Sharing the Love with some Feathered Friends

Is it just us folks with small kids that seem to drag out every holiday and celebrate for days or weeks ahead of time to milk every ounce of fun out of it?  I don't remember being so "holiday themed" crazy before becoming a mommy.  So much so that the Thanksgiving, Christmas, and New Years events with two little wild men seemed to wear me out and leave me a bit uninspired after prepping and decorating every square inch of our little space we call home.  But alas, I digress, and I am back to my old tricks with a fun family craft that's both green, and good for your hungry feathered friends. 

It's easy.  It can be SO VERY MESSY!  Do as I say and not as I do, it's for your own good, trust me.  If at all possible I'd put these Valentine Bird Feeders together outside, and far away from the reach of helping husbands who are bound to knock the teeny tiny seeds all over your kitchen and breakfast area.  If you can keep your toddlers from eating all of the bird seed than it's a fun Valentine's Day themed craft to do that won't take much time and my two and a half year old seemed thrilled to do.  Of course, he loves the little birdies in our yard.  They are his friends, so he was super excited when I stole this idea from one of his Highlights magazines as a fun thing for us to share, and to add a little decoration outside.  He informed me tonight that we were also to make one for his favorite golfing buddy Mr. Bill, so if you see him, don't spill the bird seed, it's a surprise. 

His plan is a good one; these sweet little bird feeders would make cute do-it-yourself gifts and they are inexpensive and will hopefully bring more birds by our windows during play time.

What do you need? 

• card board
• Crisco
• bird seed
• ribbon
• hole punch

We used part of an old cardboard diaper box and luckily had a ton of Crisco on hand.  An adult should cut out heart shapes from the card board and hole punch where you'll want to tie your ribbon.  Spread a LOT of Crisco onto your cardboard heart and sprinkle on bird seed.  Don't be shy with the Crisco because that is what holds the seeds on.  And don't be surprised if little hands smear Crisco all over the place!!!  Flip it over and coat the other side with Crisco and then seeds, tie them up with a ribbon and your done.  See, easy.  Messy.  Which equals big fun with the kiddos. 

 If you try this and find a way to make the ribbons less messy, please share it with me in the comments section.  This was our first try at these bird feeder hearts and my son truly loved it but I would like to find a way to make them cuter, especially if we are going to be handing them out as gifts.  If you like this idea, please, share the love with your friends, feathered or not.

It's a New Year! Re-Purposing with Purpose

Happy New Year Folks!  I hope your celebrations were joyful and fun.  With a new year I feel like it's time to clean house and start anew on the home front too.  Do you ever feel that way?  Early Spring Cleaning of sorts?  Just to get our boys Christmas stuff in the house we had to re-organize our second floor (thanks Santa Pops!) and once you get started it's sometimes hard to stop.  As I am rifling through everything and putting stuff in the store, donate, or re-use pile, I thought it would be a great time to share some ideas with you.  I have a few re purposing ideas for the kitchen, home office, and playroom that I plan to talk about this week and would love if you shared your ideas as well. 



Have you ever seen these glass beverage containers?  They are gorgeous and look so pretty sitting out when entertaining, even water and fruit look prettier in a giant glass vase.  Unfortunately for us ours have never seemed to work without leaking.  It starts out as just a little drip of liquid which then turns into a huge mess when you are trying to entertain.  Both of the urns we have were gifts that we love so there was no way that we were willing to toss them. 

When the holidays rolled around and we couldn't find anything significant enough to be the center piece for our kitchen island one of our vases was the perfect fix, which thrilled me to no end and my husband too because he was tired of me making him swap stuff out for me to say "mmm no, too small", or "too big", or "too ugly".  Using the vase in this way was an easy fix, the spout just pops right off.  It's obviously not air tight but that doesn't matter for decorative purposes and because it was so low, you didn't even notice that there was a small hole on the bottom unless you were looking for it.

With a cheerio loving 9 month old on our hands, it's become pretty obvious what our other beverage urn is going to become.  We don't even need to make any modifications to it.  It's air tight with a seal around the top and it's sturdy with a giant opening for pouring stuff in and taking stuff out, perfect for counter top storage and much more attractive than a cheerios box.  And I must say, I am so tired of seeing the Cheerios box on my counter!  This is a great gift, that now that we've figured it out, will keep on giving (us storage options) for years to come.  Hooray!

Quick Tiip Tuesday: Wrap it up and Save

Are you feeling a little overwhelmed from all of your decorating during this season of joy and over indulgence? It seems like year after year at this time, as the pressure to get everything decorated and all of the presents purchased mounts, both the money in my wallet and my enthusiasm for lights and knick-knacks starts to drain away. Don't get me wrong I love the holidays, just not the feeling of buyer’s remorse when I feel like I am poor at the end of the year. Well, no more friends! Okay, it's a hard habit to break, so I will admit I did have to pick up a few odds and ends this year but it was definitely on a budget. During these tough economic times we all need to start thinking about re-using and re-purposing items we already have. Today I want to share a pretty inexpensive way to make your home merrier.

