This is by far my favorite time of year, summer is right around the corner which means its officially margarita season. This is defintiely one of my favorite summer time drinks and after years and years of practice I have finally perfected my margarita recipe. I like mine a bit on the spicy side and not too sweet, if your into that as well check out my recipe below.
Recipe:
1 shot of tequila (Tanteo Jalapeno Tequila is my very favorite)
2 shots orange juice (Natalie’s Fresh Squeezed makes your margarita so fresh)
Juice of 1 lime
About a teaspoon of agave nectar (you can add more or less depending on how sweet you like it)
Shake, shake, shake above ingredients with ice
After you shake it I add a splash or sparkiling water (you can use any flavor, I used mango Waterloo in this one) and lightly mix it with the other ingredients
I don’t love a salted rim but I do love adding Chili Lime seasoning from Trader Joes to the rim for a little extra flavor
Then to top it off I add another squeze of a lime wedge and a jalapeno for garnish
I hope you love this recipe as much as I do. Please be sure to drink responsibly and only partake if you are 21+ in age.
Well its official…I have done one productive task over this quarantine and it is to organize my pantry. If you follow me on stories you know that I started this little task months ago with the idea that I would finish it in a weekend. Well fast forward weeks later and it was a half done more of a mess than when I started. I decided to finally buckle down over the past week, order the final pieces and put it all together. I honestly think a lot of my proscastination on this project was due to my struggle with pretty versus practical. Search for organized pantries on Pinterest and I promise, you will close your computer with total pantry envy but honesly most of them have very little food or have the food all contained on baskets that you can’t see into. Unpracticality honeslty doesn’t bother me in the slightest but unfortuantely it doesn’t fly for the rest of my family. So the last few weeks my goal has been pretty meet practical.
So without futher ado here is the final product…I’m sure I will change it here and there over time but we have been living with it for a couple days now and so far its stayed put together.
For me starting my day off right sets the tone for my entire day. It’s taken me a long time to find a routine that works for me but now that I have one I never stray away. Oh except for maybe this little thing called quarantine…it has definitely caused me to tweak my routine a bit but I still try and accomplish the same tasks just not necessarily in the same order. I did however want to share what my routine is in normal circumstances.
Make My Bed:
Without a doubt making my bed is a morning ritual I never skip. There is something about having a made bed that starts your day feeling accomplished. And not to mention it just makes your room feel and look good which for me automatically bring my stress/anxiety levels down. It’s also the best feeling later that night when you can crawl into a made bed and feel so comfy and warm.
Workout:
I want to make it very clear that during normal circumstances there is nothing better than doing and finishing a workout in the morning. Quarantine times however have been a little different story and my workouts have moved to the afternoon because lets be real…a 5:00am wake-up call right now is just not in the cards. But when life goes back to normal (and it will) I love getting my workouts done in the morning before the hustle and bustle of the day starts.
Drink A Cup Of Lemon Water:
I am not personally a coffee drinker but know so many people who rely on their morning cup of jo to get their day started. For me a cup of lemon water does the same thing. I typically drink this after my workout and while writing in my gratitude journal and then while I’m getting ready. This might just be me but I also find drinking my warm lemon water out of a cute cup makes it that much better. There is also a ton of health benefits that come along with drinking warm lemon water that
Promoted hydration
Helps with weight loss
Improves skin
Aids digestion
Freshens breath
Prevents kidney stones
source (www.healthline.com)
Write In Gratitude Journal:
Sometimes when life gets chaotic the best thing you can do it stop and be grateful for the things you have. For me it gets really easy to get sucked into stress, anxiety and the unknown. Taking a moment to write down and reflect on the things I do have and am so grateful for immediately changes my frequency and I am able to carry on. I have been using the journal Be Great, Be Grateful for a while now and love it. I have linked it and a few others below.
Morning Protein Smoothie:
Now this part is so important, what I start my day off eating definitely sets the tone for me for the rest of the day. I mean I would probably prefer starting the day with a bowl of some sort of sugary cereal but that just creates and uphill battle for the rest of the day. A protein smoothie is perfect for on the go when I am rushing to get out of the house and I typically drink it on my drive to take the girls to school and myself to work. It’s also a very filling option that keeps me full until lunch whereas another option like cereal always has me hungry around 10am. Below is a link to my go to protein smoothie as well as a few others I’ll make every now and then.
