House to Home - Exterior Makeover

Sooooo, we did a thing. 

We went from bland to bold, ordinary to extraordinary, expected to unexpected...and I love it.

Keep reading to hear all the details on our exterior makeover.

Quarantine Inspired Mother's Day Gift Ideas

Quarantine living has changed all of us in many ways, but what I didn't realize is how not only our needs have changed, but also maybe our wants.  

I can tell you that half of these items would never have been on my Mother's Day wish list before this whole "stay at home order" was put in place.  Now I am interested in all kinds of things that I might not have been. 

Read on to see my "quarantine inspired" Mother's Day Gift Guide!

House to Home - Sponge Painting

Yes, you heard me...sponge painting.  Keep reading to see what free upgrade we made to our laundry room over the weekend!

The Art of Being Bored

As a teacher I have said for many years that children in this day and age have a tough time with silence.  

With the availability of visual and auditory stimulation everywhere we look in our lives, silence makes children uncomfortable and kids nowadays actually have to practice being bored.  

As digital natives, this is a hard concept for many of them.

House to Home - Mantle Makeover

I LOVE fireplaces.  Love them.  I grew up with one in my house in Florida and two out of three of our houses we have owned as adults have had them.  I love the coziness, the mantle decor, the whole shebang.  

Having already done a fireplace makeover in our last house, we aren't new to changing the look of them, but ever since we moved into our new house this fireplace has had me stumped.  I didn't love it...and I didn't know why.

Safer at Home

It has definitely been a time of uncharted territory (kind of) over here for a hot minute.  Many days it just feels like summer in our house.  I am used to being off with my two kids and having summer learning packets that I prepare every year to prevent the dreaded "summer slide".  So in all actuality this quarantine thing is kind of the same thing...kind of.

Spring To-Do List

Although this is definitely not how I thought we would be spending the beginning of spring, we can actually knock a lot of these items off of our list while we are social distancing!

North Carolina Skiing - A Review

 

Needless to say, we have totally embraced the proximity to ski resorts and have loved trying out new slopes.  I have had many people ask me recently, "So which one did you like the best?".  Read on to hear my thoughts...it's not as clear cut as you would think!

Weekend Update

No sports, awesome weather and reduced pricing??? Yep - we headed to the mountains this weekend for our last ski session of the season and had a blast.  Keep reading to see what we were up to!

My Aldi Experience

Since mentioning that I had tried Aldi for the first time, many people have asked, "So, how did you like it?".  Read on to hear my thoughts!

To Florida and Back

We turned 3 days into a whirl wind trip back to Flo-rida packed full of visits and activities and we still didn't see a lot of our friends.  

If we missed you this trip, we will certainly be back soon!

Weekend Update

Tired bodies and happy hearts.  What a great weekend of hiking and exploring with the whole fam - even the dog!

Snow Day Soup

Snow day = soup day.  At least my first one did!  Luckily I already had a new soup planned for this week's menu and it just so happened that when we were sent home yesterday for an early weather dismissal the first thing I did was get it in the crock pot.  The result - so good.  I ate it so fast that I didn't even snap a picture!

Thrifting 101

If you love a challenge AND finding great deals - keep reading.  If buying second hand clothing and accessories creeps you out, this post will be a hard pass.

(Long) Weekend Update

It was a quick long weekend, but just what the doctor ordered.  Read on to see what we were up to with some of our favorite people!

Filled with Love

Weekend Update

Our weekend turned out a little bit differently than what we thought, but it was still a good one!

No Bake Energy Bites

Seven

Happy 7th birthday to our boy.

The one that made us parents, taught us how to love outside of our bodies, challenges us and makes us laugh everyday.

We are so lucky to be your parents and are forever on your side. 

Music:  Forever On Your Side by NEEDTOBREATHE featuring Johnnyswim

Weekend Update

No Super Bowl, no problem!  

It is no secret that we are a sports loving family, but when the Packers didn't make the big game and we found $10 ski tickets - it was a no brainer to pass on watching football and head north!

Snack Plate Update

Our snack plate policy is going still going strong and has even helped my snacking habits in the process.  Keep reading for more snacking ideas!

Instant Pot Popcorn

Weekend Update

Lights Trail @ US National Whitewater Center

Our relaxing, yet busy, weekend recap is up.  Cheers to a great week ahead!

Winter Bucket List

I love lists.  I love making them.  I love checking things off and then making new ones.  I also love planning excursions and exploring new things.  

Snack-a-licious

I don't know why I didn't think of fixing a snack plate after school before...but better late than never!

It must be all of the charcuterie inspiration floating around the internet that made me start thinking about putting together one snack, with a variety of foods, in one location everyday after school.  

House to Home - Wet bar Makeover

It's all finished and I am in love with the outcome!  

As I mentioned in my previous post, we were tackling our wet bar with a quick, inexpensive update and we finished it over the long weekend.  It is amazing what a little paint can do to transform a space.

House to Home: What's next?

People are always asking me, "So what are you going to make over next?"  Much to my husband's chagrin, I always have a running list of updates in my head and on my phone.  Many are quick fixes, many can be done in the short run and other are more long term makeovers.  

#10yearchallenge

                         

Just for fun I figured I would partake in the 10 year challenge that is taking over the internet at the moment.

Winter Break - Part 2

If you think we were only busy during the first week of Winter Break, think again!  That was just the beginning of the fun.

House to Home - Playroom Makeover

We've come a long way in this space, with many, many mind changes.  But, I am thrilled to show you the results!

Winter Break - Part 1

Happy New Year!  

We had a blast over the two week break, but boy am I glad to be back into a routine again.  After a while I just start to crave it.  Keep reading to see what we were up to during our time off!