Best Tools for Smaller DIY Projects

*Some of the following links are affiliate links. Please see full disclosure for complete details*

Hello there! It has been a little bit since I have been on here and it’s nice to finally have a moment to get back and start writing again. Since I last posted a lot has happened. 

You may already know but I am now an online distributer for DIY Paints created by my friend Debi over at Debi’s Design Diary. I met her in person finally late last year and was excited at the opportunity to represent her and her wonderful paints. They are clay based and highly pigmented and are perfect for DIYs, crafts and furniture transformations. 

I have done several videos sharing how to use them. Here is an example of a gorgeous X Front Cabinet I recently transformed with them.  

In addition to the paints, I also began making my very own natural soy wax candles and started selling them online as well. These are highly fragrant and natural with no dyes and made with soy grown right here in the U.S.

Once I started reading all of the unhealthy ingredients in mass produced candles, I decided to make my own and share them with my subscribers. l sold out of all of my candles the very first week I launched and have been slowly trying to get back to my normal inventory levels. 

 

I am so grateful for everyone who has been so supportive. 

And finally, if I didn’t have enough on my plate, we bought a 19 acre farm and will be moving by the end of summer. I shared all about it in this video.

It’s a huge change for us, but we have been led by God for some time to get started and we are excited at the opportunity to start our own homestead and build a home. We are excited about it and will be sharing more about our journey soon. 

For today, I wanted to share some of the tools that I use on a regular basis to create my DIY’s. These tools make it really easy to get started DIYing and all of these are a must-have in my book.

1. GARTOL MITER SHEARS

These are one of my most-used tools in my studio. You can cut small pieces of actual wood trim as well as popsicle sticks and dowels. These are great for when you need a quick cut and you are able to adjust the degrees for any type of angle cut. 

2. OFLA Circle Cutter 

These are great for cutting the perfect circles whether it be on card stock, paper, foam board or even felt! I have used these for so many projects, including this pillow an these ornaments. 

3. Mini Miter Saw Kit: 

This miter saw kit is another great way to cut small dowels and even popsicles. I also like to use the blade to cut down floral foam!

4. PAPER TRIMMER

I love this tool so much I literally have 2 of them. If you want straight cuts every time with little hassle, you need one of these. This is perfect to use on scrapbook paper for crafts and even to trim down decals to the right size. I pretty much use this tool every day. It even helps me trim down my thank you cards for my online orders as well as my labels for my homemade candles. 

5. SPRAY TENT

 

This is another tool I have that I have used so many times over the years. If you have a small place to spray paint or if you need to spray inside a garage during the cold winter months, this spray tent is key. It holds in all of the overspray allowing you to spray paint in tighter spaces without getting the paint everywhere. It even folds down to a small bag for easy storage. 

Watch how I use it here. 

6. CRICUT MAKER 

 

I love my Cricut! At first I was a little intimidated by it but now I use it for everything! Whether it’s to make custom home decor pieces like this look for less pillow or this high end dupe tray. I can cut so many different materials and I even use it to sell merchandise on my website. The possibilities are endless and while the price can be a bit of an investment, the payout is tenfold in my opinion. 

7. MITER SAW BOX KIT:

This miter saw box kit is perfect for when you want to cut larger pieces of wood but aren’t interested in investing in an electric miter saw just yet. As a matter of fact I made this Kirklands dupe with this saw and it worked perfectly!

8. FISKARS ROTARY CUTTERS

 

If you sew (even a little bit) this is a must have! It makes cutting your straight lines for patterns super quick and easy. But it also makes cutting curves a breeze! I use it so much I already had to change the blade! 

Watch how I use it to cut these custom Christmas stockings. 

9. WOOD BURNING KIT:

The funny thing about my wood burning kit is that I never burn wood with it! LOL! True story!

But I do use it to melt holes into plastic ornaments like when I made this DIY Christmas Garland . I also used it to make faux stitches on leather for this amazing Dollar Tree fall home decor piece. So even if you don’t do wood DIYs, it’s still super useful! 

10. FABRIC TAPE MEASURE

Let’s be real, I don’t like tape measures cause I find them kinda awkward. However, I always have one of these fabric ones around my neck. I am always measuring things and when I am doing a project I like to have them handy to make sure I am doing everything right. These are super inexpensive and I like to have one in different locations. 

11. CUTTING MAT

 

I used to think cutting mats were only for sewing but I use them for all kinds of cutting. As a matter of fact I have one on my crafting table that never goes away. I do so many things on it. It protects my desk and it gives me the ability to measure anything right away since it is always out. Of course, cutting fabric on this is super easy especially with the rotary cutter above. 

 

12. OMIGRID RULER

While the Omigrid ruler is meant for cutting fabric I use the straight edge to cut just about anything, including foam board. I like that it’s clear so that you can see your material underneath and all of the measuring points are super helpful when cutting precise measurements. 