I think we can all agree that laundry is probably none of our favorite activities. At my house I feel like it is never ending and I am never really caught up. There is also nothing worse than loosing what feels like an entire weekend to laundry. To make laundry feel a little less overwhelming I like to do one load per day and I do it in the morning. In normal times (not quarantine) I put a load in the washer before my morning workout and then stick it in the dryer after my shower. Typically it doesn’t get put away right away but this helps me keep things manageable and not doing what feels like 25 loads on the weekends. It’s another task that makes my mornings feel so productive which then carries into the rest of the day.
Hope you all enjoy reading and maybe some of you would even be interested in making this your morning routine as well. I would also love to hear about your morning routine if you have one. Send me a comment or email letting me know what works for you. Happy Friday!!
My mornings typically are pretty hectic trying to get out of the house, getting the girls to school, and myself to work…so breakfast needs to be quick and easy. But usually a quick and easy breakfast means a not so healthy breakfast so I was determined to find something that would check all the boxes including being a healthy and nutritional start to my day. My answer to this has been a protein smoothie. I have been drinking these for years and have tried every concoction in the book. The below has defintely become my staple smoothie. Its yummy, easy for on the go, and keeps my full until lunch. The exact recipe below make about 24 ounces so I’ll drink half on the way to work and drink the second half around 10:30am for a mid-morning pick me up before lunch.
There are also a ton of health benefits with this smoothie. It includes everything from omega-3 fatty acids, fiber, magnesium, potassium, calcium, and a ton of different vitamins. Keep in mind I am no nutritional expert, this is just the smoothie that I enjoy and has helped me achieve the health goals I am after.
Ingredients:
1 banana
1 handful spinach
1/2 avocado
2 cups almond milk (sometimes I’ll use cashew milk instead)
1 tbsp pb2 powder
1 scoop protein powder (I have been using F-Factor lately but you can use anyone that you chose)
1 scoop collagen powder
1 tbsp chia seeds
1 handful ice cubes
For those of you who have busy mornings like me I have found making these in advance saves a ton of time and makes mornings that much easier. I like to use the Ball mason jars and will add all the ingredients minus the Almond Milk and Ice. I make 5 of these at a time for the week and each morning all you have to do is dump the contents of the Ball container, add a handful of ice, the Almond Milk and blend.
Hey friends!! A few months back I shared the journey of my new master closet by Closet Factory with you all. We have been living in our new home for almost 3 months and I can say with certainty our master closet is one of my favorite rooms in the house.
From day one I knew there was nothing about our new closet I didn’t love but it took living with it to realize just how perfect it really is. The storage and functionality are on point and I love how beautifully it showcases my clothes, shoes and jewelry.
I am not an organized person by nature so I knew I needed some professional help to get me in a good spot from the beginning with this new house. Closet Factory was exactly who I needed to help me accomplish this with my closet. We started out with my must haves and wants and went from there. After only a couple design consultations the closet design was perfect. Even more impressive was that the entire process from design to installation was less than 3 weeks.
The level of professionalism from everyone I worked with at Closet Factory was exceptional. The closet was one of the last steps in our home build process and after experiencing many highs and lows in the entire process I was so impressed with the ease and reliability we experienced with Closet Factory.
I have gotten asked dozens of times if I would work with Closet Factory again and if we are satisfied with the end product. The answer is 100% yes to both of those questions. As you can see from the pictures we have definitely moved in and are loving the convenience our closet brings to our everyday lives. Like I mentioned above organization is not a strong suit of mine and I love the level or organization I’m able to achieve on a day to day basis with our closet.
And the other question I get all the time is if I share this closet with my husband. The answer is yes and he loves it just as much as I do. His section may be a bit smaller than mine but again this closet is so functional he is able to organize all of his things perfectly.
Our next project is to add a hall tree to our mud room for some added organization and I cannot wait to start working with Closet Factory on this project as well.
00Nicholehttps://www.nicholemckunedesigns.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/03/cropped-NM_InteriorDesign_Logo-1.pngNichole2019-11-27 15:39:542019-11-27 15:39:54Living With My Master Closet
Well today is kind of a big day for me…I have officially moved on from my 20’s and am now part of the 30’s club!! I wasn’t really sure what kind of post to do for this milestone birthday so I thought it would be fun to share 30 facts about me you may, or may not already know.
