Category: Holiday

28 Life Lessons in 28 Years

Post author By Sarah Barkley
Post date February 24, 2019

I turned 28 on the 11th (and my baby turned 2 the same day!!) and I spent quite a bit of time reminiscing and reflecting on the past years of my life. With the reflection came some of the life lessons I have learned along the way. There have been so many events in my past that I always think I would want to go back and change but, if those events never happened, I wouldn’t have been able to learn these lessons. So, I guess I should say that I am thankful for the “bad” events in my life since they have guided my learning and living.

I want to be able to remember and recall these lessons quickly if need be. When I am having a bad day or beating myself up about something, I would love to be able to come back here, reference this post, and remember all of the things I’ve learned along the way. So, without further ado, here are 28 life lessons that I have learned in the past 28 years.

Life Lessons I Have Learned

1. You have to learn to love yourself.

2. You have to learn to admit when you are wrong.

3. If you realize something isn’t working for you, it’s OK to change your mind.

4. The opinion of others SHOULD NOT MATTER.

5. You have to say no sometimes.

6. You must communicate with your partner.

7. Being “ready” is impossible.

With all things in life, you will never be completely ready. For a baby, marriage, a new job, etc. You just have to have faith and jump in, ready or not, when life throws huge events your way. If you spend your time waiting until things are perfect or waiting to feel completely comfortable, you will never be able to get things done.

8. Friends are important, even if you are in a relationship.

9. You are harder on yourself than anyone else is.

10. Your past doesn’t define who you are now.

You should consider this when you are thinking of yourself, but also when you are thinking of other people. Everyone deserves a second chance.

11. Mental health and self-care should be a top priority.

I cannot stress this one enough. I spent too much time putting everyone else first when I desperately needed to think of my own well-being. Spending some time taking care of myself and doing things that I enjoy, as well as doing things to promote positive mental health (such as supplementing with natural remedies such as turmeric) all helped along the way.

12. Be honest with yourself and others.

Speaking of mental health, mine stands in the way of my honesty sometimes. I’ll be the first to admit that sometimes when I say that I am “busy”, I’m really not. I sometimes despise myself for this, but it is easier (at the time), than saying that my depression/anxiety is standing in the way of my social life and that I just want to hibernate in my home until I’m feeling better.

Taking the easy way out may seem like the best option, but it really isn’t. People who truly care about you will understand what you are feeling, and they will respect you for being honest about why you can’t hang out or show up to an event.

13. Stop comparing yourself to others!!

14. Don’t lose your cool when people are looking.

15. Stop wishing your life away.

16. Appreciate the people who are honest with you.

Even if you don’t want to admit the truth.

17. Having kids is HARD, but so fulfilling.

18. There comes a point in life when age really is unimportant.

My husband is 11 years older than me, and we are truly perfect together.

19. Don’t settle!

Jobs, relationships, big investments, etc. Be patient until you find the perfect one for you.

20. Help others whenever you can.

21. You have to be your own person outside of your relationship.

Continue pursuing your own hobbies. Don’t let go of everything you love to do what your partner likes to do.

22. The worst that can happen is that they say no.

23. Avoid debt of all kinds.

24. Follow a budget!!!

25. Co-Parenting is HARD, but it does make life easier.

Happier kids, less stress, and just a more relaxed situation overall.

26. Never take out a student loan.

I learned this a little too late, and my job doesn’t even require a degree. I would take a pay cut if I took a job that I would need my degree for. Now, I have student loan payments monthly for pretty much the rest of my life.

27. Simplicity is key.

28. Children’s artwork DOES count as home decor.

Life Lessons From My Husband

My husband wanted to offer some of his own life lessons, which are really helpful. Or something.

Don’t zip your pants zipper too quickly.
Do not lick a frozen pole.
Don’t go chasing waterfalls. (Courtesy of TLC)
Don’t let your babies grow up to be cowboys. (Courtesy of Waylon Jennings & Willie Nelson)

Final Thoughts On 28 Life Lessons in 28 Years

Most of the lessons I’ve learned in life were learned the hard way. I’m sure many of you can relate to at least some of my mistakes.

I know that I’m missing some key lessons, so I’m sure I can relate to some of yours as well!! Leave a comment and let me know some of the life lessons you’ve learned in your years on this earth.

Tags Adult time, Birthday, Holiday, learning, marriage, Me Time, Our Life, Self Care, The Barkleys

Family Activities For the Home Holiday Home How To Organization Our Family Parenting

Achievable Goals For The New Year

Post author By Sarah Barkley
Post date January 1, 2019

The New Year is already here, and I just sat down this morning to figure out my New Year’s Resolution. I wanted it to actually be achievable goals for the New Year. It was a tough call because I can honestly say I won’t be going to the gym every day (or even once a week… I have 5 kids LOL), I also won’t ALWAYS eat healthily so I’m not going to restrict myself there, either. Every resolution that I considered just didn’t seem right.

I instead thought about what areas of my life I wanted to improve in, and things that I wanted to learn about. It seemed that everything I desire fits into two categories:

Finances
Home improvement
Routine
Family

Why This Didn’t Work For Me

Instead of heading into the rest of the year with vague resolutions to improve finances, improve our home, and focus on family, I decided to make a list of how I can accomplish all of those things.

