Life Style Archives -

November 19, 2021November 19, 2021

Toddler Evening Routine – Room Tour & Amazon Toy Organizer Review

Happy Friyay! I hope to share with you my two-year old toddler’s evening routine and why I love this cubby toy organizer that I got off Amazon.

I think this cubby toy organizer would make a great gift or storage solution for your child’s room. I plan to purchase another one IF and WHEN we have another child.

Click here if you would like to watch a full review of the toy organizer and a tour of my sons room!

I purchased the Giantex Cubby Toy Organizer right when we moved into our new home at the end of March. I wanted something to store books and toys. Click here to see the toy organizer.

This organizer provides four small shelves. I store all my sons books on three of these shelves. The other shelf I use for toys. The top of this toy organizer also provides another shelf.

I love that this organizer is my son’s size and he can reach up on top.

This organizer has a chest at the bottom. The chest at first does not seem very big, but I have noticed I can fit all of my sons cars and small toys in it.

The toy organizer is easy to put together and cost $139. It is not Amazon prime so shipping does take longer. There is a white version of this available as well.

I highly recommend this toy organizer and I am so pleased with my purchase.

Now onto my Toddler Evening Routine:

5:00- I count my evening as starting around 5:00 pm. My husband gets off work and I have usually either started supper or will start supper. During this time my son is usually playing or I will let him watch a show so I can cook in peace.

6:00 – We eat supper around this time. In my video above, I share how I cooked a gluten free vegetarian Fettuccine Alfredo.

After supper my son, Milo, and husband usually play around while I clean up. Milo loves playing this fun game him and my husband invented. They throw a racquetball down the hall and Milo think’s it is hilarious running after it and watching it bounce. He asks the play this game ALL THE TIME. I love how he loves just simple things.

7:00 – Bath time. I recommend the Raw Sugar Kids body wash and shampoo. The body wash can also make a bubble bath.

After bath time we have some free time and Milo will often play with his cars. One night we used the time to watch a movie. Milo enjoyed parts of the movie “Bug’s Life.” Since he’s only two he mostly played during the movie instead of actually watching it.

7:30 –Milo can now ask for milk, he still drinks some soy milk before bed. He also didn’t start asking this early for milk until glorious Daylight Savings Time started. 😉

8:00 – Reading & Bedtime. I read to Milo every night before bed. His current favorite book is titled, “Sleep Train” from the Dolly Parton Imagination Library. You can sign up for the Dolly Parton Imagination Library for free as long as you live in the zipcodes they will ship to. He gets a new book every month and so far really enjoys them.

I hope this Cubby Toy Organizer review and catching a glimpse of our evening routine has been helpful. If you have any questions please leave them below!

Happy Friyay!

~Gracefully Fashionable Britt

October 22, 2021October 22, 2021

Fall 2021 Plan with Me – Home Edit Day Designer Planner

I am a toddler mom whose schedule never stays the same and is often always changing. This year, I decided to get the Home Edit Day Designer weekly and monthly planner.

If you want to see my full review of it, click here!

I have always been a daily planner type of girl, where each day has its own page. I have several reviews on the different daily Day Designers on my YouTube channel. Click here if you would like to check it out.

Fall is my favorite season and I want to share some of my tips I use when planning my weeks and days in the Home Edit Day Designer Planner.

Click here to watch my video

This is for the week October 17th-23rd 2021

Before my tips, I must share… I absolutely love the week spread in the Home Edit Day Designer. It is perfect for busy moms that need to see the whole week when scheduling or trying to plan anything. It also helps you prioritize what needs to get done on certain days.

Now, onto my tips!

Always meal plan first.

This is a must for me and I even schedule the day I need to meal plan. Even trying to click list my grocery order can be stressful with a toddler, so I try to schedule it while my toddler is distracted. ;). I always follow this meal plan.

Monday – Mexican – Nacho mix, bean burritos, or tacos

Tuesday – Something with potatoes – baked potato, sweet potato and chicken mix, red potato salad. (Check my Pinterest for some of my favorites!)

Wednesday – Pasta – Spaghetti, Alfredo, Taco Pasta, Buffalo Chicken Pasta Salad

Thursday – it’s okay to eat cereal. ;). I saw this meme and I am trying to embrace it. 😉 some nights momma needs a break.

