“One may walk over the highest mountain one step at a time.” - John Wanamaker

I’m posting my weight here for the world wide web to see, to keep myself motivated and accountable. I gained almost 80 pounds when I was pregnant with Abby, which is pretty common in my family. Then, I lost about 25 pounds last year when I did the Nutrisystem diet for 3 months {which really is great, I was very happy with it.} I gained some back again, and have just tried to ignore it. I’ve put my weight loss goals off for a long time now. We all do, right? How many things are you planning to do tomorrow? Or when you have “more time?” Or when… “insert whatever perfect situation you’re waiting to happen for you so that you can finally take action on your goals.” The best way to never reach your goals is to start them tomorrow, right?

“To climb steep hills requires slow pace at first.” - William Shakespeare

That photo above is me, at the Mom 2.0 Summit a couple of weeks ago in California. I’m not usually one to snap a “hey look at me taking my own photo in a mirror in a bathroom!!” type of photo. I’m not cool enough or young enough or have arms long enough to do it right, lol. But, that morning I had been totally confronted with the size of myself, in a hotel bathroom filled with floor to ceiling mirrors. Eek. It’s not that I’m super obese or anything, I know that. But I look VERY different than I did just a couple of years ago, you know? And I know it’s not the healthiest weight for me. So – this isn’t about getting super skinny or something – {I’ve got that hourglass style figure, exaggerated. With big ol’ hips like these, I’ll never be considered “skinny” no matter how much weight I lose…} But I do want to get healthy. Have more energy to chase my growing toddler around the back yard. I want to see ME when I look in the mirror. And – this week is my kick off to those goals!

“You will never change your life until you change something you do daily.” - Mike Murdock

So – now that I’ve shown you the truth of how much I weigh, and a photo of how I hide it under layers, let’s get down to what these weekly posts are going to be all about. Each Wednesday for {well, as long as it takes?} – I’ll be posting a Weekly Wednesday Weigh-In post. Here’s what you’ll find:

• 1. A motivation quote or two. Or seven. Whatever. I love quotes.
• 2. My weight each Wednesday morning, as measured by the crazy-amazingly accurate FitBit Aria Scale.
• 3. My goals for the week. I’m going to be following the tips in the most recent issue from All You Magazine’s Health & Wellness Special Issue. They have a 12 WeekGet Fit Challenge I’m going to do, because it’s easier for me to follow a plan than come up with one on my own. I mean – I have a toddler. A house that has a mess-magnet embedded deep within the foundation or something, and just draws chaos in each day. A business I run from home. And more. I don’t have time to think – so I’ll be using these simple tips to help me make small changes each week. {FYI: I have NO connection to All You. I just loved the challenge and want to share it.}
• 4. I’ll be sharing my own person goals each week too. And each week I’ll let you know what worked for me, what challenges I encountered, and what new goals I’ve come up with!
• 5. Posting to Facebook, Twitter and Instagram. All week long I’ll be posting photos and updates – success, total screw ups, photos of my measurements, work outs, and more. I’ll be using the hashtag #NoMoreFatPants. Follow along, or share your own photos and updates too!

Sound like something you wanna follow along with? Well – you can subscribe to my daily emails up towards the top right side of the site under my smiling photo. Or search out the hashtag to interact on social media. Or, if you’re a blogger too – wait until you see me at a conference this summer and pinch me like the Pillsbury dough boy and see if I giggle, lol.

This Week’s Tips and Goals:

Here are the tips I’ll be taking from All You Magazine, and the personal goals I have for the week. Next Wednesday come back again to see how I did, and share your progress if you’re following along too.

• 1. Get a head-to-toe check up: Well, I can’t just do that super quick. But, I’ve had some health problems lately… I was in the ER about a month and a half ago with chest pains. Found out I have crazy-high blood pressure. Waiting for an appointment to get this figured out. Will do a check up at the same time too.
• 2. Seek out sunshine: Whaaaat? Yes, seek me out daily. :) But seriously – I am already a sunshine-lover, obviously. I open doors and windows as often as possible, and love to work on the patio whenever I can, to get fresh air. Will continue this.
• 3. Work in a walk: This is the last goal for the week from All You’s Health & Wellness issue. {Should still be available at your local store.} This is a BIG goal, since Abby and I used to love our walks last year. I’ll be shooting for at least 3 days a week on this.
• 4. Personal Goal: Eat more veggies. I LOVE me some fruits, but am not a fan of very many veggies. But, I’ve added half dark leafy greens to my salads to make them healthier, am shredding veggies to add to my pasta sauce, and am making my own slow-cooker soups filled with veggies that I wouldn’t normally eat on their own.

