Put your hands together for RxSaver by RetailMeNot who #sponsored this post How to Find the Best Prescription Discounts, supporting Through Her Looking Glass. This post includes tracking links. For more information about tracking links and how to opt out, please visit All About Do Not Track prior to clicking any links found in this post. All opinions and content are my own.

If you know me at all, you know I love saving a peso. (Or five.) Recently I came across a fantastic way to save significant money every month on prescription drugs, putting me in charge of what I pay at the pharmacy counter. To Find the Best Prescription Discounts, just plug basic information into the search engine at rxsaver.com or on the app. It’s that easy! Convenient and free, now I use RxSaver.com monthly and save up to 80% off!

As many of you know, Jon and I and our older boys are caregivers for our little guy Hudson who has a dual diagnosis of Down syndrome and autism. It’s hard to put into words just what that entails on a day-to-day basis, but I’ll try.

I’m no stranger to disability. My oldest sister Elisabeth also has Down syndrome. We just celebrated her 52^nd birthday in May. I can’t remember a time when our lives weren’t affected by disability in some way.

Hudson and Liz playing ball at her birthday party a few years ago…

So Hudson’s nine years old, but developmentally he’s around three. He’s still in pull-ups day and night and is non-verbal. He has a speech device so he can pick what he wants for breakfast or which video he wants. But more significant communication is pretty limited. As you can imagine, this can be frustrating, but we all pull together as best we can.

Hudson blowing out the candles for the third time on his birthday. Note he has zero interest in sampling the cupcakes. It’s all about the singing and candles.

Thankfully Hudson is cute as a button and that greatly helps his cause. Most days the blessings far outweigh the challenges, but there are the occasional days when things get pretty crazy.

Hudson is considered a bolt risk, meaning that at any time, he might decide to run. This is pretty common in children with autism. And when he runs, he won’t look back or respond to his name. As you can imagine, that can be beyond scary in a parking lot or near the road. That’s why we hold his hand tightly and keep a handicapped placard at the ready to dangle from the car mirror. It’s especially helpful for getting him into doctor and therapy appointments safely.

So one cold, snowy afternoon last winter, I parked in the handicapped spot right outside his therapy building. We entered through the sliding glass doors and Hudson pushed the elevator button as usual. I’m not sure if I’ve mentioned here that Hudson is not disabled when it comes to being naughty. As we waited for the elevator, he stared me down, then poked out his little tongue, threatening to LICK the elevator button. Of all the horrible things. I eyed him sternly and shook my head.

That’s when I heard the accusing voice: “You really shouldn’t park in a handicapped space if you’re not handicapped.”

Really? My jaw dropped as I looked back for that split second. A young mom hauling an infant seat, with an adorable little boy in tow was passing through the lobby behind us. I locked eyes with her. “I’m not handicapped,” I said quietly, “but my son is.” I nodded at the large sign on the wall: “AUTISM THERAPY, SECOND FLOOR”

My eyes were averted for that split second, so I’ll never know whether Hudson licked the elevator button or not that day. Because as I turned back, the elevator doors were meeting in the middle and Hudson was gone. I whirled around, raced for the stairwell and dashed up two at a time, hoping to find him on the second floor.

The good news is that Hudson’s autism makes him a creature of habit. He’d actually pushed the correct floor button and taken the elevator by himself to the second floor. When I found him, he was standing in the hallway by the elevator doors, the picture of innocence. Thank you God. My heart rate began to recede and I brought him to his classroom, then took a deep breath as I retrieved his missing backpack from the elevator. I thought about finding that mom and giving her a piece of mind. But then I thought better of it. The truth is, I need every single remaining gray cell. (!)

Every extinguished candle is cause for great celebration! On birthdays we blow out candles all day long, so tall candles are required!

Life can throw some unexpected punches and surprises. And whether you deal with disability or not, one can never know what a day will hold. Or an hour, for that matter. That’s why I’m SO grateful for anything that saves me time, frustration and money. RxSaver by RetailMeNot is a shortcut that does just that. 

How to Find the Best Prescription Discounts: RxSaver

Just a few weeks ago I was refilling my allergy medicine. I usually pay $43 monthly out of pocket for it. So I downloaded the app on my phone, then plugged in my zip code and the name of my prescription. RxSaver directed me to the pharmacy that I always use, but gave me a coupon that discounted my medicine to $10.01. Yes!!!!

At first I wondered if it could be a mistake. So I called in my prescription as usual, then showed the RxSaver coupon on my phone to the pharmacist. (You can also use the RxSaver site at home and print out a coupon.) Guess what? I saved $33 and you better believe I was ecstatic. (I can do a lot with an extra $33.)

So I really hope you’ll try rxsaver.com for yourself and start saving money too! You don’t need a membership or password or any personal information. (Passwords are the bane of my existence.)

Just enter the name of your prescription and zip code, then compare prices and choose the best price/location for you. You save money whether or not you have health insurance. I know you’ll love using this great money saving tip! (You’re welcome.)

Follow RxSaver by RetailMeNot on Facebook for more money saving tips!

