Category Archives: DIY

PANTRY & FRIDGE MAKEOVER

BEFORE + AFTER FRIDGE AND PANTRY OVERHAUL WITH THE CONTAINER STORE // 5 steps to your dream pantry & fridge

If you know anything about me, you know I love organizing and I love decluttering. You’ve probably heard of Marie Kondo and the whole Konmari method, right? I read her book when it first came out and have been on the Konmari train for a while. It was a system I could understand and I saw results the second I started it! I redid the whole house from the kids toys to our closets and bathroom.

But I never did our pantry and fridge – until NOW!

I just finished with our pantry and fridge makeover and I am so happy with it! There is nothing better than wanting a snack and knowing exactly what you have and where everything is. This project has made cooking SO MUCH EASIER, not to mention we’ve saved a ton of money of groceries simply because we discovered tons of ingredients we didn’t know we had.

Are you ready to see the before photo? Please don’t judge – ha! I promise it’s not usually this bad, but at this point, I hadn’t done a proper clean-up in a while and it really looked bad. 

BEFORE + AFTER PANTRY OVERHAUL WITH THE CONTAINER STORE //5 steps to your dream pantry & fridge

BEFORE + AFTER PANTRY OVERHAUL WITH THE CONTAINER STORE //5 steps to your dream pantry & fridge

BEFORE + AFTER FRIDGE OVERHAUL WITH THE CONTAINER STORE //5 steps to your dream pantry & fridge

Here is the after. My minimalist heart is SO HAPPY.
BEFORE + AFTER FRIDGE AND PANTRY OVERHAUL WITH THE CONTAINER STORE //5 steps to your dream pantry & fridge

BEFORE + AFTER FRIDGE AND PANTRY OVERHAUL WITH THE CONTAINER STORE //5 steps to your dream pantry & fridge

Completely overhauling your fridge and pantry takes a couple of hours and a few must-have products, but I’m going to walk you through it all – exactly how I did it!

There is no better time than now to tackle your kitchen projects because The Container Store’s annual Kitchen Sale is going on now through April 7th. You can get 25%-off hundreds of kitchen products you need to accomplish any of your kitchen projects. Everything we used in our pantry and fridge makeover was from The Container Store

5 steps to a pantry and fridge makeover with The Container Store

5 STEPS TO CREATING YOUR DREAM PANTRY AND FRIDGE

1 – Clean it out // Just like the Konmari method, you have to literally take EVERYTHING out of the pantry and fridge. Throw away everything that is expired or things you just don’t eat anymore. I’m a tiny bit embarrassed to mention this, but we had some old canned goods that were like years past the expiration date. EW. I also wiped everything down to give it all a fresh new start. This felt sooooo good. 

BEFORE + AFTER FRIDGE AND PANTRY OVERHAUL WITH THE CONTAINER STORE //5 steps to your dream pantry & fridge BEFORE + AFTER FRIDGE AND PANTRY OVERHAUL WITH THE CONTAINER STORE //5 steps to your dream pantry & fridge

BEFORE + AFTER FRIDGE AND PANTRY OVERHAUL WITH THE CONTAINER STORE //  5 steps to your dream pantry & fridge

BEFORE + AFTER FRIDGE AND PANTRY OVERHAUL WITH THE CONTAINER STORE //  5 steps to your dream pantry & fridge

2 – Select & fill organizers // Move most of your pantry items into canisters and bins. This honestly made the biggest difference in our kitchen makeover. By transferring food into see-through canisters and containers, you can actually SEE what items you have. And – they keep your food super fresh! Also, the containers are stackable, which makes organizing the pantry + fridge a breeze! 

I love everything at The Container Store, but some of my favorite bins/containers are The Artisan Jars, The OXO Good Grips POPS canisters , and The OXO Pop Cereal Dispensers.


BEFORE + AFTER FRIDGE AND PANTRY OVERHAUL WITH THE CONTAINER STORE //  5 steps to your dream pantry & fridge
BEFORE + AFTER FRIDGE AND PANTRY OVERHAUL WITH THE CONTAINER STORE //5 steps to your dream pantry & fridge

3 – Zone out the space // I took all of my bins, canisters, jars and containers and made zones in the pantry and fridge. Basically, you want to keep foods that are similar together. So, decide where you want your canned goods, breads, dry pantry staples, and cereals to go. This step was tricky, but I think it was the most important. It took me a few tries to get the containers to be in the right spot that made sense, but once I did this, everything fell into place. I wanted the pantry and fridge to not only look great, but be super practical.

