Erin, Author at The Sunny Side Up Blog

Organization

02.27.21

Get Organized Challenge!

Happy weekend everyone! I’m so excited about today’s post! Ahhhh! We are going to get organized! All of us! Together! The whole house! Totally organized! Or at least pretty close. ;) You all know how much I love organization. It’s just the best. There are so many benefits to having an organized home! Just to name a few..

We save SO much time when our homes are organized. Think of how much time you spend looking for things when your house is messy. We’ve all been there! Maintaining messy spaces, hunting for items we need. Wasting time we could be spending working on our goals, enjoying hobbies, family and friends.
We save money by not buying duplicates of things or items we don’t use/love.
When our homes are cluttered so are our minds. 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. Don’t underestimate how important it is!

If having an organized home is so amazing why don’t we all have one? Well. Because it’s not easy. But I will tell you this. It’s doable! And it’s absolutely worth the effort. My house is not perfectly clean all the time. It’s really not. Anyone who has kids and a busy family is going to have messes. Even if you have no kids and a low key schedule your house will be messy at times! That’s life. But when you only keep things you use and love and you have systems set up in each room to keep items organized, messes just aren’t a big deal and can be cleaned up quickly.

So are you convinced? Are you sold on the importance of having an organized home? Are you ready to organize with me!? I so hope you are all nodding your heads! :) To kick off March and Spring I thought it would be fun to host an organization challenge! There are 9 weeks in March and April combined. We are going to focus on organizing certain rooms in our home each week. If we really commit to this and work hard on one space each week think of how amazing our homes will feel 2 months from now!

Here is our schedule..

Week 1 – BATHROOMS (March 1-6)

Week 2 – LAUNDRY ROOM/ENTRY/MUDROOM (shoe drop zone!) (March 7-13)

Week 3 – KITCHEN (March 14-20)

Week 4 – CLOSETS (March 21-27)

Week 5 – BEDROOMS (March 28-April 3)

Week 6 – FAMILY/LIVING ROOM (April 4-10)

Week 7 – HOME OFFICE/PAPER (April 11-17)

Week 8 – PLAYROOM/TOYS (April 18-24)

Week 9 – GARAGE (April 25-May 1)

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 still 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!

The challenge starts this Monday, March 1st! This is what I want you to do this weekend..

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! 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 these out 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.

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 use the hashtag #ssugetorganized and I’ll share some of your before/afters in stories to help motivate us all and give us more ideas! I’m thinking I’ll mail a few fun things to people participating too. :)

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 weekend! *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 some.

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. #ssugetorganized

LET’S DO THIS!

xoxo, Erin

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Home Decor

02.22.21

Favorite Faux Flowers

*affiliate links used

It’s a new week! And I’m feeling optimistic. Covid numbers are down and there is a strong possibility my girls will be going back to school one day a week in March and two days a week in April. That is reason to celebrate around here! I’m praying the winter storms will slow down for so many of you who are affected (Texas our prayers are still with you) and we can all get back to more of a normal pace. Spring can’t come soon enough this year!

Speaking of Spring.. let’s talk faux flowers! I started pulling mine out the other day and it was such an immediate pick me up.

{similar clear vase/similar bowl}

Of course.. real flowers are beautiful and we love those too!

But real flowers are like real life. Often messy. :) And since I crave simplifying things as much as possible around here.. most of my flowers are fake.

{similar lilacs here & here/Artisan vase/similar bowl}

Not all faux flowers are created equal and unfortunately the faux flowers that look the most realistic always cost more than I wish they did. But they truly are a gift that keeps on giving when you pull them out year after year. A smart investment in my opinion! Along with cute shoes and comfy joggers. You know.. a true need vs. a want. Kenny still doesn’t think I’ve learned the difference between the two but I know my blog besties will back me up on this one. ;)

If you swing by my house in the Spring or Summer you will always be greeted by faux flowers. Sometimes paired with real flowers.

Sometimes paired with more faux flowers.

And sometimes paired with a bowl of fruit. :)

Faux flowers are one of those “little things” that bring me joy every day. I hope that you have little things in your life that do the same for you right now too.

I’ve rounded up my favorite faux flowers that are popping up on-line below! Spring.. we are SO ready for you!

1 – spring cherry blossoms 2 – lavender purple lilac flowers

3 – pink peonies flower bouquet 4 – faux dogwood branch

5 – faux peony bouquet 6 – lilac flowers 7 – pink faux cherry blossom

xoxo, Erin

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Fashion

02.17.21

Purse Organization

*affiliate links used

When I was a little girl one of my favorite things to do was to organize my mom’s purse! So funny I know.. but I loved it. I would get permission first of course, and then dump everything in her purse out onto the floor. Then I would happily make little piles of the loose change, make-up, trash, receipts, etc. I loved lining up her credit cards in her wallet and putting everything back nice and tidy. Every time she bought a new purse she would give it to me to switch everything over from her old purse. To this day my mom still calls me when she gets a new purse. “I wish you were here! I bought a new purse today and need you to organize it!” :)

Not much has changed and I still get excited to organize my purse or switch to a new bag! I snapped this pic over Christmas break. Kenny bought me this cute Tory Burch purse for Christmas (after some slight hinting) and I organized it one night watching Twilight on my bed with Addison. A warm fire, Christmas lights, Edward Cullen and a little purse organization? My idea of a good time. ;)

{Tory Burch purse/Tory Burch wallet/make-up bag/Chanel sunglasses}

I thought it would be fun to show you what I keep in my purse that helps me stay organized! I don’t like a lot of loose items floating around so I always just have my sunglasses, phone, keys, wallet (I’ve had this wallet for over 4 years and love it – room for everything!) and a smaller make-up purse. I really try to only keep essentials inside, but purses can become landing zones for all sorts of things so I clean mine out often. Usually when I’m waiting to pick my kids up from school, an activity or a friend’s house. A 5 minute break in my car is always just enough time to go through and toss any junk/clean things up!

Alright. Purse details! I keep this cute little hand sanitizer keychain on the side of my purse for easy access.

My best tip to help keep your purse organized is to have some sort of smaller purse/make-up bag inside of your purse that holds all of the little things! It’s easy to grab when you need something (vs. searching through a large purse) AND it makes it easy to switch bags/purses quickly if you want to mix things up with a different outfit or for a different activity like date night, etc.

I like this little make-up bag because it has two sections. One side opens like this and I keep lipstick and other make-up on the left. I use the pocket on the right for gift cards and receipts I want to hang on to. (I always trash receipts immediately unless I bought something I might want to return!)

Then it has a zipper compartment on the other side.

I dumped it out for you. Ha. My essentials! I always have floss, a hair elastic, nail clippers, one of my favorite pilot pens, and Cherry Natural Ice on hand. Always! Also one more lip gloss (Bobbi Brown lip gloss is my favorite) and this little pill case I use to hold Tylenol/Ibuprofen if anyone in my crew has a headache. And always Benadryl. Because when you have a child with allergies you always have it on hand too. :)

Ok.. let’s talk organizing ALL the purses/bags! I keep our beach bags and larger bags on hooks in this small luggage closet in our mudroom.

Hooks on the wall are such a great solution for purses/bags!