The post Favorite Things #8 – How to Find the Best Prescription Discounts appeared first on Through Her Looking Glass.

One of my favorite poems: “Gate of the Year”, by Minnie Louise Haskins

And I said to the man who stood at the gate of the year:
“Give me a light that I may tread safely into the unknown.”

And he replied:
“Go out into the darkness and put your hand into the Hand of God.
That shall be to you better than light and safer than a known way.”

So I went forth, and finding the Hand of God, trod gladly into the night.
And He led me towards the hills and the breaking of day in the lone East.

So heart be still:
What need our little life
Our human life to know,
If God hath comprehension?
In all the dizzy strife
Of things both high and low,
God hideth His intention.

God knows. His will
Is best. The stretch of years
Which wind ahead, so dim
To our imperfect vision,
Are clear to God. Our fears
Are premature; In Him,
All time hath full provision.

Then rest: until
God moves to lift the veil
From our impatient eyes,
When, as the sweeter features
Of Life’s stern face we hail,
Fair beyond all surmise
God’s thought around His creatures
Our mind shall fill.^[3]

(The Gate of the Year was first published in 1908 as part of a collection titled The Desert. The words were a source of inspiration and comfort to Queen Elizabeth II, particularly after World War II. The Gate of the Year is also engraved on stone plaques and fixed to the gates of the King George VI Memorial Chapel at Windsor Castle.)

Wishing you a beautiful year of joy, health and blessing.

XOXO,

The post Gate of The Year appeared first on Through Her Looking Glass.

Merry Christmas friends! Today I’m sharing Christmas pictures.

So pictures don’t tell the whole story. They put their best foot forward and hide the chaos beyond the lens.

On the periphery of these photos are laundry piles, dirty dishes, dog hair, sticky counters, messy little hands, smeared fingerprints on stainless appliances and unmade beds. Yep.

I’m thankful for those laundry piles. (My family and I are blessed with clothes.)

I’m thankful for dishes in the sink and sticky counters. (We have plenty to eat and drink here.)

I’m thankful for the Chloe hair. (We absorb quiet comfort from a gentle, wagging tail and sympathetic brown eyes on our hardest days.)

I’m grateful for messy little hands and faces. (They belong to the loves of my life. How I wish I could protect them from the harsh world they were born into ….)

I’m thankful for smeared fingerprints on appliances. (Dishwashers, dryers, washing machines, stoves and refrigerators simplify the mundane, giving me time to focus on other things.)

And lastly, I’m thankful for the unmade beds. (We each have a cozy place for shut eye, even if we can’t bounce a nickel on the bedspread. How blessed are we.)

I read an article after Thanksgiving about a woman who lost her house and all her possessions in the Paradise fires. She spent Thanksgiving at a shelter, serving turkey dinners to fellow homeless survivors.

“It’s probably the best Thanksgiving of my life,” she said. “Being alive – my family being alive – makes you realize…. (what’s really important)”

This quote hangs in my kitchen: “Gratitude turns what we have into enough”

Are you in search of Christmas joy this year? Me too. What a year it’s been. At every turn, sorrow for so many. Broken relationships, loss of loved ones, health crises, financial and political stress, and so much more.

Today I’m snuggled by the fireplace, counting my blessings, like that grateful lady in Paradise.

I’m thankful to be alive and experiencing the joys of the season.

I’m thankful for each member of my family and extended family.

I’m thankful for today, because that’s all that’s guaranteed.

I’m thankful for a tiny Baby that arrived in a manger bed two thousand years ago on a cold winter’s night. Hope.

What are you thankful for?

Wishing you a beautiful, meaningful time with your family and friends, celebrating the joys of the season.

All my love and wishes for a peaceful, restful Christmas and a New Year filled with joy and hope. XOXO

You may also enjoy: The Gift of Giving and Broken Wings

The post ISO: Christmas Joy appeared first on Through Her Looking Glass.

Hey friends – wishing you a very happy June weekend! Hope you’re having a fantastic summer so far and enjoying all the good things: family, friends, homemade ice cream, veggie/flower gardens, ocean walks, outdoor concerts, picnics, watermelon, spell-binding beach reads, etc.

June irises and purple allium in Ogunquit, Maine

And all in that order LOL. You’ve been on my mind – I know!!!! It’s a crazy time of year. It’s been busy at our house too, with the school year winding down and summer schedule winding UP! And we’ve already hosted a few big extended family parties here in the last few weeks, celebrating my mom’s birthday and also Jon’s mom’s #80. Wahoo! Good times.

We’re especially looking forward to doing some things this summer that we haven’t been able to in a while. Some of you know our Hudson (8) has Down syndrome and autism. It’s been a beautiful journey in many ways but has also kept us closer to home with multiple medical, sensory and behavioral issues.

We’ve been working hard all winter long, applying for grants and getting extra helps in place for Hudson in the form of ABA therapy (autism therapy) and in-home respite care to free up our family for occasional breaks from care giving.

