Dairy-Free and Nut-Free Chocolate Sunbutter Spread

This is a recipe that I've been wanting to put together for a LONG time. My son is severely allergic to dairy, eggs, and peanuts. Do you know how hard that is when you LOVE peanut butter and cheesecake?! Yep, it's been a struggle ... not just for us having to give up a lot of what we love, but also trying to figure out delicious tasting recipes that are safe for him and our family to eat.

That's why when I discover, or create, or adapt a recipe that tastes yummy I want to scream it from the rooftops! Trust me, I have way more flops than I do keepers, but THIS one was a hit the first time I made it, and we LOVE it!

Homemade Dairy-Free Hot Chocolate Mix

Now that the weather is cooling down, and is down right cold at times, it's time to break out the hot chocolate!! We aren't coffee drinkers in our home, but we definitely love a nice warm mug full of hot cocoa anytime of the day. 

DIY Vinyl Stencil Pillow Cover



This fun and easy craft project is something you can get done in just a few hours. You can give them away as gifts, or use them to decorate your own home.

If you like to sew, you can go full DIY and sew your own pillow cover (like I did), or you can buy a white cotton cover from IKEA or Amazon and make the project even easier! I used a 100% cotton canvas fabric to create my cover.

How to Build a Shower Niche

It's finally happening... our bathroom renovation has begun... officially!! 


Top 10 Farmhouse Bathroom Must Haves

If you've been following my bathroom journey on Instagram, you know that we've been dealing with a major bathroom renovation. About a year ago our two bathtubs were so stopped up that no matter what we tried we couldn't get the water to drain. So, we had to call our plumber. Both of our bathrooms are back to back and mirror each other... so the sinks, toilets, and tubs share all the plumbing through the wall. It was probably really easy 60 years ago when they built our home. BUT, I'm not sure they thought through the bathtub plumbing very well. 

When our plumber showed up he ran snake after snake through every access point he could for hours.. and could NOT get that water to drain. So, he called in another plumber with bigger tools to take a look at it. That plumber tried everything he could ... but ultimately had to pull out our tub, the surround, and the drywall. 

It turns out, that because the tubs are back to back, the snake could not get up into the actual drain pipe to unclog. It had to be able to go around a bend, but it couldn't because of the pipes coming from the other bathtub. Fun times. So, we've been without our second tub/shower for nearly a year now. It wouldn't be bad... and usually it isn't, but it's tricky to get all 6 of us bathed and showered in one bathroom. 

Well, we are finally getting moving on the bathroom. We had to treat for termites in there, cut out and replace the termite damaged studs, and save up some money to be able to get it all done. I have spent LOTS of time sorting through photos and products trying to decide what I wanted to do. 

My design style is a combination of modern farmhouse and rustic farmhouse... with hints of cottage. If that makes any sense. Today I'm sharing my top 10 Farmhouse Bathroom Must Haves. Hopefully this will help any of you who are working on a bathroom remodel... or dreaming of one! 

Bakery-Style Bagel Recipe

We are CARBOHOLICS. Yes, it's a real thing. Trust me. When it comes to carbs, we aren't picky: cereal, toast, crackers, bread, and especially bagels. Recently though, our favorite bagels suddenly became something we couldn't eat anymore. Let me explain ...

My son has severe food allergies to dairy, eggs, and peanuts. Such that when he comes in contact with those things he gets hives, his eyes turn red and his face swells. If he were to eat any of those he would die within a matter of minutes. Yep, it's scary. But, we've been dealing with it successfully for the last 10 1/2 years.

We read every label, of every thing, every time ... because every once in a while a company will change where and how they produce their foods. Such was the case with our bagels. It was a sad, sad day. Seriously. I'm pretty sure there was a tear or two shed. There was physical moaning in the bread aisle of the grocery store when we saw that our beloved bagels were now "unsafe" for us to consume. So, what's a carb-loving mom to do for her four little carboholics? Make our own bagels!


FREE Mini Bowling Set Score Card Download

I don't know about you guys, but for us summer is a time to have fun and get things done. But... there are inevitably those three words that ever parent hates to hear, "mom/dad, I'm bored!".


Limeade Recipe - with a twist

If you are looking for the most refreshing homemade drink you've ever had... it has to be limeade. I make mine with a twist though.. read on to see how I make mine.


Unfinished Candlestick Inspiration and a Deal You Won't Want to Miss!

Today we have launched an awesome deal on Jane.com for our unfinished candlesticks. We are even including a FREE e-book with 20+ pages of tips, tricks, and ideas for how to finish your candlesticks.