I didn’t go overboard. There are so many more things I could have added to my list, but I wanted to start with an achievable goal. I figure that I will be more likely to follow my goals through when I actually have a goal that seems possible, instead of a vague idea to work toward the goal.

I didn’t want this: Spend more time with family.
Instead, I wanted something specific: Dates with kids weekly.

Then, I even went further into it and wrote:

“Dates with kids weekly. One kid each week, rotating schedule. After 5 weeks of individual kid dates, one big family outing. Then start over.

Not all of my achievable goals for the New Year were that long, either. That was probably the most complicated one. (List of all 10 of my goals for the New Year will be listed at the end of the post).

Later tonight I plan on sitting down and making a concrete schedule of dates with the kids. I may make and print out a calendar of the whole year and write it on there. Then I can put it into a binder so that the kids can always look and see when their next date is.

Plus, it might be fun to put a memento from the date in the binder afterward. Then, next year on New Year’s Eve we can look back at all of our date memories from the year.

I wanted to figure out a plan to implement each of the things I wanted to achieve. Once I narrowed it all down and wrote out my detailed list, all of the fun ideas came naturally when I began typing up my plans. The “date binder” was one of those that just came as I was planning.

So – back to the achievable goals for the New Year. Instead of just choosing one or two vague ideas of which areas I wanted to improve in, I came up with 10 smaller achievable goals.

10 Achievable Goals For The New Year

Follow chore/payment chart (blog post about that is coming soon so check back!!)
Start seeing a larger increase in the savings account.
Hire someone to do the yard work. (so serious. we can never keep up and I’m sick of stressing about it.)
FREAKING LAUNDRY. (and yes, this is how I wrote it on my list. I guess this one might be vague but I will be typing a schedule for everyone in the house to follow.)
Dates with kids weekly. One kid each week, rotating schedule. After 5 weeks of individual kid dates, one big family outing. Then start over. (We have 5 kids, hence the 5 weeks. If you have less/more, adjust the number accordingly).
Crunch numbers for vacations for the year before January 14th. Come up with a savings plan and a plan of when to make payments by February 1st.
Post a new blog post 1 time per week.
Make $150 on TextBroker every week.
Lose 40 pounds. 10 pounds every 3 months. First goal: Lose 10 pounds by March 1st.
Buy “clutter baskets” for each person in the home. Put anything they’ve left lying around the house in those baskets and distribute accordingly after school.

Final Thoughts On Achievable Goals For The New Year

All 10 of these goals are achievable goals for the new year. I won’t have to make a HUGE change in my lifestyle, I’ll just have to plan a little better and look for ways to cut costs while also making more money. Plus, I just need a plan to contain all the freaking clutter that my family accumulates each day.

I never follow through with my New Years Resolutions because I never come up with a list of ways to actually accomplish my goals in life. This time is different.

It may sound crazy to have 10 New Years Resolutions, but if they really are achievable goals for the new year, you can hit your goal sooner and see all the progress you have made. Plus, when you do accomplish one, you can come up with an even bigger goal next time.

Did you set any goals for yourself for the New Year? Tell me about them in the comments!

Tags Adult time, Date night, Family Activities, Goals, Holiday, Home, How to, learning, Make Money, Making money online, Organization, Our Life, Parenting, Plans, The Barkleys, Things to Do

Gifts Holiday Home

5 Simple Tips To Get Away With Re-gifting

Post author By Sarah Barkley
Post date December 27, 2018

Before anyone gets offended, this post about re-gifting is *mostly* a joke. You know you’ve done it, though. 😉

We all get little gifts that we may never use… and what do we do with them? Do you store them in a closet for years and forget all about them, or do you re-gift them to someone who may actually get a use out of it?

Re-gifting can be tricky, and you’re taking a chance of someone being offended by your actions. If you do it right, though, no one will ever know, right?!

Before you re-gift something, here are a few tips you should follow.

Tips For Re-gifting

1. Make sure you don’t re-gift the gift to the person who originally gave it to you.

I know people who have “re-gifting closets” or a “re-gifting shelf” where they store all items they want to re-gift until an occasion comes up that requires a gift. This could be a great idea… until it’s not.

What if you stored a gift in the “re-gifting closet” and then a couple months pass and you need a house-warming gift? You suddenly remember that baking set you got for Christmas a couple months before and you rush to get it and wrap it up. You arrive at the house-warming party, set the gift down, and set about mingling. Fast forward to when it is time to open gifts.

The host of the party begins to open your gift, only to realize that you gifted her (or him) the same present that they had given you for Christmas. When this happens, you will both be embarrassed… the host because you obviously didn’t like the gift they got you, and you are embarrassed because you accidentally re-gifted a gift to the person who originally gave you the gift!!

This could be a problem if you give the gift and another guest at the party recognizes it as the one they gave you, as well.

You have to be careful if you are ballsy enough to re-gift. Maybe tape a piece of paper to the gift that says who gave it to you so that you can prevent a similar situation from happening.

2. Remember to remove the original gift tag.

If there is a gift tag on the bag or the package that the gift is in, make sure you remove it. Nothing will make it a more obvious re-gift than leaving a gift tag right on the gift that says the gift was FOR you, from someone else.

