Pinterest: Wins and Losses

Happy Monday! If you live in Minnesota, it was gorgeously springlike today. Leo and I took full advantage and went "walkies" wearing a fleece jacket and tennis shoes (as opposed to a puffy winter coat and boots with the fur). My hope that winter is fading away has gained some strength!

I thought I'd share with you some Pinterest wins and losses. Obviously, not everything you read on the internet is true, but Pinterest somehow gives credibility to crappy ideas. And, it brings awareness to really great ideas, too. So without further ado, here's my list.

We'll start with the losses.

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Biggest loss of all: the popular "pour a cap full of vanilla into an oven safe dish and it'll make your house smell ah-may-zing." Apparently this is a trick that realtors use all the time. I tried it and the house smelled good for about 90 seconds, then smelled like nasty burnt vanilla stank. Definitely a fail.

*Note: I realized I had my oven at 350, and a lot of the links I'm finding say 300. Maybe this was my fail? But really- it smelled BAD.

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Second fail: Two ingredient banana oatmeal breakfast cookies. The idea sounds alluring, doesn't it. Cookies for breakfast? Yes, please! Alas, it was too good to be true. They were super bland and had a weird, squishy texture. Yuck.

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Another fail: How to fold a fitted sheet- the video! I was really pumped for this one. I even pinned it!This lady has nimble fingers and makes it look so easy. Reality: I think she really has magic sheets. For the life of me, I couldn't get it. And I even practiced. Thankfully, I don't believe that a well folded fitted sheet is of eternal value. Phew.

Now for some wins! I knew Pinterest was wonderful and addicting for a reason!

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First win: Baked Sweet and Sour Chicken. This stuff is so yummy, and so easy to make. It's become a regular recipe in our house. Pair with some rice and Aldi egg rolls, and dinner is served!

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Second win: This hairdo. It looks complicated, but once you practice a few times, it's pretty effortless. It's something you could wear to a wedding, or to a day at the beach. You pick.

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Win numero three: Ridding the shower of black mold. Don't judge me, you know you have it too. Or at least have at some point. We had black mold in the same place as this photo (just not as badly). No matter how hard I scrubbed, the stubborn stuff wouldn't budge. I was a little skeptical that this would work, but it did and it STILL looks great a month and half later.



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Number Four: DIY Mirror Frame. This project was really easy, inexpensive, and made a big impact in our bathroom. Here's the link to ours.

That's all for now. Happy Pinning!



A Few of My Favorite Things

I hope you all had a wonderful Valentine's Day! Charlie and I tried something new this year- fondue! It was fabulous and delicious and fun. I'd highly recommend it! We borrowed my mother-in-law's pot, so now I need to track one down for myself.

In lieu of a home projects post (no real updates yet/ready), I thought I'd compile a list of my favorite things. Just to share with you all. And to maybe give you an idea of something new to try!

 

1. Norwex Cloths: I'm a clean freak, and often clean with only water. How?! These cloths. They've got antibacterial magic built into each cloth, so you don't need to use any chemicals. Check out the link if you don't believe me.

 

2. Target's Esma Sandals: A staple from last summer, there are still a few pairs left online! Super comfortable AND they don't fall of your feet while walking (any one else have this sandal/flip flop problem?) I loved them so much I got gold and went back for blue.

 

3. TRESsemme FreshStart Dry Shampoo: Admission- I wash my hair every other day. This stuff make my hair look, feel, and smell fresher on day two. And, it adds a little bit of tack and body.

 

4. Sally Hanson's Triple Strong Nail Polish: For those of us who live in the real world with laundry and dishes and scratching our husband's heads, anything that makes an at home manicure last a few days longer sans chips is a winner.

 

5. Muk Luks: I'm chronically cold, and these keep your toes AND your legs warm Woot woot!

 

6. Tazo Passion Tea: Yummy and fruity-full. This tea actually has depth and substance- I like teas that taste more like juice than weak fruity water. (Just like the Honest Toddler).

 

7. Aviators: Wearing these makes me feel like Tammy Taylor from Friday Night Lights.

 

8. Spin Pins: 1-2 of these pins replaces 15 bobby pins. Amazing! Here's how they work.

 

9. Levi's Curve ID Skinny Jeans: For any of you looking for skinny jeans with a bit of heft (not jeggings!) these are the ticket. I looked forever before finding these, and they're the best. They hold their shape after multiple wearings, and are a classic dark wash. Also, Levi's Curve ID lets you practically customize jeans for your body. Awesome!

 

10. White and Coral Ikat Scarf: A 2011 birthday present from Forever21, it will live in my closet until 2081. It's so fresh and springy.

 

11. Bed Buddy: Finally, an UNSCENTED microwavable rice bag. Scented ones make me feel nauseous, so this is a real treat.

 

12. Burt's Bees: Rounding out the list, because who doesn't love Burt's Bees?

Easy, Inexpensive Event Decor

A week and a half ago, I decorated for our church's anual Titus 2 Women's Mentee Coffee. It's an event with approximatly 120 in attendance, and a $150 budget for me to work with. Here's what I came up with this year:

I used a bunch of paper lanterns and hung them behind the main food table, instead of a centerpiece. I also used a grouping of different sized and colored lanterns as table centerpieces.

Real dishes would be nice, but not cost effective. Target had cute pink and white polka dot napkins, and I set the gold plates on the table to boost the color scheme instead of setting them on the food table. Here's the overall look:

I thought things turned out pretty cute. Hopefully I'll be able to reuse the lanterns for another event!