BEFORE + AFTER FRIDGE AND PANTRY OVERHAUL WITH THE CONTAINER STORE //5 steps to your dream pantry & fridge

BEFORE + AFTER FRIDGE AND PANTRY OVERHAUL WITH THE CONTAINER STORE //  5 steps to your dream pantry & fridge

4 – Keep everything visible // We had a big problem of not using all of our groceries, simply because we couldn’t SEE them! One tip is to keep your food visible. A great trick to this is to use one of those can stackers from The Container Store. You can easily see all of your canned goods at one time! Another tip is to use the OXO containers so that you can stack them in your pantry instead of letting food slip to the back of the pantry. 

BEFORE + AFTER FRIDGE AND PANTRY OVERHAUL WITH THE CONTAINER STORE //5 steps to your dream pantry & fridge

5- Utilize snack bins // One of my favorite parts of the kitchen makeover is the snack bins! I dedicated a few bins in both the pantry and the fridge to be for the kids’ snacks. In the pantry, I made sure to put this bin low enough so the kids can reach it! It also makes the pantry so much cleaner because I no longer have a ton of mix-matched cardboard boxes everywhere. I take the snacks out of their boxes and put them in the snack bin! 

BEFORE + AFTER FRIDGE AND PANTRY OVERHAUL WITH THE CONTAINER STORE //5 steps to your dream pantry & fridge

We had so much fun re-doing our pantry and fridge and we are LOVING the makeover! Don’t forget The Container Store’s annual Kitchen Sale is going on now through April 7th. You can get 25%-off hundreds of kitchen products you need to accomplish any of your kitchen projects! 

I can’t wait to see what you do! 

DIY Amelia Earhart Costume with Smarties

DIY Amelia Earhart Costume. Smarties Throughout History Halloween Costume!

This blog post is sponsored + in partnership with Smarties. 

It’s that time of year where we start choosing our Halloween costumes! Gracie is 2 years old and is finally grasping the idea of dressing up as someone else for the holiday. This Halloween, I was inspired by the Smarties Candy Company new campaign: Smarties Throughout History. This campaign highlights the importance of helping children learn + connect to historical intellects. We decided to choose a “smarty” from history to dress up as this year!

Check out Gracie’s big feature on the Smarties Blog.

DIY Amelia Earhart Costume. Smarties Throughout History Halloween Costume!

There are tons of smart women throughout history, so it was tricky to choose one to have Gracie dress up as. My dad (Gracie’s grandpa), is a pilot and Gracie loves looking in the sky at the airplanes. So, for our “smarties” costume, we chose Amelia Earhart! She is super inspiring, as she was the first female aviator to fly solo across the Atlantic Ocean. She got many awards + set tons of records. Gracie and I were so excited to make a DIY costume of her!

DIY Amelia Earhart Costume. Smarties Throughout History Halloween Costume!

This costume is super easy to create. For most of the costume, you can use pieces from your daughter’s closet!

MATERIALS NEEDED:

+Cardboard box

+Scissors

+Duck Tape

+Aviator Hat

+Brown Jacket

+Brown pants

+Boots

+Scarf

+Smarties to snack on while you craft 🙂

STEPS TO MAKE AIRPLANE:

1+ Start with a medium sized cardboard box.

DIY Amelia Earhart Costume. Smarties Throughout History Halloween Costume!

DIY Amelia Earhart Costume. Smarties Throughout History Halloween Costume!

2+ Cut off the flaps from the top (this will become the bottom of the box!). Save these to use the for the wings (step #6)

DIY Amelia Earhart Costume. Smarties Throughout History Halloween Costume!

DIY Amelia Earhart Costume. Smarties Throughout History Halloween Costume!

3+ Turn the box over, and cut out a whole in the middle of the box. This will be where your child either sits or stands through. We ended up making this whole a little bit bigger later.

DIY Amelia Earhart Costume. Smarties Throughout History Halloween Costume!

DIY Amelia Earhart Costume. Smarties Throughout History Halloween Costume!

4+ On both sides of the box, cut a small rectangle to be a hole for the arms! This way, your child can either hold the box up, or they can stick their arms through.

