diy mama

lifestyle blog sharing diy, family, travel, organization & disney tips

Life

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100 Days of Happy

Who doesn’t want to be happy? That seems like a silly question! I’m challenging myself to be happy for 100 days in a row. It sounds hard and easy at the same time. I read about this tonight over at A Beautiful Mess and thought it sounded wonderful! I’m starting tomorrow, so who’s with me!?

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I’m going to be posting my happiness on twitter, but you can share yours on whatever social media platform you prefer! The website said 71% of people were not able to complete the challenge because it was too time consuming. I have time to be happy and share my happiness with the world so that’s what I’m going to do! Here are some reasons you should accept the challenge as well:

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I think this is a sweet challenge that can help people realize the awesomeness that is their life. Wouldn’t it be fun to make a book or Pinstagram collage made to remember your 100 Days of Happy!? Let me know if you sign up, I’ll follow you! Don’t forget to tag it with #100HappyDays.

Shelly

 

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Top 6 Home Decor Books

I’m a big decor book fan. Although I only have three of these in my possession, I have looked through all of these multiple times. (Our date nights consist of the library or Barnes and Noble…nerds.) I am currently using these books to prop up the lamp on my desk because it was too short BUT I’ll hopefully be getting a new lamp in the near future so I can bust these bad boys out for eye candy.

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Best Decor Books
  1. Young House Love. If there is one blog in the world that I would not want to live without, it would be YHL. I have been following them for 5 years and fall even more in love every day. This book has a TON of easy, medium and complicated DiY projects to spruce up your home. One reason I enjoy this book is that at the beginning of each project they lay out the price range, skill level and amount of time the project will take.
  2. Design Sponge at Home. This book is also a favorite for me because of the easy navigation as well as the price, skill and time laid out for each project. The projects in this book are a bit more sophisticated (I’m not sure if that’s true or if I’m just getting that feeling) just like their blog. Design*Sponge has been around for a looooong time and has several contributors so they’re a bit harder for me to keep up with and really know the people behind the projects (although Grace Bonney is the mastermind behind the operation and is a VERY cool girl!)
  3. Domino. One of THE most popular decor books out there. You will see this book in a book shelf or proping up lamps in almost every blog you visit. My sister first got the book when it was released and I read through it multiples times when I’d visit. A year later I decided I just needed my own copy. Again, this book has a more sophisticated feel, to me, than the YHL book but is very helpful as it is a guide on how to decorate each room of your home.
  4. Nate Berkus. Now WHO doesn’t love Nate?! So nice and has a great eye for design. LOVE that he’s at Target now! I don’t have Nate’s book YET but I like that it’s written from a man’s perspective. I always fall in love with the blush/gold/floral combos but then I remember that I live with a man who’s not fond of those things.
  5. Decorate. This is an AWESOME book for learning the fundamentals of decorating. It is not a DiY projects book but rather a ‘here’s how to learn about visual spacing or the flow of a room.’ It would be a good idea to read this book before reading the others mentioned above.
  6. Jonathan Adler 100 Ways to Happy Chic your Life. You would not enjoy this book if you do not enjoy the ‘happy chic’ style. Jonathan Adler has a few different books out right now. You may have seen his Happy Chic Colors but I’m more a fan of this book.
Two tips in regards to buying decor books. Do not buy them on a e-reader. I know e-readers have come a long way and have vibrant screens but there’s just something to be said for a hand held book that you can flip through, mark pages and write notes in. Also, unless you’re DYING to have a specific book as soon as it comes out, wait a few months because they always go on sale. I’ve noticed that the design/decor books always start out relatively pricey but always go way on sale once they’ve been out a while. If you must read it in the mean time, there’s probably a copy at your library! Is anyone else fortunate enough to own or have read through these lovelies? Any favs I didn’t mention that I’ll now need to go find?!
Shelly

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Life Planner

Today I’m going to let you hear me. Yes, I’m doing my first ever vlog. Sigh. It’s so hard to hear yourself on camera but I wanted to try it out so you guys could get to know me a bit better! I’m going to talk about my life planner and show you what works for our family in hopes that it sparks some ideas for your planner!

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First things first! HAPPY FIRST DAY OF SPRING!!!

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Life Planner

If you want better quality, click HERE to go to my YouTube page.

Here’s the ridiculous set up I had for my make-shift tripod!! Please tell me how you set your cameras up so you can use both hands!! Please disregard all of the scrapbook stuff on the island out of frame! I’ve been smashing lately!

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As promised here are the links to everything you see in my planner. If there’s anything I missed or you care to know about; like my nail polish color, what make up I’m wearing, where I got my Mickey earrings or any other random thing you see, just ask! Ps. Stephen King would be SO mad to see his book next to Twilight! You can definitely pick out which books are mine and which are Jeffrey’s.

There ya have it! What does your life planner look like? One of many things I learned while doing this vlog-look at the camera. Sorry friends. *Disclaimer: I do not discourage tree climbing except for when the tree is dead.* How’d you like the vlog? Honestly, I’d love any and all feedback you have regarding the matter! Also, sorry for calling my sweet neighborhood my ‘hood’…I’m weird.

