We wrapped up week 1 of 3 (haha...sure) of online We wrapped up week 1 of 3 (haha...sure) of online learning and we’re all losing it a little. Things that are helping: pretending that we’re in the Mystery Machine, headed for a campground with a mystery to solve! Jude says the camp counsellor is pretending to be a ghost while Luca was busy getting “Honey” into her sleeping bag for the night. And then a pirate showed up, so this story is really getting good 😂

@playmobil is honestly a life changer because the kids get to build AND use their imagination. It’s a win-win, and let’s face it, we could all use a little win these days.

How are you all coping with kids at home?
Why yes, this is exactly what my dining room table Why yes, this is exactly what my dining room table looks like right now. No, there aren’t markers, papers, toys, food, crumbs and tears on it. Nope. Nope. Nope. None of the above. Everything’s cool and calm over here, folks.

(If it’s not abundantly clear, I am joking.)
What does your Monday morning look like today? We’re over here prepping for online learning (note computer on dining room table) and I’m using our @playosmo to get our kids engaged in some math and language activities before we really get going. Every time I post about our Osmo, I’m asked: “do you really like it?” And my answer is always “YES!” I mean, just look at these kiddos. Jude is obsessed with the tangram and Luca loves sounding our words - he was trying to figure out whether to use ‘k’ or ‘c’ for ‘cat’ here. To them, they’re “playing”...but we all know what’s REALLY going on! #unboxingosmo #osmosocialclub
Well it would seem that I just CANNOT figure out r Well it would seem that I just CANNOT figure out reels, but I’m not letting that stop me. I made one showing you the materials and steps to make this super easy ornament storage so would you go watch it, pretty please?

I’ve been using this method of ornament storage for 7 years and it all started with a cardboard box, some red cups and a single layer. A few years later I upgraded the system to multiple layers, used foam board and white cups and voila! Scroll over to see what I mean.

Would you try this? It’s super easy and you can probably still go ahead and just use old cardboard and whatever cups you have on hand. It’s the best thing I ever did for my holiday decor!! Just make sure you use double sided tape or hot glue to attach the cups - loose cups are no bueno!

If you do this, show me, ok? I wanna see everyone put away their ornaments with no breakage! 🙌
Ready for lots of THIS over the next couple of wee Ready for lots of THIS over the next couple of weeks...but with a puppy in the middle of it all. We’re picking up Taco on Friday so prepare yourself for puppy pictures ALL over the place.

Also: I’ve been feeling uninspired lately and have taken a little break from both posting and consuming when it comes to social media. I’m trying to soak up the holiday magic, read things other than captions (as I write this that seems weird), and even writing more things down.

This time of year always makes me reflective - less because it’s the end of a calendar year and more because it’s my birthday in 9 days. Yes. It’s on the 25th. Yep. Christmas Day. No, seriously. Yeah, Christmas baby! I don’t mind it now, but I didn’t like it as a kid. Oh you know someone who also has a birthday on (or very close to) Christmas! Cool! <— that was just me reacting to like every single conversation ever about having a birthday on December 25th. 😂
I’m still thinking about these adorable little @ I’m still thinking about these adorable little @tubicenlighting lamps that you just touch to turn on and off. And this cutie little door all decked out with a smart doorbell and lock. And the beautiful blue kitchen by @remodelcanada.ca. And all of the vanities from @canaromatoronto. And this gorgeous hardwood flooring from @coswickcanada.ca.

Can you believe this was all under one roof? @improvecanada has 350 showrooms and it was so much fun seeing how many we could get to yesterday.

I’ll be sharing lots more about @improvecanada in the coming months, but if you’re curious and want to go see it for yourself, they’re open! You can call and book an appointment or even have a customer service rep help you make an appointment at showrooms suited to what you’re looking for. Pretty great, right?
#improvecanada # ad #makeitright
So I made a thing and I’m totally in love!! Now So I made a thing and I’m totally in love!! Now I just need to gather all of the boys for an adorable family photo. Christmas miracle, maybe?