 

13. ELECTRIC MINI MITER SAW

This is my newest addition to the tools stash! A mini electric miter saw! First of all, it’s too stinkin’ cute! And second of all, it cuts so well! This is perfect if you don’t want to use the power of your own hands to cut with some of the tools above. I suffer from carpal tunnel and sometimes using the other tools can be tough, but this takes the work out of it and it’s SUPER affordable! 

I hope this list was helpful. Let me know if you hadn’t known of any of these before or if you already have some of these in your toolbox! 

I should be back soon! 

Until then… adios!

 

 

Thrifted Seed Box Makeover

*Some of the following links are affiliate links. Please see full disclosure for complete details*

Hello friends! Today I am back with another thrifted makeover. And this time I am using items I have never used before. I purchased this cute little box at a thrift store in South Carolina a couple of months ago and I finally got a chance to make it over. 

It cost me $8 and it was actually a recipe box, however, since I plan on doing gardening in the near future I wanted a place to store my seeds. And this was the perfect size, plus the drawer had compartments! 

I cleaned it up and used DIY Paint in the color White Swan (and the good news is my shop is almost ready so I can start selling these paints!). 

DIY Paint is a highly pigmented clay based paint that is made with all natural ingredients. It dries very much like chalk paint and covers any surface with ease! 

RELATED: THRIFTED TRAY MAKEOVER

I had to give this a couple of coats since the stripes were pretty hard to cover up. But the paint did the job nicely!

Once the box was completely dry, I used some of Iron Orchid Design Transfers.

IOD sent me a fun package of some of their products to try out and I had so much fun using these transfers on this little box. I used one of their rose transfers.

Plus, I figured it was appropriate since this was after all going to be for seeds.  

These transfers come in several sheets and all you do is cut out the ones you want and lay them on your desired surface. You then use the little plastic spatula they supply to rub them on and then you just pull off the clear plastic! How easy is that!? 

After I was done placing my transfers I decided I would use some Rub n Buff on the feet and drawer pull. Rub N Buff is great for touches like this. It is highly pigmented – one coat and you’re done! I used the Antique Gold one for this project. 

Then I sealed everything with DIY Paint’s clear wax. I let it dry over night and then I buffed it the next day. After that I was done! 

This little box is just perfect! 

All of them fit so nicely and it is so great to store them in such a cute box instead of a plastic bin. 

The little floral knob it came with look so much better in gold and it pairs so nicely with the transfers. 

The best thing is I don’t even have to put this box away. It can stay out and be a part of the decor. And it’s perfect for Spring!

What do you think of the transformation? 

 

If you enjoyed this and wish to see more amazing thrifted makeovers check out the video below! 

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GORGEOUS THRIFTED MAKEOVERS

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Please share this with your friends and I will see you next time! 

Until then… adios!

 

Simple & Elegant Winter Wreath

*Some of the following links are affiliate links. Please see full disclosure for complete details*

Can you believe it is already 2022?! The more the years go past the faster they seem to go. This year will be super special though. For one thing, this year I turn 39 (before the end of the month actually). It’s my last year in my 30’s and I really want to make it a good one.

There are many things I want to do and a lot of goals I have set for myself by the end of this year. Let’s see if I can accomplish everything I have planned!  

But as for now let’s get to creating something beautiful for this winter season. I don’t know about you, but I get a little sad when I take down all of my Christmas decorations. Everything seems so plain and empty, so it’s nice to add little touches here and there to cozy up our home for the remaining months. 

*Scroll to the end for even more simple and elegant winter decor ideas!*

I love creating wreaths so I thought I would try one that looks like a winter sweater (no knitting required).

First, you will need yarn, and I picked this one up at Hobby Lobby at 30% off. 

Next, you will need a round wire wreath form. I wanted a large thick wreath so I actually zip-tied 2 of them together. 

I spray painted it white. This part is optional, but I do think it makes a difference since you may see some of the wire peek through the yarn and it would be less noticeable if it were white. 

Once it is dry it is time to measure your yarn length. You want to wrap it around the wreath and then about 1/4 more of the length of the wreath (marked by the red arrows). The reason you need to add length is because we will be braiding the yarn which will cause the total length to shrink.

Doing this will make sure you have enough slack to make it all the way around. 

Tape 3 pieces down and begin to make a simple braid. 

RELATED: Valentine’s Wreath 

 

Next, use some hot glue and start adhering the braid to the outside perimeter of the wreath and work your way until you come back to the start. 

When you reach the other end simply get it as close to the beginning piece and fold downwards onto the wreath to hide the ends. The yarn is so fluffy you won’t be able to tell when the yarn ends or starts. 

