Relax, Unwind and Breathe for Good Mental Health

When I worked in corporate America, I used to have a Friday after-work ritual. First, let me back up and lay the groundwork.

For most of my career, I commuted out of state for work. Needless to say, by Friday, I was fried. 

My Go-To Routine

After work, I would stop at the supermarket and pick up the goodies to get my evening started right! This would include cheese, crackers, grapes, shrimp, nuts--cashews preferably and sparkling cider.  

I don't drink alcohol...Lord knows I could have used a drink after commuting and dealing with people all week...but I digress. As I was saying, I'm not a drinker, so my drink of choice is usually sparkling juice or cider or one of a variety of sparkling waters.

The other day, I treated myself to a little self-love by laying out a really nice cheese board. I paired it with a corked bottle of Val de France Organic Sparkling Apple Pear Juice.  I had been dying to try this non-alcoholic beverage. They make a variety of flavors. It's a little pricier than Welch's, but I did enjoy the taste.  I'm saving a bottle of apple pomegranate for a future self-love session. I'll link this Val de France sparkling beverage here:

I took my time and savored every slice of cheese, every grape, every pretzel, EVERYTHING.

I cannot tell you how refreshing it was to slowly sip my sparkling beverage! Did I mention that I served it in a wine glass? I did!  I felt like I was pampering myself. It was so good! 

I miss those evenings when this was part of my regimen. 

Make Time For Yourself

We should make more time for ourselves. I believe I may have been in a rut, but I'm climbing out. I'm going to carve out some special time every once in a while to re-charge. Put on some oldies, take a bubble bath and just chill.  

By the way, let me recommend a fantastic bottle opener to pop the cork on your next bottle of bubbly. I tried the Crenova Electric Wine Opener and it was so easy to use.  Just press a button and it pops the cork right out of the bottle. Simple as that. 

The wine opener is part of a set that includes a stopper, charging cord and few other attachments. It makes a nice gift if you're in the market for something in the $25 - $30 range. Here's a link for your convenience: 

Crenova Wine Opener Gift Set

Take a Breather

Everyone could use a little down time, right? Close your eyes right now for a few seconds and breathe. Just breathe. Take a few deep breaths and enjoy the feeling of air flowing through your lungs.

I hope you're inclined to give yourself a breather. It's so important for mental health. Besides, you deserve it!

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Home Improvement Prep - Avoiding The Rabbit Hole

Isn't it funny that as soon as you start one project, it leads to another project, and then another? It never fails. You think you're going to touch up the paint on a wall and you end up painting the entire room. And not just painting the room, but painting it a whole different color. 

The Rabbit Hole

And now that you've re-painted the room, the drapes no longer match. So you have to replace the drapes. And you can't just replace the drapes in your living room without replacing the drapes in your dining room because the two rooms are connected and you must have a consistent flow. Right?

Oh, and you noticed that the rug is just a tad too beige or gray and is throwing off  the blue in your new drapes. What to do? What to do?

So now, you're down a rabbit hole that could possibly lead to endless home improvements.  Who can relate?

I had to stop myself the other day as I was about to go down this road again. 

Make a Plan

So before I picked up a paint brush and hammer, I started a spreadsheet of all the things that I wanted or needed to do in my home, room by room. I even listed furnishings and other improvements that I wanted for each room. I tried to prioritize the list as well. I kept it very simple.

You can do the same, regardless of your budget. If you're thinking of making any changes in your home, large or small, try planning ahead by creating a project plan or wish list. Here's a sample of what you might include on a project plan for your living room: 

This was a very helpful exercise for me. I constantly refer to it. It also comes in handy when hubby asks me what I'm planning for the house. 

Again, if your budget is $50 or $50,000, believe me, it pays to plan. If you do this, you're less likely to go off on tangents or get caught up in budget-busting random shopping.  

I hope this was helpful. 

Have you ever been down the home improvement rabbit hole?

Disclosure: Links contain affiliates. When you buy through one of our links we will receive a commission. This is at no cost to you. Thank you for supporting Life on Greenwood and allowing me to continue to bring you valuable content.