3. Don’t let your kids know you are re-gifting.

Not only do they have big mouths and may possibly blab to the new recipient that the gift was actually given by someone else, they may also pick up bad habits. If they see you re-gifting something you received, they may think it’s okay to not show appreciation. They may also tell the original gift-giver that you didn’t like your gift and gave it to someone else.

4. Don’t give the gift to someone who personally knows the original gift-giver.

Could you imagine one of your good friends giving you a gift and then seeing it in another friend’s home? I’m sure it wouldn’t be too hard to make the connection. This could happen with family members, as well.

5. Just keep it.

This is the easiest option. It may collect dust in your closet, but at least your conscience is clear. Plus, there is no chance of the original gift giver or the new gift receiver finding out about the re-gift. You will also be setting a good example for your kiddos.

If you have a best friend, sibling, or even child who would appreciate the gift, just give it to them. Don’t wrap it and claim it as a gift you thought of and picked out on your own. Let them know that you thought of them when you opened it and that you think they would get more use out of it than you would.

Final Thoughts on Re-gifting

Re-gifting can be a tricky situation. While you’d hate to have a gift taking up closet space, you could spare the feelings of all involved by either re-gifting carefully and thoughtfully, or you could just choose to keep the gift.

This is an opportunity to set a good example for your kids, as well. You can say thank you, show appreciation, and then keep the gift that was chosen for you. This may teach your kids to be appreciative and polite.

Another option: You could just give (not as a gift) the item to someone close to you. Make it clear that you received it from someone else but don’t think you’ll use it very much.

We have all re-gifted something at one point in our lives, though, so if you choose to do so this holiday season, remember to follow these tips. Everyone will be spared the hurt/embarrassment associated with re-gifting, and your kids won’t be given the wrong idea.

Have you ever re-gifted something you received? What was it and how did it work out for you?

If you haven’t re-gifted, can you give tips on what to do with the gift instead if you will not be personally using it? Leave a comment!

Tags funny, gifts, Holiday, Home

Family Activities For the Home Holiday How To Winter

8 Ways to Get Your Fireplace Ready For Winter

Post author By Sarah Barkley
Post date October 22, 2018
9 Comments on 8 Ways to Get Your Fireplace Ready For Winter

With cold weather coming, you are probably ready to warm up in front of your fireplace. Not only will you stay warm, but your house will also heat up without raising your electricity bill. Before you start a fire, however, you must get your fireplace ready for winter. Doing so will protect your home from a house fire.

Whether this is your first time ever using the fireplace or if you use it every single year, you should complete the process before using it for the season.

***This post contains affiliate links. It costs you nothing extra, but I may receive a small commission.***

Get Your Fireplace Ready For Winter, Fireplace, Fireplace safety, get fireplace ready, home, home safety, get home ready for winter, winter, get ready for cold

How to Get Your Fireplace Ready For Winter

Clean and Inspect the Firebox

You only have to clean it if it wasn’t cleaned out the year before. Any soot or old wood in the firebox should be removed. When you’re removing soot, you should wet it down before removing it to avoid having the ash go into the air.

Once the firebox is cleaned, you should look for any cracks or areas that are missing mortar. Make note of those areas so you can have them repaired.

Inspect the Fue and Damper

The flue and damper regulate the airflow inside the chimney. If they are dirty, they may not open and close properly. You should clean them, and then make sure they are working properly.

Inspect the Gasket

The gasket seals the door and should be inspected every year before the fireplace is used. The door should also be checked for damage. Damaged or missing gaskets can cause too much oxygen to reach the fire, which may cause a house fire.

Clean the Blower

Some fireplaces have a blower, so if yours has one, it needs to be cleaned every year. If you don’t, buildup can occur.

Have your Chimney Swept

Once a year, you should call a professional to sweep your chimney. Oftentimes, soot and debris are left in the chimney from the previous winter. When this happens, it can cause a house fire if it isn’t cleaned out before being used the following year. A professional should always do the chimney sweeping because they have the necessary equipment and expertise.

Inspect the Outside of the Chimney

Check for cracks, loose bricks, or missing mortar in the structure of the chimney and the lining. Make a note of anything you see that may be an issue.

Have any Damages Repaired When You Get Your Fireplace Ready For Winter

A professional should handle all of the repairs. Professionals have the proper materials to fix both the inside and the outside of the fireplace. Plus, a reliable professional (read reviews before hiring anyone!!) knows for certain what they are doing. If the repairs are done incorrectly, it could cause a house fire.

Make Sure the Fireplace Has a Cap

Having a cap on your chimney prevents birds, rain, leaves, small animals, and other debris from going into the chimney. You will want to make sure yours is still there and that it doesn’t need to be repaired or replaced.

What to do When Your Fireplace is Ready

Before you light the first fire of the season, make sure your smoke detectors are working properly. If they aren’t, replace the batteries or install new detectors.

Get Your Fireplace Ready For Winter

After that, you can sit back, read a book, and get cozy in front of your fireplace.

