Top ten things I've learned during my Mid Life Crisis

The idea for this list came to me today as I sat behind the world's most terrifying van in traffic. It was the world's most terrifying van because it had about 8 ladders stacked up on top of it. Some seemed to be strapped down while others clearly were not. A scene that could easily be featured in the next Final Destination movie played out in my head as I watched the ladders rattle and move. What if something happened and I hadn't shared all of my deep thoughts on life??? Just kidding about deep thoughts, but I do think I've learned a few things that I thought I would like to share.

1.  Your mood, attitude, negative Facebook statuses etc. are contagious!! especially to those around you which are mostly the people that matter the most. I can be in the world's greatest mood then suddenly read a negative post, come across a negative family member, or get the dreaded Debbie Downer text message and POOF! Good bye good mood. Oh and I'm not blameless. I do it too....plenty. At least when I do it on social media I can and usually do immediately take it down. But when it's sent as a text or happens in person it's too late. Your negative B-O-M-B has already gone off. Everyone is entitled to an off day, just try to minimize the collateral damage.

2.  The cure for the above mentioned negative bomb is, in my opinion, one of these three things:

      * Exercise - ya, I know not always high on your priority list. But if you just take 10 minutes to go on a   walk it will do wonders for you. Grab the dog and leash and it's a guaranteed attitude adjustment.

      * Solitary Confinement - disappear, wherever, even if you have to lock yourself in the bathroom. Give   yourself an internal pep-talk (so no one thinks your nuts). Cry if you have to. Then pick yourself up and get back out there.

      * Play your theme song LOUDLY. Grab your iPod, put in your ear buds, and have at it. Belt it out too. It's amazing what music can do for your attitude. 

3.  Try new things! 

Seriously you must. Trying new things is one way to stay young at heart. It is in the moment of challenging yourself mentally or physically that you will feel most alive. My husband has dragged me (sometimes kicking and screaming) into trying many activities most of which I thought I would hate but ended up LOVING. Some of the things on my list are scuba diving, kayaking, mountain biking, camping, and shooting just to name a few. Besides the challenge of trying something new, doing these things together will solidify your bond . It's a win-win. So be fearless and push yourself out of your comfort zone.

4.  Some people are just not meant to be in your life, long term. 

We've all had them. Friendships that are forced, maybe out of a mutual need, maybe because your kids are friends, maybe because you are neighbors or coworkers. When that need or necessity is gone so is the friendship and that's ok. I believe that everyone that you let into your life is there for a reason, some are just not meant to stick around forever.

5.  Make plans for what you want your life to look like in 10,20, 40 years.

 Goal setting is important to living a happy life, even when the choices are hard.  Dealing with aging family members has truly forced  me into thinking long term. Do you have plans for when you are elderly? Have you shared them with anyone? My husband and I both agree on a 100%  "no burden policy". The second our sons are visiting us only because of necessity or guilt and not because they genuinely WANT to visit is when   we'll head to the home. Who doesn't like to color and play bingo?!! But seriously think about these things, and talk about them. Make your wishes known, it really does take a lot of worry off of you and your loved ones.

6.  Vacations can happen in your own backyard, or your friend's. 

You don't have to spend big money on a big trip to get away for a mental holiday. Some of my favorite memories were made just exploring our own little area of Florida. A bike ride on the beach is sometimes just enough to rejuvenate your mind and your body. Make a commitment to explore where you live. There are millions of options that can all be found with a quick Google search of your little corner of the world. Go see the sights like you're a tourist! Fall back in love with where you live.

7.  Life begins and ends at the dinner table. 

Not literally of course. My family eats together at the dinner table nearly every single night. There are some exceptions but they are few and far between. Gathering around the table may seem old fashioned but I think it's the glue that has made our family so close. The together time gives us all a chance to spend time together with no electronics and no interruptions. Some of our best political debates, life decisions, vacation planning, and family laughs come around that table. I know it's not always practical to eat together, life happens, but if you make it a priority and commit to doing it as much as possible your relationships will benefit exponentially. 

