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How To

How to Start a Blog in 3 Easy Steps (and what to do next!!)

how to start a blog

Have you ever thought about starting a blog, but you just didn’t know where to start? Maybe you know where to start, but you don’t know what to do next? If this is you, I’m here to tell you that it’s not as hard to start a blog as you may think… you can start a blog in 3 easy steps. I’m serious.

Whether you want to start a blog to have a creative out, to promote a business, earn an income, or to meet others who share your interest, everyone starts in the same place. You have to figure out how to start a blog before you can move on to your reason for blogging.

Figuring out how to start a blog can be a bit overwhelming if you don’t know where to begin, but I’ve done the research already and want to share with you how to start a blog in 3 easy steps!! Taking it one step further, I even included tips for what to do after you start a blog.

**This post contains affiliate links, which means that I will receive a commission if you click on a link and make a purchase. This is at no additional cost to you, it only helps me keep my blog up and running. I fully back the products that I recommend.**

How to Start a Blog in 3 Easy Steps

1. Decide what you want to blog about.

You can’t blog about everything, so you’ll need to think about what you’ll primarily be posting before you start a blog. My blog is primarily about parenting and marriage. Those are two vague topics, but they tell my readers what they can expect to find on my blog.

Keeping my topics a little more vague (but still making my general topic obvious) gives me the freedom to post ALL things regarding parenting (crafts, parenting tips, kid-friendly recipes, activities, etc.) and not just one parenting topic. Same with marriage… I am able to post whatever I want about marriage and my readers know to expect that, but at the same time, my readers also know they aren’t going to find a random book review thrown in because the topic of my blog isn’t books or book reviews.

2. Choose a blog name.

Obviously, before you start a blog you have to decide on a name. You need a name picked out before you start a blog because you’ll need your name to be on your blog and in the URL.

Since I blog about parenting and marriage, my blog name was easy for me, Mom Wife Wine. Simple, catchy, and it helps prospective readers know what to expect when they come to my blog.

You can make your blog name whatever you want, but it helps to come up with a name that will allow people to get a small feel of what your blog will be about.

3. Set up your blog.

Honestly, out of the 3 steps to start a blog this one might be the easiest. It can be hard to decide what parts of your life you want to blog about, and it’s even harder to come up with a blog name, but setting up your blog is SO easy. This is where you actually start a blog.


You could always start a free blog, hosted by a website like WordPress or blogger, but it can be tricky to do it that way. I’ve heard many bloggers say that they won’t even read a blog if it isn’t self-hosted and they can see this by looking at the blog link. If your blog name is followed by .wordpress.com or something similar, it is clear that you are using a free blog service.

Just for the record, I do read blogs that aren’t self-hosted, I just know lots of bloggers who won’t.

Another reason using a free site can be tricky is because it’s hard to monetize your blog that way, and the hosting website can shut your blog down for any reason, without warning, and you could lose ALL of your content.

It was an easy decision for me, but only after I researched SO MANY web hosting services. Once my research was complete I knew that BlueHost was definitely the one for me, and I was confident in this decision.

Some of the benefits of Bluehost include:

  • Free domain
  • Free security technology
  • You can install WordPress to use with Bluehost with just one click.
  • Low prices
  • 24-hour technical support

I think it’s important to emphasize that Bluehost is so inexpensive, which was important to me because we only had one income at the time, and the quality is top notch. More than a year later, and I still love it.

I have never had any issues with Bluehost and I’ve found it SO easy to use. I’ll literally never change to anything else. WordPress is really great, too, so it’s awesome that you can install it so easily with Bluehost.

Once you’ve gotten to this point, the rest is easy. You simply choose your Bluehost package, and then Bluehost will walk you through the rest of the setup. I don’t know if other web hosting websites walk you through the setup, but I know Bluehost does and it was so easy.

***Important Note*** Do not make your blog “live” right away. I’ll get to that more in the next section, but you need content first.

****CLICK HERE TO START A BLOG WITH BLUEHOST****

how to start a blog

What to do After You Start a Blog

So you have now created your blog, but the next steps can be a little daunting as you’re getting everything going. It doesn’t have to be, though!! Take it one step at a time and work your way through the list until you’ve got everything done. Some steps take longer than others and that’s okay!

1. Design your blog.

Some people pay for a cute layout, but there are free ones available and are pretty easy to find. I use a free layout myself that I found on WordPress, I just created my own logo using Canva and made some minor changes to the rest of the layout. Your blog should look good and the layout should be easy to navigate if you want viewers to return.

2. Create content.

This is obviously the most important step when you are just starting your blog (or anytime, for that matter). I mentioned in the previous section that you should not make your blog “live” right away. I say this because if a visitor comes to your blog and you only have one or two blog posts, they aren’t likely to come back again.

You want to have AT LEAST 25 blog posts on your blog before you go live. This gives readers many posts to click around on and decide if they want to come back and read your new stuff later on.

3. Promote blog.

You want to start promoting before your blog even goes live. Set up a Twitter account, Instagram account, a Pinterest account, etc., and start gaining followers and hyping them up for your blog release.

Twitter is my favorite social media platform because you can get lots of support from other bloggers on Twitter. I get the most views from Twitter and Pinterest, so I focus on those areas more than the other.

