Nikki K

The holidays are upon us, but this list is great for birthdays or any other occasion that calls for a little something. These items are straight off my 9-year old daughter's list so the recommendations are bound to be a hit!

If your husband is like mine, he's hard to shop for! In our house we usually buy things as we want them, but it's still fun to show the other your thinking of them so I try to get creative and get things he wouldn't normally get for himself, or that I know he will really love. Even if it's something small like his favorite flavored salts!

Whether it's for the holidays, Mother's day, a birthday, or anniversary, gifts can be a way to show you are thinking of someone. Obviously what you're giving can be incredibly personalized, but sometimes simple is best. In our house, we tend to give things we need but won't buy ourselves, things to support our hobbies, or even everyday things we use like a favorite lotion or facewash. It's not about spending hundreds of dollars, but the gesture.

I love a good DIY! Here's what I used to make a few easy Halloween crafts I did with my kiddo to decorate our home.

One of my favorite hobbies these days is watching my daughter dance. It's made even better by the amazing team of families she competes with. Still, I've learned a thing or two after her first year on the competition team. I now carry my very own survival kit. Here's what's in my bag!

We love art projects that allow us to explore creativity! Check out this simple, low cost project that allows you and your kids to explore art and imagination. We spent almost two hours working alongside each other as we chatted away while painting.

Baking has been a hobby of mine for many years. I have accumulated quite the stash of items that I use and love. Here are my favorites!

At the beginning of this year, I decided to teach myself calligraphy and hand lettering. I've done it both with calligraphy pens and brush pens. I prefer the brush pens over the standard calligraphy tips, but I've got resources for both!

I'm a self appointed knitting junkie! I picked up the hobby when I first started homeschooling. I needed something to do during my downtime when my kiddo was occupied. I didn't want to spend that 20minutes during speech therapy or 45 minutes during dance class mindlessly scrolling on my phone. So I taught myself to knit and 4 years later I'm absolutely in love! These are some of my go to items.

My daughter is Harry Potter OBSESSED. She's recently discovered Potter Barn Teen has everything she could ever want for a bedroom makeover. Take a look at what she would choose if she was ever allowed a shopping spree :)

Everything you need to make pumpkin pasties! For the full recipe, visit my youtube channel, @just.nikki.k

I'm starting the process of finding items to remodel our bathroom! This is the final list of exactly what we will be using, but it's where my inspiration is coming from. When everything is purchased, I'll update the links!

These are the foods we eat in our house and enjoy. If you have allergies, ALWAYS read the ingredients! The foods we eat are free from Gluten, peanuts, tree nuts (except coconut), apples, peaches, pears, plums, nectarine, apricot, kiwi, cherry, carrot, avocado, dairy, eggs, and all meat and it's derivatives.

I love working out, but I'm really picky about the tools I use! They need to be high quality and durable. The last thing I want is to hurt myself because I got something cheap.

A list of my favorite gardening tools! Because we live in Minnesota and can't plant until the end of May or June, we start our seeds indoors. Look for some tips and tricks within the recommendations!

These things are definitely on my own Mother's Day wish list! A real Mother's Day list made by a mom.

As the mom of a competition dancer, these are the things we keep in our dance bag at all times!

A small sampling of some of my most loved vegan products!

These items have made our homeschool journey so much fun!

While I used to live right in the heart of Minneapolis, those days are gone and I go to great lengths to avoid the bustling city. These days I prefer a quieter life in my little town. Join me in exploring some of the best of what the Western Suburbs have to offer!

A list of places I trust in the Western Minneapolis suburbs