Give Your Home A Lift

Throw-pillow switch up

Mix up your pillows and move them around your house. Why not try to move the pillows you have on your couch, up in your bedroom or in the tv room? They may give another room a whole new look. Or pick up a few new ones, a very inexpensive way to give your couches and chairs an update.

 

When looking for pillows, you can't go wrong by choosing: a bold pattern, a subtle pattern (small stripes, geometric) and a solid colour. Choose all three in similar colours and it will look great!

Clean out your front hall closet

I did this a couple of weekends ago and it felt so good to get rid of all the hats and coats! You can actually see the closet floor now! I took my kids' old baby clothes dividers, gave them a spray and now they separate all our jackets in the closet. Use what you have!

Switch up your bedding

Getting into crisp fresh sheets has got to be one of the best feelings after a long day. I found this bedding at HomeSense. It feels like summer to me! So long winter blankets!

Paint

Easy, peasy way to give your room a boost. I noticed that our baseboards and walls have taken a beating this winter. The winter was so brutal this year that a lot more inside hockey and car racing happened inside which led to the baseboards taking a beating!

Flowers

Instant prettyness.

I'm going to be off the radar for a few days, but I might be back here on Friday and for sure Monday. Don't forget to enter into the Lampe Berger contest. It closes Thursday!

Keep it Beautiful.

Lampe Berger = Fresh.Fabulous.Sophisticated Home + Giveaway!

Hi guys,

I can’t remember the last time I said, “I’m loving the rain this week”! However, with all the rain the past few days, the grass is getting greener, the buds are poking out and the birds are singing. Amen to spring!

Of course, with the days getting longer…the kids are staying up later…I’ve started making dinner later…which means I’m often scrambling for quick weeknight meals. Hands down, a favourite in our house is “breakfast for dinner”. We switch it up between eggs, omelettes or pancakes but the constant is always…bacon! It’s a no-brainer. Bacon.is.just.delicious. Bacon is #trending! Crazy. Like who ever thought of these?  Or you can even give someone a Bacon of the Month wedding present Yikes. No for real, I feel like Mr. Fix-It would think this is an amazing idea!? I digress.

In any event, this week it was pancakes and bacon for dinner. Yum.

 

BUT, here’s my issue with bacon. Yes it’s yummy, yes I love the smell of it cooking but no, I don’t like it when my house smells like bacon two days later. I just don’t. I’ve enjoyed the meal but I don’t need the stale bacon scent in my house all week. Enter in…the Lampe Berger.

Heard of them? I hadn’t, until my Aunt Mary lit hers after she had cooked some fish and bam! Lingering fish smell in the house…gone!

Here’s the details….
They’re not new. They were created in 1898 in France to purify air. In the 1930s they were all the rage and became a collector’s item. Over 5 million litres of fragrances and 800,000 lamps sold every year around the world. Crazy eh!

I really like that you can choose from a large selection of lamps that will fit your home décor. This is mine.

 

Simple, clean lines and can go from room to room. Pretty. You can choose from various scents. I’ve been using the neutral scent a lot but my other fav right now is Soap Memories. It smells clean, fresh…really exactly what you would expect from its name.

Here’s how you do it.

It’s amazing how it quickly removed the smell of the bacon…sorry Mr. Fix-It, your love for the perma bacon smell is no longer.  This works wonders when cooking strong food such as fish. I also light it after the house has been cleaned. It gets rid of the bleachy, vinegar smell and neutralizes the space.

Overall, I’m loving my pretty little lamp. I want one of you to have one too. Enter to win a Lampe Berger starter kit. The kit includes: a lamp, burner 180ml home fragrance + 180ml of the exclusive Neutral.Woot! Woot! You can’t win if you don’t enter.  Contest closes in a week.
Lampe Berger

Keep it Beautiful.

Pit-Stop Peanut Butter Snack Bites!

The snow has officially gone and it finally feels like spring. Amen! This weekend I replaced the snowsuits and hats in the hall cupboard with sunglasses, sneakers, sunscreen and bike helmets!  With this fabulous weather, the kids were outside all day! They zoomed around on their bikes, got out the sidewalk chalk and got their “bike legs” back. When the weather gets warm, it’s hard to get my kids to come inside to get anything in their tummies. We often have lunch outside so that they get a good meal in them, but I’m always looking for a quick snack that they can take on the go as they play. Here’s my new fav…and theirs!

I call them, Pit-Stop Peanut Butter Snack Bites!

 

I’ve been eyeing the new line of Kraft Peanut Butter and picked up the Kraft Peanut Butter with Honey. Peanut butter + honey = has to be yum!

My middle guy and I mixed up some of our favourite ingredients and in minutes, our hands were rolling a healthy snack that is perfect for the kids to have a quick pit stop off their bikes to get refueled.

 

Suggested serving size is 2 to 3 of the bites represented in the above photo 

 

This was a great way to get one of my minis in the kitchen with me. My kids love to be in the kitchen and creating healthy, fresh food allows them to see what ingredients go into food, how food is prepared and, in this case, an opportunity to let them pick and choose their favourite foods to mix into the peanut butter.

Next weekend when your family is on the go and nobody wants to sit down for a snack, whip these babies up and your kids can have a quick pit stop for a healthy and delish refuel before they go go go!

A cool photo contest is going on over at sheblogs Canada. You can share a photo of your Peanut Butter Snack Bites recipe in the Make It Yours Contest and you could win 1 of 4 Kraft Peanut Butter prize packs. Here are some recipe ideas to get you started.

Follow the hashtag #MyKPBsnackbite to join the conversation and for more Peanut Butter Snack Bites recipes visit www.sticktogether.com

Keep it Beautiful.

