Etsy Inspired Pom Pom Baskets | Dollar Tree DIY

Whoa nelly!!!! It’s definietly been awhile since my last post! Can’t have any excuses, except I’ve been enjoying summer!!!! When June hit, summer vacation kicked in real hard as the family and I went on vacation to Beverly Hills to celebrate my 31st birthday! That’s right, Beverly Hills!!! The city in California’s Los Angeles County, home to many Hollywood stars!! I promise there will be a full travel post on that, which will be posted in my Family Adventure’s Page of my blog! But if you’re itching for some travel, feel free to check out that page for some traveling inspo!! | CLICK HERE for more TRAVEL |

After settling in after a long trip in Southern California, and back in the swing of things here in Sacramento, I was itching for more organization around the house. The kids are on break, and I needed more storage to make the house in “order,” to keep their HotWheels, gem stones, BeyBlades, marbles, fidget spinners and other knick-knacks in placed. I searched around my home for containers, because of course, I’m such a container/basket hoarder. Low and behold, and had a bunch of Dollar Tree wicker baskets hiding in the garage!!!

To give there baskets a facelift, I had extra pom poms from my latest DIY craft for my Summer Basket. Cheap, affordable, and inexpensive options to jazz up these simple baskets, that make DIYing so easy, you don’t even need a hot glue gun!!

Here, I present to you my Pom Pom Baskets!!! Pom poms are the summer trend for any basket! Etsy, to Pinterest, to Nordstrom, and Target you’ll spot these adorable precious poms poms from a mile!! If you search on Pinterest and Etsy, these summer baskets with pom poms are the “it,” thing! Instead of purchasing these beauties, why not just make them?!?!

Of course, a basket you can purchase anywhere. You can easily get wicker baskets from the thrift store, or even the DollarTree. Next, you need yarn pom poms. If you haven’t seen my post yet, you can check it out right below:

DIY Summer Bag | Pom PomAccessory

Supplies Needed:

  • DollarTree wicker baskets.
    You can also check out your local thrift store, if you want larger sizes at a great price! Otherwise, check out Michael’s or any other craft store to find a basket of your choice!
  • Pom Pom Balls!
    If you haven’t made pom pom balls before, again, you can check out my Pom Pom Accessory Tutorial | HERE. |
    For DIY Pom Pom Balls, you’ll need:
  • Yarn
  • Scissors
  • Chair

Once done creating your pom poms, you just need to tie them to your wicker basket, and that’s it!

What’s great about these pom poms,if you want to change the color due to the season, or redecorating your living space, or even using the baskets for an event, you can easily change them out!!!

 

These DIY pom pom baskets, are so beautiful and practical!! With so many uses, they can be used as a tote (like my Summer Basket) for a day on the beach or a trip to the farmers market or they can be used all around the home, for smaller items! They make great planters or are perfect storage for toys in the nursery or vegetables in the kitchen! They really can be used for anything! Extremely versatile and they add fantastic interest and texture to any room!!!

 

Stay tuned for my next few posts on our vacation in Beverly Hills, and more DIY home decor organization!!! Happy June!!!

 

Thrift Store Picture Frames

The first official weekend has finally passed, and I’m here at home styling any shelf I can spot within my home, that needs some additional detail. An easy personal touch to the home are family photos. Memories of the past, mile stones, or special occasions. Whenever the family and I have our yearly family photoshoot I almost immediately print them all out. From standard size 4×6 prints to 5x7s….By natural instinct, I print them out, to get the task of printing out of the way.

This weekend, I had finally gotten the opportunity to address the photo prints, and put them into frames. When it comes to home decor, buying frames is one of those home finishing burden’s no one really wants to do. Just like rolling up clean socks at the end of folding all your clean laundry. It’s the task that you saved at the end.

Well, I have some budget friendly/picture frame news for you!! The thrift shop has oodles and oodles of picture frames waiting for you!! Picture frames at the thrift store have been my staple for while. From $0.20-$.70, these decorative beauties have been saving my so much money, as well as providing my photos a well structured, good quality home to admire in my living space.

