The Lazy Days of Summer and The Quest to Spruce Up The House

This summer I have been working less on the computer. A. Lot. Less.

Could you tell?

And I am playing much more. A. Lot. More.

By playing I mean hanging out with my kids. We have been improving upon our lazy skills, practicing our swimming techniques, giving quality time to books, board games and crayons, and improving our lazy skills (did I mention that already??)

Yes,  I have been making family time w/ my kids a priority this summer (Note to my blogs: I love you all, really, I do, I just needed some space. You understand, don't you?)

I have also decided that it is beyond  time to do some 'sprucing' up around the house. Sadly, my blogging life has taken a toll on our poor home. How that happened, I just don't know. But I realized that my husband was going to bail I just could no longer hide my head under a pillow and hope all the messes would go away.

I needed time off. I needed to prioritize. I needed to breathe. I needed to clean the house.

So I have been sorting, organizing, tossing and boxing. Things.....I am boxing things up, not boxing with hubby or anything like that. Sheesh.

And I have been rearranging furniture.

Which brought me to the realization that we need new dining room chairs. Like yesterday.

Seriously, we have a fairly nice dining room table, but over the last couple of years, we have lost most of the original chairs that came with it. By lost I mean broken. And we just have never gotten around to doing much about getting new chairs for the dining room table.

The couches and floor have done their duty well as stand-ins, but I have decided no more. It has been far too long since we have had regular sit down dinners at the table as a whole family. I aim to change that.


New dining room chairs will be mine before summer ends. 



I need sturdy chairs that can take the punishment of two little boys. But I also need pretty. I like pretty


I have been searching on the Internet a bit, and have found a great selection of dining chairs I think might work. These ones in particular caught my eye...







They look like they could stand up to the rigors of two little boys while still looking pretty.


And I really love these.....




I am so looking forward to having a nice dining room table with chairs again. I really do miss having family time around the dinner table. Le Sigh.

This summer has made me slow down, re-prioritize and enjoy just being mom again. Life got so busy there for a while, I think I was forgetting how.

My new motto: Slow Down, Relax, and Enjoy. And Eat at a Real Table Every Day.


Thanks to Tesco.com for sponsoring this post. 

Update: Tria Blue Light Blog Tour

A few weeks ago, I posted about my daughter participating in the Tria Skin Perfecting Blue Light Blog Tour. I have an update to share, but first, a brief recap explaining just what this 'blue light' treatment is all about!


Tria Skin Perfecting Blue Light eliminates acne-causing bacteria deep within the skin, leaving your complexion clear, radiant and healthy looking. Unlike prescription medications or products made with bleaching agents like benzoyl peroxide, Tria Blue Light is gentle enough for daily use without long-term side effects or skin irritation. Dermatologist recommended, clinically proven and FDA-cleared, Tria Skin Perfecting Blue Light is safe and effective.

When we first received our product sample, I sat down with my 15 year old daughter and together we read the instructions. They were pretty clear and easy to follow.

Basically, she could choose to do her blue light acne treatment once a day for 5 minutes or twice a day for 2 1/2 minutes each time. She chose to do the latter - and decided she would use it every morning before school, and then again at bedtime. She was a bit nervous when it came time to try it for the first time, but quickly found it was as simple as lightly rubbing it over her face. There was no pain, no tingling, nothing at all unpleasant.

Since starting this tour, my daughter has not used any other acne treatments. And believe me, she has a lot - all of which claim to get rid of acne, of course. Unfortunately, none of those over the counter ointments ever seemed to really work.

So what does she think now that we are several weeks in?

She is delighted with the improvement in her skin. Even though her acne break-outs were never that bad to begin with, she always felt like the world was staring at her pimples. She stressed every time she felt that familiar tingle of a blemish about to emerge.

The day she first started using the Tria Blue Light, she had areas of redness on her face where blemishes were either about to pop out, or had recently started clearing up. In other words, she had blotchy skin in some areas. She also had blackheads and clogged pores around her chin and nose.

The blotchy skin is now clear, and her pores are so minimal they are not noticeable.

She tells me it is incredibly easy and quick to use. The one drawback she says is that since her skin is looking so much better, she sometimes 'forgets' to even use it at all. Is that even considered a negative? I don't really think so. More of an irony, perhaps?

My Thoughts

I honestly noticed a difference in my daughter's skin just three days into her using the Tria Skin Perfecting Blue Light. I kid you not. When she would come in to tell me good night, and lean in for a kiss, I swear her face looked brighter, smoother and softer. I had to look a couple of times to make sure I was really seeing a difference, and not just 'telling myself' that I was. You all know what I mean, right?

I was impressed, to say the least. I really believe those first few treatments worked wonders on her pores especially, which is why I started seeing results so quickly. When she has used ointments and medicated acne treatments on her face, I would often see her skin become flaky and dried out. But now, I am seeing soft skin, bright tones and overall clearer skin on my daughter's beautiful face.

Although it may initially seem a bit expensive to go out and buy one, I think it really will save you money in the long run. Since we have gotten ours, my daughter has not asked me to buy her one single acne cream or treatment. Nada.

More about the Tria Skin Perfecting Blue Light you should know-

It is Dermatologist recommended for gentleness and continued, long-term use
Safe for all skin tones
No harsh ingredients
Gentle, non-UV light therapy
Non-antibiotic

The Tria Skin Perfecting Blue Light is sold at www.TriaBeauty.com and retails for $245. It includes the Skin Perfecting Blue Light, the Skin Perfecting Blue Light Treatment cartridge (good for use to 300 minutes) and a battery charger.

Disclosure: “I wrote this review while participating in a campaign by Mom Central Consulting on behalf of Tria and received aTria Skin Perfecting Blue Light product sample to facilitate my review.”

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@2023 HappyHealthyFamilies.com. All Rights Reserved.