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How To Knock Out Spring Cleaning In Less Time

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

The edge comes off the morning air, green buds peek out to say hello, and everything feels fresh and brand new.

Cliches are often cliches for good reason. Spring cleaning is one of those that just fits. This time of year urges you to roll up your sleeves and tackle some projects! Unfortunately, inspiration can turn into exhaustion if you don’t have a plan, though!

You’re busy and every moment matters! Today I’m sharing tips on how to knock out your spring cleaning in less time. This is all about working smarter and not harder by organizing and grouping time. Stick with me! At first, it might seem counterintuitive. Why waste time creating lists or spreading out cleaning over a few weeks?

Invest just a little time now for hours of benefit for years to come! You’ll be able to use these lists the entire time you stay in your current home. Plus, never again will you waste time spinning your wheels or wondering where to start. Also, it might feel like it saves time by doing all the work in just a few days, but it really doesn’t. When you work for hours on end you’re likely to get distracted and work more slowly. By spreading the work out over several days, or even several weeks, you’ll be saving tons of time in the long run. Plus, you’ll actually make it through all the tasks, not crash and burn somewhere in the middle.

First things first! Before you get started, you want to make sure you stock up with all the cleaning supplies you need.

How To Knock Out Spring Cleaning In Less Time

Check & Stock Up On Supplies

Set your timer for 10 minutes and take a peek at where you store all your cleaning supplies. Bring a pen and paper. Go through and tidy by type, noting which bottles are nearly empty or what you’re out of. Also, make note of what you already have duplicates of. My rule of thumb is to have 2 of each item so that I never have an “oh no” moment, which wastes time in an unplanned trip to the store. This is also a great time to take note of what other household essentials you are in need of–like paper products, trash bags, and plastic bags for storage.

Once the timer dings, you’re done! If it was really a mess in there, just remember that you’ll deal with it later!

Look! You just started your first spring cleaning task and didn’t even realize it.

Next, it’s time to head to Dollar General and stock up! Right now, they have an amazing deal where you can get Spend $15, Save $5 instantly on participating products. There’s a huge variety of cleaning supplies and household staples that are included in this deal! I always love to wait for sales like this and then stock up. Go here to check out all the details and see all the items that are included in the Spend $15, Save $5 deal! It’s running from February 18th-March 18th, so make sure you do this soon!

The key to buying cleaning supplies is to use trusted brands that do most of the work for you.

I purchased these for our house when I stocked up this time:

  • Clorox® Clean-up® Cleaner with Bleach  (So perfect for bathrooms!)
  • Clorox® Toilet Bowl Cleaner 2 ct. (For me, the throw it in and forget it until next time ones are the best! Put a reminder in your calendar for 6 weeks out.)
  • Clorox® Disinfecting Wipes (Tip: These little guys can be used for SO MUCH! Think beyond the kitchen counters with them. They’re also perfect for scrubbing grime off of baseboards and hard to reach floor corners. Don’t forget to hit up all the doorknobs, too!)
  • Pine-Sol® (This is hubby’s favorite cleaning supply ever. He just loves how it smells, and I love how it cleans our hard surface floors!)
  • Glad® Trash & Food Bags (The last thing you want is to get halfway through cleaning and realize you’re out of trash bags. Stock up now! Also, grab food storage bags while you’re at it as well! They’re located together and it makes sense to stock up at the same time.)
  • Sparkle® Paper Towels (Sometimes you just NEED to use a paper towel for a job. I always keep these on hand and they’re a must before you tackle heavy duty cleaning.)
  • Angel Soft® Bath Tissue (Another one of those items you do NOT want to run out of. While you’re deep cleaning your bathroom it’s a great idea to stock up for awhile on this.)
  • STAINMASTER® Carpet Pet Stain Remover (Our puppy Thomas + our cream colored carpet in the bedrooms makes this product a must! It’s also amazing for cleaning out those kid-related messes that are bound to happen to carpet!)
  • all® Laundry Detergent (As I’ve shared before, I absolutely love this detergent! So perfect for our entire family. Another one of those “good to stock up on to save time and money” items!)

Now it’s time to come up with a game plan!

Every house is different, so take my lists as your starting point and then customize them for your home! It is so simple to tweak a few rooms and cleaning items, and you have the perfect custom plan for your own home. I’ll take you through step-by-step, but don’t worry–I have the Master List for you to customize and print out later on!

Create a Master Spring Cleaning Room List

First, start off by listing out every room of your house. Don’t forget to also include any other areas that you have that aren’t really rooms, like entryways or closets. For example, this is our house:

  • Master Bedroom
  • Master Bathroom
  • Kid’s Room 1
  • Kid’s Room 2
  • Guest Bathroom
  • Living Room
  • Kitchen
  • Office
  • Front Porch
  • Back Porch
  • Hall
  • Laundry Room

Now go through the lists and brainstorm every possible thing to deep clean this room. Include odd once-a-year tasks, like cleaning jewelry or polishing silver.

Tip: Don’t get distracted by decluttering and organizing.

Especially if you’re like me, you enjoy organizing far more than you enjoy cleaning. That means that when it comes to spring cleaning, you’re far more likely to get caught up in sorting through drawers than you are scrubbing. Right now, we’re NOT going to focus on getting your house clean and decluttered! Having an organized home is vital to peace and happiness. However, it’s *not* what we’re focused on today. This is all about the cleaning in spring cleaning. So as you make your list, don’t add in tasks like sorting through drawers or getting rid of things. That is a different list and task entirely!

It’s true, though, that you can’t deep clean a messy room. My tip for this is when you start your time (more on that later) take the first few minutes to pick up *quickly*. If there are piles of things like clothes, run them to the laundry room, or if there are stacks of paper or odd items that don’t belong anywhere, gather them all up together. Put it all in one place to sort through *later*.

Create Detail Cleaning Tasks

For example:

  • Master Bedroom
    • Treat Stains
    • Vacuum Carpet (move nightstands and quilt rack to vacuum behind)
    • Detail Dust all surfaces including Fan
    • Wipe Down Blinds
    • Wipe Down Doors (don’t forget knobs!)
    • Wipe Down Baseboards
    • Clean Windows
    • Clean Jewelry
  • Master Bathroom
    • Clean Sinks & Counters
    • Scrub Soaking Tub
    • Scrub Shower
    • Wipe Down Cabinets
    • Remove & Clean Rugs
    • Wipe Down Toilet
    • Sweep Floors
    • Mop Floors (getting into all the corners)
    • Wipe Down Doors & Switch Plates
    • Clean & Dust Picture Frames
    • Wipe Down Baseboards
    • Restock Paper Goods

Spring Cleaning In Less Time

Customize My Template

Don’t want to start from scratch? I make it easy for you! Go Here for my entire list template! Click On File, then Hit “Make a Copy”. Rename it whatever you’d like and save it to your Drive! Now you can customize it, using all my rooms and tasks as a starting point.

