How to Paint a Wood Fireplace for Under $50

Let’s face it – as young adults, we don’t have millions (not even hundreds!) of dollars to spend on our home decor and furnishings. We’re 20-something year olds most likely in entry level positions learning how to navigate bills and budgets with our newly acquired paychecks. Thanks to the help from the three main F’s – family, friends, and Facebook Marketplace – we are able to curate a hodge podge of furniture from different generations, in different textures and colors, for our first home or apartment. While nothing matches or looks like something Joanna Gaines would have styled, it was free or cheap furniture so you can spend your hard earned cash on food (and beer and wine) instead of  on overpriced furniture.

But what if beautiful furniture didn’t have to break the bank? What if you could have the style you want at a fraction of the cost. Spoiler alert: You can!

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My Goals for 2019

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Is anyone else having a hard time believing that 2019 starts tomorrow? On one hand, I feel like I just celebrated the 2018 New Year, yet on the other, 2017 and the start of 2018 honestly seems like it was ages ago! Usually I am excited about ringing in a new year. It means more opportunities, advancements, adventures and growing older (if you haven’t learned this about me yet, I always want to be older than I am… I wonder at what age these feelings will change!) However, this year I am a bit nervous and scared to see what the new year brings. For the first time, I am not looking forward to the clock striking 12AM on January 1, 2019 because it means a new year without my mom. A full 365 days without her supporting me, pushing me, loving me, believing in me.

Before anyone messages me, I do realize that my fear is irrational. I can’t be afraid of a new year. And I have to know by now that my mom is with me in spirit every day.  She sends me so many signs that I know she’s by my side every step of the way. But a new year means more firsts without her, and that’s my fear. It means more moments I can’t share with her, more envy I feel towards friends and complete strangers who get to build relationships with their moms, and more moments of feeling lost and alone. Each day I am learning the intricacies of grief and how to move forward each day. 

The best way I move forward and push myself is through goals.

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20 Gifts You Can Amazon Prime

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I can’t believe Christmas is one week away. Yes, you read that right – One. Week. Away. I’m not sure what happened, but I feel like December flew by. One minute I was eating cranberry sauce (the best side!) on Thanksgiving saying how nice it was that Turkey Day was early this year, and the next I’m racing around getting last minute gifts for family members, friends, and coworkers. If you’re like me scrabbling for gift ideas at the last hour, grab your wallet and head straight to Amazon. Trust me, Amazon Prime is your best friend, or Santa Claus, this time of year. 

I’ve rounded up gift ideas for everyone on your list at varying price points. Just call me one of Santa’s elves! 

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A Christmas Eve Tradition

It’s no secret from my family and friends that I love traditions. For me, traditions create memories that last a lifetime, and also brings families and friends together to celebrate, reminisce or experience a certain thing. Traditions are a memory, a moment of reflection on the family members before you who created this ritual, but also a glimpse at the future and the excitement that you can pass on these moments to future generations. 

Unfortunately, in today’s day in age, traditions do come and go. Families separate, new families form, and life gets too busy or in the way and we lose track of those moments that were once so important to us. Coming from a divorced family, many of my childhood traditions disappeared. And I won’t lie – it was heartbreaking. But as I got older, new traditions formed and the dream of passing down family traditions to my future family kept my spirit alive. In my 24 years of living, there is one family tradition that never faded. There was one magical tradition that my mom kept alive, and passed on to my friends and boyfriends as I got older. Whether we were together on Christmas Eve or not, my mom never let me down with my longstanding family tradition: Christmas Eve Pajamas. 

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10 Tips for Saving Money While Decorating for the Holidays

Our house is finally decorated for the holidays, making it hard to leave our little wonderland each morning for work. At night when we get home from work, I love to turn on all the twinkling lights and sit in our cozy home with a fire. There’s nothing more peaceful to me. Since moving into our house in February, we have heavily relied on hand me down decorations, and just recently started sourcing new holiday items of our own. I think the perfect balance of old + new is what creates the best holiday spirit and cheer!

