30 January 2015

Saturday Spotlight: Volume 5

Welcome back to the Saturday Spotlight! 

Featured Posts This Week:

(From Left to Right Photo Credit)
Liam (and mama) Fashion: Jumping Jack on The Bex Factor
Running Late on The Deliberate Mom
A Letter To Working Moms on Shiraz In My Sippy Cup


Thank you to everyone who linked up this week!

For those who were featured feel free to grab some bling for your blog :)


Saturday Spotlight

If you're new to the link up and wonder how you can be featured, it's simple;

1. Grab a button and display it in your post or somewhere on your blog, this will bring more participants and give us a better chance at featuring GREAT content and finding new bloggers to follow.

2. Link up any post (or posts) from the past week. All kinds of posts welcome :)

3. Read and comment on at least one other linked up post. We really want for this link up to be a place where you can find and interact with new bloggers alike!

We hope to build community through this link up and look forward to getting to know you.

*Disclaimer: by linking up you give permission for your images to be featured on the Saturday Spotlight. All images will be credited to you of course.

So what are you waiting for? Grab the button and link up your best post(s) below! 


Saturday Spotlight



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28 January 2015

DIY Sharpie Marker Mugs

Every year, there are those people in your life who are difficult to buy for. Or, the ones who you want to get something small for, just to recognize them in your life. These are PERFECT!
 (Note: I know this is being posted AFTER Christmas, but obviously, I didn't want the recipients to see their gifts).


LIST OF ITEMS:
(Must be oil-based to make them dishwasher safe)
Ceramic mugs/bowls/plates/any thing you want to make
Letter stickers (should you choose)

Seriously, this project is super easy and relatively inexpensive.
I purchases the Sharpie markers at Michael's (with my 50% off coupon that I found online in store making the markers $14.00 for 6) and the stickers and mugs at the Dollar Store, making the price per mugs very low! (BONUS!)


I began by washing the mugs and drying them well. Then, I applied the stickers to the mug.

Then, its as easy as dabbing the marker in dots all around the letters and in any pattern you wish. 

Very easy. And I LOVE the way they turned out.

After you have your pattern painted on, remove the stickers. 

Now, you need to bake them. The secret here is to put the items in a cold oven and let them heat up with the oven so I put them in the oven, turned it on to 400 degrees and set the timer for 90 minutes. 

One thing I will warn you about is that the marker will change colours as it bakes. My red turned into more of a burgundy colour and my vibrant blue turned to a nice more teal colour. So, maybe testing out each colour first so you have a better idea of how they will turn out might be a good idea. 

I included in the mugs some tea and things to make it a little more personal.

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27 January 2015

It Reminded Me...

As I was frantically trying to clean up our lived-in house one day, in hopes of our guests not realizing how messy it was just minutes before they arrived, it dawned on me, this mess is okay. Now, I know the friends of ours that were coming to visit understand all too well about the struggles of keeping a house clean with a toddler and a dog all while working outside the home, so I know there was no judgment coming from them. But this cleaning frenzy I was in came to an abrupt standstill as these realizations took over my thoughts. 

The dishes in the sink mean we are fed and don't go hungry.

The crumbs on the floor remind me that we have a home to grow in. We have a floor below us and a roof above us.

The mess of toys in the living room and scattered across the house means that my daughter doesn't go without and that she has fun and can play her little heart out! It means she is happy and has a place for her imagination to grow. 

The unwashed floors mean that I am busy spending time doing other things, like enjoying time with my family instead of worrying about every last spot on the floor.

The pile of unwashed clothes at the bottom of the stairs tells me we have clean clothes to wear every day; that we don't have to worry about if we are going to be warm enough in the cold.

The wadded up pile of unused toilet paper in the bathroom garbage, put there by a learning-to-be-independent toddler, reminds me that we have running water and a toilet to use.


I will never judge anyone by the state of their house because I get it. The mess...I totally get it. To me, that mess means that we live here. We both work full time. We have a toddler and a dog and we get it! Of course, I like to have a clean house, in fact, it kind of drives me crazy when it's not clean-ish, and when I am not completely exhausted from a busy day of toddler-chasing, dog-walking, food-making, and hospital-working, my house will get cleaned. 

But, the next time I am worried about the mess in our house, stressing over the crumbs on the floor and the toys scattered across the house, I will remember these things. I will remember we aren't perfect and that we have to balance everything in life. I mean, seriously, if i made sure I had a clean house all the time, I would be doing nothing but following Palmer around with a vacuum, not allowing her to let her imagination run wild. I would be leaving the dog outside all. day. long. I would be constantly in the kitchen, cleaning up the array of snacks and dishes because we have been grazing all afternoon.

