Happy List: #259
Hi! Welcome to the Happy List! I’m so glad you’re here. Let’s recap this week on the blog!  I shared the magical feeling the new string lights on our deck are giving us. I also asked for your advice on how to become a night owl. Ha! I also shared some reusable shopping bags that gave me a chuckle. Does your state have a plastic bag ban? Thank you in advance for reading today’s blog post, sharing things you like, sending good vibes our way, and even engaging with us on Instagram or Facebook. This is my happy place and your support helps keep this blog running. I appreciate you. Here’s the Happy…
In Praise of Funny Reusable Shopping Bags
Is there a plastic bag ban where you live? New Jersey’s plastic bag ban kicked in a few weeks ago and it’s broader than most because it includes paper bags and foam polystyrene. There are some exceptions for some stores, but the rules are still fuzzy to me. All in all, I’m in support of this change. It makes me feel like we’re all working together in this small way to help the planet. I was already in the habit of bringing my own reusable shopping bags to the grocery store. I do have to remember now to bring a bag when I’m going to a place like Target or…
Adding Magic To Our Deck With String Lights
Am I the last person on earth to add string lights to their deck? It kind of feels like it, but I know that’s an exaggeration. Not everyone has a deck or a backyard, so I feel extremely blessed. We’ve spent the last three years working on our outdoor spaces. It occurred to us during the long, cold winter that maybe we should stop and enjoy those outdoor spaces once the weather warmed up. Otherwise, what was the point of all that work? Although the more time we spend enjoying our outdoor spaces the more projects we dream up to tackle. Because that’s what you do when you’re relaxing, right?…
How a Weed Became A Symbol of Remembrance
Have you ever wondered how a weed became a symbol of remembrance worldwide for fallen soldiers? That weed is the poppy. The first shock to my system was that poppies are weeds. I thought poppies were pretty flowers. Don’t believe me? Go check out my proof here and here and here and here. Weed or not, I still think they are pretty. The origin story of the poppy becoming a worldwide symbol of remembrance for fallen soldiers stems from a poem penned by Lieutenant Colonel John McCrae. McCrae was a Canadian brigade surgeon for an Allied artillery unit. Not long after the Second Battle of Ypres where 87,000 Allied soldiers were killed, wounded, or…
Happy List: #258
Hello! Welcome to the Happy List. I’m glad you’re here! This week on the blog I shared an indoor project and an outdoor project. First, I discovered the key to decorating with kid art…unless it is glitter art. If it’s glitter art I can’t help you. You can’t even look at glitter without it multiplying. I also shared what’s going on with our two driveways. I’ll do the hard eye roll for you at how “extra” that two driveways sentence sounded. It’s not as extra in person as it sounds. I’d describe it as quirky. Thank you in advance for reading today’s blog post, sharing things you like, sending good…
What’s Going On With Our Driveways?
What’s going on with our driveways? That’s probably what our neighbors are wondering. Same, neighbors. Same. The short answer is we’re fumbling our way through a driveway reimagination. But the short answer does not make for a blog post. So, let me dish the dirt right now, and let me tell you, there’s a lot of actual dirt in this story. We live in a semi-rural area along a county road. I’m not sure if it’s illegal, but people don’t park, at least not long-term, on the side of the road as you would in a town. The roads were not built to accommodate parking and you do not want…
The Key to Decorating With Kid Art
It’s taken me 15 years of being a parent, but I think I’ve finally figured out the key to decorating with kid art. Your kids have to stop making that cute handprint art, enter their teen years, start calling you “bruh,” and suddenly you’ll feel all nostalgic about that kid art and want to wallpaper your home with it. Bruh? Really, kids? *sigh* If this situation happens to you and you find yourself digging through bins and bins of childhood mementos wondering why you didn’t save more of your children’s art, don’t blame your earlier rational self. Your earlier rational self knew that you can’t keep every single piece of…
Happy List: #257
Hi! Welcome to the Happy List! I’ll be your captain for today’s adventure! Don’t worry. I’ve done this 257 times and have it on good authority that this will be smooth sailing reading. This week on the blog I shared the progress we’ve been making on restoring our Carriage House. It’s slow progress, but any forward momentum is worth celebrating. I also shared some personal reflections on this season of life that I’m in now and what that means to me. Cue all the feelings! Thank you in advance for reading today’s blog post, sharing things you like, sending good vibes our way, and even engaging with us on Instagram or Facebook. It…
The Greatest Privilege
Every school day morning I go outside to wait with each of my kids for their respective school buses to pick them up. They don’t NEED me to wait with them. They are quite old enough to wait outside on their own, but they seem to WANT me to wait with them. So I do. Even when it is below freezing outside. Or raining. Or I’m still in my pajamas. One kid barely talks at all while we wait for the bus. The other kid wants to discuss all the things. Both kids leave for school each morning hearing that they are loved and I’m rooting for them. One of…
Why We Installed a Tongue and Groove Ceiling In Our Carriage House
We have been installing a tongue and groove ceiling in our Carriage House. I’m excited about a tongue and groove ceiling not because it looks good but because it is helping us insulate the building. Insulating the building means a lower electric bill. A lower electric bill means I’ve reached peak adulting. Yep. This is what gets me excited these days. If you’re new here, let me give you the rundown of our Carriage House. It’s a 2-story stone building that’s well over 200 years old. It was originally used to store a horse-drawn carriage and the related tack that is needed when a carriage is your primary mode of…
