Big Things Happening!

I made the decision, and I'm super excited about it.  I'm switching my blog over to Wordpress.  Why, you ask?  I'm looking to not only blog about what I'm doing, DIYs I'm making, etc.  I want to also be able to advertise future business ventures.  Not only do I love organizing myself, and creating fun crafts/events for my own children, but I also want to provide that for other busy moms.  Eventually, Savvy Mom will be expanding to a professional organizing business geared towards other Savvy moms who would like some extra backup.  We can do it all, but sometimes it's difficult and a little help goes a long way.  I will be offering organizing for rooms, homes, closets, as well as other organizational services geared towards moms; whether that includes chore charts, setting up a morning routine, or planning for a dorm room.

Big things will be happening!  I will keep this blog updated with the newest website information, so I can let you all know how things are going.  I have so much to share!  Be sure to follow me on Instagram, Twitter, and Facebook to stay up-to-date!  I will be blogging about our big trip to Disney when we return as well :)

The Mind of a Mom at Target

I've recently moved to a new city, and thank the good Lord it has a Target.  I am enjoying having a short 5 minutes drive to this lovely red sanctuary.  My husband of course does not understand the awesomeness of it all, nor does he appreciate how long it takes me to grab just 'a couple things.'  He will say things like "You spent $50?!  I thought you just went for cereal?!"  Silly man, he has no idea what the whole experience is like.  My fellow moms, join me as I go through the mind of a mom at Target:

~ Ahhhhhhh!
~ Gosh their carts are so nice - seriously, who else has carts this nice?!
~ Dollar section! Holla!!
~ I wonder what I could use this for?  It's only $1, I'll figure something out.
~ That's cute, oh that's cute too!
~ Okay, I probably need to move on.
~ Wait, I've only spent $7 though!  I'll get 3 more things to make it an even $10.
~ Okay seriously, move on Ashley.
~ They already have swimsuits out?!  It's only March!
~ They are cute though....and only $14.99.  I'll try one one - they get picked over so fast.
~ What am I here for again?
~ Oh cute shirt!
~ Yes, I found my list.  I'll get these items first, then walk around.
~ I should probably look at the shoes while I'm over here though.
~ Sandals!  I can't wait to wear sandals again - I should probably look at nail polish while I'm here.
~ Their kid shoes are so cute and well priced.
~Yep, they will need these shoes for sure.
~ Back to the list.
~ Glad that's out of the way - time to look at clothes for the kids.
~ I can't believe they've grown out of everything.
~ This is so adorable - she will love this.  Okay, why do I even shop anywhere else for her clothes?
~ Damn Justice, I could have just taken her here.
~ Probably need to get something for Jack now.
~ Boys clothes are seriously understocked - aww baby girl clothes.  I need to know somebody with a baby girl.
~ These are only $7 a piece.  I'll get him a few items to start out the season.
~ I should probably get something for my husband too; he said he needed socks.
~ He won't want me to spend anymore money though, I should probably just head home.
~ Home.  I wonder how he's doing with the kids?  I'll text him.
~ Everything is great - I'll check out the house stuff.  Hopefully they have something on sale.
~ Why are their pillows so expensive?  At least I found this great new table runner!
~ Easter stuff!  Gosh, that's coming up.  I better start on their baskets.
~ Do we still have our baskets from the move?  I'll at least get the candy.
~ uh-oh husband is texting - probably need to speed things up.
~ Need to go now.
~ OH, I forgot to look at nail polish - it's on the way out.
~ Cute colors.  I'll just get 2 today though.
~ Wow, my whole life could be at Target.  I could never leave.
~ Check out lanes!
~ Okay the double lanes are a good idea in theory, but then you have people like this.
~ "Excuse me," yeah, you with the cart at a diagonal, blocking access to the next lane.
~ Awesome, let's do this.
~ Wow, I got more than I thought.  I should put this back.
~ Yikes.....$$$$
~ I shouldn't have put that back.
~ Dang it - I forgot the item on my list!
~ Oh well, I can come back tomorrow :)

TV Tuesday - What I'm Watching

Living in Northern Indiana, we spend a lot of months inside.  That being said, I watch a lot of television.  My husband and I look at it as something we can do together.  We will find television shows that have already been out for sometime and binge watch them all.  It's such a nice treat for after the kids go to bed.  I also have a few shows that I watch on my own when he's coaching that are certainly my guilty pleasures.

We recently finished watching the series Breaking Bad and we both loved it!  I have two brothers, so I grew up watching action and gore.  If you're a little sensitive to those things, this might not be the show for you.

We just recently started watching The Walking Dead.  We are only on episode three (no spoilers please!)  We 're already getting sucked in, so I'm excited to see how the plot line develops.

My woman-power show, Scandal, is a big favorite.  It's a riveting drama that will keep you on your toes.  If you aren't watching it - catch up now!  It's available on Netflix :)  Another inspirational part of the show is her wardrobe, which you can BUY!  What show can you say that about?!?  Check out more about my love of all things Scandal here.

I am watching The Bachelor as I type...AHHH  I'm so happy he picked who he did.  I will not spoil it if you haven't caught up yet, but I'm hoping for a successful wedding/babies asap.

Here are some other oldies, but goodies that I continually rewatch:

                                              

My television time decreases tremendously as soon as the temperature rises above 50 degrees, but I'd love some more recommendations!  Let me know what you're watching.