I’ll start with some basics…
I have two little girls…Charli is 6 and Leighton is 4 and they are seriously my best little besties!!
My girls are exactly 2 years and 3 days apart. We wanted them to be about 2 years apart and we got our wish, they actually both had the same due date, September 18th. And they weighed the exact same amount when they were born 7 lbs 5 ounces. They are truly besties and I wouldn’t want it any other way!!
I have a husband named Chad who is seriously the best guy I know…I would definitely be living in some sort of weird chaos if it weren’t for him!!
We live in Golden, CO…my husband and I are both from here and our family is all close by so this is definitely home for us.
We just built a new home in Golden and are so so in love with everything about it!!
Chad and I got married when I was only 23 and he was 25…I hadn’t even graduated college yet but I guess when you know, you know!!
We technically had 3 wedding celebrations…1 in a small church here in Golden, the 2nd on the beach in Mexico and the 3rd was a bigger reception again here in CO when we got back from Mexico!! We called it the month of Chad and Nichole!! It was a hair exhausting but also the most amazing month ever!!
I graduated from the University of Colorado Denver in December of 2012 with a degree in Marketing and minor in Communications
We found out we were pregnant with Charli exactly 1 year after getting married!!
I am a Scorpio and a pretty true one. If your not familiar with zodiac signs check out the meaning of a Scorpio here.
Favorite Food: Wine??? I don’t really have a favorite but love trying new restaurants and new things!!
Another fun fact…I’m lactose intolerant which makes my love for dairy (especially cheese and ice cream) a bit more of a task to manage.
Drink of choice: Water or wine hands down. Lemon water to be more specific and any form or red wine!! Every once in a while I’ll throw in a dirty vodka martini or shot or tequila if I’m feeling crazy!!
Secret food weakness: Chocolate chip cookies (crispy of course) and BBQ chips. I could probably live on these two items…along with lemon water and wine of course!!
Blogging isn’t my full time job. I’ve actually worked as Product Manager in the interior design industry for the last 7 years. I travel a LOT for work so if you always see me on an airplane that’s why.
Vacation of choice: Either a beach or wine country.
Happy place: Right now I just want to be at home all the time with my family. We have been working on our new house for the last 2 years so now that we are living there its hard to get me to leave.
I’ve never in my life had a cavity. I don’t know why I’m so proud of this but I will tell anyone who asks (or just anyone, people don’t usually ask this question)!! I actually have a dentist appointment this Friday so fingers crossed I can keep up this streak.
Favorite music: I could listen to Christmas music all year round, I just love everything about it!! I also love Christian music…I’m not particularly religious but something about it is very calming to me.
I’m 5’4″. I get this question a lot on Instagram so thought I would make it public knowledge. I would love to be 5’6″ but the cards just didn’t fall that way so instead I wear a lot of shoes with a heel to give me that 2″ boost.
I have a love, hate relationship with working out!! It always makes me feel so good but sometimes I just want to lay on the couch and chill!!
Favorite workout: Currently my Peloton…I just got it on Saturday and have used it everyday. I am also a huge fan of Barre classes.
Top 3 places to shop: Nordstrom, Shopbop (they are affiliated with Amazon so I can get things in like a day) and Revolve.
Bad habit: wiggling my feet at night to fall asleep…calming to me but makes my husband CRAZY especially when I curl up to him and do it.
Love language: Cuddles all the way. I love cuddling with my hubby and both my girls on a daily basis. If I could have all 3 of them in my bed every night I would be one happy lady. Not sure my husband would love that as much as I would though!!
More Kids?? Yes on so many levels and no on so many levels. We are a pretty solid crew of 4 right now but who knows what the future holds.
Mood brightener: Fresh flowers, cuddles and a bath with a glass of wine.
Favorite show: A Million Little Things. Thursdays is my favorite night of the week because of that show!!
Favorite season: You guessed it…Fall!! My basic definitely comes out in this season and I am all about Uggs, PSL’s and sweaters!!
Ok last one…and its a weird one!! Every time I drive over a railroad track I touch glass. I have no idea where or when I started this but I have been doing it for years and now my kids have picked up this weird habit and even call me out if I don’t do it.
OMG are you still here?!? Maybe I should have done this when I turned like 21 because man this is a long list. Well I hope you enjoyed a bit of a deeper view into the life of me!!