When it comes to shopping for furniture, or any home accent piece, I know that first-hand experience is important in helping you make an informed decision about the item you are purchasing. It’s easy to walk into Target, IKEA, ZGallerie, and Pier1Imports, but we all don’t have the funds to do so. So, thrift stores have been my first choice in anything home decor.

Thrift store shopping isn’t for everyone, BUT flea markets, garage sales, and Craigslist are also great alternatives for secondhand shopping. While others love spending $5-$15 for a one 5×7 frame, I can enjoy my 5-7 golden frames from the thrift store. You decide. Your savings. Your style.

Happy thrifting!!!

 

Parenting Feels

I’m one of those young moms. I had my first son when I was 21, and my second son at 24. If you haven’t done the math yet, I’m now 30 years old. Today, my 6 year old completed Kindergarten, and my oldest son is moving on to the fifth grade. The end of school year has finally arrived, and I’m now stuck with a  going-to-be 1st grader and 5th grader for 2.5 months.

Earlier today, my eldest son and I were walking to get drinks at a local boba cafe. While waiting for our drinks, my son sees two of his martial art buddies come in, and he gives me the eye signal to leave him. I receive the message and take my drink and sit outside. As I’m sitting outside I watch through the glass to see him mingle with his friends. At this time, I have so many feelings rushing through me, the disappointment of him dismissing me, for his friends, excitement in watching my son grow and mingle with his friends, and proud, that I was able to read his discreet signs of communicating with me.

I clearly remember when I was my sons age (9-10years old), being in the 4th and 5th grade and wanting social time with my friends. It’s that age of having your own social life, being dropped off to birthday parties for a few hours, and also sleepovers. Times, when I wanted to communicate with my mom about wanting her to step-aside from “my” fun always came out the wrong way.

I did such a poor job at communicating to my mother how I wanted to hang with friends. At times I would be clear and direct, but other times, obviously to avoid embarrassment, I’d bark out in an ugly tone to my mother on wanting to hang out with friends.

For that I am sorry to my mom. I was young. Naive. And spoiled.

Now, as an adult, and as a mother of a young child entering the chapter of having friends outside of his parents and younger sibling, it’s time for me to let my son break free just a little bit. Gain that self-confidence, and have him express who he is to others his age.

Gawd, it’s such milestone….I call this Parenting Feels. A rush of mixed emotions seeing your offspring grow into the people who they are coming to be.

Are you experiencing the parenting feels around this age? Doesn’t it feel weird? Exciting? Scary?

Comment below, I’d love to read your Parenting Truths!!

 

DIY Summer Pom Poms

It’s the last week of school for the kids, and I’ve already booked a full week ahead for us before we leave on our first summer vacation trip!!! From doctors appointments, seeing the orthodontist, dentist, and seeing optometrist. When I get a block of time when the kids are off from school, I typically go mom-crazy and book the kids doctors appointments. With all the appointments, errands and things I have to do, I have to be summer ready with a go to bag. And I’m not talking about no go-to mom messenger/cross body bag,  I’m talking about the big woven summer bags you see trending around.

It’s called the pom pom basket, or pom pom beach bag, or maybe the straw tote with pom poms. Whatever, you call them, its the bag of the summer!! Have it ready in the car, filled with your wallet, a go do light weight park blanket, water bottles, and snacks. It’s everything you need filled in this fun carry bag.

Last year, I had already a woven basket purchased from Target, but the pom poms were not included. What better way to add some pom poms with some yarn I already had!

Now, the lazy me didn’t want to do the technique of measuring out a cardboard circle, and creating a tool to do this. I honestly, dont have time for that. So after a few Pinterest & YouTube searches, I found the technique that works for me! Follow along my quick tutorial, to make these beautiful yarn pom poms, that only took me about 45 mins to make!

 

DISCLAIMER:

Step-by-step heavy, BUT if you’re a visual person, I took enough photos for you to follow.

Good luck & have fun!!

