Mudroom Reveal

When we bought our home in 2009 we were thrilled it had a mudroom, it was small but useable. After a few short years we were finding it harder and harder to function in it with our growing family. We really realized it in the winter with all the snow stuff and when the kids started going to school. So we finally made the decision last year to go ahead an tear down the old and make a new one but much bigger. One of the previous owners of our home had built the mudroom as an after thought and added it on off the kitchen and into the garage. We also have a big pole shed so we only needed enough room in the garage in the winter for out family vehicle. So we made the dimensions of the new mudroom as large as we could and still make it functional as a garage.  I will spare you all the crazy building pictures and get right to the beautiful, functional mudroom we now have. We started the project in April and I have just now put the final finishing touches on it, I am a very indecisive person at times. My wonderful, amazing, and talented Dad and husband did all the work and I am so proud of them! I think this may be my favorite room of my house, anything that makes my life easier as a mother is so worth it!

I hope you enjoy seeing it!

Here is a look from the garage walking into our new mudroom:

 

In the picture above the garage is behind me and our kitchen is to the right……..

In the picture below is what we see when we look from the kitchen into the mudroom:

The beautiful hutch you see in the pictures was given to us by my husbands parents, it was his grandma and grandpa’s and I always remember thinking how beautiful it was. I am so lucky to have it in my home and look at it everyday, it is one of my favorite pieces of furniture!

Below is another picture of the hutch and also some of the decorations I did. We bought the window at a Habitat for Humanity resale store and I sanded it down and painted it. I like the look of older things but with a fresh coat of paint on it! I bought the shutters at the same place as the window and spray painted those, they were plain white and they needed a little color. I think I paid $10 for all three pieces!

This is just looking back the other way……….on the left goes into the kitchen and the door straight ahead goes out to the garage.

This little area is for the kids!

I bought the bench and put cloth drawers in it for the baby’s shoes, now he can get them out all by himself! Each one of the kids has one of the cubes on the right for their hats and mittens. It looks cute and then everything is put away and still looks nice, and they can all reach their own things.

Below is just another view, it shows the coat hooks for the kids to hang their backpacks and coats on also.

The other thing we wanted to add when we redid this room was a nice big walk-in closet! We use it for pantry overflow, shoes, more coat hanging options, and much more! I tried to keep it real, rarely are the shelves perfectly organized, but that is why there is a door on it!

 

I hope you have enjoyed peeking into my home as much as I have loved sharing it with you, if you want to see more check out the links below for more of my Home Tour!

~Bonnie

Tour of Outside

Kids/Main Bathroom

Master Bath

Master Bedroom

Master Bedroom Walk-in Closet ~ Thrifty Thursday

Colton’s Room

Laundry Room (also a remodel)

Crockpot Strawberry Applesauce

It is that time of year again where I am feeling like cooking, baking, and cleaning like crazy! I don’t know if its because the big kids are back to school or because fall is near but I am feeling domestic lately! Last year I shared with you a crockpot applesauce recipe that is just amazing and so easy!

If you haven’t tried it yet but would love to check it out here.

I have really been focusing on healthy eating for our family and getting away from processed foods as much as we can. My kids really love applesauce and it is great to throw into their lunches too but I wanted to make it for them instead of buy it and I’m going to be doing this from now on. Not only was it easy but it tastes amazing! It takes about 10-15 minutes of prep time and you are done and have a homemade, delicious snack for your family!

I basically did the same thing as my original recipe just changed up a couple things.

Ingredients:

6-8 Apples (we used our favorite, Gala)

1/2 cup of water

1/2 – 3/4 cup of sugar (this I changed a little, I will share that below)

1 – 1 1/2 cups of fresh or frozen strawberries (I used frozen ones that I had picked this summer)

 

Directions:

1. Peel, core, and dice apples. Place into crockpot.

2. Add strawberries.

3. Lastly, add water and sugar.

4. Cook on low for 6-8 hours, stirring occasionally. After fully cooked slightly mash with potato masher until desired consistency.

