Life Archives • Page 24 of 26 • diy mama

by Shelly on April 17, 2014 14 Comments

What’s a Liebster Award?

I would call myself a novice blogger at this stage. Thankfully there is a thing called ‘google’ that is super helpful in my learning the ropes (as well as super kind-hearted bloggy friends!) I got a message saying ‘Congratulations! I’ve nominated you for a Liebster Award! Don’t worry, I’m not spam! 🙂 ‘ This made me automatically think ‘someone who’s spamming might say that!’ *Paranoid* I clicked anyway and was super excited to see that it’s a real award and I got it by not having many followers! 😉 It’s really a very kind award that helps get small blogs, like yours truly, recognized and seen out in the blogosphere. I’m very honored that sweet Anna from Blessed Beyond Crazy chose me out of thousands of up&coming blogs for this award. Be sure to go check out her blog where she made this awesome garden box from pallets!

Now, according to tradition, I am to tell you 5 factoids about myself, answer Anna’s 10 questions, and choose 5 other blogs to spotlight!

I worked for The Mouse and it was the best paid job I’ve ever/will ever have.
I LOVE conventions…of any kind.
I have an addiction to buying flowers but not remembering to water them.
I’m 29 and have never been out of the US.
I’d rather be barefoot.

Here are the 10 questions Anna asked me:

1. Why did you start blogging?

I originally started my first blog to show my friends and family the DiY house projects I was working on. I don’t live in the same state so I wanted to keep them updated. I started blogging again with DiY Mama because I love reading blogs, wanted to share my experiences of DiY and motherhood and keep my family updated.

2. What makes your blog unique?

There are at least 1 million mommy blogs out there that also do crafts so I’m pretty sure there are a couple that are VERY similar to mine. I like to think DiY Mama is unique in that I write tutorials with no edits. If I make mistakes or learn that something would work better, I write it in the post, rather than making sure everything is perfect on my site.

3. What is your favorite form of social media? Why?

This is a hard question for me b/c I use so many and for different reasons. My current favorite social media is Twitter. I like how people aren’t as ‘ranty’. 😉 I also like that you can keep up with celebs, bands and local groups on a more personable level.

4. What is your favorite blog post you have written?

My favorite blog post thus far is a post I wrote about organizing my Life Planner. I enjoyed writing it because I learned a video editing program, did my first vlog and hopefully gave some ideas for people wanting to organize their schedules a bit better.

5. Do you consider yourself an extrovert or introvert? And do you like this about yourself?

I would consider myself an extrovert. I like that I’m an extrovert because I can talk to anyone easily. I also dislike that I’m an extrovert because I feel the need to talk to EVERYONE. I also crave being around people which can be difficult with an introvert husband.

6. Are you a tea or coffee person?

I am continuously trying to like either of them but don’t find myself enjoying either. I can do lattes if there’s TONS of syrup. 😉

7. What is your guilty pleasure?

Biting my daughter’s cheek!? I know I won’t get to do it forever so I gotta get it in now! If you saw her cheeks, you’d know why. 😉 Also, she squeals when I do it, and I’ll do anything to get a squeal.

8. What are your favorite types of posts to read?

DiY, upcycled and before & afters! I like to see that people are creating new things or refurbishing old things.

9. What is your favorite holiday to celebrate and how do you celebrate?

Christmas!! No question. I celebrate it by having ridiculous amounts of decorations, hot chocolate and Christmas music! I also love opening stockings at my family’s house and just being together. My new favorite part about Christmas is my daughter! I’m excited to share the wonder of Christmas with her!

10. What is the most challenging thing that you’ve had to tackle in respect to blogging?

Re-designing my blog was the toughest challenge. I switched to WP.org, bought a theme and learned how to do a bit of code all in a couple of days. Thankfully, when I’d get really frustrated, my husband helped me. 🙂

Now on to the best part! Sharing with you my 5 spotlighted blogs! These are blogs that have fewer than 500 followers on FB (because I couldn’t figure out how to tell how many their blogs have…although they’re awesome, so I’m sure it’s more than 500.)

