Your one-stop blog to find activities for kids, beauty tips & tricks and ideas for living a healthier, happier lifestyle!

My name is Jamie, and I became a stay-at-home mom after having my third little boy in four years! Going from full-time teaching to full-time mom has been a bit of a learning curve, but I'm taking you along with me through this journey!

​Check out my posts under Beauty for some make up, hair and skin video tutorials and posts! 

​Look under Kiddos for quick and easy kids activities and projects to try with your little ones!

As for Lifestyle, this is sort of a catch-all for other aspects of my life and home!

Welcome & Enjoy!
​XOXO Jamie & the Haley Boys

Charcoal Bar Soap
Charcoal is all the rage in personal products! It helps to draw out impurities without stripping the skin’s natural moisture barrier. Young Living’s Charcoal Bar Soap can be used as a face cleanser as well as for the body. I’m going to try it as a body wash first and really get my skin where I want it to be after this harsh, dry winter weather! Here are some of the benefits listed on the YL website:

• Formulated with skin-purifying activated charcoal and pure essential oils
• Leaves skin clean, soft, and smooth
• Made without sulfates, phthalates, parabens, dyes, synthetic fragrances, or preservatives
• ​Vegan and cruelty-free
• Cleanses excess oil without stripping the skin​

Orange Blossom Facial Wash
I am so ready for this new face wash! This is formulated with 100% naturally derived ingredients and is formulated for sensitive skin. It removes dirt, makeup and excess oils while still being gentle and not over-drying. I still use the Mirah Luminous Cleansing oil to remove my makeup, but this will be my follow up cleanser to remove anything leftover.It has been awhile since I’ve changed up my face wash, so I am really excited to try this one out!

​

Living in the Midwest during winter is seriously rough! As I’ve gotten older, I’ve come to despise these cold months following the holiday season, mostly because of what the weather does to my skin. This past month, I’ve really been trying to focus on finding products that help me through this weather and make my skin more comfortable to live in everyday! Here’s my list of favorites from make up to hair to everyday life that has made this very cold January a little more bearable!
 
Nars Radiant Longwear Foundation
For me, nothing in the beauty world is worse than trying to put on a full face of make up on dry skin! It definitely begins with skincare and proper moisturizing, but sometimes that doesn’t even help! This foundation has been a game-changer! It is just the right amount of “dewy” to avoid that flakey look that sometimes happens when applying foundation in dry weather. The color selection is pretty awesome, and I was able to find my perfect shade pretty easily. I get compliments on my skin every time I wear it, so if you’re looking for a new foundation to make it through to the humid months arrive, definitely give this one a try!
 
Charlotte Tilbury Airbrush Flawless Finish Setting Powder
This is definitely a splurge, but what a difference a good setting powder makes! I use this to set anywhere that I put concealer (under eyes, forehead, nose, upper lip and chin) and then use a big fluffy brush to spread it all over my face and neck. This powder does as it’s name says...makes you look flawless! It really is hard to find a non-powdery looking powder especially with dry skin, so I’d say this one is worth the money

Ouai Wave Spray
Let’s be real...I don’t get to wash my hair (let alone even shower) everyday. And really, you shouldn’t wash your hair everyday anyways! But this spray has been such a help in giving my thin, post-partum hair life! When I do wash my hair, I will usually put a little gel and spray this wave spray into it before throwing it into a braid or two. When I take it out, my hair smells awesome and has some body and wave to it! You really only use a few sprays each time, so while the price might be a little high, it has lasted me quite awhile.
 
Olehenriksen Banana Bright Eye Cream
After Taso was born, the dark circles and bags under my eyes were getting real! I had heard good reviews from several YouTubers about this so I decided to give it a shot. What a difference! You can instantly see the brightening effect that this eye cream has, and it helps my eye make up and concealer go on way smoother. I really only use it in the mornings, and you need the tiniest amount! Needless to say, I will be repurchasing this bad boy whenever I run out!

Young Living Thieves Essential Oil
Ok, this is my only “non-beauty” item on this list, but being healthy contributes to beauty so I have it in this list. Thieves is the Young Living Essential oil that helps battle colds and bacteria, which is why it has its own line of cleaning products that it is used in! I diffuse this oil every single day in our house, and use the Thieves Roll On whenever we go out! I feel confident that it makes a difference, and it smells awesome! This is an oil that I am never without!
 
