Candida

I’m a first-time mom. I work from home and write — mostly about my outdoor adventures, DIY projects, newly discovered products, and helpful tips as a first-time mom. I also like to share details about the alternative choices I’m exploring, as I enjoy this journey called motherhood. My family includes a toddler, 2 stepchildren, 1 dog, 1 cat, and a wonderful husband. My pre-pregnancy life was full of freedom and adventure, so I have a fresh new perspective when it comes to walking away from a career to become a full time stay at home Mama.

Simple Teacher Gift Basket Ideas: $3 DIY Valentine Gifts For Your Favorite Teachers

I wanted a fun (and useful!) DIY Valentine gift for all the teachers in my son’s Parents Day Out program. This simple crayon-themed Gift Basket also works as a Pencil Holder once all the candy is gone! Since most of the supplies come from the Dollar Store, it’s affordable… only $3 apiece to make. This is a great gift basket idea for ANYONE with a desk job (not just a teacher) — if the gift is intended to come from a kid. See the steps to make your own super simple teacher gift baskets!

DIY Dog Bed Ideas: See How I Made XL Orthopedic Dog Beds For Our 2 Large Dogs & Created A Simple Dog Mudroom Space

Thinking of getting an orthopedic dog bed for your furbaby? I made my own no-sew cheap dog beds from memory foam for about half the price of buying new extra large dog beds. See how we created a separate dog mudroom area in our house (to keep the dirt and mud to a minimum inside) and how we made DIY dog beds ourselves to keep them comfortable in their new space.

Need DIY Winter Wreath Ideas? Here’s How To Make A Grapevine Wreath For Your Front Door

I try to make a new door wreath each month. For most of my front door wreaths, I use wild grapevines from my yard as a base. Here’s how to make a grapevine wreath for the winter months.

DIY Outdoor Curtain Rods For Porch Curtains: Here’s How To Make PVC Pipe Curtain Rods For $15

See how I made some really inexpensive PVC pipe curtain rods to hold long, sheer porch curtains for around $15. After getting all the supplies at Lowe’s, I was able to measure, cut, and install the outdoor curtain rods and hang the curtain panels on my front porch in about 1 hour myself. They are holding up perfectly (even after storms and heavy gusts of wind). And they look great!

DIY Tree Swing Tutorial: See How I Made This Trampoline Swing (aka Saucer Swing)

My toddler son and I love to spend time outside. I decided to make a saucer swing from a small trampoline. Here’s my DIY tree swing tutorial… with lots of photos! (Bonus: This nest swing is portable — you can take it down and set it up on any tree… anywhere!)

DIY Repurposed Drum Set: See How I Turned A 4-Piece Drum Set Into A Cool Piece Of Home Decor With LED Lights!

Got any used drum sets sitting around? See how I turned a 4-piece drum set into a fun light fixture! (Much better than standard LED drum lights.) My repurposed drum set tutorial…

DIY Spice Drawer Organizer: See How To Make A Spice Drawer Insert For Just $4 Using Paint Stir Sticks!

Have a lot of spices, packets, and jars in your spice cupboard right now? Here are some DIY spice rack ideas to organize your kitchen! See how I used paint stir sticks to make my own spice drawer inserts. Yep, a $4 DIY spice drawer organizer! Then, with the extra space inside my spice cabinet, I was able to better organize the shelves for baking goods and food storage containers.

DIY Solar Lanterns: See How To Make Colorful Glass Jar Luminaries That Are Weatherproof

DIY Lantern Tutorial – see how I glued Dollar Store glass gems to the outside of jars & inexpensive solar path lights to jar lids to make solar lanterns that are weatherproof!

DIY Outdoor Hanging Basket Ideas For The Holidays: A Super Simple Tutorial For Christmas Hanging Baskets

After a trip to Hobby Lobby, I realized that I could easily replicate some of their hanging basket ideas using real greenery from my own backyard without having to spend a dime! These outdoor hanging baskets take less than 10 minutes to make. See the steps I used to make these super simple outdoor Christmas arrangements.

DIY Christmas Tree Tutorial: Here’s How To Make A Simple Lighted Window Christmas Tree

I love the concept of a window Christmas tree. So much that I have a DIY Christmas tree in 2 different windows! For our kitchen window, I made a tree out of PVC pipes. For our front window, I wanted a really bright silhouette of a Christmas tree – so I made this lighted window tree. See how I did it…

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