Real Home, Real Family, Real Life
From the category archives:
I have a confession to make. There was a time in my life when entertaining friends and family stressed me out. A lot. And it was my own fault. I made entertaining too complicated. Join me at Reluctant Entertainer today to read about my simple summer entertaining philosophy.
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Someday, when I’m independently wealthy (a girl can dream), I’m going to have fresh flowers in my home every day. Until then, I’ll have to settle for the occasional Sam’s Club bouquet. But there’s something so welcoming about flowers, don’t you think? Flowers are good for the heart and soul. One of my goals for [...]
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Remember all those candles from yesterday. I pulled some out and, for about 10 minutes, they looked like this in my dining room. Pretty, right? I think my boys like when I start moving things around. In their eyes, any new display is just a new playground for Star Wars guys. I’m ok with that. [...]
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Random pretty picture because I can’t stand starting a post without a picture. This is a re-post from 368 days ago. There isn’t any Christmas yakk on my chandelier and I made the paper chains using staples this year, but the sentiment remains the same. It seemed appropriate to share this again today. Today’s post [...]
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We’re trying to remember to be purposefully thankful this month so we made a Thankful Tree. We started with a branch from the backyard. Note: No living trees were harmed in the creation of this project. Of course, I had to hit it with my favorite red spray paint…Krylon Banner Red. (It would have been [...]
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Yes! We’re still doing this series. I just got a little sidetracked by my move to WordPress. Today’s challenge is a simple one…Turn on some lamps. Even during the day. And turn OFF those overhead lights, whenever you can. Your home will feel warmer and more welcoming. And you’ll look even prettier by lamplight. Thinner [...]
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Foof up your entry way door. Today’s “welcoming” idea came right from one of my readers, Lynda from Ramblings of a Sports Mad Southern Girl. I spend a lot of time making wreaths and pretty things for my front door. I love doing it and it makes the front of the house look great. I [...]
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Use the good stuff. Do you have a china cabinet full of wedding china (or Grandma’s china or thrift store china?) that only gets pulled out for a holiday or special occasion? How about some pretty glasses that don’t get used because they’re fragile? Is it REALLY the end of the world if one gets [...]
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Make them something yummy. Even if you regularly have a homemade dinner on the table at 6pm sharp (I don’t!), there’s something extra special about having a little something sweet made for the one’s you love. It doesn’t have to be some takes-all-day project. I’m a huge fan of popping some break-and-bake or slice-and-bake cookies [...]
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Make it smell good. I don’t know about you, but in our house we have 2 young boys. That means our house can smell like all sort of funkiness if I don’t keep a breeze blowing. Today’s challenge is so simple…just make it smell good. That could mean lighting those fancy candles (what are you [...]
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Get them something to drink. Such a simple thing to do. It’s one of the first things that I do whenever a friend comes over. It’s usually the 3rd question I ask a guest…right after “How are you?” and “Did you bring me a present?”. I ask “Can I get you something to drink?” There’s [...]
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Turn on some music! Really. It’s that simple. Just turn it on! What does your home sound like? I’m a big believer that music soothes the savage beast. Whether that’s my kids or me, I’ll leave to you to decide. I just know that when we reach the witching hour (that hour before dinner), turning [...]
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Clean up your entryway. I’m not talking about making a beautiful wreath to hang on your front door. That’s for your guests…and for yourself, if you’re a wreath-loving fool like me. I’m talking about getting rid of the clutter and mess that’s going on in the entrance that your family uses. For me, that’s the [...]
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The topic of having a more welcoming home has been on my mind lately. When I think about having a warm and welcoming home, I usually think about how guests feel when they enter my home. But lately, I’ve been wondering how my own family feels when they get home. There’s nothing wrong with wanting [...]
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This inspiring, motivating and comforting guest post comes from Sandy at 4 Reluctant Entertainers. Sandy began encouraging me to practice hospitality before she ever knew who I was. You’re going to love her too. Kimba’s like my sister, so when she said, hey can you guest for me? I was on it! That’s just what [...]
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Please welcome Rachel Ann from Home Sanctuary. In Rachel’s own words, “”Home Sanctuary” sums up a lot of what my life is about. As a wife and mom, I’m always looking for ways to make our home life a refuge and place of grace for the ones I love most.” ‘And remember one thing, my [...]
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There was a moment this weekend when poster board, marker and “Mom, I’m bored!” collided. I decided it was high time for a summer list. This wasn’t my idea. Meg from Whatever has shared her family’s summer list for the last two years. If I wasn’t super lazy, I would go get you the links [...]
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A Guest Post: Welcome Tanna Clark from Complete Organizing Solutions. Tanna is a professional organizer with a hubby and 3 kiddos. She offers practical ideas and inspiration for getting organized as well as professional organizing services at Complete Organizing Solutions. Oh, how I need her help!!!! First, I just want to say thank you to [...]
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I’m thrilled to welcome Amy Clark from MomAdvice.com. MomAdvice is packed with money-saving advice, recipes, home management inspiration, and creative parenting ideas. In other words, it’s awesome! In light of the current economic situation, I asked Amy to share her experience during her month-long No Spend Challenge. This February our family decided to embark on [...]
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They’re clean and pretty on the outside. But inside, they’re a horrifying jumbled mess. How very like me. If you don’t look past the surface, you may think that I have it all together. If we meet somewhere, chances are good that I will have a smile on my face and matching shoes on my [...]
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