Before you go live, start making connections on social media. Make friends who are interested in your blog topic, write tweets with “sneak peaks” about your posts, and post a countdown to the day your blog will go live. Work on building followers on social media and the views will start coming in as soon as you go live.

4. Go live!!!

Make a big “event” out of this on social media. Tell everyone how excited you are and ask them to check out your blog. Be active during this time so you can interact with new viewers.

5. Get more traffic.

After you get your initial traffic from social media, you’ll need to start branching out and finding new sources of traffic. You can do this by writing guest posts for other bloggers or by increasing your following on social media. Make awesome graphics for Pinterest, because lots of traffic can (and will) come from there. You can start an e-mail list to help increase your viewers, too.

6. Monetize.

So, this is the last step because, in order to make money, you have to have consistent blog views. Once you think you are ready you could start monetizing through affiliate sales (like Amazon) and Google AdSense. I’ll be writing a separate post about monetizing (and what to do next) at a later time, so sign up for my e-mail list if you want to be notified!

Other Thoughts On How to Start a Blog

And, I guess you could count this as another step to both lists; you have to constantly learn. You should always be researching ways to improve your blog and grow your following.

There are blog courses available online, or you can just do your own research to figure things out if you prefer. It is always nice to have a mentor, however (someone who has been blogging longer and has already done all of these things), and you can likely find friends like this on social media. You can ask them questions and get advice from them, which will save you time and frustration.

Final Thoughts On How to Start a Blog in 3 Easy Steps

I hope this guide has helped you and given you some peace of mind with your blogging adventure. If you have any other questions, please feel free to ask in the comment section. I reply to all comments and would be more than happy to help you in any way that I can.

I mentioned a mentor of sorts before and, if you reach out to me, I’d love to help you along the way! If I don’t know the answer I can help you figure it out! 

how to start a blog how to start a blog how to start a blog

Categories
Marriage Printables

30 Day Marriage Challenge: 30 Days to a Stronger Marriage

30 day marriage challenge

A marriage can never be too strong, so I have created this 30 Day Marriage Challenge for ALL couples… ones who are at a good place in their relationship and those in a marriage that needs a little work. You don’t have to be in a bad place in your relationship to strive to make the marriage stronger.

I created this 30 Day Marriage Challenge to be a better, more attentive, intentional, loving, thoughtful wife. Will you join me in this challenge? If you want to be a better wife or husband, download the free printable and start tomorrow! It doesn’t matter what day you start on, as long as you start with day one and cross the days off as you go on.

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

30 Day Marriage Challenge

1. Write a love letter to your partner. 

In the letter, tell your spouse whatever you want them to hear. Tell them how much you love them, what you love about them, where you want your relationship to go, your hopes for the future, etc. Just speak from your heart. If there are specific issues within your marriage, you can even write about those, too. Try to keep the letter positive, even when addressing issues. You can read the letter I wrote to my husband HERE.

2. Make your partner’s favorite meal.

Does your husband or wife like breakfast or dinner better? Maybe they prefer brunch? Whatever it is, cook their favorite meal for them! Do the prep work, the cooking, and the cleanup. Let them know you are thinking of them and want them to enjoy their meal without any effort on their part.

3. Clean the house on day three of the marriage challenge.

Everyone loves a clean house, but sometimes, it’s just hard to get it cleaned (especially when you have kids) and keep it that way. For me, this means stressing about how messy the house is but never getting the time to clean the house. I’m sure it’s the same way for my husband. For this challenge, clean the home for your partner. Don’t make them do any of the work, and let them enjoy having a clean house (even if it’s just for a day). They will feel less stressed as they settle in to relax. 

4. Plan a date night out. 

Take care of all the details for a successful date night. If you’re on a budget, search for free options in your area. You don’t have to spend a lot of money on a fun night or evening out. Just make sure you plan something that your spouse will enjoy. Don’t forget to make a plan for a babysitter, if needed, too.

5. Tell your partner how you feel about them. 

Don’t just say, “I love you,” to your partner. Go in-depth and pour your heart out. The goal is to make sure your spouse knows how important they are to you.

6. Thank your partner for all they do. 

Does your husband or wife work hard to provide for your family? Is your partner a stay-at-home parent who handles raising the kids and running the house? Does your spouse work super hard to update the home or keep everything maintained? Whatever your husband or wife does for the family, let them know how grateful you are. You can tell them by saying it aloud, or you can do something special like make them a card or buy a small gift.

7. Turn off electronics for the night. 

Give your spouse your undivided attention by turning off all electronics. When you don’t have the distraction of electronics, it will help you focus your attention on them without occasionally looking down to check your text messages or Twitter feed. It’ll stop the chime of your phone from interrupting a conversation or cuddle session, too.

30 day marriage challenge

8. Tell your partner three things you love about them. 

I always appreciate hearing what my husband loves about me, so I assume he would feel the same way. You can make your partner’s day by telling them the things you love about them. On day number eight of the marriage challenge, spend some time thinking of meaningful things you could mention.

9. Wake up early and have coffee together on day nine of the marraige challenge. 

Sometimes early mornings are the only time my husband and I have together. I’m often tempted to sleep in while he gets ready for work and heads out, but it’s always a good time for bonding when I wake up early with him. Having a cup of coffee together in the morning makes both of our days better.

