Categories
FOOD & DRINK

The Black Widow {Halloween Cocktail}

Only a few days away from Halloween and if you’re anything like me, you’re probably wondering how you’ll survive trick-or-treating without a specialty cocktail. Well ghouls, look no further, because I’ve got you covered…

This one is called the Blackberry Black Widow … and it’s a “skinny” version because I don’t need all the extra calories on Halloween night considering I’m probably going to raid my kids baskets of candy when they go to sleep… so skinny version it is!

It’s so simple to make, refreshing to drink and the muddled blackberries give it that dark and spooky feel … perfect for a haunted night!

Let me know if you make it! Enjoy!

Blackberry Black Widow Recipe:

Use a metal cocktail shaker that has a strainer on top. Place a handful of fresh blackberries in the shaker (or you can muddle them in a glass and then put them in the shaker). Whichever way you prefer, muddle the blackberries until they are completely juiced.

Add your tequila (I prefer a reposado, but anejo works as well) to the shaker and .5 oz of fresh squeezed limes and 1/2 cup of ice. Put the lid on and give it a good shake. I prefer my drinks without any sugar, so this will taste more on the tart side, but if you prefer something a bit sweeter, you can add .5 of agave syrup.

Strain into a glass of your choice. I use a whiskey rock as my ice. Top the drink off with a splash of soda water and garnish with rosemary and/or an extra lime wedge.

Add more or less ingredients to match your taste preference.

Hope you enjoy!

Categories
DIY FOOD & DRINK KIDS LIFESTYLE

Halloween Treats Board

Hi friends! With Halloween being right around the corner, I thought it would be fun to create a kid friendly and yummy for adults too, dessert board! This was super easy to make and basically everything is from Trader Joe’s! They always have the cutest themed cookies, candy and more. This was fun to create and I hope to inspire you to make your own as well 🙂

And wanted to give a special thank you to Better Homes & Garden magazine for the incredible article featuring my dessert board. https://www.bhg.com/halloween/planning/halloween-candy-boards/

Hope you enjoy!

Categories
HOME DECOR KIDS

Camryn’s Nursery

Hi girls! I’ve shared a few pictures here and there of baby Camryn’s room but really haven’t finished it until just recently. Blake still uses that room as she is transitioning into sleeping in a bunk bed and sharing a room with her brother…

This was a fun room to design because it’s my last baby, so I wanted to spend some time on it. I actually used the same dresser, crib and glider with all 3 kids. Those pieces have really held up well and they are all neutral in color, so it worked for Ashton as well as Blake and Camryn. I just switched up some of the decor pieces to make it either more masculine or feminine depending on who was using it.

I’ve linked all the items I could find to help replicate her room if you like this style 🙂 Hope you enjoy the photos!

Categories
HOME DECOR

Neutral Home Decor Finds

Hi Girls! I can’t believe another month has gone by and we are already nearing August! Feels like summer started back in March (when kids were kicked out of school lol), but nevertheless, not complaining and enjoying the rest of the summer!

With all this extra time at home, I can’t help but look at each room in the house and think about redecorating… I wanted to start a new series which I plan to do weekly called “Janan’s Favorite Finds” and it’ll showcase new items, trends, cravings etc for the home, entertaining, kids, amazon finds, and more.

This week is all about neutral home decor which you just can’t go wrong with… Hope you enjoy my favorite picks this week!

Categories
LIFESTYLE

Kitchen Organization

This is probably my favorite topic and favorite thing to do – organize! I feel like I organize and re-organize all the time, and probably don’t even realize I am doing it… ha!

I am going to break down our Home Organization post into a couple categories so it’s not too overwhelming. But for starters, I wanted to share some Kitchen organization techniques that will make your life much simpler…

Coffee Station- Yes, the best place to come to first thing in the morning (or multiple times during the day). Whether you have a Nespresso machine or Keurig, a coffee tray to organize your pods is a must for keeping your coffee area organized and neat. Here are a couple of my favorite trays… this glass one for your Nespresso pods and this one for your Keurig pods.

Pantry- get rid of your boxes and bags and start using sealable containers. These are the best for cereals, oatmeal, granola etc. Plus they stay fresher and look nicer. I use the OXO containers. These ones are the Good Grip Dispensers.

For items like rice, pasta, nuts, crackers, etc… I also use OXO brand and these ones are called Pop Containers. They are great for baking items as well (flour, sugar, etc) and super convenient and easy to use. They come in multiple sizes depending on your pantry size and space.

I recently picked up this Bread Box off Amazon and not only is it aesthetically pleasing, it keeps your bread fresher for longer. It’s a pretty big box and I can fit about 4 or more loafs of bread in it!

Spice Rack – there are so many great organizing trays and racks for your spices. I had our spice rack built in as one of the pull out cabinets when I remodeled our kitchen, but if you don’t have a built in spice rack, there are plenty of great alternatives to keep all your spices organized.

