CAN YOU FALL ASLEEP QUICKLY AND REST DEEPLY WITH SLEEP APPS?

Are your days long and exhausting and your nights restless and leave you more tired than you were the day before? What would you give for just one night of restful, rejuvenating sleep? Would you dedicate 10 minutes, 20 minutes, 30 minutes? Imagine a night where you crawl into bed. Your head presses into the pillow, the fabric soft against your face. Your mind is calm. Your body relaxed. Your eyelids close. And you sleep. When you wake, you are rested and ready for whatever woke you.

I’ve spent years with an erratic sleep pattern. Whether it’s crying babies, upset toddlers, sick kids, a snoring husband, a mind that just won’t quit or insomnia. I’ve woken up so many mornings wondering why I even bothered with sleep. I’ve tried it all – medication, supplements, oils, routines, meditation. I know how frustrating and exhausting it is.

But, that’s in the past now.

ARE SLEEP APPS YOUR ANSWER?

After I spent hundreds of hours researching sleep and sleep patterns, talking to my doctor, trying supplements, essential oils, and anything else I could possibly think to try, I was still exhausted.

• Are your days long and your nights longer?
• Are you awake multiple times a night?
• Is it hard to shut your mind off when you climb into bed?
• Do you get up in the morning, feeling even more tired than when you went to sleep?

If any of that describes you, then you need this. I can’t promise your results will be as awesome as mine have been, but I’ve been desperate too, and I promise it won’t hurt to try. I had to experiment and adjust things until I found the right balance for me. But, it’s totally worth it!

THE SLEEP APPS THAT WILL HELP YOU WAKE UP REJUVENATED AND READY TO FACE THE DAY

Our world is full of technology. My husband is a gadget guy and we like our electronics. I read about leaving the electronics in another room, about the harm blue light can do to your sleep cycles, and how technology is bad, bad, bad for sleep.

But, I figured if I wasn’t going to sleep anyway, I might as well have something to distract me from all the sleeping I wasn’t doing. One night, after I’d been up with my youngest and couldn’t fall back asleep, I was browsing the Google Play Store and found some sleep apps I decided to try. It changed everything.

HEADSPACE – GUIDED MEDITATION AND MINDFULNESS

There are sessions that build upon each other, or you can do a single session designed for whatever you need help focusing on.

• Is the day just too much and you feel a breakdown coming on? There’s a session for that.
• Do you fear flying and you’re waiting in the terminal? There’s a session for that.
• Commuting and you’d like to relax before you get home? There’s a session for that.

The sleep sessions are part of the subscription, but you can try the fundamental “take 10” sessions for free. I did a fundamental session one day when I was feeling really scattered and it sold me on trying the full version of Headspace. There are four subscription options: monthly, yearly, two years, and forever. I opted to try it on the monthly subscription for $13, in the chance I didn’t like it. I’ve upgraded to the yearly subscription since.

WHITE NOISE: BACH BY THE SEA

Growing up, I slept with white noise; but, my husband likes it silent. In fact, he pulls the blankets up over his ears to muffle all noise. So, I stopped using white noise when I got married. But, I discovered that I need the white noise to sleep more deeply and restfully. Otherwise, every little creak, whistle of wind, child stirring and that far-away siren snatch me right from slumber.

My white noise of choice is Bach by the Sea. It’s the typical white noise ocean waves, but with beautiful works of Bach over the top. What I love about this is, if my brain hasn’t relaxed quite enough for sleep, I can focus on the music. If I’m already drifting off, I focus on the ocean sounds. I can pretty much fall asleep in less than 2 minutes with this. I just play it on the music player on my phone, but you can download the whole album at the links below. It works great on my kids too.

WAKE UP RIGHT WITH SLEEP CYCLE

I am NOT a morning person. Anything before 9:00 am is really hard for me. This sleep app hasn’t made me love mornings by any means, but it has made them easier. Some day… I hope to get up early before my family so I can get some work done – instead of burning the midnight oil, which doesn’t help my sleep problems.

Sleep Cycle tracks your movement with the accelerometer in your phone while you’re sleeping to wake you while you’re in a light sleep cycle, which is as close as you’ll to get to waking naturally when you have to be up and ready for the day in a timely manner. You just place it on your mattress – I place it near my pillow, not under it – and it’ll track all night. I was a little worried it wouldn’t work well with my memory foam mattress, but it does fine most of the time. And there’s still a snooze option, if you need it. There’s some interesting graphs from all that tracking too.

You can try it free for a month and see if it works for you, after that it’s $30/year. If my alarm clock can wake me up less drowsy and ready to conquer my day, it’s worth $30 to me.

SLEEP APPS THAT WILL HAVE YOU SLEEPING PEACEFULLY AND WAKING REFRESHED

So, just imagine. Tomorrow morning, your eyelids flutter open to a soft, peaceful alarm. You stretch and you’re ready to begin the day. Your mind isn’t hazy, your body feels refreshed. What are you waiting for? It can’t hurt to try; I made sure you could try these sleep apps out before you committed your pennies to it. If it doesn’t work for you, well, at least you know. But, what if it does? What are restful, rejuvenating nights worth to you?

