Category: Lifestyle

Top 4 Beauty NEEDS for Busy Moms

~ quirkymoms486 ~ 26 Comments

I am celebrating 10 years of being a mom this week! I still remember the moment that I first looked into our little girls big eyes. It’s crazy how fast that time flies!

This week I wanted to tell you my top 5 beauty must haves. If there is one thing that I’ve learned in the past decade of “momming”, it’s that some time self-care isn’t a long luxurious bubble bath, or a day trip to the spa. Sometimes it’s simply getting your self presentable within the 10 minutes you have before bolting out the door in the morning.

Revlon One-Step

This little device has changed my life SIGNIFICANTLY! It has literally knocked a half an hour of time off my routine. I had asked my husband to get it for me for my birthday, and he did, and I have used it every day since. The best thing about it was I could dry and style my hair at one time, and for being a busy lady, it drastically improved my life!

Nuetrogena Hydro-Boost Line

I cannot recommend this product line more! I started using the moisturizer the moment it came out. I have dry skin, but in the winter it turns extremely dry! This line has literally saved my skin. It gives me that nice dewy glow without looking oily and greasy. It is perfect under makeup, but quite honestly it’s made me comfortable in my own skin too. That’s a lot of pressure for a product!

Vaseline

I think Vaseline is a very under rated product. I use it for literally everything! Lips, eyebrows, even on my cheek bones to give an extra glow. My hands have been dry and cracking for the past year now, and at night time I will coat the top of my hands. So soothing!

Good Concealer

I don’t use foundation anymore. Even before masks over took our faces. I started buying a good concealer. I started with Tarte Shape Tape, and then Elf came out with a dupe. It’s the 16h Camo Concealer. I honestly can’t tell a difference, but I’m no expert. I just apply under my eyes, depending on how dark the circles are, blend it out, and go!

Wow, I’m not going to lie. I totally inteded doing my top 5, but it’s “mid winter break” and they are still responsible for school work “virtually”.

Hope you enjoyed my top four beauty tips!

Adventures of a Toddler/Puppy Mom.

~ quirkymoms486 ~ 42 Comments

So I’m a pretty big optimist. It’s definitely one of my weaknesses but also strengths.

I had this perfect picture in my mind when thinking of getting a puppy. Anyone who knows my sweet bub knows how much he loves dogs.

Every time he sees a dog he points to them and yells dog! Excitement in his eyes. So my hubby and I were so excited at the opportunity to bring a pup home shortly after Christmas.

Well…..my son still loves dogs but a new puppy in his home getting the same attention he does?

Uhhh yeah…didn’t go as planned

I was so worried about if Boomer would bite Easton and all of that but I didn’t realize I would have to worry about bub being nice more!

I think I yell NO or STOP and there’s definitely some GET OUT OF THERE’s about 20 times a day.

But soon it eventually turned into one of those TikTok videos (if I knew how to make one I would) when they say “what I thought having a toddler and puppy would be like” then it rolls into “what I got” and you suddenly hear the bad sh*t song come on.

Not even joking, these two are partners in crime and when I say they get into everything I mean EVERYTHING.

I don’t even know what’s hidden under my couches with the little hands pushing things be the little tail wagging around.

Bub is sweet but has learned how to get into the dog food container and secretly feeds Boomer extra food even if it’s just a few pieces at a time.

I now never ever go to the bathroom alone. There is a toddler getting into the vanity and there’s a puppy getting into the bathroom trash.

When I leave the room and it’s quiet, you better bet mischief is happening.

But we are a little over a month into this new toddler and puppy life and they are slowly getting used to each other.

Yes there’s some puppy bites.

Yes there are accidents.

Yes there is some tail pulling.

But we are navigating and embracing this new adventure (told you embracing was my 2021 motto!)

And it’s been fun and exhausting and super cute and the cuddles are the best ever because I get cuddles from both and sometimes at the same time! I missed my feet being warmed by soft fur❤️

Moral of the story is, I love my little family so much! I can’t wait to share more adventures of Bub and Boomer with you all!

