Happy February! Isn’t that crazy!? I feel like I JUST got Christmas put away around here. You too? Are the months flying by faster than usual or am I the only one feeling that way? January is usually a chill month, but this month was packed and I honestly can’t believe it’s over already! I’m crossing my fingers that February brings some down time with it. :) Since we’ve had a lot going on lately I’m behind on my organizing challenge and still working on my kitchen. I’m going to try to finish up my kitchen this week and start organizing closets, but don’t stress at all if you’re in my boat and still have a lot to check off your to-do list! One drawer and cupboard at a time. Really this challenge is meant to work for you so if you need to take an extra week do it! Or move on and then go back to things you missed after. I never make it through the challenge with everything finished on my list, but I do make a lot of progress and that’s what counts! More organizing coming soon. :)
Today is a quick post! I’m sharing my January Amazon buys (fun things this month!). I also rounded up some gift ideas for friends, sisters, mothers.. anyone really! Valentine’s Day is such a fun time to celebrate love for everyone in your life! A perfect day to send someone a little gift and note and let them know you care. One of these years I’m going to throw a Galentine’s Day party and have friends over. I’ve always wanted to do that! This year we are booked with kids’ activities but one of these years it’s going to happen. Until then.. cute little Galentine’s Day gifts will have to do. :)
It’s organize your kitchen week! But I’m posting about my organized laundry room cupboards and drawers. How’s that for some organization? Ha. I’m off one week but I’m so excited to finally share this cleaned out space with you! This laundry room is on our main floor right off of our mudroom and for years it was the most unorganized spot in our house. (Followed closely by my closet.. ha.) Last year during my organizing challenge I worked hard to whip this space into shape, but by the time I finished organizing it we were moving on to organizing our kitchens. Then it was Spring Break and life got busy and I never prioritized sharing the makeover! Hence the reason I’m sharing it one week late this year. If I don’t get these pictures up on my blog they may never make it!
I would love to switch out the light fixture over this sink for something larger with a little more personality (on my 2022 home to-do list!). The rug is a favorite I’ve had for years.
These simple jars hold clothes pins, these wool dryer balls I sometimes use instead of dryer sheets and laundry soap (I use Tide pods for every day but like having some of the detergent around for rubbing out stains). I wanted something to add behind our drying rack for years and finally landed on these cute WASH DRY FOLD prints. I just bought them as a download and took them to an office supply store to print them. They come in a set of 4 but I didn’t have room for REPEAT. :) An easy, inexpensive way to decorate a laundry space if you have a blank wall or room on a shelf for a few prints! Looks like the exact frames I used sold out but similar options are here and here.
This drying rack pulls out from the wall just like the rack in our upstairs laundry room. So handy for drying clothes and I love having the fun prints behind it to break up all of the white in this space!
Side view with the rack down..
{magnolia baskets – mine are out of stock but lots of fun options!}
The grey vintage wash basin in the corner is so special to me. It was my great grandma’s – such a treasure! Can you imagine doing laundry with that!? It’s a constant reminder to me not complain about laundry. Ha. ;)
Ok.. on to some organization.. are you ready!? I am so ready. :) This entire laundry room made one great “before.” It was such a mess! I never really organized it after we built our house and moved in and it quickly became a catch all for any and everything. I always knew what items I wanted to store in this space, but I kept putting it off because I knew it was going to be a big job! I just kept the cupboard doors closed and walked away. Ha. So happy that’s not the case anymore!
I had so many random things to store on this side I decided bins or baskets would be the best option. These canvas bins were the perfect size (I have the XL) and I love the look for a laundry room! The lighting in these pics are making them look a little yellow.. they are a true cream with grey stripes.
I mainly wanted to use this cupboard for our towel overflow. Extra pool towels on the bottom shelf and extra old towels we use for cleaning and for the garage on the middle shelf.
I also wanted a set bin for Kole’s swimsuits! It has always made more sense to keep them in this laundry room vs. upstairs in his bedroom. When it’s summer and he is swimming daily with friends it’s easier to just wash his suits and toss them on him in this room!
The top baskets hold sewing supplies (they are organized in a container I forgot to photograph!) and other miscellaneous items I need to store that I don’t reach for as often. I got rid of a lot during this little project! I tossed and donated so many random items and just kept what we really use/love so these baskets aren’t too full.
{BEFORE}
I never created a good spot in my house to store all of my candles and knew I wanted to make space for them in this laundry room. That meant not only cleaning out these messy cupboards and drawers, but also rounding up candles from various spots throughout my home. (This messy drawer was still holding hardware from when we built our house over 8 years ago!)
“Before.”
And “after.” Yes! I know! That’s a lot of candles. In my defense (and as you know!) I really use and love them. :) I actually don’t have half of these candles in this cupboard at the moment because I gave them away in Nov/Dec. I always stock up on my favorite Anthro candles because I use them all around my home and give them as gifts every Fall/Holiday season. I put my smaller candle holders on the top shelves. I love having a set place to keep them all together!
I cleaned all of the hardware out of this drawer so now it’s pretty much empty other than a few scrub brushes I use to clean and sink stoppers/strainers.
The cupboards below store extra picture frames I’m not using at the moment and my larger candle holders.
{BEFORE}
These three drawers were a hot mess! I had one battery organizer but ended up with so many extra batteries they didn’t all fit so a lot of good that did.. ha. I think Kenny and I each ordered batteries at different times not knowing that we already had plenty! That’s what happens when things aren’t organized well, right!? You spend money on things you already have but can’t locate!
And the after. {SIGH} Nothing like organized drawers that actually function well too!
Then comes the battery drawer. You know how much I love my battery organizer (it was my favorite I took as a gift to one of the favorite things parties I went to in December!). So I didn’t think twice about picking up a second one to hold our overflow. You might notice I have some of the batteries turned facing down in one of the organizers.. those were batteries I used for a short time during Christmas 2020. I used them again this year and now they’re dead and gone. :)
The next drawer holds our flashlights and headlamps. I have them separated with these grey adjustable drawer dividers that I love! I use drawer dividers a lot to organize things and have these in a few other spots in my home too. I used to keep flashlights and our headlamps in the garage but then Kenny and I started hiking in the evening and often needed the headlamps and our kids always need flashlights for camping trips and other events with friends. Plus it’s nice to have all of this close when the power goes out. It went out for an hour in the evening a few months ago and Addison and I both said “I have a fun idea!” at the same time. Her idea was to light candles and play board games. My fun idea was to all go to bed early. Ha.
One year later these drawers still look great! It was so nice during the holidays to have my candles and batteries all stored together! Easy to access and easy to clean up and put away when it was time to take things down.
{BEFORE}
This cupboard above my drawers was a catch all for years.
Now it holds my larger candles. Yes! More! And I use every one. When you decorate for a living you get to own as many candles as you want!
And pillows.
And throws.
And vases.
And faux flowers.
I could go on but we’ll stop there with you fully understanding why this job speaks my love language. ;)
I had extra wallpaper from my powder bathroom laying around so I cut it out to put below the candles so that they don’t stick to the cupboards. I don’t ever use contact paper in cupboards/drawers because I keep them pretty clean and I like to use organizers so I didn’t have any on hand. I was trying to use what I had to knock this makeover out quick! If I would have known I wasn’t going to share this space for over a year I might have taken the time to get some contact paper. Ha. ;)
The cupboard on the right side of my hanging rack is mostly empty! A few extras for decorating and that’s it. It felt so good to clean all of these shelves too.. they were pretty dusty!