The post 3 Sleep Apps that will have you Sleeping like a Baby appeared first on While He Was Napping.

I have 3 boys, and a six foot three husband, who eat ALL. THE. TIME. Keeping them fed is no small task, physically or on our wallets. That’s why we buy in bulk when possible.

The problem has always been buying meat and fresh fruits and veggies. We didn’t really have a good way to store them and keep them fresh when we bought them in bulk.

That’s why I’m so excited about our new FoodSaver FM5000 vacuum sealer. We can buy meat and fresh fruits and veggies in bulk, seal them up, and freeze them for later. It’s much for effective and efficient than our previous method and the food is fresher when we pull it out to use it.

I did a quality test with our new FoodSaver vacuum sealer. We have bought our ground beef in bulk for several years now. We used to divide it, then wrap it in plastic wrap and put 3-4 sections of meat into a ziptop bag. Then we put the whole package in the freezer. It worked fine, but the meat always turned brown before we used it. Even if it was just a couple of weeks after we bought it.

The FoodSaver vacuum sealer cut out the plastic wrap and the bag. And it kept our meat fresher! This meat had been in the freezer for 4 weeks. It was still red with just a bit of brown and was still very fresh.

We decided to make nachos for dinner one night. We used the meat we put in the freezer, cooked up some beans, and cut up some toppings for a delicious dinner.

It was a hit! And I loved how fresh the meat was still, even after 4 weeks!

FOODSAVER VACUUM SEALER – NOT JUST FOR FOOD!

My favorite part of the FoodSaver vacuum sealer is that you can use it for more than just food.

• Seal up your favorite sweaters during the months you aren’t wearing them to keep them in good shape.
• Cook your food ahead of time and seal it for camping trips for super easy meals. Just warm it up.
• Seal ice in a bag and you’ve got water storage when it melts.
• We are going to Disneyland next month and will be taking a pair of each of our boys’ clothes and sealing it in a vacuum pouch to keep it dry.

NOT ALL FOODS SHOULD BE SEALED

There’s lots of things you can still with the FoodSaver vacuum sealer, but there’s a few things you shouldn’t seal. Vegetables like broccoli, cauliflower, tomatoes, brussel sprouts, mushrooms, and garlic are a few things you should never seal. The gases created by these foods over time are toxic and will make the food go bad.

You can find more info on the FoodSaver vacuum sealers HERE.
We like to put cilantro lime rice on our nachos and tacos too. I love that it’s a super easy recipe you do in your rice cooker. Check it out. See our nacho recipe below. Enjoy!

THE RECIPE

Print This Recipe

Nachos

Prep time:  10 mins

Cook time:  30 mins

Total time:  40 mins

Serves: 6-8 servings

Create delicious meals and save money when you buy in bulk. Seal your foods with a FoodSaver vacuum sealer for fresher foods from the freezer.

Ingredients

• Tortilla chips
• 2 Roma Tomatoes, diced
• 2 15oz cans Black Beans, rinsed and drained
• ½ onion, diced
• 1 can green chilies
• ½ lb ground beef
• 2 tsp taco seasoning
• Sour cream
• Guacamole
• Shredded cheddar cheese
• 

Instructions

1. In a small sauce pan, combine 2 cans of rinsed and drained black beans, 1 diced Roma tomato, ½ onion, diced, and 1 can green chilies. Let simmer on the stove.
2. 
3. Brown ground beef in a large skillet on the stove. Season with taco seasoning. Cook until brown and temperature is 165°F.
4. 
5. When ground beef is cooked and beans are tender, lay tortilla chips on a plate. Layer ground beef, beans, cheese, tomatoes, guacamole, and sour cream on top of tortilla chips.
6. 
7. Serve!
8. We like to put cilantro lime rice on our nachos and tacos too. I love that it's a super easy recipe you do in your rice cooker. Check it out.

3.5.3226

The post Feed Your Family and Save Money with FoodSaver Vacuum Sealer + Nachos recipe appeared first on While He Was Napping.

Click on any image in the collage below and you can find more information about that item. Or use the links below to navigate to the Star Wars gift ideas you like most.

Links in this post maybe affiliate links. I will receive a small portion of any purchase made through these links. Your cost is in no way changed. This is one way I keep this site running. Thank you for your support.

24 STAR WARS GIFTS FOR YOUR FAVORITE CHEF

1. R2-D2 Teapot
2. Death Star Tea Infuser
3. Heat Activated Lightsaber Mug
4. Death Star Waffle Iron
5. Lightsaber Immersion Blender
6. Darth Vader Toaster
7. Darth Vader Apron
8. Star Wars Cupcake Wrappers
9. R2-D2 Oven Mitts
10. Death Star Timer
11. R2-D2 Cookie Jar
12. Star Wars Rolling Pin
13. Darth Vader Cookie Jar
14. R2-D2 Measuring Cup Set
15. Lightsaber Chop Sticks
16. Stormtrooper & Vader Salt & Pepper Shakers
17. Lightsaber Pizza Cutter
18. Death Star Cutting Board
19. Death Star Popcorn Popper
20. Darth Vader Mug
21. Set of 4 Star Wars Mugs
22. Set of 4 R2-D2 Bowls
23. R2-D2 Salt & Pepper Shakers
24. Star Wars Cookbook

Which of those galactic gadgets do you want in your kitchen? That tea infuser and the heat activated lightsaber mug are pretty high on my wish list! And that Death Star waffle iron?! Now that would be some pretty awesome waffles to wake up to.

