Product Review

A Boy and His New Beddy’s Bed

11 · Aug 2, 2018 · 1 Comment

We’re getting ready for school here in these parts. With that comes the resurrection of old routines whether good or bad. Some routines stand the test of time like brushing your teeth, getting dressed and such. Others like making the bed could stand for a little improvement! Let’s be real here… How many of our kiddos or, us even, regularly make our beds? When the back-to-school routines truly kick-in, how many of our kiddos are skipping this one task because it’s just a pain and they would rather move on to bigger and better things? I have one little guy that generally skips this task or takes FOREVER making his bed thus making us late for school each morning. Anyone else in this boat? Yea, I thought so! That’s when I was introduced to Beddy’s Beds by a good friend of mine and my little guy has been using his new bedding all summer and we are super in love with this whole system!!! Come learn all about Beddy’s along with this fun room makeover for Gage.

+ This post brought to you by Beddy’s Beds +

Boys Room Makeover

SEVERAL months ago we embarked on a room makeover for our little guy. He had been living in a pink and purple room since our move last year and it was high time to make some changes. An eight-year-old boy will put up with a pink room for only so long. We don’t even know Ashley & Alexa and why they even had an attic!

We settled on an Explorer room packed full with all kinds of great inspiration to explore our world. We found an old discarded library book that was filled with copies of the maps from the Lewis & Clark expedition. The library was just throwing it out! We pulled it apart and Decoupaged the pages onto Gage’s wall.

The very last step that needed to be completed was, new bedding! Like I said before… His bed NEVER looks like the photo above. If it is made, it looks like Salvador Dalí made the bed rather than Martha Stewart. Granted, I know… It’s a little boys room but, there has to be something smarter & easier. Check out this video to see the genius of what we found!

The Genius of Beddy’s Bedding

Did you see that? How easy it was for Gage to just zip-up his bed when he got up? This bedding is brilliant! Here are my top 5 reasons why I love Beddy’s bedding…

1. First off, it’s dang cute! I love the fabric that we selected for Gage’s room. We picked the Checked Out bedding and it looks great in his explorer room. They have all kinds of styles that are perfect for toddlers on up to Mom & Dad, both boys, and girls, along with college-age kiddos. Plus, the options keep expanding each year.
2. His bed is so easy to make! The bedding is somewhat like a sleeping bag that has a fitted sheet element sewn on the bottom. The whole system fits right onto the bed and grips nicely to the mattress. Now, if you have hot sleepers like Gage is, don’t worry, the top blanket unzips at the bottom if you’d like and down each side, you can even remove the whole top blanket for washing. Gage is a hot sleeper and he likes to keep the side unzipped and then zips it right back up in the morning.
3. I love that this is a product created by Moms for Moms! You know how Beddy’s came to be? It was out of the frustration of trying to make bunk beds. Have you ever tried to make a bunk bed? It’s impossible even for adults let alone kids. Beddy’s are handmade with fabulous fabric. The top fabric is 100% cotton and the inside is a scrumptious Minky fabric that all kiddos love. Gage has been using his bedding for a few months now and I’m thrilled with the quality of the materials & workmanship.
4. Beddy’s bedding is easy to wash! I’ll be honest, when I first saw a Beddy’s system I thought it looked like a bear to wash. I was so wrong! Gage who struggled to gather all of his bedding on wash days in the past now has no problem stripping his bed and loading it into the washer all by himself.
5. I love that his product empowers everyone to start their day on the right foot! When I was a kiddo, I received a pillowcase that said, “Start each day in a happy way.” It was actually a Strawberry Shortcake pillowcase. The first morning I used it, I was 6 or 7, I read the quote and it really hit me. I did need to start each day in a happy way! That morning I felt empowered to make my bed (the old fashioned way) starting my day on the right foot and then moving forward with confidence that I could handle whatever came my way that day. It sounds silly, right? Can making your bed empower you, of course it can. If you aren’t a bed maker, give it a go. Commit to making your bed for a week and see how that little change will change your day. We need to give that gift to our kiddos. A good breakfast and a made bed, that’s a good recipe for a great start to the day!

What are you going to do this new school year to help your kiddos to feel successful right from the start? I highly recommend investing in some Beddy’s bedding for the kiddos. I’m thrilled with how Gage loves his new bedding and how his room looks with the bedding.