There you have it! My week one goals. If you’ve struggled with your weight too, I’d love to hear your stories – things that worked, gimmicks to skip, tips to try. Let’s do this ladies – swimsuit season is just around the corner….

 A few other weight loss goodies you might like:

• Get a 7 Day Free Gym Membership Pass for 24Hour Fitness. No strings, and it’s a great facility. This is an awesome way to decide if you want to purchase a full membership, or to try out exercise equipment if you’re thinking about buying something for your home. Just print and visit – free.
• Ellie.com offers a 20% off coupon towards all of their workout gear that they sell. All you have to do is complete a little style quiz – super simple, and actually really helpful if you’re a first time workout gear buyer like me. It gives you ideas of what types of pieces would work best for you, suggestions on their own site, and then big discount coupons just for checking it all out. Just takes a minute, and they have stuff that fits even big booty girls like me, is trendy, but not so over the top that you feel silly. Love them.
• Follow my Weight Loss board on Pinterest for more of my weight loss posts, cool recipes I’ve been collecting, and great tips and inspiration to help us all slim down, get in shape, and get healthy!

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• 2. $50,000 in free cash for summer fun: Find your perfect path to retirement and be entered for a chance to win $50,000 with AARP’s Perfect Path to Retirement Sweepstakes! Sweepstakes is open to ages 40 and up.
• 3. Win a 6 Day, 5 Night Getaway to the Westin Resort & Spa, Los Cabos: How awesome would it be to win the Zevia Great Beach Getaway Sweepstakes – you get to escape from the ordinary at this lavish resort overlooking the Sea of Cortez in Mexico with your family!
• 4. Joovy Summer Product of Your Choice: Do you need a sweet new top of the line stroller? What about a new play yard, or super cool ride-on race car? Whatever summer tot must-have you have your eyes on, Joovy is giving you the chance to win your favorite!
• 5. Ladies Night Spa Week Prize Package: Treat yourself and three friends to spa treatments, $200 visa gift card for a night out, and more! How great would this be to kick off your summer season?
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• 7. Forget the vacation home – win a brand new home of your dreams to spend summers forever: Enter today to win the house of your dreams. he grand prize winner will receive Two Thousand Dollars ($2,000) per month for the rest of their life (up to the age of 75) to pay for the mortgage or purchase of their Dream House.
• 8. Pantene Travel Kits: Win one of TEN kits filled with must-have Pantene products perfect for traveling this season. Whether you’re headed to the beach, the big city, or just to far-away family for fun BBQs, these will help out a ton.
• 9. It’s summertime, and the cookin’ is easy: Mom’s Recipes is the best place on the web for Moms like us to share our fave recipes – and BONUS! – you can compete for cash and prizes. Whether you’re a casual cook or the next Rachael Ray, Mom’s Recipes is for you. Winners get prizes like gift cards, kitchen gadgets, and more.
• 10. Right @ Home $10,000 Sweepstakes: Don’t miss out! This is your last chance to win the $10,000 grand prize or one of 1,000 Windex^® Touch-Up Cleaners. Enter today and every day through May 31 for your best chance to win.
• 11. Canon Camera Prize Package: What’s more perfect for summer fun than a brand new Canon Rebel camera and accessory package to capture all of those amazing memories?
• 12. Win a Jamaican Vacation: Enter on the Excedrin Facebook page for a chance to win an all expenses paid 7-day trip to Jamaica for two. Awesome.

There you have it ladies – 12 amazing prize packages up for grabs to help you get this summer off to a rockin’ start. If you win one – you have totally gotta let me know, because that would be super cool. And if you have an awesome giveaway of your own going on, or have seen a really great one – be sure to leave the link in the comments below so the rest of us can get a chance to win too!

{Photo credit: Juergen Kurlvink via photopin cc.}

Baskets to organize bookshelves – I have a ton of bookshelves in my house. And it’s easy for them to quickly get overwhelmed by all of the “stuff” that’s kept there. But using some simple baskets or bins on my shelves helps to corral all of the clutter – books look a little neater when they’re housed in a basket. Magazines are cleaner when in a cute bin. And they can be used to disguise all of your messy stuff too – like paperwork or mail.

Organizing Toys with bins and baskets – this is a lifesaver in my house! We have a bunch of big baskets like this in the living room… They make clean up time way easier. Every day at naptime and bedtime we grab a bin and gather up any of the toys and dollies that have been enjoying adventures around the house with Abby, and easily haul them back to the playroom. Easy peasy, and they look great too!