DIY Amelia Earhart Costume. Smarties Throughout History Halloween Costume!

5+ Cover the box with duck tape.

DIY Amelia Earhart Costume. Smarties Throughout History Halloween Costume!

DIY Amelia Earhart Costume. Smarties Throughout History Halloween Costume!

DIY Amelia Earhart Costume. Smarties Throughout History Halloween Costume!

6+ Time for the wings! Take the two long flaps from step #2 and cut them into airplane wings by rounding off the top.  Add a few pieces of duck tape for a nice look.

DIY Amelia Earhart Costume. Smarties Throughout History Halloween Costume!

DIY Amelia Earhart Costume. Smarties Throughout History Halloween Costume!

7+ To attach the wings to the airplane, I used a few small pieces of duck tape and stuck them right above the arm holes.

DIY Amelia Earhart Costume. Smarties Throughout History Halloween Costume!

8+ Cut two small rectangles for the front propeller. Tape them together in an “x” shape. Add a circle to the front of it + cover it with duck tape.

DIY Amelia Earhart Costume. Smarties Throughout History Halloween Costume!

DIY Amelia Earhart Costume. Smarties Throughout History Halloween Costume!

The plane is complete!

DIY Amelia Earhart Costume. Smarties Throughout History Halloween Costume!

Be sure to add some Smarties candy to really finish it off! We really love Smarties as a candy in our house. It really is a smart choice because it’s peanut, dairy, and gluten free! And each roll is only 25 calories. I love them because Gracie really takes her time eating these! And, they bring me back to my childhood. They have always been a classic!

DIY Amelia Earhart Costume. Smarties Throughout History Halloween Costume!

STEPS TO COMPLETE OUTFIT:

DIY Amelia Earhart Costume. Smarties Throughout History Halloween Costume!

1+ Start with a simple white onesie, or pilot’s onesie! We had this one from Gracie’s grandpa + it came in handy for this costume! The jacket covers most of the bodysuit, so I wouldn’t put too much thought into this part.

DIY Amelia Earhart Costume. Smarties Throughout History Halloween Costume!

2+ Add some brown pants! We used some simple leggings.

DIY Amelia Earhart Costume. Smarties Throughout History Halloween Costume!

3+ Add a brown jacket! We looked everywhere for a cute bomber jacket, but decided to use a simple sweater instead.

DIY Amelia Earhart Costume. Smarties Throughout History Halloween Costume!

4+ Throw in some boots!

DIY Amelia Earhart Costume. Smarties Throughout History Halloween Costume!

5+ Purchase an aviator hat if you can find one! We picked one up at Party City, but you can easily use a brown winter hat + throw on some goggles. If you have colorful goggles, you can always spray paint them brown or black to give them an aviator feel! Gracie’s lucky to have her pilot grandpa who lent his pilot’s goggles to her!

DIY Amelia Earhart Costume. Smarties Throughout History Halloween Costume!

6+ A fun trick-or-treating bag makes a nice touch! We used this small luggage to hold Gracie’s candy + I think it’s the perfect touch!

DIY Amelia Earhart Costume. Smarties Throughout History Halloween Costume!

7+ Add a scarf! Amelia Earhart was often seen wearing a white scarf. We had a gray one laying around, but Gracie wasn’t a big fan!

DIY Amelia Earhart Costume. Smarties Throughout History Halloween Costume!

DIY Amelia Earhart Costume. Smarties Throughout History Halloween Costume!

DIY Amelia Earhart Costume. Smarties Throughout History Halloween Costume!

FINISHED OUTFIT 

DIY Amelia Earhart Costume. Smarties Throughout History Halloween Costume! DIY Amelia Earhart Costume. Smarties Throughout History Halloween Costume! DIY Amelia Earhart Costume. Smarties Throughout History Halloween Costume! DIY Amelia Earhart Costume. Smarties Throughout History Halloween Costume! DIY Amelia Earhart Costume. Smarties Throughout History Halloween Costume! DIY Amelia Earhart Costume. Smarties Throughout History Halloween Costume!DIY Amelia Earhart Costume. Smarties Throughout History Halloween Costume!

Follow the Smarties blog for more ideas on “smarties” costumes!

CONTEST TIME!

To win a YEAR’S SUPPLY OF SMARTIES, follow @smarties on Instagram and post a picture of your Halloween costume – tagging @smarties and #littleSmarties!

