Hailey's Helpful Hints

  JOMO [jo-mo] n. 1) An acronym for The J oy o f M issing O ut. Guy #1: I had a great day, went on a hike and didn't check facebook. Guy #2: Good day? Guy #1: Yeah pure JOMO. I came across this article in Parents Magazine and thought it was fitting to share. As a backlash against FOMO - aka Fear Of Missing Out - the term is a rebellion against saying yes to everything, and is about giving yourself the space to think and experience things without freaking out about what you 'should' be doing instead. My hope with this post is that you will be intentional about embracing the here and now with things that make you happy. Don't get sucked into the devil'ish world of social media that makes you feel like you have to be busier than you are. You all know that feeling. Enjoy your week and try to embrace those JOMO moments. The header read, "#JOMO is the new #FOMO because #YOLO. The constant barrage of parenting humblebrags, pin-worthy pedicures and perfectly posed ...

  Already feeling the winter flub creep up on you? Aka - the extra poundage from weekend after weekend of football tailgating and all day beer drinking. Fall comfort food. Seasonal drinks. Trader Joe's pumpkin bread. Most are. But most just pull out the oversized sweater to hide behind and carry on. If you're determined that this won't be you this fall/winter but have no idea where to start to target your trouble areas, I encourage you to check out this resourceful, interactive website that allows you to select the body part you wish to work on and provides you with easy at home exercises you can do to keep those unnecessary pounds at bay. To use the Exercise Finder, click HERE .

December 1st. A perfect time to set out a game plan for the chaos of the coming weeks. And by game plan, I mean start making lists. I am a total list person. I have a list of a list of a list. I find that when I am most busy though, the Any.DO app is my saving grace. It's slogan says it all - MAKE THINGS HAPPEN. Reviews on the internet claim it's better than Gmail Tasks. I agree. The functionality of the Any.DO app is spot on. When a to-do pops into my head, I quickly and easily log it as a today, tomorrow, this week or later task. Under each task, you have the ability to mark the task as urgent, move it to another folder (this is great if you want to separate lists into personal, work, etc), set an alarm to alert you about it on a specified day and time, add a note to it, or forward it to someone in your contacts book as an email or Facebook message. And if you don't want to type out your list, it has voice recognition. Think driving and list making. Ahhh, that sings t...

I find Oct, Nov, and Dec some of the most discouraging months of the year. Sure they are packed with memorable, fun-filled holiday festivities but with those festivities come an excess of mindless eating and drinking. And a season of busy schedules and not enough hours in the day. Gym? What gym. For me it starts at Halloween. I have a sweet tooth so trying to keep my damn hand out of the candy bowl is near impossible. Insert: Gain 2 lbs. Then Thanksgiving. Dave's favorite holiday. Which translates to a menu that consisted of: mashed potatoes, sweet potatoes, stuffing, green bean casserole, rolls, turkey, and cranberry. For two. Followed by round 2 at a friend's house. Insert: Too many pounds to willingly admit. Think heavy knee bends after shimmying into my jeans. And now the Christmas holiday is before my gut. I mean eyes. A few pounds heavier than my skin feels comfortable in and busier than ever. Did you know that new research shows that a 165-pound women has to pare o...

I've never looked at these words in this way before. Makes total sense now, haha!!   Ever realized? Wo man has Man in it Mr s. has Mr. in it Fe male has Male   in it S he has He   in it M adam has Adam in it And ever notice how all of women's problems have to do with men ? MEN tal   illness MEN strual cramps   MEN tal breakdown   MENo pause GUYnecologist (ok alittle misspelled but you get the picture) HISterectomy (again, technically misspelled) Happy Friday to all you strong, capable women! Don't let those men bring you down.

If you do one thing before you get hit with the chaos of back to school, it's this - get a laundry system in place. Now. All you need - a few white laundry baskets. The el cheapo kind. It always kills me when people spend ridiculous amounts of money on trendy organizational products. Let's be real - chevron print does not guarantee functional. I'll admit, I'm guilty. But I've learned my lesson - stick to the basics. The patterns are pretty but they usually lack the key components for ruthless efficiency. And seriously, does anyone really see them anyone?!?! Phew obviously needed to get that off my chest. Back to baskets. The key to organization is finding a place for everything and keeping everything in its place. It's always best to find a system that works best for you but here's what I propose - train all family members to put dirty clothing in baskets. Place a basket in each bedroom closet, and in each bath if space allows. Place four add...

