the spirit of influence

I posted this picture last week on Instagram with a caption that read:

"Ava asked to wear these shoes because they are the same ones Alice wears. Isn't is crazy how they can influenced at such a young age?"

I posted this picture and all day I couldn't stop thinking about the spirit of influence. How people and things influence us good or bad in the decisions we make for our lives. The choices we make.

Most of my adult life has been spent mentoring and influencing young women. Today I am reminded that maybe my most important influencing relationship is the one that I have with Ava.

I am called to influence her.

It made me think as a mother what my spirit of influence will be. I am reminded that I get to influence her in the best way.

Will she be strong and confident because I am and that's what I've taught her?

Will she know right from wrong because I've taken the time to influence her?

Will she know and love the Lord because her Dad and I have modeled it for her?

There are so many influences in our world, most importantly as her parents I want us to have a strong influential voice in her life.

Such a small and seemingly insignificant comment challenges me as a mother to make sure my influence in her life is strong.

Serves a purpose, a purpose for Christ.

Who is in your sphere of influence today? How has God called you to influence him or her? 

40% off Lifestyle Crafts Templates + A Giveaway

Lifestyle Crafts is having an awesome sale going on now! 40% off all template dies including;
Boxes & Bags
3D Shapes
Cards, Envelops & Tags

Plus you can use my code and get an extra 20% off on top of the 40% off these templates! What an awesome deal. And to make it even sweeter Lifestyle Crafts wants to give 1 lucky Worley House reader the Cracker Box Die shown below: 

Cracker box die

You don't have to have a letter press machine for this die, any die cut tool will work. This cute die cut is great for party favors or for putting small treats like candy inside.

Please use the Raffle Copter below for your entries, they will all be verified. U.S. Residents only. Giveaway ends March 1, 2013 winner will be notified via email.


a Rafflecopter giveaway



As always use my code to get 20% off your order, on top of the sale price!!


Wanna win more awesomeness? Enter the $20 Target gift card giveaway here.

Sittercity App + Nominate Your Fave Sitters for a Contest

In our home we're always looking for great sitters, ones that are reliable and who love our family. Wouldn't it be awesome if there was a way you could find great sitters that were reccomended by others you trusted?

That's where the Sittercity app comes into play. Nominate your favorites for 2013 Sittercity's America's Top Sitter contest.  You can either nominate and vote for your faves or just stop by and vote for the top 10 finalists. 

You can upload a photo of your nominee and add a brief description of why they are the best. Nominate your faves here on their Facebook page. Nomination period is February 13 - 25 and the contest runs from Voting period is March 5 - 15. Winners will be awarded $5000. 

Sounds pretty awesome right! Who wouldn't want to win this awesome contest, let your amazing sitters know how much you appreciate them! Get started here. 

*****

I was selected for this opportunity as a member of Clever Girls Collective, and the content and opinions expressed here are all my own.

Easy Breast Milk Storage Idea

Hi Friends! Today, I want to share with you an easy peasy way to store your expressed breast milk. When I breast fed Ava my milk storage was all over the place anywhere it would fit in the freezer, this is a simple idea and a way to keep it all together stored in the same place. And the best part, this idea will take you all of 5 minutes to make.



Here's how to do it:
- grab a gift bag you're not using make sure it's the length of your milk storage bags.
- using your scissors cut a hole length wise of your bags.
- lay your milk bags flat in the bag and place in the freezer.



Make sure you're placing your milk in there oldest first, you'll want to be pulling the oldest expressed milk first. When you pull out one bag the next one will drop into place through the slot.

See so easy. And cute.

Don't forget to go enter the $20 Target gift card giveaway, enter here.

Oscars + PEOPLE Magazine & A Target Gift Card Giveaway

The Oscars are this Sunday! Do you love movies as much as I do? I look forward to award season every year and the Oscars are the creme of the crop! I love movies, I haven't seen as many movies this year as I would like, these babies are keeping me busy.

