As we began planning our wedding one of the very first things we did, was ask our Instagram followers who they would recommend for a wedding DJ. Hands down, the number one response was Celebrations Entertainment! Not only does Celebrations Entertainment offer traditional DJ services, but they also offer photo booths which was something we knew we wanted! I personally love having the memento of a strip of printed photos to take home with me when I attend a wedding. For the DJ, we chose Celebrations Entertainment’s “Inclusive Wedding Experience” which is the premiere wedding experience that i ..read more

Ever since I moved into my house ten year ago, the back area behind my garage has been a nightmare to deal with. The soil the previous owners used to fill the space was garbage and on top of that, there is a solid concrete layer about 2 feet down. Between the crappy soil and the lack of space for plants to root and grow, it’s always just been a sad weedy mess. It’s also a well traveled and viewed area in my yard since anyone coming to my house walks right past it. Additionally, our back patio that we use every day faces out right at it. It’s a space that could become beautiful, but desperately ..read more

As pet owners, we often find ourselves facing unexpected challenges when it comes to our beloved companions. Cough Cough….Ernie eating basically ANYTHING and EVERYTHING is a GREAT example! One such challenge is dealing with a dog's injury, particularly a torn cranial cruciate ligament (CCL) in their knee joint. This injury is common in dogs and can cause significant pain and mobility issues. In the case of my beloved dog Chester, a TPLO surgery was the solution to his CCL injury.  Fun Fact- This is my 3rd TPLO surgery under my belt, so I basically feel like an expert at this point. Bu ..read more

Over the past few years Mike and I have talked extensively about updating our living room furniture, but we continued to disagree about what exactly we wanted so we never actually pulled the trigger on purchasing anything. Mike really wanted one large L-Shaped sectional, but the layout of my living room wasn’t set up to allow that. I have a large set of bay windows at the front of the living room and then two large wide entrances at other ends. In order to have an L-Shaped sectional we would’ve had to block the bay windows or block one of the entrances. Because of this obstacle, we decided tha ..read more

After living in my house for ten years, I FINALLY remodeled my laundry room to make it more functional and organized. The previous owners had installed a small shelf above the washer and dryers as well as a small bench, but since this is the main entry into my house, I needed more storage for hats, mittens & shoes etc. I knew that custom built in cabinets would be the best option for what I had in mind! Before After I hired Catalina Closets to design and built the custom cabinets and they were absolutely amazing to work with! I had a very specific vision in mind and they were able to ..read more

After ten years of owning my own home in the Madison area, I’m strangely proud to have compiled a list of my favorite home service providers in the area. I’m a typical Midwest girl who wants to find someone who doesn’t cost an arm and a leg while still finding someone who does a quality job. No one tells you that’s basically impossible to find in this day and age! Best Local Cleaning Service I’ve been using Magnific Cleaning for over a year now and it’s a game changer to have someone come in and do a deep clean of my house every other month. They even take everything out of your fridge and fr ..read more

One of the most exciting parts of getting engaged was creating a custom engagement ring at Soha Diamond Co. This small boutique jeweler in Madison, WI is known for their ability to custom design any type of engagement ring. The only limit is really your imagination. (Or if you’re someone like me who might now be quite as creative as that, they have a large selection of rings for you to browse to get inspired!) The ring designing process does take a few steps, but the nice thing is that the pace can move as fast or as slow as you want. I personally came into the experience without any ideas of ..read more

If you’re a seasoned gardener or a newbie you’ve probably heard and seen all the hype around Dahlias. They’re big! They’re beautiful! What more could a gardener ask for in a cut flower? And while all that is true…. I’m the girl over here telling you to skip planning Dahlias and instead plant Zinnias and Sun Flowers! The time & effort to grow these flowers is minimal and yet they still create show stopping bouquets. I’ve tried growing Dahlias for multiple years now and I’ve had very little success. When I’ve asked fellow gardeners what their secret is they typically say something like ..read more

I’m not someone who I would categorize as being especially “fit” or “in great shape”. I really enjoy being outside, but I’ve never been someone who can bike long distances. But I know SO MANY PEOPLE who do bike long distances and spend their weekends exploring Wisconsin on their bikes. To be honest….it’s always something I’ve really wanted to be able to do! Over the last few years, I’ve heard about more and more people getting E-Bikes, but I wasn’t quite sure if they would be something that Mike and I would use regularly enough to be worth the purchase. I did quite a bit of research and finall ..read more

I’ve been gardening for a few years now and two of the easiest and most rewarding items to plan in your garden are Tulips & Garlic. What makes these two plants even easier is that you plant them as bulbs in the Fall and then wait for the Spring/Summer to pop back up. Tulip Planting Guide One of the best things about plating Tulip Bulbs is that they come up year after year and they’re some of the first flowers to emerge in the Spring. To plant the bulbs simply dig a hole 4-5 inches deep. The pointed end of the bulb should point up and the flatter end of the bulb should point down into the ..read more