Enjoy your Home NOW! - Pep Talk + Free 'Projects' Printable

Enjoy your Home NOW!

You can make this happen...

live pretty, less stressed...

within the time you have and your budget!

Growing up, we 4 kids always "teased" my mom about how

she ALWAYS would say "ok..lets make a plan"...

Well, now that we are older..we still lovingly tease her but with

the realization that WE SAY IT NOW ALL THE TIME!

My husband laughs every time I say "ok babe we need to make a plan."

But Seriously.

Make a plan.

I'm a list girl. and that is the only way thing can happen sometimes!

It helps take all the cluttered thoughts and stress we put on ourselves

as women, wives, mothers to make it all be put together around us!

By writing things down we can get it out of our head and onto paper.

I love decorating my home..but sometimes things like,

Oh I don't know..

having 3 kids and no money to just throw around, get in the way ;)

psh. lame.

At the same time, I know that I want to not keep putting off these home projects that I know would make me LOVE our home.. and enjoy moments in it more!

If I'm a stay at home mom stuck in the house for a good amount of

hours each day..I want to love my space!

SO..I realized that I just needed to "make a plan" and I would be

able to get through some of the projects and make it happen!

I created a free printable to help you do just that in your home too! yipee free printables

The Busy Budgeting Mama's Project Printable- Free Download

Print one out for each project.. as few or as many as you have in mind!

I made it with nifty little circles to check off.. so you feel awesome. ;)

Having a price area there you can keep track of how much a project will cost you..

and then by having a space for you to fill in where you'll get it (or to mark if you already have it)

you can make your trips to the store more time efficient!

I put a timeline next to the steps..so that you can lay it all out there so you don't feel overwhelmed (Maybe monday you'll buy supplies. wednesday you'll spray paint the frames.. etc..)

MY TIPS TO HELP MAKE

HOME PROJECTS HAPPEN:

-Invite company over.

Makes you hustle your buns.. with that motivation,you'll probably

finish projects that have been on your list 

Hide unfolded laundry in your room on your bed.

--Have a sitter come over during the day for 2 hours.

You will be amazed at what you can get in done in a short amount of uninterrupted time.

or maybe you won't be amazed...

I forgot what was even possible until the other day when I had help. haha.

--Gather Ideas from PINTEREST!

You'll feel inspired..and your creative juices will be flowing.

--Shop your house.

I really wanted to decorate our new space(we moved over easter)

but I didn't want to spend a lot of money.

Sometimes gathering up items and seeing them all together, seeing what you have...

helps you think of how you can use them in a new way!

One of the projects I wanted to make happen right after moving into our

new rental was to hang a gallery wall using all of the black and

white frames I've collected over our 6 years of marriage.

I enjoy it EVERY DAY. I spend a lot of time in our kitchen and family room...

so It was really important to me to make it happen.

I posted about the gallery wall already. I eventually plan on posting

the details on what I put in all my frames.

(below photo: sophie building a house. serious business.)

There are days NOTHING can get done.

and you need to give up

and go play in the backyard.

just do it. watch the clouds or something.

eat ice cream , put the sprinklers on or blow bubbles on the front steps.

Try again tomorrow.

 Enjoy your space. no matter how big or small it is!

Even little projects can help make your house, HOME.

and then LIVE in it. Enjoy it...

Let your kids help you "decorate" with stuffed animals on the sofa..

micah was as confused as I was. I guess they thought

 the space needed more personality.

 This is your Pep-Talk!

I get so many emails from mamas who are like ahhh

I want to do this project or that project but I just can't make it happen.

FIRST THINGS FIRST: (This goes for all women, but)

If you are a mom.. You are doing ENOUGH.

YOU are enough.

your kids are alive? awesome.

your kids are laughing and having fun in between punching each other? awesome.

"Make a plan"..and make your house a home for YOU...

  but know that even if you don't have frames on your wall you are pretty awesome.

I want you to feel motivated and capable..but also encouraged in that 

you aren't the only one trying to make it all happen and stressing about it when it feels like it just isn't happening.