I also love watching for the fashion, and love a good red carpet moment. My mom and I used to make a big event out of watching the red carpet arrivals every year when I was in high school. I just love a good reason to dress up too, and the Oscars don't disappoint with glamorous gowns, and beautiful people wearing borrowed jewels!

One of my fave fashion moments on the red carpet was Reese Witherspoon in 2006 when she won the Oscar for best actress for Walk the Line. I just love her, she's my favorite.

Source: thefablife.com via Andrea on Pinterest

Another great Oscar fashion moment is Michelle Williams from last year, love this dress it's so different. 

Source: laurenconrad.com via Andrea on Pinterest

Want to get all the Oscar fashion, and buzz related info in one place? PEOPLE Magazine 2013 Oscars Double issue hits news stands March 1st until March 18th it's the perfect source for everything Oscar worthy. 

Plus I have a special treat for you today one lucky Worley House reader will win a $20 Target gift card! I'm there seriously almost every other day, I could think of a million great things to put that gift card to great use. :)

To be entered to win,  simply answer this one question for me:

Which stars/celebs do you want to see on the cover of this year’s PEOPLE Magazine 2013 Oscars Double Issue Campaign?

I can't wait to hear which celebs are your faves.

Additionally you can enter the PEOPLE Trivia and test your skills for a chance to win hundreds of rewards cards each week. Go here to enter and test your trivia knowledge.

Now, for the fun giveaway part:

a Rafflecopter giveaway

“This shop is part of a social shopper marketing insight campaign with Pollinate Media Group™ and PEOPLE Magazine  but all my opinions are my own. #pmedia #PEOPLEforOscars  http://cmp.ly/3/8vNxcO.”

my new employers.

When I went back to work when Ava was just 8 months old, I thought it was only temporary. I remember that first day of work like it was yesterday.

Never did I think that over two years later that I would still be working. When I got pregnant again, I knew that in my heart that I didn't want to continue working outside the home.

It was my desire to do whatever it took to be able to stay home with both my children.

Thankfully the Lord knows that desires of our hearts. It's been a long road, lots of hard work and I'm thankful that the Lord has provided in many ways so that I could stay home with my children. 

These guys are keeping me busy & on my toes. But, I wouldn't have it any other way. I'm excited that I get to now stay home with them everyday.

During that period when I was a full time working mom I learned so much about my family. I learned the kind of mother I wanted to be, the kind of home I wanted to have. 

God gave me a heart for working mothers. Very few Mothers know both sides of staying home and working full time. I do. 

I know the struggle. I know how it hurts. I know how guilt comes over you when you're working full time outside the home. 

I know how you judge yourself because you think others are judging you. I also know how God redeems all that. 

How he gives peace and comfort when you're dropping your kid off at daycare when you wish you were in your jammies with them at home. 

As we settle into new routines around here it's a little nuts. They both are so different, but they have my heart. They are mine. 

I'm so thankful for this new season. And there's no doubt that God's going to use it and teach me new things. 

{DIY} Numbered Canvas Bins

I'm back with another post on Zane's nursery, last time I showed you his gallery wall in his nursery. Today I want to share with you the canvas bins that I dressed up for his changing station. I'm excited about how these turned out, I originally saw these bins at Land of Nod for the nursery.

Source: landofnod.com via Andrea on Pinterest

But at $12.95 a pop I knew I needed to find something a bit more affordable. I love the idea of numbered bins and I thought they went well with the vintage football theme I was going for.

So I made my own for $39 instead of $77. I bought canvas bins at Target for $12.99 for packages of two I got three packs. I already had the paint, stencils and brushes on hand so there was no cost just the cost of the bins. Here's what I did:



First I taped my stencils to the bins, I found these stencils at JoAnns a while back and I've used them for several projects. I used Frog Tape to place them on the bins.

I used a small amount of white fabric paint that I already had, and put it on a paper plate and used a foam brush to paint the numbers. 

Using a small amount I started painting the bins just dabing it on the stencils. I did two coats of paint making sure there was even coverage on each bin. Once they were dry I peeled the numbers off and here's what they look like now:

They are the perfect solution to hold all of our diapers, wipes, burp cloths and other baby related items. So much storage and I love the numbers on them and how they turned out in the room. They really add something special to the over all feel of the room.

