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We love eating on our deck most every meal in the spring, summer, and fall, so I wanted a table that allowed more space for people to sit but not take up so much room on our deck like our previous round table. Creating a custom table seemed like the perfect idea ….. at 25 weeks pregnant!

As with all of my home projects, I did this one 100% on my own. I always mention this to encourage all you moms and wives that you don’t need to wait on your husband to build things! Home projects aren’t for everyone, but they are my way of relaxing and doing something I love.

Plus, this is a project that my whole family will enjoy, and I look forward to all of the memories and conversations that will be shared around this table for years to come!

“I look forward to all the memories and conversations that will be shared around this table for years to come!”

I’ve included all the information for building this table below, and you can also refer to my saved highlights over on Instagram called “Patio Table” for more info and videos of most the steps.

This project is a great beginner one; however, if attention to detail isn’t your thing, you may want a second set of hands and eyes. Your cuts need to be perfect as you want your table to be stable and even, and putting in the time and work to really sand it down will make a huge difference in how it looks. I spent about 3 hours total just sanding, and I am so glad I did! The entire thing is perfectly smooth with rounded corners and edges. It’s not the most fun part of the project, but it is worth it!

I would say this is about a two day project if you are doing it solo like I did (it took me a couple extra days because I have kids and a baby in my belly that’s making it increasingly harder to bend over and breathe at the same time haha!)

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How I Built My Outdoor Farmhouse Table

SUPPLIES

• 4x4s (For table and bench legs)
• 2x10s (For table top)
• 2x8s (For bench legs)
• 2x4s (For braces and table + bench aprons)
• 2.5″ Exterior Kreg Screws (I got two packs of these)
• 2.5″ Exterior Screws
• 3″ Exterior Lag Screws (Need at least 4 of these. More if you use them in your benches)
• Flat Washers for Lag Screws (Need at least 4 of these.More if you use them in your benches)
• Stain and Sealer (I used Behr Premium Semi Transparent Waterproofing Stain and Sealer. You have to have it mixed at Home Depot. I used 2 quarts of the color Taupe and 1 quart of the color Cordovan Brown)
• Foam Brushes (To apply stain)
• Sandpaper for your orbital sander (I started with 120 and finished with 220)
• Tack Cloth

TOOLS

• Miter Saw
• Kreg Jig
• Sander
• Drill (I prefer an Impact Driver which is all I ever use)
• Tape Measure

INSTRUCTIONS

STEP 1: Decide on the dimensions you want your table and benches to be. I made my table 72″ x 37″ as that is what would fit in our space. The table is 30″ tall (standard size), and my benches are 18″ tall. Once you determine the size of your table, you can begin making all of your cuts. Be sure to cut your 4×4 legs 1.5″ shorter than the total table height in order to take into consideration the tabletop! (I believe I say this wrong in my Instagram stories, so I just want to clarify this! Don’t cut your 4x4s to 30″ or your table will be too tall.) Also, keep in mind that a board’s name is not the actual size of the board (example: a 2×4 is not actually 2″ thick!)

STEP 2: Make all of your board cuts and lay them out in order to mark where all of your pocket holes will go. You can see in the image above how I constructed the framework of my table. The tabletop is made of four 2x10s. The apron, cross and corner supports are all 2x4s, and the legs are 4x4s. The corner supports are cut at 45°. I left about 1.5″ overhang of the table. All cut lengths will be dependent upon your desired table size.

STEP 3: Use a pencil to mark everywhere you need to put a pocket hole. Using pocket hole screws will make your table very sturdy and will also hide ALL of your screws. This will provide a very high quality finish as opposed to seeing lots of screws throughout the table. You can see all the pocket holes I used in the photo above. I screwed the entire table top together, so it is one uniform piece. Otherwise, you will have large gaps in your tabletop (more like a traditional picnic table). In the below photo you can see just how much I rounded all of the edges and corners to make it a more comfortable table to sit at (this is important on the benches as well as it will be very uncomfortable to have your legs hang over a sharp edge.)