After the first row, start the second. In order to add contrast I applied the braid in the opposite direction so there is an opposing pattern. 

Finally glue your last braid onto the wreath. 

Now it’s time to add some greenery. I used some picks from Hobby Lobby’s Christmas clearance sale. 

Finally, make a bow the color of your choice. I picked a white and burlap combination since I prefer neutral colors especially for winter. Glue it on and you are done! 

And here is how it turned out! 

 

I love how it turned out! It feels wintery, yet cozy at the same time. 

I think all of the colors blend together so well and the fact that it’s not knitted even though it reminds me of a cozy sweater is a bigger bonus. I would love to learn to knit, but honestly haven’t gotten the time. 

Maybe I should add that as a goal too. LOL! 

I would love to know what you think and if you think anyone would enjoy this lovely wreath, please share this with your friends! 

If you want more winter decor ideas, check out my latest video from my Youtube channel where I share even more! 

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I will see you in the next one! 

Until then, adios! 

 

 

 

Classy Dollar Tree Ornaments

*Some of the following links are affiliate links. Please see full disclosure for complete details*

Hello friends! I hope you all are enjoying this wonderful season! The change in weather has been great and cozying up by the fire has been a regular thing nowadays. Oh how these days bring joy to my heart. I hope you are enjoying them too. 

I have another really easy DIY for you today and a freebie! 

I am sure you have seen the clear plastic ornaments from Dollar Tree.  These are perfect to create beautiful custom ornaments for your decor. 

I had several of these on hand so I decided to use them so that I can add new ornaments to my decor this year in my new color scheme. 

First, I added some acrylic paint in the inside of the ornament. I chose a midnight blue color. 

 

I moved the ornament around until the paint covered the entire inside and poured out any excess paint. 

RELATED: DIY SNOW GLOBE

As those dried, I created a few words in Cricut Design Space. You can download the SVG for these from my free printables library. 

I used permanent gold vinyl to cut these words out.

And then I applied them onto the ornaments. 

I added some ribbon and then hung them up! Super easy! 

You would never guess these came from Dollar Tree. 

The best part is that you can customize the color of the ornament. You can dd your family names, use another vinyl color and/or use different kinds of ribbon to suit your style. The possibilities here are endless. 

And if you wish to download the free SVG file for these ornaments simply go to the top of the page and click “ACCESS MY FREE PRINTABLES LIBRARY”

Enter your information and click subscribe (you can unsubscribe anytime). 

Afterwards, you will get an email that will look like the one below with the link and password to access them. That’s it! 

If you liked this DIY you can also check out more DIYs like this in the video below: 

 

I hope you enjoyed this super easy yet classy ornament!

 

I will see you back here soon! 

Until then… adios! 

Dollar Tree Letters for Santa Mailbox

Hey everyone! Happy Hump Day! Today is Day 9 of my 12 Days of Christmas and for this DIY and I’m bringing you this fun mailbox you can make so that your littles can send their letters to Santa. 

CHECK OUT all of the 12 Days of Christmas here!

DAY 1 | DAY 2 |DAY 3 |DAY 4| DAY 5 | DAY 6 | DAY 7 | DAY 8| DAY 9| DAY 10 | DAY 11 |DAY 12

 

*Some of the links below may be affiliate links. Please see full disclosure for more details*

I got this cute little mailbox at my local Dollar Tree. My daughter helped me share all about it in our last shopping haul. 

I spray painted it with primer and then gave it two coats of my favorite white chalk paint. 

Next, I painted the little flag red. It took me several coats to get it completely covered, but I managed to get most of it in the end! 

Afterwards, I cut some scrap book paper that I had on hand to add to the mailbox door as trim. I simply applied it with a glue stick (nothing fancy here folks!). 

Next, I took some Christmas greenery from Dollar Tree and took it apart. I began placing the leaves on the top first with some hot glue. 

And gradually added more greenery, berries, poinsettias and a pinecone. 

Next, I made a little decal to go on one of these cute Dollar Tree tags that read “Letters to Santa”. I can’t hand letter for the life of me so I rely heavily on my Cricut. 

I used some Dollar Tree ribbon to tie a bow on the tag and then used hot glue to adhere it to the front. 

Finally, I wanted it to sit on a stand so I took a candlestick that painted earlier this year, added some hot glue and placed it on the top. 

Note* the hot glue can peel off if I do decide to use the candlestick for something else in the future. 

And that was it for this DIY!

I think it’s adorable and really festive. 

I am sure my kids will get a kick out of using it. They have been playing with the Dollar Tree mini village since I finished them. 

One thing I like about this project is that you can use whatever Christmas decor and trimmings you have on had to decorate it and make it your own. 

And I absolutely love that little tag!

I hope you enjoyed another day with another Christmas DIY! 

I will see you in the next one. Until then… adios! 

