This is gonna be so much fun!

September 2026 – Reclaiming my Living Room

September 2026 started terrifyingly for me and my family. She is OK now but my mom had a very scary couple of days. She text me one morning that she wasn’t feeling well and not two hours later I got a call from the emergency room that they were life flighting her to another city. My mom never smoked, was never over weight, was always active, always ate pretty well and didn’t drink much either. Regardless she has fought and survived 3 bouts of cancer over the last 25 years, the last one was not even a year ago. The first cancer treatments damaged her heart so she has a pace maker as well. Read More »

Throwing back to how I Covered up an Outdoor Eyesore

Like several things over the last ten years this room divider I made out of a privacy fence panel did not last forever. I really liked it for the years it was there though! I thought it was super cute and solved my problem entirely. With it gone this eyesore is still an eyesore though my Virginia creeper vine has just about covered it up in the summers. I’m planning on recreating my privacy fence divider using lattice and creating a “wall” to the north here beside the door to provide a north wind break in the winter. It will also give my vine something to climb on and cover up. Read More »

August 2026 Fresh dinners out of my Garden and Pickling!

In early August 2026 with my divorce finally completely over and totally official forever I took four days off from my day job. With a consecutive six days off in a row it was my first real vacation since 2018, the year I met my ex husband. Yes, I did go on a couple of “vacations” while we were together but I did nothing I wanted to do and they were both truly terrible experiences for me. Never allow an abuser to take you away from your safety net: your car, your home, your family. I don’t know if I’ll ever trust going anywhere with anyone again or, at least not without my own mode of transportation: I.E. the ability to escape. Read More »

July 2026 – Growing Wildflowers, Vegetables and Loving my Pond!

July 2026 many of you have been asking for pictures of my pond and I’m finally to a point where I can share without being too embarrassed lol It was kind of a disaster for weeks. If you were wondering: NO this L-shaped ditch is not the pond I had envisioned. I, unfortunately, was not here when it was dug and apparently this is what the guy translated when I said, “A kidney shaped pond behind and around my garden.” I was confident I had explained it clearly but obviously our ideas of “kidney shaped” were very different. Read More »

June 2026 – Summer Somehow Flying By

June 2026 the month here that always flies by and we’re all left wondering how its July already and how are we really half way through the year!? Our weather in June was super extreme this year. We did get some rain though it came in with MAJOR storms so I never did have to actually water an acre of baby trees (yet) but early in the month we also actively saw extreme heat as well. Daily I looked out at my temp gauge in the direct sun on my deck and it was over 110 degrees. Read More »

May 2026 – Starting out for me with TREES!

My May 2026 started out with an email on the 7th that I had been waiting on since February. It was time to pick up my 350 tree seedlings! I got the email on a Thursday night at 5:30 and immediately my heart plummeted. Their times for pickup were Mon-Fri 8:30-4:00 so unless I was going to skip out on my day job I would have to get them that very next morning or my little seedlings would be sitting in a box all weekend and I couldn’t let that happen! Not that my boss didn’t know this was coming and would have been totally understanding – I still made it to work on time. Read More »

Finally Fixed and Finished My New Front Door!

Lodi hired a couple of goons for $1,300 to rip apart the front of my house, uninstall my 100 year old door and put in the exact OPPOSITE door that he “supposedly” ordered from them. I had trusted Lodi with this and he claimed they ghosted him and just never returned. So, I’ve been living with it ever since. It took me a long time to tackle this for a lot of reasons. Mostly because it made me really really mad! I spent $1,300 for this?! While all of my home projects generally make me happy and excited this one well, not so much… so, motivation was hard to come by. Read More »

A little sign my Grandma Painted Forty Years Ago

Flash back to 1986 the year I was born my parents planted five acres of blueberry plants with the plan to open a you-pick blueberry farm. The blueberries are still there purchased and now operated by my brother’s mother-in-law. As a teenager I worked the patch for several years. Forty years ago my Grandparents (who owned this farm before me) had just retired from farming and milking and my Grandma loved to paint. She hand painted dozens of signs for the patch and this is one of the last ones that remains so, of course, I will keep it forever! Read More »