Let's get merry on a miser’s budget.

What do you need? Photo frames and wall art that you already have up on the walls or lying around unused in your attic, preferably inexpensive items that won’t get damaged by a little tape. Last years wrapping paper, bows, ribbons, bells, etc.

What are we going to do with this stuff? Wrap up those old frames in your unused wrapping paper. Slap on a bow, or a ribbon, or a few bells, pinecones; whatever strikes your fancy and stick it back up on the wall, the bookshelf or an end table. Use items that will enhance your space but still make it feel like you live there. It will add a little charm and help it to feel more festive but without having to go out and buy more decorations.

Cost? It depends on you. If you save paper and ribbons from year to year, it should cost very little, or nothing at all. You don't need to wrap the whole picture, just anything you can see. You can add double-sided foam tape to ribbons to make them stick to your new artwork and so that you can reuse them again later. If you are a bit on the compulsive side (yes, that's me) you may want to have paper and ribbons that match your current decor and you may have to buy that once and save it for next year but even then it will save you money because you can cover a lot of picture frames with a roll of paper. But (note to self!) some of the best displays are the ones that are not so matchy, matchy.

I bet if you are like me you have a few gifts to get under the tree, so what's a few more "gifts" for your walls? Happy wrapping everyone!

Quick Tip Tuesday: What not to do to your child's beloved toy while they watch!

My working title for this post has been, The Elf! The Elf! The Elf is on Fi-re!, no really the Elf is on FIRE! But it didn't mesh well with the whole quick tip title and all, so I nixed it and am now forcing you to get that song (the roof is on fire) stuck in your head the way it's been stuck in mine since Sunday. You're welcome!

This tip is simple and actually does have to do with your home (my dad's house was the test example and gee we are really sorry about that!) as you really don't want to burn down your house during this joyous holiday season.

In memoriam: Friendly the Elf November 23, 2011 - November 27, 2011

Have you seen this family tradition in a box, the Elf on the Shelf? Well we were turned on to it by a friend and have been waiting for Santa to unveil this precious memory maker to our son. Last Wednesday after our toddler had a good, non-screaming, or tantrum throwing visit with Santa he found that with all his North Pole magic Santa had broken into our car and left him an elf that he could talk to and tell all his Christmas wishes to. Of course he loved it!

Our family tradition lasted 4 nights before daddy thought it would be a great idea to hang him from a chandelier at his grandpa's house. Cute landing spot to be sure, little Friendly's arms wrapped securely around the light bulb he was sitting on. You know where this is going; funny how we didn't at the time until we were packing up to leave and kept smelling smoke. All four adults were starting to panic when we didn't see a fire in the attic, or in the crawl space but we could smell it and the room was starting to get hazy but there was no clear visual smoke coming from anywhere. Finally someone found the "source" and horrified, we watched the smiling face of Friendly the elf as his little arms melted and smoldered into that light bulb high above the dining room table.

Poor Friendly lost his magic as daddy jerked him down slamming him on the dining room table to put the open flame out and we tried to shield our two year old's eyes as he screamed, "don't touch Friendly daddy! What's wrong with Friendly! Where's he going?" Ahh, that's right folks, this family tradition turned ugly when we taught our two year old about a very sick elf that may have to go away for a while.

You too can start this tradition, the elf, not the roast, for about 30 bucks at local retailers. Save some money, don't set the first one on fire. For about $60 total and after a lot of scrambling on our drive back home from the beach, we found out that Friendly was miraculously healed and "got his magic back" according to our very excited son.

So what's your tip? Don't put anything, especially, flammable materials on a light bulb unless you are trying to "accidentally" burn down your house. It may not end well. Don't put burning hot melted materials on your in-laws dining room table. And most of all, let's not emotionally scar our children during this glorious season. Okay fine, just don't scar them any more than normal.

It's a Christmas miracle! Friendly 2.0 made it home from Grandpa's before us!

Don't just set the table, set the stage

How do you want your Thanksgiving Feast to be remembered? When we entertain I want people to walk away from our home relaxed, well fed and happy. I want them to leave with that few hours in time set as a pleasant memory that they'll think back on with a smile. So what can you do to set the stage for your Thanksgiving guest to have them come away wowed by your absolute fabulousness?