Instead, I will be grateful that I have a house to get messy. 




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26 January 2015

How I Stay Organized + A Shop Spotlight!

One of my biggest goals for the new year is to be organized. There are so many things going on in our lives that keeping organized is the only way I know whether I am coming or going.  I have always had a day planner, but keeping it updated and with me at all times was my biggest issue. Many people choose to use the calendar or an app on their phones, but I have never really found that to be useful to me. So, I went on the search for the perfect planner. 
I came across a few I really liked and narrowed it down to two. The decision was very easy for me after that. I went with Be Filled for a couple of reasons; a) the price was reasonable and b) they are a local small shop and I love supporting local!  I did have my eye on an Erin Condren planner but the shipping to Canada, like everything else, was ridiculous!

Anyways, I have been very good about writing everything down in my planner. Everything from my work shifts, to gymnastics, oil changes and blogging. I make a point of looking at my planner daily and it really helps me to stay focused on my goals.

I love that my Be Filled planner has a monthly calendar at the start of each month followed by a weekly spreadsheet separated by days. I love having the month to glance over with reminders of work shifts and various other things going on. I go into more depth on the daily pages; like blog posts, things that need to get done, grocery shopping, etc. 

Each month has their own divider which makes flipping to the right page easy. And at the back, there is a folder for keeping papers, receipts, and your Planning Made Easy stickers!


Ashley, over at Planning Made Easy, makes amazing stickers for your planner. Seriously, this shop is the cutest.  Any sticker you could ever think of, she makes it, and if she doesn't, she will look at a custom order for you!

I love the way the stickers look in my planner. They make planning and organizing my life FUN! Ashley was kind enough to send me some sample stickers for review and I have to say, I love them all! They are fun, colorful, and fit the planner perfectly.

I use them for all kinds of reminders. I love the large block-like stickers to make note of important blocks of time, like Palmer's 2nd Birthday Party. I love the ones that look like washi tape; they are so fun and I use them for fun reminders like Bachelor Night with the girls!

I promise you, you will find stickers to match anything you need over at Ashley's shop! And, she was so kind as to provide all my wonderful readers with a discount code for 10% off all your sticker purchases forever! How sweet is she?


Use the code:
MITCHALYCIA10

E T S Y | I N S T A G R A M | F A C E B O O K



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24 January 2015

Saturday Spotlight: Volume 4

Welcome back to the Saturday Spotlight! 

Featured Posts This Week:


Photo credit from Right to left: Slice of Brie Blog/ Pardon My French blog/ Just Leesha Blog/ That's Just Our Life Blog

Our Next Great Adventure on A Slice of Brie
Cinnamon Vanilla Rainbow Pancakes on Pardon My French
The Age Gap and Why We Waited For Our Third on Just Leesha
Hey! We're Your New Neighbors! on That's Just Our Life


Thank you to everyone who linked up this week!

For those who were featured feel free to grab some bling for your blog :)


Saturday Spotlight

If you're new to the link up and wonder how you can be featured, it's simple;

1. Grab a button and display it in your post or somewhere on your blog, this will bring more participants and give us a better chance at featuring GREAT content and finding new bloggers to follow.

2. Link up any post (or posts) from the past week. All kinds of posts welcome :)

3. Read and comment on at least one other linked up post. We really want for this link up to be a place where you can find and interact with new bloggers alike!

We hope to build community through this link up and look forward to getting to know you.

*Disclaimer: by linking up you give permission for your images to be featured on the Saturday Spotlight. All images will be credited to you of course.

So what are you waiting for? Grab the button and link up your best post(s) below! 


Saturday Spotlight

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23 January 2015

Well...I'm Getting Older!

Today, I turn 29. One year closer to 30. I don't have an issue with that number at all. It really doesn't phase me. I know in my past 29 years, I have grown; I learn something new with each one. I know this will be the best year yet and I am so excited to get it started!


I am not a big birthday celebrator. I just want to spend the day with people I love. Surround myself with happiness and love. And work....I do have to work tonight. I'm in the middle of my stretch of nights at work, but that's OK. I don't feel the need to have to take my birthday off from work!

As I get older, I change, but I get better. I like to think I enjoy the small things more.  I think with each year, I become more accepting of who I am; getting to know myself to the core. With each year, I realize, I care less and less about what people think of me. I am who I am and the people who are in my life enjoy me for the qualities I have. I don't need to change me.

As I turn 29 today, I reflect on me. I know who I am. I know what I want, where I'm going, and for the most part, how to get there.

There is something so bittersweet about turning one year older though. I know this day is suppose to be about me, but I cannot help to think back to 2 years prior, when Palmer was born. My birthday reminds me that Palmer is now one year older too. Born just 2 days before my birthday, our sweet little girl came into our lives. Just two days ago, she turned 2. Life goes so much faster with a little in your life. I just hope that it doesn't go so fast that my next birthday is my 40th!!


