Autumn Rose Reo

Let’s Talk About THE TALK

May 12, 2020 By Autumn Rose Reo 8 Comments

The Talk. It’s not easy, but it’s necessary. So let’s talk about THE TALK. Plus we’ll share how it pays to be a good parent…with help from NTARUPT and TALK ABOUT IT DALLAS.

Never in a million years did I think I would be a second grade teacher…then on March 12, 2020 (yes, just a short but the longest eight weeks of my life), I somehow became a second grade teacher AND a sixth grade teacher all on the same day.

Lucky me. (sarcasm is heavy here, folks.)

But I’m not alone. If you have kids, you’re going through the same crazy chaos of “distance learning” while attempting to keep some type of normalcy amidst all the things that aren’t normal right now. But to be honest, as parents we have always been teachers from the moment that baby comes out of your body, you’re teaching. From your principles, life lessons and just to be a good, solid human being. Now is a little different because we’ve gotten used to sending them to school and someone else does the staples like math, STEM and whatever else they say our kids need to know to pass whatever test is required to move to the next grade.

However, as parents we’re still responsible for teaching the hard stuff – not the stuff that is just on school curriculums (although it should be.) Actually in Texas, the curriculum for sex education hasn’t changed in more than 22 years, although Texas is ranked #4 in the country in teen births, and #1 in repeat teen births. And to add insult to injury since 2007, there has been a 37% increase in HIV cases among youths aged 15-24 in Dallas County.

W-H-O-A.

Want another one that will make you gasp?

So the other day I made a list of all the fundamentals of life I felt were necessary for life. This was everything from making eggs, to writing / addressing a letter, and also having THE Talk. Of course when I told the kids they were enrolled in “Reo School” and what was on the curriculum, they weren’t excited when I used the S-E-X word. Not at all. My son, who is a budding teen himself could have died. But now since I put it down on paper, I was making a promise to them that I couldn’t put off – not just to them to be accountable to having the conversation, but me to actually do it. To be honest, that may have been the hardest part.

How you talk about sex and what is appropriate at what age is conditional on a lot of things. So first off, you’re not going to find a step-by-step here on what you should do…basically what I do for my family isn’t necessarily perfect for yours. Actually a little known fact about me is that I was a sex education teacher in college as a college student. My job was to talk to peers about making responsible decisions, basic understanding of STIs (sexually transmitted infections) and performed HIV testing. You’d be surprised that how many people, 18-24, would come in completely oblivious about STIs and basic premises of how to make good decisions. While it wasn’t easy talking sometimes to 3000+ incoming students at Freshman Orientation, I admit it’s still harder to look at your 11 year old and start breaking it down.

BUT YOU HAVE TO DO IT.

Thankfully there are resources that are able to help you in all kinds of ways – including classes if you want to involve your

NTARUPT (North Texas Alliance to Reduce Unintended Pregnancy in Teens) is an organization in North Texas committed to combining the community resources teens need in order to succeed. Ntarupt and its delivery partners offer evidence-based and medically accurate sexuality education to parents and teens and link clients to youth-friendly healthcare. Its community partners offer other resources teens need including after-school programming, counseling, mentoring, primary health care, and social services.

But NTARUPT knows that it’s still hard to have THE Talk and continue the job of educating your kids so its partnered with TALK ABOUT IT DALLAS to give both parents and teens a place to get the information and guides they need to make The Talk easier. There are tons of facts and even a guide to help you go through each topic like Pregnancy, Abstinence, Sexuality and more. Remember, it’s not one talk, but an ongoing conversation that is necessary to get the right information for your kids. I mean let’s be honest did your friends give you the right information growing up about pregnancy and sex?

No need to even go there.

But what NTARUPT and TALK ABOUT IT DALLAS have also done, especially this month since they know we’re spending more time than ever with our families and it’s SEX EDUCATION FOR ALL MONTH is to reward us all for engaging in THE TALK! So each week during the month of May on you’ll find conversation starters for parents and teens alike to comment on. And each comment becomes an entry to win a $100 Visa Gift Card.

So that’s not so bad, right? A chance to win some money and also make sure your kid receives the information they need to help them make good choices that will affect their life forever?

See? It does play to be a good parent.

So make time for the talk, head to TalkAboutItDallas for more information and Instagram.com/TalkAboutItDallas to enter to win $100 (or at least send your kid over there while they’re on their device anyway.)

Mother’s Day Ideas for Real Moms

May 3, 2020 By Autumn Rose Reo 5 Comments

Mother’s Day is always important, but this year, more than ever show you love her and appreciate her with things she REALLY wants. Here’s our picks for Mother’s Day Ideas.

Mother’s Day is a special day that supposed to recognize the most important lady in most of our lives: mom.

In the past, Mother’s Day has included completing honey-do lists, brunch at my favorite spots, and sweet crafts from the kids. Most of all, it’s just spending time. However, this year it takes on an even bigger meaning as we’ve spent time at home with our families or in my case away from my family (my parents.) But with so much together time, you’re gonna have to do something a little extra special. So we’ve rounded up a few ideas for moms close-by and far away on any budget.

Please note: If you’re going to buy anything, we love to promote local. Now more than ever you should buy from the small businesses owned by friends and other community members. Unfortunately not all those local spots can be mailed or sent in the mail so we have some other options – including a few free ideas – to make Mother’s Day memorable!

Mother’s Day Ideas for Free

Let’s be honest, Moms don’t expect you to BUY something, especially right now. But you are going to have to do something meaningful. Really the thought does count!

Make her breakfast AND Clean the House

Make her favorite breakfast (most the time mamas love breakfasts that you don’t have everyday.) We have some amazing ideas for brunch like this Eggs Benedict Casserole but honestly an omelet goes a long way. Along with making her breakfast make sure not to leave a mess. That’s the biggie. Leave her a mess and might as well not have done anything. If you aren’t for breakfast or another meal, that’s great, but make sure she doesn’t have to clean up after you. Do the laundry, clean the bathrooms, and don’t leave any dishes in the sink. PERIOD.