So, which gift would your favorite chef just love to have?

The post 24 Star Wars Gifts that your favorite Chef needs appeared first on While He Was Napping.

Hey there! Welcome! So glad you’re here today. Can I ask you something? Do you feel like your computer is less than it should be?

• Do you have an aging PC?
• Is your computer starting to show its age?
• Are you near data capacity?
• Maybe it’s riddled with bloatware, viruses, or malware?

Guess what?! There’s a simpler, more affordable alternative to shelling out hundreds (or thousands!) of dollars for a new PC or yet another trip to the service center: it’s FreshStart!

What is FreshStart?

It is the perfect alternative to a new, expensive PC purchase. It can make your old PC run like never before. Here’s just what FreshStart can do for you:

• Adds years of life to an old PC
• Makes an old PC run faster than when you bought it
• Adds more data storage
• Removes all viruses and malware
• Copies all of your data and settings over to a new hard drive
• Gives you a FREE 90 days of Norton Security
• Turns your old drive into a secure backup drive

All of this done in the comfort of your own home or office—certified technicians will come to you within 30 minutes! Forget about waiting around all day!

Computer problems are so frustrating! With FreshStart, getting your problems fixed is as simple and stress-free as possible.

If you don’t know what you’re doing, trying to fix it yourself can cause even more problems. Dropping your PC at the service center leaves you without a computer for days or weeks. And a stranger has unsupervised access to your data!

Why use FreshStart?

FreshStarting your PC is easy: With one click, one of 10,000 nationwide certified techs will come to you and take care of the rest. After your FreshStart, you’ll have a PC that’s guaranteed virus-free with more storage, and several years more productive lifespan!

FreshStarting your PC is fast: A tech will be onsite to install your FreshStart drive in under 30 minutes, and the full process takes about an hour (depending on the amount of data you have). No more dropping off your PC at the service center and being without a computer for days!

FreshStarting your PC offers unmatched privacy and security: No internet downloads, and no strangers can access your data during this service.

FreshStarting your PC is affordable: A laptop service bundle is $168, and a desktop bundle is $178—both of which are a fraction of the cost of a new PC. If you feel comfortable with following a YouTube hard drive replacement video, the DIY kit is available on NewEgg and Amazon starting at just $89!

FreshStarting your PC is eco-friendly: Keeping your old computer a little longer means cutting down on waste. Save some money and help the environment when you FreshStart your PC.

FreshStarting your PC supports your community: FreshStart kits are assembled by Chimes, a charitable organization. They provide training and employment opportunities for adults with disabilities. All service providers are local contractors in your area, so all FreshStart services performed will directly support the independent technicians in your community.

Will FreshStart work for you?

There are some requirements your PC needs to meet in order for FreshStart to work. Do a quick run down this checklist to see if your PC qualifies for a FreshStart:

• Can power on and boot to Windows
• Must be a laptop or desktop PC, sorry no tablets
• For Windows 7 users, the license key sticker must be legible to be able to get the free upgrade to Windows 10
• Must be less than 10 years old

What are you waiting for?

If you feel like you’re stuck between a dying PC and a new purchase, try FreshStart. FreshStart is 100% satisfaction guaranteed, so if you’re not happy, just return the kit within 30 days for a full refund.

The post Does your PC need a FreshStart? appeared first on While He Was Napping.

Did you make a new year’s resolution to declutter your home? Yeah, me too. I started in my bedroom… the black hole of our home. Or maybe that’s the garage…? In any case, it’s where things go to die. It’s the catch-all room. People are coming? Quick, throw all this in Mom and Dad’s room and shut the door! Which is really sad, right?! It’s definitely a bit of a hazard at best. So, we are on a mission to declutter this year. I’ve already completed one ‘declutter paper’ mission!

One of the first boxes I came across in my room was full of papers. We’ve moved this box three times, and I’m not sure it’s been unsealed since move number one. Like, why do I still have this at all, right?! When I started looking at them, I realized why I didn’t just pitch the whole box. Some of the papers are things I do need to keep – hey, that’s where the car title is! – and some of them need to be disposed of in more than just a simple trash can. That’s where my Fellowes 79Ci shredder came in so handy!

I got to looking around my house and realized that we have a lot of paper clutter. With all the holiday cards we just received, Christmas and the explosion that comes with that, the end of year mail that companies like to send and things that Big J brought home from school, we had stacks of paper hanging around that didn’t really need to be there. So, I decided to clean out these 10 places one afternoon and I can’t believe the difference it’s made.