I made these sweaters for all of us last weekend using my @officialcricut Joy and now I may need to start personalizing a LOT more shirts around here! It was my first time using infusible ink and I love how the sweaters stays super soft! I may just be wearing this for the rest of the year!

O.S. If it wasn’t clear, our last name is Murray 😆

Have you made matching Christmas sweaters? What would be on yours if you did? # ad #cricutmade
Are you crafty? Do you know someone who is? Or may Are you crafty? Do you know someone who is? Or maybe you’re like me and you like to think you’re crafty but lack the patience to take out a whole bunch of things to make one tiny craft? Well then I have the thing for you. Meet the @officialcricut Joy! It’s tiny but mighty, and you can just have it casually sitting on a shelf waiting to be used when inspiration strikes because it takes up basically no room at all! I made these labels using mine, and you can swipe to see another easy project you can make with a Cricut Joy. It’s the perfect little gift! I even wrote a blog post about why I think so. I’ll share another Cricut project with you later this week!! # ad #cricutmade
Can you believe this room was completed two years Can you believe this room was completed two years ago? And I still love it as much today as I did then. And I still believe that my kids can have a fun, comforting space even if they don’t get to decorate it themselves with superhero bedding and Lego everywhere! But ALSO, I would never judge you if you’re that parent who does let your kids decorate with all the primary colours because you do you, boo and if it makes you and your kids happy, I say do the dang thing!!!

Ok that is all. Have a wonderful judgement-free day!
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Outdoors, Sponsored · June 29, 2013

I’m dreaming of a… new deck!

This post brought to you by Royal Building Products. All opinions are 100% mine.

Summer is in full swing, and what’s better than sitting on your deck with a cold beverage while your husband barbecues?  Not much, I tell you…  Here is where I run into a problem… my deck is not exactly the ideal lounging surface these days because it looks like this:

Nice huh?  It doesn’t help that it has been rainy and gloomy lately… As you can see though, this deck needs a lot of help, and therefore I have been doing a lot of daydreaming.  Wanna see?

[source]

Hey, I did say I have been daydreaming, ok?  And a girl can dream!  In terms of material, I would LOOOOOVE to see the wood gone and replaced with PVC decking materials.  If you’ve never heard of this before, I can tell you it’s a durable material that does not require painting or staining and which will not split or crack like natural wood or composite decking.  If you’re interested in finding out more about this product, head over to the Royal Building Products website.

On top of that little daydream, I’d also like to keep all the wonderful seating I have now on the deck because, yes, I do like a few things about our deck!  I’d love to see it become slightly more sophisticated, like this:

[source]

Not too unrealistic, right?  I’m not entirely sure what is going to happen with our somewhat sad looking deck just yet, but if I had it my way there would be some definite change in decking materials, colours (I especially like the Pebblestone Grey), and some design changes.  I’ll keep you posted on what the final outcome is, of course.  In the meantime, any ideas you’d like to share with me?

Daydream with me!

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In: Outdoors, Sponsored · Tagged: backyard, deck

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Comments

  1. Steph says

    July 1, 2013 at 12:05 am

    Love your ideas! Have you ever watched the show Decked Out? Great deck inspiration on that show. I hope you’re able to make some progress soon with your plans :)

    Reply
    • Thalita says

      July 1, 2013 at 10:35 am

      Thanks Steph! I love that show!! I’m just hoping to be able to sand and fix it up before making any really big plans, so fingers crossed that happens this summer!! :)

      Reply
  2. Rachel says

    July 1, 2013 at 4:18 pm

    Those look amazing, I’m a little jealous! I can’t wait to have a house with a proper deck or patio someday, instead of just the 8ft x 8ft slab of concrete that our condo complex pretends is a patio. ;)

    Reply
    • Thalita says

      July 1, 2013 at 7:07 pm

      Well this is the dream, right? Our deck is a long ways away from that! Don’t worry though… You will have a beautiful deck or patio of your own and you can show us all how to decorate it beautifully :)

      Reply
  3. Gail says

    July 2, 2013 at 10:54 pm

    I’ll be anxious to see what you do with it. Your deck has nice lines to it. I love the examples you shared.

