I am ALL about establishing rules and routines for my family. And as of recently, we have begun to embark on the ever infamous two year old stage of "mine" and "no!" I had a late bloomer and thought I would be one of those lucky moms who bypassed this wonderful stage. Do those moms even exist? Well, the "mines" and "no-no's" have hit our home and I am ready to hit this stage head on! One of my favorite resources full of articles, advice, and help is the
Super Nanny website. It really is absolutely wonderful and I reference it quite often. It has helped me journey through many stages and milestones!
I won't go through all of the nitty gritty of what I am doing in our home to fight off this difficult stage but I will share a few ideas that I am beginning to implement. One is posting some very basic rules and expectations I have for certain activities that lead to problems. One is mealtime! I want my little guy to sit in his chair nicely, use his manners, begin to use utensils properly, try a bite of what is given to him, and clean up when done! These rules are posted near our kitchen table for easy reference and I point them out constantly.
Another problem "activity" we have now come across is playtime. Because my baby girl is now sitting up and grabbing everything...big brother is becoming very possessive of his toys and the word "mine" is used quite often! So, I have created a set of rules for playtime also, to encourage sharing, manners, and help with clean-up. These are referenced quite a bit also! My next goal is to create a food rewards chart with stickers to encourage trying foods in all the food groups (mainly vegetables)! Have fun creating some rules and routines around your home to encourage the kind of behavior you want to see!
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My favorite part of the bathroom is the towels we have hanging on the wall. I ripped out the towel racks and nailed up some moulding. Then I bought some stylish hooks and hung six of them across the wall. I chose some colorful towels and draped them over the hooks to make it feel like you are at the beach! It's perfect for kiddos too...no yelling at them to fold the towels neatly after using them! It's cute and kid-friendly.
Most of the pictures and accessories came from garage sales or friends that were cleaning out their closets! I gladly took all of the giveaway items and found ways to use them in my bathroom. And as you can see we chose a turqouise or blue/green color to remind us of the ocean!
After taking inventory on what still needed to be done...we headed to Target for some finishing touches. After purchasing some bright bath mats, soap dispensers, hand towels, and a lamp...we were ready to finish this project up. It turned out great and my kiddos will love splashing in the tub and brushing their teeth in this new and improved bathroom!
One idea is to get a foam pumpkin and cut a hole in the top. Buy some fall flower stems from your craft store, and arrange them inside the pumpkin. I make a few of them each year and place them wherever I need a touch of fall. I actually used these pumpkins in my kitchen this year.
I love to use my "dress me up" plate to welcome fall into my home. And you can't forget to add a candle or two around your home for that cozy autumn feel. 
Adding some more fall floral arrangements, candles, and pumpkins makes my family room have a nice "fall" feel! I love blending some gold, orange, and brown tones into my yellow and red year-round decor.
I even add a fall touch to my kiddos' playroom with pumpkins and of course some fall reading material. Reading about pumpkins is lots of fun!
Have fun transforming your home for fall by just adding some easy decorations and warm colors here and there. Happy fall y'all!
This is my little guy's bedroom door magnet board. I chose the colors to reflect the colors inside his bedroom.
This is my little girl's bedroom door magnet board. Even the ribbon ties into her bedroom palette. How adorable and fun!
Mmmm....one of my favorite sandwiches to cook up is a yummy Reuben! I love sandwiches and this is one that my toddler loves also! It's so easy and a great lunch or easy dinner idea. Enjoy!