Once you’re through, you can use it to stay on task online, or print it out to reference as you start your cleaning.

Schedule & Batch Time

You could take a weekend and knock out every single room and task with the help of your family, but I wouldn’t recommend that! You’ll end up exhausted. Worse than that, in a few weeks, the dirt will start to build back up and it won’t even seem like you did it.

You may have heard of batching or rotating spring cleaning, and that’s exactly what I’d suggest! Now, this will look different for everyone. Some people do well when they work for 10-15 minutes every single day in one room. Or maybe you like to work a little longer, but not as often. In this case, you might do 30 minutes on Saturday morning. I’d suggest trying both out, or some combination. The smaller chunks of time add up to big results. You’ll start fresh each time so you’re at your best and less likely to get distracted or tire out.

Now put that time into your schedule. It’s not hard to do something for 10 minutes a day, the trick is to actually DO IT. So put it on your schedule until it becomes second nature.

Again, this will take a bit of moving around until you find what works best for you. At one point, I tried to fit in my time after dinner. I quickly I found it was too hard to do it then. Often, by that point in the evening, all I wanted to do was relax and hang out with my family. Now I’ve moved it up to my lunch time break. Since I work from home, this gives me a great way to move around a little and get away from my desk mid-day, while accomplishing something. It also is much easier to knock out quickly when I’m the only one at home!

Brainstorm times that would work well for you. Maybe it’s as part of your morning routine, when your baby is napping, or right after you get home from the day.

I hope these tips will help you on your way to a Spring Cleaning Schedule that saves you time and money! Don’t forget to head to Dollar General to stock up on all these great cleaning products and household goods & save with their Spend $15, Save $5 deal!

Tools You Need To Breastfeed

Legalese Disclosure Nonsense: I’m partnering with SimpleWishes to bring you these tips, tricks, and a great giveaway!

 

Breastfeeding *seems* like it should be simple enough. I mean, all you need is your baby and your, ahem, breasts, right?!

Well, if you’ve been looking into breastfeeding, or if you’ve tried it, you know that’s far from the truth! Although it might be more complicated than you first thought, that doesn’t mean it can’t be a wonderful and successful endeavor. Even when you purchase these tools, you still save thousands of dollars over purchasing formula. Not to mention, you’ll be giving your baby the very best possible food you can! I could go on and on about all the benefits of breastfeeding, both for you and your baby. That’s a topic for another post, though! For now, I’m going to give you the top tools to purchase ahead of time to make sure your experience goes as smoothly as possible!

Tools You Need To Breastfeed Successfully

A Great Nursing Bra – A great nursing bra will be your very best friend. You want to purchase a few that are sturdy (you’ll need to wash them often!), and also that provide easy access. When you have a hungry infant in one arm the last thing you want to do is sit for several minutes fumbling to get them to the goods! I recommend purchasing 2-3 of the top rated ones. After you try them out stock up on several of your favorite!

A Great Pumping Bra – Wait, didn’t we just cover this? Actually, you’ll want bras for nursing, and different bras for pumping! Especially if you’ll be pumping often, or continuing to breastfeed once you return to work, this is an absolute necessity. The best pumping bra is one that will allow you to pump hands free. Pumping can consume huge amounts of time, and time is so valuable as a mom with a baby! Reclaim your time with hands-free pumping!

The Simple Wishes Signature Hands Free Pumping Bra is absolutely one that you should consider purchasing. It has received rave reviews from over 6,500 fans on Amazon (Wow!!!) Click through to read all the tips, tricks, and recommendations from fellow nursing moms! Then keep on reading and don’t miss the bottom–I’m actually giving one of these amazing Pumping Bras away to one lucky reader!

An Efficient Pump – Pumps can seem like a huge expense, and it’s tempting to go for the budget-priced model. If you’ll only be pumping on rare occasions, this might be a good choice. If you plan to pump frequently, however, a great quality pump will make a huge difference. Efficient and high-quality pumps are far more comfortable, and they also pump remarkably faster. Again, do your research on Amazon and searches to find the right quality for the right price! It’s certainly worth the time and effort.

A Nursing Pillow – A wrap-around nursing pillow helps make proper positioning and comfort for you and your baby a breeze! Of course Boppy is a huge and well-known brand, but many stores carry knock-off versions that are just as nice, if not better.

A Nursing Cover – You can nurse discretely anywhere at all, as long as you have a great cover! We highly recommend investing in these–it will keep you from hiding away all the time, and also from making anyone feel uncomfortable!

The biggest thing to look for is a cover with an open neckline. Eye to eye contact is important during nursing. Also, as babies get older they don’t love the feeling of a blanket over them. An open neckline keeps them tucked away without them feeling like something’s right on their head, which will cause them to continually try to throw it off. Being able to check in on your love is essential for making sure they get the proper latch, as well! The best open neck breastfeeding covers are just wide enough to allow you a good view, while also being only open enough so that you can see down, but anyone around you cannot.

Breastfeeding Friendly Bottles – When you do a combination of bottle and breast it’s a great idea to invest in bottles that are specifically designed for breastfeeding moms. These have nipples that are more similar to your own. This helps for an easier transition for baby when you’re bottle and breastfeeding.

I hope these tools you need to breastfeed successfully will help you! Do you have one I missed? Be sure to let me know in the comments!

Now it’s time for the giveaway!!!

One Lucky Winner Will Receive a Simple Wishes Signature Hands Free Pumping Bra

Just enter using the Rafflecopter form below!

a Rafflecopter giveaway

How To Put Together The Perfect Valentine’s Date Outfit

{2/3/2018 Update}

Somehow it happens that I wrote this post a year ago?! Don’t ask me how that happened.

I just had to re-post this year to give you an update. I absolutely *love* the Nicole dress. It has held up so well and looks just like it did in these photos. I’ve gotten so many compliments on it, and it’s my go-to for any fun occasion.

If you’re still a Lularoe hold out or need a new group to join definitely check out Keli’s–she’s still going strong!

Original Post:

Can you believe that Valentine’s Day is coming up so quickly?! Crazy!!!

So how do you celebrate the day? Some couples love to go All Out with a big, fancy, romantic meal and date.

Others prefer a nice but family-friendly celebration that’s fun but not-too-fancy. (We did this for years when hubby was in the military and there were no babysitters around)

Still others prefer to just stay at home, order-in or cook together, and snuggle on the couch watching their new favorite show.