Add flowers to the meal and you’ll be set.

Just do me a favor, don’t pick the neighbor’s flowers. But you can do a walk and pick wildflowers or put them in a jar. And you can always make some for her with paper. We loved these easy flowers we made with coffee filters and straws.

Do Spa Night

My daughter is young, so she can’t buy anything for me. But we definitely can play spa day. Face masks can be made at home with just a few ingredients, soak in the tub, put in the conditioner and just watch some good girlie movies (Under the Tuscan Sun, Eat. Pray. Love, Love Actually, Gone with the Wind, Steel Magnolias and Downton Abbey.)

Or you can always rub her feet. Not getting to get a pedicure or get a massage is starting to take a toll, so rubbing her feet will go FAR.

Mother’s Day Ideas for Her (Near & Far)

Okay, everyone loves a good gift…especially if it’s something she’s wanted! So if you’re looking for a goodie we have some great ideas here that can be ordered to the house or delivered to those mamas (and grandmas) far away. (Thank gosh for delivery, right?)

Scout & Cellar

Toast to mom the right way with a bottle of wine (or even better a wine box subscription) she’s sure to love from Scout & Cellar. However, this wine company isn’t just selling wine – it’s organic, Clean-Crafted wine (without pesticides or added sugars) from small winemakers from across the world. So when you get wine from Scout & Cellar, it’s not just amazing wines (and bubbles, too), but a woman-owned business that works with only small family-owned wineries and partners with consultants across the U.S. (like myself) to have it delivered, straight to your door. Right now there is a special Mother’s Day box with a personalized note that is perfect for making her happy.

Best Mom Gourmet Gift Basket

If you want to make her happy with all the sweets, eats and treats – then these Mother’s Day picks from GourmetGiftBaskets.com will do the job x 10. Reviewed by Newsweek as a No. 1 food site, has a great new assortment of gifts for Mom that she’s bound to love like cookies, cheese, bubbles and more.

Peloton

Okay this one is a biggie. And not every mom wants a Peloton, but this mama can tell you it’s my saving grace…especially right now. It’s my work out, my spiritual center, the kids love the family classes, and if you haven’t done a ride with Cody or Ally, you haven’t really had fun lately (and all from your house.) One day when travel is ok, you also need to plan a trip to NYC so she can do it with her favorite instructor (it’s so worth it!)

Use the code ESDH6K and you’ll get $100 in accessories when you buy a Peloton.

(Photo: Peloton)

Apple AirPods Pro

She might love you, but believe me, she would love to be able to cancel out the noise (i.e. you) sometimes. Do yourselves all a favor and buy Apple AirPods Pro for her. And if you have it in your budget, buy a pair for you, too.

Subscription Boxes

Honestly, I’m a real sucker for subscription boxes. Food ones, beauty ones, clothes ones – you name it! Best of all, there’s a little bit of fun in getting a box of goodies that all are curated for her special likes. While there are plenty of them to sign up for, here are a few of our favorites for Mom:

Allure Beauty Box – at just $20 it’s a huge deal with the value of more than $70 sent monthly (shipping included.)
Bloomsy Box – Send her flowers – every month!
Simple Loose Leaf Tea – For those tea drinkers, give them something to look forward to with four different blends delivered to her door (and at less than $7 for the first box and $12.95 for additional), you can afford to tell her “I’m thinking about you.”
TheraBox – AHHH! This is her spa in box! #Selfcare is the name of the game and this monthly box with full-size products begins at $35!

Scrapbook it with MixBook

This is a great gift idea for grandma especially! If you have kids that can make a Mixbook scrapbook on their own – even better! But if you need to help them create something special to send to grandma, this one is easy to create and get delivered using photos you find on your phone or have collected throughout the year. Even a look at what you’ve been doing during the Quarantine can be something special to make.

Did we mention we are doing a giveaway for the ultimate craft mom – A CRICUT MAKER. (See below to enter to win.)

If you’d rather do it yourself, then we have several ideas for sensible scrapbooking to make it on the cheap at home!

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Simple Scrapbooking for the Real Parents {CRICUT MAKER GIVEAWAY}

April 28, 2020 By Autumn Rose Reo 140 Comments

Are you storing your kid’s sweet little drawings causing chaos? Here’s our guide for Simple Scrapbooking for Real Parents.

Lately you may have found yourself making more crafts than normal or trying to organize all those boxes, envelopes and more of the kids’ photos, momentos, etc.?

Yes, we all are. Or at least trying.

Even with all this “extra time,” that doesn’t mean that you want to spend all of it meticulous;y creating some beautiful scrapbook only to hate the final result? Don’t worry where there’s a will, there’s a way – and our way is much easier, practical and efficient than those top-line scrapbooks made by those perfect Pinterest mamas (that’s not us, either.)

Guide for Simple Scrapbooking for Real Parents

Paper

I have tons of random paper all over our house and this is the best place to use it! There’s no rule to making things match! So get creative and use what you have, even make some of the memories part of the process like maps, menus, etc. or for just almost $6 order a collection of scrapbook papers with all different designs and colors to easily put in your plastic sleeves.

Got nothing on hand? Then let canva the work for you. I’m not sure what I did before this super easy graphics maker and I’m so glad I don’t have to. The online transforms you into a marketing / graphics genius with easy scrapbooking templates like these. You can either print them out to add your photos or scan/download your photos and make your entire sheet in canva.

Stuck on Fun

Oh man, this is where things get sticky! Sticky dots, photo corners and definitely this amazing adhesive tape makes my world work. No mess and no stress – all of these make it easier to make your scrapbook look good without the work.

Envelopes

Have a few envelopes laying around? Put them to work. Many times we’ve collected small momentos like tickets, post its, maybe even a piece of hair. An envelope makes for a cute way to make it attractive and easy to put in the scrapbook. The name of the game is easy, right?

Putting it Together

You don’t even have to use a “photo album” or “scrapbook” when making your book. Consider using a favorite book or magazine to be the binding for your scrapbook. I love using the instax mini camera from FujiFilm to take photos for parties. And now’s an even better time to use them and record some of the memories you’re making at home right now.

