My friend Tammy (http://tam-sense.blogspot.com/) says I have lots of
awesome ideas and tips on how to make life easier/more efficient. I
thought I would share some of them here. I did not come up with any of
these, they have been picked up along the way from my family, friends,
magazines, blogs, etc.
Hang up or put away your clothes as soon as you take them off. It only takes 30 seconds and it makes such a difference when you are tired at 10pm, you just want to crawl into bed and you don't have to clean off the bed first!
Tuesday, February 5, 2013
Monday, February 4, 2013
Question: which faucet?
 |
| Sad Nameless Faucet |
|
| Portsmouth, low arc neck |
 |
| Portsmouth, high arc neck |
 |
| Brandywood |
Big decisions!
We start our attic renovation tomorrow at 7:30am! But we have some major decisions to make in the next few days. The first: which toilet!?! I want a concealed trapway (see how they all have smooth sides, you don't see the outline of the waste pipe nor is there a little shelf for hair and dust to collect on?), comfort height toilet.
The Studio: round bowl, I like that it is dual flush.
The Town Square: elongated bowl, I like the fancy business on the front of the base.
The Tropic: elongated bowl, one piece toilet. The internet says one piece is better because it is easier to keep clean. Not sure I care.
Which toilet do you prefer?
The Studio: round bowl, I like that it is dual flush.
The Town Square: elongated bowl, I like the fancy business on the front of the base.
The Tropic: elongated bowl, one piece toilet. The internet says one piece is better because it is easier to keep clean. Not sure I care.
Which toilet do you prefer?
Tuesday, January 29, 2013
A tip on Tuesday!
My friend Tammy (http://tam-sense.blogspot.com/) says I have lots of
awesome ideas and tips on how to make life easier/more efficient. I
thought I would share some of them here. I did not come up with any of
these, they have been picked up along the way from my family, friends,
magazines, blogs, etc.
Create a monthly chore list. On the first day of every month, there is an appointment on my calendar that reminds me to do monthly chores. I usually don't do them until the first weekend of the month, but it helps me keep on track with chores that don't have to be done every single week, but should be done on a regular basis. Here is my chore list:
Oil countertops
Polish wood floors
Clean make-up brushes
Clean coffee maker
Clean washer
Update net worth spreadsheet
Since it is January 29th, I will be doing all of these chores this weekend!
Create a monthly chore list. On the first day of every month, there is an appointment on my calendar that reminds me to do monthly chores. I usually don't do them until the first weekend of the month, but it helps me keep on track with chores that don't have to be done every single week, but should be done on a regular basis. Here is my chore list:
Oil countertops
Polish wood floors
Clean make-up brushes
Clean coffee maker
Clean washer
Update net worth spreadsheet
Since it is January 29th, I will be doing all of these chores this weekend!
Sunday, January 27, 2013
A new pantry
After our wedding last year, we had quite a few awesome presents that needed a home. Our kitchen doesn't have a lot of storage, particularly for large items like a slow cooker, Griddler, and Kevin's favorites: the wok and the smoker. We had a rather gross closet off the laundry area of our basement that we decided to turn into a pantry. I don't have any before photos to share.
We lined the walls with heavy duty plastic as a vapor barrier, then rigid foam insulation sheets and finally beadboard sheets for the walls. Kevin also hung a grid and we added some fancy ceiling tiles and a colorful rug to finish the space. The storage are white adjustable brackets and melamine shelves from Lowes. It has really added a lot of storage and function.
Here is what we have stored in our new space!
Straight back is extra storage containers, extra food and our booze, small appliances and paper products and baking supplies.
On the left side is our board game stash, some books that are listed on paperbackswap.com, and athletic equipment like golf shoes and camelbaks, some of Kevin's beer brewing stuff, and entertaining supplies like our nice placemets and napkins and fancy wine glasses.
On the right side, we have vases, craft supplies and instruction manuals for the entire house, our huge rag pile and cleaning stuff like our steam cleaner and a whole box of car cleaning supplies on the bottom.
It's handy to have everything together. It's sometimes annoying to have to run down to the basement to get the rice cooker or a box of crackers, but our kitchen storage is limited.