STEP 4: Then take the boards apart and make all of your pocket holes. Once you have completed that you will want to sand all of your boards. This was the most time-consuming part of this project as I wanted every board to be perfectly smooth with rounded edges. This part is what will separate your table from looking like a DIY beginner project to a high quality piece of furniture! I started with 120 sandpaper and finished with 220 (you will need several sheets of paper. Also, don’t think you can do this by hand, you definitely need to use a power sander.)

STEP 5: Use a tack cloth to wipe down all boards (this removes any sawdust before sanding). Then stain all of your boards including fronts, backs, and sides. (This is not just stain, this is a waterproofer and sealer which will allow your table to hold up to the weather and UV rays outside, so it’s very important you cover every side of every board). You will want to follow the instructions on the can and apply two light coats. I waited 2-3 hours in between as the can says. For the exact color of my table, I applied two coats of Taupe followed by one light coat of Cordovan Brown. Some areas I did two coats and on the knots and edges I added a little more in order to give a more rustic/farmhouse look to the table.

Note: I did not use treated lumber for this project for various reasons, including all the nasty chemicals in them – especially for a table we are eating off of. This is why it’s extra important to ensure you seal your wood very well, so it can hold up to the outdoors!

STEP 6: Once everything has dried, you can assemble your table using pocket hole screws in all your predrilled holes. For the corner supports, I used 2 normal exterior screws and drilled them into the 2×4 apron and then a lag screw that went into the 4×4 as shown above for additional support (Be sure to drill a pilot hole first for these). Be sure you are using exterior screws for every single screw you use on your table and benches! You can see below how I made the benches. There wasn’t enough space for me to do the corner braces, so I did it this way instead, and they are plenty sturdy! You can still use lag screws to drill the support board into the 4×4 for extra support.

And you’re done!

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This was a very easy and affordable project as the only costs involved were a few pieces of shiplap and $5 worth of lumber for the shelf; otherwise I already owned everything needed. Here is a look at what this room looked like a few days ago:

After some shiplap, paint, and a simple shelf, here is how it looks now!

I approached this very similar to my floating desk, so be sure to check out that post for more information as well as my saved highlights on Instagram called “Laundry Room”. The only thing different is that I didn’t use a front support piece of wood as this shelf was much more shallow than the desk. The shelf/spacer in between the washer and dryer took less than 15 minutes and is just a couple 2x4s and 1×8 (more info for this is in my saved highlights on Instagram). It is completely hollow on the inside, so it’s safe to have in-between the washer and dryer.

My favorite part of this space is my glass detergent and spray bottle Church Street Designs sent over! She has all different types of bottles for your home, and you can even create custom ones as well.

Use code KATIELAMB for 10% off your Church Street Designs purchase through June 30th, 2020.

SOURCE INFO

Cabinet Color: Benjamin Moore Chelsea Gray
Shiplap/Shelf Color: White straight out of the can
Cabinet Hardware: These in Brushed Pewter
Shiplap: These wide planked ones I’ve used all over my house

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While we prepare for our surprise-miracle baby boy, we’ve had to move some rooms around in our house to make way for a nursery. My former office will now become the guest room, and while we have the space to move my desk out into the playroom, I want the kids’ space to be a free for all where balls can safely go flying, everyone can run sprints if they feel the need, etc. Having my workspace and computer out in the open just wasn’t ideal for that, so I decided to convert this little area of our basement into my new office area. It was an unused space that always felt so boring and “blah”, so I was excited to turn it into something more functional.

As with all my projects, I completed this one 100% on my own (while 22 weeks pregnant!), so don’t feel like you need to wait on the husband. You can do this solo! This was a pretty wide space; however, if you have a smaller nook area, it can be done the same way!

HELPFUL TIP
If you want to see photos and videos of the step by step process for this project, be sure to check out my saved highlights on Instagram called: “Floating Desk”. My Instagram handle is @katiebethlamb

SUPPLIES I USED
(Everything is linked from Home Depot, so you can easily place your order online and pick up in store!) How many of each board you need is dependent on the dimensions of your space.

