I'm so excited!! We recently had the opportunity to buy some new couches for our living room! I want our living room to be a pretty, comfortable and inviting space. Each week we have a group of people from our church come over for a small group Bible study. Having comfortable seating for everyone is important to us. Now we're thinking about getting some pretty accent chairs to provide even more seating. I have a GREAT excuse to do some fun shopping! My mission was to find the perfect accent chairs under $150 that had excellent customer reviews. The good news is I found some awesome deals that will fit any style and I'm sharing all the sources with you! ... read more
Upgrade Kitchen Cabinets On A Budget
This post contains affiliate links for your convenience. See my full disclosure here. Would you like to renovate your kitchen but lack the budget to do so? I've got the perfect solution for you: Just upgrade your cabinets! If you don't have the money for a major kitchen renovation, consider a DIY cabinet upgrade instead. You'll be amazed at how a couple of low-cost cabinet projects can make a dramatic impact on the look of your whole kitchen! We did an upgrade to our cabinets in our own kitchen and this was the amazing result: The biggest result of our entire Budget Kitchen Makeover came from the couple of budget projects we did on ... read more
3 Ingredient Breakfast Cookies
Mornings are often a very busy and hectic time. Rushing off to get to school, work, or life events can be so stressful, right? I don't know about you but I can use all the help I can get in the mornings! Keeping an arsenal of super easy recipes is one way you can make your mornings easier. Today I'm sharing one of my favorite easy recipes. Let me introduce you to my latest obsession: 3 Ingredient Breakfast Cookies. I've made these bad boys at least 8 times in the last month. The way the sweetness of the ripe bananas pair with the creamy milk chocolate chips is really something to be savored. That may explain why every batch gets eaten ... read more
5 Minute Gift Set
This shop has been compensated by Collective Bias, Inc. and its advertiser. All opinions are mine alone. #UniquelyMine #CollectiveBias Do you get inspired to do something nice for someone but then never get around to doing it? You may not have time to send a card or make a gift. You've got too much on your to-do list to fit one more thing in. You don't want to have to make several stops at different stores to get all the supplies. I totally understand. This happens to me all the time. I'll often get inspired to do something small to brighten someone's day. I should send her a card That person needs a little encouragement I love how ... read more
Fear of Failure
Are you facing something that scares you? Is there a big challenge in your life that you're not sure you're able to handle? Is there something you're thinking about doing but you're not sure you have what it takes to accomplish? I know how you feel. I'm facing something right now, and I'm not entirely sure I can do it. Today I'm going to be honest about something that scares me. I'll share some of my fears in the hopes that I can get over them while inspiring you to get over your fears. Sound good? Okay! I'll go first... Before I do that, I'll have to give you a little background story... The girl in the middle of this ... read more
5 Minute Creamy Tomato & Rice Soup
You know those people that seem to do it all? Dinner is always on the table at the perfect time. Her home is always picked up. Her children are well behaved. She is seemingly able to complete every task set before her with perfection. And goodness knows she would never send her kids to school with their shoes on the wrong feet...like me. As you can tell, I'm not one of those perfect multitasking people. That's okay. I'm not good at doing multiple things at once. If I get everyone out of the house fed, clothed and on-time, then I count that as a win! If you're like me, then you're in good company! Life ... read more
Can you do me a favor?