We lined the walls with heavy duty plastic as a vapor barrier, then rigid foam insulation sheets and finally beadboard sheets for the walls. Kevin also hung a grid and we added some fancy ceiling tiles and a colorful rug to finish the space. The storage are white adjustable brackets and melamine shelves from Lowes. It has really added a lot of storage and function.
Here is what we have stored in our new space!
Straight back is extra storage containers, extra food and our booze, small appliances and paper products and baking supplies.
On the left side is our board game stash, some books that are listed on paperbackswap.com, and athletic equipment like golf shoes and camelbaks, some of Kevin's beer brewing stuff, and entertaining supplies like our nice placemets and napkins and fancy wine glasses.
On the right side, we have vases, craft supplies and instruction manuals for the entire house, our huge rag pile and cleaning stuff like our steam cleaner and a whole box of car cleaning supplies on the bottom.
It's handy to have everything together. It's sometimes annoying to have to run down to the basement to get the rice cooker or a box of crackers, but our kitchen storage is limited.
Thursday, January 24, 2013
Oiling soapstone
I have soapstone countertops in my kitchen. I love them, they are so pretty! They have a matte finish and some really cool veining. They don't require a lot of maintenance, but you can oil them periodically if you want. It really changes the look.
Here is one section, not oiled. You can see that there are some lines in the stone where my dish drying tray recently sat. If you don't oil the counters, you can see water marks, although they fade after a little while (a few hours or so).
I use an old washcloth to spread a thin coat of mineral oil around the countertop, making sure to get the front edge.
This is the countertop immediately after I oiled it. It's nice and shiny and the watermarks are gone. But it's a little too oily/shiny for me. So I take a clean washcloth and buff all of the countertops after I oil them. And this is how they end up.
A nice warm glow, but still a matte finish. I do this about once a month, which minimizes any temporary water marks (unless my husband has been brewing beer, then there is water EVERYWHERE). It only takes about 10 minutes, not a lot of effort for something that I love so much!
Here is one section, not oiled. You can see that there are some lines in the stone where my dish drying tray recently sat. If you don't oil the counters, you can see water marks, although they fade after a little while (a few hours or so).
I use an old washcloth to spread a thin coat of mineral oil around the countertop, making sure to get the front edge.
This is the countertop immediately after I oiled it. It's nice and shiny and the watermarks are gone. But it's a little too oily/shiny for me. So I take a clean washcloth and buff all of the countertops after I oil them. And this is how they end up.
A nice warm glow, but still a matte finish. I do this about once a month, which minimizes any temporary water marks (unless my husband has been brewing beer, then there is water EVERYWHERE). It only takes about 10 minutes, not a lot of effort for something that I love so much!
Tuesday, January 22, 2013
A tip on Tuesday!
My friend Tammy (http://tam-sense.blogspot.com/) says I have lots of
awesome ideas and tips on how to make life easier/more efficient. I
thought I would share some of them here. I did not come up with any of
these, they have been picked up along the way from my family, friends,
magazines, blogs, etc.
Plan your menu out each week. I know this is not a revolutionary idea, but it makes life so much easier. I used to my favorite phone app To-Do (a post for another day) but I recently switched to a Google calendar. I created a separate one for my Menu Plan and I share it with Kevin (although I think he ignores it). I am really liking this method because it helps me track how recently we had tacos or chicken pot pie or grilled cheese, to make sure I keep mixing things up. Certain spouses get cranky when we eat the same thing too often. I usually plan 4-5 meals for a week and then leave a couple of nights open for leftovers, going out or throwing together something last minute. Which is usually pasta or grilled cheese! I take a fridge/freezer/pantry inventory on Saturday or Sunday to see if there is anything that needs to be used up and then I create my plan for the week.
Here is the plan for this week:
Monday: Pork Tingas (America's Test Kitchen)
Tuesday: Book Club (which means lots and lots of cheese!)