 

 

 

 

Dollar Tree Christmas Village Hack

Hey there! It is Day 8 in the 12 Days of Christmas and I am bringing you a Dollar Tree hack. However, you can use this idea with any thrifted mini houses or any ones you might have on hand that you no longer think go with your style. 

CHECK OUT all of the 12 Days of Christmas here!

DAY 1 | DAY 2 |DAY 3 |DAY 4| DAY 5 | DAY 6 | DAY 7 | DAY 8| DAY 9| DAY 10 | DAY 11 |DAY 12

 

*Some of the links below may be affiliate links. Please see full disclosure for more details*

I picked some of these Dollar Tree mini village houses. And honestly they are cute, but look more like toys to me and I would rather my decor look a little more sophisticated. You know what I mean?

These houses do have a place underneath to insert and LED tea light or some mini string lights so it does have that working for them. 

I am pretty sure you remember from my last post, that I spray painted these with primer. 

And I am glad I did that actually, because when I took them to paint with my favorite white chalk paint, it only took me one coat to get them nice and white. 

After the white chalk paint was dry, I painted the roofs and a few other details with black chalk paint. I like the more stark contrast of black and white since I think it adds a more high end look to the pieces. 

Next, I wanted to add a little bit of sparkle so I added some school glue to a few areas and included a couple of patches on the roofs….

… and sprinkled some fine white glitter. 

Then, I added some mini string lights inside and I was done! 

Aren’t they darling?!?

I also noticed that the chalk paint made the surfaces feel more like ceramic so that was an added bonus. 

The hard part now is keeping my little one away from them, she adores these little houses and appreciates playing with them. 

Well, that was it for today! I hope these 12 days are giving you all some fun inspiration or in the very least, something to look forward to every morning. 

I will see you back here tomorrow! 

Until then… adios! 

 

 

 

 

Super Easy DIY Garland

*Some of the links below may be affiliate links. Please see full disclosure for more details*

Today is Day 6 and that means we are halfway through the 12 Days of Christmas where I bring you 12 Christmas DIYs for 12 days! This is probably going to be the simplest DIY yet, with probably the most impact for the effort. 

CHECK OUT all of the 12 Days of Christmas here!

DAY 1 | DAY 2 |DAY 3 |DAY 4| DAY 5 | DAY 6 | DAY 7 | DAY 8| DAY 9| DAY 10 | DAY 11 |DAY 12

 

You can also watch all of these video tutorials as well on on the playlist and see these back to back on the playlist! 

So let’s get into it! 

You will need some Dollar Tree small ornaments and some vase fillers. I got the vase fillers below from Hobby Lobby last year on clearance but they have them again this year and they are on sale. 

NOTE: You don’t have to purchase anything for this… as a matter of fact if you have any old ornaments you aren’t using get them out and make this out of them. And if they aren’t the right color, a little can of spray paint helps too. 

Next, you will need to remove the little hanging caps from the ornaments. 

Then, you will need something to cut off the little piece the cap attaches too. I like to use my wood burning kit with the cutting tool. 

I love my wood burning kit and used it for some of my fall decor.  It is so versatile! 

After those were done, I burned a small hole on the opposite side of the ornament as well. I will be stringing the ornaments so I need another hole. 

Then finally with a large embroidery needle and some jute twine, string a combination of the fillers and ornaments until you have the right length and your desired pattern. 

And that was literally all there is to it! Told you it was easy!  And this only cost me a little over $5.

Beaded garland over mantles are so trendy right now, but they can get expensive so this is a great way to use a cheaper alternative or even old ornaments you may have lying around!

So simple, yet so chic! 

We say “Bueno, bonito y barrato” in Spanish. ?

Let me know what you think! 

I will see you all tomorrow! 

Until then… adios! 

 

 

 

 

DIY Seagrass Vase

*Some of the following links are affiliate links. Please see full disclosure for more details.*

Happy Monday! 

Hope you all had a great weekend! We are making great progress on the house and I was able to tackle several blog posts while staying at my parents’ house for a few days. It was nice to be able to focus on writing for once. I am almost caught up on the projects that I have been meaning to share on here. 

Woot woot! 

One of these projects was this cute vase from Ballard Designs. It was from last month’s Look for Less Challenge and I did it along with the Dollar Tree Faux Cement Bowl. I have had this idea for a long time and I was finally able to execute it.

 

Here is what I used to recreate this look for less…

SUPPLIES 

• Thrifted Glass Vase
• Candle Holder
• Grass Hula Skirt

 

Yep! I got this hula skirt at Hobby Lobby with my 40% off coupon . The reason I chose the grass skirt instead of buying raffia in a bag is because 1. it’s cheaper and 2. the raffia is not tangled and bunched up all over the place. 

You’re welcome! 