The excellent news is that many pieces that have been in limbo for nearly a year are finally coming together and Hudson is making great strides in his therapy programs.

Hudson meeting Sunny for the first time. While he was petrified of the lobby cat, he had NO FEAR approaching Sunny. Go figure.

Yass!!! The brush is upside down.

He’s looking forward to a wonderful summer filled with music classes, equine therapy and even attending a special needs local day camp for a week for children w/disabilities. It’s going to be a great summer!

Don’t know if I mentioned previously that Hudson has regressed significantly with his speech in the last couple years. We used to sing many songs like the scene above, with Hudson filling in partial words like this sweet little guy Bo with Downs.

We’re not sure if Hudson’s speech device has caused the regression or something else, but we’re just now starting to see Hudson picking up where he left off and attempting to communicate verbally more. If you haven’t yet seen the clip above, it’s one of the sweetest you’ll ever see. The talented strummer is Bo’s big sister Lydia and together they sing You Are My Sunshine. (Grab your tissues.)

Some interesting things to share with summer in mind. A few beach read recommendations, all WW II novels. I’ve read each one and highly recommend:

• Lilac Girls by Martha Hall Kelly
• The Nightingale by Kristin Hannah
• All the Light We Cannot See by Anthony Doerr

And here’s one I haven’t read yet, but taking it on vacation in a couple weeks: We Were the Lucky Ones  by Georgia Hunter.

New topic. If your feet are rough and calloused like mine were – consider an at home foot peel. I’d never heard of it before, but was pretty desperate and now I’m sold. I researched and took the plunge (literally!) a few weeks ago. I wore plastic “medicated” booties on my feet for an hour at home, then soaked my feet in warm water for 15 minutes a day for two weeks.

For the first few days, nothing happened at all and I thought maybe I’d been scammed. (It wouldn’t be the first time!) But on the fourth day, my feet started peeling. And then the soles peeled off entirely, revealing baby soft skin underneath! I’m thrilled – and it was a small investment – under twenty dollars for two complete treatments. Be careful to time this well and don’t do it before a special event. The dead skin comes off in shards, and it’s U-G-L-Y. (Trust me on that.) So give it the full two weeks to peel off.

And who doesn’t like candy? I recently became acquainted with a great company Lovely that sells many organic and gluten-free candy options. They sent a few samples to our house – good stuff. Hard candies, chewy candies, salted caramels, gummy bears and various kinds of caramel and chocolate dipped pretzel balls. The pretzel balls went first. Delish! Find retailers near you here.

.

And last but not least – we recently watched this beautiful movie, Breathe. (On Amazon Prime.) While controversial at times, it’s a captivating true love story – Jon and I were mesmerized. No spoiler alert here, but an interesting thing to know is that the movie was directed by the real life son of the two main characters portrayed.

Would love to hear what you’re up to and if you’ve got a book or movie recommendation, do tell ! I’m always scrounging for ideas.

Have a super summer weekend enjoying the little things, and Happy Father’s day to all the great, sacrificial dads out there. We love you!

XOXO,

allie

The post You Are My Sunshine – Favorite Things #7 appeared first on Through Her Looking Glass.

Happy weekend everyone – hoping it’s blue skies and fluffy clouds wherever you are. It’s been warm around here…finally! We hit the jackpot with 80’s midweek and haven’t looked back.

Look what popped in my front yard this week! Made me so happy.

Baked this cheerful pound cake on Tuesday that pops with lemon flavor and fresh blueberries! Yay spring.

Photo creds: For Such a Time Designs

I received several beautiful imprinted silver spoons as gifts from a sweet friend over the past year, made by For Such a Time Designs. I love them. Perfect with a cup of tea or coffee. I use them often, smile, and think of her.

Photo creds: For Such a Time Designs

It’s also wedding/bridal shower season. Finding the perfect gift for the lucky couple can be like searching for a needle in a haystack. Gifting a fork set imprinted with their wedding date is a meaningful, whimsical gift. Not to mention super affordable. Perfect for that first bite of wedding cake and celebrating anniversaries every year after.

Photo creds: For Such a Time Designs

Shop unique silver spoon designs for many different occasions (or just for fun!) here.

When bad things happen to (very) good dogs

I’ve not yet shared here about what happened to our very sweet dog Chloe two weeks ago. We got her from a rescue as a therapy dog for Hudson last fall after combing the inventory of every rescue in the state for weeks. (Hudson has Down syndrome, autism and a great fear of dogs. If you can’t beat ’em, join ’em.)

So we were needing a very loving, patient, calm dog. The kind that’s nearly half dead, if you know what I mean. LOL. Chloe fit the bill! She’s far more interested in loving pats than table food, though a crunchy pig’s ear brings endless tail thumps. (That and a good bum scratch.) If you scratch behind her ears juuust right, she purrs like a kitten…

Anyway, Jon was taking her out for a quick jaunt before dinner a few weeks ago. They were practically in front of our house when he stopped to chat with some neighbors who were also walking their dog. Just a friendly hello, how are you doing kind of thing. Without warning or provocation, their dog, who is significantly larger than Chloe (also leashed) lunged  and clamped onto her head and ear.