    Reply
    • Thalita says

      July 3, 2013 at 7:01 am

      Thank you Gail! I’m excited to see where it goes, even if it’s not down the super expensive materials line right now. Lovely of you to stop by!!

      Reply
  4. ~ joey ~ says

    July 4, 2013 at 1:36 pm

    I dream of a new deck too as mine has a painted deckcoat surface that makes puddles in the winter due to the fact that it’s sinking and holding water. But it belongs to someone else so I really don’t have much say in the matter until we buy our own deck! ha ha! I actually really like your deck, I prefer wood as it’s more natural and that PVC stuff sounds all very good but it cannot be recycled, repainted (as it fades over time) or repaired like wood can.
    ~ joey ~

    Reply
    • Thalita says

      July 4, 2013 at 1:58 pm

      Wow Joey, you have managed to make me feel pretty good about my slightly old and weathered deck! I had no idea PVC could not be recycled (honestly, I hadn’t looked that far into it), but I think that’s a really good point! Thank you for sharing that!!

      Reply

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Weekend Winners ~ 14

Hey, I'm Thalita! Daydreamer, serial decorator, mama of twin boys, lover of thrift stores, fuelled by coffee! This is the space where I share my DIY triumphs and failures, as well as interior design inspiration and regular life stuff.

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We wrapped up week 1 of 3 (haha...sure) of online We wrapped up week 1 of 3 (haha...sure) of online learning and we’re all losing it a little. Things that are helping: pretending that we’re in the Mystery Machine, headed for a campground with a mystery to solve! Jude says the camp counsellor is pretending to be a ghost while Luca was busy getting “Honey” into her sleeping bag for the night. And then a pirate showed up, so this story is really getting good 😂

@playmobil is honestly a life changer because the kids get to build AND use their imagination. It’s a win-win, and let’s face it, we could all use a little win these days.

How are you all coping with kids at home?
Why yes, this is exactly what my dining room table Why yes, this is exactly what my dining room table looks like right now. No, there aren’t markers, papers, toys, food, crumbs and tears on it. Nope. Nope. Nope. None of the above. Everything’s cool and calm over here, folks.

(If it’s not abundantly clear, I am joking.)
What does your Monday morning look like today? We’re over here prepping for online learning (note computer on dining room table) and I’m using our @playosmo to get our kids engaged in some math and language activities before we really get going. Every time I post about our Osmo, I’m asked: “do you really like it?” And my answer is always “YES!” I mean, just look at these kiddos. Jude is obsessed with the tangram and Luca loves sounding our words - he was trying to figure out whether to use ‘k’ or ‘c’ for ‘cat’ here. To them, they’re “playing”...but we all know what’s REALLY going on! #unboxingosmo #osmosocialclub
Well it would seem that I just CANNOT figure out r Well it would seem that I just CANNOT figure out reels, but I’m not letting that stop me. I made one showing you the materials and steps to make this super easy ornament storage so would you go watch it, pretty please?

I’ve been using this method of ornament storage for 7 years and it all started with a cardboard box, some red cups and a single layer. A few years later I upgraded the system to multiple layers, used foam board and white cups and voila! Scroll over to see what I mean.

Would you try this? It’s super easy and you can probably still go ahead and just use old cardboard and whatever cups you have on hand. It’s the best thing I ever did for my holiday decor!! Just make sure you use double sided tape or hot glue to attach the cups - loose cups are no bueno!

If you do this, show me, ok? I wanna see everyone put away their ornaments with no breakage! 🙌
Ready for lots of THIS over the next couple of wee Ready for lots of THIS over the next couple of weeks...but with a puppy in the middle of it all. We’re picking up Taco on Friday so prepare yourself for puppy pictures ALL over the place.