No matter how you choose to celebrate your love, I’ve got your look covered this year with these 3 adorable looks that are *perfect* no matter how you’re celebrating! Want to know my *secret weapon*?? It’s totally  Keli Jennings’ LuLaRoe Group!

Now, odds are you HAVE heard of LuLaRoe (if you haven’t yet…ummm..welcome back to the internet because I assume you’ve been gone a long time?)

If you have heard of this company it’s very likely you fall into one of two groups.  The first group is already Lula-obsessed and wants to join All.The.Groups and Buy.All.The.Things.

The second group (which I was a member of until *very* recently) has looked longingly at the beautiful and bright pieces from afar but has held out with all determination. You see, I knew that once I tried them I’d be in love, and it just wasn’t the right time.

If you’re in that second group, as I was, I have to tell ya, girl, there is no better time to fall in love than Valentine’s Day. So come on in, join the craze, and the fun! 😉

I’d love to have you in Keli’s LuLaRoe Group along with me! She’s also on Instagram so be sure to follow her over there as well! We met each other when we were both Coastie Wives and stationed in North Carolina. Sadly, we were only able to get together a few times, but since then we’ve stayed online buddies and kept in touch through both our our many moves! Her hubby is still in the Coast Guard and she is a busy work from home mamma just like me!

She was SO sweet to send me these pieces to try out and to style together. With just 4 pieces you can put together these three completely different and totally versatile looks! ((Pssstt….be sure to read aaalll the way to the bottom as she’s *also* so sweet she’s giving out an amazing prize that you can win!))

Date Night At Home

Look #1 Comfy Date Night At Home  — perfect for a night of Netflix marathoning, video gaming together, board games, cook outs, or roasting s’mores on your fire pit!

Since I didn’t have tons of experience with this brand when I heard LuLaRoe I thought Leggings. I love leggings, or at least, I always loved the concept of them! (feel as comfy as wearing jammies but look totally cute and on trend, yes please!)

I’d never really found super comfy ones previously, though. When all my friends started raving about how amazingly comfy and soft the LuLaRoe leggings are (they’re nicknamed Butter Leggings), I knew I wanted to add them to my closet! Some of my favorites are the super unique, amazing, and wild patterns that they have. For my very first pair, however, I wanted to go with some that I can wear aaalll the time with nearly all my clothes. So, of course, this gorgeous slate blue pair was just the thing. #allthebluethings

Date Night At Home

If you’ve never tried on a pair before, one thing to know about these leggings is that they really are leggings–not jeggings. I’d describe them as really thick, but super comfy tights that do feel soft as butter and comfy enough to sleep in. So you absolutely, positively need a long, loose shirt to cover up with, at *least* down past, ahem, what my mom-in-love calls your “hineybow”.

Good news, LuLaRoe actually sells those, too! This is the Classic shirt and it’s just perfect because it can completely be dressed up or down according to whatever you’re doing. You’ll see I used it for both my most casual *and* my most fancy outfits–so awesome!

This outfit and look are just aaalll about the comfy! The leggings are all that they claim to be, and the shirt is super soft and flowy and comfy, too!

Oh–and meet our newest kitty addition! I’m quickly becoming a crazy cat lady as we recently adopted a kitty to be friends with Sylvanus! This is Arwen and she is the sweetest cat you’ll ever meet! She will sit and meow at me if I don’t give her a thorough snuggle session every few hours, it’s hilarious!

u part wig

Here’s Sylvanus! She’s gotten SO FAT it’s hilarious! It’s amazing to see how much she’s grown since she found us as that itty bitty kitty that was the size of Amber’s hand! And she’s just as crazy as ever. It wasn’t planned but our kitties look uncannily alike! You can tell them apart by Sylvanuse’s pretty white dipped paws and chest, and she’s about twice the size of Arwen!  They made the perfect props for this shoot! 😉

Paired with big, comfy boots this look is great for any at-home date night! For a final touch, you’ll want to add just a bit of fancy to this look. It is a date, after all! So I topped it off with two long faux pearl necklaces, fun drop earrings, and a pretty bracelet. I did my hair in half up twists and did my makeup in my everyday way. No need to be fussy with this look, just let your every day pretty that your hubby fell in love with shine through!

Look #2 Date Night Out — Perfect for going to the movies, a sit-down restaurant with a kids menu, or around town to play tourist.

Out of all 3 looks, this is the look that feels most like ME. Lately, I’ve been wearing dresses, styling my hair, and doing my makeup complete with contouring and all the shadow even just for an everyday occasion. Not *every* day mind you, #aintnobodygottimeforthat , but I try to do it pretty frequently. When I feel like I look my best, it just brightens my mood and as a result, it makes everyone in our families day better!

Plus, did you know that dresses are MAD COMFY???? For real!!! I’ve actually gotten to the point where if I want a “comfy” day I find myself reaching for one of my dresses OVER a pair of jeans–true story!

This dress is the Nicole dress from LuLaRoe. I know, I know–it was MEANT to be. And honestly, I’m pretty sure they had ME in mind when they made this.

(Just kidding! It was actually named after the founder’s *daughter* who helped get the company started almost on accident! The Story Behind The Company is SO inspirational, so be sure to go watch that!!)

I seriously adore this dress. It really is like it was made for my body type!!! I’m smaller chested with a bigger booty and for some reason the fat I have decided to migrate to my upper arms once I hit 30.

Now, I’m not complaining! I’m just letting you know–these clothes are made for REAL people who are REALLY moms and have mom bodies! I certainly have one! They are cut in such a way that they flatter all your gorgeous points while being so forgiving with the parts that are maaayyybbee just a lil more full or lumpy than your high school self had.

The half length sleeves, fitted bodice, and flowy skirt to just below knee length are a dream for me!

It’s stunning and comfy and makes me *feel* beautiful. And isn’t that what *really* matters. When you FEEL pretty you exude that, and that’s what people focus in on and see!

Oh, and it’s totally twirable, too. One of the tests Amber loves to do with dresses is to see “if it twirls”. Well, I know from careful testing 😉 that this dress totally twirls *and* it also makes for some epic curtsies!

Trust me, your hubby (or boyfriend) is going to L O V E this look!

Look #3 Total Glam for a Fancy Date — perfect for going to see a play or orchestra, a restaurant with white tablecloths, or if you just want to watch your man’s jaw drop when he sees you!

