Hide the TV components & use your remote

July 24, 2021DIY TIPSLEYLA PEARSON

After finishing up so many HUGE projects lately (the basement bookcase wall, garage makeover and mud/laundry makeover) I’m back to focusing on some smaller projects in our basement. I started one a couple months ago and left it in the dust when I focused on the garage clean up. Oh look, a butterfly! 😂

Now I’m working to finish that up and a couple other smaller projects as well. This was a quick one thankfully, and looks great! I’ve shared how to add metal sheeting to cabinet doors before, (you can see the fireplace makeover at our old house there) but this time it was even simpler. I figured I’d share how I did it.

Why add metal sheeting you ask? Well when you like to have electronic components hidden away like me, it’s best to give them some air flow. Otherwise they run hot and that wills shorten the life of the components. Also, your remotes won’t work through a wood cabinet door, but will through metal sheeting.

You can also use an RF remote control system that allows you to keep your TV electronics in another room — I’ll add a link to that at the end of the post. We didn’t want to use that because we use the voice controls often.

Here’s a reminder of how this project ended up:

This is one of my favorite projects ever…I adore it.

I cut the back out of two of the bottom bench cabinets in preparation for the electronics to be added later. We knew we’d have a receiver down there at the very least, and I wanted to allow for more air flow and access from the backs of the cabinets.

A few weeks ago we had the first part of our sound system installed, and every time we turned on the TV we had to open the cabinet to get the remote to work. Then a cat or two would crawl back there…so I knew it was time to get those door fronts replaced.

I removed the cabinet doors from the hinges and used a large drill bit to make holes in the four corners of the front panel. This gives you a spot to insert your jigsaw blade:

using jigsaw to remove center of cabinet front

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This is where I did things a little differently than last time — I sawed right up to the edge of the center panel against the cabinet frame. This takes a little bit more of a steady hand but it doesn’t have to be perfect!

I had plenty of spots that weren’t perfectly flush:

I grabbed my favorite little sander and used a coarse grit pad to get those parts flush:

It worked really well! I cleaned all of that up and touched up the inside parts with the paint color, Westchester Gray by Sherwin-Williams.

Last time I did this I used a silver metal sheeting with a dark gray on our old fireplace built ins. This time I picked a brass/copper finish that matched our brass hardware. These sheets come in a few colors and designs.

Just figure out the size you’ll need and then it can be cut with regular scissors. This sheeting is very thin!

I used my stapler to secure the metal to the back of the cabinet frame:

It went into the sheeting easily — but you may have to pound the staples in so they’re flush with the wood.

The rough edges of the sheeting aren’t crazy sharp — I wouldn’t rub my fingers along them on purpose but they won’t cut you just by touching it. You can add some small trim over the edges if you are worried about those.

It looked even better than I expected! LOVE it:

You can find links to the brass hardware I used here. I really like the design on these metal sheets — it’s called Lincane.

I know I say this all the time, but don’t let anyone tell you you can have both form and function. It just takes some creativity (or an internet search!) to make it happen. 🙂

The remote works perfectly through the sheeting — so no need to open the doors anymore:

gray basement entertainment center with bench

I’m considering adding it to all three lower cabinets, but I don’t really want to spend more money when I like it as it is! This stuff isn’t crazy expensive, but I can only get one door out of each sheet. You can find these at most hardware stores or I’ll share some online sources below.

These sheets are a great option if you need remote control access in a built in unit, but they also just look great as a custom accent on any cabinet!

You can also use glass or cane if you’d rather not use the metal. Here are a few options!:

This metal mesh would give you a modern look

Use this roll of rattan cane for a traditional or transitional look

“Chainlink” metal design in copper

“Lincane” metal design like ours

Cloverleaf metal design

Hide your devices out of sight with this RF remote control extender kit

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Four DELICIOUS & easy Crock-Pot soup recipes

July 23, 2021DIY TIPSLEYLA PEARSON

My four absolute favorite comfort food slow cooker meals! They are creamy, delicious and super easy.

Three of these are creamier, chicken slow cooker soup recipes, and one is a classic CHEESEY mac and cheese. I mean…how can you go wrong?

I enjoy making these crock pot meals as much in the warmer months as I do in the cooler ones. I call them all “comfort foods” — but that goes any time of the year!

I’m sharing some of our favorites and a few changes that I make to the original recipes.

First up – this truly scrumptious slow cooker chicken and dumplings recipe:

Crock Pot Chicken and Dumplings

crock pot chicken and dumplings made with biscuits

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I first found this recipe ten years ago (the blog is no longer operating).

It is SOOOOO good!

I am a chicken and dumplings NUT. This one does not disappoint and you’ll be surprised at how easy it us.

Crock pot chicken and dumplings

4-6 boneless skinless chicken breasts

2 tablespoons butter
2 cans cream of chicken soup
1 can chicken broth
1 onion diced (I used half of one)
1 tablespoon dried parsley
4 grands flaky refrigerator biscuits (add more if you want!)

Put the chicken, butter, cream of chicken, chicken broth, parsley and onions in the crock pot and cook on high for four to six hours. Mine only needed about five.
As the chicken cooks and gets tender, break it up with a spoon or fork.
Get your biscuits and cut them into nine pieces. I kind of rolled them into balls to ensure they stayed whole but it’s not necessary. Stir into chicken mixture and cook for another 30 minutes to hour. (Watch to see how they are “baking” in the soup. Mine are usually done around 30 minutes.)

If your soup is a bit thick, add chicken broth or chicken soup to your liking.

It is SO delicious!! And so much easier than making your own “dumplings.”

This easy slow cooker mac and cheese recipe is another hit!

Crock Pot Easy Mac and Cheese

Crazy easy slow cooker mac and cheese

1/2 pound elbow macaroni
4 cups finely shredded Cheddar cheese, divided
1 (12 fluid ounce) can evaporated milk
1 1/2 cups milk
1 egg
1 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon ground black pepper
Dash of Worcestershire sauce

Very important before you do anything – spray the crock pot well with cooking spray. Or you can use these slow cooker bags that are safe for high heat. Clean up is a breeze!
Mix the egg, fresh milk, evaporated milk, and Worcestershire together in a large bowl. Mix in the uncooked macaroni and three cups of shredded cheese. Pour into the crock pot and sprinkle the remaining cheese on top.
Cook on low for four to five hours — check around four because that’s when mine is about ready. Do not stir or remove lid while cooking.

