Home & Garden DIYs: Summerween Garden

I was in the midst of cleaning up our Summerween barbeque, and I wanted to keep the vibes going. Today, I’m going to walk you through a couple of DIY projects I needed to get done. We’re going to Summerween it up!

First, I got a tiered planter with multiple areas to plant seeds for a little fairy garden. I got some vines and small plants at Walmart, and moved them into the planter. I had some extra carrot seeds, so I planted them there as well. I found some decorative steps, little fairy pieces, and a fairy house at Michael’s, and placed them all around the planter to complete my vision. I think it came out super cute!

After I created the fairy garden, I planted some jack-o’-lantern seeds in their own pots. When I shared on Instagram that I was planting these, there were so many people that reached out to let me know they could be a problem with all of the deer and animals that live around the woods by our house. I thought, “why not get a raised garden bed?” I had one at our last house, and I loved it!

I bought a raised planter and put it together outside on our deck. I let the seeds for the jack-o’-lanterns thrive in their pots, and waited until they sprouted to transfer them over to the planter. I added garden soil & a little bit of fertilizer, and watered them very well. It was a total success! I think I’m going to get a second raised planter for the tomatoes, cucumbers and carrots that I planted the other day as well. The cucumbers and carrots are doing so well! The tomatoes are doing okay, but I did buy a tall tomato cage to help them along. I’m learning!

Speaking of learning, I got an app called PictureThis for the plants. The idea is that you take a picture of the plant, and it will tell you if it’s thriving or not, what to do, and how to take care of it. The issue is that the app didn’t recognize my pumpkin. Instead, it thought it was a cucumber. I panicked so I double checked the seeds, and it is definitely a pumpkin. If you have a recommendation for a better app, please share it!

My next DIY was creating some labels for the garden. I found these cute metal garden markers on Amazon. I thought, “I can’t just write on them with a Sharpie,” so I bought an engraving pen. It worked out super well! I labeled the pumpkins, tomatoes, cucumbers, carrots, as well as the spot in the yard where I planted a balsam tree.

After I finished up gardening, Andre and I created a couple of rock gardens in our backyard. There wasn’t anything there before; it was just moss. We arranged some rocks and added flowers around them. I think it turned out very pretty! We would also like to get some chairs to put down near the lake. It’s so funny, Canadians call them muskoka chairs, and Americans call them adirondack chairs. What do you call them? We want them to blend in with the scenery, so we’re thinking of either hunter green or dark brown. I want your help! What color should we get?

Next up on my to-do list was going to Michael’s. I saw on Instagram that they were starting to put out their Halloween collection, so I couldn’t NOT go. Nothing was on sale, but if you wait too long, nothing is available. The collection was amazing, and perfect for Summerween. It’s giving 60s/70s pink, but it wasn’t very “Angie.” The Angie of eight years ago would have LOVED it! I debated getting some pieces for Summerween, but ultimately decided against it. The only Halloween things I ended up leaving with were candy corn and skull throw pillows. I also got a cute birdhouse that was on clearance, and some glitter paint for another DIY I have in the works.

My new rule with this house is that any time something comes in, things have to get donated or taken out. If we’re going to be doing fresh stuff, then we’d better be clearing out some old stuff. This year, I’m going to toss out some things, donate, clean, wash down my bins, and do a deep clean of my Halloween stuff. With everything I’ve accumulated over the past 8-9 years, I’ve noticed that things start getting really dusty and get a mildew-y smell after a while. Either you need new stuff, or you need to wash it all. I bought some cryovac bags that you can use to vacuum seal things like pillows and blankets, so we’ll also try that to see if it helps!

I wanted to share a little house update. A while back, I got a sled that I wanted to turn into a bench in the foyer. Well, we made one! I got the dimensions of the sled and ordered a plaid pillow on Amazon. It turned out so good! Now, we want to get a huge mirror and a new ceiling light to complete the space. We also had a meeting for the renovations we want to do. We’re going to redo the kitchen, replace all of the flooring from the front door to the kitchen, and the open area next to the kitchen is going to become part of it. We’re also going to redo the powder room!

Once we came home from Michael’s, we went back outside to continue the DIY projects. We don’t want to do a big lighting situation yet, so we got some solar lights off Amazon. I had already put some under the trees in the backyard, and they’re super nice. We put more lights in the front yard, and pointed them upward towards the trees. The trick is that you’ve got to make sure they’re not in a shaded spot during the day.

Next, I had gotten two big planter bowls that I thought would be cool to use to create solar water fountains. They had holes in the bottom of them that I sealed up the day before with Gorilla tape and patch & seal spray. I let the spray dry for 24 hours, then filled the bowl with water and put it on top of a whiskey barrel by our front steps. I dropped a floating solar fountain pump in, and voilà! DIY done, and it was super easy. I’m also going to fill the other bowl and put it in the back of the house. Apparently, hummingbirds love it, so it doubles as a bird bath. Who am I? I’m like a Disney princess that lives in the woods, feeds all of the animals, and names every single one of them. I don’t know who I’ve become!

It was super fun taking you through all of my DIYs. I’m sorry if I made you feel the need to go to Michael’s (lol), but I hope you enjoyed the realness, and maybe even got a little inspiration. If you create any garden DIYs of your own, I’d love to hear them in the comments!

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How I Found Motivation: Overcoming Uncertainty in Five Easy Steps

Today, what I want to do is share some motivation, and a lot of real talk. I've experienced major shifts in my life, facing days where I felt lost, scared, lacking purpose & contribution, and uncertain about the future. If you're going through it right now, I get it. You're not alone!

