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0 In How To/ Mom Life/ The Best

Moby 2-in-1 Carrier + Hip Seat Review: The Perfect Carrier for the Mom On-the-Go

Being a mom is a tough gig, yet the most rewarding job I’ve ever had.  Multitasking has quickly become a daily way of life for our family as we’re always on the go.  Whenever I come across a product that makes mom life a bit more simple, it makes me so excited to share with you guys.

For this post, I’m happy to partner with Moby to share our new 2-in-1 Carrier + Hip Seat from Amazon.  This baby carrier has been such a game changer for us.  With Kinley at 8 months old, it’s so nice to be able to wear her out and about or even just around the home when I’m trying to keep up with the vacuuming or laundry.  Here’s all the reasons to love this structured baby carrier: 

  • One-size-fits-all — it’s so nice that this carrier can be used by myself, my husband, our caregiver, anyone!  In the past, I’ve tried on other structured carriers and didn’t feel like I could get them tight enough to feel secure since I’m on the petite side.  The 2-in-1 Carrier + Hip Seat has a great fit for all body types.
  • From infant to toddler — I loved how this carrier will last us from first snuggles to first steps.  You can use this baby carrier from 4 months up until 48 months if you’d like!
  • Multiple options for wear — With 4 carrier options (both inward and outward) and 3 hip seat options you’re sure to find one that works best for your lifestyle.  We like to use the outward carrier option on the go, the inward carrier option when she’s in need of a nap and the hip seat at home for up and down ease.  
  • Comfortable to wear — As Kinley grows, it’s getting harder and harder to physically keep up with carrying her around. The Moby 2-in-1 Carrier + Hip Seat distributes her weight more evenly between my hips and shoulders.  Also, the hard structure hip seat also provides additional comfort for me and better support for my little one.
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0 In DIY/ Home Decor/ How To/ interior design/ Tips and Tricks

How to Apply Shiplap Wallpaper

How To Apply Shiplap Wallpaper

Calling all Joanna Gaines wanna be’s… are you dying for the look of shiplap, but not ready to commit to the real thing?  Do you currently live in a rental where you can make any changes to your living space?  Or maybe you don’t have access to an arsenal of power tools at your disposal. For me, I’m the queen of indecisiveness so it’s hard for me to make a big time commitment to any design trend.  The thought of destroying a whole wall of drywall for something I might not like in the future makes me a little leary.

My IG buddy Amanda @houseoncanal has this AMAZING shiplap wall in her home.  When I asked her about it, she told me it wasn’t even real, and I couldn’t believe it!  It was peel and stick wallpaper! After that, I was sold.  I knew this DIY project wouldn’t be easy, but it would be well worth it to get the “Fixer Upper” look.  Here’s how to apply shiplap wallpaper…

Devine Color Shiplap Wallpaper

Materials

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0 In DIY/ How To/ Tips and Tricks/ Winter

DIY Fake Snowballs

Happy New Year y’all!  Feels so good to be back… I took a mini-break during the holiday season, and I’m so excited to kickoff the new year with a fun DIY project.  As we say goodbye to Christmas decor, it’s now the perfect time to transition to some winter decor.  I don’t know about you… but my house was feeling pretty darn bare after taking down all of the Christmas goodness.  So if you’re looking for ways to add a wintery feel to your home, some DIY fake snowballs can totally do the trick.  These DIY fake snowballs make a great vase filler, you can even add them to any farmhouse tray, wire basket or even a dough bowl.  Throw in some faux evergreen sprays for that extra snow season kick.

Fake Snowball Materials

Materials

  • Styrofoam balls, various sizes (after testing both the textured and smooth, I found textured to look more realistic)
  • Fake snow flakes
  • White craft paint
  • Mod Podge Matte
  • White/Clear glitter
  • Foam paint brush
  • Toothpicks
  • Empty box

Instructions

  1.    First, to get started, you’ll want to stick your toothpick through the styrofoam ball to give you a place to hold onto it.  Using the white craft paint, generously paint each ball white.

