Mason Jar Caprese Pasta Salad

Anything with basil, tomato and mozzarella has my name written all over it. (must be the Italian in me)

So, when thinking of lunch options, I knew I had to do something caprese!

Adding pasta was the perfect solution to making 3 ingredients into a satisfying, filling meal!

You Will Need:

1 Tbs Olive Oil

2 Tbs Balsamic Vinegarette

Salt/Pepper

1 Cup Grape Tomatoes

1/4 Cup Cubed Mozzarella

1 Cup Penne Pasta

Large Handful of Basil

One Step!

Layer all ingredients in order provided above. That's it!

This salad is so incredibly delicious! I love that it can be put together ahead of time and will stay fresh for day when stored in a mason jar. And because all the liquids are on bottom the basil doesn't get wilted and the mozzarella doesn't get gooey. When you're ready to eat it, all you have to do is shake the jar and  you're good to go! This is by far my new favorite grab and go lunch!

Blueberry Peach Smoothie

After getting my wisdom teeth out a few weeks ago, I was forced on an all liquid diet for a few days. It was a great excuse to make some yummy homemade smoothies and have far too many Frostys from Wendy's.

Luckily, the blueberry peach smoothie I made was a much healthier option than Frostys!

And with fresh peaches and blueberries readily available right now it's super convenient too!

You Will Need:
1 large peach, diced
1 cup blueberries
1 vanilla bean greek yogurt
1 tbsp vanilla extract
Splash milk

Blend and Enjoy!

Side Table Refinish

This adorable little side table was a freebie find on craigslist! It's in pretty good shape structurally and seems sturdy enough. The only issue with it was that it needed to be refinished. Um... for free I'm willing to do it!

This is what I was working with to start. The stain was splotchy, there were water marks and it was completely uneven.

 I started by sanding with fine grit sandpaper (220). This piece didn't have a top coat or anything so I wanted to make sure I didn't strip it too far down. 

The fine sandpaper worked perfectly and I was left with this medium colored wood.

To get an even coating without brush strokes I decided to apply my stain with a washcloth rather than a brush. (wearing gloves of course!) I made sure to only put a little bit on the washcloth at a time. I didn't want it go on splotchy. Working in small sections is key.

I prefer darker woods in my home so I used Dark Walnut by Minwax. As you can see, it was quite dark!

After letting it dry for a few hours I drilled a hole in the front of the drawer and added this cute little crystal knob! It looked like it was missing something and this totally did the trick!

I absolutely love the result! Even though I'm not pregnant yet, I've already planned to put it in the future nursery for a side table next to the glider. It's the perfect height and will be great for a little lamp.

This was such a cost effective project. The table was free, I already had the washcloth, gloves and stain so the total price was only $3 for the package of sandpaper! And, because I only used 1/2 of 1 of the 4 sheets, it really only cost me  about $.38! SCORE!