baby. Award Details »

Strider Sport BikeStrider Bikes are easy to use by toddlers and kids who can't pedal yet. They also allow kids to "skip" the tricycle stage and advance to mastering gliding and balance skills that will help them eventually ride a standard bike. Award Details »

Tubby TableThe Tubby Table is an educational bath play surface for toddlers that suctions in the middle of the tub, giving kids a sturdy and safe surface while keeping water and toys inside the tub. Award Details »

Yummi Gear LunchboxesYummi Gear lunchboxes make it easy to take lunch on the go. They are designed to be easy to open for little fingers and keep lunch organized. Yummi Gear lunchboxes have 3 compartments to keep a sandwich, snacks and fruit separate and ready to enjoy. Award Details »

Zipadee-Zip Wearable BlanketZipadee-Zip helps a baby have the cozy, enclosed, womb-like feel of the swaddle but it allows a baby push up, roll over, and wiggle around safely and freely. It encourages self-soothing and longer, sounder sleep, prevents scratching, and keeps little hands warm all night long. Award Details »

Enter to win this amazing $400 prize package of award winning products!

Baby Buddy Tooth Tissues
Milkies Milk-Saver
CupCake nursing pads + insertable liners
Eepples MilkCharms set of 3
2 Zipadee-Zip wearable blankets
Bumkins 2 Nixi wet bags, 2 reusable snack bags, and 2 Snap-In-One cloth diapers
2 packages Emily Press Write Your Own Classic labels
It's The Balm Vanilla-Sandalwood Spa Kit
Yummi Gear lunchboxes set of 4
Rubber Duckie & Friends Duckie the Duck Bath & Shower Wand
Poncho Baby Roly Blanket
Tubby Table bathtime play table
Buttons Diapers 1 one-size diaper cover and 2 hemp/cotton diaper inserts
bambu Hemp Denim baby bib

a Rafflecopter giveaway

DIY Wine Bottle Chalkboard Centerpiece

2014-09-28T23:02:00.000-05:00

A couple of weeks ago, we were contacted by Protea Wines.They asked if we'd be interested in partnering up with them for their upcoming campaign, Art Blossoms. Basically they'd send us two bottles of wine to drink and then we were given the task to create something using our empty wine bottles. After we had this beautiful new masterpiece completed, Protea would choose several of their Pinterest followers to win the art created by all of us bloggers! How awesome is that!?!?

Let's be honest here....they had me at "free wine"... ;)

But, then.....I looked up the brand and the wine and I was totally intrigued with the beauty of these bottles and the idea behind this campaign. In their words....

"Protea Wines is proud to present Art Blossoms, a campaign by women, for women with the goal of encouraging art and sustainability to blossom all over the country. Designed for upcycling, Protea wine bottles motivate others to create beauty and express individuality. That's why we've invited some of the most inspiring women on Pinterest to make something new with our wine bottles. Win one of these beautiful creations for yourself - all you have to do is follow the Protea Wines Pinterest page!"

Seriously though, check out these beauties...

And, I'll just go ahead and add it in there that the wine tasted mighty fine, too! ;)

I decided I wanted to make some sort of a Chalkboard holder out of my wine bottle. I don't do ANY project without the help and support of Mr. Bonfires & Wine so he got right to work helping me! We also enlisted the help of a cute little 2 year old that prefers to wear her boots with no pants...

So here's what you'll need to create your own Wine Bottle Chalkboard Centerpiece (just in case you don't win this one!).

A tree limb that will fit somewhat snuggly into your wine bottle.

A chalkboard (mine's from Hobby Lobby)

Jute

Hot Glue Gun

Protea Wine Bottle

We decided where we wanted the chalkboard to be on the tree limb and I market it with a pencil. Then, I put a line of hot glue right over my pencil line. We added more hot glue to the edges once we had it secured.

We let that dry and then added jute to the neck of the bottle also using hot glue.

I wrote on the chalkboard and we were done!

This was a super simple, easy and cheap craft that makes for such a cute centerpiece! It could even be used for your daily menu planner or a "Welcome" sign for your entryway!

Sooo...what do y'all think? We're so happy with how it turned out and cannot wait to send it to one of the winners!

Make sure you're following Protea on Pinterest for a chance to win!

Thanks so much for stopping by today! Hope you have a great week!