In no particular order:

For My Love Of I love Corinna’s drive to try new things. She has a wide array of DiY craft tutorials. I love her use metal!

Kre’Ativ 77 These girls rock! Chelsea and Alix live far from each other but both equally contribute awesome ideas to the blog regarding recipes and DiY!

A Day in CandiLand if you want to drool go here. Candi’s recipes are OUTSTANDING and you will gain 10lbs or make lots of new friends.

Bold Fit Mom If you’re looking to get a bit healthier, Amber’s your girl! She does coaching on the side of being a fab Mom!

For the Love of Disney This blog is ALL THINGS Disney! Recipes, facts, news a great resource for us Disney nerds!

“Official” Liebster Award Rules: Once a blogger is nominated, and they choose to ACCEPT the award, they should:

1. Thank and link back to the blogger who nominated you

2. Upload the Liebster award badge to your blog

3. Post 5 facts about yourself and answer the 5-10 questions from the person who nominated you

4. Nominate and add a link to 5-10 blogs with fewer than 500 followers

5. Notify the nominees by email or leave a comment on their blog, include 5-10 questions

Thank you, again Anna, for the nomination!!

by Shelly on April 16, 2014 54 Comments

Magic Kingdom Attractions for Adults

Sorry if the title was misleading, this is not a risque version of Disney attractions. You can stop reading now if that’s what you were looking for. This is the first post of my 8 week Disney Attractions series! Each series I’ll discuss one of my most asked about topics regarding Disney World. The first 8 weeks I’m going to go over the top adult and kid attractions at each park in Disney World. If you’d like to know more about a topic or have different questions to ask, please don’t be shy!

I feel that I’m able to give my two cents regarding Disney World because I went there as a child, worked there in college and have been back nearly every year since. Some people may call it a problem but I call it a ~~obsession~~ passion. I am extremely passionate about very few things and Disney is one of my top 3. Everything about Disney makes me get butterflies in my stomach. Writing this series will never seem complete to me because Disney is always changing and there’s always so much to discover, but I will do my best!

**Biggest tip I have for getting to see the attractions you are most interested in: get the Disney Mobile App to check on wait times for rides as well as make reservations for ANYTHING!**

I will break this down by park and REALLY try not to get too wordy! The first park we’ll visit is Magic Kingdom because that’s where I worked and feel most sentimental about. 😉 I worked in Fantasyland as a ride operator (best job in my opinion) for Snow White’s Scary Adventure (no longer there), The Many Adventures of Winnie the Pooh and Mad Hatter’s Tea Cups. *Proof that I wore that ridiculous costume (they call them costumes instead of uniforms because we’re ‘on stage’ when we’re in front of guests.)

On to the rides! I’m going to go through them as if I was going through the park, rather than in order of my favorites, because there are different categories of ‘favorites.’ Whenever we go to the park we stroll straight up Main Street, get a few pictures with ~~my home~~ the castle and turn left to knock out Adventureland and Frontierland. Those are my least favorite lands because there are only a couple of attractions and good food places (in my opinion.) First, we get a Fastpass for Big Thunder Mountain Railroad and get in line for Splash Mountain so we can air dry through the day. We only visit the parks in September and October when it’s still warm and the longest wait time is 20 minutes. I understand they have an MagicBand system now that you can get your Fastpass times before you arrive at the park but I haven’t been there since they started using it (earlier this year.) After Thunder Mountain we head for Pirates of the Caribbean where we usually end up getting a little wet.

