Hailey's Helpful Hints

Looking for a perfect Spring cleaning project that can involve your kids that will get you organized for summer? While we all have high hopes that we'll check off a fun activity on the summer bucket list everyday, let's be real - there are going to be days, no matter how hot it is outside, that you're going to want to plop them in front a movie to shut them up for a solid 2 hours. Which is why this project is a must if you're feeling like your DVD, music  and/or video game collection is out of control. Now normally involving the kids in any sort of organizational project is a total nightmare but let's attempt to make this fun. First corral the kids and tell them to make a big pile of all the DVD's. Explain to them that they are to make two piles; ones they watch and ones they don't. Do NOT tell them upfront that the movies in the "don't watch" pile are going to be given away. Kids tend to become hoarders then. After the two piles are sorted, ...

  Wondering how to incorporate kale - the health world's favorite dark, leafy green of 2014 - into your diet beyond kale chips and green smoothies? Here is a twist on spaghetti that will pump some serious vitamins into an average everyday meal. ~Spaghetti with Kale Pesto~ Recipe from Dr. Oz's " The Good Life " magazine Prep time: 10 minutes Cook time: 10 minutes Makes 4 servings Ingredients: 8 oz. kale (Tuscan if available), stemmed, leaves torn (5 cups loosely packed leaves) 1 clove garlic 1 cup grated Parmesan 1/2 cups raw almonds 1/2 tsp salt 1/4 tsp pepper 1 pinch crushed red pepper flakes 6 Tbsp olive oil 8 oz whole wheat spaghetti Directions: > Add the kale, garlic, Parmesan, almonds, salt, pepper and red pepper flakes to the bowl of a food processor. Pulse until very finely chopped, scraping down the sides of the bowl if necessary. Slowly add the olive oil with the machine running. Pulse until the mixture is thoroughly combined and smooth. > Cook the pas...

  Did you know that 96.8 million adults will use digital coupons this year? Are you one of them? Normally I am not but my mom recently turned me on to RetailMeNot.com. If I'm not shopping on Amazon, I'll always search the store on Retail Me Not prior to purchasing to see if they have a valid promo code to save a little extra. Wondering where to look? The Internet can be a treasure trove when it comes to getting the most for your money. Thanks to Family Circle magazine, Denise Winston, author of Money Starts Here! Your Practical Guide to Survive and Thrive in Any Economy , and money-saving expert Andrea Woroch, these recommended sites are the best to bookmark for bargains on food, fun and more. CouponBlender.com At this gateway to savings, you'll see dozens of deals at a glance from the top couponing destinations (the homepage is constantly updated with a slew of news feeds). Each of the featured sites includes a range of shopping categories, so you can snag coup...

  Hello again!!!! My apologizes for going MIA on y'all. I thought I would give myself some grace during the transition from two to four kids...overnight. We are nothing but overjoyed with the addition of our identical twin girls, Reese and Rio, but I'd be lying if I didn't admit that it's friggin' HARD work!!! There is nothing like doing multiple babies at ONE time. On top of attending to two active boys, ages 5 and just turned 3. It is anything but quiet around my hood. Today however, I did have some time while my angels are napping and my boys are at school. I thought I'd log onto the blog and see what's shakin. Surprisingly, you're all still giving Hailey's Helpful Hints some love despite my absence. In fact - my one post "Tame the Tum - Spare Tire or Stress Bulge?" continues to get blown up on Pinterest! Who would have thought 4,946,000 people would be interested in such an article?? And no that's not a typo - 4 MILLION+ peeps. I t...

  It's Friday. And I'd love a cocktail come 5:00. But with these twinsies cooking in my belly, I'm left to daydream of one. Not a real fall-like recipe but here's what's on my mind. You better believe once these girls pop out, I'm celebrating with a pitcher. All to myself. :)   ~Tequila Mint Limeade~   Ingredients: 4 oz crushed ice 1 1/2 oz tequila (I prefer Blanco (Silver)) 8 oz Simply Limeade 1/2 oz simple syrup 1 tbs chopped fresh mint 2 oz club soda Directions: Add ice, tequila, limeade, simple syrup and mint to cocktail shaker and shake vigorously Pour all contents into a highball glass. Or my preference, a mason jar! Top with club soda and garnish with mint and lime wedge

  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 .

  ...you gotta to tune in tonight (Friday, 8/20/13) for the season premiere of Shark Tank  at 9pm on ABC!!! My girl, Lynnae Schneller, a young entrepreneur from my hometown of Tacoma, WA, took her grandma's 100 year old pickle recipe to market and now Lynnae's Gourmet Pickles is blowing up! I am so so proud of this pickle princess! Her pickles are legit. Some of the best I've ever tasted. The "Hot Mama" is a favorite in our house. So addicting with just the right amount of sweet and spice. Tip:  Order  in bulk. You will literally eat the entire jar as a snack. "Mrs. Pickle" is the original recipe with a unique blend of sweet and sour. Again, better than any other pickle on the market. So enough reading, get buying. And don't forget to watch these girls rock it tonight on Shark Tank!!