Love the Home You Have

Let's be real today. Raise your hand if you often find yourself comparing your home to those of your friends, favorite bloggers, or the ones you see in magazines or on Pinterest. Do you look around your toy-strewn, goldfish crumb encrusted family room and say to yourself, "That's it. I'm done. My dream home is never going to happen, so I just give up."? It's okay to admit it...because I'm raising my hand too! I want to share with you about Love the Home You Have, a new book by Melissa Michaels of The Inspired Room, and how it inspired me. I hope it will inspire you too!

I rarely give a book its own review here on the blog, and I should note that this is not a sponsored post. Melissa didn't ask me to promote her book. She gifted me with a copy, and the second I finished up a book club read and put kid #3 down for a nap, I tore into the book.

First reaction?

Wow, she gets me!

I wanted to share about it with you because today is the official release day for Love the Home You Have, and if you struggle with finding contentment with your home, you need this book!

There are tooooons of housie books out there. Most of them are filled with jaw-dropping, glowing photos of homes so perfect that it makes your heart ache. Some have tutorials for DIY projects that cost money you might not have. They're fun to pore over during naptime, but they can also lead to frustration. 

So what do you do when you live in a home that doesn't quite live up to your expectations, and you lack the resources to transform it into one of those show homes you drool over in the housie books?

You see, according to Melissa, it's really a matter of the heart!

When I was finished reading Love the Home You Have, the book was so filled with highlighted advice, tips, and encouragement, that I should have just doused the whole thing in yellow marker. 

Melissa doesn't just fill the book with witty sayings, pictures, and Bible verses. (There are some lovely, whimsical illustrations that you can download as printables here-under "Downloads") She offers practical, real-life suggestions to help you see your home with new eyes. Once you understand that "creating a beautiful home is not about presenting a perfect image to the world," you can work to create an authentic home...right where you are!

Melissa shares tips on:

• Hospitality
• Clearing clutter
• Finding a cleaning routine that works for you
• Decorating 
• Taking the leap from "dreamer to doer"

One of the things I really appreciated was that Melissa includes questions at the end of the chapter to make you dig a little deeper. And there's a special 31 Day "Love Your Home" Challenge at the end of the book. I'm planning on starting tomorrow!

Love the Home You Have takes the reader full circle...a thoughtful, authentic, gentle reminder that whether you live in a magazine feature home or a 1970s fixer upper (like me), a true dream home doesn't exist without contentment. 

I'll leave you with some food for thought today...the first quote Melissa included in the book:

"We tend to forget that happiness doesn't come as a result of getting something we don't have, but rather of recognizing and appreciating what we do have." -Frederick Keonig

Watch the book trailer below:

Love The Home You Have from The Inspired Room on Vimeo.

Get the book on Amazon here. They also have a kindle version, but I prefer paperback or hardback for books that I want to take lots of notes on. I'm waiting with baited breath for the next book in her series!!

If you enjoyed this post or found it helpful, I hope you'll click your "Pin It" button to add this post to Pinterest, or a +1 for Google+. And I always appreciate kind comments, Facebook shares, and Tweets!

Weekend Bloggy Reading :: Link Up!

TGIF, my friends! Ready for some creative inspiration? Welcome to my Weekend Bloggy Reading link party. Fridays are fun because this is the day of the week where other bloggers stop by to link up their best post of the week here at Serenity Now, and readers get to browse tons of fun project ideas. If you're new here, don't forget to "Follow" or subscribe so you don't miss future parties and projects!

*Please be sure to read my guidelines before you add a link--I've had to bypass so many great projects lately because they didn't include a link back to my blog in the post!

This party is a great place to showcase your very best post of the week (home decor, crafts, party ideas, recipes, DIY, tips and tricks, etc.) and to see what else is out there.

Did you miss any of my posts this week? I'd love for you to click over:

Tips to Encourage Your Child to Read
My Spring Reading List for 2015
Inspiring Project Ideas

Time to link up your best post of the week!

Inspiring Project Ideas {link party features}

Hello there. The weekend's just around the corner, hurray! I love it when features day rolls around because I always hope to show off a project or two you haven't seen around the blogosphere yet. I'm pleased to share some good creative features from this past weekend link party and the weekend before (got sidetracked with a hectic schedule) with you today.

The party opens up again tomorrow morning, so be ready to join the fun. If you're new to the blog, I take a couple of days each week to let other bloggers showcase their project ideas here, and I take a day to feature a few of my faves. We have crafts, home decor, DIY, recipes, party ideas, organizing, sewing, tips and tricks, seasonal projects, and more!

