Basement Organization - Home Improvement Crap

Welcome to "Basement Organization, Pt. II - Battle of the Clutter"!! I worked my belly off during the little man's nap time (seriously, I had him rubbing my aching baby bump when he got up) to organize the stuff that Dave had pulled off our shelving units over the weekend. We have one unit that's dedicated to paint (which used to house paint, but we had a "tipping over" incident) and another that has tools, electrical stuff and other odds-and-ends things for around the house.

Oh, and there was other random crap cluttering up the space.

Seriously. This is what we were dealing with when I walked into the basement:

Just lotsa wrong goin' on. Stuff got moved. Stuff got tossed. It was fun. And my tips from our first weekend organizing came in super handy. Like stuff with like stuff, FTW! 

Hey, look! An old TV. (Which will replace our current old TV when it kicks the bucket. Not kidding.)

The stuff on the TV has actually since been taken care of, and the box on the right is stuff for Dave to go through. Otherwise, tools on the bottom two shelves, odds and ends organized by "type" (electrical stuff, cleaning chemicals, sundry tapes, safety gear) on the top two. 

Since we'll be painting the rest of the floor (Dave started awhile back) and hopefully the walls, this stuff is all going to have to be pulled out and moved, but I needed to get it out from the middle of everything. They don't look it, but they're totally organized - interior, primers, Drylok, and exterior. My favorite semi-gloss trim paint lives on the shelving...because it deserves it.

So, how're we doin'? I need to turn my attention back to the clothing situation and organizing around the washer/dryer area, plus we've got a Lowe's trip to make (I'd like another shelving unit to organize kiddo stuff and maybe totes and some spray paint for a freebie I recently scored).

One thing I've realized is the tumbling dominoes of organization rule. The more space that opens up (little by little), I realize that it loosens me up mentally to purging and storing stuff from other areas. Like, I've got some stuff from the garage that I'd rather have inside than in an outside space, and our office is in dire need of decluttering. This doesn't mean shuffling crap we don't need around, but giving serious consideration to what's needed and how often it's used, then storing appropriately.

I'm super inspired by small living and mindful living websites and blogs lately, so that also helps in my mindset. Anyone else trying to live a more fulfilling life with less?

Basement Organization

We have two spaces in our house that overwhelm us with "stuff" -- our office (which I hardly use and Dave uses regularly) and our basement. Since we're up in the air as to whether or not we'll find a new house before the little one comes along, we're trying to be proactive, both by getting wicked organized in case we do sell and move OR in the case that we don't move, we'll have simplified and found more room in the process. Win-win, really.

This weekend, before I had a chance to even take "before" pictures (crappy blogger), we headed downstairs to see what we could get done. One toddler naptime turned into another and, of course, we still have lots more to work on, so I'm sure I'll be chatting about our basement a bit more as we continue our purging/organization fun. I'm hoping to get down every day this week (during naps or after bedtime)...yup, it's that bad.

On Day #1, while Dave sifted through all of our home improvement items (lots of sanding blocks!!), I turned my attention under the stairs. This is where all of our holiday stuff lives, along with gift wrap, gift bags, ribbon, etc. I didn't move everything out, but organized and sifted through and evaluated...and ended up with this:

Here are some of the strategies I used to organize the space:

Put Similar Items Together - Believe me; it wasn't easy in the beginning. Walking into a basement that has become more and more of a dumping ground over time is downright panic attack-inducing. But, my #1 organization tip is to dive in by making piles of (or simply separating into) similar items. Don't obsess about the sheer vastness of the stuff; put on your blinders and start making piles.

So, now my Christmas stuff is with, duh, the Christmas stuff. (I'm saying "duh" to myself, BTW.) Gift bags are organized specifically by birthday, characters (like, superheroes or Peter Rabbit), and new baby, then there was even a separate bag just for the generic, anytime bags.

This was the first moment (among many) that I realized, JOYOUSLY, that I don't need to buy a new gift bag for a long, long time. Same goes with tissue paper. And Christmas wrap...and tape...and ribbons...and boxes of all sizes. Holy crap. Literally all I need for Christmas is some new sticker tags to go on gifts (and maybe one wrap of "Santa paper"). Knowing that we'll have a newborn at Christmastime and realizing that I'm all set with that side of things calms me. "And knowing is half the battle!" Speak to me, Transformers.

Location, Location, Location - Doesn't it just make sense to keep the things that you use most often closest to you? In this case, it's gift bags, which we use (and reuse and reuse) with unapologetic abandon. So, keeping those behind the Christmas stuff would've been silly. Front and center they are. 

This will also apply to the totes of baby/toddler clothes (of which we have, I believe, 8...I only wish that wasn't true, and we bought very, very little of it ourselves). Why keep the 18-month stuff at the top of the stacks when we'll need newborn and 0-3 months first? It also helps direct you as to where certain items should go, as well as help you analyze whether you need the item at all. If something's automatically being shoved to the back wall, why? If it's an "once-a-year-but-need-it" thing (ahem, Christmas crap, I'm talking to you), then fine. But if it's an "I really don't know when we'll use that" thing, say ba-bye.   