{BEFORE}
Last “before.” This is the cupboard we stashed all of our extra lightbulbs in when we finished building. You can see why I just shut these cupboards and walked away for so long!
Much better!
I moved our extra hardware to these drawers below my washer/dryer. I get asked a lot whether or not these drawers are functional. They are! They just aren’t very deep.
The perfect place to store extras I’m not quite ready to part with. :)
Now that the cupboards and drawers are clean and organized this laundry room is running like a well oiled machine! If only it always looked like this with no laundry in sight. ;)
I hope you enjoyed the tour of my organized laundry room cupboards and drawers! Nothing motivates me like a good before and after. I’m ready to tackle a few spaces in my kitchen!
And hopefully share pictures of my progress before January 2023.
Last week didn’t go quite as planned and I didn’t have time to share my main floor laundry room (and 100 other fun things I have ready to share) so this will definitely be a catch up week for me! We had so much going on with my girls.. Ellie turned 18! And between her birthday and prom and a dance competition and tech week for one play and tryouts for a new play we’ve either been on the go or have had teens over at the house. I had to get an MRI this weekend for my knee and the guy in charge said “are you going to be ok sitting still and not moving for 20 minutes?” I was like “are you kidding me? I’ve been looking forward to this all week!” Then I got chatting with the nurse after (she has a 12 year old daughter and was asking me about raising teen girls.. what does she have to look forward to) and we just hit it off and were laughing so hard talking about life with teens. The guy walked over to me and said “ok.. you are having WAY too much fun at an MRI appointment!” Ha ha. What a week. :)
Laundry room post is still coming! But if you are working along side me with my organizing challenge we are kicking off KITCHENS this week! (Challenge details are HERE and you can join anytime!) I’ve written so many posts on kitchen organization.. it’s a favorite topic! This post on KITCHEN ORGANIZATION TIPS will help you get a jump start if you need some motivation. It has links to posts that show how every inch of my kitchen is organized along with some other general tips. I also shared some fun pantry inspo. towards the end of the post. I’ll share a few recent organization updates I’ve made to my kitchen soon too!
In other news I am slowly warming things up around my home and doing a little decorating. After the holidays I leave things bare for a couple of weeks to just organize and enjoy less clutter! Then I’m always excited to start adding things I love back in. I left my Christmas porch up (just wasn’t quite ready to take down the trees!).
Then a couple of weeks ago I took down the garland and bells and tossed up the hearts! 10 minute Christmas porch turned Valentine’s Day porch and DONE. Work smarter not harder. ;)
I’m slowly adding a few updates to my kitchen and I’m having fun bringing in more black!
I moved my metal tray to this spot next to my range top. I’ve shared this antiqued metal tray before.. it’s one of my favorites! I have the large size and it just looks good everywhere. I think I’ve had it in 7-8 different spots throughout my home. :) A bowl with some lemons, wooden spoons in my crock, and I gave myself this beautiful gold salt & pepper grinder for Christmas! I first saw them at a store in my hometown months ago and loved them but I didn’t buy them because they were kind of pricey. Then I kept thinking about them! I finally hunted them down on-line and couldn’t resist ordering them and I don’t regret that purchase one bit. They are so beautiful! I put them on this cute little 7″ footed stand. It’s the best when practical items double as beautiful decor! They sell out quickly and then come back in stock (I ordered mine here). But I also found them on-line here and here (these are both 8″ – mine are 8″ and 9″). I also found them at various heights like mine here.
I was playing around with some Valentine decor on my kitchen island and thought I’d share the ideas I came up with! These ideas could be used on a kitchen island or table or on a console table.. so many options. You’ve seen this little display from last year.
This is another fun Valentine’s display that isn’t too over the top! My minka textured pot (this is the medium size) holding my favorite faux olive branches. I’m sure you remember these olive branches from the Fall. I had them all over my house and I know a lot of you ordered and love them too! They are a great versatile faux option year round (Christmas is really the only time I don’t use them). They are perfect for Fall, Winter, Spring, Summer.
Then I just added a fun heart bowl with some candy. I always tie candy into my decor for Valentine’s Day and Easter because chocolate hugs & kisses and Cadbury Eggs make life worth living. ;) These heart bowls are an inexpensive and fun way to add Valentine’s decor into your home. The darker heart bowls come in both 8″ and 10″. The lighter bowl is on-line here (out of stock but might come back!)
I hope this gave you a few ideas! You can mix and match all of the items I shared and come up with lots of fun ways to style tabletops for this season and into Spring!
I have some fun Target decor I’m excited to share soon.. have you seen the cute items they recently came out with!? I love a good trip to Target but for the past two years I’ve been buying almost everything on-line. I especially get into trouble with on-line shopping when Kenny is watching football and since it’s the playoffs well.. let’s just say my house is getting a fun Spring re-fresh! Ha. Really there is just something about football and on-line shopping. It’s a good match I would totally recommend. ;) I’ll get things photographed to share soon but here are favorites I’ve either bought or have my eye on before items start selling out! I’ll also link post sources at the end.
We’re moving on to week two of our organizing challenge and kicking off laundry rooms! But first.. how did your bathrooms go last week? I still have a little to finish up this weekend but I’m feeling good about the progress I made! It definitely didn’t take as long to give my bathrooms a re-fresh vs. a complete overhaul like I’ve had to do in the past. Once you get spaces organized really well it’s a lot easier to keep them clean and just spend a little time wiping/vacuuming out drawers and cupboards every 6 months or so.
I’ve shared details on our upstairs laundry room before but here are some pics of how I have it decorated and organized for anyone new!
Last March when we were talking about laundry rooms during this organizing challenge I mentioned that I had never organized my main floor laundry room. (Not pictured here.) It was a mess for years! I finally took the time to deep clean and organize it during laundry week but then I got busy and never shared pics of it on my blog. It has been so nice having it all organized! It was one of those spaces that was on my to-do list for years. I’m going to share pics of that space sometime this week! Coming soon. :)
If you’re new here my pull out laundry hampers are how we store dirty clothes in this room. They are the first thing I sketched out for this house when I was in the planning stage and I can’t recommend them enough if you are building/re-modeling. If you don’t have the space for them I’ve seen so many cool ways to organize laundry with baskets! Type “laundry room hampers” in the Pinterest search bar and so many fun options will pop up.
You can’t see it in this picture, but I have each hamper labeled when you pull the drawer out – lights, darks and towels. My kids have hampers in their bedrooms but then separate their clothes in these hampers every couple of days or when they are about to do laundry.
We have a pull out ironing board in this room too but I rarely use it. Most of you know that I absolutely hate ironing and avoid it at all costs. It’s one of my least favorite chores (after cooking). ;) I try to buy wrinkle free clothes and when something really needs to be ironed.. I use a steamer. Anyone else with me on this one?
As far as tips for organizing laundry supplies.. I really don’t have much in this room! The few things I do use I keep in this cupboard above my washer and then I use the rest of the space in these cupboards to store my Christmas village! #priorities :) We display this village on the long table in our upstairs hallway each holiday season so I moved the village here a few years ago. It’s so much easier to set up and take down each year with it all stored right next to the table we set it up on. The rest of the drawers in this room are completely empty!