What you’ll need:

  1. Yarn (Colors of your choice)
    I chose a color scheme that paired well with my Target woven basket.
    (Dark teal, aqua blue, and a neutral cream.)
  2. Scissors
  3. Chair

Directions:

  1. Take your chair and flip it over, so that the legs are facing up.
  2. Tie your yarn on one leg of the chair, and start wrapping it around the leg across the tied-end.
  3. Keep wrapping, until your yarn is at 1/2 of the thickness you want your pom pom to be at.
  4. Next, take a string of yarn the length of how long you want the pom pom to hang from your bag.
    (It’s ok to do long, you can always snip off the access length.)
  5. Tie at point of how big you’d like your pom pom to be.
    TIP: Be sure to wrap the yarn using the strength of 2 yarn strands. This will lock the pom pom in place securely.
  6. Depending on the size of your desired pom pom, you repeat the tied knot along the wrap of the yard strands.Since I wanted larger pom poms, I only tied two ties. This made about 2 inch thick in diameter pom pom balls.
  7. Once completely tied and secured, cut through the strands leaving 1/2 the size of the pom pom, having equal lengths on each side of the tied knot.
  8. Now, you should have a bundle of card, with a tied knot and two strands hanging from it. Almost like a bow-tie like shape.
  9. Fluff out the strands creating the full figure of the pom pom.
  10. From here, using your scissors, trim down the pom pom to create a fuller, and goofier pom pom.
  11. Once complete, take 2-3 pom poms and hang them off your basket bag. Tie securely.

And that’s it! Repeat the steps over and over, until you’ve gathered enough pom poms for your bag or project. I ended making a couple for future projects!!!

 

Did you find this DIY tutorial fun and easy?! Comment below, I’d love to read your comments, what can I improve on, or what other DIYs shall I do next?!

 

Riviera Palm Springs

Last weekend, I shared one of the hotels I stayed at during a Mom Springs getaway in Palm Springs. Ace Hotel, was the UrbanOutfitters BOHO desert dreamland for travel goers. In this post, I want to share the second hotel I stayed at in Palm Springs. Summer vacation is right at our finger tips, so get ready to get inspired to book your next trip to the Riviera Palm Springs.

Riviera Palm Springs

1600 N Indian Canyon Dr, Palm Springs, CA 92262

The Riviera Palm Springs gives off that chic glam Hollywood style vibe. From polished finishes, leather sofas in the hallways, to plenty of Vegas red, transparent details on the ceiling. This hotel screams a Modern Palm Springs at its finest.

At the pool area grab a lounge chair, first come first serve, unless you reserve a cabana. Enjoy poolside, ice cream, cocktails, and a good summer read lounging by the pool. Hotel staff is ready at your service. Ice cream on me!!!

All throughout the hotel, the ornate mod details from lit up walls glowing with warm hues, to the carpet patterns, all scream, “We love patterns, colors, and fun!” The Riviera, won’t ever let you forget how well they decorate around their site. Hot colors, against white is a continuous theme.

Overall, the Riviera Palm Springs is a great resort! Dog friendly. DJs. Beautiful decor. Oh! And fire pits! Comfy cabanas,  spacious rooms, and plenty of free space to relax privately in the common areas. They havean incredibly accommodating staff, that make you feel welcomed. Grab a double Pina Colada at the poolside bar and float to your hearts content.

So have I convinced you yet to book your next stay at the Riviera?! If not, overall, Palm Springs?!?!?!  If you haven’t just yet planned your summer, Palm Springs may be a city to check out this summer!!

New to my blog? What’s up with my obsession with Palm Springs with my late posts? Click on the links below to catch up on some PS Travel!!!! More traveling posts on my Family Adventures Page!!

Previous Blog | REVIEW on my stay at the Ace Hotel And Swim Club

Mom Springs in Palm Springs

Enjoyed my blog? Be sure to follow me on IG and Twitter!! I usually post other content, and happenings on there, from where I’m currently at from shopping, weeknight gatherings, and coffee shop.

Ace Hotel & Swim Club

Mother’s Day is this weekend, and while I type out this post I’m looking at the wonderful photos I had taken during my stay 4 years ago. My Mom Springs post was an introduction to my Palm Springs getaway. As the kids and I only have about 9 more school days left of school, I’m definietly ready to go on summer vacation mode. A couple of Airbnb stays are planned, along with some family fun. If you haven’t read my previous post about my Mom Springs, click the picture below to get all caught up!! 

