May 5, 2020

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.

May 1, 2020

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!

April 27, 2020

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!

April 21, 2020

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.



April 20, 2020

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.

April 16, 2020

Safer at Home


Image may contain: 4 people, including Mike Alexander and Lane Alexander, people sitting


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.

March 19, 2020

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!

March 10, 2020

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!

March 9, 2020

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!

March 3, 2020

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!

March 2, 2020

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!

February 24, 2020

Weekend Update


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

February 21, 2020

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!

February 19, 2020

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.

February 18, 2020

(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!

February 10, 2020

Weekend Update



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

February 4, 2020

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

February 3, 2020

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!

January 31, 2020

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!

January 27, 2020

Weekend Update

Lights Trail @ US National Whitewater Center

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

January 24, 2020

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.  

January 22, 2020

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.  

January 21, 2020

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.

January 14, 2020

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.  


January 9, 2020

#10yearchallenge

                         

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

January 8, 2020

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.

January 7, 2020

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!

January 6, 2020

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!