The next must-do attraction is the only attraction we like in Liberty Square- Haunted Mansion. Going through the ‘fun que’ will actually put you behind by a couple people but we always go through it anyway! By this time we’ve already technically seen almost half of the park! Every few years we go back to see some of the attractions we skipped like Tom Sawyer Island, Jungle Cruise and Swiss Family Treehouse but we never stop to see them until we’ve been through the entire park and enjoyed our favorite attractions. By the way, I still get scared during the Haunted Mansion and have to close my eyes at certain parts. Some day I’ll grow up.

Since the Haunted Mansion is right next to Fantasyland, we head on over to Peter Pan’s Flight to get a Fastpass and go ride It’s a Small World while we wait. I know. NO ONE likes Small World but it has air conditioning, has small lines, is full of glitter and lets you rest your feet!! All great things in my book. Once we wave adios at Small World we hit up Peter Pan (ALWAYS get a Fastpass for this ride or you WILL be let down. The line is deceptive because it swirls all over the place.) After Pan we go watch Mickey’s PhilharMagic which is one of my FAVORITE attractions in all of Magic Kingdom. I just really love singing, seeing all my favorite characters and smelling that apple pie!

After the fun at Philhar we go see THE Castle. *sigh* It’s just so wonderful! There’s really not a ton to do other than look at the mosaic, take pictures and make a wish at the wishing well but it’s really my favorite part of the entire park. Actually, I’m going to go ahead and say of the entire World. These are pictures from the past few times we visited. First picture was our first time together, second picture was our engagement, third picture was a surprise trip and fourth was our anniversary.

Once I’m done daydreaming that the Castle is my home, we ride Prince Charming Regal Carousel because there’s never a line, I like running around until I find the perfect horse and I love the music. We always take a ride in Pooh’s honey pot and the Tea Cups because I worked there, but they’re not rides I usually suggest to people until they’ve been on their favorite rides. Don’t get me wrong, they’re AWESOME rides, I just know it’s hard to fit everything in during busy season.

New Fantasyland is REALLY cool and has some awesome attractions but most of them are for younger kids. The Seven Dwarfs Mine ride will be open sometime in the next few months though, so I’d add that to the list once it’s open. Tomorrowland is our final land before taking it easy and leisurely seeing the remaining attractions we skipped over. First off we get a Fastpass for Buzz Lightyear Space Ranger Spin and head over to Monsters Inc. Laugh Floor. After major laughs with Mike, we go ride Space Mountain. My favorite seat is in the front row. Never be afraid to ask for a certain seat. The grouper will put you to the side until the next car but it’s totally worth it once you get to sit where you want. On some rides it makes all the difference!

We’ve now experienced the BEST of the BEST in the way of attractions for adults at the most Magic(al) Kingdom. Once we go through this order of attractions we go back and visit whichever ones we missed…or just people watch…or eat a lot of food. 😉 Did I miss any? Any that you detest or can’t get enough of, even as an adult?! Can you believe I was going to put all 4 parks together for this post?! WHEW. That would have been outrageous. Man I’m feeling homesick.

by Shelly on April 10, 2014 Leave a Comment

35 before 35: My Bucket List

I loved Courtney’s idea to do a 30 by 30 list! I, however, will be 30 in less than a year and thought it’d be too much to complete 30 new things in that amount of time…hence the 35 deadline. 🙂 Deadline sounds so strict…how about goal! No, I’m not freaking out because I’m almost 30. Honestly, I have to count on my fingers to figure out how old I am because that’s how little I care about my age. Yes, I still use my fingers to count. I don’t think people should be ashamed of their age. 1. You can’t do ANYTHING about aging. 2. It just shows that you’ve had that many more experiences. I really think I can get in all 35 new experiences in 5 years. Anyone else have a list like this? I’d love to see! Follow along as I cross these things off my 35 before 35 list.