5. Serve warm, cold, and in small containers for lunches.

 

 ~ What’s Different! ~

 

Not only did I add strawberries to our applesauce this time I also added organic pure cane sugar instead of white sugar. I love the taste of it and I love doing something healthier for my family!

After we had it warm with dinner I stored it in small cups for easy snacks for the kids and also to easily throw in their lunches!

Thank you for stopping by! Enjoy!

Bonnie

Other great posts by Bonnie!

Crockpot Loaded Baked Potato Soup

Crockpot Pizza

Baked Sweet & Sour Chicken

Chicken & Biscuit Casserole

Lose Weight Naturally

Bonnie’s Home Tour

Easy Stove Top Cleaning

Easy Stove-top Cleaning

So many of you are asking how I cleaned my stove so easily today. Not only is it shiny and streak free but all the cooked on food is off as well. Well…….it took very little scrubbing and less than 5 minutes to do it!

Here is a before and after then I will share my secret!

First I will tell you the products I used are not only all natural and non toxic they are probably much cheaper than what you are currently using. Oh and they WORK! My secret is Shaklee’s Basic H2 and Scour off! If you have heard of Shaklee you know that they are the #1 natural nutrition company in the US. I have been using them for over a year now after trying to make my own and have fallen in love with them. They work, are safe for my family, and are even cheaper than making my own. Please feel free to ask me any questions! I would love to help you free your home of toxic cleaners and save money while doing it!

Thanks for stopping by, I hope you have a wonderful day!

~Bonnie

 

Other great post from Bonnie:

Gardening on a Budget

20 Children’s Books We Love

Sink Scouring

Fun Hairstyles For Little Girls

All Natural Germicide

Find me on Facebook too!

Easy Summer Bucket List

Today I am going to share with you how my children and I made a really easy yet fun bucket list for summer vacation. I don’t want to get to the end of their summer vacation and wish we had done this and that. Unlike some of the printable bucket lists out there this one you make yourself so you can make it for the things you and your family want to do and age appropriate for your children. My children are 7, 6, and 2 so we mostly geared it towards the older two kids. Here are the materials we used to make our bucket list:

A bucket, small container, or jar,

Scissors,

Markers or crayons,

Small strips of paper in two different colors.

 

Next I sat down with Adelaide 7,

and Colton 6,

…………and put together our ideas.

We used the pink paper for things we wanted to do outside of the home like a day trip or an adventure. We did things like, water park, hiking, bike ride, park, and other specific things we have around here we want to do this summer. Then on the yellow paper we put things that we can do around the house like, water balloon fight, sidewalk chalk, bake cookies, make play dough, bubbles, and so on. So then on days where we want to go out of the house and do something we will pick a pink card and when the kids need something to do at home they can pick a yellow card.

Then we folded the cards in half and put them in a container. The project only took us a few minutes and now we have a whole bunch of fun adventures for the summer! I am a simple kind of mom, nothing too crazy, fancy, or hard to do! What I like best about this list is you can make it just right for your family and you can add to it at any time!

Throw in extra surprises for the kids,

like a trip to the zoo to really shock them when they pull it out!

Have a great summer with your kids, make them remember all the fun things you did even if they are little things like blowing bubbles together!

Enjoy them, they are only little once!

~Bonnie

Did you like this post?? Check out these other great ones!

5 Fun Hairstyles for Girls

Gardening on a Budget

20 Great Children’s Books

Fun with my Family

Butterfly Footprints

Home Tour ~ Colton’s Room

Welcome back to my home tour! Today I am going to share with you my 6 year old son Colton’s room. When we first bought this home we knew immediately that this would be Colton’s room. It was decorated for a boy and it was the perfect size for our 3 year old little man. Eventually we intend to put Leon, our 2 year old boy, in here also but for now Colton has it to himself. One of the things we love most about this home when we first looked at it is the very large bedrooms, well two very large bedrooms and one small one. When we do have to put Leon in there too it is going to be quite crammed. About a year ago we finally remodeled his room, it was in need of a paint job and new carpeting. So we went with an older boy theme so it would grow with him and we wouldn’t have to redo it in a few years. So we went with a blue, tan, and orange color theme with a sports border that matched.

