Hailey's Helpful Hints

My college roommate, best friend, and teammate (yes I played collegiate golf) was in town this past week and I thought it was only fitting that I give her a shout out in the blog being that my time with her is what tickled my fancy. There's nothing better than catching up with an old, dear friend. One that knows the best and worst of you. One that has loved you through the good and bad. One that has seen you in your highs and lows. One that you could spend days, if not weeks, laughing about all the memories you share. That is Kelli to me. Although we live completely different lives now, we will forever remain "Kailey." Get it - Kelli & Hailey combined?!? I know, cheesy but it was a name given to us in college since we were never seen without eachother. We were inseparable. We even had dreams to start a women's golf clothing line together named Kailey. Unfortunately that never happened. One interesting fact about Kelli - she loooooves Peeps, those sugarly marshmal...

Thanks to the stomach flu this past week, Lance, my almost one year old, hasn't been eating. And I've been a complete s.t.r.e.s.s-ball. The no-eating thing just doesn't fly with me. As a mother, I feel like preparing healthy food and filling their bellies is one of my top motherly duties. And when they don't eat, I feel completely out of control. Chase my almost four year old eats like a bird. Always has. It drives me bonkers. One bite here. Another bite 15 minutes later after he builds an entire farm house with wooden blocks and places all the animals in their appropriate stalls. Then he'll mosey on back for a drink. No bite. And off he goes again. Come breakfast and lunch time, I sound like a broken record - "Chase come finish your food." Side note - that last visual is soooo not my parenting style. If you were to put me on the spectrum of hardcore, you will do what I say, I'm in control mom and the let's work this out together, tell me what y...

Spring is here and home break-ins are abloom. Want to know what they are after? Prescription drugs. While electronics, jewelry and cash are still on their radar, prescription drug related break-ins have significantly increased over the past few years. Burglars will first and foremost bee-line straight to the master bathroom to raid drawers and closets for drugs that 1) they can re-sell for instant cash and/or 2) they themselves are addicted to. Contrary to popular belief, it's not the warmer weather that brings out more burglars. Criminal tendencies and addiction continue year round and when times are tough financially, people become desperate beyond rational behavior. Burglary however  is a crime of opportunity and when homeowners get increasingly careless about security when spring weather arrives, it's an open invitation for such behavior. People leave open their windows. They start spending longer days out and about and are le...

STREAMLINE YOUR MAKEUP. If your mornings are a race against the clock, give yourself an edge by corralling your toiletries in the smartest possible way. Conquering your cosmetic clutter not only will save you time, but is also the easiest way to start making your looks a priority. Once you downsize to what you actually use - and use it - you will be looking pretty in more ways than one. So to streamline your makeup, you need to separate your necessities from your nonessentials. Here's some tips how: 1) Designate a spot for your "5-minute face" - aka whatever products you use every morning to get you out the door. A drawer with dividers or a box lets you see everything you need. The goal is to not be digging around for the essentials. If you're tight on space, a makeup bag works too. Especially if you travel a lot or are on the go. 2) Part with the 10th place lipstick. The rest of your makeup (if you're the most of us) needs a serious purge. Dump what's expi...

You know you're a mom when you get to Target right when the doors open at 8:00. This morning I went in for two things; 1) to return an item and 2) to get Cranberry juice. That's it. But nooooo, $66.59 later (mind you that was my 4th trip to Target this week. Eeek.) I walked out with almond milk, coconut water and two pairs of shoes. Oh and the Cranberry juice. Damn Target. While I wasn't successful in sneaking out of there with only the $3.09 bottle of Cran, I did think I scored big with my two sandal purchases for a total of $49.99. Wondering which ones tickled my fancy? Item #1: Merona " Eireen" Wedge Sandal  ($24.99). I bought the blue/white stripe but the coral is super cute too! Fashion alert: Stripes are HUGE for spring/summer. As is the Nautical theme. And corals and tangerines are showing up everywhere.Tangerine is actually the Home & Fashion Pantone color of the year! Such a vibrant, feel good color. Can't go wrong with either. Item #2: Mossim...

The fashion world was buzzing earlier this week when Kate Middleton stepped into the biggest trend of 2012: colored jeans. She chose tangerine jeans, a preppy blazer and scarf combo to visit Great Britian’s hockey team and then she changed into a hoodie and sneakers (paired with the same jeans) to hit the hockey field. So what do you think - yay or nay? I guess if Kate Middleton is sporting them, they're a yay -  right? I mean she is a fashion icon these days right?? Personally, if it means anything at this point, colored jeans are a bold play. One that will definitely get people looking at your legs (or booty) before your face. One that screams confident, "I don't care what you're thinking" women. If that doesn't bother you, I say go for it! But if you're at all self-conscious about your lower half, don't even bother. The eye catching color coupled with your timid "I want to be trendy but hate my body" demeanor will ruin any chance y...

