The BEST way to Load the Dishwasher... in my opinion

Who here HATES unloading the dishwasher?  Don't get me wrong, I am beyond grateful for my dishwasher, but it is just not my favorite thing in the whole world to unload it.  My family has the tendency to just through things in, and stuff it full.

I am always trying to find ways to save time, so that I can do more of the things I want to do... like be with my kids, craft, go for a run or take a yoga class.  So how about shaving a few minutes off dishwasher unloading and add those extra saved minutes to something you love to do?

Ok, maybe this commonsense...  

Maybe everyone in the entire world already does this, and I am just really slow...  

But I had a serious "AH HA" moment the other day when loading my silverware in the dishwasher.

Instead of just throwing it in, put it in it's rightful place.  As you can see above, I have dedicated a specific place for each piece.  Forks have their own home etc.  I love this so much.  Instead of sorting my silverware when it is clean, I just grab it and drop it into the silverware tray.  My kids and husband help by keeping each utensil in it's rightful place too.  This makes my job so much easier.  I do the same for my dishes.  All like dishes stay as a group.  Easy as that!

So if you were like me, and were just throwing dishes anywhere... you're welcome!  If you were already doing this... you are a genius!  ;)

Yay, for simple things that save time!  I think I will go for a run now!

-Megan

Mombo Pillow Giveaway

This is a Sponsored post written by me on behalf of Comfort and Harmony for SocialSpark. All opinions are 100% mine.

 

 

 

 

If Oprah was a mother, this pillow would be one of her Favorite Things! When it comes to nursing pillows, this is probably one of the best nursing pillows out there. And I just love the design.  I was so excited when I opened my front door and saw a giant box sitting on my from porch with my Mombo Pillow inside! One for me and one for a lucky lady out there! 

 

 

 

Meet my little guy; my baby number three. Oh, I just love those cheeks!

 

 I have never used any sort of pillow to support me while I nurse, so as you can imagine, this mombo nursing pillow was a dream come true! In fact, ever since I became a mother, my shoulder has been giving me trouble. After using this pillow to nurse my little guy, I realized that maybe the lack of support I was giving myself during feedings could have been a huge factor in my shoulder pain. Using the pillow literally took so much weight off. I loved how he was positioned higher and we could have more body contact instead of his legs dangling down as he sits awkwardly on my lap. I felt like I could cradle my baby and this made feeding him even more special.

 

 

Comfort & Harmony on Twitter

The thing that I love about this pillow is that it has a firm side for nursing, which provides excellent support, and a soft, plush side for lounging. My little guy loved it when I propped him up on the pillow especially because it has the option to have vibration which was completely and utterly soothing. Sometimes I just need to set him down while I get things done around the house or take care of my other kids. My arms have needed a break and this pillow has kept him so happy while he lounges on the floor.

 

Be sure and check out other mombo nursing pillow products found at Toys R Us. You can choose from many different, cute patterns and designs. You may also want to follow Comfort & Harmony on Facebook and on Twitter to stay informed about all sorts of mommy news, from delicious smoothie recipes and baby health tips, to cute baby crafts and other cool  infant accessories. 

 

How to ENTER the GIVEAWAY!

So who will win this dream come true mombo nursing pillow?? All you have to do to enter the giveaway is leave a comment below telling us why you want this pillow so badly. Good luck to EVERYONE! 

 

-Stephanie

 

Familyshare.com Review...

   I have discovered the most INCREDIBLE website that I am beyond thrilled to share with you.

Familyshare.com is a website full of informative, uplifting, and simply wonderful articles geared towards the family.

Here is a peak at their homepage.

With Mother's day approaching, familyshare.com is featuring a variety of articles written with mother in mind.  One such article titled, 15 Things to Say To Your Mom While You Still Have the Chance, caught my eye. Attached was this moving video.

Another article titled, What Kind of Mother are You?,  was among my favorites on the site.  It turns out I am a "touch feely mom", and proud of it might I add!  Click on over to discover what kind of mother you are!

This site is not only for mothers.  There are groups and question and answer pages.  There is even a space where you can show love to that someone special in your life.  It is like the ultimate E-card and just in time for Mother's Day.  Check that out HERE.  

To add to the list, you can find great advice on managing finances, pregnancy, being a grandparent, keeping your marriage strong and so so so much more.  

I know this will for sure be a go to site for me.  I hope you love it as much as I do!  

Giveaway Coming For Nursing Mothers!

Look what showed up at my front door today! One for me and one for a lucky lady out there. I can't wait to try it out and let you all know what I think about it. Maybe the vibration option will sooth him and help him focus on the meal. Im betting it will make a great lounging pillow too, allowing him to sit up enough to see whats going on around him. Stay tuned and get ready to enter this great giveaway!