BRING BACK GOOD 'OL FASHION PLAYTIME. This week I encourage you to bring back the art of having fun without any electronic thingamajigs. Think about your week ahead and carve out at least 30 minutes doing outdoor activities that will have the young and the young-at-heart jumping for joy. My own personal observation is that parents nowadays don't partake in outdoor activities with their children like they used to. And should. I believe the majority of parents (some - not all) see their time shuttling the kids to and from practice, tutoring, music, etc as all they should do. Sure you are spending time with them but is it quality time? Through the eyes of a child, quality time spent is actually getting down at their level. Those moments that in five, ten, twenty years from now they will say, "Remember when we used to climb that big tree and pick the apples? That was so fun." Or "Remember when Dad used to throw the worst spirals?" Those are the times they will ...

DON'T EAT THE UNEATEN FOOD OFF YOUR KID'S PLATE. Who eats the crust of the sandwiches, the left over mac n' cheese at the bottom of the bowl, a few pieces of diced chicken or cheese here and there? I do. And it's no wonder I can't lose those last 5-10 pounds. I think I eat good. But then I catch myself finishing off the last of Chase's quesadilla or remaining Wheat Thins on Lance's highchair tray. Essentially I'm consuming a 4th meal - a meal that is not meant to be had. Mindless munching where calories add up. Accounting for an entire extra meal in my day. I do. You do it. Hey it happens. And if you're not a stay at home mom that's finishing off the last of the PB&J, most likely you'll do it at work. The "I'll take just one more for later" cookie as your walking out of the meeting, a handful of jellybeans off a co-workers desk. You might not realize just how quickly calories can add up though. An extra tablespoon of salad...

Do something good for yourself this weekend and take 15-45 min of couch time and get your heart pumping.

BE A 'REAL' FRIEND. It's that time of the day - overnight guests are gone. lunch mess is cleaned up. boys are napping - and it's time to rally together an inspirational blog post for y'all before it's off to swim. When I sat down to the computer, I myself needed inspiration and thanks to Facebook, an article just popped into my news feed that is a great reminder for the week. So thanks to my "real" friend Jodi, here is a blog post from Marc & Angel's Hack Life  on what it means to be a real friend (and a good partner) --- As we grow, we realize it becomes less important to have more friends and more important to have real ones. {Isn't that the truth? Something I feel I didn't really grasp until I hit my 30's. What a breath of fresh air.} Remember, life is kind of like a party. You invite a lot of people, some leave early, some stay all night, some laugh with you, some laugh at you, and some show up really late. But in the end, af...

SWAP YOUR STANDARD CUP OF COFFEE WITH A GLASS OF HOT LEMON WATER. It is recommended by nationally known nutritionist Ann Louise Gittleman, author of "Fat Flush for Life" and other books to start your day with a hot glass of water flavored with lemon. The combination can benefit your body in numerous ways, including helping you to lose weight and keep hydrated, improving your digestion and upping your vitamin C intake. You can even spice up this morning drink to boost its benefits. Types: Gittleman recommends combining the juice of half a lemon with 1 cup hot water. If you don't want to squeeze your own lemons, you can substitute 1 tablespoon lemon juice. Make sure to use 100-percent organic lemon juice. You can spice up this drink and further rev your metabolism by adding a pinch of ground cinnamon and a pinch of ground ginger, Gittleman says. Lemons will keep for up to 10 days at room temperature, so you can shop for them weekly. You also can store fresh lemo...

FIX IT TOGETHER. Ok ok, I know I'm a little late on the post. If you're an avid HHH follower, I usually post this on Monday but I had guests in town since last Wed, my son's first birthday, Easter and then I got terribly sick. Enough said. What do I mean by fix it together? If you have somehousehold minor repairs say a leaky faucet, a furnace filter that needs to be replaced, a fence that needs to be painted, a tire that needs to be changed around the house, I suggest you never do it without your kids. Home improvements are a great way to spend time with them while teaching them about tools and life at the same time. The attic, basement and crawl spaces are wonderful classrooms for learning how things work and how to safely fix things. Hand them a flashlight and talk them through the job you are doing. As they get older, moments will be seen as bonus chances for time with your kids amongst their busy schedules. An added bonus -...

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...

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...

