Here are some of the things we absolutely love and recommend as well as some items that are at the top of our shopping list this year!
For the Kids
We love adding fun seasonal books to our home collection! Here are some Christmas themed ones we can't wait to add!
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I have been wanting to add a fun piece of furniture to the kids playroom for a while now. I was searching for kids couches and came across this fun and cute piece they can rearrange again and again! This may be what Santa is bringing our kiddos this year so shhhhh!
Something that my fort lovers can use to build their newest town, they can use to create a stage for performances, or snuggle up for a good read! I love this cute design and bonus, it glows in the dark! There are lots of other designs to choose from too. |
With a ten year old, five year old and three year old you can imagine we have a lot of artwork that comes into the house! I am always looking for new ways to neatly display the kids newest creations. These frames looks like they would be the perfect way to store and display the kids art!
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Our kids are very low tech! We don't really have video games or computers for the kids to play. But we do have these Amazon Kids tablets!
When they earn screen time (by doing chores and other tasks) they can choose to play on their tablet or watch a show on the TV. I love that I can adjust the content in the parental settings. I have full control over what can be added to the tablets. We also use the tablets for school time with the preschoolers! My son does ABC mouse three times a week for 15 minutes as a part of our lessons. It gives him great educational games and videos while I am able to focus on working with my Kindergartener on some harder subjects. These things are virtually indestructible! And if they do get damaged Amazon will replace them within reason. They are also very nice on our LONG family road trips. We don't bring them in the car for our normal drives, but if we are going to be in the car for over five hours it's nice to let the kids put on headphones and everyone gets an hour break to themselves. BONUS! These come with a 2 year worry free guarantee. My 10 year old was listening to music on hers and tripped. The screen cracked really bad! I contacted Amazon and they immediately created a ticket for me to mail it back and get it repaired. |
Games are always fun for the whole family to enjoy!
For the Home
In the Kitchen:
While pretty much anything from KitchenAid is on my list... this guy caught my eye because I have been thinking about upgrading my 4.5 QT one. I've had this model for almost 8 years now and it is still running strong and we have never had any hiccups with it! But the more I cook from scratch, bake and do more homemade items (butter, yogurt, pasta, etc); The more I think about a larger bowl size, bigger motor mechanics and various attachments for an extra leg up in the kitchen. I've seen some KitchenAid attachments up to 50% off so far this holiday season! Here are some pieces I've been dreaming of! If you do a lot of from scratch cooking trust me, you need this in your life... The Fullstar 5 in 1 is the model I currently have. This little guy makes prep a breeze. You can dice an entire onion in less than 30 seconds.
Just trust me on these reusable Bumpkin Bags. Snacks, sandwiches, baby wipes and more... it all goes in with no leaks or mess. Best part, flip them inside out and put them in the washing machine to keep them clean!
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Every kitchen needs a Cast Iron or twenty.... trust me, they are not as hard to cook in as you think. The more I use them the more I realize just how versatile and simple they are. Keep them oiled, keep them dry and get a scraper! We have used several different brands and let me tell you, there is a difference with Lodge.
Another item we have had for over 9 years is our Vitamix! It is perfect for smoothies, making soup, dressing, spreads and even homemade peanut butter or grinding nuts.
You know the saying goes, knives are a chefs best friend... or something like that. While we prefer Cutco knives I know the price point can be pretty high! The lifetime warranty, lifetime sharpening AND the fact that we can pass them down to our children with that same coverage was what sold me. We really do love our set and if you'd like to purchase your own with a Black Friday Discount reach out to me via the contact form at the bottom of the page and we can discuss your budget and find a set that will work for you. If you are looking for a great knife at a more affordable price point check out these McCook brand ones! They are a really great set and the built in knife sharpening feature in the block means you are never with a dull blade.
I have not been quick to jump on the home milled grain wagon, but the more research I do, the more I find that the flour we buy from the standard grocery store has lost so much of it's nutritional value by the time it makes it's way into our kitchens. I've read LOTS of testimonials about several brands and if I were to pull the trigger, this NutriMill would be the mill I would jump on.
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Check out some of my other Must Have Kitchen recommendations here!
In the Bedroom:
First we got out Tempur-Pedic LuxeAdapt mattress with the adjustable base. Now I have finally found the perfect bedding, no seriously. This 3-Piece plush warm Downluxe bedding set is sure to keep you cozy in the fall and winter time! In the summer our sheets and this Bedsure cooling cotton blanket is all we need. We have had both the Linen Spa hybrid mattress and the gel memory foam mattress for our kids and they prefer the gel memory foam ones. In the winter time we layer these Bedsure all season waffle blankets on the kids beds as an extra cozy layer and they love them! I got these under the bed rolling storage drawers a while back and we love them so much I got a second set. I have plans to add them to the kids rooms as well because they are so versatile. Here are some more of our bedroom must haves and some of the kids! I have a diffuser in each bedroom. We use Young Living oils for the scent and wellness and the diffusers double as night lights in the kids rooms. Feel free to message me if you have any questions about ordering diffusers, oils or any other Young Living products! |
In the Bathroom:
Let's start with the kids because these toothbrushes are a must if you have toddlers through elementary age kiddos. Adjustable setting for brush speed, smaller brush heads for little mouths, auto timer and the brush is equipped with blue tooth so you can link your child's brushing to an app on your phone. They help their little buddy keep his mouth clean while brushing, earn prizes and learn about oral hygiene. My kids LOVE these brushes and they always get in their full brush time with the app. Check out more of our favorite kids bathroom items like the tub topper! My bathroom is under construction as we continue building our addition, but you can find my bathroom favs here. I cannot wait to finish this space so I can get it decorated, set up and fully functional! |
Cleaning Must Haves:
When it comes to cleaning I have my tried and true list of must haves! I don't like using harsh chemicals and I really prefer low waste as much as possible. So my hippie comes out a little here :) I love using Norwex cloths and products, Young Living products and a few other tools to make life easier!
