Crazy About Clutches

I'm going to let you all in on a little secret today...
I love clutches! Totes, pouches, clutches, mesh bag or satchel. Whatever you want to call them, I love them all the same.

When I packed my hospital delivery bag in February of 2015, I invested in a set of travel cubes and pouches and was in hog-heaven designating a bag for each of my needs. One for clothes, one for the baby, one for toiletries, and so on. My love for clutches is like a Chinese nesting doll; I love one inside of another. inside of another. inside of another.

So as overdue as this post may be, I'll walk you through my favorite ways to use my zipper pouches in my everyday life, whether on the go or at home.

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The Desk Bag

I love to keep a little clutch on my desk at work for my go-to workday needs. I keep a few staple items in my bag that I find myself reaching for at my desk often: my work-suitable essential oils, hand sanitizer, chapstick, a toothbrush floss and paste for that after lunch dragon breath, and my favorite perfume roller. It's all of my favorite little pick-me-up items bundled together.

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Daycare Bag

Every week I send Alex with a little pouch bag to daycare with a change of clothes and couple extra diapers. My kid is dirty. It's sad but true. Too many times have I picked her up covered in soot and whatever the heck she had for lunch ("is that carrots? Maybe peaches? Might also be melon"). Instead of constantly stealing a change of clothes from daycare, which I secretly have done **shhhh** I opt to just send her with a little premade "in case of the inevitable emergencies" bag.

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Auto - Cables and Cords

For a while I found myself swimming in a pool of car cables. A charger for my iPhone which always seems to be dead, an Android charger in case I have a friend riding along that hasn't hopped on the Apple train, an auxiliary cord for when I get tired of listening to the same 10 songs on the radio, and other random needed junk. Instead of fiddling around with which compartment has what cord and having them a tangle mess, I love to just wind them up, stick them in a pouch, and keep it nestled on the little shelf in my glove box. Perfection.

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Lady Care - Daily Essentials

I love my Lady Care clutch. It holds those perfect feminine products that we all find ourselves needing at the most unopportune moments. A pair of cuticle clippers to keep my biting at bay, bobby pins and hair ties in my repainted tic-tac bottle, Josie Maran whipped Argan Oil lotion, my mini Wet Brush, the unmentionables, sanitizing spray,  hand sanitizer, and extra pens (because I never seem to have any when I need them). Having all my essentials in a medium sized pouch like the one above makes throwing it in my purse/tote on the go so simple and so easy! Plus the design on the pouch is just to die for, is it not?! CVS for the win!

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Baby Not-a-Diaper-Bag

Since I stopped pumping for the munchkin about a month ago, I have been overly excited to not have to carry a pump bag around with me anymore. I also feel the same way about diaper bags; they're bulky, over the top, and most of the time quite unflattering. Instead, I prefer to use one of my mesh pouches and fill it with our on-the-go baby needs. It holds our cute refillable wipe dispenser, a handful of our favorite diapers, a change of clothes, and her spare jar of Baby Vicks - because I found myself without it once while she was congested and vowed never again. I can then throw the cube into whatever bag I'm using for the day to keep Alex's things organized, but still have the freedom of using the purse or tote as my own.

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The Work Tote

HOW cute is this tote?!  I can't get over these little bags. You may remember them from Friday's Favorites, so they definitely made the list today. I was strolling through CVS when I saw the end cap of this cute little sucker and basically ripped it off the shelf. It's perfect to tug back and forth from work with me. The coin purse is great for the emergency change needs, and I love that the tote is just big enough for me to throw any and every combination of clutches in it from above. I may not take all these little babies with me every day, but having a good size tote leaves me with the option to pick and choose whichever fits my daily outings. It's normal contants feature a clutch or two, my coin purse, my new journal to scribble down my thoughts on the go, and my work lanyard that holds my ID and debit card safe and sound.

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The Nightstand Essentials

Recently you may have seen a little photo sneak of our nightstand revamp that was much overdue. Previously my stand was filled with nothing but essential oils and glass spray bottles. While nice to have them close, this area was lacking in other needs I found myself often yearning for after being tucked into the bedcovers. I decided to add a little nightstand clutch with only the little things I need in the evenings: my headache roller to fight off those middle of the night pangs, Lavender to aid sleep, a spray bottle with a little bedtime mixture to spritz on the pillows, and chapstick - which can be found in almost every bag as you can tell since I am always finding myself reaching for it.