Shiplap (For wall treatment)
2x2s (For the desk’s frame/brace)
Sanded Plywood (For the desk top)
1×3 Select Pine (For the front “face piece” of the desk)
2x10s (For the wall shelves)
Angle Braces (For hanging the shelves)
Gold Spray Paint (For spraying the angle braces)
Screws (Long enough to go through 2x2s and into the studs in your wall)
Wood Filler (For filling nail/screw holes)
Caulk (For finishing everything off for a professional look)
Stain (For shelves. I used Minwax Early American)
Pre-stain Wood Conditioner (Applied to wood before staining to avoid streaks and blotching in your stain.)
Paint (For desktop and shiplap. I used Benjamin Moore Winter White)
Paint brush and roller (For painting shiplap and desktop)

TOOLS I USED
Miter Saw (For cutting the length of all boards)
Jig Saw (For cutting hole in desk for board)
Cordless Brad Nailer (For hanging shiplap and installing desk. Hands down favorite and most used tool I own!)
Kreg Jig (You could probably do this project without this but it does make it easier!)
Sander (For sanding the desk and shelves before painting/sanding)
Stud Finder (To ensure you are nailing/screwing all boards into studs)

DECOR

STEP 1: Hang your shiplap using a brad nailer. The shiplap I linked is the kind I always use, and it makes it so easy to hang and paint! I don’t use liquid nails, just the brad nailer. Don’t cut all your boards to one length after measuring one section as walls are rarely perfectly symmetrical all the way down, and be sure to nail the boards into studs.

STEP 2: Fill all holes with wood filler and caulk your edges. Then paint.

STEP 3: Install a brace for your desktop with 2x2s being sure to screw them into studs. I used my kreg jig to create the cross bars. For photos and videos of how I created the brace, be sure to check out my saved highlight on Instagram.

STEP 4: Use your braid nailer (or hammer and nails) to attach the desktop to the braces. Then attach the 1×3 front piece using your brad nailer (or hammer and nails).

STEP 5: Fill nail holes with wood filler, and caulk all edges where the desktop meets the wall/shiplap. Then paint.

STEP 6: Use a jig saw to cut a hole in the back of your desk for any cords (You can do this before or after you install the desktop.)

STEP 7: Sand and stain your shelves, then use the angle brackets linked above to attach them to the wall being sure to go into studs. (I spray painted my brackets gold before hanging them.)

STEP 8: Decorate your shelves and desk, and enjoy!

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One of my favorite types of Holiday get togethers, is a Holiday House Building Party because it is so great for every age. You can make it playful and fun for a kids + family get together or even add some Holiday Cocktails and prizes for a competitive adult party.

I like to use Honey Maid Graham Crackers (which you can find at your local Walmart or online here) because of the creativity they allow when building the shape of the house. Just use a serrated knife to gently cut them into any shape you want; the options are truly endless with what you can create.

Whether you plan to host an adult or children’s Holiday House Making Party, here are some tips for creating a great experience for all!

1. PICK A THEME
Picking a theme can make the experience more fun and help everything go together better. The theme can be anything from specific colors (bright/fun colors, neutrals, traditional Holiday colors, etc.), to house styles (farmhouse, modern, barns, North Pole, etc.), to Holiday Movie Inspiration (a Grinch style house, Charlie Brown House, etc.).

2. PRE-BUILD THE HOUSES
If you are planning to do this for a children’s party or even for just your own kids as a fun family activity, I recommend building the houses yourself beforehand. However, if it’s for an adult party, I think having them create the house itself is part of the fun and makes it even more competitive to see how creative they can be!

3. MAKE DECORATING TRAYS FOR EACH PERSON
Divide out all of your candy/decorations into bowls for each person to make it easy for them to grab what they need without reaching across the table.

4. HAVE VARIOUS PRIZES FOR THE WINNERS
If you are hosting this parties for little ones, I recommend having multiple prizes for various categories: Silliest House, Most Colorful House, etc. For an adult party, it could be fun to make the grand prize something everyone would want to get the competitive juices flowing while building.

After I helped my kids build their houses, I built my own inspired by one I saw on HGTV’s website using Honey Maid Graham Crackers as the base of the house. I then covered the house in chewing gum to give it a shiplap appearance and used almonds on top for the roof. I added rosemary and red candies for garland and crushed Vanilla Oreos for the walkway.

Advent is about celebrating Jesus entering our world, not about the latest thing entering our home.