I use Tide Pods to wash our clothes and store them in these OXO good grips that are long time favorites. I keep them located right next to the washing machine. They are out of sight when you walk in the room but are close to the washer and easy for my kids to reach. The jars seal so tight and are perfect for laundry pods.
{LAUNDRY ROOM SOURCES}
When it comes to laundry I think it’s so important to have a routine in place! What that routine looks like doesn’t matter and it will be different for every family. The important thing (if you want to stay on top of your laundry and not let it get the best of you!) is just to have a routine. When my kids were little I cleaned my house in the late afternoon/evening and always did a load of laundry when my girls were playing together in their bathtub (their bathroom was next to my washer/dryer in our last house). When we moved into this house and my kids started getting older my evenings became a lot busier so I started doing laundry in the morning. I’ve shared my routine before but for those of you who might have missed it I do a load or two of laundry every morning. I wake up, splash some water on my face and put on my workout clothes and then start a load of laundry. Then I exercise (usually treadmill or walking with a friend but about to switch to my peloton bike). After I exercise I put the clothes in the dryer and then wake Kole up and start getting him ready for school (my girls are up earlier and get themselves ready and off to school). I used to toss in a load around this time in the upstairs laundry room for the kids (and sometimes still do) but my kids do most of their own laundry now. (The best!) I usually end up folding and putting away clothes later in the afternoon in-between my kids’ activities.
Now that my kids do their own laundry I don’t use this laundry room much other than to help with their sheets and towels. Tuesday is my main cleaning day so that’s the day that I always wash sheets and towels. I wash our sheets most weeks and I wash my kids’ sheets every other week (one week I wash Kole’s and the next week I wash the girls’ sheets). With this system I’m usually pretty caught up on laundry by Friday so I don’t have to do any over the weekend. For me it has always been so much easier to do a load or two of laundry a day vs. spending one whole day doing laundry, but I know for some families that might not be the case! I know one family who does their laundry together every Sunday. Try doing laundry a few different times/ways and see what works best. Set a reminder on your phone each day if you have to until it becomes a routine. I would love to hear about your laundry routine in the comments! If you’re really struggling to stay on top of laundry I would recommend doing a load or two a day at the same time every day. It’s so nice when you can stay on top of it all!
A few tips for the week while we get our laundry space organized!
– pull everything out of the room!
– touch each item and place it in a sack or pile
(keep/donate/trash/re-locate)
– wipe out/clean drawers, cupboards, shelves
– categorize the “keep” pile
(laundry supplies, storage, etc.)
– place items back in drawers, cupboards, shelves
– label any clear containers
– toss socks w/o a match
– clean out the washing machine (Google how to do this with your machine! I just cleaned ours out a few months ago.. not a fun job but so nice to have done!)
– vacuum the lint trap
– use bins/baskets to sort dirty clothes (lights/darks/towels)
– establish a routine for laundry & get the family on board!
Barefoot dreams blankets are all on sale! They are pricey so these sales are the best time to pick one up if you’ve been wanting one! Once you try one you’ll wonder where it has been all your life.
I’ve slowly had to buy one for every person in our family so that they don’t steal mine! I got this brown blanket for Kenny for his birthday. Then a navy one for Ad for Christmas (she kept stealing ours!). Then when my parents were here for Christmas my dad hinted he might need one for Father’s Day. (Thank you N sale.. got that covered!) :) They really are a dream to wrap up in! Barefoot Dreams Cardigans are on sale too!
These beautiful petal plates and napkins are also marked down! Perfect for Valentine’s Day and all things Spring/Summer. I rounded up other favorites below like the white towels in my girls’ bathroom and a wood bowl that’s one of my favorites! I have and love the clock too.
I’m slowly starting to decorate and warm up my home for a new year but organizing is taking top priority! Let’s get our laundry spaces whipped into shape and finish up bathrooms this week! Who’s with me!?
I can see and hear you all raising your hands and cheering with so much excitement and enthusiasm!
All the ornaments and all the trees. All put away.
Every last reindeer and fa-la-la banner.
And snowflake. The snowflakes are all put away too. Bummer! I’m always a little sad to take it all down, but once everything is organized and back in our attic the house feels so good! Very empty and bare. But also clutter free and a blank slate to play with. :)
I know I’ve mentioned these before but if you’re looking for a good solution for pillow storage and missed it they are my favorite! I can easily fit 5 pillows in each (I have the XL size). They would also be great for throws, bedding, sweaters, etc. Anything bulky and soft that you need to store!
Like the rest of the world I’m trying to get back on track with eating better and exercising. Let’s just say I enjoyed the holiday food a little too much this year. My jeans are beyond tight! I have no regrets. :) But now it’s time to kick it in gear. I’ve always maintained my weight by losing the few pounds I gain soon after I gain them before 5 pounds turns into 10. (Happens so quickly and easily doesn’t it!?) I got a new scale from Vanity Planet and it’s helping to motivate me!
This is the box that shows what the scale looks like when you’re using it. It’s a body analyzer that not only shares your weight but also your body fat percentage, muscle mass, bone density and water weight. I love that it gives you a more complete picture of your health because there is so much more that matters than just weight! I was able to get a discount to share on IG and asked if I could get one to share here on the blog too! I don’t think it will last long so if you want to use this to monitor your health/progress this year with me don’t wait! Click here and use my link to get 60% off and the discount will be applied at checkout. Score. :) This is helping to motivate me!
I’ve shared these before but prepping healthy snacks makes a huge difference for me too. I have no problem eating healthy food/snacks if it’s easy! If I have to take time to chop and prep things when I’m hungry it won’t happen. I’ll just grab a Coke Zero and whatever is closest in the pantry. Ha. These are perfect for a meal or a snack and I especially love grabbing one in the afternoon when I’m living in my car running kids around. They only last 3-4 days at our house (everyone eats them!) so when I do this I usually make them Sunday and again on Wednesday. Don’t add the pretzels! This was the only pic I had of them but I quickly learned that pretzels get soggy so I keep them in a separate sandwich bag in the pantry to grab. Here are some similar containers that are great for this sort of thing!
This is another healthy go-to for me when I need to drop a few pounds. Cut up cucumbers, celery and carrots.
Add lettuce/spinach to a tortilla, then the vegetables and then sliced almonds.
Do you have something in your closet that you gravitate to and wear ALL. THE. TIME? I do. My Vuori performance joggers. They are my #1 item that I wear more than anything else in my closet! They are perfect for cleaning and organizing and projects and computer work and running errands and running kids and being comfy on the couch. Plus they are crazy soft and a flattering fit!
This outfit is my “momiform” and I’ve been in in so much lately I had to snap a pic. I pretty much live in my Camo Vuori joggers with a black sweatshirt of some sort (I have many and linked some favorites below). My friends have seen me in this outfit more times than they can count. I have a few friends who also love Vuori joggers and one of my friends wears the camo a lot too. We always laugh when we both show up somewhere in them!
Speaking of cute and comfy.. how adorable are these heart pjs for February!? They are so soft! A loose fit and they come in other fun colors/patterns too.
This hoodie and jogger set is also fun for February! So cozy and warm. I love the bright colors on the grey and the hearts on the sleeve! The hoodie is also cute with jeans or leggings.