+ Disclaimer – This post has been sponsored by Beddy’s Beds. They sent product for my family to review however, I was not paid for my review or for this post. Remeber, I only share what I love and truly use in my everyday life. +

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5 Ways to Beat the Heat this Summer at Home

1 · May 11, 2018 · Leave a Comment

I will have to admit, I’m a baby when it comes to heat. I LOVE summer but I hate to be hot. It’s partly because I have a condition (among others) called Hyperhidrosis that causes excesses sweating. Some people have excessive sweating under their arms or on their hands and feet. They literally have to change clothes several times a day like “Southern Charm” star Cameran Eubanks. My dermatologist says that she has met people who’s hands literally drip sweat. I can’t even imagine… Oh, wait, I can! I came across something recently that gave me a new angle on what others go through — you can check this out if you want a deeper look. That’s why coming up with ways to beat the heat has always been really important to me.

+ this post is brought to you by the kind folks at Honeywell +

My Sweaty Story

My particular condition is on my FACE! It could be forty below and if I’m nervous or moving, my face will be dripping sweat. Yea, it’s AWESOME! I’ve tried botox and medication to help but, so far nothing has worked. My Mom says that even as a newborn, I would have little beads of sweat on my nose when I was upset. I don’t know if you know this but, newborns don’t sweat on their nose. So, this issue has been a long and somewhat embarrassing one. Not to mention the fact that being embarrassed makes it even worse. Ugh!

Summer is even worse. When others are merely “glowing” (as my mother would say) I’m dripping buckets. With a history like that, I’ve become quite adept at making sure I stay as cool as possible so that I too, can enjoy the Summer.

How to Beat the Heat at Home

Throughout the course of my life, I’ve lived in homes with and without air conditioning so, I understand the issues on both sides of the fence. I’ve also lived in high heat index areas like Las Vegas and lower heat index areas like Denver. Again, I’ve experienced heat on both sides of the spectrum. Here are a few tips and tricks that I’ve worked out to help beat the heat at home during the hotter months, apart from making sure Istay hydrated all day.

Make sure, if you have air conditioning, that you have it serviced once a year by a trained professional. This has saved us a countless number of times especially when we were living in Las Vegas. It’s more than just spraying off the dirt and grime that has accumulated over the winter months. Find someone who knows their stuff, one who can detect even the tiniest of issues so that you can tackle them before they become huge issues. When we lived in Vegas, we had a fan blade in one of our units that was a little off kilter and basically chewed through some very important cables causing us to have to totally replace our unit at a rather large expense. Not only did we have to pay to replace a rather new unit, we were in the depths of Summer and had to fork over for a hotel room for a couple of days. With small children, there was no way we could stay in our house when it was over 110˚ each day. That was an expensive lesson learned. photo credit • unknown
Find all of those hidden heat vents into your home. For example, many people work to Winterize their homes, why not “Summerize” your home?
1. Check all of your windows and doors to see if you have sneaky little heat vents coming into your home that you weren’t even aware of.
2. If you have a gas fireplace, turn of your pilot light for the summer. You would be surprised at how much heat even that little pilot light will give off. They are easy to relight when the weather turns colder.
3. Limit the amount of time when cooking indoors. Summer is the perfect time to work on your outdoor cooking skills. Think outside of the box… My Mom would fry chicken at least once a summer when I was growing up. We lived in an unairconditioned house and she would take her electric skillet out on the back porch and fry our chicken out there so as to not heat up the house. With all of our fabulous electric gadgets these days, air fryers, Instant Pots, Instant Pot Sous Vide, electric skillets and so much more. Take those electric appliances outdoors, in a safe spot, and work your Summer cooking magic without heating up the house.
Take advantage of those cooler mornings and evenings. If you live in a climate that has those glorious cooler mornings and evenings like in Colorado, take advantage of those times of the day. Open your windows in the morning and cool down the house. Make sure to close them before the day starts to heat-up.photo credit • unknown
Balance out your home with a portable air conditioner. Every house we’ve ever owned, our bedroom has been the hottest room in the house. If we would turn up our air so that our bedroom felt comfortable, the rest of the house was like a meat locker. If we kept the house at a normal temperature our room would be nice and toasty every night. No Bueno in my world, I can’t sleep if I am hot. We had looked at adding an additional air conditioning unit to our current house, one for upstairs and one for down and that is SUPER expensive. That involves relocated ductwork and all kinds of invasive modifications to the home. That’s not really in the cards right now so, my husband suggested we get one of those window units for our bedroom. That quite honestly made my design and style loving heart cry a little. Those window units look like a parasite living on the side of your house. They work great, these just look terrible. Then we were introduced to a portable air conditioner that we really come to love from Honeywell. This portable air conditioner is fabulous! We are able to keep our house at a manageable temperature and then we can cool our room separately at night when we need it the most. It’s fantastic and it is saving us on the cost of cooling our home. It’s far more aesthetically pleasing inside and outside the home. It does have a vent that vents outside but it’s easy to conceal when in use. The vent is more noticeable inside than it is outside. I love that my home still has the nice character without being marred by a window air conditioning unit. This particular unit comes with a remote, the fan has three settings (low, medium & high), it has a timer, it’s on casters so it easy to move and store and it has a dehumidifier. We are really happy with it! You can find it at:
1. Amazon
2. Walmart
3. Lowes
4. Best Buy
5. Home Depot
6. Target
If you’re in a dry climate (which we are not) you can use an air cooler which is awesome!! These little portable gems can be taken outside to cool your outdoor Summer gatherings. Wouldn’t be heaven, outside in the summer enjoying the sun and yet, still cool. This great machine uses a combination of water and air movement to keep your area cool. Whether inside or outside, this is another great way to keep your home cool in the warmer months.