Also: I’ve been feeling uninspired lately and have taken a little break from both posting and consuming when it comes to social media. I’m trying to soak up the holiday magic, read things other than captions (as I write this that seems weird), and even writing more things down.

This time of year always makes me reflective - less because it’s the end of a calendar year and more because it’s my birthday in 9 days. Yes. It’s on the 25th. Yep. Christmas Day. No, seriously. Yeah, Christmas baby! I don’t mind it now, but I didn’t like it as a kid. Oh you know someone who also has a birthday on (or very close to) Christmas! Cool! <— that was just me reacting to like every single conversation ever about having a birthday on December 25th. 😂
I’m still thinking about these adorable little @ I’m still thinking about these adorable little @tubicenlighting lamps that you just touch to turn on and off. And this cutie little door all decked out with a smart doorbell and lock. And the beautiful blue kitchen by @remodelcanada.ca. And all of the vanities from @canaromatoronto. And this gorgeous hardwood flooring from @coswickcanada.ca.

Can you believe this was all under one roof? @improvecanada has 350 showrooms and it was so much fun seeing how many we could get to yesterday.

I’ll be sharing lots more about @improvecanada in the coming months, but if you’re curious and want to go see it for yourself, they’re open! You can call and book an appointment or even have a customer service rep help you make an appointment at showrooms suited to what you’re looking for. Pretty great, right?
#improvecanada # ad #makeitright
So I made a thing and I’m totally in love!! Now So I made a thing and I’m totally in love!! Now I just need to gather all of the boys for an adorable family photo. Christmas miracle, maybe?

I made these sweaters for all of us last weekend using my @officialcricut Joy and now I may need to start personalizing a LOT more shirts around here! It was my first time using infusible ink and I love how the sweaters stays super soft! I may just be wearing this for the rest of the year!

O.S. If it wasn’t clear, our last name is Murray 😆

Have you made matching Christmas sweaters? What would be on yours if you did? # ad #cricutmade
Are you crafty? Do you know someone who is? Or may Are you crafty? Do you know someone who is? Or maybe you’re like me and you like to think you’re crafty but lack the patience to take out a whole bunch of things to make one tiny craft? Well then I have the thing for you. Meet the @officialcricut Joy! It’s tiny but mighty, and you can just have it casually sitting on a shelf waiting to be used when inspiration strikes because it takes up basically no room at all! I made these labels using mine, and you can swipe to see another easy project you can make with a Cricut Joy. It’s the perfect little gift! I even wrote a blog post about why I think so. I’ll share another Cricut project with you later this week!! # ad #cricutmade
Can you believe this room was completed two years Can you believe this room was completed two years ago? And I still love it as much today as I did then. And I still believe that my kids can have a fun, comforting space even if they don’t get to decorate it themselves with superhero bedding and Lego everywhere! But ALSO, I would never judge you if you’re that parent who does let your kids decorate with all the primary colours because you do you, boo and if it makes you and your kids happy, I say do the dang thing!!!

Ok that is all. Have a wonderful judgement-free day!
Put the finishing touches on our front porch this Put the finishing touches on our front porch this past weekend and I gotta say, this might be my favourite one yet.

Truth: I actually really dislike the exterior of our house. With exception of the front door, it’s pretty darn ugly. The 1970’s red brick mixed with buttercream yellow and burgundy siding are like the WORST combo ever. Add in little bits of the foundation which is painted blue and the concrete isn’t pretty either.

BUT those things don’t stop me from prettying up this little space anyway. Because for like 99% of us, making a home takes time. Renovating takes time. Even if TV shows and social media lead us to believe otherwise.

Now if you want to see some front porches full of personality and holiday cheer, all by Canadian ladies who get that nothing happens overnight, do I have a great lineup for you! Go check them out! #acanadianchristmasporch
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