My Inspiration...

New wife. Teacher. Thirty-One Party Planner. DIYer. Budgetista. Yep, all of the above apply as well as many others. And, all of these aspects combined create what I like to call my Tote-ally Wonderful Life, one founded on faith, love, direction, hope, and purpose. That being said, I am asking you to join me, come be a part of my life, and hopefully I'll be able to share with you some of what I have. At the very least, though, I intend to provide you with periodic ideas for living a fuller, more fun and organized, better budgeted, more focused...life. Along the way, I'll also provide you with links to great deals, freebies, party options, and other fun tidbits. So, what are we waiting for? Let's go live life together!

(Disclaimer: I am an Independent Thirty-One Consultant. The views expressed here are mine alone and not reflect those of Thirty-One Gifts.)

Easy Lamp Makeover

Thankfully my husband and I have inherited a handsome set of home furniture and furnishings through various means--family, friends, previous apartment living, etc. (And really, we've been really, really blessed as all of our furniture even "goes together" right from the onset of being married. It would have driven me bonkers otherwise.) However, even with this collection, the further we get into establishing our home, the more I'm left wanting to tweak what we have...In steps my moderate DIY-self, thinking, "Yeah, yeah, I can do this."
I often shudder just slightly when this "self" takes over as I have had some (very) unsuccessful DIY attempts in the past. Nonetheless, I typically go ahead and make the attempt anyway. Today was no different.

After making our most recent move, I decided I wanted to add a "pop of color" to our living room and had decided to do so with the very neutral-colored lamps we had acquired. (I think these were honestly a "hotel hand-me-down" from my husband's former job site.) So, the Easy Lamp Makeover idea was born, and, I made a go of it. And, I must say it was extremely SUCCESSFUL! If you are wanting to makeover a room, or at least a lamp, easily, cheaply, and quickly, do this!

Materials Needed:

• two lamps (or one, really however many you want to makeover)
• plastic wrap, paper towel, plastic bag, or some other material to cover metal parts of lamp
• tape
• spray paint in an exciting new color (I used Valspar The Perfect Finish in Gloss Exoctic Sea.)
• cardboard or some other usable spraying surface
• a well ventilated space

Steps to Makeover Perfection (or close to)...

1. Prep lamps for painting. I started by wiping down the lamps with a damp cloth. (This was a necessity to remove dust balls and tiny dust bunnies. I definitely know where my house cleaning is lacking...) After cleaning, separate the lamp base from the shade, typically by simply unscrewing the attachment at the top. You'll also want to make sure to remove the bulb, if you haven't already done so. At this point, wrap the metal casing with the plastic wrap. (I enlisted the mister to help here, and he also suggested a lining of paper towel to make sure we kept everything clean.) Secure with tape as necessary. You also might want to cover the cord to protect it from any stray paint.
   
2. After covering everything, it's time to set up shop. We carried everything outside and laid cardboard underneath the lamps to keep from painting the grass as well as to keep any and all grass off of the lamps as I painted.
3. Then, the fun part. Begin painting. You'll want to use short, light sprays and do multiple coats, with at least 5 minutes between each coat. I used one very light coat, followed by a second "covering" coat, and a third "touch-up" coat. This allowed me to get a nice, even color on the lamps without any drips. (Note: Valspar The Perfect Finish is a two-in-one product that serves as a primer and topcoat. I chose this paint so I didn't have to purchase an additional "primer.")
   
4. Finally, let the paint cure. Within 30 minutes, we were able to move the project, but I let both lamps sit outside for 2+ hours to allow them to "air out" and completely dry.
5. Finish! After drying, I carried the transformed lamps inside, removed the wrap, replaced the bulbs and shades, and added them back to the living space.
   

This project was a total success! I was able to makeover the two lamps and successfully transform our living space (at least that's how I feel about it, haha) with a simple spray of paint. On top of that, I got 2 brand NEW lamps for $7!!! I'll take that for a Tote-ally Wonderful makeover! Check it out!