Love coffee? Check out this coffee subscription box that I love!

10. Compliment your spouse.  

I think many spouses forget to compliment their partner. We become so accustomed to seeing that person every day that we sometimes take them for granted. If your husband looks especially good today, tell him. Likewise, if your wife’s hair looks great, let her know. Whatever it is, tell your spouse when they look good.

11. Get dressed up for your partner.

You don’t have to go as far as a suit and tie or fancy dress (unless your situation calls for that), but look good for them! Put on an outfit you know they love on you, do your hair, and wait for them to get home for the day. They’ll be thrilled to walk in the house to their partner looking put-together for no reason at all, and you’ll feel good about yourself, too.

12. Talk about your favorite memories together.

Spend some time reminiscing with your spouse. Talk about all of your favorite memories that involve the two of you together. For my husband and I, these talks go back to the beginning of our relationship. We love talking about the things we did before we had kids, and it reminds us of who we were when it was just the two of us. 

13. Give your partner a massage.

Everyone likes a massage, and the physical contact will make you feel closer to one another. Who knows, maybe they’ll return the favor. Want to make it even more special? Use massage oils! You can find them with essential oils or scents that help with relaxation, like lavender massage oil. **click the link for the one I use.**

14. Kiss your partner first thing after work. 

I’m a stay-at-home mom, and my husband works a full-time job. I’m always happy to see him when he gets home from work, but lots of times I’m in the middle of changing a diaper, breaking up a toddler fight, cleaning a mess, doing dishes, or cooking dinner. I’ll shout out, “Hey babe!” and continue doing what I’m doing while he gets settled. It isn’t until he comes to me that I kiss him some days. With this challenge, I’m going to kiss him the minute he walks through the door. Making it a priority means I’ll stop whatever I’m doing, greet him at the door, and give him a big kiss.

15. Praise your spouse. Marriage Challenge Day 15 

Did your spouse fix something around the house or make the kitchen look amazing? Did they help you wash the kid’s stroller that you’ve planned to do? Are they playing a game with the kids? Praise them for it. 

Adults appreciate praise just as much as kids do, but adults don’t give it to one another as often. Tell your spouse when you think they did a good job. 

16. Send flirty text messages throughout the day. 

My husband and I used to do this often when we were first dating/living together. Not so much anymore, though. Now we (or I) send messages like, “OMG, WHEN ARE YOU COMING HOME?! THESE KIDS ARE DRIVING ME CRAZY!!” There’s nothing flirty about that, and it’s probably making him dread the moment he walks in the door. For day 16, I will make it a point to send him flirty text messages instead and avoid the negative texts.

17. Bake your partner’s favorite dessert.

If you can’t bake or don’t have the time, you can buy your partner’s favorite dessert. It’s all about the thought here and letting your spouse know you’re thinking of them. Go out of your way to put a smile on their face.

18. Plan a movie night and watch your spouse’s favorite movie.

Yes, watch their favorite movie even if you hate it. Prepare your spouse’s favorite movie snacks, get comfortable, and settle in for a night of your partner’s favorite movie.

19. Pack your spouse a lunch and slip a love note inside.

Just a short, cute little message to let them know you are thinking of them, even if it just says I love you.

20. Give your spouse two hours of alone time.

During these two hours, they get to do whatever they want. Take the kids (if you have kids) and get them out of the house.

21. Create a playlist of your special songs. 

Remember the song you first danced to when you were dating? Or the song you used to listen to in the car while driving around? Add those to the playlist! Add your wedding songs and whatever other songs are meaningful to your relationship. Ours aren’t all love songs, so don’t feel like the whole playlist must be mushy, slow songs.

22. Take over a task you know your spouse doesn’t like. 

If your husband or wife is in the middle of doing dishes and you know they hate that chore, take over. Tell them to go sit down and let you do it for them because what better way to show that you care about the things they like or don’t like? If my husband did this for me, he would be taking over bathing the babies, for sure.

23. Surprise your spouse with their favorite treat or drink. 

My husband LOVES Slurpees from 7-11, so I’ll be making a trip to 7-11 for a Slurpee on day 23 of the marriage challenge. I might pick up a Snickers bar, too. The treat and drink don’t have to be anything fancy, just something you know your spouse will appreciate and enjoy.

24. Spend time just kissing.

That’s it. Nothing complicated here. Cuddle up on the couch or lie in bed just kissing.

25. Take cute or silly selfies together.

You don’t even have to post them to social media if you don’t want to. Just have some fun and be silly together. You’ll find yourself laughing by the time you’re finished, and you’ll have a couple of new pictures with your spouse.

26. Plan a successful date night in for this marriage challenge. 

Come up with a fun idea for the two of you to do at home. It can be whatever you and your spouse like to do together. If you need date night ideas, check out my Date Night Ideas post.

27. Learn about your partner’s love language. 

I talk about learning love languages in my post: 11 Ways to Keep the Spark Alive in Your Marriage. It is essential to know your spouse’s love language to make sure you show love to them in the way they interpret and understand it best.

28. Ask your spouse what you can do for them. 

Simply ask what they need help with on day 28. This simple question can lighten their load so much. Plus, it’ll make them happy knowing they can count on you.