And backpacks. :)

My girls have loved having hooks in their closets for purses and I would do this in my closet too except that I don’t have the empty wall space for it.

For a while I used this type of purse organizer to hold my purses hanging in my closet.

It holds a lot and is a great solution. The only downside is that it takes up precious hanging space. I wanted to be able to fit more dresses on this rack so..

I currently have my purses in a closet drawer. The only downside of this is that it takes up precious drawer space! Ha. I basically want to keep and store all of my purses in my closet without having them take up any space. Is that so much to ask? ;) I’m not sure if I’ll keep my purses in this drawer or do something else with them. My closet is still a work in progress! I’ve been looking at lots of ideas for how to organize purses and included a few great solutions below. I also included a round-up of my current favorite purses and wallets. Spoiler alert – I’m partial to Tory Burch. :)

Well this was fun wasn’t it!? Anyone else love talking purse organization as much as I do!? LOVE this topic!

Mom.. guess what you’re getting for your birthday this year!?

Don’t worry. I’ll organize it for you.

;)

1 – hand sanitizer holder keychain 2 – purse organizer insert 3 – portable pill box organizer

4 – hanging purse organizer 5 – metal purse hangers 6 – 4-section purse organizer

7 – over door hanging purse storage 8 – makeup bag organizer 9 – metal divided purse organizer

1 – Shay shoulder bag 2 – McGraw leather camera bag 3 – McGraw leather hobo

4 – Kira chevron leather crossbody 5 – Saffiano leather tote 6 – Madewell leather crossbody

1 – Leather passport wallet 2 – Leather continental wallet 3 – Leather zip card case

4 – Zip around continental wallet 5 – McGraw leather wallet 6 – Spencer wristlet card case

xoxo, Erin

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Fashion

02.14.21

Weekend Inspiration & Sales

*affiliate links used

{faux pink peonies/gold vase/similar pink heart plate/scalloped cake stand options here/here/here}

Happy Valentine’s Day! I hope you’re having a good weekend so far! We’re excited for a slow weekend at home after a busy week. A few of my kids’ after school activities are picking up again and it feels so good! But all of that running around wore us right out. We aren’t conditioned for it like we used to be! Ha.

We made these cute mini tacos for the Super Bowl (found the idea on IG) and I shared them in stories, but wanted to share them here too for anyone who missed it. You just buy the mini tortilla shells and place them in a muffin tin. Then add your cooked hamburger mix (or chicken or whatever meat you want to use!). Add cheese and then bake at 375 just until the cheese melts. Then add any toppings you want! Such a quick and easy dinner and my kids loved them!

{cowl neck sweater/ag jeans/ugg slippers}

I ordered this cowl neck sweater that was on sale thinking it looked so cute (I shared it in a post not long ago). When I came I put it on and could tell immediately that I loved it! Then I realized it looked a little familiar.

{cowl neck sweater}

Turns out I’m now the proud owner of THREE of this same sweater. Ha! I had to laugh at myself. Please tell me I’m not alone in being so predictable and not even realizing that I ordered a sweater I already had in two other colors! Clearly I love this sweater and I’m keeping the green! It’s so comfortable and warm and slouchy but still looks put together with a little front tuck. It’s on sale for just $28! Such a steal. Maybe I need the pink or maroon too? ;) (*It runs big so order one size down!)

{Tour My Organized Office}

I want to give my office a little re-fresh this year with some new paint! I’ve loved the blue, but I’m getting tired of it. I change my mind daily about the direction I want to go with the new paint and this room so who knows when you’ll see an “after!?”

But I have a few colors to put up on the wall to test and we’ll go from there. I’ll keep you posted! Anyone else doing some painting this month? It’s the best way to update a space without spending much and I’m always surprised at the different a little paint can make!

Serena & Lily has always been a favorite store of mine and recently they reached out to see if I wanted to tour their new San Diego store before it opened. Um.. YES and YES! They let me bring a friend and it was so fun checking it out! I’ve been shopping at S & L for years but always on-line. I’ve never even seen one of their stores in person and this 6,000 sq. foot store didn’t disappoint! So beautiful. I thought I’d share some pics I snapped quick with my phone because they are so full of decorating inspiration! I’ve always loved their Ventura Chandelier. It’s HUGE in person!

I have the smaller version (the Malibu Chandelier) in our guest bedroom. :) This bed is from S&L too and is on sale!

A few other pretty spaces..

Serena & Lily rugs are gorgeous and this Ryder Denim Rug is on my wishlist after seeing it in person!

All of their flower/branch arrangements were real and made me want to chop off some branches and bring them inside immediately! Absolutely stunning.

Their benches! Be still my heart. A lot of S&L benches are currently on sale!

{playroom update/sources}

And you already know how I feel about their hanging rattan chair. My kids’ favorite spot in the house!

Beautiful outdoor space! I love how they combined several of their pendants with the same look together for lighting.

These Poetto vases have also been on my wishlist since I saw them on-line a few years ago! Aren’t they stunning with all of that greenery!?

And this might be the cutest rattan magazine holder I’ve ever seen. :)

{sweater/ag jeans/similar ugg boots/tory burch purse}

Such a fun store to tour! It’s going to be dangerous having a real live S&L in my neck of the woods. And yes.. that’s my triple threat sweater I’m wearing again. ;)

Lots of great sales over the long weekend and I’ve rounded up some fun items that are marked down at a few favorite stores below! ENJOY the rest of your time off. My kids are out of school Monday and I’m excited to hang out with them and do a little organizing too. My favorite kind of weekend. :)

J.Crew has 30% off of everything with the code SPRING

1 – dreamy cotton pj set 2 – cropped vintage hoodie 3 – weekend tee

4 – relaxed vintage jogger 5 – herringbone bracelet set

6 – knot headband 7 –ruffleneck top 8 – dreamy joggers

Nordstrom always has great new markdowns

1 – serving board 2 – beach print 3 – ankle strap sandal

4 – cable knit pillow 5 – turtleneck sweater 6 – strappy sandal

7 – comfort zone 8 – star necklace 9 – zella leggings 10 – rib knit dress

Madewell has 20% off of everything for insiders

1 – hoodie sweatshirt 2 – ruffle-cuff henley

3 – transport tote 4 – toggle necklace 5 – puff-sleeve dress

McGee & Co has 15% off with code SPRING15

1 – seagrass basket 2 – odesa rug 3 – juliette lantern

4 – faux fern 5 – anwen wall mirror 6 – leather pull bread board

Anthro has an extra 50% off sale items

1 – jardin patio umbrella 2 – cable-knit sweater set 3 – diamond monogram necklace

4 – kolakh necklace 5 – isabel lariat necklace 6 – cable-knit sweater dress

xoxo, Erin

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Home Decor

02.07.21

Weekend Catch Up

*affiliate links used

Happy Sunday! Quick post today with a little weekend catch up! A few random pics of a few random things going on around here. :) I keep meaning to share this earring ladder jewelry stand I got for Christmas because I’m in love with it for earrings!

I hinted to Kenny that I wanted it and he accidentally bought me this medium earring ladder. Beautiful, but it doesn’t have the little holes for earring that don’t have hooks on the back. I ordered the ladder I wanted and took the other one back but thought I’d share both options.