Interested in more organizational tips? Check out my Pinterest board!

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Spring IKEA Swooning

ikea swooning

If you came into my house and looked around for 5 seconds, you would see IKEA everywhere. It’s the only store we can access that has affordable modern furniture. Don’t get me wrong, I’d be a West Elm and Crate and Barrel girl if I could…but for now we will stick with the sweet Swedes at IKEA. We’ll be going to IKEA next month when we visit family in Chicago (the closest IKEA) to pick up frames. I have a feeling I’m going to be drooling over these pieces when we go! None of them, other than the butcher block are conducive to our home…or necessary in any way…BUT I still love them! *Side note: I am wearing my Small World Disney shirt, have Mickey on my nails and have been listening to the Disney station on Pandora all day because my equally-obsessed niece is in Magic Kingdom for the first time today!! I’m over the moon excited for her! Also, more happy tears than should be allowed, have been shed today.*

 

IKEA Spring *swoon*
So here’s the rundown of what these pieces are and why I’m swooning over them:
  1. This KURA bunk bed is super sweet and sibling friendly! I had been keeping it in the back of my mind as a possibility for when/if we have a second child (I know…thinking waaay ahead, but that’s what I do.) My sister just bought it for my neice (who’s in line to see Rapunzel right now in her Rapunzel dress!) and she LOVES it. It’s perfect for her because she doesn’t always like sleeping in a bed so she can choose whether she sleeps on the floor or top bunk. This bed is also super hackable and can be found all over Pinterest or IKEA Hacker.
  2. This butcher block is super trendy…as far as butcher blocks go. We have a couple bamboo butcher blocks and love them! This one would be awesome hung on a wall along with your pots and pans!
  3. THIS STOCKHOLM cabinet. Oh man. I’ve seen this now during two trips to IKEA and I just can’t get it out of my mind. There’s NO WHERE it could go in my house, nothing to put in it and I fear I would never dust it. Other than that! I think it would look AWESOME in my house.
  4. LAPPLJUNG RUTA. Say that three times fast. Or even once. If I didn’t have super deep pile carpets (made of corn!) then this rug would be in my home. I have a similar black and white diamond rug from Target at the entryway of my home but I’d love a big one instead!
  5. This deep teal PS 2012 coffee table (surprisingly that’s the weirdest name I’ve seen) would be super functional in my family room. It has a industrial feel but the deep teal brightens the room with a splash of color. I like that it has a second shelf underneath and that it’s on wheels for easy movement!
  6. Man, this sweet PALLRA yellow stacking box is darling. I don’t know what it is but I’ve really been gravitating towards anything yellow at IKEA. I got this side table as a gift for Sophie’s room b/c I couldn’t live without it!
  7. These clear SYNAS LED light boxes are calling decorators everywhere! They’re in the children’s section at IKEA but I could totally see them as an art installation in someone’s home! A bit pricey but they look really mod and sturdy!
  8. Finally, the STORNAS extendable dining table. This table might actually make it back home with us. We’ve been looking for 3 years for a round extendable table for our kitchen that’s not a traditional pedestal table AAAND they don’t exist. Our kitchen has a bay window that would be perfect for a circular table but I can’t seem to find an affordable and durable table for that space. If you know of any in the under-$600 range, PLEASE let me know!!
So, when I go to IKEA, for frames, who thinks I’ll get at least one of these items? Or 10 other random items not on my list? Yes. I’m afraid you’re all right. Dude, who digs the meatballs at IKEA? I always forget to get the free meal with my receipt! What’s your favorite IKEA snack?
Shelly

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Perfect Picnic Essentials

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Spring is right around the corner and I am dreaming of going to a nearby park to soak up some rays! Our picnic experience will be quite different now that we have a baby but I’ve included what makes for a perfect picnic san baby. All of these things are not ACTUAL necessities but they make for a more enjoyable time.

Perfect Picnic
1. Sun hat for shading your face as well as holding your hair back from the wind.
2. Book to escape to. My favorite device for reading is the Kindle Paperwhite. There is no glare, it’s light and it’s easy to grab a new book if you finish yours while you’re at the park.
3. Camera to capture the fun in action. This Fuji camera is the modern version of the Polaroid.
4. Darling sun dress to romp around in.
5. Bicycle to cruise the park on-preferably with a basket for your nature scavenger hunt.
6. Comfy blanket to sprawl out and relax with your loved ones.
7. Jams to listen to while you eat, read, or play games. We have two of these (one was a gift) and we love them! They have awesome sound quality and can hook up wirelessly to any tablet or smartphone.
8. Pic-a-nic basket to haul your refreshing drinks and sweet treats in. My go to picnic meal is a chicken salad croissant, pringles, grapes and Sunkist. I’m a simple girl.

9. Sunnies mainly to look cute but also to protect your eyes from UVB.

So grab your favorite drink, throw these items in your picnic basket and you’ll be all set for a spontaneous date! What are your picnic essentials?
ShellyThis is not a sponsored post. These are my own opinions.
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