Happy New Year, I am Back!

~ quirkymoms486 ~ 17 Comments

HI FRIENDS! Happy Monday!

Long time no talk. Were the Holidays crazy or what?

I was feeling so down because of how different everything was and what we couldn’t do. So I just focused on myself and my family and what we could still do.

It was definitely needed but guess what!? I am back and I thank you for being so patient. I have so much news and so many new ideas I can’t wait to dive into.

The cutest news?

We added to our family in December, we have a fur baby!

His name is Boomer and he’s an adorable Golden Retriever. So now I am officially super outnumbered with all boys in my house.

It’s definitely been an adjustment with an 18 month old and a puppy but it’s been fun! I will definitely talk more on that in another post.

But for now I just wanted to hop on here and say hi and let you know I’m still here!

It’s a new year and I can’t wait to freshen things up and get some new content rolling out.

Also, remember we do Saturday guest blogs and would love to line some up for the new year so email us at quirkyworkinmoms@gmail.com if you are interested please!

Again, thank you so much for being patient and I’m so glad to be back to writing for you all!

8 Acts Of Kindness For This Holiday Season.

~ quirkymoms486 ~ 23 Comments

It’s officially the Holiday season and what better way to celebrate it then to give back and be kind to others? Especially this year.

I love everything about the Holiday’s and even though I think you should be kind everyday out of the year, I do have to admit there is something magical about this time of year that just makes you want to give, give, give!

So I am here to give you a few ideas on how you can share your kindness with other’s even during a pandemic. Some of these are the smallest gestures but I promise you, they can totally change someone’s day!

Go through your winter coats, trends change and I’m sure there are a few in your closest that just don’t suit your style anymore. Guess what though? There are so many freezing out there during the winter time, so donate it to a coat drive or your local shelter!

Buy a Stanger’s coffee! How many of you have had it happen to you before? You’re in this massive coffee line and just need that first sip of caffeine to wake you up, you pull up to the window and find out your coffee’s been paid for. It’s enough to make your whole entire day.

Donate some toys or pet food to your local shelters. Pets need love as much as we all do during the holiday season.

Same thing goes for kids! Go through your kids toys from last year that they maybe just don’t play with enough and donate them to a local charity drive for children! Or maybe even buy a new toy for toys for tots! I bet it would bring out the biggest smile on their faces.

Leave goodies out for your local post office workers and UPS and FedEx! I’m sure online sales are up way more this year and they are so busy. And if possible a drop off for your local hospitals, we know they all deserve them!

Whip up a big batch of Christmas cookies and do porch drop offs for your neighbors, friends and families!

Donate to a cause you care about this season, or buy from small shops for Christmas gifts that give a percentage of profit to a non profit organization and even just to support them. We know every small business needs it this year.

Write out Christmas cards and send them to your family and friends this year. You can even send them to soldiers and maybe do a mailbox drop off at nursing homes.

There are so many things you can do this holiday season to really brighten up someone’s day or to give back to those in need.

I know I am going to try to accomplish a lot of these this season and I encourage you to do the same! We as people make such a huge difference in this world and you know what? Even if you are only making a difference in one person’s life, that’s all that matter’s.

I hope you enjoyed this post and that it gives you the motivation to really make this holiday season a great one by giving back in some way!

As always, thanks for reading!

What I Am Most Thankful For This Year.

~ quirkymoms486 ~ 21 Comments

I feel like this year I am more thankful than I ever have been before.

2020 has truly opened my eyes to what matters most in life and it’s definitely not any type of material things that matter even one little bit. It’s people. It’s our loved ones. It’s “our” people.

And it’s most definitely health.

I know the holiday’s will be hard for everyone this year. There’s just no way of getting around it. But I still hope you can find joy and happiness in your hearts and I hope you can still enjoy this wonderful season and the memories it will still bring.

