DIY Large Print Artwork under 50 dollars

Hey friends! How is everyone holding up in quarantine land?

Not gonna lie, today isn’t a good day for me. The kids have built a fort outside with every blanket in the house (aka- there is 5 more loads of laundry for me), tons of scrap wood from the garage, most of the outdoor furniture, and the last piece of my sanity is out there somewhere. I love their creative side but it makes for so much work for me…. Tons more is happening here, but let’s be real-you are here for the DIY, not the pity party…..So let’s skip to the good stuff (Just say a few prayers for us over here in the meantime, OK?)

 

Soooooo…..THIS is the ultimate goal.

It’s so simple! Let’s start with the tools needed:

• Wood pieces for frame
• twine
• staple gun/staples
• pictures of your choice
• stain/old rag to stain with

 

Simple enough right? Ok-here are the steps!

 

1. Cut your wood. 

This is a step you can skip if you can get your wood cut at Lowe’s or Home Depot *that’s why I didn’t include the saw in the tools needed* We used some old boards laying around our garage, so this was free for us!

You need wood that is 25-26 inches long depending on how much overhang you prefer on your pictures! We chose 26 inches.

2. Stain your wood pieces

Listen, I would stain every wood surface in this house if I could. I love stain, and my favorite method to stain is just to dip an old rag right into to the can. I rub a light coat on the wood and let it dry. BOOM. done. *This is my absolute favorite color stain and i use it on EVERYTHING!*

*Pro tip- If you put too much stain on the wood at once, it won’t dry! It will stay tacky and you will have to sand it down and start over. NOT FUN. Make sure you are doing light coats, and if you want it darker, let it dry completely and do another coat! I promise it’s worth the wait!

3. Staple your pictures on 

Yall I’m an eye-baller. AKA-I don’t measure anything. And let me just toot my horn-I’m pretty good at my projects looking decent-toot toot. Ok done.

Now place your wood upside down and place your picture on the wood-staple when it’s centered (Eye-ball it or measure, whatever floats your boat) staple it down! I gave mine 6 staples per piece of wood-3 towards the top of the wood, 3 towards the bottom. This will keep your poster from flopping! Repeat at the bottom and VOILA! You have a frame!

4. Staple your twine

Measure your first piece of twine to your liking, then cut 2 more pieces just like it. Staple them on to each side of your wood ( I stapled twice on each side for security) and you are DONE! Hang those babies on the wall and admire your custom artwork for less than 50 bucks! You can’t beat it.

Now for some picture details! I ordered these from Walgreens.* They were half off at the time, so if they aren’t on sale now, just wait! They will get cheaper!* We used the 24×36 poster and noticed our pictures had too much empty space up top, so we cut them down about 8-10 inches. (You will probably not have to cut yours down. Most pictures are centered so that will be one less step for you!

 

Here is the money breakdown:

• Wood-found in garage- FREE
• Stain-found in garage-FREE
• Twine-Home Depot-$5.00
• Staple gun-in my garage-FREE
• Poster Prints-Walgreens $45.00 (15.00 per photo)

$50.00 total for what would have cost me $150-300 bucks if I would have ordered from a print shop! To say I am thrilled is an understatement!

These prints  turned out so beautifully and I can’t stop staring at my babies on the wall! I think we will use them to take a pic every year and see how they have grown and changed. What do you think?

Ok who is up next to try this DIY?? If you try it, make sure to send me pics! I can’t wait to see what you all create!

Talk again soon, and of course,

 

All the love yall 

Projects to tackle (Kids edition)

So last week I went over a few things we have done since this whole quarantine jazz has started…and I can’t lie… I am pretty proud of our little accomplishments! That being said, we have also had to keep our kiddies occupied! That isn’t always easy and sometimes its downright stressful, but we are taking it one day at a time here!

When I say keeping them entertained in stressful-I am not even coming close to conveying the thought. I thought we were doing ok here at home, but being stuck here started to weigh on me last week….Like-hit me so hard that I had a 2 hour all out cry sesh. It was rough. *I woke up the next day much better …..proof that sometimes a good cry is all you need to fix yourself.* But seriously, I lost it. I was so overwhelmed with parenting and feeling so STUCK that I broke down-(pooor Dale.) I complained and cried and sassed and sobbed and it wasn’t pretty.

Chasing a 19 month old with the broom all day-nonstop-cleaning up messes, vacuuming after sweeping because now the carpet is trashed, wiping up spill after spill, cleaning up pee puddle after pee puddle, (not to mention the poop all over…potty training is a nightmare in case you didn’t know), feeding snack after snack, 2 loads of dishes some days, laundry overload, the nonstop children nagging to do this and that and eat and this and that and eat this and that  and  this and that and eat…..am I repeating myself? Was that annoying because all I have felt was ANNOYED with it here too. I’m gonna stop here because I don’t want to fall back into my negative rabbit hole…just know last week wasn’t good here..but now I am DETERMINED to make this quarantine work for us, so now were are a  #quaranteam.

How are we going to accomplish this? I’m going to share some of the things I have done to save alllll the sanity in this house and hopefully you all will like them too!

1.Video games first thing

Oh yes. I said it. Wake up and first thing screen time? uhhh huh. You know why? PEACE. QUIET. It’s genius and yes I am a bad parent for all that screen time, but I know that baby girl and momma don’t want to get up at 6:45am. Hard pass on that. So if they want to play their games, so be it. I’ll take the extra sleep.