YOU are important to me. Nothing brings me joy quite like reading a comment from a reader that one of my posts was inspiring to them. I want Carrie This Home to feel like a place that is the perfect fit for YOU. I'd like to know what you like (and don't like) about Carrie This Home so you can get the most out of your time you visit my humble little blog. So...... Will you please fill out this reader survey? I promise it will be quick & easy. The survey has just 11 questions and should take a couple of minutes to complete. Loading... Thank you so much! You are the best! ... read more
DIY Fabric Covered Bulletin Board
Once upon a time I made a plan. I decided to go back to work when both my kiddos were in school full time. Then my plan got thrown out the window (you can read that whole story here) Now I get to spend two days a week doing medical coding and I LOVE it! I needed a good bulletin board for work. I needed something to hang up important notes, memos and of course pictures. "Just go to the store and pick out a bulletin board" I thought. Sounds easy, right? The problem is I'm picky. A little too picky. I'm a lot like Goldilocks. All the bulletin boards I saw at the store weren't right for me. Some were too small. ... read more
How To Help Kids Eat More Veggies
I was thinking about calling this post "How To MAKE Your Kids Eat Vegetables" but let's face it. We can't make our kids do anything. Especially when it comes to eating healthy foods. I want my kids to eat veggies because they like to, not because I force them to. So I decided "How To Help Kids Eat More Veggies" would be a better and more realistic title for this post. Over the past couple years I've been gathering ideas that actually worked with my own kids. Some of these will work for you, while some of them may not. The key is to try some that you think will work for you and your family and celebrate each ... read more
Easy Board and Batten Tutorial
If I told you a couple of boards, some paint and some hooks can easily add character to a wall, you might think I'm crazy. I don't blame you for thinking that. I'd think it was crazy too. But then I learned about the magic of board and batten wall treatments. We installed one as a part of our mudroom project and this was the end result! The only difference between the before and after was some wood boards, paint and hooks. That's it. Well, maybe except putting away some coats, but we'll talk about cleaning another day... Who knew installing a couple of things to a wall would make such a difference?!? Let's move on to the ... read more
Easy Beef Roast
This shop has been compensated by Collective Bias, Inc. and its advertiser. All opinions are mine alone. #NourishingEveryday #lifehacks #CollectiveBias One of these days I'll have to learn my lesson. I have a habit of putting too much on my schedule, especially during the holidays. Let's take last week for example: One morning I had to run an errand on one side of town to pick up our Christmas cards. Then I had to run to the complete opposite side of town to pick up my son from school, and then rush off to help decorate for our church's Christmas party. I was ten minutes late (as I always am). Then I quickly got my son home in time for a nap so I ... read more
Easy Instagram Photo Ornaments
Easy Instagram Photo Ornaments I said I would never do it. "There's no way I'm creating another social media account" I said. Between my family, my job, and the blog, I've got too much to keep up with. Then I ate my words, gave in and started an account on Instagram. Now I'm hooked! It's such a quick and fun way to document daily life in photos (by the way if you're on Instagram follow me here!) The awesome thing about Instagram is it provides tons of great photos to use for crafts, home decor and gifts! Last year I made these adorable Instagram ornaments. I gave most of them away as gifts to the grandparents and they were a huge ... read more
Build Your Own Home Movie Theater
When I was in high school, I took a film studies course that made a big impression on me. It was fascinating learning about cinematography and all the work that goes in to movie making. Ever since that time, I wanted to have a movie theater in my home. Some dreams do come true! My hubby and I now have a 90+ inch movie screen in our basement. Yes you read that right--90 inches! We built it ourselves at a fraction of the cost of most home movie theaters. Our family loves our home movie theater because: we can snuggle and watch movies from the comfort of our own home there's no worries of germs from the public theater ... read more
DIY Photo Phone Case
I had a great experience making my phone case with CaseApp, so I thought I'd tell you about it in this sponsored post. My favorable opinion is 100% my own. You can see my full disclosure here. How much time do you spend on your phone each day? I spend way too much on mine. If I knew how many hours a day I spend starting at that silly screen, I think I'd cry. As much as smart phones make life easier, they also make some parts of life more complicated. I'm not a person that can do two things at once. So if I'm on my phone browsing Pinterest or Facebook, I have a bad habit of tuning everything else out. Including my family. I ... read more
DIY Desk On A Budget