Years ago, I was on a lackluster job hunt, chasing a goal that didn't matter to me because of societal and parental expectations. One day, my husband Andre called from work, informing me that I was "in the red" financially. This wake-up call came as I was napping on the couch, feeling utterly unmotivated and purposeless.

Now, a big question I get is, “how are you so motivated?” I want to take you through five easy steps you can take away today that might enlighten you as to how I motivated myself and changed my own life.

1. You create motivation

I need to start with this, because I think so many of us have this assumption that people are born with it; that they just have it. The way I would explain this best is that the power plant doesn’t have energy, it generates the energy. YOU are the power plant. You generate the energy, just like you generate the motivation.

Now you might be thinking, “that’s cute, but how do you do that?” The other four tips play into that, but the very first thing is just to be aware that you’re the one that creates the motivation. It’s not just going to bop you over the head one day.

2. Establish a routine

If you’ve followed me for any amount of time, you know I’m a big fan of routine. Repeating daily activities that bring joy and purpose will drive you forward in your goals, and that’s how your life changes. Consistency is key!

3. Focus on needle-moving activities

Each day, identify 1-3 tasks that significantly impact your goals. In the Daily Grind Planner, there's a section for these "needle movers" smack in the middle of the page. These are derived from your to-do list, which comes from your top ten goals of the month. The needle movers are what will generate momentum, and momentum leads to motivation. This practice ensures you're always progressing on what matters the most to YOU.

4. Practice gratitude & excitement

Every day, write down three things you’re grateful or excited for. This habit helps shift your mindset and keeps you centered.

5. Time block your day

I don’t write out this big agenda of all these things I need to do, I just use time blocking to manage my schedule. Allocate specific times for your top three needle movers to make sure you stay focused and productive. Keep it simple for maximum effectiveness!

By incorporating these steps, you’ll find the motivation to get to work doing the things you truly care about in life. Remember, I’ve been in your shoes, and I’m so excited for you to start living the life of your dreams!

Makeup Organization Tips: How to Deep Clean, Purge & Declutter Your Makeup

Today, I want to take you through how I purge, deep clean and organize my makeup. My makeup drawers were such a disaster and so chaotic because I had just thrown everything in them, so I took the time to actually go through it all. We are organizing and cleaning, so if you like this type of thing (and I have a feeling you do), then just keep reading!

First, grab some coffee. Now, let’s start organizing!

Step 1: Clean out makeup drawers

I took everything out of all my makeup drawers and put it on the floor; I figured this would be the easiest, and a good way to get everything out and see it. Once the drawers were empty, I used a wood cleaner to wipe them all down. They’re probably not even real wood, but I just love the smell of the cleaner. It smells like almonds! I also wiped down the assorted plastic and acrylic organizers that were inside the drawers. Then, I cleaned off all of my palettes & any messy makeup containers with a makeup wipe, and that worked really well. We all know how dirty everything can get!

Step 2: Organize products into categories

Next, I started organizing makeup into piles by category, like nail supplies, eyeshadows, foundations, lashes, etc. I didn’t realize how much I had been accumulating! I had a lot of stuff that was just old and dried up, and I didn’t even realize it. There were also some things in there that I never even used! Anything that was old or not so amazing, I tossed, or put into a “donate” pile if it hadn’t been used. I also kept some things for my best friend and sent them to her.

Step 3: Organize products in drawers

When I was satisfied with my categories and piles, I started putting things into drawers. The first big category I wanted to conquer was my nail supplies. I do my own nails and I love it, but I just had so much stuff. I grabbed some drawer organizers and started arranging all of the supplies into their own compartments, like nail files, glue, clippers, etc. Everything fit perfectly into the organizers and back into a drawer. It was SO much better and so well organized!

Then, I started working on all of the makeup. I kept more empty drawer organizers nearby so I could figure out where I wanted things to go. Pro tip: silverware trays also make great makeup organizers! I pulled things from my piles, and into the drawers they went. I tried to keep similar products together so it would be easy to find things. For example, I put primers, concealers and foundations together, eyeshadows, mascaras, and brow/eye pencils together, etc. I even made a drawer for all of my glitter! I found the cutest cases for my eyelashes, which also had a dedicated drawer along with glue, lash clusters, etc.

Step 4: Identify most-used products to allocate counter space

I went through my lip glosses and palettes to find the ones I used the most, because I wanted to keep those on the counter for easy access. This acrylic organizer was perfect for the lip gloss, and this one was great for my palettes. I also found a little tray, and put some creams and skincare on the counter that I use daily. I had different sized glass containers that I decided to use for cotton pads and swabs as well.

Step 5: Wash all makeup brushes

To wash my brushes, I use a little silicone mat with some brush cleaner to clean them. It’s super easy! I let the brushes dry on a towel while I cleaned all of my brush holders. I wanted to share how I organize my brushes. I use various glass beakers & jars to store them; they’re really cute and just clean. I also have an acrylic organizer that I did a little DIY with. I got some floral beads and rhinestones from Michael’s that I put in the bottom of each compartment, and they actually hold up my brushes so much better than just throwing them in there. I love how it turned out; it’s so adorable!

I vacuumed the room once everything was done and in its place. I’m so happy with the way it turned out! Everything that I tend to reach for or use daily has a spot on the counter, while anything else is in a drawer, and I can easily rotate them out.

If you’re struggling with how to get your makeup organized, hopefully this gave you some ideas, and maybe even helped spark a little bit of creativity and freedom. It doesn’t have to be this big daunting task; you can make it really fun and happy! If you have any additional tips for makeup organization and cleaning, don’t forget to put them in the comments!

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