Linking up:

Home Stories A to Z

My baby's not a baby anymore..

2014-09-04T17:30:00.000-05:00

I woke up at 6:00AM to the sound of Guthrie fussing. My hand felt sort of numb. It was because I'd been sleeping for the last 20-30 minutes with a death grip on the baby monitor. My baby wasn't a baby anymore...

She was a two and a half year old, sassy, blue eyed, little girl.

A little girl.
Not a baby.

She was all of about 36 inches covering what seemed to be a California king sized bed. She seemed so small. Too small to be in a big girl bed, with a big girl comforter, in her new big girl room. Thank God she still wanted to sleep with MooseMan and Lambie or I may have actually lost all control and sobbed uncontrollably. We even added in a cute little leopard we now call "Spotty" just to make the new bed, new room, new routine seem a little bit more fun. He helped in some weird way.

She got up two or three times before actually closing her eyes and going to sleep. We talked to her, laid down with her, sang to her and assured her we weren't more than a hallway away. Thank God for video monitors and two-way speakers on those things. I sang "You Are My Sunshine" about a dozen times into that little handheld thing. And slowly, but surely, those beautiful little glowing eyes in the monitor quit wandering...and they closed. They stayed closed until about 4AM.

The above process took place all over again and lasted about an hour and a half. A dozen more Sunshine songs were sung and countless of trips up and down the hallway, sprinting back to our room to watch her on the monitor.

That monitor felt like my lifeline.
And, I think it was that first night.

We woke up the next morning and decided to have a jumping on her bed party to celebrate her sleeping in her big girl bed. We jumped, we sang, we screamed and cheered, and the smile on her sweet little face was priceless.

The second night came around. It was bedtime. Only one song was sung, only one sprint was made down the hallway and my hand wasn't nearly as numb the next morning. My baby slept all night long in her big girl bed.

My sweet baby's not a baby anymore.

Now we just have to figure out nap time...

xoxo - Emily

Vintage Baseball Baby Shower

2014-08-19T06:30:00.000-05:00

Hey y'all! I'm so excited to show you today's post! I teamed up with several fabulous ladies and we threw an adorable vintage baseball themed shower for my cousin! If you follow us on Facebook, you probably saw a sneak peak a few weeks ago!

My cousin, Stephanie decided on a theme and us girls went straight to....wait for it....

PINTEREST!!!

Shocker?

No?

Ok...well....

I came across this adorable printable package and knew this was exactly what we were looking for!

I partnered up with Naomi, the talented designer of these adorable printables, and the shower was a total hit! Everything was so easy since she already did all of the hard work creating the printables! We love how the shower turned out and we got so many compliments on all of our decor!

We used the pennants and foam finger printables for our centerpieces. We used vases that we all had on hand, and filled them with baseball game snacks like peanuts, popcorn, sunflower seeds and cracker jacks!

We cut AstroTurf into squares to help finish off our centerpieces.

One of my favorite parts.....

We bought ivory colored, twin, flat sheets from Wal-Mart to use as tablecloths. (shout out to my girl Tonya from Love of Family & Home for this huge money saving tip!!!)

I'll share a tutorial soon for creating the stitch lines!

I have some old bi-fold doors that I use for a lot of backdrops and knew they'd be perfect for the baby shower! The cute banner came in the printable package and so did all of the food labels!

The fabric garland adds so much and is super simple to throw together! Tutorial coming soon on this, too!

We stuck with the traditional baseball game foods and served popcorn, nachos and hot dogs!

The cupcake toppers came with the printable package also and I used Picmonkey.com to add the lettering.

I used one of the blank food labels and created this sign. We had everyone sign the baseball for baby Abner.

This might have been my other favorite part. We saw the idea on Pinterest and re-created it. My Aunt Leann used a blank canvas and painted the baseball and quote on it. I used the blank food label to create the sign here, too.

We put out a red stamp pad and had every one leave their fingerprint on the baseball as the stitching.

These favor tags were another wonderful part of the printables package. We had a local bakery make these cute little baseball cookies and the guests took one home with them.

We even had real coke bottles!

We decorated the entry-way with more signage from the package and some vintage baseball gear!

My amazing Nana made this beautiful quilt for baby Abner. She always puts a special message on the back of our quilts for us. I don't think she realizes how much we cherish this! She made Guthrie the same quilt and we love it!

