Reveal- Master Bathroom

Welcome to our master bathroom!  After two years of slow progress, it’s officially done.  Done, done, done!

When we moved in, our master bathroom was dated.  Blue toilet, wallpaper, and a soffit above the vanity….welcome to 1989!  Just seeing these pictures again makes me cringe.

When we started this project, I knew I wanted the room to feel light and airy.  The light grey paint on the walls and the subway tile in the shower help to balance out the espresso vanity we selected and dark shelves above the toilet. I’m also in love with the blend of the rustic mirrors and the sleek glass shower door.

The containers on the top of the vanity make it easy to grab the items we use each morning.  Stylish and practical solutions are especially important in small spaces.

The faux Roman shade was the last project I needed to complete the room. I followed this tutorial I found on Pinterest.  The project cost me $12 and took an hour to complete. 

 

It’s amazing how different the space looks now.  I hope you love it as much as we do!

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Master Bathroom plans

Want to see which fabric I picked for my next DIY project? Check back next week for a full rundown and complete details on how I added the finishing touches to my master bathroom.

Zuchinni Sliders

Finding foods that fit into my dairy-free, soy-free diet has been a challenge, but this recipe keeps us coming back for more.  It’s quick, healthy, and delicious…what else could you ask for?

 

Ingredients:

• 2 large zucchini, diced
• 2 T Olive oil
• Parmesan cheese (I used goats milk cheese for this recipe)
• Marinara sauce
• Sandwich rolls
• Red pepper flakes (optional)

Directions:

• In a skillet, add olive oil and zucchini. Saute over medium heat until the zucchini is tender and lightly browned.
• Stir in marinara sauce. Red pepper flakes can also be added for some extra kick.
  

  If you’re looking for a new marinara sauce, you need to try this one.

• Simmer on low heat for 2 minutes

• Spoon mixture onto a sandwich roll and top with some freshly grated  Parmesan cheese.  Enjoy!

 

DIY Fleece Rail Guard

You know I love a good DIY project that doesn’t take hours and hours to complete. So,when I started to notice a few teeth marks on the top rail of Ainsley crib, I knew I had to find a quick and easy solution.

Supplies:

• 1 1/2 yards of fleece fabric
• Scissors
• A straight edge- I couldn’t find my yard stick so I used a large book instead. 
• Wax paper

  
Steps:

• Measure how wide your strips need to be in order to cover the top rail of the crib and have enough to knot at the bottom. I just took a piece of wax paper and wrapped it around the top rail of the crib to figure out how wide to cut my fleece strips. 

•  With the wax paper as my guide, I looked for a book that was similar in size. I then used the book as my straight edge as I cut my fleece. I cut my fleece into 4 strips at approximate 12″.  In hindsight, 14″ would have made it easier to tie the knots on the bottom. 

    

•  Once my pieces were cut, I headed into Ainsley room to attach them. I started by draping the fleece over the top rail.  Next, I used my scissors to cut around each of the slats and knotted the fleece at the bottom. 

  

• I worked my way around the crib, attaching the fleece to all 4 side. This part of the project took the longest…around 45 mins. 

 So there you have it! An easy $10 DIY crib rail! 

Christmas Cheer

I’m still clinging to every last minute of the holidays this year and thought it would be fun to share a small snapshot of the gifts we unwrapped and how we spent Ainsley’s first Christmas. 

We started celebrating Christmas morning by opening presents at our house. Ainsley’s gifts were wrapped and ready for her when she woke up. She had a blast ripping the wrapping paper and shoving the tissue paper in her mouth. Her favorite gift was the ballpit we made from the inflatable swimming pool we bought this summer. It was love at first sight.   

She also liked her activity cube, walker, and new bath toys.    

  
 Next we headed to my parents house for our second round of Christmas cheer. My parents surprised everyone with a big trip to Disney this winter.  Ainsley can’t wait to spend a whole week with her cousins!  

Santa also gave everyone a selfie stick to capture special moments like this…

 
Our final stop of the day brought us back home to celebrate with Ken’s family. We enjoyed dinner, more presents, and a lot quality of family time.  