Here are some projects that caught my eye this week:

~Easy Bunny Banner via Living and Learning with Luisa

~Coconut Pound Cake via The Kitchen is My Playground

~Chevron Burlap Spring Wreath via Livin' the Dream

Encouraging Your Child to Read {Kindle FreeTime Unlimited}

Did you know that March is National Reading Month? The folks at Amazon are working with the National PTA, Amazon's Kindle, and the new FreeTime Unlimited program to foster a love of reading and learning in kids everywhere. I'm also going to share a few tips on how to encourage your child to read today.

I've shared a little bit about my own struggles with my oldest, now nine years old. Story time was special for us, but like her mother (ahem, that would be me), she was initially very frustrated when it was time to learn to read on her own. If it didn't happen perfectly, the first time, she didn't want anything to do with it! There was an interest in the stories, but she didn't want to put the work in to read them herself. Fast forward two years, and she's now reading several grade levels ahead. They actually stopped testing her reading level because she's doing so well this year.

I don't say that to brag, but to encourage any moms or dads out there who may be worried about their child's progress. If my highly stubborn, cranky-about-reading-daughter can be transformed into a total bookworm, there is hope for you!

Amazon knows all about reluctant readers, and they're making it easier on parents with their Kindle e-reader...just $79...and their new Kindle FreeTime Unlimited program, subscriptions starting at $2.99 a month!

My girls were beyond thrilled when a Kindle showed up at our door a couple of weeks ago. Here's what we love....

KINDLE:

• Easily look up definitions to words, building their vocabulary
• Love the Vocabulary Builder – which stores words that kids look up and allows them to quiz themselves with flash cards – and Word Wise, which provides short and simple definitions above difficult words as they’re reading along
• Small and compact. No big unwieldy screen to tangle with. 
• Carry their favorite books with them in one spot--with Spring Break approaching, this makes road trips easier to pack for! No lugging a bag of books with us
• You can download books from your local library
• Amazon also has a wonderful free books section for Kindle. I found Tom Sawyer, The Secret Garden, and Treasure Island...downloaded them for free!
• No distractions- there are no extra apps, movies, or games on the Kindle. Just reading!

FREETIME UNLIMITED:

• Unlimited access to hundreds of hand-picked chapter books and early-readers
• Curated for age appropriateness
• Easy to log in and browse titles (early readers, can search by character or theme with photos)
• Just click on the book title/cover and it's downloaded into your child's FreeTime Unlimited profile!
• Subscriptions start at just $2.99 a month. 

Note: FreeTime Unlimited also includes access to apps and videos, but I was unable to review this portion of the service because it is only compatible with Fire tablets and Fire TV.

My conclusion? If you don't need or care for the apps and videos, the regular Kindle is an excellent way to encourage your kids to grow their reading skills. And incredibly affordable! With the FreeTime Unlimited, my girls have the freedom to choose which (age appropriate) books they want to browse and read. OR, I can go in and choose books for them.

Now...for my tips on encouraging reading!

I may go into more detail in another post (and some of this I've touched on before), but here are a few tips and strategies that have worked for us:

• Start early

The earlier the better! Experts recommend reading aloud to your little one every day for 20 minutes...from birth. As a mom of three, I don't think this is always possible. But I do try to set aside time with my youngest (15 months old) to read a few well-loved baby books. I credit reading to my older two from a very young age with sparking their interest in reading.

• Be a teacher

When your little one hits the preschool/Pre-K years, take a few minutes every day during quiet time to practice letters and sounds. You can find flashcards online, in book stores, big box retailers, etc. This is key to what comes next...recognizing those letters and sounds and putting them together. Later on, use those few minutes to do sight words on flash cards.

• Find a tutor

This was a toughie for my oldest, since she was starting to get embarrassed about her reading skills. (not surprising, since getting her to work on sight words and simple reading was like pulling teeth) My husband and I finally put our feet down and sent her to a tutor that my mom recommended. The tutor had years of experience with reluctant readers, and had all sorts of fun games and exercises to grow Natalie's reading skills.

• The Twenty Minute Rule

You can read more about the twenty minute rule, and why I think it's important here (it's twenty five for us). In short, setting a consistent "no TV/movies/gaming/electronics" until you've read for twenty minutes keeps your child's skills sharp. This was a great way to back up all the skills Natalie was learning in her tutoring sessions.

• Audio Books

Audio books are a fantastic way to whet your kids' appetite for a good story! I found that my middle daughter could listen to books like The Lion, the Witch, and the Wardrobe; Henry Huggins, A Little Princess, etc. and comprehend most of the story if I just stopped and asked questions and explained every now and then. You can find more on audio book suggestions and ideas here or here.