Young Living Lavender Lip Balm
In past years, I was always so excited to wear my dark, vampy lip colors, but always ended up rethinking it because my lips were just always too dry. I ended up just skipping wearing a lip color all together which was a bit frustrating since it often completes a look for going out. This lip balm is amazing! It smells wonderful, and I have not had one instance of my lips cracking or even feeling chapped! I use it in the morning and night (and throughout the day as needed) but applying at night has definitely made a huge difference. I just ordered the two other scents as well to stock up! These are super affordable and I am so glad that I discovered them!

I hope you enjoyed my January favorites and that you can find something on this list to try out! Let me know some of your favorites in the comments, or if you’ve used any of these yourself! ​

It has been a minute! And I’m going to be honest--I’ve had evenings with spare time to make a post, but I just didn’t feel like it. I wanted to just sit, do nothing, watch tv, talk to Todd, etc. I was just not feeling like I even had anything to write about. I’m not looking for sympathy, just real talk here. But now that things have started to normalize in my life (sometimes) I am so excited to get back to writing and blogging! The holidays were awesome, but hectic with three little ones. Leo turned 3 years old early in December, so now we have to say we have three kids that are "3 and under”. But honestly, it feels the same as "3 under 3" most days!

We’ve definitely gotten into a better routine. Taso actually sleeps through the night (first of my boys to do this so young) and we’re working on getting Leo back to a normal sleep routine. Now that I feel a little more settled (some days) into this stay at home life, I really wanted to sit down and make a list of promises to myself for the coming year. Not resolutions, but actual promises that I intend to keep in order to help my family and myself be happy and healthy. So here we go:

1. We will go to the gym.
We joined a gym as a family that offers childcare. It has been a godsend for ALL of us! I was getting to that point of eating whatever and whenever just because it was the holidays and I could use “baby weight” as my excuse. But then, it got to the point where no clothes were fitting and I was getting upset. I have given myself time and grace to recover from having three babies within four years, but now it is time to focus on getting healthy not just for myself, but for everyone’s well-being. I love that Todd and I both get to feel better about getting back into shape and the older two get to socialize and play in a fun environment. I wasn’t ready to put Taso in a daycare situation especially with it being winter, so my mom has been generous enough to take him for those times that we go, which I’m trying to do twice a week.

2. I will take time for myself.
Not every parent has this chance, but I am lucky enough to have help when I really need it in order to get a break from being “mama”. This comes in various ways from getting to go meet friends for dinner, to getting my nails done. My husband, mom, sisters, in-laws, etc are the best and I feel blessed to get some of the coveted “me” time that people need more than ever these days. I also now want this time for myself to include keeping this blog going. I’m really, really going to make the effort to get at least one post up per week because it is something that I have come to enjoy doing!

3. I will try to have patience.
This one is tough, and has gotten more and more difficult over the past few months. On the days that I am on my own with all three boys, I will admit that my patience wears very thin. Other days, I wake up and its already gone before getting downstairs. But then there are the days where I am amazingly calm, and everything just seems to go better. I need to keep this in mind, and try to remember to breathe, relax and then talk. It is easy for me to say this on a day like today where *miraculously* all three children are napping at the same time. (Leo hasn’t actually done this since August). So I am currently on cloud 9, enjoying some peace & quiet. But truly, having patience makes a difference in everyone’s behavior and moods. It is definitely something that I need to continuously work on!

4. I will do MORE.
This might seem like a vague statement, and possibly a contradiction to promise #2, but I meant it to be that way. I just want to do more in so many different areas – more projects with the kids, more around the house, more adventures with the kids, projects for myself, etc. Once I find a better balance of that coveted “me” time, I really want to make sure that I am accomplishing other things to keep myself motivated!

5. I will find the joy.
I am determined to try to focus more on the good than the bad. I’ve gotten into a bad habit of getting in my own head and really harping on all of the bad stuff that happens throughout my day – the tantrums, the yelling, the crying, the messes, the feelings of failure. I never realized how many emotions one person could feel within 12 hours. But I am going to take the time to reflect on each day and find the joy. Find the good. In reality, there is usually more good than bad, but as I think most of us tend to do, we let the bad overshadow it all and call it a “bad day”. When I realized that I was having more “bad days” than usual, it really got me thinking that something has to change and that something is my own mindset. I am going to find the joy in each day and even though I might still feel like it was an overall bad one, there is going to be something good that came from it.