Wednesday: Spaghetti Carbonara
Thursday: meeting for charity event
Friday: Chickpea Stew
Saturday: French Onion Soup
Sunday: Devil's Chicken Thighs
Plan your menu out each week. I know this is not a revolutionary idea, but it makes life so much easier. I used to my favorite phone app To-Do (a post for another day) but I recently switched to a Google calendar. I created a separate one for my Menu Plan and I share it with Kevin (although I think he ignores it). I am really liking this method because it helps me track how recently we had tacos or chicken pot pie or grilled cheese, to make sure I keep mixing things up. Certain spouses get cranky when we eat the same thing too often. I usually plan 4-5 meals for a week and then leave a couple of nights open for leftovers, going out or throwing together something last minute. Which is usually pasta or grilled cheese! I take a fridge/freezer/pantry inventory on Saturday or Sunday to see if there is anything that needs to be used up and then I create my plan for the week.
Here is the plan for this week:
Monday: Pork Tingas (America's Test Kitchen)
Tuesday: Book Club (which means lots and lots of cheese!)
Wednesday: Spaghetti Carbonara
Thursday: meeting for charity event
Friday: Chickpea Stew
Saturday: French Onion Soup
Sunday: Devil's Chicken Thighs
Sunday, January 20, 2013
Help me understand why I'm not doing this right now?
The high temp tomorrow is -2. That is ridiculous.
Friday, January 18, 2013
Love this kitchen
I know I just finished my kitchen and I am certainly not changing it anytime soon, but how amazing is this white and dark wood (walnut?) kitchen. So pretty!
Tuesday, January 15, 2013
A tip on Tuesday!
My friend Tammy (http://tam-sense.blogspot.com/) says I have lots of awesome ideas and tips on how to make life easier/more efficient. I thought I would share some of them here. I did not come up with any of these, they have been picked up along the way from my family, friends, magazines, blogs, etc.
Use an empty tissue box to store your plastic bags. Keeps the madness contained and allows you to pull one out as needed. If the box gets full, it's time to recycle the bags! We mostly use reusable bags at Target, etc, but we always seem to have a few plastic bags around. This method works great!
Use an empty tissue box to store your plastic bags. Keeps the madness contained and allows you to pull one out as needed. If the box gets full, it's time to recycle the bags! We mostly use reusable bags at Target, etc, but we always seem to have a few plastic bags around. This method works great!
Tuesday, January 8, 2013
A tip on Tuesday!
My friend Tammy (http://tam-sense.blogspot.com/) says I have lots of awesome ideas and tips on how to make life easier/more efficient. I thought I would share some of them here. I did not come up with any of these, they have been picked up along the way from my family, friends, magazines, blogs, etc.
I managed to put holes in 2 trouser socks in the same day, so I thought I would try this idea: use old nylons to clean candles. We have flameless candles in our fireplace and they are pretty dusty and dirty.
I shoved each candle inside a trouser sock and rolled it around to get the dirt off the outside. Then I used the trouser sock to clean out the inside and the top edge. It worked great! I threw the trouser socks away, but I am guessing you could wash them if you weren't using ripped ones.
I managed to put holes in 2 trouser socks in the same day, so I thought I would try this idea: use old nylons to clean candles. We have flameless candles in our fireplace and they are pretty dusty and dirty.
Here is the evidence
I shoved each candle inside a trouser sock and rolled it around to get the dirt off the outside. Then I used the trouser sock to clean out the inside and the top edge. It worked great! I threw the trouser socks away, but I am guessing you could wash them if you weren't using ripped ones.
Looks so much better!
Tuesday, January 1, 2013
A tip on Tuesday!
My friend Tammy (http://tam-sense.blogspot.com/) says I have lots of awesome ideas and tips on how to make life easier/more efficient. I thought I would share some of them here. I did not come up with any of these, they have been picked up along the way from my family, friends, magazines, blogs, etc.
Tip on Tuesday: It takes 21 days for a new habit to stick (I have no idea which book I got this from). And humans have limited willpower, so we can't develop multiple new habits at once. Pick one habit/resolution for January and stick to it for 21 days until it is a real part of your daily life and routine. Don't try to change too much at once!
What's your new habit?