The dog wouldn’t unclamp and paid no attention to its owner. Jon managed to pry its jaws open. Of course poor Chloe is crying and screaming meanwhile as the teeth are sinking in. Jon finally gets the jaws pried open, then the dog clamps down AGAIN. On her throat and neck this time, and shakes her.

Chloe on her first visit to the beach last fall

All I can say is I am SO THANKFUL I wasn’t there and so grateful none of my kids were there to see this either. In the process of prying the dog off the second time, Jon got bitten and bruised. The other dog owner was also bitten. Jon’s injuries weren’t terrible, but Chloe’s were. We rushed her to the vet ER for staples, stitches and glue. The inside of her right ear was bitten badly and there were deep puncture wounds in her neck, throat and head. I’m not posting pictures of her injuries here because they were pretty gruesome – blood and gore.

To the other dog owners’ credit, they did pay for Chloe’s pricey vet bill and dropped in to check on her the next day. They felt terribly about what had happened and are taking their dog to a dog behavior specialist. Scary stuff. It all happened in a split second and Jon says it was as if time stood still when it all happened. So unexpected.

The excellent news is that Chloe is healing up well. Her wounds have scabbed over and the hair on her head, ear and neck is just starting to grow back in. And the staples behind her ear were removed yesterday. She should be good as new in not too long. Exhale.

Thought: “It’s extraordinary how extraordinary the ordinary person is.” – George Will

Reflective beach read I loved here!

Wishing you a beautiful, restful weekend!

XOXO,

allie

The post When bad things happen to (very) good dogs & Favorite Things #5 appeared first on Through Her Looking Glass.

Hey friends, happy weekend and welcome to today’s Kitchen Reveal party. Wish I’d baked gingersnaps and made party punch for the occasion. We started kitchen remodeling back in February and finally, we’re crossing the finish line.

A few little odds and ends remain, like finishing the trim paint, ceiling touch up, cabinet lighting etc. But nothing major. The last cabinet door was hung on Wednesday, so woohoo!

You may remember what our kitchen looked like before. (This picture was taken in January.)

And then we had a family demolition derby day in February and it looked like this. (All the holes in the wall are where the former backsplash was. The sheetrock had to be CUT out, as we couldn’t pry the tiles off the wall, no matter how hard we tried.)

We sold the cabinets on Craig’s List and almost got scammed in the process. Almost being the operative word. We learned a lot.

And now… it looks like this! It came out very close to how I imagined it would. (Guessing my Jon is just sighing with relief to see these words, lol.)

We ripped out this side counter and cabinets. Then extended the doorframe to the right by just a few inches so it would accommodate a pantry six inches wider. That’s a lot of extra storage space floor to ceiling, and so glad we went that route.

AND HERE’S THE DOUBLE WALL OVEN AND PANTRY!!!! (I’m not excited or anything.)

We went back and forth about getting a single or double wall oven, but I’m so glad we went with the double.

I’ve already used both wall ovens simultaneously a number of times. We were also able to find a much better deal on a double wall oven and separate 36″ gas cooktop, rather than a single wall oven plus a 36″ slide-in range with gas cooktop, which was the alternative. We managed to save several thousand dollars doing it this way and still got the two ovens and a cooktop, just a different configuration.

An awesome pantry feature is the slide out drawers inside, so it’s easy and convenient to find things. Though I do need a step stool to reach the upper cabinet shelves.

The original stainless slide-in range we sold on Craigslist. It was in great shape, but I was itching for a gas cooktop like we had at our previous home. I really prefer cooking with gas. Thankfully we already have a gas line for the furnace and hot water heater, so it was just a matter of diverting it to the new cooktop.

So I’m thrilled with the new gas cooktop. It’s 36″ wide, which is 6″ wider than the previous 30″ slide-in range was. It’s amazing how spacious that extra 6″ on the cooktop makes it feel. Plus an extra burner in the middle. The double wall oven freed up the space below this cooktop for storage drawers underneath for pots and pans.

Note the pot filler above the cooktop, on the back wall to the right. This was very inexpensive, less than a $100, and a no brainer once the sheetrock was already cut out because of the backsplash. You do have to get behind the sheetrock to plumb a pot filler, so it may not be an option for everyone, unless you can get behind your wall to plumb.

I’ve already used the pot filler numerous times, most recently when making a big pot of pea soup with our leftover Easter ham bone, which is actually cooking in the pot above. It was very delicious with homemade johnny cake FYI.

There was an extra three inches of cabinet space underneath the cooktop counter. Our cabinet guy suggested we put in a filler panel, but we’d seen this neat slide-out spice drawer which only takes, drumroll please…. exactly 3″ of space! YES!!!

I’m not necessarily an organized person (I see those smirks) but I’d like to be. And this spice rack is a move in the right direction!

I sold my former KitchenAid stand mixer (from the late 90’s) in a local Facebook yard sale group, and got one a little bigger and more powerful. KitchenAids are a great investment for your kitchen and really hold their value, FYI.

