Seasons Archives

HOW TO CREATE A THANKSGIVING TABLE SETTING IN MINUTES

October 5, 2021

Now, is the time to be thinking about Thanksgiving? Why? Because we are not in a manic panic mode yet. So let’s take advantage of the calm before the food and pumpkin frenzy.

HOW TO CREATE A THANKSGIVING TABLE SETTING

Hopefully, this leaves you with some ideas to plan your Thanksgiving table in advance. This is the year you get ahead of the holidays! Let’s do this!

You could be done before Halloween!

Since our kitchen remodel we decided to host Thanksgiving. It justifies the fancy oven that is on the brink more days than on bake. #wink

I want an easy, place setting that is simple, inexpensive, festive, and kid-friendly.

HOW TO CREATE AN INEXPENSIVE PLACE SETTING

With our kitchen demo running over budget, I did not want to spend money to create 20 place settings. I created a place setting with texture, layers and color.

Adding one layer at a time turned an ordinary salad and dinner plate into a family-friendly and pretty seasonal place setting.

Layers

I began with brown craft paper for a table runner. It was an easy way to protect the table and give the table an earthy, organic feel.

The added bonus was kraft paper makes for easy cleanup. I love chargers! Last fall, I purchased these galvanized chargers on a visit to see my sister in Knoxville.

I think galvanized chargers are a southern thing, but this Colorado girl loves them. My favorite set of plates are from World Market. They were a Pottery Barn knockoff find a few years ago. And, like my galvanized chargers, the dinner plates work year-round.

I used cotton gingham napkins I found online this summer. Usually, I think of gingham as a summer pattern, but I loved the contrast between the blue and orange pumpkins.

Sidenote: I am on a mission to buy these gingham cloth napkins in every color. They are much cheaper than the Pottery Barn gingham cloth napkins I bought with a gift card. I tucked a paper napkin as a safety net for spills and sticky fingers. And, I added a pumpkin to each plate with a note to pumpkin up. And, finally, I splurged on new pewter silverware after our kitchen remodel. The pewter finish has an understated vibe.

My sister said they looked tarnished! #snarkysisters And of course every place setting needs a pumpkin!

With the place setting done, I turned my attention to the table. And, the limited real estate remaining on the table.

With my solid wood dining room table, I used this repurposed centerpiece to add some much needed greenery. For this place setting, I used my upcycled Anthropologie candle jars and added new votives.

The glass-painted pumpkins are oversized votives too.

I love to see how a few small and inexpensive changes can make such a pretty place setting. In a world of Instagram, I love the simplicity that fits my life and style.

Please check out the other bloggers and their Thanksgiving table settings. This was such

Oh and don’t forget to do this before Thanksgiving!

FALL HARVEST CHEX MIX

September 23, 2021

This fall harvest Chex Mix is not your mother’s Chex mix

I grew up with the classic Chex Mix with pretzels, cocktail peanuts, the Kroger version of the rice and corn cereal and the Wheat Chex® cereal (because the Wheat did not come in the Kroger brand).

And, lots of Worcestershire sauce, seasoned salt, garlic powder and onion powder because my mom loved the seasonings.

So when I discovered there was a whole world of Chex Mix combos that included chocolate, pumpkin spice and M&M’s it was like discovering Netflix.

And just like Netflix I binged my way through the weekend with a bowl of Chex Mix filled with candy corn and chocolate M&M’s.

This recipe is the perfect combo of sweet and salty and then add the pumpkin spice! Who knew?

Yes those are Bugles nestled between pretzels and peanuts coated with a brown sugar and pumpkin spice flavored melted butter goodness.

Tip: I am going to save you four mintues walking up and down the chip aisle. The Bugles are located near the Pringles. Look up.

FALL HARVEST CHEX MIX RECIPE

FALL HARVEST CHEX MIX

The perfect combination of cereal, pretzels and peanuts with M&M's and candy corn.