--Leesha

Tote-ally Wonderful Saturday Morning (Breakfast)

Okay, so don't unsubscribe yet, but here is another post about, you guessed it--FOOD! We have a bit of a Saturday morning tradition in the Chamberlain household. Every (or at least almost every) Saturday morning we do a special breakfast, compared to weekday breakfasts at least. These range anywhere from just eggs and bacon to french toast. With some fairly recent health concerns, though, we are trying to make some small changes to our diet to facilitate better health. With this as a focus, I have been doing a lot of research, reading, and hunting for different recipes to try, specifically for Saturday mornings. (While tasty, french toast is not one of the most health friendly treats...)

When I came across this recipe at Minimalist Baker (big shout to Dana for a wonderful blog and tastefully simple recipes!) for Chocolate Chip Oatmeal Pancakes, I couldn't help but think this was a perfect Saturday morning breakfast. With an easy-to-follow recipe and all whole food ingredients, I just had to try it. (I literally texted my husband a pic on Wednesday telling him we'd be trying them on Saturday morning! He was just as excited.)

Ergo, I woke up this morning and headed straight to the kitchen. Following the recipe exactly as written, I had quickly whipped up this interesting looking concoction...

At this point my determination began to wane just slightly. I was afraid I might have been wrong in so readily trying a new "treat," but nonetheless, I carried on. To my great surprise, as I glopped a fair-sized dollop on the pan, I began to see the promises of the Minimalist's "cookie."

It looks exactly like an oatmeal cookie, right?! Shwew, that was a close one...I proceeded to measure and cook the rest of our cookies, er pancakes, and I quickly had two tasty plates for our Saturday morning tradition!

(I added a small glass of almond milk for each of us too. I mean really, who eats cookies without milk?!)

Thanks for sharing in our Saturday morning tradition! Are you thinking about starting your own? My personal suggestions--make it simple, enjoyable, and together, and it's sure to stick. We don't make a lot of fuss over Saturday morning breakfasts, but it's something we know we can look forward to each week. It's a welcome reprieve after the week--time spent enjoying together. It's Tote-ally Wonderful!

--Leesha

2 Tips for a Tote-ally Wonderful Evening

Okay, so this post will be a slight contrast to my previous (really old) posts, but nonetheless, it'll help you get a feel for the vibe I'm hoping to achieve with a bit of a "blog redesign." Let me know what you think!

So, focusing on living, leading, and sharing a Tote-ally Wonderful life, I'd have to say this evening was beyond a success! Now, you may be slightly different than me, but I think we can all appreciate a tasty, easy, healthy meal. Let me tell you, this meal qualifies as all three plus some.

In keeping with my two tips...

1. Make really (really, really) great food! Like I said, maybe you're a bit different than me here, but personally, my husband and I love cooking (and eating). However, what I really love is cooking easily and successfully. One of the ways I achieve this is by meal planning (but more on that in another post), and on the plan for tonight was Crockpot Pork Tenderloin. Super easy, extremely delicious, and simply healthy! I tweak the recipe a bit using more seasoning, our favorite apples (Granny Smith), and local honey, but I must say, this is simply the best tenderloin recipe we've tried and all I did was toss it in the crock. Step #1=successful!

2. Stay on budget. Yep, I said it, the dreaded "b" word...While most people don't really enjoy budgeting, I enjoy making a bit of a game of it, particularly with grocery shopping--I like to see how low I can get our costs. With a renewed fervor for budgeting as I am not working full-time this year, I've been looking into different options for cutting costs. This week's new tactic was a definite success. To score this delectable meal, I collected my weekly ads from various stores--namely Kroger, Target, and Aldi--and perused them prior to planning our meals for the week. On opening the Kroger ad, I saw the sale on pork tenderloin. Score and Double-Score! (It's one of the mister's favorite meals.) On shopping day, we made our way to Kroger, picked our prize tenderloin (and other groceries) and checked out, using our Kroger card. (It definitely pays to take the time to get store loyalty cards and use them.) That being said, we got our beautiful meal for under $7.00, normally over $12!!

Add some fresh veggies, and you have one fabulous plate of food. Check it out!

So what are my 2 best tips for a wonderful evening together? You've got it. Make deliciously simple food and do so budget-consciously. We didn't have to sacrifice anything here, and it was Tote-ally Wonderful! Enjoy!
--Leesha