2. School work

Yup. Even for Cashy boy who isn’t in school, we do a little school work every day. It’s good for their minds and does wonders for me. Cash is actually doing really well lately since Ford has been home working too, he seems  a little more motivated to learn and I am here for it! I can’t lie, it’s not my favorite thing to sit there and explain every worksheet to him, but to see him light up when he gets something absolutely makes my day. Ford is Ford. He is studious and learning comes pretty easy to him-and he enjoys it…but that being said-working from home is more of a challenge for him! Either way, we chip away at it and it’s doing wonders for our brains.

3. Water beads

I bought these on amazon on a whim, but sometimes those whim purchases are the best! We got these water beads and they have been such a fun little addition to our quarantine time! All 3 kids loved using them and we played in them for a few days before we pitched them. So the link above is 50,000 beads. 50,000 of anything seems like it would have to come in  a huge box-welp. Not these. But don’t be alarmed….So this teeeeeny little bottle is 50,000 beads (Or I am assuming. Hoping they didn’t lie to me.) And when I opened the package I was pretty disappointed…but see how much we used out of the tiny bottle?  That gave us this many beads….That is a rubbermaid tub full of beads! It was sooo many and were barely used a few teaspoons of beads. Amazing! Callaway got in there and sat for probably an hour while the boys put legos, cars, ramps etc in there and they all had the time of their life! Totally worth the purchase and we can use these time and time again!

4. Stepping Stones

I ordered the cutest little stones for the kids to make, and I am so smitten with them! I can’t find the exact ones we used, but here is something similar. The kids LOVED this project and I felt like we got some art time in..Ok I loved it too. This may have been more out of my selfish desire to have their tiny handprints saved in a keepsake for the rest of forever…shhhh…they will never know. Here is how ours turned out!

Aren’t they so cute? I will say, the first rain came and washed the paint off..that is pretty upsetting. So my input? Only let the kids paint one and just make hand/footprints in the others. Use the gems they give you, but the paint is worthless. Just my two cents.

5. Make them clean

Seriously. You are raising tiny humans to grow up and take care of a household of their own one day. Teach them to help! My kids have to clean their own room,  (for the most part) put away their clothes, take their plates to the kitchen, clean spills, etc. Of course, they need help, but I feel like instilling these work habits young is so important-also-helpful in the here and now. So don’t be afraid to have them help! Callaway comes RUNNING when she hears me unloading the dishwasher. She says “here ya go” with every single dish she hands me, and while it takes longer, I feel like it’s going to make a difference in the long run *or hoping so*.

 

So these are just 5 activities, if you will, that we have tried and have proved to be lifesavers in our house amidst the craziness. Have you tried any of these? If not, give them a try and let me know if you feel they were somewhat helpful!

Take care and of course,

All the love yall 

 

 

*Please note, if you click any links and make a purchase, I may make a small commission. Thanks for supporting my little blog yall!*

 

 

 

 

5 projects to tackle during quarantine

Yallllll….. I have been thinking of you guys so much lately! How is everyone? Holding up? Has it been hard on you all being cooped up? Or are you relishing in the silence?

I can’t believe that I am about to say this….but I have actually enjoyed this quarantine. *gasp* Yeah, I know I just as surprised as you. I am a total extrovert, I live for my weekly playdates, lunch dates, and target trips, and staying in the house usually is my least favorite activity. And while I truly miss all that,( and may have had a total mental breakdown last night over it all, )  I am soaking up all the time at home. Time OUTSIDE. Time…period.

But for whatever reason, this has almost been rejuvenating for me. I am tackling projects, attempting to teach my kids something here at home,  (Teachers…I applaud you. We miss you. Please send help) and all around ENJOYING myself!

**SIDE NOTE. I started writing this blog a week ago. Since then I may have had a total breakdown-so My attitude is changing daily as we do this quarantine thing. Just letting you in on the truth-we were ok for a couple weeks. I am losing it randomly though. Just in case you thought we had ourselves together-we totally don’t.**

That all being said, I wanted to share with you all what we have been doing to keep ourselves busy and loving the quarantine life! Maybe you  could try a few things and hopefully save some of your sanity along the way.

1.House Reno Projects

This is something we all want to tackle, I know. But seriously-now is the time! And I’m not saying to get out and spend thousands of dollars that you don’t have…don’t do that. But if you can find a few little things you reallly want to do that won’t break the bank-there is no greater time than the present. In the fall, we lime washed our house (This isn’t the exact one we used, but its cheaper and ships on amazon heyyyy https://amzn.to/39NbsXH ) and it TOTALLY changed the look of our house! See our before and afters here…..

 

Isn’t she lovely? 

We wanted to add shutters since Day 1, but DANG they are expensive! So once the time was right, Dale bought all the materials and made us some pretty bomb ones if you ask me. I mean, look at those things!

I had such a vision for our door, and really, it’s not my door of choice, but for budget’s sake, I kept it. I am thrifty as they come, and I know the power of paint; so insert color Jungle Chameleon from Lowe’s and all my front door dreams came true. I bought the huge letter K from Hobby Lobby last year, and I just keep changing the flowers with the season. It’s a quick fix, and I’m just collecting flowers from around the house so no extra money is involved! Win Win!

I mention the welcome sign  here (DIY Fall Decor under $20.00 )  if you want some info on it!