CATCH up with my Mom Springs post HERE.

As it’s mother’s day week* and I say week, because with all the work we mother’s do for our children, one day just isn’t enough. We all need to take time out, and get a little r&r. So if you’re looking into planning a trip for yourself, with girlfriends, or maybe with your spouse, the following hotel may be a place to check out!!

As I had mentioned in my previous blog post, during my Mom Springs, I had stayed in 2 different hotels during that weekend. One, was the Ace Hotel And Swim Club.

Ace Hotel And Swim Club

701 E Palm Canyon Dr, Palm Springs, CA 92264

The Ace Hotel is such an amazing chill resort!! Relaxed, hip, fun, and definietly kid friendly!! Which drove me nuts at the time, because although I was there for a “no-kid/no husband trip,” I couldn’t stop thinking about how cool it was if they were there with me. It took me a few times that weekend, and even to this day to shake things off like that to always feel like I need to constantly be with my family. Time alone as a mother is important.

Let me say it again, time alone as a mother is important. Think of it this way, your alone time as a mother is for everyones safety!! Everyone in the family knows this, and we as moms sometime forget, because we’re constantly juggling soo many things at once. That’s what the purpose of this trip was for. Time away for mama to recharge, and reflect.

Ace Hotel as a relaxed design and style feel. It was nice not to have to worry about the preciousness of anything.  I absolutely loved the pool area, the upper deck over looking it, the ping pong table, the variety of sunny and shady places to be, and the great open atmosphere and mixed crowd. There were tiny dogs, kids everywhere, couples, cocktails, books, and giant blow up pool toys (swans!). The surrounding view of the hills and tall palm trees was perfect.

I know it sounds like I’m repeating myself, but the Ace Hotel & Swim Club has so much character.

Want to play in the pool or read by the pool (I did both)? You won’t be sorry.

The pool was great, as they also have DJ playing music for the majority of the time. It’s totally ok if you’re in the mood for it, but if you want peace and quiet, the pool isn’t the place….It all depends your focus. People watch, and read. It’s all good.

Next time, I plan to reserve a room with the outdoor garden patio. I really loved the little nooks around the property with fireplaces and areas to relax as well. If you want to relax in your room and read a book; this is the spot.

Whatever your case may be, bring your friends, family or just travel solo. You won’t be disappointed to make the trek. If you want to explore the area, it’s perfectly situated.

Do you crave 1960s MOD Style? Rent a bike and peddle around the neighborhoods.

Thank you, Ace for a memorable weekend! Thank you, Palm Springs, for the sunshine!

Is it your turn to visit the Ace Hotel? — Sure is.

Mom Springs

Facebook has been reminding me of all the cool memories such as vacations I’ve taken in the past around this time. May, June and July are definietly the high traveling months for all of us, but as the boys get older, having their own activity schedules, it’s getting harder and harder to plan out a long vacation.

Earlier this week, I stumbled upon a Facebook memory of a trip to Palm Springs which I did with my older cousin. We called it “Mom Springs,” as it was a treat for the two of us moms, the weekend before Mother’s Day to relax and celebrate being moms, without our partners and children. It was a weekend trip to Palm Springs checking out two different hotels. One night at the beautiful luxury hotel of the Riviera Palm Springs, and then the rest of the weekend at Ace Hotel And Spring Club.

During our Mom Springs, we ate out, relaxed by the pool, and just enjoyed peace without being interrupted. Once place that I loved was FARM.

Farm is located right along South Palm Canyon hidden, in a quiet, charming, rustic, beautiful corner. It’s honestly, the best place for brunch.  If the weather is nice, you can sit outside under one of their many red umbrellas or smack in the middle where there’s a wooden covered area. If it’s raining, inside is just as quaint and adorable so you won’t lose either way.

Farm
6 Plz Dr
Palm Springs, CA 92262
With housemade jams, local produce, and really really good French press coffee, their omelettes, salads, and a few over-the-top French toast dishes, are to die for!!! There’s also a long list of crepes ranging from nutella and banana to ham and gruyere.  There’s also a brunchy cocktail menu with concoctions like a bacon-garnished Bloody Mary (Yum!) and a gin-basil cocktail.

