How I Destroyed My Bedding (and what I bought to replace it!)

Anyone who knows me knows that I’m no Martha Stewart. I’m not even close. I burn popcorn in the microwave, I leave my clothes in the dryer for days, I always forget about the pasta boiling on the stove, and my mom still has to remind me to take my vitamins. Yesterday, I hit a new low- I ruined my bedspread in the washing machine.

Earlier in the day I noticed that my pristine white comforter wasn’t so white anymore. I poured some laundry detergent in the washing machine, stuffed the comforter inside, closed the lid, and turned it on. About an hour later I returned to take my comforter out of the washer. I looked inside and not only was my comforter still covered in soap, part of it had gotten caught on something and ripped. Upon further inspection, it also had burn marks in several places. Doing what any young, 20-something would do, I called my mom. Apparently, it’s hard to fit feather-filled comforters in a standard sized washer. Good one, Liz.

I went to Marshall’s that afternoon to pick up a new comforter and I find a really cute one! It was on sale for $49.99! The designer is Cynthia Rowley. I absolutely love the coral and aqua blue colors that were chosen. It absolutely lights up my room and gives it more color.

My walls are white, and while I love the look of cleanliness white creates, sometimes things get white-washed. I wanted to avoid that when choosing a new comforter. I think it turned out well!

 

Something else I avoid in a bedroom is having a boring nightstand! I don’t want it to be cluttered but I like to stack coffee table books and a decorative piece or two for some visual interest. Tell me what’s inspiring you in your bedroom with a comment below!

Hot Cocoa Mason Jar Recipe

Happy Monday friends! Only a few days until Christmas and I’m in panic mode. I have so much left to do and not much time to do it. Last night, I spent a few hours baking and being creative. Notice I said a “few hours”. I never knew it took so much time out of your day to play Martha Stewart. I started out by baking gingerbread cookies (recipe to come tomorrow) and went on to make mason jar hot cocoa mix. Lucky for you, I saved the recipe and instructions!

Step 1: Get all the ingredients out, trust me it saves time.

• 4 (8 ounce) mason jars
• 2 cups of cocoa powder
• 1 cup of sugar
• 4 teaspoons ground cinnamon
• 10 crushed up candy canes
• Bag of mini marshmallows

Step 2: Layer 1/4 cup of sugar, half a cup of cocoa powder, and 1 teaspoon of cinnamon in each jar. Have a butter knife handy to even out each layer. Follow this by layering the candy canes and then the mini marshmallows in each jar. Use as much or as little of the candy canes as you see fit. I like a lot of peppermint!

Step 3: Print out heating instructions and attach it to the jar with string.

“To serve: Remove the marshmallows to a plate and mix together the remaining ingredients in the jar. Bring 1 cup of milk to a simmer over low heat. Add 3 tablespoons of hot cocoa mix and stir until completely combined. Pour into cups or mugs and top with marshmallows before serving.”

Step 4: Add a festive bow on top of the jar and then take a photo for Instagram!

I’m giving these as cute gifts to a few friends. They’ll be impressed simply because they know how bad I am in the kitchen. Hopefully they feel loved too because I hate spending time on things like this, and believe me, I spent hours perfecting this! I guess I really can do anything when I force myself to. At least it made for pretty pictures!

Secrets of the Martha Stewart Types: How to Get Your Life Together

Have you ever walked into someone’s home and thought you were in the midst of another Martha Stewart? Yeah, story of my life. These types have it all together and are never frazzled (they also wear dresses or some cute outfit everyday). I know these ladies all too well and I admit to being envious. It leads me to think, what can I do differently?

Life Made Simple

The first thing these people tend to have is a very intense schedule. Their scheduling books (because its never just on their iPhones) are packed with every day’s activities. Personally, I have no desire to keep a schedule. My life isn’t nearly cool or important enough to keep one. But for those of us who are fairly busy, buy one!

Along with their schedule they seem to have lists made up of everything they need to buy for that week. I notice on Instagram the popular bloggers take photos of their lists or what they buy every week. One thing they tend to buy weekly is flowers for their home. I truly believe that some sort of living thing in the home lifts the spirits. My favorite flower is a Peony. However, I cannot afford this weekly and I somewhat doubt they all can either. Find a flower that’s a little less expensive and you can still have that energy flowing in your home.

People who have their lives together also tend to make meals ahead of time. They designate one day a week just for cooking (usually a Sunday) and they prepare all their meals for the whole week. This particularly applies to those who don’t have families. I found some great containers for keeping food in for the week. Sistema!

Another glamorous element of these individuals is their morning ritual. Now, before I go any further I hate mornings. They are of the devil, especially if you have school or work to go to in a few short hours. However, you really can get a lot done. Workout, take a shower, get ready for the day, do a few chores, enjoy some coffee on the terrace. It all makes the day a little better.

They spend the weekends enjoying life. This is why the chores are important to do during the weekdays. Go do something fun. Hang out with friends, BBQ, lay on the beach, find a quaint area to sit around and relax. Just do something that makes your life worth living. If you live for work, you’ll also die by it.

Have you ever noticed that these Martha Stewarts are also well connected? Its because they participate in so many different things! Find a cause you would like to work for and a group that focuses on it. Donate some time with them and make some friends. I am a Child Ambassador for World Vision International and I’ve met a lot of neat people through that.

Finally, put value in yourself and your life. Realize that you are worth every effort you put into life. Build confidence in who you are and be around people who are positive and won’t put you down. There’s nothing worse than someone who’s toxic!

Comment, like, and share!

~Liz