We have all been there.

Print off this printable. write down all the ideas and projects you want to do...

including the steps and budget and then...relax.
go squeeze on a baby.

unless you are writing while squeezing a baby like I usually am.

They seriously don't stop touching me..... ;)

House of Rose Comes to Pittsburgh! - VLOG: We're Expert Mothers

If you follow me on any of my social media...You've seen some of

this awesomeness, as it was happening!

I met Mandy, of House of Rose at BLISSDOM this past year.

We have stayed in touch and really became good friends..

 always wishing we lived in the same city!

We felt so similar and had so many of the same interests and goals for life..

Not to mention we both have 3 kids and have a place in our hearts for healing.

( her with adoption and orphans and me with domestic violence awareness)

A few weeks ago.. I get a text from Mandy:

"Hey! do you remember how long we said it would take us to get there? ummmmm we want to come visit you! lol.." She said they would get a hotel and take the 10 hour drive..

and that it was an idea she had during worship that day at church"

My response: "MANDY!!! we would seriously love it!!"

(And the crazy thing is a few weeks earlier BEN was the one saying we should invite them to visit sometime!)

So we of course decided sooner the better..

so the trip was planned for the NEXT WEEKEND!

I love having spontaneous friends like that! And because "company" was coming..Our 3 month to do list became a 1 week to do list and I was way more settled than I thought I would be at this time because of this motivation ;) Ben was thrilled with the new time frame of the to do list ;)

**It needed to get done anyways!! ;)

IT WAS SO FUN.

Seriously! It was so nice seeing Mandy again..

getting our families together. our husbands together!

It felt so natural and like we were old friends. I have to say I was soo in awe that she thought we were worth a 10 hour car trip with a vehicle full of kids...

I know how crazy road trips with kids can be!

But I am so happy that they did it because my girls were so excited for our company and still talk about their friends. ;) We had a weekend of fun.. laid back pittsburgh fun. :)

 I really feel so blessed to have found this friendship with Mandy!

And I only met her because of blogging..because I took that risk and leap of faith and went to BLISSDOM even though I only knew 1 person in real life that was going and we weren't even going together! God really works in our lives! He sees the big picture! We had both read some of the other's blog posts..but then re connected right before blissom.. and then during and after the conference became good friends.

Mandy had found my blog through shannon's story...and I really feel like shannon has helped me find a friendship that I was needing in this time of my life right now.

My husband even told me that he facebooked mandy the day after they left just to thank her for making the trip and to tell her that he saw how happy I was..and how it made him think of how since losing shannon I have found it hard to find friendships that came about so easily and effortlessly and with such an awesome connection! Right now in my life I feel like I've been blessed with a great group of women..and mandy is one of those people that inspires me and lifts me up. She is such a creative and joyful person.. and I think we, as mothers..as women, need to be surrounded by people like mandy! If you are feeling like you are lacking in that area of your life.. don't fret! E-mail me. ;) I can be your girlfriend next door.. sort of. haha. I know how it can feel lonely or stressful some days as a mother.. and having connections with other women who "get it" is important..I hope you find that here! And don't be afraid to take a risk.. it might mean you'll discover a friendship you wouldn't have had before!

We had lots of playing this weekend!

We played at the park... in our back yard...

We had pizza and lollipops for dinner! crowd pleaser here.

I made a nice big dinner for father's day.. but other than that we kept it simple and easy!

There were lots of giggling and forcing of children to take photos with over exaggerated "this'll be funnn!!" comments--trying to get them to cooperate..

they are used to their mamas so they were pros.

what did they expect? two bloggers together? we need to document this!!! haha.

I  already shared on my blog the fun little Gift Bag we surprised them with at their hotel...

I knew I wanted to do a nice detail for their arrival since they were traveling 10 hours!

Our husbands were great about taking

on the role of photographers over the weekend as well ;)

They knew that when we said "hey can you get a picture of us"..what we really

meant was "take at least 10 pictures of us."

