I’ve always been a fan of a great at-home bar. I strongly believe it’s a must-learn life skill to mix up classic cocktails, and as an avid host, it’s important to provide an array...
Looking back on Easter as a child, I remember how excited I was to dig through my Easter basket. Full of chocolate bunnies, malt ball Easter eggs, Peeps, golden coins, and my favorite Cadbury...
Lets be honest, salads can be boring. So I’m always trying to think outside of the box to come up with salad recipes that I’ll thoroughly enjoy, but are beyond easy to make. Enter...
Lets be honest, salads can be boring. So I’m always trying to think outside of the box to come up with salad recipes that I’ll thoroughly enjoy, but are beyond easy to make. Enter...
I first made this salad with all of my Thanksgiving Day leftovers. Craving something healthy, but not wanting to waste food, this anything-but-boring, smoked turkey salad was the perfect solution. But even since the big day, I can’t stop making it. And the beautiful thing about this turkey salad is it’s more than easy to recreate.
What really makes this salad work, is the combination of flavors. The smokey taste of the turkey, combined with fresh tart pomegranate seeds, crisp brussel sprout shreds, and everyone’s favorite meat bacon, meld in perfect harmony creating a mouth watering bite after bite. And no, your turkey does not have to be smoked, a well seasoned turkey breast will do the trick.
And bonus, there’s plenty of healthy stars in this smoked turkey salad. Some of them obvious like pomegranate seeds, and others not so obvious, like shaved brussel sprouts which are sneakily mixed in which is perfect for the pickiest eaters.
I’ve become obsessed with subbing in shaved brussel sprouts whenever possible. You can of course shred your own with your standard cheese grater, but plenty of places like Trader Joe’s and Whole Foods have them washed, bagged and already shredded for you. Try them in your coleslaw and salad recipes next time.
Hearty enough to be a meal all on it’s own, but with flavors that still make it equally light and refreshing I guarantee this smoked turkey salad will quickly become one of your households go-to meals. Truly, MKR
P.S. Something to note, depending on the size of your turkey breast, or if you choose to roast an entire turkey, I suggest using the left over turkey by making a great turkey noodle soup, or turkey chili. Or you can always make round two of this salad!
This year my motto in life and business is to worker smarter, not harder. So what does that look like? Well it looks different in all areas, but in the area of tech it looks like finding ways to simplify my household and my office.
When I first began thinking about how to simplify, I felt a bit overwhelmed by the options. I mean there are more “smart home” devices on the market than ever, and none of them feel simple. So, I sat down with the expert, my husband, and together we came up with a plan. For running our household we’d go with the Samsung Connect Home.
The Samsung Connect Home Smart Wi-Fi system is a Wi-Fi router and SmartThings hub: all in one. I know I’m starting to talk tech, so let me try to simplify this as best I can. As a Wi-Fi router it optimizes your signal, so you can upload, download or stream your favorite shows and movies with no wheel of death, or no “36 hours to download messaging,” just fast, uninterrupted service. And the “mesh” Internet connection delivers a strong blanket of coverage across the entire home! For me this has been a game changer, allowing me to work wherever and not worry about connection or speed issues. Plus, each hub covers 1,500 square feet, so even if you live in a large home, you can just add more routers so it’s customized to your need. The starter kit actually comes with 3 different hubs!
Another big bonus, with the Samsung Connect App, I didn’t need to mess around with multiple apps, because one app controls it all. Yes, ONE app! Built to work with most existing smart home devices, Samsung Connect Home and the Connect App is compatible with 100’s of smart products such as your Samsung TV, Nest Thermostat, Philips Hue, Netgear Arlo Camera, Ring Video Doorbell, and more.
And it’s easy! I was able to connect my devices with a tap and manage my entire home right from my phone. I can adjust the temperature of my Nest, the brightness of my Philips Hue lights, or simply create a secure network access for my guests. This aspect of Connect Home has simplified so much of my life, and gives me peace of mind….especially when I travel.
For example, I’ve been known to forget to unplug my curling iron and straightner….hello fire hazard. Well now, I can turn them off through my phone because of my connected outlet. Another way I love to use my Samsung Connect; I start or stop my Samsung Washer and Dryer with a touch of the button, and also get notifications when the wash is complete. I can check to make sure the hubs actually locked the front door like he thought he did. And if I’m going to be late, I can turn on the light and TV so my Cavalier Addison doesn’t feel so alone.