2.  Once you get a ball painted, then go ahead and stick the toothpick through the bottom of an empty box to create a place to hold all the drying snowballs.

3.  After letting them dry for a few hours, you’re ready for the sparkle! Apply a generous layer of Mod Podge and roll the snowball around in a mixture of fake snowflakes and glitter.  I also heard that adding epsom salt to the mix is a good way to give an item a realistic icey look.

 

Fake Snowballs DIY

4.  Then just stick the toothpicks within the balls back in the empty box.  Let them dry overnight, and that’s it!  Now you can style them within your home however you’d like!

Such a simple DIY to create your own winter decor!  Will you be decorating your home for winter this year?  How about Valentine’s Day?

xo,

lauren

 

4 In Christmas/ DIY/ Home Decor/ How To/ Winter

DIY Mini Christmas Wreaths from the Target Dollar Spot

Christmas Wreath Chair Backs

Deck the halls with boughs of holly, fa-la-la-la, la-la-la-la!  Christmas decorating season is officially here!  This is seriously the most wonderful, magical time of year.  I just LOVE decorating our home for the holidays.  If I could pull it off, every single room in our house would be decorated.  I’m not quite at that expert level yet… but maybe one day!

I was looking to incorporate more Christmas decor into our kitchen, and I loved the idea of tying wreaths onto all the backs of our chairs.  Real boxwood wreaths can be a bit pricey, so for my fellow pals on a budget, this DIY project is just for you.

Here’s what you’ll need to create DIY Mini Christmas Wreaths…

DIY Boxwood Wreaths

Materials

  • Wired Boxwood Garland –  I purchased mine from Target Dollar Spot but here’s a similar option from Amazon
  • Ribbon of your choice
  • Scissors

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11 In DIY/ Furniture/ Home Decor/ How To

How to Build a DIY Wood Mirror Frame

How To Build Wooden Mirror Frame

Everyone has one.  A plain, basic, full-length mirror that’s doing nothing for  your home decor game.  It’s time to step it up buttercup, and give this mirror a makeover.  In this DIY post, I’ll show you how to build a rustic wooden mirror frame.

Materials Needed

*** Tip: Make sure that when you purchase your boards that they are all the exact same width.  Even though all three were labeled the same size, one was slightly smaller which made it more difficult later on for us.  Also, be sure that all the boards lay flat to the ground and they aren’t warped at all. 

Instructions

1. The mirror I started with featured a thick, plastic frame.  First, I removed the paper backing and then started to pull away the supporting pieces that were held in with staples.  Once that was completed, I used the flip side of the hammer to hook on to the frame and carefully pull the frame off of the mirror.  You must go super slow and be patient!  If you break the mirror during this step, there’s no going back!  It might also be a good idea to wear protective eye wear during this step.  The pieces can pop and fly off. 

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2 In Home Decor/ How To/ interior design/ Tips and Tricks

6 Ways to Style Spindles

How To Style Spindles

A few weeks ago, I ran into my friend, Kari, at the Main Street Market hosted by Urban Farmgirl in Rockford.  She had purchased a beautiful set of white, chippy spindles from Trove Vintage.    We were chatting about all the fun ways she would be able to style them within her home.  Then LIGHT BULB… it hit me!  What a perfect idea for a blog post.  In the hopes of providing some decor inspiration for your home, here are six ways to style spindles.

Spindles In Dough Bowl

1.  Place within a dough bowl or old toolbox.

If you’re looking for something to fill up a decorative bowl of any kind, you can add in your chippy paint spindles.  You can keep it plain and simple or incorporate other filler as well.

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1 In Fall/ Home Decor/ How To/ interior design/ The Best

6 Ways to Transition Your Summer Home with Fall Decor

Transition Summer Fall Home Decor

I can feel a slight chill in the air, and it makes me so pumped because I know fall is just around the corner.  Apple pickin’, pumpkin patches, PSLs and football tailgates… fall is just the best season out there!  On top of all that, fall decor is just the best.  Every year it seems like it gets earlier and earlier when we see the upcoming seasonal decor hitting the shelves.  I know there are some haters out there… but I LOVE it.  It gets me so excited!