Get creative with storage - Not everything needs to be perfectly packed in totes with labels typed in a label-maker. I mean, sure, that'd be great, but sometimes a tote takes up too much spaces or doesn't fit your needs. (Although, I highly suggest using them for storing kiddo and maternity clothes; they don't breathe as much as I might like, but they're the easiest solution I can think of for now. Plus, the transparent or semi-transparent ones, you can just shove a piece of paper labeled with a marker for what's inside along the side and see it - no tearing or getting messed up.)

So, aside from boxes we have been saving FUH-RE-VER, I grabbed things that either were heading for the donation pile or are hardly used. So, a random blue basket that I haven't used in years just happened to fit all the tissue paper perfectly. One large seen-better-days gift bag holds all the rest of the "can be used" ones. A cheap, heavy duty glass hurricane candleholder worked as a makeshift gift wrap holder (and if it breaks, I truly won't shed a tear). A random nail or pipe protruding from a wall or ceiling overhang is a great place to hang a string of Christmas lights.

And always, ALWAYS stack as much as possible. All those baskets you see would take up mad space if they weren't piled up. It is what it is.

Expect All the Emotions - The rush and joy I felt has made me actually excited to head back down to the dungeon, I kid you not. I'm like a purging monster. "Must. Purge. Mooooorrrre." And finding cards and gifts that kids gave me years ago while I was teaching at a different school? Heartstrings!

But, it hasn't all been a high. First of all, while I'm pretty active during pregnancy with yoga and, like, not slowing down, the baby has definitely stopped me in my path a few times. "Seriously, Mama. Too much. Go get some water, sit down, and thank me later." I can always tell that I've overdone it; not a matter of "if" but "when." It's how I roll, I guess.

At the same time, there have been frustrations and tears. Tears = finding a platter that was my grandmother's shattered. Frustrations = the sheer mass of stuff that we actually had little control over in the first place (stuff that was passed along that we didn't want or need).

It's all part of the game, though, and the best emotion that I've cultivated is RELAXATION. No, seriously! While it's definitely hard, sweaty, dirty work, I've discovered exactly the stuff we have. I've realized that THIS is when you overbuy.

How many times have you had to get a gift for someone so you bought more tissue paper, not realizing that you already have enough in storage? Or because you don't know what you have in storage from awhile back, you buy yet another pair of black work pants? In our case, I've been starting to mentally gear up about getting some cold season maternity clothes and post-maternity COOOOLD weather stuff. (The last baby was born in July.) However, after going through all the hand-me-downs and stuff I had, even in summer, I've discovered a lot of items that will work! It brought a calm to me that I haven't felt in awhile.

How many of you have a space in your house that's overrun by clutter or needs organizing? When I head down tonight, I'll probably be heading back to purging clothing (this does NOT excite me) or to organize and figure out storage for the home improvement stuff Dave sorted. That has spread out, big-time, so to get that up off the floor and truly organized will be a good feeling. 

Homes Away From Home

We all have a place that we visit, eventually getting high off the thought of possibly moving there. It's usually totally ridiculous to dream about and beyond impractical, but it happens. Even Liz Lemon fell victim to it...
 

Well, we have our "favorite spots", too. We may love a place for its natural serenity, its bustling energy, its sustainable living practices, its cultural activity, or the very important fact that dear friends live there. Here are a few (very outlandish) dream places:

- Middlebury, VT - We visit here (almost) every year since first visiting on our honeymoon. It's a green (in more ways than one), great little college town in a state that makes it far easier to live sustainably and support local. Somehow, it provides a mix of modern with traditional "New England small town" charm, all in an adorable package. Of course, we know no one who lives in the vicinity, making a move not only implausible but incredibly alienating and lonely. Sigh.

- Ithaca, NY - Much like Middlebury, it's a "gorge-ous" college city with abnormally eco-friendly practices (especially for NYS). With a high-quality theater scene and the most hippies-per-capita in all of "upstate", it's practically a miniaturized Portland, Oregon. (That's a good thing for us.) I can't begin to list all the reasons we'll never move there, but it's a nice place to visit.

- Western Mass - Dave went to school here, so he may be biased (I shouldn't say that; I went to Oneonta and I have no intention of moving there ;-)), but he has some of the awesomest friends on Earth whom we love to visit. So, it would be worth the price of admission just to move and see them once in awhile, honestly. Add to it the fact that it's another "like-minded" place as far as local eats, organic and sustainable practices, and more, and it's a dream come true. Unfortunately, it's just not worth leaving our respective families and low cost of living. *wop wop*

- Concord, MA - Okay, a few of these are my dream whereas a few are more Dave's, so bear with me. Have you BEEN here? It's a step back in time, with many historical homes and well-kept historical and nature preserve sites (Hello! Walden Pond much?!). I'm fascinated by the transcendentalist movement and the life of Louisa May Alcott (and American history, of course), so when I tell my students I've visited her home, they tend to think I'm a stalker (then ask if it's haunted, of course). The place is just bursting with history, culture...and incredibly expensive housing. *scratches off list* 

