Sass and Sippy Cups

Hi everyone! Today I'm going to start another series about something I've been doing lately to satisfy my love of stationery and organization: bullet journaling.   I am not one for trends, but when everyone and their mother was talking about bullet journaling and how it kept their life in order, I looked into it. I googled it and was immediately put off by all the insanely intricate layouts and drawings. A few months ago, my best friend asked me about whether or not I had heard of bullet journaling. I told her it all looked so complicated and that my OCD would stop me from actually enjoying it. Then I went through a period of daily anxiety and worry, and I decided I would try it to get my mind off the things that were bothering me. I've been through 4 journals and am now on my 5th, not because I have a lot to write, but because I was right about my OCD- I end up making layouts and hating them because there was something I wanted to add or I didn't like the order in w...

Since the kiddos are back to school at the end of the month, I decided it was time to start getting my space ready for the fall. I mean, I won't go so far as to get my first PSL yet, but I do want to start making the apartment cozy and homey for the (eventually) cooler weather.  In this 3-part series, I'm going to show you all the little free-to-super cheap projects I've done that will make your space fall-ready and won't take up a ton of seasonal storage space. Fall Decor DIY: Lantern In this third and last installment of Fall Decor DIY, I'll be showing you how I made this candle holder lantern for less than $5!  You could spray paint the frames if you want to.  I just wanted something dark and simple, so I just picked plain black frames.  I'm using this to hold a candle, but I've seen something like this used as a terrarium to hold some plants, too. I used: 4 5x7 picture frames (when choosing frames, try and find ones that are flat around th...

Since the kiddos are back to school at the end of the month, I decided it was time to start getting my space ready for the fall. I mean, I won't go so far as to get my first PSL yet, but I do want to start making the apartment cozy and homey for the (eventually) cooler weather.  In this 3-part series, I'm going to show you all the little free-to-super cheap projects I've done that will make your space fall-ready and won't take up a ton of seasonal storage space. In this second installment of Fall Decor DIY I'm going to show you how I made a really cute seasonal centerpiece for my dining table with items I mostly got from the Dollar Tree! My old setup was kind of bulky and tall. I had a couple of vases with fake daisies and sunflowers and a giant glass bowl with a candle and river rocks or gravel. Since I was switching out the flowers and the bowl fillers seasonally, it took up a ton of space. This adorable wreath/candle ring solves that problem because I'll on...

Since the kiddos are back to school at the end of the month, I decided it was time to start getting my space ready for the fall. I mean, I won't go so far as to get my first PSL yet, but I do want to start making the apartment cozy and homey for the (eventually) cooler weather.  In this 3-part series, I'm going to show you all the little free-to-super cheap projects I've done that will make your space fall-ready and won't take up a ton of seasonal storage space. DIY No-Sew Pillow Covers I've mentioned before that we live in a small apartment without a lot of storage space. I also didn't have much when it came to decor period, never mind seasonal. So I purchased some cheap tan throw pillows from Walmart, figuring that I can keep them bare in warmer weather, and make more seasonal looking covers for them for cooler weather.  During fall and winter I LIVE in plaid, so I figured that would be a cute way to decorate them. I had a cheap plaid fleece throw bla...

Lifehacks.  I see that word on a YouTube video or blog post and CLICK! I'm sucked into a black hole of things that are supposed to make my life easy. But eventually, every post has the same list of 15 ideas for keeping your kitchen organized or getting your kid to clean their room. This list won't be that specific, but there are a few hacks and gadgets I've found that definitely make my chore list or parenting tasks a hell of a lot easier to handle. 1. If you're a parent, you know that when your kid loses a sippy cup of milk, it's pretty much time to call the HAZMAT unit. This has happened to me on several occasions, and I hated wasting money and cups because I was constantly throwing them out. So instead of throwing out that cup when I finally find it, I have a trick: block your nose, empty it, and give it a good wash. Fill it with HOT water, a tablespoon of lemon juice, and a tablespoon of baking soda. I've even used Alka-Seltzer tablets for this. Le...

We all have that song (or 50) that get us up and moving, not necessarily physically, but mentally and emotionally as well. I mentioned in my post last week that I took a mental health break for about a month. I have a tough time mentally and emotionally in the summer, especially with all the heat and humidity. To pull myself out of that funk, I made myself a playlist on Spotify with songs that make me feel like it’s time to just GET SHIT DONE. That playlist in its entirety is below, but here are my top 10 songs that make me feel motivated and like I can do anything, if at least for half an hour. 1.        The Champion- Carrie Underwood feat. Ludacris 2.        Good to be Alive (Hallelujah)- Andy Grammer 3.        Run the World (Girls)- Beyonce 4.        Just Fine- Mary J. Blige 5.        Titanium- David Guetta feat. Sia...

Need something that will please your taco-Tuesday-loving family that isn't actually tacos? Try this tater tot casserole. This recipe is super affordable to make (and obviously not healthy,) but when it comes to a picky family they'll be pretty happy.  Just do what I do and eat healthy all day and cheat at dinner! Spicy Tater Tot Casserole (serves 2+) 1 lb ground turkey or beef 1 package of reduced sodium taco seasoning 4 sweet mini bell peppers or one large bell pepper, diced 2 roma tomatoes, diced 1 tbsp crushed pepper 1/3 bag of tater tots 1 can of condensed tomato soup 3/4 cup shredded Mexican cheese 2 tbsp. olive oil 1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees. 2. Add oil to the bottom of a dutch oven.  Brown the ground meat mixed with taco seasoning. 3. Mix the peppers, tomatoes, soup, and pepper in a mixing bowl. Add to the dutch oven and mix with the meat. Use a spoon or spatula to level it out in the bottom of the pan to ensure even cooking. 4. Sprinkle the shr...

For those of you who don't know, we named our daughter after a certain ass-kicking child assassin in HBO's Game of Thrones.  So when it came to her nursery, of course I took the theme and ran with it.  We're talking a weirwood tree on her wall with baby versions of the noble families' sigils, framed quotes and maps of Westeros, and a signpost pointing to all the main locations in the show and novels.  But now that she's getting older (she'll be two in October), I figured I would make the room more about her and her interests. Now we all know that kids' favorite things change approximately every two seconds, but one thing that has remained constant with little monkey is her love of reading.  I read her first book to her the night I brought her home from the hospital, and she has been a little bookworm ever since, just like her mommy! So instead of choosing a theme like Minnie Mouse or princesses for her "big girl room," I wanted to work around a ...

Hi everyone!   I know it’s been quite a while since I’ve posted.   At the risk of sounding like a certain recently hospitalized popstar (who I’ll be pretty disappointed if it wasn’t an accidental OD) I’m sorry, NOT SORRY!   I was taking some time for myself and my family, and genuinely apologizing would mean I felt I was wrong in doing so, which I don’t. Honestly, I have a very tough time staying motivated to do ANYTHING in the summer (seriously, don’t come to visit. I have no A/C and zero ambition to sweat my ass off cleaning). But I’m back now and I have a ton of new material coming up this month, most of which is stuff I was preparing for during my time off. So stay tuned every other weekday for new posts! I promise they’re on their way!