Keeping things together with baskets – I use baskets in similar ways to this photo… For me, having miscellaneous things around the house contained together in baskets, boxes, or bins helps things seem more pulled together. In the kitchen, I have a KitchenArt Spice Carousel, my knife block, and a ceramic jar to hold extra utensils. When pulled together in a shallow wooden basket, they look SO much cleaner. I have baskets on the bottom shelves of the kitchen island to hold Abby’s extra toys for her play kitchen. And I have a big wooden box like this on the patio to hold our extra chair cushions – the little kids use them as seating during BBQs.

Organizing your closets with baskets – Imagine what this closet would look like without the boxes on the shelves. You’d have stacks of sweaters, piles of accessories, and random flip flops or clutches stacked up. The boxes make it easy to store like items together, making them easier to find. And they totally make things look cleaner and neater – just by throwing piles into boxes.

 Ready to stock up on some cool new bins and baskets to organize your home too?

If these ideas and tips inspired you to find some pretty new baskets and bins to store your messes too – You’ll love the sweet deal right now at Land of Nod! 20% off all bins and baskets – and lemme tell ya ladies, they have some seriously awesome choices. They are one of my all-time favorite sites for kids gear – but they have amazing choices for “grown up” gear and decor too. And don’t miss this, for a limited time: Land Of Nod: up to 70% off of sale items!

What are your favorite tips for organizing quickly? Share some advice in the comments below!

{This post contains an affiliate link to support this site. I only share sites, services, and supplies that I truly love – and Land of Nod totally gets my “nod” of approval!}

Can you afford a medical emergency?… The average cost of a heart attack and the care needed to recover is $65,427, according to the US Department of Health and Human Services. A broken leg costs around $10,000. Some cancer medications can cost upwards of $10,000 per month. Add those up, and it’s no surprise that medical debt is the leading cause of bankruptcy is this country. I know from experience that even with insurance, the bills add up quickly, and can become overwhelming. Because it’s not even just the medical bills – it’s also the money you lose if you aren’t able to work for awhile. Many people believe that if they have health insurance, they’ll be ok if a health crisis hits – but do you have a real idea of what out of pocket costs will be if someone in your family gets sick or injured? I didn’t. And that’s what led to me filing for bankruptcy at the young age of just 25.

Why I filed for bankruptcy at 25

I have always worked – I started as a cashier at McDonalds when I was just 15 1/2 {the earliest age you could start working in Washington at that time.} I eventually moved into retail – I started as a sales associate, moved into merchandising and displays, and eventually to management. I thought I was doing pretty well… I making good money, enjoying the fast pace, and knew I was very lucky to have a full set of benefits in my early 20′s – retirement, 401k, health insurance. Then, I ended up in the emergency room one night. I’d been in horrendous pain for hours, and finally had to do something about it. It turns out that I had an ovarian cyst, and it had ruptured. It took a ton of tests before they figured out what was wrong. And I needed a bunch more tests afterwards – I had a laparoscopic surgery to look for additional problems, ultrasounds, and more. Between the mounting medical bills, and all of the days I had to take off from work for procedures and appointments, I was drowning in bills! I was making minimum payments to each different provider, but there were SO many – the hospital, the doctor’s office, radiology, imaging, and more. I was barely able to keep up.

Then – it got worse.

A few months after that, I had the opportunity to follow a good friend to a new store he was going to be taking over, and be his assistant store manager. It was a lot more money, {which I desperately needed} and an exciting new challenge. It took 30 days before my benefits would kick in, but I didn’t think it was that big of a deal. Well, it turned out to be a HUGE deal. A few days before my benefits kicked in, I had yet another cyst rupture. And, lemme tell ya – the pain from those ruptures was worse than having a baby. Seriously. I tried so hard to wait it out at home, but some things felt different than they had the first time, and I was scared. So I finally let Mike drive me to the ER, and I was barely even coherent by the time we arrived. They ran through a bunch of testing, and determined what had happened, and there were a few complications this time.

After that, the medical bills were crushing.

I had been overwhelmed before – but now I was being totally crushed by medical debt. The minimum payments for all of the bills I had were more than the total amount of money I brought home each month. I didn’t qualify for charity care since I was working. My family didn’t have the money to loan me to pay things off. Soon, I was being served papers at my home, summoning me to court for my unpaid debts. It was so humiliating. Plus – I had to take more time off of work, and still needed to pay rent, utilities, and buy food. After two months of trying everything I could, I finally had to swallow my pride, and see a bankruptcy lawyer. So many friends over the years have told me that medical expenses are “different” – there are so many misconceptions out there. Medical debt is so different than other debt, they can charge unfairly high interest and penalties, they can take you to court, they do not have to make payment arrangements that you can afford.

