Sometimes you want to make the best use of your time. Like when you go to a buffet and want salad, dinner, and dessert. Sure, you look a little greedy carrying three plates back to your table at the same time, but at least you won’t have to elbow your way back through the line to …
These Things Are Better Than Your Things
When I come home, I love being greeted by my dangerous pit bulls, they are so aggressive that they jump on me and lick me until I am covered in slobber. Afterwards, I have a pack that surrounds me with a hunger that won’t be satisfied by anything less than lots of love and I …
Calling myself a LuLaRoe Evangelist sounds way better than saying I couldn’t handle it as a consultant. Over the last few weeks I’ve had a lot of people say to me, “Man! You’d be a great LuLaRoe consultant!” And you know what? I probably would be! But I don’t choose to be. And there are some really …
If you are wondering what happens when you dry LuLaRoe, the answer is honestly that it doesn’t last as long. The stuff is pretty much cheap crap and you shouldn’t buy LuLaRoe at all. If you did buy a bunch of LuLaroe, then don’t dry it. And if you’re thinking about selling LuLaRoe, you should …
How many of these teachers did you have growing up? At the time, we probably thought many of them were nastier than they actually were and didn’t give them full credit for all of their efforts to teach us all of the valuable lessons that we needed to learn (sometimes the hard way). Teaching is …
Halloween is almost here. Kids are anticipating the coming sugar binge. Devil worshiping teenagers are stocking up on black cats. The inflatable décor industry, or Big Tacky, is getting a huge economic boost. Scary movies are on TV. And Christians have something else for a month to complain about. You may ask, “But Nik, you …
Once again, science proves something that people already know. Dog people, anyway. A study published in the journal Science proved that dogs respond to both the words their people say and the tone. The really cool part about this, though, is that they showed that they process them in different parts of the brain, similar to …
It’s October (FINALLY), which means two things: Halloween, and the return of The Walking Dead. I wish I could say I was more excited about Halloween, but I’d be lying to everyone. I’m All About TWD. But I’m also slightly twisted, and just a little bit off, so the other day (okay, probably more like …
Halloween is my jam. My favorite childhood TV shows had me convinced that I needed to live in the Addams family’s house and have Beetlejuice as a best friend. Unfortunately I grew up in a house that was not Halloween friendly. The front door was on the side, down a winding path and through a …
For moms of preschoolers, planning a trip to Orlando, Florida usually involves that one place with everyone’s favorite mouse. But what do you do if your kiddo isn’t into space rangers and goofy dogs?! You plan a trip to Universal Studios instead. Universal Studios Resort is just as much — if not MORE — fun with …
Get your selfie sticks, lip gloss and confidence ready girls! This September the Body Love 4 All campaign is celebrating self care through a thirty days of challenge Instagram event. If you’ve never heard of Body Love 4 All, that’s okay! This organization is all about empowering people to discover, celebrate and love themselves with a …
I’ve written before about how easy it is to be a wonderful dad. To be a wonderful dad, all you have to do is just be there. I’m great at just being there. My kids love me. I’m also a great husband. I buy my wife Ben & Jerry’s when she’s had a long day. …
If you live in the United States, there’s a good chance your kids are either back in school already, or going back very soon. Great news for kids who have been missing their friends, or parents who need a break from a constant barrage of “I’m Bored!” coming from their children’s mouths. But, with school …
The last words you ever want to hear from the new president of your company are, “Don’t worry. We’re not going to fire anyone.” Because guess what? They are going to fire people. Maybe not this month, but it’s coming down the pipe just as soon as the new boss figures out who he needs …
Back in college I was The Planner Girl. I was that kid with the color coded planner class schedule who had assignments blocked off for when I needed to start, when they needed to be finished, due dates–everything. As an adult, I’m not much different. The only change is the style. Confessions of a Planer …
There’s something about animals that make even the gloomiest day seem brighter. These animals take that a step farther by being the most adorable you can imagine. Sure, sure, your puppy or kitten is WAY cuter, but until that pooch or cat has done the splits between two flowers, it’s still got a little work on …