Next project we tackled was this chair.

Pretty rough right? My mom found it on the side of the road (Funny enough at a friend’s house) and dropped it here for some extra love. We are the project people and I love a good trash to treasure story, so here is the finished product.

Dale took the arms off for me as they were pretty chewed up….We replaced them with some wood boards we had in the garage (see? use what you have! No need to spend extra money!) and Dale taught me to use the miter saw to cut the little edges on the arms. And let me tell you, I AM A FAN. He took a saw and chopped the top off a bit and then I sanded to HIGH HEAVEN. Like-used the power sander and sanded like-an inch off this sucker. Then we used the paint from the front door (Same color-Jungle chameleon) and I couldn’t be happier with the outcome. Moral of the story-pick up the projects on the side of the road-they almost always turn into your favorites.

2. Clean/Organize

Yeah-no fun. At least the cleaning part. I am not a fan-until I finish cleaning and I love that “I just accomplished something” feeling. So if you don’t do it for anything else, do it for the “I did it” feeling.

Now organizing is my jam. (Well, really, getting rid of stuff is my jam.I could never be a hoarder) I love to go through toys, beauty products, cleaning products, desks, movies-you name it. I like to get rid of it. I feel like I want to be a minimalist but stuck in a finder/buyer’s body. Either way, I go through all of my crap and get rid of it every couple month’s and I swear it’s good for my soul.You should try it too!

3. Get rid of old paperwork

That pretty much speaks for itself. Go through your filing cabinet and GET RID OF THE JUNK. You don’t need 2013 Comcast bills, or paint receipts from 2016. Ditch the paper-ditch some weight! (Really wishing I could just shred the weight off of myself with a paper shredder too at this point..)

4. Write Letters 

Who doesn’t like to get letters in the mail? I love to write cards-always will- but think of the happiness on the other end! Write your grandma, write your uncles, write your neighbors-and let the kids get involved! My kiddos have a couple pen pals right now (including teachers!) and its a great way to get some learning time in and make someone else’s day!

5. Pinterest Projects 

Mmmmmm hmmm… I see you pinning 400 projects a week to never look at again…Listen-not anymore. Now is the time to get crafty and use up all your old beads, paper tubes, strings, or even things found in nature and let the kids run wild. My boys want to make anything and everything they can (they want to cut up every piece of cardboard in this place and yes it’s obnoxious….but they enjoy it…so hey. I deal.) If you can’t come up with any original ideas (like me) then just run wild with the Pinterest projects…and it’s ok to fail. That’s part of the fun! Who doesn’t love laughing at the dinosaur that turned out looking like a mushroom? It’s all part of the fun yall.

6. Fix the broken things

Try and get all those projects done around the house. I know some people need some extra help from a pro, but if you have been putting it off and you are capable, go for it! Why not? We have a ton of extra time right now! ( Dale is trying to fix our broken toilet as we speak. For the record-it isn’t going well. But we gotta try right?)

Well yall, that’s my quick little list of some things to do in quarantine- have you tackled any of these? Can you add to it?? Let me know-and if you do any, send me pics! I want to celebrate with you!

 

Take care of yourselves and of course,

All the love yall. xoxo

 

 

https://amzn.to/39NbsXH

 

5 Tips to Declutter in January

Hey Yall! Can’t believe I am writing my first post of 2020! Cliché, but where has the time gone? I feel like 2019 got a bad wrap, but I can’t complain too much. Does anyone else feel like it flew? Or is that only the peeps with 3 little tornadoes in their house? Either way, 2020 is HERE and I am HERE FOR IT.

*Also feel like I need to say-This new decade thing didn’t really phase me until I saw others talking about their “decade in photos.” Then it hit me hard-this is the decade that shaped my whole life. We made 3 beautiful babies. Bought 2 houses. Started a blog. Made some lifelong friends. Altogether grew. It’s been the best decade of my life-and 100% shaped it. I can’t wait to see what the next one has in store!* Now all that being said………

With a new year for so many come new beginnings, new goals, new adventures, etc. For me-all I think about it what I can improve– and yes-I know- I can improve on everything.  Let’s not get into all that- let’s focus on the title here, right? CLUTTER. Blech. Name one person who is all “Clutter is my favorite. I love my clutter.” I’ll wait………

While you are racking your brain, let’s get to the people who are ready to get RID of the JUNK. I can’t think of a better time to start than the first of the year! You can take one day and go all in, or pick a task a week….And you don’t have to get rid of everything you own-just start small and the difference you will feel is incredible. I feel so light when I get rid of things. The only word I can think to describe it is “freeing.”

I started off January 1st (Ok not on purpose. But it’s what triggered this whole purge. So I am ROLLING with it. So let’s hop right in!

1. Clear the linen closet. 

I don’t watch horror movies, but I bet one could have been filmed in my linen closet. It was nothing short of a NIGHTMARE. We had company all week, and after they all left, we washed all the sheets and blankets-and I got to work! I ripped everything out of that closet, and found out we had 4 sets of sheets that don’t fit a single bed in this house. How does that even happen? I wanted to make sure they got used, so  I donated all those sheets to our local animal shelter (SIDE TIP : Donate everything you can! Animal shelters are a great place to start in getting rid of any and all blankets and old towels) and they were so thankful!

