Food

Crock Pot Italian Chicken | Recipe

March 24, 2017June 24, 2018 Our Gray HouseLeave a comment

ALERT Easy crock pot dinner 🍽 recipe coming your way…

We call this dinner “Italian Chicken” and it is so super easy ✨ you will probably wonder why you’ve never tried this before.

You will need:
🔹 boneless, skinless chicken breasts
🔹 1 large bottle of Italian dressing
🔹 cooked rice

🔺Now I use frozen chicken and I put that in the crockpot first. I know they say you shouldn’t but that’s what I do. How many you are feeding will determine the amount of chicken you use.
🔺 I then add the large bottle of Italian dressing on top and then cook on low for 4-6 hours. I like to use a lot of dressing so if I’m making a big batch of this I will use more than 1 bottle.
🔺 I then serve it over rice and that’s it. Yes…..I know what you are thinking….that’s it?

Yes….that’s it. That’s all the steps.

And you are probably thinking BUT WAIT!! There has to be more steps!

There’s not. That’s it. I know….you are welcome.

I typically don’t serve this with any sides or anything and we use the extra juice (Italian dressing) and spoon that on top of the chicken and rice. So yummy.

(((hugs))) ~lisa

Lifestyle

Social Media Tips: How to prep for posting on Instagram and Facebook

March 12, 2017June 24, 2018 Our Gray House2 Comments

One thing that folks have found to be successful when trying to diet and eat healthier is to do a Sunday Meal Prep. Just google meal prep and you’ll see a ton of posts! And we all know that prepping and planning your social media content can go a long way to helping you be more successful and be more focused in taking you to the next level. May I introduce to you
ღ•*•.¸¸¸.•*•💛…POST PREP SUNDAY…💛•*•.¸¸¸.•*•ღ

Post Prep Sunday is something I thought of to encourage you to take some time to plan and prep for your social media accounts for the coming week. Don’t rely on *hoping* inspiration will come or that you find content….prep it today and you will know that you have a plan for the week.

Here are some ideas to help you with your planning:

Idea #1
Post a photo and asking your audience to provide a caption to encourage interaction. You could also do the popular, “Let’s have some fun today! Post the <insert a number> photo on your camera roll along with a short caption.

Idea #2
An idea that can really be tweaked in so many ways is the “fill in the blank” post. For example, you could post “My favorite healthy snack on the run is _____. What’s yours?” Including a call-to-action question will also spark some engagement on your posts.

Idea #3
People love to share their ideas so posting a “need help” type question along with a captivating pic can also get your audience chatting. It’s March so maybe you are thinking and planning for your summer vacation? As your fans to share their best vacation ideas. Or need ideas for cleaning tile grout? Ask and include a pic and you are sure to get responses.

Idea #4
Another fun way to get folks to start talking is spotlighting a fun National Holiday. For example, today March 5th, is National Cheese Doodle Day! You can learn what day it is from any of these websites:
http://www.nationaldaycalendar.com
https://www.daysoftheyear.com
https://www.timeanddate.com/holidays/fun/
http://www.holidayinsights.com/moreholidays/

Idea #5
You can always do the tried and true theme days. If you start posting a recurring theme then it also creates a consistency for your brand and your fans will want to visit your social media often to see what you are up to!

Here are some daily themes you can try:

–Sunday
Sunday Funday, Sunday Stew, Selfie Sunday

–Monday
Motivation Monday, Man Crush Monday, Monday Music, Monday Madness

–Tuesday
Tuesday Trivia, Tech Tips Tuesday, Talk It Up Tuesday, Tuesday Truth, Tuesday Treats, Tuesday Tunes

–Wednesday
Wine Down Wednesday, What I’m Wearing Wednesday, WooHoo Wednesday, Wednesday Workout, Wednesday Words

–Thursday
Throwback Thursday, Thankful Thursday, Thirsty Thursdays, Thoughtful Thursdays

–Friday
Flashback Friday, Friday Fun, Friday Flow, Fashion Friday, Friday Face, Follow Friday

–Saturday
Saturday Sesh, Selfie Saturday, Saturday Style, Swag Saturday

Hope this helps inspire someone this week!

Let’s hear from y’all now! Have you tried prepping your posts?

(((hugs))) ~lisa

Lifestyle

Instagram and Facebook Posting Prompts

March 9, 2017February 25, 2018 Our Gray HouseLeave a comment

How do you feel when it comes to posting ? Do you struggle with coming up with content? And if you are trying to post multiple times a day on various social media platforms….does it make you anxious to try to come up with creative posts? Well if that’s you, keep reading and this post just might help!

Keep in mind that these post prompts may not seem to apply to you specifically but you can tweak them to work for you. Some you might think…..what the heck! But I promise you, you can get creative and change up something small and BAM! You’ve got a new post idea!

And if you need some additional help or ideas, please leave a comment below and I’ll try to help!

✎ Create a weekly or monthly update

✎A day in the life

✎What I eat in a day

✎Your <insert number> favorite <insert topic such as restaurant, web sites, foods, drinks, quotes, desserts, songs, movies, books

✎ Morning routine, evening routine, weekend routine, weekday routine, etc.

✎ How you prep for the coming week

✎ Favorite holiday tradition

✎ Favorite productivity tip(s)

✎ Share a favorite article and your thoughts on it

✎ Your favorite apps

✎ Dear Past Me . . .

✎ Dear Future Me . . .

✎ One thing you learned this week?

✎ Write about your first job.

✎ What would you do if money were no object?

✎ How I did <insert what you did> or create a “how-to” guide for something you know how to do

✎ Share a life hack

✎ Places you’ve enjoyed visiting.

✎ Your top five short term goals.

✎ Nobody knows that I . . .

✎ <insert number> of things you can’t go without

✎ <insert number> things you want in a relationship

✎ Top <insert number> pet peeves

✎ If you could have dinner with any <choose one – fictional character/celebrity/person alive> who would it be?

✎ What would you ask for if a genie granted you three wishes?

✎ What’s your wildest dream?

✎ Share what you do to start your day off right

✎ What would your perfect day be like?

✎ Explain some industry specific info. For example, I am a realtor so I might explain the difference between an active option contract and a pending listing.

✎ My top <insert number> tips for someone just starting out in <insert industry>

✎ Have someone in your same field write a short guest post

✎ The best advice about <insert topic> that I ever received

✎ Have you ever <insert topic such as….attended a music festival/ traveled abroad / been in a parade etc.>

✎ What would make you feel spiritually fulfilled?

✎ Google quotes about business, life, family, etc. and share your thoughts on it.

✎ Post an engagement pic and get some interaction started.

You’d be surprised at how you can take these simple prompts and create some really great content for your social media channels. If you are still stuck and want help with something please comment below and let’s brainstorm together!!

(((hugs))) ~lisa

DIY

How to make homemade bath salts

February 8, 2017February 25, 2018 Our Gray HouseLeave a comment

I’ve had these vintage pill bottles around in my craft room for ages and decided to finally do something with them. Originally I thought to make a sugar scrub but it would be hard to get the sugar scrub out of the small opening so I changed the plan to bath salts.

You need:

Coarse Sea Salt – I found this on the seasoning aisle
Epsom Salt – I found this in the health and beauty aisle
Essential Oil – I used lavender
Food Coloring – you probably have some in your cupboard right now
Glass containers of your choice – I found mine at a garage sale
Embellishments to decorate

I measured out how much sea salt I had, because it was a smaller container and then added that much epsom salt.

Food coloring and you are just using this to give the mixture some color. The amount and color you use is your personal preference. I was going for a “pinkish” color so I added red. When I first added it, it kind of clumped up so I had to really mix it well to coat all the mixture.

Add some essential oil to the mixture. This step is optional but I chose lavender as it is soothing and calming. How much you add is up to you, based on how strong you want the scent. I then mixed it really well again to make sure it coated all the salt mixture.

I happened to have some bottles that I purchased at a garage sale but you could use any container that you like. The bottles I used had a small mouth and I really should have used a funnel to fill the containers but I made it work.

All that is left is to embellish. I had some stickers that I attached to the front of the bottle and then just added a ribbon to it. Very simple and easy and they make nice little gifts!

Here’s my video on how to make it:
How To Make Homemade Bath Salts

(((hugs))) ~lisa

Fashion/Beauty

HASK Charcoal Purifying Shampoo & Conditioner

February 3, 2017February 25, 2018 Our Gray HouseLeave a comment

I recently tried a sample of the Charcoal with Citrus Oil Purifying Shampoo and the Charcoal with Citrus Oil Purifying Conditioner. There are several things that I like about the products and one big thing that I don’t.

I have color treated hair so I do like that both products are non-staining and safe for all hair, natural or dyed. The scent is nice, light and citrusy, and not overpowering at all.

This is a purifying shampoo and conditioner that uses a combination of charcoal (derived from coconut shells), lemon and grapefruit oils that is designed to cleanse, clarify and eliminate impurities from your hair and scalp. I like that it’s does that but is gentle enough for daily use and is free of sulfates, parabens, phthalates, gluten, drying alcohol and artificial colors.

After all that, what is there not to like?

Glad you asked! I don’t like how my hair feels after using the shampoo. It left it feeling really dry and very tangly. Like super tangly. I’m assuming that it is because the shampoo did it’s job of purifying and clarifying my hair.

I of course thought that the conditioner would correct that but it didn’t help. I did leave it on for several minutes to see if that would help. Good thing that I had my wet brush (that thing is a lifesaver!) to detangle my hair because it felt like a hot mess back there.

(((hugs))) ~lisa

*this post may include affiliate links

DIY · Fashion/Beauty

How to make a makeup brush cleaning board

January 16, 2017February 25, 2018 Our Gray HouseLeave a comment

I want to show you how I made a super quick and easy DIY Makeup Brush Cleaner Board. You just need a few things:

* I also created a template to guide me as I glued onto the clipboard

I know that I need to be better at regularly cleaning my brushes but for me it was always so messy and time consuming because I didn’t have a tool to help me. I saw a DIY on Facebook one day and then I watched several videos on YouTube and thought, “I can make that!” So I did!

I glued dots, squiggly lines, spirals and zig zag lines onto the clipboard. I let it thoroughly dry and then cleaned my brushes using baby wash. It worked really well and it was easy to use. A lot less mess than me doing it by hand.

Here’s my video showing you how I did it!

DIY Makeup Brush Cleaning Board

** some affiliate links are included in this post

(((hugs))) ~lisa

Lifestyle

How I Use Ebates.com

January 7, 2017February 25, 2018 Our Gray HouseLeave a comment

I’m often asked about how I “work deals” when it comes to online shopping. It does just a little extra work but it’s worth it!

ebates_logo-svg

I first go to Ebates.com and search for the store that I want to shop at. I click on the link and then shop as normal.

An additional step that I also do is use RetailMeNot. Right before I’m ready to check out, I open a separate browser/tab and pull up the RetailMeNot website. I search for a coupon code for the store that I am shopping at. More often than not I find one that works so that’s an additional savings.

I actually take this a step further and pay for the purchase with my credit card that earns rewards. I earn points that I can later convert to gift cards. And if the particular retailer that you shop from offers their own rewards program, you get additional benefit from that!

Once you get used to doing that, it’s actually very easy and pretty quick to do.

Hope this helps!

(((hugs))) ~lisa

Lifestyle

Happy New Year 2017

January 1, 2017February 25, 2018 Our Gray HouseLeave a comment

After the busyness of the holiday season I find myself eager to get back to a more “normal” routine. I start thinking about the New Year and it makes me want to jot down some goals for myself as well as some for the creative endeavors that I have.

I also have the urge to simplify and purge. It may seem weird to be thinking about that but really, this time of year is the perfect time to start making some changes. The New Year is here and having things back in order really allows us to focus on our priorities in life without worrying about clutter.

And I also got to thinking, what if I said yes to more things this year? What would that really mean? What would that really look like?

It could mean more opportunities for me to grow and be challenged. It could mean connecting more with others and building community. It could mean simplifying and prioritizing my focus on things that are important to me. It could mean a lot of things and I am excited to find out as the new year approaches.

But all that won’t happen by accident.

So set goals. Write them down. Look at them daily and do the work to make them happen.

Cheers to you and the new year. May the coming year bring you an abundance of blessings and happiness.

(((hugs))) ~lisa

DIY

Snowman DIY Glass Jar Christmas Craft

December 21, 2016February 25, 2018 Our Gray HouseLeave a comment

All you need is a glass jar, some fleece and a sheet of sticky back felt sheet in black.

Some of these measurements will depend on the size jar that you use because you will want it to be proportionate.

I cut the fleece into strips and cut the black felt into small button sized circles. I actually used a button as my pattern for the circles. I had originally hot glued buttons on the glass jar but they didn’t stay on. Not sure why but I didn’t have time to figure that out so I moved to Plan B which was the sticky back felt sheet.

You can click HERE to see my Pinterest board and the inspiration piece that got this project going.

Here is my end result and I think it turned out pretty good.

If you try it be sure and leave a comment below so that I can check it out!

(((hugs))) ~lisa

Lifestyle · Travel

Eagle Creek Pack-It System Starter Set

October 18, 2016February 25, 2018 Our Gray HouseLeave a comment

We loved the Eagle Creek Pack-It System Starter Set so much…we bought another one!

The starter set comes with a garment folder (M), a half cube and a cube.

The half cube is great for smaller things like underwear, socks, bras etc.

The full cube is awesome for things like t-shirts, night clothes, swimwear etc.

With all the cubes you can either roll or fold the clothes and you can compress them when you zip it up. They really help you maximize space.

The garment folder or envelope, is probably my favorite thing! It comes with a plastic board that guides you on how to fold the clothes and then you are able to compress the items very neatly for packing.

We were able to pack 12 shirts in one folder and they only needed a light pressing when we got to our destination.

The system helps us not only keep our clothing organized and compact, it also helps with other items too. We use a smaller cube, the quarter cube, for our essential electronics accessories like our phone chargers, camera battery chargers etc.

The cubes come in a variety of colors and while the packing cubes are a little expensive, they really are worth the investment. They’ll help make your traveling life easier by saving you space in your luggage and keeping your items organized.

Hope this helps y’all as you plan your next adventure! We’ll be posting a video soon on how we use our packing cubes.

(((hugs))) ~lisa