Breathing Light and Life into a Dark Coved Closet before, during, after cover picture

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When we bought our house almost 20 years ago, there was A LOT of updating needed. From the 2-tone orange painted kitchen cabinets to the 40 + old carpet on the stairs heading to the second floor. We have slowly tackled many projects over the years. Some pretty big like adding a deck across the entire back of the house or more than doubling the size of our kitchen with a summer addition project. Some are much easier and involve changing the feel of a space with something as simple as paint. Our teenage daughter has a second-floor bedroom with charming plaster coved ceilings andRead More →

Wild Black Raspberry & Lemon Shortbread Cookies

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This one was a pleasant surprise for a new cookie recipe. We are lucky to have many wild black raspberry plants in our yard. Over the past few years, they have really started to flourish, and we have a lot of fresh wild black raspberries for a few weeks. Normally we just enjoy these sweet little fruits fresh, but we have a family dinner to go to this past weekend, and I wanted to make something new. This shortbread cookie recipe was pretty easy to make. I do suggest freezing the wild black raspberries, it really does make it a lot easier to form theRead More →

Caveman Method to keep cool this summer

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Summer is here and temperatures as well as energy bills are getting higher. We live in an older house (1940’s) and have taken many steps to help control energy loss like new windows, new roof, new insulation. Those fun energy bills keep going up. I noticed last summer a larger jump then I was expecting even for these hot summer months with the kids home and AC running. When I called our energy company to see if we were using a larger amount of energy, I was told, nope same amount of energy being used, the cost to get that energy just had gone upRead More →

The Secret Love Letters of Olivia Moretti Cover Picture

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I always say, I am happy with a good cup of coffee and a library book. There is nothing better than a lazy summer night on the deck with a good book and perhaps trading that cup of coffee for an adult beverage. Our local library has a summer reading program for adults too and it’s fun to see how many new reads I can get on the list. Adds to the excitement to win a fun prize too! I picked up “The Secret Love Letters of Olivia Moretti” by Jennifer Probst last week. This is the second book I have read based in Positano,Read More →

Hot Summer Quotes Cover Picture

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In: Seasons; Hot cocoa to Flip flops
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It seemed to take a bit longer than years past, but summer has finally arrived here in Michigan. This is the first week of uncomfortable, hot, humid weather for days on end. Add in a few good thunderstorms to level up the humidity, and here we are. We are lucky that we don’t have to be outside for long stretches of time this week. Breaking the heat with some cool drinks on the deck, some water sprinkler trampoline time and kicking our toes in the pond. I’m sure next week will look totally different; it is Michigan after all. Here are some fun Hot SummerRead More →

Summer Bucket List Tweens and Teens Cover picture

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School is out and now you get to hang with those fun tweens and teens. 82 days for this family until the start of sophomore year and 7th grade for our kids. I like a good list, and my older daughter likes to make her own too! I have complied a fun Summer Bucket List of ideas for these older kiddos this summer. Hope you find a few that make your summer a little more fun. Outdoor Adventures Water Fun Creative Projects At Home Chill Days Just for Fun Challenges Music and Vibes Personal Growth and LearningRead More →

Chickpea Corn Summer Salad

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Kids are out of school and the weather is consistently warm here in Michigan. Time for some nice nights outside to barbeque. This recipe is a great addition to any summer meal. Honestly, I made it to eat for my lunch for a few days. The fresh summer ingredients and easy to make Cilantro-Lime dressing are the perfect combination for a flavorful side dish or lunch. I LOVE cilantro, but I suppose if you do not, you could replace it with fresh parsley. Give this one a try, it was exactly what I was looking for. Hope you enjoy this one as much as IRead More →

The beach house cover picture

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I really enjoy a great deal. Most of the time I borrow the books I read from the library. But I do enjoy a bargain at a used book sale, too. That is where I found this book, “The Beach House” by Jane Green. The back of book description made me laugh and I scooped it right up. This one was a fun read, lots of different characters and storylines that end up intersecting about halfway through the book. Not a life changing read, but a great collection of characters who come together to ride along some life struggles as a dynamic group of people.Read More →