Isn’t it crazy how you can take the same Classic top from couch to five star worthy with just a few changes?! When I saw this *gorgeous* Cassie skirt I was in love. I believe my exact (facebook) words were “THIS ONE!!! PLEASE!!” As you can see it has this epic and beautiful detailing, and the color is one that I’ve been obsessing over for awhile now. Even when it goes off-trend I will still wear it because it’s so pretty.

I’m so superly in love with it!!! I wasn’t sure which Classic T I wanted to pair it with, so I let Keli pick one out for me. I’m usually soooo matchy-matchy that I wouldn’t have thought to pair these two together, but the result is simply perfection! She can put together the perfect look for you, too!

For a super fancy night out I paired these pieces with high heeled boots, big curls in a half up style, and plenty of bling!

Go all out on your makeup, too! This is the time to break out your favorite Youtube makeup tutorial (if you don’t have one yet just go on there and search for one, there are tons and I’ve learned sooo much through watching them! Amazing makeup tricks for the win!). For this look, I went for bright, pretty eyes and a bold lip.

Absolutely stunning enough to be worn on your fanciest date (short of needing a formal) this outfit is oh-so-comfy too! The skirt is also very easy to pull up or down, so you can keep it the length you need. I have a very short torso, so it rode high on me when I kept it knee length, but these days I prefer the top to my bottom pieces a little higher, anyways (remember that 2 kiddos and after 30 years old bod I mentioned earlier)? This is another pairing that perfectly flatters beautifully real mommy bodies!

So there you go! 3 Totally different looks for any celebration you have planned! And, of course, these don’t have to be Valentine’s Day looks only!!! These are the perfect solution for any date, or life scenario, ranging from working from home (top) to church (either look 2 or 3!).

Want to know the best part? One reader will win their very own gorgeous Cassie skirt! So don’t forget to Join Keli’s VIP LuLaRoe Facebook Group and Follow Keli on Instagram then enter below to win!
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Saying Yes To Embracing My Life

This shop has been compensated by Collective Bias, Inc. and its advertiser. All opinions are mine alone. #WellYes2018 #CollectiveBias

A few months ago I was feeling worn thin. I couldn’t quite put my finger on it, but there was this sense of disappointment. I felt like I was continually spinning my wheels, and never being or doing quite enough. So, being the organized gal that I am, I did what I always do, I tried to figure out a way to put that “enough” into a schedule and made a list and a plan to jam every good thing in and weed out the bad. I minimized my stuff and maximized my time.

I soon discovered that wasn’t what the problem was, though. No matter if my days were busy-crazy or slower paced, there it still was. Now, don’t get me wrong! I still loved life. It was just that ever-there presence of not-quite-enough floating around in the back of my head making me discontent.

Then, as I was thinking over this new year I had one of those light-bulb moments.

It was, in fact, a face-palm light-bulb moment. You see, if there’s one thing I’m continually coaching and encouraging the kids about it all comes down to one little word:

attitude

Yes, this time, it turns out that I was the one with a bad attitude! Who would have thought?!

When I took a step back I realized that I’ve been grasping for things when my hands are already full. I have all in life right now that I ever hoped and dreamed of. A wonderful hubby, two beautiful children, a job I love, a home of our own. When I stop and think about it the blessings that crowd my life just pour down in floods.

I didn’t really need to do, be, or have more, at all. I just had to say Yes.

Yes to embracing this beautiful, wonderful, messy, and extraordinarily ordinary life of my own.

So the focus of my new year is to say Yes. Yes to stopping and really soaking in and enjoying all the wonderful things our life includes right now. Yes to keeping my eyes on those blessings, and up and away from the bad. Yes to finding the funny side of an annoying thing. Yes to enjoying the simple things in life whether it’s a hug, a smile, a good book, or a hot, comforting bowl of soup.

Because of this New Year, New Me goal I just had to smile when I saw the Well Yes!® soups at my local grocery store. Well Yes! helps women say yes to deliciously crafted food, with real nutritious ingredients, so we have what we need to say yes in the rest of our lives. So I stocked up on several of their tasty flavors like Well Yes! Chicken Noodle, Roasted Chicken Wild Rice Soup, Hearty Lentil Vegetable Soup, and Italian Vegetable with Farro Soup. I knew a warm bowl on a chilly day would be just the thing to have as I was working on refocusing my thoughts and having my “Well, Yes” moment! If you’d like to stock up on some of this delicious soup for yourself, then be sure to grab this coupon!

My focus now is to make a conscious effort to say yes to my life and stay positive. To really appreciate everything and everyone around me. I also want to say yes to sharing and showing those people my love and gratitude. Saying yes to my life this year means spreading my joy and thankfulness to those in it. I’m excited just thinking about what a difference this seemingly small step will make for me and everyone I know this brand new year!

What are you saying Yes to in your life this New Year? Maybe, like me, you just need to stop and embrace your life as it is!

Want even more amazing “Moment of Yes” inspiration? Check out the great ideas here!

Then start off your New Year a fun way by entering to win this great sweepstakes! Enter the #WellYes2018 Sweepstakes in the widget below for a chance to win up to a $500 Visa gift card! It’s as easy as clicking, logging in, and sharing your Moment of Yes story! If you win, think of all the ways you can use the prizing to achieve your Moment of Yes!

#WellYes2018 #Sweepstakes (1/15 to 2/16)

Easy Ways To Fill Your Holiday With Warmth & Joy

This shop has been compensated by Collective Bias, Inc. and The Coca-Cola™ Company. All opinions are mine alone. #LayerOnLove #CollectiveBias

It’s the most wonderful time of the year!!!!

Right???

While this month *should* be filled with warmth and joy, it can easily spiral into stress, discontent, and exhaustion. So today’s post is all about taking just a few moments to re-align your focus onto what really matters. This includes making sure that your family is filling your month with that warmth and joy that truly bring the most wonderful time of the year.

As we get started we’re going to focus on the word Easy. For so many people work this month is at its all time busiest thanks to retail, marketing, and year-end scrambles. After you clock out don’t forget to throw in the programs, the purchases, parties, traditions, expectations, travel, doing good, a sickness or two, (are you getting exhausted just reading that list???)

Well, the last thing I want to do is make you feel like you need to add one-more-thing to your schedule. Also, quite honestly, the fact is that adding warmth and joy is often found in embracing things the easy way!

So now that you can take a deep breath and let it out, here are my best ideas!

Start a new holiday tradition of giving back

This is the best time of year to focus on what we’ve been blessed with, and to pour that blessing out towards others. However, even giving back can quickly become all too easy to get overwhelmed with. On top of everything else that is going on, doing good can become something that’s another complicated, expensive “to-do” list item. Which means that it’s no longer about helping others, it’s about getting unhappy and stressed.