• Make it Fun

Find some "out of the box" ideas that you can pair with reading time. Start a neighborhood "book club" with a few friends and host with snacks, an activity, and maybe a small craft. Ask lots of questions, act out parts of the book, or share favorite scenes. Encourage your little artist to start a book journal...they can illustrate their favorite chapter, write a summary, write a letter to the author, and pen their own novel!

• Talk to the Teacher

If your son or daughter is struggling with reading, but enjoys electronics, ask about any school sponsored online programs that they can log onto at home to practice their skills. I personally love that the Kindle offers badges for readers who complete their reading goals!

Most importantly, set a good example for your kids! If they see you reading, if you spend time together reading or listening to classic stories, they'll see a glimpse into the amazing, creative world that is waiting for them.

Getting over the initial hump of resistance can be difficult, but once your son or daughter discovers a love of knowledge, imagination, and experiences, it will be hard to quell. There are nights that I have to be stern with Natalie about shutting her book and going to bed!

Do you have any tips for encouraging reading in your home?


If you enjoyed this post or found it helpful, I hope you'll click your "Pin It" button to add this post to Pinterest, or a +1 for Google+. And I always appreciate kind comments, Facebook shares, and Tweets!



I was selected for this opportunity as a member of Clever Girls and the content and opinions expressed here are all my own.

Spring Reading List {2015}

In Virginia, Spring Break is timed around Easter, so it's quickly approaching. I thought it would be fun to share my Spring Reading List for 2015 with you today. I've already read a few of these books, but am including them since they did not make it on the Winter Reading List.

I'm excited about these titles...I've spent most of my free time reading lately...instead of blogging. With stomach bugs, colds, flu, and viruses making the rounds in our house, I've felt like escaping into a good story at night instead of writing and editing. Here are some of the books I'll be reading this season. 

Unbroken- Laura Hillenbrand

Confession: I finished this yesterday. Had to read it quickly because it's due back at the library, and is a highly sought after book. You may have seen previews for the Angela Jolie-directed film based on the book. It's the true story of Louie Zamperini, an Olympian, American solider, and survivor of Japanese POW camps during World War Two. 

It is one of the most inspiring personal stories I've ever read. Ever. A true testament to the human will, written with an almost cinematic quality to it!

Love the Home You Have- Melissa Michaels

Planning on starting this one tomorrow, and will share a review next week! Just browsing the table contents told me that this book was going to be a must-read for me...and anyone else who struggles with loving their home, just as it is...no comparisons, no wishing for more. 

The Girl on the Train- Paula Hawkins

Book club read for April...finished this one too, and it was a really good read! I love a good "whodunnit". Follows a girl who takes a daily commuter train and sees something suspicious...but is her witness reliable?

The Secret Life of Violet Grant- Beatriz Williams

I loved A Hundred Summers, so I have high hopes for this one. It's billed as a beach tale full of history and family intrigue. 

From Amazon: "Passion, redemption, and a battered suitcase full of secrets: the New York Times-bestselling author of A Hundred Summers returns with another engrossing tale."

Bitter Greens- Kate Forsyth

In short, a retelling of the Rapunzel story. I mean, how could it not be good???

The Emperor's Children- Claire Messud

A chronic judge-a-book-by-the-cover-reader, I picked this one because it looked nice. Amazon lists it as a novel that follows the lives of three friends in good old New York City.

Tyringham Park- Rosemary McLoughlin

The cover looks like Downton Abbey.

Amazon says, "Tyringham Park is the Blackshaws’ magnificent country house in the south of Ireland. It is a haven of wealth and privilege until its peace is shattered by a devastating event which reveals the chaos of jealousy and deceit beneath its surface."


Lisette's List- Susan Vreeland

I spotted this one at the library and snatched it up. Amazon calls it "a richly imagined story of a woman’s awakening in the south of Vichy France—to the power of art, to the beauty of provincial life, and to love in the midst of war."

These should keep me busy for a couple of weeks. I'm sure I'll have a whole new list for you soon!

What's on your Spring Reading List? Please share titles in the comments section!

If you enjoyed this post or found it helpful, I hope you'll click your "Pin It" button to add this post to Pinterest, or a +1 for Google+. And I always appreciate kind comments, Facebook shares, and Tweets!

Weekend Bloggy Reading :: Link Up!

Hello, hello! Ready for some creative inspiration? Welcome to my Weekend Bloggy Reading link party. Fridays are fun because this is the day of the week where other bloggers stop by to link up their best post of the week here at Serenity Now, and readers get to browse tons of fun project ideas. If you're new here, don't forget to "Follow" or subscribe so you don't miss future parties and projects!