DECLUTTER PAPER FROM THESE 9 SPOTS FOR A MORE PEACEFUL HOME

1. The mail collection. This was a HUGE offender. Since we’ve been on Winter Break, there were more people bringing the mail in everyday. And we were getting more mail the last few weeks too. I try to go through the mail when I bring it in and throw the junk in the trash. My husband and boys bring it in and set it all on the counter top. We had little mail piles all over the counters before I realized what was going on. This is a pretty easy place to start to declutter paper in your home.
2. The junk drawer. I am the big offender here. I like lists. Lots and lots of lists. Shopping lists, to do lists, phone number lists, calendars, gift lists, food preparation lists, you get the idea, right? I’m terrible at taking my notes and just sticking them in the drawer to sort through later. So, I went through them and recycled the irrelevant ones. The ones that still had worth went into a small basket in my drawer so I can actually find what I’m looking for until I can come up with a better filing system.
3. The desk. Our desktop computer is in our dining room and is shared by the family, although Mr. Napping and I use it the most. We both are terrible at leaving papers on the desk. and it’s not a big desk to begin with so whether they are bills, misprints from the printers or doodles that the kids bring us, the paper clutters up the desk in a hurry. I filed the bills that needed to be kept, shredded the ones that were already taken care of and recycled the extra papers and envelopes. I put the misprints in our scrap paper collection and the kids will bring us more doodles on those some other time. The doodles spend a few days (or weeks) on our art board and then they are recycled or filed to save. It’s condition was not conducive to productivity at all! 
4. The laundry room. The offender here was all the tags from new clothes my family had received for Christmas. I had a small pile on the dryer that never made it into the trash. It took about three seconds to throw them out and my boys stopped knocking the little plastic pieces on the floor every time they walked passed the dryer.
5. School papers. I never realized just how much paper I brought home from school, but if it’s anything like Big J brings home… my poor mama! And I’m dreading the day it gets multiplied by more than one boy in school. Usually I go through his backpack when he gets home and his Friday Folder as soon as he walks in the door. All through the course of Winter Break I kept finding more school papers though. I recycled the unimportant stuff and filed the things I wanted to keep in his school box.
6. My planner. I still use a paper planner. My husband balks at this, but I like the tangible aspect from holding the paper and physically writing things down. It helps me remember important dates and commitments better. But I had a lot of extras stuck in it too. So, I cleaned out notes, receipts, cards and invitations and my planner is much easier to carry around now. I can even see all the tabs now!
7. My wallet. I don’t save receipts if I don’t have to, but for big purchases and expenses that I need record of, the receipts get stuck in my wallet. Christmas put more receipts in my wallet than usual and it was a bit of a mess. I filed the receipts I needed to keep and put all the Christmas gift receipts in a ziptop bag in my planner. All the others I got rid of.
8. The car. All those receipts I don’t save… yeah, a lot of them are on the floor in my car. They start in the console with the plan to take them in and get rid of them. But, somewhere between leaving the store and getting everything and everyone inside it ends up on the floor of the car. My kids leave their papers in the car too. It’s awesome how much better cups fit in the cup holders when wads of paper aren’t stuffed in them.
9. Diaper bag/purse. If you don’t have a diaper bag, I’m mildly jealous. Sure I like being prepared for whatever might arise when we’re out, but it’s just one more place to collect clutter too. And the latter seems to happen more often than not. Our new rule is that no papers go in the diaper bag… we’ll see how long we can stick to that! No diaper bag? Apply it to your purse.

When it’s time to declutter paper, a good shredder is a must-have to ensure your information remains safe. I absolutely love my Fellowes 79Ci shredder! It is great for anyone balancing busy schedules and seeking time-saving solutions. The design is sleek and the power is amazing. It’s got a Patented 100% Jam Proof System that eliminates paper jams and powers through tough jobs and it’s heavy-duty cross-cut blades can handle up to 16 sheets of paper per pass in addition to staples, paper clips, credit cards, junk mail and CDs. Such a time saver when you can feed handfuls through at a time! And with an extended 20 minute run time for increased productivity you don’t have to worry if you’ll ever finally shred the whole pile of papers you have just waiting for disposal. You’ll be able to declutter paper and so much more!

My favorite feature of the Fellowes 79Ci shredder is the patented SafeSense® Technology which automatically stops shredding when hands touch the paper opening. It’s such a sense of peace to not have that concern hanging over my head with all my little ones around. I also really love the SilentShred Technology that offers ultra-quiet shredder performance. We can still have a conversation while the junk mail and paid bills are shredded. While we usually keep our shredder off and unplugged, the Energy Savings System feature maximizes shredder energy efficiency 100% of the time – both in use and out of use.

You can find The Fellowes 79Ci Shredder at Amazon and Office Superstores with a suggested retail price of $239.99. Are you on a mission to declutter paper from your home? You won’t regret using the Fellowes 79Ci Shredder to help protect sensitive information on my declutter paper mission!

The post Declutter Paper From These 9 Things for a More Peaceful Home appeared first on While He Was Napping.

I got pretty lucky in co-hosting the party and get to do it for a couple more weeks! The hosts have decided to do December a little differently – but I’ll let them explain that…

________________________________________

We hope everyone had a great Thanksgiving weekend! We will be hosting Happiness is Homemade this week and next week! Then we are taking the remainder of the month of to spend with our families! We are looking forward to a new year and we have some exciting news to share in 2016!