Becoming a mom is a little like enlisting in the military, then being thrown into combat with little to no training. It’s a war out there, folks, and unless we adapt quickly we’ll be slaughtered. My way of adapting? With every year of my daughters’ life, my purse has grown an entire size. I learned …
We all know someone who is a little more fond of their cats than they are of, well, anything else. I’m not judging! Whether these friends are truly crazy cat ladies or just eccentric cat aficionados, most have a surprisingly well developed sense of humor and if not that, they at very least love all …
It’s hot and sticky in Texas, and the mosquitoes are out in full force. Which means I have tried every possible way imaginable to get rid of mosquitoes, and I have found the easiest, cheapest way to get rid of mosquitoes for good. You see, the thing is Bats are a natural predator to mosquitoes, …
You guys, it’s HOT. Like really hot and it’s obviously because it’s summer but when it gets so hot at night that I can’t sleep, that’s when it becomes a problem. While my husband can sleep just about anywhere and in just about any situation, I can’t and this mama needs her sleep to chase …
So, maybe you like kale. Really. Stop laughing. Okay, no, no one likes kale. It is literally the worst. Not figuratively, literally. Like, if spinach comes down the street and sees kale standing by the stoplight, spinach totally makes fun of kale. But we eat it. We eat it because we think it’s supposed to make us …
When my daughter turned eleven, I realized that it was pretty much the weirdest birthday party time of ALL. She wanted to have a “super cool birthday party” but didn’t exactly know what that meant. And, um– neither did I. I was compensated for this post by receiving the product for free. I did some thinking and came …
It’s that time of year again…sunny days, splashing in the pool, bar-b-ques with the neighbors, and, of course, mosquitos. It’s like those little jerks know when we’re starting to have a good time and can’t wait to ruin it by sucking the life out of us. Plus, with worries of West Nile Virus, Zika Virus, …
Dallas-area teenager Ashley Banks knows how to have a good time. Unfortunately, as we all know, a good time can get teens into a lot of hot water. That’s why when her mom found a baggie full of capsules in her room, she texted Ashley and demanded she come home immediately to talk. What mom …
You know that saying about how if you can’t figure out who the crazy friend in your group is, then you’re probably the crazy friend? Well, I made peace with being the crazy friend in a group of even crazier friends a long time ago, which is why I’m kind of okay with also being …
I write about a lot of stuff I love, but what I am loving more than anything on the planet right now is my backyard. To me, it’s the happiest place on earth. I love love love these chairs, FOREVER I had plain white plastic chairs out by my pool, and they were the WORST. …
Over or under is probably one of the hottest debates in households around the world. Marriages have ended over this debate; empires have fallen. Rumor has it even the president and first lady of the United States have their differing preferences regarding this (no, not really, I’ve heard no such rumor…but wouldn’t that be interesting?). …
But just remember: every sixty seconds you spend hating the way you look is a minute of love you’ll never get back. These quotes will help you reexamine how you feel about yourself, your body, and the love you deserve…because trust me – you deserve ALL the love.
I never understood how some people’s phones lasted all day, but I had to charge mine at least two or three times. I mean, I always closed all my apps, made sure any excess notifications were turned off, checked to see if I’d uploaded all photos and videos to my laptop so that I didn’t …
The old ball and chain and I take our 2 year old to a Mommy and Me gymnastics class every Saturday morning at 9am. In a former life I was a gymnastics coach, so I have taught the very same class, although at a different gym. Let me tell you, I have a whole new appreciation for …
I am all about the VIP treatment when I travel, and that’s EXACTLY what the Behind the Blue Experience at Blue Man Group in Las Vegas at Luxor Hotel and Casino is! This is something you set up in advance, you arrive a little early to the show, a VIP host comes out and gets you, …
Soap is one of those common household items that I never think about until I’m washing my hands and discover that I’ve only got the “water” part of “soap and water.” This happens to me way too often – someone should probably come and revoke my adult card. And I’m not saying that making my …
Sometimes you find yourself with a weekend free, sometimes you find yourself kidless for just a couple of days, and the only thing to do is to pack up and visit FABULOUS LAS VEGAS for the weekend! I know what you’re thinking, “But, I don’t know how to plan a weekend getaway to Vegas!” If …