Friday – anything but make double – chili, K loaf, fried rice

Saturday – leftovers

2. Everyday tasks

I try to go ahead and write my everyday tasks under where I wrote the meal plan. There is some extra space to write things down that are not super important. Tasks like – laundry, phone calls, chores to do.

3. Super important

Next, I write down what is super important that I must get done that day. Often with a toddler, I can only get one super important thing done along with everything else. There is space though to write down three important things per day.

4. Budget

I actually just started this habit but I write down what I spend each day at the top of the day. It is really eye opening to see what you can easily spend. Plus it helps you keep on budget.

5. I fill out the daily agenda Column

It lists the times from 6 am to 7 pm. This current week I have to take my son to his library class and I have a dentist appointment. I love the daily agenda column for each day. I have also tried doing a block schedule where I try to schedule everything by time.

9am-12pm – Morning chores, run an errand

12pm-3pm – lunch and naps

3pm- 6pm – prepare supper

6pm- 9pm- clean up, bath, bedtime

I think this type of scheduling is great when you have children, because it helps prioritize when to get things done.

6. Weekend

I fill in my weekend. You have about ten lines per day to jot down meal ideas, chores, or just fun activities you want to complete

7. Calendar

I always try to fill in or check my calendar as soon as I can. I wanted to share an empty calendar so I shared December 2021.

8. October Month in Review

I absolutely love this feature with this planner. There is a page at the end of the month for you to jot down month goals.

My month goals were: clean windows, clean fireplace, possibly get a new toilet. We recently bought a new home so we are still trying to catch up on new home to-do list.

There is also a section to write “Things I did but didn’t have to do”. I hope to use this section more. As a mom, I often feel like I don’t get enough done but if I wrote down everything I did….. I think I would be pretty pleased. 🙂

9. Extra Credit

I wish I could say I used this feature more, but I just don’t make time for it. At the end of each month, they have a page for you to focus on one part of your life or house. October is – “Refresh your Wardrobe.” They have goals and tips for you as you clean out your closet.

Also at the very end there are a few blank pages. I always use these pages for other goals I have or a Christmas list. I love being able to write all this in my planner since it is where other important things are.

I don’t always do these steps in order but this is how I plan my days as a busy toddler mommy in the Home Edit Day Designer. If you have any questions, please leave them below!

Happy Friyay!

~Gracefully Fashionable Britt

October 1, 2021September 30, 2021

Amazon Vibe Gel Memory Foam Mattress Review for Momma & Toddler

Happy Friyay! I wanted to share this Vibe Gel Memory Foam Mattress review with y’all! I saw there wasn’t a ton of videos out on this mattress when I bought it, and since I find reviews so helpful I wanted to share mine!

I love this Vibe Gel Memory Foam Mattress, which is kind of funny because at first, I hated it and thought I was going to dread sleeping for the next ten years. But now, I love it so much I bought my two year old son a twin version.

If you want to check out my quick video review, click here!

We bought this queen-size mattress for $403 when we first moved to our new home. It came in a box before the delivery date, which impressed me. Here is the link!

I highly recommend letting it fluff out for AT LEAST 24 hours before using it. I have seen how some reviews on Amazon just did 12 hours and it did not appear that theirs fluffed out evenly.

I did not notice any awful or warehouse like smell on my mattress.

We did not order a box springs for ours, since we have an Ikea bed that supports a mattress without box springs.

My first night on the mattress, I hated it. I thought I was going to sleep uncomfortably for the next ten years. My husband loved it from the beginning, and usually he is more picky! 😉

Now, I love the mattress. I almost feel like it needed a few nights to break in and learn my shape. I sleep great every night. My husband hasn’t complained about the mattress hurting his back like our last one did.

The mattress seems like it would be great for a side, back, or stomach sleeper! The bed is very comfortable and you can’t feel if someone is moving a lot or getting out of bed!

As you can see in the video, my handprint shows well when I press it into the mattress. AND my handprint stays for awhile which shows the good foam quality of the mattress.

I even ended up buying the twin version for my son! My son loves the mattress and sleeps well every night.

