5 Ways to Make Your House a Home

We recently moved into my parents old home. It's an adorable little 1940s house sitting on 10 acres of lush green land. I have fallen in love with the home, & it helps that most of my high school memories cultivated inside this house.

Growing up, it was home. It was loud. It was warm, It was loving. It was the central hub for all of our family gatherings. But once it was a blank slate, I was lost. I had no idea how to remake this house into a home for my own family.

1. Monogram it.
   Nothing screams "THIS IS MINE!" like having your initials plastered everywhere. However, too many monograms can clash with the flow of your home, but in light doses a single monogram can go a long way.
             *Tip:If you're looking for a simple statement outside, opt for a garden flag or a hanging monogram for your porch.
2. Create a "Command Center."
   
   With the hustle and bustle of every day life, it seems only rational to have a little place in your home that is the Grand Central Station of your home. Whether it is hidden under the stairs - as ours is!-, nestled into a bookshelf, or spaced across an entire wall; it is important to have a spot in your home designated for all of the important information that needs to be communicated between one another.
             *Tip: If your command center is overrun with papers, add a tray, binder, or folder for quick declutter.
   
3. Make ordinary objects seem important.
   
   
   We all have what I like to call "ugly stuff." Ugly stuff is what you want no one else to see, the items you keep tucked away in a cabinet because it isn't something you would normally display. Bring those bad boys out. After all, it is YOUR home. Isn't it more convenient if those dishwasher detergent tabs are sitting right on the counter top? Just make them pretty. Place them in a mason jar and nestle them towards the back of the counter.. Kitchen decor or kitchen necessity? Both!
             *Tip: You can also display your liquid soap by placing inside a oil & vinegar cruet or your powder detergent by placing inside an air-tight jar with scoop.
4. Stash family photos all throughout the house.
   Don't you want to show off that cute little family you made? Or maybe you'd like to show off all those pets you have that act as children? Tuck photos in every nook and cranny of your home. What's better to show off than yourself, your children, and their accomplishments? Family photos will make your home seem more inviting and full of love; everyone loves love!
             *Tip: Try setting aside a wall in your home that is covered in photos. While most opt for placing photos down a long hallway, placing your photos in a great room or living room gives all of your guests the opportunity to see your beautiful pictures.
   
5. Create a coffee bar.
   
   
   If you're a coffee lover, why not make a special nook for your favorite morning cup? All you need is to dedicate a small counter space to all things coffee - Hail to the Coffee! Display your coffee grounds and favorite mix-ins in adorable glass jars beside your coffee maker to add your own special touch.
             *Tip: If you own a Keurig, add a small lazy susan for easy access to your k-cups.

Easy Homemade Brownies

Who doesn't love sweets?

With most of the continental U.S. under not-so-favorable weather, it's hard to keep boredom from catching up! Today is day 4 of snow and ice barricading me inside the house and although I totally don't mind lounging around all day, my toddler is NOT okay with that. Finding ways to keep the both of us busy is a hard task. But there is one thing he does love... Cooking!

When it's time to cook breakfast, lunch, or dinner, I always try to draw his attention by making it seem exciting. Usually, it's by telling him "We gotta fix supper for Daddy!" and he'll come running to help me. 

So when I caught him standing on the back of the couch, playing with the thermostat, I knew I was in for it today. 

My child and husband both love chocolate, so why not entice him into making something he'll love?

What you will need:

• 1/2 cup Flour
• 1 cup Sugar
• 1/3 cup Cocoa
• 1/4 tsp Baking Powder
• 1/4 tsp Salt
• 2 Eggs
• 1 tsp Vanilla Extract
• 1/2 cup Vegetable Oil

1. Preheat oven at 350 degrees.
2. Mix dry ingredients (flour, sugar, cocoa, baking powder, and salt) together in a bowl until well blended.
3. Add eggs, vanilla extract, and vegetable oil into dry ingredients and mix until smooth.
4. Pour mix into glass baking dish and bake approximately 10 minutes until well done.

Once you remove your brownies from the oven, poke a small hole in the center to make sure they are thoroughly done. After cooking down, cut brownies into squares and dig in!

Vicks CoolMist Humidifier

We're in the midst of an ice storm in Tennessee!

Or at least, to all of us Tennesseans who never get snow or ice, we consider it an ice storm! Lately the weather has been dynamic. Last weekend, I was wearing a t-shirt and driving with the windows down; now I'm shut up in the house cuddled up in blankets drinking cappuccinos. 

With the constant weather-changing, the air in our home is SO dry. I've awoken every morning for the past few months with a nose so stuffy I couldn't breathe through my nose. But luckily, I received a Mini Vicks CoolMist Humidifier in the mail free from Influenster.com for testing purposes!

I just plug this little sweetheart up every night before bed and ta-da! No more stuffy noses!

Most humidifiers have a horrible noise that accompanies them. However, I can testify that the Vicks CoolMist Humidifier is so quiet you can hardly tell it's running. And with it's small design, it fits right in with the rest of the room.

Please excuse the bare walls, we're in moving-mode!

You can order your own Vicks CoolMist Humidifier here. 

You can also sign up for your own Influenster account and be eligible to receive free products for testing purposes!

DIY Inexpensive Under Cabinet Lighting

The last few weeks we've been prepping our new house to move in!  We have reconfigured rooms (dining room to living room, living room to master bedroom, bonus room to walk-in dressing room), added wood to walls, stained stairs, & my parents even had a new kitchen floor installed!

While my lovely husband has been doing most of the heavy duty work, I've been keeping myself busy by adding small touches that help bring life throughout the home. One of my most recent endeavors.. extra lighting under the cabinets.

I was browsing Pinterest.com when I came across an adorable post that had a tutorial of how to install under cabinet lights with wiring. Well, I'm not that skilled. I also like to keep things cheap. So I made a quick trip to Walmart and decided to stroll down the lighting isle to see what our options were. I found a really awesome LED light bar with a remote control, but it was still too expensive for my taste. A glance down at the bottom shelf revealed this precious gem..

Tap lights! How neat.. I could control which lights I needed and turn them off and on accordingly. But how to attach them underneath each cabinet without destroying the cabinet, light, and causing a huge mess? Velcro strips. Simply attach a velcro strip to the light and another to the cabinet and there you have it!

The best part? They are removable. Something I had never considered before, but can definitely come in handy. If the electricity goes out, if you lose your flashlight; just pop this bad boy off of the cabinet and you've got yourself a handy helper!

Not bad for a pack of $4 lights and $2 Velcro strips.

Homemade Valentine Sugar Cookies

What says "I love you" more than homemade cookies?

And I have the perfect sugar cookie recipe guaranteed to melt hearts! My husband and son both loved them!

What you'll need:

• 2 sticks butter (1 cup) softened
• 1 cup sugar
• 3/4 tsp vanilla extract
• 1 large egg
• 2 1/4 cups flour

First, preheat oven to 375 degrees. Next mix butter, sugar, vanilla extract, & egg in large mixing bowl on low. Blend until smooth. Slowly add flour while continuously mixing. Once all flour is mixed well, roll cookie dough onto flour-dusted surface and use cookie cutters (optional) to make adorable shapes. Place cookies onto pan rough 1 inch apart and pop into the oven for approximately 8-10 minutes.

Enjoy!