work/life balance

  • Low cost hobbies

    My Current Hobbies

    The cold weather has definitely kept me cooped up inside, but that doesn’t mean that I’ve been bored! I firmly believe that our hobbies make us who we are. They allow us opportunities to peek inside of ourselves and find out what makes our hearts happy. This winter there have been a few things that I’ve really enjoyed. Baking has always been one of my favorite things to do, and cookies will always be my first love. There’s a cookie for every possible occasion, and I always make sure to have the basic ingredients on hand. Classic chocolate chip are my family’s favorite. My daughter doesn’t love cake, but has…

  • How I’m Using My Happy Planner

    I’m a paper planner girl. I’ve tried digital options (you can even find some of my posts about them if you search), but there’s something about being able to look at the full spread, write tasks in by hand, and really turn the pages that just works for me. I’ve always had what I consider a photographic memory, and for some reason that just works better when I can visualize words written on a page – not a tablet or screen. This year I went with a big Happy Planner (affiliate link) and I couldn’t be happier – no pun intended. The price is truly unmatched. All of the other…

  • Best Snow Day Ever

    Snow Day Must Haves

    As someone who has lived her entire life in the midwest, I’ve experienced my fair share of snow days. I know there are many people around the country who are currently enjoying a very rare snow day, so I thought I’d tell you about my favorite way to spend a surprise wintery day like this. The best kinds of snow day are those where I can snuggle up inside, get all warm and cozy, and fully relax all day long. The beauty of a snow day is that it gives us the opportunity to stay in somewhere warm when the weather is anything but. I’ll happily take it! Here are…

  • New Year New Mindset

    January 2025

    I don’t think I’ve ever been more ready to take on a new year! I can’t tell you where this feeling is coming from – or unfortunately how to find it in yourself – but I’m just feeling ready to tackle all of the things. It’s honestly super refreshing to know that I have changes to make and truly want to make them. That’s my mindset as we go into 2025, I’m feeling all of the “let’s do this” and “you’ve got this” vibes and I’m leaning all of the way into them. While I definitely have some goals ( I refuse to call them resolutions), they all kind of…

  • Disney road trip activities

    Tips for a Disney Road Trip

    Our family always does road trips when we vacation, and over the years I’ve come across a huge variety of tips (some hits, and some misses) for road-tripping with very young children. I’ve shared a lot of my favorites in these posts: Kids Road Trip Activities Road Trip Organization Hacks Travel Products for Kids Tips for Traveling with Preschoolers Every time that we’ve taken a trip I’ve tried something a little different and that’s true for our upcoming Disney Cruise trip too. We’re driving to the port, it’ll be the longest road trip that we’ve taken so far, so I wanted to make sure that my daughter stays entertained on…

  • Disney Cruise Door Magnets

    Disney Cruise Door Magnets

    As soon as I knew that we were taking this trip I started to DIY. One of the first projects I tackled was door decorations because Disney Cruise Line is known for guests going above and beyond on their door decor – and why wouldn’t you?! Any excuse to bring a little more Disney magic is always a must. I designed all of our magnets myself, but there are so many options on Etsy. My daughter is a HUGE Frozen fan, so it was a given that we would go that route. I also made a little suitcase with icons for each stop on our itinerary – I’m hoping to…

  • packing must haves

    Packing Hacks and Travel Must-Haves

    I’ve mentioned a couple of times that we’re going on a Disney Cruise over spring break, and right now I’m in packing heaven! I’m one of those people who loves to plan a trip and pack for it just as much as I love going on the actual trip. I know that not everyone is like that, so I thought I’d share some of my favorite travel must-haves. I also admit that I’m the kind of person who packs for every possible outcome – trying to find a store when you realize that you forgot something is not my idea of a relaxing vacation, so I’m fully aware that I’m…

  • Practical Easter Ideas

    Practical Easter Baskets for Kids

    As a mom, my goal for this year is to incorporate more gifts that are practical or that meet multiple needs. For Easter, that means the bunny is bringing things that can be used this spring and summer. I’m really trying to stay away from the little trinkets that get played with one time and then lay around the house, but I still want my girl to be excited about what she finds in her Easter basket. Here’s what I’ve picked out for her this year (all affiliate links) We usually keep our Easter baskets pretty small, which means they fill up fast (smart parenting hack right there). If you’re…

  • Classroom Eclipse Supplies

    Eclipse Supplies for Teachers

    March is going to fly by – with St. Patrick’s Day, Easter, and spring break – so the eclipse on April 8th will be here before we know it! I’m already getting excited, and planning for the big day is definitely building that anticipation. Our area is in the path of totality, so all of our local schools are closed the day of the eclipse because we’re anticipating travel and communication challenges due to the large influx of eclipse tourists. That means that the week before the eclipse is the prime time for talking about it in the classroom. I’m also gearing up to keep my daughter busy with eclipse…

  • Day in the Life

    Celebrate Valentine’s Day with me!

    Happy Valentine’s Day! I thought I’d try something a little different today and give you a full picture of what my day looks like. Here’s how I’m celebrating the holiday all day long: We started the morning early because my girl was EXCITED. She’s old enough to remember past Valentine’s day celebrations and she knows that I always have some special gifts for her, and once she woke up there was no holding her back! We use these felt heart envelopes for Valentine gifts – ours are a few years old from the Target Dollar spot, but these are similar and available on Amazon (affiliate link). I love having this…