I highly recommend this mattress! If you plan on buying it, I would order it soon. I had it sell out on me once when buying my own mattress and when buying sons. It did come back in stock with in a few weeks.

I hope this review was helpful!

~Gracefully Fashionable Britt

August 13, 2021August 13, 2021

baskets & containers -storage organizers – new favorites from Ikea!

baskets and storage container organizers - new favorite items from Ikea

I have recently discovered the Clutterbugs styles of organization. I have to say I am a lady bug. Visual simplicity and fast is a must for me as a toddler mom. I day dream about finding the perfect way to store things. 😉

I have been living in my new home since the end of March. I have been trying to find the perfect storage or a cabinet system for shoes, my son’s closet, and cans. I recently went to Ikea and found these items which I love.

Click here if you would like to watch my quick video review!

Can storage

I actually first used this in my bathroom at my old house for storage. My old house did not have a lot of counter space in the bathroom and I didn’t like things looking smooshed all together. This was a great solution for that.

Now it’s a great solution for my cans. There are 4 shelves and each shelf can hold 6 cans plus another stack of 6 on top. So a total of 12 cans. It fits perfectly in my pantry. I think this could easily be used in almost any room for different storage ideas – art supplies, books/toys, movies, & toiletries. Click here for the shelf unit.

2. Kuggis Box with lid.

My husband spotted these and I love them. They are actually a pretty big size box. Click here to look at the link for this box.

I am using these in my son’s closet. One thing nice about these boxes is they have a flat lid, so the are perfect to stack on top of each other. I use mine in my son’s closet to store old baby items (nursing cover, hats, nail clippers), and some old clothes I’d like to keep.

I think these boxes would work great for storing papers, office supplies, shoes, or under the bed storage! They also seem super easy to wipe clean.

3. Gabbig baskets.

I am starting to become a bit of a basket lover. These Ikea baskets were some of the cheapest baskets I could find. I love the rich brown color.

I wanted to provide some visual simplicity on my shelving unit in my family room. Before the baskets there were so many different types of things just sitting on the shelves. Now I have a basket just for my husbands tools, my son’s educational supplies, electronics, binders, and cookbooks.

Click here for a link to the basket. I plan to buy more of these in the future, if they still have them. The website does say “last chance to buy.”

4. Trones Shoe Storage

We have a shoe problem at my house. My husband has work shoes, mowing shoes, church shoes, and errand shoes. I also have several types of shoes, but I tend to be able to put my shoes up. 😉

My husband wanted to try this in the garage for his shoes and we both love it. It actually goes well with the wall and isn’t big and bulky. I was surprised by the small tray it provided on top, perfect for sunglasses or keys. Click here for link to the Trones shoe storage.

I would highly recommend this product. Click to watch the video for more detail on how we installed it.

I am so happy with all my new storage solutions. If you have any Ikea favorites please leave ideas in the comments. I hope these can help any other lady buggers searching for some perfect baskets and containers!. 😉

Happy Friyay!

-Gracefully Fashionable Britt

July 2, 2021June 30, 2021

Do 2 year olds NEED A “Birthday Party”? How I planned a party for my toddler.

Do 2 year olds NEED A “Birthday Party”? How I planned a small party for my 2 year old.

What even is birthday party requirements? Balloons, cake, lots of other food options, presents, goodie bags for the guests, matching decor, matching plates, matching cups….

As it got close to my son’s second birthday, I started to research different ideas. I came across the idea that challenged me.

Does a two year old really NEED a birthday party?

When our children are two, they most likely will not remember the party. They don’t really understand choices or have favorites they can tell you about.

This really got me thinking into what is IMPORTANT to have at a birthday party. And the truth is really all that is needed at a party is fun, love, and maybe some cake. 😉

So I planned to have a small get together with just a few family members for a cost of $150 dollars. That included decor, pizza, a snack, and some very expensive cupcakes that I will never buy again. 😉

Click here to watch my video review!

I chose my theme: Thomas the Train.

I found this adorable Pinterest idea with a shirt that said “Choo, Choo, I’m Two!” I loved that saying, so I decided to do a train themed b-day. I was able to download a file to use with my Cricut to create the shirt. I’ll leave a link to the Etsy shop I got the link from here.