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There you have it! An obsession that actually comes in useful and handy in the organization world. I may have already been brainstorming about other little bags I can put together - Sunday family day bag, amusement park bag, trunk emergency bag, first aid bag... so many possibilities!

Do you have any little obsessions that may be starting to get out of hand?? I can't be the only one, right?! Righttttt?

Few Friday Favorites

Hallelujah, Friday!
We made it, friends. I don't know what it was about last week but it seemed to just drag onnnnn and onnnnn... maybe I'm slightly more excited for Easter this weekend that I thought. Either way, we made it through the week, and let the weekend begin! Let's start by continuing on with the segment I think might become one of my favorites.... Few Friday Favorites!

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Favorite #1

Clutches of All Shapes and Size

How adorable are these bags?! I walked passed them today in CVS while I was picking up a few items and I just knew I had to have them. I have a slight obsession with clutches, totes, and small bags that you'll get an inside look to soon. I couldn't locate these exact bags on the CVS website, but they did have a variety of sayings, designs, and quotes in store... and they were all 25% off! Hurry! Run and get yours now! I'll wait.....

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Favorite #2
Acqua di Gioia by Giorgio Armani

Ohhhh myyyyy goshhhhh people. Have you smelled this stuff before? If I could pick my perfect scent, this would be it. Hands down. It has the perfect mix of notes... [the notes described are : Mint, Brown Sugar, Lemon, Jasmine, Peony, Pink Pepper, Cedarwood, Labdanum. Yes, Please!] I have a VERY hard timing finding fragrances that I like because most are either too strong and give me headaches, or are too light and don't last longer than 10 minutes. This is perfect where it's not too heavy to be confused with old lady perfume, but also has some staying power. I tried this when I was with my mama at Thanksgiving last year, and instantly needed to run out and buy my own. Trust me when I say that NEVER happens with perfume. I'm in love.

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Favorite #3
Origins GinZing Eye Cream

Now that I'm getting into my late twenties, my skin has started to realize I'm on the path to becoming no spring chicken. Starting at the end of 2016 my skin really started to suffer from dryness in certain areas (along with my unfortunate daily oil slick) and no matter what lotions or oils I used, I couldn't seem to get it under control. My concealer and under-eye area looked crepe-y and unflattering. I went into Ulta one day on a hunt for 2 specific eye creams that had raving reviews, and of course, both were out of stock. After seeing the Origins stand I came across this little jar of happiness, and knew I had to try it out. I had tested a few Origins products before and loved what they did for my skin, and this was no different. I've been using it religiously for a month and a half, and my sad, poor tired mama-eyes are all but gone. Any other ladies out there suffering from "are you sick today?" eyes... give this a shot.

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That's it, friends! Todays favorites, all wrapped up into one lovely little bundle. Have any of you tried the perfume or eye cream? Anyone just as obsessed as I am? I'd love to know your thoughts! 

10 Weeks of Spring Cleaning

It's that time of year again. The birds are out singing with the sunshine and we are all prepping to get our homes back in tip-top shape. Whether you live in a snowy, blizzard-like area in Montana or are here with me in Sunny San Diego, we can all use a few tips and tricks to get the house back to sparkling and new. In this segment I will be doing a weekly post for 10 weeks, tackling a new area each week. Get out those spray bottles and put on those rubber gloves - it's time to get to work!

Here's what you can expect to see over the next 10 weeks (until June 20th - the first week of summer! Eeek!)

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• Week 1 - The Bathroom
• Week 2 - The Electronics
• Week 3 - The Kitchen
• Week 4 - The Nursery
• Week 5 - The Living Room
• Week 6 - The Bedroom
• Week 7 - The Backyard
• Week 8 - The Office
• Week 9 - The Closet
• Week 10 - The Finances

If you're excited to get down to the nitty-gritty with me, you can check out some of my favorite cleaning products that you'll be introduced to in the coming weeks here.

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Was there anything I missed that you need to tackle in your own home? What's your biggest problem area? If I could hire someone to do just one cleaning task in my home it'd definitely be folding the laundry..... ain't nobody got time for that.