The joggers have hearts on the back of the leg too. You can’t go wrong with PJ Salvage! Especially in January when it’s hard to get out of comfy clothes. :)
Last but not least I’m sharing a fun new necklace I’ve been loving. So cute! It’s especially fun with tops like this cute v-neck sweater. I don’t get out of my Vuori joggers much this time of year, but when I do I’m in pjs, sweats or something Madewell. :)
I can’t believe we are half way through January already! Valentine’s Day is less than month away. I’m going to be warming up my home and adding a few festive Valentine’s Day touches over the next few days. Simple arrangements like pink flowers in a vase next to some cute heart plates are fun and not too over the top. My faux peonies are on sale right now! So is this cute petal cake stand. Also Target brought these cute heart plates back again this year in red! I couldn’t resist snagging a few. I’ll show you how I’m using them soon!
I linked other favorites for Valentine’s Day below! I had so much fun rounding these items up and ending up buying a few of them.. I wanted everything! I had to share a whole collage on socks because I always pick up a few pairs for me and the girls. I like to put little baskets together for the kids for Valentine’s Day. Do you do that too? My girls’ baskets usually hold candy, fuzzy heart socks, and other little surprises like earrings or some make-up. Kole’s basket will have candy, books, and since he is going through a waffle obsession at the moment I bought him this cute heart waffle maker. :)
I’m feeling the love! Enjoy the rest of your day! And keep organizing those bathrooms! I’m half way through my bathroom list and I’m going to hit it hard again tomorrow. It will feel so good to look back at the end of the week at all we’ve accomplished! So stay with me. We’ve got this!
It’s time! Time to get our houses organized! We’re kicking off this 9 week organizing challenge with bathrooms. I’m so excited! This is going to be some work, but at the end of 9 weeks we are going to look back on our progress and it’s going to feel SO good. If you don’t know what I’m talking about you can read all about this challenge HERE. Or if you haven’t downloaded the challenge printables you can do that HERE. The printables include a few pages of basic tips/ideas to help you get started.
After reading those tips I still recommend printing out these 3 pages with more space or the below page (less space) and making your own to-do list. There is something SO rewarding about checking things off of a list! These pages will give you some direction and help motivate you to keep going!
I did a quick walk through in my home today and wrote down all of the things I want to get done. Not as much this time around because I’ve organized most of these spaces before, but definitely enough to keep me busy. :) When you do a walk through like this it’s really easy to feel overwhelmed. Don’t! You probably won’t get every single item checked off of your list and that’s ok! The goal of this challenge is PROGRESS. Something is always better than nothing. Even if you just check one or two items off of your list each week you’ve made progress and you can always go back to hit other spots when you have more time. Just KEEP GOING.
After you take a minute to make your list set aside some time on your calendar to dedicate to organizing. Do you have a 30 minute break during each day? One free afternoon? Do you need to cut out some down time each evening? How are you going to fit in time for organizing each week? If you don’t plan ahead it won’t happen so put it on your calendar!
I’ve shared these pictures before but here they are again for a little motivation! I’m anxious to do a master bathroom re-fresh with new rugs/decor but that will have to wait. I’m organizing first.. then decorating. :)
A few things to have on hand during bathroom week. Black bags for items to trash or donate, a bowl (or use your sink) for hot, soapy water, wash cloths or paper towels and a hand held vac. I’ve been using this Vaclife handheld vacuum the past couple of years for organizing projects. I also recently bought this portable hand vacuum cleaner to try. I’ve heard so many good things about it and think it looks great for drawers! I’ll let you know if I love it. :)
My messy under the sink “before.”
Remember when you’re organizing bathroom drawers and cupboards to pull EVERYTHING out!
Yes. Things are going to get worse before they get better. Ha. ;)
Touch every item and decide if you’re going to toss it, donate it or keep it. If you’re keeping it, start categorizing like items into piles.
*Try to be ruthless during this stage! Make-up you never wear? Toss/donate. Four brushes? Toss/donate. Nail polish from 8 years ago? Good-bye. Only keep items you LOVE and USE.
Vacuum out your empty drawers and cupboards and wash them with hot, soapy water.
Then the best part.. putting everything back in! Decide where items belong and how you want to organize everything and then if you need organizers you can order some. Always organize your space BEFORE you purchase organizers! It’s too hard to know what you really need until things are clean and in their new home.
I decided on my drawer organizers after I had sorted through everything and could tell I needed compartments for all of my small items. These are my messy notes figuring out what I needed. Yes.. I’m a visual learner. ;)
Here are the happy “afters!” I organized these drawers in April 2020 (right after everything shut down) and I’m happy to say they have been so easy to keep clean!
This bottom “catch all” drawer of extras is the only spot that has been harder for me to keep clean. It doesn’t look like this picture at the moment so I’ll be tackling it on Monday! (I’m sharing my real time progress in IG stories if you follow me there!)
Go through linen closets and towels. Toss/donate old towels and wipe out cupboards. Then fold everything nicely and put it back.
Best feeling isn’t it!?
I got ambitions during my last challenge and organized my husband’s side of the bathroom too. A paint brush? Really Kenny?
Why am I not surprised.
Messy “befores.”
A lot of the mess on his side was packaging he never tossed!
When I tackle bathrooms I also clean out our brushes. After you’ve taken the hair out let them soak in a little shampoo and hot water and they’ll sparkle like new again!
I remember showing Kenny his sparkling clean side of the bathroom and asking him if he could please try to keep it organized. He told me that he keeps things messy around the house for me. To give me some blog content. “You’re welcome” he said.
I keep my faux pink peonies in this space (the pop of color they add always makes me happy!) but when guests come I love switching them out for real flowers. An easy way to make your guests feel welcome. :)
I keep our powder bathroom pretty clean and organized because it’s the most used bathroom in our house, but I’ll definitely wipe out drawers and straighten the cupboard under the sink again this week!
I’ve shared this drawer and tip before but for anyone new.. we keep extra toothbrushes in this bathroom because it’s close to the garage door. That way my kids can brush their teeth here if we’re having a busy morning and need to get out the door quick for school. It saves so much time not having to run back upstairs after breakfast! I get Kole ready here every morning. :)
My girls bathroom definitely needs a re-fresh this week! Here are some pics of their drawers after we organized them last Spring..
More pics of my girls’ organized bathroom and sources are in this post. I’ll definitely be re-freshing (or encouraging a re-fresh!) in this bathroom this week. :)
Ok friends. I know that was a LONG post of bathroom pics. I hope it helps you get started this week! Just focus on bathrooms and do whatever you can! May the force be with us all!
We’ve got this. :)
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*sidenote – Numbers 2, 4, 7, 11 and 12 are in my bathroom pics above. I also have #10 in my vanity drawers. They are great but really shallow! Perfect for shallow drawers.
Happy 2022! It’s a new year. A clean slate! I love that feeling. I also love January. January is a month for organizing. What could be better!? :) Time to get our homes back in order. Our homes have a HUGE impact on how we feel each day! Happiness, self confidence, productivity.. an organized home helps with all of that. Your overall mental health will improve when your home is in order. I’ve learned to not underestimate how important it is!
Last March I kicked off my first organizing challenge and we spent 9 weeks working on getting our homes in order. It was a huge success and so much fun. It really held me accountable and I loved having so many of you join me! We’re going to do the challenge again starting next week! Details are at the end of this post.