 

The vase and candleholder cost me less than $1.50 for both at Goodwill. This complete DIY cost me about $4.50. 

TUTORIAL

I cleaned them off with rubbing alcohol and glued them together with E6000. 

 

Then I painted the candle holder portion with a light brown acrylic paint in order to mask the gray. Only one coat is necessary. 

Next, get your grass skirt and start braiding. I use 6 bundles/strands divided into 3 sections to create one braid.

RELATED: DIY Farmhouse Napkin Rings

You will need to make quite a few braids. 

Once you have your braids done, cut them off one at a time as you use them (or they will unravel). Fold over the end for a nice seamless look and begin to hot-glue them from the bottom working your way up.

Keep the braids really tight to each other making sure nothing from beneath shows. 

When one strand ends glue it down and start with the next one. Simply fold over the end of the new braid and place right on top of the end of the previous one. It may be slightly raised but most of the seems aren’t that noticeable. 

Once you get to the glass, you will need to use more than just hot glue. 

You will need to also use E6000. 

What I did was take some E6000 and applied it to the glass where the braid was supposed to go. But before I placed it down, I used a bit of hot glue on the edge of the braid so that it would attach to the previous braid. That would dry instantly and hold the braid in place while the part that attached to the glass dried. 

This will make the braids permanent. 

 

Once you reach the top make sure to cover the glass lip and fold over the end of the last braid inside the glass vase. And that’s it! Insert some greenery and enjoy! 

What I love about this is that since it’s glass inside, you can use fresh stems in this vase. 

You can keep it natural like I did or use tea to dye the braids to make them darker. 

 

Hope you enjoyed another DIY! Please share with your friends and I will see you in the next one. 

Until then… adios! 

*This post contains affiliate links. For more details please see full disclosure*

Hello dear friends! I hope everyone had a wonderful Easter Sunday. We of course spent it at home, but at least we were still able to enjoy mass. Technology can be a beautiful thing. 

We spent the day indoors since it was rainy all day. But it was nice to spend a day relaxing at home since most of the time all we do is work, work and work on the renovations. My dad came up this weekend to help my husband with the installation of our floors. I hope to share more of that soon as well. 

And of course, I took the opportunity to catch up on my blogging since I am a couple of blog posts behind from my channel. 

And then there is the news that I never actually officially shared!

I opened my online shop finally! It’s not much, but I am just happy it is done and I cannot wait to add more items to the store. 

Okay so for the DIY.. I decided to join my dear friend Casey in her Trash to Treasure challenge on Youtube and create something beautiful out of something you would consider trash or you would normally get rid of. 

I had this tray that I bought from Goodwill several years ago and thought about taking it back a few times. 

It was actually one of my first DIYs on this blog. As you can see my style was WAYYYY different back then. 

This was a piece I did for my daughter’s room but she never really used it and the paint job got pretty dingy after a while. Of course, I didn’t really know what I was doing back then. LOL! 

My husband was in need of a small tray on his nightstand to gather his trinkets… ya know, ring, wallet, the spoon he loves to eat Peanut Butter out of late at night. 

Yes, he totally does that. Ugh. ?

I thought this would be perfect for it. So the first thing I did was take it apart.

I gave it a coat of Debi Design Diary’s clay based paint in Apothecary. This paint is so rich and pigmented you only need one coat. 

My husband loves the John Wick movies and we both appreciate the tattoo on his back that reads” Fortune Favors the Bold” in Latin. 

So I thought this would totally be appropriate since it would be on his nightstand. 

 

I simply adhered the decal (I use this vinyl) to nice poster board and taped it to the tray piece that went right under the glass.

At least this way if I ever want to change the decal it will be super easy to do so. This decal is actually available in my shop as well. 

I put the tray back together and applied a coat of Debi’s clear wax. It brings out the color and protects it nicely. I simply used a lint free cloth to apply it. 

Then I added a little bit of Debi’s white wax also to give it an aged coastal look. 

And that was pretty much it. 

I love the color and the bold words. And at least it’s not too girly for his side of the bed. 

Also, along with this tray transformation I created 3 other DIYs…

That frame on the top left is actually a cheap black plastic frame from Dollar Tree that I gave a facelift to and made look just like wood. You can actually create that effect on anything! 

I share what I use and the exact steps to do it in the video below. 

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I hope you liked this quick tray  makeover. Sometimes, it doesn’t take a lot to make something beautiful again. In this case I could have easily donated this or thrown it out, but I decided to give it another chance. 

And I am glad I did. 

 See you in the next one. Until then… adios! 

 

 

*This is a sponsored post. I have teamed up with H&R Block to share a great service they offer to help you get your taxes done while you #stayhome. Also make sure to read to the end for a special offer*

I hope everyone is doing great and staying healthy. There are a lot of things happening right now and if you have not completed your taxes, I strongly urge you to go ahead and do so, so that you can focus on maintaining your families safe and keeping them healthy.