What you can do to prevent medical debt like I had

This experience was a huge eye-opener for me. It really forced me to become an adult, to realize that I needed to have more money set aside for emergencies, and that I needed to learn what other options were out there to protect me when things in life went wrong. I’ve been an Aflac customer now for years – and since becoming a mom, it’s even more valuable to me. To get an idea of what Aflac can do to help you, try out their Real Cost Calculator -

Aflac Real Cost Calculator – Can You Afford to Get Sick?

Notice how the calculator includes all of the expenses you’ll have to pay if you, or a family member, gets hurt of sick. In 3 simple steps you can see the potential out of pocket expenses for different emergencies like broken bones, cancer or diabetes, or an asthma diagnosis for your child. It includes the total medical expenses, and estimate of what you’ll pay in co-pays and deductibles based on your level of insurance, and adds in household expenses like rent or mortgage, utilities and car payments. It’s pretty shocking to see how those bills might add up, right?

Aflac is different than health insurance – it’s insurance for daily living

Your medical insurance helps pay the majority of your hospital and doctor bills. But Aflac is there to help out with the rest of your life – they pay out directly to you, in cash, to help you cover those remaining medical bills, and household expenses. I can tell you from experience that claims are processed quickly, the forms to apply are simple to understand, and they don’t jack up your rates just because you have filed a claim. They have a ton of different types of policies, so you can choose the one that’s right for you. Most of my family use Aflac too – but we all have different types of plans. And it has helped us more times than I can count: Mike has severe asthma, I have a couple of other health problems, Abby’s been dealing with her seizures for about 6 months now… I have a friend that I shared Aflac information with, who was able to use it to save the day after a difficult delivery and a month spent in the hospital with her new baby. Medical care saves your life – good supplemental insurance can save the day! If you’ve ever experienced big medical debt – or if you’ve had Aflac help your family, I’d love to hear your stories in the comments section…

It’s a great feeling now, knowing I’ve taken steps to prevent a financial meltdown from ever happening again. And it’s easy for you to do it too – Find out more on Aflac.com.

More Stuff I Think You’ll Like:

• DailyWorth is a free daily personal finance email for women. It delivers practical tips, empowering ideas, and the occasional kick in the pants.
• Learn how to make money at home, while having the freedom to stay home with your kids. These are 10 tips for working at home that worked for me.
• Personal Capital – Free Wealth Management Tools. Run a free investment check-up!
• Bringing up baby on a budget – Learn 10 tips for saving big on baby essentials.

{Photo credit: taberandrew via photopin cc.}

“One of the most delightful things about a garden is the anticipation it provides.” – W.E. Johns… This is our third summer now in this house, and the big piece of property it sits on is finally coming along nicely. All of the overgrown brush is gone, the driveway has been leveled and got a fresh coat of gravel, we planted more trees this summer {bringing it to a total of 17 in the back now!} – and the gardens are all set and beginning to fill out! We have a huge vegetable garden in the back filed, bordered by fruit trees, and there are flower beds and container gardens from the front of the house all around to the back. {Read and see a little more of my garden here.} I’m not the most skilled at putting all of this together – But my mother is a Master Gardener, and teaches me so much as she helps me. And one thing that is a must is using the right products, because just like every other mom out there – even Mother Nature can use a little help!

Pennington Smart Feed Sprayer System

Let me introduce you to a new friend of mine – the Pennington Smart Feed Sprayer. Seriously, it’s awesome. I’ve used a few other types of plant feed, but I hated trying to measure and mix things just right, or having to stock a bunch of different products for all of the different types of plants I have. But this makes it all crazy-simple to spray the perfect portion of nutrients. Check it out:

How to use the sprayer in the garden

This system really does help your garden grow bigger and better. I’ve been using it for awhile now, and can really see a difference. And it’s so easy – The first photo shows you the tablets – they come in three different types; All-Purpose, Tomato & Vegetable, and Flowers & Blooms. You load one or two of these water-soluble fertilizer tablets into the sprayer base, then hook it onto your hose, and spray. Seriously, that easy! And it’s a four-way, adjustable sprayer, so you can easily water anything, anywhere. I love being able to quickly switch from a heavy spray to a lighter misting for more delicate blossoms.