Nothing is forgotten in the printable package, y'all! Restroom signs and field entrance signs are included and look how adorable they are!

Here's the glowing mama-to-be with her shower memorabilia.

You might remember this from my best friends baby shower last year. We loved the idea so much we did it for my cousin, too. All of the guests took turns writing advice or messages to Stephanie, Bill and Baby Abner and then I photographed them holding the board. Stephanie will have a wonderful, personalized photo album to remember her baby shower and all of her friends and family who celebrated with her! And, take a look at this awesome advice...!!!

Ok, that was total photo overload, but I wanted to show you every detail!

These printables can be used for a birthday party, too! Naomi is soooooooo great to work with and she is one seriously talented girl! Check out these other things she has available in her shop...

NLeeman Etsy Shop

Naomi Leeman - Website

I'm loving those airplane invites and the inspirational wall art! How adorable are those!?!?

Huge shout out to Naomi for teaming up with me and making this shower such a hit! The shower would not have been the same without your creative printables!

Thanks so much for stopping by! Stay tuned for a 4th of July post (because 4th of July posts are written in August?), fabric garland tutorial, baseball table cloth tutorial and photo's from the wedding I got to photograph this past weekend!

Have an awesome week!

Linking up:

Love of Family & Home

Design, Dining & Diapers

New Mommy Giveaway!

2014-08-04T09:31:00.002-05:00

Green Scene Mom has partnered with Guava Family and many other brands to bring you this fabulous giveaway featuring lots of great products for new moms and their babies! Each of these products was designed to meet a unique need and make life simple for mom and baby.