– Kevin Cawley | Pastor Redeemer Fellowship

This Advent season is the first where I feel like my twins are old enough (3 years old) to somewhat grasp serving others vs serving ourselves, and at the very least, are old enough to start building a foundation in this.

Because of this, I wanted to start a new family tradition I hope to carry out each and every December. I talked about this over on my Instagram stories and was so excited to see how many of you wanted to join in on this as well!

Intentional Advent Details

If you do participate in this, I would love for you to use #katielambadvent if you post anything as I would love to share and make this a fun thing we all do together!

To participate, you’ll just need an advent calendar of some type (or just use a paper calendar and write it out!). This is the one we will use this year and all years to come. Each day will have a little slip of paper with our intentional act of serving someone. Some days will be big projects and others much more simple.

If you have older kids, your acts of service may look different from ours since we have three year olds. The key is picking things that are age appropriate.

CLICK HERE to download my free photoshop template for creating your Advent Calendar projects

Ideas To Fill Your Advent Calendar

Thank you to all of you who submitted ideas for this list! Think big and small. Serving those closest to you and those you don’t even know.

1. Write nice messages on sticky notes and stick them in books at library/bathrooms/random cars in mall parking lot
   
2. Find a specific family who is hurting (lost a job, a family member, sick) and bless them anonymously (ask around to find someone if you dont know them specifically). This doesn’t have to be anything huge, sometimes just a letter of encouragement and sincere prayer to let them know they are seen can be life changing.
   
3. Mail grandparents a letter/color a picture saying what they love about them.
   
4. Hand out $5 Starbucks cards to a moms in the diaper section of Target
   
5. Serve a sibling by taking over their chore for that day.
   
6. Do a chore for money to donate to Salvation Army bucket at store (and explain to little ones what their money is being used for) 
   
7. Pay for person behind you at fast food / Starbucks – explain to little ones what you’re doing beforehand, so they get excited to bless someone (big kids can use their own money)
   
8. Bake + decorate cookies for neighbors with a kind note
   
9. Leaving a kind note on daddy’s car before he goes to work.
   
10. Have little ones color pictures, write thank you notes, and/or bake something for fire and/or police station (keep in mind, many have policies not to eat homemade goods, so double check first. Otherwise you can give a gift card for them to go get a treat or take store-bought items)
    
11. Make care packages to hand out to homeless (socks, wipes, gum, crackers, toothbrush, toothpaste, deodorant, gloves etc.)
    
12. Leave cards/treats for garbage men + mail men
    
13. Make care packages for families in the NICU/PICU
    
14. Make homemade cards for nursing home residents
    
15. Visit a nursing home and host a craft-building time or sing Christmas Carols
    
16. Have children go through their toys (and clothes) to find ones they no longer play with and have them go with you to donate them to a local charity (women/children’s shelter, homeless shelter, etc.)
    
17. Pack and distribute self care packages for a women’s and children’s shelter
    
18. Donate Pet food/supplies for an animal shelter
    
19. Choose three people that need prayer and pray for them sincerely as a family
    
20. Sponsor a kid through a program like compassion international
    
21. Shovel a neighbor’s drive way or brush snow off their car in the morning before they get up
    
22. Invite a family over for dinner that you don’t know very well
    
23. Pay for a strangers gas or groceries anonymously
    
24. Write thank you notes to child’s teacher
    
25. Write letters and/or send care packages to deployed soldiers
    
26. Donate PJs to foster families
    
27. Write a letter of thanks to your pastor
    
28. Pay for someone’s layaway at Walmart
    
29. Bring a tree to an elderly neighbor who lives alone and help them decorate it
    
30. Buy a hot chocolate for the person at the tree farm bailing trees
    
31. For older children, have them start a drive to donate to a charity of their choice. (Sock Drive, Scarf Drive, Jacket Drive, Canned Food Drive, etc.!)
32. Clear you siblings plate after dinner
33. Help mommy make dinner

This post may contain affiliate links.

I partnered with King Of Christmas and was sent their 7.5ft King Flocked Christmas Tree, and my first thought was that all the hype is for good reason. It is a great tree and really screams “luxury”!

Use code KATIEBETHLAMB to save 10% off
your purchase at King Of Christmas

The tree itself is incredibly realistic, both from 20 feet away and standing right up close. I have had a flocked tree before but ended up returning it due to the amount of flocking that ended up all over my floor – the shedding on this one is very minimal and is only when you are setting it up.

