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Tub Time Lifesaver

7 May

When I saw this idea on Pinterest, I thought it was pure BRILLIANCE.

We tried it out tonight and it worked great!

laundry basket in the tub! genius!Help your baby transition from a baby tub to the big tub by putting them in a laundry basket.

This is awesome for so many different reasons.

For starters, it keeps your little tyke from smashing his noggin’ on the side of a hard tub.

It prevents slipping.

The sides of the basket are easier for baby to grip than the sides of a tub.

It keeps your baby in one place.

laundry basket in the tub!And, most important, it keeps the toys close at hand!

Once again, Pinterest, you have made me feel better about the 2 hours I spent pinning things the other night in order to find this fabulous idea.

Time well spent, indeed. :-)

P.S.  I may or may not have used a touch-up tool on PicMonkey so that the actual condition of my bathroom grout was not revealed.  Ha!

Happy Laundry Basket in the Tub-ing!

*NOTE – AS ALWAYS, NEVER EVER EVER EVER EVER EVER LEAVE YOUR PRECIOUS GIFT FROM GOD UNATTENDED IN THE TUB.  EVER.*

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The Car Bin

15 Apr

car binI am no organizing genius.

My idea of Spring Cleaning is 1. Take item. 2. Open a door. 3. Throw item in room. 4. Close door.

Repeat with drawers and cabinets.

Just the other day the Happy Hubby went to get some Advil from the medicine cabinet and 3 pillows fell out on his head.

But I do enjoy a tidy car – an almost impossible feat, however, with 2 small children.

So I thought I’d share an idea with you today that I’ve found works pretty well to tame the car clutter.

car bin6car bin5Simply go to Target, purchase a small, cute bin, fill with toys and books, and then stick in between carseats.

car bin2The Happy Buddy can just reach into the bin for something if he gets antsy on long trips (our drive to his preschool is about 30 minutes).

I love that having some books in the bin encourages my handsome little man to read – using his time wisely at such a young age! :-)

I also stick a few pairs of kid sunglasses in there in case it’s too bright and someone is freeeeeeeaking out about it.

car bin3car bin4If the Happy Baby gets fussy, I simply ask his big brother to grab a toy and toss it over into his little brother’s lap.

car bin7car bin8At the end of car trips, we always make sure the items are thrown back in the bin so that nothing ends up on the floor.

Done.

Sad to say, though, that while this handy little bin is great for catching all the toy and book car clutter…

car bin9It does nothing about the crumb situation.

Happy Car Bin-ing! :-)

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What I Buy At Costco

3 Sep

Does anyone else hear the angels singing at the glorious image above? :-)

I have a bit of a passion for a place called Costco.

There are so many wonderful things at Costco.

And everything comes in such large quantities!

I mean, who wouldn’t want a 300 lb container of cashews?

And since I have to use the potty every 13 seconds right now, that giant package of toilet paper makes my heart do a little jig.

A long time ago, a friend and I went shopping at Costco together.

Let me tell you!  I was so inspired by the things she put in her cart!  I learned about a hundred new quick and easy meal and snack ideas from just watching her work the store.

It got me to thinking that most people tend to get in a rut when it comes to grocery shopping.

We buy what we buy because we always have.

But…

It’s nice to every once in awhile get a peek into someone else’s cart and be inspired on how to provide for your own Happy Home.

So, for what it’s worth, here are the things I buy at Costco. :-) First stop, chips and snacks!

The Happy Buddy just loves these Veggie Straws!

And let’s face it, it’s hard to get veggies in Happy Buddies, so I am thrilled that at least a miniscule bit of spinach is getting in him somehow.Have you ever tried these chips?!

Good heavens.  That enormous bag is like $4 and will feed your Happy Home for weeks.The Happy Hubby and I like to dip those delicious chips in this yummy hummus.Let me introduce you to a little thing I call Heaven in a Jar.

Ohhhhh, Almond Butter.

I eat you every day for breakfast on toast with sliced bananas and raisins on top and I never get tired of you.