When it comes to cleaning I have my tried and true list of must haves! I don't like using harsh chemicals and I really prefer low waste as much as possible. So my hippie comes out a little here :) I love using Norwex cloths and products, Young Living products and a few other tools to make life easier!
Let's start with products! My #1 go to is Thieves Home is my favorite cleaner. It gets the job done, smells great, eliminates germs and I can add season oils to change the scent up anytime I want. I don't have to worry about any other harsh chemicals lingering around for my kids to touch or get into.
When I need something to do a little bit of a tougher job the Norwex Cleaning Paste is perfect! You only need a small amount for even the grimiest spots. After cleaning products come tools. All things microfiber from Norwex! -The Evirocloth will do just fine for all of your jobs if you like to keep your cleaning cupboard minimal. |
If you like variety and an easy way to differentiate where you use your different cloths I suggest mixing things up a bit.
- We use the counter cloths in our kitchen for the kiddos hands and faces. With the Norwex Bacloc I know that germs won't be lingering on the cloths, so after a kiddo wipes down we rinse and hang it to dry for the next person who needs it. The EnviroScrub cloths are what I clean our countertops and kitchen surfaces with! The soft microfiber side quickly cleans ups spills while the gritty side scrubs stuck on messes. - The Bathroom Scrub Mitt does all the bathroom surface jobs! While the Toilet Wand gets the inside of the bowl sparkling clean. - For dusting I use the Dust Mitt for all the surfaces I need to pick up to dust and places that are easy to reach. The for those hard to reach spots I use the Envirowand with the extension handle! Seriously there is so much more... I mean I literally could type out 30 more products and cleaning tools that I LOVE to use from Norwex. Instead, if you have questions or would like to know about some of my other favorites feel free to use the comment box at the bottom of the page to send me a message :) |
Those are my basic cleaning go to's. Then I have some bigger ticket items that literally revolutionized my floor care habits and help tremendously in keeping our home tidy and the floors clean!
I have tried my fair share of vacuums and the Samsung Jet 90 is hands down my favorite cordless vacuum. It is light weight and comes with several attachments to make cleaning all of the surfaces a breeze. We have a pretty dense rug and the suction power on this always amazes me with how much it pulls out. I love to use the mini powered brush on the couch to get a deep powered clean on the couch without pulling out an actual fabric cleaner.
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If there is any ONE product I could recommend for making cleaning your home 10X easier it would be the Bissel Crosswave Cordless Max. Seriously it is a game changer in keeping my floors looking clean all day long. This tool is cordless and mine generally has about half an hour of cleaning time before it needs a recharge. It vacuums and mops at the same time. Instead of sweeping or vacuuming an area and then having to go back and mop it I can do it all at once. I can generally use the Bissel to do a quick clean around the table after each meal, and I'm talking 2 minutes or less. Then at the end of the evening I can go through the kitchen and hit the front entryway, this takes me 5-7 minutes depending on what I was doing in the kitchen and how much traffic we had in the house. This keeps the floors looking clean all day long! Generally I can keep up on the day to day cleaning this way and then do a whole house "deep clean" once a week! Trust me, it is a game changer.
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I LOVE this vacuum and mop combo as well. It is used at least twice a week in our home. However, it does take a bit of time to set up and you do have to make sure you do a quick floor scan before the machine runs.
The Roborock s7 Max Ultra Robot Vacuum is truly a beast! Once you have it map out your house you can assign it an automatic schedule. You can choose to do all rooms or certain rooms at different times and on whichever days you choose. You can choose to have it vacuum only, mop only or do both! You fill the clean water tank and let the robot do the rest. It will run it's "route" and come back to the base anytime it needs to dump the dust bin, empty the dirty water tank or wash the mop pad. Yes.... it cleans itself. Once it has finished it's cleaning route you can empty the dirty water tank and let it charge up for it's next cleaning session! I suggest doing a quick floor scan before letting the mop run it's course. It does have obstacle avoidance and will go around larger items the camera senses. However, smaller items like legos, strings, etc aren't always caught and can end up causing the robot to pause it's cleaning until you are able to remove the object. |
This air tool is also super helpful for cleaning electronics, hard to get spots in the car, and your vacuum/mops!
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My Designs:
If you are looking for some fun T-Shirts and Sweaters check out some of my designs in my Etsy Store!
If you are looking for some fun T-Shirts and Sweaters check out some of my designs in my Etsy Store!
For the Farm
I have been dreaming of a freeze dryer for ever and Harvest Right is the brand that everyone keeps talking about.
I have done TONS of research on which brand and model to get and everywhere I turn I hear rave reviews and recommendations for a Harvest Right. You can freeze dry fruits and veggies for fresh snacking. Spinach, Kale and other greens can be freeze dried and turned into a powder for your smoothies. Whey can be freeze dried into a whey protein powder. Soups can be freeze dried and turned into instant meals if you just add water. You can preserve your garden harvest in so many different ways! If you have excess milk or eggs during times of abundance you can freeze dry them for later use when you have less to go around. Candy and other desserts can be freeze dried for shelf stable goodies and gifts! The possibilities are ENDLESS! And that is why getting one of these bad boys is TOP of my list for the farm. |