Happy List: #221
Hello! Welcome to the Happy List! I’m happy to be back with a new edition of the Happy List after a week off the blog. We did sneak away last week for some family time. It was the first time we’d left New Jersey in about 18 months. As much as I love our little piece of New Jersey paradise, it’s so much fun to see new scenery! This week on the blog I shared two posts. The first was about ways to help kids transition to a new school. For better or for worse, we have a fair bit of personal experience on this topic! The second post was…
In Praise of Oil Lamps
Until our last power outage I had lived my whole life without knowing the joy of an oil lamp. Don’t get me wrong, I love my battery-powered lights too. My cell phone flashlight? Couldn’t live without it. A little candle ambiance? I’m here for it. But the oil lamp? That’s something different. An oil lamp and a bunch of lamp oil was left in our Colonial Farmhouse when we purchased it. I don’t know why we hadn’t bothered to use it until two weeks ago when the power went out due to a bad storm. Again. Trees, overhead power lines, and high winds are a predictably bad combination. *sigh* During…
5 Ways to Help Transition Kids to a New School
Need ideas on how to help transition kids to a new school? You’ve come to the right place. The start of a new school year is always full of promise. There’s always a chance that we’ll never be late for school. That no lunches will be forgotten. That no parent will lose their ever loving mind no one will get frustrated during homework time because that’s not how we did math. That all permission slips and forms will be turned in on time. That a pandemic won’t disrupt the school year over and over again. See? So. much. promise. I give us a week before one of those balls gets dropped. *sigh*…
Summer Break Part 2
Hi! I’m taking a summer break this week to chill out, have some fun, and hang with the family. In the meantime, here are some posts you might enjoy reading! 3 Thrift Store Mirror Makeovers to Try – This post has shot up on Pinterest lately. Dresser Makeover with Brass Details – This dresser is hardworking and has been used in multiple places in our home. Bowling Ball Lawn Orb – Another Pinterest favorite. This is not my project. It is my stepmom’s! She’s very creative and I like sharing her projects here. Also, did you know bowling balls are not recyclable? That’s why repurposing them is important! If you’d…
Happy List: #220
Hello! Welcome to the Happy List! I’ll be your Cruise Director today and I predict this cruise will be a pleasant one! This week on the blog I discussed the reasons why you should give Tiffany style lights a try. I also shared the rabbit hole we went down in the last year figuring out the value of the trees on our property. If you’d like to see what we are up to this weekend, please follow along on Instagram or Facebook stories. If you create something I should see, please tag me! I love to see your ideas come to life and how you find inspiration. Also, if there’s…
How to Calculate the Value of a Tree
Have you ever considered the value of a tree? Before you write this post off as boring, hang with me for just a second. It will be worth your while. I’m not just talking about the value of a tree in terms of what it cost to purchase or in terms of how much money it would bring if harvested. I’m not even talking about the intrinsic value of a tree to a person or community’s social and emotional well-being. I’m talking about the quantifiable value of a tree as it relates to property value, electricity saved, stormwater diverted, and air quality improved. Do I have your attention yet? The…
3 Reasons to Love Tiffany Style Lights
Tiffany style lights can be cool in your home or office! Before you roll your eyes and click away, consider these three reasons to love Tiffany style lights. Reason #1 to Love Tiffany Style Lights: They aren’t trendy right now. I know Tiffany style lights aren’t trendy right now and that is part of their charm. It’s easy to wake up one day and realize your house looks very similar to everyone else’s house because we’ve all been shopping at the same big box stores that want us to buy whatever they’ve determined is in style right now. That said, I like a Target lamp as much as the next…
Happy List: #219
Why, hello! Welcome to the Happy List! This week on the blog I discussed church pews and homemade freezer jam. That combo makes total sense, right? Ha! You just never know what you’re going to get with this blog! If you’d like to see what we are up to this weekend, please follow along on Instagram or Facebook stories. If you create something I should see, please tag me! I love to see your ideas come to life. Let me live vicariously through your creativity! Now here’s the main event – the Happy List! I’M IN LOVE Sure, modern showers are great, but look at this vintage one! I’m in…
Making Jam Doesn’t Have To Be Hard
Making jam doesn’t have to be hard, time consuming, or require a bunch of fancy equipment. Oh, don’t get me wrong. You can make it that way! I won’t stop you from creating an ordeal, but making jam doesn’t have to suck the life out of you. What sort of jam voodoo is this? No voodoo, I promise. Just make freezer jam instead of cooked jam. Cooked jam is usually preserved by water bath canning so that you can store the jam on your shelf, which is handy. Freezer jam doesn’t require canning because the jam is preserved in the freezer. To me, freezer jam tastes much fresher than cooked jam…
In Praise of a Church Pew for Home Decor
How many of you have spent hours of your life sitting on a hard church pew? *raises both hands* I wonder at what point someone said, “Hey! You know what would make the dear preacher’s long sermons even better? A cushion for this pew.” I would have added cup holders too and I don’t mean those itty bitty ones for the communion cup. But no one asked me! I recently got stuck in the purgatory I affectionately refer to as Facebook Marketplace in search of a church pew to use as decor in my home. Who knew there were so many church pews for sale? Ironically, I didn’t want the…