- New York City - We've never said "I want to live here!" In fact, when we were in our dating stages visiting every 6 months or so, we looked in restaurant windows to see parents with kids and said, "Wow, I can't imagine raising children here." Between the noise and constant over-stimulation, the sheer cost is unthinkable. But, of course, not enough positive can be said about the place. So, when the time comes, we'll allow H and any future siblings tiny doses of over-stimulation. ;-) 

- The Adirondacks - Here's another one that's all me and pretty much 2% Dave. Maybe 0%, who knows? While we're relatively close to the majestic Adirondack mountain range and park, we rarely ever utilize the place, going maybe once a year (like the year I went camping for a couple of days with my family or our Old Forge visits). The Adirondacks are the total opposite of NYC, with their constant barrage of peace and quiet, natural wonder, outdoor activities, and, yes, more history. (Although NY has quite a bit of history, it's modern to the max.) Again, it's pretty darn expensive (unless you pick a less popular lake) to get even a shabby camp, and I'm admittedly a pretty crappy swimmer to be utilizing a lake, anyway, but for the gentle calm, fun and exercise of canoeing and hiking, and animal encounters? I'd take it. Plus, what better way is there to raise a child? 

- Cooperstown, NY - This is by far the closest "home away from home" for us. Every once in awhile, we take the drive out for their Saturday (indoor!) farmers' market, random event (like their annual Candlelight Evening I've mentioned several times), or just to grab a deli lunch and head down to picnic by the lake. It's another diamond-in-the-rough: rich literary history (no, really), incredible museums (sure, baseball, but so much more), picturesque scenery and perfect "Andy Hardy old-school town" vibe, plus an incredibly active group of people working to make the place as good as it can be. If I ever make millions of dollars writing the next big American novel, we're movin' there. 

What's YOUR "home away from home"? I'd love to hear your favorite spot(s)!

Coat Closet Clean-Out

You can always tell the season has changed when I start getting the (occasional) itch to clean again. Okay, okay. Of course I clean the rest of the year...but this is my "that's driving me nuts, I've gotta get it CLEAN already!!!" time of year.

This is what led me to pulling out 85% of the contents of our living room coat closet to finally, FINALLY reorganize, purge a bit, and create some additional living space for a certain someone's toys. #notDave

Here's what we started with...

Crappy pictures to the rescue! Dun dun-dun duuuun!!

Things had just been piled up and up and added to (super generous relatives + super adorable toddler = 4+ winter coats in the same size, and various hats 'n mittens), so it was time to pack away those items that we'll use in the future. We didn't actually end up getting rid of a ton, but they found new places to live. I did some major shuffling and grabbed some fabric totes and baskets from the basement to see if I could work something out. (Spoiler: I only needed one!)

Here's how it looks today:

Not earth-shattering, but kind of a game changer for me. Those four plastic bins of toys are out of eye-shot in the living room (I've still got more purging to do of toys...big time) but within reach of the little guy. If I had put them high up, every time I open the door he'd inevitably notice them and demand that they come down. Sometimes making things more easily accessible actually lessens the demand. #themoreyouknow

Up top is deceptively simple, as well. I stuffed anything diaper-related into the (duh, Meg) diaper box, moved the tennis rackets to the basement, and weeded out the bin leaving behind only the items we use, both winter AND spring/summer related. (It also has our cat essential - lint brush.) On the right side up top is where we store our board games, but there was also room to toss H's awesome Mickey Mouse sleeping bag. It's the little things, y'know.

Here's a close look at our toy storage:  

Legos, wooden train set, "Little People" & other figurines, and bigger Lego pieces and cars.

This is the part that I'm most excited about. We've got a bookcase chock full of books in the little guy's bedroom. We also had acquired a stack of random books, magazines ("High Five"! Love it!!), and kid-friendly comic books on our ottoman. It was time to figure something out.

So, with that one fabric bin from the basement, I created our own downstairs library. I'll switch out books here and there to create some interest, but it's awesome to be able to pull this out and have some quiet-ish reading time on the first level of our house during the day. We've honestly waited to read numerous books as a family every evening in our bedroom, but this makes it more of an "anytime" occurrence.

Whatchya think? It definitely has me glancing around at the other spring cleaning activities I've yet to undertake! I'm just encouraged that we were able to open our windows to let some of the good, clean air in yesterday (even if it was 40 degrees - a heat wave, I tell ya!).

House Wishlist

Happy Groundhog Day! We're lucky enough to have a snow day (and my hubby took the day, too!), which is our first one of the year. Definitely a great day to hunker down, drink hot cocoa, bake cookies, and generally appreciate the warmth together. 

That said, we love our house, but we're hoping to start up a house hunt just about when the snow melts. It's strange to admit it out loud (or, for all the internet to read), but the good thing is that we're not in a hurry. Our current situation is fine, for now, but because we're not rushing to find something, we have time to work on little areas of ours that need work and won't feel quite as pressured to buy something we don't love.  

It's not a huge move; we're still going to be in the same relative area, but hopefully safer and with more space for the little guy to play. That said, I thought I'd share Had's current thoughts on the house situation (which, quite honestly, change a little depending on the day). He has consistently asked for the following:

- More land to "run and run and run." I've asked for awhile now whether he wants a house in a "town" with people around to play with or in the "country" where he can have lots of room...and this is what he says.

