Friday Pick-Six: 6/16/17

Here's what we are loving and living for this week!

1.  Father's Day is Sunday!  If you still need a gift for the Dad in your life, be sure to look back at our Father's Day Gift Guide.

2. Peonies are one of our favorite flowers.  Since they're only available for a small window of time in early summer, we are always looking for ways to help them last longer.  These tips from Effortless Style Blog will definitely extend the life of your peonies!

3.  Looking for a summer beverage with a little kick?  Give Trader Joe's Organic Jalapeño Limeade a try!  It's a little spicy, a little tart and great for a hot summer day.  Also, in case you were wondering, adding a little silver Tequila takes this up a notch!

4.  We often need a snack on-the-go and want something a little healthier than a handful of Goldfish crackers (although we do love those little guys!)  One of our current favorites is Sargento Balanced Breaks.  They're pre-packaged combinations of nuts, cheese and dried fruits that all clock in around 200 calories per serving.  Our favorite flavors are Sharp White Cheddar-Cashews-Raisins and White Cheddar-Roasted Almond-Dried Cranberry.  Ry swears by grabbing one of these before hopping in the car for her drive home so she's not starving by the time she arrives.

5.  As you know, we enjoy listening to podcasts.  Lately one of our favorites has been Pod Save America.  Pals and political insiders Jon, Jon, Dan and Tommy take on all the politics of the week and tell you what you need to know.  You can also check out Pod Save the World if you want a little international info.  These two podcasts plus a new longer commute are making Ryan into a world class genius.  Try them and see if they do the same for you!

6.  Summer time means ice cream as far as we are concerned.  For all the times you want something a little healthier than Dairy Queen, try Halo Top Creamery!  Their delicious ice cream is low calorie, low sugar and high protein, so you don't have to feel bad about eating the whole carton!  Ryan's favorites are Mint Chip and Salted Caramel and Jess can't wait to try Birthday Cake.

What are you loving and living for this week?  Let us know in the comments below and have a great weekend!

Twins Take On Home Improvement: Yard revamp!

Ryan here!  For the last few years, I have attempted a garden on the side of my house.  I generally get super excited the first week or so of nice weather, plant my garden and am psyched to eat tons and tons of fresh veggies all summer long.  And then... I get busy, it gets hot, and this happens.  This is an actual picture from last summer, guys.  Yikes.

So, this year, I started  I wasn't sure if I wanted to give the garden one last try or if there was something else I could do to make this part of my yard more enjoyable.  I started thinking, what do I NOT like doing outside?  That would be weeding, mulching and lots of manual labor.  What DO I like doing outside?  Relaxing, visiting with friends and having a frose or two.  I started poking around on Pinterest (what did people do before Pinterest?  Seriously) and quickly found an inexpensive and easy way to transform this spot into a space I will actually use and LOVE.

Unfortunately, I didn't take pictures along the way, but I used this tutorial from City Farmhouse to transform my former garden into a pea gravel patio.  The steps are straight-forward and even by myself, it really only took about a day to complete.  (Pro tip:  if you can swing it, ask your local store to deliver the pea gravel to you- this will save a few back and forths to your local Lowe's to pick up additional bags of gravel).  I happened to have some wood leftover from when we built my deck, but if you don't and want to use it for borders, you can also have them deliver a few pieces along with the gravel.

With the gravel down and the hard work behind me, then came the fun stuff.  First, I picked a color scheme- my house is a light grey/blue, so I decided to stick with shades of blue with some purple and red accents in both decor and plants.  Feel free to get creative here!

Next, I picked up some various plants at our local nursery.  I already had a couple of butterfly bushes planted nearby, but also got some taller grass and hanging plants (perfect for the plant hook that Jess and her fam gave me for a housewarming gift years ago).  I also got a variety of herbs- they are easy to grow in a container and perfect to throw into a variety of summer dishes, including cocktails.  Since I have a chain link fence, the plants serve as a bit of a screen as well as some visual interest for the space.  I followed out very own tutorial to paint some existing pots both navy and a robin's egg blue to tie the planters together and continue with the color scheme.

I picked up some great lounge furniture at Target as pictured here.

1. I love the idea of a loveseat for this space- it can be a great spot to relax solo (I'm laying on it as I type!) and also a comfy spot for more than one guest to relax on together.
2. How great is This table the top opens up so you can use it for storage (just beware because some water can seep through when/if it rains).
3. Throw pillows like this one and these are a great way to make your space look more lived in and comfy.
4. Even though this space is in the sun most of the day, I got some lighting to make evenings more enjoyable, including this little lantern and also these hanging lights.  (Keep in mind, even if you don't have outdoor outlets, they make lots of lights that run on solar power- just make sure to read the label to ensure you have lights that will work in your yard.)
5. Finally, I got this fire pit- who doesn't like an easy way to make some s'mores?

Check out these photos of the finished product!

So much better, right? 

Who's ready for a bonfire?

Just add margaritas!

Here's the cost breakdown:
- Patio supplies:  $100
- Furniture/decorations $200 (If you're shopping outdoor furniture at Target, keep an eye out for sales- they have had some great deals lately!)

I can't wait to enjoy it all summer long!  Do you have any summer yard projects in th works? Let us know in the comments!

DIY Painted Ceramic Planters

Hi friends, it's Jess here.  Now that it's warm outside, my thoughts of home decor have extended to our curb appeal and front yard.  When we moved into our house many years ago, the previous owners had two large ceramic planters flanking the front porch.  Over the years, we've used these planters for pretty annual plants, but I've always hated the boring color.  This summer, armed with a little Pinterest inspiration, I decided to do something about it!

Here's what they started off as:

I decided to choose a paint color that I found more pleasing than the current color (I guess one would call this rust?)  Spray paint seemed to be the best paint for the job because I need good coverage that will stand up to the elements outside.  I wanted high-gloss both for the durability and the look.  We did check and Lowes had a great selection of high-gloss spray paints from Rust-Oleum.  However, I had some paint leftover in the garage from a previous project, so I chose this bright blue.

My next step was to clean out the pots.  I started by emptying out any dirt and flowers leftover from last year.  Then I gave the pots a good washing, using a little Mrs. Meyer's Multi-Surface Cleaner diluted in a bucket of water and a sponge. Then I made sure the pots were nice and dry, leaving them out in the sun for a while.  You better believe these things were pretty dirty after sitting outside for the past several years!

On to the paint!  I waited for a sunny, not-too-windy day so I could do the painting outside.  You want to get outside because spray paint fumes are no joke.  I also wore gloves and sunglasses to protect my manicure and eyes.  I spread an old cardboard box (you could use a paint tarp if you're fancy) on the driveway (to protect it from any errant paint) and got to work.  I gave the outside of the pots an even coat, trying to prevent the paint from being too thick or thin anywhere.  Then, I let the pots dry for the recommended 5 minutes before spraying again.

After drying for a few minutes, I sprayed any bald spots, trying to ensure even coverage and a smooth finish.  I think one of the keys here is making sure to allow the paint to dry completely before moving on to the next coat (just like nail polish).  For me, I did 4 coats in some places, but you might need more/less, depending on the paint colors you're using and your base color.

Finally, I filled the planters with potting soil and put in a few colorful annual flowers and some mulch.  Check here for some tips for planting containers.  Plant and water your plants and voila!  Curb appeal success!!

Would you ever try painting ceramic containers?  Let us know what you think in the comments below!