I still use my little bowls to organize hoops, studs and smaller earrings, but I love having the ladder stand for my long earrings.

You can see more details on my jewelry organization HERE.

{Stetson Table Lamp}

I ordered two of these grey table lamps in October and they finally arrived! They were backordered so long I almost forgot about them completely. Such a happy surprise when they showed up on my front door! Lousy cell pic right after I opened them and hadn’t even taken the plastic off of the drum! I’m still trying to figure out where to put them because they look good in several places. Thought I’d share in case anyone is looking for some good lamps! They were a bit of a splurge but are gorgeous in person. Backordered again though! I’m obviously not the only person who is smitten with them. :)

A recent hike to the beach.

Love these three. :)

{Time Marker Water Bottle}

Getting exercise hasn’t been a problem around here because with everything still semi shut down and my girls doing school from home we make an effort to get outside and move every day. Drinking my water is another story! It’s so hard for me! I bought this water bottle at the beginning of the year and it has been helping. I don’t necessarily stick with the time slots on it, but just seeing them is a constant reminder to keep drinking water. I also like this water bottle because it fits in my car – easy to grab and go! I’ve found I do best with my water goal when I get up and exercise first thing in the morning. I drink one full bottle then and it starts my day off on track and is easier to get my ounces in. When I don’t exercise first thing I don’t drink much in the morning and then by late afternoon I’m really craving a Coke Zero and usually cave and bag the water! I want so badly to make the water drinking a habit that just happens without thinking about it but so far.. I’m still thinking about it. :)

{Chunky Wool Jute Rug}

Speaking of Coke Zero.. ha. This is why I never have a lot of coffee table decor! One small tray and a few items in the corner and then I always leave the rest of the table empty because this is what it looks like every night. Coke Zero and pretzels are staples. Always some sort of math/homework on a clip board. Ad got The Hunger Games trilogy for Christmas and read them so fast. Then we had fun watching the movies together. Kole has been into Narnia. I’m reading Shea’s book and always have my planner and a stack of papers I’m carrying around with me. I came across this pic on my phone from January and it made me smile because it’s so us right now. :)

I also found this pic on my phone that perfectly sums up Kole right now. He goes to school in person, but the week after a vacation they always have the kids do on-line school. His beloved checkered robe, retainer case, space water bottle, organized school supplies because he likes to keep things neat like his mom. Funny how one picture can tell so much about a person. Age 10 for my sweet boy. :)

He finished reading Hatchet in school and had to build a hut. We used pretzels (of course) and he said it was a hit because it was the only hut made out of food. Ha.

{Jeans/Crossbody Bag/Black Masks}

One thing I will always remember about this time (and be grateful for) is spending so much time with my girls. We eat lunch together every day and then we take a break every afternoon when they get out of school and go on a little drive. Usually just to get some groceries or we make a Starbucks run or we just run to pick up Kole from school. A lot of times Ellie drives us (still so crazy to me that she is driving!). Ad lives for her pink drinks and does chores and babysits to earn money for them. Remember the cute little crossbody bags I got them for Christmas? Huge hit. :)

The Super Bowl is here! Always an exciting day for my husband. We’re just having a family day so I’m going to make some treats to make it more fun for me and the kids since none of us care too much about the actual game. These pics are so old! From a blog post YEARS ago (anyone remember?) :) but I’m sharing them because they are simple game day snacks that everyone loves! The football cheese and cracker platter is always my favorite.

And of course you can’t go wrong with chip dip on game day. This 6 layer refried bean dip never lasts long at our house!

{6 LAYER REFRIED BEAN DIP}

1st layer: Refried Beans

2nd layer: Mix together 1 T lemon juice, 1 to 3 avocados, 1/2 t salt, 1/4 t pepper, 1 cup sour cream,

1-2 T taco seasoning mix

3rd layer: 1 cup chopped onions

4th layer: 1 cup chopped tomatoes

5th layer: 1 cup chopped olives – I added more than that – I like olives. :)

6th layer: 1 to 2 cups shredded cheese

I recently shared my skin care routine and some favorite products and just realized they are all 15% off this weekend! This discovery collection is on sale for such a good price and is a great way to try out a lot of the best selling products to see how well they work for you. Would be a fun Valentine’s Day gift for a friend/family too!

Also the extreme recovery cream is on major markdown and is the best moisturizer I’ve ever used! So lightweight, smells amazing and is incredible for dry skin.

Ok guys.. last but not least.. we’ve made some progress in Addison’s bedroom! Here is her main bedroom wall before.. and (drumroll please) here is the wall today..

Ta-da! We’re so excited about how it turned out! We need to paint still of course, but we are both IN LOVE with this simple molding! We really debated what look to go with (thought about everything from wallpaper to herringbone shiplap) and at the end of the day Ad just kept wanting something more simple. She loves our guest room wall with the grid so I sketched out this which has a similar feel and she loved it. It pretty much looks like the molding all throughout our house so at least we’re consistent! Ha. I can already see it with a new headboard and paint and something fun on the wall above her bed. Can’t wait!

Now we’ve checked off her desk area, organized her closet and finished the wall molding. Time to paint and decorate! I’m excited to start looking on-line for a cute rug.

And now you’re not only caught up on what’s been going on around here, but you also know what I’ll be doing while I’m munching on cheese and crackers and “watching” the Super Bowl.

;)

{POST SOURCES}

xoxo, Erin

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Home Decor

02.02.21

Valentine’s Day Decor Ideas

*affiliate links used

Happy February! I’m sharing a few Valentine’s decor ideas and other recent loves today! Last year I went all out with Valentine’s decor but honestly I’ve had a harder time getting into it this year.

I decorated the powder bathroom..

{faux pink peonies/gold vase/scalloped cake stand options here/here/here}

and added some fun touches to my kitchen, but other than that I’m just kind of ready to move on to Spring! Although last year I wasn’t really feeling Valentine’s Day decor either until about Feb. 5th. Then on a whim I decided it was the best holiday ever and added hearts to EVERY ROOM in our house. Ha. I’m tricky like that.

Here’s a few ideas from last year if you are feeling the love and want to add hearts to EVERY ROOM in your house too!

{be mine banner/kitchen rugs}

{Details on how we made the heart tissue banner HERE}

I mentioned a little styling tip last year when I shared this festive shelf!

If you aren’t quite ready to put away your Christmas trees, toss some heart banners on them, add a cute mat and call it a Valentine’s Day porch! This took me a whole 15 minutes last year and we loved it so much I’m doing it again. :) You can find lots of great options for heart banners HERE. I combined two to make the banner across my door.

Our cute winter coats and boots are in stock! Ad and I love them! If we’re lucky we’ll get to wear them more than twice this year, but we aren’t holding our breath.

I added this simple banner to our mudroom lockers. They would be so cute hanging down any door or even in a window!

You can also just add single hearts to a door and write love notes to each other on them. Always a favorite activity at our house. I’ve saved all of these love note hearts through the years in my kids’ keepsake boxes. :)

Here’s a couple of simple Valentine’s Day tablescapes!

