All posts by chasingsantee

Review, Style

Simple, natural curls! A review of SoCal Curls hairtie

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I am thrilled to share this review because I have been wanting to try this product for so long! SoCal Curls graciously agreed to send me their amazing headband for free in exchange for my honest review and I am happy to report that I am in LOVE with my SoCal Curls!

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Ok, so this is NOT me. This model is about 10 years younger, 30 lbs lighter, probably taller, her hair is longer and she is actually wearing makeup. But other than that, we could totally be twins. I mean, I have jeans kind of like that.

As I have been posting about, I have been striving for a more simple daily routine. If a product saves time and simplifies our busy schedule, then sign me up! At the same time, I am working very hard to minimalize our possessions, so I am being very very picky about what I purchase and keep. Check out the intro to my Simplicity Challenge here.

If you purchase items through my links, you help me keep on blogging and sharing great products with my readers. Thanks for every click and purchase! 

SoCal Curls HairTie is something I wish I had found years ago, and something I know I will use on a daily basis.

My hair is medium thickness, tends to frizz (I live in the humid south after all), and once upon a time was quite curly. Now it’s more of a group of random waves that are hard to control and I simply do not spend the time to make it look nice. (I would rather sleep, drink coffee, clean, write, read a book, cook, play with my kids….you get the point).  So, almost everyday, it ends up in a ponytail. I have always loved waves and curls but my hair is very stubborn and doesn’t hold curls.  Last summer I got a truly atrocious way-too short haircut so let me tell you, my hair has been in a very dark place ever since.

When I was willing to put in the effort, I could get some pretty nice curls with my Chi flat Iron. It took too long though, they didn’t stay well, and it was fairly disconcerting to smell the actual burning of my hair during the process. SoCal Curls Hair Tie is safe and gentle for your hair!

The other successful method I have used is headband curls. I loved the curls I got, but I didn’t love sleeping in a tight headband all night. It was kind of a pain to extricate my hair from the twist as well. I blogged about my experience here. SoCal Curls Hair Tie is the perfect upgrade from headband curls. It’s lightweight, can be heated in the microwave, and looks so much cuter as a style!

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How it works: I used this after my hair had air dried for a couple hours, but otherwise was completely unstyled (ie a frizzy mess). I simply microwaved the band for 30 seconds, wrapped my hair around the tie using these instructions, gave it a light spritz of hair spray and left it in for 30 minutes. As you can see, it worked!

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SoCal Curls Hairties retail for $18.99 each, come in lots of cute patterns, and guess what? They created a free shipping code for my readers, so don’t miss out!
FREE SHIPPING CODE: chasingsantee
So Cal website

Because I loved headband curls, I was pretty sure SoCal Curls and I were going to be a match made in heaven, and I was not disappointed. Honestly, my hair is just barely long enough to use the SoCal tie, but after a couple tries I figured it out and was thrilled with the results. I’m growing my hair back out, so I know this is going to be my go-to everyday look!

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My tip for short hair: SoCal Curls works with shoulder length hair or longer, but I was pushing my luck with some pretty short layers. To get it to work, I used small pieces of hair, wrapped very tightly and at the very back secured the middle hair with a tiny claw clip.

I received a free product from SoCal Curls in exchange for my honest review. These are all my own thoughts just as if I were talking to a friend about the product. I hope you enjoy it as much as I do!

Everything Else

What’s in my Amazon Cart?

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Let’s talk about alternative rings for those sensitive to metals or who work with their hands.

(Like other posts, this contains affiliate links for your reference)

I’m taking a little break from my simplicity series because some of those are taking a lot of work! (I mean actually doing the work of simplifying not writing the posts themselves). So without abandoning my vow of minimalism, I wanted to talk about some of the things I’m “shopping” right now.
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I’ve had issues with skin sensitivity since I was a baby, but ever since I had my ears pierced as a teen the problems got worse. I have tried hypoallergenic jewelry, medical grade metals, and Simply Whispers brand earrings (guaranteed not to irritate). None of those did the trick for my problematic skin, and the area would get itchy, swollen and inflamed. I finally came to the conclusion that I just couldn’t wear earrings at all and that I can only tolerate a wedding ring for short amounts of time.