Flowers & Blooms

How pretty are my poppies this spring?? These are an Oriental Poppy, and I have them in orange, purple, white, and pink. I love the bright bold pops of color they give to my patio garden – and I know that they love me right back, for giving them lovely sprays of the Flowers & Blooms spray. Each of the tablets in the sprayer covers about 600 feet, so I can easily give each of my pretty blooms a drink. I also use this to help my rows of iris in the front bloom brighter {and grow a little taller too!} – and I’m excited to see what they can do for my lilacs. I absolutely adore the smell of fresh lilacs, they are one of my all-time favorites. I have tons of them planted all down the long driveway, and am so anxious for them to grow bigger and start blooming!

Building my fruit & veggie garden

This is one of my little raspberry plants – I have two rows, 14 plants total. As they get a little taller, we’ll string twine from the big wooden posts, to help them grow bushy and strong. I also have tomatoes, peppers, lettuce, cucumbers, squash, beans, and strawberries out there. And we thought that it would be fun to grow pumpkins this year too – so grandma can help the kids each grow their own pumpkin for Halloween! I love being able to grab a basket, and pick a bunch of goodies to make a fresh salad on hot summer evenings – and, you wouldn’t believe how many more veggies your kids will eat when they help to grow it themselves. We’ve been using the Tomato & Vegetable feed out here, even on the fruits, to ensure that we get a really great crop of fresh food this year. We’re already seeing earlier buds on some of the plants this year, so it must be working :)

Helping my garden grow bigger, bud faster and bloom longer

See this mess? The whole property out back used to look like this! It’s a little more than a half acre out there past the shop, and with no irrigation, there was no grass – just loads of overgrown weeds and piles of dried out tumbleweeds. We’re trying to figure out how to get irrigation, but – long story made short – no one knows where the lines are. But, when life hands you lemons, you…. Um, grow a bunch of other stuff to go with your lemons?? Lol. Little by little, we’re prettifiying it back there…. we use railroad ties or boards to section off each new garden. This photo shows you my fence-in-progress – the fence only goes halfway now, and I want the backyard to be safe for the kids, the dogs, and my chickens I’ll be getting soon. Next weekend after it’s finished, we’ll be ’tilling up this section for a flower garden – and I’m so excited that I’ve found the Pennington Smart Feed Sprayer to help in all of my different garden sections around here. All three fertilizer formulas are created to benefit different growing environments, plant types and applications, so that I just need this ONE sprayer, and can quickly give a dose of good stuff to each of my different garden sections. Give me another year, and this place is going to be glorious, I tell ya!

Pennington, known for its exceptional lawn and garden care products, has launched a new-to-the-industry fertilizer – the Pennington Smart Feed Sprayer System – that makes fertilizing easy while producing bigger and better results every time. The four-way, adjustable sprayer – which easily attaches to a standard garden hose – simplifies plant feeding and ensures proper nutrition and vigorous plant growth. Pennington Smart Feed products range from $9.99 to $12.99 and are available at national home retailers. Learn more on Penningtonusa.com, and learn how to unlock your plant’s full potential too!

Let’s Chat: Do you garden? What are your favorite things to grow? Share your best tips with me too – Leave some comments below. I love hearing from you smart ladies!

{Disclosure: Central Garden & Pet partnered with bloggers such as me to help educate us all about their Pennington products. As part of this program, I received compensation. They did not tell me what to purchase or what to say about the use of the products. Central Garden & Pet believes that consumers and bloggers are free to form their own opinions and share them in their own words. Central Garden & Pet’s policies align with WOMMA Ethics Code, FTC guidelines and social media engagement recommendations. A winner will be chosen by random and gift card fulfillment will be handled by a third party.}

Just Keep Swimming

If there was ever a cartoon quote that was perfect for moms – this is it! Motherhood is beautiful, but filled with challenges and chaos. You have to learn to let go of any ideas of perfection – perfectly behaved kids, perfectly clean home, perfectly matched shoes… {What? Don’t tell me I’m the ONLY one who’s left the house in two different flip flops? Zebra on the left and pink on the right is a fashion statement, right? Right.} As a mom, you have to learn to just roll with it all. To relax. And most of all – to just keep swimming, no matter how hard things get.

Well, you can’t never let anything happen to him, then nothing would ever happen to him

I love this line. It’s something I constantly struggle with as a mom, already. {Abby will be 3 in late July.} I had always thought that I’d be the “cool” mom – the type who was super lenient, few rules, giving lots of freedom. But then she came into my life, and my momma bear side that I didn’t even know existed came out! I want to wrap her in bubble wrap before putting her IN a bubble, never let her leave the house without me, and protect her from all of the scary things out there in the world. Every day we hear about scary new stories {ohmyheck, like those 3 kidnapped girls in Ohio?? I get scary-chills every time I hear more about that.} But like Dory says, if you never let anything happen to them, then nothing will ever happen to them. Life is filled with disappointments, but also amazing adventures. We have to let our kids experience the ups and the downs, to grow into well-rounded adults. It’s hard, but little by little, we have to learn to let go….

