Child Painted Horse Artwork
When my daughter was 5, we redesigned her room in Oregon. Gone were the baby things – she was a big girl! Part of the process included me trying to figure out how to incorporate some of my daughter’s artistic masterpieces into the space. The problem was that most of her artwork from school was just one random piece after another and I wanted a pair. Plus, I was hoping to get the artwork to be in the right color scheme. I asked her if she would be on board with making some art! When she found out she’d get to use my paints and brushes, she couldn’t get into her paint clothes…
How to Make Staining EASIER
It’s pretty clear I’m not a professional home improvement person, right? Glad we could clear the air with that disclaimer. Now, there are two things that bug me about staining (or really any DIY project): cleaning up and wasting money. Unless we are talking about a huge project, like a deck, I’m not going to waste time cleaning brushes after I’ve stained a teeny-tiny project. I also don’t like to spend money on the foam brushes. Even if they are less than a dollar, it still adds up. Plus, they don’t hold up that well. Yo! I’m a DIY rebel. Kidding, I’m not. I’m just uh, what’s a nice word…
Cookie Jar Refresh
Do you ever have those projects that go great in your mind, but then you finish it and it’s not quite how you imagined it would turn out? This is one of those projects. I received this apple-shaped cookie jar as a wedding gift 15 years ago. (Time flies!) I think it has only held cookies once though. Way back when we first got married, we forgot about whatever was placed inside. When I opened the lid weeks (months??) later, I was greeted to a gooey moldy mess. *shudder* *gag* Now you know why we binge eat cookies around here and then swear them off for months! 😉 Due to mold-fest,…
Lemon Meringue Pie Martini
Approximately 10 years ago we visited family in Eagle, Idaho, and they took us to a cool eatery called Bardenay Restaurant and Distillery. We had a drink there that night that we could not get out of our minds. And no, that’s not code for “we had too many.” Let me explain. Have you ever had lemon meringue pie? It’s tart, yet sweet and the meringue gives it a light, creamy finish. Now imagine if you put that pie in a martini glass. Are you with me now? Can you see how brilliant this is going to be? The Lemon Meringue Pie Martini at Bardenay’s tasted exactly like PIE. It was beyond…
5 Easy Ways to Celebrate the First Day of School
I don’t remember being super excited for school to start. Maybe I was early on – I hope so! I remember being nervous about getting to my classes on time and getting my locker open. I remember not being thrilled about the piles of homework. Since then, I have learned the power of the motto: “Fake it til you make it!” So while my kids are still young and take their cues from me, I want them to have the attitude that school is an AWESOME place to go. Where learning is fun and new experiences are to be embraced. And, thankfully, we’ve had really good school experience so far that…
Reusable Lunch Box Notes – Free Download
School started in our district this week. Say what? For a gal who is used to an after Labor Day start, this is an adjustment. And by adjustment, I mean mama doesn’t want to get up at the crack o’ dawn to get my daughter to the bus stop by 6:56 a.m. Lest I make this all about me, my daughter doesn’t really want to be up that early either. So, we are adjusting! The good news is that 2nd grade is off to a TERRIFIC start. With school comes school lunches. At this point, I prefer to pack my daughter’s lunch. I like to know exactly what she’s eating and what goes…
Pottery Barn Trundle Bed Knock Off
When we moved from Oregon to Georgia, we knew we’d need to get a new bed for our 7-year-old daughter. Her bed in Oregon was built-in, so we were only able to take the mattress with us when we moved. I knew we didn’t want to go the bunkbed route, but liked the idea of a trundle. So, I searched high and low on Craigslist and in stores for a trundle bed that met our quality and price requirements and came up empty. That’s when I had one of my more brilliant ideas – to make her a bed! Thankfully, my sweet husband agreed – in other words, went along…
Travel: Fort Pulaski, Georgia
During our recent visit to Tybee Island, Georgia, we spent a morning visiting Fort Pulaski. I came away from the experience with a great reverence for the role this place played in history. I struggle to find words to express how humbling it is to stand where brick walls were blasted apart and blood was shed for a cause so great. I was also completely transfixed by the beauty of this structure. Its rich textures and detailing were in sharp contrast to the how I imagine conditions would have been in the 1800s. Fort Pulaski was built on Cockspur Island to guard the river approaches to Savannah, Georgia. Construction began in…
How to Freeze Berries and Other Fruit
It wasn’t all too long ago that I didn’t spend much time in the kitchen. Then I had kids and apparently, you have to feed them ALL. THE. TIME. So, I’ve had ample opportunity in the last 6 or 7 years to practice all things culinary related. I have had my fair share of big fat flops. One of those is related to freezing berries and other fruit. Now, everyone loves a good comeback story, so I definitely did not let those berries get the best of me the next time. Go me. So, here’s my number one tip for freezing berries. Are you ready? TIP #1: Freeze berries in a…
Feeling Beachy
We took some time this weekend to squeeze in one last hurrah before summer ends. My daughter starts 2nd grade in a week! A week, people! I’m not ready for that. So, no house projects to report on today. I need to get back in the swing of things soon! Anyway, we headed down to Tybee Island, Georgia. It was our first time there and we thoroughly enjoyed it. What’s not to love about this view? We collected sea shells! We learned how to boogie board. The kids and the hubby did a great job riding the waves. Me? Well, it’s possible I might have cracked the board. In my…
