SOCIAL MEDIA

16 November 2022

A little life update . . . 'cause it's been awhile.

Life has been pretty good lately. Our little one is almost four years old and I think it's safe to say that we finally have a hold on parenting (at least the way we want to parent). It's definitely been a learning curve - realizing our triggers and how to minimize them, discussing the type of parents we want to be, and figuring out what's best for our family. Becoming a mother has been such an eye-opening and worthwhile experience. 

 I never knew I could change as much as I have. I've leaned into it every single day. These years have gone by so quickly but I have no regret in how they have been spent. I've made it a point to be present, to focus more on homemaking, and being there for my family. It's really interesting how, once having a kid, your perspectives shift. 

 This year has been full of good things . . . Alex got a new job, which has truly been such a blessing for our family. I am forever grateful for his hard-work and determination to take care of our family. We visited Maine in late September (it was truly so nice to get away from the heat and all of the people here in Central Florida). And we're headed up to Savannah early next year and I'm looking forward to seeing relatives and spending quality time with them all.

 And now we get to look forward to the holiday season . . . I'd be lying if I said I didn't want to decorate for christmas right now but I'm going to hold out until the Saturday after Thanksgiving (which has always been our tradition). 

 

I hope everyone has a lovely rest of the year - I probably won't be on here again until then. 


24 June 2022

My Morning Routine As A Homemaker



My morning routine has definitely shifted over the last few years. Over the last year though, I've manged to regain my morning routine and also re-invent a more intentional approach to how I start the day. All while keeping in mind that having a toddler means being flexible and letting some things fall by the wayside. I used to try very hard to wake up before my son did but I found that I just valued sleep a lot more than anything else. Besides seeing his smiling face first thing in the morning is literally the best thing ever. So with all that being said here is . . .

My Morning Routine As A Homemaker

1. Wake up and eat a small snack. I try to have a small snack before breakfast to fuel my body after such a long time of not eating. A healthy trio of carb + protein + fat is a great way to balance my blood sugar, keep stress hormones away, and provide nourishment prior to eating a full meal. Plus it gives me a little more time to start breakfast. 

2. Put on some calming piano music and attempt to write in my gratitude journal. Unfortunately I am get stressed fairly easily but I've found that if I start my day slowly, and calmly I am in a much better mood for the rest of the day. And music helps me do just that. I also try to write in my gratitude journal but with a little one that isn't always possible.

3. Get a load of laundry going. Each day I do one load of laundry. For such a long time I hated doing laundry and I recently discovered that I only hated it because I was waiting until all of the dirty laundry had piled up. Which resulted in a literal mountain of clothes that we had to fold. It was torture! One load a day keeps the folding to a minimal and ensures that my family always have clean clothes.

4. Empty the dishwasher. If you aren't loading up and starting your dishwasher the night before I suggest you try it. Every night I clean the kitchen, start the dishwasher and empty it's contents every morning. It's a great way to maintain a tidy kitchen. And once breakfast is finished all the dishes get put into the empty dishwasher.

5. Start breakfast. Since my little one and I had a "wake up snack" the breakfast process is less rushed and more enjoyable. I often have my son help me with making breakfast for this very reason. We enjoy a limited revolving breakfast menu made up of eggs with homemade breakfast potatoes, Greek yogurt with raw honey and bee pollen, homemade waffles topped with Greek yogurt and fresh berries, or homemade pancakes with bacon. Sometimes we even made biscuits from scratch!

6. Get ready for the day. I'll be honest - if we don't have plans to go anywhere, I usually stay in my comfy clothes and leave the makeup untouched on the shelf. But when we do have places to go I end up taking my makeup basket out to the dining room table to get ready. I have two reasons for this . . . Number One: better lighting than the dark cave that is our bathroom and Number Two: my son is usually playing in the living room. He's really good at independent play but I still like to be near him in case he needs me or he feels like chatting.

 

So that's my morning routine. Super simple but slow, easy going and intentional. I'm a firm believer in how you start your day sets the tone for the rest of your day. Running around like crazy doesn't make for a great day, at least in my opinion.

I do want to add that there's a big misconception when it comes to homemaking. Homemaking isn't the same as being stay at home mom. You can work outside of the home and still be a homemaker. You can not have kids and still be a homemaker. For some reason, homemaking got lumped in with being a stay at home mom and it's just not something I agree with. My mom worked full time outside of the home and she's one of the best homemakers I know. And surely there are plenty of stay at home mom's that don't view themselves as homemakers. I work part-time outside of the home and I 100% view myself as a homemaker. It's definitely two different terms that, for some reason, tend to intersect.


What does your morning routine look like? Any tips and tricks that you'd like to share?

13 April 2022

Meal Planning Made Simple - In Four Easy Steps



When Alex & I first started living together, he was really the one who made all the meals. After all, he was a chef, and me . . . well I was really good at baking. But over time, I started to take a more active role in cooking and yes, I even started to enjoy it. In the beginning, meal planning was definitely not on my radar. Once our little one made his way onto the scene I started diving into meal planning because sticking to a budget became a bigger priority. And let me tell you, once I got our meal planning routine down, taking care of the meals (and our budget) got a lot easier. So today I wanted to share four simple steps to make your meal planning simple.

