I have been really trying to make the most of our quiet mornings with Elliot gone to kindergarten and give Gus some one-on-one time AND some preschool activities. So we are now charting the weather AND learning the days of the week. Making a weather chart is so easy and there are tons of different ways … Read more
The Paula Deen dishware winner is…#71! Mary who said, “My favorite is Whitaker! I love both the white and aqua, they’re both so beautiful. I would use them every day!” Send an email to kelsey[at]vanillajoy[dot]com BEFORE FRIDAY to claim your prize. Congrats! THE PRIZE One reader will win a 16 piece set of Paula Deen’s … Read more
I spied some Fruit of the Loom cotton t-shirts at Walmart the other day for $2 so I snatched a few to liven up for Elliot. You just can’t beat $2, and sometimes I like a plain shirt in need of livening. I get so tired of all the name brands plastered all over everything … Read more
Ironing is the worst. My husband, no joke, had about a dozen shirts in his closet that he completely ignored because they needed to be ironed. I told him I was not going to do it. But three months later I did it. I got tired of seeing him wear the same 5 shirts every … Read more
Last weekend we took our kids (5, 3, and 1) for their first visit to Chuck E. Cheese’s for an end-of-summer family outing and they loved it! As soon As we walked in the door their faces had that I’m-so-excited-I-can’t-be-still-or-stop-asking-if-I-can-play-RIGHT-NOW looks. I love that. The first thing you do when you go to Chuck E. … Read more
All winter long I wait and wait and long for summer to come and when it arrives, I remember the few the things I don’t love about summer like being hot and sticky, not having soup for dinner, and the dryness of my skin and hair. I do love summer, I love spending mornings at … Read more
Elliot and Gus LOVE to go swimming, and figuring out what to do with Linus has been a challenge this summer. My sister told me about this brilliant product she tried and loved called the Swimava Baby Ring. It’s a very small swim tube that fits around a baby’s neck to keep their head above … Read more
Yesterday was crazy. Elliot’s first day of kindergarten AND Linus’s first birthday! AND I promised Elliot we could have a reading party when he finished reading lessons. He finished last week and I thought it would be easier to have the reading party and the birthday party the same day. I had big plans for … Read more
My boys’ LOVE toys that do things. Give them buttons to push, wheels to turn, and pieces to move and they are completely absorbed. Naturally, the new Switch & Go Dinos™ from VTech are getting lots of attention — like hours each day. I love more than anything finding a toy that my boys will … Read more
I’ve been seeing some really fantastic organization ideas on Pinterest. Great job friends! You’re pinning just what I need. Here are some favorites from the last few days: DVD storage Magnetic spice rack Sorting boxes Drawer organizers Club cards Kitchen pans Pantry Glass jars Toy storage (IKEA Trofast) Beauty products Art supplies Wrapping paper Now … Read more