Ever since we moved into our home four years ago, we’ve been eyeing the garden in our side yard. When we moved into the house, the garden was full of all sorts of overgrown flowers that needed a bit of TLC. So, we kept an eye on the garden while planning our dream raised garden bed. We couldn’t help but think of ways to have homegrown vegetables, fruits, and herbs. And, we knew that the side garden area was going to be the perfect place for our raised garden bed. Earlier this year during Mother’s Day weekend, my in-laws visited and it was during that visit that our dream raised garden bed cam ..read more

Welcome to a new feature on How To: Simply … 11 Things! Each month, I’m going to be sharing 11 things about my life, as well as 11 items that I’m absolutely loving during that month. Fun, right? Yes, I’m all about sharing tips and tricks that help simplify life. But, I thought I would provide some personal info about yours truly (aka moi). So, without further ado … [JULY] 11 Things that Happened This Month All of the rain we’ve been having lately has made me feel a bit cabin feverish. With two toddlers at home (one of whom recently switched to one nap a day), I’ve been slowly running out of ..read more

Disclaimer: This post was sponsored by Wonder bread. However, all thoughts and opinions are my own. When we moved into our home a few years ago, we hit the jackpot when it came to neighbors. Over the years, we’ve grown so close to the neighbors who live behind us that we now have a gate between our two houses so that we can easily spend time together and have our kids play. During the summertime, we love watching the kids swim in the pool, run up and down the backyards, catch fireflies, and make s’mores. In other words, they are living the dream when it comes to summertime fun and we couldn’t ..read more

I am what one would call a neat/clean freak. Everything in my home has its place. I like to go through our belongings on a regular basis and purge what we don’t need. I cannot function unless my home is in clean, working order. Blame it on my OCD and/or anal retentiveness. Simply put, I need and thrive in a clean, organized home, especially one with an organized kitchen. Anyone else?  One of the main spots in my home that must be clean at all times is my kitchen. As they say, the kitchen is the heart of the home. When we have people over, everyone usually hangs out in the kitchen if ..read more

This is a sponsored post written by me on behalf of Mission®. All opinions are entirely my own. As soon as the weather started to warm up this spring, I couldn’t wait to get our screened-in porch ready for summer entertaining. Hanging ferns from our flower stands, adding new pillows to our outdoor couches, and redesigning our potting bench were just a few of the ways that I decorated our main summer entertaining area. Whether we’re hanging out as a family or entertaining guests during a summer barbeque, we love to turn on the music, relax on the comfortable seating, enjoy each other’s company ..read more

Welcome to a new feature on How To: Simply … 11 Things! Each month, I’m going to be sharing 11 things about my life, as well as 11 items that I’m absolutely loving during that month. Fun, right? Yes, I’m all about sharing tips and tricks that help simplify life. But, I thought I would provide some personal info about yours truly (aka moi). So, without further ado … [JUNE] 11 Things that Happened This Month I crossed a bucket item off my list a few days ago. I finally saw U2. My in-laws came over to our house to watch the kiddos while my husband and I went to the city to see one of my favorit ..read more

The other day, I was getting ready to go to a lavender festival at a local winery. After looking through my closet (and knowing that it was going to be a hot day spent out in the sun), I opted to wear one of my maxi dresses (black, of course). When I came downstairs wearing one of my favorite maxi dresses, my mother-in-law who was attending the event with me noted, “You said it was going to be a casual event!” I said, “Yes, I did say that. But, I wear this dress like every day.” True story. In other words, I don’t think of the maxi dress as anything but casual. When it comes to hot summer day ..read more

Let’s face, bathrooms can get downright gross. Add some kids into the mix and lookout. Hello, germs and bacteria! The last thing you want to do is scrub down the bathroom from floor to ceiling on a daily basis. Who has time for that?! I sure don’t. I’m all about cleaning (it’s easily one of my favorite stress relievers), but the one area of the home that I despise cleaning is … you guessed it … the bathrooms. And, we have four of them. So, how does one keep a bathroom clean longer?  10 Tricks to Keep a Bathroom Clean Longer The simpler the better, right? Here are 10 tricks to h ..read more

  This is a sponsored post written by me on behalf of Nature Nate’s 100% Pure, Raw & Unfiltered Honey. All opinions are 100% mine. Ever since becoming a mother a little over four years ago, I’ve encountered and experienced so many moments that I want to lock in my memory bank. There have been big moments and small moments, but some of my favorites are the everyday moments. From the hugs and kisses to the funny things my kids do and say, motherhood has me laughing, smiling, crying, and trying to squeeze in endless amounts of love, patience, understanding. With Mother’s Day just a ..read more

Let’s face it: Kids are messy. They also can require a lot of stuff, especially when it comes to riding in the car. Kiddos love toys, games, snacks, beverages … you name it, they probably want it (and you want them to have it so that you can enjoy the drive). But, when it comes to all of that stuff, how does one keep everything organized and keep the car clean? Toys, electronics, snacks, drink containers, etc. can start to pile up and make your car seem a bit chaotic and messy. 5 Ways to Keep a Car Interior Clean 1.) Use an Organizer Over the years, I’ve learned that car interior organization ..read more