MOST VIEWED LINKS

Bloggers Holiday Appetizer Recipe Roundup from A Peek Into Paradise

Filipino Pork Kebabs from Don’t Sweat The Recipe

Cinnamon Swirl Banana from Blogghetti

Farmhouse Christmas Tree with Plaid Ornaments from Country Chic Cottage

MEET YOUR HOSTS

Brittany from Mommy On Demand

FACEBOOK | PINTEREST | GOOGLE+ | TWITTER | BLOGLOVIN

Cathy from A Peek Into My Paradise

FACEBOOK | PINTEREST | GOOGLE+ | TWITTER | BLOGLOVIN

Lisa from Blogghetti

FACEBOOK | BLOGLOVIN | PINTEREST | TWITTER | GOOGLE+ | INSTAGRAM

MEET DECEMBERS CO-HOST’S

Candy from Candypolooza

FACEBOOK | PINTEREST | TWITTER | GOOGLE+ | INSTAGRAM | BLOGLOVIN | TUMBLR

Krista from While He Was Napping

FACEBOOK | PINTEREST | TWITTER | GOOGLE+ | INSTAGRAM | BLOGLOVIN

Linda from A Labour of Life

Facebook * Bloglovin * Pinterest * Instagram * Twitter * Google+

Katie from Love My Messy Messy Mess

FACEBOOK | BLOGLOVIN | PINTEREST | INSTAGRAM | TWITTER | GOOGLE+

Do you have a blog and are interesting in Co-hosting Happiness is Homemade?

Simply fill in the Rafflecopter for your chance to win a co-hosting spot with us!! FOUR lucky winners will co-host the Happiness is Homemade Link Party for the following month! You will co-host with us for the entire month! We will also let you have first chance to enter your links into the party for more exposure.

As always it is free to sign up and helps bring more viewers to your page!

a Rafflecopter giveaway 

Now that’s enough talking let’s get this party started!!!

    The rules are really simple! Make sure you visit a few other blogs and make some new friends along the way. Feel free to link up your favorite recipes, crafts or your latest DIY project. We want you you share it all! As always, please make sure to follow your hosts and co-hosts!! Link up your posts, make some friends, and earn the chance to be featured at Happiness Is Homemade Link Party! We will feature the favorite posts each week!   Disclaimer: Adding your link to this link party gives permission to A Peek Into My Paradise, Mommy On Demand and Blogghetti, along with co-hosts, guest hosts, and participants of Happiness Is Homemade, to share your posts and pictures via social media and as features, roundups, etc. with an explicit link back to your original source. Therefore, linking up you agree to allow us to use your images on each of our blogs in features relating to Happiness is Homemade Link Party.

The post Happiness is Homemade Link Party #101 appeared first on While He Was Napping.

So, did you realize that it’s the 100th Happiness is Homemade party? That’s a pretty big milestone! I remember hitting 100 when I hosted my weekend link party and was super excited. So, to celebrate there is a special feature from last week. Let’s check it out!

_________________________________________________

We hope everyone had a Happy Thanksgiving!

In honor of our 100th link party….we thought it would be fun to feature our 100th link

so drum roll please……

Sugared Cranberries from Morsels of Life

MOST VIEWED LINKS

Star Wars Christmas Tree from While He Was Napping

Cranberry-Jalapeno Cream Cheese Salsa Dip from Together As Family

DIY Christmas Ornament from Karen’s Up On The Hill

Curbside Desk Turned Watercolor Beauty from Anastasia Vintage

MEET YOUR HOSTS

Brittany from Mommy On Demand

FACEBOOK | PINTEREST | GOOGLE+ | TWITTER | BLOGLOVIN

Cathy from A Peek Into My Paradise

FACEBOOK | PINTEREST | GOOGLE+ | TWITTER | BLOGLOVIN

Lisa from Blogghetti

FACEBOOK | BLOGLOVIN | PINTEREST | TWITTER | GOOGLE+ | INSTAGRAM

MEET NOVEMBER’S CO-HOST’S

Candy from Candypolooza

FACEBOOK | PINTEREST | TWITTER | GOOGLE+ | INSTAGRAM | BLOGLOVIN | TUMBLR

Emily from The Unextreme

FACEBOOK | PINTEREST | TWITTER | GOOGLE+ | INSTAGRAM | BLOGLOVIN

Sarah from Devastate Boredom

FACEBOOK | PINTEREST | TWITTER | GOOGLE+ | BLOGLOVIN

Krista from While He Was Napping

FACEBOOK | PINTEREST | TWITTER | GOOGLE+ | INSTAGRAM | BLOGLOVIN

Linda from A Labour of Life

Facebook * Bloglovin * Pinterest * Instagram * Twitter * Google+

Jessica from Together as Family

FACEBOOK | BLOGLOVIN | PINTEREST | INSTAGRAM | TWITTER

Katie from Love My Messy Messy Mess

FACEBOOK | BLOGLOVIN | PINTEREST | INSTAGRAM | TWITTER | GOOGLE+

Do you have a blog and are interesting in Co-hosting Happiness is Homemade?

