This Whole House

Motherhood

Fall Favorites

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I can NOT believe Halloween is next week! Where does the time go?! This is my favorite time of year, well except for Christmas. I want it to last as loooong as possible! I decorate the house in September to get the most out of the season. Life is so busy! But, regardless of the fact that I’m at max capacity, I want our kids to grow up with fond memories of their childhood so I try to create special moments for them! With that in mind, I’ve gathered a list of my Fall Favorites to share with you! Maybe some of these will become part of your family traditions!

  1. Pumpkin Carving Party: We have been doing this for YEARS. We’ve gotta be going 10 years strong with this tradition! We definitely started before we had kids. We go ALL OUT. And by “we” I mean “I”. I can’t blame Stew for any of this insanity :o) I create a menu that is ALL Halloween! Things like “batty bites” “Spider Dip” “Witches Fingers” “Spooky Squash Soup” “Gobblin Juice” “Mummy Dogs” It is a BLAST. We invite friends over, lay out a GIANT tarp, and all carve pumpkins. Then we put them on display and take pictures. This party never disappoints!

2. Hay Ride/Petting Zoo: We LOVE a good trip to the farm to pet and feed the animals. We ride the hay ride, pick pumpkins, and OD on apple cider. It’s a staple in our house.

3. Apple Day: This is such a fun treat! My mom usually hosts this one. We have an apple themed day with goodies like fresh picked apples, homemade apple cider donuts, & apple cider.

4. Festive Snack: We try to do a movie night once a week. The kids pick out a movie, and we all sit together and watch with a special sweet treat to enjoy. This festive snack mix was a BIG hit! If you follow me on Instagram, you saw my story about it. I just mixed together teddy grahams, Reese’s Pieces, & pretzels. SO GOOD!

5. Trip to the Mountains: We always take a trip to Asheville this time of year. Charleston doesn’t feel very “Fall-ish” so we head north to see the fall foliage and soak up the colder temps!

In case you missed it, I’m crazy about the holidays! My kids are too. It’s really funny how they pick up on it. I try to make family festivities a priority, even if it’s something small! Comment with your favorite fall activities! I’m always game to add to my list. Happy Friday, Friends!

Motherhood

How To Pull Off The Perfect Girl’s Birthday Party!

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Well, just like that, my Queen B is 4! How did that happen? I was JUST rocking her to sleep at night! I certainly miss my little angel baby, but Gracie has grown into quite the amazing little lady!

Now, don’t let this photo fool you. Gracie is by no means a girly girl! She is obsessed with her big bro, and for good reason. He’s quite amazing. But a big brother means lots of trucks & trains. She’s friends with his friends, eats what he eats, plays what he plays. It’s rather adorable.

BUT, for the first time, a few months back, she started showing an interest in dress-up, princesses, painting nails, and sparkly things. So I decided to capitalize on that and have a princess tea party for her 4th birthday! And BOY-O-BOY was it a hit! She doesn’t have a ton of friends since, as previously mentioned, she’s friends with her brother’s friends. BUT she has a small group of girlfriends her age which was just what we needed for the perfect party! I’ll tell you how I pulled it off!

HOW TO Pull Off The Perfect Girly Birthday Party
  1. Have a Plan: Pick a theme and plan decor/invitation based on that.
  2. Set The Table: Little girls (and their mamas) appreciate a good tablescape. Our party was a “Princess Tea Party” so I set the table with pretty mix-and-match china and beautiful flower arrangements.
  3. Pick The Menu: Keep in mind who’s coming and plan the menu accordingly! For this ‘Tea Party” I made a parfait bar, PB&J tea sandwiches, cucumber and herbed goat cheese tea sandwiches, veggie & cheese platter, and fruit.
  4. Have an Activity: Since we had little girls, I planned a “Decorate Your Own Jewelry Box” activity. All of the items were set out on their table on top of an adorable paper tablecloth so they could make a mess and it wouldn’t matter! I bought little wooden jewelry boxes, stickers, paint, foam brushes, and washi tape.
  5. Have Different Serving Stations: I like to spread out the “stations” as I call them. I have drinks in one area, food in another, activity in another, and so-on. I set some plates at the dining room table, kitchen table, and porch. That helps facilitate movement and conversation so everyone isn’t all crowded into one room!
  6. Make/Purchase a Party-Themed Favor: I made adorable teacup sugar cookies as the girls’ favors to take home. Now, if you’re not a baker, go to your local bakeshop and grab a couple of cookies that match your theme! Wrap them in cellophane bags and tie with ribbon. Perfect and EASY!