We were lucky enough to have our taxes completed before the #stayhome guidelines were put into place, and even though tax deadlines have been extended to July 15^th, it is still in your best interest to get them done as early as possible.

Especially now, when there are so many uncertainties amongst our daily lives.

We partnered with H&R Block to bring you a great option that will help with completing your taxes quickly and hassle-free.

This was the second time we have gotten our taxes prepared by H&R Block and our experience was even better than before. They are truly great at accommodating their clients’ needs. Here is what they are doing to help you get the safest and best experience during the #stayhome recommendations.

H&R Block offers many ways to do your taxes as safely as possible, including working remotely with one of their tax pros via their new virtual tax prep service, Tax Pro Go.

This is a great option that gives clients the ability to get expert tax preparation without stepping foot into an office. With this you can communicate through secure messaging, share documents, review forms, and even approve and submit payment for your services.

You can even use your mobile device to upload your tax documents! How cool is that?

Here’s how to get started.

Once you head over to Tax Pro Go you will see a screen like this:

Simply select the option that best fits your situation and create an account.

You will be matched with a tax professional that best fits your needs.

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Your tax documents will be ready to file in a few days. You can review them online and pay for your services from the convenience of your home.

It really is that simple!

Still concerned? Check out some of their FAQ’s!

 

 

Life gets complicated, and tax season can look a little daunting sometimes, but it doesn’t have to be. It wasn’t for us! Which is why we are happy to #backtheblock.

And if you too want peace of mind during these times, get yourself a knowledgeable person who will take the stress off of you and get you your best return!

Plus, if you use Coupon Code 17276 you will get $20 off your services this year.

*coupon code applies to new H&R Block customers*

We plan on using our return to pay off a few bills and continue our home renovations this year! H&R Block made it so easy for us and they can make it easy for you too!

Have you completed your taxes yet?

I really hope this was helpful to any of you who have been stressed out about filing your taxes. Don’t forget to use the coupon code above as well (every little bit helps). 

Also, if you know anyone who may find this information useful please don’t forget to share. 

 

I hope you all are staying safe and healthy! I will see you in the next one. Until then… adios! 

 

 

 

*Some of the links below are affiliate links, please see full disclosure for more information*

Hey everyone and Happy Monday! 

I hope you are staying safe and healthy. It was made official late last week that our school system will not open back up for the rest of the school year. Our kiddos were already doing their Digital Learning program at home and we just had a nice break from it all since last week was our Spring break. 

Today is back to reality and yesterday I did the unthinkable.

I went to Dollar Tree. I spent $56 and I got NOTHING for crafting.

All of it was workbooks, paper, activity books and supplies that will hopefully help me in keeping my kids occupied and having some type of homeschooling system that doesn’t totally suck. 

So today it begins for me…. I got this. ?

In other news, things are moving along with the updates in our home. 

My hubby, the Latino Engineer just installed a gorgeous fan in our sunroom (which we desperately needed because the temps are starting to rise and it’s getting unseasonably warm in there in the late afternoons. 

I partnered with Hunter Fan Company to create a video in order to share how to properly install a fan and share some cool features of our coastal farmhouse fan that I am so in love with. 

The Latino Engineer took over my channel (and who better since he has a background in the electrical field) and he shares just how simple it can be. 

And if you too are taking this time at home to make some updates, this video might just come in handy. ?

Let me know how you think he did! 

How to Install a Ceiling Fan

Here is the model we have –  The WARRANT. 

I have a few DIY’s headed your way as well as this month’s invitation for the Look for Less Challenge. 

I will see you soon! Until then…. adios! 

Happy Friday! This week has gone super great and while you read this I am probably getting my hair done…. cause my ends were in serious need of a trim. It has been too long since I had my last haircut and it’s time to get my hair in order for this New Year, plus my birthday is coming up and I need to look halfway decent. 

Just sayin’!

As you know a few weeks ago I shared my trip to the ER. 

I go into a lot more detail about it in this video. But basically I got a severe allergic reaction after we removed the carpet on the upstairs floors. It was bad and it took a serious toll on my entire health. 

Since then a lot my subscribers asked whether or not I was tested for allergies. 

Well I did, and I got the results to share…

As always, you can hit play to listen to the updates in the corresponding video below or keep reading below. 

By the way, have you had any allergy tests done? They do a number on your back! 

Literally and figuratively! ??‍♀️

They tested me for errrrrthang!

And, I will admit I was a little anxious while in the room waiting for the tests to commence. It was so weird sitting there not-knowing what was going to come of all this, especially when I look over the kit with all the “allergens” just sitting on the counter near me (next to the Parents magazine).

I didn’t know how it would feel. 

