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printable social distancing bucket list
well it’s looking like we might be here at home a lot longer than any of us expected… who knows, maybe we won’t, but i’m not getting my hopes up. and if we’re here for another few months or many months, and arlo does in fact grow up at home and turn three at home, i want to make it special for him. as special as i can.
so i’m keeping track of the things i want to do during this weird, weeeird time. i figured another printable bucket list was v much in order. i added a few things to start but will be continuing to add as i think of them or if he mentions things.
click here to print
i know there is so much fear and uncertainty looming, i’m doing my best to stay strong for arlo but it really is challenging at times. i hope that these posts are bringing a little light into such a dark situation.
ps the half moon magnets were a DIY
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DIY super easy 2-ingredient play doh
well in the spirit of keeping arlo as occupied as i can while we’re stuck at home during this weird time– trying to come up with (at least) one fun activity to do every day and this DIY play-doh was super simple and fun!! i was looking at so many recipes and was having trouble finding one where i actually had all the ingredients on hand. Read More
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35+ things to do while you’re stuck at home with kids
with the plan to stay home the next few weeks, i’ve hopefully gotten through the worst of my panic mode about the fact that i forgot to buy any cauliflower WHATSOEVER lol. seriously woke up at 3am last night because of it.
it’s gonna be a long few weeks, but “social distancing” is the only thing to do (if you’re able to). while self-quarantining would be actually super appealing if arlo didn’t live here (i would probably just watch every reality show in existence), arlo does in fact live here, so it’s not as chill a situation. i’ve put together a ton of things to do at home — including some adult ones that you can just do during nap time, if needed.
make a schedule
whether it’s a new one every day or general routine to follow, it always helps us pass the time having a list of what’s on tap for the day. also helps keep me productive and arlo more aware of what is happening all day.
facetime your family and friends, religiously
ok so we already do this everyday — but it’s gonna be the only way to stay sane and feel like you’re still in touch with your loved ones without any actual face time.
make a giant pillow fort
destroying your entire living room is sort of worth the 12 minutes of entertainment.
make slow cooker meals
i’m not one of those people who sets up slow cooker dinners hours ahead of time, but since i’m home– i’m totally going to be one of those people!
make bread
another thing i don’t do as often as i’d like because of the time commitment. but i love making bread and arlo hasn’t been old enough to enjoy it till now! and the best part is it won’t go bad. we can just sit and eat it for days! here’s my super easy recipe.
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mrs maisel themed 70th birthday party
my moms 70th bday party was such a huge success!! if i do say so myself, the party turned out beautiful and the energy was so high and everyone seemed so happy. i think that is always partly because people love a theme party and dressing up in costumes, and the photo booth!! except for arlo, apparently he hates dressing on theme because i had a cute jean jacket all picked out for him but he staunchly refused it.
as i’ve said many times now, i’ve only seen one episode of mrs maisel so the theme was a bit difficult but that kind of made it more fun — i love a creative challenge (don’t forget arlos mamma mia party last year)! i focused on the 50s element the most, and lots of pink. i went simple with the decorations, we did some pink balloons scattered around, and for flowers i got every shade of pink carnation from the grocery store and babys breath! i spent $35 on all the flowers and made a ton of arrangements for each table.
i’m obsessed with making custom stuff for all our parties, they are fun mementos that make the party extra special and keepsakes for all the sentimental people too! i love the quality of everything from for your party. we had napkins, stir sticks and cups made for the bar! because my mom invited 60+ people, we decided to hire family friends to bartend and it was so worth it. we served punch and martinis. to “fifties” up the punch, my SIL made a fruity ice ring in a bundt pan, so cute. and a confusing sign that says “punch so stiff you could blow it” because the punch was actually non-alcoholic but you know i gotta go hard with the theme.
for the food, we pretty much only served 50s appetizers — shrimp cocktail, pigs in blankets, egg rolls (so i could make a little sign to reference the show), deviled eggs, and brisket crostinis.
for easy favors, i had matchboxes made from for your party and made a little sign that said “thank you and goodnight”. for another little special touch, i found the cutest measuring tapes and spread them around with another sign that said “god you are so proportional”.
we hired i like lucy for the open air photo booth, and i am so glad we did! it was a last minute addition that everyone loved so much. i got a pack of red cat eye glasses to use as props and based on how many people were wearing them in the photos, they were def a hit.
my piece de resistance was (and always is) the dessert table — the show stopping cake was by ashley adams. soo excited about how it turned out. we made the cake topper using my cricut, which i’ve never actually used before and was shocked it turned out ok! we bought TJs black and white cookies and my SIL made pink polka dot cookies with 70 on them. i made a box mix pineapple bundt cake (my first bundt cake ever) with a pineapple glaze and garnished with cherries. (heres a link to the glaze recipe)
poppy dressed as lenny bruce, spray painted hair, fake cigarette and all, and did an awkwardly long winded performance for everyone haha. we had some family friends perform a few songs on guitar. my mom made a 50s playlist for the party, but i was really confused when bohemian rhapsody started playing lolol. we hired another family friend to do tarot card readings on the balcony above the party– another thing people loved!
it was suuuuch a fun day. but glad it’s over so i can relax again! links for everything below, but lmk if i missed anything!
