Harness Your #SocialPower
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This post brought to you by Social Power. All opinions are 100% mine.
Ever wanted to harness your social power but didn’t know where to start? What’s a problem called before it actually becomes a problem? It’s called an issue. And a just-launched New York-based startup called Social Power is on a mission to collect and resolve important everyday issues. All you need is an internet connection and an issue!
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DIY Recycled Can Succulent Centerpiece + {$250 AMEX Gift Card GIVEAWAY}
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(Disclaimer: I am working with Miracle-Gro for this project and was provided with samples and compensation-but all opinions are my own.)
This season, Miracle-Gro wants to inspire everyone to get out and Gro something. There’s a way to incorporate “Gro-ing” into a myriad of different DIY projects-and you don’t have to be an avid gardener or live out in the country to accomplish it! All you need is a little creativity and inspiration-and you can create a beautiful, living piece of art for just about any occasion/recipe/area of your home. What did I make? A super simple succulent centerpiece that’s perfect for spring and summer.
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Keurig Office Pro Coffee Maker
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Do you love coffee as much as I do? If you know me you how much I HAVE to have coffee. I have a HARD time starting my day without it and it’s probably best for everyone if I do have it and immediately after I wake up. The stronger the better too. I’m a dark roasted bean kind of girl. Italian roast please.
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Explore and Create with dio Creator Lounge + {GIVEAWAY)
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This post brought to you by dio. All opinions are 100% mine.
Have you heard of dio.com? dio is a new creative and social experience that allows anyone to make and explore unique places based on anything. Food, Travel, Photography, Design. Cork collections. You name it.
dio places are public (or private if needed) spaces filled with pictures, video, text and even interactive objects. Places are arranged spatially so users (that’s us) can travel and explore streets, buildings, houses and cities — just like they can in the real world! Neat right?
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Kitchen Renovation: Pantry
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Why yes I am STILL in the middle of my kitchen renovation. Doing as much as we can ourselves is taking slightly longer than anticipated. OKAY okay a lot longer than I anticipated. You may remember (because you’ve been following along and have been glued to all my renovation posts right? right!) that when we began this journey we ripped out our kitchen desk and pantry to make room for MORE cabinets and counter space. It was a good plan. In the interim my pantry was re-located to my office dining room on a set of metal shelves. It was supposed to be temporary. Almost a year later they remained. So not cool.
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DIY Peeps Centerpiece
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Flowers make me insanely happy. I don’t know why I don’t buy them (or better yet plant a flower garden) more often. My favorite flower? Tulips. They make me think of spring. Perhaps it’s the cold weather that has me dreaming of those warmer temperatures, cute open toe shoes, flowy tops, picnics and peeps.
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Canon EOS Rebel T3i
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Have I mentioned how much I appreciate y’all? ‘Cause I do! Instead of just waxing poetic about exactly how much I do I thought I’d show you just how much! I’ve teamed up with two of my favorite Canon loving girls: Doughmesstic & Eclectic Recipes to GIVEAWAY a Canon EOS Rebel T3i Camera (erv $599) ! I know right? She’s a beauty. And ONE lucky person is going to win her.
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No nonsense Fashion
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I’m not always in the kitchen. In fact I travel A LOT for my job and like most girls I like to look good. I’ve always loved fashion. Especially shoes, purses and accessories. Having champagne taste on a beer budget is not easy when you love to shop. Luckily I’m resourceful. I find things that I love and then I look for them for less. Don’t you like to like good and save money? I thought so.
I like to think of myself as financially smart (okay frugal) BUT I will invest in key pieces that are classic and will stand the test of time. I like to pair those classic items with fun and trendy pieces that I can pick up without busting the bank.
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DIY Chalkboard Painted Wine Bottles
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You all know I love wine. It’s CLEARLY not a secret. I have a gorgeous KitchenAid wine cellar that stays pretty well stocked so that when I need wine it’s available. I like to cook with wine and I also enjoy sipping on a glass of wine with my dinner (and sometimes a glass just because) What to do with all those empty wine bottles and corks? Besides the standard recycling I’ve discovered that wine bottles are perfect for decorating with.
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Internet on the Go: NetZero 4G Hotspot
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My name is Paula and I have an internet problem. I have to be connected at all times otherwise I get twitchy. I find myself (for better or worse) checking my laptop and i-phone ad nausea to see what’s come in, who’s doing what and what needs my attention. A lot of that has to do with the fact I am a small business owner, aka self-employed and all that jazz and being connected to the internet is a priority. Being my own boss I set my own hours and choice of work location. My work schedule is crazy nontraditional to say the least. I find myself working a few hours here, a few hours there, into the wee hours of the night, at airports, in coffee shops, in car-line, you name it. Sadly if I’m away from my house wi-fi isn’t always available could be SLOWER than molasses or GASP is pay to play (looking at you hotels and airports). Pffft. What’s a girl to do? Get a hotspot that’s what.