My twenties brought me so many amazing things. Many of my greatest milestones happened in my twenties: I got married, began my nursing career, got pregnant and had Palmer. We bought our first house then built a house. My twenties have been amazing so I will make this last year amazing too!

I am excited to see what the year of 29 will bring!



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22 January 2015

Another Friday Post

Time again for another Friday post. 

O N E ||  This week I ventured out and tried something new for supper and it was DELICIOUS!!! Mitch was saying a few days ago that "bacon wrapped anything is delicious" so I searched through Pinterest and found some bacon wrapped stuffed chicken! SO YUM! I may have to start doing more adventerous recipes to try because this one turned out great!!  

T W O ||  Yesterday was Palmer's birthday. Sweet girl turned two! We kept it pretty low key around here yesterday. We asked her what she wanted for supper and she told us "soup noodles" A.K.A. Kraft Dinner. So, the birthday girl got what she wanted and we all enjoyed some soup noodles and chicken nuggets for supper. Since had cake at the dayhome that afternoon, we opted for a slightly less unhealthy option for our after dinner treat. We had a fruit, marshmallow and melted chocolate party! Then we rocked out to some T. Swift - Shake It Off, Palmer's favorite song!


T H R E E ||  I have not yet even begun to plan for Palmer's party next weekend!! We are having it next Saturday but I haven't even started to get things organized at all. Hopefully the party is not a complete flop! But really, how hard can it be to entertain a handful of 2 year olds?!?  If anyone has any fun party ideas, I am all ears!!! 

F O U R ||  It's my birthday tomorrow! WHAT?!?! Yup...I get to celebrate me tomorrow! Although I plan on spending the majority of my day sleeping (due to being on night shift), I'm hoping to eat some delicious food and be around my favorite people!!! 

F I V E  ||  What is a blog post without promoting myself?? Tawnya and I have had a great response from our Saturday Spotlight!! We are coming into the 4th week now and we have had some really great posts linked up! I have found some great new blogs to follow! So, be sure to stop by Saturday (or anytime next week; it runs through Thursday) with your best posts of the week for your chance to be featured with social media shoutouts!!! And, of course, to find some great new blogs to read!





The Grits Blog (Follow Here)     //     Alycia (Follow Here)     //     Kristen (Follow Here)

Rules are there are no rules! 

Please link-up to whatever you like! 

All that we ask is, if you wish, please follow us via the links above and that you link back to this blog - so that other's can join in and mingle! 

Happy Little Friday Everyone!


The Grits Blog - Little Friday Linkup


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21 January 2015

Palmer Madeline: 2 Years

Looking back, these past two years have been the best of my life. It's hard to remember what life was without Palmer. This one little girl has brought so much love into our lives, I really don't know what we would have been doing these past two years without her. 

Where to even start...There is so much to say. 

Palmer, you are the sweetest little girl I've ever known. Your heart is so full of love. You never hesitate to share with anyone or to hand out hugs and kisses.  The way your sweet little arms wrap around our necks just makes my heart swell. You have almost always got #TheBelovedMrElephant in tow. The love you have for him is contagious.
Give love, always.





You are turning into such a smart, independent little girl. You truly amaze me every day with all the new things you are learning. Your words have exploded and you are turning into a very smart little girl. Every day you surprise us with something new and I love it. It fills my heart with so much happiness.
Continue learning my sweet girl, it will get you many things in life.

You already have quite the imagination, playing with your toys, pretending, having fun. I could just sit and watch you all day. And your dancing...oh that dancing, like you have no care in the world. Sweetest little dancer ever!! Dancing to have fun and like no one is watching you. Hold on to that baby girl.
Hold on to that carefree, fun-loving soul. 



Palmer, your little giggle is music to my ears. Your laugh when you play with Leaf is heartwarming.
 






You make us smile every. single. day.

In this past year, you have grown and changed so much. You are turning into the person you are meant to be. Not only are you learning to be you, but you are teaching me a little everyday too.






I am in no way sad that you are growing up! There are so many more things we have yet to see from you. I am sad that the time seems to be going by infinitely faster than it use to. I wish we could just slow it down just a little so we can enjoy each and every moment just that much longer. I am ready to see what this next year brings for you, my sweet girl.

Palmer Madeline, you have made our lives change. I can't even begin to describe the amount of love you have brought into our world. Your happiness and love shines through in everything you do. I hope you carry this quality with you always. We are so proud of the little person you have become.



Happy 2nd Birthday, our sweet Palmer Madeline.
We love you!


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