When I did wear my ring, I was nervous and worried I would misplace it, snag it on something, or that the stone would fall out (sadly, this happened to me about 8 years ago on Christmas Eve..I still have flashbacks!). I wash my hands a gazillion times a day and take my ring off and leave it places….like the kitchen drainer or my parents’ house. I work part time at a school where there is paint, recess, and play dough gets squished into everything! Honestly, my lifestyle is really not compatible with my beautiful wedding set. So I basically stopped wearing it, and I felt kind of sad about that.

Alternative rings aren’t just for those with sensitive skin, they are also safer for anyone working with their hands and are great for traveling or sports.

I don’t think I need a ring to show that I am “taken”. (I’m pretty sure walking around with my entire family 99% of the time makes it pretty obvious I’m not “on the market”). But I do miss having that symbol because looking at my ring always made me smile a little. Just feeling that ring on was always a reminder of the blessing of marriage.

So I decided I wanted to find a silicone alternative. Here are some of the brands I am considering:

Accmor Three Piece Silicone Ring Set. Ridiculously cheap, and I like the thin silhouette of these. Only $7.99 for all three!

Rinfit Three Piece Silicone Ring Set. These are a little chunkier, but I really love the etched design. Only $14.97 for set of three!

AvectToi Three Ring Pack. I like the ridged design, but these look a bit thicker than some of the others. Only $12.99 for three!

ThunderFit Women’s Silicone Ring. Very simple single silicone ring with six color choices. $8 each!

Enso Stackable Rings: These are the thinnest silicone rings I could find and the design is very feminine. I’m not sure if stacking them could be an issue for me with keeping them dry but even one might look nice for only $11.99 each!

Anyone have a silicone ring? Please let me know if you have one to recommend!

 

Minimalism

Step 2: Assess Needs

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Welcome to Step 2 of the Simplify Your Life Challenge! If you haven’t followed these posts, you can find the Introduction here and click here for Step 1. Step 1 was a long post and an even longer assignment. Eliminating excess is usually a huge undertaking. So moving on to Step 2 doesn’t mean we stop working on Step 1! Keep eliminating excess and simplifying your life one donation at a time!

Step 2 Assess Needs

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What are your family’s true needs? In discussing simplicity and organizing, someone made a comment on Facebook along the lines of this: “First, deal with the basic needs of your family: make sure sleeping, eating, bathing and laundry are covered”. I took that comment to heart and went back to the basics and the actual necessities of life. What do you need to address your family’s needs?

For instance, we were storing the dog food in the bag, rolled up with a plastic clip. It was messy and took extra time. I went right out and bought a large storage container that pours. Why didn’t I do that long ago? Mostly because my life was too chaotic to focus on areas of improvement. Once I began to eliminate the excess I could focus better on solving household problems and addressing true needs.

More examples that I discovered of “needs” in my home:

Coffee. I make coffee every single day, sometimes twice a day. It’s an absolute necessity, yet I had made the process ridiculously complicated through poor planning. My coffee pot was on the far right of my counter. About 6 feet over, my coffee filters were in an upper left cabinet. On the total other side of the room, my coffee was stored in my (child-locked) pantry. I wasted time and steps every single day making coffee and never even thought about it. There was so much excess in my home that I couldn’t even identify the problem areas right in front of me! I solved the issue  by putting all the coffee items together beneath the coffee maker. DUH. Now every morning I appreciate the lack of total stupidity that was previously ruining a good thing.

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Bathing. Bathing wasn’t exactly a problem area, but I realized it needed some attention. I hadn’t evaluated our basic hygiene routine in awhile so I pulled up good ole’ EWG/skin deep. I admit I had been procrastinating this step because I knew some of our products weren’t going to rate well and I was right. No more Suave blissfully cheap coconut conditioner, and no more using whatever cheap soap is around. We have officially switched to Babyganics line of bath products, which tends to rate low (which is good) at EWG. (I can personally recommend the bubble bath, shampoo/body wash, hand sanitizer, and lotion). For conditioner, I needed a product that was relatively inexpensive (we go through a lot), and relatively healthy. For now we are trying RenPure Originals (which is free of sodium chloride, sulfates, dyes, parabans, salts and gluten). It is rated 3 on EWG, which isn’t terrible and that’s good enough for me since it satisfied my other big wish: a PUMP bottle. Now we have all the products we need and have discarded all the products we aren’t using. The kids can help themselves with the pumps and the bathroom is de-cluttered. I also have to re-recommend color-coded towels which is such a big sanity saver! Each child has a color, all towels stay on their hooks until I grab them 1-2 per week to wash.