It is prelit but without all the annoying wires you have to connect to one another as it is built into the “trunk” itself which means all you have to do is put the three tree pieces together and the lights automatically connect to each other!

SHOP THE PHOTOS

I will admit, this was a tough project, especially since I did all of it on my own (with the help of my 3 year old twins!); however, it was definitely worth it after watching my kids have the best time in it! The fun thing about making a custom playhouse is you can create any look you want! (I reallllly wanted to make this pink and gold and all kinds of girly; however since I have boy/girl twins, I decided to keep it pretty neutral.)

My Tips For Creating Your Own Playhouse

CHOOSING A PLAYHOUSE

1. First things first, you have to choose a playhouse. After weeks of research, I decided on THIS one because of its size since I have two kids using it, and they are very tall for their age. It is very spacious, and even I’m able to stand up inside in the center! However, if it’s out of your price range, you can go with a smaller one and save some money! I linked all my favorites below.

SELECTING A LOCATION

2. You want to use a level area in your yard and keep the sun in mind if you live in a really hot area. I put ours under the two biggest trees in our yard where it is in the shade all day.

CREATING A FLOOR

This part isn’t 100% necessary; however, it’ll definitely make a big difference! I built a floating deck for our, and while it was definitely a lot more work, I’m SO glad I did it. (Check out my saved stories on Instagram under “floating deck” for a step by step tutorial of how I made mine). You could also use concrete pavers. (Our playhouse actually sits square to the floating deck to give them more space to run around on the deck; I turned it to the side just for the lighting in the pictures.)

BUILDING THE PLAYHOUSE

I built the playhouse 100% on my own, so just know it is possible if you have to do it solo. However, it’s not fun, and I recommend having a second person to make it go faster. Huge tip: there is an app called BILT that has video instructions for a lot of items that require assembly, including playhouses. It was AWESOME. I hate paper instructions, and the app was much more thorough and easy to follow!

Before you get started, sort all the pieces into piles and have small bowls ready for all the sets of screws. (It took me an hour just to get ready to build the playhouse. Another 5-6 to build it, but keep in mind it was just me. If you have a second set of hands, it can go faster.)

PAINTING THE PLAYHOUSE

All the research I did said to not paint cedar with normal exterior paint and most everyone who messaged me over on Instagram agreed as so many of you said you painted yours with exterior and it cracked/chipped and looked terrible just a year or so later. Your best bet is to use a solid stain which will look just like paint but will adhere better and last longer. (Think about it, you’d never paint your cedar fence with an exterior paint, you would use stain – a cedar playhouse is no different.)

After checking out all the top brands of stain, I went with THIS one as the reviews were awesome – you can find it at Home Depot. I used a gallon of Pinto White for the house and a quart of Drift Gray for the deck. I REALLY like this product and see why the reviews were so great! I did three coats – the key is to do light coats. DO NOT GO HEAVY as it’ll affect the overall look and quality of the paint long term!

I put the whole house together (minus door + windows) and then painted; however, you could paint the roof separately before putting it on as well. (I just wore a shower cap to prevent it from getting in my hair.)

In between coats of paint, I spray painted all the windows. I’m keeping my fingers crossed they hold up as spray paint typically doesn’t do well with plastic. However, I used a spray paint primer, color, and then sealer on top – all three of which say they are great for plastic (Rust-Oleum brand). I stained the door with Behr’s Semi-transparent stain in October Brown.

DECORATING THE PLAYHOUSE

I found the two metal wall storage tins at Hobby Lobby as well as the “Be Kind” sign, which is our playhouse (and life) rule. I purchased this set of play food on Amazon and keep it in a storage container inside the house when not in use to prevent them from getting lost or dirty. My kids absolutely LOVE this and pretend the playhouse is a restaurant.

We chose the number 24 for our house as both numbers are special to us. 2 – because, being twins, they think of everything in twos. If there is only one of anything (I mean anything. Food, a tree, a picnic blanket), they sadly say “Oh no. Only one. Where’s the second one?” as they think everyone and everything should have a partner as it’s all they’ve ever known since the womb! And 4 – because we are a family of 4. I used THESE numbers.