I am so glad to be back on this platform and writing again. I am so thankful that I have you all to share life with! Hope you enjoyed and come up with your own promises to yourself, even if it is just one. Have a great week and stay warm my Midwest friends!

Ahhh the holidays are upon us! If you’re the type that has your gifts purchased and wrapped, well, this might just be a fun read for you, or maybe will inspire you for what to spend all of your gift cards on!
 
If you’re a procrastinator like me, then you probably have a few gifts left to buy on December 19th!  Oh and no gifts wrapped yet, either. I decided it might be helpful to share what is on my own Christmas wish list to get some ideas flowing for those of you who are stumped on what to buy for your friend, sister, cousin or yourself! I’ve also linked everything for you to make for easy shopping!

Leggings...with POCKETS!
You heard me. They make leggings with pockets now. Whoever did this is a genius and I’m questioning why it hasn’t happened sooner?! Aerie (by American Eagle) has some awesome high-waist ones that are also incredibly soft and thick enough to not worry about them getting worn or tearing anytime soon! I already have a pair, but definitely need more of these babies. I mean, who doesn’t need more leggings?
 
Slippers
For the past few months, I’ve been on my feet more than ever! Whether its bouncing to get Taso to sleep or chasing Xander around to grab whatever he just stole off of a counter or table, my feet are ACHING! I typically go barefoot, but recently, my foot pain has been so bad that I realized a) I am getting old and b) I really need some foot support. These fluffy, sturdy slippers are one of my top requests this year to save my feet (and keep them warm!)

Gym Shoes
Like the majority of the population, you’ll see me back at the gym and working out after the new year! This year especially--- it is time for the baby weight to really start going away for good! To inspire this new venture, I definitely want to get some new, cute gym shoes to inspire and motivate me! I am loving these Adidas ones that I found at DSW!
 
Sunglasses
I have only splurged on a nice pair of sunglasses once in my life. It was a pair from Ralph Lauren and I loved them. Then my dog ate them. For real. I think 5 years later, it is time to try again for a nice(r) pair than the pair from Walmart that has been my go to for the past several years. This style by QUAY is super cute and definitely my over-sized frame style. Also, they aren’t crazy expensive, but still look high-end!

Necklace
My style in jewelry has changed quite drastically as of late. I used to go for the huge statement necklaces, and if the occasion calls for it, I’ll still wear those. But now I am more drawn to finer, daintier pieces. There are several necklaces from Uncommon James that totally caught my eye as I was perusing their website while watching Very Cavallari, (haha she’s a marketing genius) but the one that I have linked is definitely my favorite!
 
Make Up Brushes
An awesome gift for any makeup-obsessed individual would be a new set of brushes! There are so many different types, that it can be overwhelming if you are out of your element in the beauty aisle, so a nice set is your best bet at giving them something that they need and will use! Jaclyn Hill’s brush sets from Morphe are definitely on my list this year. She has the whole set (linked) or as a less expensive option, the eye set or face set! 

Eye shadow Palette
Two of my favorite YouTubers collaborated with a make up company called Dose of Colors to create a line of make up this year and while I cannot justify buying myself a new eye shadow palette, I would gladly let someone else buy one for me! This Desi x Katy palette has some fun colors and some everyday colors and of course is great quality!
 
Perfume
The fragrance commercials seem never ending during this time of year, but it really is a great gift if you know the type of scent, or even better, the exact scent that the person wears! Perfume is not something I will wear everyday, but when I do, I want it to smell expensive and last all day! My favorite scent these days is Miss Dior Blooming Bouquet. It has a light floral scent without being too overpowering! Plus you really only need two sprays and you are set!

​I hope you enjoyed my Christmas list and find it helpful in these last few days of shopping or to go spend all of your gift cards on! I am really hoping to get back into the swing of more consistent blog posts starting in 2019! Here’s hoping and here’s to a fresh start in a new year! Happy Holidays!

I know it has been a hot minute since I’ve posted! There is really no excuse other than life is just crazy these days! I’ve wanted to get this post up for awhile, and I finally took the time during these early morning hours of peace and quiet to just get it done.
 