Another perk of hanging with a blogger friend who documents everything like me.....

she turned the camera on my family! loved some of the shots she

got of sophie and micah and I!

Playground fun. Can't wait for the day when micah will

be able to sit up with them! He is ready to be a part of the action.

I really loved seeing our kids play together... It just made my heart happy! 

Because they were in Pittsburgh..we of course had to take them to the Incline!

A fun ride that takes you high up the side of the mountain and you can overlook the city!

It's beautiful. (The first photo in this post is from on the way up.)

We also went to the zoo. I absolutely love the Pittsburgh Zoo.

(It has a great membership price so we go now and don't even spend anything!)

It was also fun getting Abby, of Just a Girl and her Blog, to join in on the fun!

She is the sweetest and so glad I discovered her through Mandy!

Our husbands already exchanged numbers to play tennis! Can't wait to get our families together..I randomly bumped into her at target a couple days ago! crazy.

Saturday night we had our sitters come over and watch all the kids so we could have a double date night! We took them into the city..had dinner at Atria's in the

stadium and then walked the bridge into the city and grabbed

dessert at Olive or Twist. Cute place.. amazing desserts.

It was such a nice night.. took pictures on the bridge.. had GREAT conversation.

And now.. a little Expert Mothers Spoof...

for your enjoyment.

Mandy and I created this video to share how skilled we are in parenting.

Are your children as well behaved as ours?

One of the fun parts of getting together with blog friends..

was seeing the instagram feed come to life ;)

I feel like Mandy and I both try to share "real life" on our blogs in a positive way...

And after our fun and crazy weekend adventures with our kids together we

felt like we wanted to share how it went down..through video.

And also here's some shots of when we were trying to get "blog post" photos.

We just ended up laughing and going with it. ;) REAL LIFE.

The last day they were here we celebrated Father's Day with our amazing men..

by giving them a chocolate cake (cake boss) of their dreams.

Mandy was so sweet and gave me a cute going away present.

The Art is now in my kitchen. :)

We were so sad to see them go! But excited for

the next time we get our little crews together!

You should stop over and say Hi to Mandy at House of Rose...

she is posting her visit recap today too!!

Check back next week for the "official" video we created for you guys!

It was fun to make it..and even more fun to watch the outtakes. we are ridiculous.

If you've had starting a blog on your heart..or wanting resources..

you won't want to miss that post!

iPad App Love- English POP - VLOG

I'm a big fan of our iPAD. The girls got one from santa this past year...

and it has been a lifesaver! They love to play games together on it..or put on music and have a dance party. I sometimes let sophia play on it during her "quiet time" while sienna naps.

And it has made making dinner a possibility some nights

when I didn't think anything but pb&j's were a possibility.

I've posted about my girls' Favorite iPAD Apps Before...

And I'm excited to add English POPS to the list!

CJ EDUCATIONS, creator of English POPS, saw my girls playing another game they created (Play123) and got in touch with me to see if the girls would like to try out a new app that they just created! It's not available yet..but will be soon! I'll keep you posted on the details because my girls LOVED it.

Here's a video sharing more on the English POP App!

The graphics in the app are so cute! and the music is fun and playful.

There is a series of interactive stories available to download.

Their favorite was the Polar Bear learning to say thank you.. the Hippos saying excuse me.

The ones we tried out all seemed related to manners and learning important words/phrases.

There is a I loved how the words pop up that are being read...

and it's very interactive. It can auto read..or you can record yourself reading the parts!

She had fun making the monkey character tell the story with her voice. :)

What are some of your favorite apps??

This has been the go to one when I let them play on their iPAD.

And our 8 hour car ride monday to grandma and grandpa's is going to be a lot smoother with this new app. I might have packed oreos as bribery as well. ;)

Thanks CJ EDUCATIONS for letting us try out the app early!

Can't wait to hear when it hits itunes!

My Favorites from AllDiaperCakes.com + $50 CREDIT to SHOP

I had been hearing about this site across the twitterland ;)......

and was so excited when I checked my inbox

and saw an email from Laura the owner asking me if I wanted

to share her site with all of you and do a giveaway!