I say all the time how much I wish wish wish I’d been born a cat or dog just because they (at least mine) are so stinkin’ spoiled. Now I’ve got one more reason to wish I’d been born into another species: Dr. Evan Antin. Oh. Holy. Cow. Dr. Antin is an exotic (and sometimes …
The other day I asked my ten-year-old daughter to bring me a Dr Pepper. She was in the kitchen and calls back, “It’s the last one, do you want it?” Yes, I want it. That’s why I asked. “Okay,” she says. And in she runs with my can of soda, only to stumble and drop …
So by this point you should know that pumice stones are incredibly amazing at breaking through the hard shell of our winter feet and making them all pretty and stuff for flip flop season…but did you know there are other things you can do with them? I’m not talking beauty things, either. I mean, yeah …
Almost anyone with kids has spent more than their fair share of time sitting on those little plastic/metal chairs at McDonald’s, sipping away at a Coke, while the kids were burning off energy on the playground. And during that time, you may have also noticed that the Coke’s at Micky D’s are way better than …
That dream of one day having enough money to make all of your problems go away is never as prominent as when there’s the potential for a huge lottery win on the horizon. This Saturday’s Powerball drawing saw not a single person walking away with a ton of cash, meaning that the next drawing comes with a …
We may never solve the question of what happens to socks in the dryer that turns them from a pair to singletons, but that’s okay…because those single socks can be super useful on their own! Just ask Dobby the House Elf. I mean, all it took was one sock to free him from a lifetime …
When I was a kid, family game night usually involved a never-ending game of Monopoly in which I was forced to be the banker so that I might learn some math skills (that didn’t work very well), or my dad teaching me how to play poker (that worked a little better – getting to keep real …
This year, I decided instead of THINGS for Christmas, I wanted my family to have TIME. So, instead of presents under the tree when we woke up on Christmas morning, there were plane tickets in stockings and packed bags already in the car. And I will definitely be doing it again. One of the big …
With the smart phones, tablets and laptops and available to us nowadays, you’d think the human race would have figured out a decent way to keep ourselves organized on a day-to-day basis. If your life is chaos and you feel like there’s no time to get everything done in a day, it might be time to organize your …
There are some things I forget about every single year when it comes to Christmas, but I’m determined to remember them for next year. I’m pretty sure they’re universal, too. Like that we all have someone in our family who tells inappropriate jokes around children. Or that grandma’s don’t always understand your sense of humor. …
Every year from when I was little until even now, I’ve always gotten a stocking for Christmas from my parents. It had candy, of course, and some little toy (or usually a gift card now), and an orange. When I was younger the orange would always roll away (or be nudged with a petulant toe) …
From decluttering, to choosing an agent, to packing your entire life into portable containers, there are few things in life more stressful than moving. Whether you’ve accepted a job in a new city, just finished construction on your dream home or you’re dodging eviction, no matter what way you slice it, moving bites a dirty …
When I was a kid, I knew about the big community helper jobs, the doctors, policemen, and teachers. I knew that I could grow up and have a career doing these things and that they were honorable and noble professions. I knew that my dad went into a factory that made bread and that we …
Okay, folks. We are down to the wire. Christmas is literally around the corner and if you’re starting to feel that panic of realizing you left one of the men in your life off your Christmas list, don’t worry! We’ve got your back. With Amazon Prime you’ve Still Got Time. So, take a deep breath, …
It’s Christmas time, and that means there’s an all new list of Oprah’s Favorite things for 2015. I have always loved Oprah’s Favorite Things in the past, but this year– This year I don’t really know what to think. I mean, she was the reason I tried Philosophy When Hope is Not Enough Moisturizer all …
Winter is typically the time we bundle up and wear layers upon layers. That includes covering our feet. For some of us that means we stop getting pedicures and stop taking care of our feet because who will really see them anyways, right? WRONG! You will see them, and let’s be real, cracked and dry feet …
Stocking Stuffers are something I always forget. I will have all of Christmas planned, handled, and totally ready to go– then, when I am putting out the gifts under the tree, I see them sitting there totally empty and I’ve got nothing to put in there! These stocking stuffers are awesome because there’s NO CANDY! Kids …
