Holiday Gifting Guide 2021

November 11, 2021.Reading time 9 minutes.

Gifts for the kitchen

$ 29.88 Magic Bullet Blender Small (11 piece set)

A perfect gift for the smoothie lover! This blender is small enough to travel with and has several containers with lids.

$29.99 Full Star Vegetable chopper

If you or someone you know loves kitchen gadgets this is for them! A chopper and vegetable spiralizer! This is definitely on my wish list this year. With over 33,000 reviews you can rest assured its a good one!

Courtesy of Amazonhttps://amzn.to/3jE2ROV

$17.09 Beautiful Boards: 50 Amazing Snack Boards for Any Occasion

I personally own this gorgeous book and love it! A perfect gift for those who love to entertain or those who love to be inspired. Every page has so many delicious ideas that will have you creating boards year long! The price for this book is usually $25 so this is a steal!

$691.00 Breville Barista Express Espresso

We bought this in 2020 and it easily became our favorite drink maker! We also saved lots of money not hitting the local coffee shop daily! It has a small learning curve but once you figure it out it’s well worth the investment!

Gifts to Pamper

$21.99 Shower Steamers by Cleverfy

With over 2700 reviews users are raving about these shower steamers that are made with pure essential oils! This pack has the following scents :Peppermint, Lavender, Pomegranate & Rose, Vanilla & Sweet Orange, Menthol & Eucalyptus, Lemongrass & Coconut.

$54.99 Mulberry Silk Pillow case by Colorado Home Co.

Pamper their skin and hair with this silk pillowcase! I made the switch 6 months ago and have noticed how smooth my hair is in the morning as well as my skin retaining its moisture! This is not a cheap gift but you pay for quality silk. Be careful of looking for a cheaper silk pillowcase as other reviewers have found they are fake. With over 1300 reviews on Amazon you can see why this is so popular!

Gifts for the Home

$265.64- On Sale! Bissell ICONpet Cordless vacuum. If you are in the market for a new stick vacuum this is perfect for anyone with pets! We just purchased this ourselves and we don’t have pets but the “tangle free” brush roll will be perfect for the three girls in our house!

$549.00 (normally $750) i-Robot Roomba I6 . We recently took the plunge to get a robot vacuum last May and it has not disappointed! We chose this version because of the great reviews and the self empty canister! The vacuum can empty itself and continue to get the job done. It is a splurge but so nice to have clean floors when you have little ones or pets!

Gifts for Book Lovers

$89.99 Kindle with built in front light

I absolutely love my kindle! It’s compact enough to take on the plane but large enough to comfortably hold for hours. The new screen makes it easy to read outdoors/indoors or at night. With 8GB of storage you will have thousands of books at your fingertips!

Tip: This price includes ad’s which means when you turn off your kindle you will see a book ad. You can pay more to not have this function.

$28.00 Kate Spade New York Canvas Tote Bag (with interior pocket)

I am in love with this book worm bag that is also fashionable! Perfect for anyone who needs to carry books or even groceries. The higher price point includes a small zippered pocket inside for those wanting to use this bag for more then a quick library stop!

Nerdy gift ideas

$13.99 Light up Light Saber chopsticks

These fun chopsticks will delight any Star Wars fan! If they happen to be a foodie then it’s even better!

$14.81 Harry Potter Marauders Map heat reveal mug

The perfect gift for any Harry Potter fan who loves to drink hot tea, hot chocolate or coffee! Watch the mug magically change into the Marauders Map!

Gifts for kids

$16.19 The Tree that’s meant to be

My kids adore this story about a small tree that isn’t chosen by a family for Christmas. It has a great message that you are perfect just the way you are. The pages are beautifully illustrated and make a perfect gift!

$13.99 The Jolly Christmas Postman

My girls love this book! Almost every page includes an envelope with a special letter, poem, tickets or silly ad about the characters. My girls take turns opening the envelopes and reading the surprise letter inside. We also love the original The Jolly Postman if you are looking for a year-round book!

$37.98 Galaxy start projector

Our girls have a similar brand and love it! The stars are bright laser spots on the ceiling/walls with a fun galaxy (wave) movement in several colors. We use this as a night light but it’s also fun for dance parties or recently we used it for a space birthday party!

$12.99 Dash mini electric waffle maker For the budding chef! We gifted this to our 9 year old daughter for Christmas last year and she loves it! Its small enough to handle and she has used it to make brownie waffles (with the box mix we gave her) as well as cake mix! You can even cook eggs inside. Note: Please be aware of your owns kids capabilities with a small appliances and never allow them to do it without supervision.

$34.99 Matching doll jammies (multiple patterns)

If you have an girl who loves American Girl dolls or Our generation dolls then this matching PJ set is for you! My girls love to match their dolls but I don’t love the expensive prices of American Girl. My girls were gifted the set above on Christmas Eve and loved dressing their dolls up with them!

$23.99 Baby doll clothes (10 piece)

Perfect for Bitty Baby or any 10-14 inch doll. Our girls received Bitty Babies last year and was on the hunt for cute outfits that were affordable. These outfits in person are so cute and my girls loved the variety! The head bands are a special touch that makes the dolls seem realistic.

$18.16 Fancy dollhouse Dining table

Perfect for Barbies! We gifted this to our daughters and they have had non-stop fun setting the tables and planning dinner parties for their Barbies.

Thank you for reading through my Amazon gift guide! I tried to share items I personally have or want but if you are looking for other gift ideas please let me know in the comments!

