Staying Home Sawyer

Real Life Living on a Real Life Budget

Holidays!

Reuben the Elf Returns

Most people buy their Elf on the Shelf for their small children. I, on the other hand, have an Elf for my husband (and the rest of the world via Instagram of course). I’ve had years worth of fun creating set-ups for Reuben the Elf, most of the time trying to tame him for the public eye. I knew that inevitably he would have to really tone it down if we had children of our own, as he can get quite sassy. Thankfully that time has not yet come, she’s still too little to know what’s going on. But I’m not sure how many years we’ve got left.

Before Reuben the Elf returns this year, I thought I’d showcase some of his best work from last year. One of the best parts was turning my babe into Reuben’s new best friend elf. I’m not going to lie, I’m going to be a little sad when my baby elf grows up and Reuben has to do easy things like move from one shelf to the next shelf. Or maybe I’ll finally get a break. This preparation is no joke.

Reuben returned last year next to Sawyer. He issued the following statement upon arrival:

“How about that sleigh ride in? I guess that’s why they call it San Jose, hehe. You guys might not know this, but I consider myself a bit of a loner. I tend to think of myself as a one-elf wolf pack. But when Shauna brought Sawyer home, I knew she was one of my own. I thought: “Wait a second. Could it be?” And now, I know for sure. I just added one more elf to my wolf pack. We will be the two best friends that anyone can have.” – Reuben the Elf

(The Hangover)

Reuben’s friend Ralphie double dog dared him to lick the frozen flag pole. NOW it was serious. A double-dog-dare. What else was there but a triple-dare you, and then, the coup de grace of all dares, the sinister triple-dog-dare.

(A Christmas Story)Dilly Dilly.

Reuben had the day off, so apparently Sawyer the elf thought it was okay to open her Christmas presents early!

Reuben made his own gingerbread house!

Reuben left our cat Lucy a treat.

Either elves have magic eyes or Reuben is a serious risk-taker for looking directly at the eclipse without his special glasses.

Reuben heard that The Today Show had an open position for a morning show host last year. With his stellar personality he knew he was a shoo-in.

Elf Sawyer decided to trick us into thinking Santa put our cat on the naughty list!

One Bite. Everyone Knows The Rules. (Barstool Sports)

Reuben let out his dark passenger last night. (Dexter)

The Today Show position wasn’t the right fit for Reuben. He heard there was another opening at Playboy, it was a much better fit for him.

Da-na-na-na Da-na-na-na BATMAN. “It’s not who I am underneath, but what I do that defines me.”

Reuben must have been tired of hearing baby cries because I caught him spiking Sawyer’s bottles.

Reuben took advantage of the fact that Sawyer couldn’t read yet.

Reuben really got into Snapchat filters.

And the cutest elf on the shelf award goes to…

Party at her crib. 5pm.

Wanna see the previous years of Reuben? Check them out below:

2017

2016

2015

2014

Products I Love

IncrediBundles Diaper Subscription

Anyone else have a ridiculous time picking out gifts for new babies or baby showers? Now that I have one of my own, I realize there are a million things that each person thinks you need. And none of it is the same. But what is one thing that every new parent needs? Diapers. Lots and lots of diapers.

But there’s a problem with that too. Diapers are all different. Different brands, different types even in the same brand, wrong sizes, etc. So what’s the solution? A diaper subscription service of course. And not just from any old company, but from IncrediBundles diaper subscription.

Sound interesting? It’s super easy too. Both for the giver and the receiver (I’d know, because I went through the process just to make sure – can’t be steering you in the wrong direction now can I?). It’s as easy as 1, 2, 3.

Step 1: YOU Select a Subscription Length (there are 3, 6, 9, and 12 month options).

Step 2: THEY Send an Announcement Package: after you sign up, they send your recipient the cutest box and adorable stuffed animal (see Sawyer’s love for this toy above and below) that announces the gift package. There will be instructions and a gift code to redeem.

Step 3: YOUR RECIPIENT Redeems Their Diapers: this is the best part. They get to choose which brand (and yes they have all the good ones), which size, and when to have them delivered.

Click here to learn more!

Lifestyle, Products I Love

Teeth Whitening for an Instagram Worthy Smile

I haven’t always been in love with my smile. When I was in middle school I had the unfortunate experience of having two large front teeth which got me a very unflattering nickname. So keeping my smile white was always important to me – it was the only thing I could control. I’ve tried just about everything from whitening toothpastes to whitening strips and more. While they tend to help right away, I’ve never found the exact results I was looking for.

So I was absolutely thrilled when Smile Brilliant offered to send me one of their teeth whitening kits. I jumped right in to create my custom trays and got to whitening, because no one has time for off-white teeth. Especially when you’re taking this many photos. It’s all for the Gram guys.

Smile Brilliant is a super easy system to use, you just create your custom trays and fill with the whitening gel. You choose how long to keep the gel on, so if your teeth are a little sensitive, you don’t have to keep it on for a lengthy period of time. That’s also helpful for when you just don’t have hours to waste on teeth whitening. Because let’s be honest mamas, we don’t always have the time to spare. The kit also comes with a desensitizing gel, which I personally loved!

I’ve always had somewhat white teeth, but I didn’t realize how much whiter they could get before I tried this system. I’m so happy with my smile now (and have been complimented so much!), something that’s very important for me, seeing as how Sawyer is constantly making me smile and laugh!

I can’t say enough about this teeth whitening system. If you’re looking for something to help your smile be a little (or a LOT) brighter, this is your kit. And lucky for you, I’m partnering with them to give one of my readers a free kit! Just enter the giveaway HERE. Even if you don’t win, you’ll get 15% off your own purchase.












DIY
5 Year Anniversary Gift: Wood


  
I’ve always been a procrastinator. As in I usually wait until the day before I need something to start making it. It has always worked for me before, I did my best work under pressure. But then I threw a baby in the mix and now it just does not work out as well. I think I’ll have enough time and we’ll have a blowout and she’ll need a wardrobe change. She’s such a diva.




So this year, I didn’t go crazy for our five year anniversary. It just wasn’t happening. Unless Sawyer turned herself into a piece of wood, he wasn’t getting the cherished 5th wooden anniversary gift. We weren’t doing gifts. Nope, just dinner.




Until the day before our anniversary. Who was I kidding? It’s me. I had to make him something. It didn’t have to be anything special, just something. I’ve made the wooden coasters before, but I wanted to do something a little different for him. Just a keepsake, something special. You know, to let him know I was thinking of him. Because cleaning, cooking, and raising a tiny human is not enough (in my mind, not his. In his mind I deserve an award every day for keeping her alive).




I went to Michael’s and walked around the wood aisle. Yes, there’s a whole aisle dedicated to wood. I know, mind blown.




I decided on a wooden box that I would stain. I picked up some wooden slices (because I live in California, and I can’t just go cut down some branches from my backyard without the city fining me), and I printed photos for each one. I did one for each year, our anniversary photo on one side and the ‘best’ photo from each year on the other.




Not surprisingly, he loved it. I had to admit it only took a few hours, but he couldn’t have cared less. After all, it’s from the heart. My heart. 😉