Adding my voice to Save Nashville’s Printers Alley

in , , , by Linda A Kinsman, Wednesday, August 06, 2014

Recently my family decided to be tourists in Nashville again. While we live close to Music City, it had been a while since we’d been downtown with our daughters.

If you have never visited Nashville, let me be the first to invite you to put us on your travel list.

Nashville is a pretty city, seamlessly blending the old and new. From their music scene to the beautiful Architectural wonders of our older buildings, Nashville takes pride in its past, while still welcoming new looks and sounds. 


Downtown #Nashville buildings


Nashville is a friendly city, full of life, even on a Thursday afternoon when my husband and I decided to take our girls to see Printers Alley. We figured they were old enough to see some of the more adult business venues from the outside, and since it was late afternoon, we felt no adult activities would be going on. 

I was excited to see this part of Nashville on foot, having only driven past Printers Alley on previous visits.  Up 3rd Ave. we walked. Laughing and talking and people watching, like true tourists do, so by the time we made it to Printers Alley we were a little hot and hoping it was worth the walk.


It was.


Printers Alley #Nashville


This is a historical landmark. You can feel it as you walk down this little strip of pavement, sandwiched in between old buildings full of history. The iron work, the old doors and windows, the bricks all melded and whispered of times gone by.


Lion Fountain #PrintersAlley #Nashville



Some of Country Music royalty like Johnny Cash, Charlie Pride and Willie Nelson have walked this Alley and played to the patrons who have kept these businesses alive all these years.

While we have never frequented the lounges, bars and other businesses in the Alley, we found it all rather charming and I decided right then to root for saving this part of Nashville history.


Beautiful flowers and iron work Printers Alley #Nashville


Save Printers Alley is a grassroots movement started when a proposal for a new hotel was implemented. While growth is good, I do agree with others who want to preserve the history of Nashville.


Save Printers Alley #Nashville



I invite you to learn more by visiting The Save Printers Alley website and following them on Facebook and even order a Save Printers Alley tee-shirt to show your support.


We loved being tourists in our local big city and hope to return again soon. I'll be sure to share more each time we visit a part of Nashville, so stay tuned. 


Please share in comments: Is there a historical landmark in your hometown in jeopardy due to growth? 




We have long been fans of Dial’s skin care products, like their hydrating body wash and antibacterial soap, so I was thrilled when I was selected via Purex Insiders to receive a free sample of Dial Coconut Water Refreshing Mango body wash in exchange for sharing my thoughts with you and hosting a giveaway.  However, all opinions are my own.



Dial Coconut Water Refreshing Mango body wash #GetNoticed


If you are anything like me, scent plays an important part in the selection of your skin care choices. My daughter’s and I sniff and smell our way down the aisles when shopping, so naturally, the first thing I did upon receiving my Dial package was to smell this newest member of the coconut water family.

Ah- this body wash does not disappoint. It smells so good! Clean and fresh with just the right amount of coconut. Another sniff and I’m thinking beachy, tropical thoughts as the mango comes through.

I couldn’t wait to give this fresh body wash a try! It found its home in my shower first, with the promise that I would share it with my daughters.



Dial Coconut Water Refreshing Mango body wash #GetNoticed



As with most Dial hydrating body washes, a little product goes a long way. One small squirt and I had a wonderful amount of lather. 



Dial Coconut Water Refreshing Mango body wash #GetNoticed



I enjoyed my shower with its tropical scent. My skin feels soft and completely hydrated afterwards so I could skip applying lotion, which is a great time saver in the morning. And my husband did admire my soft and nicely scented skin. I love when he notices the small things.


I know my girls will love this body wash as much as I do. It smells great, lathers without having to use a lot of product and is affordable. A true win for this Mom. You can learn more about Dial by visiting their website and following them on Facebook.


Would you like to try the new Dial Coconut Water refreshing Mango body wash and #GetNoticed too? Thanks to Dial, three lucky readers will receive a coupon for a free full size product by using the Rafflecopter form below.


Entering is easy by following the steps on the form. No purchase is necessary to enter. Open to U.S. residents 18+. This giveaway has no association with Facebook and is brought to you courtesy of our sponsor, Dial. My WAHM Plan is not responsible for prize fulfillment.  For full terms and conditions, see Rafflecopter form.
a Rafflecopter giveaway




Good luck!


Disclosure: Many thanks to Dial for sponsoring today’s post.  I did receive free product as a thank you for sharing my thoughts on Dial. Regardless, I only recommend products or services I use personally and believe will be a good for my readers. I am disclosing this in accordance with the Federal Trade Commission's 16 CFR, Part 255: "Guides Concerning the Use of Endorsements and Testimonials in Advertising."



Easy Chalkboard #Craft

in , , , , , , , by Linda A Kinsman, Wednesday, July 30, 2014

With back to school looming large for us, we are making the most of every minute of our precious summer vacation. So, we chose a craft that is not only quick and easy, but is also useful when those school bells finally ring. This craft was done in less than thirty minutes, and is a perfect addition to my daughters’ room décor. I’ll be able to leave them reminders all year on their personalized chalkboard.

We found everything we needed for our craft project on sale at our local Joann’s craft store, but you can easily find the needed supplies at any craft store. Feel free to shop the sale items, and pick whatever embellishments that suit your décor and mood. My daughters both wanted something classic and feminine, so naturally we went with pearls, satin and flowers in a subtle creamy white theme.


