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Spot of Tea Designs

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My 2016 Goals – Recap

Lifestyle

In January I listed my 2016 goals out there in the blogisphere in hopes that it would motivate me to complete some of these tasks!

REcap of the 2016 goals from spotofteadesigns.com

Now that 2016 is over, here’s how I did!

House:

Powder Room Makeover - featuring before and after photos! | spotofteadesigns.com

  • Redo downstairs half bathroom – UPDATE: It’s done! See the makeover here!
  • Paint/semi makeover of master bedroom – UPDATE: Pretty close to done! Look for it in 2017 as another room in the Nehil Home Tour!

DIY Family Gallery Wall - frames made to match using @DecoArt_Inc Americana Chalk Paint | Spotofteadesigns.com

  • Update family wall gallery in living room – UPDATE: It’s done! I used my favorite Deco Art paints to turn some old, mismatched frames into a coordinating gallery of our favorite family photos! See the before and after transformations on this post!
  • Tackle toy clutter in the living room – UPDATE: We bought this Tot Tutors Toy Organizer unit and its been working out thus far. Each morning Hailey comes downstairs and Brielle brings her a tub full of her toys. Like most babies, Hailey loves the tub more than the toys! This unit looks like it will hold up but I’ll let you know if I change my mind down the road.
  • Develop a solution for the lack of a mud room. UPDATE: After much discussion, we updated our foyer/home office room and instead of adding a couch, added a fauxdenza and a small row of hooks as a makeshift mudroom. I consider this task COMPLETE and plan to share the updates in early 2017!

Personal:

  • Develop a personal style. UPDATE: Still a work in progress as I’m not sure who I am or want to be! I can’t commit to a style but am slowly but surely collecting new clothing pieces to fill my closet. I am undecided on what you actually call my style. It’s a momiform nonetheless!

Easter Bunny Cake Tutorial - recipe and decorating tutorial #sweetereaster #shop #cbias #ad

  • Try at least one new recipe a month. UPDATE: I didn’t do one every month but tried the below new recipes (with my comments on the results):
    • Crockpot Orange Chicken – Delicious! This was my first ever crock pot recipe and I loved how easy it was! This is officially added to my rotation and the week after I was able to make shredded BBQ chicken sandwiches in the crockpot with left over BBQ sauce purchased for this recipe!
    • Made from scratch Yellow Cake and Buttercream frosting. I’ve never made either of these two cake types before but was happy to take them when making our Easter Bunny Cake back in March!
    • 16 Minute Shrimp Scampi – Good recipe but mine took more than 16 minutes!
    • Creamy Chicken Piccatta – Another recommended recipe. I think I had too much lemon in mine. I recommend letting the sauce sit for a few minutes to thicken up before pouring on top but otherwise, yummy!
    • Grilled Shrimp Tacos – No recipe here folks but we marinated shrimp in Lawry’s for a few hours, grilled it and included them in tacos. This has for sure been added to our recipe rotation as it was so delicious and easy!!
    • Lasagna Roll ups – These were labeled that they were freezer friendly but I wasn’t making them for that purpose. Derek and I both agreed they were missing the ground beef element, which I will for sure include next time. Otherwise, we both would prefer stuffed shells to this style as the noodle to cheese ratio seemed off since we are both not big fans off too much cheese.
    • Balsalmic Roasted Pork Loin – Made this with potatoes and broccoli and would have again! In the future I’ll baste more often than I did the first time around.
  • Practice patience more with the girls. – UPDATE: After a rough first half of the year, we got better on track once the nicer weather hit. Then my oldest turned 3 and now it’s a whole new type of patience I need to grow!

Marriage:

  • Go on more date nights. UPDATE: You know we didn’t succeed in this the first half of the year. But come August, we tested the waters of Derek’s dad babysitting the girls in August when attending a concert (along with his bestie so not really a true date night). In October we had another successful babysitting adventure with my parents when attending my friend Cherylin’s wedding. We’ve made use of many times that Derek worked from home on days the girls were in school for lunch dates, but hopefully the grandparents are wanting to babysit a little more often than once a year going forward. HINT HINT!

Blog:

April of @hummingbirdarts and I are oogling all the fancy appliances at @mrsgsnj. Here for @njbloggernetwork #bloggerssocial meeting and learning so much! #networking #mommyblogger #bloggerlife #njblogger

A photo posted by Tara | Spot of Tea Designs (@spotofteadesigns) on Feb 18, 2016 at 8:44am PST

  • Participate in more group activities. – UPDATE: My friend April and I attended a NJ Blogger’s meet up in February where we met a few new local bloggers whom I now follow socially! Looking for more opportunities like this!