I think it turned out pretty cute!

This is what you see from the hallway looking in:

When we remodeled it we put in bunk beds, he was still sleeping in a toddler ben at 5 so we thought is was time!

Here is the family book shelf with all his special things on the top shelves:

Here is what the main part of the room looks like:

Below are some of the pictures we have for him on the wall. We also put Leon’s up there because he technically doesn’t have a bedroom. (Check out where Leon sleeps here, no judging please! )When each of our kids turned 1 we have everyone who celebrated with us sign this picture and each year on their birthdays I put their handprints on something to see how they grow each year.

Here is a shelf we bought at Ikea for all Colton’s favorite toys.

Below, the door on the right is to go out and the door on the left is Colton’s closet.

Here is inside the closet, nothing too exciting…….

Bins for organizing toys he has to ask for first to play with, like dress up stuff and legos.

All his hanging clothes…….

And toys, toys, toys!!!

Below is his dresser which I have been waiting for it to warm up outside so I can refinish it. I intend to paint it orange to really bring that color into the original theme. Once I get brave enough to do it I will share it with you.

Thank you for stopping by and checking out Colton’s room!

~Bonnie

Find me on Facebook!

If you enjoyed this post check out the others from my home tour!

Kids Bathroom

Master Bathroom

Mater Bedroom Walk In Closet

Master Bedroom

Laundry Room

Gardening On A Budget

Since I was a child Memorial weekend always meant planting the garden. I am from northern Wisconsin and we have a much shorter growing season up there so this is when we always started planting. There is still a danger of frost even when planting at the end of May. Now I am living a little farther south, in central Wisconsin but we still start planting around the same time.

So this weekend I got my veggies in!

I am really wanting to plant a huge garden with raised beds and all sorts of fun ideas from Pinterest but when some things changed for our family I new I wouldn’t be starting that this year. A few weeks ago our family received a huge shock when my husband lost his job. I know this is happening to many other people also and now I can truly feel for what others have been going through. It has been a hard time on our family adjusting to a change in income and also having my husband around all the time now. My husband is diligently working on finding something new so hopefully this will only be temporary.

But the unknown can be very scary!

So we are trying to make very smart decisions with our money right now and although planting a garden would save us money on our grocery budget, building raised beds right now really isn’t an option. So I was trying to figure out how I can still plant some things and save us money. So if you are finding yourself in a bind like us or in a similar situation or just love finding ways to save your family money you will love some of these tips!

1) Utilize the equipment you have.

Going out an renting or buying a rototiller is not an option for some so use the resources you do have. Like………borrow one from a friend or you can do what we did and just till up small areas by hand. I have this handy little hand tiller and it was worth every penny, and I think it was only about $20. Don’t quote me on that, we bought it a couple years ago at Menards. Here is what it looks like:

 

Also and old fashioned rake and hoe work great too. I realize if you are thinking of putting in a large garden these wouldn’t work well but for smaller spaces they work great.

2) Plant in already prepared garden space.

Use the garden space you already have available. Or if you have space that you want to landscape in the future prepare it and use it for your vegetables now and when you can, a few years down the road, you can landscape it how you want. Veggies can make very pretty landscapes if well tended though. This is what I did. The front of our home is landscaped with perennials but nothing was ever done with the backyard around the house and deck. So I tilled up around the deck with my handy hand tiller and did my planting there. So now I have beds ready for planting when I have the money and perennials I want to plant, but I can use it for veggies right now.

3) Get your plants from friends and neighbors.

If you are looking for perennials for your home a great way to do it is by asking friends and neighbors for some plants. Perennials tend to grow out of hand and need to be cut back every couple years and most of the time people are just happy to get rid of them instead of throwing them away. This is how I helped my sister landscape her entire front yard a few years ago. She really wanted to landscape but just didn’t have the money so I got perennials from a friend who just wanted them out of her yard. So my sister has a beautiful front yard and it cost her nothing!

4) Get accessories from friends or family who aren’t needing it anymore.

For my gardens I did over the weekend I got some old brick from some family who didn’t need it anymore to line the edge of my garden.