For those new to the holiday decorating game, like we are, I’m here with a PSA: Decorations can get expensive! I won’t forget the mile long receipt from my first holiday run to Target. Needless to say I returned a few things and started investing time and money into the items I truly wanted and needed, rather than those I coveted or saw on display. Let’s not forget about the cost of the electric bill during the month of December due to a surplus of outdoor lights! I wanted to share my top tips for saving money during the holiday season, without giving up on design and style!

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DIY Advent Calendar

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Advent calendars have always been a special part of my holiday season ever since I was a little girl. And no, I’m not referring to those chocolate advent boxes you can buy at the grocery store. I’m talking authentic, homemade advent calendar that is a true countdown to Christmas.

Growing up, my advent calendar was special to our family. It was a handmade fabric calendar my mom made in a previous, crafty life of hers that featured a Christmas tree with a decoration for each day of the month. Each day was a small wooden ornament that I was always so eager to place on the tree (and see what the surprise was that day!) I didn’t need chocolate and my favorite cartoon characters to countdown the holiday. I just needed the spirit of Christmas.

When I studied abroad in Denmark, I was fortunate to stay with an incredible family who took me in as their own daughter for the five months. My host mom was both compassionate and crafty, and gifted me my very own custom made advent calendar that she and her husband designed for me.

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10 Gifts that #GIVEBACK

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Happy #GivingTuesday! For those who don’t know, Giving Tuesday began as an international movement to kick off the holiday season by giving back to charities and non-profits across the world.

My family and friends can attest to this, but I always try to give back to my community, especially during the holiday season. I’ve always purchased Secret Angel gifts for under privileged children through my church or my work, and I am notorious for adding on a $1 or rounding up my bill at stores to give back to local children’s hospitals and organizations.

One Christmas as a young girl, I decided to only purchase gifts that gave a portion of proceeds back to charity. I remember that included makeup for mom (such as Burt’s Bees!) and Heifer International animal donations for dad. At a young age, I saw the importance of helping and supporting others and I personally believe holiday gifts are a great, easy and selfless way to give (in multiple ways!)

I’ve rounded up 10 gifts that give back to charity and are great for anyone in your life – moms, dads, brothers, sisters, significant others, friends, baby, animal lovers and even their furry friends.

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Our Stay at Sunscape Resort in Curaçao

Happy Travel Tuesday! I can’t believe it’s been two weeks since we returned home from Curaçao. In that short time, we’ve had three birthday celebrations, multiple work events and a gala, a few home projects as well as a doggy sitting weekend (more on that topic to come!) It’s crazy to me that I just now have time to reflect on our trip and share with you our experience at Sunscape Resort and Casino!

There were so many great elements of our trip, and some not so great. To share our experience, I’ve broken the resort out into four categories: Room and Facility, Resort Accommodations, Food and Beverage, and Entertainment. I’ll also give you our total experience score for our stay. Side note: my friends who know me all too well are probably rolling their eyes because this judging criteria comes straight from the TLC show, Four Weddings! I know, I’m shaking my head too.

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Candy Cookie Bars

Are you staring at your dining room table littered with colorful wrappers of candy, candy, candy! Before you throw it all away, transform your leftover chocolate candy into the world’s sweetest cookie!

Whether you are trying to get rid of excess candy you purchased for Trick or Treaters, or trying to minimize your child’s loot bag, Candy Cookie Bars are the tastiest and easiest way to reduce your candy supply before it goes to waste.

These cookie bars are basically the Halloween kitchen sink of cookies. It doesn’t matter what chocolate candy you throw into the batter, it will always taste good. Imagine the ooey gooey-ness of Snickers caramel, the creaminess of Reese’s Peanut Butter and the crunch from M&M’s. Each bite is a taste of your favorite candy bar surrounded by a soft cookie shell.

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