{favorite wool jute rug/navy sideboard table/wood dining chairs/similar end chair/brass taper candle holders/Sunken Treasure Framed Canvas/similar black pendants}

This is one of our favorite February treats. Really we love this all year and just switch out the m&m colors depending on the holiday.

Because I’m tricky like that.

I haven’t taken pics of my family room this year but I thought I’d share how it was looking last February. Lots of pinks and blues!

You can see more pics and all family room sources in this post.

And this has nothing to do with Valentine’s Day but since I’m beyond in love with these sweats I had to mention them again! I shared the pants not long ago in this post but got the matching sweatshirt in the mail and seriously.. this outfit is heaven on earth! The softest material! Such a flattering fit! I immediately bought the same set in black after the sweatshirt came. They are almost sold out at Nordstrom but I also found them HERE and HERE. Seriously don’t hesitate if you are looking for comfy sweats! You can thank me when you put them on. :)

–

Below are a few other favorites that are on sale!

1 – cowl neck sweater 2 – genuine shearling boot 3 – knit structured tunic

4 – hadley pendant necklace 5 – wide leg jumpsuit

I ordered the cowl neck sweater (in green of course!) and the black jumpsuit is so cute!

I have it in navy and love it.

1 – wood snowflake wall art 2 – cambria handcrafted dinnerware 3 – large serving bowl

4 – cable knit throws 5 – faye wall hanging

A few fun things for your home on sale too. Number one didn’t show up very well so click over to see it. I’m tempted to get it for the holidays next year! I have the dishes and bowl (#2 & #3) and use them daily. Also such a great deal on PB cable knit throws!

Also ignore the title “Weekend Sales.” I was planning on this post going up Sunday and hello.. it didn’t make an appearance until Wednesday.

I’m tricky like that too.

;)

xoxo, Erin

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Home Decor

01.29.21

Teen Bedroom Re-fresh take one!

*this post is sponsored by Walmart and affiliate links are used. All product selections and opinions are my own!

{similar bedding}

I have so many home projects on my list for this year and priority #1 at the top of my list is Addison’s bedroom! We had it decorated so cute for Christmas and I ran out of time and didn’t get to share it. Blog story of my life. ;) We finished building and moved into our home over 7 years ago which is so hard to believe! Addison was 7 years old when we moved in and she wanted a pink bed with blue walls. :) Her blue and pink bedroom has served us well, but she is now 14 years old and ready for a change! Time for a more grown up look for my sweet teen. Her favorite color is still blue, but she wants blue accents instead of blue walls and she is very much over the color pink. So.. time for a bedroom makeover! We have a general idea/direction for this room and will be taking it one step at a time. I will share progress as we go.. we are off to a good start!

I took this pic on her first day of school this year. My girls have been doing school from home in their bedrooms since March and I have to say that I have strong love/hate relationship with the whole situation! I could write an entire blog post about just that so I’ll move on for now, but let me just say that when I put desks in their bedrooms I had NO idea they would get the kind of use they are getting! Because she spends so much time each day in this little corner we decided to tackle it first. I originally had my carpenter make the desks for my girls’ bedrooms because I couldn’t find desks that fit in the small corner of their bedrooms. They both have little corners I wanted to use for desks but regular sized desks wouldn’t fit. Addison really wanted a white desk so I was planning on just painting her pink desk white and then a few weeks ago it broke! Ha. That bottom piece between the legs came off! An easy fix, but I decided it was a sign so I pulled up my computer to see if I could find a white desk.

{parsons desk/plush velvet office chair/gold table lamp/gold pencil holder}

I honestly jumped for joy when I came across this white desk from Walmart! It’s simple with clean lines, was a great price and the best part.. it was JUST the right size! I kept searching and also found her a more comfortable chair and a cute little desk lamp. Walmart for the win! They always have great options for kids’ spaces! (Check out Kole’s organized bedroom and closet for more ideas too!)

This fun snowflake art has been up in her room since November. :) We are going to switch it out for something else in the Spring OR when we re-paint.. whichever comes sooner!

Isn’t this the cutest little gold lamp!? I didn’t want anything that would take up a lot of room and this small lamp packs a lot of style.

She loves her new plush chair! So much more comfortable than what she has been using and it will be fun to bring more gold into this space.

I have a fun way to hide that black lamp cord that I’ll share too, but I’m going to wait until after we paint the walls. We are off to a good start with a new desk space!

Absolutely perfect for this little corner. Below are other desks I saw and loved! They are too big for this space but would be beautiful in a bedroom with a little more room than we have for a desk!

Next up for her room was to get it clean! Addison always keeps her room clean, but her closet is another story. Ha. It was looking pretty rough and I knew we needed to clean it out but I had been putting it off! When kids’ closets get really bad they usually need some help because it’s so overwhelming for them to even know where/how to start.

I always start by pulling every single thing out other than the clothes. I’m always surprised just how much can fit in kids’ closets! I had Addison start going through books and told her to just keep the books she really loves or wants to read again. Time to pass the rest on to someone else to enjoy! While she sorted books I took some soapy water and cleaned off all of her shelves and closet rods. We cleaned and sorted and purged for hours! All of the random stuff first and then we moved on to clothes.

About 4 months ago I also installed these silver hooks in her closet! The white wood was already there and I knew it would give us some vertical storage. After we had gone through everything in her closet (and made many Goodwill piles) it was time to put it all back! My forever favorite part of the organizing process. :)

Ready to see the after? We honestly got rid of SO much! It just feels CLEAN.. the best! We have absolutely nothing on these top shelves. I added these cute blue storage bins (I also have them in navy in Kole’s closet) for anything she wants to store in the future so her shelves don’t look like they are full of clutter again.

Then we were ruthless when we went though her clothes! We only kept what she really loves/wears. Dresses are on the far left with the few books she kept on the shelf on the top. We also have her yearbooks on that shelf.

Then we hung jackets/robes on the left top and sweaters/long sleeved tops on the bottom.

On the top right we hung all of her hoodies and on the bottom we hung tanks/short sleeved tops. I always just go from lights to darks when I’m organizing clothes in closets. The drawers are organized too with all of her pjs, exercise clothes, skirts, socks, etc.

{natural seagrass and rope baskets/woven storage baskets}

Then we tackled the open shelves and I’m so excited about how this wall turned out! I used these natural seagrass and rope baskets (2 large on the bottom and 4 medium above them) on her shelves. One of the large baskets on the bottom is her laundry hamper and the other one holds all of her Bearded Dragon supplies (we have one pretty pampered lizard at our house). ;) The other baskets hold seasonal items like Christmas pjs and all of her swimsuits They also hold things like sewing items, etc. Stuff she wants to keep but doesn’t use all the time. We also put 4 of these cute woven storage baskets on the top shelves and they hold keepsakes and other miscellaneous items.

The hooks are fabulous and I can’t believe I didn’t think to add them sooner!

Her purses are on the top.

We are using the bottom hooks for accessories – things like scarves, belts, masks, ribbons, etc. We gave so much away that she doesn’t have too many accessories at the moment! These would also work great for necklaces/jewelry.

I’m so happy to have her closet organized! Feels so good! We both just keep going inside and staring at it.. ha! I know it will be easy for her to keep clean now that we set up a better storage system for her.

