Easy, Fall Watercolor For Kids

Here’s an easy fall watercolor you can do with your younger kids. This was done by Holly when she was 11. This can be done with cheap Prang or Crayola watercolor boxes. 1. Gather a variety of leaves outside. 2. Bring them in and trace …

Chalk Paint Tutorials and The Importance of Making Your Bed

I’m sure you’ve heard of Annie Sloan Chalk paint. I’d been seeing it all around home design blogs and was itching to try it. (It’s not chalk board paint, just FYI.) So, before Rebekah and Emily came home for the summer, I decided to refinish an …

These Are A Few of My Favorite Things

Some favorite things this week. 🙂 🙂 Loved:: This printed cone on Pinterest. These would be perfect for a bridal shower, Mother’s Day front door decor, etc…and bonus: They’re CHEAP because–>PAPER. Woohoo. And then I saw this GORGEOUS paper peonies tutorial from Twigg Studios and decided …

DIY Spring Tulips for the Front Door

Never mind the fact that it’s blizzardous outside, today. I’m sharing a spring décor idea. Everywhere you look on Pinterest and Etsy, you’ll see tulip wreaths. I’ve eyed this one for some time and have seen variations galore on this same theme, so I  decided to …

A Valentine Tree {Made Possible Because of Another Tree}

Snippets of paper have always been a favorite means of decorating in the Beals household. They’re beautiful and inexpensive and can be manipulated to make pictures, snowflakes, cards and tags, garlands, and Valentines. And manipulated they are. When the kids were little, they’d make bowls …

Handmade Christmas: Free Pattern, Sweet Bear Rice Heating Pad

I’m working on handmade Christmas gifts and wanted to share a pattern with you. Remember those little rice owl heating pads that I made my kids and sisters last year? {lady sells the pattern here} Well, my kids loved and used them so often that I …

Special Offer: Two Free Chapters of our Christmas Ebook

Psssst. We’re trying to spread the word about our Christmas ebook  Merry Christmas, Meager Budget and we decided to ask you for a trade. Would you share on social media for us? And as a thank you, we’ll give you two free chapters of Merry Christmas, …

Favorite Things and What I’m Up To Right Now

It’s been a while since I posted my favorite things from around the web and a family update, so let’s remedy that, shall we? 🙂 The cranberry harvest is almost over. We’ve enjoyed visiting grandpa’s bogs and watching the process.     Some crafty pursuits …

Living An Artful Life: Figuring Out What is Really Big and What is Small

Does life make you a little crazy? Are you over stressed and pre-occupied? Me too, sometimes. That is precisely when I need to intentionally surround myself with beauty. When my children were very young, and I was stressed out, {ahem, often!} my husband would watch …

What You Need To Know About Hosting Long-Term Company

Opening your home to a family for an evening is one thing, but what about having guests for a week or more? Here are some suggestions from our own experience: Give them their own space and stay out of it. If you have an extra …