Tags Family Activities, Holiday, Home, How to, Winter

Holiday Toddler and Preschool Age Fun Toddler and Preschool Age Learning Toys

Gift Ideas for a 3 Year Old Girl

Post author By Sarah Barkley
Post date October 1, 2018
1 Comment on Gift Ideas for a 3 Year Old Girl

Christmas is coming so we all have a whole list of people to buy for. It can become overwhelming trying to find the PERFECT gift for so many people. A gift guide can come in handy for that. We have five kids and a large extended family so, while I LOVE shopping for gifts, sometimes I draw a blank on what gift to give to a certain person and I look for gift ideas online.

When I have to buy gifts for a child of a different age range than I am familiar with, I look on Pinterest for a gift guide. Do you do the same? If you do, I can help you out with some of those. I’m starting with a gift guide for a 3-year-old girl first because my daughter’s birthday is coming up.

My daughter is turning 3 years old next week!! It is so unbelievable.

I’m excited about her birthday because I know she is going to LOVE her gifts. She is a girly girl, but she also doesn’t mind playing rough and getting dirty.

The only problem is, she already has the stuff she really loves. We don’t want to buy her toys that she will get bored with, and we don’t have space for many more large objects. In desperate need of gift ideas, I turned to Amazon.

Once I began looking on Amazon, things just started standing out to me that I KNOW he will love. I’m sure you all run into that with the kids in your life, too. Gift giving can become tricky. That is where a nice gift guide full of gift ideas comes in handy.

***This post contains affiliate links. It costs you nothing extra, but I may receive a small commission.***

Gift Ideas For a 3-Year-Old Girl

JaxoJoy Complete Kids Cooking and Baking Set – 11 Pcs

My daughter loves to pretend she is a chef or baker, dressing up and pretending to cook. She also loves to wear an apron and chef hat while she helps me make dinner or bake brownies. She would be so excited to unwrap her own chef set.

This JaxoJoy Complete Kids Cooking and Baking chef set comes with an apron, chef hat, oven mitt, glove, whisk, wooden spoon, rolling pin, and four cookie cutters. My favorite thing about this set is that it comes with an oven mitt and glove. The polka dots and frills are so cute, as well.

The best part about this chef set is that the utensils can actually be used for cooking and baking. She doesn’t just have to pretend with this set… she can actually help cook with utensils that are her size! How fun is that?!

Of course, she can still play pretend with it. My daughter wears a chef hat and apron (not nearly as cute as this one, though) while she’s playing in her toy kitchen. It is the cutest thing.

The apron and chef hat can both be washed in the washing machine, so there is no worry if they get messy. Both items are also made to fit any size girl. The hat is elastic, and the apron can be tied at different sizes.

Disney Princess Dress Up Trunk

This Disney Princess Dress Up Trunk comes with four shirts, three skirts, two headbands, one tiara, one choker, three bracelets, one pair of earrings, one necklace, three rings, and a storage trunk. The outfits and accessories allow the child to become Belle, Cinderella, Sleeping Beauty, and Snow White.

The storage trunk is made of cardboard, which has been decorated to fit the princess theme.

My daughter loves to dress up, so I know this one will be a hit. I do wish that it came with shoes, but for this price, those could always be purchased separately.

This dress up playset is rated 3.5 stars out of 5 on Amazon. The problems with this dress up play set are that Belle and Snow White have to share the yellow skirt, so four children could not play at one time. Another issue is that the material isn’t made from the best quality.

Even with the low quality, my daughter will love this playset and the cost is great.

Flybar My First Foam Pogo Jumper

It’s a Pogo stick for toddlers!! This Flybar My First Foam Pogo Jumper is made of foam (obviously), a spring made from bungee type material, and has a foam grip for the handles. and has a squeaker, so it makes a fun noise when the child jumps on it.

An added bonus: This toy is intended for toddlers but can hold up to 250 pounds. This means that adults and kids of all ages can try it out!

The Flybar Pogo Jumper is a great way for a child to stay active, so on days when the weather isn’t cooperating and she has to stay inside, she can still get her wiggles out and exercise in the house. This toy can also help enhance hand-eye coordination, balance, and strength.

It is rated 4.3 out of 5 stars on Amazon. Two big complaints about the Foam Pogo Jumper: (1) It squeaks and (2) that……. the squeaker stops working pretty quickly. Um, what? Some hate it, others hate that it doesn’t last longer… it seems there is no happy medium.

Educational Insights Playfoam Combo 8-Pack

Playfoam can be molded in shapes and creations, and it is supposed to never dry out. It also isn’t supposed to stick to anything, so unlike with play-doh, slime, and putty, your couch and carpet should be safe.

For my daughter, I plan on using it to practice m aking lette rs an d sha pes j ust li ke we did wit h play-doh.

Not only is this Playfoam just going to be so much fun, but it also has some educational and developmental bonuses, too. It helps to develop and enhance the child’s artistic ability, creative play, tactile, and sensory exploration.

Another perk; the muscles that she will be using to play with this Playfoam are the same muscles that she will later be using for writing and drawing.

It is rated 3.9 out of 5 stars. One problem is that it can leave a stain on surfaces. Other issues are that if collects pet fur and fuzzies if it falls on the floor, it doesn’t come in re-sealable containers, and there is only a small amount of each color.