29. Lay in bed and talk.

When was the last time you did this? Just lay there, pretend you don’t have anything to do, and enjoy each other’s company. Talk about all the things you don’t usually have time for.

30. Work on a project together. 

This project could be big or small. Whatever you want. All that matters is that you work on it together.

**Download 30 Day Marriage Challenge FREE PRINTABLE here**

30 Day Marriage Challenge

So what do you think? Are you going to join me in this marriage challenge? I hope you do! Let me know in the comments, and we can work to hold one another accountable!

Categories
Parenting Toddler and Preschool Age Fun Toddler and Preschool Age Learning

Name Recognition Puzzle and Scissor Practice – DIY

My four-year-old is starting school soon and, while he can recognize his own name, he is still learning to put the letters of his name in the correct order. I want him to know how to write his own name before school starts but first, he needs to know what order the letters go in. This DIY Name Recognition Puzzle and Scissor Practice activity has been perfect for that.

Since this puzzle was so easy to make I made one for my two-year-old as well. If she can be further along than my four-year-old is right now, I will be so excited because we won’t have to cram the summer before four-year-old preschool starts.

The cutting practice involved in this activity is so good for both of them, too, so it was definitely worth the few minutes it took me to put the activity together.

This activity is so simple, it will only take a couple of minutes to prepare. Plus, it will keep your kids busy for a while.

DIY Name Recognition Puzzle and Scissor Practice

To start, I drew a “sun” shape onto a piece of yellow paper. It was *supposed* to be a sun, but it definitely didn’t turn out as round as a sun. My kids didn’t mind so I didn’t fix it LOL.

I cut the shape out myself and then wrote their name on it. I left space in between each letter so that I could draw lines and they could cut on the lines.

That was all the preparation I had to do… they did the rest!!

I gave my kids scissors and explained to them that they had to cut on the lines that I drew. Sylas (four-years-old) did it with no problem and Josie (two-years-old) just needed a little help with hers.

That was it! It is so simple. Sylas is already putting his whole puzzle together on his own and starting to recognize where the letters go in his name.

What name recognition activities have you done with your kids? Tell me about it in the comment, or even drop a link if you’ve written a blog post about it!

If you’re looking for even more name recognition ideas, check out my other post- Name Recognition with Caterpillar Letter Matching

 

Categories
Big kid fun Family Activities Parenting Toddler and Preschool Age Fun

Cartoons From the Past to Watch With Your Kids

Cartoons from the past to watch with your kids

So I know you’ve heard someone complaining (or been the one complaining) that cartoons just aren’t as good as they used to be, right?! It’s so true! Well, I wanted to see if my kids agreed with this, or if they think our cartoons sucked.

My husband and I compiled a list of our favorite childhood cartoons and decided to watch them with our kids to see if they would enjoy them as much as we did.

There is an 11 year age difference between my husband and I but, surprisingly, we had a few of the same favorites!!

*Disclaimer: None of the cartoon images used in this post are my own. I have linked every picture to the original source and also included the source in the caption area, just to be safe. The graphics are mine, however.*

Cartoons from the past to watch with your kids

Cartoons From the Past to Watch With Your Kids

Tom and Jerry
This was my absolute FAVORITE when I was a kid. My brother and I watched it all the time and it never got old. My littles loved it, too. Josie said, “I don’t like the cat, I only like the mouse” and laughed her butt off watching. Sylas said it was a good choice and that, “I liked when the ants carried the mouse Jerry and I also liked the one where the cat Tom was trying to use Jerry to catch a fish like he is a worm”. We found episodes of Tom and Jerry on YouTube.

Image from en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tom_and_Jerry

Wile E. Coyote and Road Runner
When we watched it with Sylas and Josie, Sylas laughed the entire time. Not just a giggle, a big ol’ belly laugh. He said his favorite part was when “the punching bag hits him – it’s the silliest thing”. He was talking about when the boxing glove comes back and hits him. We found this on YouTube, too.

Image from http://cinemagogue.com

Garfield
This one is a favorite in our house. All the kids think Garfield and Odie are so funny and laugh throughout the whole show, even the big kids.

Image from garfield.wikia.com

Bugs Bunny ft. Elmer Fudd

I think my husband may have enjoyed this one more than the kids, but the kids did still enjoy it. There was a part when bugs bunny kissed Elmer Fudd and Sylas shouted out, “he kissed him!!!” and laughed so hard. Josie thought it was hilarious every time Elmer Fudd would look for Bugs Bunny when Bugs Bunny was right behind him the whole time. She kept yelling at Elmer, “there he is!”. It was pretty adorable.

Image from villains.wikia.com/wiki/Elmer_Fudd

Rocket Power
Okay so I know this one is a newer one, but it’s still old and my kids had never seen it or heard of it. Peyton and Sylas LOVED it and have been doing the little handshake ever since. Rocket Power was THE BEST and in my late elementary years, I tried to watch it whenever it was on.

Image from justwatch.com

Scooby Doo
I feel like Scooby Doo is still kind of popular, but definitely not as well-known as when I was a kid. Plus, it’s just different now (what isn’t, right?). My kids are familiar with the “new” Scooby Doo, but I wanted to find an old episode that aired in the early/mid-90’s. We went to YouTube to watch some of the old episodes and my kids really enjoyed them, but I’m not sure if it was any more or any less than the new cartoon. I prefer the old ones best, though, so that’s what we’ll stick with since they didn’t seem to have a preference.