Now, don’t forget the cake! My mom is the most incredible cake decorator. She used to do it for a living. Now she does it for my kids :o)

What a memorable party! I hope Gracie had as much celebrating her 4 years on this earth as I did! Happy birthday to my sweet and sassy Gracie Girl!

Foodie Favs

School Night Hacks That Will Save Your Life!

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I can’t even believe summer break is over. I’m sure I share the same sentiments as every other parent in the world! Turner started first grade a week ago and Gracie started preschool this week. The second I realized school was starting, I panicked that we didn’t do enough fun stuff! Anyone else get that way?

But, alas, here we are a week into school and getting into full-on routine mode! Early to bed, early to rise, no more sleepovers, packing school lunches, completing reading lists, the list goes on. But, don’t let me fool you, I love a good routine, and so do my kids! I just wish I could pause time when it feels fleeting!

Speaking of routine, part of my school-year-ritual is making a whole week’s worth of school lunches on Sunday! I know it sounds insane, and it may actually be, but it is a LIFE SAVER for me. I work full-time, so coming home at 5 just to make dinner and school lunches just doesn’t cut it for me. So let me walk through what I do!

  • First, I choose a menu for the week. It goes something like this:
    • plain yogurt w/cinnamon, carrots & dip, crackers & guac, cherries, PB&J, pretzels, apples, berries, raisins, cheese.
  • I lay out all of my lunchbox containers, ziplock bags, & bento boxes (these are incredible).
  • I take out all of the foods/ingredients I need.
  • Then, I get busy assembling!

If you read nothing else I tell you, READ THIS!!!!!!

I make a WEEEEEEK of PB&J Sandwiches and freeze them! I’m talking TEN (5 per kid) sandwiches! You know those Smuckers Uncrustables? Well, my cheap a$$ makes them myself. Here’s what you do….

  • Get yourself some FREEZER SAFE (very important) bags, a loaf of bread, a tub of peanut butter & jelly, and start making those sandwiches.
  • Put them in the bags and pop in the freezer.
  • In the morning, pop a sandwich in the kids’ lunchboxes and by the time they eat, they’re perrrrfectly defrosted. Plus, just look how much fun I’m having!

There you have it! Week nights made easy. You have to tell me what you think! Are you gonna try it? Or do you think I’m nuts? I’d love to hear some of your hacks to making school nights easier!

Recipes

Refreshing Peach Lemonade

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It’s peach season in Charleston! I swear, Georgia gets all the credit, but our peaches are DA BOMB! And when one has a plethora of peaches, one must create fun recipes before they go bad! Enter… my Peach Lemonade.

The other day, the kids and I were sweating our buns off in the backyard, and I was craving lemonade! I don’t keep it in the house, because it normally has so much sugar! But this craving led me to the most delicious peach lemonade recipe that’s refreshing AND healthy! You.Must.Try.It!

Print Recipe
 Peach Lemonade
Servings
Ingredients
Servings
Ingredients
Instructions
  1. Simmer peaches with 1 cup water and agave for 5 minutes. Cool slightly. Blend on high. Pour through fine mesh strainer into pitcher. Juice lemons to make 1 cup lemon juice. Add to pitcher. Add 4-5 cups water to taste. Serve with fresh lemon wedges and mint to garnish.
Recipe Notes

***Mix with seltzer and/or add vodka for a summer adult bev! Current favorite afternoon drink!

Motherhood

4th of July Entertaining

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I was just having a conversation the other day with my husband about our childhood. It was prompted, actually, by binge watching Stranger Things and feeling nostalgic about the 80s. But, nevertheless, it brought me to this point…. I feel like our kids are getting gypped of the amazingly simple and innocent childhood we experienced as kids… playing manhunt till all hours, riding our bikes everywhere, leaving in the morning and coming home sweaty and dirty just in time for dinner, etc. Does anyone else feel that way?

There’s not much I can do about our culture, but I CAN facilitate experiences like we had growing up. I feel like a big part of the experience is our friend-group. We have friends with kids who are all very like-minded. It makes getting together and celebrating life-events and holidays a BLAST.

For the 4th, we had a few friends over, and it was one of the best days we’ve had so far this summer. It was easy and fun. Lots of shouting, swimming, ice-pops, having a lacrosse toss, shooting hoops, & eating enough s’mores to last a lifetime. You know, the kind of day that leaves us covered in chlorine, sweat, and marshmallows.