My Dad was a man with brilliant ideas. He was a DIYer before that became a household term. Remodeling both bathrooms, painting old pieces of furniture to give them new life and building beds for my brother and I were just a few of the projects he did back in the day. He also had an idea for building a fully customizable desk on a budget. I loved the desk my Dad made for me because it was big enough to spread out all my textbooks & homework with room to spare. The best part is my parents didn't have to spend an arm and a leg for it! My Dad passed away in 2009. Now that he's gone, I'm realizing more and more how much I miss him. One way ... read more
Verses to Battle Fear
I didn't sleep much last night. I'm in a season of struggling with fear and I spent a good portion of the night trying to fight it off. Fear can easily take over, especially at night time. Thoughts that I can throw to the wayside during the day become much harder to ignore at night. After struggling to get my mind to rest, I finally took a Benadryl to help me sleep. The truth is, although it helped, medicine wasn't what I really needed. Because I've given my life to Jesus, he will never leave me or forsake me. I can trust him and the promises he's given me from the Bible in order to successfully battle off fear. I have and will ... read more
2 Ingredient Lemon Fudge
I've got an addiction. A healthy addiction. Let me introduce you to my minimal-ingredient-recipe addiction. There's evidence of my addiction all over the place, especially on my 3-5 ingredient recipe Pinterest board. I heart minimal ingredient recipes because they're budget friendly and are often easy to make as well. This addiction isn't so bad, right? I also have an addiction to sweet treats. {Who doesn't?!?} Lately I've been having fun making all sorts of different fudge recipes like orange cream fudge and candy corn fudge. Both of them are super easy and oh-so-delicious. Then one day a brilliant idea hit me. What ... read more
Frugal Crafty Home Blog Hop #149
I can't do it all. If I can be honest, it feels like I'm treading water just trying to keep up. My duties as a wife, mother, volunteer, part-time employee, church member, and blogger has kept be busier than I could imagine. Every time I think life will slow down and I can finally catch up on things, something else happens. The truth is I can't do it all. And I'm not supposed to. So with that said, I have an announcement.... ...I will be taking a break from hosting the Frugal Crafty Home Blog Hop. I've thought about this for a long time and after praying about it I feel Jesus is asking me to take a break from hosting the party to ensure my other duties ... read more
Frugal Crafty Home Blog Hop #148
I hope you are having a great and restful weekend! I was beyond thrilled I got to wear boots and a scarf to church today. The beautiful crisp fall weather has finally hit us. What have you been up to? This Week At Carrie This Home: After years of pinning ideas, one of my Pinterest board inspirations came to life! We turned our small 3x6 foot hallway into a mudroom. The board and batten treatment is not only beauitiful but functional. It gives the perfect place to store backpacks, keys and coats. If you like the board and batten wall treatment, follow along & subscribe because I'll be sharing the secrets on how to build one yourself. ... read more
How To Fake A Mudroom {When You Don’t Have The Space}
Want a mudroom but don't have the space for it? Here's how you can make the most of the space you have and turn it into a mudroom! I absolutely love my home. But that doesn't mean everything about it is perfect. I wish my home had a mudroom. Having a place to drop all of our jackets, backpacks, purses and shoes would be WONDERFUL! The only problem is we don't have the space. We have just a hallway. It's a measly 3' by 6'. That's it. Sometimes you have to fake it until you make it. My hubby and I decided to make the most of what we already have and convert this small hallway & closet into a fake mudroom. Today I'm going to ... read more
Frugal Crafty Home Blog Hop #147
Fall is finally here! I know I'm not the only one who's excited about that! Are you planning on making all sorts of pumpkin treats or is a cool night by a campfire more of your thing? Both sound good to me ;) Before we get to the party, I'd love to show you what I've been up to during this busy week. This Week At Carrie This Home: On Thursday night I shared a great new design concept from Dezignable. If you think you can't afford to have a professional designer, think again! I shared this deliciously healthy Sweet and Red Quinoa Salad which is a favorite around my house! Now Time For The Frugal Crafty Home Blog Hop! Welcome to this week’s Frugal Crafty ... read more
How To Get A Designer Look On A Budget
This is a sponsored post. I won't waste your time unless I think this company would be worth your attention. All opinions are 100% my own. You can see my full disclosure here. I love to take tours of beautiful homes and see different home designs. {That may be one reason I'm addicted to Pinterest!} A fun day for me would be taking a tour of model homes. Seriously--I could spend all day touring model homes! Why is that? One reason is because model homes are often designed and decorated by professionals and it shows! The ideas that professional designers create is so inspiring and exciting to see. I always thought hiring a designer ... read more