 

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Playroom Makeover

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We have lived in our house for just over a year now + have finally completely finished the playroom! It’s been one of the last things on our “home to-do list”, but we are so happy with the way it turned out!

Here is a before photo – this is when we first saw the house. This is the previous owners stuff (NOT OURS! LOL).

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Here is the after. Can you even believe the transformation?

This post is sponsored by Lorena Canals Rugs, but, as always, all my opinions are my own!

Our Lorena Canals rugs are the centerpiece and the inspiration for the whole playroom. These rugs are extremely high quality, yet they can actually be WASHED in a conventional washing machine! This is SO important when throwing nice rugs in a playroom – because I know they will get spilled on, potty’d on, and just plain dirty. Now I don’t have to worry, though. They are incredibly easy to wash. And they are so lightweight, too!

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I’m having a hard time choosing which rug is my favorite. I have the Botanic Plants one and the Naador one. I think I’m loving the Naador one because of the fun print + adorable tassels. Which one is your favorite?

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I highly recommend Lorena Canals if you are looking for a rug for your kids room, playroom, and even ANY room. Lorena rocks because, in addition to rugs, they also sell adorable accessories to make any room cuter! We have the leaf basket and the Monstera cushion. Both work so well in the playroom. The basket is currently holding a plant, but can easily be used for toy or blanket storage. And the cushion is usually used by me, LOL. Playing on the floor while 22 weeks pregnant is hard, so I’m usually laying on this while I play with Gracie. It makes a fun reading spot when Gracie’s in the mood, though.

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Our playroom is full of lots of other fun toys, accessories, and decor! One of my other favorite items is our Tnee’s Teepee! We have the classic black and white one. I love the way it looks styled in a corner. Gracie loves hiding, reading, + just hanging in here. I love that it’s gender neutral (we have a boy coming soon!).

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We get lots of questions about our toy storage! This wooden storage unit is from Ikea! It’s the perfect spot to store all of Gracie’s toys, so the room always looks organized. Okay, not always, but at least everything has a place. Usually these buckets are all around the room and Gracie’s new thing is just DUMPING everything out so she can see it all. But when we are done, we know where it all goes. It’s nice to have a big storage unit to house everything.

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Gracie’s little play table is also from Ikea. It’s the perfect size for her. She’s often here playing with her blocks + toys from Bannor Toys. These are the prettiest toys for a playroom. They make the best gifts, too! We also draw a lot here + make some playdoh creations, too.

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Another one of Gracie’s favorite things about the playroom is the IKEA kitchen. Can you tell we love IKEA? We got this for her when she turned one, and she’s played with it everyday since. I recommend everyone get this.

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Another thing that added so much life to the playroom was our Modern Burlap “I am a child of God” swaddle. We love Modern Burlap’s swaddles! She makes lots of different designs (all monochrome- which I love). But this one is perfect for hanging on the wall. You can also use it as a crib sheet, or just a regular swaddle blanket! Right now, I am obsessed with it hanging. I have the hardest time finding stuff to hang on the walls + this was the perfect solution.

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Another one of my favorite aspects of the playroom are my new watercolor prints from Malaika Grace Illustrations. Guys, this is such an incredible keepsake. Malaika took a couple photos from my Instagram + she turned them into watercolors. She is SO talented. Everyone needs one of these to hang in their playroom. I will forever cherish these.

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Another great decor idea is to hang some baskets and roll up some Aden + Anais swaddle blankets in it. Or stick a cute stuffed animal. The unicorn is from Target! Our tall basket is from Design Dua. I love these baskets because they can be used as laundry baskets, more toy storage, or even just decor!

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Here’s a full list of where we got everything!

Both rugs: Lorena Canals Rugs

Plant basket: Lorena Canals Rugs

Monstera Cushion: Lorena Canals Rugs

Toy storage: IKEA

Teepee: Tnee’s Teepees

Play table: IKEA

Play kitchen: IKEA

Watercolor prints: Malaika Grace Illustrations

Wooden toys: Bannor Toys

Book storage: IKEA

Child of God wall hanging: Modern Burlap

Wire baskets: Hobby Lobby

Swaddle Blankets: Aden + Anais

Black and white swaddle by kitchen: Modern Burlap

Tall basket: Design Dua