I thought today I would share with you all what I’m most thankful for not only this year but every day. Because no matter what, you can always find at least one thing you are thankful for.

My Family.

I can’t even describe to you the love I have for my family. Not only my husband and my son but just all the ones so close to me. They show nothing but support. Nothing but love and a helping hand whenever you need it. The gift of family is the best there is and I am just so thankful for each and every one of them that I get to call mine.

Health.

The health of myself. The health of my family and my friends. Now more than ever I am so so thankful for health and I’m never taking it for granted.

Smiles & Laughs.

Oh how much I miss seeing a kind strangers smile. I am so thankful for the smiles I get to see this year. You never know how much of a good and infectious thing it is until it’s covered up.

Plus, laughs with my hubby and son have just been the best lately. My husband and I will crack up about something (he’s a jokester) and then all of a sudden our little man will start laughing with us. It’s so cute!

Messes.

As much as I love a clean house, I know I am doing great as a mom when my house is filled with toys all over. It reminds me that I’m raising a sweet, playful and adventures little boy and I would take messes over a picked up, vacuum lines showing house any day of the week.

Friendship.

My husband and I are blessed with some amazing friendships. I am so thankful for the friends who are always a call or text away. They will never know how loved they truly are!

There are so many more things I’m thankful for in my life but I just thought I would share the 5 most important to me right now.

I wish you all nothing but a safe, healthy and happy Thanksgiving and holiday season. I hope your hearts fill with joy and magic and that you can spend it the best way you can.

What are you most thankful for this year?

I’ve been sick…

~ quirkymoms486 ~ 19 Comments

I’m back! I was sick last week! Not COVID either, just a regular seasonal cold. Those are still happening believe it or not. I thought for sure we weren’t going to get a cold this year with all this hand washing and mask wearing!

This week I want to tell you my cleaning tips! I HATE cleaning. I try to make cleaning as quick and simple. With having gotten sick last week it made me realize that I need to focus on disinfecting better.

Tip number one: wipe all your door knobs DAILY! I know it sounds silly, but many people if you were to ask them probably don’t do this as often as the should. I have started making it part of my routine. I give my kids (who are 9 & 7) a wipe as well and they have their doors to do as well! I wipe down faucet handles, too!

Tip number two: have bins with your kids name on them. Anything that is on the floor at the end of the day, goes in that bin and into their room. They know it is their responsibility to put those things away. I know a lot of my friends have younger kids then I, but it’s never too early to teach them the importance of picking up after themselves.

If you have hard floors I suggest buying a steam mop! It does WONDERS! We use this a few times a week for sure. With kids and two dogs, it’s a must!

Lastly, Mr. Clean Magic Erasers are your best frien when you have kids or pets! Crayon on the wall? Scrub it off with the Magic Eraser! Food cooked into the stove top? Magic Eraser! We buy the big pack because I know they’ll be used!

Now that your house is clean, sit down and enjoy it for the next 15 minutes before it’s dirty again from the dogs or kids!

Stay safe out there. COVID is on the rise in our area, and it’s scary! Also, feel free to leave your cleaning tips below!

Five Ways To Have A Low Key Halloween!

~ quirkymoms486 ~ 17 Comments

Hi Friends! I hope you’re doing well.

I can’t believe it’s already Halloween week! I love this Holiday. It’s just so fun and creative, plus all the activities are my favorite.

I think as the holiday’s keep coming, I am enjoying them more and more now that I am a mom. Even though my son is still little, it’s exciting to watch him learn new things and have fun.

We had our first family pumpkin carving this weekend and I love watching bub get curious about what we were doing and have him help us and do his own thing.

Although, I am probably the worst pumpkin carver. I totally did the stencil wrong and mine was a flop….ooops.

Of course my husband laughs at me, but then he attempted a tough stencil and his fell apart too sooooo…. ha 😉

I am thankful my son is still very little, so this year won’t be any different but my heart goes out to all the parents that have trick-or-treating aged children and are just trying to make the best of it!