Image from wikivisually.com/wiki/Scooby-Doo_(character)

The Tasmanian Devil
Taz was fun right from the beginning. Josie jumped up and started dancing to the theme song, so I knew it was going to be a good one. Sylas was pretty mesmerized… I don’t think he looked away from the screen the entire time. Since we watched it, he has been spinning around the house Taz style. It’s kind of fun, also a little obnoxious.

Image from thegospelside.com

Arthur
I have Arthur books from when I was little and my kids really like them so they were already familiar with Arthur. They had never watched the TV show before, though. Sylas fell in love with it and keeps asking to watch it, which is completely okay with me.

Image from commonsensemedia.org

Rugrats
Who didn’t like Rugrats?! Everyone did!! My kids included, apparently. Josie really liked Angelica and that worries me a little. 😉 LOL

RUGRATS Photo: Nickelodeon ©2015 Viacom, International, Inc. All Rights Reserved.

Thundercats
I’ll be honest here… I never watched Thundercats. My husband did, though. It was his favorite. We have an 11 year age difference so I’m not surprised it wasn’t as popular when I was a kid. Sylas and Peyton both really liked this one.

Image from https://www.teepublic.com/t-shirt/301512-thundercats-lion-o

This post was so much fun because I got to sit down with my littles and watch cartoons that I loved as a kid, but haven’t watched in probably 10-15 years. It was so cool to show them some of the things my husband and I enjoyed when we were little. Sylas thinks it’s cool, too, and even told our elderly neighbor about Wile E. Coyote and Roadrunner and then added, “my dad watched it when he was a kid. Did you know my dad used to be a kid!?” It was hilarious.

Have you watched any of your old favorite cartoons with your kids? What did they think? If you haven’t yet, which one would you want to show them first?

If you enjoyed this post, you may also enjoy my post about YouTube songs for Preschoolers and Toddlers.

Categories
Wine Wine Wednesday

Wine Wednesday: Beach Cottage Red

It’s my favorite day of the week… WINE WEDNESDAY!!!

So the wine I am reviewing for this Wine Wednesday is seriously my new favorite. I’m not even exaggerating, I want a case of it.

Beach Cottage Red is made and sold at 12 Corners in Michigan. The winemaking is done in Benton Harbor but there are 12 Corners tasting rooms in several places in Michigan, including South Haven (read about my visit here). I usually only write about wine that you can buy at a grocery store but if you are dying to try it (and you should be!), 12 Corners ships! The cost of this wine is only $12.99 which is AMAZING for the quality.

Beach Cottage Red is a semi-sweet red table wine and will remind you of being at a… BEACH COTTAGE. 😉 For real, though. It is so refreshing, goes down smooth, and the nose is one that you can only get on the Lake Michigan shore. You really don’t want to miss out on this wine!

Wine Wednesday - 12 Corners Winery

This wine is very fruity, which is my favorite kind of wine, and it is full bodied. It was hard to tell what exactly I was tasting because the flavors mix together so well, but I’m pretty certain I got a nice taste (and smell) of a Concord grape. This is the kind of wine that I can thoroughly enjoy and drink anytime.

Have you tried wine from 12 Corners? If not, would you ever order wine online and have it shipped to you? Let me know in the comments!

 

Categories
Family Activities Marriage Our Family

South Haven, Michigan – Things to Do

Things to do

If you follow me on Twitter you already know that my husband and I took a trip to South Haven, Michigan this past weekend. It is my favorite place on earth and as soon as my blog makes me rich (hey, I can dream, right?) I’ll be buying a beautiful home there.

I really do love everything about South Haven. The views of Lake Michigan, the clean beaches, the cute little shops in town, the food (oh, the food!!!!), the activities, and the people. The best part is the Lake Michigan sunsets, though. NOTHING in this world beats a Lake Michigan sunset.

South Haven Sunset
Even cloudy, it is still beautiful

People from all over the country visit South Haven. While we were there we met someone from Alaska and another person from Texas. We are lucky that it is less than a 2-hour drive from us, but if you are farther away than us, I promise you it is worth the trip.

We have begun to compile a list of places in South Haven we love and will return to as often as possible, and also a list of places that we weren’t so fond of. I’m happy to say that the “love” list is much, much longer than the other list.

So, if you are visiting South Haven in the future or even if you are just curious about Michigan’s little gem, this post is for you.

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

Things to do

Things to do in South Haven, Michigan

  • Watch a sunset over Lake Michigan. I mentioned before that there is NOTHING like a Lake Michigan sunset so, of course, this is at the top of my list. We sit above the beach on a waterproof beach blanket and watch the sunset over the lighthouse. It is so beautiful and so peaceful.South Haven, Michigan
    IMG_7879
  • Swim and hang out at the beach. This should go without saying when you visit a lake town. Get your floaties and boogie boards and head in. Don’t forget to bring a beach chair with you!

  • Try a new restaurant. Every time we go to South Haven we try at least one restaurant that we haven’t tried before. Our favorites are Clementines (for dinner), 3 Blondes Brewing (lunch and drinks), Black River Tavern (dinner and drinks), Golden Brown Bakery (breakfast and coffee), and Chomps Gourmet Hotdogs (lunch).