8.  You're not always right. 

This is a hard pill to swallow...what do you mean I'm not always right? I love a good debate as much as the next guy but your opinions are not fact. I'm pretty sure your views on religion aren't going to cause a global religious shift. I'm pretty sure your thoughts on politics aren't suddenly going to persuade all of your friends to change political affiliations,   your pro-gun friends probably aren't going to suddenly  turn anti-gun,  your meat eating friends aren't going to wake up tomorrow and become vegetarians. Maybe these things will happen but it is unlikely to be because "YOU WERE RIGHT".  There is a difference between debating issues and cramming your ideologies onto others. For the sake of your relationships I hope you choose debate. 

9.  Your kids aren't you. 

Yes, in most cases you made them, carried them for 9 months, and gave birth to them but they are not you. They are little individuals that grow into big individuals. Let them be who they are with some awesome guidance from you, but NOT interference.

10. Laugh at yourself. 

I'm pretty sure I laugh at myself at least once a day. Whether it's because I dropped something for the gazillionth time, forgot why I walked into a room, tripped on a dog or dog toy, said something stupid, thought something stupid, did something stupid, or looked really stupid -  laughing really is the best medicine. A good belly laugh is good for the soul too. Don't take yourself so seriously! Lighten up and laugh at the wonderful uniqueness that is YOU.

Whew, I'm tired. This is probably the most personal thing I've written. I'm hesitant to share but maybe something I said will mean something to you. Also this is probably my mid life crisis talking (I haven't even opened the wine yet)    :)

~XOXO jules

Finding my niche (and decorating it with the things I love most)

When we had our home built in 2004 I LOVED all of the decorative niches. I thought it would be easy to come up with ideas and decorations for each of them. Well that wasn't necessarily the case. I struggled mostly with the one in my living room. It quite literally is the first thing you see when you walk in through the front door. Initially I placed my grandfather clock there, which of course covered up the entire thing. Later I ousted the clock and added a decorative iron art piece. It wasn't love, but it would have to do.

Recently I went through a re-doing faze and repainted all of the living areas in my home. I took things a bit more modern so this gave me the perfect excuse to figure out something else to do in this niche. I decided to make the space more personal.

I knew the first thing I wanted was a personalized "family established" vinyl decal. These can be made on machines like the Cricut or Silhouette, which I'm seriously considering getting but don't have. So I relied on the next best alternative.... Etsy!! I order mine from VinylMill and it was seriously love at first sight! They do awesome work!  **As an exclusive offer to readers of my blog use the code JU1IE at checkout and receive 10% off your order at VinylMill**.

Too cute for words!

After hanging the decal I knew I wanted to focus on older family photos. So I chose one from our wedding and a younger photo of my loves, my boys. I printed them in black and white, which is always my favorite. I purchased cheap matted frames. The frames alone didn't seem like enough so I purchased a thick black ribbon, hot glued it to the back, added a bow and voila! 

Were we really EVER that young?!!

I added a couple of newer family pictures and a few accents to finish the look. Finally a niche a girl could love!

The heart of our family

No niche, no problem. Any wall would do and look fabulous. ~XOXO jules

THE best Mexican crock-pot meal (say Hola to this EASY and YUMMY recipe)

I think I could eat Mexican food everyday of the week and never tire of it's bold taste and fresh ingredients. It's also always a hit with my family which makes it a win-win! Using the crock-pot adds to the ease of this delicious recipe. One taste and you will see why this recipe makes it into my dinner rotation often. The best part is it can be used with a variety of different proteins depending on your family's tastes!

Here's what you need:

4-5 boneless skinless chicken breasts (or a beef roast, or a pork loin)

1 bottle salsa (turn up the heat if that's your thing) I prefer Chi-Chi's

1 pkt of taco seasoning

1 can black beans, rinsed and drained (optional)
                                                                                                                                                                                                       
Here's what you do:

-Place chicken (or roast or pork) in bottom of crock-pot, spreading evenly






- Sprinkle taco seasoning over meat.