Some questions to ask yourself as you work on Simplicity at each step:

What items should be eliminated all together?

What items need to be moved to another room?

What do I like/dislike about this room and living/working in it?

What items are stored elsewhere but are needed here?

If I was walking into this room for the first time, what would I think?

Minimalism

Step 1: Eliminate Excess

Aside 3 Comments

If you missed the introduction to the Simplify Your Life Challenge, please check it out here. To make a long story short, I am simplifying to help manage my stress and household, so that I can focus on what really matters to me. I have a lot going on and I need the absolute best way to help my family succeed at life!

Simplicity to me means not just successfully surviving but thriving!

You can join the challenge by subscribing to my blog to keep up with each step. At the end of each step we will have a challenge and I would love it if you would join me and post your own progress! (Bonus points for any pictures you can take of your simplification status!) Now on to Step 1 and it probably won’t surprise you:

Step 1: Eliminate excess

 In 2012 I did a challenge with some friends to get rid of 2012 items that year. It was such an eye opener as I realized just how much excess our 1400 square foot home had. That was when I really began to acknowledge my issues with shopping and how the “stuff” was stifling us. What I learned that year really helped me to have confidence in getting rid of stuff this time around.

In a similar way this summer I have been going through every single room and purging, purging, purging. Ruthlessly selling, trashing, re-homing. I’m taking a hard look at items, making sure they are serving enough of a purpose to earn their keep. If not, out they go. For example,  in my living room, I had 10 throw pillows. TEN! On only two sofas .The truth was, every day was frustrating because they ended up on the floor. There wasn’t room for PEOPLE on the sofa! How many do we need? Not ten!

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The key here is purpose. I have lots of items that are useful (as in they can be used with success) but if they’ve been collecting dust on a shelf or packed away in a closet they do not have a purpose. Think of all the “gadgets” in your kitchen. Which ones are you actually putting to good use? Sometimes this means getting rid of perfectly good, useful items when you realize that the space and clarity they leave behind is more valuable than the footprint they occupy and the chaos they  collectively contribute.

I feel obligated to mention the wildly popular book by Marie Kondo: The Life Changing Magic of Tidying Up. I have read it, and I do recommend it for gaining perspective on clutter and minimalism. At the same time, I feel that her method introduces the risk of an extreme and almost compulsive distaste for possessions. I’m also somewhat uncomfortable with the animism that she endorses.

While helpful, her tag phrase: “Does it spark joy?” has encouraged many hilarious memes of housewives discarding their credit card bills and sweeping their homes of all vegetables or dirty laundry. After all, can everything really spark joy?

Well, what if everything around you truly did spark joy or contribute to a joyful existence? How would that change your life?

(Here is a post on whether or not Konmari really makes sense for families. I found the comments really helpful also)

If you haven’t read it already, I highly recommend the book Simplicity Parenting. I read it when I first started my parenting journey and I still think about it years later. It so beautifully explains how less is more in the eyes of children and how we can raise them with the gift of simplicity.

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This has by far been my most ruthless and therefore productive purging round, and I have to tell you that I am really happy with the results. If you are overwhelmed with where to start, I suggest  either A) attacking room by room or B) attacking category by category.

Uncertain?
If you want to get rid of items but are worried about needing them later, packing them into storage or the attic might be a good idea. Oftentimes it will be clear when you retrieve them a few months later whether or not they bring value to your home.

Donate
My advice is to find a charity or cause that you really care about and if possible, donate your items to that cause. It’s easier for me to let go of items knowing they are going where they are truly needed. An alternative is to host a yard sale and donate the proceeds to your charity of choice. Sometimes a “higher purpose” is all you need to encourage yourself to purge.

Persevere
Remind yourself that this first step, though overwhelming, will allow every subsequent step to go more smoothly. This could be an EPIC Weekend project or an ongoing, daily effort but either way keep your eye on the prize. Enlist help, get the kids involved, and don’t give up!

Resources:

Simplicity Parenting by Kim John Payne and Lisa M. Ross

The Life Changing Magic of Tidying Up by Marie Kondo

10 Tips for De-cluttering by Peter Walsh (quick read with great tips for beginners!)

How to Declutter your Entire Home Going Room by Room by Elizabeth Larkin (awesome resource with clickable guides to help focus on results!)