This year I’d love to share an amazing option to give back in a way that is meaningful, affordable, AND easy! Last year Coca-Cola™ worked with One Warm Coat to provide a layer of love for over half a million people in need. This year, they’re doing it again and want to make it easier for you to get involved.

So what is One Warm Coat? For most of us, when the temperatures drop too low for short sleeves and sweatshirts, we solve the problem by tossing on our heavy jackets. But for the nearly 15% of Americans living in poverty, a winter coat is something “extra” that isn’t in the budget.

Growing up in Wyoming with the brutally cold winters, I cannot imagine anyone going without a heavy winter coat. I was very surprised, however, when we moved to the south at what a necessity having one still is! During the winter months, the weather fluctuates wildly, and the added humidity makes it feel like those lows cut right through to your bones without a warm coat.

One Warm Coat’s mission is to provide anyone in need with a warm coat free of charge. They are doing all they can to make sure that this necessity is no longer something those in need have to try to make due without! This year there are two amazing and easy ways that you can help Coca-Cola™ at Walmart’s “Layer On Love” program!

The first brings joy to you and others! Because, after all, holiday surprises don’t always come in big boxes with bows.

By purchasing Coca-Cola™ products at Walmart during your holiday shopping trips you help support the company that supports this amazing cause and program!

I picked up Coca-Cola™ Classic. It’s a treat that I always love to enjoy during the holiday season, and knowing I’m helping do good just makes it that much sweeter!

You don’t have to stop there, though! There’s another easy way to give even more warmth and joy. Coca-Cola™ at Coca-Cola at Walmart is already getting the snowball rolling by helping to donate 500,000 coats, but you can help them to donate even more! You don’t even have to leave your house, just follow these simple steps!

Text “LOVE” to 501501 to donate $5 to One Warm Coat

With just a few moments of your time you can help donate to this awesome cause. It really doesn’t get much easier than that! I’m always amazed at how much joy giving back brings my entire family. It is the perfect way to celebrate the holiday season the right way and really does add such warmth to our lives!

Another way to add joy and warmth to the holiday season is by creating and celebrating yearly traditions. In this social media age, it’s so fun to find out what other family’s traditions are, and get inspired by new recipes and ideas that can add even more fun to your holiday.

Now here comes the however…(are you sensing the theme of this post yet?!) While so many of these things are good and amazing, at a certain point having too many takes away the joy.  It can be so easy to get caught up in feeling like you HAVE to do ______  to make the season magical. Because if you don’t it’s going to be an epic #momfail, right?! After all, *everyone* else is doing it for their families.  So you shoot for the stars and do all-the-things. So what happens when you’re worn to a frazzle and all your time, money, and efforts meet with a lukewarm response from your over-booked-and-over-holidayed family? Well that, my friends, is the recipe for how NOT to have a holiday filled with warmth and joy. That’s why my next big point is to:

Only Do Traditions You All Love

This year take a deep breath, step back, and take a quick look at your current tradition list. It might even help to jot them all down quickly. Once you have, as you look over each one pay attention to your initial gut reaction. Does it make you excited? happy? eager? Does it put that merry little twinkle in your eye just thinking of how your family is going to respond? Or does it fill you with an overwhelming or exhausted feeling just looking at it?

I now give you permission to cross out each item that fills you with those negative feelings. Pow-wow with your family after you’ve done your initial list to get their feedback on what they’re most excited about this year. Is one of the crossed off items on your list one that your family does love even though you don’t? There’s probably a way to tweak it so that it’s simpler or less expensive. Just by talking you might be surprised at what they have the best memories of, and what things no one really enjoys.

Soon you’ll have a manageable list of easy traditions that everyone can love and appreciate. Also, scaling back also gives you a schedule that is not so overfilled so you have time to anticipate and savor them!

There you go! I promised it would be easy! Add these steps and actions into your holiday this year to help make a real difference, and to fill your lives with warmth and joy!

Don’t forget to help Coca-Cola™ at Walmart’s “Layer On Love” program by picking up your favorite Coca-Cola drink for all your holiday occasions!

Make giving back easy this year when you Text “LOVE” to 501501 to donate $5 to One Warm Coat!

What She *Really* Wants For A Gift (You might Be Surprised)!

Legalese Disclosure Nonsense: In exchange for the roses of my dreams, I agreed to bring you this fun and handy post! Also, if you get blessed with roses from one of these specific links, I get a weensy bit of the money from that sale!

Tis the season for gift giving! This year I decided to do a little “independent research ” so I asked around to find out what women REALLY want for gifts from the most important people in their life for those big occasions, you know–Christmas, but also those other “biggies” like Valentine’s Day, Anniversaries, Birthdays, really anytime someone might want to treat them!

What they answered might surprise you, and for the “classic” gifts that were mentioned, they had a twist!

If you’re a frequent reader of mine, chances are good you’re a woman yourself! This is a great post for you to get inspired to ask what you *really* want for this year, or, if you’d like to be a bit more subtle, feel free to send this link to the special people in your life with a *hint hint*.

Maid Service

I mentioned before that when I asked what 1 luxury service women would choose if they had the money for it, the overwhelming majority said maid service. While that was not surprising, just how MUCH they want it really is! In fact, a huge number would love to receive even just a few visits from a maid service as a gift!

Create Memories

Another top winner was being gifted something that would create memories, or as I like to call them Experience Gifts. Many ladies would love a night or weekend away with their spouse, others wished for a getaway just them. Some wanted to go to a concert or an event with the gift giver. Time together while doing something fun was very popular.

Get Pampered

The next request on the list was to get pampered! Whether it’s a mani/pedi or a full spa day getting the chance to get away, relax, and be pampered is something many women crave.

Something Unique, That Shows You *Really* Know Her

This includes *everything* above and all the other items on the list that people came up with. There was an overall theme in or behind each item mentioned. They wanted a unique, gift that showed that the gift giver really knew and cared about them. To help you out with this, and to give you something that you can physically gift if you’d like to include one of the others as well, I’m excited to introduce you to VIVAROSES today!

When it comes to unique presents, this one tops the charts! Roses are a classic gift to give someone to show that you love them. And VIVAROSES has a bunch of classic beauties to choose from as well!

But, remember, I mentioned that most of the women aren’t necessarily *looking* for a classic gift. They want something that shows how much you know them.

For me? That would be blue roses.

I’ve had an obsession love with the color blue since the time I was a young teen. (Maybe my hair color of the past clued you into that?) So when I was planning out my wedding, I told the florist that I wanted blue roses. It was before ordering on the internet was much of a thing, but I had done searches and found photos of blue roses, but nowhere that actually sold them. She laughed at me and told me that those photos were photoshopped, and my gorgeous blue flowers didn’t exist. And so my dream died.