Print Recipe

Course Snack

Cuisine American

Ingredients

4 CUPS CHEX RICE CEREAL OR GENERIC
3 CUPS MINI PRETZELS MINI PRETZEL STICKS WOULD WORK
3 CUPS BUGLES NEAR THE PRINGLES
1 CUP DRY ROASTED PEANUTS
1/2 CUP M&M CANDIES
1 CUP HARVEST MIX CANDY CORN

PUMPKIN SPICE COATING

1/2 CUP BUTTER
1/2 CUP BROWN SUGAR
2 TSP. VANILLA
3 TBSP. PUMPKIN SPICE

Instructions

1. PREHEAT OVEN TO 275. PREPARE WITH BAKING SHEET FOR EASY CLEANUP. TRUST ME
2. IN LARGE MIXING BOWL COMBINE THE CEREAL, PRETZELS, BUGLES & PEANUTS
3. IN GLASS BOWL, MICROWAVE BUTTER AND BROWN SUGAR FOR 1 MINUTE (ISH).
4. REMOVE FROM MICROWAVE, STIR IN VANILLA & PUMPKIN SPICE
5. POUR PUMPKIN SPICE MIX OVER THE CEREAL MIX AND STIR TO COAT
6. POUR ONTO PREPARED BAKING SHEET & BAKE FOR 30 MINUTES, STIR AFTER 15 MINUTES (IT'S MORE LIKE A GENTLE FOLD BECAUSE THE PAN IS FULL).
7. REMOVE FROM OVEN AND COOL COMPLETELY. TRUST ME.
8. TOSS THE M&M'S AND HARVEST MIX CANDY CORN

The most difficult part of this recipe is waiting for the cereal, pretzels, peanuts and Bugles to cool.

This is when the magic happens. Once cooled you toss in the M&M’s and Harvest candy corn mix.

Tip: The seasonal M&M’s went fast at our Kroger. I missed out on the fall theme M&M’s and ended up sorting the browns and oranges for my version of the Harvest M&M mix.

It was a tedious task, but someone had to do it. #snarkasm

I usually double this recipe and ship it to my college age boys. It is a great idea for a care package party.

Thank you for stopping by today! I would love for you to pin this image for reference!

Thank you for stopping by today. If this recipe makes you thirsty here is a fun fall refresher.

Please check out my other recipes for fun seasonal ides like these

laura

THE SECRET TO DECORATE WITH BUCKETS FOR FALL

September 21, 2021

If you give a girl a bucket she will decorate it

The best advice I ever got (which applies to almost every situation in my life) was- don’t overthink it. And that my friends is the secret to decorate with buckets for fall.

And it all started with a messy house and random floral stems earlier this month.

THE SCRET TO DECORATE WITH BUCKETS FOR FALL

Simple-right. Yep I had these older, orange berry stems from yesteryear. I used these stems in my tall floral buckets in the past.

And as I as previewed my fall lineup of stems and buckets I revisited this image and loved it.

It was just so simple. Like, “duh!”

BUCKETS AND STEMS

So this year as I sorted through my weathered metal buckets and I just propped those stems an old painted bucket.

It was the most beautiful union of metal bucket and floral stems.

And it was so simple. So I did it again.

TIP

I used this tip on some of my floral stems

and shared a video on my Youtube channel, but for most of the floral stems it was fun to let them fall where they may.

You know all the stuff at the bottom of your seasonal bins? The faux leaves that have lost their stems or the year you went crazy for fake mums?

Those work great for decorating with buckets!

Decorating with buckets is like shopping at JCrew Factory.

It’s the preppy, pulled together look with just enough no effort look to be trendy.

Would love for you to pin for reference.

Now if only there was a way to throw our laundry into a bucket and call it decor?

I would love it if you signed up for my weekly newsletter The Weekend Edit for more tips, finds and one hour projects.

WEEKLY IDEAS STRAIGHT TO YOUR INBOX

FALL FIREPLACE MANTEL

August 24, 2021

It’s here! Sharing my fall fireplace mantel for this month’s Pinterest Challenge.

It’s time for this month’s Pinterest Challenge hosted by Cindy and her Texas-based blog.

It’s all about a fall fireplace mantel as we head into the end of August. Yes, it is time for pumpkins and hay bales.

If you are stopping by from Niky’s blog welcome to Everyday Edits.

This month’s fall mantel Pinterest challenge is from Janelle’s blog.

I am so excited to share in this fall mantel challenge because we just finished remodeling our family and living rooms.

We built a fireplace mantel and library wall in our living room last winter. And, when I saw this month’s challenge from Janelle it was like looking in a mirror.

FALL FIREPLACE MANTEL

Janelle’s mantel had some great elements and I equally loved her coffee table in front of her mantel.

Fall Fireplace Mantel

fall sign
stems
glass hurricane
lantern
candlesticks
pumpkins

The best part is so many of us have all of these accessories just waiting to celebrate the fall season on the mantel.

I loved this month’s Pinterest Challenge because ahead of the fall season I did something at Hobby Lobby I never do.

I bought this sign in July. Yep, it was on sale and I loved the sign with its copper colors and engraved print.