2. Clean the office/desk

We don’t have an office, but we do have a desk. And it gets so messy so fast! Go through all the papers and get rid of the junk. Trash all the pens that don’t work. Donate crayons and markers to a local children’s museum or daycare, and feel the weight of all that paper lifted off your chest, err’ desk.

3. Clean out the kitchen drawers. 

How many times have you used that spatula? Hate all those mismatched spoons? Get rid of them! Nothing is more annoying than the drawer you can’t open because of the whisk that has never once been used. Donate anything that hasn’t been used in 6 months to a year!

4. Clean out the closets

Ok, I know this one is rough-but really-it’s needed. I am a purger by nature, but getting rid of clothes isn’t always easy. Especially the clothes I allllmost fit into. Or the stuff that may be needed for some event. Or the “date night outfit.” (SIDE TIP: Don’t buy clothes for date night-it’s pointless. I guarantee your husband/boyfriend doesn’t care about a new outfit for date night that can’t really be worn anywhere else. It just turns into wasted space/wasted money.) Go through your closet item by item and if it hasn’t been worn in 6 months or doesn’t serve a certain purpose-Donate it!

5. Clean out toy bins

Daunting I know-but kids just don’t need all these toys. Our house is jam packed with toys my boys don’t play with. I’m so sick of it. I purge every couple months, and we are right back in the same boat. I wish I could get rid of everything except legos and a few cars-But that won’t ever fly. *Sore subject in our house.* Dale is so sentimental about their toys and we disagree on what to keep/get rid of-so this is a hard category for me…But if you can do this in your house-DO IT. (Sneak out what you have to.) Make a trash pile, donate pile, and sell pile. Even getting rid of a few things feels SO GOOD!

*Bonus Point*  Tackle the garage

*Gasp* I said it-the garage. I know, I know-Ain’t nobody got time for that. If yours is like mine, it’s not pretty. Ours needs one of those home show people to come and overhaul it . (Please nominate me for that. I won’t be offended.) Go through all the cabinets, drawers, doors, tools, garden tools, paint, kids crap-man I gotta stop here. I’m depressing myself-but you get the drift. GET RID OF THE CLUTTER!

Ok who is ready to hop on board with me? What do you need to tackle first? Let me know and of course,

All the love yall 

 

Working on my Fitness

Yall, can we talk about how QUICK 2019 is going? November came in NO TIME. Im trying to wrap my head around the fact that my youngest is almost 15 months old and my oldest is quickly cruising into 8 years old. And me? I turned 30 last month. THIRTY. How is that even possible?

Speaking of 30, When I was 15 years old, if you would have asked me what age I considered someone OLD, it was 30. I know, I know. I’m shaking my head in shame…But now, I am officially OLD (at least according to 15 year old me.) 

And let’s get real-never in a million years would I have thought 29 was the year that made me feel old and broken. My body is not what it used to be (some of that I attribute to carrying and birthing 3 babies) but I haven’t been the easiest on this old body either.

As mothers, we have the tendency to always put ourselves on the back burner-but at a certain point that WILL catch up. For me, it hit at 29. Everyone laughs, but its true. I am falling apart! And that is No Bueno for a mom of 3. I have to chase a toddler, entertain a 5 year old, and try to somehow keep up with my 7 year old (SPOILER ALERT-couldn’t catch that kid if my life depended on it) but now its time I start taking care of myself. 

Eating well is ROUGH for me-but working out….now that is something I truly LOVE. Getting the motivation to get started is the hard part. But in light of trying to get myself in a groove, I joined a fitness studio. Yup Not a gym. No big equipment. Just classes and a bunch of women who want to move their bodies. I am not the type to work out at home, or to go to the gym and know what to do-but if I can go to a class and have someone tell me what I should do, I am in heaven. Crossroads Fitness has been that for me. If you are local, click Here for the link!  

**I recently attended a luncheon for Legacy Parks, and the speaker spoke about the world’s blue zones. In these areas, people tend to live longer, be healthier, and overall happier. (Seriously google BLUE ZONES and read up. It’s so interesting!) But one of the common factors in these people living such long lives-they move their bodies naturally. They aren’t out lifting heavy, running 10 miles a day. They just move. They work. That hit me so hard! I don’t have a job that has me working outside, so I needed to find a way to get myself MOVING that felt good for my body and my new old joints.  These classes did it for me. 

I have done Piyo, Zumba Strong, Zumba, Pound, and Strong 30 so far. I LOVE THEM ALL. I love classes that challenge me, but with a bad ankle and more recently, sciatica, certain classes work better for me. 

 Check out these transformation photos!

The environment at Crossroads is like nothing I have experienced at any gym. I just really am enjoying myself working out and I am sad when I can’t get there. It’s just been awesome for me and I would love if any of you locals wanted to join me! The owners and instructors ae all phenomenal-I have had the most amazing experience here. If you are like me and struggle to feel accepted at a gym, this is the place for you. Even if it is a bit of a drive, come to a few classes a month! They are affordable and I guarantee will get you in the mood to move your body more!

Here are a few pics of the instructors (The owner told me I could steal the pics so don’t report me!) BUt i wanted you to see–they are normal people. Not meatheads that make you feel like an idiot. They don’t judge. They modify moves for those of us struggling.They do progressive moves for those more advanced-its awesome. I just feel super thankful that I found this awesome little community and if you need some motivation-try them out! Your first class is free-Just click  Here for the website.

