Recently I found myself at Arhaus with a friend. We both joked that there was nothing that we could afford in the store, but we loved the inspiration.  I knew I would walk away with at least one idea that I wanted to imitate.  As I tell my girls, copying is one of the highest forms of flattery.  While shopping I absolutely fell in love with the folded books that were all over the bookshelves.  Oddly enough, these books were not for sale.  After talking to the saleslady I learned there was a decorator who came in and put in a lot of finishing touches to make the “rooms ..read more

Parenting is hard work.  There is no doubt about it.  We always try to do what is best for our children and our families.  There is no denying that there are times when you kids (and even your spouse) drive you absolutely bananas.  With a little bit of behavior modification we can change their behavior so that they don’t make us want to lose our minds.  The Buy Back Bin has helped saved my sanity and has taught my girls to be responsible for their own things. My older daughter (age 7 when we started this) is terrible at putting her shoes away. Big Sister le ..read more

Create an Electronics Charging Station that can be an iPod Charging Station, iPad charging station, and more!  This post shows how my husband turned a desktop organizer into a charging station for all of our electronic devices. We have a million and two devices that need to be plugged in and charged. So the real number may only be 17 (and I am sure that is mind boggling to some of you) it sure felt like 1,000,002 when there were plugs, cords, and devices all over the tiny section of the counter next to the fridge. My husband tried several different options that just didn’t end up wo ..read more

It has been c-o-l-d here in Atlanta. I know that many of you are also experiencing weather in the negatives.  For most of the country freezing weather is not a big deal.  That is not the case here in Atlanta.  I spend much of the winter arguing with my girls that yes, they really do need to wear a jacket.  When the temperature dips we can have some frozen fun with winter science.  These experiments for kids are a great way to have fun and learn at the same time! Frozen Fun: Winter Science Experiments for Kids Make a Slushie – Take a bottle of soda pop and p ..read more

Parenthood is filled with so many unknowns.  As our girls get older one thing that we struggle with is defining responsibilities and creating a chore chart for kids.  Everyone grew up differently.  Some houses paid for grades while others gave an allowance at the beginning of the month.  What works for one family may not be the solution for another family.  Where do we even start? My husband and I believe that there are some things in the house that need to be done just because they are part of a daily routine (dare I say it – just because we say so).   ..read more

Budgets are necessary.  Consider this, you would never climb to the top of a mountain without creating a plan and taking the necessary supplies.  Likewise, reaching your financial goals requires a plan for spending and saving. Creating a budget isn’t impossible. It starts simply enough. All you have to do is realize that following a budget is something you have to do. Making a realistic budget with budget categories can go a long way towards changing your life dramatically. How To Create a Budget Creating a budget with budget categories isn’t difficult. Determine how ..read more

By thinking smart and acting smart you will be able to save hundreds of dollars throughout the year.  With the money that you are saving you can establish your emergency fund, grow your savings, and add it to your budget for vacation or a wish list purchase.ex Little Ways to Save Hundreds of Dollars Utilities Turn everything off when you are not home. There is no need for the television to blare, the lights to be on, and the music to be playing.  Your computer uses quite a bit of energy.  Turn it off-off (not just to sleep) when you leave the house. Cut cable.   To save t ..read more

Each week it is possible to save money on the groceries you normally buy at the grocery store.  By clipping a few coupons and using them consistently you will see that a few cents here and there really does add up.  You too can start small and watch your savings snowball over time! Learn How to Coupon.  Start Small. 1) Start clipping coupons.  Buy a Sunday newspaper (or two) to start your coupon collection.  Save all your coupons, even if you think you won’t use it.  You never know when an incredible deal will come along.  You can even get coupons for free ..read more

Saving money throughout the year and having a nice savings account at the end of the year is very appealing.  Using the 52 week Money Saving Challenge with bi-weekly deposits you will be able to save $1,378 by the end of the year! I worked these bi-weekly deposits both ways for you.  You can start by tucking a large chunk of money away now and tapering to a smaller amount at the end of the year…or you can start with a smaller amount now and work your way up to a larger deposit on a bi-weekly basis.  The choice is yours.  You will only need to follow one side of the chart ..read more

It is FALL!  Fall means leaves, cooler temperatures, hay rides, and pumpkins.  It’s time to get out all of our fall decorations and recipes and have some fun.  Creating a DIY canvas pumpkin pillow is a fun craft that everyone in the family can enjoy. How to Make a Canvas Pumpkin Pillow Decoration 1. Draw a pumpkin shape onto canvas using a pencil.  We used a 9 x 12 foot canvas to make “walls” in one of our unfinished basement rooms and I used a scrap piece of canvas from when we had to cut out the door.  You can get canvas from a craft store as well as the home improve ..read more