    We also tried Captain Lou’s, the Idler Riverboat, and Captain Nemo’s (yummy breakfast). Captain Lou’s is is right on the Black River and we got to watch a drawbridge lift up for boats to go through while sitting on their deck. We also tried Venezia Pizza but will probably try Brix Oven next time we go instead. We also want to try Maria’s next time, which is an Italian restaurant that we’ve heard a lot about.

    Clementines South Haven
    Clementines

    Black River Tavern. South Haven, MIBlack River Tavern

  • Go on a boat tour. There are a couple of different options for this. Right on Water St. there is a marina on the black river where they offer boat tours. You can do a daytime one or for $10 more per person, you can do a sunset tour. There is also the Michigan Maritime Museum which offers tours on a “pirate ship”.
  • Wine tasting. There were a couple of wineries I wanted to try but we chose 12 Corners this time. We loved it! My husband usually doesn’t like wine, and he says everything tastes like MD20-20 or something BUT he actually found a couple he liked at 12 Corners!

    It’s right on Pheonix St. and they have a large wine list. The price was $10 for 5 tastes and we got to take the cute stemless wine glasses with us. We also left with a bottle of Beach Cottage Red. Yummmm.

    I’ve been reading about their monthly Wine Club and I’m really thinking about joining… they ship!! I would probably make the trip every 3 months and pick the wine up but they have a bi-monthly shipping option.

  • Beer tasting. So there are quite a few breweries in the South Haven area but we chose 3 Blonds Brewing. I read about them online and had to try it out.

    I normally am not a beer person but I couldn’t pass up on a beer tasting date with my husband. I tasted 3 beers that I LOVED, 1 that I really liked, and the others were IPA’s and apparently, I’m just not a fan (hubby is so disappointed in me). For you IPA lovers, my husband said the IPAs at 3BB are amazing!
    Three Blondes BrewingThree Blondes BrewingHubby @ Three Blondes Brewing

  • Paddleboard or canoe! You can rent these right on South Beach so it’s super easy and convenient.
  • Go shopping. There are SO many cute little shops on Pheonix St. and Quaker St. We always get souvenirs here and quite a few of our favorite restaurants are on the same street.
    South Haven, MI
  • Kal-Haven Hiking Trail. This is a trail that runs from South Haven all the way to Kalamazoo. You can bike or hike. There are so many beautiful stops along the way. I have never completed the trail because I am way too out of shape to hike 32 miles in one direction, but the South Haven part is beautiful.
  • Icecream. Buy your ice cream at South Beach (I recommend the Mackinac Island flavor) and then…
    Ice cream, South Haven
  • Walk to the South Beach Lighthouse. This is our tradition… on our first day, before we even check-in at the place we’re staying, we buy ice cream on South Beach and then walk to the lighthouse while we eat it. It’s so fun and the perfect way to get into relaxation/vacation mode.
    South Haven LighhouseIMG_7747
  • Go see a comedy show or a live band at the Black River Tavern. They have them on Saturday nights and they also have amazing drinks and appetizers. It was the best date night. We had the BEST time ever, laughed so much, and sang along with the band’s songs. Take me back!!

    IMG_7956
    I call this look “beach and booze”

    Things To Do In

You guys, seriously. Please take me back. Our 3 night, 4-day mini-vacation was AMAZING and MUCH needed. We only get away together once a year and while we thought about other places for this past trip (New York City), we couldn’t imagine spending our anniversary trip in any place but South Haven.

Have you ever been to South Haven, Michigan? If so, tell me about your favorite part! If you haven’t been, tell me what you would want to experience the most if you were able to visit. I’d love to hear about it!

**Click here to read about our wedding in South Haven

Categories
Marriage

South Haven Beach Wedding

Chris and I celebrated our 1 year wedding anniversary this past weekend. We got married last year in South Haven, MI and the little town quickly became my favorite place in the world. We were able to have a small beach wedding at a very reasonable price.

As a kid, I dreamed of a big wedding but when the time came and the planning began, I panicked. My anxiety got the best of me and I started stressing out about the wedding before there was even anything to stress about.

I jokingly (kind of) suggested to Chris that we elope. He vetoed that idea because he wanted our parents and our kids, at least, to be at the wedding. BUT he didn’t completely knock the idea of not having a traditionally large wedding.

Researching Low-Key Wedding Options

I began researching some different options and decided that I wanted to get married in a beach wedding on Lake Michigan, no reception or anything. At first, I was worried about what everyone would think but then remembered, our wedding day is supposed to be about US and that would be impossible if I was stressed out and anxious all day.

I found a cute little bed and breakfast in South Haven called Martha’s Vineyard that offered a wedding package… 2-night stay and a private wedding (with a couple other perks as well) and went for it.

In the description on Martha’s Vineyard’s website, it stated that the wedding would be held at the bed and breakfast. I was okay with that but I reaaaallly wanted a beach wedding. I sent an e-mail over to the owner asking if it would be possible. She agreed and made all the arrangements. I literally didn’t have to do anything except bring the marriage license and look nice. Oh and bring the rings, of course.

The Wedding

A handful of our closest family members were able to make it to the wedding. Since we didn’t have a reception, we all went out to eat afterward.