I look at you, and I’m home

This is such a sweet line in the movie… Makes me tear up a little thinking about it. Especially as a mother. Dory says this to Nemo’s dad as he tries to leave – telling him that while her whole life is often incredibly confusing for her, somehow just looking at him makes her feel better. Helps her remember who she is, what her purpose is, where she’s going and what she cares about. That’s how I feel about my family… After a long super-stressful day, when I’m frazzled, exhausted, and starting to get a wee bit grumpy – A hug, snuggle, and “mommy, I love you” from Abby reminds me that it’s all worth it, and that I’m right where I’m supposed to be.

Want even more Dory?

Well, you’re in luck! It’s a long wait – but I am totally sure it’ll be worth it when the follow up to Finding Nemo comes out… Watch for Finding Dory, in theaters November 2015! {Squeeeeee!!!!!} Here’s a little sneak peek at what you have to look forward to:

According to Stanton, “Finding Dory” takes place about a year after the first film, and features returning favorites Marlin, Nemo and the Tank Gang, among others. Set in part along the California coastline, the story also welcomes a host of new characters, including a few who will prove to be a very important part of Dory’s life.  Director and Pixar veteran Andrew Stanton takes audiences back to the extraordinary underwater world created in the original film. “There is no Dory without Ellen,” said Stanton. “She won the hearts of moviegoers all over the world—not to mention our team here at Pixar. One thing we couldn’t stop thinking about was why she was all alone in the ocean on the day she met Marlin. In ‘Finding Dory,’ she will be reunited with her loved ones, learning a few things about the meaning of family along the way.”

And what does the voice of Dory, Ellen DeGeneres have to say about her starring role in the upcoming film? Something entertaining, as usual :): “I have waited for this day for a long, long, long, long, long, long time,” said DeGeneres. “I’m not mad it took this long. I know the people at Pixar were busy creating ‘Toy Story 16.’ But the time they took was worth it. The script is fantastic. And it has everything I loved about the first one: It’s got a lot of heart, it’s really funny, and the best part is—it’s got a lot more Dory.”

Be sure to follow Finding Dory on Facebook and Disney-Pixar on Twitter - for more fun updates on the film as they’re released!

What’s your favorite parenting advice from an animated film? Share with me in the comments below. And be sure to check out my Disney Fun board on Pinterest….

 {I didn’t receive any compensation for this post… I just love the movie, and wanted to share some of my favorite moments with you guys. Can’t wait until November 2015!}

Caillou Bathtime with You

How adorable is this, right? The Caillou Bathtime with You playset is perfect for kids from 12 months to 4 years old… And mom and dad will have fun helping play along with it too. It totally encourages creativity, and has so many different cool things going on for kids to discover – and even comes with a plastic Caillou figure to slide and play, as well as an adorable green froggy net to scoop up Caillou, other toys, or just catch bubbles with!

Water fun with Caillou

I’m a big fan of toys that really encourage kids to use their imagination… And this is totally one of those toys. There are so many cool little parts and pieces for kids to discover. The little fish here on the bottom “swims” back and forth as you push him around. And the little green propeller spins by flicking it, or as you pour water into Caillou’s top. {You’ll see that next.}

Toddlers love playing with water!

Caillou’s blue hat pops off pretty easily, and little hands can use it to scoop up bath water and bubbles, then dump them into Caillou’s “head” – then, it pours out through the little circle you see here in his face mask, and then pours down right onto that green propeller from the picture above – causing the propeller to spin, the water to splash, and your toddler to giggle and grin. Super fun way to teach cause and effect – Love it.

Bath time is more fun with friends to play too!

The Caillou Bath Time Activity Set comes with a little Caillou figure too – so that kids can have a “friend” to splish and splash in the tub with too! He has three parts that can detach {and can mix and match with other Caillou figures if you have them, to change outfits and activities} – and also includes a little inner tube that can attach around his waist, to help him float around during tub time.

Slipping and sliding during toddler tub time!

The little Caillou figure can attach to the base of the toy on a couple of different little pegs – or he can enjoy bath time too by slipping and sliding down his little blue slide. Abby LOVED this part!! And the main toy has three suction cups on the back of the base, so that you can attach it easily to any tub or shower at just the right height. The Caillou cartoons are all about following him along as he explores and learns about how the world around him works – so I think it’s awesome that the Caillou toys keep with that theme, and help kids learn to explore different parts of their own world too.