Click here to check out the deal! 


Summer Splash Day #3 - Summer Slushy Recipes

Today in the shop we are celebrating all things patriotic!


Summer Splash Day #2 - Summer Survival


Today is day #2 of our Summer Splash Party! Here's what's going on in the shop today:


Day #2 is all about fun for the whole family! Our Mini Bowling Set is 40% OFF today only!!  Whether you are an avid bowler or an amateur, you are bound to score high with this set. Save 40% on yours TODAY!
Stop by the shop and grab your mini bowling set for 40% off today only. This set is the perfect size for:
  • taking to the park
  • packing for a trip
  • entertaining little ones in long lines
  • family reunions
  • backyard BBQ's
  • fun at home
  • and so much more! 


• • • • •

So, here on the blog, I'm sharing a few things you need to be able to survive the summer. I asked my kids to tell me what they would put in a summer survival kit. (My kids range in age from 5 up to 12 years old.) Here's what they said:
  • squirt guns/water toys
  • a pool/swimming
  • sunglasses
  • sunscreen
  • towel
  • beach umbrellas/shade
  • shorts
  • swim suits
  • camping chairs
  • s'mores
  • the beach


They did a pretty good job, but I would add a few things to this list:

A Public Library Card. Our local library has great programs for kids over the summer including guests who come and perform, reading clubs, crafts, and story telling. Whenever we go to the library to attend one of their events we return and check out books and movies for the next week. It's a great way to encourage them to NOT forget everything the learned the last year in school. Not to mention that the library is air conditioned. Win-win! 

A plan. This is where the bucket list download from yesterday comes in handy. If you sit down with your kids or spouse and make a list of all the things you want to do over the summer, you can use that list to pencil in the big stuff on your family calendar. Then the little things you can squeeze in where they will fit. Without a plan there are unhappy kids who complain about how bored they are ... all... summer... long... and nobody wants that! 

Snacks. We all remember to eat our 3 meals during the day, but when you are out and about having summer fun it's easy to forget to fill the energy tank. This is especially important for kids, because being hangry is a real thing! So, if you are heading out for the day to the beach, the museum, or anywhere else, don't forget to pack the snacks! I'm not going to offer suggestions for snacks, because we are all moms who know what our own kiddos like to snack on... but make sure it's something with the "good stuff" in it to fill their bellies for longer and give them the energy to have fun! 

Playdates (or whatever you call it). Why? Well, with the kids home all day long, us moms need a break too! Make a plan with with a few other moms to trade off with kid duty. Then you all get a little bit of a break. Have you also noticed that your own kids seem happier when they have friends over? They aren't begging for you to take them somewhere or to entertain them. With a friend, they can entertain themselves and keep out of your hair for a little bit... which helps everyone stay a little more sane. 


Hopefully this gives you some good ideas for how you can make the most of your summer. See ya tomorrow! 

Summer Splash Day 1 - FREE Summer Bucket List Download

Guess what? Not only is today the first day of our Summer Splash Party, but it's also my BIRTHDAY!!  You know what that means?? Double the fun!

Each day for the next 6 days we will be having a special deal in the shop to help to kick off the launch of our Summer Line. BUT, since today is my birthday, we are doing something extra fun!



For starters, today (June 1) is my birthday! I figured it would be the perfect day to start this party, and what's a party without presents?! Pretty boring, right? So, we are giving away some fun stuff! Here are the details:
  • We are paying for two orders! Yep... two of you who place an order will get your entire order refunded. So, how do we choose the lucky people? ... simple. Order #1 (because today is the 1st) and order #38 (because that's how old I'm turning today). No matter how big or small your order, if you are #1 or #38, it's on us! 
  • Free gift! Every order placed today will receive a little extra something in their package when it ships. It'll be a surprise though... because surprises are the best when it's your birthday!! 
So, make sure you head over to my Etsy Shop and check out all of the fun new Summer products. You are going to LOVE them.

• • •

Today's freebie is a Summer Bucket List. If you've never made one before, now is the perfect time! This is one of those things that we sit down with as a family and fill out. The kids, my husband, and I all contribute to the list. Then, we try and hit as many of those items as we can during the summer.

We haven't always done it this way, but it's so much better to have a plan, even if it's just a list of things you want to do. Otherwise you end up sitting around all day trying to decide what to do and never really get anything done. Trust me. I speak from experience.... lots of experience.

So, to help you along, I put together a pre-made, and cute, bucket list for ya'll. I even made it in two different colors with different headings so that you can download, print, and use the one that fits you best!