Eliminate Excess Challenge:

Choose one room and commit to really eliminating all the excess from it. Look around and imagine how this room would look if it was void of any items that don’t spark joy or add value. Grab some boxes and bags and get to work!

Be sure to check out the other posts in this series:

Simplify Your Life Challenge

 

Minimalism

Simplify Your Life Challenge

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As I approach Fall 2016 with the goal of “Simplicity”, I’m not going to lie: I’m scared. I know that I’m getting in over my head. Homeschooling is a huge responsibility and parenting doesn’t get any easier as the kids get older. So this year requires quite a bit of prayer, committing my efforts to the Lord, and surrendering the outcome. I am reminded that these children aren’t mine, they belong to our Heavenly Father! I’m very grateful for friends who have helped me to see this truth more clearly with their faithful, open-handed approach to parenthood.

(I am so, so slow at learning this truth: yes, He entrusted them to me, but they are HIS treasures, not mine).

In light of the “Fall Fear Factor”, I am working every single day at improving our routine and getting things set up for the School Year. The girls will be in 4th grade (I can hardly believe it), I’m writing on a daily basis, I will be working two days a week, my youngest demands constant attention and money is tight so we can’t afford to pay for convenience. I am also trying to work on diet and exercise for myself and cutting WAY down on shopping as a “hobby”. Here’s a post for BargainBabe that talks about my shift from Shopaholic to more of a minimalist (these are baby steps, for sure).

I’m tired of being pushed around by my responsibilities. I’m ready to push back.

Through this process, I’m seeking a more harmonious schedule that works for us, rather than the schedule working me to death (or just leaving me incredibly defeated).

I have gone through each room carefully and thoughtfully with the long-term goal in mind of cutting down on chaos and complications and smoothing out the day to day. I want to share with you some of my ideas and some resources that I found helpful.

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I want to mention right from the get-go that I am not an expert on organization, simplicity, home management, or discipline. Quite the opposite: these are areas that I really struggle with. Because these are weak points for me, I am working hard to improve them. In the past, I have realized blogging about my goals has really helped me to stick with the plan. So the “Simplify Your Life Challenge” is mostly for me as I work on improving our daily routine and seek simplicity! I hope some of you will be inspired to do the same, or at least encouraged that you are not alone if you struggle with this! In the next few posts, I’ll be getting down to the nitty-gritty of simplifying and challenging myself to commit.

Please SUBSCRIBE to my blog (top right corner) to join this challenge and get all of the Simplify Challenge emails right in your inbox!

Resources:

This is one of my favorite books about parenting and just life pursuits in general! It’s one that has really stuck with me nearly a decade after first reading it. Wherever you are in your parenting journey, I think you could benefit from reading Simplicity Parenting by Kim John Payne and Lisa M. Ross

My Pinterest Board! If you would like to be added as a contributor to this board, please email me at [email protected]. I’d love your feedback on Simplicity and what your goals are as well!

 

 

Deal Alert

Great deal on the “best beach bag of all time”

I have been hearing about the Saltwater Canvas Whale bag for years….it holds TONS of stuff, is machine-washable, lightweight, zips and has tons of pockets for organization.

 

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I can’t personally write a review yet because I have just ordered mine, but I did want to share an amazing deal on the red, blue & white colorway.  This color is marked down from $41.97 to $19.49. Plus you can use the code SUMMERTIME for 20% off two bags or more. Shipping was $6 for me making my total for two bags only $37.19!

Check out this pic of all the items you can stash in this spacious bag! I’m so excited to throw out my cheap beach bag from like 14 years ago and use this one that I can rinse clean or even throw in the washing machine!

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If you have a Saltwater Canvas Whale bag, does it live up to the hype?

Everything Else, Recipes

EASY Hard Boiled Eggs in the Instant Pot

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This post contains affiliate links for your convenience.

Did you know that you can make hardboiled eggs in the instant pot? No watching the stove and the finished product leaves you with eggs that peel so easily! My kids love hardboiled eggs, deviled eggs and even egg salad but I never found a cooking method I liked. I tried everything to make them easy to peel (add vinegar to the water, adjust cook times, time the cold water bath) and even started baking them in muffin tins in the oven but making them in the instant pot is by far my favorite method of all!hardboiled.eggs.instant.pot.2

All I do is add 1.5 cups of water to the inner pot, then put in a steamer basket or the steam rack and pile up the eggs. Seriously, just add as many as you want. I usually cook about 15. hardboiledeggsinstantpot

Set the manual setting for 5 or 6 minutes (personal preference). After they have cooked, give it another 6 minutes before you do a quick pressure release. Then add some cold water to the inner pot along with a bunch of ice and just stick it in the fridge to cool completely. You will LOVE peeling these eggs!