Would it hurt? 

Would I break out in hives? 

Would I get sick again?

 

And then the nurse came in….

Dun, dun, duuuuuuuun! 

It was time. 

So they lay you face down on the table/bed and start to number your back. Once they are done, they begin to “scratch” your back with those little allergens. 

And here is what it looked like. 

Yep! Real sexy.

Each line represented a different class and each number was a different allergen. 

As you can see the 3rd from the left was all positive from top to bottom. 

I wanted to scratch the skin off my back soooo bad!!!! ?

Luckily once the doctor came back in to evaluate, I was able to get some topical relief.

It immediately started feeling better once they applied the creme, but my back looked bad for the rest of the day and a lot of those little bumps stayed on my back for at least a week. 

The results….. 

I am allergic to ALL THE GRASSES! YAY! 

Which is why I am so miserable in the Spring.. looking forward to it. ?

But absolutely nothing else came up positive. 

Nothing on pet dander, both cats and dogs, dust mites, mold, latex, even something called a “Cockroach mix”  EW! Whatever that is! ?

Nada. 

The best thing the doctor could conclude was that it was a viral reaction to whatever was underneath the carpets. Apparently when we removed the carpet, the viral “stuff” was released and came into contact with me and my body did not like it at all. 

Of course, there is always the option of if being an idiopathic allergic response which is a more intellectual way of saying ” We don’t know what the heck happened!” 

But, most likely it was the pet urine/feces left behind by the previous owner’s pets. 

Of course back when all this was happening a lot of my viewers were concerned that there was mold in the house. There was an inspection on the house prior to buying it, but nothing was detected/reported. 

BUT…. 

(there always a but)

There’s more to this saga. 

After all this happened, the rest of the carpet on the main floor had to go. So my hubby and my dad removed the rest of the carpets in the house including the basement carpet and ceiling tiles. 

You can watch the entire process here.

It was the first time my husband took over my channel and filmed the entire video as I was not able to be present due to my allergic reaction. And of course I had to take the kids away with me so we stayed at my mom’s during this entire ordeal.

After all of that was removed from the home, we figured it was a good time to have the HVAC system ductwork cleaned out.

Dun, dun, duuuuuuuun! 

So we hired a company. They came out and did a full inspection of all ducts and removed the exterior panels of the HVAC units to look inside before they did anything, and what do you guess they found?

Our ducts were squeaky clean! 

But wait, there’s bad news too! 

They found M-O-L-D ?

YEP! There happened to have been mold growing inside the HVAC units on the coils! Now before you ask, it was not “black mold” but mold nonetheless. 

We had to get it remediated ASAP! 

So we went ahead and had them start the sterilization process which consisted of them spraying a “safe” but strong cleansing foam all over the existing mold. 

Once that process was done, we went even further and had them install the PCO Air Purifier in each of the HVAC units as well. 

Basically UV Rays that KILL EVERYTHING. 

You can see a video of how this specific system actually works and what it gets rid of that might be in your air at home HERE. 

This hurt us…. well our wallets actually because it was expensive for just one unit – and we have 3…

THREE….

TRES! 

??‍♀️

Well, there goes our flooring budget right out the window. 

However, I will say it had to be done.

No questions.

I didn’t want to continue breathing that stuff and I sure as heck didn’t want my kids breathing it in either! 

And let me tell you, that first night that we slept in the house with those purifiers installed, we noticed a change right away! And now my littlest who seemed to have a runny nose that we couldn’t get rid of since moving into this house, now does not have one! 

We had no idea and felt terrible, but we are so happy she is better now. 

Well, that’s all of the things I was dealing with over the holidays last year. 

And why there hasn’t been much done in our Fixer Upper yet. 

Good news is I am doing better (everyone is) and hopefully we can get some projects rolling soon. 

That’s it for now and I will see you next time, until then… adios! 

What to Expect in 2020… For video scroll to end of post 

Happy New Year friends! I am so ready to start this New Year and I have a lot of things planned for my site and channel. Last year was kinda crazy, my growth on YouTube was steady and I made some great videos that did really well. Because of this my website hurt a bit, honestly. I wasn’t posting as often and wasn’t really enjoying it much since I wasn’t experiencing the same growth on it as my channel. 

RELATED: My Top 10 Videos of 2019 

However, toward the end of the year one of my previous Christmas posts went viral and the surge of new traffic nearly broke my internet space – I jumped on it quick and was able to do something about it before my site shut down due to the incoming traffic. And as a result it gave me a sense of hope that this was still worth pursuing. 

I have been doing this for many years now and it can get frustrating when you put a ton of work in with little results. But alas. I was able to end 2019 with a little bit of hope. 

So for today I will be sharing my plans for this year and what you can expect. Everything mentioned here will be done both on my channel and blog. 

