Must Have Monday: Passion Planner

I'm about to tell you the secret to my sanity. :) This little tool holds my life together and keeps me from going completely bananas. I'm talking about my planner. Now, I will be honest and tell you that I am a total frugal-ista. I like things cheap. I used to buy the standard ten dollar planner from Walmart, but then I found the Passion Planner...and it changed my life. It's worth the extra money by far!

 I prefer the Passion Planner because it not only has a place to plan individual days of the week (along with each month's own page), but it has space for you to plan out each day by specific times. Below is a week at a glance. It has room for you to plan each day from 6am to 10am. It has space for you to write things in every half hour. So, you can make planning your day super specific, down to the half hour. How amazing it that?!

You can get the Passion Planner in 2 different sizes - compact or standard. It also varies in price depending on size and colors. Prices range from $24.99 to $34.99, depending on your choice.

Here's mine when I've got it all filled out for the week...

I like to use Washi Tape and erasable gel pens to add color and inspiration to my daily schedule. Somehow I get more accomplished when there are bright colors to inspire me. ;)

You can buy your own Passion Planner here or download and print out your own Passion Planner for FREE here (using the password "yes")

DIY Learning Tool for Kiddos

If you use jarred baby food for your kiddos, perhaps you've noticed the adorable little animals on the lids. These little things were just too stinkin cute for me to throw away. I had to find a functional way to keep them. I turned them into a learning tool for my kiddos. 

I am an avid scrapbooker, so I have fun paper and stickers lying around. I just cut circles on some cute scrapbooking paper, and added stickers with the first letter of the animal on the front of the lid. As you can see, there are lots of them. ;)

My kids were totally intrigued with the animals on the front, and it makes a great introduction to letters.

Must Have Monday: Fine and Dandy Accessories

I am SO excited about today's must have items! One of my friends has started her own online business of designing pins, t-shirts and various accessories that are all about breaking the mom-shaming mold and empowering other mothers and women in general. Her stuff is SOOOO cute!! Take a look at a few of my favorite things in her shop...

This is just a small sample of some of the cuteness she has in her online store. Seriously, go check it out right here! (And just so we're clear, I'm not getting paid to promote this. So go. check. it. out.)

:)

I am a proud owner of the Not Your Rival tote!

I also want to add that buying from Fine and Dandy helps support real life people. You're not buying from a massive corporation, you are helping a mom stay at home with her 3 kiddos. There isn't a cause more worthy than that. ;)

I was super impressed with the personal touch of my order. Inside my order was a small card that said "You're doing great, Momma." It's awesome to have that reminder. ;)

Make sure you check out their shop and if you love them as much as I do, follow them on Instagram here! 

DIY Fruit Fly Trap

It never fails, without question, each year we get fruit flies that hang around for what feels like forever. They are pesty, they are gross and they multiply like crazy. So, rather than spraying poison all over your counter tops...here's an all natural way to say goodbye to these nasty little critters.

You'll need:

A jar (Mason jars work splendidly) 

A piece of paper

Tape

Apple Cider Vinegar

Pieces of fruit (optional)

First, fill a Mason jar or glass jar with Apple Cider Vinegar. I don't measure it, I just pour in a decent amount. (You want enough vinegar in it that the flies will get stuck and drown)

*Optional* You can add fruit or rotten food to the vinegar to attract more flies, although hear me when I say - vinegar alone WILL work.

Next, take a piece of paper and fold it into a cone, then tape it to the jar.

Now sit back and watch your trap work.

The smell of the vinegar draws them in, and then once they are in, they have a hard time getting out of the cone hole. Eventually they drown in the vinegar and your house is fly free.

Add Some Flavor to Your Water

We all know it's important to drink your daily serving of water (which is eight 8 oz glasses), but let's be honest...water isn't nearly as tasty as tea, coffee or soda...so most people are missing out on their daily servings. Myself included.

I'm going to be honest with you and let you in on a little secret. I'm a total tap water snob. I hate it. I'm a bottled water junkie. (Want to hear a funny story? The town I live in actually won first place for the best tasting water in Illinois, and for years prior I always said it was the worst water ever. Hilarious, right?!)

I got tired of constantly running out of bottled water and buying more. It adds up when you're continually buying bottled water. So, I decided to find a way to drink tap water and be happy about it. Solution: essential oils. (Essential oils are pretty much my solution to everything, so this isn't surprising). ;)

Young Living has SO many oils to choose from to give your water a great taste! My personal favorite is lemon essential oil with 2 squirts of liquid Stevia. I have really started to LOVE adding Stevia to my water. It gives it a hint of sweetness, and with the citrus oils, it tastes amazing!

Here are some other fantastic oils to add to your water:

Lemon
Orange
Grapefruit
Lime
Tangerine
Citrus Fresh
Peppermint

(Mixing oils is another great way to spice up your water. I love Lemon and Orange together!)

Citrus oils are great for cleansing the body of toxins and taste so refreshing! Peppermint is an excellent oil for digestive support and focus. (I know we are talking about water, but it tastes great in tea as well! ;) )

Be sure to use a glass or stainless steal water bottle if you're drinking your oils on the go. Here's one on Amazon for a great price -

Have a favorite oil combo you like to drink in your water? Let me know!

**Disclaimer: When I talk about ingesting essential oils, I am ONLY talking about Young Living brand oils. DO NOT ingest any other brand of essential oils without referring to the labels. Young Living Essential Oils are exceptionally pure (check out their Seed to Seal Promise) and other brands of essential oils are NOT safe to ingest!**

Barbie Goes Modest

I can not be the only toddler mom who finds naked Barbies everywhere. My daughter hates having clothes on her Barbies. Don't ask me why. It's one of the mysteries of life why toddlers enjoy having all their dolls naked. It's like they know it's the original state we were in before the fall of man or something. Kids like naked. Moms don't. So, here's a simple and fun solution...

I know you've got a makeup bag of nail polish hanging out in the bathroom drawer somewhere. Pull it out and put those pretty colors to use. I will admit, I had a fun time designing this Barbie's top, but if you aren't a crafty person or you just simply don't care...just take some nail polish and paint broad shapes over the private areas. This doesn't have to be Project Runway. I have also seen people use Sharpies and color underwear on as well. 

If you do want to do something similar to this, I started by painting from the boobs down, then I added the dark pink bra, I made flowers with the brush and I did small outlines around the bra with a purple color. You can make this as simple or elaborate as you want. ;)

I think she turned out rather nice...