We have been living in our new house for about 2 months now and loving every second. Chad and I seriously look at eachother at least once and day and say we cannot believe we actually live here!! I can honestly say one of our favorite rooms in the house is the kitchen. When we were designing the kitchen I knew I wanted it to be bright and open with a large island. Well I definitely got all 3 of those wishes and more. Not only is it aesthetically exactly what I wanted but its also proven to be super functional and we have cooked and hosted several meals that have all turned out perfect. I’ve posted a few pictures on Instagram and am always overwhelmed by the amount of love you guys show. But with that always comes lots of questions in my comments and DM’s. So I thought it would be the most helpful to give all the details here in this dedicated kitchen post. I’ve linked everything I could think of below but let me know if you have any other questions or want more details.
Happy Monday everyone!! Life has been so incredible hectic lately as we are coming into the final stages of our new home. From cabinet hardware, lighting, paint and so many other details it has all been moving so fast and has kind of been a blur. So needless to say it has been a hot second since I’ve had a chance to share any updates with you all.
But this week has me more excited than I have been in a while because…tomorrow is my closet install day!!
One of my biggest goals for my new house is organization. It feels like we are always go, go, go so having a house that can stay clean and organized is essential for making my day to day a bit smoother. I did a ton of research on different closet organization systems and companies because I knew this wasn’t something I could tackle on my own and was so excited when I found Closet Factory. I knew they were the perfect company to help me design a closet that fit all my needs as well as my budget.
I have been working with Closet Factory for a few weeks now and the experience has been so positive. I was immediately given a design consultant, Jana…and you guys she is truly incredible!! We were able to schedule an initial design appointment the next day where she came to our new house to see the space, measure and come up with a game plan for the next steps. Jana is so knowledgeable and had so many great ideas that checked all my boxes for my closet needs.
Less than a week later Jana had me come into the showroom to give me a virtual tour of my new closet. Jana was able to make instant changes using her program that I could immediately see. I was so impressed with the technology being used to show my future closet but me being the visual person I am also loved walking around the showroom seeing countless closet and organization displays so I could really get a feel for what my new closet with look and feel like.
I also want to mention how family friendly Jana and Closet Factory were. Chad wasn’t able to join me when we went to the showroom so it was just me and the girls. All you mamas know it can be so hard getting tasks like this done with our little people running around. Not only did Jana have snacks and water for them but they also had arts and crafts which kept the girls busy our entire meeting. This right there made me a Closet Factory customer for life!!
From start to finish this entire process will be exactly 1 month. After building an entire house from scratch this is one of the quickest turn arounds I have encountered. I’ll be back later this week to show before and after pics and talk about what I’m sure will be a seamless installation day. Stay tuned!!!
Happy Saturday!! Its been a minute since I’ve shared a house update and there has been so many exciting things happening lately. One of which is our new kitchen being pieced together. The cabinets are being installed and countertops are coming in next week. Its been so amazing to watch everything come together and I cannot wait to see the final result. We are hoping to move in towards the beginning of August so fingers crossed everything go to plan. Below is the kitchen progress as well as a snap of the appliances, plumbing fixtures and lighting that will be installed in the coming weeks. Hope you cuties have a great weekend!!
Happy Tuesday everyone!!! I have been pretty MIA on here lately because I have been traveling like crazy for work and that just makes everything else in life feel harder. But I’m super excited to be back and even more excited to be sharing a house update!! We are about 90 days out from move in and things are moving right along. As of today we officially have walls and a roof and it all seems to be happening so quickly. The exterior of the house has been one of my biggest challenges when designing this house and I have definitely went back and forth several times. But we have FINALLY made some decisions and I can’t wait to see if all come to life. We are going for a modern farmhouse design so bright whites, whitewashed bricks and exposed wood accents were key to achieving that look. Here is what we have decided as well as a few inspiration pics.
Our brick should be installed in the next couple weeks and the paint and stain with start in about a month. I can’t wait to share the final product with everyone!!
Siding: Board & Batten
Brick: White Washed General Shale Brick: Bradford Hall Tudor
Windows: Sierra Pacific Battleship Gray
Paint Color: Sherwin Williams Snowbound SW 7004
Wood Accent/Garage Door Stain: Sherwin Williams Clear Exterior Stain