Supplies:

  • 2 – 12x9 Darice wood framed chalkboards
  • 1 sheet Prima decorative paper flowers
  • 1 sheet- K & Company pearl adhesive gems
  • 1 roll – Offray off-white satin ribbon
  • 1- box white Crayola Chalk
  • Glue
  • Q-Tips (to apply glue)


chalkboard #craft supplies #DIY



While both my daughters had agreed on an overall theme when they picked out their supplies, each of them had a different vision for the project, making it uniquely theirs, and making directions subjective.  I’m sure you’ll find a host of products you could use on this project, from paint pens to scrap-booking letters, so let your imagination take the lead.


The Basics:

My daughters chose different uses for their ribbon, one adding a border around her chalkboard, and one making a simple bow as shown in the picture below.

chalkboard #craft ribbon flowers #DIY


  • Glue on ribbons, using Q-Tips to dab on small amounts of glue.
  • Allow to dry.
  • Gently remove Prima paper flowers from package, or leaves will stick to paper.
  • Arrange and glue.
  • Allow to dry.
  • Add K & Company pearl gems. These have self-stick backs, so be sure you place them right where you want them the first time.
  • Tie chalk to ribbon, or allow to rest on top of chalkboard if you’re hanging it up.


This really is a super cute and easy craft your teens and tweens will love to do.


cute chalkboard #craft for #teens #tweens

Please share in comments: What theme would you choose to decorate your chalkboard?


Middle School Changes Everything

in , , , , , by Linda A Kinsman, Friday, July 25, 2014

As I dropped my youngest daughter off for 6th grade orientation Wednesday morning, a wave of sadness washed over me. “Where did the time go?” I ask myself as I watch her walk into the middle school without a backwards glance.

“She’s a big girl now,” I chide myself as I slowly pull away.

I see another mom look back too, a brief over the shoulder glance at the door, like I did.  In that moment,  I know this stranger’s heart.

Why is my youngest going to middle school so much harder emotionally than it was with my first?
I wrestle with this question for a block or two, and finally settle on this answer.

My oldest blazed the trail of “firsts”, and while they were exciting and stressful and bittersweet moments, I still had my youngest at home watching, waiting, growing into being a big girl.

The last of my elementary school days are behind me, and I know what starting middle school means in my world. It means it’s no longer cool to come to school and have lunch with my daughter.

It means I can’t walk her in the first day of school with her 50 pounds of school supplies without getting the “look” from students and faculty. Trust me, you don’t want to draw attention to yourself or your child in middle school ever, but especially not on the first day of school!

Middle school will change everything from bed times to snack times.

It will change my one on one time with both my girls, robbing me of my quite time with my youngest in the morning and my quite time with my oldest in the afternoon.

It’s not like I didn’t know this day was coming. It wasn’t as if I hadn’t been down the middle school road before, but this time middle school is taking my youngest daughter one step closer to independence, just like high school is taking my oldest daughter one step closer to college and independence.

And it’s bittersweet.

And I’m just not ready to turn another page in the book of my mom life, so I stopped working as much as possible. I have been in the moment with them as much as humanly possible.

 I let the house work go. 

I let the yard work go. 

I am absorbing as much of them as I can, so when the business of the school year takes over, I know I gave them all of me this summer, and hopefully that helps them move confidently one step closer to their independence.



It started out as an innocent enough conversation over toothpaste. My husband and I were getting ready for bed, and he said (for what felt like the 100th time), “I want to remodel this bathroom.” 

I nod my agreement to him in the mirror, knowing that I won’t be picking out paint swatches anytime soon. I know that a good remodeling project takes planning and that yes-the devil is in the details, so while I do not have an exact date on our bathroom remodel, I do have a green light to gather ideas. So I do what any sane women would do. I log on to Pinterest.


While I found several wonderful pins (Pinterest never fails) I wanted more. That’s when a great idea popped into my head-I have set up pro accounts on several remodeling and home improvement sites for my husband’s cabinet business. Why not give them a try for remodeling inspiration? I narrowed my list down to three I think any person who’s interested in home improvement projects, both interior and exterior, will find helpful.


Houzz: 

Beautiful White Bathroom
Source

Houzz is a place to browse and save beautiful home photos, and find the right professionals if you need help with a project. 

This is a very well designed site. It's easy to navigate, with clear labels, and the pictures are worth the visit. Setting up your ideabooks for a project is quick and easy; as is finding a home improvement pro in your area. Houzz offers a wide selection of project ideas with photos you can heart to save to your account. They also offer a shopping portal in case you find an item you just can’t live without. 

 Porch:
Contemporary Entryway
Source

At Porch, they believe that home improvement should be simple. So, they set out to empower people to find professionals and discover what’s possible. They have made it easy to do just that. This site has a streamlined feel to it, with clear labels and easy to navigate projects. I liked browsing projects and starting my own scrapbook.

Hometalk:
Hometalk Home and Garden Hub
Source
Hometalk is the largest home and garden social network on the web. Millions of homeowners and professionals use Hometalk to share their knowledge, and find credible information.
This is one of my favorite sites so far. I love the pictures and ideas. I really love the community of helpful members. If you have a question on anything home and garden, just look through the topics and ask your question. You'll be surprised how quickly you get replies.
While all three of these sites were started to help homeowners find professionals for home improvement projects, I think you'll love them for their inspiration as much as I do.
If you've been thinking about doing any home and garden projects, I invite you to visit each site and get inspired. Feel free to connect with me on Hometalk while you are there.
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