For all of you that are trick-or-treating I pray you have great weather and a fun and safe time!

In case you aren’t though, here’s some fun ideas to have a fun but low key Halloween!

Have a movie night!

Put on your costumes or your Halloween pjs and watch some spooky movies. Don’t forget the candy and popcorn!

Game night for the win!

I absolutely love game nights and you can even make it fun by creating your own Halloween games.

Pumpkin carve/ Halloween crafts

It’s always fun to get crafty! Plus save your pumpkin carving for Halloween night.

Visit family

Trick-or-Treat at your family’s houses. That way you feel more comfortable and the kids can still get some candy.

Baking day!

Make some fun spooky cookies. Bake an apple pie or pumpkin bread. Have fun with it!

There’s so many things you can do that will still make this year a memorable and special one!

I hope you all have a fabulous Halloween week!

I hope it’s full of fun and adventures and as always, thanks for reading!

Happy Halloween 🎃👻

Pumpkin Crafting Fun For Toddler/Kids!

~ quirkymoms486 ~ 26 Comments

Happy Monday my lovely friends!

I have always been a crafty person. I love doing crafts and DIY’s and I think they are the best type of presents you can give someone. Even better? Becoming a mom and doing crafts with my little man. It brings an even more special meaning to these cute little things we create.

As we come up into the holiday season, I will be sharing tons of crafts and DIY’s that you can do yourselves and with your little’s so I really hope you enjoy!

Today I am taking you along with me and bub on a craft we made the other day. A little pumpkin. We are working on his sensory and fine motor skills so lots of coloring is involved.

What you will need-

  • Empty paper towel rolls or toilet paper rolls.
  • Pumpkin shaped paper.
  • Washable crayons (I highlight washable because….toddler mom life)
  • Hot glue gun

This is such a fun project that requires minimal effort and supplies and it turns out so cute. The empty toilet paper rolls and paper towel rolls I had because I knew I wanted to do this craft. The pumpkin shaped paper I bought at the Target dollar spot.

I lightly colored the majority of the pumpkin and then for each one I let my little man scribble around and dot it all up. He was loving it!!

Once he was done coloring all of them I heated up my hot glue gun and got my paper rolls ready and then hot glued each piece of paper to the front of the paper rolls so they stand up.

They turned out to be the cutest décor!

We handed them out as cute little Fall gifts to some of our family and it was a hit.

So simple but I love it and I think it’s the perfect craft that you can keep and make more each year!

Please let me know if you do it with your little’s. I would love to see your pictures of the final piece 🙂

Since the holiday’s are coming up, I thought I would share a funny story with you all.

My husband and I are HUGE National Lampoons Christmas Vacation fans. It’s one of our favorite movies to watch each year. Almost 9 years ago when we started dating, we still lived at home at the time. So of course we would store our Christmas gifts at our separate houses.

Well my husbands dad went into their attic the other day and he found a Christmas present wrapped up, all dusty and the tag read to Amanda, From A.J.

He pulled a total Clark Griswold when he is stuck in the attic and finds a mother’s day gift to his wife from like 10 years ago.

We were both cracking up and the date of the gift was from 2012!

We just thought it was the funniest thing and even funnier since it happened in one of our favorite movies! So I had to share on here 🙂

Do any of you have funny lost gift stories? Please share in the comments!

As always, thank you so much for reading and I hope you enjoyed my post, until next Monday!

Fall Crockpot Meal & Bake With Me!

~ quirkymoms486 ~ 31 Comments

Hello loves! Is anyone else’s tree’s changing?? I am so in love!

I hope you are all doing well! I have a fun post today and I am excited to share it with you.

Fall cooking and baking has been on my mind with the weather cooling down and ever since I decorated it makes It even more fun.

So I thought today I would share with you a new favorite crockpot recipe that is SO easy and yummy!

Plus take you along with me while baking and hanging with my little man. I love day in the life type of posts so I hope you enjoy 😊

Crockpot Baked Penne Pasta.