I adore entertaining. Honestly, nothing makes me happier. I love people in my space, and I love creating memorable experiences with friends! Festive decor and cooking for people brings me so much joy. It doesn’t have to be complicated. In fact, it’s better when it’s not! Delegate who brings what, mix in some festive decor, and BOOM, you’ve got a recipe for success! Here’s to many more memories ahead! Happy 4th, Friends!

Motherhood

Top 10 Tips to Surviving a Tonsillectomy

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Top 10 Tips for Surviving A Tonsillectomy

A few months back, I noticed that my 3 year old, Gracie, was struggling to breathe while she slept. I took a video and showed the pediatrician who recommended I try some Claritin. She thought maybe it was related to allergies. It wasn’t. She really didn’t seem worried, so I stopped thinking about it. But then, a few weeks ago, the kids were at the dentist, and Gracie was snoring while laying on the table…. awake! The dental hygienist asked if she always sounded like that. I said yes. So the dentist came and took a peak and was like “WOWWWW. Her tonsils are HUGE! You should take her to the ENT to have him take a look”. So I did. He was in agreement that they were insanely large and needed to come out. For the record, they were a 4 out of 4 (on their tonsil scale??) and were causing sleep apnea. He said that, considering the size of her tonsils, he wanted to go ahead and remove her adenoids while he was in there. So, we scheduled her surgery!

Last week, we brought her in for her 7:30am appointment. I was a nervous wreck leading up to that point. My sweet little baby… going under anesthesia and being in pain for 2 weeks was too much! But walking in, I felt such a peace! Everyone at the surgery center was so sweet and made her feel so comfortable! Each nurse and doctor came in to introduce themselves. They explained about the sleepy medicine and that she would get to pick her flavor. She walked right in with the nurse and never looked back!

We waited for about 40 minutes before the nurse called us back. She said Gracie was crying, which was normal since she was starting to wake up from anesthesia. She was just saying over and over, “Mommy hold me!”. Which is exactly what I did.

We stayed in recovery for about 30 minutes and headed home. Gracie slept the whole way home. When we got to the house, I set up a spot on the couch with a towel and garbage can. She started crying and said her tummy hurt. The anesthesia made her sick, and she actually threw up from it. After a while, she fell back to sleep. When she woke up, she felt much better and asked for water and a snack. So I gave it to her!

Overall, the surgery and recovery was pretty smooth. I did a lot of preparation beforehand, so I feel like I was somewhat prepared. I know every kid is different, but I feel like I learned a few things that might be helpful to those of you who may go through this someday! So here are my Top 10 Tips to Surviving a Tonsillectomy!

1 – Clean House & Do Laundry Before: I wanted to take this time to really BE with Gracie. I didn’t want to be stressed or preoccupied. I relax better when I’m in a clean space!
2 – Prepare Your Child: I told Gracie that she was getting her tonsils out, but not in a scary way! I wanted her to know what was happening, but I really played up the part that she would get to eat ice-cream for a week! That way she wasn’t surprised, but also wasn’t dwelling on it. I avoided the word “surgery”.
3 – Stock Your Fridge & Freezer: Gracie wasn’t quite up to leaving the house for a few days, so I wanted a variety of options for her to eat. I loaded up on things like applesauce, yogurt pouches, frozen gogurt, COUGH DROPS (seriously a life saver), sherbet, small pasta with chicken broth, peanut butter sandwich (lite on the pb), hot dogs, & mac and cheese. Let your child choose special treats for post-op. SOFT FOODS FOR 2 WEEKS!
4 – Cool Mist Humidifier: The doc recommended a humidifier, because when they sleep, their throats get super dry. I picked THIS ONE. Gracie was obsessed with it and was super excited to fill it up and turn it on at night.
5 – Comfy Clothes & Pull – Up: Gracie is potty trained, but she sleeps with a pull-up on. We brought her in with a pull-up on and kept it on her for most of the day since she was pretty out of it for a while. I’m sure wetting herself would have added to her frustration :o)
6 – Keep Water Close: One of the things to be careful for is dehydration. Luckily all Gracie wanted was water! I kept fresh ice water by her at all times so she could keep drinking!
7 – Prepare Yourself for Coming Home: She slept the whole way home, but then was pretty nauseous. She threw up so we had a garbage can by her side and set her up on the couch (on a towel) with her favorite TV shows while she drifted in and out of sleep.
8 – Tylenol/Motrin: Stock up! You alternate between the two every three hours, even during the night. I would give her a dose and set my alarm for 3 hours so I didn’t forget. I had two post-its with her medicine so I knew which was up next.