Win a Caillou bath time toy set

Want a chance to try out this super fun bathtime set with your family? Well, it’s available at a super affordable price on Toys ‘R Us – Caillou Bath Time Activity Set. Or, if you’re feelin’ lucky, you can enter right here on this page for a chance to WIN a set for free! Just use the easy peasy Rafflecopter form below to get your entries in – the more you complete, the more chances to win it. {But don’t forget to pin this post, so you can come back and buy it if you don’t win. You’ll love this set!}

Have fun and Good luck!

a Rafflecopter giveaway

Holding onto your favorite memories

I had several concussions in my early 20′s {long story…} which means that my memory isn’t as strong as I wish it was. But photographs bring back my favorite memories in stunning detail… So I take a million photos, love creating photo books, scrapbooks, and decorating my walls with framed prints or canvas photo art. Photography is such an important part of my life… I love learning to take better photos, I love the way a really great photo can bring me back to a place and time, and I love  being able to use those great pics I take all year to make photo gifts for friends and family at holidays.

Capturing life’s little moments

This photo above makes my heart happy… This is my Mister holding Abby’s hand, walking her down to see grandpa’s boat at the Everett Marina. My dad decided to buy a sail boat, to live on, a couple months ago. He’s crazy, but I so admire his adventurousness. Watching Mike be such a good daddy, guiding her along, keeping her safe, hand in hand, is just the sweetest moment. Having a great camera gives me the opportunity to grab those moments and pull them into a photo, so I can keep them forever…

Great deals on the tools you need to capture YOUR families best moments

Best Buy has such an amazing selection of great quality cameras, and their helpful staff can help you choose the best one for your family. And if you sign up for their Geek Squad service, you can get a ton of extra help and bonus services too. {Want to see what I think about some of their cameras? Check out… The super-spy camera, or one of my fave point-and-shoots – that’s like an Android phone and a Nikon camera had a baby.} And – See the Spring Memories page on Best Buy, check out their Digital Photo Frames to get great gear to show off those stunning photos, and then once you’ve found your favorites, you can use this coupon to save 25% on cameras and frames too! Awesomesauce, I know.

Let’s Chat: What’s your favorite family photo? Do you have a camera that you love – or are you looking for a new one? Leave me some comments…. I love hearing from you!

Enter Hometalk – Making DIY Dreams an Affordable Reality

I’m sure that most of you have heard of a little site called Pinterest, right? {You can see what a pinning-junkie I am here.} Well, I have another site to introduce you to that you will love too – Hometalk. What is it? Well, a big overview is that it’s filled with some of the same things you love about Pinterest – awesome photos, great tutorials and tips, and links to learn more about any project you’re intrigued by. What’s different – and better, when you’re planning DIY – is that it’s focused on just crafts, remodeling and redecorating, gardening, and clever ways to reuse things you already have. I find SO many ideas here that save me tons of money – from using pallets to build new patio furniture, creative outdoor planters from throw away materials, or super smart ways to do DIY projects with inexpensive materials I never would have thought of!

Get DIY Inspiration to upgrade your home on your budget

Here’s an example of one of my own projects that I shared on Hometalk… My Wayfair Mirror Makeover. You can read the DIY mirror makeover tutorial post on my blog, and see my Hometalk post about it too. Here are a few more ways you can use Hometalk:

• Post a project: If you’re a blogger, this is a great way to promote your own DIY project posts, since you get to include a link back to your blog. If you’re not a blogger – it’s still a super fun way to show off your amazing work by sharing photos and step-by-step instructions on the fun projects that you’re proud of.
• Ask questions: Anyone can use this feature – and it is one of my favorite parts of the site! Have a project you can’t quite figure out how to finish up? Want opinions on colors/textures/patters? Need help with a new technique? Trying to choose the right product – paint, gear, brushes, tools, and want to be sure you get the most bang for your buck? Ask away, and the community on Hometalk will help you out!
• Save inspiration: Just like Pinterest, you can save projects, tutorials, ideas and more onto your own boards, to come back to later on. This helps SO much when planning specific rooms or projects.

Sounds awesome, right? And – it’s totally free, super simple to get started with, and a fun way to connect and socialize with other like-minded DIY’ers! {Read the FAQ’s here for more info.}

Join me on Hometalk!

I’d love to have you join my community on Hometalk – Just click the button above, or click here – Meagan Paullin on Hometalk – to follow me there. I’ll follow everyone back too – I’m so loving this site, and it’s always more fun with friends, right?

