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Domestic

Spring Cleaning Tips

April 24, 2016

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It took me a few days to figure out what I wanted to write…. organization and cleaning gets me pretty pumped up, and this could easily turn into a novel… so I’m going to take a step (or 10) back and share with you my top 3 organization/cleaning tips.

  1. If you can do it in 30 seconds take care of it now. 
    • This is a life mantra of mine… but if you come home and take your jacket off, only to throw it on the chair that is 5 feet from the closet it should hang in – just take the extra 10 seconds and hang it up.  Between putting keys on the hook, shoes in the closet, junk mail in the trash or anything else that gets thrown to the side, you are saving yourself an hour of clutter clean up, whenever you decide to get around to tidying up (and wouldn’t we all rather be watching Real Housewives!?).
  2.  Give everything a place. 
    • This can be a pretty larger under taking… but once you take inventory of everything in your home (and get rid of what you don’t need), it is so much easier to clean your home because everything has a place.  I know exactly what room/drawer/space within each drawer a particular item belongs, and it makes cleaning up less stressful (and sending people to get stuff for you a lot easier).  I am a strong believer in junk drawers (allow yourself ONE in your home), but make sure to purge it once a month..
  3. Buy a label maker. 
    • One of my favorite things is my label maker. A few years ago I binged on shoe-box sized Tupperware and created boxes for everything in my home from appliance manuals, to nail polish, remote controls, to sunscreen and party decorations. I also purchased a ton of mason jars that I use to store bulk goods in my freezer (nuts, seeds, dried fruit, etc.). It comes back to not only making your home easier for you to maneuver through, but whoever you live with or whomever is visiting your home.  I love that when people are staying over, I can send them upstairs for extra toothbrushes and face wash, and while I’d like to say this has helped my husband figure out where things go, I can’t lie to you all (I figured the giant MEDICINE label would help him to figure out where the Advil would be stashed… but to no avail).

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For more spring cleaning tips click here, here and here!

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Domestic

Makeover Monday – My Office

February 15, 2016

One thing I knew I needed in my house was a pink room.

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Considering J starts to have an allergic reaction anytime he sees anything “too girly,” I knew I was going to need to confine this to a space he wouldn’t go in. Considering I can’t accessorize a laundry room, making an office was the next best thing.

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I bought this cowhide rug at a Black Friday event a few years ago and couldn’t wait to find a home for it. Paired with my college furniture (thanks mom for investing in nice stuff!) and some of my favorite girlie things (ie. jeweled necklaces, framed birthday cards – I have put together a room made for blogging (or answering emails, while catching up on Real Housewives episodes).

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Because our master bedroom only has one closet, J and I are using our offices as extensions of our closets – so… I moved my dresses and shoes into my cotton candy colored corner of the house.

While I love clothes and getting dressed, and I’ve really been trying to take Marie Kondo’s advice and get rid of anything that doesn’t bring me joy.  Embarrassingly I’ve learned that black (particularly in the form of dresses and pants) brings me a lot of joy… but how could it not – it’s slimming!

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Paint Color / Marbled Computer Case / Acrylic Pencil Holder / Zebra Tray / Gold Bracelets / Books / Blinds / Acrylic Chair / Sheepskin Rug / Ballerina Art 

Domestic

Makeover Monday – Our Bedroom

February 8, 2016

This is my happy place and favorite part of our home.

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When we moved in it had moss green walls and I wanted to give it a fresh and airy feel, so in a ground breaking design approach I painted it white. Whatever, I love it.

I wanted strictly neutral coloring and to create a calming but interesting space (think texture, flowers, candles, organic elements, etc.), and I think were on our way there!

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Jeremy and I had been sleeping in a queen bed for over three years  and our combined height of over 12 ft and my subconscious desire to sleep like a starfish did not make this the most enjoyable experience.  When we moved we knew our first splurge was going to be on our sleeping situation.