If ever you’re planning a trip to Palm Springs, I’d definietly check out FARM. And as for my experiences with the two hotels……Stay tuned for my follow up blog post! Juicy, eye candy pics, that will make you want to book for your next trip to Palm Springs right now!!

Wicker Basket Tray Wall Art

Whenever I visit my parents house, I love “shopping,” around in search of things my mother probably does not need. Let’s be real, our parents love to hoarder things, from shoes, flower pots, kitchenware, or old bedsheets from when you were a kid in the 90s. This past weekend, I was able to score a wicker basket tray with handles from my mom which she had thrifted. She was using it as a stand for another tray that was placed on her small coffee table. A tray on a tray? You’re wondering? I was thinking the same thing..

I straightforwardly asked my mom if I could have it, and she plainly just said yes. Did I have a vision for this wicker basket tray? Not yet…..Well, not until I saw the Spring 2017 Catalog for Target. I’ve gathered a bit of inspiration from the spring collection, as home interior trends for summer are slowly coming in. From wicker basket textures, to boho, international ethnic bold mono marks. Target, World Market, HomeGoods, and IKEA alike are all over these summer time trends.

After collecting inspiration, I knew the perfect easy DIY for this wicker basket tray. All you need is a little hot glue, and some of my favorite greens. Succulents!

Here’s what you’ll need:

  • Hot Glue
  • Wire Pliers
  • Faux Greenery/Succulents/Air plants
  • Wicker Basket Tray

Directions:

All I did was break my greenery stems, and plastic air plants and arranged them on opposite sides of the wicker basket.

  1. Cut the plastic greenery using a wire plier. This tool comes so handy, especially when cutting wired floral stems.
  2. Arrange the greenery in a way that suites your liking.
    I love adding that natural flow of growth of the greens. Although they are fake, still style the succulent plants in a way that look natural and organic.
  3. Hot glue your greenery securely to the wicker basket.
  4. Nail on wall, and simply hang around your living space!
  5. Enjoy!

Wasn’t that painless? I love simple short DIYs that cause nothing, and take no more than 30mins! It’s literally ready to hang instantly!!!

Thanks to my mom for scoring this wicker basket tray from a thriftstore for under $3!!!!

Airbnb Getaway

I’ve been itching for an Airbnb trip for about 2 months now. My last visit to San Francisco was in January. So visiting San Francisco last weekend for a little rest & recreation with my husband is definietly needed. It was also my husband’s 31st birthday, so having a nice getaway together was absolutely well deserved.

For new readers to my blog, welcome! Once a month for business my husband stays in SF for a couple days at an Airbnb. Working remotely from Sacramento, he gets the chance to meet with his team, and be in the office. If schedule’s work out between him, the kids, and myself, we can usually squeeze in some mommy daddy time during his visit. This past weekend….We made it work. I’ve made the executive decision to skip out on one of my sons basketball games, including missing out on pictures!! (Yes! I know, bad mom!) BUT, am I really a bad mom?! A little weekend –parents only– getaway never really hurt anyone. Plus, I keep devote all my time to children here in Sacramento. So….Missing his game, and pictures. Not a huge biggie to me.

Every time my husband stays in San Francisco, he always at an Airbnb in one of our favorite “dream neighborhoods,”Potrero Hill. Potrero Hill is a residential neighborhood in San Francisco, California. It’s actually our dream neighborhoods if ever we return back to the Bay Area. It is known for its views of the San Francisco Bay and city skyline (right along 18th-20th St. CHECK it out!!!), and its very close proximity to many destination spots, and its sunny skies.

We’ve been using Airbnb for about 4 years now, and haven’t really turned back to hotels during vacations/mini-getaways.

UNLESS we get to stay for FREE using our Points we receive from our Chase Sapphire card. ;P

We do occasionally stay at a boutique hotel, which we did last February for our 16year anniversary – which we spent in Santa Cruz.

You can read more about our Santa Cruz weekend HERE at Hotel Paradox.

Overall, our getaways are usually at an Airbnb.

FUN FACT:

Running our own Airbnb is definietly a goal within the next few years!!!