Linking up here: Overflowing with Creativity, Sundae Scoop, Weekend Wrap Up, Create & Inspire.

Happy Valentine's Day + A Share the Love Recap

Happy Valentine's Day Sweet friends!

I shared a couple weeks ago about teaming up with some awesome ladies in the blogosphere to come together and Share the Love. {read more about that here} For the last couple weeks I've been challenged myself, and I've challenged my family as well to go beyond ourselves and think about others first.

I'm reminded of this Mother Theresa quote, "Do small things with great Love." That's the challenge at least it was for me. Think small. Love doesn't have to be grand, it can be there's nothing wrong with it. But often times I think we think to big and miss it all together.

Love is in the details. The small things, the small ways you show love, appreciation and caring to others. That's love. That's meaningful.

I love taking care of people, having them into my home for a meal, we love to entertain others. I hosted a Valentine's Cookie play date with some mammas and their littles.

I went through all my maternity clothing and packed it up for a friend. I also went through all Ava's old clothing and sent a box off to a friend who has a little girl younger than Ava.

Ava and I whipped up a bath of cupcakes for Daddy to take to his co-workers.

I participated in a #vdaymugswap with Rags to Stitches & Sew Caroline and met a brand new blogger that I wouldn't have met otherwise. I got paired up with Leslie from 17westlane, Thank you Leslie for my mug and fun goodies! 

I sent some goodies to some unsuspecting friends. Aren't surprise packages the best?!

We bought some items for our missionaries to sent over seas to help them. I loved shopping for all the items on their list and pray that it helps them make it feel more like home. We love supporting our missionaries.

Most importantly I learned myself and my family need to make sure we do all that we can to share love all year long with others around us. This will hold us accountable all year.

Now, it's your turn to tell me how you "Shared the Love" this month. Link up your posts below, I can't wait to see how you've expressed love to others.

A Valentine's Cookie Party

Happy Valentine's Day Eve everyone! 

Last week I hosted a little Valentine's Day cookie party for Ava to play with some of her friends, and I got to see some of my fave mommies too! This was a super simple play date to put together and so much fun, everyone got to take home some cookies too!

Everything for this party I already had on hand from left overs from other parties, so fun to be able to rummage through my stash for supplies. 

These red velvet cupcakes were topped with some cupcake toppers I made last year for Valentine's Day, using some Lifestyle Crafts heart die cuts. 

pink cups and gray straws for water + juice.

Our cookie making table. Each place had their own stack of cookies, I just cut open some brown paper bags to make a mess free station for them to decorate on.

All my sprinkles were from the Target Dollar Spot section. 

I whipped up three different colors for frosting, and placed some spreaders near. 

I thought I should balance out the sugar with some fruit. You know more sugar but only better for you. ;)



Nothing cuter than littles in pretty dresses decorating cookies.



Ava got a little crazy with her sprinkles, by the end of the party there were sprinkles all over the table and some on the floor.

I had so much fun putting this together for her and her and her friend. I have a feeling these types of parties could be really fun for any season or holiday! 

For the Love of Chambray

Chambry Picks by worleyhouse featuring a button down shirt

It's really just a fancy word for denim. Truth is I used to have this great denim shirt before chambray was cool. Totally should've kept that instead of donating it. Now that it's back in style here are my fave chambray picks. High and low a little chambray for everyone! I love that you can dress it up or down, pair it with jeans or a dress. 

1, 2, 3, 4

So, do you have some chambray in your closet?

{How To} Clean Your Make Up Brushes

Today I want to share with you an easy peasy way to clean your make up brushes. For the longest time I didn't clean my regularly, I know gross right! It's essential to clean your brushes to help prevent germs, break outs and make sure your skin and face are the freshest and cleanest they can be. 

First, I clean my case. I use a baby wipe and wipe all the excess make up off the inside of my case. Then I use a cotton ball dipped in a small amount of rubbing alcohol and wipe it down again killing any germs left over. 