Lemon Decor Dollar Tree Tablescape and Review

I finally found a full set of those Dollar Tree lemon plates and it only took me five years! I went to, whew, I don't know how many Dollar Tree stores trying to complete the set! I had previously collected a few saucers,  mugs and glasses or stemware a couple of years ago but I could not find the plates. 

Two years ago, I found a single plate. Last year, nothing.

What's So Nice About Dollar Tree Lemon Dishes

This year I was successful!  I found plates and bowls. I was so happy! Just so you know, these dishes are not cheap-looking. The colors are vibrant. The dishes (bowls, mugs, plates) have substantial weight to them. I know they're only a dollar, but I'd say they look just as good as other pricier merchandise out there.  

So I did a lemon-themed tablescape that included green glassware and dishes that I had found at my local thrift stores. It felt so good to finally unpack my old lemon pieces and display them with my new stuff. My table looked awesome!

For more on my how you can do a lemon-themed tablescape, check out my Youtube video:

Don't wait to hit Dollar Tree for these dishes. You may have to go to more than one store to get a complete set, but it will be worth it!

Note: Dollar Tree has an online store, but you usually have to buy items in multiples.

Disclosure: Links contain affiliates. When you buy through one of our links we will receive a commission. This is at no cost to you. Thank you for supporting Life on Greenwood and allowing me to continue to bring you valuable content.

Peach Cobbler Easy Recipe

How are your baking skills? Well, I did a thing the other day. I made my very first peach cobbler! You couldn't tell me anything when that thing came out of the oven! And it was delicious! 

I took the recipe from several sources. I watched a ton of videos and googled my little fingers off until I was sure I could pull it off. 

Funny thing. My mother could whip up a peach cobbler in no time. The recipe was in her head. Hers was lightly sweet and juicy. And the dumplings! This was a thickening dough that floated around in her cobbler that gave it a spectacular consistency. Oh, my God! And there was no pre-made or store bought pie crust. Everything was from scratch.  

Well, my mother was a better woman than I because I knew I wasn't going to be making anything from scratch! Let's be real. Regardless, I was going to give my first peach cobbler my best shot!

Ingredients Needed For Peach Cobbler

So, my final recipe was a blend of several that I had found online. Here's what you'll need to get started:

2 cans of sliced peaches in syrup

2 pre-made pie crusts made of dough

sugar

brown sugar

ground cinnamon

ground nutmeg

butter

cornstarch

vanilla extract (I didn't have any)

For step by step details of  how I made my first peach cobbler,  watch my video below:

Baking Instructions

Pre-heat oven at 350 degrees

In a large mixing bowl, add the following and stir well:

2 cans peaches in syrup

1/2 cup sugar

1/4 cup brown sugar 

I like a sweet peach cobbler. Use less sugar if you don't have a sweet tooth like me.

To your peach mixture, add the following:

1 tablespoon cinnamon

1/2 teaspoon nutmeg

Stir well

Melt 1 stick of butter in a pan.

Add peach mixture to the pan of melted butter and stir well

Cook on medium heat and allow to thicken.

Add 3-4 tablespoons of cornstarch to help with thickening process

Stir well

Line pyrex pan with pre-made pie crust dough 

Pour in peach mixture

*Optional: Make dime-size dumplings from leftover pie dough and add to peach mixture before covering. You'll thank me for this!

Cover the pan with a pre-made pie dough or cut dough into strips for a more decorative look.  

Brush melted butter over the top of the pie dough to help with browning

Bake for 30 minutes or until golden brown

Conclusion

My first peach cobbler was a huge success! 

I hope you'll try this recipe. Drop me a line if you do or send me your favorite peach cobbler recipe. 

Disclosure: Links may contain affiliates. When you buy through one of our links we will receive a commission. This is at no cost to you. Thank you for supporting Life on Greenwood and allowing me to continue to bring you valuable content.

