Summer is in full swing and we are practically living in our backyard. I work out there in the mornings, the boys play all afternoon, then it's time for dinner on the patio, and we've even been reading the boys library books under the glow of our patio string lights before bed. I absolutely love the outdoor room we've created, but the one thing that would make it better transition between indoors and out. My dream is a wide open moving glass wall system that looks something like this...

Making the Kids' Room Safer and More Fun With Onelink Safe & Sound

Thank you First Alert Onelink for sponsoring this post. Onelink Safe & Sound - Meet Your Family’s New Best Friend. #ONELINKSTORY

Last summer, we started adding some smart home features to our house, including keyless locks, light bulbs we can control with our phones, and even a smart garage door opener. I love the convenience each of these adds to our lives, but more than that, I love the ways in which they make our home a safer place for our family. 

Recently we added one more smart home addition that has quickly jumped straight to the top of my favorites list. We installed the First Alert Onelink Safe & Sound smart smoke detector and carbon monoxide alarm in the boys' room to help keep them safe, which mom and dad love! But it's more than just that... it's also an Alexa enabled premium speaker and nightlight, which the boys are just crazy about!

How to Properly Store, Dispose Of, and Recycle Paint and Paint Cans

As a serial DIYer, I'm always repainting the walls in our house, and painting just about everything else in sight with spray paint. That leaves us with a lot of leftover paint and, in time, a lot of empty paint cans. We have a very small utility room and a detached, unheated garage, so I had a lot of questions about how and where I could safely store my leftover paint, and how to properly dispose of paint and paint cans.

I did a lot of research regarding both paint storage and disposal options, and learned that we could recycle some of our leftover paint, as well as recycling all of our empty paint cans. Today I'm sharing all the findings of my research with some helpful tips for how to store leftover paint, how to dispose of leftover paint, and how to recycle paint cans.

Small Utility Room Shelving Solution & the Best Way to Organize Paint Supplies

Having a fully finished basement adds a lot of livable square footage to our house, but it also means that there's almost no storage space. But you know I love a good challenge, so we worked our magic and managed to squeeze in some much needed utility room shelving and organized every available inch of space.

How to Store Leftover Paint + Free Printable Paint Labels

Saying we have a lot of leftover paint might be an understatement! When we bought our home, the builder left us a touch up kit with 2 quarts of each color of paint used throughout the house (including all the original wall colors, the trim, ceilings, and closet interior paints). Since that time we have repainted many of the rooms in the house, resulting in even more leftover paint. In the boys' bedroom alone, where we painted ombre stripes, we have five different colors of teal paint to store.

Plant Recommendation: What to Plant Behind a Garden Bench

When we moved into our home, the small backyard left a lot to be desired, but over the years we transformed it, little by little, into our very own oasis in the city. One of my very favorite parts of our yard is the planter bench that provides seating on one side of our patio table. But finding the best plants for this garden bench proved more challenging than I originally expected. After weeks of online research, and a trip to just about every nursery in town, we finally stumbled upon the perfect solution. I've talked about the planter bench on the blog before, but I decided this soft and tall plant recommendation for behind a bench really deserves a post all its own.

Closet Clean Out: Donating & Recycling Clothes

As a mom, it can be tough to take time for yourself. There's always something to be done for someone else, and in those rare moments that the house is quiet, it's hard to think of much else other than your never ending to do list and how tired you are! With Mother's Day right around the corner, it seems like the perfect time to remind ourselves that to be the best moms for our kids, we also have to make our own well-being a priority. Thank you to Hefty® for sponsoring this post, and for helping me to support other moms as well!

Five Step Quick Cleaning Routine

That moment when the phone rings with friends asking if they can stop by, and you look around the house wondering how much you can clean up in the next 30 minutes before they arrive. Please tell me I'm not the only one this has happened to?!

I always do better when I have a plan, so I thought I'd embrace the idea of spring cleaning this year by coming up with a simple game plan that I can use throughout the year to whip the house into shape quickly. With young kids and a new puppy in the house, I'm always in search of green cleaning products that are safe for our home and family, so I've partnered with Safeway and their exclusive Open Nature™ household cleaning and care products to share my new Quick Clean Routine.

Budget Friendly Sewing Room Organization Ideas

I got a sewing machine for my birthday a few years ago, and I have big plans to create my own mini "sewing room" inside an armoire. This project hasn't made it to the top of my to do list just yet, but in the meantime, I'm excited to share the most adorable space packed with tons of smart sewing room organization ideas to inspire us all! This space proves that you truly don't need a large space or big budget to create a stylish and organized sewing room.

{one room challenge} Week 3: Slowing Our Kitchen Roll

One of the things I love most about the One Room Challenge is that it gives me the motivation I need to start and finish a project in the short span of six weeks. I've participated in the ORC seven times before, and I've always managed to complete the makeover just in the nick of time without ever compromising on the design. In fact, participating in the ORC has always pushed me to go big and make bold design decisions, which exactly the way I like it.