holidays
2023 Advent Calendars For Kids and Adults
I have the best 2023 advent calendars for kids and adults to share with you. After all, the holidays should have a little magic for all of us, don’t you think? We are definitely a chocolate advent calendar family, but sometimes I add in an advent calendar that is not food related too. Oh, and I did just buy an advent calendar for the cat. Yes, the cat. I’ve become that person now. Here are some 2023 advent calendars that would go over BIG in our family and maybe yours too. Elf™ Advent Calendar  | Williams Sonoma Any Elf fans out there? This Elf advent calendar has maple syrup, chocolate,…
Is Our House Haunted?
Is our house haunted? I am asked that question fairly often. Why do they ask? Is our house throwing off creepy vibes? Well, I don’t think our house is particularly creepy, except for the basement. And the attic. And that spot..oh, never mind. I think people ask the question because the oldest part of our house dates to the late 1700s. I couldn’t even begin to guess how many people have died in this home in the last 250 or so years, which could lead to some hauntings if you’re open to that sort of thing. Am I open to it? Heck, yeah! Not in a scary, horror film sort…
DIY Halloween Decals With Duct Tape
Oh yes, you can make your own Halloween decals with duct tape. Specifically, black duct tape. This is a super easy, smile-inducing craft that will make it look like you purchased some fancy vinyl decals online instead of using the roll of black duct tape that’s been jammed in the back of your junk drawer. Honestly, black duct tape has never looked better. The sky is the limit with this craft. I made jack o’lantern faces and bats. The jack o’lanterns were my favorite. However, you could make witch hats, cats, ghosts, or something I haven’t thought of. Let’s get started! Materials Needed To DIY Halloween Decals With Duct Tape:…
Happy 4th of July 2023
Hi! Happy 4th of July to my fellow Americans! The older I get, the more interested in history I have become. Learning seems to be a lot more enjoyable when you’re not being tested on it. Have you found this to be true as well? I feel very fortunate that so far in my life I’ve spent quite a bit of time perusing museums in the U.S. and Europe. I’ve visited many historical sites. I love history podcasts and, believe it or not, I read history books from time to time…for fun. 15-year-old me would be shocked! Perhaps like some of you, I grew up with a romanticized version in…
From The Archives: The Kindness Of The Irish
It’s almost St. Patrick’s Day! We had the privilege of living in Ireland for a couple of years, so St. Patrick’s Day is extra special to us now. The best part of Ireland is, BY FAR, the Irish people. Since many of you were not blog readers when we moved to Ireland for Handy Husband’s work, I thought I’d re-share from the blog archives the dramatic and funny story of how we moved to Ireland. Here you go… Our first week in Ireland has been a WHIRLWIND. Apparently, the motto in our house is “hit the ground running.” Just once I’d like to try dialing it back a notch to…
14 Sweet Valentine’s Day Facts
It’s almost Valentine’s Day. Whether or not you celebrate this holiday, there are some very interesting things of note regarding this day of love. Here are 14 sweet Valentine’s Day facts that you can share with your loved ones…or not. But I do hope you at least have a delicious piece of chocolate to enjoy while reading this! Valentine’s Day Facts #1: Americans spend A LOT on Valentine’s Day. The National Retail Federation expects consumers to spend $25.9 billion on Valentine’s Day this year. That’s up from the $23.9 billion spent in 2022. (source) Valentine’s Day Facts #2: A slim majority celebrates Valentine’s Day. 52% of Americans plan to celebrate…
DIY Embroidered Heart Sweatshirt for Valentine’s Day
Have you heard that saying about wearing your heart on your sleeve? Well, that’s actually happening on both sleeves with this DIY Embroidered Heart Sweatshirt! Let me show you how I made it in case you’re feeling festive and want to make something similar! Materials Needed For A DIY Embroidered Heart Sweatshirt: sweatshirt (This is the one I chose.) red embroidery floss scissors needle fabric pen (if you want to trace your heart shape on the shirt) paper heart to trace around (unless you want to freehand your heart) My Skill Level Disclaimer: I know enough about beginner embroidery to get this project done but would never claim to be…
Wood Bead Snowflake Ornaments
I’ve recently become very interested in what I can make out of natural wood beads for my home decor. My infatuation will probably last until I’ve used up all of the beads I purchased. Ha! So far, I’ve experimented with making a garland, napkin rings, and Christmas ornaments. Today, I’m going to show you how to make Wood Bead Snowflake Ornaments. It’s the season, after all! Here’s how to make Wood Bead Snowflake Ornaments. Step 1: Gather your materials. wood beads in varying sizes (I used this pack of 510 beads) wire snowflake forms (I used this pack of varied-sized forms) ribbon or string to hang your ornament The item that…
Pink Christmas Tree Decorations
If you were to ask me my least favorite color, I’d probably tell you it was pink. Yet here I am feeling quite delighted with my festive pink Christmas tree decorations. Me with a pink Christmas tree. Go figure. Humans are confounding creatures. Was my pink Christmas tree decorated under duress? No. Did I come up with this color scheme all on my own? Yes. If that’s not proof that humans can evolve, adapt, and change their minds, I don’t know what is. But let’s not get carried away. I’m not going to suddenly paint my whole house pink or anything. After all, the dose makes the poison. A little…
Christmas Mantel With Three Wreaths
Our Christmas mantel above our dining room fireplace is decorated with three wreaths this year. Three wreaths. Three wise men. Coincidence? Probably. Last year, I went a little wild and made a quadrillion (or so it felt like) paper snowflakes to decorate our Christmas tree and the Christmas mantel in the dining room. I loved that Christmas mantel and saved those paper snowflakes because they did take me binge-watching multiple seasons of Gilmore Girls to make. That’s not time wasted, but not time I can get back. However, this year, I wanted something greener and more natural for our Christmas mantel. What else says green and natural like faux wreaths and…