  

So, what did you unwrap this holiday season? And how did you spend your time? I’d love to hear all about it! 

First Christmas Presents

I have such fond memories of opening gifts as a child on Christmas morning. Wanna know a little secret? My favorite gift ever was the Kitchen Aid mixer I received in 8th grade. And to sweeten the deal, I still use it today when I’m working in the kitchen.

My Mom has always been an exceptional gift giver. She has a talent for finding just the right gift…in just the right color and size, too.  This year I set out to follow in her footsteps as I filled my shopping cart with toys I hoped Ainsley would enjoy. 

I looked for toys that were interactive, educational, and colorful. She’s also really drawn to toys that produce a sound so I tried to keep that in mind as well. Below are the toys that will be sitting under the Christmas tree this year. Here’s to hoping she has as much fun using them as I did picking them out!   B. Zany Zoo activity cube 

  Fisher Prixe Boppin Activity Bugs 
  
Fisher Price Cookie Shape Surprise    
Fisher Price Musical Dino 

Ainsley’s Dedication

Little Ainsley Kay was dedicated at our church this past weekend. It was such a great day to gather as a family and pronounce our desire to teach Ainsley about God’s word and purpose. She is lucky to have so many people who love her and are willing to guide her as she explores her relationship with Jesus. 
After the service, we met in the lobby to snap a few family pictures and then headed to brunch. We ate at the John Wright Restaurant in Wrightsville. The view of the water was beautiful as we enjoyed our delicious meal. We couldn’t have ask for a better day to celebrate Ainsley’s dedication.  
[I love these pictures, especially the candid family shots. :)]    

    
 

  

Swim session

A few weeks ago, Ainsley started swim lessons and the girl can’t get enough. Seriously, if she could talk, I can guarantee she would say, “I loooooovvvvveeessss it!”

The 6 week class meets once a week and lasts for 30 minutes. Oh, and the pool is heated so everyone’s happy about that!  Babies are required to wear swim diapers to prevent any accidents that may occur during the lesson, but since it’s the off season for swim wear, I ended up ordering a long sleeve swim shirt and reusable swim diapers from Amazon. Is there anything cuter than a baby bathing suit!?

Here are the happy swimmers on the first day:

 
The class is filled with a variety of activities and movements to get children acclimated to the water. They sing songs, practice kicking their legs, and even squeeze in a few minutes of tummy time.   

  

  

  
  The lessons have been a fun way to incorporate new skills and encourage physical development. Plus, I love watching the daddy/daughter time from the side of the pool. Biggest.mom.win.ever!!   

Fall Family Traditions

Family traditions are my favorite thing about the holiday season. Like when we get the whole fam together to make Christmas cookies…there aren’t enough smiley emojis to illustrate how much I love that special day! 😊

This fall was our first chance to start some new traditions with Ainsley. It’s so fun to watch her experience new things and observe the world around her. 

We started the fall season with a visit to a local pumpkin patch.  Ainsley was too small to be involved in the pumpkin picking process, but she seemed to really enjoy sitting on the saddle. Ride ’em cowgirl!   After we picked the perfect pumpkin, I started to think about fun ways to include Ainsley in the decorating process. Obviously a 6-month old with a carving knife isn’t safe…so we decided to let her finger paint her pumpkin instead. I used some painters tape to mark off the letter “A” and dipped her hand in washable paint. She took care of the rest.    

Trick or treating was fun last weekend and we made it a point to get together as a whole family. We started the night with dinner at my parents house.  A few weeks ago I shared my hopes of creating a jellybean costume, but it turned out a be an epic fail. Pinterest saved me, yet again, and Ainsley went as a gumball machine instead.  

Thanksgiving is right around the corner (say what!?) which means more family time and new experiences for Ainsley. I just love creating new memories as a family! 

Double Fun

  

My plans to finish Ainsley’s Halloween costume this weekend were sent to the bottom of my to-do-list when my friend, Jael, welcomed her two twin boys into the world on Saturday.  Reid and Cooper are just the cutest!  

 

Hold onto your hats until next week when the final reveal will take place. Have a great week, loves!