This batten wall completely transformed the space, and I’m not exaggerating when I say this is one of the easiest DIY projects I’ve ever done.

And coming from me, that says a lot, because I am not super handy lol.

If I can do this, you can do this. I promise

The Before Photo

Excuse my daughters bath toy mess lol

What I Used

I kept this super simple:

• 1×3 boards for vertical battens
• 1×4 board across the top
• 1×2 board flipped sideways for the top ledge
• Existing baseboards (did not remove)

That’s it.

I linked all the exact products I used here: https://shopmy.us/shop/collections/4515432

For reference, I have 10 foot ceilings, so I wanted the batten wall to be taller to match the scale of the room and also to hang towels high enough off the ground.

My top ledge ended up at exactly 61 7/8 inches for reference.

Why I Kept My Baseboards

Instead of removing my baseboards, I just built on top of them.

My 1×3 boards sat perfectly flush on my baseboards, and I added a few shims where needed to make everything line up clean.

This saved time and made the project way easier.

Step-by-Step Instructions

1. Measure + Cut Your Wood

Plan your spacing and have your boards cut ahead of time.

I intentionally spaced my battens so they would land on studs. This made everything more secure.

2. Install the Vertical Boards (1x3s)

I used long screws instead of a brad nailer and drilled directly into the studs, but you can do either one.

Each board only needed 2-3 screws to feel secure.

Yes, the holes are bigger than nails, but you’re filling and sanding anyway, so it really doesn’t matter (in my mind at least).

3. Add the Top Board (1×4)

Next, install your 1×4 horizontally across the tops of the vertical boards.

4. Add the Ledge (1×2)

Then attach your 1×2 flipped sideways on top of the 1×4 to create that ledge detail.

This is what really makes it look finished.

5. Fill + Sand

Fill all holes and seams between battens with drywall putty and sand everything smooth. Now a pro may tell you to use wood filled lol but drywall putty is so much easier to sand down.

6. Caulk

I caulked:

• The top edge where the ledge meets the wall
• The side where the battens meet the door frame
• The side where the battens meet the shower
• All areas where the battens meet and touch the wall.

I used:

• White caulk for edge against my door frame and on top of the 1×2 where it touches my wall.
• Black caulk for seams on the wall and battens touching each other (since I painted it dark)

But honestly, if I did this again, I would just use white everywhere. Black caulk is much harder to work with.

I just used a basic caulk gun and smoothed it with my finger. Nothing fancy.

7. Paint

I used a roller for most of it and a brush for detail areas.

• Color: Iron Ore by Sherwin Williams
• Coats: 2

I didn’t prime because:

• My boards were pre-primed
• My walls are new

If your walls are older or your boards aren’t primed, definitely prime first.

8. Add Hooks

Last step was installing hooks for towels.

I used these brass hooks from Amazon and they matched my cabinet hardware perfectly!

I screwed them directly into the 1×3 board so they’re super sturdy for holding towels.

This took me 2 days total to allow time for proper drying

It completely changed the space, made the wall feel intentional, and added function at the same time.

Now I want to do this in my laundry room next!

If you’ve been wanting to try a DIY but feel intimidated, this is a really good project to start with!

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The post DIY Bathroom Batten Accent Wall (Beginner Friendly) appeared first on Cooking Katie Lady.

But today I wanted to share a few affordable swaps under $20 that are easy to implement without spending a lot.

One of the biggest misconceptions about switching to non-toxic products is that it has to be expensive.

It doesn’t!!

While some clean swaps can definitely cost more upfront, there are actually a lot of simple changes you can make for under $20 that significantly reduce the toxins in your home.

And the best part? These are the swaps that add up the fastest because they replace products we use every single day.

1. Switch to a Safer Dish Soap

Most conventional dish soaps contain artificial fragrance, dyes, and harsh surfactants that stay on the dishes we eat from every day.

A simple swap is choosing a cleaner formula with transparent ingredients.

Some great options:

• Molly’s Suds
• Ecos Dish Soap
• Seventh Generation Free & Clear

2. Ditch Synthetic Sponges

Traditional kitchen sponges can contain dyes and synthetic materials, and they tend to hold onto bacteria.

Instead, try:

• Natural cellulose sponges
• Wood pulp sponges
• Swedish dish cloths
• Bamboo brushes

They’re biodegradable, last longer, and are usually under $15 for a pack.

3. Swap Out Plastic Food Storage

Plastic containers can leach chemicals, especially when heated.

Instead, try:

• Glass storage containers ( I love these ones for smaller items! Stojo also make really neat non-toxic storage containers.)
• Silicone reusable bags
• Beeswax food wraps

Even swapping just a few containers you use the most can make a difference.

Many starter sets are around $20.