VTech Care for Me Learning Carrier

VTech’s Care for Me Learning Carrier could be perfect for teaching a little girl how to care for a puppy, or to give a “pet” to a little girl who doesn’t have a real one. It comes with a stuffed animal puppy, a comb, bottle, a food dish, dog toy, and of course, the carrier.

Whenever the door of the carrier is opened, the carrier says a phrase that helps the child learn opposites. The buttons on the outside of the carrier light up and when they are pushed, they teach colors, shapes, and pet care tips.

Another awesome feature is that when the letter beads are moved, the carrier teaches the child letters and plays music.

This VTech pet carrier is rated 4.6 out of 5 stars on Amazon. The only complaint is that the door of the carrier is hard for a toddler to open and close, so they often need help with that part.

KidKraft Chelsea Doll Cottage with Furniture

I have been wanting to get my daughter a dollhouse since I first found out I was pregnant with a girl. I’m not kidding.

With Christmas coming up, I spent the last couple of weeks researching doll houses and searching for the right one. I wanted one that was big and had lots of rooms.

The biggest struggle was the price point, however, because I didn’t want to spend over $100 on a dollhouse for a three-year-old. Luckily, I found the perfect one and I am so excited for her to see it under our Christmas tree.

This KidKraft Chelsea Doll Cottage has two staircases, three floors, and 17 pieces of furniture. Another awesome feature is that the windows actually open and close, which my daughter will love. This dollhouse is big enough that my other littles can play with her if they want.

The house is made for four-inch dolls, but five-inch dolls work fine, too. The dolls don’t come with it, though, so those would have to be purchased separately.

It is rated 4.1 out of 5 stars. There are images on the walls of the house that show a toilet, a stove, and other household items, but then there is also physical furniture for the toilet and stove. Another issue is that some of the dollhouses come with pieces that don’t fit together properly.

Our Generation Dolls Violet Anna Doll

My daughter has been wanting a doll that she can dress up and do her hair. After researching, I came across the Our Generation dolls. I chose the Violet Anna ballet doll because I am signing Josie up for a ballet class as soon as she turns three.

This doll has arms and legs that move, and her outfit can be changed. Our Generation offers SO MANY cute outfit options that can be ordered separately. The ballet doll comes with a leotard, tutu, tights, and ballet shoes, so it is perfect for what we need right now.

You can also buy vehicles, animals, sports equipment, career items, and many other accessories to accompany the Our Generation dolls.

Spirit Riding Free Barn Playset

My daughter is OBSESSED with horses and loves the show Spirit on Netflix. This Spirit Riding Free Barn Playset comes with a Lucky doll (the main character), Spirit (Lucky’s horse) a bridle, wheelbarrow, tack box, trough, hay, weathervane, bucket, ladder, chair, ottoman, lamp, a sign, and a sheet of stickers so the child can decorate the barn how she wants it.

This barn playset also comes with eight fence pieces, so she can build a fenced in area next to the barn. The barn has an upstairs area for the characters to hang out, and the lower level holds three horses. It has a sliding door to make it easy for the horses to come in and out.

There are two sides to this playset so more than one child can play at a time, too. Extra horses and characters can be purchased separately (more gift ideas, maybe?).

This barn playset is rated 4 out of 5 stars on Amazon. Complaints are that there are many small pieces, and also that the materials used are cheap.

Playskool Mrs. Potato Head

This Mrs. Potato Head comes with 10 accessories including eyes, a nose, mouth, purse, hairdo, tongue, hands, ears, and legs with shoes. All of the pieces can be used on other Mr. and Mrs. Potato Head figures, so they are interchangeable.

The child can work on putting all of the pieces where they “belong”, or she can put an ear on the face and the eyes on the side. This toy is so much fun because she can do whatever she wants with it.

I am thinking that this could be the perfect quiet time toy because it is fun and engaging at the same time, and can keep a child busy for quite some time since they can put the pieces where ever they want.

It was rated 4.3 out of 5 stars on Amazon. The biggest complaint is that the hair doesn’t stay on. There were also complaints that the storage area in the potato isn’t big enough to hold all of the accessories, so you may need a different storage solution.

PicassoTiles 26 Piece Building Blocks

I bought these Picasso Tiles as a cheaper alternative to Magnatiles for my 10-year-old for Christmas last year and they were a hit. My 10 Y/O loved them, but so did my toddlers. My daughter is always trying to sneak into my son’s room to get his Picasso Tiles. He doesn’t like the littles to play with them, though, because … siblings.

The best thing about the Picasso Tiles is that it is an amazing opportunity for children to learn in many different ways. They can learn colors, shapes, and numbers, all while learning about magnets and using their imagination. I also love that more than one child can play at a time.

These are definitely being bought for Josie this year. She will be so excited that she has her own Picasso Tiles! I know this is my favorite choice of all the gift ideas so far.

The Picasso Tiles are rated 4.8 out of 5 stars on Amazon. The only complaint has been that the 26 pieces aren’t enough, but I think that for a 3-year-old it is plenty.

Play-Doh Cake Party Gift Ideas

My kids and I love play-doh. It is so much fun. There are so many creative options, and so much learning potential.

This Play-Doh Cake Party set can be perfect for a 3-year-old girl because she is starting to understand how things work. She will have a blast making cakes by using the oven and cutters.