sources
TITS UP balloons / flatware / plates / custom luncheon napkins / custom cups / custom cocktail napkins / custom stir sticks / custom matchboxes / acrylic frames for signs / red cat eye sunglasses / measuring tapes
photo booth : i like lucy / cake : ashley adams -
kitchen drawer video tour
been teasing the idea of recording this video for like years now, well i finally did it! when i was planning our kitchen i was obsessed with seeing how other people had their drawers setup so i hope this can help you if you’re planning your own remodel.
i’m really happy with our ikea kitchen, the reason i was set on doing ikea cabinets was because of the ergonomics and their hidden drawers. every top drawer we have has a second drawer creating a ton of additional storage and it’s been crucial for us. i am definitely not a minimalist when it comes to kitchen supplies!
we had an ikea kitchen designer come out to do measurements and design our kitchen plan before we shopped, this was so helpful for us because she’s done it a million times. i told her what things i needed and where and she put together the plan for us. the only regret i have now is how small the pantry area to the left of the fridge is. in retrospect, i wish we’d made that wider and had the corner cabinets on the other side be smaller– because our food doesn’t fit. besides that, i’m super happy with how everything looks and works.
View this post on Instagramall our wood drawer organizers are from ikea as well, which is so nice to be able to have streamlined organizers that fit perfectly. they weren’t cheap like plastic ones but totally worth it.
the cabinet fronts are from semi-handmade, you just give them your plans and they figure out what you need for your order and deliver it. the whole process was super easy and i would do the same again next time i design a kitchen for sure.
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pretty everything : 15 modern dinner bowls
i am obsessed with cooking bowl dishes, mexican bowls, greek bowls, breakfast bowls– if theres a bunch of stuff in a bowl i’m in. but the pasta bowls we got for a wedding gift way back when are too low so i’ve been on the hunt for months for new ones. course i had to do a roundup! let me know your favorites, i’m having a hard time deciding!
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printable 2020 oscar ballot
well i hope you liked last years (and the years before) oscar ballot because i haven’t changed it!! it’s still cute so WHO CARES! the past couple years i’ve been sharing my adept reviews of each oscar movie i’ve actually seen so why not stop now? go ahead and skip to the download link if you must lol.Read More
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5 time-saving mom hacks
The following post was sponsored by Whirlpool
I received product and compensation, but all opinions and copy are my ownobviously every mom is DESPERATE for more hours in the day, despite how every hour in the day can feel like actual eternity when you’re home with your babe– its a real catch 22 lol. after doing this mothering thing for 2.5 years, i have definitely improved in the productivity department versus that first year where i was just keeping arlo alive basically.
i know it’s sounds sooo influencer-y, but i am actually being serious when i say a lot of people have asked me this year for an attractive washer and dryer sitch, and i am so happy to report we now have one with our Whirlpool® Smart Front Load Laundry Pair. our laundry area is right in plain sight in our hallway, so looking good is a must– but i am also really so happy with them functionally. it has a really easy to use (and well designed) touchscreen, and an app that allows you to start and schedule loads from your phone (you can even assign a task on there so it notifies your husband to empty the dryer– because you know he’s not planning on remembering that on his own). my fave though is the washer allows you to pre-load your detergent and fabric softener for up to 40 loads*, thus inspiring a whole post of time saving hacks for moms!
01.
save the extra step (and mess) every time with the Whirlpool® Load & Go™ XL Plus Dispenserwhen we first got the Smart Front Load Laundry pair, i was like ok yeah thats a cool feature, but it wasn’t until a few loads in of not having to fill the detergent drawer that i realized HOW chill skipping that step really is. and idk if i’m alone here, but i would literally spill detergent every time i do laundry so it’s even better not doing that. the drawer comes completely out when it’s time to refill so you can even do it over the sink and avoid the spills entirely! i love that you just pre-load your detergent, and then the machine even notifies you when it’s running low. most loads i’m doing are as i’m trying to do 5 other things (at least), so i can throw everything in and start it. SO SIMPLE and then leaves some extra time to do something important with your little one, like letting them hitch a ride in your laundry basket haha.Read More
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pretty everything : 15 modern water pitchers
when we hosted for xmas morning recently, i noticed all of the old juice pitchers i own aren’t my style at all anyway– so i started looking for some modern ones i love. of course i had to do a roundup post for you!
the prices range from low to pretty high for a pitcher, but i included them all based on the design. i think all of these would look gorgeous in any table setting! one of them was so gorgeous i had to have it immediately… i bet you can guess which one!!
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oahu travel guide
i was asked for a travel guide even though we didn’t venture out TOO much on our trip to oahu and we ate a lot of meals at home, but i got so many helpful tips that no matter what you should have access to them!
this was my first time on this island, it was so crazy! honolulu definitely feels like LA meets vegas meets hawaii — so unlike the island vibe of the other islands i’ve been to. but i really liked it a lot. walking around waikiki at night was so peak.
we stayed in the kahala area and i’m sorry i don’t have a link for the house but it was rented by my in-laws.
eat
bills
at first i thought this place was too pretty to be delicious but it was also delicious!! we had ricotta pancakes and this incredible corn fritter dish. and its just sooo pretty!!!!! they acted a little hoity at first, i would recommend making a res! Read More