35 before 35

Go to another Disney park
~~Run a 5k~~
Visit my family in CO
~~Have a sibling for Soph~~
~~Organize the entire house~~
~~Join a Moms group~~
~~Host a holiday at our home~~
~~Listen to music at an outdoor ampitheater~~
~~Learn about the stars at the planetarium~~
Paint 10 paintings
~~Sew a quilt~~
~~Pick apples at the orchard~~
Pay for the next person’s movie
Organize a community clean up
Design and make stained glass
Read 10 of these classics
Go to Lalapalooza
Camp out at the Indy 500
Go spelunking
Take a skiing lesson
Meet Trent Reznor (ok, this is a stretch)
~~Take my daughter to meet Mickey Mouse~~
Be school debt free
Take a sushi making class
Go horseback riding
~~Harvest my own garden~~
Use a rain barrel or compost
Fly in a hot air balloon
~~Go on a vacation with my sister~~
Make our wedding scrapbook
~~Take a couples dancing lesson~~
Cosplay at the D23 Convention
~~Monetize my blog~~
Make every recipe from Max Brenner
Become a yoga guru (or an intermediate yogi)

by Shelly on March 28, 2014 3 Comments

This One’s for My Shorties

Short hair is the most annoying thing ~~ever~~ in my life right now. I like it every once in a while but it’s much harder to style than long hair! I cut my hair a month ago because the lil bean would pull it when it was down and I’d get headaches when it was up b/c it was too heavy. I cut my hair a few years ago and HATED every second of it, so I’m not really sure why I thought it’d work out better this time. Here’s what it looks like right now:

My hair is two different textures. I have soft waves on top and course curly hair underneath, so the only way to have consistency is by straightening it all, which takes forever and isn’t good for my hair. My newest thought is to draw attention to my accessories rather than my hair! 😉 I’ve rounded up a few of my favorite ways to accessorize for people with short hairstyles.

Short Hair by shelly-bergman featuring hair accessories

The picture of Jen is in there b/c that’s the photo I took into my hairstylist to tell her what I wanted. Jen and I have VERY different hair, so I’m not sure what I was thinking.

1. I like big bows ~~and I can not lie~~. When my hair was long I loved doing a top knot with a bow when I didn’t want to wash my hair. It’s now the tiniest bun you’ve ever seen so I’m thinking a smaller bow with a headband might be cute.

2. Super bright exercise headband. This guy is meant to stay in place while you sweat! Since I just started my couch to 5k, I figured I’d need this to help get me pumped…and you know, keep the fly-aways at bay.

3. Simple boho headband. This would be perfect for the days that I don’t want to add any extra curl to my hair but hate how flat is is on top.

4. More fashionable boho headband for when I’m going out or want to wear a simple outfit but spice up with accessories.

5. Turban headband. How do I not own this American Flag headband?! I totally need it before I go to Paris on July 4th so I can represent! I also like turban headbands because they’re a bit more relaxed than your average headband.

I REALLY want to buy every one of these but can’t justify that much money at once. Which one should I start with? Most versatile or brightest?! I bet some of you have short hair, what do you do with it?!

Edit: Since I wrote this post, less than 24 hours ago, I’ve purchased 4 headbands on Etsy! I couldn’t help myself!!!

by Shelly on March 26, 2014 Leave a Comment

Morning Routine

I would love to wake up every morning with the first thought being ‘Let’s Do This!’ Sometimes it is, but other times I think, ‘Please, just 5 more minutes.’ All year (only a few months, but that’s ok) I’ve been working on how to have a more positive day from the start. I’ve learned what routines work for me to ensure a more productive day throughout. These may not work for you but perhaps a couple of them could be worked into your schedule to make for a better morning…which always leads to a better day!

1. Shower. This seems like a silly thing to put up here. For some people it’s an obvious, ‘Must shower before I do anything’ and others it’s, ‘Why shower? I’m just going to get spit up on in 10 minutes’. The latter was my outlook for a while after I had our baby! Now, I look at it as ‘I deserve this time!’ Here are the things I use. Obviously I don’t use all of this every day, but I like the variety to take the kind of shower that I’m looking for (relaxing/pampering or exfoliating/rejuvenating.)