I also got some old fencing from my in laws to make some of my Pinterest inspired creations!

Here is a fence for my cucumbers to grow up:

I am also going to make one to grow my potatoes in like this, I just have to get soil and straw for the inside.

 

My husband also made this from some scraps of wood we had around the house. My son brought home a bean plant from school so he made this for it. We are just going to ask around for some left over chicken wire to staple up it for the beans to grow up.

So all I really ended up purchasing was the plants for my garden, I got everything else either from around the house or from friends and family. If you use your resources wisely you can go much farther than you thought!

Here are some more fun pics of our day planting!

Here are some rose plants my husband and daughter bought me a few weeks ago. They were looking pretty sad so I edited a few blossoms onto then!

And you can’t garden without one of these!

Thanks for stopping by! I would love to hear how you save money on gardening, comment below, I would love to share ideas!

Also come visit me on Facebook!

~Bonnie

If you liked this post check out these also:

White Chicken Chili

Fruit & Veggie Wash

Banana Bread Muffins

Home Tour: Master Bath

20 Greatest Children’s Books

Craft Cabinet Organization

Crockpot Applesauce

Fun Hairstyles for Little Girls 

 

Feature Friday ~ Scour Off

Welcome Friends! I am happy to have you here for another addition of Feature Friday where each week I share with you a different Shaklee product. I share with you how I have used it in my home and how it is helping my family for the better!

Today I am going to share with you another product from the Shaklee’s Get Clean Line. It is called Scour Off. It is an all natural scouring agent, that is very effective yet safe to use in your home and around your family. It contains no toxic or harmful ingredients and works so well! I am very interested in doing what is best and safest for my family but I also want it to work. I don’t want to say I use it only because it is safe. Today I want to share with you some of the ways I have used it in my home, these are not pictures off the internet, they are actual examples of how I have used it.

My top 3 uses for Scour off are:

1) Sink scouring

2) Stove top and oven scouring

3) Bathtub scouring (I don’t have before and after pictures of how I have used it in my shower but it is great for rust stains, soap build up, and any other scouring you made need to do in your shower and tub.)

Below is a picture of how shiny and beautiful my stainless steel sink looks after scouring it with Scour Off!

Don’t you just love how it shines!

Below is the bottom of my oven before and after scouring it with Scour Off! I also sprayed it with Basic H before scouring it to help loosen any baked on grime. You can learn step by step instructions as to how I cleaned my oven here.

Here is one great reason for your husband to love Scour Off too!

What a difference!

Another great example of how it can save you time in the kitchen is to use it to scour out your crockpot pan and baking dishes.

Some other great things I like about Scour off are:

It smells great! Unlike some scouring agents or pastes that leave you choking, Scour Off is made from cherry pits so you will never feel like you are inhaling toxic chemicals.

It is inexpensive and will last forever!

Thank you again for joining me for Feature Friday! I love to share with you how to make your home healthier and happy!

Bonnie

To learn more about the product featured this week go to my website.

If you liked this post and want to learn more, check out these other great Feature Friday posts

Basic H ~ Super Concentrated All Purpose Cleaner

Basic G ~ Germicide

Also find me of Facebook!

Feature Friday ~ Basic G ~ All Natural Germicide

Welcome back to Feature Friday, where each week I share with you a new Shaklee product that is changing my life and my family’s life for the better! Today I am going to share with you another product from Shaklee’s Get Clean Line. For me this is another must have for my home and family, with kids and pets in the home it is important to keep things clean and germ free, especially in the bathrooms and kitchen. I no longer have Bleach, Lysol, or any other disinfectant/germicide in my home except for Shaklee’s Basic G. A couple weeks ago I shared with you Basic H (you can find that story here), a super concentrated all purpose cleaner that does hundreds of things, the only thing it doesn’t do is kill germs, so I also have Basic G in my home for the areas I like to kill germs and keep them away.