Don’t Forget to Document THIS

Speaking of now, you really do need to find a way to record your family’s experiences through the Corona-19 pandemic. While I am not thrilled to record our latest events as they don’t exactly seem to be happy times, you can’t debate that these are going to be times that will be part of your child’s story. So instead record the experience with a time capsule. Start taking photos with that the instax and Modern Mom Life has some cool printables to make yours.

MAKE A TIME CAPSULE

Still don’t want to make one with even less creative effort? Or want to multi-task and make a scrapbook that can be a gift to someone miles away?

Here are other ways to scrapbook without scrapbooking.

mixbook.com

It’s a one-stop shop to make your own scrapbook with mixbook. Even the printed version is formatted to lay flat and can be done on the computer and the mobile phone! Do all the photos, text, theme, printing, and even delivery. And with more than first order here.

Get up to 50% off + 10% off everything with code CHERISH for a limited time.)

shutterfly

I’m pretty sure I’ve made a ton of these for Mother’s Day and Christmas gifts! You do it all in shutterfly – the photos, the format, the colors, the theme – you name it! And then you order it to be delivered in a hard bound book! Right now get a free personalized scrapbook or up to 50% off orders for a limited time with free shipping plus 1% back using Rakuten when you shop (it’s free money.)

Ready to do some serious Scrapbooking?

The answer to all things creative nowadays seems to be done with the help of the Cricut! The ultimate cutting machine gives you the freedom to make everything from paper crafts, iron ons, and vinyl decals to sewing projects, leather crafts, and more!

The ultimate in professional-level cutting performance and versatility
Cuts 300+ materials, from the most delicate fabric and paper to matboard and leather
Rotary Blade for cutting virtually any fabric without backer

And yes, I’m just figuring out how this Cricut works! (I will not admit how long I’ve had mine and how long it’s taken me to get this far!) But I want to share my new found love with you! So just in time for Mother’s Day, one lucky reader will win their own CRICUT MAKER!

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10 Must-Have Nintendo Switch Games to Escape Quarantine {Animal Crossing Giveaway}

April 19, 2020 By Autumn Rose Reo 22 Comments

Ready to get away? While you can’t open the door, you can get away virtually! Here are 10 Must-Have Nintendo Switch Games to Escape Quarantine.

Thank you to Nintendo for this amazing reminder and giveaway to make this getaway possible.

Oh, the irony – we’re all ready to get away more than ever, but we’re all lawfully committed to staying indoors and close to home. I know I have had more than one dream about white sandy beaches with my feet in the sand sipping a margarita lately. While the only surfing we can do is on the couch for a bit, Nintendo has made it a little bit easier to travel via its SWITCH console.

Need proof it works? Then check out the sales of its newest release, Animal Crossing: New Horizons. People are using it for weddings, dates, as well as just creating their own tropical paradise. But that’s not the only game that will relieve the tension. Best of all, you can download these at home and be ready to go in no time, completely contactless and without delivery woes.

Now before you say, hey aren’t you normally all about limiting device time? Well these are extraordinary times and maybe it’s not the kids that needs the getaway, right? And besides, some of these are really fun (I know from experience.) And the ones I haven’t played – I trust my 11 year old that they rock (because he says so.)

Ok – we aren’t saying this is a replacement for a trip, but if you need to get away, there is a way!

10 Must-Have Nintendo Switch Games to Escape Quarantine

1. Animal Crossing: New Horizons

Escape to an island and make it your paradise! Or explore a city and enjoy the moment. Not only can you go somewhere, but with Animal Crossing: New Horizons you can do some things a few weeks ago that you might do happily now and in a non-rushed state like drink coffee in your favorite coffee shop (after you create it, of course.) Best of all you can invite people to do it with you in your own virtual world.

(See below to see how you can enter to win your own Animal Crossing: new Horizons.)

2. Overcooked 2

Ready to throw down Chopped-style without all the mess? It’s time to get Overcooked 2! Travel the land cooking up a range of new recipes that are sure to cater to any tastes, including sushi, cakes, burgers and pizzas as you remote play with others! Food and travel, sign me up! (Plus this one is on sale right now!)

3. Luigi’s Mansion

Luigi has long been exploring worlds with his other half, but this time he takes off on his own adventure and you’re in for the fun with Luigi’s Mansion! Head to a beautiful mansion and things don’t exactly go as expected with ghosts, ghouls and more surprises. Hey it may be a haunted mansion, but check out that pool! Go with Party mode and you and the whole family can explore safely from your sofas.

4. Super Smash Bros. Ultimate

Is it obvious that we’re huge Super Mario Bros. fans over here? No doubt it may stem from my retro-love from my own childhood. Whatever it is, this is one thing we’ve handed down. But that’s not all who’ll you’ll see in Super Smash Bros. Ultimate. Pacman, Sonic the Hedgehog, Megaman and so many more, you can kick it old-school alone, with family or with friends online challenging each other or storymode.

5. Just Dance 2020

This game has also taken the place of P.E. for my kids and family entertainment. Just Dance 2020 is a workout while you dance party – and now with the free subscription for April, you can dance for hours to favorite songs not just to 2020, but also all the volumes before it. Challenge me anytime for Backstreet Boys – I’ll kick you into 2021.

6. Untitled Goose Game

Cue the “it’s a beautiful day in the neighborhood…” and then a crazy goose (you) comes to town. That’s the premise of this game that is actually called “Untitled Goose Game.“ For those of us that are just missing things like just going to town and shopping, this might seem like your game, except you’re the prankster. Need to get out some pent-up anger and frustration to vent, this is really your game.

7. ABZÛ

If you need to really escape from the world, it’s time to go below into the sea and find nature’s wonders without leaving your home. The animation in ABZÛ is beautiful with vibrant, colorful ocean world bursting with color underwater adventure that evokes the dream of diving. Swim in the water, interact with specifies under the water including fish.