Simply fill in the Rafflecopter for your chance to win a co-hosting spot with us!! FOUR lucky winners will co-host the Happiness is Homemade Link Party for the following month! You will co-host with us for the entire month! We will also let you have first chance to enter your links into the party for more exposure.

As always it is free to sign up and helps bring more viewers to your page!

a Rafflecopter giveaway

Now that’s enough talking let’s get this party started!!!

The rules are really simple! Make sure you visit a few other blogs and make some new friends along the way. Feel free to link up your favorite recipes, crafts or your latest DIY project. We want you you share it all! As always, please make sure to follow your hosts and co-hosts!! Link up your posts, make some friends, and earn the chance to be featured at Happiness Is Homemade Link Party! We will feature the favorite posts each week! Disclaimer: Adding your link to this link party gives permission to A Peek Into My Paradise, Mommy On Demand and Blogghetti, along with co-hosts, guest hosts, and participants of Happiness Is Homemade, to share your posts and pictures via social media and as features, roundups, etc. with an explicit link back to your original source. Therefore, linking up you agree to allow us to use your images on each of our blogs in features relating to Happiness is Homemade Link Party.

The post Happiness is Homemade #100 Link Party appeared first on While He Was Napping.

You know what’s synonymous with kids? Mess. My three kids spend a startlingly large amount of time eating. I’m not sure if it’s a boy thing, or because they are growing, a little of both, or what; but, they eat a lot! Whether it’s because they don’t have as much practice as I do or the testosterone in their bodies doesn’t allow it, they are not dainty or careful eaters. To make matters worse, we have carpet in our dining room. I’m not sure who had that grand idea, but it is a terrible, horrible thing to live with. The last time I deep cleaned my dining room carpet, it stayed clean for an entire two weeks before it was stained again. Yep, that’s it.

Cleaning up the carpet after every meal is a must and, even then, I don’t always get it all. Then there are all the snacks all day long. It’s a full-time job just keeping my dining room floors clean. The new Hoover AIR CORDLESS LIFT UPRIGHT Vacuum line has made my job (well, one of them) a whole lot easier. I love my AIR CORDLESS LIFT UPRIGHT Vacuum. It’s perfect for after-meal clean up.

The Windtunnel 3 technology provides the perfect suction power to lift and remove dirt and food. I was mildly worried about the battery life when I first got the machine, but this thing is a tank. The LithiumLife batteries have double the capacity of Hoover’s standard 18-volt lithium Ion batteries which give me longer run time (about 50 minutes and an extra battery is included) and I get amazing power regardless of the battery charge. The LithiumLife batteries are interchangeable through out the Hoover Cordless line, making it easy to use the right machine for the job. There are three vacuums and a hard floor wet cleaner in the line and I’ve got a hankering for the Floormate® hard floor wet cleaner now…

My absolute favorite thing about the Hoover AIR CORDLESS LIFT though is the cordless part. The cordless feature means I can clean up multiple messes in multiple rooms in a fraction of the time I used to.  I can vacuum up breakfast crumbs, grab the popcorn kernels my boys threw at each other during movie night last night and then zip over and get the dirt my husband tracked in from the garage in mere minutes. And it’s a dream in cleaning out the car. There is no unplugging and plugging back in, no winding that wretched cord back up (or driving my husband crazy that I don’t wind it back up). My kids don’t trip over the cord when I’m vacuuming or play tug of war with it anymore. And it’s easy to take out the to the car too!

The holiday season is here and it’s a busy time of year for most everyone. Simplify your cleaning duties and skip the cord. I also love the canister option on the AIR CORDLESS LIFT that makes dusting a breeze and stairs are so much easier to clean when you’re not lugging the vacuum behind you. Get the work done faster so you can enjoy more time doing the things you really want to do.

Whether hosting holiday parties or family is coming to visit, things can get crazy. I’ve come up with a printable checklist that can help you make sure you don’t forget anything super important before company comes. Then you can make the most of and enjoy the time you get to spend with your family and friends. Just click on the image below to be taken to it’s download page. You can save it to your computer and print it off. Hang it on the fridge so the entire family can help get the work done. No more “I didn’t know what needed to be done” excuses!

CLICK TO DOWNLOAD

Kick the cord this holiday season, grab the printables, get the work done and enjoy making new memories with the ones that matter most! Happy Holidays!

I was selected for this opportunity as a member of Clever Girls and the content and opinions expressed here are all my own. Pinky promise.

The post Get Company Ready this Holiday Season with Hoover AIR™ CORDLESS LIFT appeared first on While He Was Napping.

With my middle little one we started out in a two-bedroom apartment that was less than 1000 square feet and there was no need for monitors. You couldn’t get far enough away to not hear the baby. When he was three months old, we moved into our single-story home and we still didn’t need a monitor. He was (and still is!) such a restless sleeper that it was better if I didn’t have a monitor on him because every movement he made put me on edge… Is he getting up? Is he gonna cry? Should I go get him? We both slept better without a monitor – I wasn’t constantly hovering over him while he was trying to sleep. He expected me to be there every time he stirred and he was terrible at putting himself back to sleep because of it. It didn’t help that I need sleep or I am one grouchy momma. It really was better for both of us.

