Over the last 6.5 years, Dave and I have spent a considerable amount of money fixing up, renovating, remodeling, and decorating our home… and since I share the renovations on my blog, I’m regularly asked how we budget and plan for all our home projects.
I’m guessing many of you would be shocked to know that Dave and I actually DON’T budget for house projects… that’s what I’m talking about today!
My kids love any type of frozen treat (especially during hot summer months). And while we do have some popsicles, ice cream sandwiches, and freeze pops, I also freeze gogurts, we make our own juice and pudding pops, AND I’ve started making chocolate covered banana pops (and bites) — which the kids think are so fantastic.
If you’re looking for a frugal, simple, delicious summer treat — give these a try!!!
Last week, I shared Nora’s bedroom makeover — along with her super cute loft bed with “secret” play area underneath.
Today, I’m sharing how I dyed the curtains for her secret play area — and if you’ve ever been intimidated by using fabric dye (like I was), I hope this post will lay it all out step-by-step to show you how simple it really can be. Just think of all the things you could refresh with a little fabric dye!
In current “Dekker news” — Nora lost her first tooth, Simon loves having crazy hair, James turns TWO, we welcomed a new baby cousin, Dave has 5 more weeks of summer break, and I’m telling myself that 9-10 weeks isn’t really that much longer to be pregnant 🙂
And of course, I’m also sharing what I blogged about this week in previous years, in today’s Week In Review Post!
At-home date nights are one of Dave and my favorite ways to celebrate special occasions (like our recent anniversary).
I know they might not be enjoyable for every couple, but if you’re the type who prefers a night at home versus going out, I have a feeling you’ll also enjoy Dave and my most favorite at-home date night!
After 6.5 years of continual house projects, pregnancies, and newborns, Dave and I will both say that all our house projects and all our babies have required more work, time, patience, and energy than we originally envisioned… but both the house projects AND the babies have most definitely been worth it all!
In fact, as I thought more about it, I realized that home renovations and newborns surprisingly have many similarities!
I know it might seem weird to do a post about inside toys in the middle of the summer, but here in West Michigan, it can get REALLY hot and humid in the summers, so we often play outside in the morning and inside in the afternoon, where the air conditioning keeps things very pleasant!
The toys listed in today’s post are things ALL 3 of our kids (ages 5, 3, 2) play with and enjoy almost every single day!
As many of you know, our family is very “routine oriented” — it seems to suit us all quite well. We all have various morning, nightly, daily, and weekly routines that help to simplify, streamline, and de-stress our lives.
These routines work wonderfully… until they don’t! Today I’m sharing a few instances where our routines have stopped working, and I’d love to know how YOU handle situations when your routines stop working.
Today is Dave and my 11-year anniversary — which means I’ve officially been married to him for more than 1/3 of my life!
I decided that I would share a bit more about our honeymoon — more specifically why waiting a week to go on our honeymoon was one of the smartest decisions we made so early in our marriage!
It’s Dave and my 11th anniversary tomorrow — so along with sharing lots of great recipes, organizing ideas, money-saving tips, landscape renovations, and some of my favorite things, I’m also sharing pictures and posts from all of our previous anniversaries!Â
I hope you enjoy re-reading them as much as I did!Â
Over the years, I have gradually switched to using more natural (often homemade) cleaning products throughout my home. I love how frugal these products are — and that they are often safer and gentler than many store-bought cleaners.
HOWEVER, there are times when my homemade cleaning concoctions just don’t cut it, and I choose to use more powerful cleaning agents… I’m sharing some of those products today!
After enjoying very long, curly hair for the first 23+ years of my life, I’ve had shorter hair for almost 9 years now… and I just LOVE it!Â
I’ve gotten so many requests to share exactly how I style my hair each morning; and even though it only takes me a minute or two, I had fun finally making a video tutorial!Â
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