Have a Safe 4th!

Hey there friends!

I have to admit...I'm that mom that freaks out over sparklers. They just make me nervous! I was never allowed to have them growing up, and now they just make me antsy with little ones around.

Last year, we decided to get crafty and make our own fireworks. We attempted straw painting. I think our paint was too thick...

We also made these, and they were a hit! Some sparkly pipe cleaners, some craft sticks and  little hot glue...DONE! Easy peasy, and lots of fun to run around with.

This year I've been looking for other fun alternatives to sparklers and, as usual, the Kid Blogger Network did not leave me wanting! Here are some of my favorites:

super simple: Star Wands from Our Arts 'n' Things

A little fancy: Patriotic Spirit Wands from Buggy and Buddy

Great for itty bitties: Fireworks in a Bottle from No Twiddle Twaddle

Want more crafty holiday goodness? There are over 30 ideas, all from KBN bloggers here on my pinboard: 4th of July with the Kid Blogger Network

Be blessed, and be safe!

Heather

A confession

You guys!

I've missed you! It wasn't planned, but this little blogging break has been good for me. I never, ever want to give you a post for a post's sake. I feel refreshed and ready to get back to sharing with all of you!

First, I have a confession...

I don't like avocados.

I know! I'm weird! Trust me, I've heard it. They just gross me out! Too much....smoosh. Ick!

However, I do know how good they are for me. All those vitamins, good fats and omega 3s are too good to pass up! So I've been trying to find a way to sneak avocados into my diet. Let me tell you, it's going to take some serious sneaking!

My first thought was baked goods. It's pretty easy to sneak things into a muffin, right? Especially when that muffin has chocolate in it, too!

These healthy whole wheat chocolate avocado muffins from She Bakes Here look amazing! They're full of all sorts of goodies!

Chocolate and raspberry is my all time favorite combination, so these chocolate raspberry avocado muffins from Free Range Living are definitely going to be tried!

Ok, so muffins are a good option, but what else can I try?

How about salad dressing? Maybe if the avocado is mixed with enough stuff I won't notice it?

I'm a huge fan of taco salad, so this one from Gina Miracle looks pretty good.

And I think this southwestern pasta salad from Two Peas and Their Pod looks yummy, too!

When it doubt, just throw it in a smoothie, right? Something with lots of berries like this one from DrinksHome.

So, why all the sudden interest in avocados and their nutritional benefits?

Well, it's all because of this little avocado...

Yep, that's right! Baby number 2 is on the way! We're excitedly awaiting their arrival in mid-November!

Be blessed, I know we are!

Heather

Clean Mama Printables GIVEAWAY!!

Hooray! It's giveaway day!

 Before we get to the giveaway, I wanted to share just a few more of my favorite pieces of the Starter Kit.

 Automobile Maintenance Log

Neither of our cars are new. They're in pretty good shape, but we're getting to the point where tracking the maintenance we've done on them is important, especially if we want to sell them some day. This log makes that so easy!

Emergency Contact Info

Everything, all in one place. All the information is there, and it's easy to pull out of the binder and put on the fridge for a baby sitter. 

Important Dates

I admit it...I am horribly dependent on Facebook to remind me of birthdays. Not the best system in the world. This will be a huge help!

Before I Forget

Ok, this one is brilliant! No one should ever have a three-year-old in the house and not have a place to write down all the ridiculous and silly things they say and do! No I have one, right there in my binder!

There are so many other fantastic pages in this kit. Becky makes it so easy to personalize your home management binder (or whatever your favorite format is) to what you need it to be. 

Now, let's get to the goodies! I have all sorts of entries for you, so enter away!

a Rafflecopter giveaway

The giveaway will end on Sunday at midnight, and I will announce the winner here on Monday!!

Be blessed!

Heather

Keeping Up With the Cleaning

So, I'm not the best housekeeper...

(If my husband is reading this he's laughing...stop it, you!)

But seriously, I envy those people that need everything in the right place. I've never been that person that has to get the kitchen clean before they go to bed. As a matter of fact, it's a mess right now. #keepinitreal
My laundry spends more time in baskets then put away.

Now, don't get me wrong, my house isn't dirty. It's just not picked up and organized at the end of every day.

The hard thing is...it doesn't bug me. I can't explain it. It just doesn't. But, you know who it does bother? My husband. He would never say it (at least not often), but living in a messy house increases his stress levels. He is calmer in a clean house.

I, as his wife, want to give him a clean house. And to do that, I need help.

God bless Clean Mama Printables!

I've already showed you how the make menu planning a breeze. Now let me show you how they help me stay on top of my cleaning.

First of all, I love the weekly cleaning list.

Part of my struggle is that cleaning the whole house feels overwhelming. I don't know where to start, so I don't start at all. No good. This gives me a simple checklist of the things to do. I don't do all of them every day, but if I can get a few done each day I feel like I'm keep up.

Now, obviously this isn't a comprehensive cleaning list. What about all the other stuff? Windows, baseboards, rugs and such? Well, Becky has something for that, too!

First there is her monthly cleaning checklist. The same things, every month. Just check them off. Boom, boom, boom!

Then, for everything else, there is the Seasonal Checklist.

She also has several blank lists for those jobs that are specific to your home and your life.

My house still isn't spotless. Not even close. But, I feel like I'm keeping my head above water, and that's a start!

Do you need help getting your head above water? I cannot recommend Becky's printables enough. She was so kind to share her Starter Kit with me, and we will be giving one a way on Friday! In the meantime, use the code 20LONGSTORY to get 20% off her shop!

Be blessed!

Heather