    (Add black beans if using)

- Pour jar of salsa over the top.









- Cook on low setting 7-8 hours or until chicken shreds easily.










- Shred chicken and stir well to blend.

You can serve it in hard or soft taco shells, on a salad, in burritos, on a Mexican Pizza... the sky's the limit with this versatile, delicious and easy dish. Enjoy!
~XOXO jules

Just a Kitchen Quickie

The wonderfully busy, stressful, project filled end of the school year is upon us! I for one am looking forward to the summer and spending time with family and friends. Summer is also a time when I usually can start and finish projects in a seemingly reasonable amount of time. The key word being usually!! I thought I'd share a couple of kitchen decor ideas I recently completed that pack a lot of punch without taking up too much time or money.
 
The first one was actually to solve a problem. The doors to my pantry were white, just like most everyone else's. It had always been a struggle to keep the doors and the door pulls clean. Everyone in the house touches those doors more times in a day than I can count. And that includes touching them with the dreaded "newspaper hands" as we like to call it. You know you just put down the newspaper and go open the white pantry doors and BAM black print is now on the doors! So I decided to just go with it and paint the pantry doors black. I used a satin black like this. Initially I thought about just painting them while they were still up, but my reasonable husband thought I would do a better job if we took them down so I let him. I placed the doors between 2 sawhorses so that they were lofted off the ground, but you could just place them on chairs, stools, etc. I used a brush, not a roller. I did a total of 3 coats of paint (on the front) only 2 on the back, being sure to let the paint dry between coats. I also purchased brushed nickel door pulls at the local hardware store.

Black doors add style

I also considered using chalkboard paint. That way you could actually leave notes for your family, keep an ongoing grocery list, or entertain the little ones while you are cooking. But I decided against it mostly due to that fact that the "dusty" appearance would end up driving me NUTS! It's amazing how much the black doors transformed my kitchen. And they really do stay much cleaner than the white doors ever could!

My last little kitchen quickie arose from a desperate need, a need to have my husband and boys stop asking me "what's for dinner?". Seriously I must get asked the question dozens of times throughout the week. To keep that question off of our daily repertoire I decided to make a menu board that would field that question for me. Initially I had planned on buying a chalkboard, but I had a specific area for it in mind and couldn't really find anything that would fit there. So I made a trip to my favorite craft store and came home with a frame, some stickers, and a variety of scrapbook papers. That's it! The rest is a breeze. I cut the paper to fit the frame and secured it using clear tape. I then used the stickers to spell out "Menu" and the days of the week (in the picture you'll notice I left off Saturday and Sunday, those days the kitchen is CLOSED!) I use a glass marker each week to write in the dinners for the week. VOILA a DIY Menu Board that will keep your conversations off of dinner and on more important things!

No more, "Hey Mom, what's for dinner!"

I had actually made an earlier version too, using burlap and ribbon. So let your creative juices flow because anything goes!

Not the best photo but you get the idea.

Here's our menu for the week!

Happy crafting! A delicious and easy crock pot recipe is what I'll tackle next time. Until then.

~XOXO jules

Addressing your curb appeal

Your house is your castle, whether it's 10,000 square feet or 1,000. Keeping your castle looking it's best is part of home ownership. In my opinion, if you aren't interested in painting, pressure washing, mowing, and trimming then a house is probably not for you. Owning a home is a huge responsibility and unfortunately some people just aren't up to the task. I enjoy home ownership and keeping up appearances. There is nothing better to me than the feeling I get when my home and yard are in tip top shape. That is why, when my light fixtures and accent paint began to fade from the hot Florida sun, I decided to make a few changes and additions to spruce up my curb appeal. And if you've read my previous blogs you know I like economical and easy fixes!

