DIY: Dresser Refresh!

Check it out!

I painted an entire dresser and didn't have to throw it out afterward, ha!

When we moved into our new home this summer, the sweet former owners left us this long dresser in the basement bedroom. In order to remove this piece from the basement, it would pretty much need to be destroyed to get it up the stairs (as it was down there before the basement was remodeled). I've been dying to get my hands on a piece of furniture that I could update without fear of destroying something I paid for or a piece that I loved.

 Low stakes here, people, it's the way to go!

A Little Laughter to Help You Through Your Day...

1 teacher work-day + 1 holiday + 4 snow days + 1 delay = 1 exhausted mama!

That's the kind of math I'm working with these days...

I have been working on a few DIY/recipe posts, but I thought I'd take a break today and share some of my favorite funnies. Even if you haven't been stuck in -25 degree wind chills and seemingly endless snow, ice and wind, I'm sure you can use a good giggle!

Here we go!

I find this one especially funny since, most days, my kindergartner gets off the bus and announces "You have no idea how hard I had to work today!"

It's a rough life they lead!

Icy Gazing Balls

So this week we were hit with sub-zero windchill factors and a good six inches of snow resulting in NO SCHOOL for the entire week! We painted, made flubber, danced, sang, cooked and baked (and yes, my yahoos bickered constantly once or twice) and were pretty much out of indoor activities by day three. I had seen a few pins about outdoor colored ice balls, so we decided to give it a whirl. 

The girls definitely thought this activity was the highlight of the week!

Kitchen Hacks: My Favorite Tips and Tricks

I absolutely love finding good shortcuts in the kitchen. Whether it's a tip on storage or an idea for a new gadget to use (or a new way to use an old gadget), I'm game!

Here are some of my favorite tried and true kitchen hacks:

1. USE AN OIL/BUTTER COMBO IN YOUR PAN

When you're sauteeing veggies, use a combo of butter and olive oil.

Olive oil has a lower smoke point than butter, so you'll be able to increase your heat by adding a touch of butter to the pan.

And, as an added bonus, it's tasty!

White Bean Chicken Chili My Way

It's stinking cold outside. 

You should be eating this!

This soup/chili hybrid will warm you down to your core and is filling enough to be served for the perfect cold-weather dinner. The spice of the peppers is tempered by the creaminess of the broth, and the smoky cumin and sweet corn are the perfect match!

Get in my Closet!!

I love a good wishlist, so I'm sharing with you a few of my most recent obsessions...

Hey, it's safer (maybe a tiny bit) to blog about them than to actually buy them, ha!

It's funny because it's true...

Valentine's Day Heart Butterflies

We had a stay-in-your-pajamas-all-day kind of day on Sunday which definitely called for some crafting! After we finished prepping the girls' school Valentines, the girls and I got to work making some fun, festive Valentine's Day heart butterflies for our breakfast room windows (after being inspired by a craft The Catfish brought home from preschool last week). These butterflies were easy and fun and can easily be adapted for Spring and Summer based on what you have on hand.

The girls were smitten with this little project, working diligently for an hour straight!

Super fine motor for little hands- lots of sticker peeling, picking up tiny objects and gluing them to the hearts...

Gigi's Famous Meringues: Valentine's Day Edition!

I was SO excited when my husband's grandma, "Gigi", gave me the green light to blog about one of our family's favorite desserts! She passed along her fantastic recipe a few years ago, and my husband's face lights up whenever I make them. These pretty little meringues are light, creamy and fluffy with perfectly crispy edges - the perfect dessert for any gathering and especially wonderful as a special treat for your Valentine!

There's just something special about a pretty pink dessert!

An Easy Valentine's Day Vignette

I love the idea of being able to make minor edits to my decor to give my home a more festive feel throughout the year. I am always excited when I find little things around the house that would be perfect for small decor updates.

 I made some bigger changes to my kitchen counter vignette after Christmas here and wanted to do a little update for February. After digging around my packed-away decor, I was able to add some pops of pink for February at a whopping cost of $0!

Gluten-Free Cranberry Orange Pecan Muffins

Some of the people that we love most in this world are now gluten-free, so it is definitely time for me to start upping my game and experimenting with gluten-free baking. I am a sucker for the cranberry-orange flavor profile, so I thought I'd try making some muffins. I added a sweet orange glaze, and they were delicious! 

I found this AMAZING gluten-free flour blend at Jungle Jim's and have been really pleased at how yummy my treats are turning out with this substitution. 

Valentine's Day Shortbread Hearts

Pretty sure my husband counts down every year to February in the hopes that a plate of these pretty little cookies will show up in our house! One of my personal favorite flavor combos is shortbread and raspberry, so these fun little cookies really hit the spot!

Buttery, flaky crust meets tart raspberries and hazelnut fudge (we couldn't choose just one filling!) for the perfect Valentine's Day treat!

No worries, friends, you can make these cookies in any shape with just about any filling to meet any of your holiday needs!

Organize It!

I'm always looking for ideas (usually on Pinterest, ha!) to improve my home's organization. 

I definitely admit that I'm more than a little Type A about certain things, so keeping my house clean and organized is always on my list. 

 I try to find ways to organize that make my life easier and allow me to spend more time on shenanigans with my little ladies. 

Cleaning:

You can find me just about anywhere these days...

Hi friends!

You can find me here:

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Looking forward to seeing you around!