*Please be sure to read my guidelines before you add a link--I've had to bypass so many great projects lately because they didn't include a link back to my blog in the post!

This party is a great place to showcase your very best post of the week (home decor, crafts, party ideas, recipes, DIY, tips and tricks, etc.) and to see what else is out there.

Don't forget to visit Centsational Girl today for the BOTB column! See what Kate and I rounded up for you...the very Best of the Blogosphere. Post will be up some time this weekend. 

Time to link up your best post of the week!

Weekend Bloggy Reading :: Link Up!

Happy Friday! Ready for some creative inspiration? Welcome to my Weekend Bloggy Reading link party. Fridays are fun because this is the day of the week where other bloggers stop by to link up their best post of the week here at Serenity Now, and readers get to browse tons of fun project ideas. If you're new here, don't forget to "Follow" or subscribe so you don't miss future parties and projects!

*Please be sure to read my guidelines before you add a link--I've had to bypass so many great projects lately because they didn't include a link back to my blog in the post!

This party is a great place to showcase your very best post of the week (home decor, crafts, party ideas, recipes, DIY, tips and tricks, etc.) and to see what else is out there.

Did you miss any of my posts this week? I'd love for you to click over:

Vintage Stainless Steel High Chair Makeover
It's as Simple as Support
Inspiring Project Ideas

Time to link up your best post of the week!

Inspiring Project Ideas {link party features}

Hello, and Happy Thursday! The weekend's just around the corner, hurray! I love it when features day rolls around because I always hope to show off a project or two you haven't seen around the blogosphere yet. I'm pleased to share some good creative features from this past weekend link party and the weekend before (got sidetracked with a hectic schedule) with you today.

The party opens up again tomorrow morning, so be ready to join the fun. If you're new to the blog, I take a couple of days each week to let other bloggers showcase their project ideas here, and I take a day to feature a few of my faves. We have crafts, home decor, DIY, recipes, party ideas, organizing, sewing, tips and tricks, seasonal projects, and more!

Here are some projects that caught my eye this week:

~Apple Cream Cheese Bundt Cake via The Honeycomb Home

~Navy Powder Room Makeover via 24 Cottonwood Lane

~DIY Tassel Pillow Cover via Architecture of a Mom

Vintage Stainless Steel High Chair Makeover

If you follow me on social media, you may remember a Salvation Army steal I posted about seeing on Instagram and Facebook page several months back. I passed up on a $25 vintage stainless steel high chair because at the time I didn't know if I'd be able to take it apart to add new covers, and I didn't have the time with the holidays approaching. My mother-in-law surprised me by buying it for me, and today I want to reveal Harris' new-old Vintage High Chair Makeover.

With the holidays past and long stretches of seemingly endless snow days in sight, I started plotting how I could give the high chair a new life. We have a plastic Fisher Price booster high chair that sits on one of our kitchen chairs, but I loved the stainless piece because it had character! And with seven cousins, having an extra baby seat is super helpful.

Aside from a little rust, it was in great shape. The cover was (at one time) white, and had a cool moroccan tile pattern. Over the years, it had yellowed and had a few tears, so I knew it was time for a replacement. Vinyl fabric was going to be a necessity...easy to wipe clean and pretty durable. The problem was that I wasn't finding many patterns or colors in vinyl fabric that were on trend. I also looked in all the local shops for a vinyl tablecloth, and the only only ones I could find were country grape festooned a la an episode of the Golden Girls in 1986.

Until I remembered that I had a cute-ish outdoor vinyl table cloth sitting in my kitchen sideboard. Like, for free.

So my friend Mandy came over, and we managed to unscrew the seats, remove them, use the gross grody old fabric for a template on the back of my new-ish tablecloth, and cut to fit.

Then we folded the fabric over the existing foam cushions and screwed them back onto the high chair.

Wham, bam, thank you ma'am.

Vintage Stainless Steel High Chair. {mic drop}

Of course, the legs need some scrubbing to make 'em shiny again. But I will probably leave the chair base as-is. I want to keep the original character instead painting it. Like most folks, I go crazy for freshening things up with spray paint, but I really liked the vintage look to this guy.

So, to recap...high chair cost me $0 since my mother-in-law surprised me with it. The covering cost me $0 because I used a tablecloth I already had.

Not bad for a free makeover, huh?

My little guy has been pretty happy with it!

Do you have any vintage pieces in your home?

If you enjoyed this post or found it helpful, I hope you'll click your "Pin It" button to add this post to Pinterest, or a +1 for Google+. And I always appreciate kind comments, Facebook shares, and Tweets!