8. Captain Toad: Treasure Tracker

You may be trekking for treasure as a toad(stool), but this is one fun fungi in Captain Toad: Treasure Tracker. Based on new kingdoms in the Super Mario Odyssey game, you can transport through islands, desserts and my personal favorite, what looks like NYC. Right now a walk through Times Square does sound like an adventure I’m down for – even if I’m a mushroom.

9. Stardew Valley

Own a small plot of land and expand it to huge proportions are the goal of Stardew Valley. Are you the type that has been wanting to start tilling your own farm or orchard? Stardew Valley gives you the ability to raise animals, craft useful machines, fish and more. Plus you’re helping to make a community and can reap the fruits of your virtual labor.) And yes, you can play this one together with the multiplayer update.

10. Minecraft

Like Animal Crossing, Minecraft has long been the leader in being able to create basically anything you want to create. My son has been a fan of this one and recent stories have shared there are students working together online to recreate their schools. Kids miss school almost as much as we parents do. Considering the number of classes I’ve seen on this one,

READY FOR A GETAWAY?

Enter to win a copy of Animal Crossing: New Horizons Nintendo Switch!

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How to Tye Dye with Food Coloring

April 15, 2020 By Autumn Rose Reo Leave a Comment

Need an escape? Then take a moment to enjoy doing something fun for the sake of fun like tye-dye. Grab a shirt, socks and food coloring and throw a tye-dye party. (As featured on Good Morning Texas.)

Wish you could just get carried away to a place with rainbows and flowers? Yes, we all do. The 60s and 70s were full of fun, flowers and love – and all that cool jazz. It was a time well before the word COVID was mainstream on Facebook (or it’s creator) was even a concept. And best of all everyone can create and celebrates a little peace and love of their own.

Here we show you how to create a fun, an at-home activity with (or without the kids.)

Supplies for Tye-Dye with Food Coloring

Shirt (you can also use socks, aprons or anything you want)
Food coloring
Water
White Vinegar (need at least 4 cups to soak the shirts)
Rubber bands
Bottles for the dye (I like squirt bottles, but you can use spray bottles.)
Pan and rack (to protect your space and catch excess water)
Plastic bag (Old grocery bag or large gallon ziplock)
Bucket / sink (need at least have 2-gallons of water)
Cover for table (optional)
Gloves (kitchen gloves work great but something to completely cover your skin and nails
Old clothes / apron (to protect your clothes from the dye)

Already feel overwhelmed or just want to get it all together for you? Yes, there’s a kit for that. We’ve used this one for parties (it works for more than 15 shirts) and is pretty cheap!)

Instructions How to Tye-Dye

1. Prepare your work space for tye-dye.

Make sure to prepare your workspace with a cover, put on an apron or old clothes to protect your own clothes and GLOVES. (Yes, you need gloves, especially when working with food coloring!

2. Prep your tye-dye.

Make sure your shirt (or item) is clean and also has either been soaked in a solution of 1:1 water to vinegar for 20 minutes (or soda ash fixer.) Ring it out but don’t rinse, because you’re going need to have your shirt damp to dye.

3. Prep your supplies.

This is where it might get a little messy, so if you haven’t already – PUT ON THE GLOVES. I like this activity near a sink (or near grass so it doesn’t matter if you make a mess.) If you are using fabric dye, then refer to the instructions but using food coloring, you’ll want to use a solution of 1/2 cup warm water to 8 drops of food coloring. This should be more than enough since a large 12 ounce bottle. Close the top and shake it up.

Tye-Dye Solution: 1/2 cup water to 8 drops of food coloring into bottle.

4. Design your tye-dye.

Also you’ll want to decide what type of design you want. There are no wrong ways to tye-dye so you can do whatever you want. Some of the most popular are the swirl, accordion or bullseye. This step is where you’ll put those rubber bands to work. For our how-to we’re going with the most popular swirl (mostly because I get to put a dinglehopper to work (give yourself 5 points if you know that references.) But we have some suggestions for you (and a great how t0 in the video below.)

How to Design Your Tye-Dye

5. Let’s tye-dye.

This is the fun part. Once you’ve prepped your area (this is where I like to use a pan and rack as my area to do the dye and catch the residual dye), prepped the shirt and put on gloves, let’s dye! Start by adding solution in areas in each section. For the swirl we did each section, alternating in three colors and making sure to get into crevices to get color. Don’t worry – have fun and definitely don’t skimp on the dye. The more color, the more color on the shirt. Make sure also to repeat color on the back of the shirt! HAVE FUN – throw on some music and take your time!

6. Let the tye-dye set.

Once complete, keep the rubberbands on and put the shirt in the plastic bag to dry. Somewhere between 5 hours – to overnight.

7. Dry the tye-dye.

Once it’s dry, remove the rubberbands. Note: the shirt won’t be as bright as it seems when you remove those rubberbands but that’s ok! Then rinse it out a few times in the sink with cold water until it runs clear. (You can do the bucket again, but the sink is so much easier.) Then before you wear it, you’ll want to dry it by itself so the colors don’t rub off (it might be a few times you’ll need to wash it by itself, just in case!)

TIP: If you really are a visual person or need a little more assistance (or just like a good video), here’s one of my favorites. However, there are tons of videos online to help you create the perfect tie-dye.

Looking for more fun? Here are some great activities with food coloring from our friends at Modern Mom Life!

Easter Egg Brunch Wreath

March 20, 2020 By Autumn Rose Reo Leave a Comment

It’s amazing what five ingredients and a roll of crescent rolls can do to make you look like a golden breakfast goddess! Here’s our how-to for Easter Egg Brunch Wreath.

I kept seeing all these photos on Pinterest, but when I clicked on the breakfast brunch wreath, the photo went no where. Therefore, I had to improvise and figure it out myself. So I did a pretty good job of making something out of it since we’ve already made this multiple times and can now mix and match whatever ingredients you might want from veggies, sausage or in my family’s case, more bacon.

And don’t forget the caraway seeds! I made one with and one without and it made a HUGE difference!