Between my middle baby and my youngest, my sister-in-law had their first baby. They went all out with the changing tables, video monitors, diaper pails and more. I thought it was a little unnecessary… Then we were at my grandma’s house with the whole family and it was loud! Both of my younger boys still napped. Our room was too close to the noise and kept them from getting a good nap unless we put them in the attached apartment my parents were staying in. But we had no easy way to make sure our kids were still sleeping, safe and sound. My brother’s video monitor suddenly seemed like more of a need than a want, or at the very least not unnecessary. We made do with some apps on our mobile devices and tablets, but it meant someone had to leave their device in with the sleeping kids and the apps chewed through the battery!

Enter Levana’s Ayden Baby Video Monitor. Even though my little Baby N is closer to being two than one, I am so excited to have this monitor now. I know it will be so useful while we are traveling next week! I absolutely love this thing. It has all kinds of features I am so excited about. The most important feature to me, though, was a secure signal – I want to be confident that I am the only one checking in on our children. The Ayden Baby Video Monitor offers Private ClearV­u® Digital Signal that is private, secure and interference-free from up to 750 feet away.

The picture quality is fantastic on the 3.5 inch screen and there is even an LED Night Vision option to give you a clearer picture of your baby in the darkness. This is amazing and essential for me, as our nursery is incredibly dark even during the day. I love being able to see my baby without having to shine a bunch of light in on him and worry about waking him. The actual picture clarity is even better than this photo.

Another feature I was very excited about was the option to use battery or wall power for both the monitor and video screen units. This means we can even take it camping! I am very excited about the freedom that will give me! You can turn on PEEP mode and your monitor and camera will enter sleep mode if it’s quiet. You see what you need to see when you need to see it and don’t use up lots of battery when there’s nothing to check on. This allows for up to 48 hours of battery life before you need to recharge.

3 TIMES I LOVE BEING ABLE TO USE MY LEVANA AYDEN BABY VIDEO MONITOR

1. When my Baby N finds himself overstimulated and tired. When this boy has had enough, he needs his space. Even momma is too much company. The worst case overstimulated scenario has the poor boy in hysterics and cuddles from momma or daddy just make it worse. I like being able to keep an eye on him while he calms himself enough for a snuggle before going to sleep. I don’t have to worry that he’s going to hurt himself or be naughty – he’s climbing all the things these days – while he’s alone in his crib.
2. To check on Baby N before I go to bed. You know what they say – Let the sleeping beast lie! Baby N regularly kicks his blankets off, but not all the time. I love being able to check and see if he needs to be tucked in again without entering the room and disturbing his slumber.
3. In the middle of the night. Baby N gets up usually once during the night, but he’s been sleeping all night more often lately. It’s really nice to be able to check on him when I first hear him fussing to see what he needs. Is he cold? Hungry? Did he just lose his pacifier? It helps me get him taken care of and back to bed faster.

The temperature monitoring is a nice feature. My youngest two boys kick the covers off all the time. With the Ayden Baby Video Monitor you can check on the temperature in their room and see if they need to be recovered without risking waking them up. There’s nothing worse than checking on them and them waking up just as I’m heading to bed. My boys have usually been asleep long enough they think it should be time to get up and play. Not what a tired momma wants!

The smart indicator ring was also something I thought was very cool. The ring around the directional pad will change colors according to the noise level in the baby’s room. You can keep an eye on your baby even when the sound is turned down. This would be a great option for times when your surroundings are loud already and for hearing-impaired parents and caregivers.

Two more features are a night light option and a lullaby option that you can turn off and on from the video screen menu. You don’t even have to go into the room. There are three lullaby options and the night light is a calming yellowy-orange color that comes from the top of the camera. There is a two-way communication feature that lets you talk to baby.

I am incredibly happy with this monitor. It’s feature-rich, I can keep eyes on my kiddo and I will be able to do more knowing my child is safe. That’s all this momma wants! Enter the giveaway below for a chance to win your own baby video monitor.

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Get more info and stay up with all the latest and greatest from Levana on their Facebook page. Or check out the Ayden Baby Video Monitor and get your own with the button below!

This is a sponsored conversation written by me on behalf of Levana. The opinions and text are all mine. Pinky Promise.

The post Do More with Levana Ayden™ Baby Video Monitor appeared first on While He Was Napping.

I don’t know about you, but my house seems like it gets it hit by a bomb… or two… around this time of year. The kids bring home even more papers from school, stores are sending out sale papers, companies are doing their end-of-year policy updates, and we’re approaching a major election year so there’s all kinds of political mailers coming in as well. That’s a lot of paper coming through my front door.