9 – Prepare Siblings: Because I knew Gracie would have a lot of attention, I explained to Turner that she was having surgery and she wouldn’t feel well for a few days. I explained that she could only eat soft foods and her throat would hurt, so she was going to have some treats like ice cream and pudding. Of course, he wanted all the treats too! We gave him a treat a day for being such a helpful big brother!

10 – Lots of Snuggles: I took a few days off from work, because I really wanted to BE with Gracie. I didn’t know what to expect, so I wanted the freedom to give her all of my attention. We spent a lot of time snuggling and watching movies. She was extra whiney and quick to cry, so I tried to be patient and remind myself that she wasn’t feeling well.

I hope this is helpful for those of you who are going to go through this! Honestly, it wasn’t as bad as I had expected. Of course, she’s been uncomfortable, but that’s to be expected. All we can do is make them as comfortable as possible and love them! I was surprised at how quickly she bounced back. Kids are TOUGH! Feel free to share with me anything that has helped you get through too!

House & Home

How to Pick the Perfect Light Fixture

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For real though! Light fixtures are SO important! They can make or break a room. I compiled a list of important steps when planning lighting in your home.

  1. Choose a Color Scheme: Think of the coloring you will have throughout the house and what color fixtures will work. You will want the lighting to compliment the door knobs, cabinet pulls, and plumbing fixtures. For instance, my kitchen pulls and light fixtures are brushed gold. My ceiling fans are all white. Our master bedroom & bathroom have brushed gold, yet our guest bathroom has aged bronze, which actually looks great with the gold!
  2. Make a Budget: I feel like a broken record with this. But for REAL. As you shop, make a list of what sort of price range you’re finding and what you actually want to spend. You’ll get a feel for what light fixtures cost. Figure out where to splurge and where to hold back. I find spreadsheets super helpful her. Make two columns: Column A has the fixture (with a LINK to it so you can go back and buy), Column B has the price. Keep a running total at the bottom so you see how much $$ you’re looking at!
  3. Make a Vision Board: Use Pinterest and Instagram to get ideas for the look you’re going for. You can use that inspiration to help when shopping around.
  4. Use Several Sources: I shopped on Amazon, Wayfair, local antique stores, and Target. They were affordable and accomplished the look I was going for!
  5. Doesn’t Have to Be Exact: Again, when you find a light fixture you ADORE, but it’s $800, look around for similar options that are less expensive. Ask yourself “what look am I going for” and “what can accomplish that goal within my budget”.
1. Glass Wall Sconce | 2. White Gooseneck Barn Light | 3. Found at antique store. Similar HERE | 4. Swing Arm Sconce | 5. Cage Lights from Antique store

I hope this is helpful! I’d love to hear your projects and what sort of color scheme/lighting you’re going with. Details like this are such a fun part of the process!

Must Haves

Friday Favorites

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I feel like I am the definition of a hipster right now. If you could only see me sitting in the corner of my favorite coffee shop: messy bun, headphones in, kid free, and giant mug of hot coffee. This is the type of stuff dreams are made of!

So, today, I come to you from my coffee shop corner with a list of my Friday Favorites! I’ve been thriving off all things comfy, cozy, and coffee!

  • Ninja Coffee Maker – Guys! If you drink coffee, this is the best coffee maker ever. We do a regular pot in the mornings, which is strong and flavorful. But the iced coffee is my JAM. I make one every day in the summer! You have the option to do a full carafe, half carafe, mug, or to-go mug. You can brew espresso too. The possibilities are endless!
  • Faux Fur Pillow – I got this from Target for our new grey couch, and it’s such a cute accent! I like to mix shapes, sizes, and textures when it comes to throw pillows, and this is the perfect addition!
  • 2019 Planner – Who doesn’t love a good planner!? This one is pretty, clean looking, and easy to use! Sometimes the bulky ones stress me out. This is the perfect size, so I can fit what I need to fit on my daily list and also the monthly layout.
  • Go-To Stir Fry – I love to cook! I feel like stir-fry was my least favorite thing to cook until I found the BEST.RECIPE.EVER. This Thai Basil Beef Stir-Fry is mouth watering! Call me high-maintenance, but I actually use a filet mignon instead of skirt steak. We buy the big packs from Costco and the filets are HUGE. We use one big steak for our family of four! I also make regular rice instead of cauliflower, because I like all the carbs. Recipe & Photo Cred HERE.

