Hailey's Helpful Hints

  If you don't have much on the weekend radar, I encourage you to get in the purging mode. If you want to get ambitious and tackle your closet or garage, more power to you but I've found that sometimes a few smaller projects make you feel just as accomplished and refreshed as a massive one. So here's a few to get your juices flowing. I bet you won't be able to stop at just one. ;) Project 1: Toss the cardboard boxes Ditch the cardboard boxes and plastic bags that go with your cereal, snacks and dry goods. They're ugly, take up lots of space and don't keep your food fresh. Instead, opt for glass mason jars or airtight food storage containers. Project 2: Toss your wire hangers Ditch those dry cleaner hangers for matching plastic or wooden versions. Key word: matching. Project 4: Socks without a mate   We all have that bag of socks without their, ahem, sole mate. How this happens still blows my mind. If you've done a full round of laundry wi...

I love this organizing trick by Martha Stewart . A pet peeve of mine is going to grab for a clean set of sheets and you can't find the matching pillowcases. So here's how to combat that - tuck the sheet set inside one of its pillowcases, and then stack according to size (twin, full, queen, king) or by the room you use the sheets in (master bedroom, guest room.) How simple is that?!

$22-27 @ Old Navy I'm slightly obsessed with vests. I'm actually wearing one at the moment. The red and grey plaid one picture below to be exact. And I have these in almost every color. But here's the deal - they are from Old Navy. I know some of y'all will immediately think, "Old Navy is crap." While I do agree that some of there stuff is chincy, these are seriously good quality. Right now they are running a pre-Black Friday sale with 30% off your online order with free shipping after you spend $50 and 40% after you spend $100. These would make fab gifts for Christmas too!  $27.00 @ Old Navy Check out all the great color options of the Frost Free Fleece Lined Vests HERE . Scroll down past the jackets and you'll see the vests.

  With Thanksgiving practically a week away, it's time to start prepping especially if you are hosting like I am. Thanks to this handy infographic from Savory , you don't have to stress over how many pounds of turkey to get for a 10 person dinner or how how much stuffing you should be preparing. Trust the chart, people will eat more pie than you think!!  

Why hello!!!! Has it really been 8 months since my last blog post?!?! Unreal. Ok who am I kidding acting shocked. For those of you that have followed me in the past, you know this really isn't anything new. I get hot and post daily for a bit and then wham, it's like I fall off the face of the earth. In my defense, during this last hiatus, we built a custom home. You better believe this detailed oriented perfectionist had her hands in every last design decision. Luckily my husband and I are still married after the process and our four littles are alive and well. So between the building, the packing, the summer madnes, the school chaos, dealing with a traveling husband, shlepping around two year old devils, I mean twins, and now the holiday mayham, I'm lucky to even still be standing. But one thing lately that has kept me going...I joined a gym. It's been 4+ years since I've stepped into a gym. But this membership has nothing to do with getting back into the gym. I ho...

I'm not a baker. In fact, I don't enjoy cooking either. But when I do cook or bake, I'm notorious for trying to substitute all fatty, bad ingredients for healthier options. And 9/10 those cookies that I intended to give to the neighbors, were either thrown in the trash because they were so inedible or my kids ate them with that "what the heck are these?" looks on their faces. So instead of trying to wing it anymore (when I do bake that is), I found this recipe substitution guide helpful;   Read more about these here:  83 Healthy Recipe Substitutions , via  Greatist . Or another thing I am notorious for is starting to bake assuming I have all the ingredients. Again 9/10 I don't. So this is another handy list to reference from All Recipes . 

I was complaining to my husband the other day about the annoying lint balls that were surfacing all over our linen couch. Casually he said, "That's no big deal. We just need to shave them off." Certainly I wasn't going to shave them off and run the risk of putting a hole in the fabric so I waited for him to devise a plan. Two days later, an Amazon Prime box showed up with a Home-It Fabric Shaver . So we got to shaving. Within minutes, the fuzzies were gonzo. And my couch looked brand new again.  We quickly whipped out all my sweaters that have gotten more wear in four months in Idaho than my eight years in Southern California and fought over who was going to get the satisfaction of de-pilling them first. No joke these sweaters were on the verge of being sent to the Goodwill because of the horrendous pills on the front. Five sweaters salvaged within 15 minutes and looking brand new. So before you put away your winter sweaters for the season or before you toss them beca...

In contrast to my post about " 10 Things You're Not Cleaning But Should Be, " here are eight things you might be spending too much time cleaning when you really don't have to be. So before you whipe out the antibacterial hand sanitizer or the disinfectant spray one more time, check out this list of not so dirty places that get a bad rap according to Good Housekeeping .  Toilet || There's more E. Coli in the average sink than in the toilet after you flush it, says microbiologist Charles Gerba (a.k.a. Dr. Germ), a professor at the University of Arizona's department of soil, water and environmental science. The seat is especially clean. "There's usually 200 times more fecal bacteria on a cutting board than on a toilet seat," he adds. (Unfortunately, that's not the case for telephones, remote controls, sponges and dishtowels!) Because you "perceive" your toilet to be dirty, you're more likely to clean it, says microbiologist Lisa Ya...