The rest of my accessories were from the basement archives ;0). I updated my fall stems last year (also from Hobby Lobby). I added them to a glass hurricane and called it fall!

Some of you may recognize the base of the pumpkin as it was in a challenge last year when we had the cloche challenge. I love the base as much as the top half of the cloche! So other than the sign (and the cost of the fireplace mantel) there was no expense for this challenge. Thank you for stopping by today! Please check out Barb’s take on this fall mantel challenge. I can’t wait to see all of the fall mantels!

Please pin if you like!

Before you go here is a weekend project to update your fireplace.

HOW TO CREATE SEASONAL DINNERWARE IN 3 STEPS

April 20, 2021

Follow my blog with Bloglovin

How to create seasonal dinnerware for all those tablescape goals

It started with where to find navy plates for my summer tablescapes. The boys (men) in my life have no idea what I am talking about right now. One of them is Googling tablescapes. I wanted seasonal dinnerware that didn’t dip into my Nordstrom semi-annual sale fund. I wanted seasonal dinnerware for my tablescapes.

After Mother’s day, we are pretty much into summer. With three patriotic holidays between May and September, I wanted a dinnerware hack where I could set the dining room (or patio table) and celebrate the summer. My girlfriend keeps her tablescape simple with a red/white/blue table all summer.

Faced with a challenge to find blue plates and not spend Pottery Barn money I found a workaround that might just work for all of dish fanatics. t

HOW TO CREATE SEASONAL DINNERWARE IN 3 STEPS

Before we get to the steps let’s run through the supply list.

SUPPLY LIST

Glass plates. I bought these plates (Made in the USA) years ago. I may have bought them before Amazon. ;0) Or, take a girlfriend and look for glass dinnerware pieces at thrift stores.
Paint. I used Latex paint because I am not using this dinnerware to serve food, but to create seasonal dinnerware.
Foam brush. Do as I suggest not as I did. I used a paintbrush, but a foam brush would eliminate the streaks.

HOW TO CREATE SEASONAL DINNERWARE IN 3 STEPS

Clean the glass plates (obviously).
Paint the backside of the plate. This is to add fun dinnerware and layers to your tablescape. Please don’t serve a salad with a dollop of Hale Navy paint. #wink 3. Let dry. Repeat.

That’s it! Now I know you are probably asking why did Laura use latex paint and not oil-based paint? I used oil-based paint pens when I decorated these plates?

But I knew once I washed these plates the navy paint would wear off and I could either touch them up or paint them a different color.

Tip: Don’t run these in the dishwasher where the acrylic paint might clog your filter. Just wash with soap and water first.

I really had fun with this simple, thrifty idea to create seasonal dinnerware.

For me, it is not practical or budget-friendly to buy eight dinner or salad plates for every season, holiday or color scheme.

Tip: If you layer your plates you can save by my ordering the appetizer size glass plates.

Think of all the fun colors and designs you can create on the appetizer, salad or dinner plates.

This is a fun way to add color to the table and I am limited only by imagination (and skills). #wink

COZY WINTER TABLESCAPE

February 2, 2021

cozy winter tablescape is the perfect setting for a night with takeout and Netflix

By the time Denver gets a blizzard, it will be April. It feels more like spring than a city just 90 minutes from the ski resorts. But, if you know Colorado we could be in a blizzard with the next front. So I created a winter tablescape for cozy takeout (before the blizzard).

winter-tablescape

I read or maybe someone tole me she uses their dining room table for takeout nights.

I thought that was such a fun idea for a room that tends to become an oversized console table at our house.

I love to hibernate the month of January after the sun sets behind the mountains. Cozy slippers, sweats and chunky blankets. So I like my tablescape to feel warm and cozy against candle lights

Winter tablescapes that includes creamy whites, soft blues and candles candles creates a cozy space.

So a winter tablescape is a nice way for me to ease into the new year.

It’s amazing how just a few pinecones and a little garland helps me cope with January and the first half of February. Add a cozy fireplace and call it a night!

winter-tablescape

I love pinecones because we have plenty of them on our lot and they really work in all seasons.

I use pinecones year round in my decor to add filler to a mantle, floral arrangments and tablessettings.

How about you? Do you ease into spring once Christmas is packed away or do you savor the cold nights, snow (yes please) and chunky cardigans and pillows?

winter-tablescape

Walls are Benjamin Moore Hale Navy. I shared how I used it throughout our house here. I have more ideas for tablescapes on my Pinterest page.