I always love rounding up and sharing a few favorites of mine! I hope you all are excited for the weekend! I know I am. It’s a good chance to unplug and do the things that truly fuel and fill us! Happy Friday, Friends!

Foodie Favs

Meal Prep Hacks

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While I’m sad that Christmas is over, I’m already daydreaming about Spring. Isn’t human nature funny? It’s like, we want what we can’t have and are constantly planning ahead for what’s to come. It reminds me that I need to start focusing on what IS! Anyone with me??

In support of my inability to focus on “what IS” and constant need to “plan ahead”, I wanted to share meal plan and meal prep ideas with you. I am super busy. I work full time and am married with two young kiddos. So time is not a luxury of mine. I like to spend ONE day planning my meals and grocery list for the upcoming week. I try to coordinate meals, so I’m not buying a million ingredients. I also like to prep as much as I can on the weekends, so I can have a relaxing night after work and not cook for hours.

Some ways I do that is by taking care of things like cutting up veggies, cooking chicken in the slow cooker so it’s shredded and ready, and making any marinades or dressings. These are things that will last in the fridge for a few days AND save time the night of the meal. I also make a week’s worth of school lunches, but that is a post within itself!

If this doesn’t make your OCD heart happy, I don’t know what will!

Meals:

  1. Teriyaki Chicken Casserole (use your prepared shredded chicken and prep your stir-fry veggies ahead a.k.a cut and put in container).
  2. Meatball Sliders (make meatballs ahead so all you have to do is heat on a bun with some cheese).
  3. Sloppy Joes (you could make the whole thing ahead and re-heat the night of)
  4. Baked Chicken Enchiladas (use your prepared shredded chicken)
  5. Chicken and Dumplings (use your prepared shredded chicken)

The beauty of this meal game-plan is that you can customize it based on your family size. AND you are only buying two types of meat for the week: chicken and ground turkey (or beef)! A lot of the ingredients you probably have on hand, so you should just need a few items from the grocery store. So browse through each recipe and plan your grocery list accordingly. See my time-saver tips below to make dinner making a breeze!

Time Saver Tips:

  • Make ahead as much as you can over the weekend so you’re prepared for the week.
  • Weekend Prep: Put 4 (more or less depending on the size of your fam) chicken breasts in a crock pot with salt and pepper on each side. Add water a third of the way up the side of the chicken and cook on low for 3 hours. Shred chicken and store in airtight containers. Label each container to correspond with the meal you plan to make. Store in the fridge for all of your meals!
  • I used pre-packaged stir-fry veggies in a bag in the produce section for the teriyaki chicken dish. If not using pre-packaged, go ahead and cut up the veggies and store in a container in the fridge until ready!
  • Make meatballs ahead as they’re just as delicious, if not better, when re-heated!

I’d love some ideas for upcoming meal plans. And are these helpful?? Comment below with your favorite recipes. Signing off for the weekend! I hope you have a great one :o)

House & Home

Powder Room Makeover

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As you know by now, this house has been a HUGE undertaking. One of many projects in this house was adding a downstairs powder room. Downstairs, there was a garage that had been converted into “living space” (it was completely disgusting I might add). Here are some before shots…

I liked the idea of a bonus room, but there was obviously a lot that needed to be done to this room. We took it a bit farther and elevated the floor to be in line with the rest of the house. We removed, what used to be, a loft above, and we turned it into a huge room with a vaulted ceiling. It was a complete transformation! Here are some photos of the work being done…

I have visions of making it a combination of a mud-room/office/play room. But all in due time! For now, I want to show you the powder room we put in! Look how cute!!! I’ve linked to everything I used below the pictures…

Mirror | Wallpaper
Light Fixture | Wall Mounted Sink | Bathroom Faucet | Toilet Paper Holder | Towel Ring

This powder room was so fun to create. Since it’s a pretty small space, I took some risks and went a bit trendier than our other bathrooms. We opted for a pallet shiplap wall on the back for a few reasons: the wallpaper was a nightmare to install and too expensive to make anymore mistakes, pallet wood is free, and the bathroom is pretty tiny, so I was worried people would be overwhelmed by the flowers. So, there you have it! Our sweet little powder room!