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A Pretty Happy Home

Life, DIY and Random Things That Make Me Smile

  • Home
  • About
    • About
    • Contact
  • Shop
  • Projects
    • Cleaning
    • Clothing
    • Colonial Farmhouse
    • Crafts
    • Decorating
    • DIY Projects
    • Holidays
  • Adventure
    • Moving to Ireland
    • Living in Ireland
    • Visiting Ireland
    • Travel
    • Family and Parenting
    • Humor
    • Learning
  • Privacy Policy
  • Home
  • About
    • About
    • Contact
  • Shop
  • Projects
    • Cleaning
    • Clothing
    • Colonial Farmhouse
    • Crafts
    • Decorating
    • DIY Projects
    • Holidays
  • Adventure
    • Moving to Ireland
    • Living in Ireland
    • Visiting Ireland
    • Travel
    • Family and Parenting
    • Humor
    • Learning
  • Privacy Policy

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  • Labor Day 1956 stamp via Wikicommons Media Bureau of Engraving and Printing. Designed by Victor S. McCloskey, Jr., using as source material a photograph of a portion of the mural by Lumen M. Winter located in the AFL-CIO building in Washington, DC. - U.S. Postal Service; National Postal Museum:
    Uncategorized

    Labor Day 2023 and A Poem

    September 4, 2023 /

    Happy Labor Day to those of you celebrating in the United States. I hope you’ve had a fun and relaxing weekend. I’m taking the rest of the week off of the blog to settle into September and this fall season. My kids will be back in school and I imagine my productivity will be off the charts this week. A girl can dream. Speaking of work and Labor Day, I thought I’d share the poem “Something Left Undone” by Henry Wadsworth Longfellow. His poems always cut straight to my feelings. Something Left Undone by Henry Wadsworth Longfellow Labor with what zeal we will, Something still remains undone, Something uncompleted still…

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    Happy List: #313

    September 1, 2023 /

    Happy first day of September and welcome to this week’s Happy List. I’m glad you’re here. This week on the blog I shared some tips for helping your child transition to a new school. I’m not a psychology or education expert. I’m just a mom who has learned a few things after our kids have transitioned to new schools many times. I also wrote about when, how, and why to match your picture frames to your wall color. Hint: DRAMA! Or, maybe, like me, you just rant out of other color options that looked good. Ha! Thank you for reading this blog. I don’t take your time here for granted.…

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    When To Match Picture Frames To Wall Color

    August 30, 2023 /

    Selecting frames for artwork can be tricky as frames totally change the look and feel of artwork. So, is there a time and place to match your picture frames to your wall color? The short answer is yes! It’s your house. Do what makes you happy. The short answer doesn’t make a good blog post though, so let me briefly elaborate. Match picture frames to wall color when the frame is too distracting.  If the frame is distracting from the real start of the show, the artwork, paint the frame the same color as the wall so that the artwork pops. That’s what I did on our blue sunporch. I…

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    From The Archive: 5 Ways To Help Transition Kids To A New School

    August 28, 2023 /

    Editor’s Note: It is back-to-school season and I thought it would be a good time to reshare this classic post from the blog archive. I hope it helps any parents who have children starting a new school this year. I wish you and your children all the best. Need ideas on how to help transition kids to a new school? You’ve come to the right place. The start of a new school year is always full of promise. There’s always a chance that we’ll never be late for school. That no lunches will be forgotten. That no parent will lose their ever-loving mind no one will get frustrated during homework time…

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    Happy List: #312

    August 25, 2023 /

    Hello! Welcome to this week’s Happy List. I’m delighted you are here. It’s been a bit of a transition week for us. One of our kids started school. The other has another week. The school bus comes at 7:08 a.m. Between you and me, I’m not operating at peak performance levels at 7 a.m. This week on the blog I wrote about the best part of summer. I neglected to mention in that blog post that not having the school bus come at 7 a.m. is my REAL favorite part of summer. Haha! I also shared the wood acorn wreath I made. I absolutely love it and think this is a…

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    DIY Wood Acorn Wreath

    August 23, 2023 /

    If fall is your favorite season, you are going to love this DIY Wood Acorn Wreath. Bold words, I know. This wreath might not have pumpkins or spice but it does have an underrated but ready for its moment item – acorns. Yes, acorns. Wood acorns to be precise. If you didn’t know wood acorns were a thing, this craft is going to blow open the door of possibility for you. I, for one, can’t wait to see what you create. But let’s start with this Wood Acorn Wreath. Materials Needed: wood acorns (I used 16 acorns out of a package of 20.) 20 mm wood beads (I used 16…

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    The Best Part Of Summer

    August 21, 2023 /

    We live in a place on the East Coast that typically experiences four distinct seasons and we’re currently wrapping up one of my favorite seasons – summer. The best part of summer is being outside. In summer it’s like the entire area comes alive with activity. The air is buzzing with positive energy. The trees are leafed out providing shade just when you need it. The flowers are bursting with color. The trails are full of bikes and foot traffic. The water is packed with swimmers and paddlers. The parks have festivals, movie nights, and summer concerts. We see our neighbors more during the summer even if it’s just to…

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    Happy List: #311

    August 18, 2023 /

    Hello, hello! Welcome to the Happy List. It is a pleasure to have you here. This week on the blog I shared a round up of my recent thrift store finds. I can make $100 stretch a long way when thrift store shopping. I also wrote about the reason why we’re removing tree stumps from our property now rather than later. We’ve actually had serious conversations about the order in which we remove the stumps. We’ve really been into it. Ha! Thank you for reading this blog. Thank you for sharing it with your friends. Sharing is caring! We also love talking to you. If you want to connect with…

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    The Age-Related Reason Why We’re Removing Tree Stumps

    August 16, 2023 /

    I’d be willing to guess that most people reading this blog post live on or have lived on a property that has a tree stump or two dotting the landscape. Our property has several tree stumps! It’s not unexpected. Trees do have a lifespan. They become diseased. They might become damaged. They might grow in an area that threatens a structure. When any of these things happen, the tree is cut down and, often, the stump is left to rot away. Do you know how long it takes a tree stump to fully rot away? Decades. It can take decades, especially if the tree was a hardwood species. We recently…

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    My Latest Thrift Store Finds: Part 6

    August 14, 2023 /

    Welcome back to the delightful but infrequent blog series “My Latest Thrift Store Finds.” It’s not infrequent because I’m not thrift store shopping. No, no, no. Even I don’t have that much restraint. It is an infrequent series because I forget to write about my thrift store finds unless they are part of a larger story or project. This blog series is my attempt to right (or is it write?) that wrong. Here’s what has come home with me in the last few months. My Latest Thrift Store Finds: Chess Set Did you know chess is really popular with the middle school crowd? It has something to do with TikTok.…

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