Popular Posts

Popular Posts

How to Cover Scratches on Wood

Posted by Angela Parker 
· August 3, 2016 
· No Comments

Today I’m sharing and easy way to How to Cover Scratches on Wood. We bought a new home and the office was decorated in lots of wood. With this easy process, it made a huge difference.

We just moved into our dream house!!! It has been taking up a lot of our time getting everything as we want (and I’m sure it is going to take a year!)

I call it our dream house, because when we sat down and wrote everything we would ever want in our house… this house had it! Which I never imagined we would actually live in!! read more

7 Ways to Help a New Mom

Posted by Angela Parker 
· July 1, 2014 
· No Comments

 

It is a special time for a new mom following the birth of a child.

So many emotions are going through a new mom’s head: I’m not pregnant any more! This is the cutest baby I’ve ever seen! Will I get my waist back? I’m already exhausted! Will I ever sleep through the night again? Are they breathing? Am I doing this right? They are so tiny! Oww I need a Tylenol… And this is just in the first 5 minutes!

Everyone wants to help a new mom out, but sometimes we forget what they need the most. Moms need to relax and recover for at least 2 weeks following birth. Having a baby is no easy task for a mom’s body to go through. If they push themselves too soon, they could hemorrhage or develop mastitis.

This is the perfect time to offer to help them out and let them do what only they can do: Take care of the baby. baby postpartum new mom dad birth help

Here is my list of ways that my family and friends helped me the most following my births: 

1) Keep the older kids entertained. 

Aidalyn was 2.5 years old when Annaleigh was born. Luckily, Aidalyn did well with the extra TV time that she had while we were all recovering from Annaleigh’s birth. My mom was such a huge help to us before Annaleigh was born and right after. She stayed with us for about 5 weeks total, helping me with Aidalyn and the house. Not having to worry about Aidalyn helped me give my full attention to recovering and taking care of Annaleigh.

2) Cook meals for the family

Following both of my births, my church family really helped me out by cooking meals for 2 weeks. Having a hot meal coming each night was so amazing. I didn’t have to worry about what we were going to eat and it helped us all recover by being able to relax at dinner time. We used Sign up Genius to schedule meals and it made the process so easy.

3) Do laundry

Births and babies generate a lot of laundry. Adam’s mom and my mom both helped me with laundry following the births of my girls. It is not glamorous by any means, but it is such a HUGE deal to a new mom to not have to worry about.

4) Clean the kitchen and put dishes away.

Just like the laundry, this is not a fun job to do… but some things just have to get done and we don’t want our new mom to feel like it is her job. Ask her what would make the biggest help to her (maybe it is unloading the dishwasher or wiping down the counter tops). Everyone has that one thing that bugs them, see if you can scratch that off her “to-do” list.

5) Let Mom get a shower

Getting a shower and feeling normal again is so important to a new mom. She will be pouring all of herself into this new little baby and forget she needs to care for herself too. Newborns will want to be held all the time, so showers and baths become a luxury.

6) Text her to see if she needs anything from diaper cream to coffee. 

New moms don’t always know what they need until after the baby arrives (or they run out of something faster than expected!) Don’t call, just in case she is sleeping or dealing with the baby. A text allows her to get to your message at her convenience. She can reply and let you know if she needs anything from the store.

7) Let her know you are there if she needs to talk or ask advice.  read more

Salmon Cake Spinach Salad

Cucumber Tomato Avocado Relish

Posted by Angela Parker 
· June 10, 2014 
· No Comments

This Cucumber Tomato Avocado Relish is the perfect addition to my salmon cake recipe.

Salmon Cake Spinach Salad

I’ve shared previously with you my Waffle Iron Salmon Cake recipe using coconut flour like  Bob’s Red Mill Organic Coconut Flour.

Today I’m going to share an awesome relish that goes perfectly with the Salmon Cakes (or burgers or grilled chicken… the uses are endless!)

Cucumber Tomato Avocado Relish

This relish is a great compliment because of all the textures and flavors it adds to any dish.

