GIVEAWAY {Black & Decker Steam Mop}

Just when I had HAD IT! with our bamboo floors, and was actually considering purchasing a steam mop to clean them, the Black & Decker fairy emailed me to invite me to try their new steam mop to review and GIVEAWAY to one of you!!  Sign me up!





Our floors are pretty, but because they are so solidly dark (with vary little variation in color), they show every cracker and crumb, sippy cup spill, and footprint.  Here's an old photo to show you what our floor looks like.  

I usually clean the floor with a wood cleaner spray, then mop over it by hand.  But this Black & Decker Steam Mop was so much easier to use.  Just turn the dial to your floor setting, plug in and go!  

I was really happy with how our floors looked after using this mop- I can't believe I didn't get a good picture!.  The previous way I cleaned the floors worked well too- but this was just a much easier (and less time consuming) process!  

To Enter (leave a separate comment for each):

-          What's the biggest mess you've have ever had to tackle?



-          Like Black & Decker on Facebook



-          Follow Black & Decker on Twitter



-          Tweet about the giveaway with a link to this blog post



-          Subscribe to or Follow Honey We're Home, Like Honey Were Home on Facebook, or      follow Honey We're Home on Twitter. 





The winner will be chosen via Random.org and announced on Friday, August 19, 2011.

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And if you like a chance to win an adorable baby or child tutu, check out yesterday's GIVEAWAY! :)

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One more thing, my friend Lili (Swanky Chic Fete) nominated me for a Supermodel Mom at Scout- so flattering! Go HERE to read the interview:)

GIVEAWAY {Ali Grace}

My newest sponsor is a woman and mother who is turning her passion for fashion into her own business, Ali Grace Fashions.  And she is giving away a $25 credit to her shop!

My favorite thing Ali makes are the most adorable tutus (if I only had a girl *sigh*)!  And her prices are super affordable- less than $25!  I've seen similar ones retail for $75!

She also sells sparkly hair adornments and jewelry- so fun:)

Ali is giving away a $25 credit to her shop and a 10% discount on all orders placed using Code: HWH10 until Friday, August 19, 2011, when the winner is announced.



To Enter:

• Visit Ali Grace's Esty Shop and leave a comment with your favorite product.



• For another entry, follow the Ali Grace blog and leave a comment.


• Follow Ali Grace on Twitter for an additional entry (leave a comment)


• Tweet, Facebook, or Blog about this giveaway for additional entries (leave a comment).

Good Luck and Thank You for Entering!

baby james (16 & 17 months)

There have been so many discernible changes in James these last few months, I feel like I cannot possibly chronicle them all or accurately describe the subtleties of everything.  But I love it!  First of all, he's really physical- loves to run, climb, and wrestle with daddy.

He understands so much now that it blows my mind.  I can ask him to throw the wet diaper away, and he'll walk over to trash can, open the lid, and throw the diaper away (sometimes I don't even have to ask).  Or, we were in my room and I found a "paci" and told him to put it in his bed, and he went into his room and put it in his crib!  I can tell that when I'm talking to him, he understands a lot of what I'm saying.  And he'll go to the stairs and say "night night" when he's ready for bed.

I always tell him "hi baby!" when I open the door to his room in the morning, and the other day, as soon as I opened the door, he said to me "hi baby!"  I about died- it was so cute!   Now, he says "hi baby!" all the time.

The first time I saw him take his sippy cup to the water dispenser on the fridge door, I was stunned!  Look how cute he is standing on his tippy toes, trying to get himself some water! We quickly learned how to lock the water dispenser!

He loves to open and close doors and drawers.  Loves to push buttons and take things in and out of buckets- like emptying his leggos and putting them back into the bucket. 

Can't get enough of putting on shoes- his, mine, his dad's.

He's talking up a storm!  He says:

• shoes


• tankoo "thank you"


• hot (and uses it accurately, like when he touched my lawnchair and said "hot")


• lunch


• milk 


• paci


• wubby


• mana "mama"


• dada


• hi baby 


• no, no, no


• night night


• bye bye


• yay!


• up (when he wants to be picked up)


• toe "toast"


• doggie


• Stacey "Aunt Stacey"


• pop pop "Moon Pop"- a rice cake snack


• cookie (he calls crackers cookies)

He loves ice cream and waits (not so patiently) for his cousin to give him a bite.  But he's actually a pretty picky eater.  He likes bananas and other fruits, toast, yogurt, rice and beans, ravioli, cheese, grilled cheese and PB&J sandwiches.  Will spit out chicken, veggies, eggs, and a bunch of other dishes I've tried to feed him.  I'm still trying.  

