Category: Our Home

  • Classroom Friendly Blueberry Muffins

    Classroom Friendly Blueberry Muffins

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    jdemontravel
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    I’ve been assigned the role of Mystery Reader in Luc’s class. One of those parental duties when reading The Day the Crayons Quit with verve is simply not enough to engage your young audience. They want treats and sugar free lollipops aren’t enough. (Too trite and sticky). While other sweets could warrant a flurry of…

  • Green Is the Go To Color of 2017

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    jdemontravel
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    The color of the year has been elected and home enthusiasts are colorfully dressing up rooms for its inauguration. Pantone’s Greenery has the kind of pastoral shade you’d see flying over Ireland. While green may seem more extreme than recent darlings like gray, neutrals or soft pastels, it’s always been a natural choice. Consider how…

  • No Fuss Winter Gathering

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    jdemontravel
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    After the holidays there is a tendency to hibernate until the appearance of crocuses lure us from our winter repose. Look to the cooler months as a time to celebrate simply and regularly, such as a light afternoon tea without the stuffy customs. A palette of frosted blue, silver and neutrals bring in light and awaken the senses. Pull in a theme, such…

  • No Fuss Christmas Decorating

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    jdemontravel
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    The countdown to December 25th is clear. The neighborhood looks like a traveling Christmas exhibition from Vegas. Store windows are frosted with snow shot from an aerosol can and loud holiday signage. Years ago I found that decorating for the season was less stressful when I deviated from the conventional. Nothing against Santa but you will not find…

  • Simple Holiday Tabletop Ideas

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    jdemontravel
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    When hosting our annual Thanksgiving dinner I tend to channel those Oscar winning actresses who decide hours before the event on what they will wear. While I am not on a designer coveted-one-to-dress-list, a girl can dream, I play dress up on the tablescape. Over the years I have acquired a variety of tabletop pieces, either from…

  • Ultimate Cottage Kitchen

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    jdemontravel
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    For those who cook by spattering their apron and liberating the spice rack for an improvisational recipe, a cottage kitchen is the ideal venue. You could say that such a kitchen improves your cooking over a fussy space that would be in design disarray if you left a box of Raisin Bran on the counter. In…

  • Coloring Books for All Ages

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    jdemontravel
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    Give a kid a coloring book and you may have given yourself 20 minutes of childcare without having to turn on Nickelodeon. Though coloring need not end once you hit middle school. There are books available for all ages and interests. It’s a classic way to calm the senses and release your artistic itch without having to live the life of…

  • Simple Chili Recipe

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    jdemontravel
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    Chili and I go way back. What was once designated as the only lunch option from base mountain restaurants has become a cool weather staple. As we experience the transition from summer to fall, the palette makes the transition from salad weather to chili weather. Now that embers shoot from old stone fireplaces and mini tornadoes of leaves skim the roads, I find that I am…

  • 6 Steps to a Styled Thanksgiving

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    jdemontravel
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    Whether it’s the autumnal decor or calendar blotted with competing plans, rumblings of Thanksgiving are happening in our household. We may eschew a trip to avoid the holiday chaos, which leaves our home as the natural destination. 1. Submit Seasonal for Holiday Unless it’s vintage, decorating with turkeys and pilgrims is the same as assuming a…

  • Autumn Style – Let Nature Take Its Course

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    jdemontravel
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    Nature’s pageantry gets a bit show offy in autumn. The leaves give us their fiery grand finale. Biceps get a workout from making stews thick with root vegetables. Oilcloth coats are freed from storage. Decorating for the season is at its best when following fall’s ardent spirit. Keep accents cohesive over competitive. Colored textiles, pumpkins and foods offer subtle highlights to a home. Creating An Outdoor Table Setting:…