Join Me in the Summer Bucket List Challenge! {Plus a Giveaway}

There are a lot of reasons that I love Becky Higgins {ummm...Project Life, she has amazing taste in home decor, she's probably like one of the sweetest people on the planet} and today I add another reason to that list:  She recently introduced all of her blog readers to the Solar Family and their AMAZING Happy Family Movement!  Seriously, this is fabulous.

The Solars are taking back their summer and enjoying the extra time with the kids, and I'm diving in, too.  Get all the details of their Summer Bucket List Challenge and sign up!

Make your summer memorable!

I started planning our family's bucket list Tuesday, and when I picked Marley up Tuesday afternoon and told her about it, of course her mind started going in 800 directions and our list got longer.

I wrote out each item on our Summer Bucket List on Project Life cards and hung them on the wall.  And today is our first official day of Summer Vacation!  Let's get this party started!!

{Do you know why I wrote them on Project Life cards?  Well, I happen to have two of the Project Life mini albums...and one of them might just be perfect to document our 2103 Summer Bucket List.  I'm planning ahead people!}

Here's what made it to our list:

• Mommy/Marley road trip
• Atlanta Braves game
• Strawberry picking
• Visit Providence Canyon
• Visit Sweetwater Creek
• Kayak the Chattahoochee River
• Go tubing in Helen
• Volunteer
• Go camping
• Have a picnic
• Visit Noah's Ark Animal Sanctuary
• Visit Tellus Science Museum
• Go to the library
• Go bowling
• Read "Where The Red Fern Grows" with Marley

Make it the best summer EVER with your family!  Go say "hello" to the Solar Family and get started on your own Summer Bucket List!

What's on your Summer Bucket List?  Will $200 help you with your summer?

Amy from One Artsy Mama is one of my dear friends, and I am honored to help her celebrate a huge blogging milestone - she has reached 4000 Facebook fans!  WOW!

To celebrate, several bloggers (including myself) are helping her host a HUGE giveaway where the winner chooses the prize!  Here are the details:

Awesome, right?  $200 to Amazon or Target OR a Silhouette Portrait?!?!?  Crazy good giveaway.

So get entered already!!!

a Rafflecopter giveaway

Giveaway is open to entrants ages 18 and over and ends at 12:00am EST on May 30, 2013. Approximate retail value $200.00. Number of entries received determines the odds of winning. One winner will be selected. This is a giveaway sponsored as a group buy, which means the bloggers pooled their money together to purchase this product for you. All liabilities and responsibilities with the product itself is directly responsible by Silhouette America. Winner will drawn by random.org from all verified entries, contacted by the email provided when entering, and announced on this page at the end of the contest. Winner has 48 hours to respond or prize will be redrawn. Entrant is responsible for the email address they provide, whether through typing it directly or through the Facebook entry method. One Artsy Mama is not responsible for lost, misdirected, or undeliverable emails. All prizes will be awarded, no prize substitutions allowed. This promotion is in no way sponsored, endorsed, administered by, or associated with Facebook and we hereby release Facebook of any liability. Information is provided to One Artsy Mama, not to Facebook, and your information is never sold or shared. Facebook, Target, Amazon, and Silhouette America are not a sponsor of this giveaway. Prize is mailed or emailed directly by Amy of One Artsy Mama. Protected tweets do not count as an entry method for tweeting; tweets must come from a public account. Bloggers in this group giveaway and their immediate family members in their household cannot enter or win the giveaway. International entrants are not eligible to receive the Silhouette Portrait unless they provide a valid US Shipping address.  No purchase necessary. Void where prohibited by law.

DIY Box of Sunshine

Sometimes you have those friends in your life who can use some encouragement.  And sometimes a card or a phone call just doesn't seem to be enough.  I have a very dear friend who has a very full plate right now, but she handles everything that is thrown at her with such grace, and her faith has never wavered.  She truly inspires me to be a better person, and I love her dearly.

When I wanted to send something to her to remind her how amazing she is, I knew exactly what to put together for her.

My friend is bright and cheery, and fills a room with joy everywhere she goes.  A Box of Sunshine was the perfect gift to send!

To put it together, I wanted everything to be yellow and orange, like sunshine!

I went to Target and found the following items for her Box of Sunshine:

• Raisinets (yellow box)
• Charleston Chews (again, yellow box)
• Cute orange notepad
• Daisy growing kit
• Burt's Bees lip balm
• Flip-flop stickers

I also had the women in our Bible study group each write our friend a sweet letter using orange and yellow stationary.  Since our friend has been away from home for several weeks taking care of her mother, she's missed our Thursday night Bible studies...and we miss her terribly!

For my own letter to my friend, I decided to write on a piece of white cardstock and decorate a yellow bag that I had on hand.