The first issue I decided to address the was the fading accent color on my front doors and shutters. The once deep burgundy color had faded into a weirdly odd shade of brown that HAD TO GO. I wanted to do something bold. So I went with a vibrant red. Daring and scary but just the amount of POP I wanted.

Warm and Vibrant ~ Come on in!
(I'll blog about the cute diy wreaths another time)

Now my shutters say "Look at me!

Next I needed to decide what to do with the coach lights next to my garage doors. They had also faded and didn't fit in with my new daring RED. I didn't want to go to the expense to replace them so I did the next best thing....SPRAY PAINT! I had my husband take them down and then I removed the glass. I place them on newspaper and spray painted the fixture paying close attention to do it evenly so the paint wouldn't pool. I used a durable, exterior spray paint Krylon, which is available at many stores like Walmart, Hobby Lobby, etc. 

Now my cute factor is way UP!

My lights went from drab to FAB!

Finally it was time to add a few new touches. It had always bugged me that I didn't have a decorative address plaque. I had looked around but never really liked what I saw. So, I decided to make one! And although this project was easy peesy it packs a lot of punch. I went to Home Depot and purchased an unfinished wooded address plaque and my house numbers in a sharp silver finish. I also picked up some strong outdoor adhesive, like Liquid Nails. I still had spray paint leftover from the light fixtures so I didn't need to purchase that. I sprayed the wooded plaque several times with my leftover spray paint, gave it a few days to dry, then attached my numbers using a level (NO CROOKED NUMBERS!) and then glued it down with the adhesive. I gave that a day or so to dry and then attached the plaque to my stucco wall using the same adhesive.

I LOVE how this turned out!

I picked up some new planters, cushions, and pillows for my front porch and whala, curb appeal abounds!! 

Welcome to our home!

Won't you come and sit a spell?

Bottom line is don't be afraid to do something bold and unexpected. I get so many compliments on my daring new red color scheme. Pick a color that speaks to you and go with it!

 ~XOXO jules

Getting Stoned... the under $150 dollar fireplace remodel (and it's EASY)

Let me start off by saying I have absolutely no DIY skill set to speak of other than having no fear, and accepting the fact that if things go terribly wrong I may have to hire someone to fix it! I usually jump in with both feet, do my best and hope for the best. My husband and I have tiled floors, tiled walls, hung wallpaper, installed toilets, installed floors, painted, etc.. Not every project has been a huge success but most of the time we manage to do a good job.

When we had our house built (almost 10 years ago) I was never a big fan of our plain, builder's grade fireplace. It was ho hum and lacked any real pizzazz. And as the focal point of our family room I knew eventually something would have to be done to it to make it stand out. Initially we added molding around the plain tile and I painted the brass accents black. This helped, a bit, but it still lacked style.

Bye bye Brass

Molding added still BORING

I was hesitant to do any real demolishing of it. Once that can of worms is opened there is no telling what you may run into. While I wanted my fireplace to have a brand new look, I did NOT want my family room to turn into a war zone! That's when I discovered Airstone. Airstone is a light weight stone product that is just perfect for remodeling fireplaces or adding accent walls. Best thing is no demo would be required, the product can be applied right over existing surfaces. I couldn't wait to get started! 

I took a quick trip to Lowes to get everything I would need for the project. My shopping list was:

airstone stones

airstone interior adhesive

a hack saw

a putty knife

Initially I bought 2 boxes of Airstone in 2 different colors. I wanted both grays and browns in my stone. (I did end up going back to buy 2 more because I ran out) The colors I used were Autumn Mountain and Spring Creek. Because we were going to be applying them in between our current molding I did not need to purchase corner pieces. Depending on what you are doing you may need corners. Also we chose to use the natural edge as opposed to the flat for a more rustic look. I also recommend using an electric saw, we used a table saw with a mortar blade and it cut the pieces perfectly. I tried to use a hack saw as recommended by Airstone but it was not happening! A planer also proved useful to smooth out any too rough surfaces.