I know it’s early… and maybe some of you don’t have fall on the brain quite yet, but it will be here before we know it.  So I just wanted to throw a few ideas out there to get you thinking about how to transition your summer-styled home with fall decor…

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22 In DIY/ Furniture/ Home Decor/ How To/ Tips and Tricks

DIY Project: How To Build Pipe Shelves

DIY Industrial Pipe Shelves

Have you been on a desperate search to find the perfect industrial shelving unit to fit your space?  I’ve got you… search no longer!  With this quick and easy tutorial, you can build the perfect DIY pipe shelves.

It takes a little time, patience, some elbow grease and the supplies below…

Supplies

  •  Power drill
  •  Stud finder
  •  Two (per shelf) 3/4 in. diameter black iron floor flange fitting
  •  Two (per shelf) 3/4 in. diameter black iron cap fitting
  •  Two (per shelf)  3/4 in. 10 in. black pipe nipple
  •  Wooden Plank (one per shelf)
  •  Level
  • #6 Drywall Screws, 2 in. in black
  • Mr. Clean Magic Eraser

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5 In Hobby Lobby/ Home Decor/ How To/ interior design/ Tips and Tricks

5 Ways to Style a Tobacco Basket

How To Decorate Tobacco Baskets

Lately I’ve been seeing tobacco baskets popping up all over the place.  They can be a great way to incorporate farmhouse flair into your home.  Even if the farmhouse trend isn’t your thing, it can serve as a way to incorporate natural wood elements into your interior design.

If you’re looking to purchase the real thing from an antique store, it’s going to set you back a couple hundred dollars.  Maybe you can snag one at a barn sale or a flea market for less.  But lucky for those of us on a budget, you can find replica tobacco baskets from Hobby Lobby, Amazon and Decor Steals from time to time.

Once you get your hands on one… how do you decorate with a tobacco basket?  Here are 5 simple ways you can style a tobacco basket within your home.

  1.  Hang on a wall. 

I’d say this is the most popular way I’ve seen tobacco baskets used.  You can hang on a wall just the basket itself to keep it simple.  Or you can attach some faux florals or include multiple baskets to display as a form of wall art.

2.  Use as a tray. 

Looking for the perfect focal piece for your coffee table?  Why not use a tobacco basket as a tray to hold a few decorative items like books, candles and flowers.  You can even make it more practical by adding in your TV remote or pretty coasters.

Style Tobacco Basket

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3 In Bedroom/ DIY/ Furniture/ Home Decor/ How To/ interior design/ Tips and Tricks

DIY Project: How to Chalk Paint a Mirror

About a month ago, my bestie, Morgan, moved into an apartment in Chicago.  She wanted her new space to feel cozy and comfortable without having to spend a lot of money.  She’s currently in grad school so keeping it cheap was a must!  She expressed the need for a get-ready station in her bedroom since she shares one small bathroom with her roommate.  We looked all over for a simple vanity that would fit the space.  The ones we found were either too expensive or just not quite right.  So instead, we decided to refinish some old furniture pieces that she already had using chalk paint.

We spruced up the small table by using Annie Sloan Chalk Paint in Graphite with Annie Sloan Soft Wax in Clear over the top.  For the technique we used, just check out this past blog post… Transforming a Garage Sale Find with Chalk Paint.

For the mirror, here’s what we did…

Supplies

 

Instructions

  1.  Start off with an old mirror you’re looking to transform.  We used this old gaudy gold mirror pictured below or a wooden frame could work as well.

IMG_8362

2.  Brush the edges of the mirror off with a dust rag to insure you’re starting with a clean surface.

3.  Use the painter’s tape to create a rectangle around the outer edge where the mirror meets the frame.  Be sure to take your time and get as close to the edge of the frame as possible.  This will insure a clean edge between the painted frame and the mirrored surface.  You will be taping right on the mirror’s surface.

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