Until VIVAROSES. As I was browsing their site–THERE THEY WERE!!!! Gorgeous Blue Farm-Fresh Roses

and on top of that–the prices were crazy amazing. Starting at $70 for 24 roses, you can up the game and receive 100 Blue Farm-Fresh Roses!

Finally, I really did have the roses of my dreams. I couldn’t have asked for a more amazing and stunning present!

But maybe you or your lady is not *gasp*  that into blue? They actually carry a crazy amazing variety of roses from Black, to Orange, to Lavender, to Rainbow, to mixed bouquets! You would absolutely wow the lady in your life when you deliver a bouquet in her very favorite color! I would gush about how amazingly gorgeous these are, but I’ll just let the pictures in this post say a thousand words!

Go browse all the gorgeous roses on the VIVAROSES website!

Were you surprised that all of these ideas are “consumable”? Part of me was, but really I think that these days we so often want memories, experience, relaxation, and beauty–not more clutter! I also love how you can see how the different love languages and personalities weave their way through these gifts. It would be easy to see an Acts of Service really wish for Maid Service, while a Quality Time person would prefer the tickets to a concert. If you’re a Words of Affection person these gorgeous roses with a heartfelt letter would make your day!  Hopefully, this list inspires you to ask for whatever version of that is uniquely you, or inspire you to gift that to the lovely lady in your life!

Ladies, do you see the idea that you really want on this list? Leave me a comment and let me know which one it is, or if it’s not here let me know what YOU really want.

Ways To Track and Save During the Holidays

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

The holidays should be full of joy, happiness, time with family and friends, and the creation of precious memories.

Often, though, the busyness and strain from added expenses and to-dos turn them into anything but the most wonderful time of the year. Recently I shared a post with you on how important it is to step back and realign with what really matters during this busy season.

Today I’m tackling the other half of the problem by sharing how to track and save! Once you get your holiday budget under control it’s a lot easier to enjoy the season.

First off, let’s start with the saving–because once you get a good handle on that you’ll have more money to put back into that gift budget you’re tracking!

For savings I’m sharing a great app with you that you might not already know about! It’s Hopster Mobile Rebates! One of the best ways to get more money for holiday fun is by saving on the items you already buy. You can download it here and start saving because it’s super simple to use! You just follow these steps:

Step 1: Choose your rebates from a large selection of brands

You’ll find rebates for your favorite groceries, beauty essentials, pet supplies, plus new products you’ll want to try.

Step 2: Shop at your favorite store — most of the rebates you can redeem from *any store* or you can pick from a list of your favorite retailers!

Step 3: Take a picture of your receipt showing the items you purchased–it walks you through exactly how to do it!

Step 4. Rebates will be redeemed and the cash credited to your PayPal account as soon as the redemption is validated. That means you don’t have to wait to reach a certain number or value of redeemed offers!

You can see for yourself how simple and great this is for saving! As you make your shopping list it’s so easy to hop on, scan for items you can take advantage of rebates on, and then scan in the receipt right after you put the items away! All those rebates can add up to a nice little chunk of change to roll into your holiday budget. Which brings us to the tracking part!

The best ways to track your holidays and helpful tips before you dive in!

I’ve mentioned this to you before, but it really is such a lifesaver each year! This year I’ll also cover a few things you’ll want to do in case you’ve been using this or a different system before!

Set A Budget

I know, I know, but trust me, knowing how much you *can* spend actually frees you up to enjoy it and not stress out. Sit down with whoever else is involved in the money situation in your house and come up with a budget to stick to.

(Tip: Start using Hopster and also think outside the box for ways to save on normal things during the holiday months. Maybe you can cut back on a service or plan. Take your extra savings and put it right into your holiday budget!)

Make A List & Check It Twice

Growing up and getting married and all having babies is super-ly amazing and fabulous!!! It does make for a long, long, long  Christmas list after just a few years, though! And things can get awkward when you keep buying presents, and they stop, or vice versa. This year have a pow-wow with your extended family. Often you might find that they’d prefer one family gift they all can enjoy, they just want gifts for the kids, or you might discover it actually blesses everyone the most if you no longer exchange gifts. Just like the budgeting thing, it’s far better to clarify in advance, then to be disappointed when reality strikes.

Make & Track Using a Spreadsheet

As you can see I’ve been using this system for over 5 years now because it’s that awesome! I put in everyone on my list, put in ideas for gifts before I buy them and then fill in the prices when I actually purchase them, and fill in the slots so I know what has been purchased, wrapped, and shipped for our out of state family. At the bottom I have formulas that automatically add up the totals for each column, and also show my savings.

This is super easy-peasy to create for yourself–but I’m making it even easier for you!! Here is a blank gift tracking sheet just for you!

So, to use this you’ll want to go up to where it says File at the top menu bar. Click on it then go down to “Make a Copy”  here you can name it, and save it to your drive. Then it is private to you and you can customize it for your own personal holiday tracking! If you have any questions about how to tweak it further just drop me a comment and ask!

By putting these simple steps into practice this year you’ll save money and sanity this holiday season! Don’t forget to get started by downloading the Hopster App here!

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Fun & Easy Ways to Promote Wellness In Your Family

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

Fun Easy Ways to Promote Wellness in Your Family

How are you doing? How is your family doing?

Be honest, when you read that did you assume the fake, “Good, thanks. How are you?” smile and response you give the cashier? It’s easy to be so busy and frantic that we don’t realize that we’re really NOT doing that good, after all.

So how are you really doing?  How is your families wellness, their sense of well-being? Are you living healthy, fulfilling lives? When is the last time you smiled and laughed together? Today’s post is all about encouraging you to get those important moments into your life in fun and easy ways every day.

Fun & Easy Ways to Promote Wellness In Your Family

Play Together

This is one of the easiest and best ways to promote family wellness. It often gets lost in the cracks of homework, meals, and running here and there and everywhere though. When you’re focusing on wellness you don’t want it to feel like a burden, a chore, or just something to check off your to-do list.

It’s a recurring theme around here that we’re all busy. To make sure that playing together happens, you just have to get a tiny bit creative. I found things that were already in my routine and figured out how I could tweak them into play time together. Now when I take the kids to the park, instead of scrolling on my phone I jump in and play tag with them. After school we do a quick stop and walk to the pond and bring bread to feed the turtles and ducks. While I’m waiting for dinner to cook I put on our favorite music and we throw an impromptu dance party. When we have that awkward 10 minutes before we need to head out the door, we sneak in a few rounds of a card game.