SIMPLE IDEAS TO USE TEA LIGHTS YEAR ROUND

December 11, 2020

simple ideas on how and where to use tea lights year-round

My dad was notorious for turning off overhead lights and lamps in any room that was unoccupied for more than 23 seconds. Maybe he was trying to save money with a house filled with five kids, just as many opinions, curfews and a pricey legal bill for a misunderstanding about a golf cart.

My dad’s lights off patrol patterns might explain why I am obsessed with lighting. Votive candles and tea lights are the easiest way to add light to tiny corners and unsuspecting niches. And, these tiny lights won’t trip the breaker!

SIMPLE IDEAS TO USE TEA LIGHTS

1. This time of year I like the convenience of an LED light in unsuspecting places. I shared these daylight savings hacks because I love ambient lighting during the winter months.

Light during the winter warms the space on the coldest of nights. Lighting lifts our moods and adds a bit of cozy into dark corners or plants. Yes, you read that right, plants (or branches).

PLANTS

2. Plants are such an unsuspecting place to add light. It might be my new favorite tip for staging and property listings.

3. Next up, I love a window ledge for tea lights because windows are an expected place to see light at the end of the day.

And, depending on the time of day you may get a little extra sparkle from the sun against a tiny glass lantern.

4. This is why I love to add tiny lights to glass lanterns. Depending on the time of day you may get a little extra sparkle from the sun against a pint-size lantern.

I shared the details of this lantern here.

5. Tea lights and votives are are perfect for upcycled candle jars and glass jars too.

I repurpose most of my candle jars so it’s kind of fun to give them new life. I shared the tutorial.

Tea lights are great to add to a guest bedroom to welcome a guest without worrying about a lit candle.

CENTERPIECES

6. Finally, I saved one of my favorites for last. Add an unexpected glow to a centerpiece for a warm and cozy vibe.

This would work with my centerpiece hack.

And, not have to mess with the madness of keeping fairy lights untangled.

Please pin for inspiration or future use! Thank you for stopping by! If you stayed until the end check out my fairy light photo below!

Speaking of fairy lights here is my first take on photographing twinkly lights. #ad

Am I the last one to hear about this no electricity light hack?

3 MINUTE CHRISTMAS ORNAMENT CRAFT

December 9, 2020

this 3 minute Christmas ornament craft is perfect for the craft-challenged

How am I just now discovering the seasonal aisle at Kroger? I can get my shopping fix while grabbing two dozen eggs (boys home), milk and a bag (or three) of Nestle Toll House milk chocolate chips for this quick bite-size sweet treat. And, the seasonal aisle always has stuff on sale. I almost bought six red lanterns.

But I could not pass on this set of 4 clear round ornaments filled with fluffy snow stuff.

The snow really takes these clear plastic ornaments up a notch.

3 MINUTE CHRISTMAS ORNAMENT CRAFT

Supplies:

Clear ornaments (I used one with the glitter/snow for a little shimmer
Sharpie (oil-based or permanent)
and/or vinyl stickers from Michaels, Etsy, or these on Amazon #ad

At some point, I ordered a dozen vinyl holiday labels for holiday crafts. The Christmas miracle was I found the vinyl labels this year in a drawer. #wink

Don’t want to order vinyl? You can use a permanent marker too. I found these oil-based Sharpies at Home Depot over the weekend. I love them and thanks to a bit of a learning curve the letter “D” on my tablet has a bit of Christmas red too.

That’s it! And then either apply the vinyl or stickers or haul out a Sharpie.

3 MINUTE CHRISTMAS CRAFT VIDEO

[embedyt] https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DAAoCoiXS94[/embedyt]

If you wanted to take it another level you can remove the ornament’s hook and add some Christmas cheer inside the ornament.

I know this is the easiest Christmas craft. It is perfect for kids, college-age kids or grandkids.

Who knew a trip to Kroger would end up with a super simple and inexpensive craft? Thank you for stopping by and please pin!

Holiday Steals at Crate & Barrel on the Weekend Edit

November 15, 2020

Sharing a few favorites from the holiday steals at Crate &Barrel. If you purchase something from a link I will receive a tiny commission with no additional cost to you.

One of my favorite places to visit during the holidays is Crate & Barrel. Pottery Barn and Williams-Sonoma round out the holiday shopping parade. I know. What does that say about me? Let me wander Santa’s Shop at Williams-Sonoma and that is a magical experience for me. I was the mom who never took her kids to see Santa; I was so creeped out by who maybe Santa. Of course, the irony is I had no problem taking my daughter to see some person dressed as Arthur (the Ardbark) at a book signing. So when the Holiday Steals at Crate + Barrel email was in my inbox I thought what is not to love and share!

