Baby Closet Bliss

I finally figured out the best way to organize my little boy's closet!

Previously we were working with some hanging space and three plastic drawers. I didn't have enough drawers to keep things separated and organized, and they always ended up a jumbled mess. I felt like I couldn't find a good outfit for him on any given day - so he stayed in pajamas most of the time.

Then I was browsing Bed, Bath, and Beyond one day and came across this. It is perfect!

When I fold his laundry I separate them into outfits rather than pants, shirts, etc.  Each outfit goes into a cubby, and his extras, or out-of-season clothes get folded and stacked into the tall section at the bottom. His socks and little extra things fit great in the tiny pockets along the sides.

Now getting his outfit in the morning takes all of 1.5 seconds and I can see all my choices at a glance. If I am packing for a trip, all I have to do is grab however many outfits as days we are gone and I'm done.

Easy peasy.

Waiting Room Wonder

With two children under 2 and one more on the way, it seems like we are always in waiting rooms. Doctor visits for me, well baby visits for both kids, sick appointments and lab work, along with a myriad of other things take us to the dreaded waiting room.

I got this idea from a friend of mine when I was taking pictures of her kids. She brought along a little favor-sized container of bubbles for when they started to get tired and cranky. And guess what? It worked wonders!

The next time I was browsing Target and was in the party favors aisle, I saw these little guys. I couldn't resist. I.am.so.glad.

Every time we are headed out the door to potentially face some boring waiting time I stick one of these babies in my purse. They are only about 2 inches tall and the wand is a part of the lid. I have never had a leak (so far) and whenever the kids start getting whiny or noisy in a waiting room I pull them out. They love them. Instant smiles.

Not to mention, other mothers there to witness this ever-so-quick change in demeanor tell me what a great idea they think this is, and my little ones make quick friends who also want to come join in the fun.

For toddlers who love technology

My 1 1/2 year old loves iphones. She also loves pressing buttons. 

You can imagine the problem this causes, since every time I start an app for her she exits out of it as soon as she gets the urge to press that tempting little button. Anywhere from two seconds to one minute after I've handed her the phone to watch Sesame Street she is holding it out begging for me to fix it. I re-start the app, hand it back, and the process repeats.

I searched and searched online for a way to lock the button, but found no solutions, since Apple doesn't let any apps disable the function of any of the hardware on the phone. Then one day I discovered the solution: Bub Caps.

Applied like a screen protector for the home button, Bub Caps create a semi-rigid surface over the iPhone's home button to help keep toddlers curious fingers from constantly closing out of applications. 

Bub caps are made in differing degrees of strength, so for older kids and ipads you can get harder plastic. They are removable, and don't leave anything sticky on your phone.

They come in packs of four for $5. You can get them at bubcap.com or amazon.

The purse necklace

Life as a mom can be unpredictable. You never know what's going to pop up when you're out and about running errands.  This is why I have a "purse necklace." Let me explain.

This necklace takes me from errand-running mom to somewhat stylish in less than 30 seconds.  Doctor's office: Necklace on.  Grocery store: necklace off.  Lunch at Panera: necklace on.  Stopping by the park: necklace off.

And really, it isn't about trying to be fashionable. I was finding there were some situations where I wanted to be taken more seriously. When I look a little more pulled-together I find sales people are more likely to acknowledge me, doctors listen better to my concerns, and the list goes on.

I found this at Target for about $12. It's not a delicate necklace so it works perfectly. It now has a permanent home in the bottom of my purse for any time I may need it. 

The Most Interesting Scheduling Tool I've Ever Used

Whether you are planning a girls night, a family get-together, or anything in between - scheduling can be tricky. You try to figure out when everyone is available and your email gets bombarded, and then you have to write down who can come which days and times - it can be tedious.

Enter: Doodle.com

This is a fantastic little FREE tool my friend Amanda introduced me to several years ago while planning a night with my college roomates, the G's.

It is simple:

1. Go to doodle.com (you don't need to set up a login)
2. Create an event and enter all the date and/or time options you want people to choose from
3. doodle will send you a link that you can email out to everyone who is invited
4. They click the link, enter their name, check all the days/times they are available (you will be notified each time someone responds or comments)
5. It keeps a count for you at the bottom of how many people are available for each option

Here is what an event looks like:

Or you can use it for choosing a location:

Additional poll settings include...

• a confidential setting so responders can see their availability, but only the organizer can see everyone's responses
• participants can only choose ONE option
• limitations to the number of responders who can choose a specific date or options (great for limited-space trainings)
• as the moderator you can edit the poll at any time, or edit someone's response if needed
• an option for people to choose their preference not only as Yes or No, but also "If need be"

Give it a try!!