This set comes with five play-doh cutters, a decorating tool, two plates, a spatula, fork, knife, three containers of play-doh confetti compound, and two containers of regular play-doh.

With so many different options, this play-doh set might keep my daughter busy for at least an hour. I can’t wait to find out!

Final Thoughts On Gift Ideas for a Girl

There are so many options when it comes to gifts for a 3-year-old girl. It can be hard to choose the right one. She may receive three of the same gift, or she may just be uninterested in the toy that was advertised at your local toy store. It’s hard to say exactly how a child will react to a gift. So, I’m hoping that my gift guide will help you out.

I am an experienced mom, and I have a daughter who is turning three in just TWO DAYS (Where does the time go!?), so take my advice – I know what 3-year-old girls like. Even if she doesn’t reaaallly know herself, I normally have a pretty good idea for gift ideas.

Are there any gift ideas you would add to this list? Is there a gift you’ve been considering but you’re unsure of? Which gift on this gift guide is your favorite? Tell me all about it in the comments! I love to chat!

P.S.

I am going to be posting gift ideas for a 10-year-old boy, a 14-year-old girl, and a 1-year-old boy in the next couple of weeks so watch for those, too!! I’ve already put together a gift guide for a 4-year-old boy so if you’d like to check that out, here it is: Gift Guide for a 4-year-old Boy.

I hope your holiday shopping goes well and that you find the perfect gift for every person on your list. (If you don’t find the perfect gift, just search on Pinterest for a gift guide).

Tags Birthday, Gift Guide, Holiday, imaginative play, play dough, Toddler, toddler activities

Big kid fun Craft Family Activities Holiday Toddler and Preschool Age Fun

6 Easy and Fun 4th of July Crafts and Activities for Kids

Post author By Sarah Barkley
Post date June 29, 2018
4 Comments on 6 Easy and Fun 4th of July Crafts and Activities for Kids

4th of July, July 4th, Independence Day, Family cook out, Memorial Day, Patriotic Craft

I like to make holidays memorable for my kids. One way I do it is by doing holiday-themed crafts and activities in the days leading up to the holiday. My kids love it, I get keepsakes, and it offers an opportunity to discuss what the holiday means. 4th of July activities and crafts make the holiday more fun and exciting. Plus, there are plenty of ideas to choose from.

The 4th of July is always busy for us. We have a cookout the day of the holiday and another party the weekend after. It’s hard to talk about the meaning of the holiday with so much going on. Luckily, our craft time gives us that needed time to connect.

4th of July Activities and Crafts

This year we’ve done two crafts already, including:

4th of July Ripped Paper Wreath Kids Craft

These ripped paper wreaths were fun and easy. We used white paper, cut it into a circle (or close enough), and cut a round hole in the middle. Then, the kids ripped blue and red paper to glue on. I cut out stars to put on at the end. We hung the finished wreaths on the kids’ bedroom doors.

Handprint Firework Craft

This one is my favorite one we have made so far this year. It’s so cute, and I love handprint keepsakes. I painted their hands red before helping them put their hand flat on white paper. Then, using blue and red paint (separately so it doesn’t turn purple), they used their fingers to make the “fireworks” part. Super simple.

Other 4th of July Crafts and Activities

There are three other crafts I want to do with them before the 4th of July and one scavenger hunt.

Kids Blowers Patriotic Craft Idea

These patriotic kids blowers from Natural Beach Living are so cute. The kids can use them during fireworks displays to add more festivity.

Footprint Rocket Pop

I love this Footprint Rocket Pop craft from Tippytoe Crafts. It’s another keepsake for Mama and a craft the kids will love. It could be a general summertime craft, but with the red, white, and blue, it gives me patriotic vibes.

Painted Rocks

We want to paint some rocks like these Painted Rocks for the 4th of July created by Thrifty Nifty Things. I don’t know if this is popular everywhere, but where I’m from, people paint rocks and hide them for others to find. When you find a rock, you’re supposed to post a picture on the dedicated Facebook site and say where you found it. Then, you re-hide it in a new location. I want to paint them this weekend and hide them in the couple of days before the 4th of July. My kids LOVE hiding and finding rocks around town, so it’s perfect for them.

4th of July Scavenger Hunt

I fell in love with this 4th of July Scavenger Hunt Printable from Women With Intention on Pinterest. I’m bummed that the link didn’t work, and the website no longer exists, so I can’t download it directly from who created it. Later tonight I’ll make a scavenger hunt printable to use at home on the 4th of July and maybe a second one for the larger party the weekend after.

Recap: 4th of July Activities and Crafts

How do you teach your kids about holidays? Are you doing any fun crafts or activities with them for the 4th of July? Tell me about it in the comments!

Tags big kid activities, craft, handprint craft, Holiday, painting, paper craft, Preschool, toddler activities, tot school

Holiday Recipe

7+ 4th of July Barbeque Ideas For Your Family Friendly Festive Celebrations

Post author By Sarah Barkley
Post date June 25, 2018
10 Comments on 7+ 4th of July Barbeque Ideas For Your Family Friendly Festive Celebrations

How many of you will be barbequing for the 4th of July or at least attending a barbeque? If you’re a guest to a 4th of July barbeque, you can’t show up empty-handed and if you’re hosting a barbeque, you have to provide lots of yummy food.