That whole not stirring thing was so hard for me. I always feel the need to stir. 🙂

The first time I made this I used thicker shredded cheese, but I find finely shredded works better.

I saved the best for last…this creamy chicken and wild rice soup is fantastic! I first found this recipe here.

Crock Pot Creamy Chicken and Wild Rice Soup

Creamy crock pot wild rice and chicken soup

Ohhh…I’m drooling just thinking about it. SO. GOOD.

This one takes a bit more work, but it’s worth it!

Crock pot creamy chicken and wild rice soup

4 cups chicken broth
2 cups water
2 boneless, skinless chicken breasts
1 package of Rice-a-Roni long grain and wild rice
1/2 tsp salt (plus more to taste)
1/2 tsp pepper
3/4 cup all purpose flour
1/2 cup butter
2 cups half and half
1 cup grated carrots
1 cup diced celery

and/or

1 small can mushrooms

Mix the broth, water, carrots, celery, mushrooms, chicken and rice and the rice seasoning packet in the slow cooker
Cook on low for six to eight hours or on high for four hours. I did the high version and it turned out great.
Once chicken gets tender (couple hours in), break it up into pieces with a fork while cooking.

At the end of the cooking time, get a small bowl and mix the salt, pepper and flour.

Next, in a medium saucepan over low heat, melt the butter. Stir in the flour mixture a tablespoon at a time to form a roux.

A roux is a mixture used as thickener for stews, soups and gravy.

While still on low heat, finish the roux by whisking in the half and half a little at a time until completely smooth:

Stir this yummy mixture into the soup in the crock pot then let it cook on low for 15 more minutes.

Then die and go to heaven cause it tastes that good.

We like our chicken and wild rice soup thicker, almost like gravy. If you prefer it thinner you can add additional chicken broth. I would wait to see how it cooks up first though.

Because…come on:

easy slow cooker chicken and wild rice soup

I know many of you have tried this and it’s a favorite of yours as well!

You can’t go wrong with any of these favorite slow cooker comfort foods.

Are there any easy crock pot recipes you love? Feel free to share!

Here’s a helpful pinnable image for you to save these recipes for later:

This creamy chicken and noodle soup is absolutely delicious as well!:

creamy chicken and noodle crock pot soup

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10 creative DIY ways to hide the cat litter

July 22, 2021DIY TIPSLEYLA PEARSON

Hello there my friends! I experienced this sort of a terrific response to our cat litter remedy a couple
weeks back, I figured I might round up a couple additional fun thoughts for hiding the litter
whilst continue to creating kitty come to feel cozy.

These are all Do-it-yourself strategies, but I share some keep acquired products that search
wonderful at the end of the publish also.

Our vacuum and some other objects are on the right side as very well.

This has worked out SO perfectly for us and the cats seem to be to really like it! It is really been so
easy to retain the mud area clean now way too. Cat litter appears to be to keep track of in all places
but most of it stays in the closet.

I know not absolutely everyone has a cleaning closet they can use for the litter so I
gathered some other concepts as well. Most of these Do it yourself cat litter methods
hardly just take up any room and seem Excellent! Click on the connection under just about every image to
get to the tutorial.

Danae utilized a quite IKEA cupboard to disguise the litter and all of the
equipment:

Adore this! When it is really shut you’d have no idea what is hiding within.

Jennifer made use of a facet table to make this adorable cat “cave” for their
kitty!:

I like that you could personalize this with a fun paint coloration or fabric. We
did one thing comparable
underneath our outdated folding table
in the laundry and the cats did terrific going via the “curtains.”

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your convenience.

Amanda took a thrifted cupboard and turned it into a spot to hide the cat
litter:

What a magnificent kitty! Other than the minimize out on the aspect, no 1 would at any time
know this is hiding cat litter.

I noticed this plan on the internet and while it was so smart! I appreciate how they utilized the
little space below the sink to cover the cat litter:

You can find not a ton of place for significantly down there in any case, so why not make it extra
functional?

Zoe created a rustic cat litter box that would be a best bench for a
mud home:

I like that the lid lifts up so it truly is effortless to clean.

Scott reworked this outdated kitchen area island into a wonderful attractive cupboard
that also hides the litter:

hiding cat litter with fabric curtains under table

He shares entire ideas to make your have! So quite a few of us have a cabinet that could
be changed up fairly very easily to accommodate the litter.

Do you have a doggy that you want to retain out of the cat litter? This
solution is a wonderful alternative due to the fact the prime entry keeps the canine out:

I like that this seems to be like a normal cupboard from the front!

This enjoyment cat apartment was produced by repurposing two finish tables:

The cat litter is at the bottom and you will find storage on leading. This pretty piece
fits appropriate into the decor!

And eventually, 1 of my favorites — this total established up is like the penthouse of
cat litter options. I really like every single little bit of it!:

ultimate DIY cat litter cabinet solution

You have to see all of the facts, which include motion activated exhaust enthusiasts!
SO cool. The techniques and door are super lovable way too.

So many fantastic concepts that marry equally form and perform. I have discovered our cats
enjoy obtaining a private place to do their business enterprise — just as we do! 😄 Of
study course, if you don’t want to Do-it-yourself this, there are tons of all set-manufactured options as
well. The planter idea joined down below is brilliant!

Acquire these choices prepared-manufactured:

Have you discovered a excellent solution that hides the cat litter?

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The new & improved Thrifty Decor Chick!

July 21, 2021DIY TIPSLEYLA PEARSON

Welcome to the new look and feel of Thrifty Decor Chick!

It’s been a long time coming!

I’ve always said it’s a mystery that I’ve been successful at this blogging thing.

I don’t know coding…at all. I don’t pay great attention to Google when they tell us to change things. I was blissfully unaware of what SEO was for years…and even now that I do, it’s rare that I follow it perfectly. 😬

I just want to work on projects and write about them. 🙂

The new site went live last week and we’ve been tweaking things here and there since.

Overall the site should load much faster for you, especially on mobile devices. Also, the font is bigger and easier to read on both desktop and mobile…so much better!

When I was gathering the images for this post I found a blast from the past…has anyone been around since this blog header?:

I started my 14th (!!) year of blogging this past May, and it has been an absolute blast! I’m so incredibly thankful to do what I do.

Here’s a quick virtual tour of the new site!