Sidenote: That was a very long wind about way to get to my favorite finds! #squirrel

Here are a few of my favorite holiday steals at with my favorite boxes for storage. A few of these are already on the way.

My Favorite Holiday Steals at Crate & Barrel

I love the ornaments at Crate & Barrel. They are affordable and a combination of trendy and classic.

Both my Realtor side and blogger side love this little white house with an interior light.

Source: Crate & Barrel

I love this one too! It’s so pretty! And it costs less than a cup of coffee!

I am not a big gnome fan, but after watching Eurovision with Will Ferrell I have a better understanding of the significance of Nordic gnomes.

This gnome ornament would make a fun gift to attach to a bottle of wine.

I forgot how much I love the Balsam scent until my girlfriend had the candle version of this on our kitchen island last week after a couple bottles of wine and current event conversations.

This fun blogger and blogger friend was trending that night too.

Source: Crate & Barrel

Okay, I like this wreath, but honestly, I think I could make something like this one. I don’t remember the price. What do you think? Would you rather buy it and be done with it or look elsewhere?

Okay, this potted mini pine tree is too cute! And, I love the white container. However, I just bought 5, yes 5 little pine trees from Hobby Lobby for about 40% less. So I am going to pass on this one for myself.

But, this would make a cute hostess gift. I never thought to give an artificial pine tree, but maybe next year when parties come back onto the social calendar!

Source: Crate & Barrel

I love these creamy-white votives! I buy them every couple of years. They are perfect for a small space like a bathroom or entry table. And I think they work well for January too (so you get one holiday + a season of joy) with these creamy white votives.

Source: Crate & Barrel

Okay, this one might throw you for a loop because it has nothing to do with Christmas. But, at just under $5.00 a plate (yes it’s a plate-I checked) these would be fun to have for your kids, grandkids, or in my case my nieces and nephews! I bought toast shaped plates a few years ago so the egg plates might be a bit too much.

Source: Crate & Barrel

My brother makes eggs and bacon every Saturday for his girls. These might show up under their tree from their Auntie Laura. Or maybe their grandma should buy these for them!

Finally, the farmhouse collection is a fun, practical collection for the basics. And, they match. A few years ago my kids bought a few of the white serving dishes and I use them all the time. I used the smaller ones the most if you are not sure about what size to buy!

Source: Crate & Barrel

Have a wonderful weekend and celebrate the moments!

5 DAYLIGHT SAVINGS HACKS FOR WINTER

October 30, 2020

We can thank a guy named George for these daylight-saving hacks. After all, George proposed the idea of daylight savings in 1895. But adjusting the working hours to end with the sunset has been around for centuries.

You can read up on the fun facts about the history and the satirical writings by Benjamin Franklin on the subject of daylight savings.

Or, we could just watch our dogs.

Elliott thinks dinner is earlier than the day before based on the sun’s location as it sets over the Colorado mountain range.

I shared this photo of Elliott on Insta the other day. Elliott just waits for me to finish up in my office so he can have the early seating option for dinner.

Daylight Savings Hacks

Several of these daylight savings hacks come from my Realtor life. Last year, I had a semi-vacant listing in the middle of the winter. Besides having to shovel the vacant driveway, I wanted the buyers to not have to fumble with the lights when they walked through the front door in November.

I wish I had installed a few of these. #ad

As we set our clocks back an hour for a glorious “extra” hour on Sunday, here are a few daylight savings hacks I use with my listings (and sellers). And, these same hacks work well in our own homes as the sun descends for the day. These are the shorter days of our lives …until spring.

Daylight Savings Hacks

Lighting Add a lamp next to the front door for easy access when you arrive home. The last thing we want in the winter is to have our foot in a walking boot from a misplaced step on a stair tread. True story for me last winter.

2. Timers Lighting plays a big part in how we respond to a space. And, not all homes (or my parents) are prewired for smart technology to light up a house.

My mom always placed timers around the house when we went on vacation. So this tip comes from her.

The good news is an old-fashioned timer is an inexpensive way to add light to different rooms at different times of the day.

And, I think additional lighting in the winter just picks up our mood.

Sidenote: I can’t wait to have my Christmas tree set to turn on at the end of the day.

Tip: I gave our daughter and her accounting friends’ lamp timers last tax season with their customary late-night schedules.

3. Inexpensive Outdoor Solar Lights Solar pathway lighting comes in a variety of styles and price points. Many can easily be placed (shoved) into the yard (easier before the ground freezes).