 • • •



• • • 


• • •


• • •


• • •


I have these saved for you as PDF's so that you can print them at home, or send them to your favorite printed if you want to have a larger list that you could post on your wall or refrigerator. 

Make sure you stop by tomorow to see what we have in store for day #2 of our Summer Splash Party!





Memorial Day is Extra Special This Year

Memorial Day is a special day each year because we get to honor those who have fought to keep our country free. It's a time to reflect upon our citizenship, and to appreciate this wonderful country that we live in.

This year, it has another special meaning to my family. Today is also my grandmother's 92nd birthday! I am her first grandchild, and gave her the first great-grandchildren. My grandma and I have birthdays that are only 5 days apart, so in my family we have always had joint birthday celebrations. But, since she turned 90, we have made it a point to celebrate her birthday all by itself every year. My birthday gets overlooked most of the time, but I have lots more birthdays to celebrate so I won't complain.

Summer Splash Party Info

Here in sunny Southern California the sun is out, the weather is getting warmer, and school is almost out! That can only mean one thing: Summer is almost here!!! 

What better way to ring in the new season than with a big party!? 


No Bake Sunbutter Cookie Bar Recipe

For those of you who are new here, welcome! I share a lot of food recipes here on my blog in the hopes that it will help others out there like us. My oldest son is allergic to dairy, eggs, and peanuts. It's been an adventure for sure figuring out how to keep him safe, and we are constantly experimenting with new recipes to try and find good ones that work for him!

This recipe is an adaptation from a delicious recipe I got from a friend when my husband and I were newlyweds. I had never heard of no bake cookies until then... I must have been living under a rock or something.... but one try and I was hooked! So, I took that recipe and have adapted it so that it's safe for my little guy (and my family) to eat.

Enjoy! 


To all the women out there ...

... you are all a mom in one way or another. Today is a day for you to celebrate the great person you are.
Mom's (and mother figures) make the world go 'round. You wipe our tears and kiss our boo-boos. You are the first to offer to help (even when we think we don't need it). You comfort us when we get scare, nervous, or anxious. You are our biggest supporter.

You make the best food and give the best hugs! You love us the most, and we love you right back! Happy Mother's Day!

From our family to yours!

How Do We Make Our T-Shirts? Screen Printing vs. DTG

If you're on our mailing list, or if you've visited our blog lately, you've seen our new line of t-shirts. We are so excited about these! Most of us are crafters, love to DIY, or have kids/grandkids. We know that all of those things require comfy, functional, easy to care for clothing. There is nothing worse than trying to chase kiddos around while making sure your top isn't too low in the front, or that it isn't riding up on the sides while baby wearing. Been there, done that!

When we decided to create our small clothing line, we kept all those things in mind. As a mom and a crafter myself, I wanted to make sure that our shirts were soft and comfortable to wear, would stand the test of time, and would be easy to wash.

Guess what!?! I found the perfect process to make the perfect tees! DTG (direct to garment printing). Wait.. you haven't heard of it? Okay, let me explain.

New Graphic Tees - Just in Time for Mother's Day!

Introducing our new line of t-shirts! Yep... we have created one of a kind tees just for you! What makes our tees better than the million other tees out there? Well, I'm glad you asked...

Our graphic tees were handpicked for a few reasons:

  • we love the soft, comfy fabric. We hunted for the perfect fabric make-up and finally found it! 
  • we love the fit. Our tees are a unisex cut which means they are loose fitting and perfect for chasing toddlers around or sitting in endless carpool lines for after school pick up. 
  • we love our process. Each tee is custom made for YOU. You get the design and the color you want, not just whatever is available. 
  • we love our printer. We work with a printer that digitally prints our designs into the fabric fibers of our tees. This means the design is perfect every time. It won't crack or fade. 
  • we love that it's easy. Our printing process means that you don't have to take any special care in washing your tees. They are washing machine and dryer friendly. It doesn't get any easier than that! 

Here's a peek at a few of our favorites from the collection ...

Tell me I'm not the only one that creates those awkward moments in conversation... no? Just me... o-kay then ...

 

DIY Bath Salt Recipes and Mason Jar Lid Covers

You know how sometimes you want to give someone a meaningful gift, but you have no idea where to start? Yup, that's how I feel a lot of the time at birthday, and especially when Teacher Appreciation week rolls around.

When I first got our shipment of these small wooden scoops, I knew exactly what I wanted to do with them. Bath salts.



New to The Shop - SVG and Digital Files

We are bringing back our popular wood signs, but we also wanted to share some of our own designs with you guys. Those of you who love to make things for your own home, or for others, know how hard it is to find just the right design. 