- Places to play. We take this as either a room that's big enough for him to use also as a playroom, or a specifically designated place that IS a playroom

He doesn't ask for much. Gotta love a 2-year-old. His mom and dad, however... Well, here's what we're hoping for:

- More space, but not too much. We currently have a 3-bedroom, 1-bath house that clocks in at around 1,000 sq. ft. If we could have a house with an extra bedroom (or a 3-bedroom with an office or playroom area, or finished basement) and maybe an extra half bath, we'd be happy.

- Bring on the charm. Our current fixer-upper is charming. There are soooo many cookie-cutter homes that lack things like substantial woodwork or built-ins or, well, much of anything. I personally prefer homes from the first half of the 1900s. I'm flexible...but within reason. ;-) I will also gladly work to bring it up to modern standards, while maintaining its character.  

- Centrally located. We'd like for our commutes to be 30 minutes or less. Currently, Dave's is around 25 minutes; mine's 15 minutes.

- A bit of land. Again, not too much, but enough that Had and any future siblings or friends have space to roam. I'd like to be able to garden. It's also a bit of a dream of Dave's to have a barn or garage for strays. Just call him St. Francis of Assisi. But, if we didn't get a country home and instead had a nice backyard in a safe neighborhood, we definitely wouldn't mind.  

There are other things on our list, like particular townships near friends or a particular price-range or yes-to-hardwood-floors-no-to-oil-heat, but everything is flexible to an extent. We'd like it to be a place that we enjoy for many, many years to come, so we're picky about some things, but willing to work with others. Certain aesthetic issues can be remedied, but other bigger updates may not be in our budget long-term. But, seriously, I'm so glad that we don't have HGTV right now -- watching the house hunting couples walk into a place and put their foot down over bad wallpaper or easily-amended ugliness is frustrating!

That said, I thought it'd be fun to share a couple of the "wow, that would be AWESOME" mental wishes for a future home. I can't wait to get my DIY on and put some fun, love and life into a gem of a space.

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For some weird reason, I'm really into bungalows from the '20s and '30s. It's not a deal-breaker, but these have me weak in the knees.

Via

Then, there's my husband. When we drive around the neighborhood where he grew up, he swoons over these cottage- or English-style houses. I'm not against them, but they're not my favorite. Again, it's not a deal-breaker, but these are the styles that make us sit up.

Let's head inside our "dream house." I don't have an idea of specifics (unless I'm thinking about "the one that got away" last year; it was the perfect size and had no work to be done, so of course it was out of our price range), so I'll just share a couple of things we'd love to have or create over time.

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Our current kitchen is a pretty good size and has amazing light, so it's going to be hard to find something by comparison. However, it doesn't always function very practically (hello, 1925 dwellers). So, given what we've already seen on the market, I'm pretty much positive we'll have to do a makeover in the kitchen. Enter subway back splash, stage right. I love this stuff, and chunky open shelving comes in a close second. 

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This may not be exactly what we're thinking, but the idea is here (and isn't it gorgeous?). Wood floors? Yes. Fireplace? Definitely. (Bonus points if it works.) Space for entertaining/hosting holidays? Hopefully.

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We currently use an entire bedroom as an office. We'd LOVE to be able to have similar (or more) space for another one, or even part of the basement, but if we need to be creative, this set-up is awesome and simple (and cheap). 

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A kid space is pretty high on our list. The zillions if ideas I've seen floating around online have me itching to create a fun place for Hadman (and any future siblings). Chalkboard paint + homemade tent + reading area + art area + dress-up/stage area = fun. I'd also LOVE to put a piano in this space, as well, since our current place can't accommodate one. (sigh) Plus, if we decide to homeschool, it could double as a learning room.

So, what do you think? Are any of these items on your wishlist? What are some must-haves for your dream house?

Purge Plans

We just took down about 95% of our Christmas decorations and said a sad goodbye to our gorgeous tree. (I'm too attached to my "wow, I did that?!" chalkboard sketch, seen on my decor breakdown, so until I'm inspired or totally done with it, it's staying!) Paired with heading back to school today (after a super generous two weeks off with the family...I know, I'm spoiled), and I'm definitely feeling the post-holiday letdown. Who else gets hit by this every year?

Sure enough, though, this time of year also gives me a bit of a lift. I suddenly feel motivated to undertake some purging, decluttering and organizing when January hits. Nothing to do with resolutions, but maybe something about the freshness of a new year and the boredom (if it can be called that) of winter.

Add to it the fact that we're hoping to find a new home in 2015 and what better reason than to declutter? It seems to be the #1 way to make one's house more appealing to prospective buyers, not to mention the fact that it's free. To avoid the emotional side of things (don't even get me started, LOL), I remind myself that it's for the best if we remember that it's better to move only the things we love rather than haul everything, including junk or excessive "stuff" we don't actually use or need.