Adding a Filter to Solar Fountains for my Pond

When I planned on getting a pond dug for my wildlife here I knew I would need to keep the water moving or it would be nothing less then a breeding ground for mosquitoes and no one wants that in their back yard! Mosquitoes require standing water to hatch their eggs which usually takes 24-48 hours from start to finish. So, as long as the water is moving, their eggs can’t hatch so, even before I got my pond ready for water, I had already ordered five solar fountains. Read More »

Planting 350 Tree Seedlings on my Back Acreage

On May 7th I got the news that I had been waiting for since February. It was time to pick up my 350 tree seedlings! I got the email on a Thursday night at 5:30 and immediately my heart plummeted. Their times for pickup were Mon-Fri 8:30-4:00 so I would have to get them early that very next morning or my little seedlings would be sitting in a box all weekend and I couldn’t let that happen! (Not that my awesome boss wouldn’t have let me leave work early I hate to do that because our Fridays are our crazy busy days.) Read More »

Throwing back to my Beachy Fire Pit that I made for my Yard

Aw you guys look at the barn still standing so beautiful in the background! If you have a low budget, this is a great firepit that you can DIY yourself. I loved this fire pit for years until Lodi moved in and he hated it… Not sure why, maybe it just wasn’t nice or fancy enough for him. He also hated my idea of a blooming no-mow lawn. He got rid of it right away and then, over the years, we spent a lot of money putting in a weedless lawn over top of where it was. Yeah I’m going to be working really hard in replacing all that grass I helped pay for lol. A couple of years ago I did at least build myself a replacement firepit that I also love. Read More »

Paint and Stain Makeover – Jewelry Box my Grandparents’ Made

This little jewelry box has been waiting for me for a long time. Like with so many things I have around here many of them I’ve been keeping for as long as I can remember. Whether using them, living with them or decorating with them because I love them. Or, in this case, because one day I wanted to finish them. My grandparents retired from owning a dairy farm and converted their barn into the wood workshop of their dreams. They were very talented wood workers. They built dressers, hutches, end tables, you name it. They were particular and careful and very good with molding and finishing. Read More »

My Completed Guest Bedroom – It only took ten years!

It may have taken ten years but the room I designed to be an office is finally my office and this room, the room that was always meant to be a guest bedroom, is finally my guest bedroom. For those who have been following along you know this all started back when I was trying to make a guest bedroom out of the other, much smaller, far less private, room on my main floor. I can be totally dense sometimes but I finally got there in the end! I am so excited with how this room turned out and to show you my finished office soon too! Read More »

Throwing back all the way to my very first Kitchen Reveal

The last post I wrote about my kitchen was back in 2024 when I was doing my “ten years then and now” blog posts but besides that I haven’t given you guys an update on my kitchen since 2019! So, my little kitchen might be in need of a makeover and I do have some new things here to share with you guys. I’ve always found that I like cooking in galley kitchens more than any other design so I was happy that this home was ideal for that as I love to cook. Read More »

I Have a New Tool Room!

This whole reclaiming my house thing has been pretty cool but this worked out better than I could have hoped for. This room was a back hall with an outside door and big closet when Lodi moved in. He needed a gun room to lock because of his arsenal he wanted to start purchasing. With his arrest he is finally gone for good which has left me with this quite unnecessary “room” totally empty. He talked me into swapping the outside door here with the window in the guest bedroom and adding a wall and door to create this space. I really wish I hadn’t done any of that… but it turns out I might be able to get some use of it! Read More »