What tickled my fancy this week you're wondering? Hands down, without question the book, Bittersweet by Shauna Niequist . Like her first book, Cold Tangerines - that I raved about awhile back - this is equally inspiring if not more. Cold Tangerines left you wanting to find celebration in all things. Bittersweet, however, wants the reader to recognize that in life we need the bitter and the sweet, that there is both something broken and something beautiful, that there is a moment of lightness on even the darkest of nights. It's raw. It's real. It's relatable. It's a book that will make you ravenous - turning page after page, highlighting, underlining, nodding your head in agreement, possibly even applauding at the end of some chapters. For me I found myself with tears running down my face on the airplane last weekend. I don't want to give too much away but just know that combination of its honesty and hope in the presence of hard circumstances is something that ...

Sit down and eat dinner as a family. Life is busy. We get it. But this is important. Studies have shown that kids who eat dinner with their families do better in school, feel more socially connected to their parents, have better peer relationships, and are less likely to try drugs and alcohol," says Grace R. Freedman, Ph . D., executive director of eat dinner .org, a nonprofit dedicated to increasing awareness of the benefits of family meals. "Research also suggests that working parents feel like they're better at balancing their work and personal lives when they find time for family dinner, and families that eat together tend to have healthier diets. Sadly, a 2010 Pew Research poll showed that only about half of families make dinner a daily ritual, and roughly one in five families eat together only occasionally, or never. The bottom line: Work as a team, make a commitment, start small, and don't get discouraged. Do it once this week. Try two times the next. It's ...

Pencil in a car de-junking day. Is your car full of old coffee cups, kid's socks, and crumpled water bottles? If so, it's time to conquer the chaos. It's amazing how quickly the car can get filthy when you're running from school to soccer, PTA meeting to music lessons. Snack (both the snack itself and the wrapper), changes of clothes, balls, school papers. It all seems to float from front to back and everywhere inbetween. If you're embarrassed to open the door or are constantly making excuses for your dirty car, these six steps are going to help you tremendously; 1) Carve out 30 minutes to empty the entire car and vacuum inside . Sort stuff into two piles - what belongs in the car (registration, maps, napkins) and what doesn't (bubbles, hair brush, screwdriver). 2) Buy a "car-bage" bin. Don't get debris get too comfy . Besides being dirty, it's germy and certain things can become moldy and toxic. Outfit your car with a functional trash can. Thi...

Stop OVERcommiting. For busy women — and who isn't busy these days? — daily life is a constant negotiation between the things that need to be done and the time available to do them. That means we're always on the lookout for shortcuts and time-saving strategies, but often those don't go far enough. We wind up stressed out and disheartened, feeling as if time manages us. This past year I made a personal commitment to stop trying to be here, there and everywhere. It hit me one day when my biggest priorities - my husband and kids - were suffering at the expense of me saying yes to something I should have never committed to doing. It was there that I learned it was time to say no. I see so many women - moms especially - being pulled in too many directions. I've had numerous conversations with my mom who agrees that being overly busy is a generational thing. When she was raising our family, she never felt the pressure to volunteer on every committee. Have us kids in 3 overla...

Wash your mattress pad. Hopefully after my sheet washing post (if you missed it, click here to read), you've gotten in the habit of washing your sheets every week. If you haven't, I'm assuming you didn't read or get fully repulsed by my bed bug post?!?! If you missed that post, read it here ). Anyway -- my hunch is that although you may wash your sheets, you don't always wash your mattress pad. Good news is that you don't have to do this nearly as often as your sheets but you definitely can't neglect it. Cotton pads are usually machine washable and dryable but make sure to check the label first, since down or foam pads be be dry-clean or spot-clean only. For small covers, you can wash these in your home washer on warm cycle with regular detergent. If it is white, add 1/2 cup of bleach to the wash cycle. If the mattress cover is colored, use a color-safe bleach to the wash cycle. If you do not have bleach, add 1/2 cup of borax to the wash cycle, which will a...

Disinfect your kitchen sponge. Can you remember the last time you cleaned your sponge? While the moist, micro-crevices in a sponge do make it an effective cleaning device, they also make it a cozy home for germs and more difficult to disinfect. Wiping your counters or dishes with a dirty sponge will only transfer the bacteria from one item to another. How to: According to Carolyn Forte, Director of Home Appliances and Cleaning Products at the Good Housekeeping Research Institute, you have three choices - 1) Put the sponge in the dishwasher for a full cycle, set on "heated dry." 2) Microwave it on high for a minute. Make sure the sponge is wet or it can catch on fire. 3) Soak it for five minutes in a mix of 3/4 cup bleach and 1 gallon of water. You should aim to do this once a week. And toss out that sponge once/month. My sponge cleaning day: After Sunday night dinner. It's nice to start the week fresh! Wondering what other bacteria is cooking in your kitchen? Check out th...