Stephanie

DIY: No Sew Striped Curtains with Rope Tiebacks - POV

Are these projects not amazing?  It is beyond fun to be a part of POV with these lovely and talented bloggers.  I love seeing each persons different perspective on the topic of windows that was given.

Check out everyones incredible projects in the links below...

And if you keep scrolling down you can check out mine!

Stephanie from Crafting in the Rain
Leanne from Organize and Decorate Everything
Amy from Ameroonie Designs 
Jonie from Just between Friends
Ashlee from I'm Topsy Turvy
Megs from Do It Yourself Divas  (You're HERE.. just keep scrolling down to see my no sew striped curtains and nautical rope tiebacks!!)

Here is my project!

DIY Easy Striped Curtains with Rope Tiebacks

I made these easy striped curtains for my little boy's room.  This no sew project was a piece of cake.  Yes... I did say NO SEW!!!

My son is obsessed with all things blue.  I am obsessed with horizontal stripes.  Here is a result our obsessions combined, and a tutorial to create them yourself. 

DIY No Sew Striped Curtains

Let's start with these simple striped curtains.

You will need:

White Curtains

Heat n Bond

Ribbon (any width your heart desires.  I chose 2.5 inches wide)

A measuring tape

A Hot Iron

I got my white curtains at Ikea for cheap cheap cheap.  They were very long, about 96 inch.  I just did a little math and figured out that spacing my ribbon stripes 9 inches apart looked great.

This measurement will vary depending on the width of your ribbon, the length of your curtains, and on how you want your curtains to look visually.


Follow the directions of the heat and bond and iron on the ribbon just like so...  (the heat n bond is just underneath the ribbon, sandwiched between the ribbon and curtain.)

iron on striped curtains

Umm.. How easy is that?! AMAZINGLY easy, and if you ever get sick of the stripes you can just peal it off without damaging the original curtains!



Now for the tiebacks... my favorite part.  Head to Home Depot, or any hardware store for thick natural looking rope.  I had them cut 4 pieces, each measuring 2 feet long.  It was about $.67 a foot!!  They wrapped electrical tape around each end so that it wouldn't come unraveled on my drive home.  This came in very handy.

You will need:

Rope

Twin

hot glue

Use the electrical tape to keep the twin in place.  Make a little loop.  A "hanging loop" if you will...

Now just hot glue the crap out of the twine to cover up the tape.  This makes it looked fantastically finished.

tada...

Here is how I hung them...

That's it!  Soon...someday... I will have to post pictures of his whole room, but for now enjoy his window.

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White Bean & Ham Soup

Have you had ham for dinner lately? Don't throw away that bone! Instead, make this incredibly delicious White Bean and Ham Soup. You will be left wondering how it can have so much flavor without adding any dried seasonings. It's sure to please the entire family.

White Bean & Ham Soup

Leftover ham and bone

Water

1 lb Dried Navy Beans

1/2 onion, chopped

1 rib of celery, chopped

1 carrot, shredded

Directions
Remove large bits of ham from bone. Cover bone with water in a pan. Bring to a boil and simmer for 1 hour.

Remove from heat and remove the bone from the water (stock). Let cool. Scrape away remaining ham from bone. Refrigerate stock and ham bits until ready to use.

Prepare 1 lb of white navy dried beans according to directions on the package.

Combine beans, stock, onion, celery, carrot, and ham drippings in crock pot. Add enough water to cover the veggies. Cook on low for 6-8 hours. 1 hour before soup is finished, add ham bits.

Enjoy a hearty bowl of soup for dinner tonight! Special thanks to my mother-in-law for providing this recipe.

Stephanie

Miss Thing Bling Giveaway

Do you have a "Miss Thing" in your life?  If you do, you absolutely need to check out these adorable necklaces, leggies, and headbands.

(You HAVE to check out her Facebook Page when you can, and check out all her other darling necklaces!)

  I couldn't take the cuteness, and just had to order my little girl the pink sunrise necklace.  It is beyond precious and high quality too!

  We can't thank "Miss Thing Bling" enough for giving our readers the opportunity to win one of the above sets.  Each set comes with a headband, a necklace and leggies.  Now for the hard part, choosing which set you want to win for your little "Miss Thing."

Follow the directions below to enter this INCREDIBLE giveaway worth more $40!  GOOD LUCK!!

 a Rafflecopter giveaway

Smantha B. has won the giveaway!  Please email us at diydivas2@gmail.com to get more information.  If within 48 hours (April 19th) we have not heard from her via email we will pick another winner.   Thanks!