Let’s talk New Year essentials! I’m feeling ready. :)
I picked up a few planners. Yes.. multiple. I like options. Really I just couldn’t decide which one to get out of 3 so I got them all. Ha. Solved that problem. ;) I would feel guilt except I know I will use them. I really love my planners and to-do lists. :)
A few more essentials I’ve been rounding up! We have been having a scissor shortage lately (seriously they have disappeared!) so I picked up a couple of cute pairs. Also a matching ruler because who can resist that!? Some new pens (my friend recommended these and I’m obsessed now too!), planner tabs and my 3 planners.
I got the Big Monthly Planner to block out weeks for my blog. It’s nice because it’s so simple. Just blank boxes! I like that for making a rough plan of the year w/o a lot of details.
These Blue Sky planners have a simple weekly layout. Sometimes I’m just in the mood to jot notes for each day and I like simple.
Other weeks I like more details and I have a feeling I will use this planner the most! It has space for each day like the planner above but also a weekly page for to-do’s, goals, and other important things to remember during the week.
I mentioned wanting to organize Kenny’s office. I found a few fun things for his space at Target along with a cute Valentine’s Day banner and some doorstoppers! I’ve been looking for a good set forever for our french doors upstairs (we like to open them in the Spring/Summer to cool the upstairs off). These are so heavy and nice. Random find I was thrilled about!
Better view. The linen tray would be cute on a console or coffee table too! I’m thinking I’ll have Kenny use it for incoming work/important papers. If he doesn’t want it I’ll steal it for my office. I’m tricky like that. :)
A good water bottle is also essential for January right!? Always when they get used the most. ;) I like this one to hold me accountable. I actually used it for most of 2021! I got off track big time during the holidays though and pretty much drank nothing but Coke Zero so I’m going to be good this month and drink my water. :)
Below are some other New Year favorites! Gratitude journals, a cleaning caddy, good workout socks and shoes (love these shoes!), a few favorites for organizing, etc. I love all of these items. We are ready! Clean slate! Let’s make it a good one. :)
My kids are out of school one more week! It has been a weird year with no time off for them before Christmas but we got lots of time after. Ellie has been with friends 24/7 and it’s so fun having them all over. Several of them feel like part of our family at this point! I’ve been chilling with these two a lot.
{J Crew Coat – loving that it’s actually cold enough to wear it!}
We met friends at Sing 2 and it was such a cute show! I’m glad we have the rest of this week together. Which is part of the reason I’m waiting to start my organizing challenge! Kids are still home and I need some time to get Christmas put away. :)
Ok.. here are details for the challenge. It starts this Sunday, January 9th. I so hope you’ll join me!
Our schedule..
Week 1 – BATHROOMS
Week 2 – LAUNDRY ROOM/ENTRY/MUDROOM (shoe drop zone!)
Week 3 – KITCHEN
Week 4 – CLOSETS
Week 5 – BEDROOMS
Week 6 – FAMILY/LIVING ROOM
Week 7 – HOME OFFICE/PAPER
Week 8 – PLAYROOM/TOYS
Week 9 – GARAGE
I’m going to be doing this right along with you! Yes a lot of these spaces in my home are already organized, but some of them aren’t. I have several hot spots I’ve never really organized and I’m excited to knock them all off of my list for good! Also my organized spaces can all use a quick tidy/re-fresh. Even if your home is mostly organized I think you can benefit from this challenge! We all can. It’s a great time of year to really determine if our homes, systems and routines are working well for us. If they aren’t.. it’s time to fix that!
This is what I want you to do this week..
1 – First..click HERE to sign up for my e-mail list and download my Get Organized printables. If you don’t get a follow-up e-mail soon after check your junk/spam! It’s one large PDF but you can choose what you want to print! There are 3 pages that include a general checklist and tips. If you feel overwhelmed and don’t know where to start.. follow this printable! Obviously every home is different and some things might not apply, but it’s a good general idea of what items are important to focus on. I also included 3 pages of the same checklists that are blank. If you’d rather fill out your own checklist items for each space, print out the sheets with blank lines and get to work making your to-do list. This is helpful because our homes are so unique. Some of my home office items might be located in your kitchen, etc. There is also a printable that has every space on one page if you don’t feel like you need as many to-do lines. Most of us will need the 3 pages. ;) Print just a few or print them all! Use whatever is helpful and make these checklists work for you! (I took the March dates off of these printables and left the dates blank so you can start/do this challenge anytime!)
2 – Follow me on IG if you aren’t already. I’ll be sharing pictures, tips and my progress on my main feed and in stories. I’m going to use the hashtag #ssugetorganized and would absolutely LOVE it if you would share your before/after pictures on IG too! Tag me at erin_sunnysideup and I’ll share some of your before/afters in stories to help motivate us all and give us more ideas!
3 – Buy black garbage bags if you don’t have them already. A label maker is helpful too but not necessary! (I’ve heard really good things about this label maker.)
4 – Get a friend to do it with you! I’m serious. Right now call or text a close friend or family member and get them on board. It’s so much more fun and it will hold you accountable each week!
Ok.. that’s it for this week. *Print the printables, make your lists, get your garbage bags ready, follow me on IG and text a friend!
I’ll be writing one post about the assigned space to kick off each week with some ideas and tips that have helped me. Here are a few general tips to keep in mind before we get started..
General tips:
This isn’t a cleaning challenge. Cleaning and organizing go hand in hand so let me explain. The goal of this challenge is to get rid of items we don’t need and to organize the cupboards, drawers, piles, hot spots in our homes that are cluttering up our lives. If you finish cleaning out all of your bathroom cupboards/drawers and have time to then wipe off counters and mirrors and scrub your shower.. go for it! But the main goal is to PURGE like your life depends on it and organize all of the hidden messy spaces. Do that first! Then if you have extra time during the week you can do some deep cleaning too.
I’ll say it again.. be ruthless with purging/donating items! Pump yourself up before you start to get rid of as much as you can. Less is more. Trust me.. you won’t miss things! To truly be organized you have to be comfortable living with less stuff.
If you’re short on time one week and can’t really get around to organizing your space, just commit to purging items you don’t need/use/love. Just doing that alone will make a difference! You can come back to that space to organize it all later. Feel free to move ahead if you complete spaces early, just don’t get burned out! It might be better for you to put your feet up and rest if you complete a space early so that you have energy to tackle a new space the next week. :)
Don’t buy organizers YET. Wait until each space is complete to see what you really need. Then if organizers would be helpful you can order exactly what you need.
Resist the urge to over organize and have everything labeled and color coordinated. Yes.. this is coming from me. The one who loves to over organize and label everything and make it all color coordinated. Ha. ;) That’s my personality (I have a touch of OCD in case you haven’t noticed!) and I’m a more naturally organized person and it’s part of what I do for a living. If that’s you too then great.. go for it! Live it up and label away! If that’s just NOT you.. take the pressure off of yourself immediately! The goal of this challenge is to get rid of clutter and to set up systems that work for you/your family and that will be sustainable. For example: If having all of your cereal dumped into clear cereal bins isn’t something you want to keep doing every time you get groceries.. don’t do it! Designate a spot for your cereal boxes all together in your pantry/cupboard and line them up. Done! Something you can easily maintain. (I’m talking to you mom.) ;)
Don’t waste too much time making decisions. You want to move fast and get as much done as you can in the time you have. I always say when it doubt.. donate! Plus moving fast keeps your momentum up!