I added THIS door mat for the front, and built the planter out of a scrap piece of cedar wood and put in faux plants from Hobby Lobby. (The tutorial for how I made the planter is in my saved highlights over on Instagram!)

I just love the custom watercolor of our little playhouse by Kate Mulder Creative! She offers custom home watercolors which you can find more info for here: https://www.katiemuldercreative.com/homeillustrations Be sure to use code KatieLamb10 for 10% off your custom order!

Rugs can really help ground a room and set the tone for the whole space, and I’ve rounded up several of my favorites below!

A good rule to remember when choosing the size of your rug is: the bigger the better! A king-sized bed looks best with at least an 8×10 rug underneath; however, I personally prefer 9×12 if your room is big enough to allow it! Here’s a great graphic from www.nwrugs.com which can let you visualize the size of rugs in a space:

NEUTRAL RUGS

1. https://rstyle.me/+73VPNMdPdugwdqDvyPrD8w
2. https://rstyle.me/+rCoJKZDbbzXU00QKbDQgug
3. https://rstyle.me/+pFBbBXCK9TWLxBTYT4vJhg
4. https://rstyle.me/+1mTFIujCEGREghd8YI4_iA
5. https://rstyle.me/+cIcSDB9esXIfsf1DZgBBQg
6. https://rstyle.me/+MZ45eQEjYEyFQ2AR50UEBg
7. https://rstyle.me/+wMTc9zBeOghefHVeoAgjpQ
8. https://rstyle.me/+gup2ID8oyGNBu3mJZx-Cbg
9. https://rstyle.me/+M_YxYAMrdvp_fJQ90b8GNg
10. https://rstyle.me/+CLIUUTtd8Vo-10ZuBzNmBg
11. https://rstyle.me/+oUtKHOyNkmz3os5LRujuWw
12. https://rstyle.me/+6ZIYyNotsq5U_H6PimNGiw

FEMININE RUGS

1. https://rstyle.me/+jZ8bVDvDBs_oDzVBI609AA   
2. https://rstyle.me/+8ImyrN_H1ZtohdwVplyCJw 
3. https://rstyle.me/+yQPn6J5v_-ukUA8lrShAZA 
4. https://rstyle.me/+gJHQnyT7cJyJmayuTlxfew 
5. https://rstyle.me/+hJJNsFdy3bxxJLeQrza5Nw 
6. https://rstyle.me/+hOAOQ07E6teL6tPoFjiKDQ 
7. https://rstyle.me/+3dJZ2nuXR7ucrRY72-K67w 
8. https://rstyle.me/+uT8k1rOcRdSotRn-oPFvqw

OTHER FAVORITES

1. https://rstyle.me/+3Y3ieVasop72504VC9PKoQ
2. https://rstyle.me/+r3lhAZu270VObuvAboifNA
3. https://rstyle.me/+VWhKPVup0Mk-LCPeDuzB-Q
4. https://rstyle.me/+Thn2FWSApVFtxOvcF5Y3Jw

Thank you to Wayfair for sponsoring this post.
As always, all thoughts and opinions are my own.

I’m pretty sure the most used phrase in our house is “Mommy, I want a snack”. I definitely have grab-n-go type snacks for when we’re out and about, but when we are at home, I try and keep most of our snacks healthy, filling, and easy.

To help snack/meal time prep go a little faster, I keep my cutting boards and paring knife out on our counters at all times since my twins are only three and need their food cut into bite sized pieces. I really like our set of bamboo cutting boards from Wayfair as they are affordable and include three sizes.

This ceramic coated pairing knife is the one I always have on our counter and love that it has a top for the blade to prevent any little fingers from grabbing a sharp edge if they reach their hands onto the counter without looking!

I also keep our countertop containers (pictured above) filled with our most-used items for making snacks and meals which keeps things easily accessible (because when a three year old wants a snack, they want it NOW, am-I-right?!). Wayfair has such a great selection of kitchen and tabletop items which you can browse through here.

I’ve put together a list of my kid’s top 5 favorite snacks that we alternate a lot around our house! They are all very easy to make, delicious, and healthy -checks all the boxes for our snack time requirements!