4. Upgrade Your Hand Soap

Fragrance in hand soap is one of the easiest toxins to eliminate.

Look for brands that avoid synthetic fragrance and unnecessary additives.

Good options include:

• Truly Free Aloe Hand Soap
• Everyone Soap
• Branch Basics hand soap (my top favorite! See explanation below.)
  • At first glance it might seem expensive because the concentrate is around $55, but it’s actually incredibly cost effective.
  • For foaming hand soap, you only use about 1 ounce of concentrate per bottle and then fill the rest with water.
  • 1 bottle of concentrate makes about 33 bottles of hand soap. When you break that down:
    • $55 ÷ 33 bottles = about $1.67 per bottle of hand soap.So while the upfront cost is higher, it actually comes out cheaper than most conventional hand soaps, and you’re avoiding synthetic fragrance, dyes, and harsh chemicals.
  • Plus the same concentrate can also be used to make:
    • all-purpose cleaner
    • bathroom cleaner
    • laundry soap
    • glass cleaner
    So one bottle ends up replacing multiple cleaning products in your home.
  • **I do have a discount code if you purchase from their website directly, and it is COOKINGKATIELADY.

5. Switch to Cleaner Laundry Detergent

Conventional laundry detergents often contain synthetic fragrance and optical brighteners.

Cleaner options around $20 include:

• Dirty Labs laundry soap
• Truly Free laundry detergent
• Branch Basics laundry detergent (same concept as above where you use the concentrate to make your detergent!)

These work just as well without coating your clothes in unnecessary chemicals.

Start Small

You don’t have to change everything overnight.

I always recommend starting with the products you use the most:

• dish soap
• hand soap
• laundry detergent
• all-purpose cleaners

Once those are swapped, you’ve already reduced a huge amount of daily exposure.

Cleaner living isn’t about perfection. It’s about making small changes that add up over time!!

Helping you create a cleaner home one swap at a time,

Katie

The post Non-Toxic Swaps Under $20 appeared first on Cooking Katie Lady.

But some of the most impactful changes you can make for your home are completely free!!

Before you replace a single product, start with your habits.

Here are simple, science-backed non-toxic swaps that cost little to nothing and truly make a difference:

1. Take Your Shoes Off at the Door

Shoes track in pesticides, herbicides, heavy metals, bacteria, and outdoor pollutants. Studies have found everything from lawn chemicals and lead dust to fecal bacteria and other harmful contaminants on the bottoms of shoes.

When those shoes walk through your home, those contaminants settle into your floors and carpets — exactly where kids and pets play.

A simple shoe-free rule dramatically reduces what gets tracked inside.

2. Open Your Windows Daily (Even for 5–10 Minutes)

Indoor air can actually be more polluted than outdoor air.

Cooking fumes, cleaning products, furniture off-gassing, candles, and everyday living all release particles and VOCs (volatile organic compounds) into the air.

Opening windows regularly creates airflow that helps remove trapped pollutants and lowers indoor toxin buildup.

3. Run Your Kitchen Vent Fan Every Time You Cook

Especially if you cook with gas.

Gas stoves release nitrogen dioxide and other byproducts that impact indoor air quality. Even high-heat cooking with oils produces particulate matter.

Turning on your vent hood while cooking significantly reduces what lingers in the air.

4. Wash New Clothes and Sheets Before Using

New textiles are often treated with finishing chemicals, dyes, wrinkle-resistant coatings, and preservatives during manufacturing and shipping. Even if you buy “clean” brands, I still highly recommend washing them first just to remove leftover manufacturing residues, excess dye, dust from warehouses, and anything they may have picked up in packaging and transit. A simple wash before wearing or sleeping on them helps rinse away what your skin would otherwise be in direct contact with for hours.

5. Switch to Non-Toxic As Products Run Out

You don’t need to replace everything overnight. Instead of doing a full purge, just choose non-toxic options as you naturally run out of products. I have lots of posts on non-toxic alternatives for cleaners, dishwasher pods, laundry soap, etc.

Once you run out of your current cleaning products in your home, I highly recommend getting a starter pack from Branch Basics for all your cleaning staples. This is all I use in my home!! I do have a discount code COOKINGKATIELADY for 15% off all starter kits!

6. Dust With a Damp Cloth

Dry dusting often just redistributes particles into the air.

Using a slightly damp cloth actually captures and removes dust — which can contain flame retardants, microplastics, pollen, and other irritants.

7. Skip Microwaving Plastic

Heat increases the likelihood of chemicals leaching from plastic into food.

If you already own glass or ceramic dishes, use those for reheating instead.

8. Control Humidity

Mold thrives in damp environments.