LDS Children's Sing Along app

This app is AMAZING!  My kids love it.

It includes a selection of children's hymns from the children's songbook, and each song has the sing-along lyrics with a bouncing ball to show when to sing each word. There are beautiful background images to go with they hymns, and best yet there is a free version.

It really helps them learn the songs and they love to listen to the music. They can pause/play the music and jump to any verse in the song. They can also browse the songs by title or by image.

For my little one I sometimes use the lullabies in this app to sing him to sleep. Everyone sounds better with a little accompaniment, and I never have to make up the lyrics for the words I forgot!

After how much use we got out of this app, we decided to get the full version for $4.99. It is well worth it.

The fastest, easiest way to make someone's day

This is the perfect way to say Happy Birthday, Thanks, I'm sorry, Congrats - or to light up someone's day in just a matter of minutes. The best part? It's quick and easy. All you need is their email address.

Send them a $5 Starbucks gift card to their email instantly. 

You can set the delivery date for a future occasion if you're the type who likes to plan ahead. Once received, it can be spent on anything at Starbucks or even transferred to a registered Starbucks Card.

This is a great gift even for the  non-coffee drinkers like myself since they have a nice selection of gourmet hot chocolate and baked goods. Stuff you don't always buy for yourself, but that is a nice splurge.

You choose a design, add your own personal message, choose the amount, enter an email address and hit send!

Extra hints:

• You set the delivery date for a future occasion if you're the type who likes to plan ahead. At the beginning of the year you can do them for all the birthdays on your list and not have to think about it again
• You don't need someone's home address to send them something nice
• It makes a great bribe - I used one of these once to ask someone to let me interview them about their business. It ensured that I got a quick response.
• Starbucks keeps you updated on when it is opened so you don't have to wonder if they got it. If the card has not been opened in a certain time frame they will let you know, tell you to notify your friend, and will re-send it. (but it shouldn't get stuck in spam filters since it appears to come from your email address)

Some other great last-minute gifts you can send by email

• a Kindle ebook
• iTunes - give a gift card, a song, or an app 
• audio books via Audible
• Amazon gift card (more on this coming soon!)
• Best Buy gift card
• Target gift card

Sephora free birthday gift (no purchase needed)

If you sign up to be a Sephora Beauty Insider then you get a free birthday gift every year. There is no cost to sign up and you get pretty nice gifts.

Last year I got this eyeliner, mascara and eyeshadow set:

And the year before I got these lip glosses:

The gift for 2012 is going to be this:

If you order online within 14 days weeks of your birthday they will send you a birthday gift. If you visit a Sephora store, there is no purchase necessary to get your gift. Just go up to the counter, show your Beauty Insider card, and they hand you your present! Enjoy!

Starbucks Pick of the week

I love this!! Every Tuesday Starbucks comes out with a new "Pick of the Week" card that includes a code for a FREE app, song, or book you can download to your iTunes account.

If you are logged into the store's wireless network, you can go to their homepage and download the app, or you can pick up a card that gives you a code to redeem the free app at home.

The cards are usually at the checkout counter or at the stirrers/napkins counter. I love to enjoy a cranberry bliss bar and my free app every Tuesday!

Here is a link to a forum where people post the most current Pick of the Week, so you don't have to venture out if you don't like this week's app ;)

comfy, cute, functional - mom pants

With two little ones, I struggle to find the time to look cute and put-together. It is especially hard when trying to lose the baby weight from baby #2. Maternity clothes are too loose, yet pre-baby pants are too small. Ahh! Enter pants with a forgiving waistline.

Here is why I love, love, love these Old Navy Women's Wide Leg Active Pants.

They are COMFORTABLE - They are stretchy for a fluctuating waistline, and they are soft. They wear well and still look great after numerous washings, and they are not the typical form-fitting yoga pants. Since they are wide-leg they are fitted up top but they don't cling to every flaw. Also, their thick waistband flatters mom tummies and hold everything in nicely. No muffin tops here.

They are CUTE - They have the potential, anyway, since they are very versatile. They are dressier than their close cousin, drawstring pants. You can dress them down with a cozy sweatshirt or workout top. But it is just as easy to dress them up. Consider wearing them with any decent-looking shirt or sweater sans drool or spit-up and then add a scarf, long necklace, or any of your other favorite accessories. Comfy cute mom: Ta-da!