Soooooo please stay tuned to watch me turn from an Airbnb renter, to host!!!!!

Our visits to San Francisco have been way more frequent than ever! Even while we were living in the Tri-city, we rarely came into San Francisco. So it’s just funny how life works in mysterious ways as we’ve moved to Sacramento, and now visit every month or so, and stay at a fabulous Airbnb for a few days to live like locals.

You can check out a video of one of our last visits with the kids in San Francisco. I made a separate YouTube Channel away from my TiffanysTidings channel to hopefully share more traveling adventures!

Click the icon below to watch!

The pictures shown within the post were taken at my last visit (in January) prior to this past weekends.

I’ll post more of my most recent visit next, so keep a look out for that, but please enjoy the pictures of this lovely Airbnb!!

If you like the Airbnb you see in this post check them out HERE!

It’s a Classic Victorian apartment in sunny Potrero Hill! As I mentioned earlier, Potrero Hill is my husband’s and mine’s FAVORITE neighborhood. The host Bethany, is originally from Seattle, and love’s the outdoors, traveling, reading, eating, meeting new people, and playing games, especially Settlers of Catan (Who doesn’t love Settler’s of Catan?!?!?! Junior version is also dope as well!!!)

 

Bethany’s Airbnb is again, in the sunny and quiet Potrero Hill, 1 bedroom/1 bathroom lower unit in a 1900s Victorian house. Great central Potrero Hill location, close to The Mission, Dogpatch, SOMA and walking distance to many tech companies (close to my husbands work, which is why he booked it!) Shuttle stops and Caltrain are near, plus, easy access to 280 and 101 freeways for those commuting down the Peninsula. Whole Foods is around the corner along with many great neighborhood restaurant options and local businesses so a car is not necessary when we stayed.

The place was so perfect for us! It’s a beautiful house in a great location. It’s so lovely, comfortable, and a well-appointed space. Bethany replied instantly to every communication and was very responsive to any request or question – KUDOS to being such a great Airbnb host. Loved how private and light-filled the apt was.

I love gathering home decor inspiration from all the Airbnb’s I stay at!! Can’t wait to host!!!!!

 

Plant & Pottery Passion

Since spring sprung, I’ve been bit my countless mosquitos, but also been bit by the garden bug!! I’ve been taken over by the spring air and have the itch of planting, potting, and improving my current backyard situation. That includes becoming the backyard farmer – as I truly am, and catering to my garden boxes, doing some major pruning of the backyard bushes, and weed work. And last but not least, just adding some life of potted decorative plants, and adding some backyard (budget friendly) patio living.

Since Earth Day just passed, I knew this would’ve been a great time to share a recent visit to the most adorable plant & pottery outlet in the East Bay. The Plant And Pottery Outlet in Sunol, CA. Located along the 680 highway from Pleasanton to San Jose, you’ll see this outlet. Every time I pass through, I ALWAYS want to stop at this place! So finally, one Sunday with my boys and my mom, we checked it out!

If you’re into succulents, tropical plants, and air plants, this is the spot for you!! They have wide variety of plants and of course gazillion pots to choose from.

Check this place out if you’re from the Bay Area, or Northern California!! You’ll love it if you’re into plants or fountains or pots.. Oh sister, you’ll be in plant and pottery heaven!!!

Plant & Pottery Outlet

6467 Mission Rd.

Sunol, CA 94586

You can check them out on YELP!! Give your sista a hello on the Yelp community as I’m a 2017 Yelp Elite!

Say whaaat?! I know! I’m flattered! What can I say….I check-in to A LOT of places!!

Just sign on to Yelp, can add me as a friend on YELP, and you can see all the cool spots I check-into from Sacramento to San Francisco on a normal basis! But I check into a lot of other places too! I like to think of my reviews and pictures a restaurant journal.

As you can see, there are SO many array of succulents and pottery assorts! They even have “broken” pots at a phenomenal discount!! (30%-40%-70% Off!!) I’m not kidding!!! Perfect for DIY projects, that’ll save you nickel and dime.

I suggest coming in with your sneakers, your pocket full of money to spend, grab your wagon, and head over to the Plant and Pottery Outlet in Sunol!!!

Will be back again!