Chalkboard Menu

When I first created the chalk wall in our kitchen (at the end of August!), I envisioned writing out our weekly menu on it, but I admit, this week is the first week I've actually done that.  I got inspired by my gorgeous friend Carmel at Our Fifth House.  She's and her family have recently gone Paleo and she shared a delicious cauliflower hummus recipe on my health blog, Honey We're Healthy last week.

I definitely prefer to plan our meals for the week, but that doesn't always happen.  And recently, while I was doing the Live Fit 12-Week training program, I was eating the same thing over and over.  I still do that a lot (especially for lunches), but lately I've really been in the mood to cook.  

The chalkboard menu is a great visual reminder of what's up for dinner each night.  I used a chalk marker to write out our meals, and the pens do leave some residual ink behind.  I wipe my chalk wall clean with windex and paper towels.

OMG- the fajitas last night were so good!  I used this recipe to marinate the skirt steak overnight- highly recommended!  This salmon recipe was really good too.  Is Friday your "eat out/mama's not cooking" night too?? :) 

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Valentine's Day Manicure

In honor of the upcoming romantic holiday, I had some fun with my manicure opting for an accent color on my ring fingers.  I'm fond of this trend right now, are you??  Too bad my first fingernail is so short compared to the rest!  My 3-year old didn't seem to care.  When I got home from the nail salon and he saw my pink nails, he said they looked, "beautiful."  Melted this mama's heart.  I told him thank you and explained that all  girls like to be told they are beautiful- it's a nice thing to say.  You can't start too early;)

This is a shellac manicure (which I highly recommend because the paint stays fresh for about two weeks!) I don't recall the name of the pale pink color, but the brighter pink is called Pink Flamenco.  

I did my toes in the brighter pink too.  Maybe I can pair those toes with these BCBG sandals?!

Would be a sweet V-day gift!  Do you have anything special on your Valentine's wish list?

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Kids' Valentine Craft - Personalized Gift Bags

My son's preschool class will be having a Valentine's party and, over the weekend, we completed a quick, inexpensive Valentine craft for the kiddos.  We made personalized gift bags for everyone with muslin bags, an ink stamp, and red marker.  I got these 4x6 bags at Amazon (25 for $5).

I figured there will be plenty of sweets (I'm bringing cookies) at the party, so we filled the bags with goodies instead- bubbles, kazoo, and foam heart sticker.  

We got a little off track while stamping the bags . . . 

But that's part of the fun, right?!  The ink washed right off with soap and water.

I used a red sharpie to write each child's name.  (I put a piece of paper in the bag so the ink wouldn't bleed through while I was writing).  Then stuffed each bag. 

I hope they like them!

Each child is supposed to decorate a shoebox to collect their Valentines in.  I wrapped James' box with red polka dot paper left over from Christmas (from The Container Store).  

To personalize the box, I spray painted mini chip board letter and James stuck them on.  He also added the red heart stickers.  

I think we're ready for the party! 

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Craft Storage & Organization

Happy Friday y'all!  To kick off the weekend, I'm sharing how I keep my craft supplies all organized with Jen and her readers at I Heart Organizing.  Please take a visit and say hi! 

I've got Valentine's Day on the brain and hope to finish making some gift bags for my son's class this weekend.  I'm also hosting the classroom party and I LOVE getting to be around all these sweet angels.  What to bring??  I guess I'll be perusing Pinterest this weekend too! 

See you on Monday with whatever I come up with!

Becoming a Stella & Dot Stylist

Thank you so much for your support and encouragement regarding the launch of my Stella & Dot business.  Many of you have written to say that you wish me much success and I wanted to let you know I appreciate that so much!  It's time to announce the winner of the $100 Giveaway- congratulations to:  Ashley!

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Since announcing that I joined Stella & Dot, I've gotten lots of emails from readers like you wanting to know more about becoming a stylist.  I'm excited to share this opportunity with you! Most people want to know: (1) What is the initial investment to join? (2) How much do I have to work to be profitable? and (3) How much can I really earn?  Those are the same questions I had!  If you are interested in the answers, read on- if not, I'll be back tomorrow with more design/decor inspiration!  