Her desk area and closet were at the top of my list of to-dos for her bedroom and I’m so happy to have them checked off!

Stay tuned for what’s coming next in her bedroom. I’ll give you a hint.. it involves my carpenter and BFF Chuck! :)

{SOURCES}

xoxo, Erin

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Home Decor

01.25.21

This & That (decor, planning, fashion)

*affiliate links used

{faux pink peonies/gold vase/scalloped cake stand options here/here/here}

Happy Monday! It’s a new week and we are getting so much rain! I’m thrilled. We need it so badly. I don’t even mind the gloomy clouds. My pink peonies in the kitchen are cheering me up immensely. So is this gorgeous gold vase! Fun little Valentine’s Day touches. :)

{woven tray/eucalyptus wire wreath/white marble & wood round board/marble & wood small board/large rectangle board/marble & gold tray/gold mirror}

I really haven’t done too much decorating since Christmas because I’ve been working on getting certain spaces organized. I did spruce up my kitchen though.. just a few little things!

{woven tray}

Picked up this beautiful woven basket/tray for fruit.

{faux eucalyptus wreath}

Also added this cute little eucalyptus wreath because I was missing the greenery from the wreath I had hanging here through the holidays. Just the touch of green I was craving. :)

Have you made a Target run yet this year? Or two or twenty? I feel like they have had so many cute home items lately! That store is downright dangerous.

1 landscape framed wall art 2 woven seagrass basket 3 resin table lamp

4 braided basket 5 round wood and wire tray 6 faux eucalyptus wire wreath

7 seagrass woven tray 8 dark gray striped napkins 9 braided straw basket

10 magnolia bath towels 11 stripe throw pillow 12 decorative ladder

13 wood & steel accent bench 14 woven seagrass basket with handles 15 marble box

I rounded up a few favorites after my last trip. So many great baskets for organizing and fun accessories!

Then the next week the new Studio Mcgee items came out and I wanted to snatch up one of everything! Seriously so many beautiful home items at great prices! My friend bought several of the pillows, this beautiful vase and this cute plaid rug for her living room so I snapped a pic to share.. looks so good! Below are my other favorites from the new collection. Some of the items have sold out, but you can add your email and get a notification when/if they come back in stock.

{multi stripe bath towels}

These cute striped towels I’m using in my powder bathroom were part of my last Target haul! Also we’ve been using this set of towels in our master bathroom (I shared them in December in my self care post) and really love them. They wash well and are so comfy and absorbent (I hate towels that don’t absorb water well!). I ordered another set for us and one for my girls bathroom too. I love finding good towels that don’t cost too much because I like to use them for about a year and then get a new set.

Last time I went to Target I asked Kenny if he wanted to come with me to pick up a baby gift for a friend. Of course I walked in the store and headed straight to the planner/school supply section. Then I wandered into the home decor section. Kenny was like “what are you doing.. why are you looking at that.. that’s not a baby gift.. do you really need another notepad and basket.. how much longer are you going to be!?” Ahhh! Just let me enjoy my Target run browsing and buying ALL thing things! Ha ha. What a rookie mistake asking him to come along! Won’t happen again. Luckily a client called him for work and he had to step aside to talk so I was able to enjoy some me time in the store and pick up all sorts of fun things that weren’t on my list. #saved

{chunky wool jute rug/everygirl planner/sugar paper products}

Always fun picking up a cute new planner, notepad and binder for the year. Just never gets old to me! Plus I plan better and am more productive with cute supplies. Anyone else? :) I’ve always really liked the simplicity of the everygirl planners/notepads and sugar paper products. More than anything I just need a good to-do list!

1 booty resistance bands 2 12 week fit journal 3 precise fine point pens

4 cards and stationary 5 exercise yoga mat 6 8lbs dumbbell / 5lbs dumbbell / 3lbs dumbbell

7 everygirl planner 8 resistance bands 9 dry erase calendar

Target also has the cutest gold dumbbells and fitness accessories if you are working on health/fitness more this year. I’m debating buying those gold dumbbells! If I plan better with a cute planner would I lift weights better/more with cute dumbbells? Seems like a question I need to explore. ;)

Of course if you don’t want to buy anything I have all sorts of fun, free planning pages in my printable library! I’ve updated my calendar pages for the year and they come with monthly to-do pages.

This is a favorite printable I fill out every January. I always feel overwhelmed this time of year because I have so many projects around the house I want to tackle! I love having a place to brain dump and organize all of my ideas.

This was my list last year and I did most of it! But not everything so I’m adding a couple of these things to my list this year with what feels like 200 more to-dos!

This current projects printable is another long time favorite because I love breaking overwhelming projects down into manageable steps.

I also have all sorts of planning page options so you can find one that works best for you! These are all free for my e-mail subscribers (thank you to all of my loyal readers.. so grateful for your support!). You can sign up and get access to all of my free printables HERE.

{color block turtleneck sweater/AG jeans/booties}

Totally switching gears and ending my post with a few fun things I’ve been wearing lately! This sweater is CUTE. Longer in the back and so cozy. I’m happy it’s cold enough to wear it again this week! Last weekend we had crazy warm weather for January.. 80 digress on the coast! It was fun for a weekend but I’m honestly not ready for the heat again. I love our mild winters. Cold enough to cozy up at home by the fireplace and wear a sweater but not TOO cold to really alter life much!

My kids certainly enjoyed the weather last weekend though! Lots of pool and beach time.

Now back to my fire. :)

{tie dye hooded sweatshirt/AG jeans/similar adidas sneakers}

This cozy tie dye hoodie is perfection! Slouchy and fun.. perfect for running around with jeans or days at home with sweat pants. Which let’s face it.. is still most days right now.

{lou & grey signature sweatpants/ugg slippers}

Speaking of sweatpants.. if you want a really good pair look no more! DYING at how perfectly perfect these sweats are! The fit/cut is really similar to my all time favorite Vuori joggers, but the material is thicker and warmer like sweats. They are a flattering fit and so comfortable that I’m getting them in black too. And I ordered this plush matching sweatshirt to go with them. Score because I’m living in stuff like this right now!

{velvet stripe pajama pants}

These velvet stripe pj pants are also cute & comfy and are on sale!

{cloud jersey heart sweatshirt/AG jeans/similar shoes here & here}

I’ve also been wearing and loving this cute heart sweater. It’s such a great fit and warm but not too hot. I thought it looked cute on-line but I like it even better in person. Comes in other styles too! I linked a coupe of similar shoe options (I’ve loved these black shoes for running around!) and also how cute are these black boots!? On my wish list!