 So working out and not killing myself is a HUGE way that Im trying to take care of myself. Another way is seeing a chiropractor. I have recently delved into the world of sciatica and it’s horror. Complete and utter horror. Like-make me sob uncontrollably in my kitchen from pain horror. I would’nt wish it on my worst enemy! But sadly, I haven’t taken good enough care of my body over the years and after birthing 3 babies, my body was done. I wish I would have been proactive and seen a chiro before all my pain, but ya know, *hindsight.* As mommas, we push ourselves to the limit –and our 30 year old bodies pay the price. Never again.

 

**If you are local, I am going to leave my Chiropractor’s info Here. She is AMAZING! Her bedside manner is phenomenal and she doesn’t freak out when your kids are losing it. (Let’s just say Callaway isn’t a fan of the noises the table makes.) *Funny story, Cash was laying on the bed and Callaway pushed a button and the bed started moving up and down all crazy. Cash got the ride of his life, and Franya whisked Callaway away without batting an eye. As a mommy, I appreciate the people who don’t flip out on my kids when they are wild. You will too.* 

Ok that was off topic but I just left her and am feeling like a shoutout, so there ya go. Your neck/back will thank you if you go there-just ask for Franya!**

Another way I want to take care of myself in my 30’s is to keep on the self care train. For me it’s a bath, a facial, a massage, mani/pedi, etc. I am girly and all those things rejuvenate me. And I think they are so good for you! Keep at them and your family will thank you. It is a good mind reset! I preach it all the time, but seriously, DO IT. If I could write you a prescription for it, I would. I thinks self care is that important! 

Ok yall, that’s it for my 1st November post! (Hopefully the next one is all about my CRUISE!) Take care of yourself and your body/family will thank you! If you are local and want any more info on Crossroads or Franya, send me an email! I am happy to answer any questions-and if you want any other local recommendations, please don’t hesitate to hit me up!

All the love dolls 💋

The little things…

You know what time it is—–ANNIVERSARY time!!!! This is 11 years for us-and I can’t thank this man of mine enough for this love! 

I am not here to tell you that our marriage is perfect-it’s not. But we do always find a way through the hard stuff. We love hard and cuddle the arguments out. We talk. And even though my husband doesn’t make it known in public, he tries so hard for our marriage, and for that I am so grateful!

But let me be real for a second-and I think you might relate. I see other couples with the gifts. The expensive purses. The extravagant trips planned by him. The jewelry. The perfectly posed pictures. And I can’t lie- sometimes- I feel a tad jealous. But as time has gone on, I have realized that I am loved on in such a different way and it’s so much more meaningful. 

I sat for 30 minutes and came up with this list. I can’t imagine what I would recall if I did this for a week…But in the meantime, I want to encourage you to look for the little ways your husband shows that he loves you… Here is my list……

 

He apologizes. That’s so huge for me! 

He makes me things-like whatever I dream up-he makes. It’s phenomenal. 

He cuddles. 

He always asks my advice. 

He makes a point to say that he loves me. 

He stares at me when Im not looking. 

He gets up with babies at night. 

He calls me a “good woman.”

He installs can lights when I complain it’s too dark. 

He brings me chocolate in heart shaped boxes. 

He does chores when I’m overwhelmed. 

He has the hard conversations with our kids-willingly.

He grabs me to dance in the kitchen. 

He grabs the booty at every possible chance. 

He tries to eat my horrible cooking. (Fun stories here)

He matches my outfit without me asking. 

He won’t watch our TV shows without me. 

He doesn’t want to spend a second away from our kids. 

He takes care of my friends and family. 

He changes poopy diapers and laughs with C the whole way through. 

He says my body is still amazing. 

He ‘Black Friday’ shops with me-willingly. 

He tickles me til I’m fuming. Then I can’t help but smile through my anger. 

He laughs with me til we can’t breathe laying in bed over the dumbest stuff. I live for that. 

 

I wish I could elaborate on each of those-but let’s be honest-yall don’t want all those details. And while every moment isn’t mush, it’s all important. It’s all the little moments that make a marriage-not the grand gestures. Those are pretty cool-but they go so quick. But the little things that he does over and over-that PROVES love on an everyday basis-that is what should matter! 

So take a minute to think on all the little things your hubby does for you to prove that he tries-and I would love to hear! I am a sucker for mooooshy stuff. 

All the love dolls 💋

DIY Fall Decor under $20.00

IT’S OFFICIALLY HERE YALL! My favorite time of year-when the leaves start falling, the air gets crisp, and I get HAPPY!

I preach about my love for fall every year- I know, I know. QUIT ALREADY BRANDI, DEAR GOSH.  But really, this post is informative, I Promise!

I am a DIY Queen (no joke, if I see it in the store, I immediately try to figure out how to do it myself) and every fall I start to feel inspired. Here are a few quick projects I did to get my house ready for the best season of the year!

 

1. Dried Flowers and Gourds

Dried flowers can b so beautiful- don’t be afraid to use them!

I keep a few flowers from every bouquet dale has ever gotten me and I use them to decorate! In this corner, I used my flowers from the Flourish Flower Truck here in Knoxville! Go visit the truck yall-you make your own bouquet and they dry beautifully! (Ok off topic-but it’s worth a visit! Stalk the truck!)

Here I used an old bottle that belonged to one of Dale’s family members years ago, and threw in some gourds around my favorite “Love never fails” picture. *I made that at Board and Brush , but Feel free to use any picture  you have around your house!