The cucumber adds a nice crunch with a clean fresh flavor. read more

baby dandruff, infant, toddler, flakes

How to Heal Cradle Cap Naturally

Posted by Angela Parker 
· June 3, 2014 
· No Comments

Hello, Natural- Minded Moms! If you’ve ever found yourself in a cradle cap conundrum with your little one, fret not – we’re here to dive into a common issue for our babies. In this blog, I’m sharing how to bid farewell to cradle cap using the magic of our favorite healthy fat – coconut oil. Because let’s face it, when it comes to our precious bundles, we want to nurture their delicate scalps with the gentlest, nature-inspired care. So, grab a cup of herbal tea, cozy up, and let’s embark on a journey to heal cradle cap the natural way! read more

10 Top Online Shopping Apps

Posted by Angela Parker 
· June 2, 2014 
· No Comments

phoneTechnology is amazing. You can check your mail, take a picture, call a friend and get all your Christmas shopping done in the palm of your hand. 

I am totally an online shopping addict. 

I don’t like lines, I also don’t enjoy crowds… and getting both girls to the store by myself is a real treat (read sarcasm). 

I am a huge fan of shopping on my phone. I buy things for my pantry, clothes, gifts, shoes, diapers… all online! 

Here are a few of my most used shopping apps:

1) Amazon

Hi, my name is Angela and I am addicted to shopping on Amazon. 

I am a prime member so I get free 2 day shipping. Plus, I use subscribe and save any chance I get to save 20% on items I buy on a recurring basis. I buy toilet paper, diapers, wipes, flour, vitamins, coconut oil, batteries, dish soap, shampoo, tooth paste… If I can buy it on amazon… and save 20% – I will do it! Given that, we may have 5 tubes of toothpaste in our bathroom drawer at this moment… but I did save 20% on them!

2) Retail me not

This app allows you to search for discount codes and coupons. You can use these coupons online usually and save easy money. What I will do is search for a store in their database and see if there is a current coupon code. This works great for popular stores like shutterfly and oldnavy.

3) Jo-Ann and Hobby Lobby

Both of these apps will show you the deals of the week and store your coupons for you. You wouldn’t want to miss Hobby Lobby’s 40% coupon just because you didn’t have a paper coupon printed off. 

4) Cartwheel

Cartwheel is Target’s app for coupons and sales. You can search the app for what’s on sale and easily use the coupons directly from your phone at check out. Adam and I did this a few weeks ago and got 20% off shoes for Aidalyn and myself. 

5) Ebay

Ebay is an online garage sale. I use ebay’s app for searching for hard to find toys and used items like clothes. We all love ebay! I bought Aidalyn some cheap DVD’s and also some princess crowns. 

6) Etsy

Etsy is an artisan’s shopping mall. I use Etsy’s app for handmade items and personalized items. I also like searching on there for ideas that I can copy and make myself.

7) Groupon

We all love a good deal. Groupon is a way to get huge discounts on restaurants and spas. Using the app allows you to have the Groupon handy and keep track of what Groupons you have available when you are trying to figure out what you want for dinner. We currently have a pizza deal in our Groupon account we need to use. 

8) Zulily and Totsy

Both these online stores are discount flash sale type of shopping. They have items up for sale for a limited time and have a limited supply. When you purchase something you only have to pay shipping once then you get free shipping the rest of the day on the rest of your orders. Sometimes shipping seems kind of slow, but I have gotten some great deals on clothes and books from these stores. 

9) ShopStyle 

The ShopStyle App is the mobile version of ShopStyle.com. ShopStyle searches the web for you, compiling basically anything you could ever buy online. You can customize a search for a specific product by color, price, if it’s on sale… It’s Amazing! Looking for a red sweater for a Christmas Party? You can narrow it down to only looking at Red Sweaters from all over the internet in one place! This is a must for a mobile shopper! 

And one extra! 

10) Paypal

With all this online shopping I do, I use Paypal to keep everything organized and safe. Having the app on your phone allows you to manage your transactions easily. 

Online shopping is a great way to save time and money. What are your favorite online shopping apps? read more

home birth pregnancy water supplies

How to Build a Home Birth Kit in 20 Items

Posted by Angela Parker 
· May 20, 2014 
· No Comments

What you need to have for your home birth kit in 20 items! Prepare for your home birth by collection this home birth kit.

How to Build a Home Birth Kit in 20 Items

I have been blessed to be able to have 2 home births now. You can read my two birth stories by clicking here: Annaleigh’s Birth and Aidalyn’s Birth.

Both experiences were amazing and there is very little I would change about either. I was fortunate to have 2 amazing midwives attend my births and felt very prepared for when the time came.