Rearranging Rooms all the way Back to 2017

So last month I shared a lengthy blog post with you guys about making the room that shares the big stained glass window with my living room into my guest bedroom again. Lodi had emptied the room in anticipation of making it into his studio /den. So the room was empty and I still needed a guest bedroom. We’re going to rewind now all the way back to 2015 when I renovated this home and created that room by enclosing the last of the screened in porch. At the time I designed it specifically to be an office. Read More »

Throwing Back to my first Office from the screened in Porch

I forget that this room was a porch once! Writing these once a month throwback posts, my ten year update posts as well as our current blog posts all at the same time has been really cool for me. We’re currently in the middle of working on this little room yet again. This is where it began and from there its transformed a number of times over the years. I think the current transformation in this room becoming Lodi’s den is the one that’s going to stick though I was so proud of this reveal post. I loved how my office turned out all those years ago! Read More »

Whole House Update – the saga of things snowballing around here

Checks notes: Ok… at this point the snowball effect going on around here has pretty much impacted the whole house lol so I thought I should do a house update with photos and a bit of a recap. It all started with my deciding our television just had to move to a different wall in our living room. (I made the mistake of proclaiming that it just could not go anywhere else in that space and my silly brain took that as a challenge…) I can’t blame it all on that though as I’d been silently just DYING to ditch our guest bedroom and give Lodi a den instead. Read More »

My Ground Turkey Chili Recipe, a Petite Take on my Original

My calico bean chili recipe is a lovely, rich and saucy take on chili that I totally love. Its more like a stew and has all the warmth, pork and veggies you could ask for on a cold winter day and is totally ideal for dunking grilled cheese. However, I find myself making this take on that recipe a little more often as its lighter by using ground turkey, has a lot less ingredients, is a much smaller portion and takes quite a bit less time and work to make. Which works a lot better for me now as I’m only cooking for one and no matter how good a recipe is I really can only eat it so many days in a row lol. Read More »

My Ground Pork and Turkey Smash Burgers

I’ve been wanting to make a smash burger ever since I saw dozens of recipe videos that went viral. My favorite idea (which oddly I haven’t even tried yet) is spreading your raw ground meat onto a tortilla then cooking it meat side down “smashed” on a flat top until its done. Then you fold it in half around all of your favorite toppings and eat it like a taco. Smash burgers are much simpler, basically just ground meat that’s cooked on a flat top and smashed as they cook generally on top of finely sliced onions. Read More »

My Homemade Stock – Bone Broth Made SO Easy with Boiling Bags

It was over five years ago when I came out with my first ever food recipe here on the blog which was how I make homemade stock. Well, in the years since, I’ve found some short cuts that have made it SO much easier I had to share them here. First, I keep a gallon size zip lock bag in my freezer to catch all of my vegetable scraps and egg shells. Of course you don’t have to make this with anything else besides chicken but I love that I’m not wasting even egg shells as they’re an awesome source of calcium! Read More »

My Smoked Gouda Shrimp with Angel Hair Pasta

I make this wonderful shrimp dish whenever I think I deserve to be spoiled. I don’t consider myself a “fancy” cook by any means – I’m definitely more about simple comfort food. But I think this recipe comes across as fancy even though it is really quick and easy to make. The lightness from the spinach and fresh tomatoes really cuts through the richness even though its wonderfully buttery and cheesy all the way through. Read More »

Aunt Sharon’s Lasagna with my Twist

My aunt Sharon’s lasagna recipe is one of those full proof crowd favorites that I’ve reached for often for any potluck or dinner party. Like any lasagna recipe it is a bit labor intensive and this one also has you making the tomato sauce from scratch. It is VERY worth it though! My aunt’s base recipe uses ground beef and the only vegetable added was onion. My version includes more veggies and I never have ground beef on hand so… Read More »

My Fresh Egg Bake, a light and easy meal for any time

For me any time of the day is a good time for breakfast! My got-to is a cheese omelet, the eggs whipped up with salt, pepper and parsley and cooked around a slice of American cheese. My mom’s go-to while I was growing up was two scrambled eggs and a slice of buttered toast. I know a lot of people add milk or something to their eggs but we never have. (Actually that’s why a lot of omelets turn into scrambled eggs.) I got into making breakfast burritos and egg muffins to keep in the freezer for easy meals but my lazy side was too much for making muffins. So, I started making egg bakes! Read More »