I then went to a store called Party City and bought some Thomas the Train Decor. I got a huge backdrop that had two large trains and a Happy Birthday saying at the top. I liked this option to take some birthday pictures with. I also got an adorable train engineer hat that we used to take pictures with.

I also got some Thomas the Train themed – plates, napkins, hats, and blowouts. They had lots of other options as well.

I almost got a balloon, but my two year really doesn’t seem to care for balloons. I spent $28 at Party City for decor.

Food: Pizza, Pretzels, Strawberry Lemonade, and Expensive Cupcakes.

We chose to do pizzas, it’s one of mine and my son’s favorite foods. We ordered two pizzas. One was gluten free. Next, I bought some pretzels to put in a bowl as just- an -extra- you -need -to -get -the- cupcake- taste -out -of- your- mouth -snack. We had I believe it was “Sunkist Strawberry Lemonade.” It was carbonated and my son loved it. Don’t worry it was caffeine free. 😉

Last, we had expensive cupcakes. I am gluten free and my son eats mostly gluten free. I decided to order some gluten free cupcakes from a local bakery. I was expecting 30-40 which is still expensive but I thought semi reasonable for a dozen gluten free cupcakes. However, the cupcakes I ordered was $62! While they were delicious, I will never again order them. 😉

My son had fun playing with the family that came over, he enjoyed his birthday gifts, he was given lots of love and kisses, AND he had cake. I believe he had a wonderful birthday for a two year old.

Looking back now, I could have went even cheaper with this small party. I am very pleased with my decor purchase and I am actually going to use my banner again at another small party.

I hope my thoughts and ideas have been helpful to any of you planning a party for a toddler. It can be stressful when you look at Pinterest ideas or other friends ideas.

Just remember what is important while planning the party for a two year old who probably won’t remember it – fun, love, and cake. 🙂

~Gracefully Fashionable Britt

June 4, 2021June 3, 2021

Ikea Friheten Sleeper Sofa, Farmhouse Table, & More- New House Favs!

New House Favorites! Ikea Sleeper Sofa, Farmhouse Table, & More

Hey guys! Happy Friyay! I wanted to share with y’all some of my new favorites from my new house – Friheten Sleeper Sofa, Ashley’s Furniture farmhouse table, Nathan James Wesley Scandinavian TV Stand . It has been a crazy two months trying to unpack, getting attacked by a goose (I explain in the video lol), and dealing with an ALMOST two year old.

In this video review, I share my review of the Ikea sleeper sofa, farmhouse table, farmhouse table chairs and bench, rugs, shower curtains, tv stands, clothes, and more. I hope you enjoy this video!

CLICK HERE TO WATCH THE VIDEO

New House Favorites & Links:

–Lowe’s Rug – I very quickly scanned online and I did not see it. I did purchase mine in store. If I have more time I will add the link when I find it. I absolutely love this rug and it works perfect with my curtains! It is so soft! I don’t remember the price, but I do believe it was less than $250

–Ashley Furniture Table – this is my first NEW table I’ve ever owned. I get so many compliments when people come over about my table.

–Amazon Chairs – these go perfectly with my table. They are very comfortable and easy to clean when dealing with sticky toddler fingers. 😉

––Amazon Bench- this matches very close, not perfectly but close. We are happy with this bench. I feel like it adds a nice special touch to the table. In the video there is more of a noticeable color change but that is due to the lighting.

–Shower Curtain – I was obsessed with finding the perfect blue pattern shower curtain. I found this one at walmart for less than $20!

–Hamper – I now own three of these and I am so happy. It’s so nice being able to carry the hamper with just one arm.

–TV Stand – This TV is a little smaller than we had hoped, but it does look very nice. My husband did say putting it together the material felt “cheap.” However, it went together nicely and we have not had any problems with it so far. We got this for $119 off Amazon.

–Ikea Couch- We love this Friheten Sleeper Sofa. If you love this couch and have the finances for it, you should go buy it RIGHT NOW! Here in Indiana, our Ikea sold out of probably 50% or more of their furniture due to different circumstances. We got put on a waiting list for our couch. I went and bought our couch before it was even off the loading dock at our Ikea when I get the text it was in.