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Easter Egg Brunch Wreath

Print Recipe

Ingredients

Scale

1 can of crescent rolls (8 pack)
6–8 eggs,scrambled with butter and seasing
8 slices bacon, cooked but not crispy
2 cups cheese
1/2 teaspoon caraway seeds

Instructions

On a greased cookie sheet lined with wax paper, lay out the crescent rolls on a star shape with the fat end in the center and overlap each triangle with the corner until the middle makes a circle.
Lay a slice of bacon on each triangle.
Sprinkle 1 cup cheese at the perimeter of the circle.
Layer eggs around the same circle over the cheese.
Add another layer of cheese.
Take the ends of the crescent roll towards the center and pinch at the base to form a circle.
Complete until the rolls form a circle, wreath shaped.
Sprinkle caraway seeds on top.
Cook at 375 degrees until brown for around 20 minutes.

Enjoy more mamachallenge Easter Brunch Recipes

Best Apps for Working from Home

March 16, 2020 By Autumn Rose Reo Leave a Comment

So you’re working from home? Welcome to the world of home officing! It’s not science, but here are the Best Apps for Working from Home to make you look like a pro.

Whether you’ve been working from home for a few years or all of a sudden have had it forced upon you with #coronacation, never fear, there are many apps out there to make you look awesome teleworking, remote working, working from home, or whatever it is now we do to get it done.

I’ve been working from home for more than 10 years in some way. Sometimes it was a project, sometime it was a kid (ok, most the time it’s been a kid), and then there were the times I just couldn’t make it to the office. And along the way, I’ve learned a lot – especially from other people that work from home. Ironically, I have an office, but most the time I prefer to work from home because I’ve been doing it for so long. And I’ve learned some tricks to keep me from going crazy (well, semi crazy at least.)

Make note: some of these are free, some have free versions along with paid services, and some have a monthly cost, so make sure to choose the right ones for you.

Best Apps for Working from Home

1. Slack
“It’s where work gets done…” Slack is for team communication – keeping direct messaging, group texting, notes, etc. all in one place. However, for me, I still love email to keep all my info nice and tidy. I don’t delete anything, ever so email acts as a que for keeping up with info and requests.

2. Skype / UberConference / Zoom
Everyone has their own way, but when you need to have a meeting, this is the way. Skype has been around the longest, is integrated with Microsoft and also includes chat, but I like UberConference. You can record the call for those that come in later or can’t attend. Also you can do screenshare, plus it’s free (and you’ll dig the wait music.) I don’t do Zoom as much, but when you’re having a big group call this seems to be the most used service. And of course, there’s always Facetime in a pickle.

3. Facebook Workplace
Just like Facebook – but for work. Think news, chats, polls, and groups – all for your work. I have one client that uses this and it’s more of a communication channel than a productivity tool.

4. Toggl
If you work by the hour or charge by the hour to clients, you have to keep up with your time to get paid. Toggl does just that – it allows you to track your time in real time. However, if you’re looking for a freebie with tons of bells and whistles, Homebase may be a better option (and my personal favorite.)

5. Google Drive
It’s an oldie but a goodie and I live by it. All documents can be created, shared, and stored here – no matter if it’s document, spreadsheet, or slideshow. For me, next to GMail and all the Workplace Apps, this is my go-to, hands down.

6. Dropbox
Need to store mass amounts of photos, files, etc.? Dropbox is where you do it. You can easily share large amounts of files and storage you need to easily access.

7. Chrome Desktop
It’s your desktop anywhere. With Chrome Desktop, you can securely access your computer from your phone, tablet, or another computer. It’s fast, simple, and free to get to your desktop even when you can’t.

8. Doodl
Doodl is easy website for helping to quickly poll / schedule meetings with clients, colleagues, or friends. You just send it over, everyone makes their selection and you go with the best of the rest.

9. Evernote
You need to take notes, but what happens when you need to save them, organize them and share them? Plus you can screenshot, search and handwriting also still applies too. That’s Evernote.

10. Expensify
If you have expenses that you need to track, Expensify makes it easy to take photos of your receipts, track your mileage and make a report all from your smartphone or on Desktop.

Best of luck with your telecommuting adventures!

What are your favorite tools and apps for working from home?

Go: Hye Living in Hye Texas

March 14, 2020 By Autumn Rose Reo Leave a Comment

With wine, whiskey, best fresh farm to table food, and even elephants, it’s hard to imagine why less than 300 people live here…perhaps that’s the key to Hye Living in Hye Texas.

I really thought long and hard about writing this post – mostly because I really don’t want to share it. (There I said it.)

I feel like I’ve been sitting on this secret for a few years and honestly, I’m afraid if I share it then everyone will know that one of the best places in the world is Hye, Texas.

A few years ago I found this spot kinda on accident on the way to Fredericksburg. A huge advocate for the Texas wine industry, I had planned on a wine trip but heard there was amazing distillery outside of town that you couldn’t miss.

What I found out is that it’s not just the distillery that makes this place cool, but the whole town. And at less 300 people (214 and counting), one has to wonder if it’s the lack of people, the lack of drive-thrus, or if it’s something in the wine that makes it such a great place to visit (if you decide to even go home after you’ve been here.)

Hye Food

You won’t find one Starbucks, McDonalds or anything with a drive-thru here. What you will find is the Hye Market, a one-stop shop for fresh farm to table cooking, nearby Texas wines, and plenty of sides to choose from. You’ll also find peach ice cream made from local peach orchards and you can even pick up the mail here. Once upon a time this place served as the post office for the childhood home of President LBJ (you’ll find the LBJ Park just across the street), but also still serves as the post office for its few residents.

While this is the only “market” you’ll find in town, you won’t find groceries, but some of the best dang sandwiches I’ve ever had in my life. Owned by Jason Cook, if you’re looking for anyone you’ll find them here waiting to see what Chef Matt Church and his team are cooking up (literally, everyone hangs out to see what he opens on the smoker.) The menu changes a little daily and when they’re out, they’re out. But you can always enjoy a glass of wine, infused water and some live music while you wait for your sandwich.