What you will need-

  • 1 tsp of garlic salt, pepper and parsley
  • 1 lb ground beef
  • 28oz diced tomatoes
  • 1 jar of marinara sauce
  • 2 cups chicken stock or water
  • Penne noodles
  • Parmesan cheese

Cook your ground beef and then add it to your crock pot. Sprinkle your seasonings over the ground beef and stir it up.

Then add your tomatoes, marinara sauce and chicken stock and stir together.

Cook on high for 3 hours or low for 6 hours.

Once your time is up, add your noodles and give it a good stir. Put the lid back on and cook for another 25-30 min.

Serve and sprinkle with fresh Parmesan cheese.

It was so yummy! And SO EASY. Defiantly a family favorite and the best part is that it was toddler approved. Bub ate two small servings of it! I love when I can find meals that all of us will eat. Then I can actually sit down and enjoy it instead of having to find something my son will want to eat as well.

I think my favorite thing about crockpot meals is it gives you the whole day to do whatver you want. Spend it outside, spend it away from home. Plus it frees up your oven and stove space to do lots of baking.

Which is exactly what I did on this day. If you have not tried this cinnamon swirl crumb cake yet you need to! It’s perfect for a Fall treat 🙂

Meanwhile, I had an overtired toddler eating lunch who would not take a nap. I guess lunch must have tired him out though? I turn around and see this little ham passed out.

Fall days like these are why I love this season so much! Just full of beautiful weather, beautiful colors and it’s crockpot season. Like what could be better!?

What are some of your favorite crockpot meals? Or baking recipes you can’t wait to make this season?

Plus, what’s your favorite thing you have done so far now that it’s officially Fall?

We have yet to go to an orchard but I think just spending time outside with our leaves changing and snuggling up on the couch during chilly nights.

I really hope you enjoyed this post! As always, thanks for reading 🙂

Top 5 Ways To Add Fall To Your Home.

~ quirkymoms486 ~ 34 Comments

I have to say, Fall decorating is my favorite. I love the coziness it brings with it and all the colors are just absolutely gorgeous Our tree’s are starting to change here in Michigan and I have been enjoying my walks around the neighborhood even more these days.

I don’t go “too” crazy with Fall decorating 😉 but I love to add the colors into my home and touches of it here and there, so today I thought I would show you ways to add Fall into your own home as well, with it not being too overwhelming.

Fill Your Vases.

Vases are such an easy way to add touches of each season. I love adding a mixture of pumpkins, pine cones and other fun things to my vases that I leave out all year round and just switch up for the different seasons.

Tiered Trays.

Another easy way to decorate and probably my favorite thing to decorate! You can stick a tiered tray anywhere and I think that’s why I love them so much. I used mine as my center piece for my kitchen table.

Pillows.

I love pillows, I might have a slight obsession with seasonal pillows but it’s ok. They are just so cute! I love to use pillows and blankets to brighten up a space and bring a cozy vibe to a room.

Pumpkins.

We all know pumpkins are Fall all the way. I have a questions though, pumpkin or apple? which one do you choose?? You can stick pumpkins wherever you want though and you already have a Fall vibe going in your home.

Candles/ Smells.

So many candles have such cute packaging and really bring a cozy vibe to your house. Plus the scent pots on the stove or crockpot are the best! Also, diffusing essential oils helps as well with bringing you Fall scents to bring you coziness.

I am so excited for this Fall season with my bub, he is at the age where we can enjoy more of the outdoor things our community has to offer. Here is a sweet picture of him helping me decorate outside over the weekend.

I hope taking a trip into my home has helped with coming up with ideas to add some seasonal Fall décor into your home without it being too much!

Now that I am a mom, I am excited to do more fun Halloween things though as well so I will keep you all updated on the new items I add over on our Instagram! Follow us if you haven’t already, quirkyworkmoms.

Let me know which pieces are your favorite and what your favorite things are to decorate in your home.