If you’re like us, you’ll be doing both. On the actual 4th of July we’ll be having a barbeque at home, but the weekend after the 4th of July, my extended family has a HUGE party to celebrate. I’ve been compiling recipes and ideas to make it the best 4th of July yet.

Before you get cooking on any of these, however, make sure that you have everything you need to really host the perfect BBQ! That means getting your grill out nice and early to make sure it’s in good condition, calling the Ashland propane delivery service if you are out of gas, cleaning the BBQ so it’s ready for these delicious meals, and making sure you have enough yard furniture to host everyone. As long as you have all that in place, you can start prepping for these amazing meals!

1. Hotdog Bar and Festive Printables

Jamielyn at I Heart Naptime went above and beyond with this one!! Not only did she give an AMAZING idea for the hot dog topping bar, but she also created some super cute, festive printables.

2. BBQ Bacon Wrapped Chicken Bites

Just looking at these BBQ Bacon Wrapped Chicken Bites is making my mouth water. They seem pretty easy to prepare and cook, too. Kristyn at Lil Luna nailed it here! I’m sure if you brought these as a passing dish to a barbeque, you would be the favorite guest. 😉

3. Easy Festive Twizzlers

These were shared on Room to Inspire back in 2011 but they are still so cute!! Super simple to throw together, too. The kids at the barbeque will love them and I know quite a few adults who would enjoy them, too.

4. American Flag Fruit Tray

I love how cute this fruit platter is that was shared on Passion For Savings. It’s so simple, practical, and obviously delicious. I’ve seen other versions of this “flag” platter with white cheese instead of white chocolate covered pretzels and other red fruit (watermelon, raspberries, etc.) instead of strawberries. It’s another easy passing dish that people will love.

5. American Flag Veggie Tray

Another platter of food created to look similar to the American flag. You can’t forget the veggies at a barbeque! Amy at Living Locurto created this one, and it is so cute! If you go to her post, she has included a recipe for the dill dip that she used. Sounds so good and I am DEFINITELY taking this as a passing dish this 4th of July.

6. Loaded Baked Potato Salad

How good does this potato salad look?! Denay at Confetti and Bliss shared the recipe for this Loaded Baked Potato Salad on her blog and I can’t wait to try it! I don’t think I have ever tried a BAKED potato salad, so I’m curious about the difference. I might not even wait until the 4th of July to make it. Yummmm.

7. Baked Beans

These baked beans from Taste of Home look sooo good! The recipe calls for ground beef and I can’t remember ever having baked beans with ground beef in it, but I’m willing to give it a shot! The reviews on this are good so I can’t wait!

Other 4th of July Barbeque Ideas

Some other yummy ideas for a 4th of July barbeque are hamburgers (you could even do a hamburger bar similar to the hotdog bar I shared above), corn on the cob, steaks, bell peppers and dip, grilled Brussel sprouts, bean dip and tortilla chips, or you could make a yummy alcoholic (or non-alcoholic but why?) drink to share.

The big party my extended family throws has hundreds of people attend so my brothers and my dad roast a pig … they have to start it the day before the party and cook it forever. I’m not sure how long, at least 24 hours I think. Then they make it into pulled pork. People LOVE it. They also grill hotdogs for the ones who don’t like pulled pork, and of course, there are TONS of sides.

I hope some of these ideas help with your planning! Which one is your favorite? Do you have a favorite barbeque dish that I didn’t mention? Let me know in the comments! 🙂

Tags Food, Holiday, Recipe

Holiday Toddler and Preschool Age Fun Toddler and Preschool Age Learning

4 Year Old Boy Gift Guide: Gift Ideas For a 4-Year-old Boy

Post author By Sarah Barkley
Post date May 22, 2018

Sylas’ 4th birthday is this weekend and my phone has been blowing up with people asking what he would like for his birthday. That’s a tough question to answer when I hadn’t really even thought about it myself. For inspiration, I decided to head over to Amazon and come up with a 4 year old boy gift guide.

He’s a pretty typical almost 4 year old and likes PJ Masks, sharks, Paw Patrol, building toys, play doh toys, dress up, puzzles, outside toys, drawing items, legos, etc. It’s such a large variety that it ended up being pretty easy.

I know that it is so tricky buying for certain age groups. Since I struggle with it myself ALL THE TIME, I turn to the internet for buying suggestions from moms who have experience with that age group. I hope you find this boy gift guide helpful and can find something to buy for the 4 year old in your life!

My son would be so excited about any of these toys! A few of them he’s actually specifically asked for. Anything similar to these items would work, too! Buying for a 4 year old is easier than it may seem, I promise!

***This post contains affiliate links. It costs you nothing extra, but I may receive a small commission.***

Where To Find The Toys In The 4 Year Old Boy Gift Guide

Here are the links to the specific items shown in the guide.

I hope this helps if you’re struggling with gift ideas for a 4-year-old!!

If you’re a mom with a 3 or 4 year old, what things would you add to this 4 year old boy gift guide? Let me know in the comments!