	Guava FamilyLotus Everywhere Crib - $249.95 The Lotus travel crib is so easy to use and easy to take with you, you will want to use it everywhere... places you never would even consider taking more traditional portable cribs simply because they are too bulky & heavy. Use the Lotus at home, at a friends house for dinner, or even in the airport terminal. The Lotus is more than a travel crib. It's an Everywhere Crib. guavafamily.com
	CoromegaBe Bright Superfood Oil Blend, 2 90ct Original Orange, and 2 30Ct Orange "Tiger" - $140 Coromega selects only the finest ultra-refined fish oil for use in its products. Our fish oil originates deep within the wild fishing stocks in the clear waters of South America. Once extracted, the crude fish oil is delivered the experienced hands of our Norwegian refinery where it is given its superior sensory characteristics to be clear, taste-free and odor-free. Since 1999, Coromega has produced the most effective and advanced delivery form of Omega-3, making it into incredibly tasty, natural citrus flavors with no fishy taste, aftertaste or fishy burps! coromega.com
	The Bumble CollectionBrittany Backpack in Lace Floral - $99.99 The Bumble Collection is a family lifestyle brand specializing in children's products including diaper bags and family accessories such as lunch bags, picnic baskets, and food/beverage coolers for our fashionable families. Since 1999, our diaper bags have graced the pages of magazines and have been carried on the shoulders of many A-list celebrities. Our products have been placed on the shelves of top retailers spanning the globe. All products from The Bumble Collection are made of the finest materials using an all-natural process without the use of synthetic preservatives as we respect and embrace the value of sustainability and it's effects on the environment. thebumblecollection.com
	Yummi PouchYummi Pouch Brights reusable food pouches + cloth snack & sandwich bag set - $24.99 Yummi Pouch eco-friendly snack time solutions encourage healthy snacks for active kids. Our reusable food pouches are freezer safe, dishwasher safe, BPA-free, Phthalate-free, and can be filled with healthy blended snacks and easily taken on-the-go, no spoon required! Yummi Pouch cloth snack bags are lined with a water resistant interior and decorated with colorful prints. Perfect for crackers, chips, and sandwiches. yummipouch.com
	Belli SkincarePrep & Glow Trio from Belli Skincare - $69.99 Belli Fresh Start Pre-Treatment Scrub is an invigorating scrub with peppermint that sweeps away old skin cells to reveal healthy skin. Belli Anti-Blemish Facial Wash is a pure facial wash featuring lactic acid that leaves skin clear and refined, without over-drying. Belli Healthy Glow Facial Hydrator is a lightweight moisturizer rich in Vitamin C and botanical humectants that help refine and soften skin texture. belliskincare.com
	Philips AVENTElectric Bottle and Baby Food Warmer Giveaway - $45.99 The fast, safe way to warm expressed milk and baby food, the Philips AVENT Electric Bottle and Baby Food Warmer warms 125ml/4oz milk at room temperature in around 4 minutes. philips.com
	Buttons Diapers2 diaper covers + 2 daytime diaper inserts + 1 small wet bag - $36 Buttons Diapers feature a quality and affordable two-in-one diapering system that consists of wipeable PUL covers and super-soft absorbent inserts that snap into the covers to stay in place! Buttons Diapers fit babies from 9-35 lbs, have two layers of stretchy waterproof PUL throughout, and double gussets at the legs to keep messes in. buttonsdiapers.com
	Mixie8 oz. bottle, 4 oz. bottle, 1 package each of Stage 1, 2, and 3 silicone nipple replacements - $51.95 Mixie is the first baby formula bottle that can be fixed now and mixed later. Formula goes in the little compartment. Water goes in the bottle. At the first cry, just push the button, shake, and blend. Simple. Yet really quite genius. On a flight, or in the middle of the night, Mixie has you covered. Because when baby wants a bottle, baby wants a bottle now. mixiebaby.com
	Lollaland1 Lollacup + 1 Straw Replacement Pack + 1 Mealtime Set - $41 Lollacup is a stylish and functional, drinking cup whose innovative design helps infants and toddlers successfully use a straw. Lollacup's flexible straw has a weighted end that allows children to drink effortlessly, even when the cup is tilted. The straw is valve-free, which makes it easy to use and clean. Lollacup is BPA and phthalate-free and is proudly made in the USA. The Lollaland Mealtime Set is the perfect complement to the well-loved Lollacup. Lollaland's Mealtime Set consists of a plate, bowl and dipping cup designed for smaller hands and toddler-sized portions. lollaland.com
	UbbiTwin pack cloth liner - $29.95 Using washable diapers? We have exactly what you need! The Ubbi cloth pail liner is a necessity for cloth diapering parents. Bring out the green in your diaper pail with these biodegradable liners. Twin pack includes 2 bags that are washable, waterproof, odor-resistant and reusable. Using the Ubbi cloth pail liners add to the eco-friendly experience. ubbiworld.com
	WaterWipes12 packs of 60 wipes - $42.99 WaterWipes are the world's purest baby wipes. Made from 99.9% water & 0.1% grapefruit seed extract. And that's it! Nothing else! Only 2 ingredients. Completely free from chemicals, WaterWipes are the baby wipes parents and healthcare professionals have been waiting for. All natural and pure, WaterWipes are safe to use on baby's delicate newborn ultra thin skin. WaterWipes are effective yet ultra-mild, pure and gentle. WaterWipes are unlike any other baby wipe on the market, and have been produced using cutting-edge technology to give unrivalled mildness, purity and safety. waterwipes.com
	PearheadBabyprints Photo Frame - $24.95 This classic white wooden frame has spaces for your baby's handprint, footprint, and adorable photo. It's simply the easiest way to capture your baby's prints. Just press your baby's hand or foot onto the included "Clean-Touch" ink pad to reveal a detailed print. The baby's foot never touches the ink, so it's completely mess-free. Includes beveled mat stamped in silver with "My Little Prints". This keepsake frame is the perfect gift. pearhead.com
	ToofezeBaby Teether - $19.99 Toofeze is recognized for its cutting-edge design and ability to soothe, calm and comfort fussy teething babies. Three distinct chewing surfaces made of food-grade ingredients. Stainless steel disk chills instantly in cold water for quick symptom relief. Soft silicone handle is never too cold to hold. Smooth contoured shape enables firm counter-pressure against erupting teeth. Toofeze allows babies to self-satisfy and self-manage their changing teething needs. toofeze.com
	So RadMagic Romper - $25 So Rad's romper has short sleeves for warmer days, even featuring a rear access entry door for easy diaper changes. This romper has no snaps, buttons, velcro or zippers! The kimono style front opens up so bebe can squeeze his little chubs into it and it's made from bamboo and organic cotton. shopsorad.com
	Itzy RitzyInfinity nursing scarf - $24.99 At Itzy Ritzy, we believe life on-the-go in style is possible. Our modern multi-purpose products pack a number of dazzling punches to provide attractive solutions to everyday challenges without making you do a lot of work. Now with a global presence with thousands of retailers, Itzy Ritzy is reinventing practical luxury for modern families around the world. We consider our job done when you get your job done in a stylish, exciting and refreshingly simple way. itzyritzy.com
	Googaro 1 monthly box - $50 Googaro is a subscription box service delivering the best, most exciting new products for tots 0-3 years of age. We want to simplify your life and help you discover incredible new products that are a perfect blend of practical, safe, stylish and fun. googaro.com
	Olli and LimeDots Decals pack of 50 - $20 Olli & Lime dots vinyl wall decals create a dramatic feature on your wall. Each pack includes 50 one-inch dots, in your choice of colors. Olli & Lime designs modern nursery bedding and decor, for design-conscious parents. All products are made in the USA. olliandlime.com
	Earnest EatsSuperfood Snack Set - $130 At Earnest Eats we uncomplicated good food choices by creating whole food happiness in everything we make. You'll feel great every time you eat one of our foods! Our Superfood Hot Cereals are made with Superfood Grains – Whole Oats + Quinoa + Amaranth – plus fruits, nuts and seeds like almonds, blueberries, chia seeds, cranberries, and unsweetened cocoa for an added powerhouse of protein, fiber and nutrition to fuel the day. Our Baked Whole Food Energy Bars are made with whole nuts, fruits, seeds, whole organic oats and superfood almond butter, baked in small batches in ovens for a soft cookie-like texture. No spray-on vitamins or protein powders. No corn, peanut or soy oils. Our Superfood Chewy Granola Bars are made with their Superfood Grain Blend – Whole Oats + Quinoa + Amaranth – providing slow-release energy along with protein, fiber and phytonutrients. All in under 150 Calories and 9g Sugar. earnesteats.com
	PAKOriginal Green PAK (28 of PAK's on-the-go essentials) + Micro Black PAK (up to 16 of PAK's most essential "pocket-sized" items) + a Towelette Gift Bag - $90