While most people “can’t wait to get back to their bed” after a long trip, but we realized that we were not thinking that anytime we stayed at a Montage resort.  We call their beds “cloud beds” and honestly I could spend the rest of my life in one.  So our first decision was pretty easy – Montage mattress and bedding it is!*

Next up, our actual bed.  I’ve wanted something from Restoration Hardware in my home for quiet awhile and loved the look of their Warner Fabric Bed.  We placed the order and after weeks of waiting and multiple attempts to try to get it up our narrow staircase, we were in business!

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Everything else we have slowly accumulated (endless stalking at HomeGoods, cashing in on saved up gift cards, hand-me-downs from family friends), but I’m happy with our space so far.  We are in the works of getting a bound carpet rug created for under the bed and renovating the sitting room off the master (thinking more closet space), but it’s so nice to wake up everyday stoked on where you live – GRATITUDE 2016!!!

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Bed / Bedding / Nesting Bedside Table / Louve Art and Frame / Sheet Music Art / Coffee Table Books / Coasters / Light

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*If there is one splurge I would recommend it would be to buy this bed. I literally feel like the luckiest person every time I crawl into it, and have sadly missed a workout class (or 10) because I just can’t get out of it in the morning. Even J commented how hard traveling for work is now that he “misses his bed” (thanks babe. thanks.).

Domestic

How to Clean Cloudy Glasses

February 3, 2016

This can happen to us all… You are cleaning up after dinner, run the dishwasher and the next day pull out your glassware to discover them all looking like a cloudy mess.

What’s a girl to do?

Well, there are a couple things…

  1. Tiny scratches in your glassware.
    • These tiny scratches, when mixed with water and detergent can result in a cloudy film. To remove it, rub a washcloth soaked in distilled white vinegar, until the buildup disappears.  But if it’s still there, it probably is your…
  2. Hard water.
    • Add this rinse to your dishwasher to have your glasses coming out as new.
    • We also installed a water softener when we moved into our house and love it.  My mom also came across this cool version, that we’ll definitely look into when our current one gives out.
Domestic

Makeover Monday – Guest Room

December 28, 2015

One of the most exciting things about upgrading our square footage was the fact we could now have a guest room.  We love entertaining and having a special space for our friends and family to stay has been such an added bonus (and one we’ve already got some great use out of in our first couple months here!).

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Here are some of my guest room tips:

  • Make the space clean and comfortable
    • Try to rid the room of added clutter and knick knacks, and be sure to do a pre-clean before your guests arrive – i.e. clean sheets, mopped floors, etc.
  • Have a space for your guests to keep their things
    • While we utilize half of the closet, I made space for guests to hang their clothing – don’t forget to have extra hangers on hand
    • I also purchased a luggage rack that makes a handy place for guests to store their belongings
  • Have extra blankets and pillows available 
    • We store extras in the closet so they are easily accessible
    • On the same temperature note, it also makes sense to have a fan available for the warm blooded of your guests
  • Keep “extras” available 
    • I have a welcome basket in the guest room with extra toothbrushes, toothpaste, waters, snacks, cell phone chargers, slippers, etc. so they can help themselves without having to ask
    • I also have our Wifi log-in info readily available as well
  • Liven the space 
    • I’m a fan of good smells, so I recommend leaving out a candle (and matches) or a diffuser to help the space feel a little more like home
    • Fresh flowers are a nice touch – I recommend orchids because they have a longer shelf life and help to keep the space pretty for impromptu guests

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Figuring out which room should be the guest room was hardest for us… our relator advised us using our spare room downstairs as the guest room because you should keep “guest quarters” separate.  They can use their own bathroom, come and go freely from the kitchen and it’s helpful to not have everyone on top of each other when we’re getting ready (well I guess literally we are with our two story house… but you get what I’m saying).  So (if space allows), finding a room furthest from your master is a helpful start for determining where your guest room should be!

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What tips do you have for creating a welcoming guest room?  IMG_4888