Cutting Down and Painting a Stool to fit a small Desk

I’m not sure why or when I ordered this little stool off of Amazon but its been floating around my house for years. As stools go its pretty basic and I’m not real fond of the “natural” wood color its trying to pull off. Its never really had a home but when I put my desk in my new guest bedroom it needed a stool. Unfortunately though it was a few inches too high. Fortunately though I know how to cut things. Read More »

Throwback to a cute little desk I picked up for $5 and updated

Goodness this post takes me back. This was before I got rid of that horrible wood stove in the middle of my kitchen and replaced it with a pellet stove. Conveniently the very spot I was filling in with this little desk was perfect for my new stove. I liked having a surface here on the other side of the sink though and this desk did that just fine. She isn’t with me anymore but I got years out of her for only $5 from a garage sale! Read More »

Throwing back to when I scored a Rocking Chair at an Estate Sale

Not everything is built to last and I haven’t been totally surprised that I don’t always still have the pieces from these throw back posts. That’s not the case with this big old rocking chair though. I’ve really grown to love it over the years and its currently back upstairs in my master bedroom where it feels like it belongs. Its sturdy. It was absolutely built to last and I love how handsome it became with the coat of sleek black paint I gave it. Read More »

Throwback to free Wicker chairs I gave a bold red makeover

My throwback this month was my score of these adorable little wicker chairs. I enjoyed them for several years after this makeover but, unfortunately, they didn’t last forever. It was my fault at least a little for leaving them outside one winter – wicker in northern Minnesota just isn’t going to make it for very long. I loved them when I had them though! They were surprisingly comfortable and I think they turned out so cute! Read More »

Throwing back to When I Refinished my Grandma’s Step Stool

I guess it was bound to happen with my going back with these throwback posts… But this one really makes me feel all kinds of bummed out as I no longer have Grandma’s old Cosco stool. It eventually broke down on me after I don’t even know how many years of working in this kitchen. It was a crappy day to say the least. I held on to it fully broken for months before finally parting with it. I’ll be the first to say that I never save anything for good. I’ll use the fancy stuff, the important stuff, the sentimental stuff every single day because stashing it away and “safe” somewhere makes no sense to me. But I miss this old stool, she worked hard for me for many years and always made me think of my Grandma. Read More »

Throwback to my Refinishing two Sweet Country End Tables!

A couple of end tables that turned out far better than I ever could have hoped… As far as before and afters goes I think this might be my proudest moment. I’m not sure what these end tables screamed before I refinished them but it wasn’t great. Maybe 70s basement? All they were missing was the wood paneling element… Honestly I wasn’t sure what was going to be under that orange stain (and years upon years of living) but as soon as I started sanding I was blown away. The solid wood tops on these were just absolutely GORGEOUS. Read More »

To Grandma’s House we go! (Wednesday Link Party #527)

Welcome to the To Grandma’s House We Go Link Party #527. The weather is still holding and I got my basement painted! Still lots of touch up to do etc. but I’ll have lots of pics to share in my blog post this weekend. My dad has moved on, heading South to skip the winter here and I am a little conflicted about it. On one hand I am really relieved to have my couch back but, on the other, I miss him! Goal now is to have the basement apartment done for him when he gets back so we can both have our own spaces. Now, on to the party! Read More »

To Grandma’s House we go! (Wednesday Link Party #526)

Welcome to the To Grandma’s House We Go Link Party #526. After a few nights of freezing temps the highs in the 80s this last weekend felt absolutely wonderful! We haven’t had a “hard” freeze yet but we are definitely on our way. Its not totally unheard of for us to have snow by the end of October but after our cruddy spring I think we really deserve a nice long fall. One can hope! Now, on to the party! Read More »