Anyone who’s been in a romantic relationship has experienced it–that new-love rush, when you can’t get enough of each other and think you’ll feel that way forever. But then marriage, jobs and kids come along and you forget all the things you used to love about each other in the first place. Like cooking a …
This Christmas while you’re decking the halls and planning for a visit from Ol’ Saint Nick, you should plan some time for yourself, too! I know, I know, you’re thinking there’s no way to have ‘me’ time during the holidays, but you’re wrong! In fact, this printable Christmas planner is everything you’ll need to plan …
It’s November which means it’s pretty much winter. Where I live, it went from 75 degrees one to 40 degrees the next and it’s COLD! As if battling the cold weather wasn’t enough, (I am not person that likes to be cold) now I have to worry about being itchy due to my dry skin. Well, …
Disclosure: This post was sponsored by Tiny Prints through their partnership with POPSUGAR Select. While I was compensated to write a post about Tiny Prints, all opinions are my own. So here’s the thing: it may be mid-October and you may think it’s too early to start thinking about the holidays but I am here …
Here’s the thing– I LOVE giving gifts to all my friends, but with shopping for the kids, I don’t have time to worry about finding super cool presents to get for everyone else. So, I came up with the most foolproof plan I have ever come up with. It’s How I Got All My Christmas Shopping …
When sickness calls, the first thing on your mind is getting better as quickly as possible. That my friend, is entirely normal because NONE of us like being sick and nobody has the time to sit around being sick all day. So most of us rush to the nearest drug store to purchase a bunch of medication that …
You see it every day. Snarky memes about how leggings aren’t pants. I’m here to tell you those memes are a LIE! Here are 6 Reasons Why Leggings ARE Pants. Seriously, they say it all the time. Every day. Leggings are evil. How anyone who’s ever eaten a cheeseburger shouldn’t wear leggings. Even Conan …
You’re the reason your salmon sucks. No, no, it’s true. Maybe you’ve even convinced yourself you hate salmon…a delicious meat…and that you can’t understand why anyone would want to eat it in the first place. And it’s all your fault that you feel this way. Unless you really just don’t like salmon. If you don’t, …
This post brought to you by Sports Authority . The content and opinions expressed below are that of Totally The bomb. I will never forget the first time I went to the gym after having my daughter. The only thing I owned that even remotely resembled workout clothes was a T-shirt I painted her room …
Girls just want to have fun. Whether it’s painting each other’s nails or giggling over a cute boy at school, girls need girl time which is why slumber parties are so necessary. If you have a girl that is at the age to have her good friends overnight but aren’t sure where to begin I …
I love traveling so very much, but I also love all the comforts of home. That’s why all-inclusive resorts are my favorite way to vacation. My husband and I stayed at Sandals Montego Bay this weekend and it was glorious. (And glorious is not a word I just throw around, people. This place was off …
This summer, we are all about chilling in the pool and enjoying the hot weather. Problem is, in Texas it keeps raining, and that’s making it hard to keep our pool in tip-top shape. We had a BBQ coming up, and our pool had started to grow some black algae. We can’t be having black …
This is a sponsored post written by me on behalf of Office Depot. All opinions are 100% mine. The first year I bought school supplies, I ended up going to ten different stores over the course of three weeks. I searched high and low for all the right markers, writing tablets, folders and crayons. It …
I am one of those people who loves makeup. I have drawers and drawers of it. I can’t stop buying cosmetics, and I think they are totally fun to own! But the truth is, I don’t wear them that often, why? Because the less makeup you wear, the better your skin looks! No, seriously, try …
We’ve all been there…it’s the middle of the night, you’ve had a long day and just as you finally close your eyes the baby starts crying. Your eyes roll up to the ceiling, you give a hard stare to your snoozing spouse, and you wonder who you murdered in your previous life to bring this …
This year is my 20th high school reunion. The big 2-0. And my nephew just graduated from high school and is moving off to Austin because apparently he thinks his happiness is more important than mine. But, I digress. It dawned on me with all of this happening that as much as I want to …
This is a sponsored post written on behalf of Mom It Forward! for M-Disc. The opinions and text are all mine. Did you know flash drives don’t last forever? I didn’t. I’ve been saving pictures from vacations, stories I’d been writing, even tax information on a flash drive for a few years now. Backing it …
