The countdown is on!

Just doing our part...

...and LOVING every minute of it!

Whether you agree with me or not, just please VOTE!

the GOOD-the BAD- & the UGLY

the GOOD- Love Walked In is the first book. This is not your typical "Jen = love story". It is so sweet and actually it is about so much more than a boy/girl romance. If you want a warm and fuzzy good Fall read, this is it! Belong To Me is the second of the two. I am devouring it right now. The author has a PhD in poetry so the writing is pretty, as well as the story. Once again...heartwarming!

the BAD- No excuses, but when I am PMSing all health goes out the window. Also, my motivation to get things done flies out right behind it. So, yes, I have eaten many of these! I don't even really like them, but they have been the perfect combination to the good book and the chilly weather. Is there a Halloween candy that you could eat an entire bag of if you were OUT OF YOUR MIND?the UGLY- This is what I have been needing to do while I have been enjoying the good & the bad. I need a little of this to get it done. But reading just seems so much more enjoyable right now. I do have tinted grout so it is not AS gross as it looks, but it is still REALLY gross!

I do need to get this cleaned before hubby comes home on Friday. Who likes to come home to an icky shower after staying in a hotel?

update- the shower is clean! It wasn't that bad.

Tag- Fourth of Fourth

Allyson at House of Stephens tagged me! Yay!

Here is how it works:
Pick your 4th folder
Pick your 4th photo
Explain it
Pick 4 people to tag

This picture was taken at preschool, two years ago. D had just turned 5. Funny that my fourth of fourth was a Fall picture. Spooky!

I will tag...

Emmy at Emmy at home, Tammy at Just Me, Pam at Pam's Place, & whomever else who wants to!

monday gems

It is no secret that I ♥ Mondays. I know it is a little sickening, but I love cleaning up from weekend fun, filling the pantry and freezer for the week and starting anew.

Below are a few things that not only make my Monday routine easier, but actually enjoyable.

I am so crazy about Mrs. Meyer's Clean Day that I go crazy every time I squirt it. Personally, my favorite scent is Geranium but there are others that I am sure you would like. I buy mine here, but if you visit the website there is a plethora of goodies. (including "plug-ins", dryer sheets, etc.) The prices are only a tad higher than my normal cleaning supplies, but they are made with natural essential oils, are biodegradable and phosphate-free. And, no animal testing.

What an awesome gift for someone who has everything!

You heard me talk about these here, but I really mean it when I say that I cannot clean without them. I use them on everything from grout to shower doors to walls to door jams. I ♥ instant gratification and these babies delivers! Of course, I buy the generic brand.

Thanks to a friend who just introduced me to these dusters. I used to feel like when I dusted it would leave half of the gunk behind. Not with these. Plus they maneuver around all my junk, even the fragile junk, where I was afraid to dust. Who knew that dusting shutters could be so easy??

Lastly, no cleaning day (or any task) is complete without great tunes. I am usually so excited to get time to listen to something without Miley, Joe or the HSM cast. But every once in awhile I still play a Jonas Brothers song because it is just so fun to sing along to. Did I really just admit that?

There are definitely days where not even these things can get me motivated to clean, but when I use them feel good about my house and am not afraid when someone just pops by.

Have a great week!

HSM3

E and I had a great time!

Personalized Banner - baby shower 3

Nothing says party like a personalized banner. And with glitter, well, it is just about party perfection.

Here are all the products that I gathered to use. I omitted the paint and used glue instead.

These chipboard letters are readily available at most craft stores and make the lettering easy. To adhere them to the cardstock I used the pop up dots to make them more dimensional.
The decorative embellishments were labeled as "packaging tape" and was sold in a set of three. See above. The ribbon was in the $1 section.

Mommy-to-be loved it so much she hung it in the nursery. It would also be cute taken apart and to use the back of pieces as the pages to a small memory book of the shower.

This is a fun, easy, affordable decoration. I hope you try one yourself!