We haven’t always been awesome at filing the mail when it comes through the door. It, often times, gets dropped somewhere on the kitchen counter. As if it isn’t hard enough to keep the kitchen counters clean… and, I hate to admit it, but I do have a box of old papers in my bedroom that is full of mail from our countertops. Clearly, I still have some improving to do in getting rid of paper clutter in our home, but I have been doing a lot better with this new system. Ready to cut down on your paper clutter? Here’s the how:

1. Start now with all the new papers that come in your home. Once you get in the habit of getting rid of the stuff coming in, you can add a step or two here and there to get rid of the stuff already there. It’s so much easier to get rid of stuff a step at a time, rather than a big purge. Now, if you have the time for a big purge, then by all means. But, shy of burning my house down and just starting all over, I don’t have time to get rid of every single paper in one sitting. Besides, I’d much rather play with my cute boys than go through tedious piles of paperwork.

When papers get brought into your house, go through them immediately. Take five minutes and just get it done.

2. I have two paper trays on my counter. Hey, it’s better than a stack of (unopened) mail! One for “things that need attention”, like bills, insurance things, a wedding announcement, coupons – if it has an expiration date or deadline. And one for “things to file”, like report cards, most DMV papers and other documentation, school papers or projects my kids bring home that I want to keep – if it is going to be kept long-term.

Once a week, I clear out the trays. I deal with the stuff that needs attending and then file the things that are being kept where they belong. My filing boxes are a whole ‘nother story! The paper trays actually work really well for me. If having them in the kitchen doesn’t appeal to you, put them somewhere else. Maybe putting them in your office or something would work better for you. If so, I’m totally jealous you have an office!

3. Now, think of all that stuff you got rid of. Feels good to not have it cluttering your home, right? Some paperwork shouldn’t just be thrown out though. Even outdated paperwork can have sensitive information on it. That’s where a good shredder comes into play.

I have been using a Fellowes 79Ci shredder and I just love the sleek design and advanced technology. The SilentShred Technology lets me work on getting rid of our paper clutter during nap time without fear of waking the babies. Its patented 100% Jam Proof System is fantastic and has completely lived up to the promise in all the shredding I’ve done with it so far. The heavy-duty cross-cut blades can handle up to 16 pages at a time and you don’t have to take out staples or paper clips either, which is such a time saver.

Another thing that I love is the extended 20 minute run time. I can get everything shredded all in one sitting and I don’t have to wait for the shredder to cool down. There’s also a cool little Energy Savings System feature that maximizes efficiency 100% of the time, both when you are actively using the shredder or when it’s in standby. If we ever get our bedroom office center set up like we want to, I will move this shredder in there and leave it on all the time. For now, it’s in our dining room and I unplug it after I use it, simply because I don’t want my kids to shred things! Which brings me to my absolute favorite feature: the patented SafeSense® Technology that automatically stops shredding when hands touch the paper opening so I don’t have to worry about little fingers. Obviously, you should still be cautious and not allow children to use the shredder but that safety feature allows me to feel confident in leaving it in our easily-accessible dining room.

4. Now that you’re getting into the routine of getting rid of the paper before it piles up, what do you do about the already piled paper? Well, you have to go through it. But, here’s my trick to do it quickly: sort it out by type of paper.

So, you have a pile of old mail: 3 pages from your insurance company, 2 medical bills, 3 utility bills, 2 credit card bills, some advertising pieces and a postcard from Grandpa and Grandma on vacation.

First, pitch that advertising in the trash! Anything that is addressed to … ” or current resident” doesn’t need to take up your space. Make an exception for coupons, if that’s your thing, but that’s about all the exceptions I can think of.

Second, separate the mail into the categories listed above: insurance documents, medical, utility, credit card and personal.

You can stop there for now if you need to or keep going.

Third, choose a pile and open up the main page. Depending on how much time I have, I try to start with the biggest pile. Get the worst done first. If it’s a bill that had already been paid, shred it. Your bank will have documentation of the payment and most companies have the option to look up your account online, including payment history. You don’t need the statement. If it had not been paid, it goes to the “needs attention” paper tray to be dealt with.

If the paper is something medical, legal or otherwise needs to be kept, put it in the “to be filled” tray.

If the paper is personal, decide whether you need to keep it or not. Something like a postcard from Dad or Grandpa and Grandma is something I will hang on the fridge for a while (like until they get back – not like months or years), share with my boys and then throw out. If it’s too sentimental, consider taking a photo of it and then discarding. You’ll have the photo to look back at later if you really want to. If you do keep it, file it away so it has a place. Don’t let it clutter.

Keep working your way through the piles, one at a time. I find I usually add to my piles before I ever get them all gone through completely. I still find the occasional box of papers that need to be sorted, but it’s getting better.

Mostly, I LOVE that my kitchen counters aren’t covered in old mail! I love knowing or personal information is safely destroyed with the Fellowes 79Ci shredder so I don’t have to worry. The 79Ci is available at Amazon and Office Superstores with a suggested retail price of $239.99. I love that I can use the shredder while my children are napping or when they are awake, I don’t have to plan getting rid of clutter papers that come into my home, I can just do it. This means I have more time to spend with my kids, doing festive holiday activities and that my house doesn’t look like a bomb went off. At least, not a paper bomb. We’re still working on a toy factory explosion problem. But that’s a whole different problem.

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