Well earlier this week I told you about my mistakes.  The big boo boos I've been making when it comes to finances.  That didn't feel too great, if you were wondering!  Well that's okay because now I'm going to be sharing how I'm digging myself out of the pit I've dug for myself.  

The number one thing Charissa, our budget counselor, has recommended is switching to a cash basis as much as possible.  What this looks like for my end of things is taking out enough cash each week for the things I take care of like groceries, gas in my car, entertainment and miscellaneous cash for the family.  

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I have told you all about my obsession with bows.  I can't tell you how many my little girl has.  I also love matching but I love to save money as well.  I have a big bag of leather scraps and I've been trying to figure out how to use it up.  I've been making tassels like crazy and now I'm making bows for Baby girl!  Now you might be thinking I can't sew or I don't know anything about making bows.  Well April Does. :)  AND you don't have to sew a thing.  All you need is some leather, some scissors and an alligator clip. Optionally you can use a little leather glue to make sure the bow is extra secure.

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You could probably guess that I love to decorate my home with handmade things.  This is especially true of things that have sentimental value.  Much to my despair my kiddos are growing like weeds!  Where have my babies gone?  I saw a picture of using a hand and footprint to spell the word love while perusing the internet and I loved how it memorialized a time when small hands and feet fit on a canvas.  But I thought I'd mix it up a bit by adding Mama and Daddy fingerprints to make the L and E.  The baby's chubby feet won't be cute and tiny much longer so it was time to get this together.  Unfortunately my sweet babe is not in any of the pictures as it took two of us to wrestle her cutie pie feet onto the canvas and her hands and body out of the paint. :D  This took all of 10 minutes so buckle up and let's make a beautiful memory!

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Themes!  Themes are my jam!  I love themed parties and rooms and this year I am extending this obsession to the backyard!  My backyard is full of life.  We grill, we play, we plant and we reap. We have a flower garden and a pretty sizeable veggie and fruit garden.  So basically, when the weather is good we are outside.  I have given a lot of thought to my yard over the years.  I've drawn diagrams and planned ways to make it look at least decent but it is always lacking something.  Enter the theme.  

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I'm not a very picky housekeeper but there are a few a things I do care about.  I most likely wouldn't ever tell you that you have to take off your shoes when you enter my home.  But honestly I really prefer it.  I have two little rugrats rolling around sometimes eating things that drop to my floor.  They are both walkers sure, but they love to wrestle on the floor and the baby will eat anything that is food...or not that she finds whether its on the floor or the plate.

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One of the most fun things about having a baby is planning the nursery decor!  Well I'm past this stage with Baby Girl but I still look for ways to incorporate cute findings into her room now and then.  Lately I've been perusing garlands and thinking of all the ways I could use them in my home and of course Baby Girl's room is top of my list.  Garlands are all the rage these days but did you know they are practically the easiest thing ever to make?  I love pom poms so naturally that's what I went with for.  

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A few months back my sister-in-law surprised me with some amazing handmade soap.  It smelled delightful and had all natural ingredients like lavendar oil and lavendar petals and coconut oil and goat milk.  I asked her at the time how hard it was to make and she said it was the easiest thing ever.  I haven't had any experience with making soap before and had always thought there was just the one scary wear gloves and goggles hard way to do it.  My interest was immediately picqued and I couldn't wait to get together with her and make some soap together.  

She was worried I wouldn't like learning from her because she only knows how to do it the easy way.  But the easy way is my favorite way to do everything!

If you are a mom you probably know, remember or long for that precious moment when you feel like you can switch back to a regular purse from that giant diaper bag.  Well friends I am there.  I seem to get away with leaving the house with just diapers and wipes these days and I keep a change of clothes in the car.  Baby girl is perfectly capable and insistent on carrying her own sippy so I am confident that the glorious moment has arrived.  Maybe I should mope a little.  After all baby girl is our last baby and leaving the diaper bag behind is a little symbolic that she is growing up.  But instead I choose to celebrate the steps we're taking together.  My big girl and I will both carry our own purses and they will be appropriately sized to our bodies instead of giant baby suitcases.  Goodbye diaper bag it was great while it lasted.  

Hello my new beautiful purse.  My first real name brand purse (it was a special early anniversary present)  I was giddy picking out my purse over the weekend.  It almost felt like that moment had finally arrived where I was a real adult woman with her first real purse.  The mom purse.  I'm embracing it you guys. This thing is sturdy, fashionable and functional.  It'll have diapers and a pretty wallet.  Kid snacks and my celly.  I'm realizing more and more how little I actually need to carry with me.  It's freeing and wonderful.

Well anyway!  When I was buying my first big girl purse I was looking at all the pretty little tassels and baubles I could attach to it as well.

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A guest post by Paige Everson

I bought this vintage settee for only 10 bucks. I always wanted some sort of stylish bench seating for the window side of my dining room table and this was the perfect size. That said, I never really liked the fabric.

 I mean, honestly, other than a baby’s room, who decorates with pepto pink? In addition to the less than desirable color, there were a few deeply set in stains that were beyond removable and also some spots of sun fading.

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Spring has sprung!  My flowers are starting to pop up.  The birds are singing and the weather has warmed.  It's time to say goodbye to my snowflakes and pinecones and so long to my snowmen.  Hello bright colors!  Welcome spring flowers!  

Seasonal decor can be expensive.  In fact, when I bought the supplies for this tutorial, the lady in front of me spent $100 on Spring Decor. (no really!)  If you don't believe that's possible, just take a walk through Hobby Lobby and see for yourself.  I like to change my wreath for each season.

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You've seen them.  Those little tiny fashionistas with their attitude and fresh style and squishy diaper butts.  They have their mocs their trendy outfits and their accessories.  Well I'm as guilty as the next mom.  I love to dress my baby in grown up styles because it is just so darn cute.  I still like those fluffy dresses now and again but my baby is usually dressed in leggings, gold bow moccasins and a trendy shirt.  That is where it's at for me.  I had been wanting a fur vest for baby girl all winter and when I made those throw pillows a while back, one of them was made of faux fur.  So I decided instead of spending a fortune on a fur vest for the baby, I'd take a shot at making one because that's how I roll.  My sewing skills are pretty limited so if I can do this, so can you!

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