In our shop, we will now be offering our own svg and digital files for sale. Now, you can instantly download your design and use it to create your own wood signs or prints. We will be sharing some of our fun designs on the blog and on our YouTube channel so you can see some examples of how to use them. 

In the meantime... you can take a look at a few of the designs we already have up in our shop

FREE Printable- She Designed a Life She Loved

Everyone has a special space in their home where they feel the most creative, productive, and just all around happiest. Right? For me, it's in my office/craft room.

While at times it becomes a dumping ground for everything my husband can't seem to find a place for, it is my inner sanctuary. The family knows that when I am in my space I am working. I like to fill my space with simple motivational and inspirational messages. They keep me going when I get in to a creative "funk".  Those of you who think outside the box probably feel that way too from time to time.

So, while I sat down to work this morning I decided that instead of tackling my mile-long to do list, I would create something fun and FREE for you guys!


Elevated Herb Garden Building Plans

Now that our weather is warming up, we have been working hard to get our Spring and Summer garden going. Last week we added new soil to our raised boxes and planted new plants and seeds. 


Farmhouse Grain Sack Pillow Cover Sale!!

Today is the last day for our deal on Jane.com. Our most popular grain sack pillow covers are 46% OFF!! 


Mini Bathroom Renovation

About two months ago we had a MAJOR plumbing problem in our bathrooms. If you follow us on Instagram you probably remember seeing our horrifying pictures and stories about our two days of problems.

Long story short, the plumber had to rip out the bath tub and surround in our master bathroom. It is going to cost a few thousand dollars to repair the plumbing under our slab floor -- because it was installed wrong nearly 60 years ago when the house was built. Lucky us! 

I have been dreaming of what I can do in this tiny bathroom since then, and saving things like crazy on Pinterest (feel free to take a look at my board... it's gorgeous!). But, we found out last week that the company my husband works for it being closed and he's out of a job as of tomorrow. So, the bathroom project has been put on hold until we can find him a new job and save up the money for it. 

The problem is we still had this ugly, open wall that I have to stare at every morning when I get ready for the day, and every time I go into my bathroom. So, I decided this week that I had seen enough of that ugly space, and was taking matters into my own hands! 


Top 10 Ways to Be More Productive

I get asked a lot how it is I manage to get everything done: family, work, church, friends, etc.. Rather than address each of you individually, I decided to put together this handy reference guide to give you a few of my favorite tips and tricks for how to make the most of your time and have a more productive day!


Does that "to-do" list look familiar? No matter how much we do or do not have to do in any given day, it seems we all want the same thing... more time! Unfortunately we are all stuck with the same 24 hours in a day .... unless you know something I haven't figured out yet!

So, until you share your secret of freezing or slowing down time with me, I'm going to help you out with a few tips and tricks I've learned over the years about making the most of my days.

As a mom, a wife, a PTA member, a church goer, and a small business owner I've had my fair share of time management issues ... I'm sure we all have. But, there are a few tried and true things I use to help me get through it all. People will tell me I'm amazing at how well I handle everything... but here's the truth... I don't really handle everything! I am just really good at being productive!


BIG Announcement ...

Any of you who have been around a while have seen posts about my Etsy shop. I've operated my Etsy shop for the last 10 years and it's been so much fun! I love being able to talk with customers and share my creations.

I've been searching for a way to blend my shop with my blog and haven't been able to quite figure out how, until now! I am so happy to announce the NEW shop that will work hand in hand with this blog.




The shop is still in the works, but you can hop over and check it out! I LOVE the way it's looking and am continually adding new products to get us to the official launch on 2/1/19. In the meantime, you can place orders and save 20% with coupon SPRING20. But guess what!? It gets better! We are now offering FREE SHIPPING on all orders over $50. Everyday. All day. Forever!

Sourdough Bread Recipe

There is nothing better on a cold winter day than a nice warm loaf of sourdough bread. One of our favorite ways to eat is it to toast up some slices on our cast iron pan and make a sandwich. A grilled ham and cheese sandwich is TO DIE FOR made out of some homemade sourdough bread! Once you try it, you will never eat a regular grilled cheese sandwich again... 




If you need a great sourdough starter recipe, head over to Farmhouse on Boone and check our hers. It's the one I use when I'm in the mood for some sourdough. We've had our current starter for about a month and it's been awesome! Fair warning, sourdough bread making is not hard, but it takes a lot of patience. This post is loaded with TONS of photos showing you how to do it every step of the way so you will be able to make it too!