(I found this out when I had more than 25 on-line offers for my old KitchenAid, which was already refurbished when I bought it.)

We chose brushed nickel for most of the fixtures and kept an industrial feel. Some of my favorite features are the pot filler, the faucet, the amazing light over the kitchen sink, handmade by MoonStone Fox, and the pedestal lights suspended over the island.

We also installed a hot water dispenser, so now we can have tea, oatmeal and hot chocolate in an instant without putting on the kettle.

We were able to tie in the breakfast nook on the opposite end of the kitchen, using this scratch and dent kitchen armoire we bought years ago at the Williams Sonoma outlet in SC.

I’ve  always loved the clean look, and chose the shaker white kitchen cabinets based on the armoire lines. (Auntie M, note your Thistle Hill Pottery plate on upper left.  )

Love this pendant fixture. Found it online at Pottery Barn and scooped it up on a one day clearance sale in January. Score! I spend a lot of time working at this table because the lighting is great and the bird feeder isn’t far. I can’t resist a free show!

Love having my feathered friends nearby. Re: the light fixture above: be warned. It’s a serious dust catcher, but worth it (to me anyway) for the look.

Things we learned:

• We tried not to reinvent the wheel. In other words, the overall layout of the kitchen was already a good design and worked well, so we didn’t mess with it.
• You’ll note there are very few cabinets with doors, mostly pull-out drawers. That’s what’s recommended these days. So much easier to access the prized skillet rolling out a drawer than getting down on your hands and knees, peering into dark cabinet shelves.
• Our subscription to Consumer Reports was helpful, but nowhere near as helpful as just looking things up on Amazon and other sites. Consumer Reports was limited to just the models that they had tested.
• Do your homework ahead of time and always always always compare prices, especially for the bigger ticket items. We compared prices for cabinets and checked out reviews. And we had the quartz countertops quoted at four different shops. It was the fourth one, Granite Plus in Chelmsford, MA we visited that was $1K cheaper, and we got excellent customer service from start to finish.
• There’s a big difference between granite, quartz and quartzite in the countertop world. Granite is a natural stone, less expensive but porous and requires occasional sealing. Quartz is more expensive than granite, man-made, but more durable and virtually maintenance free. And quartzite is natural stone but more expensive than quartz. (Soapstone is beautiful too but out of our budget.) We also considered butcher block, but didn’t want the maintenance.
• We shopped around and shopped around, and Sears was by far the most competitively priced option for the wall ovens and gas cooktop. The customer service however, was a nightmare. Bear that in mind. So frustrating. Sale prices online wouldn’t show up in the online cart, and it ended up being weeks before we finally got everything straightened out with multiple phone calls, talking to people halfway around the world. Sears online and in-store seem to be in competition with each other, making it nearly impossible to resolve anything locally if you have an on-line issue.
• We were committed to doing this project for cash, so we set a budget and stuck with it. While I love how everything turned out, there were many more expensive options and I had to resist splurging. Like a copper hammered range hood for example. Lol. Maybe someday. I did however splurge on a smaller item, the handmade industrial light fixture above the kitchen sink. It was definitely worth the splurge and makes a statement, but wasn’t a huge ticket item.
• So glad we sold everything we could from the old kitchen on-line: stove, cabinets, microwave, etc. That hugely helped reduce our overall cost.
• We were able to avoid replacing the flooring, refrigerator and dishwasher (which was fairly new anyway.) This was a big savings!
• You can pay a lot for Italian subway tile online. It’s lovely, but we didn’t want to spend the pesos there. We got ours inexpensively at Home Depot and used gray grout (rather than white) because it’s easier to keep clean.
• I’m glad we had the cabinets built all the way to the ceiling. It cuts down on dust, and is a cleaner classic look, with great storage in the upper cabinets for things we don’t often use.

What we would have done differently:

• Thankfully, not too much! We did our homework first.
• When the dishwasher is open and the trash drawer on the island is open simultaneously, it’s tight. It works, but we should’ve staggered those better.
• The pot filler should have been installed a little lower, though it works perfectly. I probably would have mounted it one row of subway tile down. It’s tough to figure out where to mount, because you have to plumb it and set the height before you even have countertops or the range top installed. It’s a guessing game. I think we were afraid it might land too low, so ended up overcompensating and mounting it a little high. That’s ok, it still works great, but might be helpful for you to know.
• We would have found a way to make the microwave a built-in, rather than sitting on a shelf. There were many options we looked at, but in retrospect, I think we could have installed it from above, attached underneath a cabinet, as if it were installed over a range. That would have given a cleaner look.

How we saved $:

• Didn’t hire a designer.
• Contracted it ourselves.
• Removed the old cabinets and backsplash ourselves.
• Jon did all the painting.
• Spent time and shopped around for the best prices and value.
• Sold everything we could from our old kitchen to help finance the new one.
• Didn’t get derailed from our budget and splurged on just a few key items: countertops and lighting.
• Amazon was the best for shopping, comparison pricing and on-line reviews. We bought most of the kitchen fixtures, including the stainless range hood on Amazon. Prices were excellent and shipping was free with Amazon prime.
• Kept several existing appliances and the wood flooring.

