momager notebook

If you read Honey We're Home you know that Megan is an organizing mama like myself and this last week she had a great post on how to make a management notebook.
She got this idea from Simple Mom, whose blog boasts "life hacks fof home managers." I love that!
So often we forget that our house really is like a functioning business, and while the dad might be the CEO most of the time, the moms are the general managers and we run the everyday functions.

 For this reason I thought Megan's idea to make a management notebook was great, and I not only made one of my own, but I made one for a fellow busy mama- my good friend Erica too!
(but she doesn't know yet until today's playdate so sshhh don't tell!)
Since every woman's household runs differently (like every business) your notebook should be personalized to your needs, but here are the tabs I use in mine:Daily Agenda- This is where I put my Daily Dockit- a sheet that sums up each day's to-dos and has a place for your daily "MIT"'s (Most Important Things.)

 Blog- These sheets are where I jot down things I need to remember for my blog, like upcoming giveaways, features, etc.

Projects To Do- Where I keep track of details for future projects.

Home Manager- This is a cleaning and organizing checklist.

Gift Giving- a perpetual calendar you can get here. I also added a sheet behind it for jotting down gift ideas.

Notes- self explanatory, just extra spaceParties/Events- this is where I keep ideas and web inspiration for future parties. For example, Sam's Ice Cream Parlour Party came from Eat Drink Chic.

For Erica's I added a couple different tabs that don't apply to me, like "homeschooling".
I created each sheet on Microsoft Word and used a three hole puncher on the sides.The snazzy three ring binders I got from Target for $5.99 each and the tabs were $.97 at Target as well. The three hold puncher was less than $5.00.
So what would you put in your "momager" notebook? I suppose if I were handy in the kitchen I'd have added a "recipes" tab. Oh well, maybe one day! :)

chrysanthemums

...are in the shop!
I got requests for specific colors, so some are already gone (like aqua and seafoam) but there are lots of other lovelies waiting for adoption!

and I'll be busy making more zipper pouches and wristlet clutches AND a new kid on the block... wristlet pouches, which will be bigger than the wristlet clutch. Sort of like a skinnier zipper pouch with a handle. I'm excited to debut some soon!

And happy Memorial Day to all our veterans out there!
Thank you for all you do!

i ♥ new fabric!

Lookie what I got today!

I Love seeing that little white bag from fabric.com sitting by my door when I get home. It's like Christmas in May!
Since my first giveaway was such a success, I now have a huge problem blessing on my hands- my little shop is quite cleaned out!So I will be busybusybusy in the upcoming weeks trying to make lots of new stuff.
I went through ALL 125 comments on my giveaway post on Honey We're Home and took a tally of the feedback.here are the results:#1 demand... zipper pouches#2 Crayon Wraps#3 Poppies#4 Wristlets/Camera Straps#5 Rosettes#6 Checkbook Covers#7 Chrysanthemums/Cloth Coasters
The results surprised me- obviously zipper pouches are always a top dawg but chrysanthemum earrings and wristlets have been a close second.

 And these solids will soon be rosette necklaces
Well I better get to work! 

mr. messy!

This is pudding aftermath.

I can't believe Sam is that big in his high chair! he just turned two!Normally he just eats at his little Ikea table or the kitchen table with us, but for pudding, he needs to be strapped in!
Here are more highchair shots!

Almost one year old!

first birthday!

one and a half 

almost two!

{"what's in there mommy?"}

And here's a vintage highchair photo of yours truly enjoying my favorite past time- eating!

(I don't have a scanner so I had to take a picture of a picture)

Ahh where does the time go??

spring is in bloom!

Have I already said how much I'm loving spring?
Phoenix is normally squelching at this time of year, in fact each spring I pay attention to the date I see the first swimmers out and last year it was February 10th! This year though, it's been unseasonably chilly! And I love it!
Today I made a pit stop to get some fresh blooms for the house, and it instantly puts the room in a happy mood!

I love the idea of having a single stem in a glass bottle. I saved one from the cream sodas we had at sam's Ice Cream Parlour Party

{yeah I really need to put a picture in that frame!}
Right about now bouquets like these go on sale at grocery stores to make room for summer inventory. This bouquet was only $4.49!

Don't they prettify our {temporary} kitchen table?!

Psst! This orchid is FAKE! I don't normally do fake flowers, but Danny and I love orchids it's just that they have such a short life span! So this is one sucker my black thumb can't kill! And it looks seeeeriously real y'all :)

Confession: I have two planters in the front of my house that have ::gasp!:: fake hydrangeas in them. I know I know... I just said I don't do fake flowers, but seriously- I kill anything green! And I just don't have the time to plant and replant flowers in there all the time. So I bought some very realistic-looking hydrangeas and they sit planted in soil on either side of my garage. I swear no one knows the difference so sshhh don't tell! 
So what's your favorite springtime flowers? Are you rockin' any fakes around your house? 

thank you!

