Category: Product Reviews

Kitchen Backsplash DIY: Using Peel and Stick Tile

After I did my little coffee bar refresh, I was still feeling bored with my kitchen. It just felt kind of dark and drab… where I wanted it to feel light and clean. When we moved in a decade ago, I had applied a peel-and-stick backsplash… so I decided for fun to rip the whole thing off and put a new one up.

Because that’s my idea of fun.

One of the questions I got on Instagram when I was posting about this project was: did I consider doing REAL tile and grout. And yes, I did consider it. However, I didn’t want to hire out the job and I don’t feel super confident in my tiling/grouting ability. So I decided to do peel-and-stick again, but a much FANCIER version.

So, what did I use?

The KASARO Peel and Stick backsplash in white hexagon (find them on Amazon here). When I purchased the tile, the cost was $29.99 per 6-sheet box. I purchased 6 boxes to make sure I had plenty, since at the time the Amazon link said it was running low. I ended up only using 4 boxes, so I returned 2. I have 5 sheets left, so I barely needed the 4th box… so I have some sitting around in case inspiration strikes.

Here is what I used on the project:

I had all the tools sitting around (including a fresh pack of razor blades), so this entire project cost me $120 in tile and about $10 for a tube of caulk.

Unlike my last experience with peel-and-stick, this is an aluminum metal composite rather than a rubbery sticker. The tile is much stronger than the previous version, and is more “real” in that it is actual metal tile with a better hand-feel and extremely sticky backing. The difference between this and real tile, is that it sticks right on and no grout is needed. However, get your tile lined up the first time because HOLYMOLY is the adhesive strong!

Here is our old backsplash I put up in 2012:

Once I removed the old backsplash (it just took a hairdryer, a spackle knife and some pulling action), I sprayed some degreaser and wiped down the white melamine backing that was left by the previous owners. Once it was dry, I started laying out my tile pieces. Obviously, I wasn’t lucky enough that a sheet exactly fit my spacing, so I measured out cuts for the top and bottoms of my sheets.

Since the tile is metal, you can’t just cut through it with a pair of scissors. Instead, I used a combination of a level (to measure and as my straight line guide), a fresh razor knife, a pencil and a pair of pliers.

I would mark my exact measurement, go over it 2-3 times with the razor knife, and then clamp on the pliers and snap it on the edge of the table. For every. Single. Hexagon.

My hands were SO TIRED after this project.

Once I had my perfect-sized shape, I’d take off the backing, carefully line it up on my wall, and stick it on. And of course, I’m a perfectionist… so I did the little-bitty points even though only people Jack’s size can see under the upper cabinets.

I ended up covering over our old phone line and cable line — I just took the switch plates off and shoved the wires back into the wall. Cutting around the remaining outlets wasn’t difficult, I just held up the pieces of tile and mapped out where I needed to snip a little:

I worked my way around the entire kitchen and when it was all finished, I grabbed a tube of caulk and did a nice line of white silicone around all the edges. This really took the project from ‘looks okay’ to ‘looks professional’… so I highly recommend caulking as a last step!

Before caulk:

After caulk:

I wasn’t keeping track of exactly how long the project took me, but thankfully the progress photos I took are time stamped. According to my phone, I spent about 3 ½ hours on Saturday night and then about 8 hours on Sunday. Which means the full project took me about 11 ½ hours.

Here’s the “after” for $130 in supplies and 11-ish hours of work:

I am so thrilled with the result!

Disclaimer: This post contains an Amazon affiliate link and ShopStyle affiliate links. This means that clicking on the link may help me earn a small commission at no cost to you

My Peloton: 2 Year Check-In

This week marks 2 years since I downloaded the Peloton app with my non-Peloton bike and decided to give this cycling thing a try. I didn’t realize at the time that Peloton offered so much more than riding a bike and not going anywhere, which is why I went ahead and upgraded to an official Peloton bike about 6 months later!