Step One: Designate a grocery shopping day and determine what you already have.
Saturdays are my grocery day and because it's essentially set in stone it makes meal planning a breeze. I essentially have two days to get our meals for the week in order. First check to see what we already have in the fridge (including remaining leftovers) and the pantry. Now since our grocery store's flyer comes out on Thursdays, the flyer sets the tone for most of our meals because it makes it lends itself well to budgeting. Which leads me to the next step . . .

Step Two: Browse the flyer for ideas and sales.
If I'm stuck on what to make certain nights I'll use the flyer to come up with meals that coincide with any current sales. It's pretty straightforward - let's say ground beef and shredded cheese are on sale. Guess what we're having for dinner one night . . . you guess it, tacos! What's really great is when there are buy one get ones. I usually stock up on those and repeat a meal two weeks later.
 
Step Three: Keep a running list of favorite meals as a backup plan.
If nothing good is on sale, or I'm having a hard time coming up with ideas, I tend to rely on my running list as a backup plan. You could even have set days like meatless Mondays, Slow Cooker Sundays, etc. Or even a list of everyone's favorite recipes. Anything that you find that helps you with your end goal of setting a meal for each day and sticking to it.
 
Step Four: Use a meal planning template and laminate it.
This step has been an absolute game-changer. I used to use meal planner notepads but I always found myself scratching days out and rearranging the meals, which in turn wasted a lot of paper. One day I decided to laminate two sheets of the meal planner notepad and use Vis A Vis maker and viola! If I have to change a meal for a day, I just wipe it off and write the new meal in. I use the second one as a catch-all throughout the week if my family mentions any cravings and add it to a meal planner for the next week. That way I'm one step closer to having the following week filled out. If you'd like me to share one, let me know in the comments below.
 

What do YOU do to make meal planning easy? Do you do what I do? Do you have a tip that I didn't share? Let me know in the comments below.
17 March 2022

A Guide To Spring Cleaning + A Free Printable



With Spring right around the corner, I thought it would be nice to share a simple checklist that I use to help me tackle all the tasks that need to be done around the house during this season. Now here's the thing . . . I'm not obsessed with cleaning. Don't get me wrong, I enjoy a clean and tidy house - but I don't always have time to regularly do all the deep cleaning that I'd like to during the year. So, once Spring rolls, around I make it a priority. Below you'll find a guide to getting all the things done. 

To make things easier, I created a printable that you can download and use. Just download it to your computer, it out, and add it to your homemaking binder! You can download the checklist here

Spring Cleaning Checklist

THROUGHOUT THE HOUSE
  • test and replace smoke and alarm batteries
  • replace air filters as needed
  • clean all light fixtures, including lamp shades
  • clean all ceiling fans
  • clean air vents/registers 
  • clean all windows and windowsills
  • wash all curtains

 ENTRYWAY

  • sweep and mop floors
  • wipe down the walls and baseboards
  • clean the door and handles
  • shake out or wash any doormats
  • remove unnecessary clutter

KITCHEN

  • clean the stovetop
  • deep clean the oven
  • clean the microwave and deodorizer
  • clean the refrigerator
  • clean the dishwasher and deodorizer
  • wipe down drawers and shelves in the fridge and freezer
  • discard old or expired food in the pantry, fridge, and freezer
  • remove everything off the counters and do a deep clean
  • de-grease cabinet doors and backsplash
  • remove items from cabinets and thoroughly clean the shelves 
  • clean fridge/freezer seal
  • dust high up places
  • mop floors
  • clean floor mats

DINING ROOM

  • dust and polish all furniture
  • wash all table linens
  • vacuum and spot clean cushions
  • vacuum or mop floor
  • wipe down the walls and baseboards 
  • donate unused items

BEDROOMS

  • dust and polish all furniture 
  • wash all bed sheets and duvets
  • organize the closets
  • donate unused clothing
  • vacuum floors

BATHROOMS

  • discard expired personal care products, makeup, and old medication
  • clean the mirror, sink, and countertops
  • deep clean the tub/shower
  • clean the showerhead
  • clean or replace the shower curtain liner
  • wash the shower curtain
  • deep clean the toilet
  • vacuum and mop floors
  • wash any rugs
  • wipe down the walls and baseboards

LIVING ROOM

  •  dust and polish all furniture
  • clean the television
  • wash all blankets
  • wash pillowcases
  • vacuum the couch
  • vacuum/mop floors
  • dust all electronics
  • sanitize remote controls
  • organize entertainment center
  • donate unused items

 LAUNDRY ROOM

  • clean the washing machine (inside and out)
  • remove lint from the lint trap
  • clean the outside of the dryer
  • check the dryer hose
  • organize laundry supplies
  • wipe down the wall and baseboards
  • vacuum/mop floors