As Mother’s Day draws near, it’s the perfect time to celebrate the incredible moms in our lives, especially those with younger children. While traditional gifts like flowers and chocolates are always appreciated, why not consider something a bit more personalized and heartfelt this year? In this blog post, I’m sharing a few customized gift ideas that I have gifted or just thought is a great idea for the mom of younger kids on her special day. 1. Personalized Jewelry:Give mom a gift she can cherish forever with a piece of personalized jewelry. I gifted these Little Words Project bracelets to...
Misc Tips and Topics
DIY Spray Paint Workspace Must Haves
If you are a DIYer there is a good chance you are painting in your garage. I love a sprayed finish, so I mostly use a paint sprayer to apply paint. Over the years, I have found several tricks that work well when setting up your painting area. paint booth If you are spraying smaller pieces, this DIY spray booth is easy to make and assemble/disassemble as you need it. I used it to paint kitchen cabinet doors and it worked well as I was painting a cabinet door at a time! From time to time, I spray larger furniture...
Homemade Pizza (Really semi-homemade!)
This semi-homemade pizza recipe is super easy and does not disappoint! I have been making this pizza for over 20 years and family & friends love it! It is a great meal for any occasion. We have this every Friday during lent (without the sausage!) (Some affiliate links) Note: This pizza has no sausage. It’s a plain cheese pizza with a bit of mushroom. These slices of mozzarella and parmesan made it extra tasty though!
Puzzle Lover Gift Guide | Cavalini & Co. & eeBoo
I am a puzzle lover! I heard a couple years ago that doing jigsaw puzzles increases your IQ – not that I ever had my IQ tested or plan to! In any case, I find it relaxing and helps with concentration. Above are a few of my favorite puzzles from Cavalini & Co. I have framed several of them. They also make fun wall decor!(Check out my blogpost for “how-to’s.) (I may earn commission through some of these links. No additional charge to you!) LINKS Cavalini National Parks | Cavalini Vintage Dogs | Cavalini Travel | Cavalini Bike | Cavalini...
Black Friday Favorites
Hope you are enjoying your Thanksgiving! I am sharing with you just a few Black Friday Favorites as you sit back after a big dinner! (I earn a small commission on a few of these so thank you for supporting.) Bissell Little Green | Game | Hair Dryer | Heated Jacket The Bissell Little Green Machine has been a lifesaver for spot cleaning and for cleaning upholstery. I use it quite often and LOVE it! The Taco Cat Goat Cheese Pizza game is on my purchase list but it’s been recommended to me and in my shopping cart! The Ryobi...
Gift Guide | Fitness
Whether you are a fitness enthusiast, just try to stay active or need to buy for someone who is, these fitness gear items are some of my favorites. (Links provide a small commission. No additional cost to you!) Shorts with Liner | Hoka Shoes | Socks | Earphones | Walking Running Fanny Pack | Pickleball Paddles | Sunglasses | Running Shorts Pockets No Liner | DIY Bike Computer Stand shorts I don’t know about you, but I like a longer short with pockets. And, depending on the workout, I like a liner in the short as well. It has become...
Best Chocolate Chip Cookies Ever
I bake weekly and this chocolate chip cookie recipe is my favorite. I have made these cookies for years and I don’t remember where I originally got it. At this point, I have committed the recipe to memory. ingredients 1 2/3 C bread flour 1 2/3 C cake flour 1 1/2 teaspoon baking powder 1 1/4 teaspoon baking soda 1 1/4 C unsalted butter room temperature 1 1/2 teaspoon salt 1 1/4 C light brown sugar 1 C sugar 2 eggs 2 teaspoons vanilla 16 oz chocolate chips (I use Ghirardelli) directions Sift together flours, baking powder/soda and salt. Set...
Panko Chicken Recipe
With the temperatures getting cooler in Chicagoland, it is great to have a tasty alternative to grilling. This Panko Chicken recipe doesn’t disappoint! My sister, Colby, taught me how to make this – but, she still makes it the best! ingredients Chicken breasts halved, length-wise 2 eggs All Purpose Flour Lemon Panko Bread Crumbs Butter instructions
Amazon Prime Deals | October 2023
Today and tomorrow are crazy with suggestions on how to take advantage of Amazon Prime. I am sharing a few of things I use or am buying myself with the hopes these will bring you value! (Disclaimer – These are were available at the time of this post! And, I earn a small commission if you purchase! It doesn’t cost you anymore but helps support my blog!) BISSELL PORTABLE CARPET AND UPHOLSTERY CLEANER I have used this little machine so many times to clean the couch, chairs and spots off the carpet! It works really well and so portable! Cheese...
Puzzles are Smart Home Decor! | Cavallini Papers & Co. Favorites
I heard solving jigsaw puzzles improve your short term memory and visual spatial reasoning. And, problem solving skills and IQ improve as a result. I verified this on the internet so it must be true. So, sign me up! I have to say I cherry pick my puzzles. I tend toward puzzles that shy away from a lot of a single color or pattern or puzzle pieces that are too small. I happened upon a vintage “travel” puzzle by Cavallini & Co Papers a couple of years ago and these puzzles ticked the box on how I enjoy puzzles. The...
Bow Tie Pasta Fruit Salad
This salad is super simple to make (really assemble) and a crowd pleaser! My friend, Chris, shared this recipe with me earlier this summer and I made it several times since. It is sooo refreshing and easy make! INGREDIENTS Bow Tie Pasta (I use Barilla) Strawberries Green Seedless Grapes Blueberries Poppyseed Dressing (I love Brianna’s Rich Poppyseed Dressing) ASSEMBLY Cook the bow tie pasta as per the instructions on the box. While pasta cooks, wash and cut strawberries and grapes into smaller pieces. Add the cooled pasta to the chopped fruit. Add dressing to cover ingredients. Add more when eating...
DIY Paint Booth (Using PVC)
If you’ve painted with a sprayer, you know overspray mist is messy! Recently, I painted cabinets in a large kitchen and there was lots of spraying and the potential for a lot of overspray and dust! For this project, I made the effort to build a booth to contain the overspray. It was really quite simple! Materials 3-Way PVC Fittings (8 needed, this is a pack of 12)) 1 inch 10 ft pipe ( I purchased 8, bulk price) 2 mil Plastic Sheeting Clamps Saw (I used my miter saw but anything will really work) PVC Cuts (4) 7 ft...
- 1
- 2