Spring Cleaning: The Dining Room Sideboard

Welcome to Spring Cleaning, the sideboard edition!
Spring cleaning is something most of us embark on every year. It's our time to catch up on those tasks that probably should have been done months ago, if not longer. Today I am proud, and honestly somewhat embarrassed, to show you my now-tidy buffet piece that sits in our dining area.

Since our condo is rather small, the few pieces of statement furniture that we do have need to be fresh and kept up. That, unfortunately, was not the case for this poor little guy. Sadly... this is where we started...

It was dusty and gross. Things were just thrown in the drawers and cupboards all willy-nilly. Instead of a junk drawer, we had a junk buffet.

There was a pile of documents that were "to be shred" and just ended up shoved away. Our family games sat in one side, while our "other drinking things" sat in the other. There was no order - only chaos.

The first thing to do was to start clean. Take everything off, and give the sideboard a good furniture polishing. The printer needed to go, and the shelves needed to be cleaned. The only thing that wasn't taken down was our DIY Eagan Mirror, because it's rather heavy and Alex was "helping" me. The last thing I needed was for it to fall on her.

(Side note: If you've noticed the baby gate - that's where we keep the cat food so that both the dog and the baby stop eating it.)

Once everything was cleaned, it was time to start brainstorming how I was going to keep everything organized and in place. In came my handy Mainstay baskets that I have far too many of laying around the house.

I didn't quite like the stark-white baskets on the hutch - they just looked to harsh. So I took a chance and gave the outsides of the baskets a quick coat of my favorite gold spray paint, and was tremendously happier with how they looked after.

In the baskets I have my "bar extras".... one basket holds all of my extra mason jars (which it fits 12 perfectly), another basket holds all of my extra canning and reusable mason lids, and the last basket holds all of the extra random glassware and shot glasses.

The middle drawer was cleaned out and now houses my wine opener, our whiskey ice tray, and kitchen hand towels.

The two bottom areas now house our beer growlers (shameless plug - how awesome is this growler I had made for our first fathers day last year?!) and the other holds all of our amusement park reusable cups.... don't judge us. We like the zoo/safari park/seaworld/anywhere-else-we-can-spend-our-sunday-family-days.

Finally! Onto the top, where we changed up some of the decor! I still have my secret Harry Potter novels housed here of course. I couldn't quite get myself to move them elsewhere. They were moved out of the basket I found at Home Goods, and replaced with my set of owl mugs.

The center tray was moved from my living room where you may remember it once being housed next to the television. It now is the focal piece, holding beautiful blue mason jars that I love filling with votive candles and stacking on these lovely silver candle holders.

I feel so much better now that this piece is organized and actually functional. It's a huge step into our Spring Cleaning days, but it brings a sigh of relief rather than a cringe in terror everytime I walk by. What was your favorite piece? I'm loving having that little teal pot that once was delivered with an edible arrangement. I've been holding onto it for years, but I knew one day it'd come in handy ;)

Few Friday Favorites

We made it to Friday!

Closing out this week is a new segment we're starting called Few Friday Favorites. It's got a catchy ring to it, doesn't it? In this segment I'll share with you a couple of my recent favorite things; from home goods to bookworm reads, and everything in between. Take a moment to change into your favorite Fri-yay sweatpants, grab a glass of Roscato, and let's get to it!

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Favorite #1

The Complete Book of Home Organization

If you haven't seen, read, flipped through, or prayed with this book, you're missing out! Toni from A Bowl Full of Lemons does it right with this page-turner read that will surely suck in any of us who aspire to have a clean, well-balanced and decluttered home. It's true that we all need a little kick in the booty sometimes to get us going, and this book did just that for me! From her cleaning tips and declutter tricks, Toni will help you feel okay about parting with that box of sentimentals you've had stashed in the back of your closet for the last 2 years. I promise, you'll feel inspired and find yourself sitting in that stinky bathroom with a scrub brush in hand in no time! 

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Favorite #2
Mrs. Meyers Cleaning Products - Basil Scent

Many of you are already on this bandwagon and I'm just showing up late to the party. Mrs. Meyers basil scented products is wonderful! I started with just the hand soap when I ran out of our Young Living cleanser, and I fell in love! The natural ingredients are listed right on the label - no mumbo jumbo harsh additives or funny looking names that you can't pronounce. Just plant based ingredients and lovely oils without parabens and phthalates... sold! The cost is minimal for the quality, and you don't have to worry about what you are using in your home and exposing your family to. Plus, who doesn't love that beautiful teal color?! 

