GUEST BATHROOM REMODEL

This post is sponsored by The Home Depot.

I mentioned earlier this year that one of my home project goals was to makeover a bathroom, and I’m happy to tell you that I have completed that goal. And not only did I complete my first bathroom renovation to date, but it has turned out just like I wanted it to thanks to amazing products from Home Depot and some helping hands like my contractor and my father-in-law.

When I saw this picture of a kitchen on Pinterest my eyes got huge, and I knew this was the direction I wanted to go for my bathroom. I had always written off shiplap and wainscot as being too farmhouse for me, but when it’s juxtaposed with modern finishes and installed vertically it looks anything but traditional. It looked really intimidating to try to install until I did a bit more research and learned that The Home Depot carries easy to install shiplap online and in-store.

So, in conjunction with revealing my new bathroom you can head over to Home Depot's Blog to get a full step-by-step tutorial on how to apply shiplap to any wall in your home.

I wanted this bathroom to feel like it was a luxurious hotel bathroom for my guests. I kept the colors similar to what you would find in the guest room and family room. Though I’m a huge fan of patterned tiles, I kept everything soft, modern and simple. I can’t wait to shower in this bathroom even though it’s my guest bathroom. Haha! I guess that just means it’s time to re-do my master bathroom and turn it into a woman’s sanctuary.

Photos by Rennai Hoefer

ONE SMART KITCHEN FAUCET

This post is sponsored by American Standard.

You don’t often think about how important your kitchen faucet is to your daily routine, but it is probably one of the most used things in my home and in yours. I use my faucet so many times throughout the day without thinking about it: washing my hands after a diaper change, filling a pot for pasta, washing Levi’s hands after eating spaghetti, watering my plants, cleaning my dishes. The list goes on and on. The reality is I couldn’t do life very well without my kitchen faucet. I’ve partnered with American Standard to share with you how their Beale Pull-down Touchless Faucet has been a game changer in our home. The touchless technology and the high arch design has really made me appreciate a good faucet.

When we moved into this house I didn’t love the kitchen sink or faucet. It was an old one from 1993, but it worked, so I didn’t think to change it. In my mind it was a low priority compared to the other updates I wanted to do. When American Standard gave me the opportunity to install their Beale touchless faucet design I was so happy. I chose a chrome finish to coordinate with the appliances in our kitchen, and installed it immediately after it arrived.

Since installing it, I have noticed the water pressure is much better with this faucet and the high arch makes it easy to get large pans underneath the water. The real game changer, is the touchless technology. Most of us have only experienced touchless faucet technology in a public restroom, but now American Standard is bringing it into the home, and I’m so glad. When I have a big pot of boiling water I no longer have to do a juggling act to turn the cool water on without burning myself. I simply wave my hands in front of the sensor and it turns on. When I’m hoisting my two year old up to wash his hands I don’t have to juggle him either. He just reaches gives a motion in front of the faucet and the water turns on. It’s fabulous! I can’t recommend it enough.

Photos by Rennai Hoefer

Design Sponge Home Tour

I have been reading Design Sponge for ten years now. It's a blog that I have loved following for inspiration, and it feels like a dream come true to have my home featured on it today.

Grace Bonney is a genius beyond compare. I've gotten to hear her speak at Alt Summit, and she is really a pioneer of my industry that I really look up to. 

If you have followed my blog you probably are familiar with the spaces, but Rennai Hoefer photographed my home especially for this feature. So, you'll see the rooms styled a bit differently and shot a bit differently too. I hope you go and read the feature, and be sure to check back next week with my bathroom reveal! CLICK HERE TO SEE THE ARTICLE

Introducing CALVIN KLEIN HOME

This post is sponsored by Calvin Klein.

Calvin Klein and the CK brand is known for understated elegance and high-end quality. I'm thrilled to tell you that they have released some new bedding collections that bring that CK cool and modern factor to the home. I partnered with Calvin Klein to create imagery that exemplifies this simplicity as part of the Pin Collective, and I'm happy to share it all with you today. 

Only Calvin Klein can make bedding look and feel just as beautiful as clothing. It's all in the details and quality. This Clone bedding with a tiny swiss dot pattern with black roses is unlike any other bedding I have seen before.  The pattern creates a trompe l'oeil effect, which is a French art technique that creates an optical illusion. Just more proof of the artistry and thought that goes into their products. 

Calvin Klein knows cotton. They are textile masters. The quality of these white sheets is on par with their clothing. It's as if you slipped on an elegant dress and went to a party in your dreams. Their loungewear is a perfect complement as well. 

This experience of the Calvin Klein Home product really brought out my love of minimalism. I painted this whole room black, and created a new guest room for our home. This used to be Elle's old room, and now it's a modern sanctuary for my visitors.

Be sure to check out the other beautiful white bedding choices Calvin Klein has. I'd love to hear what you think of my new guest room too!

Photos by Rennai Hoefer.

REAL TALK REAL MOMS ON TECHNOLOGY

Understanding how to use a computer, tablet and smartphone is imperative these days. You could argue it's a form of literacy. When you think about it from that perspective it doesn't sound as crazy to allow your kids to use devices at young ages. Technology is their world, whereas us parents born in the early 80s can remember technology as being just a part of our world. In this installment of the Real Mom Series we are exploring this idea of introducing technology to your kids, how we do it now and how others do it. 

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Elle and Levi have an iPad that they share and they play games on. There are also iPhone apps that I keep on my phone for them to play. I don't feel guilty at all about it because to me it's not the fact they use a device that is harmful it's the type of content they consume and how much of it they are consuming. So, put away shame for letting your kids watch T.V. and a movie in one day.

There are definitely age appropriate apps and shows, and I think it's up to us parents to use discretion and to watch the shows with our kids so we can understand what they are consuming. We have all of the usual apps like Amazon, Netflix, Hulu and even Disney Jr. and Nick Jr. Together we decide the show they are going to watch, and I make sure the kids either agree or take turns selecting. I am always in the room when they are watching a T.V. show or something on their iPad so I can monitor it. 

I think that's the key. Be proactive as a parent in knowing how they are spending their time, what they are spending it on and how they are being affected by it. If you don't like how they are speaking to you after they watch Paw Patrol, then don't let you kids watch it. 

That said, I've seen a lot of buzz about the kids YouTube app going around on parenting blogs, and I agree that it's an app you don't want your young kids interacting with. There's a lot of strange content on there that Elle would get obsessed with such as the unboxing channels. And we ended up deleting it and she returned to her normal self.

What are your feelings on technology and kids? Are you proactive in being involved in what they watch? 

Read other thoughts from real moms: The LIfe Styled, The Effortless Chic, Design for Mankind, The Fresh Exchange, Natalie Borton, Apartment 34