One of our ultimate favorite meals is fish tacos. Fish tacos are usually a summer meal but we truly enjoy them all year round. There’s nothing better than making some margaritas and delicious fish tacos and treating any day like it’s Cinco de Mayo!  Every time I make fish tacos I do something different but this one is definitely a keeper! The chipotle crema and quick-pickled radishes and jalapenos add a “zing” to this recipe that makes these fish tacos absolutely delectable!

One of my favorite things to do is refinish old furniture. A lot of things I’ve bought in the past were from consignment stores and were decent quality but over time became out dated. This particular desk I found when we were out on a family walk during trash day. Yes, I am not above trash picking!  Especially when it’s an Ethan Allen writing desk that’s probably around $2,000.

This is seriously one of my greatest finds. It had a little bit of wear in the front from where a chair or something seemed to be rubbing but other than than it was in great shape! I couldn’t believe our neighbors were throwing it out!

I forgot to take a picture of the condition it was in when I first found it, but here’s a photo after my first pass at sanding it.

1. The first thing I like to do is use some liquid sandpaper or de-glosser just to take the clear finish off especially in those nooks and crannies where you can’t get to it well with sandpaper or a sander. I let it sit for a while to really penetrate the finish and then wipe it off with a damp rag.
   
   
2. Next, I use my orbital sander to go over the flat surfaces. I start with some 80 grit sandpaper and move to 220 grit sandpaper to create a smooth finish. I don’t ever use the orbital sander on any edges or places that have detail. It will make marks and deform the shape of the wood. I hand sand all of those areas. You can fold the sandpaper and run it in the creases. This part requires a ton of elbow grease but is an important step in having your new finish adhere properly.
   
3. Once I’ve finished sanding. I wipe down the surface with a dry rag. You can also use a leaf blower to clear out the sanding debris from all of the cracks. This step is very important because you don’t want shavings mixing in with your stain or paint. It will make the finish gritty.
4. Now comes the fun part: staining or painting! For stains I like to use a cotton or cloth rag to really push the stain into the wood grain. I chose a stain called Carbon Grey by Varathane. If you’ve chosen paint, a nice soft paint brush will do. Be careful not to use to much paint especially when painting vertical areas or areas with detail in order to avoid drips and paint blobs. Once you’ve laid down your first coat it’s very important to let it dry completely. If you try to add stain or paint too soon you’ll end up taking off the first coat and ruining the finish. (Trust me I’ve done it!) There’s no sense in rushing and having to start from scratch!
   

   Here it is after a first coat.

    

5. Once it is fully dried from the first coat it’s time for a second. You may even need to go back a third time and cover any spots that are still showing.
   

   Second coat!

    

6. The next step is to add a protective clear coat. I usually choose a satin polyurethane because I don’t like it to be too glossy or too matte. It’s really a matter of preference. This step will make your furniture easier to clean and wipe down from spills and dust.
   
7. Last step is to replace the old hardware. You’d be surprised how much new hardware can make an old piece of furniture look completely updated. I kept the hardware on this desk because I liked it but I could have bought some new knobs or drawer pulls to change the style. You can also spray paint old hardware to different colors to create a unique look.
   

I love Dashing Diva’s gel nail strips so much that I used them back to back (all through the holidays) and didn’t give my nails much of a chance to breathe. After about 4 or 5 different sets of strips, my nails started thinning out and splitting. Oops! It makes sense, but I just didn’t think about it. I’d slowly been suffocating my nails and they were suffering for it. I was very bummed out because I bought A LOT of gel strips and I was really sad I had to take a break from them. 🙁 It made me start to wonder if there was a remedy for split nails that would work for me.

It’s been about a month or two and my nails are mostly back to normal. However, it seems as though more people than just me were having the same issue because I received an e-mail from Dashing Diva advertising their new nail care products and remedies for split nails. Of course, I had to order them to try them out and see if they really work!

It was a challenge this year coming up with a costume for my son with mask requirements at school. Since we are avid fans of The Nightmare Before Christmas he mentioned Jack Skellington and I thought of the perfect implementation of his mask.

This recipe was passed down to me from my mother. It’s a simple dish but tastes like it’s from a 5-star restaurant. It’s incredibly simple to make and takes all of about 15-20 minutes from start to finish. The key is finding quality ingredients! For this dish, I went to my local Wegman’s to see what looked good. Wegman’s is more on the expensive side when it comes to groceries but I find their seafood is pretty reliable.

It’s always tough to come up with a side that compliments your main dish. Especially during the week when you just don’t have the brain capacity to come up with something on the fly. This recipe is incredibly simple, delicious, and can be made in 20 minutes.

Lentils are one of my absolute favorite meals. They’re healthy, delicious, filling, and very easy to make. I often make this recipe for dinner or sometimes even lunch if the mood strikes. Lentils are also a great source of fiber and protein especially when you’re in the mood for a vegetarian meal! My kids also love this recipe which is awesome because it’s a great easy week night dinner you can make in about 25 minutes and everyone’s happy.

I just ordered a few Holiday sets from Dashing Diva.com and I’m thrilled to share them with you because they are super cute! The set in the above image is called Santa’s Helper found on the Dashing Diva.com website. What I love about these sets are that they come with so many combinations of accent nail strips that you can really come up with some cool designs on your own.

So as we all know Thanksgiving and Christmas are going to be a complete mental challenge for all! If you’re like my family you’re use to visiting family on the holidays and not typically in charge of hosting the Thanksgiving or Christmas feast! With everything going on in terms of Coronavirus and this pandemic perhaps you’re not really sure what you’re doing for Thanksgiving or Christmas and are now feeling disappointed and a little overwhelmed at still maintaining holiday traditions and keeping it special for your kids. For the past few weeks, I have had a few ideas for how to make the holidays still feel special without being able to see family and friends

This Mediterranean greek chicken salad with citrus vinaigrette is one of my absolute favorite healthy meal options for lunch. I like to prepare the dressing in advance and double the recipe. I also cook a couple of chicken breasts a day or two ahead so it’s easy for me to whip up a quick salad during the week between taking care of kids and the household.