#1 Peanut Butter Balls

These are one of my kids’ most favorite snack to make and eat. They save for a long time in the fridge and are delicious. You can mix up the recipe depending on what your kids like (I typically add flaxseed in with the chia seeds that the recipe calls for!). You can leave out the raisins and/or add chocolate chips if you want a little more sweet to them! You can find the recipe HERE.

#2 Humus Plate

Humus has been a staple for us since my kids were little, and this is one of my go-to snacks for them because it’s easy, fast, and I can switch it up every time to make it a little different. I just scoop some humus on a plate and cut up whatever veggies I have and add some crackers and/or pita! You can also experiment with different types of humus (black beans, chic peas, white beans, etc.!)

#3 Banana Swirl

My kids actually saw Daniel Tiger making this on the show and wanted to make it, so he gets all the credit! My kids can make this on their own with my supervision, so they take so much pride in this snack! To make it, just freeze a banana in a ziplock bag in 1 inch chunks, stick them in a blender, and blend until it becomes the consistency of ice cream. Then add whatever toppings they want! (We always add a scoop of peanut butter to ours before blending for added flavor and to make it even more filling – they think it’s ice cream!)

#4 Yogurt Parfait

This one is always a hit with my kids and is another one you can switch up to keep it from being the same flavors every time! You can use flavored yogurt or make your own with plain greek yogurt which is what I like to do. (Blend it with fruit or with peanut butter!) Then let your little ones choose the fruit they want on top!

#5 Avocado Cream Cheese Triangles

I discovered this one when my twins were 18 months old, and it’s been a huge hit ever since. Spread some cream cheese and avocado on a tortilla (be sure to mash up the avocado first – the texture makes it taste so much better!), add a little salt, and then cut into triangles (or you can roll them).

I’d love to know your go-to snacks for kids! Leave them in the comments below!

While I’ve gotten pretty handy with projects around the house since we bought our fixer upper, plumbing and electricity are two areas I’m not quite brave enough to tackle, so we hired all of that out. Once they finished, I got to work on the rest of everything! (If you are local to Kansas City, I highly recommend Integrity Tile + Remodeling!)

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I added shiplap to the back wall to give it some visual interest since it was so bare. If you plan to do any type of trim work or shiplap in your bathroom, hear me loud and clear: Do not use wood or MDF for shiplap or any trim work in a bathroom. One of two things will happen (or likely both): the boards will warp and/or grow mold behind them. It’s so very important that you use trim boards there are designed for bathrooms. It’s definitely more pricey, but it’s a must. (You can view my tutorial and supplies in my saved highlights called “Guest Bathroom” on Instagram here.)

My favorite part of this bathroom is the farmhouse sink vanity. The quality is AWESOME, and it allows my 3 year old twins to spit when I brush their teeth without needing any type of step stool since there is no overhang of the countertop. (It’s the little things.)

You can choose between a marble or quartz top for the vanity. I went with quartz as I’ve heard so many people having issues with marble tops (mostly staining and breaking). It comes with a really pretty chrome faucet and drawer pulls; however, we switched them out for this brushed nickel faucet and pulls. I added these baskets underneath for extra storage and to add warmth to the bathroom. (Tip: Hot glue felt to the bottoms of wicker baskets like these to prevent them from scratching your paint/wood when being pulled in and out!)

The shelves were a quick, cheap, and easy DIY. I cut a small piece of $5 poplar wood to the size I wanted, and then sanded and stained them to match the wicker baskets (I layered Minwax’s Early American on top of Weathered Gray to get this color). I then used these brackets upside down to give an illusion of floating shelves. I didn’t like the look of the toilet paper holder being on the wall or the vanity, so I used this matte black freestanding TP holder and like it so much, I’m going to switch all our bathrooms to this!

Since this is a small bathroom without any windows, I wanted to keep everything white and bright to make it feel bigger while also having a very clean look. This also allows me to easily change up color schemes should I ever want to. I used Benjamin Moore Winter White for the walls and shiplap which is a very very very light-gray-tinted white. It would look more white if it wasn’t right against a bright white ceiling. I love this color so much in this room! I also always use daylight balance bulbs in bathrooms for clean, crisp light.

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