For this year’s $100 Room Challenge, I’m giving my camper a much-needed update. I believe home should feel like home, wherever you park it! It’s week 2 of the challenge, and I’m knee deep in about three different kinds of paint. I’ve started painting the cabinets with chalk paint, the door and trim with latex paint, and the countertops with whatever kind of paint smells like nail polish. Good thing there are plenty of windows to open! We’re in the remodeling phase known as “it has to get worse before it gets better.” Also known as “what was I thinking?” If you’ve ever reached this stage of a project, just… Keep Reading
The $100 Room Challenge Takes on a Camper Makeover
I’m so excited that it’s $100 Room Challenge time again! This time I’m taking the challenge to the streets, so to speak, with a makeover for my camper. I’ve participated in several other $100 Room Challenges, and it’s one of my favorite subjects on the blog. I love the challenge of making over a whole room in four weeks, for $100. This time, I’m going all in with our family camper trailer. It’s one room that does every job in the house, so this makeover will be the ultimate challenge! Before we get too far into my plans for this challenge, let’s recap, shall we? The $100 Room Challenge all… Keep Reading
Double Dark Chocolate Chip Cookies (Gluten Free and Vegan)
This Double Dark Chocolate Chip Cookies recipe is really more of a public service announcement than a recipe post. I’m not a food blogger by any stretch, but when I find a recipe this good, I feel it would be selfish not to share it with the world. The fact that they’re gluten free and vegan means I know they will make someone’s day. Back to school means getting organized about everything, not the least of which is lunch-packing and after-school-snacking. When my kids get home from school they turn into ravenous vultures. It’s like they haven’t eaten anything all day. Never mind the lunch and snack they already had… Keep Reading
Back to School Pencil Palette and an Ode to Pencils
This back to school pencil palette combines deep graphite gray with warmer wood tones. Ahhh the smell of freshly sharpened pencils. And the feel of that perfectly honed point against your finger. There are few things about back to school season that I love more than buying new school supplies. I didn’t realize this about myself until this year when my oldest started high school, and her only school supply was a Chromebook. They deprived me of all the fun of shopping! Fortunately, my youngest was happy to skip up and down the Target aisles with me for all her new folders, pencils, and markers. Yet another reason I hope… Keep Reading
Back to School Grownup Bedroom Refresh
Now that my kids are back in school, I get to take time to work on my own projects again! I thought I’d start by giving my master bedroom a little makeover This grownup bedroom refresh is all about the details, clean lines, and soft colors. We recently sold our latest flip house, that did double duty for a while as an AirBNB property, and had a few items left over from staging it. I enjoyed them so much in the flip house that I wanted to bring them home and find a place for them in my house. And I didn’t have to look far. A few months ago,… Keep Reading
Mom’s Busy Bag and How to Dip Dye Canvas
When my kids were toddlers I made them “busy bags” to keep in the car in case we ended up in waiting rooms or places where I needed to keep them quietly occupied. Now that the kids are older, I find it’s usually me who needs to be kept occupied during their activities so I made myself a Mom’s Busy Bag, full of all the things I like to spend time on while waiting. And waiting. And waiting. Now that it’s back to school time, we’re back on our usual schedule which means lots of sitting at piano lessons, watching gymnastics class, or waiting in the Dr’s office. I don’t… Keep Reading
Pug Palette and the Dog Days of Summer
I have a thing for dogs. There’s just something about their happy spirit that makes me smile. And their soft furriness doesn’t hurt either. I love all breeds and all mutts, but when it comes to goofy cuteness, there’s no comparison to pugs. Pug Palette When I saw this photo, it just made me smile. If you’re wondering, that’s often how I pick the photos that serve as inspiration for my color palettes. Sometimes I start with a subject matter or color idea in mind, but most of the time I just scroll through one of my favorite free photo sites until I see a picture that catches my eye… Keep Reading
How to Repair Luxury Vinyl Plank Flooring
Luxury Vinyl Plank flooring is one of the best things since sliced bread. It comes in amazing colors, styles and finishes. You can get commercial grade versions for high-traffic areas. It’s waterproof and virtually indestructible. And it’s affordable. What more could you ask for in a flooring product?! We put luxury vinyl plank (LVP) in our latest flip house, which also functioned as an AirBNB property, and it performed amazingly well. The only problem was a few pieces were not installed correctly, and they started lifting up after several months of wear and tear. So naturally I wanted to know how to fix it myself rather than calling our handyman…. Keep Reading
ModPodge and Cocktail Napkin Easy Candle Makeover
I love this easy and fun candle makeover that takes cheap glass candles, and turns them into colorful centerpieces, for about $1 a piece! OK, show of hands, who else is obsessed with Dollar Store crafts? Whenever my daughters ask to go to the Dollar Store, I secretly jump for joy with anticipation of slowly walking the aisles, looking for crafty inspiration one dollar at a time. Also, on a related note, why is it that I can never seem to spend less than $25 at the Dollar Store? This project first debuted as part of my Patio Makeover series, where I updated our backyard for summer. I whipped these… Keep Reading
13 Easy Camping Hacks for the Perfect Outdoor Adventure
Camping is a great way to spend time with the family, and you can make it even easier and more fun by using some of these camping hacks we’ve picked up over the years! Every year I think I’m going to get organized and write this camping hacks post before the camping season begins. And every year I recall that goal as I’m sitting around a campfire or using one of my camping tricks, and I realize that it’s already the middle of camping season and I spent all my time and energy getting packed to go camping, rather than writing about it. (Priorities, people!) So this year, I’m… Keep Reading