Back-to-School sales have begun and it's already time to start loading up on supplies. But Back-to-School shopping doesn't have to focus only on supplies! In addition to picking out the basics, our family has had a long tradition of book gifting for the first day of school. It's a great way to get kids excited about the school year and promote reading while building special memories. This year, we have two little ones starting pre-K and Kindergarten in our family. One of my favorite authors at that age was Richard Scarry, so I wanted try to foster that same love with two fantastic Richard Scarry books.
This season, my husband and I have made it our goal to update our outdoor living space and try our hand at some basic herb and vegetable gardening. Years ago, we began using flower boxes to make the most of our limited outdoor space in our D.C. apartment. Now that we live in Florida and have a large yard, we still find that flower boxes are one of the best ways to grow plants and add style to our lawn and patio area. For those of you trying to decide which style of gardening is right for you, we've provided some of the biggest benefits that flower boxes and raised beds offer below. We've also included one of our favorite flower box recommendations, the IKEA Askholmen Flower Box, for its style, functionality and affordability.
We recently moved into a new home and love the light that streams into each room, but we still need privacy and shade once in a while. Rather than spending thousands of dollars on blinds installation throughout our home, we found a fantastically affordable professional-grade DIY option from Redi Shade. TheirEasy Lift Trim-at-Home Window Shades allow you to measure and install the shades all on your own, no tools required!
Do we love doing the laundry? No. It's time-consuming and does no favors to our utility bills. In our home, it seems like laundry is a never-ending chore. With as many loads as we do each week, an ENERGY STAR ® certified washer and dryer is a must. It keeps our bills low and we like knowing that we're minimizing the impact on the environment as well! We just purchased a new washer and dryer from Best Buy this month and can't say enough about how easy they made it. The delivery men were extra careful taking them up our new stairs and had each installed in a snap. If you're in the market for a new set, Best Buy's ENERGY STAR ® certified selection is vast. They are committed to helping families through their commitment to positively impacting our environment, with a huge assortment of sustainable products and appliances. This includes their large selection of energy-efficient products, including ENERGY STAR ® certified electronics and appliances.
A good night's sleep is one of the most important factors to a healthy lifestyle. Unfortunately, it can be one of the hardest things to achieve. I don't know how many nights I've laid awake tossing and turning with my mind racing. For new moms, it's even worse. If your little one isn't enjoying solid sleep, you aren't either. A friend of mine insists that it's all about the environment and the ambiance. She recommended a white noise machine and essential oils to create a soothing, peaceful send off to sleep, and she swears by a humidifier during dry seasons. After listening to her advice, I decided it was worth a try. After searching online, I was most impressed with all of the functions that the HoMedics® SoundSpa® Slumber Scents offered. It's an alarm clock, noise machine and diffuser all in one! I loved the idea of decluttering my nightstand and using this SoundSpa as an all-in-one device. So, did it make a difference? After one week of giving it a go, here are my thoughts...
Father's Day is a great time to replace Dad's old tools with new, high-quality tools that will make work easier. My husband and I have made this a yearly tradition after seeing the sad state most of his father's tools were in. Summer typically means lawn work, so this Father's Day, we've decided to focus on lawn and garden tools. Investing in professional grade tools is worth it in the long run. We learned this the hard way after replacing far too many less expensive, lesser quality tools that lasted only a short time. This year, we've decided to gift the Vesco Professional Hedge Shears from Garden Tool Company. Garden Tool Company is a fantastic site for ordering professional grade and heavy-use tools at an affordable price.
Spring cleaning is in full effect! Although scrubbing the house from top to bottom is a time-consuming task, we absolutely love the fresh feeling afterward. This season we specifically chose Lysol products because we wanted to get our home germ-free and super clean without the harsh chemicals contained in most other cleaning products. Check out our recommendations below!
Those of you who follow us regularly are are familiar with our gardening trials and tribulations. Trying to figure out Florida soil has been no easy fete! After much research and plenty of impromptu talks with some serious gardeners, we decided dahlias are the answer. These perennial flowers are supposed to be a breeze to grow and are absolutely stunning as they bloom. A local florist in our neighborhood recommended planting dahlia bulbs (tubers, actually) and pointed us in the direction of Breck's online shop, which as it turns out, is amazing! We reached out to Breck's to give their bulbs a try and were pleasantly surprised with the wide variety of plants they offer and the wealth of helpful gardening information. Check out our planting photos below!
This weekend, we decided to tackle one of our biggest home make-over projects of the season by adding a modern style to our guest bedroom walls. We've been wanting to try something a little more funky and fun, but my husband and I are amateurs when it comes to painting. We did our research as far as the process goes, and I think it turned out pretty great, if I do say so myself! One of the things that helped us the most was using the right painting supplies, so I've put together a quick 'How-to' below and included the Wooster painting supplies that made this project a million times easier. Check it out below!
Each Mother's Day, we take extra care to find a decadent gift for the Moms in our family. This year, we have found the best gift yet with Zingerman's Classic Coffee and Cake Pairing Box! This gourmet gift set includes rich, sweet and salty, all in one artfully decorated box. It's sure to be a crowd pleaser with everyone in our family and we love that the door-to-door delivery they offer saves us shopping and wrapping time! Check out what's included below...
