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  • prallsville mill new jersey
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    Vacation Week

    Hi! I’ll be off the blog this week because we have family coming to visit! How fun is that? It will be the first time we’ve seen one of our siblings in years. YEARS! I’m sure I’ll have something to post on social media stories this week, but I don’t know how that will play out yet because the week is unplanned. We do hope to show them some of the local New Jersey sights though. Yes, my deliciously snarky readers, there are cool places in New Jersey to check out. At least one or two. To see what we are up to this week, please follow along via Instagram or Facebook.…

  • colonial farmhouse barn spring on the happy list
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    Spring Break 2022

    Hi! I hope you had a lovely Easter if you celebrate. This is finally our Spring Break week! Does our Spring Break feel late to you? It feels late to me. I’ll be taking this week off the blog to do some fun stuff with the family. I’m not sure if I will be posting stories every day to Instagram and Facebook this week, but I will if the mood strikes! In the meantime, if you’d like something to read, here are some light-hearted blog posts from the archives that you might enjoy. Bird Nest In A Shoe How I Accidentally Got My Kids Excited For College 7 Funny Truths…

  • Bedside Wall Sconces barn light
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    Aren’t Bedside Wall Sconces the Best? And How We Make These Lights Work Without Electricity.

    Aren’t bedside wall sconces the best? I’m not speaking from personal experience so much unless you count hotel stays. It’s probably why I like staying in hotels so much. Those rooms have something my bedroom does not have – bedside wall sconces. When I say bedside wall sconce, I don’t care much about the actual location of the wall sconce as long as I can reach it with my arm without moving any other part of my body. Yes, I’m that lazy. Above the bed or next to the bed is all fine for me when thinking about bedside wall sconces and their location. The beauty of bedside wall sconces…

  • fall colors in new jersey 2020
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    Thanksgiving 2021

    Does anyone else feel like 2021 has flown by? Perhaps it is because the first half was just a blur as we slogged our way through the Covid-19 pandemic. I’d say we are still slogging our way through it, but with many more tools in our toolbelt. Thanks, science! This week I’ll be taking time off the blog to celebrate Thanksgiving with our family. One of the things I’m thankful for is that you have spent time engaging with us over the blog and social media during this last year. The DIY rollercoaster is always more enjoyable when our online friends (Yes, you!) can join us for all the ups,…

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    Mid October Break

    Hey folks! I’m taking a mid-October blog break because rest is important. Handy Husband and the kids are off of school and work parts of this week for Columbus Day or Indigenous Peoples’ Day. I’m joining them in doing…I’m not sure what. Ha! I’m sure it will be fabulous though. If you’d like something to read from the archives, I suggest one of the following: Travel: Opus 40 in New York  (The Opus 40 folks shared what I wrote when it was published.) How to Fix the Waistband “Gap” of Your Jeans Turn Old Board Games Into Coasters I’ll see you back here next week with fresh, new blog posts.…

  • kids sitting on a bench with a view
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    A Deep Breath Before School Starts

    I’m taking this week off the blog to take a DEEP BREATH before school starts. My daughter starts high school later this week. My son starts middle school next week. You can bet we’ll be celebrating the start of those milestones! But maybe not the early bus schedule. Lord have mercy. My kids were not in a classroom at all last year, so this is a big adjustment back to whatever we are calling a return-to-school these days. The real world? Our new normal? At a bare minimum this adjustment is going to involve my kids wearing real pants and not pajama pants to school. It’s a real bummer when…

  • roses in a bucket on picture rail on the happy list
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    Summer Break Part 2

    Hi! I’m taking a summer break this week to chill out, have some fun, and hang with the family. In the meantime, here are some posts you might enjoy reading! 3 Thrift Store Mirror Makeovers to Try – This post has shot up on Pinterest lately. Dresser Makeover with Brass Details  – This dresser is hardworking and has been used in multiple places in our home. Bowling Ball Lawn Orb – Another Pinterest favorite. This is not my project. It is my stepmom’s! She’s very creative and I like sharing her projects here. Also, did you know bowling balls are not recyclable? That’s why repurposing them is important! If you’d…

  • cellophane faux sparklers or mega frill picks
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    DIY Cellophane Faux Sparklers (Mega Frill Picks)

    Time to get festive, folks! Let’s DIY cellophane faux sparklers. These could also be called mega frill picks. What are frill picks? Those fancy toothpicks restaurants stick in your sandwich. I wasn’t fancy enough to know that term until I Googled it, so I’m calling these faux sparklers. Tomato, tomat-oh. Either way, they are easy to make and so stinkin’ awesome to decorate with for the 4th of July or any holiday, really. New Year’s Eve, I’m thinking about you! All you need to make these cellophane faux sparklers or mega frill picks are wood skewers, cellophane in your desired colors, scissors, and tape. Here’s the tutorial: DIY Cellophane Faux…

  • inner tubes on a beach living in the moment
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    Start of Summer Break

    The start of our summer break is finally here! I may be more excited about school being finished than my kids are! It has been a rollercoaster of a school year. It started out as a train wreck, but something beautiful came out of all of that chaos in terms of my children’s resilience, independence, and overall mental and emotional well-being. Basically, we ended the year in a much better place than when we started. The next school year will present an entirely new set of opportunities and challenges and I hope what my kids learned this year will give them the tools to handle and embrace anything that comes…

  • colonial farmhouse barn spring on the happy list
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    Spring Break 2021

    Dear Spring Break 2021,  You sure look and feel a lot like every other week in this year. Maybe a little warmer though. Aside from that, the only thing distinguishing you from all the other weeks this year is that the kids don’t have school.  I’m very good at celebrating the small moments in life, so I will gladly take a week of no homework and turn it into a celebration!  Sincerely, The person who thankfully likes hanging out at home because that’s where this Spring Break 2021 party will be occurring.  All joking aside, we don’t have any travel plans for Spring Break, but I am taking the week off the blog to hang…