They are FUNCTIONAL -  One word: pockets.  I am an iphone addict.  The pockets on these pants are perfect for keeping my phone tucked away, yet nearby. Also useful for keeping your camera nearby. The good thing about these pockets, too, is that they are subtle so they don't make your waist look bigger.

(If you see these on the Old Navy website, they do not have that awful pleated look that it shows on the model. They lay very sleek and flat in front)

Want free shipping on Amazon?

If you don't have Prime, or Amazon mom then this may be of use to you.  The majority of Amazon purchases qualify for free Super Saver Shipping if your order total is $25 or more.  However, sometimes you may have an order that comes up just shy to qualify. If that is the case, use filleritem.com to help you find items that will push you up to that $25 mark.

It lets you input the amount needed, choose which categories you are interested in, and then provides you with a comprehensive list that has the popular items bolded or with photographs. Hope you find this useful!

Cinnamon Rolls the easy way

I learned about these when my friend Lisa and I were talking about pregnancy cravings.

She mentioned how she sent her husband out late one night in search of these and how unfortunate it was when he couldn't find them and had to bring back the Pillsbury ones in the tube.

Up to this point when I wanted quick cinnamon rolls the only ones I ever had were the ones from the tube! After that conversation I went looking, and found these Rhodes Cinnamon Rolls at Wegman's in the freezer section. I will never buy the refrigerated Pillsbury ones again.

Let me tell you why they are better:

1. They just taste delicious, not manufactured. I get complements every time I serve them to guests.
2. They come with plenty of cream cheese topping, not a scant amount where you have to struggle to cover every roll
3. They rise a lot and are really fluffy (see below picture)
4. You don't have to touch any gooey, sticky dough to arrange them in the pan
5. They come in their own pan so there are no dishes to do when they're gone
6. And my very favorite part - no preheating necessary. You just take them from the freezer and stick them into a cold oven that you set to 350 degrees. They're ready to eat in 30 minutes.

If you try these, let me know what you think!

No-slip hair bands

I admit that I found these by accident.

I was at Target looking for a really stretchy hairband - preferably one with the rubbery tread to use as a tie for the emergency clutches I gave out at the last favorite things party.  I couldn't find what I was looking for, and didn't like how the regular hairbands weren't stretchy enough for fitting around the clutch comfortably.  I almost gave up, but then spotted these new hairbands that scunchi makes.  They are really neat! Stretchier than a usual hair band, they are made out of a clear-ish rubbery material with no clasps or clamps anywhere on the band. It is grippy without being sticky, if that makes sense. Take a close look at the picture and you can imagine what they might feel like.

I was excited to try one in my hair, and I really like them!  If I put my hair up it is usually in a ponytail that is pulled through, and I have to fix the hair that is coming loose maybe once every hour or two. This one stayed in all day with no adjusting. And when you take it out it doesn't rip any hairs out and is not uncomfortable at all. They are especially great for working out since they have that extra hold you need to keep your hair in place.

If you feel like you are constantly messing with your hair bands then give these a try! I found them at Target for about $3.

Favorite things, round two!

After the first favorite things party, I learned so much, and we all swapped so many great hints that we decided it had to be an ongoing event!

We just had our most recent party in January, and here's what was brought:

• Lysol 4-in-1 cleaning spray
• Ghriadelli chocolate chips (Lisa, who brought these, makes the best toffee in the world with them)
• a fabric memo board for holding info/papers/pictures/hairbows or anything else
• Clorox wipes - one of the best cleaning products ever
• Yoplait strawberry cheesecake yogurt bites - only 30 calories each, and delicious
• A Valentine gift box with chocolates, strawberry plant starter, notecards, lotion & dish towel
• Dark chocolate covered butter cookies & Yankee maple syrup tealight candles
• an Emergency Clutch inspired from this post here
• a microfiber cloth and mini bobby pins
• Zotz sour candy - they have a fizzy middle, too
• Listerine strips (along with a great hint to keep them in your pocket for when you might get tired - you won't fall asleep with one of these in your mouth!)

always-accessable clips

These magnetic clips are fantastic. I bought them several years ago, probably from Target. They were Kitchen aid brand. However, when I had my favorite things party I went to hunt them down and couldn't find any since they were discontinued. Finally I found these Faberware ones that are just like my originals. I could only find them at super Walmart, but alas, I now have some more. They last forever since they are heavy-duty. And it is really nice to always be able to find your clips since they stick right on the fridge. The magnets are strong so we also use them to hold up our calendar and other things on the fridge when they're not needed for any chips. Give them a try!