This couch does take one to two hours to put together. We are very pleased with our purchase. This couch is comfy, it folds out to a bed, AND my 6 foot tall husband can stretch out completely on the couch, which is rare. 😉

This couch also has storage for sheets and blankets. We have been pulling it out as a bed on the weekends to enjoy the weekends playing on it with my little two year old. This couch is $599.00.

I hope you all enjoy my review! If you have any questions just leave them below. Happy Friyay!

~Gracefully Fashionable Britt

Happy Friyay! I hope to share with you my two-year old toddler’s evening routine and why I love this cubby toy organizer that I got off Amazon.

I think this cubby toy organizer would make a great gift or storage solution for your child’s room. I plan to purchase another one IF and WHEN we have another child.

I purchased the Giantex Cubby Toy Organizer right when we moved into our new home at the end of March. I wanted something to store books and toys. Click here to see the toy organizer.

I love that this organizer is my son’s size and he can reach up on top.

The toy organizer is easy to put together and cost $139. It is not Amazon prime so shipping does take longer. There is a white version of this available as well.

Now onto my Toddler Evening Routine:

I hope this Cubby Toy Organizer review and catching a glimpse of our evening routine has been helpful. If you have any questions please leave them below!

I am a toddler mom whose schedule never stays the same and is often always changing. This year, I decided to get the Home Edit Day Designer weekly and monthly planner.

Fall is my favorite season and I want to share some of my tips I use when planning my weeks and days in the Home Edit Day Designer Planner.

Before my tips, I must share… I absolutely love the week spread in the Home Edit Day Designer. It is perfect for busy moms that need to see the whole week when scheduling or trying to plan anything. It also helps you prioritize what needs to get done on certain days.

Now, onto my tips!

Always meal plan first.

2. Everyday tasks

3. Super important

4. Budget

5. I fill out the daily agenda Column

6. Weekend

7. Calendar

8. October Month in Review

9. Extra Credit

I don’t always do these steps in order but this is how I plan my days as a busy toddler mommy in the Home Edit Day Designer. If you have any questions, please leave them below!

Happy Friyay! I wanted to share this Vibe Gel Memory Foam Mattress review with y’all! I saw there wasn’t a ton of videos out on this mattress when I bought it, and since I find reviews so helpful I wanted to share mine!

We bought this queen-size mattress for $403 when we first moved to our new home. It came in a box before the delivery date, which impressed me. Here is the link!

I did not notice any awful or warehouse like smell on my mattress.

My first night on the mattress, I hated it. I thought I was going to sleep uncomfortably for the next ten years. My husband loved it from the beginning, and usually he is more picky! 😉

The mattress seems like it would be great for a side, back, or stomach sleeper! The bed is very comfortable and you can’t feel if someone is moving a lot or getting out of bed!

I even ended up buying the twin version for my son! My son loves the mattress and sleeps well every night.

I have recently discovered the Clutterbugs styles of organization. I have to say I am a lady bug. Visual simplicity and fast is a must for me as a toddler mom. I day dream about finding the perfect way to store things. 😉

Can storage

2. Kuggis Box with lid.

3. Gabbig baskets.

4. Trones Shoe Storage

I am so happy with all my new storage solutions. If you have any Ikea favorites please leave ideas in the comments. I hope these can help any other lady buggers searching for some perfect baskets and containers!. 😉

What even is birthday party requirements? Balloons, cake, lots of other food options, presents, goodie bags for the guests, matching decor, matching plates, matching cups….

Does a two year old really NEED a birthday party?

This really got me thinking into what is IMPORTANT to have at a birthday party. And the truth is really all that is needed at a party is fun, love, and maybe some cake. 😉

I chose my theme: Thomas the Train.

Food: Pizza, Pretzels, Strawberry Lemonade, and Expensive Cupcakes.

My son had fun playing with the family that came over, he enjoyed his birthday gifts, he was given lots of love and kisses, AND he had cake. I believe he had a wonderful birthday for a two year old.

New House Favorites & Links:

I hope you all enjoy my review! If you have any questions just leave them below. Happy Friyay!