Solar pathway lighting works well around the front and back doors.

If you don’t have a front yard solar lights work just as well in a planter by the door.

I ordered these lights because they are level with the ground

Arriving home with additional lighting on the porch is great for a home that looks empty from the front of the house.

And, even if many of us are not arriving home after the end of the workday, it is still a warm, cozy feel to see lighting on our porches or paths.

4. Strand of lights

If you are short on sunlight for the solar option you can opt for a strand of lights and tuck them inside a planter. It works year-round and it adds some additional lighting around your front door (or back door) if you have a detached garage.

I hid a strand of lights in this painted glass pumpkin. I shared how I painted glass with these photos.

5. Install an Over Lite

I love, love, love this OverLite. It is a motion-activated light that is perfect for closets, cabinets, or ceilings where you do not have a light fixture.

The best part is this light can be attached with screws or tape adhesive (both included). #ad

We installed one in our entry closet and I love it! This light is bright and automatically shuts off after so many seconds of no motion.

Sometimes I have to wave my hand above my head to re-activate it, but usually, I am in and out of our hall closet.

This motion activated light works great under a kitchen sink or if you need additional light near the furnace.

This would be great for house guests or grandparents who may not be as familiar with a home’s layout when it is dark.

With daylight savings, this is the perfect time to add a little light in a closet or dimly lit garage.

Enjoy the extra hour of sleep tonight! I would love for you to join my once-a-week newsletter, The Weekend Edit, for other tips and one-hour decor projects for the weekends.

WEEKLY IDEAS STRAIGHT TO YOUR INBOX

HOW TO DECORATE PICTURE WINDOWS

October 29, 2020

picture windows and ledges are valuable real estate for fall decor

We are in year three of replacing our windows. The expense of our new windows is like having a fourth child in college along with our other two. Windows are pricey, but just like education, they are an investment (in our house).

We decided to replace a few of our twenty-year-old windows with picture windows.

We love love, love the unencumbered views the picture windows offer. The line of sight does not stop with a grid. Before there were picture windows there were these on the windows. That decision is what ultimately lead to the decision for new windows.

With four strategic picture windows in our basement, living rooms and dining room we appreciated the additional light and views.

But… you knew there was going to be a but…

With the holiday season, I try to include the basement in the pumpkins and twinkle lights. But usually, the basement gets the decor leftovers.

But that freshly painted window ledge was begging for a little something to celebrate the fall season.

As a Realtor, I see spaces like niches and ledges as valuable real estate in tiny bungalows and condos. My dad only sees clutter.

HOW TO DECORATE PICTURE WINDOWS

One thing you need to know about me besides this– is I love to shop my house for the tiny spaces and corners. You know the little corners of the house that get overlooked or forgotten.

I found everything I needed to add a little fall decor to the new windows and ledges in this bin of unwanted fall decor items.

The windows needed a little fall decor and I was happy to give them some much-needed attention.

The key to decorating windows is you want it to be a relatively low profile in the window so it doesn’t distract from the views. Or the squirrels who love to camp on our front deck and drive Chloe and Elliott crazy!

Oh and that lantern? I snagged the last one in the Hobby Lobby clearance section.

And, then I needed to show a little love inside the dining room picture window. This the ledge where all of the mix-matched pumpkins and acorns land.

It’s like the Island of Misfit Toys, but the window ledge is more like a peninsula.

And if you are curious about how to clean your windows you can check out Bob Vila window cleaning tips.

How to Make Halloween Donuts in Minutes

October 26, 2020

a last-minute idea to make Halloween donuts for dessert or breakfast

Halloween may look a little different this year which makes these Halloween donuts all the more special. The last week of October is packed with social events and school-related deadlines. In Colorado, Halloween usually brings snow and frigid temps! With a few Halloween parties on the calendar, I always include Halloween theme donuts in the dessert lineup. Here is how to make Halloween donuts in a minute.

HALLOWEEN DONUTS IN A MINUTE

Every year, I plan to make a Pinterest worthy Halloween dessert. And, every year I realize I lack the patience or maybe it’s talent. And, that is how I made these these fun and inexpensive Halloween donuts.

These Halloween Donuts take a minute to prepare and you only need 2-3 items from the baking aisle.

These Halloween donuts are fun, easy and guaranteed to get a reaction from a crowd of teenage boys. And, kids and families of all ages can join in the fun. It’s foolproof and fun-packed for all ages and stages.

