Ask Anna

Bathroom Mirror Makeover with MirrorMate

Today I’m giving you another sneak peek at our guest bathroom. While planning our bathroom makeover I decided that I liked the big mirror in the bathroom because it makes the space feel bigger than it really is, however I did not like that it looked dated and boring. Because I didn’t want to get rid of the mirror I knew I needed a bathroom mirror makeover! Enter MirrorMate Frames. With their huge selection of colors and styles I knew ordering a custom frame would be the best option for turning my boring mirror into a show piece. Because I… Read More

Gluten Free Glazed Lemon Muffins

Yummy, yummy, yummy! A bright and cheerful morning treat. Perfect for the spring weather we’ve been having, here in California. These gluten free vegan glazed lemon muffins could almost pass as a cupcake. Almost. Let’s just call it a muffin so that we don’t feel too guilty for eating one for breakfast. As a mom, I always get bonus points when I bake something fun and tasty for my kids. Muffins are always a favorite, even though they tend to get tiny crumbs everywhere (always sweeping that kitchen floor). The lemon glaze makes them even more special and irresistible. These… Read More

The Best Way to Clean the Top of the Refrigerator

I recently had a bunch of readers ask me for refrigerator cleaning tips so I thought I’d turn it into a little mini series. Today we are going to talk about the best way to clean the top of the refrigerator, and in the upcoming weeks I’ll show you how to clean the nooks and crannies inside your refrigerator. I don’t know if you’ve ever thought to look at the top of your refrigerator but it gets pretty dusty, grimy and sometimes even sticky. I understand the dust but I honestly have no idea where the grime and stickiness come… Read More

How to Caulk without Making a Mess!

Some time ago my husband deemed me the caulking queen of our house. When he caulks he always makes a huge mess and it never turns out as well as when I do it. But even when I do the caulking it can still get pretty messy. I usually go through about 10 paper towels trying to wipe up all the excess caulking that gets everywhere! Ages ago I saw a tip on Pinterest that was supposed to make caulking less messy, so I thought I’d give it a try. So today I’m going to show you how I caulked… Read More

Chore Chart Ideas for Kids

Now that Malea is getting older, and we have a teenage daughter, I’ve had to rethink my chore chart system. I realized I needed chore chart ideas for kids of all ages, not just my little one! I needed to set up a paid structure that was fair to the girls, but also to our pocket books, so I’ve switched up my old system a little. I am still going to use a system that pays them when they do their jobs, and pays me if they don’t but they both have more responsibilities and there are more opportunities to… Read More

Frozen Birthday Party

Last year we didn’t do a birthday party for Malea because we took her to Disneyland. So for the last year I’ve heard approximately 5,852 birthday party ideas, as she dreamed up all the things she wanted to do for her 5 year old party. After countless theme ideas the Disney movie, FROZEN, came out and Malea said, “Mommy this is my last birthday party idea, I promise. I want a Frozen party!” And so it began, dreaming up the perfect Frozen birthday party for my baby girl who was about to turn 5. First and foremost you have to… Read More

What to do After You’ve Moved

Two weeks ago we moved in to our new house! Yay! Now we are swimming in boxes… ugh. Surely you know this feeling, from the last move you did. I remembered our last move very well: We were 23, engaged, moving from small 1 bedroom apartments into {what seemed like} a LOT of space! We hardly had things to put in each room and I am pretty certain we were unpacked in a matter of a couple days. That is not the case now. We grew into our old house: finishing the basement, had our first child, and accumulating a… Read More

28 Things You Can Get Done in 7 Minutes

I am a mom of two little ones (under 3) and lately life has been getting the better of me. My house is never as clean as I want it to be, my time is always too short, and I often feel like I am not taking the opportunities I do have to get a little something done. And a little something is about all I seem to be able to manage between the diaper changes and the sprints to the potty; the mediating of endless, shall we say, “disagreements over possession;” and still feeble attempts to “nap when they… Read More