I’m so glad we kept the kitchen island countertop free of sinks, cooktop, etc. A lot of designs featured built-ins like that. But our kitchen island is invaluable for entertaining with extra seating and space for food. It’s also perfect for rolling out cookies and pie dough. We installed outlets on either end and that works great for mixers/blenders and plugging in my photography lighting.

Jon and I also recently discovered late one night last week that the island makes an awesome laundry folding station when we’re working in tandem on mega laundry.

All along, we kept in mind that a kitchen remodel is one of the best investments you can make in a home. You nearly always get your money back in the long run. And since I’m a food blogger, it was a no brainer for us.

I’ve had friends ask, after seeing the finished kitchen – ‘how in the world did you even know where to start?’ Well, we just went step by step, like everything else, in layers.

Looked at design pics. first to figure out what we liked. Then started with pricing the biggest pieces of the puzzle: the cabinets, appliances, countertops and contractor labor.

Once we found our contractor, we talked through timing, pricing and availability. Once we had those big pieces in place, I started shopping on-line for lighting fixtures, sink, sink fixtures, cabinet hardware, etc. So we went from broad to narrow, and that worked well for us.

We also ordered everything ahead of time and had it here waiting in the garage before the contractor even arrived, with just a few exceptions. This saved time, money, and kept us from wasting the contractor’s time too.

Many thanks to everyone who has been cheering us on during this project, thank you. It’s been fun cataloguing the journey here.

It was quite a marathon, but is already making such a huge difference to work/live in a light and airy, bright kitchen with great storage. We’re thankful and blessed.

Please don’t hesitate to ask questions about the process or share your thoughts. Always love hearing from you.

Wishing you a peaceful, joyful spring weekend doing whatever you love. (I’m potting pansies today.)

XOXO,

allie

The post Real Deal: Kitchen Reveal! Before & After appeared first on Through Her Looking Glass.

Wishing you a peaceful weekend and welcome to Favorite Things #4 , where I share what’s percolating in the remaining gray cells. Today just happens to be my firstborn’s birthday. So happy, happy birthday Jonathan! The big 2-0 is just that… BIG! Remembering that poignant moment so long ago when I first saw that precious baby face. Sniff.

It’s been a good weekend around here and hope it has been at your house too. The sick kids here are on the mend. Charlie’s been competing at the state Destination Imagination competition. The sky is azure. Birds are chirping. I can barely see the dirty little snow patches left in the side yard.

Truth: we had a momentary spring lapse yesterday when it SNOWED two inches. (Thankfully already melted.) But other than that hiccup, spring is definitely springing, even if it hasn’t fully sprung in NH yet.

Here’s what what Hudson and I do on Saturday mornings…

This wooly little lamb Marley thinks he’s a pup! Cute.

FYI, sharing a couple great new finds I recently stumbled across:Loving this GuruNanda Natural Mist diffusing mister. It diffuses essential oils straight up and plugs into the wall or a USB outlet. Right now the fresh scent of lemon grass essential oil is in my entryway. Clean, fresh and springy! All natural and no chemicals, the essential oil bottle screws right onto the mister itself. I’m trying lavendar and rosemary oils next. Genius idea.

And here’s a delicious aroma to lure you out of bed on a lazy Sunday morning: Sugar Dusted Beignet Coffee. Savoring this scrumptious new flavor by Community Coffee. Made with 100% select Arabica coffee beans, get it in 12-ounce bags or single-serve pods. Light and sweet, sipping at my kitchen table like I’m parked in a New Orleans street cafe a thousand miles away…

Book recommendation:  Born Survivors: Three Young Mothers and Their Extraordinary Story of Courage, Defiance, and Hope

Amazing read, and true.

“The Nazis murdered their husbands but concentration camp prisoners Priska, Rachel, and Anka would not let evil take their unborn children too—a remarkable true story celebrating three mothers who defied death to give their children life. On the seventieth anniversary of Mauthausen’s liberation from the Nazis by American soldiers, renowned biographer Wendy Holden recounts this extraordinary story of three children united by their mothers’ unbelievable—yet ultimately successful—fight for survival.”

This read is definitely worth your time. Five stars.

Sharing this in honor of my brave, beautiful mom and all the mothers of children with Down syndrome around the globe.

(Hint: grab tissues. I was a faucet.)

I mentioned in my cookie post earlier this week that we’re closing in on finishing the kitchen remodel project. So close! Waiting on just a few more cabinet doors to come in so I can take the snaps.

The project was fun and worth the grief. (I try to be honest here: there was grief involved.)

“Gratitude turns what we have into enough…”  – Melody Beattie

So what are you up to? Wishing you a beautiful weekend, savoring all the little things that make you smile.

XOXO,

Allie

The post Favorite Things #4 appeared first on Through Her Looking Glass.

Wishing a great weekend to everyone out there today! It’s been a crazy week for us East coasters, what with another two foot snow dump this past Tuesday.