Shower by shelly-bergman featuring Margarita body cleansers

2. Accessorize. I got in the routine of wearing yoga pants, stretchy shirt and ponytails. I realized it was making me less productive during the day and I never felt pretty. I now put on at least ONE accessory. It’s usually in the form of studs and mascara but I’ve been getting better at wearing jeans for most of the week and throwing on a scarf. My baby loves the different textures of the scarfs and it gives her something, other than my hair, to hold on to! BTW, do you see that unicorn ring?! It’s over $300 (!!!) but freaking awesome! 😉 Those red glasses down there are what I wear to feel bloggy, as mentioned here.

Accessorize by shelly-bergman featuring gold jewelry

3. Food. Any kind of food if it’s a struggle for you. I am on the 4 Hour Body right now and my breakfasts consist of scrambled egg whites mixed with black beans and salsa. Every. Day. BUT it stays with me for longer so I’m not hungry or snacky before lunch. It’s crucial for me to have my breakfast within 1 hour of waking up so I’m not hangry. I love our breakfast because we make a bunch on Sunday, which lasts us every morning, so we don’t have the excuse to not have breakfast. You don’t have to eat what we do but if you’re the type to skip breakfast because of time, find some fast and healthy breakfasts you can make ahead of time! There are TONS on Pinterest. Oatmeal or hard boiled eggs are always a great make-ahead meals.

4. Plan. I use this planner every day. I plan meals on the weekends so I know what foods to get out to thaw or put in the crock pot. I use it to remember to send Birthday cards. I use it to keep a cleaning schedule. I even use it to remember to do my #100happydays, workout and meditate (things that most people don’t need a reminder to get done.) My mind gets extremely anxious if I don’t have lists and plans. I get too many things to remember pushing and shoving around in my head which lends to being forgetful. I can’t imagine not having a planner if I had an older child or more than one!! There’s a LOT to keep track of once they’re going to school and in extra curricular activities! I look at my planner the night before to write down anything I want to get done the next day and I look at it every morning to remind myself of my goals. I always have 3 things I plan to accomplish and I love crossing them off. If there’s something that doesn’t get done I move it to the following day- no big deal. I also have a blog planner but that’s a whole separate topic. 😉

5. Do something for you. Before everything gets crazy and you spend your day taking care of everyone else. I’ve mentioned this before but I completely agree with it! I look at one chapter (2 pages) of Don’t Sweat the Small Stuff. Each chapter has a positive stress-relieving attribute that I focus on throughout the day. Some people like listening to pod casts on religious, political or scientific topics to have something to think about throughout the day. Some people meditate to clear their head of the non-sense to have an opened mind through out the day. Having that routine THING that helps you focus on yourself will help you better help you at your job and helping others.

You already do at least one of these in your morning routine, don’t you? Perhaps you do completely different things and they work awesome for your lifestyle! These are the steps that I take in order for me to have a productive day. I’ve watched a lot of YouTube and read a lot of blogs regarding morning routines when I was in a funk about getting motivated and staying motivated throughout the day. For me, since I don’t have to rush to work or get my kids off to school, this works for me. I also wake up at 5a M,W,F and 8a on T,TH to make sure I’m getting enough rest but also having enough time to do everything I want in my day. The days I wake up at 5a I go with friends to the gym to do a ‘couch to 5k’ workout so I’m back to the house and ready to be on baby duty by 6:30a. This just started, which is why I didn’t add it to my 5 main steps that I do to get motivated for the day, but it always seems to jump start me for the day! What steps do you already do? What have you added to your routine that totally rocks for you?! I wanna hear them!

What’s a Liebster Award?

Magic Kingdom Attractions for Adults

This One’s for My Shorties

Morning Routine

Life Planner

Preschool Montessori Bedroom

7 Tips to Make your Road Trip to Disney Magical