This is the only meal I wanted after I birthed our 10-pound monster baby. :-)

I am not even kidding when I tell you that I wrote a letter of thanks to MaraNatha for making this amazing-ness and they wrote me back and included some pretty awesome coupons for more almond butter.This is an extra-large bag of ground flaxseed.

I am always sneaking this stuff into the Happy Buddy’s applesauce.

It is a fabulous source of those good-for-you-fats everyone is talking about these days.Every Sunday after church our Happy Home enjoys chicken salad paninis made with this canned chicken!

I’ve also used this chicken in casseroles and it works great!!!The one meal I make pretty much every week is Spaghetti Goulash.

These enormous jars of tomato sauce are my favorite!I love that I can buy 3 lbs of organic ground beef for just $13.

I stock the freezer full of these babies!

You never know when the Happy Hubby might ask for his fave Taco Pizza or Taco Pockets.This huge-o bag of frozen organic broccoli is just $5 and has been our Happy Home’s preferred veggie for a long time now.

Next up…

Need a 3-Step Dinner Idea??

Here is what the Happy Hubby and I like to make for a quick and healthy meal.Step 1 – Buy a package of salmon filets with basil pesto butter and grill them.

Note – These salmon filets are sometimes a little on the pricey side, but we just think they are so worth it.

Step 2 – Top grilled salmons with Mango Peach Salsa.Step 3 – Serve grilled salmons and salsa over this easy-peasy microwavable quinoa/brown rice blend.

You will not even believe how delicious this meal is!

And I don’t even break a sweat putting it together (probably because the Happy Hubs does all the grilling – love that man).  I simply press the 90 seconds on the microwave for the rice.The Happy Buddy wanted me to make sure that you are aware of how incredible these Mickey-shaped chicken nuggets are.

First trimester=10 servings of these nuggets per week for the Happy Buddy (not to mention an overabundance of TV watching).

He is having the time of his life.

I am praying that the Lord will make up for what might be lacking in his nutrition (and mental stimulation) these days as I try to stay awake for longer than 5 minutes at a time. :-) And, finally, every trip to Costco needs a good companion.

And that good companion will generally need a snack, so bring plenty. :-)

Happy Costco Shop-ing! :-)

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Teach Me 2 Save

28 May

Do you like FREE things????

Or things that cost wayyyyy less than they should??

Have I got a secret to share!!

My friend, Leanette, over at Teach Me 2 Save, has been a huge blessing to our Happy Home as we try to survive on one income!

What is Teach Me 2 Save?The title says it all!  Leanette regularly posts all of the great deals, coupons, and freebies that are happening in your neighborhood.  She is a coupon QUEEN and is known to leave stores having saved MORE than she spent!  Love that!  Leanette even does coupon WORKSHOPS for groups that live in South Florida and want to know how to work those coupons!

Her motto is, “You Work Hard for Your Money, I’ll Teach you How to Save it!”

Just the other day I was craving a movie night with the Happy Hubby so I popped over to Teach Me 2 Save for a deal, and SURE ENOUGH – there was a post about a FREE movie rental at Blockbuster!  I simply jotted down the code and headed to the store for some FREE Date My Mate Magic!

And with summer coming just around the corner, Leanette is a terrific resource for fun and FREE events!  I needed an idea of something to do with the Happy Buddy this weekend, so I popped over to Teach Me 2 Save for inspiration, and SURE ENOUGH – there was a post about FREE weekend activities in the area!  I think you’ll find us over at A.C. Moore today making a Father’s Day project!

What’s not to love?

I hope you’ll stop by Teach Me 2 Save – your pocket book will thank you!

Happy Teach Me 2 Save-ing! :-)

*I am not being paid to make this feature, I am committed to Helping Moms Build Happy Homes  and I believe that Teach Me 2 Save does just that!*

Favorite Parenting Books

15 May

I literally had my nose in a book for the first 3 months of the Happy Buddy’s life!

I had so many worries – so many questions!  Books were a tremendous help during that new season of life, but they were also a tremendous hindrance!  Let me tell you why…

The Happy Buddy is unique and special. :-)   He didn’t feel he needed to follow the formulas written in the dozens of baby books I read (Baby Wise, Secrets of the Baby Whisperer, What to Expect…).  Everything from nursing to gas issues to sleeping…  The more I read, the more I was discouraged/anxious because I felt like my child didn’t fit any of the baby book molds!