The project itself was very easy. My husband and I completed it in a weekend with outstanding results! You literally apply the adhesive and stick to your surface. For us we stuck it directly onto our existing tile surround. Because I wanted to keep the look totally random I assigned each color a number 1-6 and then threw a dice to choose the next color to go up. Otherwise my organizational OCD would have taken over!! 

Here's the finished product

Airstone is not recommended for use on floor. Obviously because it is not real stone. So we just left the existing tile hearth area intact and it blended beautifully.

I added a few new accents and a bright accent color to the wall to make it pop.

Here is a close up of the color variations. It looks like real stone, right?!

For about $150 and a weekends worth of work, we had a brand new remodeled fireplace. I really think it warms up the space and gives the family room a great focal point. If I can do it, YOU CAN too!

 ~XOXO jules

Keeping it clean

With Mother's Day approaching this weekend and Teacher Appreciation celebrations upon us it's time to be thinking of thoughtful gifts that let them know we care. Because my son has 9 different teachers I was looking for a thoughtful, clever gift that wouldn't break the bank. I immediately thought back to the gifts I put together for my neighbors for Christmas last year. I really REALLY liked them and knew it would be easy to adapt them to any holiday. Oh and did I mention they are easy? They are really easy. 

All you need is a trip to Bath and Body Works , a decorative ribbon, and a seasonal flower or sprig. Let's start with Bath and Body Works.. they are always having sales especially if you buy many of the same item. So stock up on some seasonal scents in hand soaps. I usually hit the Bath and Body Outlet store which has some great deals and I load up on it trying to think ahead to upcoming events. They always release seasonal scents so keep that in mind when buying. For my Christmas gifts I used "Vanilla Bean Noel". Some great summer time scents are "Coastal Surf and Sun", "Caribbean Escape", and "Malibu Sunset" just to name a few. 

Next get a ribbon, some raffia, or even a skinny piece of burlap long enough to wrap around your bottle. This will also hold your flower or sprig in place. You can pick up cheap faux stems all over even at the Dollar Tree. I highly recommend using fake (it will definitely travel better especially in a backpack) but fresh would work too. I would suggest using something sturdy.

Now to my favorite part... the card. I am a sucker for a great pun, so for my Christmas neighbor gifts I attached a tag that said "We wash you a Merry Christmas". Haha get it.. Other ideas for teachers are "Best washes to an awesome teacher", "Washing you a great summer" , "You're the best teacher hands down". You get the idea. If puns aren't your thing I would suggest attaching a handwritten note from your child. 

Here's the finished product!

Now get busy and show those teachers and mothers your love. ~XOXO jules

Say Aloha to dinner

Ever since my niece and her family moved to Hawaii I have been in an island mood. I absolutely love gazing at the beautiful pictures of the life they have in the islands! This got me thinking about a recipe my mom would make back in the day. It was a delicious dish she called Hawaiian Chicken. She claimed that she had gotten the recipe from a popular steakhouse in our area, Steak and Ale, that has since closed down. I used to LOVE this chicken and decided to try to come up with a similar flavor.

Here's what you need:

4-5 Boneless Skinless Chicken Breasts
16 oz of Pineapple Juice
6 oz of Low Sodium Soy Sauce
4 oz Cooking Sherry (I've used red cooking wine too)
3/4 Cup of Sugar (I'm sure an artificial sweetener would work too)
1 tsp. Garlic Powder
Sea Salt and Pepper to taste
1 Pineapple sliced

Here's what you do:

Mix together pineapple juice, soy sauce, sherry, sugar, garlic powder, salt and pepper until well blended. Place chicken breasts is marinade for 24-48 hours (the longer the better). Discard marinade. Prepare grill and cook chicken until done. I also grill pineapple slices alongside the chicken for a tasty side. The pineapple slices take about 10 minutes depending on size and grill temperature. Be sure they get some good grill marks. YUM!