This tiny little low key wedding was SO perfect for us. We have no regrets about our decision.

The wedding was so inexpensive, intimate and personal. Plus, we got to spend the weekend in a beautiful place. Having a 5-month-old baby, I didn’t want to be away for long and definitely didn’t want to travel far so a traditional honeymoon was out of the question, too. The South Haven wedding still gave us the chance to spend relaxing alone time together both before and after the wedding.

We loved it so much we are heading back this coming weekend to celebrate our marriage.

Did you choose to have a big wedding or did you opt for something smaller? If you aren’t married yet, what kind of ceremony do you plan on having? Let me know in the comments!


*If you want to know how we made it through the first year of marriage, consider checking out these posts: 10 Steps to Make Your Marriage Last, How to Keep the Spark Alive *

Categories
Parenting Toddler and Preschool Age Fun Toddler and Preschool Age Learning Toys

7 Ways to Play With a Pretend Kitchen for Dramatic Play

My kids have a pretend kitchen that they LOVED when it was new to them. They spent at least an hour every day playing with it. After a couple of weeks, they got kind of bored, though, and I found myself just picking up the play food and dishes off the floor after they were dumped out and not played with.

IMG_3980
This is the first day that we had the pretend kitchen… we hadn’t even gotten the food and dishes in it yet.

I contemplated getting rid of the entire playset but knew I would regret it as soon as it was gone.

The only option was to find ways to make it more fun and exciting for the kids so I began brainstorming some ways to play with it.

It worked! I taught the kids a couple of new ways to use the pretend kitchen playset and they fell in love with it all over again.

7 Ways to Play With a Pretend Kitchen

*this post contains affiliate links*

  1. Cooking/Following recipes
    I know that most toddlers can’t read but that doesn’t mean they can’t follow directions! Using pictures with just a few words is all they need, and usually, they can figure it out from there. They use the pictures as a guide and eventually, they may start recognizing the words that are included with the picture. Even if they can’t figure out what the recipe is calling for, they can still pretend to create a meal or a treat from a recipe. If they see you do it when you’re cooking real food, they’ll be so excited to be able to do it with their play food. You can create recipes using Canva (if you click the link it’ll take you right to their recipe card template!) or even just Microsoft Word. Keep it short and simple, and don’t forget the pictures! The recipes (I’ve only made 2) I created for them are not even close to as cool as some of the ones I’ve found on Pinterest so I definitely plan on stepping my game up there.Recipe Book by Emily at LaForce Be With You – link
    none size-full wp-image-704″ src=”https://momwifewine.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/07/IMG_2695.jpg” alt=”IMG_2695″ width=”320″ height=”240″ /> [/caption]
  2. Grocery shopping/Putting food away
    We don’t have a grocery store set up, but I just take small baskets and sort out some of the food that way and then they come through with their shopping carts and choose which food they would like to “buy”. We use play money for this.. we actually made it ourselves and it looks NOTHING like real money aside from the fact that it is green. You could use monopoly money or anything else you have. After they “buy” their food, they push the shopping cart “home” to the kitchen playset and begin putting it away. When I first had this idea I was worried they wouldn’t want to put it away but turns out they really like to do it! I guess I shouldn’t be surprised because when I go grocery shopping they love to help put groceries away.
  3. Restaurant
    This one is their FAVORITE!! We use the play money, a tablet, and a pencil. I sit at the table and they come over to take my order. Then they go and prepare/cook whatever it is I ordered and serve it to me. It’s so much fun. I want to take this a step further and make a menu for them soon. There are a couple menus I’m considering.. the first one you can purchase (this isn’t an affiliate link, however) and the second one could be made at home. If you don’t feel like creating your own you can buy one for pretty cheap on Teachers Pay Teachers (pictured below).6f80c829b3cc3cb46ec0ddad52ef8300Created by Andrea Miller on Teachers Pay Teachers – link920e0ebb14fa0d8877f213a3bc127469Created by ObSEUSSed – Link
  4. Setting the table
    Josie really enjoys this one. I used paper and traced a toy plate, fork, spoon, knife, and cup onto 2 different pieces of paper. I also wrote the word out for what goes where because we are working on recognizing words. When the kids are setting the table they use the paper as a placemat and place everything where it belongs. We usually do it before we play restaurant.IMG_7652
  5. Washing dishes
    This one is fun because they love to “wash” dishes. I’ll admit, this is the one we do the least often because it usually results in them asking for real water in their kitchen playset. I let them do this sometimes. Other times I tell them to just pretend or to pick something new to play.
  6. Pizza shop
    I have a small tote where I store all of their “pizza” pieces. These pieces were all cut out on paper, but plan to re-do them on felt soon. I cut a circle on brown paper for the crust, small red circles for the pepperoni, and a bunch of small yellow pieces for the cheese. You could also include green peppers, mushrooms, ham, pineapple, etc.
  7. “House”
    I’m honestly just not sure what else to call this one… Josie likes to play mommy and feed her baby doll. She puts her baby’s highchair right next to the kitchen and cooks for her, then pretends to feed her the food.Sometimes she sneaks real food for her baby doll

Usually, throughout all of the “cooking” activities, they wear a chef hat and apron that I picked up at Dollar Tree.