We added a drop down menu at the top, so you can access more information much quicker:

Home tours for our home and our first house are there with links to projects in every room, as well as a page with all of the paint colors in our home by room:

Hopefully that will make finding my paint colors easier for you!

You’ll also notice that links in my blog posts are much easier to see now — that’s one of my favorite parts!

And when you see this pink highlight box, it will be something important on the topic!

We also added easy access to all DIY projects in one spot:

I plan to add more categories soon!

On the side bar, you can see links to my most popular posts. If you scroll down just a bit more, the labels I use to categorize posts are listed together.

Drop down that menu to see all of the topics I’ve blogged about over the past 13 years. 🙂

If you can’t find what you’re looking for in one of those places, you can use the search bar (click the little magnifying glass) on the right under my header.

Links to many of items in our home can be found by checking out my Amazon Storefront, or via the photos on my “Shop My Home” page under the SHOP tab:

And finally, if you’d like to be notified via email when I post, you can get new posts to your email by signing up here.

Or use your phone to take a photo of this QR code:

I hope you enjoy the new look and design of Thrifty Decor Chick!

If there’s something missing, please let me know.

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The ultimate laundry room organization!

July 20, 2021DIY TIPSLEYLA PEARSON

Well hello! We got out of town for a bit last weekend and it was great to get away for a few days! I was reminded when got home how much I love having our big, beautiful laundry room that I recently made over.

When we travel it’s so nice to walk right in and empty the dirty clothes right out of the suitcases into the washer and hamper. This room works like a well oiled machine now that I’ve added so much storage!

I wanted to show you how I’ve organized everything in the new cabinets on this wall:

As a reminder, here’s how this spot started — just a table for folding clothes:

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Problem was, that surface was always covered with STUFF.

We moved the upper cabinets from over the washer and dryer to this corner instead. I keep our laundry items in one cabinet:

We have extra detergent, our fabric shavers, stain spray, etc. on these shelves. It’s so nice to be able to reach these now!

On the other side I keep all of the cleaning supplies. These used to be in the new cat closet:

By the way, I used to keep some cleaning supplies in different areas — for example, in an upstairs bathroom or in the basement. I’ve learned if I keep it all in one spot I can keep track of what we need much better.

Because I installed four 18 inch cabinets below, we had 12 drawers to fill and organize. Heaven! 😍 Here’s a look inside a few of them.

The top drawers are shallow — I organized those with flat drawer bins for charging cords (separated into those for phones and for other rechargeable items) and outlet chargers:

Those plastic drawer bins are my absolute favorite! So easy to stack or store right next to each other.

And I used these awesome plastic bins with lids for batteries and Command hooks/strips in this drawer:

The other top drawers hold random stuff like sunglasses and pens and all of our mail that needs to be sorted. I LOVE having all of the mail out of sight!

The second and third rows are much deeper. This one is probably my favorite:

Is it weird to have a favorite drawer? 🙂

This one holds all the stuff I don’t want to deal with at any given moment. Things I need to return, items that are “to do’s” and little items I’ve picked for a future gift. I LOVE this drawer.

I put all of our extra office supplies into this one:

See all that tape? That’s what happens when you don’t keep like items together in your home. When I purged all of our stuff years ago I realized how many rolls of tape we had. 😲 We’ll have tape, rubber bands, and paper clips till the day we die.

Most of our gift wrap supplies used to hang in the closet, but I condensed it down into this drawer:

If you ever have to blow up a bunch of balloons, that electric balloon inflator is AWESOME! It makes it so easy and fast.

I still have our wrapping paper on the back of the mud room closet door:

And finally, the bottom set of drawers holds more utility items like extension cords and remote switches:

Most of these are only needed around the holidays, but I wanted easy access year-round.

And our light bulbs are super easy to reach now as well:

No idea why we have so many light bulbs. They seem to multiply. Now that we use mostly LED I may just donate the older ones.

Adding all of this storage has me one step closer to a place for everything and everything in its place! Some of these items were in the closet in here before now, some were in the garage and some just floated around the house till one of us dealt with them. Ha!

We even have an EMPTY drawer. As we use up some of the extras even more space will open up. It took a few weeks for me to remember which drawer was what — my husband will be opening a few at a time for awhile though. 😂

And of course, I had to have some pretty organization on display as well:

pretty laundry supply storage with labels

You can read more about that DIY laundry shelf and the pretty waterproof labels can be found here.

See my favorite plastic storage bins with the lids here and the open, stackable plastic bins as well!

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Faux carriage garage door makeover

July 19, 2021DIY TIPSLEYLA PEARSON

I am often wanting for simple exterior updates to make our household stand out from the relaxation. When you stay in suburbia quite a few of the residences can glance
identical — but there are so a lot of techniques to incorporate some character and beauty without having spending a ton of revenue.

This easy garage doorway update does just that! I have done this a couple
situations above the years and I’m normally shocked at how substantially it definitely variations up
the doors.

I beloved our garage doors with their grey and white paint and trim:

But I understood this simple addition would make them even more wonderful.

You can
invest in metal garage door accents that give it a Craftsman or carriage doorway
appear, and they are tremendous easy to set up! Our home has a modern-day Craftsman exterior so I understood they would match in
wonderfully.

I experienced to use components you connect with screws on our doorways:

Dark gray and white garage doors with trim

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Most of the sets I’ve discovered appear with two handles and four “hinges.”

At to start with I only had a person set of hinges up on the leading trim, but I later extra
the set at the bottom and it really accomplished the search:

If you you should not want to drill into your doorways there are magnetic alternatives that are even
less complicated to set up! I purchased a
set of magnetic garage doorway accents at first but recognized that the trim on our doorways is wooden, not metallic. Oops.

They really don’t interfere with the operation of the doorways at all. Most have a rust resistant coating that retains up terrific outside the house. The established I put on our garage doorways at the past property has been up for 8
decades and have not rusted at all!

Here’s our garage door at the previous household prior to the hardware depth:

This is the established I identified for only $10 at the components
store:

That exterior experienced a cottage look and I knew this would
appear fantastic! At first I was likely to tape them up to see how I preferred
them, but the tape was not holding, so I just drilled
them in. That was tense.

But you should not be fearful! It will be value it!

They are truly good high quality — great, weighty steel and I favored that the screws came with black heads to match:

I just appreciate how these search!:

If you want to keep likely, you can add a different carriage
door element with faux windows on the panels across the prime. I have found persons paint it on, or you can use
these magnetic faux windows. When they are on they really search like authentic home windows!

