Five on Friday: Happy Halloween!

Today's Friday five are totally random, but that's what I love about these Friday posts!

ONE.  I finally carved my pumpkin on Wednesday night.  Of the three (well actually four, but some kid smashed one) pumpkins I bought, we only carved one this year.  Kevin wasn't in to because Game 7 of the World Series was on the night I decided to carve mine, so he didn't do one.  I can't wait to roast the seeds and eat them!  (Excuse the poor quality iphone photos.)

Of course, Admiral was my helper!

TWO.  My mom posted this on Facebook the other day and I feel like it is totally what the squirrel was thinking when he was attacking my pumpkin:

In case you didn't see, here's what I came home to one day (and the squirrel was in it, eating away before I took the pic and scared him off):

THREE.  Influenster recently sent me this bottle of Vaseline Intensive Care Advanced Repair lotion to try and I am loving it so far.  I've only been using it for a few days, but I'm really happy with it.  I always lather myself with lotion when I get out of the shower because my skin feels so dry and itchy if I don't.  The lotion is non-scented which can be great for people with more sensitive skin.  I don't have issues with scented lotions, but I know some people that do.  I also like that a little goes a long with this lotion.  Sometimes it seems like I use half a bottle in one use, but not with this.  And it's not greasy feeling either--definitely a must try if you have dry skin, or if you just like a good lotion :)

FOUR.  I have some fun things coming to the blog next week, including a giveaway and recap of the Pinterest party that I hosted a couple weeks ago.  Here's a little preview of the Pinterest Party in you missed it on Instagram:

FIVE.  Tonight we are staying home and passing out candy to the brave trick-or-treaters.  It's supposed to be really cold and possibly snow today, so that's why I call them brave.  What are your plans for this Halloween night?

Have a safe and fun Halloween weekend!

I received these products complimentary from Influenster for testing purposes.

Linking up today with:

 September Farm and The Farmer's Wife for oh hey Friday!

Momfessionals for Friday Favorites!

Christina, Darci, April, and Natasha for Five on Friday!

And Lauren Elizabeth for High Five for Friday.

One Room Challenge: Week 5 Update

I can't believe there is only one more week left!  I definitely didn't get as much done as I had hoped in my room.  This week all I've done is replace the knobs/handles on our closet.  It's definitely a noticeable change though, because my husband even noticed....and that never happens!  I am REALLY hoping to get the dresser handles replaced this weekend and white cord covers for the lamps.  I also want to clear off/organize our dressers and hang somethings on the wall.

Here is the before and after of the closet doors with the new handles.  I apologize for the horrible photos...I do not have a good camera and I took the photos in the morning when it was still dark.

 I like that the closet handles, curtain rods, lamps, and (soon to be) dresser pulls all have the brushed nickel finish.  I think it really helps tie it all together.  I now want to replace the handle on the door to the room too-to make it brushed nickel, which then means I should update ALL of the handles on ALL of the doors in the house so they all match.  It's amazing how doing one project can lead to so many other ideas.

Here is my checklist so far. I've checked a few things off, but I've also added things I now want to do.  There is no way all of this will be done in time for next week, but it's a running list of things I want to do in this room.  I'm hoping even after the One Room Challenge is over, I can keep crossing at least one thing off the list every week until it's done.

- Touch up paint on walls and trim that need it.

- Caulk trim and wood paneled wall where needed.

- Purchase and hang curtains.-

- Replace drawer pulls on dressers.

- Replace handles on closet doors.

- Hang things on the wall/decorate the room.

- De-clutter and organize dressers.

- Get white cord covers for the lamp cords on the headboard.

- Paint dressers white (leave top dark wood).

- Add pop of another color to room.

- Revamp closet to maximize storage.

- Add hanging mirror/jewelry storage.

Make sure you come back next week to see the before and after pictures of the entire room since I started this One Room Challenge.

Linking up again today with Calling It Home for the One Room Challenge.

Week One

Week Two

Week Three

Week Four

Q&A on Melanie Gets Married

Today I'm on Melanie's blog doing a little Q&A with her.  So head over to Melanie Gets Married to check it out!