When you think about it for just a bit, it’s easy to find some play time, and it benefits everyone in your family!

Unwind Together

Are you going constantly from the time you wake up far too early till the time your head hits the pillow? How would you describe putting your kids to bed? It is peaceful, or more like a war zone?

I can’t over stress how important just having a few hours to unwind each night is. Now, I understand that this can’t happen every night this time of year. But at least 3 nights out of the 5 weeknights you have, should allow you to have this unwind time.

I’ve built in a nice, solid chunk of time for us to unwind as a family and get ready for bed. First I have the kids take care of all their bedtime routine essentials. You know, baths, and brushing teeth and hair and all that good stuff. I also make sure we don’t forget one very important thing: Nature Made® Kids First® Vitamins!

When you get too busy another important wellness item that can get neglected is making sure you’re taking the vitamins and supplements you need. With a chunk of time dedicated to bedtime routine and unwind time together each day, you can be sure this no longer gets neglected. I recently re-stocked up on Nature Made® products for me and the kids at Target! I love stocking up on all our essentials before the holiday rush happens in earnest. Kids First® Gummies are for children 4 years older and up and you can see they have the great price point of $9.99. They’re the easy way for kids to take supplements and perfect to start the family on a healthy, tasty routine.

Another great reason to buy them right now is you can receive 30% off all Nature Made® products with Cartwheel, while supplies last!

After all the bedtime essentials are taken care of it’s time for the unwinding fun! Most nights the kids either get dedicated play time alone with me for 5 minutes, or I help them clean up their rooms if it needs it. Then I read out loud with them from a chapter book. This time also includes talking and sharing with each other. It’s amazing how much they’ll open up at the end of the day!

The kids aren’t the only ones who need unwind time, though! I make sure I also have plenty of downtime each evening. For me, this includes time hanging out with the hubby and usually reading a good book. I also make sure that my night time routine also includes Nature Made® Multi for Her + Omega-3 Adult Gummies or Nature Made® Hair Skin and Nails Adult Gummies. The Nature Made® Multi for Her + Omega-3 Adult Gummies are an excellent source of vitamins A, C, D3, and E, as well as key B vitamins (folic acid, biotin, niacin, vitamin B6, vitamin B12), and important minerals such as chromium and zinc.

I can always tell the difference when we have that crucial time to unwind and take care of ourselves, and when we don’t. Try looking at things you can let go of to see if it makes a big difference in your wellness, too!

Participate in the Complaint Flip Challenge Together

The amount of information and connection of the age that we live in is one thing that I’m continually thankful for! However, it can also become negative and overwhelming. It all depends on how and what we choose to focus in on, to let into our brains, and allow to take camp and dwell there.

I’m especially bad about this, and so I’ve learned to become very selective on what I allow myself to focus on, and what we as a family focus our time around. We’re way too busy to be having a bunch of sad, bad, or especially drama filled thoughts floating around up there. We need room for the good, the purposeful, and the creative!

The only way to get into this habit is to work on catching yourself when you’re not focusing on the good and “flipping” it. I’ve mentioned on social media that the past few weeks have been especially trying for us. Lots of bad crazy unexpectedly thrown into the other crazy of this season (isn’t that how it always works?!). To help ease the stress and stay focused on the good as things come up I take action, or I “flip” them in my thinking. If it’s something big and sad instead of dwelling on it I think of one tangible thing I can do to help. For example: donate to the areas that need relief, or bring a meal to a friend who just had surgery. Then, knowing I’ve done what I can, I can move on.

For things that happen to me that I can’t do this on, this is where the “flip” mentality comes in. Instead of focusing on the complaint, I find at least one blessing in the bad, or that the bad brings to mind. For example, say moths decide to overtake our pantry. Then the exterminator needs to come out to come kill them. In order for him to do that I have to move *all* of the food out of the pantry, wipe it down, and throw a lot away. Instead of focusing on all the complaints, I find the good. Two good things here are I’m thankful that we have a pantry full of food, in a country where pest control is relatively inexpensive and uncomplicated.

Challenge your family for one week to try and put this into practice. You might take a few minutes at a meal, on the way home from school, or after homework to share what you’re having troubles with currently and practice doing this together. Don’t nag or push. After all, this is to promote togetherness and refocusing our thoughts. Keep it should be low pressure and fun! Do this every so often when you feel that your family could benefit from it.

It’s amazing how much better our lives become, simply when we switch how we choose to look at them.

Hopefully, by adding in these fun, easy ways your family will feel a whole new sense of wellness every day! Do you have any ways that you add happiness and wellness into your life? I’m always up for amazing ideas! Leave me a comment and let me know! Also, don’t forget to stock up and save 30% off all Nature Made® products with Cartwheel, while supplies last!

† These statements have not been evaluated by the Food and Drug Administration. These products are not intended to diagnose, treat, cure or prevent any disease

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Tips To Make Laundry Quicker & Easier

Legalese Disclosure Nonsense: The reviewer has been compensated in the form of a Best Buy Gift Card and/or received the product/service at a reduced price or for free

Mt. Washmore

When I first heard this description of what we as moms tackle in regards to laundry I just had to laugh. At times it definitely feels like I’m tackling Mt. Washmore. As I love to work smarter, not harder I’ve come up with some tips and tricks that help make laundry a whole lot faster and easier, and today I’m sharing them with you!

Tip 1: Condense Your Loads

Figure out what you can wash together safely and easily! For me I personally have 3 loads I always do– Dark Towels, Jeans, and Dark Underwear & Socks all go in one load–this is my load that always get washed in hot water and a super scrubbing mode! Load #2 is all my light colored items of every shape and size. Load #3 is my darks & reds of any other kind. With just these 3 categories I can easily wash all our clothes in a way that will make them last a long time but also combines similar enough items to give me just a few big loads (but that’s getting into a future tip)

Tip 2: Sort As You Go

If you have a laundry room with space this is an amazing trick! As I mentioned I do 3 loads so I have 3 small, foldable baskets without lids located in our laundry room. For my kids instead of having them throw their dirty clothes into a hamper, I have the bring it straight into the laundry room and put it in the right basket. Our master bath/closet is further away and where our dirty clothes end up, so I have a small basket for us, but every few days I take it into the laundry room and sort it out quickly. This means once it’s laundry day you’re ready to go!

Tip 3: Do It All

I know some people who do their laundry all week long, but I’ve found for me personally this wastes a lot of time. I always try to get a head start on my laundry on the weekend, or start Monday morning. Since I only have the 3 loads I can do all those large loads over 2 or 3 days, , and then have all my laundry done for the week no matter how busy I am. This is a huge time saver for me and it feels great to know I’m “done” with laundry until the next week!