How do you beat the heat in your home during the summer? I’m always looking for more suggestions! Leave a comment to help a sweaty girl out!

+ Disclaimer – This post has been sponsored by Honeywell. I did NOT receive payment for this post. However, I did recive product for review. I will only share products that I truly love and use in my everyday life.

Farmhouse Inspired Christmas Tree – Dream Tree Challenge

75 · Nov 1, 2017 · 1 Comment

It’s getting close to my favorite time of year… Christmas!! Every year it’s so fun to participate in the Michaels Dream Tree Challenge and this year has been EXTRA FUN! We gathered together as a family and crafted our Christmas tree together and it was so fun. From trees to ornaments and holiday décor, Michaels has everything you need to MAKE this holiday your own! You can even shop over 100 Christmas Trees at Michaels.com. Crafting your tree together is a great way to bring the family together at the beginning of the Holiday season. Here is what we created to make our 2017 tree magical for our home and family.

The Christmas Tree

This year, I picked the 7.5 Ft. Pre-Lit Jasper Cashmere Artificial Christmas Tree, Clear Lights by Ashland™. At first it was a little wide for our space. BUT… We placed it on top of an old bucket I had and then bent the lower branches down to give it a slimmer figure. I wish ‘slimming-down’ was that easy for all of us! 😉 That also raised the tree up a bit, which makes it look better in a room with vaulted ceilings.

Regardless of what this photo looks like below (someone was being a bit dramatic…) The Jasper tree is super easy to set-up. It’s literally plug and play. The electricity runs through the poll of the tree so you don’t have to go hunting around for all of the connections. Then all you have to do is fluff the branches.

Farmhouse Inspired Christmas Ornaments

Part of the fun when decorating for the Holidays is actually making some of your own decor. This year I was inspired by some ornaments that Joanna Gains has created for another store. I LOVE them and thought we could make some of our own with supplies from Michaels.

I grabbed some of the shatter proof ornaments at Michaels along with some of the Americana Chalkboard Paint from DecoArt…

My daughter Haley is home from college with her boyfriend Kyle and we decided to have a paint party. We covered the table with plastic wrap and went to town with the clear ornaments from Michaels. We painted them all over with the chalkboard paint. Now, the only reason I use chalkboard paint is because I like the matte look. Then we used a white paint marker from Sharpie and created all of the little swiss crosses on the ornaments.

They turned out super cute and we had so much fun making them together!

I think they may be my new favorite Christmas ornaments for our tree.

Next, we painted some large wood stars from Michaels with Americana Decor Chalky Finish paint from DecoArt. Then we used my Cricut Maker to add titles of Christmas Carols onto the stars. You can learn how to make those HERE. You can even download the graphics that I designed for the stars!

The next element for my tree is a few types of picks that I found in the Christmas pick section of Michaels.

Quite honestly, picks are some of my favorite ways to add personality to my Christmas trees. They really add to the tree and they aren’t very pricey. I LOVE the fuzzy little stars, the gold antlers, and the cotton stems. They look fabulous on the tree!

The last element is the ribbon picks. They couldn’t be easier to make. I found some perfect ribbon at Michaels and cut it into 6 inch sections…

Then I folded it in half and wrapped some floral wire around the bottom leaving a 4-5 inch tail to secure it to the tree. Super simple and the bottom doesn’t need to be pretty.

