Tag Archives: DIY

Dottiebox

Dottiebox LLC

In my next life I want to be a crafter.  I have a great love for it, I just lack the time.  Luckily I satisfy most of my “DIY” cravings by perusing Pinterest and Etsy, gawking at all the unique and amazing homemade creations.  There is so much good stuff out there, it can be hard to know where to start.  Thanks to Dottiebox, I am able to enjoy some of the best in homemade goods delivered straight to my doorstep for only $20/month.  Sounds like an awesome deal, right?

Check out what arrived in my first Dottiebox…

Dottiebox Goodies - In Her Chucks

Dottiebox LLC Hazelnut Latte Lip Balm-  I LOVE lip balm.  I take it wherever I go, and if I forget it, I pick up a pack at Target.  Or I can plan ahead and stock up on this deliciously smelling Hazelnut Latte Lip Balm.  This stuff has definitely taken my addiction for soft lips to a whole new level.  I find myself applying it to my lips even when they aren’t dry because I love the smell so much.  It makes me feel like I just devoured a naughty dessert that left my lips feeling silky and smooth :)  Heaven.

Sharee Boutique’s Quality Cosmetic Hair Chalks-  Did I ever mention that I used to have pink hair?  It was a while ago but I got in pretty big trouble for it (a teenage mistake that I neglected to run by my mom).  Anyways, now you can enjoy the excitement of colorful hair without the commitment (or the punishment).  Sharee Boutique’s Hair Chalks are vibrant and beautiful but are also temporary.  And I love the variety of colors they offer.  I think I’ll go with teal this time.

Make it Stick Mustache Nail Decals-  Mustache’s are all the rage.  And these nail decals take the trend to a whole new level.  But Make it Stick doesn’t stop there.  They have chevron, bow ties, and my favorite, stars.  I love how easy they are to add to your most colorful manicure or to jazz up a nude nail.

1love Candles (‘Butt Naked’ Scent Votive Candle)-  The aroma of a fragranced candle can either make me sick or make me smile.  This candle did the latter.  The fresh scent of this candle takes me away to a special place.  Sweet, clean and light, it’s the perfect candle to warm up your home and set the mood for a relaxing evening.

Jen Ramey Designs Two Tone Wine Charms-  My mom always taught me to never show up to someone’s house for dinner empty handed.  So I am always on the hunt for cute and thoughtful hostess gifts.  And these fit the bill.  Whether you are purchasing them for a friend or for yourself, Jen Ramey Designs has a variety of wine charms to choose from.  I love this idea of his and hers.  In my home, I am the only one who drinks wine (and my wineglasses happen to be stemless) but I can see how these would come in handy for a couple (possibly a pair of newlyweds…)

Baby Off the Hook Coffee Cup Cozy-  Ever since Conscious Box encouraged me to live more consciously in 2013, I have been successful in utilizing my reusable straw and reusable hand towel on a regular basis.  So adding a reusable coffee cup cozy to the list is a perfect way to reinforce my resolution.  Plus, it’s way cuter than those disposable ones anyways.  And for only $6 a pop, I could easily justify picking them up in a few colors (just don’t tell my husband…).

Pretty sweet box of goodies!  Want one for yourself?  Test your luck in Dottiebox’s giveaway.  Not one to gamble?  Then subscribe today for only $20/month and be inspired by a variety of beautiful homemade goods.

*Full Disclosure: Dottiebox did provide me with a box free of charge. I was not paid to write this post. With exception of some of the factual information given about the various products, all opinions regarding the products are my own and 100% honest.

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December Photo A Day Challenge: Day 17-31

december challenge

Happy New Year everyone!  I hope your 2012 went out with a bang :)  I fell asleep at 10:30 so I was celebrating in my dreams.  I guess that’s what happens when you are chasing after a toddler and in the midst of moving.  Lots of exciting things happening in 2013.  Grateful to see another year!