Disclosure: The links above are affiliate links. This means that, at zero cost to you, I will earn an affiliate commission if you click through the link and finalize a purchase.

5 unique pantry designs

August 18, 2021.Reading time 1 minute.

The brass/wood open shelves are the show stopper in this Jaimee Rose Design. The marble countertops elevate this little space and who can forget the detail of the black little window!

2. Hello little black and stripe! How stunning is this tiny detail that makes a huge impact on this pantry wall. The touches of brass seem to be Jaimee Rose Design go to.

3. The diamond floor brings the wow factor in this Clark and Co Design. This entire pantry has so many details to love between the beautifully styled shelves, the light or the baskets in the wall.

4. The color of these cabinets are stunning paired with the brass pulls. The white and gold pendant, unique sink ties this gorgeous pantry together designed by Jaimee Rose. I also spy a wine fridge and double ovens!

5- The butcher block countertops and baskets holding potatoes! I love how all the elements flow perfectly in this pantry. Also how cute is that little bench? Designed by Jaimee Rose.

I hope this helped inspire you with planning or styling you own pantry! Let know which one was your favorite?

5 ways to style your entry

June 15, 2021.Reading time 1 minute.

1- Choosing a bold piece of artwork can have a dramatic effect in your entry! I love how the black and white catches the eye. The layering of objects on this table is perfection. This entry was styled by Scout and Nimble.

Above is another example of artwork layered with lamps and vases from the inspiring The House of Silver Lining.

2- Styling your entry table with baskets and a pretty rug is always a classic! I love the simplicity of this design which can be easily dressed up for holidays. Another great shot from Plank and Pillow.

3- Supersizing your mirror can make a statement! Loving this mirror layered with greenery and a lamp from Mcgee and Co.

4- No furniture needed! When you choose a brick floor as beautiful as Triple C Farmhouse there is no reason to clutter it with furniture. Also loving the shiplap walls!

5- I love this little bench from Room and Board and matching mirror! The basket by the door is genius for storing little ones shoes.

I hope you enjoyed reading through the 5 ways to style your entry. Which one is your favorite? I am leaning towards the artwork option but you can’t go wrong with any of these beautiful entries!

5 Unique items to splurge on when building a house

June 9, 2021.Reading time 2 minutes.

It is always true that you should splurge on items you cannot change easily. Then their are unique splurges that can set your home apart! Here are the 5 unique items to splurge on when building a house! We also shared some results from #ourhometour:

@bigwillowhome

1- After visiting Hawaii we decided to add an accordion style door to our living room. We love the idea of bringing the outdoors in! You can also achieve a similar look with large sliders or French doors.

@baumsboulder

2-“Our original home design did not have a covered wrap around porch. I love being outside but I also love the shade! Splurging on the roof is so much more functional for our family!”

@themountainsarecalling2021

3- “I splurged on a pebble ice maker for the kitchen! No soda shops in the mountains so will make our own tasty drinks for movie nights. It will have an integrated panel to match the rest of the kitchen cabinets.”

@neekee11

4- “We splurged on a beautiful coffered ceiling in the great room even though they aren’t functional!”

@swanlacres

5- “We splurged on a safe room which we installed under the front stoop. This will double as a storm shelter!”

I hope you enjoyed hearing about the 5 unique items to splurge on for your home! Let us know which item you think is the best?

First Image above: Design: @studioelianarokach
Photo: @tessaneustadt

Second Image above: Home Depot

Third Image above: Gambrick

5 Things I wish I knew before building a house

June 1, 2021.Reading time 3 minutes.

When building a home there are many things to consider! Here are the 5 things we wish we knew before building! We also shared some results from #ourhometour:

@bigwillowhome

1- Be prepared to go over budget! The best guess you can come up with will still not be enough. We found ourselves adding items to the list that we didn’t know existed! I wish there was a giant list of everything you may spend money on a build but it totally depends on what is offered, prices of lumber or labor at the time!

2- Creating a “wants” vs. “needs” list. This will help guide you through number one! It is also easy to get very excited about certain things but try to prioritize anything you can’t change after the build.

3- Choose finishes you love. Trends come and go and family/friends may offer opinions but its your house and you should choose what you love! This was something I agonized over for weeks!

4- Prioritize your budget to include things you can’t change after the build like electrical, plumbing, upgraded cabinets, fireplaces and extra garages.

5- Learn from others by following home building accounts! Instagram friends have helped me think of places to place electrical or gas lines (hello fire pit in the backyard) or where to score discount lighting. There are also so many DIY videos and valuable posts that can help you be prepared before tackling these projects yourself!

@home_on_sunset_ridge

1- If your in a neighborhood read your covenants through and through! It may seem obvious… but we purchased a small white gas tank to sit on the side of our home (it was actually cute) only to realize it needed to be buried!

2- Become friends with the crew and visit often! I was able to think through decisions not only with the builder but also with the crew, who provided new ideas!

3-When you create your budget dig deep for all the upgrades.

4- All builders offer paint packages. I knew we didn’t want matte again so we ended up paying more for eggshell, which we didn’t budget for.

5-Plumbing fixtures- apparently plumbers have to plumb the house with a specific hardware. This dictates which brand you must use and limits your selections.

Honorable mentions:

@midmodfarmhouse

“How much time I would spend between emails, phone calls, meetings, site visits and shopping. For me its the equivalent of a side gig!”

@thelundbergmanor

“Don’t expect anything when you expect it! Our move in date got pushed so many times. Patience is a virtue! Especially when building during a pandemic!”

Image above: SOURCE |J. K. KLING ASSOCIATES