Happy List #27

Why, hello again!

I sure am thankful for all of you who keep coming back week after week!

I’m excited because we have a 3-day weekend. I have no idea why Monday is a bank holiday and I do not second guess these things. Also, if you want to do anything touristy on a bank holiday weekend in Ireland – forget about it. All 5 million people that live on this island plus a herd of sheep will be in the same place at the same time. Guaranteed.

This week I shared how I repurposed my wine rack into a display shelf for my children’s beloved tchotchkes. If dessert soups are your jam, then I also shared a Sour Cherry Soup from Hungary.

Here’s what’s giving me that happy feeling this week.

FREE DOUGHNUTS AND FISHING – just not in the same place

Don’t say I don’t look out for you peeps in the United States. Today is National Doughnut Day in the U.S.A.

If you want a free doughnut, TODAY is your chance.

Dunkin Donuts is handing out a free doughnut with the purchase of a beverage. Krispy Kreme is just giving away free doughnuts – no purchase necessary. It’s like they want us to get fat. I read all about the freebies – not the getting fat part, I made that up – on Time.com.

It is also Take Me Fishing Week in almost 20 states, which means free fishing! No permit or license required. To see if your state is participating, click here.

Image via Merriam-Webster. If you want to know whether it is doughnut or donut, then visit their page.

THE GADGET I NOW NEED

I didn’t know it until this week, but now I am CONVINCED I need a spiralizer to make sweet potato noodles.

According to the recipe for Chipotle Sweet Potato Noodle Salad on Pinch of Yum, that is how this salad is made. Looks delicious, right?

(image via Pinch of Yum)

I’m currently pretty gadget-free in this house, so I had to “search up” (to use my 7-year-old’s lingo) on Amazon what exactly a spiralizer is and does.

There’s this one that’s about $30 that sits on the counter. It got almost 5 stars from 8,000 reviews, so I’m guessing it is the best thing since sliced bread. I’m not a fan of bulky kitchen gadgets though.

Then there’s this cute handheld one too., which looks more up my alley. I’m guessing it isn’t quite as good as the beast above though. It got 4 stars from around 450 reviews and is only 14 bucks.

I’m wondering if my kids would think any of these veggies were truly noodles? Hmm. Might have to think about this.

WHAT I SHOULD HAVE MADE IN 7TH GRADE SHOP CLASS

7th grade (or was it 8th?) shop class was a nightmare. I think it had something to do with the instructor not really being a kid-person. Or a people-person.

There were also all those rumors about kids losing fingers in the power saws. And there were the boys who liked to goof around, which was probably why there were rumors about kids losing fingers.

I find this to be a shame because looking back, I really could have used some encouragement in the category of ‘dive in and try a power tool.’

Instead of the useless napkin holder that didn’t hold napkins up…or was it a letter holder?…this toothbrush holder would have been a cool shop class creation.

It would definitely look cool in my minimalist house where my kids never leave a toothpaste mess everywhere.

Get the scoop on the DIY from The Merry Thought. (Image is from her site, by the way.) Also, that wood counter gives me all the heart eyes.

THE UNSUNG HERO OF SUMMER

Is there anything a pool noodle can’t do? I’m just throwing that out there because it can keep you from drowning and now you can use one to shoot marshmallows. It’s the MacGyver of summer accessories.

Here’s a big list of other summer games you can create from a pool noodle that don’t involve a pool.

I might have to make these marshmallow shooters…for the kids to use…just kidding. They’d totally be for me and Handy Husband.
(photo credit: Flynnside Out Productions)

DIY HOOKS

I thought this was a pretty nifty hook DIY by A Bubbly Life. I’ve been mulling ideas for how to hang my bracelets and this could definitely work.

The marble tiles are attached with E6000 glue, which I know is strong. I don’t know if it is “hang a wet towel on the hook” strong though. Bracelet strong, yes, since the bracelets are resting on the dowel. Check out her DIY instructions and decide for yourself!

(image A Bubbly Life)

CAT CUDDLER

DO NOT tell my daughter that ‘cat cuddler’ is an actual paying job at a veterinary clinic in Dublin. I’m fairly certain that would be it for her at this stage!

As reported by Time: “Are you a crazy cat person and loves cats? Does cattitude come naturally to you?” Dublin’s sole vet clinic for cats-only wrote in the job post. “If you answer yes to some or all of these questions, how about working with cats as a full time job at Just Cats Veterinary Clinic?”

“The ideal candidate will be “softly spoke and capable of cat whispering to calm the nerves of some of our in patients,” the clinic wrote in the job posting. The listing added that a bonus qualification was having the “ability to understand different types of purring.””

What I want to know is how do THEY know that YOU know what that purring means?

GRANDPA’S A-FRAME

I like happy stories. I like a sentimental tale. I’m particularly fond of stories about bringing life to a new space while honoring the past.

This story has all of that. Read about it on DesignMom. Oh, and this Utah home is on AirBnB.

(image via DesignMom)

WOOD IN THE KITCHEN

I’m really, really digging the picture of this kitchen. I love the use of medium-toned wood on the island and how that contrasts with and warms up an otherwise white space.

This kitchen was designed by Serendipite. See more from this portfolio here.

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