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DIY, Everything Else

Free Bullet Journal Hack!

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My Bullet Journal is one of my favorite things and I love that I won’t be worrying about ordering an expensive planner for this school year. If you struggle with organization, don’t feel like most planners fit your lifestyle, or simply want to have more control over the options, Bullet Journaling could be your perfect planner-match! Keep reading for a super easy and free bullet journal hack that I’m excited to implement for this season!notebook flat lay

I have been thinking more about optimizing my bullet journal as I’m gearing up for Homeschooling the Prescott Kiddos for Fall 2016. (“Gearing up” in this case means looking for spare change in the couch cushions to buy curriculum that we probably don’t need anyway). If you are new to Bullet Journaling, check out my post for BargainBabe to get started. It’s an incredibly flexible and forgiving scheduling and list system. All you need is a notebook and a pen!

The one thing I was wishing for was a calendar option for the bullet journal, so I found a free printable and started adding it to my BuJo. That was just what I needed to take it to the next level! I just cut it out and pasted it in. Even though a “pretty” bullet journal hasn’t been on my radar, I did take some leftover washi tape and decorate the edges for a little extra glitz. That’s pretty much all you can expect from me in the artistic arena. bulletjournalcalendarhack

Have you used Bullet Journaling? Share your tips in the comments!

Everything Else, Minimalism

Bunk Bed Bedding Reveal or How to Get Your Kids to Make Their Beds

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My Quest for Bunk Bed Bedding

The links on this post are Amazon Affiliate links. If you make a purchase, I receive a tiny commission at no cost to you. 

If you had a chance to catch my post on BargainBabe.com last week, you will know that I was looking for a better bedding solution for my three little monkeys who all sleep in bunk beds. I wanted a way to make those beds look neat every day. In fact, my girls try to make their beds, but making a bunk bed is basically impossible even for an adult. (I’ll be honest, I’m not sure anything would entice my four year old to make his bed). I really do think starting the day off with a neat bed makes a big difference, so I was looking for a solution.zipitboymessy

 

With our budget, the only zipper bedding that really made sense was Zipit Bedding. I admit I had my concerns and the patterns weren’t particularly appealing to me, but they are reversible and the colors worked with our rooms, so I decided to give them a try. They are available on Amazon but I found an even better deal on Groupon (for two patterns)! Groupon’s site can be confusing, but if you click through my referral link, then search for “zip” you should find the deal.

Local friends, after I ordered I found an EVEN better deal on these in our area. Ask me for details if you live nearby!

On to the Review of Zipit Bedding:

ZipIt Bedding is a two piece set that zips together (plus a pillowcase). Piece one is a fitted bottom sheet with zippers along both sides (not at the foot). Piece two is the comforter with zippers along both sides to zip onto piece one. There is no top sheet at all. At first I thought that was weird and asked the kids if they missed it. They both told me that they usually kick their sheets down to the bottom of the bed getting them all twisted under the comforter. All my kids are wiggly sleepers so that made sense!

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We washed the new bedding and made the beds immediately and it WAS. SO. EASY. The whole thing goes on with the same effort of a bottom sheet. There was plenty of depth to fit any size of mattress (the girls are on thinner IKEA mattresses but my son’s is rather thick). Washing was very quick, and way less effort than washing all the various pieces of bedding we normally have. In fact, with my monster size washer I was very tempted to try all three at once.

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The first caveat I discovered about Zipit Bedding was that there are TWO different patterns for the Girl’s Rock Princess bedding. The tricky part was both sets look identical from the package but the reverse side (the chevron side we prefer) isn’t visible until you open the package! So originally we got two different patterns for the girls. We ended up appreciating the choice because we all liked one over the other so we exchanged it.

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The differences are set A has BRIGHTER colors with more white and a bright blue teal. Set B has slightly LIGHTER colors with less white space and a light mint in place of the teal. The reverse side is the same graphic but slightly different dye lots. We much prefer set B with less white space, but honestly both were pretty cute. 