So, I thought I'd share a list of the purging and organizing I'm planning to do before springtime. I've got other projects in mind, but this is just the organizational stuff. :-)

- Basement. We have an unfinished basement with lots of stuff (and, dare I say, crap). It's orderly, but it's easy to just dump one thing at a time that it's gotten out-of-hand. It's also quite dark and cold, so you have to find a day that's relatively warm outside and bright, and most importantly that we're motivated to work on it. Blah.

- Clothes. Dude. I haven't even switched out my summer clothes. The best I've done is weeded out Had's 2T stuff for 3T {sniffle}. So, yup. About time!

- Office. I've promised Dave that I'd help him purge the office, although the books that we own are all ones that we love and want to keep. It's more about organization (and a little bit of purging) to make the space work best.

- Closets. We've got some closets that are bursting at the seams and others that are housing unimportant stuff. So, yeah. Organize, organize, organize! 

- Kitchen Cabinets. At least once or twice a week, I find myself reaching my boiling point over what? Being totally unable to either get a piece of cookware out of out cabinets or get one back in its rightful place. Doesn't sound maddening, but it really can be. These things were built for people of 90 years ago (which I love), so they just don't work, size-wise and shelf position-wise. I figure a good purging of unused or unnecessary stuff will help, along with a reorganization.

Do you guys have any clutter cutting going on lately? Does January light a flame under you to work on anything that's fallen to the wayside? Do tell!

On that note...off to watch Downton Abbey! (It's only a slightly less abusive to watch than Sherlock. That one takes frickin' years to put out a new season. Worth it, all around.)

Holiday Cleaning

Things may be fully holiday decorated at our house, but things seem more disheveled than usual. I'm pretty sure it's because we a) have a super small house, b) bring so much additional "stuff" in (like gifts, Christmas cards, wrapping, etc) this time of year, and c) didn't plan ahead and clean before the onslaught of the holidays. So, today's just a brain dump of all the "unfun" stuff to do so that my brain isn't swimming by Christmas. Let's blame my mother; she always had the house quite clean for the holidays. I always assumed it was because we were having a special guest (Santa) come; it was probably actually because of the REAL guests (family) coming. Duh, Meg.

Anyhoo, some of this I'm sure I won't get to, but I also have T-W-O whole weeks off for the holidays, so I foresee a "New Year project" or two here...

- Kitchen walls/shelves. My open shelving area is a bit of a hot mess. The dishes we use all the time are perfectly clean, but the shelves themselves have a layer of grease (which attracts more than a little dust and probably cat fur) and need a good scrubbing and reorganizing.

- Kitchen cabinets. Also in the kitchen and also in need of a good scrubbing are my cabinets. The insides are also SUPER disorganized (namely the bottom ones, which hold all cookware). Truth be told, a scrub + paint job are in order. Blah.

- The damn "V." Okay. So. Over Hadman's crib, I applied papier-mache letters that spell out "LOVE" when he was a baby. They've worked perfectly up until this point. One day, while he was supposed to be napping (that's a whole other issue lately), I hear over the monitor a weird clicking noise. Come to find out, he had pulled the "V" off of the wall and started using it as a clapper -- tearing the middle of the letter so that he could "clap" the two sides together. I. Was. Livid. He got pretty upset, too. He's still asking where the V is and I have a hard time not snarkily responding that he's responsible for the death of the V. (sigh) I don't say that. But I want to. :-\

-  Office disorganization. This is an ongoing headache. For now we've just gotta pick the place up and make it look presentable, but ultimately we've gotta figure out our storage and do a total overhaul of how we use the space.

- Gifts are messy. I love giving gifts, and even kind of enjoy wrapping them. But, keeping the joint somewhat picked up is a pain. I always end up with a bag containing tags, ribbons/bows, tape, and a pen that I use for the whole shebang, and generally keep a large box of boxes, bags, tissue paper, and gift wrap nearby, but I'm not one to schlep the whole thing down to the basement when done only to drag it back up later. Maybe I'm just lazy? We also have a HUGE gift that arrived, box in shambles, that's giving me an eye twitch.


This is all aside from the fun "responsibilities" of the holiday, of course, and the usual upkeep of the joint. Can you say floor mopping? :-( I was hoping to get a chore or two (along with a fun "chore" or two!) out of the way today, thanks to some inclement weather, but that didn't turn out to be very bad. Blah.

I didn't really do a good fall cleaning this year, so if I had I'm sure I'd be less bummed about these jobs. So, please don't take this as complaining as much as my own mental checklist of crap I have to do -- and commiserating, if you will! :-)

What about you guys? Any chores you dread doing but that you're sick of having hanging over your heads this time of year? 

 

4 Simple Fall Decor Ideas

I recently shared a teensy decor switcheroo to help autumn-ify the living room a bit. Since I finally had a nice day to take pictures, I thought I'd share a handful of the other super simple add-ins I used for this year's fall decorating.

I'm not a big "spiders and skeletons" person. I've seen some awesome spookifications going on in the blogosphere, but this year I'm keeping it simple, stupid. Er. You're not stupid. I'm keeping it stupid simple. Better? :-)

While giving you guys a quick tour of our living room/dining room (I pretty much decorated the entry way from the living room into the dining room, so it hits the main living areas), I'll give a few SUPER simple tips on bringing a little autumn inside.

