Travel Tips and Tricks

July 6, 2018July 5, 20181 Comment

Hello! I hope everyone had a good and safe 4th of July! I know mom and dad’s furry kids were good with the fireworks, and my cats were a little scared but nothing too bad.

With summer in full swing, people everywhere are taking road trips. Now, I wish that I could travel more than I do now, but it isn’t going to happen anytime soon. So to curb my hunger for adventure, here are some travel tips and tricks for you on your next road trip. Enjoy!

I haven’t been on too many flights but I can say that it is hard to pack a carry on bag. Arzo Travels lays out an awesome list of everything that you should pack in your carry on bag for your next flight.

Who doesn’t like snacks? Especially for a long trip you definitely need to have something to eat on the road. Live Laugh Rowe gives her list of snacks that she likes to pack for a road trip.

We all love our pets and we love them so much so that sometimes we want to take them with us on our adventure. The Every Girl complies a list of things to pack and look at when wanting your furry friend to go on an adventure too!

If you are traveling somewhere by car and not by plane, it can be hard to figure out how to pack your car. Stuffed Suitcase shows us how she packs her car for long road trips, which is very helpful!

If you are going on a trip soon, you may need to pack a lot of small items for your adventure. Polka Dot Chair gives us some ideas on things to pack to make traveling just a little bit easier.

Sometimes when you are taking a road trip, you are taking the whole family with you! Lexie Loo, Lily, Liam, Dylan Too gives us some great ideas of things to bring when traveling with kids.

Did you know that there is a “proper” way to pack a suitcase? Business Insider gives us this awesome diagram on how to properly pack for your next trip.

With everyone using technology for everything nowadays, wouldn’t it be nice if you could have a plethora of apps that were reliable for travel? Carry On or Bust compiles a list of apps that they use when traveling that make your life much easier.

This is a HUGE thing! Obviously you want to be safe while traveling and it would be terrible if things got stolen from you. Wise Bread gives a good list of things to take into consideration when you are traveling.

Finally, it’s not really travel tips and tricks, but my trip to Washington last summer. I had so much fun and even give you a small itinerary for my week long trip. Click here to check it out!

Make an American Flag from Pickets

July 4, 2018July 3, 20181 Comment

Happy 4th of July!!

I thought you would enjoy this little picture. I’m not sure how much the pups enjoyed it, but they sure look cute!

I posted this a couple of years ago, but thought it was perfect for today! I had gathered some pickets from a neighbor a couple of years ago when he took down his fence. I have used them for a potting table and also a little side table. I wasn’t using the small table anymore, so I took it apart and used the pieces. Steve removed the nails from each of the pieces, than I gave each one a good scrubbing.

I painted 4 pickets antique white and 3 pickets grey. I didn’t cover them too thoroughly, just enough to freshen them up.

I took one of the squares from the table that was taken apart and painted it blue. After the paint dried, I sprayed a little bit of turquoise over the top and then sanded it down.

These pieces also came from the table and they were attached to the back to hold all the pickets together.

Here is the front with the blue square attached.

Here is my bottle cap collection! My girls and I have collected these for years while taking walks around the neighborhood. We have an alley behind us and there are always treasures to be found. The girls and I picked out caps with blue, gold, silver and a little bit of red. We tried to get them all different and then placed them on the blue square in random order. I used my nail-gun to attach them.

All done! This was such a simple project to put together and I love how it turned out!

I don’t really decorate with red, so I tried to keep this as neutral as possible.

I’m still loving this flag and have it on my mantle now. I hope you all have a happy and safe 4th of July!

Red, White and Blue Outdoor Dining

July 2, 2018July 1, 20182 Comments

Good morning! We celebrate our country’s independence this week! Do you have big 4th of July celebrations where you are? I’m not even sure what we are doing this year LOL! Last year, all of the neighbors were outside eating and having fun and then lighting off tons of fireworks. We didn’t even have to go to our city’s firework show because we had our own! We will probably do the same this year.

I set up this little tablescape on my back patio this week to celebrate the 4th, but it could be for any summer get together! I don’t have much red, but I was able to pull out a few pieces and it all worked together.

The red and white plates are actually metal. They are pretty cool! I layered my blue and white plates on top along with a blue and white napkin. I used a piece of red ribbon to tie it up and added a fun little pinwheel!

Seashells are the perfect summer touch!

I layered a blue and white striped runner and a red, white and blue striped place-mat in the middle. A few more seashells, candles and bubbles keep it simple.

We still have a lot of work to do in our backyard. We would like to replace the fence and add some plants around the edge. I would also like to paint the patio. I love using blue on the ceiling.

I made the farmhouse beaded chandelier and the recycled pallet table and they add the perfect touch to the patio. I used a dropcloth to make the curtains. Using clip curtain rings makes it easy to use any kind of material.

I can’t wait to spend some time out here when the evenings cools down.

Thank you for following along! I hope you have a safe and happy 4th of July!

sunshine-and-blessings-picmonkey

Fourth of July Food!

June 29, 2018June 28, 20181 Comment

Hello! Is everyone ready for the 4th of July? Last week I showed you some awesome decor and today I’m bringing you food. Don’t worry there is still plenty of time to make these deliciously sweet treats for your party.

Some of these are healthy, others are not. And the one drink does contain alcohol. These are your forewarnings. But other than that, enjoy!

Red White and Blue M’M Cookie Bars from Number 2 Pencil

Sparkling Red White and Blue Sangria from Gimme Some Oven

Red White and Blue Strawberry Cheesecake Bites from The Kitchen is My Playground

American Flag Taco Salad from Family Fresh Meals

4th of July Sprinkle Cookies from Simply Gloria

Red White and Blue Cheesecake Salad from The Slow Roasted Italian

Firecraker Cake from Love Bakes Good Cakes

Berry Mini Pies from Eat Drink Love

Red White and Blue Stained Glass Jello from Nest of Posies

4th of July American Flag Platter from Passion for Savings

Green & White Striped Bench for Summer

June 25, 2018June 15, 2018Leave a comment

Good morning! It’s officially summer now! Are you enjoying some relaxing days or evenings! I like that it is light so late in the evening. It’s so much easier to get things done when it’s still light outside. I have a simple project for you today.

Our area has quite a few estate sales. A company comes into a house, pulls everything out of cupboards and closets, prices it and then runs the sale for 2 days. The items are usually higher priced than a normal sale, but if you go on the second day, everything is half off. That’s how I found this bench. There were actually three of them. I’m not sure what the owners did with three of them, but I only came home with one!

The top was easily removed by unscrewing the 4 screws. Then I painted it white.

I had this fabric for awhile. I think I made a pillow from it before, but had plenty left over. I plan to put this little bench in my laundry, so it could be a little bit of a bright and fun color.

I cut the fabric a little bit larger than the bench top. I folded over the edge twice to give it a clean line.

Next, came the stapling. I usually start in the middle of each side and then work toward the edges, pulling the fabric tight as I go.

For the corners, I fold the fabric in, kind of like wrapping a present.

Now that the fabric is on, I just reattached it to the base.

I took photos in my living room since my laundry room has no natural light. I love the bright green stripes!

It’s the perfect place to sit to take off shoes when you come in the door or to put down your packages.

It’s amazing how a little bit of paint and some pretty fabric can change the whole look of a piece of furniture! What projects have you worked on lately? I would love to hear about it!