First, off I am happy to announce that my Look for Less monthly challenge will come back.

Because of my move, I had to stop this for a while, but it is coming back this month and I am excited about my co-hosts and all of the things I plan on sharing with you all.

If you aren’t familiar with the Look for Less Challenge, it is where I invite YouTubers as well as those at home to recreate a home decor piece from a higher end store and recreate it for less. My co-hosts are all YouTubers, but I will share my projects here on my blog. 

Next, I plan on posting 3 times a week. 

Yes 3 times! I know, it’s totally ambitious, but I am hoping that having a set schedule will be better for me and you. It will allow consistency and time management on my part, and it will bring more content to you. 

Posts will include home decor and DIY tutorials like I have been, but I also hope to share a weekly recap video/post with you all. As you know, we just moved and there is A LOT to do with our Fixer Upper.

These posts will keep things up to date as to the happenings (and not happenings) each week. 

You should expect posts on Mondays, Wednesdays and Fridays each week. 

Fingers crossed! ??

Another item that has been on my mind is to have my own online shop! 

Yep! 

Every time I say I have an announcement on my Youtube channel a lot of people think it’s my own line of products and boy do I wish it were true! 

Of course,  I have always thought I am “too small” for anyone to buy anything from, and often doubt any success in anything I might sell. But this is the year that I crush those doubts and just DO IT! 

…with Rob as my cheerleader, of course. 

 

So stay tuned for more information on that very soon! 

The next item is more recipes!

I practically never post them on here, but the ones I have posted do pretty good (and the flan has gotten great reviews), so I will be adding more of those this year. 

And, no, I am NOT the best cook, but I do try and I have a few things up my sleep. 

Have you tried my sugar cookies? They are amazeballs! 

Next on the agenda are more sewing tutorials! 

This is probably the one I am most excited about. I truly love sewing! It’s so calming to me. And while everything I know has been 90% self-taught, I just love the idea of adding unique touches throughout your home, just by simply sewing your own items. 

Even if it’s just a simple basket liner…. 

Or a cute farmhouse tablecloth….

 

Finally I just want to mention that since my last health scare I haven’t really been the same and I need to take drastic measures into getting healthy again. I won’t be posting a ton about this, but I will be including updates as to how I am doing throughout the next few months. 

There is just so much to do here on our Fixer Upper and frankly I need to get healthy in order to do everything I need and want to accomplish. 

What to Expect in 2020 (video)

 

Well, I think that is everything! 

I hope you all had a wonderful start to the New Year and I will see you back here on Monday! 

Hey friends! 

I hope you all had a wonderful Thanksgiving holiday! It was so nice to spend time with my family and my parents and give thanks to all the blessings we have had this year.

On Thanksgiving, I actually wore the shirt you see above and I kept getting a ton of compliments on it – lucky for you I documented the whole thing! 

Plus, it’s nice to get away from all of the home renovations we have been doing lately and do something crafty! 

It’s no-sew and super easy to make, plus it was less than $10! 

Here is what you need:

*Some of the links below are affiliate links, see full disclosure here.*

• Iron-on fabric sheets (I got mine at Wal-Mart in the fabric section where they carry the seasonal items) If you can’t find them there, the closest ones online are these.
• Raglan Shirt (I got this one) from Michael’s and used my 40% coupon.
• Iron
• Thin Fabric
• Scissors
• Christmas Tree Template
• Cardboard or a Piece of Scrap Wood

I decided to go with the black and gray raglan. 

As always you can see the video tutorial on my Youtube channel… or at the end of this post.

I pulled the sheets out of the pack and I went online and searched “Christmas Tree Silhouette”. I selected a pattern that I liked printed them in 3 sizes ranging from 5.25 inches in height and 4.25 inches. 

I then took my pattern and began tracing them on the back of the fabric sheets. 

RELATED: DIY Dollar Tree Christmas Trees

Then I cut them out..

Easy peasy! 

When I was done cutting I took my T-shirt, placed it on the table and put a scrap wood board that I had inside of it. This is just to protect the back of the shirt. 

I placed the trees the way I wanted them on the shirt. I ended up choosing the pattern below. 

By the way, I didn’t even use half of those iron-on sheets. 

I see more projects in the future! 

Next, I took a thin piece of fabric and began to iron them on. I started with the first 3 in the center and then did the outer ones. 

You will need to set your iron to “cotton” for this. 

Once I was done with the front, I flipped it inside out and did the inside. And then one more time on the front… 

And that’s it! 

Instant Instagram Model…. 

LOL! I’m kidding! I felt totally awkward doing this.

So when your family asks you where you got your shirt from at your next holiday event you can say… “It’s an original” ? 

BOOM.

I hope you enjoyed this super easy DIY! Don’t forget to PIN it and share it with your friends….

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