Wake Up Tips

Hello there Daylight Savings Time!  I think by naming it DST, they were referring to the daylight being saved until hours after you're supposed to be awake.  I swear, I dropped my daughter off at Kidstop childcare in the middle of the night.  Okay, maybe not, but it certainly looked that way!  My toddler continued to remind me in his sweet, confused voice that it was still dark outside, and he seemed to be wondering why his crazy mother was waking everyone up way before the sun had risen.  I was wondering the same thing.  However, we had to be up and will need to be up again tomorrow morning too; so I'm looking to make the best of it.

I've been on a mission to make our mornings less chaotic and rushed; possibly pleasant?  Pleasant might be going too far since I am the complete opposite of a morning person, but tolerable would be nice.  Here's my list so far:

1.  Make your makeup work for you.  My makeup guru on YouTube had just the video for this occasion:  How to look awake when you're tired!  She has amazing makeup tips, and just watching her will inspire you to add a little pep to your world :)

I'm very interested in trying out the Rhotos Eye Drops.  She gives a detailed list of all the items she uses underneath her videos, which is incredibly helpful.

2. Shower the night before, so that you can save some blow dry time.  I will go to bed with my hair slightly damp, and just have to touch up my waves with a straightening iron in the morning.  This gets me an extra 1/2 hour of sleep.

3. Find a wake up drink.  I don't drink coffee.  I can't.  The taste. Eww.  However, I do need to find something more filling and energizing than my go-to Cocoa Puffs cereal.  I'm thinking about trying a protein smoothie, but not sure where to start.  Comment or email with any ideas :)

4. Prepare everything the night before.  Every Sunday, I pick out a week of outfits for not only myself, but the kids too.  It helps with morning battles, and I'm not searching through drawers for matching socks, etc.  We also pack our lunches the night before as well.  One less thing to do in the morning always helps.

Our morning routine is an ongoing challenge, so any ideas you might have would be greatly appreciated!  How do you get everyone out the door in time?

5 Tips for Cleaning Out Your Closet

I think we have officially survived winter here in Northern Indiana!  With all of my excitement, I've decided to clean out everyone's closets and drawers today.  I always pack away off season clothes because they seem so new and fresh to unpack when the season rolls back around.  Today, I'm mainly focusing on packing away the big sweaters, snow pants, boots. etc.  Here are some tips for cleaning out closets:

1. If you didn't wear it this year - you aren't going to wear it next year.  If you were able to go the entire winter without wearing that particular shirt; it's unlikely you'll wear it next winter.  Get rid of it!

2. Make a pile for donations, and a pile of what needs to be packed.  *If you have an annual garage sale; make a separate pile for this as well.

3.  Get kids to help!  They love showing you all of the clothes that don't fit anymore because they've gotten so big.  Have them start their own closets/dressers themselves.

4. Don't second guess yourself.  If you're questioning it, get rid of it.

5. Use this as an opportunity to reorganize how things are arranged in your closet and dresser.  It makes everything seem new and special.  I alternate organizing my tops by sleeve length and by color.  Whenever I arrange it differently, everything seems new and different.  Sometimes I'll notice tops I hadn't noticed in awhile just because they're in a new spot.

Happy organizing!

Link Up

Check out A Little R & R link party - I'm linking up a few posts today :)  Join me!

Chambray Shirt - 6 Ways to Wear it

The chambray shirt.  This is a wardrobe staple, and I've struggled to find the perfect one - until now.  The best part is that it's at Target!  You can purchase it here.  It is the perfect shade - not too light and not too dark; plus it's so soft that it feels like I've had it for years.  Now that you know how to buy it - here's how to wear it.  I feel like you could come up with 100 ways to wear it.  It's so versatile: it transcends seasons and almost works like a white shirt, but with an added sense of sophistication.  I can not express my love enough.  Here's how I styled it:

For my 1st look, I paired the shirt with colored denim and a pop-of-color scarf.  Any color of pants will work - including dress pants; just tuck in the shirt for a more put together look.

I used a romper for this look, but any color of shorts would work.  You could layer a patterned or white shirt underneath the chambray shirt to complete the look.  I just tied the bottom of the shirt in this picture.  This would be a great look for a chilly night in the summer.

The maxi skirt look.  I tied the bottom of my chambray shirt again here, but you could also tuck it in and add a belt for a dressier look.  Seriously - how versatile is this shirt?!

This is my edgy look.  I paired the chambray shirt with a leather skirt and booties.  Certainly not an everyday look, but a great look for a night out.

My next look was a little experimentation.  I wanted to try denim on denim.  Here's what I originally thought I'd look like:

However, the end result was something I loved!  This is probably going to be my favorite go-to for the weekend.  I styled it a few different ways - playing with shoes and accessories.  The outfit can go from sexy date night to casual ball game with just a few adjustments.

 

On the left, I'm wearing booties, the middle just flip flops, and on the right I added some hot pink pumps and a pink statement necklace.

This last outfit comes with a bonus Target find:

AHHH!  My two favorite items at Target right now.  Buy the skirt here.  I added a big statement necklace, black tights, and black mary jane shoes.  Obsessed.  The skirt is almost as versatile as the shirt.  Here are some different looks I tried with it:

The skirt is great quality.  If I didn't know better, I would have thought I purchased it from a boutique.  Here's what I mean:

Yes, the skirt stands on it's own.  I haven't washed it yet, but I'm hoping the shape lasts.  Hope you love these Target finds as much as I do!