live the dream
I’ve been getting lots of questions about home building and how it was to be our own General Contractor. Before you start thinking “I could never self-contract a home build,” read this and then decide. It’s definitely not for everybody, but it COULD be for …
Everything you need to know about Board and Batten Inside and Outside the Home Board and batten is a classic way of siding a building. Before plywood, builders used the widest boards they could make from a tree. Often that was about 12″ wide. They …
Hello and welcome to the Summer Outdoor Spaces Blog Hop hosted by AnnMarie & Anne from Simply2Moms! If you’re visiting from Kim at Shiplap and Shells, or if you just happened to stop by, I’m so glad you’re here. When I imagined this outdoor space, …
Howdy! Hello! Welcome! I’m so glad you’re here! I’m excited to be a part of the home tour and share my bedroom Spring update. In October of 2019, we moved into this house we designed and built ourselves. When I say “built”, I mean we …
Cooking with kids can be enjoyable. For me, I think attitude is everything. I have to let go of perfection, be open to anything, ready to laugh, be silly and carefree. Here are some tips for making it an enjoyable experience! Go in knowing it’s …
I have been getting lots of questions about our wood floors so I thought I’d make a blog post covering everything about them. First off, I LOVE these floors. I paid full price for my flooring and I’m sharing this with you because that’s what …
The pantry is really having a moment. They are being showcased with beautiful antique doors, and some pantries are as elaborate as the kitchen itself. They range from a little cabinet space to a closet with shelves to small rooms. Some pantries even house the …
I’m sure you’ve seen beautiful images of custom messages in tile. This “Hello Lovely” is made using small hexagon tiles. When I saw this I was very inspired and thought it would be so fun to do something like this in our new home. I …
This blog contains affiliate links. I may receive commissions when you click links and make purchases. However, this does not impact my reviews and comparisons. Building or remodeling a home means making a lot of choices. It’s easy to get decision fatigue and throw your …
Below you’ll find direct links to the items we are using in our home. I’ll update the list as we go. Disclosure: some links are affiliate links Sconce LED Edison Bulbs 4000K Glass pendant over kitchen sink Small Flush Mount …
I realized the other day that I needed to have the master freestanding tub decided so the plumber could rough in for the drain before the foundation is poured. Some tubs have the drain in the center, some on one end. And I needed to …
One of my favorite Christmas traditions is to make cookies. There are so many memories made in the kitchen. I pulled up this old recipe from 8 years ago to make this year’s cookies, and I realized that when I made these ornaments, I was …
We just got our building permits! We are really doing this…building a house for our family. It’s overwhelming and I just have to have faith that even though I don’t have every step and detail figured out, that it will all work out. I designed …
When my boys were 3 and 2 years old, we took them to the beach. Each morning, we’d coat them head to toe in store-bought baby sunscreen. The brand was one that I considered more natural and safe. Everyday, about an hour later, they’d be …
When I envisioned my future family life as a young person, I never had visions of doing the dishes. every. single. day. Also mysteriously excluded from my future family fantasies was the mountain of laundry that mocks me from the dining room table day after day. …
(This post is copied from my food blog, www.defiantlygoodfood.com.) Growing up, I remember my grandmother making the best Lemon Meringue Pie. There are family legends about her pie. She made it look effortless, pie shell from scratch and all! And it was so lemon-y it would …
I’m gathering up ideas for dinner on Cinco de Mayo. Here are four delicious recipes from DefiantlyGoodFood.com. All of these recipes are low carb and gluten free!
Cooking with kids can be fun, adventurous and educational. For me, I think attitude is everything. I have to let go of perfection, be open to anything, ready to laugh, be silly and carefree. I sometimes rush to get through the daily grind of life like dishes …
12 Reasons to Involve Kids in the Kitchen Its good old fashioned fun No electronics, no EMF, no violent games, no competition. The pull of the iSomething is strong and it seems everywhere I look kids are hunched over some device. I know some apps …
You know what that means? Time to break out the sweaters! I love sweater weather…cool crisp air, rustling leaves, warm coffee in my hands. This cup sweater is from Mallina Designs on etsy.com.
These chocolate chip cookies are excellent. I mean they are tender, melt-in-your-mouth darn good chocolate chip cookies and they can certainly hold their own against the sugar laden, gluten-filled version! They use Lily’s chocolate chips which I love! They are sweetened with stevia instead of sugar or aspartame. …
We know it looks cool in the home, but did you know that writing on chalkboard walls is really good for kids? This article does a great job explaining! Have you seen chalkboard walls and wished you had one in your home? We did too. So we …
Seaside is one of our favorite places to go…it’s like a summer home away from home. That reminds me, we need to book our house for this summer! “I Lived” by One Republic Hope when you take that jump, you don’t fear the fall Hope …