Last but not least my cute heart two-tiered tray is back in stock! Fun for Valentine’s treats in the kitchen in February and then in the bathroom to hold perfume and nail polish during the rest of the year. :) (This PB tray is cute too.) I also think this three heart platter would be fun to use the same way. Could hold jewelry after you use it for Valentine’s candy! I linked them all below in this cute Valentine’s Day collage. Sharing it again if you need gift ideas! Two years ago I bought Ellie this heart ring for Valentine’s Day and she loves it and still wears it. :)

1 – lucky brand sweatshirt 2 – bobeau flocked V-neck 3 – ari heart pendant 4 – ryanne heart ring

5 – heart shaped sunglasses 6 – ceramic heart shaped plates 7 – something sweet pajamas 8 – big heart crew socks

9 – heart leather tassel pouch 10 – emile ruffled heart dish 11 – wood and marble heart cheese board

12 – decorative word object 13 – tulip wreath 14 – watercolor heart tiered stand 15 – xoxo doormat

16 – honeydew lounge set 17 – love lumbar pillow cover 18 – floating heart pillow 19 – faux fur heart pillow

20 – two tier heart server 21 – three heart platter 22 – xoxo print 23 – heart server 24 – heart appetizer plates

{POST SOURCES}

xoxo, Erin

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Favorite Things

01.22.21

My Skincare Routine

*Excited to partner with Colleen Rothschild on this post! All product selections and opinions are my own and affiliate links are used.

How is your January going so far!? Feeling productive? Lazy? Ambitious? Overwhelmed? I feel all four things daily lately and it’s funny to me how quickly I can snap from one feeling to the next. Did you set any goals this year? After coming off of the year we all had in 2020 I completely understand if you decided to bag that little ritual. Ha. I did set a few personal goals. Nothing we haven’t heard before and all health/self-care related. For starters I’m trying to eat better and drink more water. I feel like the exercise part of staying healthy I have down just because I love to exercise (mental sanity for me!) and it’s part of my daily routine. BUT my diet has been horrible the last few months (my tight jeans tell the tale!) so I’m working hard to change a few bad eating habits. I’ve also been prioritizing my skin care (something that has always been a hit and miss thing for me) so I was thrilled when I was asked to partner with Colleen Rothschild on this post! I started using her skin products last September and have already mentioned a few times how much I love them. She is having a huge anniversary sale this week and all of her products are 25% off! *Use the code 7YEARS at checkout.

These are the items I started out with and I broke down a little more about each of them at the end of this post. I used each of these items consistently and after just a few weeks I started noticing a difference in my skin!

I love them so much that I’ve added a few new products to my arsenal. :) To be honest I don’t have great skin. It’s not horrible and I’ve never had to deal with major acne problems (a few random zits here and there), but I have really dry, dull, uneven skin with redness and lots of fun new wrinkles popping up daily since I turned 40. Good times! ;) Since I’ve been using these products the dryness is gone, my wrinkles are a lot less noticeable (especially the lines around my eyes!) and my face looks hydrated and re-freshed. This is going to sound so silly but I honesty get excited to see my smooth skin when I wake up in the morning! It just looks so much healthier than it did before I started using these products.

I’ve been trying different combinations and this is what my routine looks like right now. In the morning I wash my face with this Radiant Cleansing Balm (smells like spa time!) and then I apply the Vitamin C Treatment Complex. Very excited about this because it helps with sun damage and improves radiance.. definitely something my skin needs! I let it dry for a minute and then I put on this Sheer Renewal Cream. LOVE this cream! It’s so lightweight and a great moisturizer. It feels so good on my face and keeps my skin hydrated. Then I apply sunscreen (a daily must in southern Cal) and my make-up. It feels so good to actually have a morning skin routine because until now I’ve never done much for my face in the am other than splash a little water on it! These products are newer to my routine so I’ll follow up, but after just a few weeks I can already tell they will be staples for me. I also just got this Intense Hydrating Mask and I’m excited to try it this weekend! Thinking I’ll paint my nails with my girls and try out my new mask and have a little at home spa time. :)

In the evening I wash my face again with the Radiant Cleansing Balm and then I put on the Matcha Tea Treatment Toner. For me the Matcha Tea feels like it gets my face 100% clean. The Cleansing Balm takes off my make-up and feels/smells so good, but the Matcha Tea absorbs any extra oil/dirt on my skin and makes it almost squeaky clean. I’ve actually stopped using my beloved Clarisonic because I don’t feel like I need it after I’ve used these two products. The Matcha Tea also helps minimize pores and redness which my skin desperately needs.

Ad snapped this of me a few nights ago when I was taking off my make-up. I really look forward to my evening skin routine! :) Remember my trick for consistent skin care!? Do it earlier in the evening when you’re home for the night. I always do it right after I get Kole in bed (around 8:30-9:00) when I put on pjs. I used to wait until right before I’d go to bed (which is always too late!) and then I would get tired and decide to bag it for the night. One night would lead to two or three and then the inconsistency made it hard to see results. Consistency is key with skin care! And all other healthy habits right?

Work in progress over here. :)

After I wash my face I put on a few serums. My absolute favorite is the Retinol Supreme Eye Serum. I can’t believe the difference this has made for the skin around my eyes! My wrinkles are so much less visible and it really helps with the dark circles/bags I often wake up to. Lately I’ve been using the Retinol Supreme Night Oil and the Mandelic Acid on my face. I just got the Age Renewal Serum and am excited to try it too. It felt strange to me at first to use oily products on my face and I thought they might make me break out, but they really do the opposite for me. My skin is so much more hydrated and smooth! After the serums I put on this Extreme Recovery Cream. I know I sound like a broken record but I love it too. Read the reviews! It’s lightweight, smells amazing and makes your skin feel so smooth. Perfect way to hydrate your skin before bed.

I mentioned in a previous post that I’m also obsessed with this Quench and Shine Restorative Mask for my hair. I use it once a week on my hair in the place of my regular conditioner and it makes my hair so shiny and smooth! I was about to run out so I hurried and ordered another jar and soon after it sold out! I’ll definitely share when it’s back in stock again because it is GOLD and a great price.

Added bonus? My new skin care products work great in my organized bathroom drawers. ;)

If you want to try out Colleen Rothschild products now is the best time while everything is 25% off! For me it has worked best to buy a couple of things to try at at time and get in a good routine with them first before adding more. Her website is great at explaining what each product does so that you can figure out what would be best to try for your skin. She also has some kits that you can order to try smaller bottles of multiple products to see what you love. It feels so good to finally have a consistent skin care routine in place that I love after years of trying random products!

I’m motivated to look my best as I get older so that I can keep up with this beauty. She turned 17 on Tuesday! I honestly can’t believe it.

The two of us were watching The Wiggles together snuggled on the couch while Addie napped just last week weren’t we!? Time needs to slooooowwww down. I will die a thousand deaths when this girl leaves for college. Get ready. You will all need to pick me up off of my floor and mail me tissues for months. Blog posts might not be so chipper for a while. I honestly can’t imagine my life without seeing her happy smile and hearing her sweet laugh every day. Thank goodness for FaceTime! I will drive her crazy. :) I couldn’t be more proud of all she is becoming.

Thank goodness this cute girl isn’t going anywhere for a while! My two girls truly are my best friends. So grateful for them! We always laugh about what my life will be like when they both move out and it’s just me with the boys. Well.. they laugh. I cry! It will be a rude awakening for me for sure! ;)

The older I get the more I realize that taking care of my body and skin and working to look my best (because let’s face it, as we get older.. it’s work!) is so much more about how it makes me feel vs. how it makes me look. When I take care of myself and look good.. I feel good. That positive, feel good energy spreads into my overall attitude every single day. My attitude absolutely affects my family. I work hard to look my best because I know that it helps me be my best self in every area of my life.