*Although this post as been generously sponsored by Kraft Canada, the opinions and language are my own, and in no way do they reflect Kraft Canada.

 

 

Terrys Fabrics Designer Insights!

Hey guys!

Hope you had a nice weekend! The weather was really gorgeous in Ottawa. There is only a teeny tiny patch of snow left in the shady part of the yard and I did see a few tulips poking out their little heads. SPRING! I celebrated my birthday this weekend and thanks to Mr. Fix-It, I spent the entire Saturday at Nordik Spa...I've told you about my love for this gem before. I went with my mum, who treated me to lunch and it was all so relaxing and wonderful. Then Mr. Fix-It and I hit the town to my new fav restaurant...I'll tell you more about what and where it is soon and fingers crossed I will have a giveaway to it. It's AMAZING!!

Seeing how I was a party girl this weekend, I don't have much to share with you decor wise. It was a great feeling getting the patio set out this weekend but other than that my house was pretty neglected. Too much outside weather love. However, I do have this really fun thing to share with you today that has added to a fab birthday.

I was featured in the UK company Terrys Fabrics Designer Insights:

"Our designer insights section enables us to profile prestigious designers and design enthuisiasts, gaining a keen understanding of their creative process, their background and what they use for inspiration. They aim to profile not just interior designers but anyone working within the field that has an expertise in design, crafts, home improvements and interiors. These magazine layout interviews also give readers top furniture picks for the season from experts working in the field".

I'm pretty thrilled about it. Thought I would share because I wouldn't have be interviewed if it wasn't for you, my readers. Thank you.

Courtesy of: Terrys Fabrics

And be sure to check out their site for fabric, bedding, drapery hardware...you name it!

Keep it Beautiful.

Fabulous Friday! My favourite things + giveaways!

Hi guys!

Long time no chat. It's been a super busy week here both in the office and at home. I always find the week before and after a long weekend are always bananas. The first week is getting ready for the long weekend and the second is recovering from it. Hope you all had a nice Easter or Passover. We were here in the city for a bit and at the cottage. The egg hunt was a big success and of course our big guy 100% claims that he saw the bunny! He went to sleep on his top bunk, staring out the window into the cottage dark, with binoculars and a flashlight ready for the big moment. I wish I could package the cuteness and keep them believing forever.

After all the chocolate, food & vino last weekend I felt the need to detox. I tried something new this week. Instead of just writing down our dinners for the week, I also made Mr. Fix-It and my lunches for the week and cut up all the veggies and meat for our dinners.

Urban Barn WINNER!

Well, it appears you LOVE Urban Barn, let's be honest...who doesn't? This giveway has definitely been a hot one! Thank you to everyone who entered. Even if you aren't the winner, I hope you all get into Urban Barn this Spring and treat yourself and your home to something fresh.fabulous.sophisticated!

 

THE WINNER OF THE $80 GIFT CARD IS...

 

KATE SCRAFIELD!!

 

CONGRATULATIONS :) YOU WILL HAVE TO LET ME KNOW WHAT YOU DECIDE ON AT URBAN BARN! HAPPY SHOPPING! 

 

Don't forget, for all of you in Ottawa, the new Urban Barn location in Barrhaven is having their Spring Style Event on April 12th! Call the store to RSVP. Fun!

 

Keep it Beautiful.

Media Storage - Basement Reno

Hey everyone!

As you know, we've decided to take the leap and reno the basement. We've chosen our contractor and Mr. Fix-It is busy tearing down walls, cutting up old drywall and trying to de-tangle himself from all the random wiring down there! The whole space needs to be empty before our contractor can get in there and start working. Right now we're hoping to start June 1st. That gives me some time to go through all the bins of STUFF down there. I went through a couple of bins on the weekend and found some great memories. Remember these? I loved my charm necklace. It's now around our baby girl's neck and I've upgraded ;)

While it's still a dark, dingy mess right now, we need to start moving on a couple of things. On one wall we're going to do built-ins for the tv, shelving, storage...you know...to hide the remotes, DVDs & randomness that everyone collects. These are being custom built and take about 4-6 weeks. So, tonight Mr. Fix-It and I are going to sit down and decide on what look we want so that we can tell our contractor the plan.

Here are some that catch my eye....

I really like how the tv is recessed into this built-in. Our contractor suggested having a panel open for remote storage. Me likey!

Beach Style Family Room by Irvine Home Builders GRADY-O-GRADY Construction & Development, Inc. 

Traditional Family Room by Burlingame Architects & Building Designers Scheinholtz Associates

Eclectic Family Room by Atlanta Interior Designers & Decorators Insidesign

Transitional Living Room by Naples Architects & Building Designers Lars W Young

Transitional Family Room by Toronto Interior Designers & Decorators Ali Budd Interiors

I'm not sure if we should do cabinets all the way across the bottom or shelves all the way down. You'll see what I mean...this is my doodle sketch ;)

I like the idea of being able to put baskets in the bottom shelves with toys, however, I also know that we need the storage. Let's be honest...having mostly open shelving won't stay tidy all the time. By having cupboards all the way across, it allows us to store more things and hide it! That sounds like a win to me!

What do you think my friends? Closed cupboards all the way across the bottom or open shelving floor to ceiling? Would love to hear your thoughts!

 

 For now, I'm still staring at this! Okay, there might be a bunch of walls gone but there's still lots of stuff ;)

 

The Urban Barn contest winner will be announced tomorrow! There's been lots of entries, can't wait to announce the winner!

 

 

Keep it Beautiful.