It Feels So Good!

April unleashes an urge in me to organize and clean out the spaces in my house.  This year, it has inspired home maintenance too.  I have been purging and organizing every space in my way - my closet (again), the linen cabinet, my kids' rooms...the list goes on.  We recently moved the girls back to their own rooms, and my son into our former guest room, so that revealed a whole other list of items to be done.  Then, as I mentioned, we decided to do some home maintenance and my hubby and I went through the house room by room and made a list of upkeep to be done.  This was a fabulous exercise.  After eight years, it needed to be done!  Through it all, it feels so good.  So good to have things in their place.  So good to have a beautiful space to greet me when I am open a door or cabinet.  So good to feel organized.  I want to share this "good" feeling so I am highlighting a previous post I wrote last year to inspire.  Happy organizing!

5 Spring Cleaning Projects That Will Change Your Life
Originally published 4/5/13

I don't know about you, but a clean house brings me lots of joy!  I have only tackled half of the items on my Spring cleaning projects so far, but the ones below have truly changed my life, bringing order and beauty to my home spaces, and in turn have filled me with inner peace and calm.  Try them for yourself.  Life.  Changing.

Clean out your closet: This isn't your basic purge.  Purge with an awareness of what you feel fantastic in and what makes you feel uncomfortable.  Get rid of the stuff you never wear, but say you will someday...you know, that dress that has been in there for two years unworn or the skirt that you'll wear someday when you get the right shoes or lose that last 5 pounds.  If you don't feel great in it now,   purge!  And then, here's the life changing part.  Toss out those plastic hangers and put them on wood hangers (IKEA and The Container Store are great sources for hangers).  Fold all of your clothes neatly like in a boutique.  Organize them by color.  Step back and say "Ooh.  Ahh.  Hello, beautiful closet."  I am still on a high from my closet's transformation three weeks ago!

Organize the cabinet under your bathroom sink: Invest in some plastic shoe boxes from The Container Store ($1.99 each) and organize all that stuff under your sink into categories.  I have one box for first aid, another for shaving stuff, another for cotton balls/swabs/Q-tips, another for travel items, another for toothpaste/toothbrushes/floss, etc.  Once you have them all neat in your new bins, stack them under the sink and exhale.  Never again, will I dread finding a razor or bar of soap.  P.S. This works for the other spaces in your home that have tons of stuff (e.g. the laundry room cupboards, below the kitchen sink...)

Corral the stuffed animals: The stuffies on my kids beds were driving me crazy.  I started with my son and am tackling my girls' beds next.  I bought a colored, tiered net with shelves from IKEA and placed the animals inside.  It's stylish, fun, and practical.  

Purge your kitchen gadget drawer: I had rubber spatulas galore, wooden spoons I hadn't used in years, and loads of other gadgets I never used.  I could barely close the drawer and when I tried to open it, things always got stuck.  For this project, get real with yourself.  How many peelers do you really need?  Do you really use that egg slicer?  Then, clean out the drawer, get a drawer divider from The Container Store and bask in the beauty of your drawer that slides open and close easily!

Organize the pantry: For someone who cooks as much as I do, this truly was life changing.  I made a major investment in The Container Store in storage bins and baskets, but it was so worth it.  I got rid of appliances and serving platters that were taking up space but never used, organized my cookbooks with the corresponding cookware (for example, slow cooker, barbecue, and baking), and took snacks out of their packing and placed them into attractive baskets.  Everything is neat and in its place and it looks so pretty.  Every time I walk in there (and that's a lot), I smile! 

Do you have a spring cleaning project that has changed your world?  I'd love to hear about it.  Please share in the comments section below.

Fall Centerpiece Ideas

I love the fall season because I tend to appreciate nature just a little bit more.  With the changing colors of the leaves, and the subtle drops in temperature, I am reminded of the magic of the seasons.  To capture some of that nature inside my home, I have been experimenting with centerpieces on my dining room table that use natural materials.  

This one is currently sitting on my table:

I bought this beautiful serving platter from Pier 1 several years ago.  The colors are perfect for fall.  I filled it with pumpkins of different colors and sizes.

Here's another idea - twigs and leaves: Take a rectangular platter and lay out twigs and fall leaves.

For more ideas, check out this link to DIY fall centerpieces using natural materials (love Pinterest!).  Enjoy the beauty of fall!  

A Few of My Favorite Back-To-School Things

My kids are back in school and life is in full swing once again.  For me, going back is bittersweet, especially this year when I had such an incredible summer.  Still, there are a few things that I enjoy about being back at school, like normalcy and routine (my type A personality thrives on that), stricter bed times (which means more "me" time after they go to bed), and some really fun and cool products that I get to put into use.  Below are a few of my favorite things for making lunches, corralling art projects, and organizing our schedules.

For School and Lunches

Say Please Lunch Box Notes: I have been using these cute, inspirational notes for years.  They have bland ones too, where you can write your own message.  My kids love the fun facts on the back.  The company's website also offers great free printables around the holidays.

Magic Straws: I just discovered this fun way to flavor our non-dairy milk.  Each straw contains magic flavor beads that can transform your ordinary almond or coconut milk into a special treat.  They are lactose-free, fat-free, cholesterol-free, gluten-free, preservative-free, allergen-free, and contain very little sugar

S'well water bottles: My stepmom introduced me to these gems this summer.  A good water bottle is hard to find.  This one is my favorite.  It keeps liquids extremely well insulated and chilled, even in the hot weather we have been having in LA.  These bottles are not cheap, but their sleek design, fun colors, and effectiveness make them worth it.