My first home birth was in 2010 (Aidalyn’s). I was able to have her in my master bathroom’s garden corner tub. It was easy clean up and a really a great experience. For Annaleigh’s birth we were in a rent house, so my midwife brought a large tub for me to use to birth in. It was even better because the water was able to be deeper. I wasn’t in the tub for more than 10 minutes though because she came so fast. read more

DIY Photo Gallery Wall

DIY Photo Gallery Wall

Posted by Angela Parker 
· May 13, 2014 
· No Comments

DIY Photo Gallery Wall

We are all about getting organized right now. Getting organized in 2014 was one of my goals for this year. This idea was one that we actually did 3 years ago in our house in Louisiana. We loved how this photo gallery wall turned out so well, we re-created it for our new house here in Virginia.

Supplies:

3 (or more) narrow ledge shelves. They will only need to be deep enough to hold a picture frame (ours are 3 inches). 10 or more picture frames (they can be the same color or use a general color scheme) When you are mounting your shelves, measure your largest frame you will use and then add some additional inches between your shelves. Our largest frame was 12 inches square, so we left 14 inches between shelves. When placing your pictures on the shelves, I like to use the biggest in the middle and use smaller pictures on the outsides. I also like the look of varying sizes from top to bottom, placing my largest pictures at the top. You can be creative and place the pictures where you like them the best.

What I love about my DIY Photo Gallery Wall

1) Easy to change I can easily change pictures in the frames and place them back on the shelve with little hassle. For Christmas, I was able to change the pictures to include older family Christmas pictures. Once the holiday season was over, I just changed the pictures back to the originals. I also keep my pictures in the frames that I rotate. So my 8×10 frames have about 3 pictures in each of them. If I’m ready for a new look, I’ll just rotate the pictures around, showing a new picture . 2) Less damage to walls When you are usually dealing with pictures, you are mounting individual frames on the wall and adding lots of holes in your walls. I like that once the shelves are placed, no more holes will be added. 3) Less clutter on tables I love having pictures around. I enjoy seeing pictures of my family and the girls. But… I also love less clutter overall. By putting the pictures on the wall, I have less clutter on my tables (easier to dust too). Here is a picture of my DIY Photo Gallery Wall at the top of my stairs: DIY Photo Gallery Wall

 What is your organization solution for your pictures?

More DIY Projects

DIY Lavender Pillow Spray DIY Holiday Scented Pinecones DIY Pom Pom Rug DIY Dry Shampoo for Dark Hair DIY Baby Powder DIY Detoxing Facial DIY Photo Gallery Wall DIY Make-Up Brush Cleaner DIY Multi-Purpose Cleaner The Perfect Shaving Cream Slime Enhanced by Zemanta
healthiest items in grocery store, healthy grocery shopping list

25 Items to Make Your Grocery Cart Healthier

Posted by Angela Parker 
· May 12, 2014 
· 4 Comments

25 items to Make your Grocery Cart Healthier

1. Cage Free Eggs

If you buy your eggs at the grocery store, next time look for cage free eggs. These are from chickens that have been able to be free to get up and walk outside. The chickens usually are able to eat a more natural diet for them and are healthier.

2. Organic Mixed Salad Greens

Getting in your greens is easy when you buy a big box of mixed organic salad greens. We love to eat a taco salad using this salad mix. These are full of antioxidants and phytochemicals. Plus a great source of magnesium.

3. Almond Flour

This flour is fairly easy to find at your local grocery store. You can start baking gluten and grain free by switching out your wheat products and using almond flour instead. read more

leftovers, healthy chicken dinner, healthy recipes, roasted chicken

Save Money Cooking Whole Chickens

Posted by Angela Parker 
· April 29, 2014 
· No Comments

How to Save Money Cooking Whole Chickens

I love shopping at our local Kroger’s. read more

How to Restore a Nonstick pan

How to Restore a Non Stick Pan

Posted by Angela Parker 
· April 7, 2014 
· 7 Comments

Have you ever found yourself staring down at your trusty non-stick pan, wondering if its best days are behind it? Fear not, because we’re here to sprinkle a little kitchen magic and show you how to breathe new life into your favorite cookware! In today’s post, we’re diving into the world of re-seasoning non-stick pans—an easy and budget-friendly way to revitalize your cooking arsenal and make a non stick pan non stick again. So, grab your apron and join us as we embark on a journey to reinvigorate your kitchen essentials and unleash your inner culinary genius! read more

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