But before I start my journey in the new year, I wanted to do a quick recap of the last few weeks.  December has been a busy month full of fun, family and festivities.  Take a look at what we have been up to…

1. Day 17: on the floor- As I have mentioned before, Harper loves to build castles with her Mega Blocks.  But I think her favorite thing about these blocks is dumping them on the floor.  Something about taking the bag and flipping it upside down and watching the blocks fall from the sky gives her a thrill.  Thank goodness she is getting to be a pro at picking up after herself too.  Because stepping on one of these in the middle of the night is no joke!

2. Day 18: makes you feel merry- I love this time of year for many reasons.  But as far as my taste buds are concerned, peppermint definitely makes me feel merry.  And these chocolate peppermint almonds are to die for!  I picked up a container of them at Whole Foods and they only lasted a few days.  Dangerous…but worth every bite :)

3. Day 19: something beginning with “s”- When the weather gets chilly, I like to make food that warms my soul.  And this beef and butternut squash stew is a new favorite.  I have plans to post the recipe soon…promise!

4. Day 20: weather- Being a California girl, I am used to one season…the 75 degree season, all year long!  But this winter has been a bit chillier than usual.  It’s hard to make out the temperature in this picture, but it reads 48.  48 is far below my level of comfort.  Which means I am doing a lot of cozying up on the couch with my love bugs to keep warm.

5. Day 21: tree- There is no better gift than a homemade one.  For the holidays, my mom handmade a few of these adorable trees using a collection of old sweaters that she cut into different size circles and strung together with some wire.  I love all colors she used and of course the star on the top.

6. Day 22: decoration- During the holidays, there are decorations everywhere.  But this is the most creative Christmas decoration I have seen.  I stopped by to visit my girlfriend and fell in love with her house plant decorated with a strand of green garland, colored lights and one ornament.  Tis the season…

7. Day 23: joy is___-  ”shopping at Target with my toddler”.  Harper loves to shop.  Especially when it involves a shopping cart just her size.  She was running up and down the aisles popping wheelies, giggling up a storm.  Oh, the simple joys of youth are quite refreshing.  Especially in the midst of the holiday rush.

8. Day 24: tradition/something you always do- Ever since I can remember, my parents would take me to church on Christmas Eve.  To be honest, during my teenage years, it felt more like they were dragging me there, but now that I am old enough, I appreciate them teaching me the true meaning of Christmas.  I am so excited to be able to pass on this tradition to Harper.  It is a lovely way to celebrate the holiday together.

9. Day 25: lunchtime- Christmas morning is all about taking it easy.  So by the time we got around to breakfast, it was pretty much lunchtime.  Freddie requested my famous French Toast which we served with homemade orange juice and a side of crispy bacon.

10. Day 26: mess-  I love to cook up a storm in the kitchen.  The only downside is the dishes.  Which is why I am grateful that we have a dishwasher.  And an amazing husband.  Because whatever doesn’t go in the dishwasher, he washes by hand.  A little something he started when we first got married…I cook, he cleans.  I happen to be a big fan of this agreement :)

11. Day 27: how you relax- Between being a wife, a mom and a music teacher, I don’t get much downtime.  But even 5 minutes of solitude to play a game of Words with Friends can be quite relaxing.  It helps to take my mind of things for a moment while still challenging my brain to think.  In 2013, I will be working on getting some real relaxation time in, but for now, this will do.

12. Day 28: cold- My sister and her kids came to visit us from Texas.  Whenever they come to town we like to hit up a few theme parks and other local attractions.  This time we decided to take a trip to the aquarium to check out some penguins.  Even though most penguins do not live in the snow, they always remind me of a colder climate.

13. Day 29: hot-  For a belated Christmas present, I bought my brother a 6 month subscription to an Artisan Coffee Company (are you surprised?)  To make it fun and festive, I wrote out a gift certificate and placed it inside of a hot beverage mug that was decorated with camo.  A great gift for a coffee lover!