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Looking for gift ideas for a 3 year old girl? Check out this gift guide: Gift Guide For a 3 Year Old Girl

Tags Birthday, Gift Guide, Holiday, imaginative play, learning, Preschool

Holiday Our Family Weekend Wrap-Up

Weekend Round-Up

Post author By Sarah Barkley
Post date May 14, 2018

This weekend was pretty great. With it being Mother’s Day weekend, it was pretty relaxing for me and my hubby might have gotten me some cute gifts. 😉

So Friday was a lazy day, for sure. It was rainy and SO COLD and the babies and I just stayed in all day. We got out their instruments and we sang songs while playing. We also cuddled in our warm, comfy clothes and watched movies, read books, and colored. It was a wonderfully unproductive day.

Friday night I braved the cold and went with my sister and her best friend to dinner, shopping, and out for a couple drinks. While I was out I got a couple cute Snapchat’s from Chris and Sylas.

Saturday I definitely slept in, as did all of my kids… they’re pretty great, am I right? When we woke up, Sylas and Josie helped me make pancakes. Later, Chris took Sylas and Liam shopping for a couple grocery items and I took Josie and Peyton to buy birthday gifts for Sylas. Then we went to Tractor Supply Co. to pick out a Mother’s Day gift for my mama. There was an animal called a Brahman at Tractor Supply and Sylas was brave enough to pet him! This Brahman has a medical issue that requires expensive treatment so his owners were there collecting money for him. Sylas fell in love with the store and decided to add five more things to his already extra long birthday list.

We had fried chicken, green beans, and potato salad for dinner on Saturday, which is always an event in our house. Chris and I listen to music and sing (if that’s what you want to call it) while we cook, and it turns out to be so much fun every time. Plus, fried chicken night is EVERYONES favorite here so that’s always exciting. Chris makes the best fried chicken, I make the best green beans, and we are working together to master my mother-in-law’s AMAZING potato salad. She never measures so it’s a guessing game for us… we’ve gotten close but never gotten it perfectly.

Sunday was Mother’s Day and it was also my due date for Sylas 4 years ago, so it’s extra special to me! I don’t know why I always get emotional on his due date day, but I do. Probably because he was my first baby and I remember so vividly the way I felt when the due date came around and still no baby… he didn’t come until 13 days later. Stubborn boy lol

Chris surprised me with the best gifts… I was so surprised he nailed every gift perfectly. We had donuts for breakfast and I drank coffee out of my new mug.

We got all the kids around and went to visit my mama. Sylas and Josie made her a cute little craft. They wanted to cut out flowers and tape them to paper so I let them go to town on Saturday. LOL. I drew the flowers out for them so my mom would have some idea of what they were and then the rest was up to them. When they were finished I did write a little message on them.

We also got my mom a gift for her garden.

We came home for a nap (the babies, not parents, unfortunately) and then went to my in-laws’ house for pizza night. We got Chris’ mom flowers because she is too tricky to shop for. I had delicious wine (of course) and will be posting about it on Wednesday so make sure you come and check it out.

Mommy drank wine on the deck while everyone played. 😉

Liam walked up and down the ramp with Nana.

It was such a good weekend! How was your weekend?!

Tags craft, Holiday, Our Life, paper craft, The Barkleys, weekend wrap-up

Craft Holiday Toddler and Preschool Age Fun

Mother’s Day Crafts

Post author By Sarah Barkley
Post date April 28, 2018

Every year I ask my mom, “what do you want for Mother’s Day?” and every year she says, “oh nothing. Maybe just a hanging basket of flowers.” And every single year I get frustrated because that is what she gets from EVERYONE! Does she really need 7 hanging baskets with flowers? No, absolutely not. But… she loves them and she is stubborn so I follow suit and get her yet another hanging basket.

I am also stubborn, though, and I refuse for that to be the only thing we show up with on Mother’s Day. This year, I kept it simple. My babies love to create artwork and give it as gifts so that’s what we did!! The babies are happy that they got to paint, I’m happy that we will be taking something more than just a hanging basket, and my mom will be happy that she got homemade crafts from her grandbabies.

To get started, I just gave the babies some blank paper and paint and let them go to town creating whatever they wanted. Once their paint dried, I turned those random paintings into something more.

These are the crafts we made for my mom this year. Sylas painted the vase with the flowers. To make this, he did free paint for the vase and when it was dry, I sketched a vase shape onto the back of it, making sure to get the coolest pattern and the least amount of blank spots from his painting and cut it out.

Next, I cut a sponge into the shape of a flower and JoJo and Sylas took turns dipping the sponge into the paint before placing the sponge on the paper. When they were finished, I added the green stems and the yellow in the center of the flowers and glued the vase on. I LOVE the way it turned out.

The Mother’s Day Handprint Flowers were even easier. I simply used paint for the babies handprints (Liam was not participating very well so his doesn’t look much like a handprint) and yellow hearts for the center of the flower, and Sylas helped me add the green stems and leaves.

The Mother’s Day Heart Card was Josie’s free paint craft. Once hers was done, I cut it into a heart and glued it to a piece of construction paper. On the inside, all of the babies “signed” their name.

Who says you have to go all out to make a mama (or a grandma) happy on Mother’s Day?!

Tags craft, handprint craft, Holiday, painting, toddler activities