To Grandma’s House we go! (Wednesday Link Party #525)

Welcome to the To Grandma’s House We Go Link Party #525. It seems silly to say that our first frost came out of nowhere seeing as we live in northern MN. But it really did! We’re back to beautiful 60s and even into the 70s for highs now though so I’m not complaining. My garden is pretty much done but I left the green tomatoes and they still look ok so I’m hoping to get at least a few more ripe ones before I have to pick them all. Now, on to the party! Read More »

To Grandma’s House we go! (Wednesday Link Party #524)

Welcome to the To Grandma’s House We Go Link Party #524. Things are cooling down here as we head into fall. I’m checking on my squash just about daily trying to figure out when I’m supposed to pick them lol I have two butternuts and five acorn squash I’m excited about. I’ve never grown squash before and didn’t realize they were going to take over my entire garden. I love it though! Definitely growing them again next year. Now, on to the party! Read More »

To Grandma’s House we go! (Wednesday Link Party #523)

Welcome to the To Grandma’s House We Go Link Party #523. Whew it cooled down a lot here at night right down into the 40s for the next few days. Hopefully we still get some warm weather before everything turns on us. My mom is doing better after her ordeal but is still super weak and recovering. Makes my heart hurt! But she’s OK thank goodness. Now, on to the party! Read More »

To Grandma’s House we go! (Wednesday Link Party #522)

Welcome to the To Grandma’s House We Go Link Party #522. After that scare last week we’ve given my mom marching orders to take it easy. She’s doing just fine now though but I’m still recovering lol Every time my phone rings I’m already running for my car before realizing that everything is OK now. I’ve made about 25 quarts of refrigerator pickles and my garden shows no signs of slowing down yet even though our weather has really cooled off. Now, on to the party! Read More »

OMG Pumpkins everywhere! Hometalk Fall Decor Inspiration board

Hometalk Fall Decor Inspiration board! Summer is absolutely my favorite time of the year – you will NEVER hear me complaining about the heat lol But I honestly think that’s a fact simply because fall and spring are such short seasons here in northern MN. Fall for us could truly last all of three weeks like our spring did this year! And that’s just depressing lol because that means we’re settling into at least four months of some serious cold and snow. Read More »

Hometalk’s Outdoor Projects I Can’t Wait to Build! Do it Yourself!

Inspiration Board of the Outdoor projects on Hometalk that I’ve been drooling over! I received a comment on my outdoor bench saying, “You’re SO crafty, that’s amazing!” And I admittedly got a bit offended, eventually I just laughed about it but I’m not sure how I can build a wrap around bench for my deck and still be called “crafty”. I could’t help but think that if I was a guy she certainly wouldn’t have looked at that bench and called him crafty! I am a builder at heart and I spend most of my time building things in my head or drooling over outdoor projects like these: Read More »

Let’s build some swings! Pinterest Do It Yourself Inspiration Board!

Well now that spring has FINALLY arrived, my dreaming has turned to swings! Let’s build some! These are some of my favorites I’ve found on Pinterest and stashed away for a later time because, seriously, who doesn’t want to swing away a beautiful summer day? Contrary to popular belief, I do NOT feel that swings are for kids in any way. Many of these are very grown up swings for us “adults” lol Read More »

Nooks and Getaway Places: Pinterest Inspiration Board

Nooks, crannies, special getaway places, some of my favorite escapes via Pinterest Inspiration board. It has been a very difficult few weeks here at Grandma’s House, tailing the end of a very, very hard year. I will tell you guys why and what’s been going on when I’m able to get my feet back under me again. To say the least though I have found myself on Pinterest, looking longingly at getaway places and nooks that promise quiet and PEACE. Read More »

Inspiration Board: Six more Summer Projects I can’t wait to build!