Now that the hype of new years dieting and career resolution s has died down some, it's time to focus on our overflowing closets and disorganized cabinets. I know, I know there's never a good time to conquer the clutter but think about it this way -- Your mess is inefficient. It's causing you stress and anxiety. And this dysfunction signals to your your brain that your work is never done causing you to feel overwhelmed and unorganized not just at home but in all aspects of your life. Can this stress be prevented? Absolutely!! But you have to be willing to change some old habits and work at it. Just like anything in life. If you're needing some simple tips on how to conquer the chaos, keep reading... || 10 Commandments of Organizing ||  1. Keep like with like. To keep things sensical and logical, you should always put away items with like or similar things. If they’ve put something away in a random place, you're more likely to not remember where you put th...

Christine Bryne via Buzz Feed 

14" tall stainless steel mug tree; $25 Crate and Barrel.  I love re-purposing old things in new ways! Thanks to HGTV , here are three clever ways to use a mug rack or "tree" to organize some loose ends around the house. Their "branches" are perfect to hang objects.  Jewelry: No more tangles when you hang your everyday jewelry.  Original source: HGTV Scissors: All kinds of cutters can fit neatly on the pegs.  Original source:   HGTV Ribbon: Slide on the spools and you can cut off pieces as you need them.  Original source:   HGTV Other items you can hang; washi tape, rubber bands, keys. If you don't want to spend a lot, hit up your local Dollar Store. They usually have wooden ones there that you could paint to match any room in the house.

We are currently in the early phases of building a home and it's become all consuming. I don't know how anyone ever did this without the inspiration of Pinterest or the Internet. I came across this fun, informative decorating article in Architecture and Design  that I thought was worth passing along. Some of the diagrams you could do without but some are fantastic.  One of my favorites - How to Decorate a Mantel. But I also liked the one on how to style a bed, the rug size and placement diagram, and picking the right paint. I mean, c'mon how many times have you stood at the paint counter with glazed eyes when they ask if you want eggshell or semi-gloss? Thanks to this handy diagram, you'll look like a pro!  Honey and Fitz The simple “formula” to creating the perfect mantel vignette lies in  creating a visual triangle .  Steven and Chris  show us the way with 5 easy steps. #1:  Center a large piece (art or a mirror) on your mantel #2:...

Fire up your blenders, folks! While smoothies aren't anything new, they are a quick and convenient way to get a blast of nutrients, including protein, carbs and vitamins A, B, C and more. Thanks to the Daily Burn , here are 25 three ingredient smoothies that are nutritious, energizing and sure to satisfy every type of craving.

Valentine’s Day wouldn’t be complete without sweets for your sweeties. This year shower your little ones with love by making them an extra special homemade dessert. Whether you’ve got ten minutes or two hours to spare, we’ve got an option that your Valentines will love. Here are a few of my favorites from Susie Foresman's list over at Red Tricycle . These will make you want to eat your heart out! Chocolate & Pink Vanilla M&Ms Bark Get your mini chefs involved in whipping up this simple but impressive treat from Food Family & Finds —just melt some chocolate and candy melts, swirl them together, then let the littles go to town topping with sprinkles and candies and breaking it into bite-sized pieces. Click here to get the full recipe. Deep Dish Red Velvet Cookies Red velvet is the perfect pick for Valentine’s Day, and this recipe from Show Me the Yummy is an easy way to make your loved ones smile. It’s the perfect size for sharing, and it gets even tastier with th...

If you and your significant exchange Valentine's gifts, now might be the time to hint at this dynamite Dyson deal at Target. In my previous life before kids, I owned a cleaning company so I get asked all the time about cleaning products and equipment. My take on vacuums - you can't go wrong with a Dyson. Dyson DC65 Animal Complete Vacuum is a very popular vacuum that gets rave reviews is on sale for $487.49. Originally $649.99. It is not available in stores but you do get free shipping since it's over $50. Another popular, more affordable, smaller animal vac option is the Dyson DC44 Animal Digital Slim Cordless Vacuum Cleaner. Orginally $399.99, on sale for $299.99. This one is also available only online but you'll still get the free shipping.  For everyday use for carpets and hardwood/tile, a great option is the Dyson DC65 MultiFloor Upright Vacuum. Originally $499.99, on sale for $374.99. This particular vacuum is available for store pick-up.  To see all Dyson's ...

These creamy neutrals are perfectly understated and flatter everyone. A flirty combo for Valentine's Day that is subtle enough for winter yet beachy enough to carry you into the summer. /// FINGERS /// Essie nail polish in ROMPER ROOM, $8.50  /// TOES /// Maybelline New York Color Show nail lacquer in NEUTRAL STATEMENT, $3.99

With so many anti-sugar mom's out there, I thought a post with creative kid's Valentine's was appropriate. There are a gazillion ideas on Pinterest but I thought I'd give a friend of mine in Southern California a shout out. Morgann Perry with Modern Chic Tots , is uber talented and she has come out with some super cute Valentine's Day printables (and ideas) for your kiddos. Check them out HERE . If you browse the aisles of the $1 store, you'll be able to find so many of the items for less; sunglasses, paint, jump ropes, nail polish.  My personal favorites: The build a snowman one. I'm all about it being interactive and anything that keeps them quiet and entertained is a bonus. And for the older girl wanting to get her friends something cute and simple; the toenail polish.   If you have a little girl, you're going to want to spend some time on her site checking out all the fun dress up aprons and tutu dresses. Fun to see my little Rio modeling on her si...