Then you use the wire tail to attach them to the tree. An easy, easy way to fill in those bald spots on the tree or add a pop of color. Again, it’s a very cost friendly way to add color to your tree.

One last thing… I almost forgot! We decided to HANG our star from the ceiling for this tree. I bought a large wood star at Michaels and wrapped it with some wire lights and then hung it from the ceiling. We made sure to place our hook in a stud so that we didn’t have issues with the weight of the star. It’s so simple and tops it with that rustic farmhouse look.

Wow, it’s amazing how some simple elements can come together to create a really stunning tree. All of my kiddos have said this tree is the best we’ve ever had. Make sure to download the Michaels App on your smartphone so you don’t miss any of their amazing holiday deals this season. It really is a great app to have. No more saving receipts! That’s worth it right there.

Don’t forget to tag me in your tree photos… I love to see what you guys are creating!

For more inspiration, visit the Michaels blog and their Pinterest, Facebook and Instagram accounts.

Preserving Inspiration in Indiana with Newell Brands Makers of Ball® Fresh Preserving Products

7 · Aug 31, 2017 · Leave a Comment

With a rich history of canning in my family, preserving the history of canning has become a new passion of mine. Come learn about what I learned on a quick visit Indiana with Newell Brands, makers of Ball® Fresh Preserving Products, a few weeks ago…

This post brought to you by the folks at Newell Brands, makers of Ball® Fresh Preserving Products

I grew-up watching my Mom and Dad in the kitchen during the late summer, toiling over the stove and sink where they were preserving our family’s favorite peaches. It was always an all-day affair with the kitchen loaded with boxes of fresh Colorado peaches straight from the orchards on the western slope of Colorado. My Dad spent some of his youth in Palisade, Colorado, a small town on the western slope that is famous for its peaches. He had family members that owned orchards and he spent many summers working the trees and hauling in the fuzzy fruit. He would talk about that peach fuzz and how awful it was to get all that fuzz stuck up your nose as you worked in the orchard all day. That just makes me squirm even thinking about it.

Every year, the first item on our canning list was to can peaches. Peaches, peaches and more peaches. Our family could never have enough. My parents would also preserve pears, and make jelly and jam from the elderberry bush in our yard and from the crabapple tree in the front. My Dad put in a huge garden and they would pickle cucumbers and beets. All such amazing memories. We had a small storage room in our basement where my Dad built rough shelves out of wood planks and cinderblocks. That is where the summer’s harvest would live until my Mom would send one of us girls down to the basement to grab a bottle of peaches, pickles or whatever her fancy was for our meal.

As a child, I never knew how special it was to have such traditions in our home. As we got older and busier, my Mom went back to work and sadly some of those traditions took a back seat and the skills didn’t quite make the jump to my kitchen. What a sad state really, for years, I have let the bounty of Summer be just that, the bounty of SUMMER. I haven’t had those days of canning in my kitchen with my kiddos, teaching them how to preserve the flavors of Summer for another most likely cooler day.

Well, all of that is about to change! The passion is back in a big way and I can’t wait to share. I was approached by the lovely folks at Newell Brands, makers of Ball® Fresh Preserving Products to come to Indiana, the home of the brand, and learn from their experts how to can for this year’s #CanItForward day. Of course, I was thrilled to learn more and couldn’t wait to travel to Indiana to learn more about their passion for preserving.

We learned about the history of the brand and we had the opportunity to tour their warehouse and packing facility.

Later, we met with Jessica Piper, the canning expert in the beautiful brand test kitchen to learn how to safely preserve some of our favorite fruits and vegetables.

Jessica and I actually filmed a great segment for Can-It Forward Day on the basics of canning. We made some simple Mixed Berry Jam. I learned sooooo much, you should check it out on their Facebook page.

A couple of things that I took away from that experience…

•Canning is so much easier than I thought

•You don’t have to can super large amounts of fruits and vegetables, you can preserve small batches

•Preserving needs to be precise

I’ll share more about those along with other gems I learned in the coming months. I’ve loaded up my pantry with all kinds of fun Ball® jars and I’ve purchased the official Newell Brands, makers of Ball® Fresh Preserving Products, cookbooks and I’m ready to start to #CanItForward!

For more great videos to learn canning basics OR to brush up on your canning knowledge visit their Facebook page for more videos from other bloggers that are a part of the Fresh Preservers program like Garden Betty, COOKIE + Kate and Food in Jars.

Disclosure + I am a paid partner for Newell Brands, makers of Ball® Fresh Preserving Products. However, all thoughts and opinions expressed are entirely my own.