Serve with a sauteed pepper and onion medley and red pepper quinoa for a totally delicious meal.
Enjoy ~XOXO jules

With my eyes WIDE open

Me writing a beauty focused blog today is pretty laughable. I'm the girl that's too intimidated to go into Sephora. I'm pretty sure the workers there would take one look at me and walk the other way. Mostly because I'm a drug store, grocery store cosmetic buyer. I don't put a lot of thought and even less money into my makeup. In fact, if I think about it I've been wearing the same make up the same way for years... maybe decades! Every Sunday when the newspaper comes I drool over the Ulta ads, but have I actually been to Ulta... NOPE, never. Again I am too intimidated to go in. The same fear applies to me in department stores. I will literally go out of my way to avoid the make up counters... SERIOUSLY! I will. So it comes with hesitation that I even have the gall to share a beauty tip. But I will.

First let me say the idea came to me because of my super, most awesome hair stylist Jay P. This guy is a hair god and I count the days until it's time to go see him at Oops Unisex Salon. That reminds me, it's probably about that time again! Anyway, a couple of visits ago Jay P did something that pushed me out of my comfort zone. He CURLED my hair. I've been quite happily addicted to my straight iron for close to 5 years and I had never even considered curling my hair. I didn't even know my hair could do that! But it did and I loved it.

The next morning as I went through the routine of getting ready it occurred to me, could the same principle of curling my straight hair apply to my straight eyelashes? Of course I already owned and used an eyelash curler but what if I added heat???

Could these 3 things work together???

So here are my eyelashes before (sticking straight out)

I took my eyelash curler, heated it up for a few seconds with my hair dryer. Checked it to be sure it wasn't too hot. (Seriously people don't burn your eye, be careful and check that it's not too hot)

Here are my eyelashes after, looking much better. I definitely got more lift than I did just using my curler. Heat was the key!

Here is the difference... eye on your right used the heated curler.






I've also noticed that my eyelashes stay curled much longer too so it's a win-win! Try it, I think you'll love it as much as me ~XOXO jules

Monogram THIS!

Well I've fallen behind a little bit in my blogging. I completely blame my oldest son who just moved back home for the summer from college. He decided it was time to put away the t-ball trophies, the old posters, and the swim medals from his youth and turn his room into a cool hang out. That of course meant painting and rearranging. Now if we could just find some art work for his walls the redo-ing would be complete!

Speaking of wall art I wanted to share this quick, easy, and CHEAP idea I've used to create wall decor in my home. All you need is an app, a printer, quality photo paper, and a frame of your choosing.
So first of all the app: It's called Monogram Lite and it's FREE on the iTunes store. Get it!!

I've used this app for many things from wall paper on my iPhone to cover photos for my Facebook page. It super easy to use and best of all FREE! It also has the options to upgrade for a fee if you are interested in some of the other colors, patterns, and fonts that aren't available in the free version. For me the free version has been all I've needed.

Next, you will need a frame. For my project I choose a collage frame with 4 openings because I was doing a 4 letter word. Your frame choice will depend on the length of the word you are doing. Or you can just purchase individual frames and place one letter in each (I'll show you that later) I found a cheap collage frame here. Sometimes you can even find frames at dollar stores or garage sales.

Now it's time to play with the app. It's simple to use just follow the prompts. You will first choose your background, then add your letters. You can even upload your own background if you want. Once you've created the look you want simply save and then email it to yourself. Download it from your email, print on the highest setting on quality photo paper and that's it!! Cut it to fit your frame and you're done!! Here's one I made for my master bathroom.

Simple and CUTE!

This is an example of  another one I made using individual frames.

As you can see the possibilities are endless. I think it would be adorable to spell out a child's name for a nursery, or "score" for a gameroom, "clean" for a laundry room and on and on. Be sure to follow me on Pinterest too! the family jules is on Pinterest

Next time I have an awesome beauty tip I discovered... ~XOXO jules