Tip on Tuesday: It takes 21 days for a new habit to stick (I have no idea which book I got this from). And humans have limited willpower, so we can't develop multiple new habits at once. Pick one habit/resolution for January and stick to it for 21 days until it is a real part of your daily life and routine. Don't try to change too much at once!
What's your new habit?
Tuesday, December 25, 2012
A tip on Tuesday!
My friend Tammy (http://tam-sense.blogspot.com/) says I have lots of awesome ideas and tips on how to make life easier/more efficient. I thought I would share some of them here. I did not come up with any of these, they have been picked up along the way from my family, friends, magazines, blogs, etc.
Tip on Tuesday: Have a Merry Christmas!!!
Tip on Tuesday: Have a Merry Christmas!!!
Tuesday, December 18, 2012
A tip on Tuesday!
My friend Tammy (http://tam-sense.blogspot.com/) says I have lots of awesome ideas and tips on how to make life easier/more efficient. I thought I would share some of them here. I did not come up with any of these, they have been picked up along the way from my family, friends, magazines, blogs, etc.
Tip on Tuesday:Wash the produce as soon as you get home from the store. It makes cooking, packing lunches, grabbing a quick snack, so much easier when everything is ready to go. Scrub the carrots, wash and tear up the lettuce/kale/spinach, wash the apples, etc. I will even wash half a bunch of grapes, saving the other half for later in the week. It helps them stay fresh longer if they aren't washed. Don't wash berries until ready to use, that helps them stay fresh longer too.
Tip on Tuesday:Wash the produce as soon as you get home from the store. It makes cooking, packing lunches, grabbing a quick snack, so much easier when everything is ready to go. Scrub the carrots, wash and tear up the lettuce/kale/spinach, wash the apples, etc. I will even wash half a bunch of grapes, saving the other half for later in the week. It helps them stay fresh longer if they aren't washed. Don't wash berries until ready to use, that helps them stay fresh longer too.
Tuesday, December 11, 2012
A tip on Tuesday!
My friend Tammy (http://tam-sense.blogspot.com/) says I have lots of awesome ideas and tips on how to make life easier/more efficient. I thought I would share some of them here. I did not come up with any of these, they have been picked up along the way from my family, friends, magazines, blogs, etc.
Tip on Tuesday: Wipe down the bathroom sink every night. It takes 10 seconds and makes the room look cleaner and the next morning less irritating (especially if you are married to a toothpaste slobber-er). I keep a sponge under the sink and while I am brushing my teeth, I wet the sponge, wipe down the counter and the bowl so everything looks nice for the next day.
Tip on Tuesday: Wipe down the bathroom sink every night. It takes 10 seconds and makes the room look cleaner and the next morning less irritating (especially if you are married to a toothpaste slobber-er). I keep a sponge under the sink and while I am brushing my teeth, I wet the sponge, wipe down the counter and the bowl so everything looks nice for the next day.
Thursday, December 6, 2012
Fail: I didn't buy mirrors for the bathroom!
Although they are beautiful, they are way too big for the space. So I had to cancel the order. Sad me.
Tuesday, December 4, 2012
A tip on Tuesday!
My friend Tammy (http://tam-sense.blogspot.com/) says I have lots of awesome ideas and tips on how to make life easier/more efficient. I thought I would share some of them here. I did not come up with any of these, they have been picked up along the way from my family, friends, magazines, blogs, etc.
Tip on Tuesday: Sort all your mail, magazines, flyers, random paper as soon as you walk in the door. Throw all the stuff you don't need, including junk mail and the envelopes, inserts, etc for real mail into the recycle bin, put credit card offers in the shredder (or make a pile on top until you have time to shred) and save just the important pieces to deal with. AND if the 'deal with' part will take 2 minutes or less, try to complete that task right then. Write the check, fill out the wedding RSVP card, send the baby shower RSVP email, put all dates on your calendar right then and there. You won't have to think about it or touch that piece of paper again. Maybe it can even go in the recycle bin! But don't recycle it if you need the address to the baby shower. Just sayin'.