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Favorite #3
Young Living Home Diffuser

You may have caught this post where I mentioned a few of my favorite essential oil rollerball combinations. But what's even better than those lovely little cylinder blends is having a sweet and spicy luxurious aroma fill your household. It gives your home and extra "clean boost" and with the right blends, can even support your immune system! But even without an added health benefit, I just enjoy my home smelling fresh and crisp. Here are a few of my favorite combos:

• Thieves || Orange [sweet and spicy combo with immunity boosting properties]
• Lemon || Grapefruit [citrus fresh for that ever-clean smell]
• Peppermint || Peace & Calming [refreshing and relaxing spa-like combo]
• Christmas Spirit [so good even by itself!]
• Ylang Ylang || Orange [promotes happiness and comfort]

[Member #10301637]

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Favorite #4
2017 Bloom Daily Planner

How stinkin' cute is this planner?! I purchased a Bloom planner for the first time in 2015 and was so pleasantly surprised with how the format fit my needs. In 2016 I tried to give another brand a chance - just to branch out and try something new - but wasn't as equally impressed with their version. When the year end started to come around, I jumped right back to my ol' friends at Bloom at snatched up this cute new design faster than I would a bag of cookies. No, seriously - I even started emailing them for when the new year planners would be out in September. Those colors. That gold lettering. It just speaks to me on so many levels! If you're looking for a simple yet clean and easy to use planner, I definitely suggest them. I even got an email full of free printables after receiving my planner! Meal planners, daily tasks and lists, anything I could need to plan out my day-today life. I love me some printables.

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There you have it! My Four Friday Favorites... I just love a catchy name! Am I super late on the bandwagon for any of these? I'd love to hear what you're all crushing on this week! Happy Friday, and let's all have a wonderful weekend!

What's Happening at Home - Where Did We Go?!

And we're back!

Back with a brand new look, brand new ideas, and brand new post.

My how I have missed you all. The crazy first year of motherhood has now passed and we're easing into our every day journey of life taking one step at a time - one foot in front of the other. From issues arising at our now-previous daycare, having a full month worth of job and career training at different sites, and trying to tackle our financial future and plans, this blog unfortuantely fell by the wayside for quite some time until I felt I could get a handle and grasp on our every day life.

With such a long lag between our last posts (gahhh... yes... it has been 5 months!) it feels only necessary to give you a What's Happening at Home post to catch you up with how much, or even how little, life and our home has changed over the past months. Are you ready?? Here we go...

Our sweet little princess turned one year old on the 12th, and we celebrated with our loved ones in what turned out to be a spectacular event. The cupcakes were a dud, but the company was superb.

She received so many books and toys! This little girl certainly is spoiled, and rightfully so! Her personality has changed and expanded so much in the past year, she has definitely come into her own and delights us with new and exciting adventures every day.

In the home department, little has changed unfortunately. But with big plans and projects coming up in the future this home is about to explode in amazingness (yes, that is the word I'm rolling with today).

I did, however, recently purchase this new photo lens, which is perfect for all those up-close-and-personal blog photos we all adore. It's my first even prime lens, and I'm in love! This lens and I are still becoming friends, but I see a buding relationship forming that will surely expand into something magical the more we become familiar with each other. She's a close cousin to her more expensive relative, the Cannon 50mm, but at a fraction of the cost! (Literally.... it's less than half! What?!) Who doesn't love to save a few extra dollars?!

Yes, the same sad living room furniture thrives in our home, but just barely. It, too, has a plan to get a facelift... but one dollar step at a time...

What has thankfully gotten a small touch of love recently is the master bedroom. I don't want to give away too many details since that post is hanging in the balance and coming within the next few days, but I will leave you with this - a little teaser to what you will be seeing come out of this space this week.

That's it, friends! Little has developed in the area of projects, therefore posts were put on hold. But now with a brand new second-wind and slew of posts in the mix, we're about to enter into a realm of excitement. With many posts already pre-written and growing as we go, we're chalk-full of new ideas that are on the horizon and already in action. Grab your coffee and your favorite notebook, because it's going to be a wild ride! Thanks for tagging along!