If you want to catch up with any of my previous My Peloton posts, you can find them all here:

So, now is the perfect time for a 2-year update.

I think the most obvious question is: do I still use my Peloton or has it become a rack for clothing? I mean, that’s what we all imagine when we purchase a piece of exercise equipment. Sure, it’s kind of fun at first but eventually it just sits around taking up space and holding up dust.

YES, I am still using my Peloton bike. In fact, here are my latest stats:

I’ve done over 300 cycling classes over the last 2 years. But it’s not JUST cycling. I’ve also done a ton of meditation, stretching, strength, yoga and even walking outside with my husband. I’ve also completed a couple different programs, including: Arms with Tunde (a 4-week strength training arm workout program) and Crush Your Core with Emma (a 4-week core strength program).

I’ve kept up with my daily Peloton streak since when I first started using the app in December 2020. Every single day, I do something on the Peloton and currently have a 105-week streak going with 949 total workouts.

Things that have helped my workouts:

  • Switching out my Peloton bike shoes to these shoes: Shimano Indoor Cycling shoes. You can read my blog post review of them here: Upgrading my Peloton Bike Shoes to Shimano
  • Having a full set of neoprene dumbbells (these are great). I have dumbbells in 2lbs, 3lbs, 5lbs, 8lbs and 10lbs and use them all doing various exercises. You would think a 2lb dumbbell is silly… until you are working that thing on one of Tunde’s strength classes!
  • The Pivot. I bought The Pivot for my Peloton screen when I moved my exercise set-up into my office. It allows my entire screen to flip around so that I can do my weights and yoga sessions in the open space in the middle of the room, which greatly improved my workout experience. You can read the blog post where I talked about it here: My Office/Exercise Room Hybrid.
  • Just doing SOMETHING. I don’t want to mess up my streak, so even if I’m not feeling up for much, I give myself the gift of doing even a 5-minute meditation and taking some time to myself.

With all that being said, I do have a goal to increase my cycling days. Ideally, I’d like to cycle 3 days each week. Maybe even more. However, it just hasn’t fit into life lately. So there is always room for improvement!

If you’re a Peloton rider, you can find me on the leaderboard at JoulesGetsFit.

If you are looking to purchase a Peloton, shoot me an email at pocketfulofjoules@gmail.com and I can send you a special referral code to get you money off your purchase!

Disclaimer: This post contains Amazon affiliate links. This means that clicking on a link may help me earn a small commission at no cost to you.

A Skinny Christmas Tree for Our Skinny Space

A quickie bonus blog post today, because I ordered a skinny Christmas tree and I love it! Our old tree served us well for a decade or so, but last year half the lights gave up. I replaced them with new strands, but it was pretty clear it was time to upgrade our tree.

Our previous tree was a ‘regular-sized’ tree, but we only had a little sliver of space to shove it into. So I would purposely arrange the limbs in the back of the tree to fold up, so I could get it as far into the little corner as possible.

In searching for a new tree, I wanted a skinny version. So I searched Home Depot, Target, and Amazon for both “skinny Christmas trees” and “pencil Christmas trees.” I finally pulled the trigger last week and our new tree arrived on Friday. I put it up over the weekend, and it is PERFECT for our little bit of space.

It is the: Puleo International 7.5 Foot Pre-Lit Fraser Fir Pencil Artificial Christmas Tree with 350 UL Listed Clear Lights. The prices are fluctuating wildly, so I wanted to share this ASAP for any of you who are looking for a skinny tree. The ‘original’ price is marked as $269.99, but it has been flip flopping everywhere from $100 – $140 in the last few days.

I put it up a bit early (I typically do our tree after Thanksgiving) so I could make sure it worked well and fit the space. I can’t wait to put the ornaments on it next week!

Disclaimer: This post contains am Amazon affiliate link. This means that clicking on a link may help me earn a small commission at no cost to you.