That’s ok. New Englanders are a resilient bunch, still smiling. (Some of us.) Grabbing our shovels. (Pick axes?) Pulling on our snow bibs like everyone else, one leg at a time. (I hear another storm’s on the way. Just sayin’ and don’t shoot the messenger.)

Two feet of white stuff is a bit much, and thankfully it wasn’t heavy like last week’s batch. (So say the shovelers at my house.) We already had snow on the ground, so our mailbox is now completely encased in white. I think every mail delivery worker up here should get a big fat bonus check during arctic stretches like this. It can’t be easy.

I spy candied maple bacon biscuits. And fresh cider donuts. Eek!!!

A few weekends ago, in the midst of our kitchen renovations (think no stovetop, oven and kitchen sink for weeks) we escaped the indoor kitchen camping scene for a delicious homemade breakfast up in Sugar Hill, NH at Polly’s Pancake Parlor.

You’ll find all things maple at Polly’s Pancakes.

Jon and I first discovered Polly’s by accident last fall when we sneaked off on a quick weekend getaway to Sugar Hill and Jackson, NH. We visited the Garnet Hill outlet in Franconia then googled for a bite to eat and Polly’s Pancake Parlor came up first. Lucky us, what a great find!

Real maple syrup. Real maple sugar. Real maple spread. My kind of heaven on earth.

Polly’s Pancake Parlor has been around for over seventy-five years now and I know why. Great food, real maple syrup/maple syrup products, and excellent customer service are top priority.

Not to mention the view out the dining room windows!

We’ve since visited twice more with the boys and had a great experience each time.

If you remember nothing else, please note that you can call ahead to Polly’s and get your name on the waiting list. That’s a very good idea if you’re planning a visit. We went during the Christmas holidays and took the boys on our way up to Quebec City.

Shop all kinds of homemade mixes and maple products while you wait.

We called Polly’s when we left the house and still waited twenty minutes after arriving. And we’re an hour and a half away! So do call ahead, especially during busy holiday times.

Some of you know our special little guy Hudson. He’s got Downs and autism, but that didn’t dampen his enthusiasm for delicious homemade pancakes a bit.

In fact, he’s a carb lover. And while he’s got sensory issues and typically covers his face if a camera appears, he forgot all about that when his stack arrived!

So here’s the squeeze on Polly’s. There are different kinds of homemade pancake batter to choose from. Oatmeal buttermilk. Plain. Buckwheat. Corn meal. Gingerbread.

And then there are the add-ins: walnuts and coconut. And your server works behind the long griddles, flipping your flapjacks! And when you finish your first custom stack of three, your server magically reappears with the second. That’s how they do it at Polly’s. And I didn’t hear anyone complaining. Check out their extensive menu here.

Originally Hildex Farm in Sugar Hill, Polly’s Pancake Parlor started in 1938.

Polly’s mills their own flours. And in 2006, they received a James Beard Award in the “American Classics” category.

So if you’ve never been to Polly’s Pancake Parlor, add it to your New England bucket list. You won’t be disappointed.

We left Polly’s and headed to the Garnet Hill Outlet, just a hop, skip and a jump away. If you’re not familiar with Garnet Hill, it’s primarily a women’s clothing company known for natural fibers, linen, fabulous wools and cashmere. They also carry the exclusive Eileen Fisher brand. I didn’t buy anything there, but that’s not the end of the story.

We headed on to Chutter’s in Littleton, NH, not far away. While Jon and the kids shopped at the longest continuous candy counter in the world, I slipped in to the shop next door – Emma & Co. Consignment.

And scored this beautiful Garnet Hill leather bag for a song. Patience is a virtue! The girl who checked me out said they carry lots of Garnet Hill because the outlet is so close.

And quick kitchen update – it’s functional! Kitchen sink, stovetop and oven happened this week. Now it’s just the details. I’ll keep you posted.

Have a beautiful, relaxing weekend and hope it includes a short stack with real maple syrup!

XOXO,

Allie

The post Breakfast Field Trip to Polly’s Pancake Parlor – Sugar Hill, NH appeared first on Through Her Looking Glass.

Hey friends – happy weekend to you! Hope it’s a great one. We continue forward with our kitchen renovations here – and it won’t be long ’til running water, gas cooktop and ovens happen. (Translation: a real meal that doesn’t involve the electric griddle.) Hopefully this coming week, fingers crossed. And no. more. blizzards.

Posting Kitchen Ideas here to give you hints of our kitchen reno if you’re into that kind of thing. Especially if you’ve got a remodel on the horizon or are on the fence about it.

Truth is, I’ve felt like a crazy woman these last few weeks. Yesterday I made a beef stew with the electric griddle and slow cooker balanced on a plywood plank stretched between counter frames. A balancing act. Just call me Pioneer Woman.

That same day the big nor’easter hit us hard, and I was bundled up to my eyes refilling the backyard feeder in 18″ of white for my feathered friends. That would be Tundra Woman. Me.

