A Birthday Celebration and Sunday Morning Coffee

Michael turned 30 this past weekend, and we are so happy our family decided to come home for the birthday celebration.

Everyone arrived on Thursday, which meant we had a hectic week! I organized the house and converted our old weight room into a grandkids’ bedroom. We also filmed a commercial on Monday, Tuesday, and Wednesday. Dave and I had events to attend on three evenings last week, and I can’t remember the last time we were this busy! Thanks for joining me for Sunday Morning Coffee, where I will share this week’s craziness and what we have planned for next week. Let’s get started!

A young man and an older woman smiling, holding a champagne glass next to "30" balloons in a cozy room.

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Our family celebrating outdoors, holding shiny "30" balloons in a garden, smiling and posing for a photo.

The entire family is here, and we have been celebrating Michael’s 30th birthday all weekend!

Can I say how happy I am that they chose to celebrate everything here?

A woman smiles while standing in a kitchen with fruits and vegetables spread out on the counter.

The festivities started on Friday night with a surprise Chef Dinner by the amazing Chef Bae! If you don’t follow her on Instagram, you should do it here!

Not only is she a great chef, but she also cooked the most incredible gluten-free and dairy-free meal! Plus, she is so much fun, and I loved getting to know her!

Elegant dining table setting featuring clear wine glasses, silver cutlery, white napkins, and a floral centerpiece, with a painting in the background.

A bowl of ravioli topped with tomato sauce, grated cheese, and basil leaves, served on a decorative plate with a menu in the background.

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Enameled Bread Box with Lid

Retro Wall Clock 9.5″, Silent Non-Ticking

Mosser Glass White 10″ Inch Cake Stand

Gold Abstract Tabletop Sculpture

Boho Throw Pillow Covers

Glass Apothecary Jars with Lid

My Latest Project

New spring home decor in the family room with lavender throws and pillows and sage green jars, a wreath and small decor items.

The last time our grandson was at our home was during the holidays, and it was easy. He spent a lot of time in the Dream On Me playpen I bought, and since he wasn’t crawling, he was very easy to watch.

Fast-forward three and a half months, and now that he crawls, pulls up, and walks around the furniture, it’s a new situation!

So, our latest project has been … baby-proofing the house!

Fortunately, two weeks ago, we were at Graham’s house, and I paid lots of attention to everything Andrew and Charlotte had done to make their home baby safe. I realized very early on that things have changed in the last 30 years and improved greatly!

My Amazon deliveries were a daily occurrence last week. Duh.

My favorite new item is the Child Safety Magnetic Cabinet Locks. They are so much safer and more convenient than the plastic U-shaped ones—and they don’t even show!

I also have too many accessories in the family room and a few accessible items in the pantry that need to be moved. I like the new look, and I am going to keep it this way.

16 Pack Child Safety Magnetic Cabinet Locks

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My Biggest Challenge This Week

For many people, filming in their homes is not a good thing. It’s invasive and a little bit overwhelming. Fortunately, we have been filming in our home for over 20 years, so I am pretty seasoned about the process and what to expect.

If you are interested in having filming in your home, read this blog post. If I had to guess, I would estimate that we have filmed about 15 movies, 10 TV shows, and over 50 commercials in our home in the last twenty years.

I always get calls from Location Scouts looking for a place to film. They usually come out, scout the house, and then repost to the client and director options of homes. Then, the list gets narrowed down, and they bring more people to look at the house.

We had two different commercials look at our home, and I was happy one went definite. They were at our house for three days: one day of prep, filming, and one day to strike and put everything back together.

For this commercial, they filmed in the backyard, which was great! The tower they erected by the pool was for a green screen. How cool is that!

Of course, I forgot that they like to protect the inside of the house just in case plans change. And that’s a good thing to be safe and not sorry.

The only issue is that I had initially booked the entire week to prepare our house for the family visit, which meant I was scrambling quite a bit before and after.

I can’t reveal the client, but I think this will be a national commercial, so once it comes out, I will let you know the details.

Head to Ventura and finish a reel and blog post for a brand collaboration.
Set up the new coffee table in our primary bedroom in Ventura.

We all need a good recipe for Healthy Chicken Salad.

This Strawberry Margarita recipe from A Beautiful Mess looks amazing!

This is so perfect for me … The Environmental Benefits of Junk Removal from Your Home.

I love these Spring Cleaning Tips, Hacks and DIY Recipes!

This is the best Healthy Chicken Salad.

Copper Measuring Cups and Spoons

Hobnail Drinking Glasses Set

Wooden Salad Bowl and Servers

I spent a lot of time getting ready for Michael’s birthday. I finished our new Grandkis room, cleaned out the outdoor kitchen, and set up a new bar cart in the living room. Then I made berry galette and shared my favorite potluck recipes and transferwre collection.

A cozy nursery with a white crib on the right, a rustic wooden table with baskets underneath by a window, and soft green walls. — Creating a Grandkids Retreat

Outdoor Cooking Station — Creating a Grandkids Retreat

Cream Melamine 11″ Dinner Plates

13″ Natural Boho Chic Faux Wood Plastic Charger Plates

Rose Gold Lantern 16″

Square Crystal Wine Glasses

Sheffield Home 9 Piece Gallery Wall Frame Set

Royal Stafford Asiatic Pheasant-Black

Martha shared 17 Sustainable Ways to Make Your Garden More Eco-Friendly

Next week is going to be a lot of fun. We start on Monday celebrating Earth Day and then I am sharing ideas for MAy Day. Lemon cocktails, grilling, a spring cake, and new beach house updates.