And did I mention it’s appearance. The Samsung Connect is small, and sleek, so my home can be a complete “smart” home without looking like a tech nightmare.
I’m telling you no matter how big or small your home is the Samsung Connect Home will truly revolutionize your home and lifestyle. Tell me, have you thought about getting a smart home system? Do you have one? How does having strong Wi-Fi coverage help you to simplify your life? Truly, MKR
Photography, Rustic White | This post is in collaboration with Samsung, a brand I love and adore. All opinions are 100% my own.
When I opened my brick and mortar, Waiting on Martha Home, this past summer the list of improvements was long and my budget was tight. I basically had to gut the entire space to feel more like the WOM we all know…”happy and bright.” I’m talking floors ripped up, wallpaper installed, custom cabinetry created, walls knocked down, and more gallons of paint applied than you can imagine. I of course, like most people when faced with a large reno, went over budget. Not by much, but it was enough to make me push the bathroom renovation to a later date.
When it finally came round to give the bathroom the attention it needed, I wanted to give it a full face lift, but on a budget. And time was of the essence. I couldn’t have my bathroom out of use for more than a few days. Well, I’m thrilled to share with you the full bathroom reveal that was completed in two days and with a budget of $1,000. So how did I complete this kind of reno with that kind of budget, let’s first discuss. Starting with the before shall we.
As you can see by this picture the bathroom was brown and bland. Brown tile, brown granite, brown wood paneling; yes it appears brown was the theme. When thinking about what I could do on my budget I knew I couldn’t do everything. So I chose to change what I felt would have the biggest impact and try to mask the rest. For me that meant, changing the walls by adding texture, and ripping out the current sink and countertop situation.
While in a dream world I would have loved to rip the tile out it would have been too timely and expensive of a project for this particular reno. I also felt that once everything else was lightened up and a great rug was added the floors wouldn’t be near as noticeable.
For the walls, ceiling and trim I chose to continue the shiplap and coloring scheme that was carried out in one of the rooms in the Shoppe. I personally prefer a wider shiplap with a square edge, so I went with Home Depot’s 8 x 8 shiplap in pine and painted it Farrow & Ball’s Pale Powder in a flat finish. I love a flat finish on the shiplap itself, as it maintains more of it’s unfinished vibe with a flat paint rather than a semi or high gloss. And I did paint the shiplap after it was installed rather than before.
For the trim I continued the Shoppe’s color scheme of Farrow & Ball’s Dimity with a lacquer finish and the ceiling was painted in Farrow & Ball’s All White. I just love how the mint colored shiplap plays off the high lacquer vanilla feel of Dimity and the white and bright ceiling. I also changed out the ceiling light and fan to a simple, yet modern, one by Hunter.
One thing to note about the paint and the budget, I did have left over paint from the Shoppe to complete this bathroom project so when you look at the final total I didn’t have to count paint into my budget.
Next up, the sink and countertop. This was tricky. While I would have loved to rip the whole thing out and put an all-in-one vanity situation that wasn’t an option as my Shoppe bathroomhad to be ADA compliant. At first my father and I were just trying to find a piece of marble in this shape to simply switch it out. But once looking at my options, and my numbers, I knew I couldn’t afford to do that. The solution, cut the counter in half by not having it run all the way to the wall. By making this simple change I was able to get the marble vanity top with the sink built right in from Home Depot making my job so much easier!
This may sound a bit tricky to execute, but it was a lot easier than it looks and that’s coming from a non DIY-er like myself. All we had to do was unhook the faucets and rip the siliconed top off, which ended up being a breeze because it wasn’t attached well to begin with. Then I let my father fire up the saw and he cut the front piece of wood off that extended to the wall, and placed a new wood panel on the bottom and side. I then painted it Pale Powder to match the shiplap and installed the vanity top again with silicone. Easy breezy.
And voila, a full bathroom reno that came in on time…only two days…and on budget! I mean it feels like a completely different space does it not?! Of course the aesthetics helped too. The rug, as mentioned, masks the brown tile and I definitely added a few hints of fun with my striped waste paper basket and feather juju hat. But really, the star of the show is the physical transformation of the space. Tell me friends, did this make you feel ready to tackle your own home reno? Truly, MKR
Photography, Rustic White | This post was in collaboration with Home Depot and Pfister, brands I love and adore. All opinions are 100% my own.