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Sticky Dish Challenge
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I get a lot of emails with requests for product reviews. A lot. Some are better than others. When this particular request challenge came into my inbox I was intrigued. A sticky dish challenge? You KNOW how much I hate doing dishes so this had my curiosity peaked from the get go. The task? Take the Sticky Dish Challenge and Join the #FinishRevolution! Put Finish to the test and document HONEST results with images & anecdotes. I was so in!
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Kitchen Renovation: Tiling Our Life Away
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I’m actually starting to think we might finish this thing…before the end of the year. Or at least that’s the plan. Since our LAST UPDATE we’ve had major changes. We’ve had the granite counter tops installed. Once those were set we installed a white subway ceramic tile backsplash (after a little You Tube Video Class. P.S. they make it look easier than it is) Then we called up our plumber back in and had him install our Moen plumbing fixtures: Pot Filler (pinch me still) and sink faucet. Whew I’m tired just writing that.
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Password Protection With Norton Identity Safe
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Is it just me, or do you forget your passwords too? It would be simple if we just had ONE password to remember right? BUT having just one “master” password for all your accounts is never a good idea (if one account is compromised they’re all compromised and that is no bueno). Which brings us back to the multiple password problem.
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Kitchen Renovation: Counter Tops Are Coming!
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Have you ever heard the saying that renovations will take you twice as long and cost you twice as much? I’m here to tell you that’s the truth (don’t shoot the messenger). So now you understand why it’s been a while since our last update. After the faboosh KitchenAid appliances were installed, we’ve spent our time finishing out the new cabinet addition (pictured above – which includes a gorgeous KitchenAid built in microwave convection wall oven and the custom cabinet we had to have fabricated to put her in) and shopping for counter tops. We’ve been going back and forth trying to find a counter top that we LURVE. Not love, not like, LURVE. You see, I plan on being in this house until someone forces me out or I get a villa in Italy, whichever comes first.
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How to Build a Raised Garden Bed
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My parents have had a garden for as many years as I can remember. I can tell you firsthand that planting/tending a garden is hard work but you will never taste a vegetable as good as one you’ve grown yourself. Period. It’s why they do it. Year after year. I have had a container garden for the past few years with herbs, cherry tomatoes, peppers and small vegetables. This year we’ve decided to take the plunge and expand our garden to include raised beds. I can’t tell you how excited I am. I am finally a farmer!
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Renu: The Smart Way to Update Your Room In a Snap
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This post brought to you by Leviton. All opinions are 100% mine.
Do you love DIY projects or just like to save a little money and do things around the house yourself? We have a really snappy new product to tell you about. Renu is the smart new collection of switches, dimmers and outlets with faces that can be updated easily for a new look anytime! We are smack dab in the middle of a complete kitchen reno ourselves so this product introduction couldn’t have come at a better time. Our outlets and switches are currently white and we have painted our cabinets black. So not a pretty match. Bingo! Renu to the rescue.
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Kitchen Renovation: Installation Day
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I’m super excited to be over the “demo & fix the demo damage” phase. The demo was definitely fun but repairing the damage was not. There was sheet rock dust EVERYWHERE. No one mentioned the sheer amount of sheet rock dust that would come with this process. So naturally I feel it’s my duty to tell you about it. Just in case you’re about to set out on your own reno adventure, get a mask and lots of plastic to drape so it doesn’t take over your house. Consider that my public service announcement for the week ; ) Now onto the fun stuff – appliances!
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Know Where Your Food Comes From
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{rainbow chard, tomatoes, spinach from my local CSA}
Do you know where your food comes from? I mean REALLY comes from. We’re not talking about the grocery store. Most people do not know. We try very hard to buy as much local product as we can. We are part of a CSA that provides us with grass fed meats, produce, dairy, grains, etc. from our state farmers and ranchers. I love knowing where my food comes from as well as supporting my local and state economy.
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Kitchen Renovation: Demo Days
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There’s no turning back now! Demolition has finally started. I’ve been told demolition is the easiest of renovation phases, I think they might be right. Apparently we’re really good at tearing stuffed up. Now we’ll see how good we are putting things back together ; ) You can check out our FIRST VIDEO to see what things looked like before we started swinging the sledgehammer. Which btw I highly recommend. I’m feeling like I can conquer any project at the moment (key word moment ask me again next week and the answer might be different).
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Easy Container Gardening
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This post brought to you by Scotts®. All opinions are 100% mine.
Spring has sprung and that means it’s time to start planting! For me, planting consists of an herb and vegetable garden. I have a small container garden that I house on my deck with my herbs and small breed tomatoes and then a larger raised bed garden further back into my yard.
If you don’t have room for a full on raised bed garden, container gardening is a fantastic option. I love having my cherry and roma tomatoes as well as all of my herbs right at my fingertips to snip and pick when I’m in the middle of cooking. It’s doesn’t get much fresher than that.
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