Laura is a work at home mom of a toddler, and another on the way, and

owner of the online baby gift store, All Diaper Cakes.com

I love a mamapreneur!

All Diaper Cakes.com is offering a $50 credit.

So be sure to enter below so you can grab up a free baby gift..

for your baby..or someone elses! 

I told her I would love to take a look and pick out my favorites.

And....I seriously got lost in her website going from one cute baby item to another! It was hard to just pick 10. (I had to limit myself. ;)

Here are my picks!

1.  2.  3. 4. 5. 6. 7.  8. 9. 10.

I plan on doing more features like this.. showing my favorites.

It was like shopping for all my friends! (you guys!)

I think these would be fun gift ideas..

but I seriously NEED that car seat/nursing cover for next baby. Love that print!

And the tricycle diaper cake?!?!? AMAZING.

a Rafflecopter giveaway

Despicable Me 2 Screening Giveaway- 3 Family Four Packs - Pittsburgh, PA

My favorite kid movie..has to be Despicable Me!

So when I heard that Despicable Me 2 was coming out, I was so excited!

Ben and I crack up at the lines..and my girls absolutely love the characters.

I was sent a bunch of tickets for the Screening here in Pittsburgh...

and I'm excited to share them with my readers!

ENTER BELOW TO WIN ONE OF 3

FAMILY FOUR PACKS TO THE

ADVANCED SCREENING

OF DESPICABLE ME 2.

THURSDAY, JUNE 27, 2013

7:00PM-PITTSBURGH MILLS

Weekend Giveaway- Winner Announced Sunday Evening!

Tickets Mailed Monday so you can

get them in time for the screening Thursday!

A couple days ago a box arrived at our door....

full of fun Despicable Me 2 Goodies!!

The little minions and t-shirts were a hit!

they sent some fun activity sheets and stamps.

my girls love doing "homework" so it was a perfect little busy time for them.

 I think I found Micah's mini me.
bahaha.

a Rafflecopter giveaway

I am ready for more (former?) Super-Villain Gru, his adorable girls

and funny minion madness..can't wait to see the new movie

and see the new story line!

Thanks Universal Pictures and Illumination

Entertainment for the fun goodies!

UPDATE: CONGRATULATIONS TO ERIN, SHANAN AND

CASSIE FOR WINNING THE 3 FAMILY FOUR PACKS!

Ohio Valley Blogger Meet + Greet at IKEA Pittsburgh

I have had this event on my heart for a while!!

So glad that it is finally happening!

:::PURCHASE YOUR TICKET HERE:::

"Join Local Bloggers & Social Media Lovers like you for an evening of fun! 

Hosted by: IKEA Pittsburgh and The Busy Budgeting Mama

DRINKS. APPETIZERS. TREATS. FUN ACTIVITIES & RAFFLES.

LOTS OF GIVEAWAYS. SWAG BAGS.

Natalie, The Busy Budgeting Mama, is teaming up with IKEA Pittsburgh and some great local bloggers like Kacia of Coconut Robot and Angelique of Where The Piggy Toes Go.. to bring you a fun event where you can connect with local bloggers, enjoy good food, fun conversation... and win stuff!

Don't forget your swag bags! Lots of great brands on board wanting to connect with our wonderful bloggers in the Ohio Valley Area - PENNSYLVANIA, WEST VIRGINIA, KENTUCKY, TENNESSEE, MICHIGAN, OHIO, INDIANA! Make a fun trip out of it and connect with women like you!"

A ticket was bought before the post even went out!

So grab up the tickets.. we are only offering a limited amount.

:::PURCHASE YOUR TICKET HERE:::

Can't wait to meet you! and greet you. ;)

Follow hashtag #OVBLOGGERS to see the planning and event fun!

Here's some graphics for you to use if you want to promote

or use to share that you are going!

LINK TO: http://ohiovalleybloggermeet-greet2013.eventbrite.com/