Spring has sprung, and summer is coming up just around the corner. Around here, the warmer weather brings a ton of changes! We’re getting ready to open the pool {I’m in Central Washington, and it’s already 90 degrees – woah, right?} – and we’re out of the house so much more often, running around to visit the park, outdoor festivals, camping, and other fun stuff in the sunshine. Which means having a well-stocked diaper bag filled with great essentials is super important at this time of year.

Diaper bag must haves for spring and summer

Every mom’s diaper bag needs are going to be different. We all have different activities going on, different climates, different ages of kids. But there are still a lot of basics that apply to just about all of us – so let me share some of my favorites that I can’t leave home without. Then I’d love it if you’d leave some of your fave suggestions in the comments below too – Love learning smart tips from you ladies.

• Change of clothes: Babies can wet through a onesie, toddlers can have accidents as they learn to potty train, and every kiddo can get super messy with a quickness. Having a basic set of back-up clothing can be a lifesaver when you don’t have time to run home and change.
• Feeding gear: Whether you’ve got an infant who needs a bib and a bottle, or a toddler who uses a sippy cup and kiddie utensils – you don’t want to be stuck somewhere with a hungry kid while trying to use whatever the restaurant you’re at provides. Some places are great at offering kids smaller cups with a straw, paper bibs, and other helpers – many don’t provide anything at all. And dining out with a 2 year old who’s trying to drink out of a tall glass of water and use a full size fork can quickly turn disasterous! {Been there, done that, lol.}
• Emergency kit: Whether you go with a super small one like Buddy Baby Basics Kit, or a more thorough set like the Kid Friendly First Aid Kit, you’ll want to be ready for any summer accidents like scraped knees, bee stings, or other mishaps.
• Entertainment: Be sure to have a couple of things to keep kiddos engaged during car rides, long waits in line, or other boring times. I like to have one “loud” toy, and one quiet time one. Loud might be the LeapPad, an interactive book, or a stuffed animal that talks or sings – these are perfect for the car. Quiet time toys could be things like a board book or coloring book.
• Diaper supplies: If you have a little one who’s still in diapers, these are a few of my favorite pieces of gear I relied on – The Diaper Genie On The Go is so handy when you’re not near a trash can, or if you’re at someone’s home and don’t want to leave a stinky diaper. You can wrap it in one of these bags and put in your diaper bag until you find somewhere to throw it away, or minimize the smell when you do toss it. They really work. You’ll also want to be sure to have wipes – I love the super pretty Buti-Bag holder for mine. And don’t forget a changing pad!
• For mom: Yes, you need a few things for you, too. I have two little make-up cases in my diaper bag – one for actual make-up: lip gloss, mirror, powder, and cuticle cream. The other is for little extras like body spray, lotion, nail clippers, and hair bands. A day out with the kids can be stressful – I try to at least look like I’m all pulled together…
• Wet Bag: You’ll love having a Wet Bag like this one from Itzy Ritzy – It’s super cute, and totally waterproof. These are great for holding clothing that’s been through a diaper mishap, or even swimsuits after a day at the pool. Love them.
• All purpose helpers: Last – but absolutely NOT least! – If your a mom, you need Wet Ones wipes. I use these a million times a day, every day. From cleaning messy hands and faces, wiping down a dirty restaurant table, cleaning up scrapes and scratches, or even working as a diaper wipe in a pinch – they are a busy moms best friend.

I carry a pretty big diaper bag, since I’m out of the house so much, and want to make sure I’m prepared for every mommy emergency. But I don’t have ANY wasted space – all of those pockets are filled with products that do double-duty, solve problems, and fix things when they go wrong. I’d love to hear some of your favorite helpers too!

Wet Ones solve mom emergencies

You can get Wet Ones in any size and style you need – from bigger tubs, to small grab and go single-use packages. That means you can keep them in the car, your desk, the kitchen, the playroom – and of course, in your purse, diaper bag, or even pocket.

Fact: Wet Ones® Antibacterial Hand Wipes actually clean up grubby and sticky hands. So when soap and water aren’t handy, grab Wet Ones® Wipes to kill 99.99% of bacteria, wipe away grime, and get nice soft hands. Thanks to their Aloe formula, they won’t dry or irritate your skin like hand sanitizers can. And, they’re hypoallergenic. In Fresh Scent or Citrus, Wet Ones® hand wipes smell great too.

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Hope you found a few new ideas to keep your diaper bag stocked and ready for warmer months. If you enjoyed it – be sure to give it a tweet, share it with your friends on Facebook, or pin it to your favorite tips board on Pinterest! Thanks for reading :)

{photo credit: Ed Yourdon via photopin cc.}