Are you under the belief that just because it is sold in stores that it is safe for you, your home, your family, and also your planet?? Well think again! There is no Federal Drug Administration for cleaning products. If you are required to use bleach in the work place gloves and masks are required to do so. How many of you wear gloves and a mask to disinfect your home? I sure never did! Did you know that to dispose of unused household cleaners you need to take them to a toxic waste site? I didn’t until I found Shaklee’s all natural, safe cleaners and was trying to find out how to dispose of my old cleaners. I am not going to go on about the dangers of Bleach and other disinfectants, if you are still curious after reading this please look it up and learn more.

What I am trying to tell you is that these products ARE NOT SAFE for your family! The good news though is that there is an alternative and it is not only safe for you, your family, your home, and planet but it is all natural, and it will truly save you money in the long run. Yes you heard me right. It will save you money!

Here is what Basic G can do for you:

• It kills up to 99% of bacteria
• It kills 32 pathogens, while Lysol only kills 8
• It is non-flammable, non-toxic, and biodegradable

 

Cleans, Disinfects, & Deodorizes in 1 easy step!

 

Basic G has a three year shelf life. Its residual effectiveness lasts up to three days after application. Chlorine Bleach used as a disinfectant is effective no more than one hour. Great wherever disinfectants are used!

 

Basic G is the most effective!

 

• Keeps killing up to three days
• Kills 44 types of bacteria, fungi, and viruses-including HIV virus
• Use in bathrooms-toilets, garbage, diaper pails, appliances and pet areas
• Keep in spray bottle at kitchen sink-spray counter tops, cutting boards, faucet and refrigerator handling after preparing eggs, chicken, and meats to kill Salmonella
• Kills several animal viruses- including Canine Parvovirus and Feline Leukemia
• Use as an air freshener
• Safe for stainless steel and aluminum
• Spray on carpets and vacuum to eliminate odor

 

Like I said earlier, it can save you money too!

 

1 qt. of Basic G makes over 600 16oz bottles of antibacterial Cleaner like Lysol
1 qt. of Basic G makes 454 16oz bottles of disinfectant spray like Clorox

 

Tough on germs! Gentle on the Earth!

 

The two main ways I use Basic G is in a spray bottle for my bathrooms, counters, sinks, and anywhere else I want to kill germs.

I also love to make my own disinfecting wipes! Here is my recipe for that:

What you will need to make them:

• Paper Towel, I use Walmarts Great Value brand, it is a giant roll, and is exactly like Bounty but cheaper.
• An air tight  container, I use a 3qt container, but whatever will hold a half roll of paper towel will work.
• Measuring Spoons
• 2 cup measuring cup
• 2 cups of water
• Basic G
• Basic H, I add this also for extra cleaning power

What  do:

1. Cut roll of paper towel in half. It works best if you use a sharp, non-serrated knife and saw back and forth until you have cut through the paper towel. You should have two equal halves. You only need one at a time though, save the other for later.
2. Pull cardboard tube out of center of paper towel, this may seem strange to do before but I have found that if you don’t take it out before and get it wet it makes the towel smell skunky after a few days.
3. Place paper towel in air tight container.
4. In two cup measuring cup fill with 2 cups of water.
5. Add to water, 1 teaspoons on Basic G and 1/2 – 1 teaspoon of Basic H. After you have been using Basic H for a while you will feel comfortable deciding how much works for you.
6. Pour water and Basic H and G mixture over top of paper towels. Let sit until paper towels have completely soaked up water mixture, this should only take a few minutes.

You can use you disinfecting wipes wherever you would have used Clorox or Lysol wipes, anywhere you want to disinfect. They are great for travel too!

Are you interested in how you can purchase Basic G for your home and family?? It is easy! Here’s how!

Go to my website……http://bonniecveykus.myshaklee.com/us/en/, and become a member today! It cost $19.95 for a lifetime membership. What does a membership do for you? It will save you 15% off the retail price of all Shaklee products for LIFE!!!

Yes for LIFE!

If you are already a member or would like to check out the products I have talked about today here they are:

Basic G ~ Germicide

Basic H ~ Super concentrated all purpose cleaner

Also if you are interested in making the change to day and starting over with a complete line of Shaklee’s all natural cleaners find a Get Clean Starter Kit that works for you!

Thank you for joining me for another week of Feature Friday.

Bonnie

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