It took awhile, but I learned to just rely on the Lord and on one or two solid friends for advice/support.  I started to learn how to put down the books in exchange for mommy instincts – which turned out to be a lot more reliable than what I was reading! :-)   God isn’t kidding around when He calls you to be a mom and He says that He equips you for it!

“He gently leads those that have young.” Isaiah 40:11

With that said, if God gives us a Happy Buddy #2, I am definitely going to spend more time enjoying him/her instead of crazily flipping pages for answers!

HoWeVeR…

God has gifted many people with wisdom and vision to write books for parents to use as tools in raising kids for His glory!!  I especially appreciate those that give me biblical advice on discipline, parental praying, and teaching my Happy Buddy about the One who created him. :-)

Here are my 3 favorites…

Click to Buy!

This book is precious to me!  It was given to me when I was first starting out as a teacher and it helped me so much in the management of my 21 monkey precious students. :-)

The author writes that rather than wanting to raise well-behaved children – because it makes us look good or because it gives us control – we want to raise children who love God so much that they want to live in obedience to Him (not us!).  It’s not so much the behavior as it is the attitude of our Happy Buddys’ hearts.

I tell the Happy Buddy all the time, “When you obey me, you are obeying God.  And obeying and loving God is the best thing we can do!”

Click to Buy!

Some days it’s hard with a toddler running around to have a ton of time for focused prayer – this flip calendar has been such a blessing!  I have it sitting on the bathroom counter next to the tub where the Happy Buddy takes his baths.  While he’s getting washed up, I pray the day’s verse or encouragement over him – out loud!  It has so helped me learn how to put every aspect and detail of the Happy Buddy’s life into God’s perfectly capable hands!

It’s a great gift idea!

Click to Buy!

This book is my favorite.

Susie Larson = my hero.

I personally believe that teaching children to be grateful is critical to their growth in the Lord (1 Thessalonians 5:16-18).  But most of all, we – as parents – must exemplify thankful hearts in our own lives!  You will find such hope, wisdom, and refreshment in the words of this book!

And, of course, the Bible is the GrEaTeSt parenting book EvEr written!

There you have it, Happy Home Friends!

The 3 tools I am using to help train my ‘baby.’ :-)

Happy Parenting Book-ing!

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Guest Room Makeover Part 2

24 Mar

A few days ago I posted about our ‘Slime’ room that I had the best time decorating on a budget!

Today I wanted to share how we changed that slime madness into a peaceful and restful nursery for the Happy Buddy.

Talk about a transformation!

The Lord sent us an amazing interior designer and family friend, Sue, who gave her time and talents to us as a gift to help us make our little guy’s bedroom a place where he’d feel loved.

First I want to show you what we hung over the door to his room…Isn’t that precious?

The Happy Buddy was definitely an answer to lots and lots of prayer (you can read about that HERE).

What do you think?  A little easier on the eyes, that’s for sure. :-)

We painted the walls with different toned blue stripes and then had one brown accent wall.

I am not even kidding when I tell you that one of my 2nd graders’ mom at the time of my pregnancy was going through her things and donated the changing table and crib to us!  I nearly went bonkers when I found out she had gotten them from Pottery Barn!  What a blessing to inherit such beautiful pieces!

Here’s another neat story – that chair literally showed up on our porch one day, totally out of the blue.  I had been praying for a rocker, but we couldn’t find one that was in a good price range.  Then that beauty arrived!  God cares about the details, my friends!

I found that cute Noah’s Ark painting dirt cheap at Homegoods.  That store is such a treasure trove of wonderment!

The Happy Hubby painted that saved-from-the-trash dresser and mirror from black to white.

It’s amazing what a coat of paint can do!!!

*Note the magic fairy wand poking out of the piggy bank.  Every little boy needs a magic fairy wand in his room.  Teehee! :-) *

Had to use some vinyl lettering above the window.  I couldn’t have said it better!