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The set is polyester, so not as soft as cotton but my kids like it. It’s definitely not as stiff as the typical character sheets from Target or Walmart. All three children have been sleeping on these for about two weeks and guess what? Every day the girls have made their beds! My four year old son does not make his independently, however, when I direct him he can do it himself in no time. That’s a win!

 

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One of the drawbacks of ZipIt bedding was the limited patterns, but I have to say that the kids and I actually LOVE the chevron prints. The colors are great for our rooms and they are much more age-less than the reverse sides.

I seriously love Zip-It bedding!!! I walked past my girls’ room on Saturday morning around 8 AM and saw their beds neatly made! It’s amazing how something so small can be such an encouragement to a mama’s heart. Check out the selection on Amazon!

Deal Alert, DIY, Kids, Organization

Budget Tween Room Makeover: Part 3

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Twin Tweens

I’m sharing my budget “tween” shared twin room makeover because tweens are a tricky demographic. They want to be grown up, but they don’t bring in their own income! They want all their toys, but they also want their room to look sophisticated. Don’t forget to check out Budget Tween Room Makeover In Progress (Part 1) & Budget Tween Room Makeover Part 2 if you missed them!

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Things are shaping up nicely over here. Although we totally had a DIY-fail this week involving a vintage lamp and spray paint, we found some adorable accessories that we are excited to add to the room. As we planned, we sold our Ikea Kura (we will miss it, such a fun versatile piece; but our other Kura is still serving us well in my son’s room) and took a family trip to Ikea for a more grown-up alternative, finally settling on this:

New Bunk Bed, Ikea Mydal

 

I was considering a metal bunk bed (we love the clean lines of this one by Walker Edison), but my husband felt like a wood version would be more sturdy. He was able to put the Mydal together in about two hours with tons of family interruptions. I’m happy to report I didn’t hear any angry outbursts or loud crashes so I think the experience was relatively painless for him. If you ask him, assembling furniture could be his least favorite task in the world. Hopefully the girls realize what a labor of love this was for him to work so much on their room during his “vacation” week.kuramydal

He also installed two picture ledges/shelves for the girls from Ikea. These appear to be the perfect solution for a few bedtime essentials (clock, book, water bottle) without the clutter of a bedside table (or the challenge of height for the top bed). We also bought a couple of these for under-bed storage, which we promptly filled with out of season clothing. (Nine year old identical twin girls sharing a closet is no joke, folks).

Our next quest was for new bedding that would match the new dorm room vibe. I started googling “bunk bed bedding” and here is the resulting shopping rabbit hole I ended up heading down. I will update soon with the bedding that we ended up choosing, but the girls are thrilled with the results.

Pinterest Fail: Spray Painting a Floor Lamp

Next I had this “brilliant” idea to re-paint my old lamp from college that for some reason was still stashed in the attic. We used Krylon Shimmer Metallic Black Spray Paint and I love the color. It’s nothing close to glittery, just black with a little extra “something”. It was a little tricky covering the base because it’s so narrow and I did end up with some paint drips, but keep in mind that I am also fairly careless with craft projects (just being honest, ya’ll). I plan to cover it with a clear protective spray to keep the finish nice.  Sadly, my brilliant plan started to deteriorate when I realized spray painting the translucent shade wasn’t quite possible.  The resulting splotchy light was pretty gloomy and depressing. On to Plan B…

The blogger who never gives up

 

As most folks know, I tend to cling to a project idea until it is pretty much pried from my lifeless, paint-stained hands, so I refused to give up on the lamp (which is really illogical since I know for a fact I paid only $8 for it at Walmart in the year 2000).  I tried purchasing a new shade at Lowe’s only to realize I was the semi-confused owner of two half-circle wall sconces.  (Thank you Lowe’s for easy returns).

Finally, I went to Michael’s absolutely determined to solve the lamp problem. I came home with some gorgeous gold washi tape and proceeded to tape and tape and tape. Washi tape lampshades are all over pinterest so I was confident this idea would be a success. (Misplaced confidence is also part of my DIY-er profile).