Less mess solution for summer snacks for toddlers - Waffle Bowls! #SnackBrighter #Cbias #ad | spotofteadesigns.com

  • Consider sponsored content wisely. – UPDATE: There are lots of sponsored posts that sound appealing but don’t make sense for my content type but I feel like I’m choosing to partner with products and brands that work with my family’s lifestyle. This was one of the yummier ones we got to experience and liked.

Thanks for following along on this 2016 making journey! In early 2017 I will be launching a new type of goal seeking list!

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I haven't styled many parties outside mostly becau I haven't styled many parties outside mostly because of the elements in NJ, but I fondly look back at this camping themed one styled at our last house. The green trees in back were the perfect backdrop for this outdoor adventure! 
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Swipe for some ideas that would be great for a great outdoors themed party or a themed get together at the campground this summer!
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More outdoor summer party ideas --> https://spotofteadesigns.com/9-summer-party-themes/
Not only am I an etsy seller, I'm also an etsy buy Not only am I an etsy seller, I'm also an etsy buyer and supporter! When trying to figure out what to put in these frames in my new bathroom, I debated about designing something myself. After a quick search through Etsy I found @ateliercartouche and fell in love with Jennifer's watercolor style botanical prints!
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I reached out about a custom size for the #gifted @custompictureframes frames I already owned and Jennifer worked with me to create a custom order that was easy for me to print and frame at home. I LOVE how they bring life into this space and I highly recommend her shop for digital art for your home! 
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See all the details on my bathroom remodel including more info on these prints over on my blog --> https://spotofteadesigns.com/modern-half-bathroom-remodel-the-full-reveal/
I just introduced Derek to The Greatest Showman la I just introduced Derek to The Greatest Showman last night so it's only fitting I start this post with "this is the moment you've all been waiting for" (woahhh ohhh). It's our half bathroom reveal day! 
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Swipe to see where we started with the weirdest spacing, a small crooked pedestal sink and basic builder grade everything. My handy hubby (along with my handy brother-in-law Frank) transformed this space into this modern farmhouse style that's now my second favorite room in the house. (Second only to my office, of course)
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See more details on this $2k bathroom makeover (umm because labor was free) over on my blog --> https://spotofteadesigns.com/modern-half-bathroom-remodel-the-full-reveal/
Here's to celebrating science which will (hopefull Here's to celebrating science which will (hopefully) allow for a more social 2021 later this year! 💉= 🍾
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Grab this printable now in my etsy shop and pair with a drink of choice to drop off on a friend's porch this spring! 
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https://www.etsy.com/listing/995842125/shots-after-shots-tag-best-friends
Yesterday in stories I asked what holiday is next Yesterday in stories I asked what holiday is next now that Easter is over. I want to beef up my etsy shop with more printables and also offer some more freebie svg files on my blog. I got a mix of Mother's Day, Memorial Day and Teacher Appreciation Week so thanks for the inspiration to get designing!
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Those looking to crank out some Teacher Appreciation gifts early can visit my blog to grab three school / virtual learning svg files perfect for some drink cozy gifts! 
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I happen to love these slim can cozy styles for hard seltzers so visit the blog to see which ones I recommend for personalized crafts with heat transfer vinyl!
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Free svg file --> https://spotofteadesigns.com/remote-learning-slim-can-koozies/
We hope you all had a wonderful Easter yesterday! We hope you all had a wonderful Easter yesterday! 🐰 Can you believe it’s the final feature for #BloomingWithDIY? The series has flown by and it seems like summer is just around the corner. ☀️ (We will be for a summer hashtag so stay tuned!)
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Our final feature is Dawn @revelandglitter and her creatively styled 24 Carrot Magic printable. Congrats Dawn you have also won this week’s prize of a Cricut EasyPress Mini 🔥!
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The hostesses of #BloomingWithDIY want to thank you for sharing your projects, playing along, liking, and commenting, but most of all, thank you for supporting each other.
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We also want to thank our amazing sponsors @xyroninc @resincraftsblogbyeti @michellespartyplanit and @giggles_galore. We are so grateful for your generous support.
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📷 by @revelandglitter
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