Next, it's time to clean your brushes. You'll need some baby shampoo/wash, a small glass and some hot water. I put about a quarter size amount into the cup and fill it to the top with hot water. 

Then it's time to add all your brushes to the water. Once I get them all in there I usually swish them around a bit to get them soaked really well. I let them sit in the water for about 20-30 minutes. Then I take them out of the water and rinse each brush again with warm water under the sink. This is to help get all the excess water and make up out of the brushes. Then lay them on a towel to dry.

I usually do this at night, because it takes a while for them to completely dry and they can dry overnight while you're sleeping and be ready to use in the morning. I try to clean my brushes at least once a week. 

All my brushes are MARK with the exception of the Cover Girl one on the end. You can buy MARK brushes here if you're interested. 

New House Tour:: Master Bed & Bath

Happy Saturday everyone!

Today's the last hour tour post blank and bare. Next time I show you pictures of the house it'll have furniture and decor. :) This house is our newest project, one that I'm going to take my time on. I really want infuse as much of ourselves personally into this home. I want to take my time, something that I didn't do with our first home.

I can't wait to make it ours, and a special retreat that we can come home to daily. For now, here's a lil tour of the master bedroom and bath.

Walking into the master from the hall.

Looking into the bathroom from the bedroom area, 

Excited about having a separate toilet area. It's the little things that help sustain a marriage. ;)

Master closet, it wraps around to the right there's more space behind the door as well.

There you have it my friends. Thanks for letting me take you on a little tour of our new home.

Can't wait to show you more "in progress" pictures.

Coffee Date:: Let's Get Real

Happy Friday Friends!

I'm so glad it's Friday, are you?! 

So, today I titled this "let's get real" because I'm coming to you this morning without a stitch of make up on, messy hair and still in my p.j.s- this is how I drink my coffee most days. 

So don't judge, embrace.

Let's get to it. 

Coffee Date- Let's Get Real 2.8.13 from Andrea Worley on Vimeo.

So tell me friends, what are your weekend plans?

If you have one of more children how do you do it? I need your advice.

Ready, go!

linking up with Rags to Stitches today.

Join Us For An Home Organization Pinterest Party! #homeorganization

A new year always makes me think of a brand new clean slate! A new year for new goals, Spring cleaning and getting organized. Moving into a new house at the end of last year things are every where, they don't really have their place just yet. I love things to be fresh and organized, don't you?

To start the new year right we're having an Home Organization Pinterest Party! Myself and some other fab bloggers are going to be pinning all sorts of organized inspiration, you can "PIN" with us to and be entered for a chance to win a $50 gift card to The Container Store! Doesn't that sound awesome! 

Here's how it'll work;

On Tues­day, Feb­ru­ary 12th from 8-9pm MST (7-8pm PST, 10-11pm EST), I’ll be pin­ning live on Pin­ter­est with a few of my cre­ative blog­ging friends! Since the theme is all about get­ting orga­nized and keep­ing the house in order, we’ll be pin­ning with the tag #homeorganization. So, you’ll leave the party with some great orga­ni­za­tional ideas, PLUS, you have the chance to win a $50 gift card to the Con­tainer Store! Per­fect for putting some of those orga­niz­ing ideas to good use!
To par­tic­i­pate, fol­low us on Pin­ter­est and specif­i­cally the board, “Home Organization”. That board will be empty until the party starts! In the mean­time, you can start pin­ning to your own boards with the #homeorganization tag (we’ll be search­ing for good things to repin). Then, once the party starts, fol­low the Home Organization board and just repin/comment on our pins dur­ing the party for to increase your chances of win­ning! Fun for all! 
We’ll be track­ing entries (and ran­domly choos­ing a win­ner) through the Raf­fle­copter form below, so make sure you get entered there if you’d like a chance at the gift card!

a Rafflecopter giveaway

Join me Tuesday night with these awesome bloggers for a Pinterest Pinning Party! I hope you're as excited as I am!