It is not a large transform, but on a avenue of basic garage doorways, yours
will stand out!

I really like a straightforward and cheap update! Have you experimented with transforming up
a little something on your garage door? Additional components or painted it? Anybody tried
people fake windows? Do inform!

There are a ton of magnetic
options! This a person is only $12 and this
magnetic components is $17.

This Do-it-yourself landscape lights tutorial is one more exterior update that will
make your house search way more expensive!:

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How to update old recessed lights to LED

July 18, 2021DIY TIPSLEYLA PEARSON

A tutorial on how to easily change your energy sucking recessed lights with LED versions!

I’ve been working on this lighting project (that has already saved us a ton of money!) slow but sure since early this year. It makes a BIG difference in both how your rooms look and your electrical bill!

When we were having some electrical work done for the new basement built ins, the electrician noted how many recessed lights we have in the basement — a ton! He recommended looking into replacing the standard can lights with an LED version that would save a us a lot of money.

He told us it was easy to change them out, so I started doing some research. It’s a quick change and you don’t need any electrical experience! Turning off your lights at the breaker is all the electrical knowledge you’ll need.

Even though we have plenty of light down in the basement, my photos were usually dark. You can see how grainy the wall and ceiling are in this “before” photo I took:

While I worked on that build I started changing out the lights as well — what a difference!:

huge DIY entertainment wall with cabinets

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I found my LED lights at Lowe’s, but you can find them at any hardware store or online. I’ll share links for a few versions at the end of the post:

You’ll want to look for this specific version that has the base that you screw in like a light bulb. Any other version takes electrical know how and isn’t really necessary.

We loved that you can change the warmth of the lights with these:

You have to pick what warmth you want before installing, but it’s very easy to change them to a different “color” after they are in the ceiling.

Before you start, if you have the adjustable option, decide on the warmth you want first. Well, you may want to install one and see how it looks to decide. But after picking, I highly recommend going through the lights before installation and moving them to the right spot. Otherwise you’ll forget and turn them all on and only one will be right. Speaking from experience. 😉

Soft white is the most “yellow” or warmest version, and the least bright. Cool daylight is a more white look and much brighter. Daylight or cool daylight are what I prefer for bathrooms or spaces without natural light.

Mine came with a bracket that didn’t work for our fixtures, so I had to remove them:

And replace them with the wire clips that come with the lights:

See how I have the clips pulled all the way out? Our ceiling holes are six inches. For five inches you want to install them closer to the fixture. Smaller options are available as well.

That’s the only prep to get them ready for installation! To replace your old fixtures, first TURN OFF THE POWER at the breaker box. This process is almost as easy as replacing a light bulb, but you will be up inside the fixture where there are wires. Always better safe than sorry.

Remove the light bulb and then just pull down on the metal trim:

Grab the metal clips and squeeze to remove them from the ceiling fixture:

Then grab the part where the bulb screws in and squeeze the two metal brackets on the side to remove it from the metal can:

Now you’re ready to install the new one!

Take your LED light and screw it in like a light bulb:

Grab the metal clips and squeeze them into the brackets inside the ceiling fixture:

How to update old recessed lights to LED

Make sure the wires are tucked in above the fixture and then push it up into the ceiling. That’s it!

Attaching the new light with the metal clips is the hardest part, and even that isn’t bad. I found it helpful to wear rubber garden gloves when I was installing a bunch of cans at a time.

These lights aren’t just money savers, they look much better (in my opinion) than the standard recessed trim kit. The new ones don’t create a dark hole in the ceiling when the lights are off:

You can get LED can lights that are completely flush with the ceiling as well.

I’ve replaced all but a couple recessed lights in our house — and it was a lot! But once you get the hang of it, it only takes a couple minutes each.

I finished up our loft this week. It’s hard to capture the huge difference in photos, especially if you are keeping the warmth at a softer level like the originals.

The LED versions have 70 more lumens than the incandescent bulbs we had before. So at the very least, even at the warmest light, they are still brighter! Here’s the before:

And here’s the after!:

I used the warm white setting and it’s much brighter and way less yellow!

I’ve talked about changing your bulbs to cooler tones in some rooms for years now. The slightly cooler lights take all of the yellow out of the space and let you see the real colors in the room!

Here’s another view before:

And after — see how the lights wash the walls with more light?:

You can’t beat it — brighter, cleaner light for less money!

In general, I prefer the warmer tones in living spaces and bedrooms. But in rooms with no windows or very little (like a basement) I always go with the cooler lights. Bathrooms are the perfect place for daylight or cooler bulbs — you’ll see what your makeup TRULY looks like!
Depending on how many bulbs and what warmth you use, you may want to consider adding a dimmer switch as well. If you go with a cooler tone it can be really bright!
The metal trim on the standard recessed lights tends to yellow over time. I’ve heard that’s due to the high heat from recessed bulbs. LED bulbs will cool down rooms with can lights, especially if you use halogen bulbs before!
Overall these save a ton of money — our electrical bill dropped by $70 and I’m not even done replacing them all. We’ll make up the cost of the new fixtures in just a few months!

Have you changed out your old recessed can lights with brighter, energy saving LED versions? I’ve finally embraced the LED — I used to hoard incandescent bulbs. 😂 Now I appreciate how far the LED options have come!

Here are a few LED can light options. You’ll save money by buying a set:

The same set we used with adjustable warmth
Our version in the 2700K warm light
These are adjustable and the set of 12 comes to only $5 each!
This set of 12 can be purchased an any warmth
Set of four LED lights (pick your warmth)

Read more about replacing incandescent bulbs with daylight versions here:

comparing incandescent and daylight bulbs

Did you know you can easily change out a recessed light to hang a pendant?:

blue and white wallpaper in hallway white door

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Colorful master bedroom refresh

July 17, 2021DIY TIPSLEYLA PEARSON

Hello my friends! I’ve always said paint is the number one way to make a big impact in a room for the least amount of money, but fabric or textiles are a very close second. Drapes, bedding and rugs can add color or texture and will go a long way to making a room look a lot different.

My latest addition to our bedroom did just that! Last summer I added some finishing touches to our master that really lightened it up, but still left it feeling super cozy:

master with gray walls blue white accents

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We love the dark gray walls combined with the lighter grasscloth wallpaper — it’s such a cozy space!