This is a sponsored post written by me on behalf of PERK. All opinions are 100% mine. I have had my Jeep for a very long time. My daughter is ten now and I brought her home from the hospital in it. (Jeeps are very bumpy when you’re bringing a newborn home for the first …
As part of my goal to see the world, I’ve been cruising. Packing for a regular vacation is tough, but packing for a cruise is extra special because you do so many different things. Well, now that I have been on two cruises, (which makes me a total pro, right?) I know all the tricks …
Here I am snapping along, taking pictures of my kid and her friends, instagramming my latest meal, making a movie of my cat playing with a yarn ball, when bam… Out of Memory. I bought the biggest phone they had, with the most storage available and still it’s not enough memory for my “must video …
This is a sponsored post written by me on behalf of Holmes® Smart Air Purifier. All opinions are 100% mine. “What is that smell?” I hate hearing those words, and often that’s what my husband says when we walk in the front door of our house. Honestly, we have a house dog and grandkids ranging …
This shop has been compensated by Collective Bias, Inc. and its advertiser. All opinions are mine alone. #CleaningUntangled #CollectiveBias I got my first vacuum when I got my first apartment. That was 14 years ago. I am still using that same vacuum. And I am so tired of cleaning that little brush, you know the …
I have found the perfect place to stay when you visit Universal Studios in Orlando, Florida. Loews Portofino Bay (they invited my family to come out and spend a couple of nights to check it out.) So, this hotel has major swag. It’s clean, amazing looking, and just the right amount of people are there …
I am forever having visitors pop-in and, sometimes, they’re even invited! LOL! Friends of my daughter are frequent fliers, often without parental escort. And those little mouths?! ALWAYS HUNGRY! That means I need to be prepared for anything–boredom, snack or full-fledged lunch. Enter the Emergency Visitor Survival Kit, the way I stay sane when visitors …
It hit me a while back: we live in this big, gorgeous state and though we’ve taken a few day excursions, my daughter has no idea how much Texas has to offer. That’s why I decided to take my first ever RV road trip. I’ll be honest here: I’ve lived in Texas most of my …
When you’ve had a baby, a lot has changed. I mean, you’ve been off work for 3, 4 or even 6 weeks (LOVE the 6-weeks off!) and, hopefully, you didn’t even have to wear make-up once during that entire mini-baby-cation. But, chances are, you need to Refresh Your Look to Go Back to Work After Baby. …
Call this the mega list. The big shebang. The whole enchilada, hold the nothing. From borax to baking soda, vodka to vinegar we’re bringing you 650+ Other Uses For Household Products. Strap-on your juice box ’cause this list is about to get REAL. 650+ Other Uses For Household Products Have you been making your own laundry soap? …
This shop has been compensated by Collective Bias, Inc. and its advertiser. All opinions are mine alone. #OutshineSnacks #CollectiveBias This is it. My year. The year I embrace the F-Word and make it my own. That’s right, I’m talking about fitness and how this year I WILL become a shinier, happier version of me. One …
My husband does all the housework. All of it. Why? Well, aside from the fact that he’s perfectly awesome in every way, he does it because someone has to do it. It’s not always fun, and he would definitely rather be playing video games or something more fun, but he does it for our family. …
This year I’ll be celebrating my twenty year high school reunion in the same month that my oldest nephew is graduating from high school. Talk about an emotional double-whammy! With both of those events in mind, I decided to write up a list of ‘twenty’ perfect gifts for graduates. Part of these are from my own memories …
One of my favorite things about the Universal Orlando theme parks was the Universal CityWalk. I love how you can see a show, eat an amazingly delicious meal, and spend a whole evening without ever leaving the walk! Special thanks goes to Universal for having us visit their CityWalk. We had a blast! I think …
We spent spring break at Universal Studios in Orlando, Florida. We had a lot of fun checking out the attractions, fun, and rides that Universal Studios has to offer just so I could tell you what the greatest stuff to do with your family is! Awesome Stuff To Do At Universal Studios in Orlando, Florida. …
Here are 25 Harry Potter snacks you can make from home! 25 Harry Potter Snacks and Treats I’ve got my witchy priorities straight–I’m starting with Witches Broomstick Candies. Golden Snitch Pops would probably do a bang-up, sell-out job on Quiddich game days! Ok, so you want some meat? No burgers here, but order some Basilisk-dogs. Do it. Hissss. These Cheese …