Sweet & Tangy Red Quinoa Salad
Today I'm bringing you a tasty & healthy salad recipe that makes the perfect side item for any meal! Sweet & Tangy Red Quinoa Salad Quinoa salad has become a favorite side item in my house for several reasons: the sweet and tangy taste combination is perfect it's really good for you! easy to make Are those enough reasons? Good because today I'm sharing this great salad recipe here at Sarah Titus.com. Hop on over to check it out! ... read more
Frugal Crafty Home Blog Hop #146
Welcome to this week’s Frugal Crafty Home Blog Hop! Amy from A Blossoming Life, Katie from The Casual Craftlete, Kristi from Making It In The Mountains and I are all excited to see your latest DIY projects, recipes and crafts! Featured Posts From Last Week: Lemon Thistle shared an awesome collection of DIY Yard Game tutorials that will make your next block party epic! I couldn't believe how easy it is to make a tote bag from a Tshirt (shared by Scattered Thoughts of a Crafty Mom) Now I know the next fun project I can do with the kids! DIY drawer knob pumpkins from Savvy Apron will get your home decor ready for fall in no time! Now it's time for the ... read more
Mouthwatering Fall Recipes & Frugal Crafty Home Blog Hop #145
I can't wait for the weather to cool down so I can enjoy all the the wonderful things of Fall. Changing leaves, crisp air, and everything pumpkin! I've got a great collection of fall recipe ideas to get you ready for Fall! All these great recipe ideas were linked up at last week's party! Mouthwatering Fall Recipes Pumpkin Spice Banana Nut Bread from This Silly Girl's Kitchen Caramel Apple Muddy Buddies from Life With The Crust Cut Off Homemade Pumpkin Pie Spice from To Simply Inspire Fluffy Pumpkin Spice Cookies from the Chemistry Cachet Pumpkin Coffee Cake from Three Kids and a Fish Baked Oatmeal Pumpkin Bars from Pancake Warriors Caramel Apple Bread from ... read more
Easy Homemade Oobleck {Fun With Science}
My hubby teaches high school science which comes with a lot of benefits. The first benefit is regularly asking him questions about the "sciency" stuff that completely confuses me. It also makes watching The Big Bang Theory really funny. He actually gets most of the jokes! He may have to pause it and explain to me why it's funny, but nonetheless he gets it. The best part is doing really fun science experiments with the kids! Like the time my hubby put dry ice in a bucket of water with soap to make smokey bubbles. The kids absolutely LOVED it and were entertained for a looooooong time. Then one day my hubby did another science experiment with ... read more
Frugal Crafty Home Blog Hop #144
Hello lovely friends! It's time for our fun blog hop again! If you're not a blogger, you are welcome grab a cup of coffee and hop around all the great ideas, recipes and DIY projects my blog friends have shared. Helpful Course for Bloggers Before we move on to the party, I have some special news for my blog friends. My favorite blog course, Elite Blog Academy is going on a flash sale on September 17th and 18th. The best part is you'll save $100 off the course price! If you'd like more information you can read my Elite Blog Academy Review here. Now Time For The Frugal Crafty Home Blog Hop! Welcome to this week’s Frugal Crafty Home Blog Hop! ... read more
Frugal Crafty Home Blog Hop #143
Congratulations to my party co-host Amy from A Blossoming Life as she returns to blogging after maternity leave! She's been taking time off to enjoy being a new momma to her sweet little girl. So glad to have her back! This Week At Carrie This Home: I'm a huge fan of ice cream (hey--who isn't?) I decided to experiment with a lemon ice cream pie and it turned out to be fantastic! You won't believe how easy it is to make and the sweet creamy lemon taste is perfect for this time of year. Now Time For The Frugal Crafty Home Blog Hop! Welcome to this week’s Frugal Crafty Home Blog Hop! Amy from A Blossoming Life, Katie from The Casual ... read more
Lemon Ice Cream Pie
I had good intentions of taking photos of this pie the first time I made it. Unfortunately, that never happened. I made the pie four times before I could save it from getting eaten and get some good pictures of it! Each time I was ready to take the photos, I found it was already eaten. This Lemon Ice Cream Pie doesn't take long to make but let me warn you..it gets devoured as quickly as it takes to make it! Oh well. I guess I should take that as a compliment, right?! Not only is this pie delicious, it's sooooo easy to make. I get really excited about is sharing a recipes that are deceivingly easy. I'll say things like: Oh.My.Goodness. This ... read more
Frugal Crafty Home Blog Hop #142
We finally got to enjoy some cooler weather this week and it was blissful! I'm ready to wear sweatshirts, sip on some warm coffee and enjoy the leaves changing colors. Bring it on Fall! Welcome to this week’s Frugal Crafty Home Blog Hop! Amy from A Blossoming Life, Katie from The Casual Craftlete, Kristi from Making It In The Mountains and I are all excited to see your latest DIY projects, recipes and crafts! This Week At Carrie This Home: I shared some BIG news this week. I don't want to spoil the news in case you didn't hear. For now I'll just say my plans for the next two years were completely changed. If you want to hear the ... read more