INSIDER’S TIP: You can make your order online and have it ready for pick up. Do this if you can because some days the line is long and for good reason.

This is the Hye Cuban made with housemade picked and Matt’s smoked pork and a whole bunch of goodness. But it’s the grilled cheese (add the housemade bacon) that keeps me coming back for almost every meal I eat when I’m here.

Yes, every meal.

So if it’s that good do you really need anywhere else to eat? You don’t, but there are a few options! Don’t miss some of the best Thai food ever at Hye Thai, next to Hye Cider (see below) staffed and made by a father-son team. I had some of the creamiest Tom Kai a freshmade spring roll in the middle of hill country under the stars here one night.

And if you’re looking for a burger, you’ll find the Stonewall Diner next to my favorite place to stay in Hye, Stonewall Motor Lodge. The place is perfect for staying the weekend, hanging with friends and just being in the moment. Plus they always know what’s going on in town so just ask them and they’ll get you lined up.

And why would you want to fill up at restaurants when you can experience some rather stellar wine-food pairings at the wineries?

Hye Wine

Definitely one of the Hye-ist-rated reasons to go to Hye, are all the amazing wineries and distilleries. If they’d let me I think I’d just drive a golf cart around town as they aren’t far from each other. Here you’ll find the only wine cave in hill country at Calais Winery or escape across the pond via the French Connection.

Horn Winery & Tasting Room and Azeo Distillery

This spot is a two-fer: Here you’ll find both a winery and a distillery. Well technically these are two different locations, but since in Texas you can’t make both in the same place, you can separate two businesses by a wall which makes it legal. At Horn you can enjoy some wine or walk a few steps into the Azeo Distillery to play records and pool while you sip basically whatever you’re craving – because they make it all here. (But don’t forget to snag a bottle of the Peach Brandy made from local peaches and takes like 500 peaches for each bottle to taste this good.)

Blue Lotus Winery

Hye seems to be full of surprises and at Blue Lotus this winery also serves as the home of some of the best mead in Texas. Considered the oldest known alcoholic beverage, mead is made from by fermenting honey mixed with water and is a nice retreat from drinking wine all afternoon (if you need that:) Plus who wouldn’t want to enjoy drinking at a place that feels like a giant wine barrel?

William Chris Vineyards

This one had me the moment we drove up. Maybe it was because I was still relishing in my last bite of lunch at Hye Market (which is right across the street) or maybe it was the picturesque view when you drive up to the winery that butts up to LBJ Park, but whatever it was – it did the trick. Greeted almost steps from my car with a kind lady with a glass of wine, William Chris is the postcard perfect kinda place you think all wineries look like.

Enjoy 100% Texas-made wines including a sparkling Blanc du Bois and several different Mourvedre options. Now if the wine, scenery, or hospitality doesn’t do it for you at William Chris, then the huge list of fantastic wine events throughout the year – including a Goat Roast and Crawfish Boil will. And everyone is invited – at least if you’re on the wine club list (and yes, I am.)

Hye Spirits

Wine is just the start of it in Hye. While whiskey is what brought me here a few years ago, one sip at Hye Rum and you’ll be staying awhile (that’s because they’re so good and potent.) Owned by one cool lady, you’ll want to make this your first stop of the day for the buttered rum and then maybe a little later in the day for your painkiller. Plus they’re opened on Sundays. And you can also get a mean Cuban sandwich here that’s worth the belly room!

Hye Cider Co.

After a day of day drinking, it’s good to finish things off with friends hanging out around the fire with some live music and cold cider from Hye Cider Co. If you wonder where everyone goes when the sun goes down, this is it. Made with nearby goods like bay leaf and figs, I promise you haven’t tasted anything like this before. And the ambience matches the drink. (And always remember, there’s Thai that pairs perfectly just steps away!)

Garrison Brothers Distillery

Headed down that gravel road the first time I didn’t know what I would find but I’m so glad I did. Garrison Brothers Distillery is like Texas in a bottle – unfiltered, full of body, soul, and a lot of flavor including cinnamon, chocolate and well, Texas. The idea of a perfect afternoon for me is to get a flight of Garrison’s bests and sit under the trees, visiting with friends and just enjoying what makes Texas so beautiful.

And when you have had a few too many sips, you can retreat to the bathroom where it looks like you’ve never went indoors at all – looking out into the pastures (see below so you see what you’ll see.) Let’s just saw you’ll learn what they meant by outhouse.

However, you don’t ever know what else might happen when you’re at Garrison Brothers. For instance my last trip I was invited to participate in a special blind tasting. What I would find out is the tasting wasn’t just a tasting but with Jim Murray of the Whiskey Bible, who named Garrison Brothers Cowboy Bourbon™ “American Micro Whiskey of the Year.” After four hours and 16 different blind tastings, the group selected Garrison definitely owned its title.

Hye Fun

Okay honestly everything was fun to be here, but one of the coolest and newest things in Hye is the Hye Hall. Right across from the Hye Market owned by Cook, he along with Oliver Deike (one of the founding families of Hye) and the Texas Dance Hall Preservation Inc, took on the job of preserving the 100 + year old facility where people once congregated in this little town. Thankfully the timing worked out perfectly so that Cook could get married in the dance hall that has some amazing acoustic and beautiful wood floors. And if you’re lucky enough to be in town on New Year’s this is the big celebration spot where everyone dances the night away while toasting to the new year with William Chris’ bubbles.

Now that’s Hye Living in Hye Texas!

Still looking for more to do in Texas Hill Country?

The list is long and I’ve just started. Take a look at what to do in nearby Fredericksburg and remember, let’s go to Luckenbach, Texas.

Just Clean It: Best Vacuum Cleaners

March 1, 2020 By Autumn Rose Reo 18 Comments

Cleaning more than ever lately? Yes, having people, animals and seasons make it a constant job. But which vacuum is the best? Here’s our guide to the Best Vacuum Cleaners (as featured on Good Morning Texas.)