This year, I took my hints from nature. The first way? Bringing in some nature, of course! See those twigs adorned with dried leaves? Free, from our backyard. Instant pops of rust, orange and yellow. You'll also notice gourds and mini pumpkins placed throughout, along with some individual leaves strewn strategically.  

(Pay no attention to the hideous rug.)

This pretty lady has hung in this spot for years. I just can't bring myself to switch her up. Her neutral colors and gorgeous frame, rocking sense of style, and clear adoration for books has made her a kindred spirit. So, she stays. Plus, she really fits any season or holiday, doesn't she? I say yes.

That said, a tip here is to use stuff you LOVE. What else do we love? Stacks of books and magazines. I also love sneaking in an old script. ;-) 

Going hand-in-hand with my girlfriend up there and bringing in some nature, I love using neutrals and various textures. Hence the super easy-to-make twine and linen bunting (seriously, F-R-E-E), small dollar store wreath on the window, bundle of sticks on the sidebar, and various rattan balls (I got them on clearance at Pier 1 awhile back, wish I remembered how much they were...maybe $2 each? And you know I'll use the crap out of them). And my favorite thing during fall is white pumpkins.

Plus, what's more fun than buntings? I think nothing. When I first hung them, Hadley assumed every day was now his birthday.

Oh, yeah. More nature. A huge vase filled with apples. Had to keep it simple since the little guy uses the dining room table for tons of pretend play. 

If you're having a hard time freshening up your surroundings (believe me, I'm with ya), try the new-ish chalkboard trend. Think it's too hard to find one? Too expensive? Nope. The one we have in the living room was Dave's as a kid (free) and this small one (that reminds me of an old school tablet, which I'm searching for while antiquing) was a dollar store find. Yup, it was a BUCK. Can you believe that?!

And don't worry about your artwork. You get graded on effort, not perfection. ;-) My favorite part of this trend is how interchangeable it is. Come Thanksgiving, this witch's hat will probably be a turkey or a Pilgrim's hat; come Christmas, who knows? Stocking? Elf? A snowflake? Endless options, really.

On a final irrelevant note, we may not have a black cat, but we've got a drama queen king gray one. He's pretty intense. Does that count?

It just occurred to me that all these tips could also be eco-decor tips, too. Awesome!

The Ol' Autumn Switch

Even I'm kind of surprised at how behind I am with my autumn decorating this year. It's not like I go all-out crazy with this stuff (and I probably won't this year, especially), but I do like to add touches here and there of the season. This is especially true when it's autumn, which is not only my favorite season, but the Dorky Daddy's, as well. Craziness.

So, on a recent humid-yet-insanely-torrential afternoon, I sat down to sketch. One thing led to another, and I didn't hate what I created. Not perfect, but who really cares?

I used some day-glow colored pencils because clearly I'm hip like that. I mean, just check out my iPhone picture. Crooked 'n everythin'.

So, I decided to hunt for a place to sneak it. And, of course, it only worked on my living room wall (last seen, I believe, during Christmas). While I was at it, I switched out a piece or two and rearranged until I got this...

Yup, another insanely beautiful iPhone pic. Drives me nuts, too.

Since I'm lazy, I also like to use art that can kinda double for...say...a couple of months. So, you'd better know that pumpkin art will be there until the cows come home. Or Christmastime. Yeah. Probably Christmas.

I hope to return with a few more shots of autumny goodness. It's an interesting challenge to try to add touches of beauty in the midst of toddler mayhem. Like, there's no way I can really do much with the dining room table. It's his "cooking" spot. But, I do have a few spots he can't reach, so I'll have to live it up in those spaces while I can.

What about you? Do you do fall or Halloween decorating? Do you go literal (black cats, witches, zombies) or more "figurative"? I'm hoping to go with the less in-your-face, especially using what I've got laying around. Fingers crossed!

So Fresh and So Clean Clean

I'm sure there are about eleventy billion blog posts with that title since, say, 2001. Make this eleventy billion...one. (For not being a math person, I'm annoyed to no end when people say "one hundred AND one"; "and" means decimal point, people! Anal much? ;-))

So, anyhoo, cleaning sucks. The only person I can remember encountering who LOVED cleaning was...hmm...Danny Tanner. And he was fictional. Highly doubt Bob Saget's even remotely like that in real life.

So, while my house is far from perfect, I thought I'd share a handful of simple tips that I use to keep the Monster of Filth from overtaking our lives. They definitely also act as a stress reliever.

Invite someone over every two weeks. (Or at least pretend like someone might stop by at some point.) You know that one big whirlwind clean that you do when company's coming? The one that feels a bit like a workout? Y'know, before your MIL (or, in my case, mother) drops by? This is it.

Do it once, then do it again in two weeks (one week if you can; my average us two, and there's nothin' wrong with that). You'll notice that it won't be as huge of a challenge when you do some of the other tips below; it'll get easier. 

Plus, it feels nice to sit back and enjoy the cleanliness (and friendship, of course) at the start of a weekend, which is usually when we have folks over. (I clearly don't subscribe to the "you're my friend, I don't have to clean before you come over" theory. I will, at the very least, pick up and vacuum for you. It's the least I can do!)