This little bookshelf area is one of my favorite in the house! Simple-but has items that are important to us! Don’t be afraid to use old items in your decor-it makes for a more cozy feel!

This whole corner was used with items I already had, so cost was $0.00. Get creative and use items around your house-and if you have to, go spend 10 bucks on some gourds and pumpkins at Hobby Lobby or Target Dollar spot, and you have instant fall flair!

*Style Tip 1* Groups of 3 are more aesthetically pleasing. Not sure why, but it’s a thing Ok? 

2.Dollar Tree Flowers

Some people will shy away from this one, but let me tell you, around this time of year, Dollar tree ups their flower game.  I promise, I went to Target to get some faux flowers and greenery, and it was 5 bucks PER STEM! Yall, that’s crazy!Don’t spend that when you can get a whole bouquet for 5 dollars at the good ol’ DT. This is on my dining table, and cost no more than $5.00. I used a vase I already had, and added in similar colors of leaves and little fun cattails and such. I love it!

*Style Tip 2* Try to utilize items around your house to use instead of buying all new items! Sprucing up a space doesn’t have to break the bank! I just go into every room of the house, see what I can steal for my fall decor, and play around with each space I am working with. Sometimes it turns out, sometimes it doesn’t. That’s ok! Just keep playing around with your items and you will get it! 

3. Paint something

Ignore this messy pic. This is all I have at the moment-work with me

We have a problem in this house. We like to paint things. Then repaint. Then paint again later. Hey hey-don’t judge- it’s always interesting! *We have a HUGE paint project coming up soon-Can’t wait to share that!*

This time, Dale went out of town and I painted the fireplace. Ideally, I want the fireplace stone GONE, but in the meantime, this is quick fix. I just primed with paint I had here, then went to Home Depot and bought a pint of paint for $12.00 and that was enough to make me like it slightly better (and have a TON left over for other projects). It will do until we decide to  totally overhaul that whole area! And don’t be surprised when we go back and paint it again-I’m sure it won’t be long.

 

4. Welcome sign

My favorite fall project to date!

Nothing says fall like a stained sign right? I found this slab of wood in the garage, stained it with my go-to stain color Provincial by Minwax.* Even though the stain color on your computer makes it look ugly, it stains SO GORGEOUS! It’s dark and I love that you can build the color to your liking. I use it on EVERYTHING! You can even buy sample cans (that last FOREVER) to see what the best color is for your specific project. Play around yall!*

I bought an alphabet stencil from Hobby Lobby..**Ok let’s stop here for a minute. I had to cut each individual letter out and tape til it was straight. NIGHTMARE. If you are a perfectionist, just order a WELCOME stencil, not the alphabet. I am not a perfectionist and I live for flaws in my projects. I love that my letters are slightly off, but some of you wouldn’t want that. I get it. If that is you, just buy the Dang WELCOME stencil. Better yet, just buy the whole dadgum welcome sign on Facebook marketplace for $30.00. That seems to be the going rate.

I can’t pass up a good project though, so here I am, with a very imperfect sign that I am SO FLIPPING PROUD of.

Here is the process: I stained it. Let it dry. Taped my stencil. Pounced my white paint all over. Took the stencil off. Then mixed the same white paint with water and wiped it with an old rag all over the board. Then I sanded the whole thing over to make it look aged!

It’s my favorite project from the weekend and It only cost me $6.00. The huge alphabet stencil is $10.00 at Hobby Lobby, but with the 40% off coupon, it was 6 bucks. The rest of the items I had on hand, and I bet you do too. If not, I am pretty darn sure you could get every item you need for less than $20.00 and could use all of them so many more times!

*Style Tip 3* OK not a style tip-just a general one . You can ALWAYS get the Hobby Lobby coupon online. I google it while I am standing in line and that is all you need! You can only use on full price items, but if for some reason your item isn’t full price-it’s almost always 40-50% off. Just check the weekly ad! 

5. Large Letter (Front door)

I got this letter at Hobby Lobby for $7.00 (with my coupon) but they have TONS of letters there to choose from -ready made! I of course wanted to paint my own, but if you want a quick fix, buy the others! They are gorgeous and the price isn’t bad.

Remember those flowers from my table? I took a few and wrapped them in the twine around the K. I didn’t glue them down so I can change them out each season! The whole project cost me less than $8.00 if you count using some of the flowers from my table. I had the rope and paint in the garage!

*Style Tip 4* I got felt dots at Target for $4.00 to stick to cabinet doors to keep from slamming-but I stuck them on the back of the K to keep from hitting the door when we shut it. So simple but those dots are keeping my sanity. 

6. Rug under the welcome mat

This was so simple. Whatever welcome mat you have will work( I won mine!) but just run to your local Ollies (Or Target or Walmart or whatever) and pick your favorite! Mine cost $8.00 and Ollie’s had TONS to choose from. Look how cute and cozy! I am a huge fan of this simple fix. It was cheap enough that I don’t mind to change it out if it gets gross, but it’s also a rug I can throw in the washer! WIN WIN!

Ok Yall, that’s enough for now! Like I said, no need to go all out…Just a few things here and there and you can cozy up your space in a jiffy!