My family is full of hardcore Harry Potter fans, so when Universal Studios had us out to check out the Wizarding World of Harry Potter in Orlando, Florida, we jumped on it. We even found some super secret stuff that will make your trip to Universal Studios even more fun! 16 Super Cool Secrets …
Like every mom, I totally want my kids to experience everything–but in a safe, comfortable way. That’s why I feel it’s important for me to have everything I need on-the-go for my active kiddos. Especially when we’re hours from home on a weekend get-away in the woods. That’s when I make sure I have everything on this …
With warmer weather comes one of my favorite parts of–well, everything: ROAD TRIP! I love driving for hours, no goal in mind other than my ultimate destination at the end of the week. To be prepared for my road trip, I made this Free Printable Road Trip Checklist. If you have any car trouble on …
Spring means a lot of things. The clock moves forward, flowers emerge from the snow, bears lumber out of hibernation (and by bears I mean significant others who have been wearing the same ugly sweater for months, of course). But more than anything, in my house spring means cleaning. This year I’m bringing you 10 …
Cooking can be so much boring or SO MUCH FUN. It’s all about the attitude and the “toys” you choose to use. I’m always looking for new Geeky Kitchen Gadgets to keep my cooking experience fun and lively! 25 Geeky Kitchen Gadgets I Need Considering the amount of coffee I go through in a day, …
This is a sponsored post written by me on behalf of Dollar General for IZEA. All opinions are 100% mine. It was one of my lowest moments ever, and I know every new parent has been there. It’s 3am, baby’s crying, poop is everywhere and no way can you do a simple diaper change in …
Like any parent, I was so very worried about car-safety when it was time to bring home our son. Now, I’m facing the idea of bringing home baby #3 and I need a refresher on How to Kidproof Your Car. Thank goodness I have my son to help me out. Use the right safety equipment for …
Ok, so my whole family always asks each year: “what do you want for Christmas?” or “what do you want for your birthday?” or mother’s day…or…you get the drift. I will tell you now, this year, I want one of these 25 Coolest iPhone 6 Cases! (this post contains affiliate links) There’s nothing worse than …
Look, sometimes you just have to trick your kids into doing what’s best for them. And taking medicine is one of those times.
If you’ve got kids, chances are you have a family vacation coming up during a school break or summer vacation. Deciding what to do can be a daunting task. Here is a roundup of 15 great family vacation ideas tested by real families. This list covers some of the top destinations in the country. Other locations are a …
I’m jazzed about the electronic age, really I am, but an awesome sit-down on a Sunday morning with a newspaper and a wonderful, homemade breakfast is a nice change from all the screens. I love it. But then what? I have this paper that then I feel bad has only lived one life in my house–so …
So, it turns-out that baking soda has a million other uses besides just an additive into yummy cookies and cakes. These are my absolute favorite 10 Clever Uses for Baking Soda! 10 Clever Uses for Baking Soda: It’s amazing the number of things that can be done with this common and super-inexpensive household product. And …
Baby oil is cheap, available at almost every store and most people have a bottle, even if they don’t remember buying it. It’s so common, and REALLY useful–even for a number of things other than what it was intended. Whether I had a baby or not, most of my life, I’ve had baby oil on hand just …
Dish soap is a wonder-product…honestly, it doesn’t only have to be used in the kitchen to clean dishes! There are just so very many Clever Uses for Dish Soap, this list is just a few. Pet Shampoo – Dish soap is not a harsh chemical, it is often used after or during oil spills to clean oil off of birds …
I love having a clean head, so I use shampoo pretty much EVERY DAY (I know I don’t have to, but I just love that feeling). Funny thing is though, there’s way more uses for shampoo than I realized. I love these 10 Clever Uses for Shampoo. Who knew? 10 Clever Uses for Shampoo Removing stains: You can remove carpet …
This shop has been compensated by Collective Bias, Inc. and its advertiser. All opinions are mine alone. #DropShopAndOil #CollectiveBias I feel like a multitasking Maven today. For reals. Normally, I’m so easily derailed it’s not even funny. But today–in 30-Minutes, I was able to accomplish 15-Super Critical Tasks! It was a Multitasking Marathon! There I was, trying …
Every time I got the cell phone bill, I was cringing–or those stupid texts saying “such-and-such number has gone over the data limit”. I mean, really, how many times did I yell at my kid for going over her limit?! No more, I say! No more! Now, I’m Keeping the Kid’s Phone Costs Low with …