Slow and steady wins the race. It sounds contradictory to the last point, but after that one big cleanfest, pick out the chores that you need to complete more regularly. Daily, a couple of times a week, and weekly. 

Maybe you need to dust and vacuum more often (vacuuming is a common thing for us with a toddler dropping food and playing on the floor where cats may be traipsing litter). Maybe your bathroom can use a quick once-over weekly, or more. Stretch these jobs out over the course of a week. Toilet and wipe down of all bathroom surfaces Monday, vacuum Tuesday, etc. Then when it's time for your "company clean," you'll only have some of the deep-cleaning stuff to do.

Do something everyday. I'm not talking about the fact that my grandmother mopped her floors daily. True story! I'm saying that you can pick from that list and, depending on your mood and energy level that day, do ONE thing.

Mind you, this could include smaller, regular stuff like putting dishes away or folding a load of laundry all the way up to Old Englishing (totally a word) the woodwork or touch-up painting. Simple and small or big project, it all counts. Which leads me to...

Get into the habit of picking up. Every night when Hadley's in bed, we attack the main living area. Some days he hardly touches the toys, but most days (and especially on weekends or during the summer), the place looks like a tornado hit.

So, we pick up. Our stuff, his stuff, whatever. It really only takes about five minutes, and it makes a huge difference when we come down the stairs, bleary-eyed, the next morning to a relatively neat house. Don't get me started on cat toys, though. Those, I like to leave out for our boys' mental stimulation, so I really only pick them up if company's company. Is that weird?

Find what works with you and stick with it. Some people prefer doing all the dusting in their entire house at one time, then doing another chore the next day. Others like getting one room done at a time, even if it involves dragging out the vacuum and all the supplies needed to clean it each day for each room. I usually do it the first way, but I can swing both ways. I'm hip like that.

And there's no right or wrong way. Seriously, whatever you're comfortable with, just do it. It's kind of like how I budget. I know it's not the way a lot of people would be comfortable handling money, but it works for me.

Gotta Stay on Top of My Life, Gotta Stay on Top of My Life

Is it just me, or is September kind of like January's nerdy kid brother? Given all the back-to-school craziness and a return to "normalcy," I tend to be confronted with the fact that I clearly didn't do enough of a productive nature over the summer (even if I actually got a ton done). I flounder and stare face-to-face at a necessity to get my life in order. And I'm pretty sure I'm not the only one. Teachers, parents...hey, even single or retired folks. Something about that chill in the air, am I right?

January's the cool kids' turn to pick some resolutions in an attempt to kick start some positive change. I see September as a quieter, yet tad more frenzied time to do the same. All those lists that people consider on January 1st are just as relevant on September 1st. Perhaps because they're not under a microscope as much, they may not be as intimidating...maybe?

So, obviously I'm taking a few steps to "stay on top of my life." (If you don't know the Kids in the Hall already, I beg of you -- check out the video. If you're not into a bit of bloody violence or quirky humor, please, for the love of God, don't click. Oh, and this was a huge part of my adolescence. Explains lots.) For a simpler take on this, I provide you with this hilarious (or, if you're not in the know, ridiculously random and stupid) take...

Yeah. I made that. Ahem.

Back to the point. Given that September is equivalent to January, I thought I'd share a little list of the "resolutions" I've already started working on. Some are relevant to being back at school and having more structured time (which means focusing on using my time more wisely) and others are just good ol' self improvement things.

For the record, I hate the word "resolutions", too.

- Bed by 10pm (on school nights). Dang nabbit, I'm doing this. Depending on the night, falling asleep by 10 is easier than...coming up with an analogy. Other nights, my energy level is higher and I'll force myself to lay down, sans TV/cell phone/any screens whatsoever and read. It's helped me get to the conclusion of the book I've been reading ALL SUMMER, so that in itself is pretty rad. It also makes me far less grumpy come 6am. Um. Generally.

- Getting in some exercise. I'm not taking on the PXButtKickandLiftChallengeXXI or whatever, but I'm hoping that by incorporating variations of cardio/Pilates/yoga/core strengthening, I'll be gaining some much-needed extra energy as well as *hopefully* toning up some of the squishy bits. I've already mentioned it, but Spark People is a great free site that provides a variety of videos at various levels (hello, beginner!) and numerous lengths. I'll probably move on to other sites if these ones aren't cutting it anymore, but for now they're perfect.

I think one of my issues in the past is that when I get it in my head to do something -- anything -- I go gung-ho initially and have a hard time following through at ANY pace. Apparently it's something my father did in areas of his life. When it comes to exercise, I've done this but also burnt out thanks to overdoing it from the start. So, I've started out by doing one medium-length or two shorter videos at a time, breaking a good sweat but leaving myself feeling energized rather than totally zonked. I'll build on.

Oh, and I'm doing this 3-4 days during the week and 1 day on weekends, while keeping track a) the exercise(s) and b) duration of workout on our family calendar, partly for motivation and partly because I have the memory of a...of a...I don't even know what.