Get a good playlist ready! Or download a good book on audible or find some fun podcasts to listen to while you work. Make this fun! It’s time to party! My kind of party. And you’re all invited.
Happy end of 2021! I hope you’re all enjoying a little bit of a break this week! We had a great Christmas and have been relaxing ever since which is just what we all needed after a crazy December. My parents spent a few days with us over Christmas and it was so fun having them here. I snapped a quick cell pic of our guest room and bathroom right before they got here. Added a few cozy holiday touches. :)
This cute plaid bedding is on major sale! All of PB’s Christmas decor is on major sale. PB’s after Christmas sale is a dangerous spot for me. I could buy every single item and do Christmas all year long. In fact I haven’t taken one thing down. My friends all take down Christmas the day after. I’ve left trees up through February before. Ha. :)
Our elf always leaves a poem with surprises for the kids on Christmas Eve. There were personal things about the kids in it so I couldn’t share the actual poem but a fun idea you could pass on to your elf. :)
Cozy socks for everyone!
Right before we went to bed on Christmas Eve Kole got out treats for Santa and then brought out these notes for everyone. We got to flip and read them Christmas morning and he had written 10 things he loves about each of us on the other side.
Hands down a favorite Christmas gift this year. :)
Kole’s favorite Christmas gift was fish! Well.. an aquarium and a trip to the fish store. He has been wanting fish forever and I suggested a nice little bowl with a gold fish in it for his bedroom but Kenny and my dad had other ideas.
Ok. That’s another way to go. Ha. My dad has had an aquarium for years in a little room over his garage. All the grandkids love “feeding the fish” when they visit grandpa. He’s quite the expert when it comes to all of this stuff so he and Kenny decided to take things to the next level. I guess we’re a fish family now.
These 3 have had the best time going back and forth to the fish store getting set up. Kole picked everything out and we have quite the tropical aquarium set up going on in Kenny’s office. The whole family went to the store to pick out fish. Kole owns 4 fish and the rest of us each picked out one. (8 total) My fish is named Gilmore after Gilmore Girls (best series ever made). I call him Gill. :) One of Kole’s fishes (Sunshine) wasn’t playing very nice with the others and was being quite a bully so we had to take him back and swap him for Sunshine 2. Ha. It has been an adventure to say the least but the boys are thrilled and loving their fish. I’ll have to share a better pic of the tank now that it’s all set up. Kenny’s poor office. It started out so nicely decorated and now holds a fish tank and a treadmill. This room used to never get used and now Kenny works from home and it has become the family hang out spot! It needs a good clean out and is one of the first spots on my list to organize this year.
This picture sums up the rest of our week! Cozy on the couch watching football and Christmas movies.
We spent some time outside in-between the lounging. My little lemon trees had a good crop this year!
Aren’t lemons the happiest fruit? I’ve always thought so. :)
The lemon trees in my pots have struggled a little but I think we are getting somewhere with them now.
I had to pick these fast before the branches broke. Plenty of lemons to add to my water in January when I’m getting back on track after two weeks of non stop eating!
Nothing like grandpa hugs. :) Not sure what Kole was laughing at but it must have been pretty funny! I can’t believe I didn’t get a picture with my mom! We had the best time watching Christmas movies and cooking (she cooked.. I supervised), and hanging out. We were sad to see them go!
We have a few things planned with friends over the next few days and then I’m excited to start organizing and getting my house back in order! I hope you’ll join me. :) I’ve grown to love January. It’s such a great month to get organized and back on track with a clean house and some routines to keep it that way.
Merry Christmas Eve everyone! The best day. I have a random picture dump of some holiday decor in my home I never got around to posting but before I do I just wanted to say hi. Hi and thank you. :) Thank you for your endless support this year! Thank you for being here. Thank you for reading and commenting and loving my family and encouraging and supporting me and all that I share. Some of you have been with me for years (many years!). You’ve watched my 3 kids grow up and my style evolve. You’ve seen me organize way too many drawers and you’ve seen me go through way too many throw pillows. ;) It truly means so much to me that you spend precious time here. This blog is my happy place and you are the reason it’s so fun for me to be here. I’m incredibly grateful for this community and feel very fortunate to have so many friends out there reading. I feel a close connection to you all.. even if we’ve never met or really talked in real life. You are my Sunny Side Up family and I love you. :) Thank you for everything!
A few pics of my entry this holiday season! It’s simple and neutral.. and green. :)
I brought my faux eucalyptus trees I used on my Fall porch inside and have loved having one in my entry. It’s breathing some life into this space!
And a handful of favorite trees on my table. Oh! And my fa-la-la banner of course. :) The fake snow was a fun touch that I won’t add on this entry table ever again. Ha. Looks pretty (hands down my favorite faux snow!), but every time my door opens it blows a little on my floor. We have a lot of teens in and out of our house each day. And a lot of Amazon deliveries. That makes for a lot of fake snow on the ground I’m sweeping up.
I don’t see an end to the teens coming over or to the Amazon deliveries in the near future so the snow has to go. ;)
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My living room is on the other side and the view from this entry. Come in come in! Open the door and blow fake snow all over the floor! It’s all good. We’re happy to have you. :)
I decorated a tree in my formal dining room this year. I did this last year too (not sure if I ever got around to sharing it?). It’s this flocked green pine and it’s tricky to photograph against this window but it’s a beautiful tree.
I kept things mostly green in this room too. Just simple ball ornaments on my tree in different shades of green and my jeweled snowflakes. They never show up as well in photographs but are beautiful in person!
This pretty gold runner added some elegance to my table and I placed snowflake napkin holders throughout the garland for a fun touch to match the snowflakes on my tree.
My battery operated candles are one of my favorites this holiday season! I love clicking them on and off with my remote and I love that I don’t have to worry about starting the house on fire every time I want candlelight on our dinging room table.
It’s the little things. :)
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Last space today is my powder bathroom. It always has a similar look each holiday season. I just can’t quit the red in this room!
It’s pretty hard to have a bad day when your bathroom rug and towel say MERRY on them.
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We do love Santa at our house and can’t wait for him to stop by! Enjoy the magic with your family! l’m sending all of my love and wishing each one of you the BEST holiday season. Merry Christmas to all and to all a good night! :)
The only thing better than having friends over for a night of food and laughing is having friends over in pajamas for a night of food and laughing. :) I was so excited to host my holiday pajama party this year! I went with a “self care” theme because more than anything I just wanted my friends to be able to take a night off from shuttling kids and cooking and homework and housework and all the WORK of motherhood and life. A night to have fun with friends and eat good food and share fun gift ideas and catch up and laugh until we cried.
When I’m hosting a party I’m always a little pre-occupied with getting my house and everything ready so I’m terrible at snapping pics and documenting! I took some of these pics and the rest are from friends. The salads and cheese and crackers and charcuterie board were all catered by a local market and then my close friend Katy made her potato soup! One of my favorites. It ended up raining the night of my party and I was thrilled. A perfect night to be inside in cozy pjs eating soup with friends. :)
I pre-ordered the most delicious cookies and cake for dessert from a bakery in our area that is to die for. Honestly they tasted better than they looked which is saying a lot because how cute are these holiday cookies!?