Use bathroom fans during showers, run your kitchen fan while cooking, and avoid letting wet laundry sit too long. Leave your dishwasher and washer open until they are completely dry. Keeping humidity between 30–50% prevents mold growth and improves air quality.

9. Let the Sun Work for You

Sunlight is a natural disinfectant.

When possible, air out bedding, rugs, or pillows outside. The UV rays help reduce odor-causing bacteria and freshen fabrics naturally.

10. Vacuum High-Traffic Areas More Often

Floors collect more than just visible dirt.

Regular vacuuming reduces dust, pollen, microplastics, and chemicals tracked into the home — especially important if you live in a neighborhood where lawns are frequently treated.

Healthy Homes Start With Habits

Healthy homes really do start with simple habits. Just like with food, ingredients matter, and the same goes for your environment. What you bring into your home, what you spray, what you cook with, and what you breathe in every day all adds up over time. Being aware of what is coming into your space matters because that is the air you and your family are breathing. These are zero cost changes you can start making today and they make a bigger difference than most people realize.

Cheering you on in creating a healthier home,

Katie

The post Non-Toxic Swaps That Cost $0 appeared first on Cooking Katie Lady.

I have started and stopped writing this more times than I can count.

I am not even sure where to begin, because losing her feels like losing a piece of myself.

I adopted Lucy from a shelter in Colorado right after high school. She had been abandoned and was estimated to be around two or three years old. I was just becoming an adult around this time. I had no idea what my life would look like yet. I most definitely did not realize I was bringing home the most loving soul I would ever know.

We had about ten years together. She was around fourteen when she passed. I never had her exact age since I adopted her from a shelter. Ten years somehow feels like a lifetime and not nearly long enough at the same time.

I love all of my animals so much (I also have two male kitties that I got after Lucy that I adore dearly). But Lucy was different and extra special to me. I had family pets growing up, but she was the first pet who was fully mine. My first real companion. My first baby.

She loved with her whole body. If you were sitting down, she was on you. Curled into your chest. Pressed against your face. Purring nonstop. She did not believe in personal space. Sometimes we would laugh and gently push her away because she would not get out of our faces!

But that was just who she was. She loved intensely.

She was there for me through so many milestones and tough times in my life. Before I moved to Florida. Before I became a wife. Before I became a mom. Before Cooking Katie Lady started. She knew me when I was just a girl trying to figure out life. She stayed through every move, every milestone, every hard season and every beautiful one.

She loved every version of me.

When she was around eleven, we found out at a routine checkup that she had hyperthyroidism. All of her organs were perfectly healthy. It was just her thyroid. So we began treating it immediately. She took medication twice a day, had monthly bloodwork done, we constantly were changing her medicine dosages to try to help her thyroid levels.

We did everything we could.

But over time, her hyperthyroidism slowly took over her little body. She became so frail. No matter how much we fed her or adjusted her medication, she kept getting thinner. She struggled to walk. She couldn’t jump anymore. The medicine itself was strong and often made her sick to her stomach. This last year was especially hard. Watching her body weaken was heartbreaking.

I knew she was sick.

But I always believed I would get to say goodbye.

That is the part that hurts the most.

She passed on 2/26/26 somewhere between 2 am and 6 am while we were all asleep.

I thought I would have one last moment. One last cuddle. One last chance to hold her and tell her how much she meant to me. To thank her for being my companion through so many stages of my life.

I did not get that.

When Thomas & I found her, she was not alone. My two boys were with her. One on each side of her, pressed up against her like they were holding her.

That image shattered me.

But it also brings me comfort now that I look back at that moment.

She did not leave this world alone. She was surrounded. She was loved until her final breath.

Still, I hate that I was not awake. I hate that I did not get that final moment. I feel like I did not get closure.

Since she passed, my mind has been loud with what-ifs.

What if I had tried something different.
What if I had pushed for another treatment.
What if I had been there.

Grief attaches itself to guilt. It makes you believe that if you replay everything enough times, you could somehow change the ending.

But I cannot.

And I cannot live in that space forever.

Because when I step back from the guilt, I see something else.

She was abandoned once. And then she never had to wonder again.

I gave her a safe home.
A warm bed.
Food and water every day.
Medical care.
Comfort.
Affection.
A family who adored her.

She was deeply loved.

She may not have had a long life like I envisioned, but she had a good life.

What gives me peace now is knowing she is no longer frail. No longer sick from strong medication. No longer trapped in a body that was failing her.

She is whole.
She is restored.
She is at peace.

And I know she is in heaven.

Pet grief is heavier than people talk about. I feel like non-pet owners do not fully understand when you say, “she was my baby.”

But she was.

She was my baby before I ever had a baby. She was my rock. The most affectionate, gentle soul I have ever come into contact with.

The house feels different without her. I still look for her in her usual spots. I still expect to hear her meow every morning.