There is really so much that you can do to make sure your visit whether days or hours long is a successful one. Lighting, music, fragrances, fun outings and even details like having a guest favorite beauty bar on hand, just in case, all go into setting the stage for a memorable experience. But today, let's talk scents. Now that's not all I have in my bag of tricks when it comes to entertaining but if I were to give you all my milk for free then you'd never come back to buy this cow. Wait, that doesn't sound right. Oh well, let's get started.

Did you know that certain scents invoke memories, which in turn control your emotional response to your situation? Google it. It's one of those no brainers. For me it's the scent of roses. It doesn't matter where I am, if I smell a rose as I pass by, I immediately think of my mom and for me that brings back happy memories, memories of home. What smells remind you of holidays and home? For a lot of people, it's the smell of cinnamon. Pumpkin pie. Coffee. I swear as the weather cools down, my coffee addiction grows worse, maybe its the smell and the warmth combined, but it reminds me of a house full of company with everyone sitting around in their pjs just being lazy and watching the Thanksgiving Day parade.

Set your house up to smell good even when you aren't cooking your feast. A candle warmer is an obvious answer for setting this stage but there is more to it than that.

At our house we eat a ton of apples and pears. Apples are a sure toddler pleaser and we always have at least a core left behind after an afternoon snack. You'll probably have much more than that if you are baking an apple pie this week. Save those cores and any bits and pieces left over. Load them up with cinnamon, cloves, mint and boil them on the stove. It will make your house smell delicious! Oranges also make a great addition to this natural potpourri.

And don't forget to reuse the fruits you have laying around. Another great use for oranges and lemons when you are done with them is to cut them up and toss then in your garbage disposal with a little ice. The ice is supposed to help sharpen the blades and the lemons will help to eliminate yucky odors left over from all your cooking this week.

Before your guest arrive and while you are doing your last minute touch ups around the house, spray a little room spray in your vacuum cleaner hose or filter. It will give the place a quick burst of fragrance as you pick up dust. Right now I am using Scentsy room spray in my vacuum, and the Skinny Dippin' scent makes me feel like it's warm and sunny outside. I love it, and I love when I can accomplish two things at once, a clean floor and a yummy smelling house. Also, try a room spray in your air conditioning vent, every time the air kicks on you and your guest will be in for a pleasant surprise.

Now stop reading and get to it, I am sure you'll have company arriving anytime. Remember to keep it smelling sweet and don't forget the details. Have a merry Turkey Day ya'll!

Who am I? What am I doing? Why am I here?

Okay, maybe "Why am I here?" is a bit too philosophical. Though I do want to tell you a little about this southern girl and what I hope to do with this blog. It seems like we all have only a few great passions in life. For me, those passions include my family, our home, and real estate in general really, entertaining, and writing.

As a child I kept a journal which turned into journals and then an education in journalism and mass communications. This turned into a desire to work in advertising. That desire led me to a mid-size ad agency in a mid-size banking town that was having a huge real estate boom. Being the daughter of an engineer who grew up walking project sites and roaming around in one of the South's most charming destination cities it came as no small surprise when I realized I loved real estate too. Though I had a true passion for advertising, I couldn't afford to live on my salary, so I jumped ship when presented the opportunity to work for one of the largest semi-custom builders in the nation.

I loved it! It was such an educational experience. In learning how quality houses are constructed but more so in how to turn those houses into homes for the people who were building them. It was so satisfying to walk the finished home with all the colors and design choices that went into making it more than just brick and stone. Alas, that real estate boom ended, thus effecting my wallet once more, and now here I am.

Why do I call this "A Southern Girls Guide to a Happy Home"? Why not just a "girls guide"? Why "a happy home"? First, I am from the South, and believe where you come from can affect how you see the world, your sense of style, and your mannerisms, so I feel like that will help to explain my point of view and the projects that I want to share with you. Realizing that a happy home may imply something to do with marriage I want to clarify that this blog is about the actual home not necessarily the people within the dwelling itself. For me having a happy home means I feel a little less chaos in my chaotic life with two boys under the age of three and can think more clearly.

What is a happy home? Again, for me, a clean one(to a reasonable degree; I do have two busy children after all) that smells good and feels inviting...even when I am not expecting guest. Warm lighting, and music playing in the background as my boys and I have our morning milk and coffee or start impromptu dance parties when the mood strikes.

What do I hope to accomplish with this blog? I want to share some of the knowledge I've gathered along the way. Tidbits like how to add warmth and charm to a home that may be a little bland, adding value to your home with small inexpensive changes when you are preparing to sell it, and just everyday "hmmm that's a good idea" type of information. I'll also be sharing recipes and entertaining ideas, small construction projects, quick tips to help you out around the home and maybe a few laughs.



I have wanted to do this for quite some time and I hope it gives you more than you had before. So please, stay with me, send me feed back and hopefully I'll share with you something that you didn't already know.