I gathered my washi tape in bright oranges and yellow, my cutting mat and rotary cutter, and went to town cutting strips of washi tape to make a sunshine on the yellow bag.

Once I had everything together, I cut a shoebox down to size and stuffed it with orange tissue paper.

I tied all of the letters from our friends together with yellow baker's twine and decorated a little kraft tag that says "For You!", folded it all up, and topped it with my card.

In a couple days, my amazing friend will check her mail and have a Box of Sunshine waiting for her!  I know she'll be so excited to read all of the notes from her friends.

Who do you know that could use a Box of Sunshine?

10 Things Tuesday - Songs That Encourage

Trying something new here on One Tough Mother...because I can.  :)  Until I grow weary of this little segment, each Tuesday I'll be sharing 10 Things.  Random things, fun things, curious things...but there will be ten of them.  It's a nice even number and makes for a decent list, dontcha think?

To kick it off, I want to share with you 10 songs that never fail to uplift and encourage me.  Enjoy!  And feel free to add to the list in the comments below.

   {1} Redeemed by Big Daddy Weave.  Honestly, I cried every single time I heard this song for
   about 3 months.  At least.

   {2} Stronger by Mandisa.  Rock out and get encouraged, all at the same time.
       
   {3} Already There by Casting Crowns.  "When I'm lost in a mystery, to You my future is a
   memory, cuz you're already there!"

   {4} Need You Now by Plumb.
     
   {5} Hello, My Name Is... by Matthew West.  Very cool song.  Love, love, love!  You cannot be in
   a bad mood after listening to this song.

   {6} Lord I Need You by Matt Mar.  Haunting, yet beautiful.

   {7} Changed by Rascal Flatts.

   {8} Walk by Faith by Jeremy Camp.  No matter how many times I hear it, it touches me.

   {9} Where I Belong by Building 429.  Amen.

   {10} Undo by Rush of Fools.  Honestly, this song changed my life.  "I need you, I need your
   help, I can't do this myself.  You're the only One who can undo what I've become."

That's ten.  I'm done.  Peace out!

Got a suggestion for a "10 Things" list?  I'd love to hear it!

Behr v. Glidden Paint Comparison + Craft Room Sneak Peek

There's been a really great invention in the paint industry - paint + primer in one.  I've recently had an opportunity to try both the Behr Paint & Primer in One and Glidden Duo versions, and wanted to share my findings with you today...and give you a sneak peek at my craft room remodel (which is still in process).

We bought our house almost a year ago and had most of the rooms painted prior to moving in.  One exception was my craft room/office, simply because I couldn't decide what color I wanted it painted.  Eleven months later, it was still a God-awful ugly poop-green mess.

And by mess, I mean:

What was meant to be a room that inspires me to create had become a room that was being used for craft supply storage and was honestly completely uninspiring.  Just keepin' it real, people.

I couldn't stand it any longer.

Mother's Day was the magic day.  We went to church, had lunch, then headed to Home Depot to buy paint. When we got home, I assigned the task of laundry to my husband, sent my daughter outside to play, and I got started.

Seriously, how ugly is that color?  Gross.  I painted...

...and painted...

...and painted some more.

I was a painting machine!  I got the first coat of paint finished and allowed it to dry, then when I went back to start the second coat, I noticed something...

I didn't need it.

Remember a few weeks ago when I shared my daughter's bathroom reveal with you?  Here's a quick review of the before & after:

Why do I bring this up again, you ask?  Well, as you can tell from the pictures, when I painted my daughter's bathroom, I painted a brighter blue over a darker blue.  Blue on blue.

The paint I used in her bathroom was Behr Paint & Primer in Embellished Blue.  It took two coats & touch-ups in some places to cover completely.

Now fast forward to Mother's Day weekend and the paint job I did in my craft room.  I covered a really dark green with a bright blue and only used ONE COAT.  I did a few small touch-ups in places where the roller was running a bit dry during my first coat application, but that was it.  One coat.

What paint did I use this time?  Glidden Duo in Deepest Aqua.

Different brand of paint, different results.  

I love the color, and I'm so glad I used Glidden Duo for my craft room.  From now on, any room I paint will be painted with Glidden Duo.  It covers so much better with Behr Paint & Primer in One.  I bought a full gallon of paint for my craft room and used only about 1/3 of the gallon.  It truly covers that well.

I've got a little more work to do in my craft room before it's finished, but I will be sure to share updates and of course, the big reveal with you soon!

I hope, if you're planning a paint job in the future, this will help you choose the right paint for your home.