You will definitely need play food to go along with the kitchen playset. The pretend kitchen comes with a little, but not enough. I have found the best deals on Amazon.


JaxoJoy 122-Piece Deluxe Pretend Play Food Set Beautiful Toy Food Assortment

This is the kitchen playset that we have. When you click the link below you’ll be able to see lots of other options, as well. There is literally a pretend kitchen for every budget!

Step2 Lifestyle Deluxe Kids Pretend Kitchen

I love watching them use their imagination and pretend to do real, everyday activities. It is such a good learning opportunity and if you play your cards right, they’ll be working on letter/word recognition, number recognition, and counting. They’ll get practice using writing utensils and speaking/asking questions. The possibilities are endless.

I did have to show my kids the first couple of times they did some of these activities. Now I’m usually able to leave them to it. They either do the activity I showed them or create an entirely new activity. I still play with them sometimes just to reinforce the learning opportunities involved.

If your child has a kitchen playset, what do they like to do with it? We’re always looking for new ideas!

Categories
Big kid fun Family Activities Our Family Printables Teenager Toddler and Preschool Age Fun

Family Camping Trip – What to Pack

Before this summer I had never taken my kid’s on a family camping trip. Call me a bad mom or whatever, but I was terrified of taking 3 littles camping!

Well, we finally did it and I definitely don’t regret it. I would do some things differently and pack differently, but we will definitely be doing it again SOON.

It was so much fun and the kids loved it, so I took note during the process of things I needed that I didn’t think to pack, things I packed but didn’t need, and things that would have been nice to have.

Now I’m giving you the opportunity to learn from my mistakes!! I’ve put together a list of what you should pack for a family camping trip. I even included a section dedicated to packing for a toddler, a teenager, and a big kid. You’re welcome. 😉

family camping trip, what to pack when camping with kids, camping with toddlers, camping with teenagers

What to Pack for a Camping Trip

Bedding/Misc.

Tent (if needed)
Sleeping Bag/Blanket
Pillow
Sheets if staying in a cabin
Flashlights (flashlight tag anyone?!)
Glowsticks
Backpack
First aid kit
Cell phone & Chargers
Garbage bags
Clorox Wipes
Citronella Candle
A book
Lawn chairs
Beer bottle opener/corkscrew
Cash
Any necessary medication
Bug spray
Sunscreen
Bikes
Games (board/card)
Chairs
Bluetooth Speaker
Kayak/Canoe
Fishing poles

Clothing

Raincoat/jacket
Swimsuit
Tennis shoes
Clothes (2 outfits/day for everyone, more for younger children)

  • Shorts/t-shirts
  • Pants/Long sleeve shirts

Hats
Extra socks
Sweatshirt/sweatpants (in case it gets chilly at night and you want to be comfy)
Underwear (duh)
PJ’s
Flipflops
Extra shoes for everyone

Personal

Shampoo/Conditioner
Soap
Deodorant
Toilet Paper (You never know!)
Toothbrush/paste
Shower Bag
Hand Sanitizer
Lotion
Lip balm
Towels and washcloths
Bag for dirty laundry
Hair ties
Brush/Comb

Cooking

Camping dinners
Pre-prepped breakfast meals
Wine
Beer
Water
Gatorade (if you’re feeling nice)
Coffee/Creamer
Favorite snacks
S’mores ingredients
Condiments
Coolers/Ice
Firewood (Sometimes you have to buy this right at the campground)
Lighter
Plastic utensils
Paper plates
Napkins
Plastic cups
Tablecloths
Paper Towels
Grilling/Fire utensils
Foil
Skewers
Resealable Plastic Bags

Toddler Specifics

Toddler-sized chairs
Blocks
Lots of extra clothes (3 per day if your child is extra messy or the weather isn’t cooperating)
Sand/Beach toys
Life Jackets
Teddy bear/baby doll, favorite blankets
Baby wipes

Big Kid/Teenager Specifics

Football, baseball, volleyball, other sports equipment
Water toys

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

What would you add to this list? Have you ever forgotten something essential on a camping trip? Tell me about it in the comments! 🙂

Categories
Wine Wine Wednesday

Wine Wednesday

I am SO excited about this one!!

I recently wrote a guest post for Elle Goes Global called Wines of the World and in the post I talked about wine from France, Argentina, South Africa, and the United States. Well, the wine I’m writing about today is from Mendoza, Argentina, where the best Argentinan wine comes from.

This Alamos Malbec is amazing. I’ll just start there. I may have accidentally drunk the whole bottle. I take that back, Chris’ brother drank a little, too. 😉

It can be purchased for around $10 at grocery stores. This mama doesn’t have time to go anywhere special to buy her wine. 😉

The first thing I noticed was the dark, intense red color of the wine. The next thing I noticed was that this Malbec is VERY aromatic. I could smell cherry, peppers, and a little blackberry.

The taste was very cherry forward with hints of cocoa, and a soft spice on the finish. That is honestly all I could come up with when I was drinking it because the cherry is VERY powerful.

I think it would pair really well with barbequed foods.

Overall, it was a well balanced, medium-bodied wine with strong tannins. I’d rate it a 4.5 out 5, so for the price, it is a MUST TRY.

Have you tried this wine or a different Malbec before? What did you think? Let me know in the comments! 🙂