I’m all about simplifying the holidays this year, and today I’ve got a double dose of holiday hacks to make your Thanksgiving, Christmas, or any other holiday dinner warm, welcoming, and less hassle for the host! My mom loves to entertain guests and over the years she has taught me everything I know about entertaining as an art form and the gift of hospitality. Today I’d like to pass on some of her wisdom, mostly so I don’t forget to teach my own children someday. How to Set a Simple Elegant Table Before I get into the larger subject of entertaining, let’s start with a smaller piece of the pie… Keep Reading
How to Paint Laminate Cabinets without Sanding
What do you do if you want to paint your kitchen cabinets, but they’re not real wood? Using the right method, you can paint right over those laminate cabinets, or any other kind of laminate furniture that needs a color update! This is a post that has been almost three years in the making, and boy is it a relief to finally get it out! When I published my original tutorial on the best way to paint kitchen cabinets (without sanding!), I got a barrage of questions like “Does this method work on laminate cabinets?” Or “My cabinets are melamine, will this work?” The short answer is yes, with one… Keep Reading
DIY Gold Hexagon Backsplash
This DIY gold hex stencil project is an easy, cheap and on-trend way to give your backsplash, or really any space, a quick makeover. I had so much fun making over my camper for last month’s $100 Room Challenge, but the time flew by so fast I’m just now getting around to writing a proper tutorial for this fun backsplash project. Attempt #1: Removable Wallpaper When I started my camper makeover, I had big plans to redo the kitchen backsplash area with removable wallpaper. I was inspired by this wallpaper project from Amy at Delineate Your Dwelling. But when I went to try it myself, it turned into a big… Keep Reading
Camper Makeover Reveal for the $100 Room Challenge
I love the satisfaction of a completed project! This little camper gave me a run for my money, but she’s finally ready for her big reveal. The Big Reveal of our Little Camper Makeover Y’all know I’m a big fan of the $100 Room Challenge because it gives me a deadline. Without that deadline, I’m sure I’d still be wallowing around in the beginning stages of this project, because there was just. so. much. And without the $100 budget, there’s no telling what I could have spent turning this little diamond-in-the-rough into a polished gem. So thank you Erin, of Lemons, Lavender, & Laundry, for being the inspiration, motivation, and… Keep Reading
$100 Room Challenge Week 3 – Painted Countertops
My $100 camper makeover is moving along at the speed of paint drying. So while I’m in between washing paintbrushes, I’ll fill you in on the latest project: How to Paint Laminate Countertops. This camper needed an update on just about every square inch, not the least of which were the countertops. I wanted something durable and more modern looking than the khaki colored laminate with faux wood trim. (If you’re new to this series, be sure to check out week 1 and week 2 of the challenge to see where all this is coming from.) Painting Countertops for my Camper Makeover For a previous $100 Room Challenge, I updated… Keep Reading
$100 Room Challenge Week 2 – Camper Update
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
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
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
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