Six more summer projects I can’t wait to build for us outside and out on our deck! Some DIYs and things just have to wait for some nice weather not only for us to enjoy them but for us to build them as well. Currently I’m sitting here in late October and we have a winter storm warning 🙁 So, hears to dreaming about next summer and all the things to look forward to building. I posted earlier this year a few summer projects I just can’t wait to build but I’ve seen so many build projects on Pinterest I had to share a few more that I can’t wait to build next summer! Read More »

Inspiration Board: Gorgeous Bedrooms to swoon over!

I spend a certain amount of time on Pinterest gazing with my mouth open at some of the gorgeous bedrooms people have. As far as Inspiration Boards go I’ve published quite a few over the years but I think this one might take the cake. I am absolutely in awe of a few of these. Considering how much time we spend in our bedrooms (albeit it is with our eyes closed) I am a firm believer that they are a VERY important part of our homes. From gorgeous colour palettes to hardwood bedroom furniture options, there’s always amazing bedrooms to look at when you are scrolling through Pinterest. In fact, the inspiration doesn’t stop coming the moment you type in beautiful bedrooms into Google! So, without further adieu here’s some gorgeous bedrooms via Pinterest!! Read More »

Planning a Heat Pump Upgrade During a Home Renovation: What to Do Before the Walls Are Finished

Fresh drywall can hide beautiful workmanship, but it can also hide decisions nobody quite finished making. A heat pump needs more than a spot outside and a thermostat inside. It needs suitable airflow, protected connections, drainage, power, and room for maintenance. Renovation is the opportunity to arrange those details before correcting them means cutting into your new walls. Read More »

What to Keep in Mind When Choosing Supplements for Your Household

Choosing supplements for your household can feel overwhelming, especially with crowded store shelves, online recommendations, and constantly changing wellness trends. Vitamins, minerals, probiotics, protein powders, and herbal blends all promise benefits, but not every product is necessary or appropriate for every person. A thoughtful approach can help you avoid wasted money, unnecessary ingredients, and potential health risks. Read More »

How Japanese Toilet Technology Went Global and Transformed the Modern Bathroom

For decades, the toilet was treated as one of the most functional and unremarkable fixtures in a home. It flushed, it worked, and that was usually the end of the conversation. Japan changed that perception by turning an ordinary bathroom fixture into a sophisticated piece of household technology. Heated seats, warm-water cleansing, adjustable water pressure, air drying, automatic flushing, deodorizing systems, and self-cleaning features gradually transformed expectations about what a toilet could provide. Read More »

How On-Demand Delivery Is Changing the Way Melbourne Cafés and Home Bakers Source Supplies

Running a café or home baking business in Melbourne often means working within tight margins, busy schedules, and constantly changing customer demand. Ingredients and essential supplies have to be available when they are needed, but traditional purchasing methods can make that difficult. A café might suddenly run low on a key ingredient during a busy service, while a home baker may receive an unexpected order that requires supplies they did not anticipate needing. In these situations, the ability to source supplies quickly can make a meaningful difference to how smoothly the business operates. Read More »

How to Bring Japandi Style Into an Older Home Without a Full Renovation

Older homes have a warmth that’s hard to recreate. The floors have lived through decades of footsteps, the wood trim gives each doorway a little definition, and there’s usually an odd corner that no furniture seems to fit. Those details make a house interesting. They can also make a new decorating style feel difficult to introduce. Japandi is a good fit for that problem. It combines Japanese simplicity with Scandinavian comfort, making room for natural materials and furniture that doesn’t overpower its surroundings. Original floors and woodwork are often an advantage here, not obstacles to hide. Read More »

What Makes a Good Pitched Roof Window for a Home Renovation?

A loft conversion or attic refurbishment can transform an underused part of a home into a bedroom, office, studio, or retreat. Yet the success of the space often comes down to one deceptively simple decision: the roof window. Pitched roof windows do far more than bring in light. They influence ventilation, comfort, energy performance, privacy, and even whether a converted loft feels like a genuine living space rather than a room tucked beneath the eaves. Read More »