The bedding helped to lighten things up, but lately I’ve been craving some more color in here. Plus, even though we don’t wear shoes in the house much, the rug got dirty so easily.

I knew pink or coral tones would look so good with the darker accents in here, so I did some looking around online and found this colorful option (the Loloi Skye in sea/rust) that looked perfect:

But I kept hesitating — it was a lot of color for me! I kept going back to it over and over though.

This is the same brand as our family room rug. Loloi is a higher end brand and usually expensive, but these are from their Loloi II line and are much less. There’s a reason they’re so inexpensive, and I’ll touch on that in just a bit.

After going back to this one over and over, I finally ordered it late last year. When it was delivered it was even more colorful in person…and I hesitated again. 😂 It sat wrapped up for a couple weeks before I rolled it out.

Thankfully I absolutely LOVED it once it was unrolled in the room. The design, the colors, it’s all so lovely:

dark blue vintage navy rug with accent colors

You can see it’s definitely more vibrant in person.

The one caveat with this rug is that it doesn’t have any fibers or texture like a traditional rug. It’s really just printed, kind of like a mat:

I wasn’t sure how I felt about that at first, but once we got it down I REALLY loved it. You have to get really close to it to see that it’s not a woven rug.

It’s really not much different than the rug we have in the family room:

I didn’t notice it as much with that one for some reason.

So far it wears as well or better than a regular rug:

I got the 7×9 size and it was a bit smaller than our last one. Turns out it’s the perfect size for our bed (king sized) and the room:

See how we added those wood “beams” here!

The rug itself is soft, but thin. It doesn’t feel thick underfoot like a regular one. A rug pad would help that a lot! We don’t mind that it’s not cushy.

It hides everything though, and has held up really well. We have one of these rugs in our kitchen and I’ve even thrown it in the washer to clean it! 😮 I wouldn’t recommend doing that often, but it held up great!

There are a TON of different colorways and designs available — from more neutral to colorful.

You can shop this room by clicking on any of the photos below:

See more of our home here.

To shop items in our home, click here!

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How to Paint Your Kitchen Cabinets Tutorial

July 16, 2021DIY TIPSLEYLA PEARSON

A detailed tutorial on how to paint your kitchen cabinets.

If you’ve ever considered painting your kitchen or bathroom cabinets, this tutorial will take you through every step! This particular process uses a paint sprayer, which will give you the absolute best, factory-looking finish.

If you’re interested in painting your cabinets by hand, check out this cabinet painting by hand tutorial.

This post has been updated to share with you again!

I told you about my new love affair with the best paint sprayer I’ve used — if you are considering this project I HIGHLY recommend it. It will get the job done well.

This is the entire cabinet painting process, step by step to break it down for you. Painting your cabinets is NOT hard. It’s a practice in patience and it can be stressful at times, but it’s not hard. 🙂

I have to first thank my friend Jenny from Evolution of Style again — she traveled over from Cincinnati to help me get set up and go through the process with me. She is a pro at this and her advice was SO helpful!

Check out her site to see her kitchen redo as well:

This post may contain affiliate links for your convenience.

See my policies and disclosure page for more information.

OK here we go!

Prepping your cabinets for paint

1. Remove and label all of your drawer and cabinet fronts.

Keep track of your screws and hardware in separate baggies — and label the bags well! I had bags for door screws, drawer screws, hinges and then one for random stuff like our tip out trays and the lazy Susan cabinet doors.

If there is something you’ll need to remember how to put back together, take a photo of it before you take it apart. I did that with our tip out tray doors and it helped a ton:

Number your cabinets doors when you take them off — use painters tape and a sharpie and write the number of the cabinet on the tape. This will eliminate the guessing game of where they go back when you are done!

2. Wipe down your cabinets with a wet rag, then sand lightly. I used a 220 grit sanding sponge:

I recommend wiping them down first. If there’s crud on them, sometimes that just gums up the sanding block. It’s best to clean them a bit first and then sand.

You don’t have to go crazy with sanding — more on that in a minute. But you just need to get a little bit of the shine off the cabinets. I didn’t sand much, just a quick pass over the fronts.

3. After sanding you need to clean them well.

The BEST product I’ve found that I’ve used over the years is TSP:

best cleaner before painting kitchen cabinets

I used it in a spray bottle already mixed but I can’t find that anymore. This mix works as well. Spray it on, wipe it off and then do another wipe with a clean, wet rag to make sure all of it is removed.

There are TSP substitutes, like this Krud Kutter that is good stuff too:

I really like that the spray version is already mixed up. But if you can’t find the TSP spray, this is a good option.

Here’s the thing — you really do need to sand a little bit. But in my experience the MOST important step is cleaning really well. Paint will not stick to goo. 🙂 And if it does it will wipe off with the goo later.

Cleaning is by far the most important step.

It’s time to prime!

After wiping down your cabinets well and letting them dry, it’s time to prime.

This is where the paint sprayer comes in. Jenny recommended this primer from Porter Paints so that’s what we used:

This part went incredibly fast.

We did one coat on the backs, waited an hour for them to dry (actually a bit longer but you can after an hour) and then we flipped them and did the fronts. I could not start the topcoat (the paint color) for another 24 hours to ensure they cured well.

This is when you start to see your vision come to light!:

And it’s very exciting! (More on that drying rack in a minute.)

**Please be sure to check out my post about the paint sprayer I used here. I share all of the nitty gritty details and tips on actually spraying the cabinet fronts there.

Here’s our set up — my sawhorses fell apart and I don’t have new ones yet (two sawhorses would be ideal) so I dragged out two sets of Christmas bins.

We set a board across the top and then placed the cabinets on there:

I mentioned in my post about the sprayer that you’ll want to be able to walk around your set up while painting. Give yourself plenty of room!

I later added a tarp so the bins wouldn’t get paint on them. The spraying process goes incredibly fast! Jenny did the priming with her gun (she does this professionally now and has a very nice spray gun) and she finished up each side in about 30-40 minutes.

That’s 23 cabinet doors and drawer fronts!

You definitely want to get these painter pyramid supports to get your cabinets up off the board:

That way you can get them higher so you can spray the sides of each door. I’ve used these for various projects over the years and they’re handy to have.

So…that drying rack. I’ll tell you what — this thing made a HUGE difference!! Jenny graciously let me borrow it and I am SO thankful to her. I can’t express how nice it was to have this thing!