GHOST APPROVED DONUTS

no oven required to make these donuts
the ingredient list is in two aisles (bakery & baking aisles)
flexible ingredients
inexpensive
all ages and stages can enjoy this fun
makes for a fun Halloween, bite-size dessert

The best part? All you need is a bag of mini donuts. I bought a few bags of Hostess donuts, icing gel and a tub of icing.

If you buy the donut holes in the plastic containers in the bakery they are $3.49 or you can head towards the English muffins and buy the Hostess bag of cake donuts for $1.99.

I used Halloween themed cupcake liners to serve as a plate/napkin for the donuts. The cupcake liners reign in the powdered sugar and minimize sticky fingers!

So easy. No cleanup. No sticky counters.

Happy Halloween! Hope these Spooky Donuts show up in your kitchen!

Looking for a fun autumn cookie, check out this recipe! It’s an easy alternative to sugar cookie cutouts! And this Halloween theme Chex mix was a winner in my boys’ college care packages for them and their roommates.

7 UNEXPECTED COSTCO FINDS

October 4, 2020

Unexpected finds and deals at Costco

Costco bots know our age and stage of life, based on our purchase history. I spent over a decade at Costco on Saturday mornings and Wednesday evenings. I call it the decade of snack-size cookies, chips, fruit snacks and oranges for the endless sliced oranges on game day. Oh, and cases of Capri Suns. Now? Our cart is filled with the 3 pack of Kim Crawford for $33.00 and a 16 oz. a container of mixed nuts. With online shopping, I found a world of unexpected finds at Costco.

7 UNEXPECTED COSTCO FINDS

1. RECIPES. Costco has it’s on cooking and recipe section online. Who knew? I never thought to peruse recipes at Costco. Online, you can find recipes and videos on how to pair their recipes with seasonal or year-round department favorites. You can take a look HERE.

2. LOUNGEWEAR. Costco was ahead of the loungewear trend years ago. I bought the comfiest sweats for my daughter for a stocking stuffer. I may have picked up a pair for me too. But, what I am loving right now is this sleep lounger.

This is basically an oversized, knee-length sweatshirt. It was under $20.00 and I love it.

You should have seen my husband’s face when I tossed this into the cart.

3. FLOWER DELIVERY I had no idea Costco offers flower deliveries. I love their seasonal flowers, but they offer delivery HERE.

unexpected-Costco-finds-everydayeditsblog

Source: Costco

4. PHOTO CENTER I discovered the fun of the photo center when I created custom stickers and notecards with one of my boys’ unfortunate class photos. His grandma loved, loved, loved the custom stationery. And, she laughed every time she sent a note with Evan’s class photo.

Tip: The photo center requires a separate login account.

5. RUGS If you have followed me for a minute you know I love to find Made in USA products. Costco offers USA made rugs HERE. And, you don’t have to try and fit an 8×10 rug into the back of your car.

HOLIDAY & SEASONAL FINDS AT COSTCO

6. HOLIDAY SECTION is one way to spend hundreds of dollars in minutes. Shop wisely. Did you know you can many of the holiday favorites online at Costco? Delivery will save you the haul to the car and house.

7. SEASONAL FINDS Every year, the weekend before Thanksgiving, I make a trip to Costco for the fresh greenery. Historically arrives the week before the pumpkin pie filled holiday. Since I am already there I make sure to grab their fresh-baked pies. This spring, their buckets of flowers and planters sold out in a weekend at our Costco.

What are your favorite finds at Costco? Please share in the comments. I am so excited about the rugs at Costco.com.

Take a look at my unexpected finds at HomeGoods. My sister can’t believe I buy this at HomeGoods. I found my living room furniture here too.

FALL KITCHEN DECOR IDEAS IN AN HOUR

October 2, 2020

It has been almost a year since we remodeled our kitchen. This time last year we returned from dropping our son off at college. We packed the contents of the kitchen and moved everything to the pool table to the basement. My coffee station was in the bathroom and the toaster was on a ping pong table. What a difference a year makes. Very excited to share a little fall kitchen decor ideas with you. And, if you only have an hour… then let’s roll!

And, now this year? I am so excited to share my fall kitchen decor ideas. These are easy and affordable ideas. I made a commitment this year to invest in pumpkins. I love real pumpkins, but by the end of September, the squirrels have had a buffet on my front porch. And, the bears.

FALL KITCHEN DECOR IDEAS

Sink Space

If you have a corner kitchen sink you have valuable real estate around the faucet. I snagged a few stems from Hobby Lobby and used this hack to add some height around the sink.