Rock Garden for Beginners

Got a bare patch in your backyard? Grass won't grow? Create a rock garden!  To say we had bare patches in our backyard is putting it mildly. We had a desert! Over the years, a huge part of the backyard had become shaded by a tree and the desert was getting bigger each year. This combined with our personal neglect lead to a dry, dusty condition. So, we hired a landscaper and lawn treatment expert to help rehab our lawn. Before they got started, I decided to mark off a small area for a rock garden.

I've never done this before, but I was confident that I could make this work. So, let's start at the beginning!

Where do you get rocks? Your big box hardware store, nursery or quarry carries rocks. But if you live in Connecticut, you should be able to find rocks right in your backyard. We had tons of rocks! I spent a few hours digging up large and small rocks and moving them over to the area that I mapped out for my garden. 

Prepping The Soil

I used a rake and a hoe to clear pockets of dead grass and weeds and did my best to get the surface as clear as possible.

I then rolled out weed blocker on the cleared area and used the larger rocks around the perimeter to hold the sheets in place. I cut holes in the weed blocker where I planned to add plants. 

                                      

  

Adding Plants

Speaking of plants,  I chose PERENNIALS, which means that they will come back year after year. Below are the plants in my rock garden:

• 2 Hostas (one transplanted from the front yard)
• Miniature Rose bush
• Black-eyed Susan
• Lily (type unknown) 

I should mention that I used a little potting soil as I planted my flowers. I did this to make sure that the plants had enough fertile soil in which to grow. Remember, that area of our back yard already had a reputation for being hard on grass and plant life, so I wanted to give it as much help as possible.

Don't Forget to Mulch

After all the plants were in, I covered the area with red mulch. Mulch is great for suppressing weeds and helping soil retain water. It's also an attractive addition to any garden or landscape. 

                                          

Lastly, I placed large and small rocks randomly around the plants to add a little more visual interest. There is no right or wrong way to do this. What I wanted to do was make it look like the plants were growing out of the rocks. I would have added more rocks, but my back was killing me!

I hope you're inspired to start a rock garden of your own. For more inspiration, please check out my DIY Rock Garden video below:

Disclosure: Links may contain affiliates. When you buy through one of our links we will receive a commission. This is at no cost to you. Thank you for supporting Life on Greenwood and allowing me to continue to bring you valuable content.
 

Creative Home Office Organization Idea

 

Have you ever considered using a garment rack as the focal point in one of your rooms?  I had been staring into a blank uninspiring corner of my home office every day. It didn't bother me too much because I'm not a fan of clutter or filling a space just for the sake of saying it's decorated. But when I came across the Instagram post below with a garment rack and neutrals as the base, I wanted to see if I could recreate a similar vignette. 

What appealed to me most about the inspiration post was the sense of calmness that I got from the neutral palate. Several articles of white clothing hung from a garment rack surrounded by a white backdrop. 

White shoes lined the bottom of the garment rack, adding to the crispness. An oversized vase of pampas and candles complimented the scenario. Matching hangers also added to the cohesive look.

Time to make this happen!

PREPPING 

Step One: To get started with my recreation, I needed to clear my garment rack. I had several resale clothing items that needed to be addressed ... sell, donate or discard. Done!

Step Two: Find neutral-colored clothing.  I used a mixture of whites, creams and beige sweaters, blouses and pants for my vignette.  Instead of white shoes, I used a pair of taupe high heel pumps, camel-colored  kitten-heel sling backs and a pair of taupe flat pumps. 

FINISHING

My new palm plant added an organic feel and softened the vignette even more.  I balanced the garment rack on the other side with a mannequin, which just happened to be covered in white fabric. It turned out great! 

I found my mannequin (dress form) at a thrift store for $20, but I'll provide a link to a similar product here which might interest you:

You can also shop my garment rack with this link:

I love looking across the room and seeing this calming vignette! It so organized! 

Here's a short video of  how I completed my office refresh:

I reached out to the Instagram blogger @kyesssentials to thank her for providing such an inspiring photograph.  I also tagged her in my social media posts. I think it's important to give credit where credit is due.

Disclosure: Links may contain affiliates. When you buy through one of our links we will receive a commission. This is at no cost to you. Thank you for supporting Life on Greenwood and allowing me to continue to bring you valuable content.