It's as Simple as Support #sisterhoodunite

This sponsored blog partner post brought to you by The Sisterhood of the Motherhood. Today's post is meant to be directed towards moms, but I think it could really be applied to any woman out there who takes the time to read this. This is a continuation of our discussion on ways to stop the mommy judging. I want to talk about supporting moms, whether they make the same choices you do, or not.

It's easy to support the moms we have things in common with. The mom you invite over for coffee when you're not snowed in, the mom who makes you laugh at every book club get-together, the mom who has the shoe collection and fashion sense you envy.

But what about the mom whose parenting style or philosophy differs from yours?

Maybe she homeschools her kids and yours go to private school. Maybe her family only eats organic food and you are a regular at the Chick-fil-a drive-thru. Maybe her kids have a strict bedtime and routine, and yours are night owls. 

If you're a regular reader, you read about my first breastfeeding experience with my older two kids and know that I was able to exclusively pump with both of them. 

I had everything all planned out for baby number three. I planned to pump for as many months as I could, knowing it would be difficult with two girls in school and activities. I planned for him to be a healthy, thriving, breastfed baby.

But, as we all know, life is what happens when you are making other plans. Fast-forward a few weeks after Harris' birth, and I knew something wasn't right.

After some visits with the pediatrician and allergist, we determined that even after me going completely dairy free in my diet for over a month, Harris was not tolerating breast milk, though he wasn't allergic. Both physicians recommended that we immediately switch him over to a special (very very expensive!!) formula. 

It seems silly now, but despite the fact that my son's pain and discomfort went away within a few hours of starting the special formula, I was wracked with horrible guilt. 

I'd never given any of my babies formula that young before. Everyone up until that point had told me that "breast is best." Would he be okay? Was I a terrible mother? Terrible for not recognizing the signs of his pain earlier (it wasn't colic!)? Terrible for giving him formula? My sister did her best to encourage me, but living hundreds of miles away from each other made things difficult.

I focused more on me and my guilt than the fact that my son was finally able to take nourishment without horrible pain.

Enter Joy.

Joy was a lady I knew from my local MOPS group. She wasn't a close friend, but she knew about our situation. Not only did Joy take the time to encourage me to ignore the guilt and any commentary from other moms, but she offered me support.

We're pretty different. 

Joy has six kids, I have three. She does some homeschooling, mine go to the public school across the street. She likes tea, I like mochas...and so on.

But Joy knew I needed someone to speak some positivity into my life. She showed up on our doorstep out of the blue with dinner. She pulled me aside before our MOPS meeting to see how I was doing and to tell me how cute my new baby was.

But most of all, she let me know that there is no one right way to be a mom. I owe her a huge debt of gratitude. Her kind words helped me see how blessed I was with a baby who was thriving...and continues to thrive a year later.

In the past year, I have learned that you don't have to agree with another mom's parenting choices to support and encourage her. I'm sure that there are some choices I make as a mom that would be different from the choices Joy makes. 

But she didn't let that stop her.

Don't let it stop you.

Find a mom who could use some support this week. Give her a hug, send her a hand-written note with a Starbucks gift card, send her a private email with an inspiring quote, or stop by her house with a plate of cookies (after sampling a few to make sure they aren't gross or anything- I mean, be willing to make that sacrifice). 

Tell that mom that she's doing a great job! She is just the mom that her kids need. 

I guarantee that not only will this make her day, but it will make yours too.

As moms and women, we need to do more building each other up and less tearing down. Social media, especially, seems to be a hotbed of vicious activity. Why fuel the fire with all of the circular arguments going on? Are you really really going to change someone's mind with that article you share on Facebook or the comment you leave on an Instagram photo?

Our free time is limited as is with little ones needing to be diapered, fed, driven to activities, homeworked, bathed, and sent to bed. If we used those little windows of free time as opportunities for SUPPORT, think of what we could accomplish!

It's as simple as support.

What's one way you could encourage another mom or woman this week?

*You can learn more about Similac's The Sisterhood of Motherhood on Facebook and their website. There's also a hilarious Mommy Judging video you can watch!

If you enjoyed this post or found it helpful, I hope you'll click your "Pin It" button to add this post to Pinterest, or a +1 for Google+. And I always appreciate kind comments, Facebook shares, and Tweets!



Disclosure: Similac partnered with bloggers such as me for its Sisterhood of Motherhood Program. As part of this program, I received compensation for my time. All opinions expressed are my own. Similac believes that consumers and bloggers are free to form their own opinions and share them in their own words. Similac’s policies align with WOMMA Ethics Code, Federal Trade Commission (FTC) guidelines and social media engagement recommendations.