I am a mom to an adorable 3 year-old son and have worked as a lawyer for the last 10 years.  While I loved my lawyer job, I wasn't fond of rushing to take my son to school each morning and working late, being stressed and feeling like I was living a go-go-go life. When the opportunity to become a S&D stylist was presented to me, I almost reflexively turned it down because it was out of my comfort zone, but figured it could be a great way to try something new and earn money on a more flexible schedule, while still working as a lawyer part-time. I knew that I had nothing to lose because you earn back your initial investment (as little as $199) after just one or two trunk shows, and since I genuinely adore the line of accessories, was happy to have some of my own! 

I dove right in, sharing my new business with all my friends and family and quickly started booking trunk shows and signing up new stylists to join my team.  I am naturally organized and ambitious and when I set my mind to something, I go for it!  Are you that way?  This might be perfect for you too . . . 

If you want to earn some extra spending money, income to pay the mortgage, or build a business that supports your family, you can make it happen as a Stella & Dot stylist.  You set the pace for yourself working as much or as little as you want depending on where you are in your life and your personal goals.  There are no quotas or sales requirements. 



I would L O V E to build a stylist team of bloggers and blog readers- how cool would that be?!  I have been so fortunate to connect with YOU throughout the years and build relationships across the miles.  I'm hoping that my Stella & Dot business is an extension of those friendships.  You don't have to live in Houston to join my team! Email me at: honeywerehomeblog@gmail.com and we'll chat about it!

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Stylists earn 25-30% commission on their sales and each trunk show averages $1,000 in sales.  If you want to layer your income and earn another 4-18% commission by building a team of stylists, you can do that too!  The initial investment is $199 (which is the purchase price for the jewelry you get to buy and keep for your trunk shows).  

A Trunk Show is a personal shopping experience at your home or place of business.  The Stella & Dot line is sold exclusively through stylists at trunk shows, not in retail stores. I would love to help you host a trunk show and hostesses earn $100s in free jewelry and shop at 50% off!

You can order any Stella & Dot piece through my website and I am happy to chat with you to discuss styling the jewelry and current sales and promotions.



I hope this answers your questions, but if you want to chat more, please email me and I will give you a call.  

-Megan 

EMAIL:  honeywerehomeblog@gmail.com

PINTEREST:  http://pinterest.com/honeywerehome/

INSTAGRAM: @honeywerehome

How I Keep My House Plants Alive

I should preface this post by saying that I've never been able to keep plants alive for long until I bought this variety that, even I, can keep alive with very low maintenance.  It's just one of those basic "closet plants" that I think I found at Wal-Mart. Any of you know the actual name?

I've managed to keep two of these plants alive and thriving for over six months- probably a record for me.  I don't know if this is technically the best way, but it seems to work for my plants:  I wait until they are drooping about like the photo below before I water them.

Then I take the plant (in it's plastic container) out of the ceramic pot and water it generously (letting the soil get a good soak) in the bathtub and let the water drain out the holes in the bottom.  

In about an hour, my plant is all perky again!

I do the same thing with the plant by our front door, except this one goes into the kitchen sink. 

Do you have plant watering tips?

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Super Bowl Party Recap 2013

Did you watch the game last night?! We hosted an annual Super Bowl party and had a fun, full house.  The weather was absolutely gorgeous, perfect for getting some friends together and hanging out in the backyard.  I knew we'd have a bunch of kiddos, so we rented a bounce house for the afternoon.  The kids (and some adults) loved it and bounced 'til dark.

For food, we served a slow cooked brisket and red beans.  The brisket was huge, about 8 pounds, so I was surprised there wasn't any left at the end of the party.  

We also made cream cheese stuffed jalepenos with bacon (I tried to make them a little healthier with low fat cream cheese and lower sodium bacon).  You just pop them in a 375 degree oven for about 20 minutes.  I made three batches and they all disappeared. 

Mexican 7-layer dip (refried beans, sour cream, salsa, guacamole, shredded cheese, olives, and green onions) and caprese skewers are a party staple.

Our sweet friends brought spinach dip (that I didn't get a pic of but was absolutely delicious!), and the cutest,  tastiest cupcakes and cookies.  

The kids REALLY had a good time playing together. 

And the adults did too!  I admit I didn't catch any of the game- or the commercials . . . just the half-time show. 

What did y'all think?

P.S.  My friend Emily (Decor Chick) is hosting a sale on Joss & Main today.  I know she'd love it if you want to check it out!

You need to be a member to shop the site, but it's FREE to join, you just need an invite, which I've included for you HERE. 

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