He will start preschool/daycare part-time in a couple weeks (since we're losing our babysitter when she returns to college).  Bittersweet for sure, but I know he'll love it. 

3 Things That Make Me Feel Organized (Even When I'm Not)

I don't know if it's the laziness of these hot summer days, or the crazy combination of trying to work, work out, spend time with my husband and baby, attend parties and visit with friends, write my blog, read blogs, and take care of the house, but lately I've found myself really feeling like I need to get it together when it comes to keeping things tidy and organized around our home.



Trust me, I am okay with not having a perfectly clean house all the time, and realistically speaking, it's just not possible all the time.   But even in the midst of the bits of chaos happening around here right now, if I do the following 3 things, I feel more organized and keep my sanity!

Although I've gone to bed on many a night with a sink full of dirty dishes, but it's really not what I prefer to wake up to in the morning.  When I take the time to do the dishes and clean the kitchen sink before bed, the kitchen is a much nicer place to be in the morning and I don't wake up feeling already behind the 8-ball!

I get a little crazy when my purse becomes like a black hole that I can't find anything in.  My pet peeve is fishing for a ringing phone or keys that can't be found at the moment you need them.  It only takes about   10 minutes to dump everything out, throw away the trash, clean out all the receipts from my wallet and organize the cash.  Having a purse with a couple of compartments is nice for keeping things organized too.

Oh I love to get into a clean car!  I do keep mine pretty clean, generally speaking, but with me and my son occasionally snacking in the car, crumbs tend to accumulate, not to mention the dirt of everyday life.  There's a friend-owned carwash near our house that I pop into about twice a month to give my car a nice bath- inside and out!  Don't you just love to get into a clean car?!

via

Guest Post {Rambling Renovators}

I first fell in love with the Rambling Renovators family long before I ever thought of starting my own blog, when I caught a glimpse of the nursery they created for their adorable baby girl, Chloe.  Jennifer and her hubby are the King and Queen of DIY renovation and decor in Canada and completely cool, but it seems that all the Canadian bloggers are genuinely good people, ya know?!

 Then I was blown away when I saw how they remodeled their master bedroom, down to the DIY wood paneling behind the bed.  This project was even featured on The Nate Show, and I was so happy to see how lovely and personable Jennifer was in person.

And what about this cool office?  So fun with the colorful walls and fun drapes.

One of their latest projects is their new living room.  Just gorgeous and perfectly comfortable for a real family.  I dig the yellow Dwell Studio fabric on those chairs and the colorful furniture in the background.

The fireplace? Swoon!

But look at the peek into the dining room- they really know how to use color and pattern to liven up their space.

And how about this little retro kitchen they made for Chloe?  I LOVE it!

I am sharing my favorite old and new things at Rambling Renovators today. Go here to check it out!

My Favorite (Fast & Fake) Tan

Now that it's August, I know many of us see fall just around the corner and are getting prepared for school to start for the kiddos- but I, for one, am not ready for summer to end!  We are renting a beach house with my husband's sister and her family soon and I'm so looking forward to it!



Being outdoors more and running around with James in the backyard has helped me get a little tan, but when I really want to get nice color fast, I turn to my favorite spray tan from Victoria's Secret-  Instant Bronze Body Spray.  I couldn't find it on Victoria's Secret website anymore (where it sold for about $10) but found a link to it on Ebay (2 for $44).  If you find it somewhere else cheaper let me know:)



It's not a traditional self tanner, it's more of a body spray that gives you instant color, looks great and smells nice!  It dries right away and you see the results immediately.  I use it mainly on my legs since they seem to be less tan than the rest of me.

And speaking of Victoria's Secret, I think they have the cutest, inexpensive bikinis!  I don't think anyone particularly relishes shopping for swimsuits, but I've ordered from them online and been happy with my selections.  

I'd love to hear where you find your bikinis, what brands you like, etc.  Seems like now is a good time to buy them because they're all on SALE! :)

Portico Mirror (Z Gallerie)

Z Gallerie has such a great selection of mirrors, I love stopping in or browsing online to see what's new.  We recently purchased the Portico mirror and put it in the little hallway that connects the breakfast room and the garage.  That wall really needed something and I thought the round, blingy mirror would add interest.  I added the shade to the window recently too because we get so much late afternoon/early evening sun that it was impossible to eat dinner at the table without the sun shining in our eyes.  The shade was about $20 at Lowe's.

Here's the view from the living room.

I've heard that Home Goods sometimes carries a very similar version of the Portico mirror for about $100, but unfortunately I never could find it at my store:(

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Thank you to everyone who entered!  

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