When it comes to cleaning mamachallenge.com is always on a mission to find the easiest, quickest and most efficient way to get things spic and span so you can get to the things that really matter…like old episodes of Sex in the City and your pint of cafe au lait flavored gelato. When we brought up the topic of vacuums, I received tons of very passionate answers about what is the best (and worst) vacuum. But in efforts to not just take one’s opinion, we decided to take this mamachallenge head on to decide what is the best vacuum cleaner with our own tests.

Working to be very scientific, we tested four vacuums in our special laboratory (i.e. my house) to see which vacuums didn’t suck…well in this case, did suck… but isn’t that the point? And we included links in case you wanted more info (and some of them are affiliate links.)

Best Vacuums

Roomba Vacuum Cleaning Robots, $399.99 – $699.99

First off came my new best friend, iRobot AKA Roomba. Many people said they couldn’t live without Roomba, so I was ready to see what he could really do. So I charged him up and let him go, literally. This circle-shaped robot does all the work for you with a scheduling mechanism, can be contained to one area and even talks to you. After one time around, I was pretty sure why everyone had a personalized named for their Roomba – he was like a new best friend.

Details:

AeroForce Performance Cleaning System delivers maximum cleaning performance by combining the power of new AeroForce Extractors with airflow acceleration and a high efficiency vacuum plus is virtually maintenance free.
iAdapt Responsive Navigation Technology enables Roomba to find its way around any shape or size of home, covering every area of floor multiple times for a complete clean.
iRobot XLife Extended Life Battery delivers twice as many cleaning cycles as previous Roomba batteries, doubling the time before you may need to replace your Roomba battery.
Scheduling enables you to preset Roomba to clean when it is most convenient for you, up to seven times a week.
Automatic Docking returns Roomba to its Home Base to recharge between cleaning sessions.

Eureka Brushroll Clean with SuctionSeal Bagless Upright Vacuum, $198 (only at Walmart)

When I was growing up we had a Eureka and I’m pretty sure my mom still has it somewhere in the back closet as it become part of the family. But this definitely isn’t my old Eureka. This one has all kinds of bells and whistles!

For me with a head full of hair and my dog Birddie, this vacuum was magical because it has a self-cleaning brushroll, so you never have to use scissors to cut away tangled hair and sucks them directly into the vacuum. Its versatility also allowed me to use it in every room on every surface. And personally, I love the autocord with the push of a button – genius!

Details:

Brushroll Clean Technology removes tangles from the brushroll with the touch of a button
SuctionSeal Technology concentrates airflow for a deep clean on carpets and bare floors
On/Off brushroll turns on to deep clean carpets and off for scatterproof bare floor cleaning
AirSpeed Technology moves more air and removes more dirt for a deeper clean
Never loses suction, maintains powerful suction while vacuuming
High efficiency allergen filter reduces dust and allergens

Electrolux ErgoRapido Lithium Ion Brushroll Clean Xtra, $149 (Bestbuy) / $129 (Amazon)

The Electrolux ErgoRapido Lithium Ion Brushroll Clean Xtra is the cordless, 2-in-1 stick vacuum with a lithium battery so it lasts for a long time without charging and it actually works better than a nickel battery operated vacuum by four times. And it’s actually two vacuums in one. First as a stick vacuum and then you can detach the integrated handheld to reach furniture, countertops and all that other crap your kids leave for you to clean up.

Details:

High performance 14.4V Lithium turbo power battery for optimal cleaning performance, long run time and fast charge
Thoroughly clean the bare floors in your home with the motorized brushroll and cordless convenience
Patented self-cleaning brushroll – remove tangled hair from the brushroll with the touch of a button
180° EasySteer(TM) Maneuverability for smooth turning and movement
2-in-1 detachable handheld vacuum to clean above the floor
Patented self-cleaning brushroll-remove tangled hair from the brushroll with the touch of a button
180 Degree EasySteer Maneuverability for smooth turning and movement

Dyson Cinetic Big Ball Animal, $599

Like Roomba, people are incredibly passionate about their Dyson. And after using one, you’ll see why. The Dyson Cinetic Big Ball Animal vacuum might be an investment, but it’s because you’ll never have to buy anything else. You’ll never need a filter, comes with tons of accessories (it’s even got a bag for them), and you’ve got all you need to keep this vacuum going for years. What’s the real deal breaker? It never loses suction. The Dyson doesn’t move like any other vacuum either with the ball technology that allows it to move and get to places a normal vacuum wouldn’t. And for those of us with allergies, the Dyson Cinetic science captures allergens and bacteria and is engineered to ensure no dirty air escapes back into your home.

Details:

Dyson Cinetic science
No dirty filters to wash
Self-adjusting cleaner head
Dyson Ball technology
Whole-machine HEPA filtration

So what vacuum do you have?

Real Tips for Parents to Get Better Sleep

January 22, 2020 By Autumn Rose Reo 215 Comments

Listen up, parents. Sleep is not a luxury – it’s necessity to be a good parent! Here are Real Tips for Parents to Get Better Sleep and enter to win the Fitbit Charge HD to get a real handle on your sleep! Thanks Verizon for this amazing giveaway and The Dream Bed for letting us try it out!

Ironically I type up a post about with only four hours until I need to get up for my day. But that’s what most of us as parents get used to. If we’re gonna get anything done, we have to sacrifice and most the time that sacrifice it’s our sleep.

And that’s exactly what you should do – if you want to gain weight, increase your chance of heart disease, diabetes and the other numerous health issues that is causes when you don’t get the recommended 7-9 hours of sleep nightly. And let’s not even talk about being irritable, grumpy, and downright pissy all day long to everyone – especially to your kids.

So what can you do to make all the other challenges of you day not cut right into your precious sleep time?

Take a lesson from yourself and listen to those things you tell your kids before they go to bed.

You’ll find out you’re pretty stinkin’ smart.