My party assistants. So grateful for these 3! They were at the party early to help set up and were the last 3 to leave after loading/washing the last dish. Honestly so many of my other friends who came offered to do the same but these 3 were on it and had it covered. I’m so very grateful for all of my friends! They are all just the BEST people. We called Addison down to snap our picture before the party started and got this one and then the doorbell rang. None of us liked this picture (the lighting is horrible next to the TV) so we were going to take another one but you know how that goes. So here we are! A little blurred but happy. :)
Come in come in!
TV was on because Michael Buble was also invited to the party. Funny sidenote.. Kole played a holiday music game in his 6th grade class today and he said his team won because he knew so many Christmas songs. He told them “my mom makes me listen to Michael Buble for months!” Ha ha.. Truth! And I’m proud of it. Good job buddy. ;)
I also loved seeing everyones pjs! So cute! I wore my tried and true red stripe sleep joggers I’ve had for years. Target came out with some that are almost identical! I bought them too.. in red (here) and green (here). (I’ll show you the green at the end of this post!)
I had my two tables set up but there were more people at the party than I had chairs for so one group sat in my formal dining room, another group sat at my breakfast nook table and another group sat in my family room on the couch. I thought about setting up a 3rd table (maybe in the hallway) but I honestly like this party to feel casual (I’m really not a formal person at all!). Despite my seasonal tablescapes that are so fun for me to create, I’m a lot more of an ‘eat takeout on the couch while watching Netflix’ person than I am a formal dining room person. Ha. So the couch won as the 3rd seating option. :)
After we ate we all piled in the family room. I talked for a few minutes.. told a recent story about my friend Darci saving my life by buying the last Coke Zeros on the planet for me at Target. Seriously Coke Zero has NOT been in grocery stores around here lately and it is my life line! I sent out a panicky SOS text to some of my friends a few weeks ago after not finding any in 3 different grocery stores and they were all on the hunt. (Can’t go without it in December! Ha.) I talked about how I can never leave San Diego because I have friends here like Darci who hunt down and bring me Coke Zero in my time of need and how I know that every single person at this party would do the same. And yes.. after I laughed about it I teared up talking about how much they all mean to me. They all know I’m emotional so no surprise there. :) I’m so grateful for my friends that it brings me to tears sometimes.
Also.. there’s no Coke Zero in all of San Diego. That brings me to tears sometimes too.
After my rambling we shared gifts! I had each person bring one gift around $25 that represents how they take care of themselves. It could be favorite bubble bath or skin care or something they use when they exercise.. anything related to a hobby they love. Whatever they do to unwind that brings them happiness. There were so many fun items! I haven’t had time to round them all up to share so I’ll try to do that after Christmas. I brought my favorite travel make-up bag with clear bottles for products and talked about how much I love to organize. :) I was really stressed one night a few months ago and stayed up late putting labels on all of my clear travel bottles and it calmed me right down. Organizing is hands down my favorite form of therapy and self care! I said I’d label the bottles for whoever got my gift. Ha. (We all put our names in a bowl and after I shared my gift I drew a name.. that person got my gift and then came up to tell about their gift and so on.) Some of the gifts were funny and we all got laughing so hard! Gift exchanges always bring the party to the party. :)
Half way through passing these out I remembered to stop and take a picture! I always give out my favorite cozy butter socks at this party. I have them in every color! The polka dots too. :) They are SO soft.
I attached this little note to the socks it and if you download my holiday planner each year you’ll recognize this seasonal self care list! I’ll be taking some of my own advice the week after Christmas and checking each item off this list. Can’t wait. :)
It was such a fun night. I’m so grateful for all of the good friends I have in my life. That includes so many of you too! I’ve always wished I could throw a party for my blog/IG friends. Wouldn’t we all have the best time!? I have no doubt that we would. :)
The following week my cute friend Michelle hosted a pj Favorite Things party (Favorite Things party #3 this month.. I’ll have to round up those fun party gifts after Christmas too!).
She sent me this pic of everyone at her party.. propped her phone up on the fireplace to take it! Such a fun group. I knew half of the people there and had so much fun meeting and getting to know the other half!
I also found this group shot from her party the year or two before. I never included it in a blog post so I’m documenting it here. Good times with good friends. One of the best parts of December!
Almost as good as Michael Buble’s Christmas album. ;)
While we’re talking pjs I have to share this cute pair I’ve been loving! They will be my wardrobe through all of January and February no doubt. They are crazy soft and so comfortable!
These are the Target pjs that are almost identical to my favorite Abercrombie pj pants. So soft and such a cute fit! They come in red too and after I tried them on I couldn’t resist getting both colors (I have more pjs than actual clothes at this point and I’m not at all upset about it.) Fun for the holidays but I will wear these all year!
This is another cozy/cute pair I’ve loved this month and the present pattern sold out so quickly! But they have this same set in other prints and the others are better for after the holidays. Not that you can’t wear present pjs in January, but it just doesn’t quite feel the same. Ha.
All three of the pjs above have been worn and tested and come highly recommended by yours truly. The pajama maven.
I can think of worse things to be called. ;)
I can’t believe we are so close to Christmas! I’m hoping to pop in one more time quick before Saturday but we’ll have to see how the wrapping is going. (Are any of you done!?) I’m not off to a great start and still have so much to do. This has been a strange Christmas week because my girls are in school and have finals through Thursday! Usually by now my kids are out of school and we are watching movies and going on drives to see lights and enjoying Christmas plays like The Grinch and Christmas Carol.. all the holiday things! We aren’t going to have much time for that before Christmas (they’ve been so busy with school activities and studying this week) so we’ll be soaking up all the fun holiday things after the big day. I can’t wait for some down time with my crew. I’m wishing the same for all of you this year! Take care of YOU! Pick a few things (or all things!) off of my seasonal self care list and relax and enjoy some down time. My wish for all of you this season!
Happy Saturday! I’m sharing a few pics of my Christmas kitchen today! But first.. a change. My Christmas present arrived early! Some of you might remember me mentioning a while ago that I wanted to replace my kitchen pendants. I started feeling like the silver pendants looked a little lost in my mostly white kitchen. I wanted something bolder that would add some contrast. Plus one light was loose at the top and slightly broken. Plus after 8 years I was just ready for a change. :)
Finding new pendants for this kitchen wasn’t easy because my coffered ceiling (while I love it so) really limits me with pendant size.. which in turn limits me with style. It was a long search to find lights that were the right size and the right style. Lights that would work in my kitchen and most importantly, lights that I love.
I finally found the ones! But while I can measure everything 10 times and visualize how they will look, until they are hanging and l can really see them in my space it’s a little bit of a shot in the dark. (Anyone else feel this way with big home purchases!?)
The day my electricians showed up I was a little nervous. I really love the lights so I wanted to love them in my kitchen. I know my electricians well.. they installed all of the lights in our house when we built. They know me well too which is why they said upon arrival “We love you Erin! But after you show us exactly how you want these lights you have to leave the room and not come back until we’re done and it’s too late to change anything.”
Ha.
I tend to stress and over analyze (just a tad!) when it comes to light fixtures. They were hands down one of the hardest parts of building for me. I was so confident and quick with other decisions but lights always threw me for a loop. (Wait.. is that too high? Now it’s too low. Is that for sure where I want it? Turn it a half of a half inch to the left. Does this color work in this room? Oh my word.. I love the contrast. Wait. Do I still even like these lights!? Move them a half inch up and let me think for a minute.. ok. I love them! But they need to be a tiny bit lower..)