Tip 4: Get A New Machine With Better Features & Energy Saving

Do you have a clunker that’s as old as the hills and as energy efficient as a huge, black cloud billowing machine? An upgraded washer and dryer will save you time, energy, and money! And right now at Best Buy, you can get new ENERGY STAR®  certified electronics and appliances that include these features:

  • Better for you – ENERGY STAR certified clothes washers and dryers save energy, which means that you will save on energy bills. Save $490 over the lifetime of an ENERGY STAR certified clothes washer and even more with an ENERGY STAR washer/dryer pair. Many are also equipped with advanced features that make cleaning and drying easier and more effective.
  • Better for the environment – Saving energy means that ENERGY STAR certified washers and dryers help protect the climate, which means that your kids and the planet will benefit for years to come. Clothes dryers that have earned the ENERGY STAR use approximately 20% less energy than standard models.
  • Better for your clothes – ENERGY STAR clothes washers use a variety of sophisticated cleaning methods that are gentler on your clothes, while ENERGY STAR clothes dryers use less heat and sensor drying which reduces wear and tear on clothes from over-drying.

To learn more about ENERGY STAR you can check out this fun video here, or read this great article here!

What are your tips and tricks for making laundry faster and easier? I’d love to hear them!

Easy Ways To Sneak Adventure Into Your Family’s Life

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

There are a couple of quotes that I love, that I feel so strongly about it’s like I came up with them (or, rather, could have if I’d been so clever). You’ve heard me say them before, and chances are you’ll hear me say them again. But they’re Just. That. Good.

Collect Memories, Not Things

&

Not All Who Wander Are Lost ~ J. R. R. Tolkien

Life is the sum of the experiences we have, and the people that we share them with. As a busy-crazy parent, though, it’s all too easy to lose sight of that in the million-mile long to-do list. Especially during this time of year, it’s far too easy to lose our sense of adventure and playfulness and focus on the urgent instead of the important. So today I want to really encourage you to block out some time for some adventure! There’s another new quote I just came across that I love, too:

We were born to play. We were born to move. We were born to laugh and to seek adventures both big and small. We were born to live a full, flavorful live. We were Born to Shred. ~ Shredded Wheat Cereal

I love this!! It so embodies the life I want to live and give my family.

However, as you recently saw when I shared how I rock this back to life season, I’m as crazy busy as everyone else! I don’t have the time, money, or energy for going to Europe or Skydiving at the moment. There are plenty of ways to fill your life with adventures that you can easily sneak into even your busy crazy weeks! So today I’ll be sharing them with you, plus giving you practical tips for how to make sure they actually happen.

But first…

I just *couldn’t* be an adventuring mom of nearly 10 years without throwing in some tips and tricks on how to make your adventure go smoothly!! After all, while chaotic adventures are still adventures, they don’t exactly make for the sweetest memories.

Fuel Up! Whatever you’re into, fuel it with Post® Shredded Wheat! Hanger is a true thing (at least in this family) and making sure that everyone is well fed before heading out for the day not only saves you money, it also ensures that you’ll be able to tackle your adventure!

Shredded Wheat has just come out with 3 delicious new Frosted flavors which are Mixed Berry, Cinnamon Roll, and S’mores Bites! Not only are these perfect for breakfast, but they also make great on-the-go adventure snacks! One of my kids all-time favorite snacks to bring along is dry cereal in a baggie, and these delicious combos are perfect for that!

Extra Awesome? Right now you can take advantage of this great iBotta offer for Shredded Wheat cereal at Walmart and earn $3 cash back! Just click on the picture to get all the details!

Once you’re fueled up for the day, bag some extra for a snack, bring along drinks, make sure your car is all set, and head out on one of these Easy Adventures!

*Explore Every Local Park In Your Hometown

Most cities have a website with a Parks Directory. Search for yours or even find it by looking up the map views of your hometown online. Then visit each park at least once with your family! Parks are my favorite spot for easy week day adventures. Especially here in Texas they usually are so much more than just playgrounds and can include fishing ponds with ducks and turtles, hiking paths, sports fields, and more! Often parks will have special events that happen in them, so search these up too for a chance to find out about concerts, movies, and yearly events that happen there.

*Visit Your Closest National or State Park, or Nature Preserves

These are gorgeous gems that often tourists will travel for days (or in the case of National Parks, the world) to see. The crazy thing is that I’ve often found that the locals have never visited these spots, or only gone a handful of times. Pick one of these and make a day trip on a weekend! These also often have websites completely dedicated to all there is to do, see, and participate in them. In Wyoming, my parents live just a day trip away from all of all the above, and they even include the wide variety of desert regions to the gorgeous mountains lakes and streams!

*Check Out A Locally Owned Store You’ve Never Visited On the Town Square

How many locally owned stores do you have in your town? Even (and especially) in itty-bitty towns there are Mom and Pop Stores, Local Bakeries, and Thrift Stores. Hit up your main town square which usually includes a beautiful mix of old buildings and these shops and poke into places you’ve never been! You might even discover little, hidden treasures like we did when we stumbled across a little free library in our town square.

*Go Painted Rock Hunting & Hiding

While traditional rock hunting has always been loads of fun, there’s a new twist to this classic past time that’s popping up everywhere! People are painting rocks, then hiding them for others to find. Anyone can join in on the fun, and you can easily find or start a group for your hometown using Facebook!

*Learn A New Skill As a Family–like Archery or Taekwondo

Pick a hobby or skill that every member of your family can participate in, and then do it! This can be as simple as searching for videos on how to do a few simple moves or steps of a skill, or you can get dedicated and sign up the entire family to learn together! Active skills are great, but this could also be something like finding a group video game to do together or completing a DIY project.

Want to remember these plus even more ideas? Here’s a printable for you as a way to get inspired to sneak adventure into your life!

Want to make sure this actually happens? Take out your calendar now! Pick 4 of the easiest and put them on your schedule, one a week. Now, pick one of the bigger adventures and put it down for one weekend in the coming month. Then repeat! I promise that if you carve out the time you won’t regret it! The rich experiences and new memories will make you feel alive and encourage you as it draws you closer together as a family. Every state and hometown has its own unique hidden treasures, and I’ve found you’ll love and appreciate where you live so much more when you take a few minutes to go adventuring to them and discover new ones along the way!

Don’t forget to Fuel Up With Your Favorite New Shredded Wheat Flavor before and on the go! Looking for even more amazing and inspiring ideas? Check out all the great ones on Pinterest Here!

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