And the wonderful Sue helped the Happy Hubby put up crown molding!  My dream come true!  Only the best for our little ones, right? :-)

There’s that yummy crib!  I often want to hop in there myself!

The Happy Buddy’s Aunt Tina made all of those cute bears!

I had to keep my plates!  I thought this arrangement over the changing table came out so cute.

And please forgive my horrible photography.  Beautiful pictures is one thing you will not find on this blog!  While the creative ideas are overflowing, the photography skills are not!

I love this giant toy bag I picked up from Restoration Hardware Baby and Child with a gift certificate.

And what room would be complete without a bunch of painted hidden Mickeys??  (My friend painted these for us – there are 5 total!)

I think he likes his room.

Thanks for being a part of our decorating journey! :-)

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Fairy Tips – Shopping at Publix Grocery Store

22 Mar

When I was in college I worked for Publix Grocery Store.

Best.  Job.  Ever.

Disney is my first love, but Publix is a close second.

I am not even kidding about that.

Seriously, when the Happy Hubby and I were dating, we would literally go to Publix for our date nights just to be there and walk up and down the magical cereal aisle.

I also made all of my college roommates get up at 6 am so that we could all go to the grand opening of a new Publix that was located right by our apartment.  It was one of the greatest days of my life!

Well, except for when I got married, had a baby, and accepted Jesus in my heart. :-)

As much as I try to shop for my groceries at Wal-Mart or Farmer’s Markets to get a better price, I always walk away discontent because my dear Publix simply knows how to make me feel like I’ve just gone swimming in a pool of jellybeans (a good feeling).

Here are 5 of my favorite things about shopping at Publix…

I hope you find a secret or two that will help you out on your grocery adventures!

1.  Cut Your Meat – One thing I can’t stand besides long toenails is having to cut raw meat!  Blech!  But many recipes that I like to make for our Happy Home call for boneless, skinless chicken breasts cut into 1-inch pieces, or beef cut for stir-fry, etc.  I spend a lot of time worrying that salmonella is spreading all over my kitchen when I am handling that chicken!  So one day I decided to ask the meat man at my local Publix if he would cut my chosen package of meat for me.  He was like, “SURE!”  And that was the moment all my dreams came true!  I have never cut a single piece of raw meat since.  You name it – they will  cut it for you!  All you have to do is ask!  Say goodbye to salmonella worries forever!

2.  No Questions Asked – Did you know that Publix has a policy where you can return items and they won’t ask you for a receipt?  As long as they can re-stock it, they will take it back, and they won’t ask any questions about it.  This may sound a little silly, but sometimes toward the end of the month when my grocery budget is running thin and we need money for a gallon of milk or a carton of eggs, I will go through my pantry, find items that are returnable and that I don’t have an immediate need for (like canned items or boxes of pasta, etc.), and take them back to Publix for a quick buck!

They also do this with coupons – If you’re like me and are constantly forgetting to bring your coupons to the grocery store with you, you can bring your receipt and coupon to Customer Service and they will give you cash back for the coupon.  It’s AWESOME.

3.  Compliment An Employee – This is my FAVORITE thing that Publix does.  When Publix employees are complimented, they are given a FREE meal from the deli!  I always try to swing by the customer service desk after my shopping and let them know who really blessed me during our time in the store.  And if you want to go a step further, if you write a letter to Publix Corporate Offices (go HERE for address) and compliment a store employee you enjoy, they will literally send that employee a MEDAL as well as a copy of the letter you sent to corporate on their behalf.  I am not even kidding about this – I got one when I was working in college and I still have it to this day!  It meant THE WORLD to me!

Plus, the more you spend time complimenting instead of complaining, the more your Happy Buddy learns to do the same. :-)

4.  Ask and Receive – The Publix by my house recently stopped carrying an item that I LOVE and always have bought.  I asked them if they could get it for me again.  They took my name and phone number and the product information and then called me that night to tell me that it had been ordered and was on its way to the store!  Don’t you love that kind of service??