O.M.G. you guys.
This is what my trip to the Post Offfice looked like on Monday.
I can't even believe how much fun my first giveaway was!
And you! YOU! Thank you so much for your participation, kind words, and purchases.
I never expected to make any sales since the point of a giveaway is to get something free. I just expected that you guys would take a look around and get familiar with my style.But then...this! Wow!

I am so honored to have had Megan from Honey We're home host my first giveaway. She has such a successful blog and such great followers (some of which I was lucky enough to snag!) And I'm so thankful my little
shop was so well-received!

Now the only "problem" I have is getting more stuff made, or whoever wins this shop credit won't have anything to choose from!

If you haven't yet participated in the giveaway, you still can here until Saturday!

And look!

New stuff will be heading into the shop soon...

Bunting banners in all sorts of different colors are great for boy or girl bedrooms, seasonal decor, and parties.

And I've had a lot of requests for Chrysanthemum studs in specific colors so I'll be getting that done soon too.

Stay tuned... there's a few more new things I hope to soon introduce, and some originals (like zipper pouches and wristlets) that I need to make more of.

Again... thank you so much! This has been a fun labor of love for me and I can't wait to see who wins! :)

GIVEAWAY DAY! {at Honey We're Home}

Oh my gosh you guys!
Today's the day! My very first giveaway!
Head over to Honey We're Home and participate!
And if you're not already a follower of hers, I guarantee you will be after you see her blog! :)

Happy Saturday!

spring pretties

I've been really inspired by Spring this year...
Vibrant colors, blooms, and fresh beginnings!

Just some of the fun new stuff happening in the shop right now...

I've gotten so many compliments on these fun little chrysanthemum studs (I have them in sunshine yellow and seafoam) and I love how they add the perfect little pop of whimsy to any outfit, whether running errands or going to work. And did I mention they're allergy-free? I can't stand itchy, irritated ears so I made them with plastic posts and rubber backings so they're metal-free :)

I also made some changes to the poppies. These were a batch I made for Sam's ice cream parlour party in the swag bags but the new ones are slightly bigger. Now they measure about 2 3/4 inches.

And new fun pouches are in the shop in sweet spring prints and colors.

I've also added an "ON SALE" section to my shop.
My friends laugh at me because I can be quite anal about my stuff. If something's slightly off I just don't feel right charging full price for it, so voila! ON SALE is where it goes.

For example, this wristlet clutch is perfectly functional, and actually, one of my favorites. But that white arrow points to a tiny dot that perplexes me. I don't know what it is or how it got there (I keep all finished products in plastic wrapping until they arrive at your mailbox) but nonetheless, it's now On Sale.

This one is on sale because I put the handle on the wrong side. Yep. That's it.No tears, zipper works great. Just the handle on the wrong side.But I really want every piece to convey the type of standards I have for my stuff. So if you see stuff in the new ON SALE section, take a peek because chances are it's a leftie clutch, or simply just didn't sell well. 

And remember the wristlet pouch I debuted in this post? Well I got positive feedback on them so I hope to get some of those added to the shop this weekend.
It's basically what would happen if the wristlet clutch and the zipper pouch fell in love and had a love child: it's a bigger wristlet clutch with a boxed bottom.  I carried mine with me everywhere on my Caribbean cruise.It was the perfect size to carry on the islands, to the beaches and around the ship. I didn't even have bring my purse.
♥Tomorrow kicks off my very first giveaway!♥
Megan from Honey Were Home is hosting it, and I'm so honored to have my debut giveaway with such a well-known blog.
HWH is one of my daily reads, so if you're not familiar with her, check her out. She's awesome.

♥
Have a great weekend!

meet lucy!

We adopted a dog last week!

Lucy is a Besenji- mix who is about 1-2 years old and she's such a sweet girl!

The best thing about Lucy is how patient and good she is with Sam.
He plays with her like...well like a boy! But she's always so sweet with him.

Lucy was a stray who when she was found, had two puppies with her she had just given birth to. All three immediately went on the euthanize list due to overcrowding.
Luckily they were taken in by a dog rescue and all three adopted out. But I couldn't help but think about all the other animals out there who don't get that second chance. Please please please never get pets from pet stores, puppy mills, or back yard breeders. There are plenty of amazing dogs waiting for homes in the shelters, or even on the streets.
Another bonus to adopting dogs, they come spayed/neutered, with all their shots and sometimes even a microchip. And mature dogs are usually potty-trained too!

Anyway, I had to share our little story, and let you meet Lucy! She's been a great addition to our family :)

Ps- New stuff went in the shop today! And by "new" I mean new! Check out the new Poppies and Chrysanthemums and have a great weekend!