Gift Guide: Men

If you ask my husband, he thinks that guys are really easy to buy for.  I tend to disagree.  When it comes to trying to figure out what to get him for a gift (whether it's Christmas, birthday, Father's Day, anniversary), it usually takes a lot of thinking on my part to come up with a gift I think he'd really like.  Thinking back on the types of gifts I give him, I realized they generally fall into three categories: practical, interest-based and sentimental.

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Orange Creamsicle Cake with Orange Zest Cream Cheese Frosting

This cake almost didn't happen.  Between sick kids and feeling a little under the weather myself, this week completely slipped by and before I knew it, it was Thursday night and I realized that I had nothing, nothing, that I could share with you for this month's Year of Color theme of orange.  But my husband saved the day by running to the grocery store at 9pm last night and grabbing me some oranges and orange soda.  All so I could make this absolutely dreamy orange cake for you.  You're welcome. *wink*

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October In Numbers

Friends, October was one crazy busy month!  Sometimes I look back on these month in numbers posts and I'm shocked at how much happens in such a short period of time.  As I reflected on the month of October, I thought it would be fun to use single numbers to share just a few of the things that were a part of my month.  (Plus, I share a fun announcement that you may have missed!)

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DIY Box Frame Sign

Two days ago, I messaged my husband a picture and asked him how hard he thought it would be to make the frame pictured.  "Not hard," he told me.  "Good," I said.  "Can we make 5 of them tonight?"  And that's what's led to me spending pockets of time working on said frames over the last two days in between getting the kids to school, running errands, cleaning up the house and every other thing on my to-do list for the week.  But I absolutely love how they turned out!  Box frames are simple, classic and versatile.  Their clean lines make them perfect for framing both pictures, quotes and images.  They are modern and traditional.  Combine all this together and it's easy to see why they've become so popular in recent years.  With a little help from my husband, I was able to make five of them for less than $1 per frame!  As Christmas approaches, I'm always on the lookout for simple DIY gifts I can give family and friends and these box frame signs definitely fit the bill!

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How To Make A Thankful Tree

On November 1st, the Halloween decorations come down and in their place pop up fall and Thanksgiving decor.  One of my family's favorite decorations is a thankful tree that takes up a good portion of the wall in our family room.  It's giant.  I have to use a stool to reach the highest branches.  It takes a little bit of time to put together.  But we are going on our third year doing it and every year I love it even more.  My kids get excited when I tell them the thankful tree is going up and it warms my heart to see them so happy to share the things they are thankful for each day.  It's become one of our favorite Thanksgiving traditions and today I want to share with you how to make your own.

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