Let me know what you think! Do you plan on doing any of these? Any questions? Let me know and of course,

 

All the love dolls💋

 

 

Fun things to do with Kids in Knoxville

I am that mom. I HAVE to be running around every day. I don’t do well sitting at home (although I am realllly trying to be more of a home body.)  I NEED to be going at all times (Yeah I wonder why I am not skinny too. Perplexing.)

But seriously, I love to experience new things  with my kiddos and they are just like me and LOVE to be going nonstop. Some cost money, and some are TOTALLY FREE (you know I am all for the free/cheap!) but all are worth doing!

1. The Muse

My first place to go in Knoxville is The Muse here in Knoxville! It’s a hands on children’s museum that gets those little brains moving. We are pass holders (as of this year) and we have WORN IT OUT. There are two locations (one near the zoo and one in West town Mall) and we utilize them both.  I wish I had some pictures of these amazing places (I usually share videos on my Instagram) but there are so many things for kiddos to do-even babies! Callaway loves each section and there are designated bins for anything your baby has “mouthed.” They actually encourage your baby to “mouth” items -its all important to the learning process! So please, let your baby run wild and then the employees are awesome enough to clean those toys before anyone else can touch them. I swear, its such an amazing place! I can’t say enough about The Muse Knoxville.

2. The Comedy Barn

Up next, is The Comedy Barn in Pigeon Forge. This one is totally new to us, but definitely not one to be missed. We went as a family and I kid you not-we laughed and smiled NONSTOP. My cheeks hurt so bad from giggling! At one point, the guy on stage was laughing so hard at himself, that it got me laughing til I cried.

Honestly, it was such a good time and great entertainment for the whole family! There was a ventriloquist, a juggler, birds that rode tiny tricycles, singing, dancing, and all the things in life that make you happy. Including cotton candy. (Fun fact: I LOVE cotton candy!) So do yourself a favor, grab the combo with popcorn, drinks and cotton candy and sit back and ENJOY. You won’t regret it. Here are a few pictures from our evening

 

Seriously, the guy in the blue shirt shoots Ping pong balls out of his mouth (it’s way funnier than it sounds) and he is pure comedic genius. He laughs at himself and is so quick witted. Ok I could tell you about every person in the show, but I am going to keep some secrets and let you experience it for yourself!

 

3. Local Parks 

I feel like it probably goes without saying, but we frequent our local parks. They are a great way to run off energy and to see my kids play together in happiness. No joke-arguments just don’t happen that often at the park for us. #win. One of our closest parks and a great one is Fountain City Park. It’s one of our favorites because its 1. Convenient. 2. It has a little creek! My kids love to throw rocks in the creek and run through it! Who wouldn’t? Make sure to add this one to your list of Parks to visit.

There are so many I could go on about here in Knoxville, but instead just click through some of these links to see some of my favorite parks!

Mcfee Park in Farragut,

Karns pool and park

World’s Fair Park

Click here for a full list of local parks around here!

 

4. Golf courses

It’s no secret we LOVE to play golf around here. Every one of us (at least the ones who can walk in this house). When we do a day date, we almost always end up playing golf. The boys BEG to go play on the weekends with Dad. It’s just a fun way to spend the day whether you know what you are doing or not! (Most of us are not good y’all. We just have fun and enjoy laughing at each other along the way.) FYI, if you have a local “wee course”, it’s a little more economical than a real course. Ours even lets kids play free! Check into it around your area and get out there and make some memories!

5. Ijams

This place is amazing y’all. There are hikes for everyone (beginner to advanced), a swimming hole, a ropes course, wildlife to be found, flowers to sniff, and so much more! They even have a nature preschool for your littles. *There are so many studies that prove just stepping a few feet into the woods has positive effects on your health (including lowering your blood pressure.)

These are some pics we have taken at Ijams -it’s gorgeous there!

So if you need an excuse to go..If anything it may help lower your pharmacy bill. * Ijams Nature Center has got to be on your list of places to visit with your kids (any season)!

 

6. Norris Dam

Norris Dam is just one of those cool places to visit year-round. We have been here a few times and I just really enjoy my time there! The Dam is neat. There is a park for the kids. There are picnic tables (so pack lunch). The water is gorgeous. The lookout is phenomenal. GO VISIT IN THE FALL. The trees here  melt my heart. Have you seen that quote “My favorite color is October”? Yeah pretty sure that was written for me. I adore fall here, and if I ever end up moving North, I would HAVE to come back here to visit every fall. Seriously, East TN nothing you have ever seen in October-so if you haven’t been here yet..Start planning your trip ASAP!

Couldn’t help myself, look how cute this pics are from our last Norris trip!

Ok, that’s it for now! No matter where you are at, there are TONS of things to do as a family (free or cheap!) if you get out and look for it! Let me know what you think of this list and what you would add!

All the love dolls 

 

 

 

Light Therapy-I know you are curious

Ok. If you have been following along on my Instagram, you have seen that I’ve been going to light therapy sessions for my stomach.

I know- I preach loving yourself. And I am always working on it, but this is just one part of me that I don’t love. I never will love it like I want to. But poor thing, she is so stretched and marked and Ford even called her “soggy” this week. I laughed and thought “ wow-that may be the perfect descriptive word for this stomach. Soggy.

But amidst all my “love yourself as you are” posts lately, I also preach that it’s ok to love yourself, and still want to improve yourself. I repeat: It’s ok to LOVE yourself, and still want to IMPROVE yourself.