1. Make a Routine.

Creating a routine is one of most vital things as parents we do for our kiddos as soon as we bring them home from the hospital. You set a time and stick to it. Do the same thing for yourself and say 10 PM is your bedtime – and that’s it or you are in trouble mister!:)

2. Make it Comfortable to Get in the Mood.

When you tuck the kids in at night, you always make sure the temperature is just right, the pillow is perfect and of course, the bed is just right. Do yourself a favor and do a little audit of your own bed situation? Are you waking up feeling like you slept on a box of rocks? If you’re bed is over 7 years, it’s time to order a new one. Did you know you spend about 1/3 your lifetime in bed? So give your body a little respect (it’s the only one you got) and get a new bed for dream sleep.

No time? Then get online and order The Dream Bed. A few clicks and 48 hours later you’ll have a new bed in a box at your door. But this is no air up mattress – not at all just check out how it works. And you’ll rest peacefully knowing that when you buy a Dream Bed, they’ll give one to someone in need.

And make sure to set the mood…for sleep that is. I know, just because you lay down doesn’t mean your brain is ready for sleep. So get the mood with essential oils. There are several different ones to choose from and you can make your own blend for just the perfect sleep formula for you!

3. Turn it Off.

That’s right. Turn it all off – the phone, the TV, and most of all, your brain. And the only way that’s gonna happen is if you quit doing it for at least an hour before you go to bed. Just because you flip the switch doesn’t mean your head stops turning. So quit Pinteresting and posting and think about sheep.. and sleep… and whatever else gets your to nod off (I normally think about laundry since I have no interest in giving it anymore time in my day!)

4. Watch the Water.

The last thing I tell my kids at least an hour before night-night time is NO water so they don’t wet the bed. Hopefully, you’re past that stage (lol!), but you don’t want to fill up your bladder so you have to wake up in the middle of the night for a bathroom break. That includes a nightcap as well. I’m not saying you can’t have a glass, just be mindful of the timing as alcohol doesn’t normally make for restful sleep. And note to your healthy folks – make your workout part of your morning routine if you can. Getting all worked up at nighttime makes it difficult for the body to slow down for bedtime. So schedule accordingly.

5. Quantify to Get Quality

You just thought your Fitbit was made for steppin’ – actually it’s made for sleepin’ too! You can evaluate your sleep time with the Fitbit Charge HD. The #1 best seller at Verizon, the Fitbit is a mean little machine that helps you stay on top of your health. The graph in the free app shows you your sleep time, records, and whether or not you had good sleep.

That’s the one that counts.

Get Your Sleep In Check – Win a FitBit Charge HD, powered by Verizon!

a Rafflecopter giveaway

Don’t Miss this #mamachallenge Moment:

How Do You Find the Right Mattress?

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The Talk. It’s not easy, but it’s necessary. So let’s talk about THE TALK. Plus we’ll share how it pays to be a good parent…with help from NTARUPT and TALK ABOUT IT DALLAS.

Mother’s Day is always important, but this year, more than ever show you love her and appreciate her with things she REALLY wants. Here’s our picks for Mother’s Day Ideas.

Mother’s Day Ideas for Free

Make her breakfast AND Clean the House

Do Spa Night

Mother’s Day Ideas for Her (Near & Far)

Scout & Cellar

Best Mom Gourmet Gift Basket

Peloton

Apple AirPods Pro

Subscription Boxes

Scrapbook it with MixBook

Are you storing your kid’s sweet little drawings causing chaos? Here’s our guide for Simple Scrapbooking for Real Parents.

Guide for Simple Scrapbooking for Real Parents

Paper

Stuck on Fun

Envelopes

Putting it Together

Don’t Forget to Document THIS

mixbook.com

shutterfly

Ready to do some serious Scrapbooking?

Ready to get away? While you can’t open the door, you can get away virtually! Here are 10 Must-Have Nintendo Switch Games to Escape Quarantine.

10 Must-Have Nintendo Switch Games to Escape Quarantine

1. Animal Crossing: New Horizons

2. Overcooked 2

3. Luigi’s Mansion

4. Super Smash Bros. Ultimate

5. Just Dance 2020

6. Untitled Goose Game

7. ABZÛ

8. Captain Toad: Treasure Tracker

9. Stardew Valley

10. Minecraft

READY FOR A GETAWAY?

Enter to win a copy of Animal Crossing: New Horizons Nintendo Switch!

Need an escape? Then take a moment to enjoy doing something fun for the sake of fun like tye-dye. Grab a shirt, socks and food coloring and throw a tye-dye party. (As featured on Good Morning Texas.)

Supplies for Tye-Dye with Food Coloring

Instructions How to Tye-Dye

1. Prepare your work space for tye-dye.

2. Prep your tye-dye.

3. Prep your supplies.

4. Design your tye-dye.

5. Let’s tye-dye.

6. Let the tye-dye set.

7. Dry the tye-dye.

It’s amazing what five ingredients and a roll of crescent rolls can do to make you look like a golden breakfast goddess! Here’s our how-to for Easter Egg Brunch Wreath.

Ingredients

Instructions

So you’re working from home? Welcome to the world of home officing! It’s not science, but here are the Best Apps for Working from Home to make you look like a pro.

Best Apps for Working from Home

With wine, whiskey, best fresh farm to table food, and even elephants, it’s hard to imagine why less than 300 people live here…perhaps that’s the key to Hye Living in Hye Texas.

Hye Food

Hye Wine

Horn Winery & Tasting Room and Azeo Distillery

Blue Lotus Winery

William Chris Vineyards

Hye Spirits

Hye Cider Co.

Hye Fun

Cleaning more than ever lately? Yes, having people, animals and seasons make it a constant job. But which vacuum is the best? Here’s our guide to the Best Vacuum Cleaners (as featured on Good Morning Texas.)

Best Vacuums

Roomba Vacuum Cleaning Robots, $399.99 – $699.99

Eureka Brushroll Clean with SuctionSeal Bagless Upright Vacuum, $198 (only at Walmart)

Listen up, parents. Sleep is not a luxury – it’s necessity to be a good parent! Here are Real Tips for Parents to Get Better Sleep and enter to win the Fitbit Charge HD to get a real handle on your sleep! Thanks Verizon for this amazing giveaway and The Dream Bed for letting us try it out!

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