Plus it doesn’t hurt to look my best for this guy too. At least once in a while. ;)

Poor Kole got left out of this post, but I have a feeling that good skin care doesn’t interest him as much as it does the rest of us so I think we’re good. Ha.

I would love to hear your goals for the New Year! Anyone else nailing down a good skin care routine? Any tips for how to drink less Coke Zero?

Actually ignore that last question. I’m working on attainable goals this year and I’m not really interested in attaining that one just yet.

There’s always 2022.

;)

{POST SOURCES}

xoxo, Erin

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Home Decor

01.17.21

Valentine’s Day Powder Bathroom

*affiliate links used

Happy Sunday! I’ve missed you all! I’ve been busy working on all sorts of random things that I’ll share at some point. As soon as I finished working on them. :) I’ve done my usual and started 6 projects and now everything is started and in motion and my brain is fuzzy and nothing is finished. Remember that book I read and loved and highlighted every other page? The One Thing? Yeah.. clearly I didn’t learn much from it. Ha. Thinking I need to read it again.

When I finish my 6 things. ;)

Today I’m sharing my powder bathroom because it’s looking all sorts of festive for Valentine’s Day!

I found this pink heart shaped rug on-line and couldn’t resist. Isn’t it cute!? This little bathroom gets the most use in our house because it’s right off of our family room so it’s a fun space to update with each season. It’s also a small space so it doesn’t take much to give it a whole new look!

I pulled out some of my favorite faux flowers that you’ve all seen before.

{chevron vase/faux pink peonies (on sale!)/similar faux white flowers}

My faux pink peonies always pull me out of my usual post holiday slump. I know it’s a little early to bring out Spring decor, but in my defense it has been 80 degrees on the coast this week! We’ve been enjoying a random week of warm weather so I’m feeling totally justified bringing out all the bright colors. I also felt totally justified ordering a few more because they are on sale. And well.. the weather.

Hmm. what else can I blame on the random heat this week? It’s definitely why I ate all of those tortilla chips yesterday. And why I keep putting off organizing my closet. Sadly that space is not one of the 6 things I’m working on, but it really needs to be. I’ll start it tomorrow. Here we go! Project #7 in the works with no end in sight!

Darn weather.

{multistripe bath towels/pink tassel towels}

I added some cute new striped hand towels to my ladder along with my long time favorite pink towels (still obsessed with that hand-knotted tassel fringe!).

Then I just filled this clear soap pump with pink soap.

And there you go.. Valentine’s Day in the powder bath! My girls both quickly noticed and loved the cute heart shaped rug and Kole told me “I like that new soap mom.. it smells good” so I’m calling this mini makeover a success!

Like I said.. it doesn’t take much. :)

I shared these pics last year but this is how our little powder bathroom is organized. Seasonal towels in most of the drawers. Summer..

Christmas..

More options for Spring.

Toilet paper, extra soap and larger towels underneath.

Then in the top right drawer we keep extra tooth brushes for busy mornings when the kids need to brush quick before they head out the door! The girls and Kenny haven’t had to head out the door in the morning since last March. Ha. So this drawer isn’t getting the use it once was. I still use it every day to get Kole ready though. I do his hair quick and have him brush his teeth in this bathroom. So much easier to just keep him downstairs once he’s down!

I came across this pic the other night from our previous house and it made me smile. I was doing the same thing years ago when my girls were little! Keeping extra toothbrushes and tooth paste in a kitchen drawer for those busy school mornings when I didn’t want to send them back upstairs to brush their teeth. Their dolls were too big of a distraction! They would just need to tuck this doll in and dress that one and next thing you know we were 20 minutes late for school. Seeing the Dora toothpaste and Kole’s baby bibs/spoons brings it all back like it was last week. :)

Do you decorate for Valentine’s Day? Some years I don’t do much and other years I go all out. Just depends on my post Christmas mood! For now I’m just enjoying this festive space and a few small things in the kitchen. I do love to see all of the fun things that come out for Valentine’s day and I always get my kids and Kenny a few fun surprises for the 14th. I ordered this cute heart shaped rug for my girls’ bathroom for one surprise. It’s so cute and I love the reminder on it! Below are some other Valentine’s Day favorites! Lots of cute ways to bring this fun holiday into your home and life. I’m thinking we can all use a little extra love right about now.. so why not? I’ll share some of the new items I ordered in the collage below and a few other fun things popping up around here soon!

Darn weather made me do it.

;)

1 – lucky brand sweatshirt 2 – bobeau flocked V-neck 3 – ari heart pendant 4 – ryanne heart ring

5 – heart shaped sunglasses 6 – ceramic heart shaped plates 7 – something sweet pajamas 8 – big heart crew socks

9 – heart leather tassel pouch 10 – emile ruffled heart dish 11 – wood and marble heart cheese board

12 – decorative word object 13 – tulip wreath 14 – watercolor heart tiered stand 15 – xoxo doormat

16 – honeydew lounge set 17 – love lumbar pillow cover 18 – floating heart pillow 19 – faux fur heart pillow

20 – two tier heart server 21 – three heart platter 22 – xoxo print 23 – heart server 24 – heart appetizer plates

{POST SOURCES}

xoxo, Erin

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Organization

01.10.21

Organized Wrapping Paper

*affiliate links used

Happy Sunday! Talking organized wrapping paper today! As soon as I got my Christmas decor put away and my attic organized I was left with Christmas wrapping paper. A lot of it. All over my house. For the past few years I have kept it with my every day wrapping paper but I was running out of room in my office cupboard so rolls of it were popping up here and there and pretty much everywhere. It was time to consolidate!

I love that word.

I ordered this gift wrap organizer, wrote Christmas Wrapping Supplies on the label and got to work!

And before long I had this beauty to behold.

Love this organizer! You can adjust the little box at the top to be larger if you don’t have any extra long rolls of wrapping paper. The pockets on the sides are perfect for gift sacks and tissue.

I had extra Christmas ribbon and bows so I put them in Ziploc bags..

and just set them on the top. There is room to spare!

It zips up easily and is so easy to store! It would fit nicely under a bed if you’re short on storage space and would be perfect for every day wrapping paper too. (Lots of fun options HERE on Amazon!) It also comes in red or black. I’m going to store it in my attic with the rest of my Christmas decor. Next year holiday wrapping will be a breeze! I can just pull this out and get to work. Hopefully in early December. This year I was NOT on my wrapping game and was up until 3:30 am wrapping gifts on Christmas Eve. Good times when your excited kids wake you up 3 hours later! #nothappeningagain

{white mesh Elfa drawers}

I felt so good after getting my Christmas wrapping paper organized that I decided to clean out the bins in my office cupboard that hold every day wrapping supplies. I still use one of them for Christmas ribbon that I haven’t used yet.

They were overflowing before. Felt so good to get rid of supplies I was never going to use!

Now that my Christmas wrapping paper has its own happy home I have so much more room for wrapping paper I need for birthday parties and other gifts in this cupboard. A simple organizing project that took little time and felt really GOOD! Small organizing wins like this are the best because they motivate you to keep going and give you the courage to tackle big projects.