And I am doing just that. In so many different ways, like working out, eating better, my mindset, etc. But light therapy was big for me. It gave me the encouragement to kick myself into gear-and I wanted to tell you a little about how it works.

So, you start off with a consultation with Lindsey (Yall, she is so sweet and makes you feel comfortable in what could be a very uncomfortable situation.) She explains the ins and outs of the process and prepares you for the weeks to come! When I say prepares, she tells you to

1. Drink water.

2. Take your Niacin and Milk Thistle.

3. Eat decent.

*Let’s just stop here and I will explain these to you. It’s PERTINENT that you chug water for at least the first three days after each treatment. The light opens up your fat cell and drains the fat out through your lymphatic system. AKA-pee and poo. SO you need to push alllll the fat possible out this way. Chug chug CHUG that water yall.

There are also 2 vitamins to take during the process-Niacin and Milk Thistle. These aid in the detox process, and honestly I may keep them up all the time! ( Going to ask my doctor to make sure, and you should too…but I think it should be ok!)

Eat decent. Yeah-the hardest part (at least for me) but it’s crucial! You are draining fat out, so why would you want to immediately fill it right back up??? There isnt’ s specific diet to follow per say, but think as healthy as possible. ESPECIALLY the first three days after your treatment. Then if you fall off on the weekend, it wont affect you as badly!

Ok, you know the tricks-now lets get to the pics. This is NOT easy for me, as I don’t really show my belly at all-but I think these 2 pictures will convince you that it’s worth it. So here is my before and after.

Is that not amazing? I just am in shock at the difference! That is one light therapy session per week for 6 weeks. 40 minutes a week. And it’s RELAXING. It doesn’t hurt. At all. It’s not even hot! I used my sessions to respond to emails, DM’s and of course, show you guys what as going down on my IG stories!

If you are thinking about doing something to boost your confidence a little, I highly recommend UltraSlim at Optimal Health in Turkey creek. My skirts and jeans are fitting better. My undies are falling off. My belly pooch is significantly smaller and I am so grateful for this little confidence boost! Here is the website if you want to read a little more. If you just want to chat with Lindsey, call 865-288-4200 and tell her I sent you over!

Right now is the time to book. If you buy 3 sessions you get 3 free! You won’t regret it! The confidence boost is totally worth it y’all… try it out!

Signing off…but you know the drill…

All the love dolls 💋

My journey to beautiful skin

Ha. Those last 2 words are just something I don’t associate with myself- “beautiful skin.” But I am 29 and it’s time I start caring for myself a little more. Like-right now.

I have been working on loving myself more, and we all know self-care is a BIG part of my mommy routine. I like facials, mani/pedi, massages, etc..But I haven’t been doing anything for my awful skin. I’m just afraid I am going to reach the point of no-return soon, and that is just something I am not ok with!

So I took the bull by the horns y’all- I went and saw a skin specialist. Like-someone who truly knows skin. (And I swear her place is so DANG GORGEOUS and inviting, it’s enough to keep me coming back in itself.)

Listen, when I left I COULD NOT stop touching my face..I even had my bestie touching it…Then the boys wanted to touch it…hahahah ( I PROMISE I won’t keep touching. Counterproductive I know). But I got a few things done that I wanted to share–I think they would be good for anyone-and I swear you will leave with your face feeling like a baby’s booty cheeks.

I went in with a Sahara desert of a face. I am SOOOO DRY yall. But I got 3 treatments that left me feeling amazing! I started with a darn good cleaning and then a Dermaplane. If you haven’t heard of dermaplaning, then you are MISSING OUT! It looks almost like a tiny scalpel that shaves all your peach fuzz off, and take the top layer of dead skin as it shaves! After Susan finished this part, I could not BELIEVE how soft my skin felt! Its made for any age and leaves your skin looking and feeling so vibrant! In my opinion, everyone needs to try Dermaplaning to jumpstart their skincare journey!

This is what it looks like (On someone else.My pics got deleted-trying not to cry about it.)

The next thing we did, was start into a Medical grade peel. We used Skinceuticals brand and I highly recommend it! Peels can be customized to your specific skin care needs and help reduce fine lines, wrinkles, help with hyper-pigmentation, decreases the frequency of acne breakouts. (See? Perfect for EVERYONE!)

We ended with Cryogenic therapy. Holy cannoli yall. This ain’t no joke. It’s like dry ice for your face-it freezes off all the ugly (age spots, sun spots, skin tags, etc) and tightens the pores right up! I have pores the size of moon craters, so this was really important for me. *You people who have no pores–what is your trick?? I am having to get mine shrunk professionally-its something I tell ya.**

Loved this part so much- I got zapped by dry ice type stuff. Fun and TOTALLY a game changer.

I think the mix of all three of these treatments was the perfect concoction to get my skin going in the right direction! I felt so comfortable the whole time and can’t wait for whatever I get next ( NO idea what that is-just trusting Susan here.) I go to Skin Solutions on Kingston Pike-and I highly recommend that you try it too! There are SOOOO many skin options that are customized to each and every person-something I really appreciate. One-size-fits-all has never worked for me (Trust me-NEVER) and skincare is the same way!

Try Skin Solutions out and if you mention me, you get HALF-OFF your Dermaplane trio treatment (How gracious!) ! Guys SERIOUSLY-you won’t find a better deal in Knoxville! I wouldn’t commit a whole blog post to it if I didn’t trust Susan or the process. Give her a try and I promise, you will love your skin again!