Sticky to the Bitter End

This was my first experience with Washi Tape and it turns out that it’s not as tape-y as duct tape. Soon I realized that the stick alone was not going to hold this project together. So I whipped out my Mod Podge (this $8 sixteen-year-old lamp was racking up a tab of upwards of $50 but good thing I made nearly $1.40 yesterday on Amazon Affiliates. Blogging my way to the top, ya’ll)

So I started haphazardly slapping sticky Mod Podge all over the lamp and tucking the ends over the edge (forgetting that not everyone is short like me and the inside would be visible to the naked eye). A couple coats later and ta-da! My eighteen  hour, four shopping trips later, simple DIY project was complete! And the results are:

washi tape lamp shade

Ok? Not bad? Better than dumping the lamp in a landfill? Semi-functional? Good enough for now?

Alphabet Train Line at Michael’s 70% off

Our fun find of the week was these two large letters with the ampersand for my “S” girls.  The total for all three was about $7 thanks to major markdowns! We plan to hang them on the wall once we figure out the perfect spot. There are tons of different letters in all colors and sizes for 70% right now at Michael’s from the Alphabet Train line, so check it out in your local store!
sands

I would love to thank Brooklyn & Bailey (teen youtube stars & identical twin girls) for their fun and cute videos about their shared room. I could tell my girls were really impressed to see cool older girls who enjoy sharing a room and can make it look so awesome at the same time. I really appreciate their positive sibling dynamic and great example!

Deal Alert, Recipes

Prime Day Deal Alert Instant Pot only $70!

Here’s another chance to grab my fav. kitchen item at a steal! Instant Pot $70! What do I use it for?
Pasta, beans & rice, soups of all kinds, hard boiled eggs, potato salad, roasts, ribs, yogurt, anything you would use a steamer for, anything you would use a crockpot for, anything you would use a warmer for. Easy, fast, stainless, programmable, auto set, busy-mom cooking magic right here! I can’t say enough good things!

Prime Day is shaping up to be pretty Awesome! If you don’t yet have an Instant Pot, this is your CHANCE! $69.99 down from $120 and worth every penny. You won’t regret it! (Aff-link:)


Check out my Pinterest Page for Recipes!

DIY, Everything Else

Budget Tween Room Makeover: Part 2

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Twin Tweens

I’m sharing my budget “tween” shared twin room makeover because tweens are a tricky demographic. They want to be grown up, but they don’t bring in their own income! They want all their toys, but they also want their room to look sophisticated. Check out my first post to see what we started with. 

Here’s our purple progress so far!

tween.makeover.diy.purple.room

I have to get started by apologizing. I realized today that yesterday’s post was a little misleading because I really didn’t post any budget tips! I promise I wasn’t trying to create click-bait…I was just trying to break up the post into reasonable pieces and the room is, like I said, a work in progress. But I promise I do have some budget tips, and I’m going to jump right into them today. My first tip is probably not going to surprise anyone!

Thrift Whenever Possible

I don’t want to sound like a broken record (it literally *just* occurred to me that readers are going to start wondering what that phrase means! whoa. That along with blogging about having tweens is definitely making me feel old….) but thrifting is such a great way of filling in the gaps with awesome unique decor with way less investment! When you walk through a thrift store lookout for items that are perfect for:

Chalkboard Spray Paint

I like this one, Rust-oleum Chalkboard Spray Paint. $3.95 as an add-on item is an awesome price for this also! We have used this paint for shelves, coasters, and redoing old art into chalkboards. It’s got great coverage and is really easy to use!

Metallic Spray Paint

I plan to order this one, Rust-oleum Bright Coat Metallic Finish. I can’t wait to try this on some knick-knacks we already have around the house.

A Totally Different Use

Think about what items you *need* for your home and try to imagine how bargain items could serve the purpose.

Here is an example of a outdated 90’s style kitchen basket that we spray painted with Krylon CoverMaxx in Gumdrop. We applied about three coats (probably due to my extremely haphazard spraypainting style) but the basket turned out perfect for our purposes. I mean, tacky stuff in bright colors is just what nine year olds are drawn to, so really why would you pay a lot of money for something you can easily make yourself? (Of course, in retrospect, I really wish I had done this in gold because I think it would have turned out awesome but we already had the purple so it is what it is.)

 

spraypaintmakeovertweendecor

 

Check out my Pinterest board for all kinds of thrifted DIY ideas with tweens in mind. I will be back with more tips soon!

Don’t miss my other posts in this series!

Budget Tween Room Makeover Part 1
Budget Tween Room Makeover Part 3
  Bunk Bed Bedding Reveal