Counters & Ledges

There is no such thing as too many pumpkins this time of year. I plan to add a few extra pumpkins to the windows to make them their own little corner pumpkin patch.

If you have a small window above your sink plop a pumpkin on the windows sill.

Instant smiles.

Quiet Corners

I love these glass pumpkins. Yes, these white pumpkins are glass. I painted them a few years ago and never looked back.

Glass makes me nervous so I tucked this into a quiet corner next to the pantry.

It’s not as busy so the pumpkins should be safe.

Kitchen Island or Mobile Cart

No matter how big or small your kitchen, islands, or a mobile “island” cart takes center stage in the kitchen.

I go back and forth with really tall arrangements and shorter ones. Right now I have something that is smaller to take advantage of the views into the backyard.

Add a Pumpkin

The simplicity and cost of a pumpkin is the easiest thing to do to celebrate the season.

Last year on a trip to Minnesota to visit our son at college we made a stop to leave pumpkins at their rental house.

Wreath

Add a wreath to the interior side of a back door. I shared this post on how to dress up the backside of the front door.

Why should the squirrels and bears get the benefit of the wreath on the outside of the door?

Bring the wreath inside! This HomeGoods find added some attention and pop of color to our Dutch door.

Thank you for taking a moment out of your day. Sign up for upcoming giveaways or future blog posts here (only once a week).

If you want some fall decor for the season here is a little eye candy.

If you purchase from thefollowing links I may earn a few cents.

How to Make a Centerpiece With Branches

September 25, 2020

If you want to know how to make a centerpiece with branches make friends with an arborist. That is how I learned how to make a centerpiece with branches. While parallel parking in the city I asked an arborist, who was trimming trees in Denver, to help me parallel park my car. I didn’t have him park my car, I just needed some eyes on the curb and hand signals. Once parked, I asked him about the stack of branches next to the curb. Before I could finish my offer to take a few bundles of branches, his crew loaded the twigs and branches into the back of my car.

The leaves and bugs were included at no extra charge.

As I pulled away from the curb, he asked me what I planned to do with a carload of branches.

I told him I did not have a clue, but, I would figure it out.

Which is my motto in life.

With a car full of branches and bugs I was on a mission to get home and spend a few ~~minutes~~ hours on Pinterest.

I needed a plan to explain to my family why there were bundles of branches leaning on the side of the house.

My craft plans tend to go sideways quickly because I lack the patience and discipline to follow directions. What I lack in talent I make up for in personality.

How to Make a Centerpiece with Branches

I tend to take a few shortcuts. Get it?

I needed an easy way to layer the branches on a base. With a quick look around the garage, I settled on a cardboard box. I made a cardboard form for my centerpiece’s base.

From there, I just needed a glue gun to create the centerpiece with branches.

My vision came together for my centerpiece. I love, love upcycle projects and this was the perfect us of reusing everyday objects for a centerpiece with branches.

And, from there it was just adding a boxwood wreath to add a pop of greenery. I get most of my boxwood wreaths from here.

My first plan was to layer berries and twigs, but then I remember the stash of boxwood. I love boxwood because it is a seasonal favorite.

I love to use a small boxwood wreath to layer and stack candles during the holidays.

This centerpiece made with branches was coming together.

I added my favorite mini candle from Anthropologie to pull the centerpiece together.

This upcycled centerpiece, made from Denver’s tree branches is ready for this table.

The lesson with this centerpiece is to always say hi to your neighborhood tree trimmer.

Red, White & Blue Decor Ideas

June 12, 2020

Our family spent most 4th of July holidays in the Colorado mountains. Not an easy task with five kids and all the “essentials” for a holiday away from home. We traveled I-70 West in a paneled Suburban complete with curtains to match the rust orange Suburban paint color. For a holiday filled with red, white and blue decor ideas, my memories always take me back to the orange Suburban with matching curtains.

It might explain why I love a red or blue gingham print.

how-to-decorate-the-house-for spring-everyday-edits

Summer is all about red, white and blue and BBQs. After an extended staycation at home, it is a great time to put a little love into the red, white and blue decor accessories.

I shared my favorite American flag story here. It is reminder that you can celebrate the season without a lot of money.

Think about what you could make with a yard of red gingham fabric or a scrap piece of wood.

Enjoy and embrace the red, white and blue decor ideas for inspiration.

Red, White & Blue Decor Ideas

Looking for a yummy red, white and blue dessert? This cherry based recipe is a favorite at our house.

Here is one more recipe if you want to make your own cherry pie filling.