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Kid friendly features on our Samsung Family Hub Refrigerator plus the perfect summer sauce that goes on everything!

Collaborations

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 Our kitchen is truly the heart of our home. We spend so much time in here eating meals, doing homework, and most importantly cooking. I put a lot of effort into the design of my kitchen because I love cooking, especially with my husband.  It’s usually my time to unwind, but cooking can quickly turn from fun to stressful when you have hungry, bored kids at your feet wanting to know when dinner is ready. Enter in my lifesaver Samsung family hub refrigerator!!

I never imagined how useful this refrigerator would be! It serves as a source of entertainment for my little ones with the coloring note pad app, music, and YouTube built in to the family hub. It makes cooking dinner less stressful and more entertaining! I can’t tell you how many times I have found my kiddos giggling as they pull up a photo of mom or day and draw on mustaches and funny hats! I regularly set up the coloring note pad for my youngest son before I start cooking. Then I know he is happy, entertained, and close to me if he needs anything which makes meal prep and cooking relaxing and enjoyable!!

 

Although I love to cook I’m definitely not a gourmet chef!  I make a super simple sauce to put over chicken or fish that you would think took me all day to make! My favorite simple sause for the summer is this Herb Lemon Cream sauce. It’s delicious on any protein and so ease to make!

 

Ingredients:

  • Fresh Dill
  • 4 TBSP Sour Cream
  • 2 TBSP Chicken Stock Concentrate
  • 2 tsp. Dijon Mustard
  • Juice from 1/2 lemon
  • 1/4 Cup Hot Water

Directions:

Add Dill, Sour Cream, Chicken Stock Concentrate, Dijon Mustard, Lemon and hot water to a med size sauce pan. Heat thoroughly till all the ingredients come together stirring frequently with a wisk.  Let simmer for 5 minuets, serve warm over your favorite protein or vegetables!

 
-Grey Birch Designs-

 

 

 

Why we switched our whole family over to organic mattresses from Naturpedic

Collaborations

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Earlier this year we made the decision to switch our whole family over to organic mattresses from Naturepedic. This has proven to be one of the best decisions we have made when it comes to our sleep. I had previously learned about all the harmful chemicals used in manufacturing traditional mattresses and this is what sparked the change. A traditional mattress has many toxic chemicals that are used in the manufacturing stage and these chemicals can build up in your body night after night as you sleep in your bed. These same chemicals have been linked to some very scary diseases and that alone was enough for me to send our old mattress flying out the window!
With these 100% organic mattresses I can sleep well knowing that our whole family is protected and can sleep healthy! The founder is a certified environmental engineer and this business was brought about due to a lack of organic mattresses on the market. He went to purchase a crib mattress for his first grandchild and couldn’t find one that was chemical free, so he made his own and that’s how Naturerpedic was born!

We picked the Serenade mattress in cushion-firm for our oldest child. The Serenade features a hybrid design, combining organic latex for pressure-point relief and encased coil support that gently contours your body. Our daughter absolutely loves it!!



We picked out the Chorus mattress for our younger daughter and our twin boys. It’s packed with real fibers that wick away moisture and a soft microcoil comfort layer that breathes and dissipates heat efficiently for a cool and comfortable sleep. This is ideal for our boys who tend to be hot sleepers, and our daughter says it’s the most comfortable bed she has ever had!


Our mattress is the Halcyon Arcadia and it’s the most luxurious mattress I have every slept on. I’m not joking when I say I look forward to slipping into bed each night! Something that is so amazing about this mattress is you can customize the softness or firmness. It’s multi-layered zippered construction provides flexibility as your needs change over time plus the ability to adjust the comfort of the bed to each sleeper’s preferences. That’s a game changer right there! If you like a softer bed and your spouse prefers something more firm, you can each have what fits you in the same mattress!!

I have also been told by our youngest that it’s a great bed to jump and do belly flops on because it’s so soft…….haha!!! Good thing he’s a cutie!