{By the way, this post was not sponsored by Home Depot, Behr, Glidden or any other brand.  The opinions are completely my own.  You're welcome.}

Shine on Friday Linky Party

HAPPY FRIDAY!  We made it!  *whew*  I don't know about you, but this week seemed to drag by so slowly....boo.  I am very much looking forward to the weekend!  Here in Georgia, it's nice and toasty warm, so I'll be cruising with the windows down, radio up!

But before I can do that, we have to PAR-TAY!  WOOT WOOT!

Did you party with us last week?  We had a record number of link-ups last week in our Shine on Friday party!  THANK YOU!!!!!!!!!

Here are my Top 5 from last week - be sure to head over to my Button Up page and grab a "Featured" button if you see your project here!

1. S'mores Cheesecake Cake by Little Accidents in the Kitchen
2. Twig Wreath by The First Year Blog
3. The Wreath That's Technically Not A Wreath by Pitter & Glink
4. Summer Fun Activity Calendar by The Benson Street
5. Desk Makeover by Craft A Spell

Make sure you also stop by the blogs of my 3 co-hosts to check our their features each week!

Ready to Party?  I thought so!  Just follow a few simple rules:

- Follow all 4 co-hosts (see links below)

Happy Go Lucky, One Artsy Mama, One Tough Mother, Young and Crafty

- Grab a party button and put it somewhere on your blog

- Have fun and visit some other friends

- Please do not link up any commercial sites or shops (thanks!)

<a border="0" href="http://onetoughmotherblog.com/" target="_blank"><img src="http://i1110.photobucket.com/albums/h451/onetoughmother/Blog%20Buttons/shine_on_friday_zps63440b68.jpeg"/></a>

Small Kitchen Organization Ideas

One of my main requirements for a new home when we were shopping around last year was a big kitchen.  When people come over, that seems to be where everyone congregates.  It's easier to cook for the holidays with a larger kitchen.  It was most definitely at the top of my list...

...but I didn't get it.  We got a bar in the basement instead.  If our house didn't have the bar, I wouldn't have agreed on this house.  The kitchen is beyond small, so I've had to learn a few tricks.

I have, literally, 3 squares of counter space, so I don't keep very much on my countertops.  However, the things I do keep on the countertop are things I use regularly and need to have in arm's reach, like my dish towels.

I have this gorgeous tub that I've had for ages, and it holds all of my dish towels, washcloths, and pot holders with a bit of style to boot!  It sits to the right of the sink so I can grab whatever I need when I'm doing dishes.

Another problem area can be plastic container storage.  I have dedicated one entire lower cabinet to our plastic containers, simply because we use them so often.  I cook almost every night and we take leftovers for lunch.  Here's how I organize our containers:

Let me give you a closer look:

On the top shelf, I have our divided lunch containers that are stored with the lids on them.  It's easier to grab and go.  The containers in the middle are used for soups or spaghetti...things like that.

On the bottom shelf, I have the containers that we use for things like fruit storage, or miscellaneous leftovers. They fit inside one another for easy storage.  In the back on the bottom shelf, I keep the odd-sized containers that are used less frequently.

All of the lids for the containers on the bottom shelf fit into one plastic container from the Dollar Tree.

I do our best to keep our pantry organized as well, to eliminate wasted space.  You can see how I put together our pantry lunch station HERE.

I also use a rolling cart to give me a little extra counter space when I'm cooking.  Check out the details of my cart HERE.

How do you organize your kitchen?  Share your tips and tricks!

DIY Mason Jar Projects

I've been a lover of mason jars for a long, long time.  On Monday, I shared our kitchen transformation with you and you may have noticed a couple of mason jars sitting around my sink.  I was inspired to create a couple of quick mason jar projects after the sink and faucet were installed, and wanted to share them with you today.

For my kitchen, I wanted to use mason jars for my dish soup dispenser and to hold my scrubby brushes.  Easy peasy!

I added twine to one of my jars with a hot glue gun...

...to dress up my scrubby brush holder.

I had an old soap dispenser so I used the pump from that, drilled a hole in the top of the mason jar lid, and filled it with soap.

Easy, right?  And so cute!

There are so many ways to use mason jars.  I use them all over my house, including...

...the office...

...and the bathroom...

I've used them in previous craft projects as well.

They were perfect for my daughter's Horse-Themed birthday party favors, filled with trail mix, topped with a horse toy:

A mason jar was also the centerpiece of our Valentine's Day mantle, filled with kisses:

I use both mason jars and repurposed glass jars, like spaghetti sauce jars, for all kinds of things.  You can get more ideas by checking out my Mason Jar Pinterest board.

Want a quick tip?  If you repurpose your glass jars and need to get the sticky labels off, use vegetable oil on a paper towel and scrub in a circular motion.  It takes a bit of time, but works like a charm!

What have you made with mason jars?