Here are a few of my favorites that are currently on sale:

Iron Spice Rack – love the look of iron!

Spinning Spice Rack – this one is great if you have space on your counter!

In- Drawer Spice Rack– if you have room in your drawer, this is a great system for keeping your spices organized.

Enjoy!

Categories
DIY KIDS

DIY Playhouse Makeover

Hi friends! This is probably my most requested post and my favorite DIY to date so far. I knew when I got my kids a playhouse, I was definitely going to “remodel” it for them and add some finishing touches to make it unique and their own.

There are so many different styles of playhouses available (even ones that are white and already painted) but at the time I was searching for ours, I didn’t have that option… I found ours from Backyard Discovery which you can purchase at various retailers online… ours specifically is called the “Timberlake Playhouse”. Another great online resource for playhouses would be Kid Kraft.

First off, the playhouse comes in a box, so I had to put it together. It took a couple hours to build and you’ll need an electric drill to complete the project.

Once the entire playhouse was built, I wanted to paint it so it matched the same colors as our main house. I had extra paint leftover in the garage and just grabbed those and used it on the playhouse. I bought some different size paint brushes and a roller brush from Lowes and started painting. FYI, I did not prime anything first.

For the tiny windows in front of the house and the small door, I used a small paintbrush and added an accent color to match the same color as the roof. Once everything was painted and dried, I started attaching some mini decor pieces to the exterior and interior. I grabbed the house number 9 sign from Lowes and just drilled it into the front door. The two little window planters were a random find from Big Lots and just so happened to be the perfect size for that window. The green wreath, side lanterns and doormat I found at Target. I used a command hook to attach the wreath- super simple.

Overall, the project was relatively easy to do and it was enjoyable getting to “design” it and decorate it with mini accent pieces. Once it was all finished, I wanted to take it a step further and add some “grass” and a white picket fence to make it look even more real. But other than that, I think it’s such a fun DIY project that you and your kids will love and enjoy for years to come!

Another cute addition is the kids picnic table which ended up fitting perfectly in that space.

SHOP THE PLAYHOUSE HERE:

Enjoy!

Categories
HOME DECOR

How to Decorate for Spring

Hi friends! Spring is here whether we are quarantined or not… so might as well get our creative juices flowing and start adding some brighter colors and decor around the house.

I’ve made a simple step by step process that you can use to decorate for Spring.

Step 1:  Materials

Assess the materials you have to work with and the space on which you want to create your tablescape. I typically use our dining room table because of the length as it gives me more room to play around with décor and I also like to use our fireplace mantle because it’s the first place you see when you walk into the house. However, any size table, mantle or space can work.

Gather your materials; if you know what you need and what you have on hand, it will make the process more efficient.

Examples of materials and layering items for Spring would be:

• Vases

• Candles/Candleholders

• Greenery (fresh or faux)

• Decorative embellishments (easter eggs, bunnies, wooden eggs, faux tulips, colorful candles)

Step 2: Color Theme/Mood  

This sets the tone for your decor. For Spring, we think of brighter colors – pink, yellow, purple, green. You can incorporate these bursts of colors throughout your house with simple items like faux flowers, mini decorative eggs etc

Step 3: Add, Layer & Mix

Adding layers and mixing textures will keep a setting from feeling too flat. Layers will make it complex and interesting. Play with high and low elements by using vases of varying heights, wooden blocks or trays and scatter them down the center of the table/mantle. You can always fill the gaps with candles and more greenery.

Step 4: Be Creative

Enjoy the process! Play around with your creativity and feel confident in your design… it will enhance your overall experience. Don’t be afraid to add your own personal and unique touches.

Enjoy!

Categories
DIY

DIY Dip Nails at Home

Ok girls… who needs help with their at-home manis? Well, if now is not the time to learn how to do everything yourself, then I don’t know when is… time to learn how to do DIY dip nails!

To be honest, I’ve actually been doing my own DIP nails for about a year now. It takes some patience and practice but you can definitely get the hang of it and save yourself some time & money going to the nail salon (although, I still like going every now and then to get away from the kids lol). But, if you’re anything like me and like to change out your color sooner than 3 weeks, this option gives you the ability to do so!

I’ve been using a DIP powder by the company Revel Nail . I suggest starting with their “starter kit” and picking some fun colors you want to use!

For those of us that are trying to figure out a way to take your current DIP off your nails, these nail clips from Amazon are a huge lifesaver and work really well. All you need to do is soak your cotton ball/swab in acetone remover and put it on your nail and then put the clip on your nail to hold it in place.

Once you take off the original dip, use a nail file or buffer to “shave” off any remaining powder and basically smooth out your nails to their original state.

If you girls are interested in doing your own DIP mani’s at home, leave me a message or comment on my IG pic and I will do a video tutorial of how to do it!

Happy DIY Nails!

janan

xx