Hers is an Erecta Rack and you place the wet cabinets on there and stack up the railings as you go:

We would not have parked in our garage for two weeks without it. It also was nice because it kept out of the way — I feel like it protected the drying cabinets from dust better than if they were just laying all over the floor. It also helps them to dry faster as well.

You can absolutely still paint your cabinets without this drying rack, it just makes the drying process easier. If I didn’t have it I’d use boards to lay the doors and stack them. You’ll want something to let the air flow through a little bit.

Painting your cabinets

After 24 hours you can start your topcoat (your paint color).

First you’ll want to give the cabinets a very light sanding if they have any imperfections. I didn’t go crazy with this — I’d run my hand over them and if I felt anything I’d sand it down lightly.

Do this between all your coats! Fuzz and small debris are sure to get in there at some point and sanding them down will get rid of that.

For the paint, Jenny recommended Advance by Benjamin Moore:

I’ve heard of this for years but had never tried it. A friend used it in their house years ago and didn’t love it, so avoided trying it. Now I understand in some applications it’s not great and I’ll go into that more in a minute.

I used the satin finish and it is much glossier than I expected for satin — it’s perfect!

The lower cabinets were mixed in Sherwin-Williams Peppercorn, the uppers in Pure White.

This paint is crazy good when using a sprayer. The finish is fantastic!:

Things to remember about this paint — it can go on thick and will look bumpy when it’s applied with a sprayer, but just hang in there!

Your weather will affect this and drying time — I had a bit of a freak out moment and texted Jenny the first night because they were taking forever to dry. Usually within a few minutes you can see some parts starting to dry and that first coat didn’t start to lose the glossy wet finish for hours.

It was raining that night and I knew that would play a part in it, but it just looked thicker and wetter than paint I’ve used before.

This paint is pretty amazing at self-leveling, so it takes a long time to dry. It should be dry to the touch by six hours but you can’t recoat for 16 hours. Because of the weather I started waiting even longer between coats to be safe.

Since we were doing a two toned look on the cabinets in dark gray and white, I could paint one color one day, then the next day do the other. This gave them a couple days to cure each time.

When the rain stopped the dry time got much shorter, but it’s never a bad idea to let them dry a little longer if you can.

Another tip from Jenny that I didn’t think of — start on the backs. This lets you get the kinks out with your sprayer and get used to using it. This is a REALLY good idea if you’ve never used a sprayer before.

Sand lightly between each coat of paint and then spray again. Jenny recommended one coat of primer and two coats of paint on both sides of the cabinet fronts.

I cheated a bit on the backs — I only did one coat. It covered so well I didn’t need to do more. Considering I never even paint the backs of my cabinets I was impressed I even did that. Ha!

Painting the cabinet frames

The frames of your cabinets are a very similar prep process but I have some additional advice to offer here. You’ll want to clean and sand them like you do the doors — I noticed that our frames were dirtier than the doors. I guess I don’t clean those as much?

Jenny recommends this mohair roller for larger areas like the side of the fridge:

They worked great! I usually use foam rollers but I quite liked these and the finish.

Here’s where I wasn’t thrilled with Advance paint — I used a brush to apply it to the upper frames (those were the first ones I painted) and I didn’t like the finish at all.

It was crazy because for as long as it takes this paint to dry on the doors, it was drying super fast inside and was hard to work with. I also didn’t like the finish on the frames — you could see the brush marks very easily, even with sanding in between.

It’s just the nature of the paint. What should have taken two coats of white took three and honestly I could have done a fourth.

In the end no one will even notice it. Because I did the last couple of coats with a roller that helped a bunch.

Here’s the frame in the middle and the sprayed cabinets on the side:

See the brush marks?

I ended up using the mohair rollers on the bottom frames and that finish is SO MUCH BETTER. So smooth. I used a brush for corners and hard to reach spots and then rolled over it as much as possible.

One issue I ran into along the lower frames was the silicone the granite folks added during installation. I put the painting of the cabinets at the end of my list so that they wouldn’t get messed up during the install of the other parts of the room.

If you do the same, ask your granite installers to hold off on the silicone underneath and you can do it after you paint.

They really piled it on ours and some of it was so low on the cabinets I had to remove it, which is a total pain in the butt:

I gave up on the stuff higher under the counters. Thankfully our lowers are dark so you can’t see it well. If you are going from dark cabinets to light all over and are having granite installed, be sure to remember this!

I tackled the doors first and the frames second — I first thought I should have flipped that. The doors were sitting done and I had to wait days while I painted the frames. Now…I actually would recommend the order I did it — it gave the doors a chance to sit and cure for awhile while everything inside dried.

This paint (any paint really) takes a good month to REALLY cure well. That means it’s not super hard till then. Some say even two months. I put our new hardware on the cabinets but didn’t screw them in all the way — I’ll wait for another few weeks to do that.

I thought the process would take me a week, but it would be difficult for one person to get it done that fast with the dry time needed.

It ended up taking about 12 days and I finished installing the cabinets on the 13th day. The cabinets had cured for about five days at that point, the frames a few days less.

For now I’ll leave you with a couple shots — first of the uppers:

I know it can be hard to see my vision, especially when they were two-toned for so long:

WOW! I love the white uppers!! I nearly cried when I put them up, not kidding. They are so beautiful and it was so thrilling to see what was in my head all this time come to life.

I love the white but I have to tell you I think I love the dark gray lowers even more:

I’m a contrast girl and they are absolutely stunning with our floors and with our light countertops.

Here’s another pic that shows the sheen a little better:

I have a lot of touch ups to do by the stove and on the quarter round — it’s never ending. 🙂

I hope you found this helpful if you are interested in painting your cabinets! Remember if you have a grain on your cabinets they will not be quite as smooth. Sanding well before and between coats will help to reduce the grain but it’s hard to eliminate it.

Oh and I’ve been asked a ton about a protective coat. No, you don’t need to add one. I’ve painted many pieces of furniture and cabinets and if you use a good paint you will not need to do that. If you want to add one keep in mind if you are painting your cabinets white you need to use a water based poly so it doesn’t yellow down the road.

See the full kitchen renovation reveal here!

See more of our home here.

To shop items in our home, click here!

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Getting Back With An Ex? 14 Things To Consider Before You Do It

July 15, 2021SEX DATINGLEYLA PEARSON

Are you considering getting back with an ex?

Many of us find ourselves in this situation post-break-up and wonder if we’ve made the right decision.

