I am excited to share our kitchen feature in The Cottage Journal – our DIY kitchen remodel was by far our most ambitious DIY to date.

I am so excited to have our space in this gorgeous publication, and it is one of those moments where I didn’t believe it until I was actually holding the magazine.

For me, I can’t believe our DIY kitchen made the space because I often see everything we did wrong rather than everything we did right. It is also incredibly humbling when I think back to where I was just five years ago.

Five years ago, I was still fairly new to blogging. I was plugging away and mainly posting about paint projects. We had recently moved into our current home where I had decided to get serious about blogging. However, the first year of my blog was done at our previous home, and I shared it with the buyers of our home only to later discover that they had created a blog where they blogged about their home projects.

I realize now that I was too emotionally tied to our first home, but in all my projects and posts, I make an effort to never call out the previous owner in their design decisions. Their little blog bothered me so much that I was ready to quit blogging because I felt like a failure. Luckily my husband is the best cheerleader, and he encouraged me to keep going.

I am glad I didn’t quit because those little beginning projects have slowly transformed into bigger projects. I have slowly gained confidence and knowledge to tackle projects like this kitchen remodel and more recently this DIY bathroom remodel which I did (almost) entirely on my own.

I still have a lot to learn in this crazy blogging journey, but I am thankful for encouragement like my kitchen feature in The Cottage Journal.

Thanks so much to Steve and my family for being my biggest supporters (Steve gets stuck spending nights and weekends on my blog projects) and thanks to my friend Mel of Carpenter Photo for her gorgeous photography (she makes my house look better than it is).

Thanks to all of you for taking time to read and follow along on my blogging journey and remember to keep pursuing what you are passionate about – don’t give up!

Go create something!

Are you new to my blog? Go HERE to see my home tour and HERE to shop for items I use in our home.

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Happy Earth Day! I partnered with Greenworks to share some ideas for celebrating earth day.

Ideas for Celebrating Earth Day:

Plant a Tree

A tree is the best gift you can give to both the earth and yourself! Trees have the ability to suck up carbon dioxide (and provide oxygen). If every person on the planet plants one tree, that amounts to nearly 7 billion new carbon sponges!

Plant a Garden

Try growing some vegetables this summer. If you don’t have the space (or time) for a large traditional garden, try a potted garden or a raised garden bed. Watching the plant cycle is fun, educational and rewarding so roll up your sleeves and dig in the dirt!

Experience Nature

What better way to celebrate Earth day than to get out and enjoy all it has to offer? Whether it’s a walk around your neighborhood or a hike in a park, get out and experience nature. It is amazing what a little vitamin d will do for you!

Recycle

If you don’t already recycle, there is no better time to begin than now! Set up a separate trash can in your kitchen to make it as easy as possible.

Throw a Green Party

The party could be anything from an eco-swap (bring a bag or two of stuff and swap it with your friends) to educating kids on ways they can help the environment (turn off lights when leaving a room, take shorter showers and learning what is recyclable).

I have several blogging friends sharing how they are celebrating Earth Day. Go check out what their ideas for celebrating Earth Day:

• The Handmade Home
• Thistlewood Farms
• French Country Cottage
• Lolly Jane
• Remodelaholic
• Refresh Restyle
• Love and Renovations

What other ideas for celebrating Earth day do you have?

This is a sponsored post written by me on behalf of Greenworks. All opinions are 100% mine.

Go create something!

Are you new to my blog? Go HERE to see my home tour and HERE to shop for items I use in our home.

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We moved into our home five years ago, and there were only two smoke alarms in our home – one on the first floor and one on the second (and our home is fairly large). Today I’m sharing How to Install a First Alert Smoke Alarm.

Thank you First Alert for sponsoring this post. First Alert 10-year sealed battery alarms offer hassle-free protection that helps keep your home and family protected for a decade! #LiveWithA10

Our home is an older home, so standards were not what they are today. I have changed the batteries several times in the alarms, but it has taken me until now to add a few more alarms to our home.