Yeah.. my sweet electricians have been through a lot with me. Thankfully they are very patient. :) Also you can see why Kenny doesn’t get involved with this stuff anymore. Soon after we got married I had him hang some art work for me and by the end of that experience we both knew it couldn’t happen again or our happy marriage would take a dark turn.
Ha. I kid! Kind of. ;)
Two lights to go! I knew I loved these pendants but I also knew they were larger and bold and would change the look/feel of my kitchen. Which is what I wanted. But scary too! Good scary. :)
Ahhhh! I DO love them. I hope you love the change too! But I also know they aren’t everyones cup of tea and I’m ok with that. They are very much my cup of tea. :) I love the style and I love the black! I feel like they ground my kitchen a little more if that makes sense. They also pull out my dark counters and are a nice contrast to the white which I felt like I really needed in this space.
They are the Hanover Pendants from House of Jade. I went with the large size (another decision I questioned!). The small size was closer to the size of my previous pendants, but I always felt like my kitchen could handle bigger lights because it’s a large space. I don’t have much space in-between each light (in fact according to “design rules” my lights are way too close together!) but like I mentioned, my coffered ceiling limits me. I’m fine with it because I think it works visually with the way my kitchen is laid out and the size of my islands. Really at the end of the day all that matters in your home is that you like it. That’s it! Rules are helpful but not always necessary. You just have to love how something looks. If you do.. it’s right.
My two cents anyway. :)
Enough talk about the lights! Here are some Christmas decor details. (All sources are linked at the end of the post!)
More details on my window display (and night pics!) in this post. I have to say that I’ve been really happy with these basic neutral washable rugs! I bought them for Fall and wasn’t sure if I’d love them but I do! It has been nice to have a neutral rug with all of the holiday decor happening. Plus they wash SO well. I tossed them in the washer last week (laid them out to dry) and they look brand new!
I used my faux cedar garland (sold out) and this eucalyptus garland over my stove. Always a favorite combo!
I was half way through my little photoshoot when Kenny waltz in to wash his hands. He was taking forever just to give me a hard time (knew I was in a hurry and didn’t have long to get these pics!) so I snapped this picture of him. If you aren’t going to get out of the way of my photoshoot, you’re going to be featured in the photoshoot. My kids know this by now which is why they are nowhere to be seen. Ha. :)
Serving boards make me happy. I love serving food on them and I love layering them in my kitchen for decor.. especially when one of them is a Christmas tree!
These favorite white jars are always fun to display in the kitchen. I love putting greenery or faux flowers in one and leaving the other one with the lid on. Add a little brush tree and set them on a board and done! So festive. :)
Nice and clean! It sure doesn’t last long does it!? I feel like my kitchen is a mess and then cleaned up 8-12 times a day!
I’ve had my dining room table set since my pj party!
That’s it for my Christmas kitchen! It has been a fun spot to enjoy and host friends the past month.
Can you believe it’s already the 18th!? I wish we had another month before Christmas! It always goes by way too quickly for me. Don’t be surprised if my kitchen still looks like this in January. I am in no rush to take down the greenery. Or my tree board. Or the pendants!
Pendants are staying put for sure. My electricians need a nice long break before they see me again. ;)
Favorite Things Party Two! I wanted to share details on this party last week but got too busy planning mine. I’m a little behind with posting so I’m combining two posts into one! Party details and then a round-up of lots of fun gift ideas if you are still shopping like I am! It doesn’t matter how prepared I try to be or how early I start, I’m always still ordering a few last minute gifts/stocking stuffers the week before Christmas! I guess that’s part of the fun right? :) I did get my Christmas cards out early this year so I’m celebrating that win. It felt so good to drop them in the mail the first week of December!
My friend Ann has been throwing this Favorite Things party since 2010! Some of you have been with me long enough to remember lots of past posts on it. :) This pic of the two of us was actually from this party a few years ago. We didn’t document things as well this year as we usually do! Most of you know the drill with a Favorite Things party but if not I explained it in this recent post. For Ann’s party we each brought two of the same favorite item that cost around $25 each. (Although a lot of us tend to go over the limit!)
I did snap this picture of her beautiful outdoor space as people were starting to arrive.
I also snapped a picture of the favorites! I have to say that in all the years we’ve had this party this is the first year that I loved every single gift that was brought.
I usually have my eye on a few things that I can’t wait to order, but this year I seriously wanted one of everything! The gifts were SO good.
Wondering what favorite thing I brought to this year’s party? My gift wrap organizer. :) LOVE this thing. I ordered it after Christmas last year in a desperate attempt to keep my Christmas wrapping paper from taking over my house! I wanted it separate from my regular wrapping paper and I wanted to store it in my attic with my holiday decor so that it was tucked away all year but easy to access in December.
Mission accomplished! This organizer has a place to store your wrapping paper rolls (long or short), clear pockets for sacks and tissue AND a cute little side box for smaller items like tape and ribbon. Perfection right!?
I keep extra Christmas ribbon and bows in clear ziploc bags and then set these on top of the wrapping paper. Everything zips up nice and tidy!
Along with the wrapping paper organizers I also gave out little gift sacks full of wrapping supplies. My favorite among the favorites. :)
Getting totally off point here (sorry.. once I get started talking about organization it’s hard to stop!) but if you’re looking for other great holiday decor organizers these are favorites!
Ok. Back to the party! I included all of the favorite things our friends brought in the two collages below. So many good gift ideas! I promptly came home and ordered most of these items for my girls, family, friends and a few things for myself. :)
I’ve seen lots of towel wraps before but this one takes the cake! Can’t wait to try the sunscreen and gel pens. I came home with the eyeshadow palette and love it! The table topics game is such a fun gift idea.. topics to start fun conversations. I can’t wait to use them with family over the holidays. I ordered the pens my friend Kristen swears by (already own and love the letter pouches). Ann swears by the small pillow although I know I wouldn’t be disciplined enough to sleep with it (keeps your chest from getting wrinkles!). I also came home with the Coco & Eve tanning spray and mit and can’t wait to try it!
More favorites included a necklace extender, the best olive oil & balsamic vinegar (love Baker & Olive!), Olaplex (my favorite thing at the last party.. it’s everyone’s favorite!), the best socks and dry volume blast (my friend Katy swears by this for hair volume!), a cozy plush wrap, the cutest clear purse for stadiums/concerts, string lights, a beloved mask and some supplements that help prevent colds, etc. So many fun things if you are looking for last minute gift ideas!
Below are a few other fun collages I put together! These are all items I have and love or things I bought this year for gifts. I hope it helps with any last minute shopping you need to do! I’ve included gifts for HER, gifts for HIM and just a few fun items that are on sale right now.
More favorites! I ordered the keychain as a little stocking stuff to me from me this year. :) I love wrist keychains! Also that cute bestie book comes in other versions. So fun to personalize for kids or anyone in your family!
A few fun things on sale! My comforter (you can see it in my master bedroom here) and a favorite serving bowl I use often. You can’t go wrong with frames and beanbags for gifts! Items everyone can use.
These last two collages include more favorites on sale that would all make great gifts!
HAPPY SHOPPING! And hopefully soon.. HAPPY WRAPPING!
I need to get moving on that. :)
xoxo, Erin
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A few things to have on hand during bathroom week. Black bags for items to trash or donate, a bowl (or use your sink) for hot, soapy water, wash cloths or paper towels and a hand held vac. I’ve been using 