Traveling over Easter? Spring Break trip on the calendar? Getting anxious about what that all looks like with kid's in tow? I've blogged in the past about travel tips and products (if you missed them, click on the links) but the reality is, the best travel resource is right in your fingertips - your smartphone. Did you know that 44% of US travelers plan on using their smartphones more as a travel resource during trips in 2012? Long are the days of printing out MapQuest directions (although I don't feel like that was that long ago) or stopping in the gas station to ask for help. So before you pack, check out these sites worth surfing and apps worth downloading to streamline your vacation and make it as memorable as possible. And if you missed my previous post on travel apps that guarantee a hassle-free trip, check them out  HERE .   Sites to surf before traveling: Budget Travel - http://www.budgettravel.com/  - everything from how-to's to trip idea...

DE-GUNK THE KITCHEN CABINETS. The kitchen is one of the dirtiest rooms in our homes. Because it is usually a high traffic area that gets daily use, kitchens get dirtier, faster than other areas of the home. Kitchen cabinets are often the dirtiest area of the kitchen because we are often afraid to clean cabinets for fear of ruining them. Kitchen cabinets can get really dirty over time though, if they are left unattended. Everything that comes in contact with them, or that is in the air in your kitchen builds-up over time and causes your cabinets to look dull, dingy and old. Grease, food particles, smoke, moisture, finger prints, grime, smudges and more are all found on the face of cabinets, with the bulk of it being found on handles and other high contact areas. In most cases, if your cabinets are starting to look bad, a good cleaning is all they need. Cleaning kitchen cabinets can be a quick and easy job, but many people make it harder than it has to be. One rule of thumb is that the ...

Courtesy of Can You Stay for Dinner What if I told you that you could have your cake and eat it too for only 100 calories? And whole grain. And nonfat. And made from real, wholesome ingredients? 'Nough said right? Thanks to the cookbook,  Vegan Cupcakes Take Over the World , you can now enjoy a dessert that both feels good and tastes good too! Each of these cupcakes is moist, tender, soft crumbed, and plenty chocolatey. And unlike lots of healthy baking projects, these are ones I would serve to someone other than my husband. Healthy yet fabulous enough to share with friends and strangers. They’re gently sweet and have a decidedly lighter texture than most of the non-fat cake recipes I’ve tried. Splendid. Courtesy of Can You Stay for Dinner ~100 Calorie Chocolate Cupcakes~ Ingredients: 1 cup nonfat or low fat milk, dairy or nondairy 1 teaspoon apple cider vinegar 1 cup all purpose flour –OR- whole wheat pastry flour 1/3 cup unsweetened cocoa powder 3/4 teaspoon baking sod...

What tickled my fancy this week? The House of Smith's pantry make-over. Who says your pantry has to be blah-zay? Shelley Smith over at The House of Smiths  took her cluttered food closet to an organized pretty pantry. From the inexpensive organizing jars and bins, her simple labels, and the Quatrefoil design vinyl sheets  (I'm officially in LOVE with these), this is truly a successful design on a dime project with a lot of useful tips on how to tackle the mess. Check out her other fabulous wall decals , fun labels to for your linens, spices, and food and other seasonal items in her shop! Spice up a drab laundry room, office, linen closet - decals can be cut to fit your space! Jars from Walmart & Ikea

With 4.5/5 stars , I think Target's Daily Deal deserves some recognition. Today ONLY (sale ends tonight at 11:59 PM EST) you can score a stylish, modern 5 piece Metal Patio Furniture set for only $300 (originally $499). The green is so cheerful and will add a pop of color to any backyard. If green isn't necessarily your thing, you can always add navy and white pillows to tone it down. Love that combo. What I love about Target Daily Deals is it's always FREE standard shipping and you can bring it back to the store if it doesn't work out.  Click  HERE  to check out this fabulous Daily Deal.

For many women, getting bikini ready means tackling one dreaded area in particular — our tummies. Most of us still think the best way to achieve a washboard stomach is by doing hundreds of sit-ups. Not so, says A-list trainer and body guru James Duigan. James, who sculpts supermodels Elle Macpherson and Rosie Huntingdon-Whiteley among others, insists there is no ‘one size fits all’ method for getting a flat belly. Instead, he’s identified five key ‘tummy types,’ all of which require a different approach to achieve successful toning. Once you figure out your tummy type (mine is the STRESS BELLY) thanks to the UK Daily Mail , you'll be on your way to getting the perfect midriff... THE SPARE TIRE TUMMY The spare tire: This is one of the easiest tummy troubles to eliminate because it's caused by eating the wrong foods and not exercising enough. HOW TO IDENTIFY THIS TYPE These people are likely to lead sedentary lives, perhaps with jobs that k...

Every time you see a rainbow, do you look to see where it begins and where it ends? We've all heard the “pot of gold” story since we were young, but where does that legend come from? It dates back to Old Europe, where the Irish will tell you "fairies put a pot of gold at the end of each rainbow with leprechauns guarding it." It's folklore that has become part of the symbolism of St. Patrick's Day, March 17th, when many celebrate Irish culture and count themselves as “Irish” just for wearing a little of "the Green." Saw this idea on Pinterest and thought what a cute project/gift idea for St. Patty's Day. Courtesy of It is what it is.  Idea #1: Using cellophane pretzel bags (you can buy them at Michael's), put four rolos in the bottom of the bag and added layers of m&m's. Or any type of your favorite multi-colored candy - skittles, gumballs, jellybeans, etc. Close the bag with a twist tie (they come with the bags) and add the banner...