I love to plan. I buy a planner every single year but I rarely stick to it. I leave it somewhere and forget about it for a bit but I find myself making lists. Everyday I have a to do list and sometimes I make other lists for things I need to do down the road. If this sounds like you, you’ll want to read this review of this planner and maybe snag one for yourself. You can also find the video of Emily Norris telling you all about the planner here or you could read my review and I’ll tell you how I’ll be using it as well!
Disclosure: Some of the links below are affiliate links, meaning, at no additional cost to you, I will earn a commission if you click through and make a purchase.
Whoa. I just had 3 days of not even touching a computer. I’ve got to be honest with you, it was so nice taking a few days off and spending time with family. I had a few more Christmas posts planned but we had Evan’s family here for a few days and we had a pretty full schedule.
There is so much that goes into every blog post and they typically take about 3-4 hours to edit, keyword, SEO, proofread, add photos, make a pin for Pinterest, add those pins to a scheduler and a lot of other stuff too.
I’ve been blogging for almost a month. We launched on the 26th of November. I had been writing a lot longer than that but we decided to share with the world on that day. I’ve learned a lot in the last month of blogging and I thought I’d share some of that with you.
Disclosure: Some of the links below are affiliate links, meaning, at no additional cost to you, I will earn a commission if you click through and make a purchase.
I am so excited about this project! I‘ve wanted to build one of these ever since I saw the lovely Emily Norris talk about hers! Here is a link to that video.
Today I’ll be showing you how to build this thing, how I painted it and decorated it. In tomorrow’s post I’ll tell you what I’m putting inside!
Supplies –
The first thing that I did was head to my garage to look through my scrap woodpile. If you don’t have a scrap wood pile, I’ll tell you what you need from Home Depot. I’m using ¾” plywood for the bottom and side of this build and I’m doing a really nice top to give it a finished look. The top will be made of 3/4 inch poplar that I had left over from another project. You can also use ¾ pine from the Lowe’s and it would look great. I just like how poplar looks when painted.
I’m helping my Mom re-do her kitchen and living room area. It’s not a major renovation, just some paint and updating of the trim and hardware. This last weekend I installed some really chunky farmhouse trim in her kitchen and I thought I’d share it with you and show you how I did it.
Disclosure: Some of the links below are affiliate links, meaning, at no additional cost to you, I will earn a commission if you click through and make a purchase.
These affordable ways to keep your home safe while out of town can be used year-round so be sure to save it somewhere if you’re going to be on vacation throughout this next year. These are all items you already have around your house or at your local hardware store.
I’m sure you’re aware of the rise in crime during the holidays and we ourselves have been victim to porch pirates more than once. I will never understand what could possess someone to take something that doesn’t belong to them, in broad daylight no less.
I am not an expert on home security. If you’re looking for an expert then you should watch my good friend, Kevin McCallister in Home Alone for ideas.
Alright, let’s get into it!
My last gift guide of the season! You know what that means?! Christmas is next week!! Who doesn’t love Amazon? I may have addiction but I can’t be the only one. You have 2 days left to order on Amazon and still have it delivered by Christmas Eve! No judgment here if you’ve procrastinated this long and haven’t bought anything. I am normally running around the week of Christmas trying to find the perfect gift. Fear not, here is a list to help you shop from the comfort of your recliner…in your PJs… while watching the office. Or whatever you watch on TV.
I come from a family of teachers and each Christmas I hear about all the gifts they have received from their students. My mom, sister, and mother-in-law are all teachers and have received some very thoughtful gifts in the past that they have enjoyed so I thought I’d share them with you and I’ve also made a list of items that they may get too much of or that may be a bit too personal to give an educator.
Let’s get into the gifts!
I always try to put myself in my guest’s shoes and see what they might need while they’re staying with me. I’ve been known to forget shampoo or face-wash if I’m staying with someone so it’s wonderful if these items are readily available for guests. If you’re having anyone stay at your house this holiday season, then I bet you’re wondering what extras you need to lay out for them. Here is a list I’ve come up with to make sure you’re the best host!
Holiday Home Tour – 2018
CHRISTMAS IS ALMOST HERE!!! I’m pumped. As much as I wish I did, I currently don’t have every room in the house decorated. It’s hard enough keeping my current decorations in place with a toddler who insists on trying to re-decorate. She just doesn’t understand my vision, guys.
The areas that I have decorated are the porch, the dining room where the Tree is (It’s the only room that has a big bay window and I love seeing the tree when I pull up to our house), our kitchen (very minimal decorating in here. It’s mostly the island top where the baby can’t reach. We also have our entryway decorated and of course the fireplace! That is about it though.
I’m sure when Isla is older we will go all out but at the same time I really enjoy only have to pack a couple of tubs at the end of the holiday season. We have made a conscious effort this last year to have less stuff. We donated a ton of Christmas decorations at the beginning of the season and it felt really good to only hold onto the pieces that we really love.
*Disclosure: This post contains affiliate links, meaning, I will earn a commission, at no additional cost to you if you click through and make a purchase.
We took Isla on a road trip to northern Illinois this last summer. She was 8 months old at the time and we learned a lot during the 12 hour car ride. Since the holidays are upon us and some of you may be traveling for the first time with your baby, I’d like to share some tips about what I learned from this experience. You probably already know to bring EXTRA outfits for yourself and baby, but if you’re on a road trip then you should already have those items in the car with you. I hope this list of road trip essentials for baby helps you to stay on top of things when packing for an upcoming trip.
Before I begin, let me give you some background info on Isla Rose. The longest car ride she had been on prior to this was the hour and a half it takes to get to Evan’s parent’s house. She might doze here or there, but never for very long. Even when she was a newborn the car NEVER worked. Oh, how I wish it had. Our baby is not a car seat sleeper. I thought it was because she hadn’t ever had to sleep in the car and she would surely be fine on a 12 hour road trip. Boy, was I wrong. She did not have a good time. She likes to be sitting up when she is awake and she likes to sleep on her stomach which is not ideal for the car seat.
So, let me tell you a few kernels of wisdom I picked up during this trip:
