Nailed It DIY First Day of School Board - Using Family-Safe Paints and Stains *Plus Coupon Code!*

Shannon Evans and Misty Grant, owners of Nailed It in Fort Mill, SC invited my sister and I to craft and check out ECOS’s line of chemical-free, organic paints and stains they’ve brought on board for all of their DIY projects. I spend a lot of time educating myself on eco-friendly and chemical-free options to use in my home, so I was very interested to learn more about the products and her exciting DIY business. 

Check out those hues! Aren’t the colors so rich and gorgeous? 

As mothers themselves, Shannon and Misty wanted all the projects created at Nailed It to be adorable AND safe for their family and yours. ECOS brand paints and stains are locally-sourced from Fairforest, SC. They’re 100% organic, non-toxic, solvent-free, VOC-free and safe for your family. Shannon joked that you could drink them they’re so safe - we didn’t try that - but I was impressed with Nailed It’s commitment to offering their clients the most family and environmentally-friendly DIY option in the area without compromising the beauty of the paint. 

The timing was perfect for this DIY project at Nailed It. Aisles are overflowing with binders and book bags, and if you’re like me, you’ve pinned something similar to this adorable back-to-school board on your to-do-list before the big day hits.

I enjoy DIYing, but I’m no stranger to the #PinterestFail. I’ve never worked with paint and stains on a project like this, so I was nervous about how my board would turn out. I didn’t think I could create a board that would receive #PinWorthy status, or one that I'd be willing to debut in all of the back to school photos!

Nailed It is a super cute venue, it's inside of Birds of a Feather in Fort Mill, just south of Charlotte, NC and right off 77 at exit 85 (across from Baxter). It's about a 25 minute drive from Uptown Charlotte and even closer to South Charlotte. 

Shannon guided us step-by-step through the process. She is a talented teacher who dropped  some creative know-how on my DIY-curious self. She gave guidance on applying the paint, sanding and working with the stain and on how to create a rustic look. 

With her help it was fun, easy and we got to connect with the other ladies in the class while we shared laughs and wine. If you haven't had a chance to work with Shannon - she has an amazing energy and contagious laugh. She made us feel immediately at ease and empowered by her DIY can-do. We also realized we're both SUNY Oswego alumni and even attended during the same years - it's a small world! 

I was amazed by how easy the paints and stains were to work with. They had great coverage, zero toxic smell and a little went a long way. Check how Larisa and I rocked the rustic look!

Shannon's instruction added to my confidence and my board ended up being 100% #PinWorthy! When I talk to other moms who aren't DIY confident I always hear - "I'd love to, I always thought it sounded so fun, but I'm afraid mine would turn out just awful." From one #PinterestFailQueen to another, take my advice and try this class. Each woman in the class came from a different age, background and skill level but created a unique and beautiful piece. 

I wasn’t the only one that was impressed with my new DIY skills, my 7 year old made me show her the Nailed It stamp on the back of the board to prove I hadn’t bought it! Yup. I totally Nailed It. 

My sister and I had so much fun with this project - plus it's a keepsake we can use year after year to help mark the Milestones and Memories of the first days of school. We’re planning on returning to make holiday advent calendars we can have for our family to celebrate the holidays! 

Nailed It is offering my favorite readers (yes that’s you!) a $5 discount for any class you sign up to take at Nailed It between now and the end of 2016 using the code MOMABOUTCLT in the promo area when you book. 

You can check out Nailed It on their website here, follow them on Facebook here and obsess over their must-have DIY creations on Instagram here. Nailed It is a great venue for birthday parties, wedding and baby showers, bachelorette parties, girls night out, family gatherings and neighborhood get togethers and fundraisers. Plus they have paint, wood and will travel - they'll even come to your event and set up shop - that's DIY on the go! Check out their website for more info.

I was provided this class free of charge allowing me to blog about my experiences, but as always all of my opinions are my own and my promise to my readers is that I won’t share anything I don't love and recommend. A huge thank you to Larisa Black with Photography By Larisa for providing all of the photos in this blog. 

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Parent/Child Painting Night at Olive's Mud Puddle

Our kids are very well loved emotionally, but also spoiled with material items. Every Christmas, birthday and just because our home seems to adds about 10 square feet of new toys. Our playroom runneth over, and I end up having to picketh it all up...

So, for S's 7th birthday I tried to focus on getting her gifts that were experiences to create memories instead of things that would pile up on our floor. She's a fan of crafts and so I thought a painting class would be a fun activity to try together. 

We talked with Debbie at Olive's Mud Puddle in Fort Mill, she created an adorable holiday interactive painting to create for our Mother-Daughter night out. S really enjoyed the experience, so much so that she said, "This is the MOST FUN night I've had for a girls night out - like ever!"

