Warm for Valentine's Day

Valentine's Day is not a huge deal for us, but I still like to give a small gift, just to mark the occasion. And if it is practical and cute, so much the better. Here are a few items I found on Etsy that would be great to warm more than just the heart. Plus they are all a very reasonable price. I would love to get anyone of these...husband are you listening?

 

 

One ~ Two ~ Three ~ Four ~ Five

 

 

 

For more Valentine's gift ideas check out Reichel's picks on Copy Cat Chic's Five for Fifty

 

 

Get Fit and Healthy with Tips from Tipsaholic

 

So it is almost the end of January. This is about the time I start reassessing if I will really be able to meet my new year's resolutions. On New Year's day I feel so ready to tackle any problem I have, but as the days and weeks progress, life starts happening and it gets harder and harder. I often need a little boost about this time to get me excited about what I want to accomplish. Do you ever feel like this?

 

Getting healthy and losing weight is a common New Year's resolution. One that is often easier to say than to do. Luckily, Tipsaholic (a blog I write for) just finished their Health and Weight Loss Goals Week. Everyday, contributors shared ways to eat better and get out there and exercise. There were great tips and ideas to get you motivated.

 

I wrote about ways to do fitness as a family. Check out the post here.

And for more ideas head on over to Tipsaholic to check out the posts from that week.

What was your resolution? How are you meeting your goals?

Organize with a Tray

 

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What is it about trays that makes everything look good? What could be seen as a cluttered table top with multiple items scattered around...suddenly becomes organized with a tray.

They are perfect for adding to a fabric covered coffee table, and stretch the use of the upholstered furniture.

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Or on a nightstand to keep everything including the lamp together in one place. Added bonus is it protects the wood from being scratched.

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The kitchen is a great space to use a tiered tray. By going vertical you add more space to organize with a tray.

Beyond being just decorative, they are perfect for giving your children a space to create, but still keep the mess to a minimum.

Isn't this lego tray the best idea?

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Here are few trays that I could see using in my house.  The best part is they are all under $50.

 

 

 

  Malachite Tray ~ Metal Tray ~ Lattice Tray ~ Wood Tray ~ Chevron Tray

Where have you used a tray in your home?


  For more under Fifty Finds check out Copy Cat Chic.

Find Blue and White Items in the Dinning Room

The next room in our new house I want to tackle is our dinning room. Currently, the walls are covered in white wallpaper with small pink flowers on it. Needless to say this is not my style.

I keep trying to decided what directing I want to go, and have been throwing around a few ideas for the dinning room lately.



 

 

The one thing I do envision is a room with dark navy walls which I think will nicely set off the look of the hard wood floors my husband installed and the dinning room set that previously came from my childhood home.

 

 

 



 

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I want to continue with the color around the room and add blue and white items in the dinning room. These are a few I recently came across that I really like. I think they will make a nice mix of traditional and modern...The exact vibe I want to go for in this dinning room. Bonus is they all cost under fifty dollars.

Dinner plate ~ Vase ~ Agate Coasters ~ Art Print ~ Napkins

 

 

What do you think of this direction?  Have you ever tried dark walls in a room?

 

 

For more under $50 finds, check out Copy Cat Chic's Five for Fifty. 

Get Back into Reading

I love to read. There is nothing better for me to do than spend a few hours immersed in a book. But recently, almost two months now, I have not seemed to have the time to read! Oh, the horrors! So I am consciously making the effort to pick up a book even if it is a few minutes each day.  (Or at least listen to an audio book.) Then it is back to the real world....

Here are a few books that I managed to fit in over the last month...

 

The Silkworm by Robert Galbrith (ok, really by you know who)

Second in the series and I was glad to spend sometime with these characters again, although this one was definitely darker and rougher than the first one. Good old fashion detective story.

 The Chimney Sweepers Come to Dust by Alan Bradley

Continuation of the long on going series. The character of Flavia is just delightful, and I enjoy the writing style of this author. My one complaint is I felt like this was a book full of questions for Flavia , but all the other characters seemed to almost already know all the answers. Mystery could have been solved in five minutes, if some sort of game wasn't being played over a few hundred pages. Sure that this was all a set up for the next book, and it frustrates me to have to wait.



This is the Story of a Happy Marriage by Ann Patchett

Really glad that I listened to this as an audio book read by the author. It added something to hear the person who wrote the book, about events in her own life, read the words. A nice collection of short stories. Note: the title is very misleading and is actually the title of just one of the short stories. The whole book is about much more than just a marriage.

Top Secret Twenty One by Janet Evanovich

My guilty pleasure. I love the character of Stephanie Plum and all of her crazy friends. It is just so much fun to hang out in this world for a time. Perfect audio book to listen to as I run.

For more books to read, stop on by Modern Mrs. Darcy's Quick Lit.

Embrace Winter White

Winter has officially come to my neck of the woods. So instead of braving the weather this morning, I spent some time picking out five things that caught my eye that cost under $50.  As you can see, it seems that the white of the snow influenced my picks!

Warm Winter Vest Cuddling up in this faux fur vest seems like just the thing to do on a cold winter day. And it is reversible to extend the outfit options.

Feather Wreath I really miss the festive air that Christmas decorations add to my home. A wreath on the front door in a winter white color might be just the needed cure. 

Desk Lamp It is on my list to fix up a small desk space for me. This desk lamp is just the right size and look that I need.

Statement Necklace I am big into these kinds of necklaces lately. They are so versatile.  A necklace like this could easily look great with a little black dress or an outfit of jeans and a solid colored shirt.

Milk Glass Bowl Vintage items seem to be a big trend this year, and I have always loved the look of milk glass. The texture of this bowl adds a nice unique look.

For more things head on over to Copy Cat Chic for the weekly Five for Fifty

Put Away the Christmas Decorations

 

I spent almost the whole weekend organizing the house since it was in a pretty sorry state after the holidays…so easy to let everything go when you are enjoying time with family. I even managed to put away the Christmas decorations. It always leaves me a little sad once everything is taken down, though.  Gone are the colorful lights and festive decorations. Where was once a lively Christmas tree in our family room…now there is just an empty corner.  Does anyone else feel this way? Gosh I sound depressing!

Luckily, I started following Apartment Therapy's January Cure. (And my goal is to actually do all the tasks this year, instead of puttering out halfway through.) First up was cleaning all the floors in the house. So I did it, and the house suddenly felt much more tidy and calm. Sure it was great that all the pine needles were gone, but it also felt like I now had a blank space, or starting point, to really get my house, and probably even my life, in order. I guess this is what it means to literally wipe the slate clean for a brand new year. Who knew clean floors could do all that?!

 

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I also, as instructed, fit into the weekend a quick trip to the grocery store for flowers. (You all know grocery store flowers are my favorite.) I have a creative way to display them, and will share it once I get it put together.

So, I feel like I am off to a good start now with 2015. What are you doing to get ready?