Like my closet.

That I’ve started organizing over 20 times and seem to always just end up with a bigger mess than I started with. {Sigh}

Below I’m sharing my Christmas organizing favorites again one last time before we move on! I heard from many of you that the storage bags I used for pillows this year (#3) sold out so I searched for something similar. These storage bags would work and so would these. Also Colleen Rothschild is having a weekend sale on all of her moisturizers and exfoliators! I’ve been using and loving this extreme recovery cream (so good!) and it’s the best price I’ve seen it. I’m also sharing some fun things on sale right now at Nordstrom that I have and love and a few things I have my eye on. Best sales! Clothes spark so much joy for me!

Hence the reason I can’t seem to organize my closet.

;)

Enjoy the rest of your weekend!

1 – Holiday Plate Box 2 – Christmas Wreath Bag 3 – Storage Bags

4 – Ornament Storage Box 5 – Clear Plastic Container w/ lid 6 – Clear Storage Box (6 pack)

7 – Christmas Tree Storage Bag 8 – Underbed Ornament Storage Box 9 – Gift Wrap Organizer

1 – clarem boot 2 – wild throw blanket 3 – cloud oversize blanket

4 – adult face masks 5 – gradina heel bootie 6 – pocket workout leggings

7 – faux fur trim jacket 8 – structured knit tunic 9 – choker necklace

10 – farrah high waist skinny jeans

xoxo, Erin

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Home Decor

01.07.21

Holiday Decor Storage

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Happy New Year everyone! I hope you all had a nice holiday break and survived this week getting back in a routine! We had a great Christmas and really enjoyed the time off. It was the first time ever that we haven’t traveled right after Christmas and I was a little worried that we might all go crazy with boredom but I have to say.. it was really nice! I guess we’re getting used to a slower pace, enjoying the outdoors and just staying home more. Goodness knows we’ve all had plenty of practice with it over the last year. ;) I took this pic on Christmas Eve. Kole is 10 and right at that “suspicious” stage when it comes to Santa but just to be safe he left a last minute note in case Santa didn’t know what he wanted. “All I want for Christmas is headphones (sorry I was kinda rushed). Love, Kole. PS thanks for coming.” Ha ha.. I laughed when I saw it. The girls helped him get the plate ready for Santa and then he wrote that quick when they had already gone upstairs and were waiting for him to start a movie. Hence the “sorry I was kinda rushed” explanation at why he wasn’t writing a more thoughtful letter. I love kids. :)

Santa remembered his headphones. And also threw in some hot wheel race tracks. I snapped these pics quick a few days after Christmas. Kole is so close to outgrowing toys like this, but I’m in the business of keeping my kids young as long as possible so if he’s willing to still spend some time each day with cars I’m going to help make that happen. Especially while we are spending so much time at home. Santa also left a note with the headphones about sensible iPad time monitored by his parents which Kole wasn’t as excited about. Ha. Thanks Santa. We owe you one.

I noticed after I snapped these that I caught the “Stay-At-Home Order Update” on the news. These pictures will definitely mark a year to remember!

{Theatre Room details and sources HERE}

I have been busy getting my Christmas put away and my house clean and back in order. You all know I put up a crazy amount of holiday decor each year so it’s always a good time taking it all down. Ha. It’s so much work, but I do have a system that makes it easier. I put my 3 kids to work helping me bring everything upstairs to our theatre room. Then I sort, purge, categorize and organize everything and put it all away in my attic. I snapped this pic after I had finally put everything away other than my holiday throws and pillows. Felt so good to see the floor in this room again! ;)

And yes. I recognize that this is an unhealthy amount of Christmas pillows to own. But I give myself a pass because Christmas decor brings me joy like nothing else! Plus I share decor for a living. So while my motto is usually less is more, I allow myself a few exceptions. ;)

In the past I’ve stored my holiday pillows and throws in black garbage bags but I wanted a better system. I searched on-line and finally decided to give these Jumbo Storage bags a try. They came in the mail yesterday and I’m in love! So perfect for pillows. I have 6 smaller pillows in this bag (4 stacked in the back and then 2 in the front).

Or I can fit 4 of my large pillows. (2 stacked with one on the side and one long lumbar pillow in the front.) Some of my favorite Christmas pillows are more than half off by the way! I know.. not as fun to buy holiday decor at the end of the holiday when it’s time to clean up, but definitely when you can score the best deals.

{storage bags/souk wool rug/roll arm sectional/arc floor lamp}

I’m so excited about these storage bags! (I got the largest jumbo size.) They stack on top of each other nicely and have handles on the sides so they are easy to lift and carry. But the best part is that I can see what’s inside of them! So much better than the garbage bags I was using. I never knew what I was pulling out of my attic until I had pulled the sack out and emptied it. These 4 bags are holding all of my Christmas pillows and then I ordered one more (they come in a set of 2) for my throws. These would also work great for storing comforters or other large blankets. If you are short on space my recommendation for pillows is to re-use the same inserts over and over and store the pillow covers folded nicely in a drawer or bin. That’s what I did in my previous home with limited storage.

This door off of our theatre room leads to our attic. Our theatre room and this attic weren’t in our original house plans when we designed the house. We had extra space over our garage and when our architect told us it would be easy and inexpensive to add an extra room and an attic space for storage we jumped on it!

I’m very glad we did because this little inside storage space has come in so handy. It was supposed to be an unfinished attic, but I decided to add drywall and paint and cheap carpet and I’m so grateful for it now. This is where all of my holiday decor lives and I feel like I live in this space from about September through January. Ha. I always get asked how I store my Christmas trees. I just keep them in their original boxes! I know it’s hard to smash them back in, but I’ve found that’s the easiest way for me to store them. I can stack the boxes on top of each other and fit quite a few in a small space. I keep them at the back of my attic (behind and to the side of our outdoor reindeer).

Addison was a huge help with the trees this year. She was just the right size to sit and smush! Ha.

I use a lot of clear storage bins and ornament bins. They are hard to see in this picture because they are tucked in the back. Trees and reindeer I just store out in the open on the right side of my attic. Things don’t get very dusty in this space because of the carpet so I don’t feel like I need to cover them.

On the right side where my attic ceiling slopes I lay all of my garland. I just stack it carefully! The brown trunk holds stockings and tree skirts. I’ve also been asked how I organize my bins and if I organize them by rooms. I don’t because every year I decorate my rooms differently so I organize them in themes. All of my snowflakes are in a bin, small reindeer, gold stars, small wreaths, greenery, pink ball ornaments, silver ball ornaments, etc.

On the left side of my attic I have all of my Fall decor. Just a few clear bins with wreaths/swags on top. Then all of my faux flowers for Spring! I store them upright in vases and baskets.

I stack art and signs along the inside wall. 4th of July decor lives here too!

Half of the attic is Christmas and then the other half is everything else. Christmas decor makes me happy. Did I mention that already? So does organization. So organized Christmas decor?

I’m here for it.

Below are some of my personal favorites and a few other great solutions for organizing/storing holiday decor. Happy 2021 everyone! I’m so happy you’re here. We’re going to have fun together this year. :)