The ultimate Urban Survival Kit: Unique kits stocked with personal care essentials needed on-the-go. PAK's product makes the perfect gift, ideal travel companion and a necessity for the girl on-the-go. It's there for you in a pinch, keeping you prepared for life's "misadventures". Moms are always doing a million things at once while going ninety miles an hour. PAK makes life a little less chaotic by putting all of your personal essentials into one compact place. Keep it together with PAK. thepakstore.com

Prize Gift Set - Retail Value $1,200

Open to the US - Ends 11:59PM 8/13/2014

a Rafflecopter giveaway

Direct Sales Planner Giveaway!!!

2014-07-29T06:00:00.000-05:00

I'm not OCD clean. My house normally needs to be dusted and it's very likely there's a little clutter in every corner. I'm ok with that. Always have been. What I'm not ok with? Messy lists. Of any kind.

***Enters confessional...***

I'm an OCD list maker.
Yep.
I'm one of those...

I like to make lists. I don't like if I make a mistake while making my lists. I'll have to start over. And, don't write on MY list, please.

Yep.
I'm one of those...

I keep an overly busy schedule on most days. And, I constantly worry about forgetting someone or something...between working a full time 40 hour a week job, selling Thirty-One, keeping up with this little ol' blog, and being a Mama and Wife!

My OCD list making skills help me overcome that fear! But...I wasn't completely satisfied until about a week ago when I met my new best friend, Jennifer from the The PolkaDot Posie!

She has designed and created some of the best planners and organizational tools I've ever seen!

Soooo....check out my new ~~baby~~ planner!...

This planner, which is the ultimate must-have for any direct sales consultant, has everything you could ever possibly need!

Personal & Team Monthly Goals & Overview

Order/Profit Tracker

Gift/Giveaway/Discount Tracker

Mileage Tracker

One-Page Party Planner & Summary

Yearly & Monthly Expense Trackers

Contact Pages for Consultants, Hostesses & Leads

2014-2015 Overview

Password Tracker

Replacement/Missing Items Log

Notes

Additional Blank Cover Page

I'm also using the Daily Docket to help my organize and plan out each day!

Being able to combine and organize the schedules of my personal life and multiple business lives, is important for the sake of my sanity, y'all. And, my new planner accomplishes this in sooo many ways!

Ready for the best part?....Jennifer is giving away one direct sales planner to one lucky winner and a daily docket to another!