14. Day 30: something that made you smile this year- Nothing makes me smile more than watching my little girl grow up.  Each day comes with new milestones and new adventures.  I am so grateful to be on this wonderful journey of motherhood.  It is an absolute joy!

15. Day 31: self-portrait-  It wouldn’t be a self portrait if it didn’t include my Chucks.  I have done and accomplished a lot this year.  And all while wearing my Chucks.  In celebration of the New Year, I picked up a fresh pair of Chucks in which to start my journey into 2013.  There are lots of exciting things on the horizon and I look forward to sharing them with you.

If you haven’t figured it out by now, I LOVE photo challenges.  And in 2013, I am excited to participate in a new photo challenge with Alli of the Big Green Parenting Experiment.  I hope you will join me in capturing this new year with a photo a day.  Check out this post for more details.  And feel free to follow me on Instagram (@inherchucks) to keep up with the daily challenge.

Happy 2013!!!

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Homemade Granola

It finally happened.  After 8 months of writing my blog I am without words.  Writers block.  I have been sitting here staring at this delicious picture of granola for a good while now and still can’t seem to come up with a creative way to gush about my new favorite snack.  Don’t get me wrong, I have penned numerous introductions that were cute, clever and funny (some of which referenced my life as a “crunchy granola mom“…one of my favorites for sure), but after a few sentences I become stuck.  So instead of wrestling with it any longer, I decided to do what comes naturally to me…be honest.

*Sigh*…Now that I got that off my chest, let’s talk about this yummy, crunchy, salty, sweet concoction.

It was love at first bite.  I can’t say that I would call myself a granola lover (although I am in love with this granola…[scroll down to #10]), but there is something special about this homemade snack that has got me hooked.

Harper and I went swimming with a bunch of our mommy/baby friends a few weeks ago and a friend of mine had just made a fresh batch.  She offered some to the group and Harper and I took a small handful to share.  Well, let’s just say I went back for seconds, and thirds, and maybe fourths (don’t judge me…its amazing!).  I then begged her for the recipe.  The moment she sent it to me my oven was pre-heating and I began tossing my rolled oats in a bath of sugary goodness.


Ingredients

3 cups rolled oats

1/3 cup packed brown sugar

1/2 tsp. salt

1/3 cup canola oil

2 tablespoons of water

1/3 cup of pure maple syrup

Preparation
Heat oven to 250 degrees F.  Line baking sheet with parchment paper.  In a large bowl combine oats, brown sugar and salt and mix until combined.  In a small saucepan over medium heat combine oil, water, and syrup.  Bring to a boil, remove from heat and pour over the oat mixture.  Stir mixture to coat oats evenly.  Spread mixture onto baking sheet and bake for 1 hour.

Once the granola has cooled, you can mix in any of your favorite additions.  One cup of any of the following would be delicious:  raisins, dried cranberries, currents, flaked coconut, chocolate chips, almonds, cashews…the list goes on and on.  I threw some dry roasted pecans in there.  Feel free to make it your own :)

So what’s so great about this granola?   First of all the texture happens to be perfect.  The crunch meter weighs in at about 5, not too soft and not too “ouch this snack is ripping the inside of my mouth apart” rough.  It’s light and airy and almost reminds me of rice cereal (except maybe a few notches more on the crunch scale).  Secondly, it has a great balance of sweet and salty.  Adding nuts will help to kick up the salt factor a bit, which is a nice compliment to the maple syrup glaze.  Lastly, your options of how to enjoy it are endless.  Drowning in a bowl of almond milk?  Delish.  Sprinkled over a spoonful of yogurt?  Divine.  Shoveled into your mouth by the handful?  Why not?  And remember, with all of the add-ins, this snack can be transformed a million times over.

Need one last reason to stop what you are doing and get busy in the kitchen?  It might just be the easiest thing I have ever made.

Now if you will excuse me, I have some granola to tend to…it’s snack time :)

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