             

Finally, for our youngest we picked out the Verse mattress. This is the ideal mattress for kids! It is solid, supportive, and comfortable. The slightly firmer feel is key to helping support kids’ developing bones as they sleep and my little guy couldn’t be happier! He used to be the first one to wake up in our house and many times didn’t sleep well through the night. Now I find myself having to wake him up in the mornings!! 



These mattresses have truly been a blessing to our family, and having the peace of mind knowing that we are all sleeping healthy is priceless! 

The most important things to look for in an organic mattress, along with a company’s certifications and awards, are these key things, all of which I found with Naturepedic:
• Certified organic cotton
• Certified organic wool
• Certified organic latex
• Steel innerspring
• Organic cotton encase coils
I know everyone can agree that the health of your loved ones is always at the top of your list. Before I knew about all the awful scary things that go into making a traditional mattress I had no idea the potential risk to my family’s health each night was. Now I can throw that worry out the window along with our old mattresses and sleep care free and healthy!


          
-Grey Birch Designs-

The Design Inspiration Behind my Sunroom

Design Tips

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 Over the past few months I have felt my style evolving, not necessarily changing but just becoming more refined. It’s funny to look back on how my style has changed over the years and grown up right along with me! One thing I have always loved is a vintage twist in my decor. I love to mix styles, specifically modern with a twist of vintage vibe, and that’s exactly what I did in my sunroom!

Rich wood tones, vintage inspired pottery, live house plants, and beautiful textured rugs and textiles all come together to create this space our family uses everyday.

The real star of this room is my new handmade vintage inspired Rune rug from Revival Rugs. I have been a long time fan of their beautiful rugs and I’m so excited to add one into my home! I love the natural colors,  the beautiful design, and of course I’m a sucker for any rug with fringe!! This rug is inspired by nomadic tribes. They were limited by the size loom they would make their rugs on, so they would commonly join long narrow panels together to make a larger, wider rug. How cool is that! I love knowing the story and history behind vintage pieces, as well as the design inspiration of vintage reproductions. It truly gives more life to a piece of decor for me.

  

This room is the perfect space for my new rug because this is where I have so many of my vintage inspired faux found pottery I have made. Have you tried this project yet?! I’m seriously obsessed with making these! They are the perfect compliment to each other and bring the whole look and feel of the space together, with a little bit of a story! This room has such a warm welcoming feel to it now and it’s a place we love to gather together as a family and enjoy a meal!

Revival rugs not only has vintage inspired handmade rugs, but also a collection of true one of a kind vintage rugs that you can’t find anywhere else! Check them out here and use my code: GREYBIRCH10 to save yourself 10% off a truly beautiful and unique rug for your home that will last the test of time!

-Grey Birch Designs-

DIY Wool Dryer Balls

DIY Projects

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I have been super interested in the benefits of replacing our fabric softener with wool dryer balls. I love the idea of it being chemical free because a couple of my kids have very sensitive skin. I also love that you can add a few drops of essential oils to give your clothes a fresh smell!

I set out to make my own and give then a shot! They are super easy to make and there is a good chance you already have what you need around your home, making this a very affordable project!

To make these you will need any color yarn as long as it’s 100% wool. This is a very important part of this project! I found it a little hard to find 100% wool yarn from my local craft store so I ended up ordering this yarn and it worked great! You will also need some nylon pantyhose and I found these one to be quite cheap!
There are only a few steps to the project and it’s super simple! First you want to start the base of your ball. Take three fingers and wrap the yarn around them a few times, I did around 5-6. Then remove the yarn from your fingers and wrap the yarn around the middle of the loop you just made 7-8 times. Next, wrap the yarn around the base you just created until you get the size dryer ball you like! Remember to slightly turn your ball while you are wrapping so that it will stay a round shape.
          
Then cut the yarn and tie off the end. Now you are going to put your wool balls in the nylon pantyhose and tie a knot. Repeat this step until all your wool balls are inside the pantyhose.
     Now it’s time to make it all come together! Wash them with hot water in your washing machine. I use my Samsung Flex Washer and Dryer. With the smaller washer on top I can do this project without running a full load of laundry or wasting water by running the washer with only the dryer ball project in it.
It’s super easy to use and has the same settings as the main washer! I set the top washing machine to do a quick wash with hot water and that’s it! I never realized how much I would use this feature until we replaced or old front load washer and dryer with these new Samsun FlexWash and FlexDry

Once the cycle is finished in the washer throw it in the dryer on high. Then remove them from the pantyhose and you’re done!! I made this project with my daughter and we had a lot of fun. It was also a great opportunity to teach my daughter how to do laundry and all the awesome things our Samsung appliances can do – the top feature being the duel washer and dryer. Fingers crossed this little laundry lesson will make her want to do her own laundry from now on!
     

-Grey Birch Designs-

DIY Faux Pottery

DIY Projects

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 If there has ever been a DIY project that I have been obsessed with it’s this one! I have lost count of how many ugly containers I have turned into modern vintage looking faux pottery, and I still want to do more! It’s such a fun project that you really can’t mess up and will always turn out beautiful!

Supply list

You can use this technique on practically anything. I have used ugly pottery, glass vases, plastic pots, even a set of lamps!! Click here to see how my lamps turned out. I’m completely in love with them! 

I love checking my local thrift store for cheap pieces to transform! Don’t be scared of the color or design of a thrift store piece, if it has good shape and is the size you like it will be perfect for this project!
Check out the first piece I did this faux pottery makeover on. Talk about a night and day difference!!
      

Let’s Make Some Faux Pottery!!
  • The first step is to cover your piece with a texture spray, this one by Rust-Oleum is my favorite. There’s no wrong or right way to do this. You can see the texture overlaps when you spray it and that’s completely fine. This step gives your piece the truly authentic look of pottery so be generous with the texture spray!
       

  • Let the texture sit until it’s dry to the touch, about 10-15 minutes. Next, spray paint it any color you want. Make sure the paint is a Flat/Matte finish. If you use spray paint with any kind of a gloss finish it won’t give you the same look. For this project I used this medium grey color. I love it and it gives my planter a little bit of a concrete look!
     
  • Now comes the fun part. Grab some dirt from your backyard and add just a little bit of water. You don’t want to add too much water to the dirt, think somewhere in-between dry dirt and mud! Now rub it all over your project and let it completely dry!
     

  • After the dirt is dry take a clean cloth and rub some of it off. You can take off a little or a lot, it’s up to you! If you have trouble removing the dirt, it may be because your dirt was too wet. Get your cloth damp and carefully rub the dirt off that way. If your cloth is too wet and you completely remove all the dirt you will need to repeat the last step to get some of that dirt back on your project.
  • The last step is spraying the project with a matte sealer. This is optional but I do find that it preserves your project better, and because the finish is also matte it won’t change the look or feel of your project!!
          
This style of decor is so popular right now and you can find it all over from Pottery Barn to Arhaus but by DIYing it you can have the same look for a fraction of the price!
      

-Grey Birch Designs-




Easy Summer Gourmet Burgers

Recipes

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One of our favorite things to do in the summer is bbq and gourmet burgers are at the top of our list! Not only are they delicious but they are so easy to make!! We throw some pre-made beef patties on the grill and cook them for 5-6 minuets a side. While they are cooking we make the homemade guacamole!

Fresh Guacamole

4-5 ripe avocados
2 vine ripe tomato 
2 tablespoons red onion
2 tablespoons fresh chopped cilantro
juice from 1 lime
salt and pepper to taste
Scoop the ripe avocados into a bowl and smash them with a fork leaving some larger chunks. Add in the chopped tomatoes, red onion, cilantro, lime juice and salt and pepper to taste. Use a fork to combine all the ingredients. If needed add more lime juice and salt and pepper.
Now it’s time to put the burgers together. We top a beef patty with cheddar cheese, a fried egg, and a big scoop of fresh guacamole! If you like you can add condiments of your choice!
This is has become a family favorite that our whole family enjoys, even our 6 year old!!
-Grey Birch Designs-

Summer Salad Recipes

Recipes

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One of my favorite things to make in the summertime is summer salad with homemade dressing! Homemade dressing is surprisingly easy to make and soooooo delicious! One of my favorites is a spinach and strawberry salad with a strawberry dressing. Here’s what you need:

-A bag of spinach and a bag of spring mix lettuce
-Sliced strawberries
-Precooked sliced chicken strips
-Sliced almonds and craisins (optional)
To make the dressing you will need:
-1/2 cup vegetable oil
-1/4 cup vinegar
-1/2 cup sugar
-1/4 tsp paprika
-2 tbsp sesame seeds
-1 tbsp poppy seeds
-1/2 cup strawberries, fresh or frozen 
Take all the ingredients for the dressing and place them in a blender, mix until completely blended. Pour over salad when ready to serve! 
  
          
This summer I have been spending a lot more time than normal cooking in the kitchen and teaching my kids some of my favorite recipes. Something new that has been so fun and helpful is my Samsung Family Hub refrigerator! It has a feature called Smart Recipes and if you tap on it you can view that recipe and all the ingredients needed to make it! This has saved dinnertime at our home more than once, plus it gives us new ideas for recipes we haven’t tried before!

          

One of the new recipes it showed us last week was for S’mores dip! I never would have thought of this and it’s now a family favorite! On the family hub it gives you the option to read the directions, show you the ingredients, and even add the ingredients to your shopping list!

          

I can’t wait to try out some more fun recipes this summer!

-Grey Birch Designs-

Tall “X” DIY Mirror

DIY Projects

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I am frequently asked about my living room mirrors and everyone is always surprised when I tell them they are actually a DIY project I did a few years ago. When we first moved into our new home I realized the living room needed a statement piece. I tried to find tall designer inspired mirrors but just couldn’t bring myself to spend a chunk of money on them, so I set out to try and make what I had envisioned for a fraction of the cost!!

Supply list:
Cut to 57.5″ x 23″ 
This can be customized a bit depending on the size mirror you get
TIP: If you don’t have a large saw to cut the plywood some Home Depots will cut it for FREE or Lowe’s does cuts for a small fee.

I found mine on a local classifieds page but Home Depot sells wood that looks similar
They come in a few different sizes so you can pick the size you like best, I used the 2.5″ size

– Wood trim
1.5″ wide and .25″ thick

– Wood Glue
– Black paint
Tool List:
– Miter saw
– Sander or sand paper
– Clamps
– Nail gun or hammer & nails
STEP 1:
The first thing you want to do is paint your cut pieces of plywood that you will attach your mirror to  as well as your trim pieces, let them dry while you make your other cuts.
STEP 2:
Next cut the barnwood to frame out your piece of plywood. Remember to cut the corners at a 45 degree angle. Frame out all sides of the plywood.
STEP 3:
Then cut the trim pieces to make the X’s on the mirror. Divide the height of the mirror into 3 equal sections. Make three equal size boxes with the trim. Don’t glue anything down yet.
STEP 4: 
Now to make the X’s you will need to measure each box on a diagonal (do each one separately because the boxes can vary in size slightly). Cut the diagonal trim pieces so they fit into the corners of the boxes. The best way to do this is to trace the angles on the wood and cut them on the saw. Repeat this step for all three boxes.
STEP 5:
Now it’s time to put everything together!! Lay out your wood trim pieces on the mirror. Once you get them how you want, take some clear silicone adhesive and glue each piece down to the mirror. Depending on how tight fitting your wood trim pieces meet up you may want to fill the small gaps with wood filler.
STEP 6:
Then attach your mirror to the plywood. Use the same adhesive on the back of the mirror and glue it down to the middle of the plywood.
STEP 7:
Next attach your barnwood frame! Take each piece you have already cut and attach it with some wood glue. Then take your clamps and clamp the wood down while you secure each piece with a few nails.

STEP 8:
When the glue has dried, sand the wood filler (if you used it) touch up the paint and add the flat braces to each corner. The final step is to add the hanging hardware. There are many ways you can do this. I like to drive 2 screws several inches apart into the back of the wood and connect them with picture hanging wire.
          
That’s it, your done, and now you have a beautiful custom mirror without the designer price tag!!
-Grey Birch Designs-

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