Not a direct sales consultant? You can still enter! This planner has the monthly calendar pages and weekly calendar pages that would be great for anyone!

Even better, make sure you check out Jennifer's Etsy shop for all of her other great printables. She's got an amazing new teacher's planner, printables for Mom's, fitness and budget printables and sooooo much more!

Check out her awesome blog HERE
And her Etsy shop HERE

And, now…..enter to win one for FREE!!!

a Rafflecopter giveaway

DIY Chevron Pallet Flag

2014-07-14T06:00:00.000-05:00

Better late than never???

Good thing the American Flag is ALWAYS in season, right!?

Can I get an amen?

If you're following along on Instagram, Twitter or Facebook, you got a sneak peak! Charlie and I whipped this up the week of 4th of July to help give the front door a little patriotic flare! Chevron, Americana flare that is!

A couple years ago, a friend took down their old fence and called us to haul it off! They knew we'd put it to good use! That old fence has been used many of times so far and I've got big plans for it in the future, too! Thanks Mark & Kathy! :)

Let's get right to it….

You don't need an old fence to make your own Chevron Pallet Flag. Just some scrap wood, an old pallet, or even new lumber if you can't get your hands on some used, rustic goodness!

Assemble yourself a cute little pallet. We just used more scrap wood on the back, a little wood glue and some staples. You could even use nails. The more rustic and beat up the better!

Then, I sloppily spray painted my pallet red. I didn't want it to be perfect and I didn't want it to completely cover. I wanted the worn look.

I painted a small square blue. Again, don't worry about being neat and tidy with it. We're gonna sand this thing down even more before we're done!

Unless you like things neat and tidy…and in that case, you're probably on the wrong site anyways…

I used some scrap card stock paper, a ruler and a pencil to draw a chevron pattern stencil.

I traced my stencil directly onto my pallet and painted between the lines with white paint.

Then….some cute little hand drawn stars.

Now, the fun part…

Sand the crap out of it…

I used a small sanding block.

However, if it hadn't been 9:00…

And, if my kids weren't asleep…

And, if my electric sander weren't in the shed…

And, if I weren't scared of the dark…

I totally would have used my electric sander!

My arms would have appreciated it.

A little burlap makes everything better…

I love how it turned out and plan to leave it up ….until Christmas probably!

What do y'all think???

Have you ever made a pallet flag? We'd love to see your projects! Share with us on Facebook!

Thanks so much for stopping by! Hope you have an amazing week!

Linking up:

My Uncommon Slice of Suburbia

Sneak Peek

2014-07-08T15:29:00.000-05:00

Hey Y'all……Charlie here again. Where has summer gone? It seems like yesterday we were at the hospital waiting on Baby Guthrie to make her appearance; and that was in April. Well, like most families during the summer months we have been running non stop. From birthday parties, BBQ's and summer loving activities we are always on the go. I was just telling Emily that for about a week straight I think I ate nothing but hot dogs and hamburgers. Although, we have been mighty busy, we still managed to get some projects finished up around the house. If you follow along with us on Facebook you saw that we also survived a flood from the creek behind the house! I'm going to go ahead and leak a few pictures of what we've done and challenge Em to share the details of each project in the following weeks.

A sure sign of summer is a tractor in the field mowing hay. With the extremely wet summer we've had, our neighbor is finally able to cut hay today.

Speaking of a wet summer, here are a few pics of the the damage the creek did when it decided to flood.

Yea…Not Cool!!! We lost 7 chickens and had a lot of wet and muddy tools and equipment. But, the water didn't reach the house and we're fortunate for that! After 2 days of cleanup around the shed and pool we were back to normal.

Enough about mother nature and her crazy ways, here are a few pics of our completed projects. I'll make sure Em shares all the details with you in the next few weeks. That's only if I can get her out of the pool...next week looks like its going to be another hot one!

We've put the finishing touches on our old room and created a beautiful room for a very special 2 year old.

We also put together a pretty cool gallery wall in our entryway with room to grow. I'm sure we will have a lot of photo sessions in our future to add to it.

Sneak peek of the dessert table Emily and Tonya (from Love of Family & Home) put together for our 4th of July party!

Make sure y'all stop back and check out how we put the finishing touches on these projects. I've also got a few ideas up my sleeve that Emily doesn't know about!!

-Charlie