Lately, my favorite tiny humans and I have been exploring life up close with the IQCREW by AmScope 120X – 1200X Kid’s 85+ piece Premium Microscope, Color Camera and Interactive Kid’s Friendly Software. Thankfully, the kit comes in a carrying case so I can bring it between school and home. My favorite part of this microscope is that while it is geared towards kids, it is not a toy. Instead, it is a real microscope that is kid-friendly! My sons and students get real-life experience with high-quality science equipment. It makes my inner Montessori-loving, early childhood educator side so happy!

At home, my son enjoys putting on his lab coat and viewing samples through the eyepiece. He may be only four, but he has already mastered switching out AmScope’s pre-created slides and looking at the slides we have created together. In fact, when we start eLearning at home next week, I plan to let him explore the brine shrimp hatchery for his science time. He has been talking about our upcoming experiment nonstop.

I have been coloring my poor hair since 7th grade. Remember when highlights were in style? Or better yet, getting your hair "highlighted" so often it looks colored a yellowy blonde ALL OVER...ooh the good ole' days.  

Anyway, in college I decided to color my hair all shades of brown, purple-brown, once it accidentally turned out black and cried, paid a ridiculous amount to get it "corrected" after having to cut it all off to make that process more affordable, and then wanted to hide in my apartment instead of leaving my house...basically all the typical rights of passage. 

Now friends I'm over it.  It costs way too much to go to the salon (not picking on stylists, please don't yell at me--I just have tiny humans that want to eat every single day), you get shamed to death for using box color, and it all adds up.  Plus, I think I'd really like to know what my natural color is.   I'm well aware that I'm making this decision just in time to start going gray...but we'll cross that bridge next.   I made a goal in August that I was going to stop coloring my hair and I have stuck to it!  Whoop whoop! However, around December my hair looked like a HOT MESS! More so than my day-to-day hot mess.   Insert Keracolor--the product I used last summer to keep up my purple dye (oh, that happens in the summers, too...I will miss it this summer).  I got the brown tone and my hair has a light filter of brown color I can transition out while my hair continues to grow out.  My hope is to slowly use less and less Keracolor as my hair gets longer then cut off the rest of the older colored hair at the bottom this summer!  I'll be sure to post updates!

After almost a year of being curious, I took the plunge and tried Ritual Vitamins.  



​For some magical reason I have no issues making the habit of taking them, they have an amazing minty taste, and I've noticed in my energy since starting them--something even more magical after years of battling hypothyroidism and trying to find a fix.  Obviously you need to speak with your doctor before taking something new, but these vitamins have my seal of approval at this point.  I also have a link for $15 off your first order, so I had to share!

 I am obsessed with planners, notebooks, flair pens, and anything else that gives me the allusion of being organized. 

To be honest, it is not because I am Type A...it is because I manage my anxiety and put my worries away by getting things out of my head and on to paper.  Then when I've mapped out my lists and planned my schedule for the upcoming week I can push them all out of my mind and put it down.  Lists and planning are my coping skill and I've embraced it.  

So since this is such a huge part of my life, why not make it beautiful!? (Insert flair pens, stickers and pretty patterns here).    

I also love shopping small since my husband and I used to own our own family business that I continue to run on a smaller-scale on my own.  I know that when I shop local and shop small I am putting money back into my community and helping families like mine in a big way!

Enter TF Publishing!  I found an Indy based company that makes my favorite things in the world!  Their planners, notebooks, and calendars are adorable and affordable on a teacher budget!   

​Be sure to check them out!

With my first I was team Honest.  He had sensitive skin that resulted in frequent diaper rash with other brands and I found that other brands didn't fit him well so we had a LOT of leaks.

Their ADORABLE prints and impact on the environment was a huge bonus. 

​Then came Hello Bello

My second little man was prone to diaper rash and Honest diapers just weren't in the budget.   I saw these while shopping and tried a pack.  I fell in love!   

Here is my Honest comparison (see what I did there?)

Similar to Honest

• Their diapers stay dry longer and don't get squishy
• They fit my slim/skinny little man better than other brands
• Less money spent on diaper rash cream
• Comes in bundle mailed to my house ever other month
• You can adjust and move shipment dates as needed
• If you order a bundle they offer a discount on other projects such as bug spray, sunscreen, vitamins, and other diapering needs
  
• Fun prints

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Pros:

• Hello Bello wipes are much better than Honest (and my little man loves to play with the crinkly packaging)
• The price point is much more friendly on a teacher budget

Cons

• Hello Bello is a newer company so their variety of prints and additional products is still growing

If you're interested in trying out Hello Bello, use this link for $15 off!