June 2021 - Bliss This Mess

In Homeschooling

7 Reasons Why Homeschooling Was Our Best Option

June 30, 2021 1 Comment

I never thought I would homeschool my kids. As a naive public school kid, I believed most homeschooled kids were socially awkward and weird. I remember being in high school and vowing that I would never homeschool my own. You know, because the worst thing I could think of about having kids, is having socially awkward ones. I have certainly eaten my own words since then. We will begin our fourth year of homeschooling this fall. Our decision to homeschool has been one of the best choices I have made as a mom. The world is not the same today…

In Crafts & DIY

Make Your Own Ultimate Play Dough Kit for Kids

June 27, 2021 No Comments

I couldn’t wait to create this post becauseI have the best play dough recipe to share with you! It is soft, smells good, and it seems to keep forever as long as you store it in a plastic bag or airtight container. What I love about making my own play dough kit versus buying store bought is that it is more affordable, you can add whatever gadgets and trinkets you want, it is so easy to make, and the kids can play with it for what feels like forever. So let’s get started! The Best Play Dough Recipe Ingredients: 2…

In Family Fun

8 of the Best Life Lessons I Learned from My Siblings

June 21, 2021 No Comments

(and How I’m Applying Those Lessons to Parenting Today) My husband and I recently packed up the kids and spent the weekend at an AirBnB with my mom, my siblings, our nephew, and our nieces. It was the first time in a long time that we were all staying together in one place. I have two older sisters and a younger brother. Among them, I was the only one that moved away from home. I thought I would eventually return after college, but instead, I got married and started my own family, three hundred miles away. Growing up is hard…

In Crafts & DIY

How to Make Water Bombs and What to do With Them

June 17, 2021 No Comments

I’ll be honest, we hid in the air conditioned house for most of the week. Colorado was experiencing a major heat wave, which meant we were seeing record breaking highs and a couple of back-to-back 100 degree days. Anyone with blonde hair and fair skin knows what happens when we step out into such hot weather. Our skin singes upon instant contact with the sun. We did brave the elements at least one time this week and for a good cause. My kids love water balloons but we all hate having to pick up the shredded pieces of rubber scattered…

In Family Fun

8 of the Best Summer Boredom Busters for Kids

June 15, 2021 No Comments

All kids LOVE summer! When the month turns from March to April, I begin to feel the anticipation from my own kids because they know there is only a few weeks left of school. I remember those days! I was doing nothing but dreaming about sleeping in and creating a list of all of the things I was going to do that summer. My friends would all sign my yearbook with, “have a great summer,” or “HAGS” if you were cool and hip. My kids have high expectations for summer. They want to know what we are doing, where we…

In Crafts & DIY

How to: Colorado Tie-Dye Shirt in 5 Easy Steps

June 10, 2021 No Comments

I love that tie dye is making a comeback. It was one of my favorite activities when I was a kid because even the sloppiest of color combinations came out as a cool t-shirt. Our tradition, at the beginning of every summer, is to create new tie-dye shirts. As my kids get older, their technique improves and every year, they get a little more eager to begin designing their next best shirt. Colorado has always been my home. I was born and raised in Durango, a small town in the southwest corner of the state. It wasn’t until after I…

In Crafts & DIY

5 Steps to Create a Beautiful Eagle Wreath

June 8, 2021 14 Comments

Every now and then I like to take on a challenge. Typically, crafting and DIYs come fairly easy to me. In the past, if there was something I was struggling with, I could usually find a YouTube video tutorial. However, this time was different. My grandpa passed away in the middle of the Covid shutdowns. My family decided to wait until this year to safely celebrate his life. I was asked to create a piece of decor for his headstone. Right around Memorial Day, there was a really cool picture of a patriotic eagle wreath going around on Pinterest and…

In Productive SAHM

How to Become a Potty Training Professional

June 4, 2021 No Comments

Let me tell you, I look forward to the day when the only butt I’m wiping is my own! Out of my five kids, three are potty trained, and we are just about to begin the transition out of diapers with my fourth, who just turned two. I am very thankful that all of my kids have decided to potty train right after their second birthdays. Don’t get me wrong, I love celebrating this milestone and I also love not having to buy diapers for two kids at a time. But it’s a process…and a hectic process at that. When…

In Family Fun

Tips for Making it The Best Family Game Night Ever

June 1, 2021 No Comments

Who doesn’t love a family game night? Ours tend to get a little competitive. I’m trying to teach my kids to be gracious winners and also not to be sore losers. By the way, if you’re looking for a good book on this subject, I recommend, Sometimes You Win and Sometimes You Learn For Kids, by John Maxwell. Our kids earned a family game night as a reward for working together and completing all of their chores last week. The one game we could all agree on this time was Mario Party on the Nintendo Switch. My son was in…