 I really enjoyed myself too. Debbie took us step through step and I was impressed how S was able to focus her energy and go slowly as the painting developed. We used teamwork to build our "masterpiece" I created the outlines of the larger items and she colored them in. She chose the colors for each of the birds and ornaments and even decided to explore her artistic license and added eyelashes to our reindeer. 

It was a positive experience and all the girls and moms who attended seemed to enjoy the experience as well. In addition to painting Olive's offers family clay/pottery classes.

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Ok Mom, Are You Ready for Your Close-up? Family Photography in Charlotte

As moms we have a tendency to avoid being in photos. We have a million reasons. We didn't do our make up, we don't like our outfit, we still haven't lost those x number of pounds - oh we just want one of the kids. Well moms, I'm here to tell you from a mom who didn't do her make up, doesn't like her outfit and still needs to lose x pounds, that it's time for YOUR close up - and time to get into your family photos.

Photo Credit: www.PhotographyByLarisa.com

Why should you get in front of a camera now and stop cringing? I submit to you throwback Thursdays (#TBT), you know what I'm talking about right? Thursdays are when people post old pictures of themselves on Facebook and Instagram and inevitably think - "God I looked so young, God I looked so thin!"

Photo Credit: www.PhotographyByLarisa.com

Moms - today is tomorrow's #TBT so get in front of that camera with your family and smile - for these are the photos we will look back at 20 years from now and cherish. Want to really love how you look in your family photos? The key is finding an awesome family photographer - one who can help with your outfit selections, get your family in comfortable poses and capture all of your radiating smiles, and not cost you a fortune. This year we used Larisa Black with Photography by Larisa to shoot our baby number 3 announcement and family photos.

Photo Credit: www.PhotographyByLarisa.com

I was already into my second trimester and she helped me to select colors and clothing that worked for my body type and coordinated with the rest of the family. We had our photo shoot at Romare Barden Park for the perfect Charlotte backdrop. I love our photos. She guided me so I didn't feel awkward about where to put my hands or how to stand, or which angles to turn my body to make me look my best. The photos she took were fun, energetic and beautiful - which is exactly how my family looks to me in my head and now on canvas. I have true photographic evidence that I am part of our family - and some great future #TBT content ;)

Photo Credit: www.PhotographyByLarisa.com

Check out the gallery from Photography by Larisa by clicking here. She specializes in family photography, maternity sessions, children photography, newborns and seniors. She offers photography services in the Charlotte, Fort Mill and Rock Hill areas.

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Fort Mill Strawberry Festival

This week's weather hasn't been the normal Carolina Blue skies, but that didn't seem to put a damper on the festivities at the annual South Carolina Strawberry Festival in Fort Mill, SC. Things were hopping when we arrived despite the looming dark clouds. They had vendors for local businesses showcasing their wares, any fried food you could imagine, music, rides and of course - strawberries (even fried strawberries!). Unfortunately we missed the strawberry shortcake eating contest - something my skinny hubby could have given many of the contestants a run for their money at, but caught several musical acts on the two stages. My favorite part was the funnel cake covered in real strawberries that the local girl's softball team was selling as a fundraiser.





The parking was either at the high school with transportation by a bus or parking in a field with about a half mile trek to the park. We opted for the walk, which I didn't mind, but we had the moby to carry E in which made navigating the bumpy grounds much easier.  I saw many strollers but the parents seemed to struggle as they pushed them around the festival - it's wasn't flat and was still damp from all the rain.

The festival is held at Walter Y. Elisha park, so the kids had a large playground to entertain themselves on as they took in the sights. Friday night they offered a $15 ticket for unlimited rides for kids, and there were several events leading up to the festival including a golf tournament, a strawberry pageant for Teen, Miss and Mrs contestants and a strawberry pick and flick (pick-your-own strawberries and a movie).

Overall, I'm not a lover of fair-like-festivals. That's just me. If you like fairs, festivals and strawberries, well then this is your ticket - and apparently it's many people's ticket because they broke the 2012 attendance record with over 55,000 attending this year.

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Carolina Stars Open Gym

My daughter, like any normal 4 year old loves to run, jump, play and tumble. When our friend Carrie invited us to meet her and her daughter at Carolina Stars gymnastics located in Fort Mill, SC for their Monday morning open gym, S was very excited to see what gymnastics was all about. Open gym runs every Monday morning from 10:30-12:00, the cost is $5 per child and we had to sign a waiver. The kids were let loose in the gym to try the steady rings, balance beams, uneven bars, vault, play instruments, tumble and bounce. It was a fun experience for a great price. Carolina Stars had instructors on hand to help the kids while trying the gymnastic equipment.

I couldn't believe S could hold onto the rings for so long by herself! She was very proud and loved looking at her pictures looking quite Olympic. Carolina Stars also hosts birthday parties, parents nights out and regular classes for gymnastics, aerial dance and karate. We packed a snack and drink and all sat on the floor outside of the gym while the kids ate after working up an appetite. For more information about Carolina Stars you can visit their website at www.CarolinaStarsGym.com.

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