I love wardrobe pieces that go the distance! This kimono vest from Cents of Style is one of those types of pieces. It’s great for the summer, but it’s also perfect throughout the rest of the year!
This vest comes in 12 colors! I got the black!!
I’m looking forward to pairing my vest with a variety of items in my closet and creating a great layered look!
Which color jumps out at you? Get it for just $13.95 + free shipping with code: VEST17 !!!
Until next time,
Charissa
Today begins a new series here on my blog. I’m excited for the chance to share some of my favorite things each month! I share many of my favorites on both my Facebook and Instagram, but these posts will be an easy way to find all my favorites in one place. My monthly favorites will be a combination of products, recipes, books, blogs, people, places, and whatever else strikes me during the month.
(This post contains affiliate links, so thenotsobusymom receives a very small commission if you make a purchase through the links.)
Seltzer is definitely my favorite beverage year round, and Polar is my favorite brand. I love when Polar brings out its limited edition flavors. This year’s summer flavors are so tasty! I have a hard time picking a favorite!!
I am a huge YouTube fan, and it has replaced much of my television viewing over the last year. Part of the reason I like YouTube so much is because of what I am able to learn. I generally subscribe to mommy channels, and I find so much inspiration and so many ideas from the women I follow. Do it on a Dime (created and led by Kathryn) is one of my top favorite channels. Kathyrn is upbeat, creative and frugal. I always look forward to her new videos. Check her out here!
I have shared this crossbody bag numerous times on my Facebook page. It is cute, functional and so reasonably priced! I own it in the khaki, but this fun purse actually comes in 16 great colors, and all choices are just $16.95!!
One of my favorite summer sandwiches is a BLT (Bacon, Lettuce & Tomato). Well, that was one of my favorite summer sandwiches. I’ve given that sandwich an upgrade, and now my very favorite summer sandwich is a BAT! I replaced the lettuce with avocados and WOW!, the sandwich is beyond tasty! Give it a try, and let me know what you think!
Those are my 5 favorites for the month of June! I am looking forward to sharing more favorites next month!
What about you? What is one of your favorites this month? I would love to hear from you, so leave a comment below!
Until next time,
Charissa
Continue reading “My Five Favorites (June 2017)”
How often have you heard someone say (and that someone might be you), “Everyone is just so busy!” or “We’re all just busy people!”? I know I certainly hear it all the time. Busy has almost become a buzz word of sorts. But why all the busy? Is this just a reality of the world we live in? Can we truly be “not so busy” in this day and age? Why are we busy people in a busy world?
I think the answers to these questions are multilayered, but I also think there are some very basic reasons someone might be busy.
I have heard plenty of people say, “I like to keep busy!”. Some people love to be involved in a wide variety of activities and enjoy attending numerous events. Many people love to get involved and get their children involved in as much as they can. I don’t know that a “keeping busy” lifestyle is all bad (and I’m not going to say it’s all good), but I do think that there is a place to check this tendency because it could mean that…
This might be the hardest reason of all 5 to write about. We are not people who like silence. In silence we are left alone with our own thoughts. In silence we have to face the truth. Some of us don’t want to think about our purpose in life or even our purpose in a given day. Many of us are running from pain and anxiety, so we fill up our days with a bunch of to-do lists in the hopes of escaping the silence.
If you struggle with saying no (and this is a struggle of mine) than you will quickly find yourself being busy in a wide variety of areas. It can be hard to say no because we feel like we are going to disappoint or hurt someone. We want to please those around us, so we say yes without much consideration of our priorities. Saying yes when we should be saying no can lead to a very busy life.
I believe busy is contagious. If everyone around you is busy or you perceive that everyone around you is busy than you might be tempted to jump on the busy train. If all the moms around you are talking about everything their children are participating in then you may feel that signing up for the same activities is just what you’ll have to do. You see the busy life of those around you and you, too, join in on it.
If busy is what you see and busy is what you know than you might believe there is no other way. You might believe that busy is just the “name of the game”. You might think that in order to get through this thing called motherhood than you need to be busy and just be okay with that. You believe that “busy mom” is the title you will carry for years to come. It’s inevitable, and you just go with it. You believe there is no other way, and so you are busy.
Today’s post is not a post of solutions. You will find plenty of inspiration, ideas and encouragement in previous (and upcoming) posts, but I did want today’s post to prompt reflection in my readers. If you find yourself always busy, take some time to consider why. Read through this list and see if one of the reasons jumps out at you. If you’re hoping to make a change, read through my previous posts and stick around for more!
What about you? Do you know why you might be busy? I would love to hear your thoughts, so drop me a comment below!