I’ve been using essential oils for about 5 years now, and trust me; I can understand why you’d be skeptical. As a science teacher, I too wasn’t sure of the effectiveness of essential oils, but after using them in different situations; time and time again they have proven their worth! It is wonderful to be able to have these oils on hand for just some extra support and for some aromatherapy!
 
Here are a few tried and true recipes that we’ve been using:
 
Holiday Diffuser Blend
Who doesn’t love the smell of those spicy holiday flavors? This is a simple recipe that I have been putting in my diffuser everyday! It gives an awesome scent of the holidays while at the same time, keeping those germs at bay by adding a few drops of Thieves!
 
In your diffuser:
- 3 drops Christmas Spirit
- 2 drops Thieves
- Fill to line with water

Natural Vapo Rub
As a kid, vapo-rub was a necessity at all times for me, especially during winter for my yearly cough that always seemed to settle itself into my lungs! With this recipe, I feel comfortable even using on my kids because I make it myself! It seriously does wonders with relieving their colds and helping to get some good sleep! You can also add peppermint to this recipe, but I leave it out because I use it on the kids and myself while breastfeeding (it can increase energy for kids and can affect milk supply).
 
In any glass jar/container:
- 8 tbsp coconut oil (when making, leave at room temp so it is soft)
- 30 drops eucalyptus
- 12 drops lavender
- 12 drops tea tree
- (optional: 5 drops peppermint)
Mix together, store in refrigerator. About 30 min before use, take out of fridge so it is easier to scoop a bit onto fingers and rub on chest and bottoms of feet for some serious relief from congestion discomfort!

Immune Rollerball
Oregano, Frankincense and Thieves are the heavy hitters in this blend. All of these oils can help with purification! I’ve been using this rollerball constantly, especially to help ward off infections that are common during breastfeeding. I just roll this blend on the bottoms of my feet and I am good to go!
 
In a 10 mL roller bottle:
- 4 drops Thieves
- 3 drops Oregano
- 2 drops Frankincense
- 2 drops Lemon
- Fill the rest of bottle with carrier oil (like fractionated coconut oil)

Vapor Shower Melts
Ok, these were some amazing DIY gifts that I created last year and they are SUPER easy and turn your shower into a spa-like experience! You can really put any oils into these, but especially for this time of year, I like to have the eucalyptus scent on hand! You can make a bunch of these and just throw them in a jar, add a fancy label and voila! You have an easy gift as well!
 
In a bowl:
-1 cup baking soda
-1/3 cup water
- Mix together until a paste-like consistency, and fill cupcake liners halfway in a cupcake tin
- Bake at 350 degrees for 15-20 min
- Allow to cool, then add 4 drops Eucalyptus and 4 drops Lavender oils

I hope you find these recipes to be useful! Let me know what recipes you use in your household or if you have questions about other uses for essential oils! Happy Holidays!

We’ve been continuing in our exploration of fall items over the past two weeks with apples and spiders! Last week we went to the library and checked out some books about all about apples to support in our science and art activities! This week, we’ve been using spiders for literacy, math and science! Check out all of the fun we’ve had:
 
Apple Stamping
Here’s an easy one! All you have to do is get an apple, some paint and paper and you have yourself an art project! We sliced an apple in half, dipped it into paint and had the kids stamp the apple onto paper! They love paint in any capacity, so changing it up to fit our theme made it even better! With the older ones, you can identify the different parts of the apple as you cut into them, too!
 
Apple Letter Matching
With Xander, we are just starting to work with him on identifying letters, so I drew some little apples onto red construction paper and put the letters of his name on them. On another piece of paper, I wrote the letters of his name in order in boxes that were the same size as the apple letter pieces. I had him try to match the letters and then glued them down when it was complete! He needed a lot of guidance, but any introduction to letters is going to help in the long run!

Slow Cooker Applesauce
We had a bunch of apples from a local farm, so what better thing to do than make applesauce! It was super easy and ended up tasting like apple pie filling! We had the boys help by turning our apple corer/peeler/slicer machine! They loved this thing!
 
Here are the ingredients:
10-12 apples, cored, peeled and sliced
½ cup sugar
½ cup water
1 tsp. cinnamon
 
We added our apples along with sugar, water and cinnamon and cooked on high for 5 hours! When it was done, I stirred the applesauce an emulsion blender until it was a smooth consistency. I put some into a container in the fridge to cool, and then the rest into a Ziploc freezer bag to save for a future date.
 