Have we just dodged a bullet or made the BIGGEST mistake or our lives?!

The problem is that too many movies and TV shows romanticize getting back with an ex (hello, Ross and Rachel). You’re rooting for the make-believe couple so badly that you forget about all the pain, drama, and messiness that goes with re-igniting that flame.

According to family therapist David Klow, human beings are wired to seek both attachment and new experiences. Hence why the prospect of getting back with an ex is so appealing—it ticks both of these boxes. On top of that, the alternative can be far less attractive. Swiping endlessly on dating apps, going on crummy dates, and meeting crappy guys who don’t even come close to what you’re looking for.

Getting to know someone brand new takes a lot of time. And there’s never any guarantee that things will work out. So your mind starts thinking, surely it makes more sense to give things another shot with the ex than start afresh? You already know each other intimately, and maybe things will work out the second time around?

Maybe they will, and maybe they won’t.

According to a survey by the Associated Press, 41% of people have gotten back together with an ex at some point. So you wouldn’t be in bad company if you did, but whether it works out or not is an entirely different issue.

There are so many factors to consider before you jump back into a relationship that you consciously ended.

Is getting back with an ex ever a good idea?

I’m not going to sit here and say this is never a good idea because there are cases where a bit of time and space apart is all you both need to realize that you want to build a life together.

However, you must go into this with your eyes wide open.

Why do you want to get back with your ex?

How did you leave things, and is your ex open to reconciliation?

What went wrong the first time, can it be resolved, and are you both willing to do what it takes to work through that?

Have you given yourself enough breathing space to properly reflect and see whether you’re a good match?

“As long as there aren’t serious issues such as abusive behavior in the relationship and each partner really cares about the other, a second chance at a successful relationship could work.”—Noelle Nelson, Ph.D., psychologist and author of Dangerous Relationships.

Here are 14 things you must consider BEFORE getting back with an ex.

1. Do you really want him back, or are you just heartbroken?

woman heartbroken

We all know how devastating and emotionally rough a breakup can be. It’s normal to feel like you’re grieving (even though the person hasn’t died) because you’re experiencing the loss of having this person as a constant rock in your life.

This can leave you feeling a rollercoaster of emotions. You might be lonely, sad, feeling guilty (if you broke up with him), angry, resentful, lost, and lacking self-confidence and self-love.

And when you’re feeling lonely and heartbroken, like your world just isn’t going to be sunny again, it can lead you to make poor choices that aren’t good for you in the long run.

So, ask yourself, do you really want him back, or are you just trying to avoid going through the pain of a breakup? Do you genuinely miss him, or do you miss having someone there with you when you wake up and go to sleep?

If you’re struggling with the breakup, there are plenty of things you can do to make yourself feel better, including:

Cutting all contact with him
Letting yourself grieve
Clearing out anything that reminds you of him
Taking care of your body (eating well and exercising daily)
Spending time with friends
Working on YOU

2. Have you given yourself enough time and space to make a rational decision?

It’s normal that there are certain things you will miss about being in a relationship. Things like dinners out, Netflix and chill nights in with pizza, and good sex with someone you’re comfortable with and who knows exactly what you want.

Put all those things aside for a moment and think about whether you’ve had enough time apart to make a clear and considered decision about getting back with your ex.

From the moment you start considering the possibility, give yourself a week to mull it over. Once that’s up, give yourself another week. And once you get there, give yourself—yes, you guessed it—ANOTHER week. Keep doing this until you reach a healthy amount of time (at least two months).

This time will allow you to see your relationship clearly. It will also give you the space needed to think about what you need and whether this is right for you.

Don’t rush yourself out of fear of them moving on and dating someone else. If you’re both on the same page and wanting to make it work, he will still be there when you’re ready to make a decision.

3. What do you want in a relationship?

getting back with an ex

The time and space you have on your own right now are perfect for doing some much-needed self-reflection.

Who are you?

How have you grown since starting and ending things with your ex?

What do you want in a relationship now? Is this different from what you wanted previously?

Was there anything significant missing in your relationship the last time, and can this be resolved the second time around?

Many things can easily be resolved as long as you’re both willing to put in the work. For example, you can strengthen your communication, appreciate each other more, and make sure you devote more time to your relationship.

However, other things are not as easy to fix—big goals and values. Like maybe one of you wants to get married while the other doesn’t. Or perhaps you want to take a job abroad, but your partner is adamant they want to stay put.

What’s important is you both know what you want and what you’re not willing to compromise on.

This is part of my Little Love Step #2: Creating your love vision. When you take the time to figure out the man and relationship that is compatible with the future you want, you’ll be able to attract the right man and avoid the wrong relationships.

4. If this was your best friend, what advice would you give her?

One exercise that can be helpful when thinking about getting back with an ex is to pretend your best friend is the one going through this right now.

What advice would you give her?

Would you tell her to take a bit more time and see how she feels once she’s stopped hurting? Or would you tell her to jump right in, because what does she have to lose?

The answers to these questions depend on the relationship in question. If you knew they were having lots of arguments, and you constantly had to pick up the pieces, you’d be more likely to remind her of the bad times and ask her to think about it carefully.

So I invite you to do the same for yourself.

5. What’s your primary motive for getting back with your ex?

I see a lot of women considering getting back with an ex primarily out of fear of being on their own and being single again.

Even if the relationship clearly wasn’t healthy or functional, they would rather be miserable in a couple than miserable on their own.

But what I need you to know is if you dislike being single so much that you would rather settle being with someone who isn’t good for you, then there are bigger issues at play here that you need to address before even thinking about being in a relationship.

If you allow fear to dictate your choices, you will shrink a little more each day as a woman until you wake up one day and realize you’ve completely lost who you are. I understand that being single—especially after being with someone for so long—is terrifying. But this can also be a beautiful opportunity to rediscover yourself, have new experiences, and create a life that brings you real joy.

So before getting back with an ex, be honest about what your primary motive is. And if it’s rooted in fear, this is not a good reason to do it!

6. Make a timeline of your relationship

In my experience, women are in danger of allowing their first impression of people to cloud their judgment of a person’s true character. So, even if there is an orchard of red flags, you may end up clinging onto a vision of how you want things to be or how they used to be instead of how they are.

One way to get a more accurate picture of your relationship is to make a timeline. Write down all the significant events—good and bad. Get them all out until you have nothing else to say.