And a wedding pic....because why not?

Teal Pumpkin Project

Have you heard of the Teal Pumpkin Project?  I hadn't until my sister posted about it on Facebook the other day.  She is a first grade teacher, so she is more aware of these things than I am.  According to their website, the Teal Pumpkin Project is designed to promote safety, inclusion, and respect of individuals managing food allergies.  FARE (Food Allergy Research & Education) is encouraging people to raise awareness of food allergies by providing non-food treats for trick-or-treaters.  This will help make Halloween a little less scary for children with food allergies, and help keep Halloween a fun, positive experience for all.

FARE encourages people to paint a pumpkin teal, which is the color of allergy awareness, to put in front of their house along with a free printable indicating you have non-food treats available.  You can find the free printable HERE.

I love this idea!  I know several children with food allergies and can't imagine what it's like to trick-or-treat and then worry about whether you can eat the candy or not.  I loved going trick-or-treating as a kid, and can't imagine what it would have been like to not enjoy that experience.  I think providing non-food treats will help kids with food allergies enjoy Halloween a little more.  You could find many different things from dollar stores or the Target dollar section.  Here is what my sister purchased for trick-or-treaters:

I plan on heading to Target and/or the dollar store this week to get my non-food treats.  Please feel free to share any of this information on your blog, Facebook, Twitter, etc. to help raise awareness!

Weekend Recap: Race, Wedding, & Football

Happy Monday!  I'm excited to share all about our fun weekend with you.

FRIDAY:  After work I picked up race packets for my two friends and I, and then I headed to Target to look for a dress for the wedding.  Friday night was spent relaxing on the couch since I had to be up early on Saturday for the 5k race.

SATURDAY:  I headed to the 5k race with my two friends.  My goal for the race was to finish in under 30 minutes.  My official time ended up being 30:38.  I was mad that I was so close to my goal, but didn't meet it.  But, it was a PR for me, so I am happy with that!  I'll just have to reach my goal at the next race.

When I got home from the race, Kevin and I spent almost three hours raking and picking up leaves...only to have the yard look like we did nothing a few hours later.  Oh well!  Fall for us, means spending several hours every weekend cleaning up leaves.

Saturday night we headed to my friend from high school's wedding.  The wedding was at a barn and it was a beautiful location!  The ceremony was outside and it was a little cold and windy, but it was such a nice wedding.  The reception was inside the barn and it was so pretty inside!  I had a great time catching up with some of my best friends from high school that I don't see near enough!

Out door ceremony in front of the barn.

Dress from Target HERE (I got 25% using the Cartwheel app)

Such a beautiful barn reception!

After the wedding, we stopped at our friend's Halloween party for a little bit before heading home.  We didn't say out too late because we were tired from doing yard work (and me running) all day.

SUNDAY:  Football started early in our house...the Lions played in London, so the game started at 9:30 a.m.!  Usually the Lions play at 1:00 p.m. on Sundays, so it kind of through my entire Sunday schedule off haha.  After the game I did some grocery shopping and laundry and just hung out the rest of the day.

Funny Story:  I don't know what it is, but Admiral gets really "weird" on Sundays when we watch football.  He always wants to be on me, but not cuddle...he sits awkwardly and pants or stares at me the whole time.  I don't know if it's because we yell/cheer during the games or what haha.  Here is sitting on his butt with paws on me on the couch...so silly!

Have a great week!

One Room Challenge: Master Bedroom Progress

Last week I mentioned that I ordered curtains from WalMart (found HERE) for our Master Bedroom.  I just did the regular shipping (because I'm cheap) and they came in about two days--super fast.  I'm actually really happy with them, especially for the price.  The blue isn't the exact color I was hoping for, it's a little darker than I wanted, but for the price, I'm ok with it!  The curtains were only $19 for two panels!  I bought them for two windows, so for four panels, it was $38.  