For Home

Erin Condren's FUNctional Family System: I am breaking out new chore charts and incentives this school year.  EC's FUNctional Family product is awesome.  It includes personalized chore charts in tear off sheets for you to update each week (in beautiful designs), as well as tear-off calendar pads for posting our family's dynamic weekly schedule.  Go crazy and color code each kids' activities with EC's fun color markers.  The dry erase clipboard it fits on even has room for me to write my dinner meal plans each week.  My family will have everything it needs for the week at a glance.  No more - "What are we doing today?" or "What's for dinner?"

ArtKive: This free app is amazing (cue the choir!).  Seriously, I love this app.  I take a picture of my kids' artwork as they bring it home, and it is categorized and stored online for me to put into a book at the end of the year.  I just discovered this app last year and "artkived" all of my kids' previous years' work, so I am ready to go this year.

My Ban on Plastics

My daughter's fourth grade Junior Girl Scout troop is working on an amazing project to encourage the Hermosa Beach City Council to ban the use of plastic bags in our city's businesses.  I am inspired by their idea and motivation to make the world a better place.  What can I say?  My girls rock!

As the troop leader, I have spent much time researching and coordinating for this project (go Girl Scouts!).  I think I have learned as much as the girls about the use of plastic and its negative impact on our environment.  We have had a few speakers come to our meetings and each time, I find myself asking, "What else could I be doing to cut back on my use of plastic?"  

Did you know... (Source: 5gyres.org, Surfrider Foundation)

• According to the EPA, the U.S. consumes about 380 billion plastic bags, sacks and wraps a year?
• The recycling rate of plastic bags is only about 1%.
• Plastics can take 1,000 years to decompose.
• Sunlight reduces plastic to confetti, which now covers 25% of our planet's surface in the center of all 5 gyres (circular current systems in the oceans).
• Over 300 marine life species are entangled in or ingest plastic waste.  
• Plastics absorb pollutants (DDT, pesticides, oil) and release them when ingested.

Yuck, yuck and more yuck.  I cannot ignore this information and am compelled to do as much as I can to not contribute to more of the problem.  Here are some things I have implemented in my household (or was already doing) to cut back on plastic.

Reduce my use of plastic bags:

- Bring reusable bags whenever I go shopping.  That includes the grocery store, but also Target and other places that would give me a bag.

- Use produce bags (I got mine at Crate and Barrel) when grocery shopping to put my vegetables and fruit into.

- Buy as much as I can in bulk and bring containers to the stores.

In my house:

- Use reusable lunch boxes and cloth sacks instead of plastic containers and bags.  I avoid packaging all together in my kids' school lunches.

- Everyone in my family has a reusable water bottle instead of using plastic water bottles.

- Use stainless steel straws at home and bring with us when we eat out.

- Pick up my dog's poop with newspaper.

What do you do to reduce your use of plastic in your home and life?  I would LOVE to hear your tips.  Please tell me in the comments section below.

5 Spring Cleaning Projects That Will Change Your Life

I don't know about you, but a clean house brings me lots of joy!  I have only tackled half of the items on my Spring cleaning projects so far, but the ones below have truly changed my life, bringing order and beauty to my home spaces, and in turn have filled me with inner peace and calm.  Try them for yourself.  Life.  Changing.

 Clean out your closet: This isn't your basic purge.  Purge with an awareness of what you feel fantastic in and what makes you feel uncomfortable.  Get rid of the stuff you never wear, but say you will someday...you know, that dress that has been in there for two years unworn or the skirt that you'll wear someday when you get the right shoes or lose that last 5 pounds.  If you don't feel great in it now,   purge!  And then, here's the life changing part.  Toss out those plastic hangers and put them on wood hangers (IKEA and The Container Store are great sources for hangers).  Fold all of your clothes neatly like in a boutique.  Organize them by color.  Step back and say "Ooh.  Ahh.  Hello, beautiful closet."  I am still on a high from my closet's transformation three weeks ago!

Organize the cabinet under your bathroom sink: Invest in some plastic shoe boxes from The Container Store ($1.99 each) and organize all that stuff under your sink into categories.  I have one box for first aid, another for shaving stuff, another for cotton balls/swabs/Q-tips, another for travel items, another for toothpaste/toothbrushes/floss, etc.  Once you have them all neat in your new bins, stack them under the sink and exhale.  Never again, will I dread finding a razor or bar of soap.  P.S. This works for the other spaces in your home that have tons of stuff (e.g. the laundry room cupboards, below the kitchen sink...)

Corral the stuffed animals: The stuffies on my kids beds were driving me crazy.  I started with my son and am tackling my girls' beds next.  I bought a colored, tiered net with shelves from IKEA and placed the animals inside.  It's stylish, fun, and practical.  

Purge your kitchen gadget drawer - I had rubber spatulas galore, wooden spoons I hadn't used in years, and loads of other gadgets I never used.  I could barely close the drawer and when I tried to open it, things always got stuck.  For this project, get real with yourself.  How many peelers do you really need?  Do you really use that egg slicer?  Then, clean out the drawer, get a drawer divider from The Container Store and bask in the beauty of your drawer that slides open and close easily!

Organize the pantry: For someone who cooks as much as I do, this truly was life changing.  I made a major investment in The Container Store in storage bins and baskets, but it was so worth it.  I got rid of appliances and serving platters that were taking up space but never used, organized my cookbooks with the corresponding cookware (for example, slow cooker, barbecue, and baking), and took snacks out of their packing and placed them into attractive baskets.  Everything is neat and in its place and it looks so pretty.  Every time I walk in there (and that's a lot), I smile! 

Do you have a spring cleaning project that has changed your world?  I'd love to hear about it.  Please share in the comments section below.