Contact Paper Apple with Tissue Paper
To work in a little OT and a fine-motor activity, we drew an apple onto a piece of clear contact paper. Then, Leo tore pieces of green and red tissue paper into smaller pieces and stuck them to the contact paper inside of the apple. When he was done, we stuck the contact paper to another piece and voila, we have a little decoration and some fine-motor work completed! 

Spider Literacy & Counting
The next topic we went to after apples were spiders! We bought some plastic toy spiders to use for the next few activities. On a piece of paper, my mom wrote S is for Spider and then a large S. We then had the boys place the spiders along the large S. We also wrote numbers and drew spider webs onto a few small paper plates. The boys had to count out the correct amount of spiders to match the number on their plate and put the spiders onto it.
 
Spooky Slime
This has been a total hit with both boys! Remember Gak from when we were younger? Well, here’s a way to make your own!
 
½ cup clear Elmer’s glue
½ tsp baking soda
2 tbsp contact solution
(optional food coloring)
Halloween items to stick into and take out of slime! (googly eyes, plastic spiders, etc)
 
Mix the glue, baking soda and food coloring (if you want to add it) until fully mixed together. Add 2 tbsp of contact solution until the slime stops sticking to the bowl and can be picked up without being sticky on your hands. You can also add a little bit of olive oil to make it even less sticky.
 
Then, it is ready to go! Leo has asked to play with this stuff every single day! The putting in and picking out small items can also count as your fine-motor activity! I also saw this slime made with the different colored, glitter Elmer’s glue which would be SO fun!
 
Have some fun this week and try out an activity or two! Happy Halloween!
 

Well, it only took a few months, but we finally finished Taso's nursery decor! My mom, Carol, and my younger sister, Ariel, are the masterminds behind creating these items and bringing my vision to life, so a huge thank you goes out to them for making this room look so great! Take a look at what we did to make our tiny little dino's room perfect!

When I decided on this dinosaur theme, I knew I wanted bright colors! We found fabric that my mom used on several different items to make a crib blanket, changing pad cover and a Boppy Lounger pillow cover. She really did an incredible job on these sewing projects! (I'm trying to convince her to open an Etsy store so that she can sell this kind of stuff!!) The crib sheet is a different dinosaur fabric, but still incorporates the same bright colors.

We found wooden letters to spell Taso's name that we painted and attached above the crib, and I applied some vinyl dinosaur footprints to the wall to finish it off. The large wooden dinosaurs above the changing table were from Hobby Lobby, as is the dinosaur claw hook that we put on the wall. The crib blanket is incredibly soft gray fabric on the back to keep our guy nice and cozy (when he's big enough to use a blanket) and the bright colored fabric in between the dinosaur patterned fabric. The Roar, Stomp, Chomp blocks were created using my mom's Cricut machine and painted blocks.

I also enlisted the help of Ariel and her side-hustle called Artistic Accents by Ariel to create a couple of custom string art signs to hang in the room. My other boys also have their own custom boards (I'll be sharing their room themes in future posts) so it was only fitting to give Taso his "Haley" name board that several of the Haley cousins now own, and a stegosaurus string art to go with our theme. The boards turned out so great and are awesome quality! Ariel designs these boards based on customer request, so check out her website to order one for yourself and follow her on Instagram @artisticaccentsbyariel to check out some other works of art!
https://arielsaccents.wixsite.com/arielsaccents

We also have a few other items left to hang up and one of my favorites is the set of dinosaur cut-out paintings that we created. My mom created the cut-outs using white card stock, and we had Leo create three finger paintings that we placed behind each cut out to give it color! I love that Taso's older brother contributed some works of art! My mom also created a stats sign for Taso using her Cricut (this machine is truly amazing!) And finally, we have our Jurassic Park stuffed dinosaur to complete the theme and use for Taso's monthly pictures to show how much he grows in comparison!

I absolutely love how this room turned out and I literally could not have done it without my mom and sister! If you're interested in purchasing items from either of them, leave a comment and I'll put you in contact to create your custom orders! Like I said, my mom hasn't been convinced to start an actual business yet, but hopefully this gives her the push because she is so talented! Hope you all enjoyed the decor reveal and look for future posts to see Leo's Space theme and Xander's Woodland theme!