When you’re done, read this back to yourself. Then ask yourself if this man and relationship are really what you want. Is your ex who you think they are or have you been living with rose-tinted glasses on the whole time?

7. Make a list of pros and cons of getting back with your ex

It may feel like you’re being pulled in different directions right now.

Part of you thinks you broke up for a reason and should leave things in the past and move on. While the other part of you wonders, what if we gave it one more shot and ended up living happily ever after?

Writing an old-school list of pros and cons can help bring you clarity when you feel like this. The act of listing out the positives and negatives of being and not being with your ex will move you into a rational space that can help you decide.

8. Does your ex make your life better or worse?

couple fighting

How do you feel now that your ex is gone? Is your life better or worse?

This can be difficult to answer if your breakup is fresh and you’re still feeling lonely and missing him in your life.

So, think back to when you were still together. Did the good days outweigh the bad? Were there more positives about your relationship than negatives? Did your ex make you a better version of yourself or a lesser version of yourself?

All relationships will have their ups and downs, but generally, you should be experiencing good days 90% of the time. And your partner should undoubtedly improve your life instead of creating more conflict or frustration.

Don’t consider getting back with an ex unless he, hand on heart, made your world brighter when he was in it.

9. Are you ready and willing to forgive?

Whatever happened in your relationship—lying, cheating, hurtful comments, etc.—you must both be willing to let the past go and forgive. That means not rehashing old wounds when you next argue and committing to leaving the past in the past and starting a blank slate.

For example, if there were trust issues between you before, unless you’re willing and able to fully trust your partner this time around, things are unlikely to end well. Maybe your partner forgets to text you when he’s coming home late after going out with the guys, and that leads you down a negative spiral wondering if he’s really with the guys or not telling you the whole truth. When he does finally make it home, you might end up blowing up at him because you’re thinking of his past mistakes.

This doesn’t mean you can’t have healthy disagreements, but it does mean you have to handle conflicts in a calm and mature way without trying to score points.

There are certain things that you won’t be able to forgive, so it all comes down to if you feel able to move forward or not.

10. Are you able to fix what went wrong the first time?

getting back with an ex

Can a broken relationship ever be fixed?

Getting back with an ex won’t work if you cannot fix what caused the breakup the first time around. Without taking this critical step, you’ll end up going round in circles and experiencing the same issues again until you address them.

So, are you able to fix what went wrong? And if so, are you both willing to put the work in to do it? Little Love Step #6 of my methodology is to set clear boundaries as a couple to set your relationship up for long-term success.

11. What happened while you were on a break?

Before you commit to getting back with your ex, it’s essential to have a chat about what happened while you were broken up.

For example, did you date anyone else? Did you sleep with anyone else?

You don’t have to go into details about who, what, and where (unless, of course, it involves a mutual friend, in which case, you DO need to give details). But make sure everything is out in the open to avoid any skeletons coming out the closet later down the line.

12. Trust your intuition

We don’t do this enough as human beings, but our intuition is a powerful tool—especially for women.

When was the last time you checked in with yourself and that little voice in the back of your head or the whispers of your heart?

Tune in to your intuition and allow it to guide you in making a decision. And if you decide getting back with your ex is the right choice for you, make sure you continue to trust your intuition along the way. If something ever feels wrong, trust and act on that inner feeling—it won’t steer you wrong and will only grow louder until you listen to it.

13. Not everyone will be fans of you getting back with an ex

friends picnic

If you decide to try round two with your ex, be prepared for your friends and family to be on a different page.

This is especially true if you have often gone to them for advice during rows, you’ve spoken negatively to them about your ex, or they’ve seen you upset during the lowest moments of the relationship. They will remember all the bad things and may remind you of them.

As long as you trust your family and friends, remember that they are looking out for you and only want the best for you. Avoid being defensive. Listen to what they have to say and acknowledge their concerns. Tell them you appreciate their advice, explain why you’re making this choice, and promise to keep them updated.

14. People don’t usually change

A 2013 study found almost half of all couples get back together after breaking up and that the couples who do get back together assume their partner will have changed for the better.

Why on earth would you ASSUME something like that?

Sure, it’d be great if that were the case, but you’re in for a shocker if your partner is the same as before.

The truth is, while some people can and do change, most people are more likely to stay the same. It’s so easy for couples who already know each other to slip back into old, negative patterns. So if there are certain things you cannot accept about this guy, it’s worth rethinking getting back with him.

Conclusion: The only person who can make the right choice is you

I could give you a ton more advice than what you’ve read here, you could speak to all your friends and even work with a dating coach. But at the end of the day, you know yourself and your ex, and only you can decide whether to give things another shot.

But remember to be completely honest with yourself. If you do want to get back with him, make sure it’s for the right reasons.

Are you thinking about getting back with an ex, or have you ever done so in the past? Tell me all about it in the comments below!

getting back with an ex

The post Getting Back With An Ex? 14 Things To Consider Before You Do It appeared first on Love Strategies.

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Hobbies, posts and style!

Hide the TV components & use your remote

Four DELICIOUS & easy Crock-Pot soup recipes

Crock Pot Chicken and Dumplings

Crock Pot Easy Mac and Cheese

Crock Pot Creamy Chicken and Wild Rice Soup

10 creative DIY ways to hide the cat litter

The new & improved Thrifty Decor Chick!

The ultimate laundry room organization!

Faux carriage garage door makeover

How to update old recessed lights to LED

Colorful master bedroom refresh

How to Paint Your Kitchen Cabinets Tutorial

A detailed tutorial on how to paint your kitchen cabinets.

Prepping your cabinets for paint

It’s time to prime!

Painting your cabinets

Painting the cabinet frames

Getting Back With An Ex? 14 Things To Consider Before You Do It

Is getting back with an ex ever a good idea?

1. Do you really want him back, or are you just heartbroken?

2. Have you given yourself enough time and space to make a rational decision?

3. What do you want in a relationship?

4. If this was your best friend, what advice would you give her?

5. What’s your primary motive for getting back with your ex?

6. Make a timeline of your relationship

7. Make a list of pros and cons of getting back with your ex

8. Does your ex make your life better or worse?

9. Are you ready and willing to forgive?

10. Are you able to fix what went wrong the first time?

11. What happened while you were on a break?

12. Trust your intuition

13. Not everyone will be fans of you getting back with an ex

14. People don’t usually change

Conclusion: The only person who can make the right choice is you