Until next time,
Charissa
Continue reading “5 Reasons You Might Be Busy”
It’s time for another quick tip!!
Does anyone else get super teary-eyed when they cut onions? I know it’s a problem for many people including me. I am basically crying after a couple minutes of cutting onions. I am always looking for a new idea to prevent the tears but very few have ever helped me.
Some time within the last year or so I stumbled upon an idea that has been the answer for my teary-eyed problem. What is this solution? Frozen onions!!! When a recipe calls for onions, I just use frozen chopped onions! I use them in stews, soups, and stir fry. The only time this doesn’t work is in recipes when you aren’t cooking the onions (like salads).
This tip has made it so I don’t just skip the onions in recipes anymore! (It’s true; I would sometimes do that.) Thank you, frozen onions, you have been a big help!
What about you? What do you do to prevent teary-eyes when chopping onions! I would love to hear your ideas, so leave them below!
For more Quick Tip posts, click here!!
Until next time,
Charissa
Continue reading “Quick Tip: Use Frozen Onions to Prevent Tears”
Yesterday I took my kids to the playground. It had been over a month since the three of them had been at a playground together, and it had been a long while since we had been to this particular spot. They had so much fun playing together and enjoying having the space all to themselves.
I took advantage of our time there as well and decided to hop on a swing. You know, it’s really hard not to smile while you are swinging. Truly. I actually found myself giggling a bit while I pumped back and forth next to my 4 year old.
Sometimes we take ourselves too seriously. Sometimes we get caught up in “adult world”. Sometimes we just need to jump on a swing and smile the afternoon away.
For more Photo of the Week posts, click here. Find even more photos on my Instagram!
Until next time,
Charissa
Continue reading “My Photo of the Week”
If you’re new to my blog or even if you’ve been following for awhile now, you might be thinking that this not so busy life is just a pie-in-the-sky kind of idea that sounds good but really isn’t possible. I promise you, it is more than just a dreamy idea. There are choices, both big and small, you can make to pursue a life that’s just a little less busy. The full life without all the busy will take effort on your part, but it will be worth it. A step in the right direction can even begin today!
Something happens when you (literally) walk away from your normal surroundings. You leave behind all those projects and tasks staring you in the face. You move away from a lot of the noise (both literal and figurative) and breathe in fresh air. Walking is a great way to clear your mind and think new thoughts. I try to walk or run each day for about 30 minutes. For me, this time consists of thinking, praying and listening to a few minutes of a podcast. I always return from my walk in a better frame of mind than when I headed out the door. Things that seemed urgent suddenly don’t seem that way anymore. Worries that weighed on my heart seem a little lighter. Take a walk this week, move away from the busy and return refreshed with a new perspective!
We schedule play dates for our children, but what about us? We need time with friends, too. It’s funny how we can get so caught up in being busy and running here, there, and everywhere that we truly don’t make time for people. Schedule time with a friend this week. Meet for coffee (or if you’re like me, then meet for tea). Take a walk together. Maybe even try out a new restaurant. Keep it simple, but just do it. We need each other more than we need to get one more task done. Making time for a friend will benefit you and them.
Yes, the good old phone, sometimes it needs to be put down. Our phones are super helpful and fun for so many different reasons, but they are also a source of stress and busyness. I believe we have this fear of “missing out” if we aren’t checking our phone, but the truth is the exact opposite. Life is right in front of us, and we miss out on that life when we spend so much time staring at our phones. Leave the busyness of the online world this week, and enjoy the people and places surrounding you.
Go ahead, cross something off. And not because you completed it. Cross it off because you want to make a little more breathing room in your week. Cross it off, and add space to your week. Sometimes we try to jam as much as we can into one day, one week. Our calendar gets overstuffed, and we arrive at the weekend exhausted and cranky. Give yourself permission to make this week a little less busy by crossing one thing off your list or calendar!
You might be thinking, “But doesn’t that just make me more busy?”. Yes…and no. You see, as much as we hate to admit it, much of our busyness focuses on ourselves and our families. That’s not all bad, but it’s not all good either. Sometimes we get so caught up in ourselves and our own situations that we forget those around us. This week make some muffins for a neighbor. Send a note of encouragement to your friend. Bring a meal to the new family in town. You’ll notice that all of a sudden all of your pressing tasks won’t seem so pressing when the focus is outward instead of inward.
Choose 1 (or all 5) of these this week, and see if you find a little more space in your life. Here’s to a week (and a life) that’s just a little less busy!!
What about you? Did anything on this list strike you today? What will you do to make this week a little less busy? I would love to hear your thoughts, so drop me a comment below!
Until next time,
Charissa
Continue reading “5 Ways to be Just a Little Less Busy This Week”