My family’s safety is incredibly important to me, so it is crazy I have waited this long to add new alarms. However, I am excited about the new smoke alarms I added – they are the First Alert 10-year Smoke & Carbon Monoxide Alarms.

The 10-year sealed battery alarms offer hassle-free protection to keep my home and family protected for a decade. No more late night low-battery chirps (why does it always happen in the middle of the night?) and no more replacing batteries!

This two-in-one alarm also alerts us if there carbon monoxide presence in our home. I no longer need the plug-in carbon monoxide alarms!

Installing a First Alert Smoke Alarm is really easy, and I am a picture person so I will walk you through the easy steps with photos.

How to Install a First Alert Smoke Alarm:

• Hold the mounting bracket again the ceiling or wall so the two clusters of mounting holes are aligned approximately at the 9:00 and 3:00 o’clock positions. Chose one set of the holes and trace around the holes (make sure to trace the mirrored image on the opposite side).

• Drill a hole where you just traced and insert the plastic anchors using a hammer. Install the screws but don’t tighten completely.

• Attach the mounting bracket by aligning the screw and rotate the bracket into place. Tighten the screws until they are snug but don’t over tighten them.

• Write the date of installation, and there is no need to worry about this alarm for another 10 years (we will almost be an empty-nesters by then)!

• Mount the alarm to the bracket to activate (you will rotate the alarm to fit). Once unit is activated, it cannot be turned off.

This alarm will have an end-of-life warning letting you know when it is time to replace it.

Installation really is easy, and I also added another alarm to my boys’ room.

The alarm in their room is also a combo alarm – smoke and carbon monoxide. However, it also has a voice alert: 10-Year Combination Smoke & Carbon Monoxide Alarm with Voice Alerts. The alarm will tell you the type and location of danger in your home.

My next plan is to add more of these alarms to every bedroom in our home and plan and practice an escape route with my kids – especially because their rooms are on a separate floor than mine.

Protect your family with 10-Year Combination Smoke & Carbon Monoxide Alarms and Live with a 10!

Go create something!

Are you new to my blog? Go HERE to see my home tour and HERE to shop for items I use in our home.

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It has been a long winter here in Indiana, but I have begun my outdoor spring cleaning in hopes of encouraging warmer weather!

I partnered with Greenworks, and I am the proud owner of a pressure washer. I have always wanted one, and I can’t believe it has taken me this long to get serious about eliminating dirt and grim outside.

I wanted a pressure washer that was powerful, portable and didn’t take up my entire garage. The Greenworks 2000-PSI 1.2-GPM Cold Water Electric Pressure Washer fits all my requirements, AND it is really pretty. I love equipment that functions well and looks good!

Assembly was fairly simple and using this pressure washer is just as easy.

The Greenworks 2000-PSI 1.2-GPM Cold Water Electric Pressure Washer Details:

• 14-amp motor generates 1.2 GPM for exceptional cleaning power.
• Open-frame design with 10-in wheels.
• It includes metal wand, soap and turbo nozzles and multiple quick-connect wand tips for various cleaning applications.
• The washer has a soap tank and accessory storage.
• The 25-ft hose is kink resistant.
• The 35-ft power cord works with all exterior outlets.
• The washer has a 3-Year Limited Warranty.

I love how how organized this pressure washer it. Not only is there a place for everything, but everything has a label!

I already have so many plans for my new pressure washer. I’ll be cleaning up entryways, patio furniture, patio, fencing, brickwork, awnings, driveway, our pool area and our cars (well, my boys are going to be washing our cars). The different nozzles are easy to change and allows for different pressure needs.

Beyond the pressure washer, Greenworks offers a variety of tools (everything from lawn mowers to cordless drills) and they can all be found online or at your local Lowes.

Go create something!

Are you new to my blog? Go HERE to see my home tour and HERE to shop for items I use in our home.

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