5.  Publix Brand Deliciousness - Let me just tell you, every Publix brand item that I have bought has been AMAZING, if not BETTER than the national brand AND it’s way cheaper!  The Happy Buddy especially loves Publix brand Greenwise Cheerios and I love the Publix brand walnuts because they have a picture of Humpty Dumpty on the bag with this written saying, “Humpty Dumpty sat on a wall-nut.”  I got such a kick out of that when I first saw it I laughed in the grocery aisle for like 5 minutes.  How can you not buy something so CLEVERly packaged??? :-)

I could probably make this post 4,567,982 times longer because I love Publix so much!  And there are so many other great things about this store!  They have a great Baby Club with awesome coupons, they have terrific recipes, and then there’s this magical site called I Heart Publix that is dedicated to helping you save at Publix.

I think I am going to go to Publix now.

Happy Publix-ing! :-)

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Guest Room Makeover

22 Mar

I wanted to share with you a project that the Happy Hubby and I worked on back when we first moved into our Happy Home.

Our Guest Room Renovation!

When we bought the house, the guest room was used as a nursery for the previous owners’ (who just happened to by the Happy Hubby’s sister!) baby girl.

The Happy Hubby and I did not have a Happy Buddy of our own yet, so we planned to use the room as a guest room.

I love love love black and white toile and really wanted to create a room based on this French pattern.

The only challenge I had was to transform the room for under $200.

As I was flipping through the pages of this book -

Click Image to Buy

I found my inspiration!!!

Neon green walls.

Sound crazy???

Yes, indeed, it was a little nuts.

And I have to admit that when I first painted the walls I burst into tears because it looked like Slimer from the movie Ghostbusters had puked all over the place!  But once we got all the furniture and accessories in, it quickly became one of my favorite rooms in the house!

Here’s how it turned out…

The headboard on the bed was an antique from my great uncle!  We spray painted it black.

The bedding, curtain, and pillows were on Ebay for about $150 (my largest expense).

The side table was a birthday gift from my Mother-in-Love – she got it super cheap at Homegoods.

I had seen an idea in Southern Living magazine a few years ago about using ribbon to decorate rooms.  I bought a couple of spools of black ribbon ($4) and hot glued them around the window and around the top of the ceiling to give it a finished look.  I have always dreamed of living in a home with crown molding, but since we couldn’t afford it, the ribbon really gave a great effect!!

The picture on the wall was a total gem I snatched up at Ross for $24.

Aren’t you loving those green walls??

Not exactly a restful room…

Our guests always told us that the walls would glow in the dark and it was hard to go to sleep in there.  :-)

My FAVE thing about the room is that dresser!  Would you believe that someone was throwing that away?!?!  The Happy Hubby grabbed it, brought it home, sanded it down and gave it a nice coat of black paint.

That mirror was also something we picked out of someone’s trash!  A coat of black paint (it was originally a mint green color) really made it stunning!

The lamps were a gift from my mom that were also found at Homegoods.

P.S. Excuse the ugly fan – I blow-dried my hair in that room so as not to wake the Happy Hubby in our room every morning and I would get so hot!

I bought some simple black frames from Wal-Mart and filled them with family photos.

I’m also a HUGE fan of decorating with plates – I may do a post one day about all the many ways I have incorporated plates into our Happy Home’s decor.  I literally have at least 5 plates in every room.

Those plates were given to me by a gal in my dad’s church choir who was cleaning out her cupboards!!

There’s a little peak from the room into the hallway and the bathroom across the way.

I think plate stands are also a highly effective decorating tool!

The long white plate on the dresser is where I put all of my jewelry.  I loved that I could just toss my jewelry on there and it looked cute!

Oh, how I miss that room!

Miss it??

Well, when we got pregnant 3 years later (HOORAY!), we decided to transform that room back into a nursery for the Happy Buddy.

Would you like to see pics of what we did and know how many coats of paint it took to cover all that green goodness? :-)

Leave a comment and let me know!

Happy Guest Room Decorate-ing!