Tip on Tuesday: Sort all your mail, magazines, flyers, random paper as soon as you walk in the door. Throw all the stuff you don't need, including junk mail and the envelopes, inserts, etc for real mail into the recycle bin, put credit card offers in the shredder (or make a pile on top until you have time to shred) and save just the important pieces to deal with. AND if the 'deal with' part will take 2 minutes or less, try to complete that task right then. Write the check, fill out the wedding RSVP card, send the baby shower RSVP email, put all dates on your calendar right then and there. You won't have to think about it or touch that piece of paper again. Maybe it can even go in the recycle bin! But don't recycle it if you need the address to the baby shower. Just sayin'.
Monday, December 3, 2012
I bought bathroom mirrors today!
I bought 2 mirrors for the bathroom today. I sure hope they look pretty when they get here!
Tuesday, November 27, 2012
A tip on Tuesday!
My friend Tammy (http://tam-sense.blogspot.com/) says I have lots of awesome ideas and tips on how to make life easier/more efficient. I thought I would share some of them here. I did not come up with any of these, they have been picked up along the way from my family, friends, magazines, blogs, etc.
Tip on Tuesday: save the wrappers from sticks of butter. Stick them in the freezer and use them to grease baking pans instead of cooking spray.
Here is a photo of my stash.
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Tip on Tuesday: save the wrappers from sticks of butter. Stick them in the freezer and use them to grease baking pans instead of cooking spray.
Here is a photo of my stash.
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Monday, November 26, 2012
Bathroom Faucets?
Kevin has decided we are doing polished nickel faucets with cross handles. I get to pick the faucet (as long as I stay within his parameters).
Do you like the low arc?
Or the high arc?
Do you like the low arc?
Monday, November 12, 2012
Beadboard: Fancy or simple?
We are planning to do a beadboard wainscoting in the bathroom. I am debating if it should be fancy and framed out like this:
Or simple, just beadboard, a baseboard and a top edge, like this:
Which one do you like better?
Or simple, just beadboard, a baseboard and a top edge, like this:
Which one do you like better?
Thursday, October 4, 2012
Floor Tile Options
Here are some of the options I am considering for floor tile in the bathroom. We haven't done any real shopping yet, I found all of these online.
Basketweave
Lantern
Octagon
Spiral
Penny
I am torn between the basketweave and the spiral. Although I do love penny tile!
Friday, September 21, 2012
Bathroom Inspiration
I will be swiping ideas for new upstairs bathroom from these pretty, pretty pictures.
The navy grasscloth and the chevron beadboard (need help convincing Kevin on these). And the toilet.
Any thoughts?
The navy grasscloth and the chevron beadboard (need help convincing Kevin on these). And the toilet.
Love the beadboard wainscoting, the basketweave floor, the sconces and the mirror.
Love the dark upper wall, white lower wall. If you get tired of pink, you could swap out the towels and rug for another fun color!
Our shower will be similar to this one and I like the double vanity and 2 separate mirrors, although I am planning to do a white vanity.
Again with the contrast between the upper and lower wall and the bright accent!
Any thoughts?
Wednesday, September 19, 2012
Attic Addition
We are getting ready to start work on our attic addition. We are adding a second bathroom, a bedroom, a closet and a lounge space. Well, technically the bedroom and the closet already exist, but they are a little scary right now. Check out the before photos.
Here are the current plans. We have a few minor tweaks to make but it's pretty close! I am getting excited about this project!
Here are the current plans. We have a few minor tweaks to make but it's pretty close! I am getting excited about this project!
Friday, July 13, 2012
New Kitchen Table
My dad made us a new kitchen table. The beautiful butcher block top was donated by a family friend. It was part of a display at a retailer where he works. They were throwing it away, but my dad trashed picked it. So classy!
We were inspired by this table from Crate and Barrel.
Our table is regular height, for chairs, not bar stools. The base is painted BM Black Satin and the top has a coat of Danish oil in natural on it. We love it, wings up or wings down!
We were inspired by this table from Crate and Barrel.
Our table is regular height, for chairs, not bar stools. The base is painted BM Black Satin and the top has a coat of Danish oil in natural on it. We love it, wings up or wings down!
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