Then my asthma kicked in with all the mudding, spackling, sanding etc. and I had to wear a ridiculous white dust mask around my own house for days. Bird Flu Woman? LOL. (I’ll answer to plain Crazy too.)

Jon and I were in the paint store yesterday picking out the wall color and the guy at the counter mentions the coming storm.

Naive me: What storm?

Him: You didn’t hear? Another nor’easter’s on the way, arriving Monday or Tuesday.

Me: For real? (Jaw drops a mile. Or three.)

And all I can muster back: “So don’t shoot the messenger, right?”

Folks, it’s MARCH. April showers bring… May flowers. So what do March blizzards bring? Give it time. Then mud. M-U-D. In my sparkling white kitchen no less. Funny. (Or not.) The grand prize for March blizzards is mud.

Posting some Kitchen Ideas and pics about the journey today, sharing some of our choices. It’s amazing, there are SO MANY choices out there and it’s dizzying even knowing where to begin.

Pot fillers are a fun new accessory. Install above your stove top for effortless pot and kettle filling.

If you’re thinking about kitchen remodeling, start looking at kitchen ideas in home decorating magazines, online decorating sites and Pinterest.

Shaker white cabinets by Forevermark. (This isn’t our kitchen, but similar cabinets.)

Pore over lots of kitchen pictures to see what you like. Think of kitchens you’ve been in and love – family and friends’ kitchens. Even kitchens you don’t like. (Why don’t you like it?) The tough thing then, is to break down the why. Why do you like a particular look? What reels you in? Is it color? Style? Cabinets? Appliances? Floor? Lighting? And then note the individual components that contribute towards the look and feel you like.

For instance, do you like wood cabinets? Dark or light? Painted? Stained? Or maybe you’re drawn to white? Do you like lots of moldings and bevels? Or simple clean lines. Do you like living with neutrals and muted colors, or color drama?

When I was in my twenties, I loved bold color and lots of it. But as we were looking at homes for sale last year, I found I’m drawn to quieter, more muted color palettes now, with color pops here and there.

My girlfriend J put this fixture in her kitchen (different finish) and I love it! (Photo creds: thanks Moonstone Fox !)

Not sure if it’s my age or styles have changed dramatically. But with this kitchen remodel, I’m going for light and bright, clean, classic lines, neutral colors and an industrial flavor.

My sister has a hot water dispenser and finds it… indispensable! Make tea, hot cocoa or oatmeal at a moment’s notice, no stovetop necessary. Mounts next to the kitchen sink faucet.

And I have to say, as it’s all coming together… I’m loving it! I know this farmhouse/industrial mix was the right choice for us, but everyone has different tastes and house style to work with. So first you have to figure out what works best for your scene.

You can always hire a designer, but if you already know what you like and have experienced contractors to lean on – why not save the pesos and go for it? I think I can. I think I can. The little blue engine, chugging right along.

The web is a great source of design inspiration. And if you happen to have a friend who dabbles in interior design like me, I’m sure they’ll be happy to steer you in the right direction.

In case you missed it, here are my previous posts on our kitchen remodel:

Don’t Get Scammed On Craig’s List Like I (Almost) Did

Kitchen Demolition Derby

My next kitchen-related post will be the kitchen reveal. Can’t wait!

What’s going on in your world? Would love to hear from you. Have a beautiful weekend.

XOXO,

Allie

The post Kitchen Ideas Board appeared first on Through Her Looking Glass.

This little shop has stolen my heart. Hand-painted silk scarves, pottery, paintings, hand-made cards and eclectic artisan gifts in a rustic, serene setting. If you’re local, you must visit Barn In Bloom!

I’ve had several delightful chats with owner and creative, Sarah. (Be sure to check hours first: open Wed. – Sat. only.) Savor homemade soups and artisan breads next door at Buckley’s Bakery and Cafe.

Tattle tale on me: I left my sunroof open on a 74° February day last week. Not recommended here in NH. It snowed 5″ the next day. YASSS! I was shocked to discover my fronts seats and console filled with the white stuff late the next day, had to grab a shovel. Reminds me of that other time when I forgot something else pretty important.

But spring is not so far away. (A girl can dream!) Here’s the personalized doormat I have and love.

Pure sweetness!

Scrumptious and unusual: a slice of fresh rosemary olive oil cake I shared with a friend here. Worth the splurge. This unique little cafe featuring farm to table and Mediterranean cuisine has a free online recipe club . (I signed on the dotted line and so can you.)

“Criticism, like rain, should be gentle enough to nourish a man’s growth without destroying his roots.” -Frank A. Clark

It’s school vacation week here in NH and all continues to be chaotic with our kitchen remodel. A fun adventure none-the-less. Loved hearing about your kitchen renovations in the comments last week, thank you! And look forward to sharing the “after” pictures of ours here. Whenever “after” finally arrives. (Patience is a virtue, so I’m told.)

Enjoying a cup of this in the quiet this morning.

It’s stormy here on the East coast this weekend, stay safe!

XOXO,

allie

The post Favorite Things #3 appeared first on Through Her Looking Glass.