I miss her so much.

Walking through this has taught me that the depth of grief reflects the depth of love. And I would choose those ten years with her all over again, even knowing how much it hurts to lose her.

She was not just a pet.

She was part of my story.

And she always will be.

A Letter to Lucy

Lucy,

I love you so much. I miss you more than I can put into words.

I hate that I did not get to hold you one last time. I hate that I did not get to say goodbye. I always thought I would have that moment.

But I hope you felt my love every single day of your life.

Thank you for being my rock when I was just a girl trying to figure life out. Thank you for loving me through every season. Thank you for being my best friend and my soulmate in the smallest, sweetest body.

Thank you for loving Thomas and turning him into a cat lover. Thank you for loving and watching over Addie while she played. Thank you for loving our home.

I hope you always felt safe. I hope you always knew how loved you were.

I am so grateful I got to be your mom.

Until I see you again.

I love you forever,

Mom 🤍

The post Losing My Soul Cat: Walking Through Pet Grief appeared first on Cooking Katie Lady.

You followed along with our fireplace makeover, and now I’m taking you behind the scenes of our pot filler and backsplash renovation.

When we were building, I chose not to have the builder install a backsplash because I had been eyeing a very specific tile. I also knew that if I wanted a pot filler, it needed to be installed before the backsplash went in.

This project completely transformed our kitchen, and it was extra special because my dad helped me do it. He literally knows how to do everything, and he walked me through the plumbing step by step! I’m definitely not a professional or very knowledgeable in this area, but I’m sharing what I know & how we did it in case you’re thinking about adding one too!

Step 1: Finding the Closest Water Line

The first thing we did was locate the nearest water source.

Thankfully, there’s a toilet just a couple feet to the right of our stove. That meant we didn’t have to run water from across the house. We carefully cut open the drywall from behind the stove toward that water line so we could access it.

Step 2: Splitting the Line with a PEX Tee

Once we accessed the existing line, we:

• Snipped the water line
• Installed a 1/2 inch PEX crimp brass tee to split the line

To secure it, we used:

• 1/2 inch PEX copper crimp rings
• A professional PEX crimp tool (this is important — you need proper compression so it seals tightly)

From there, we connected a 1/2 inch blue PEX-B pipe from the brass tee to the exact location where I wanted the pot filler installed.

Step 3: Installing the Drop Ear Elbow

We needed something sturdy to anchor the pot filler connection.

So we:

• Installed a 2×6 horizontally between the studs
• Secured it firmly
• Mounted a 90-degree female drop ear elbow onto that 2×6

This gives the pot filler a solid anchor point.

When securing plumbing fittings, you want to use copper screws, not regular steel screws.

When two dissimilar metals (like brass and standard steel) come into contact and are exposed to moisture, a process called galvanic corrosion can occur. This is an electrochemical reaction where one metal essentially sacrifices itself and corrodes over time. In plumbing, that can weaken fasteners and cause long-term issues.

We added a temporary test plug while we finished the backsplash.

Step 4: Patching Drywall + Installing Tile

After plumbing was complete, we patched the drywall and moved on to the backsplash.

And this tile… I am obsessed.

We used the Villa Zellige Oat Ceramic Tile. Every single piece is slightly different in tone and texture. The variation gives it so much depth and character without being busy. It reflects light beautifully and adds so much dimension.

Pro Tip:
If you use a variegated tile like this, open all the boxes and mix the tiles together before installation. Otherwise you’ll end up with clusters of the same tones in one area.

For grout, we chose:

• Mapei grout in the color “Eggshell”

Step 5: Installing the Pot Filler

After tile was installed, it was finally time.

We did have to find the correct brass male fitting adapter — and it took a couple of tries because we needed one that was longer than standard. If you’re lucky, your pot filler may include one. Ours did not.

Once we had the correct adapter:

• We used a diamond-tipped core bit to drill through the tile
• Anchored the base plate to the drop ear elbow behind the wall
• Screwed the pot filler on and adjusted until perfectly level

And just like that…

It was done! Honestly did not take as long as I thought and we saved so much money doing some pieces by ourselves!

Adding the pot filler completely elevated my kitchen! It feels custom. It feels intentional. And it’s practical!

Now every time I turn that pot filler on, I just stand there and smile lol. I have wanted a pot filler for SO LONG.

It’s one of those upgrades that’s functional, but it also makes the whole kitchen feel more finished and custom.

I’m so glad we waited and did it the way we wanted. It finally feels like my kitchen.

Now it’s time to get my cookbook cover photo done in my new kitchen!!

I hope you learned something from this little DIY project — or at the very least just enjoyed seeing it come together 🙂

The post Our Pot Filler + Backsplash Renovation appeared first on Cooking Katie Lady.