I purchased curtain rods from Target in a nickel finish (found HERE) to match the lights on the bed and the new hardware I plan to get for the closet doors and dresser drawers.  I thought the curtain rods were decently priced and I'm happy with the way they look.  I needed two different sizes, since our front window is much larger than the other window.  The smaller rod was $13.79 and the larger one was $16.99, so the total was $30.78.  I used my Target debit card, so I did save an extra 5%.

Curtains: $38

Curtain Rods: $30

Total:  $68

Here is a little before & after of the curtains:

I think the curtains make a HUGE difference in the room.  It makes the room look a little more complete and cozy.  I love that the curtains add a little more color to the room, however, I think I'd like to add some pops of another color.  I love the little pops of pale pink, and even the pale yellow in this room below:

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I'm thinking I can incorporate another color with throw pillows and wall decor, and maybe with things on our dressers or nightstands  Do you think the pale pink or pale yellow would go well in our bedroom?  Or what other color do you think I should add to the room?  

Here is what my check list for this room looks like so far:

- Touch up paint on walls and trim that need it.

- Caulk trim and wood paneled wall where needed.

- Purchase and hang curtains.-

- Replace drawer pulls on dressers.

- Replace handles on closet doors.

- Hang things on the wall/decorate the room.- De-clutter and organize dressers.

- Get white cord covers for the lamp cords on the headboard.

Still lots to do, but I'm happy with the progress I've made so far.  I'm hoping to get drawer pulls, door handles, and cord covers this weekend.

Linking up again today with Calling It Home for the One Room Challenge.

Week One

Week Two
Week Three

My Pet Peeves

Pet peeves. We all have them.  I know I'm not perfect and I'm sure there are things I do that annoy the heck out of other people.  Here are some of my pet peeves:

- When people use the wrong form of a word (example: their, there, they're).

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- Story toppers.  One uppers.  Whatever you want to call them.  People who always have to top your story with something that happened to them.

- When people don't use their blinker when they are turning.

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- When the closet doors are left open in the bedroom.  I can't go to sleep if the closet doors are open.  It's weird, I know.

- When people post a vague status update on facebook.

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- Walking barefoot and things sticking to my feet when I'm inside (I expect it when I'm outside barefoot). I hate when dirt or anything sticks to the bottom of my feet when I'm in the house.  That's why 99% of the time I wear socks or slippers in my house.

What are some of your pet peeves?

Weekend Recap: Puppies, Babies, and Smashed Pumkins

Another Monday here too soon.

This weekend was spent playing with dogs and getting locked in cages:

Attending the Christening of this handsome little man:

And then coming home to one of my pumpkins from my front porch smashed in our yard (dang kids):

How was your weekend?

Oh hey Friday!

Happy Friday everyone!  Let's just get right to today's five.

ONE.  I'm heading out to get supplies for our Pinterest party after work today.  I'm excited to have a girls night and create a fun craft.  I decided to do a state art project, similiar to this one from Home Sweet Ruby.  

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I know it will probably be a simple and quick project for us all to do, but that just gives us more time to hang out and chat.  And since this is our first Pinterest party, I wanted to make sure I didn't go in over my head with a super tough project.

TWO.  Last night Kevin and I went and saw The Equalizer.  It was really good.  A little more graphic than I thought it was going to be, but still really good.  I'd recommend it!

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THREE.  In case you missed it, I shared our fall decorations on the blog this week (see it all HERE).  I'm LOVING how our front porch turned out.  I want to grow our decor inside, so I'll be looking for some great deals at the end of the season.  What is your favorite place to find seasonal/holiday decorations for your home?

FOUR.  Now the weather is getting cooler, and softball is winding down (well, we have 1-2 more weeks of games), I'm getting the itch to start crocheting again.  I usually stick to blankets, but I want to try some different things this winter.  Here are a couple of things on my "to crochet" list:

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FIVE.  I have to work tomorrow, but then we will be spending the rest of the weekend with family and friends and I'm looking forward to it!  What are you up to this weekend?

Linking up today with:

 September Farm and The Farmer's Wife for oh hey Friday!

Momfessionals for Friday Favorites!

Christina, Darci, April, and Natasha for Five on Friday!