And in case you would like to get ‘slimed’… The paint color is called Citrus Green from Benjamin Moore. :-)


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Fairy Tips – 5 Things to Do To/For Your Happy Buddy When In the High Chair

21 Mar

Have you ever noticed that when your Happy Buddy is strapped in to something (like a high chair, stroller, car seat, etc.) that suddenly there are a million opportunities for productivity???

Here are my Top 5 Tips for things to do to or for your Happy Buddy when he or she is restrained. :-)

1.  Clip Nails – This is probably the Happy Buddy’s least favorite activity, but when he is in his high chair happily munching away on a pretzel stick, I can swoop in and clip those babies before he’s even realized what’s happened.

2.  Do Hair – I have friends with girls that say their little princesses never sit still long enough to get all those tangles out (wonder what Rapunzel’s mom did??), so why not plan to do their hair while they are in the high chair eating Cheerios?

3.  Slather Sunscreen – The Happy Buddy and I were invited to a play date at a pool the other morning and my friend told me to put his sunscreen on him when he was in his car seat to avoid a big mess and a big wrestling match.  She was right!  Worked like a charm and saved so much time!

4.  Read Books – When the Happy Buddy was about 6 months old, a friend and I car-pooled our babies to Costco for some shopping.  I noted that instead of giving her Happy Buddy toys and teething things for the ride (like I did), she gave him a couple of board books.  I loved that idea!  Ever since then, I keep several books in our car just for car rides and it has really encouraged my Happy Buddy’s love of reading!!  I get so excited when I look back at him and he’s happily flipping the pages of a book and mumbling the story out loud in his special Happy Buddy Gibber-ish. :-)

5.  Captive Audience – One of the best times to chat with my Happy Buddy is when we are driving.  We’re both just sitting there, so I always try to seize those moments as opportunities to impart wisdom (Haha!) or encouragement on his ever-present ears.  I like to tell him where we are going, what we will do there, what kind of behavior I expect from him, etc.  I also like to use the time to reflect.  I might point out other people’s good behavior that we may have witnessed while at our destination, or even praise the great choices I saw my Happy Buddy exhibit before we climbed back into the car.

But let me tell you, sometimes I have to really command myself to do this.  I am more inclined to put on some great music and not say a peep the whole ride.  But it seems that the times I really make an effort to chat, the Happy Buddy seems most prepared for the adventures we experience.

My other favorite thing to do for the Happy Buddy when he is sitting in his high chair is to put in a good Broadway musical CD and perform my heart out for him.  I’ve always secretly dreamed about making it to Broadway, so I get easily inspired when I know the Happy Buddy can’t go anywhere and I’ll have a captive audience in this setting.  I am not even kidding when I tell you that one of the best moments of my life was when I was belting out the final note of “Defying Gravity” from the show Wicked and the music stopped, the Happy Buddy literally dropped his peanut butter sandwich and burst into the most enthusiastic applause I have ever received.

Talk about a confidence booster!  I was ready to head into auditions with Kristin Chenoweth!!

Go ahead, give it a try!  I’ve danced, sung, done acrobatics, completed cheer squad routines, and delivered the best speech ever about the importance of eating vegetables all while talking into a spatula microphone and doing the can-can.

Or, if none of the above works for you, have your Happy Buddy turn his shirt into a hat for hours of strapped-in-the-high-chair-entertainment. :-)

Do you have any fun/clever things you do to/for your Happy Buddies when they are strapped in?

:-)

Thriving Family Magazine – FREE!

20 Mar

I have the best news EVER!!!

One of my newest favorite magazines has just announced that you can now order a subscription for FREE!

Thriving Family Magazine by Focus on the Family ministries has been such a blessing to me since I started this journey of motherhood.  Their articles are always fun, super informative, encouraging, and convicting.  They offer everything from parenting tips to marital encouragement to magical activities to family devotion ideas.

Thriving Family Magazine’s mission is to encourage, teach, celebrate and inspire families to thrive in Christ.

LOVE THAT!

Click Image for FREE Subscription

I do hope that you’ll pop over RIGHT NOW and order your subscription!

It will be such a wonderful addition to your Happy Home!  Or maybe you could order a subscription for a friend!!

Happy Thriving Family Magazine-ing! :-)

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