- Setting boundaries. This. Is. Hard. I fall into this trend of not leaving school until after 4:30 (our contract says we can leave at 3:30). And it's not like I'm doing anything super important. I'm just fiddling here and there with stuff that can totally wait 'til the next day. So, I'm trying to leave by 4 (and earlier on Fridays, can you imagine...). This helps with the aforementioned exercise goal (fitting in the exercise, a shower, and getting dinner underway before the guys get home) and will help me stay focused during the day on what needs to get done instead of putting stuff off 'til the end of the day.

- "Money money money mooonnnneeyy. MONEY." (That stupid song that's used for "The Apprentice." Gah.) I've mentioned this lately, but I'm going to be paying close attention to my spending, writing down my purchases, analyzing where my cash is flowin' and why, and researching some ways to keep it under tabs.

For those in the balcony seats, let me project: I'M NOT GREAT WITH MONEY. It's tough to admit that, as an otherwise generally responsible adult who thus far HAS been fine with moolah. (And I don't have massive student loans as an excuse like my awesomely-getting-on-top-of-it husband.) But, yeah. We're looking at some pretty big goals as a family and if I don't focus on this area of life, it'll be my fault. Not cool.

Thank goodness for cool, approachable sites like Our Freaking Budget. We also glean some good advice from Dave Ramsey, so you don't have to leave any "Dave Ramsey is a GOD; we got rid of $1 million in debt and now have $1 million in savings thanks to him!" spiels in the comments...unless you want to brag. In which case, go on with your bad self.

Oh, and I'm even considering taking part in one of those "zero spend" challenges. Maybe. We'll see. I'm gonna go cry now.

- Planning meals. This one will help with finances but I'm also highly interested in seeing if meal planning truly does help me a) cut back on food waste, b) save ka-ching at the super and farmers' market, and c) make life easier. I'll check back if it does and let y'all know. And I'm on the hunt for real food cook-ahead and slow-cooker meals. SO hard to find slow-cooker recipes without a can or bottle of something super processed to bring it all together (and undoubtedly make it yummy).

- Simplify, as always. This is kind of a life goal that sits on my shoulder everyday. I'm pretty lucky, though. It's more like the cartoon angel version on the right side rather than the naughty/devilish kid on the left side. So, there's that. But, yeah. PURGE is the name of the game. A lot of our house is looking more and more like "us", and I love that, but we still have storage spaces (and, heck, out-in-the-open spaces like the toy explosion storage in our living room) that need another once-over. The basement is also in dire need of straightening and hoeing out (who you callin'...) AND painting, so there's that.

The thing that sucks for me is that, well, again...I've got my dad's gene of needing the motivation before getting up and DOING something. Takes me forever to finish a project, but once it's done, it's done pretty darn well. So, I can't say on Monday that I'll plan on working on the basement Saturday. I may wake up Saturday feeling motivated to do something else that's equally important. Or play with Hadley all day. Or sit on my tush watching the world whiz by (while the laundry's going...because at least then I'll feel like I did SOMETHING). Whatevs.

But, I think the only way to break this is to just DO. Like, we wouldn't have gotten our recent front porch project completed if Dave hadn't said, "Okay, I'm going to start this." (Once he started, I had to finish, so I didn't want to let his hard work be overshadowed by my laziness.) And, believe me. I did NOT feel like doing it, but when it was done...well, awesomeness ensued.

- Live in the moment. Observing the changes in Hadley. Enjoying the humor that my students pump into random lessons. Looking for moments of simple joy and lucky experiences. Contacting friends to hang out or come over for meals or meet up for coffee. In general, remembering to savor the good and hold onto the bad momentarily. 

Hey, look! Seven things in my list. Whatchya know? So, what about you guys? Do you feel like this time of year is a bit like New Year's with its feeling of "let's start this season on a new foot"?

Or are you just psyched for pumpkin spice everything? Really, though. Who can blame you?

Expletive DIY

I love DIY blogs. They're totally one if my favorite ways to kill half an hour day. They're as bad as Pinterest.

So, so much to love. The impeccably photographed eye candy. The inspiration to change your own space for the better. The Wonder Woman "we can do it" attitudes (because, let's face it, 95% of DIY bloggers are chicks...maybe 99%). The fierce full steam ahead perfectionism.

Okay, that last one is a generalization, and while I prefer the usual eye candy "you can do it, stick the landing!" posts, I'm relieved when a DIY fail is shared.

'Cuz dat be me.

Small 2-step projects turn lengthy and take 70 roundabout troubleshooting steps. More intensive projects take months (or years) and downright threaten relationships. A house of 90 years seems to deeply enjoy throwing constant curveballs, making the simplest task turn into HELL. 

We recently learned a tip after years if "doing it the hard way" (this is easier but not perfect) -- drywall screws. The hardware that accompanies, well, most items is often cheap. Namely, all the screws we have ever used to hang curtains or a picture anything decorative, really.

This is what happens, particularly in our old, walls-and-woodwork-as-hard-as-cement house, with those crappy screws --

That's our most recent DIY fix-up. I had found some inexpensive blinds at Lowe's to help with our privacy issues in our front room/sun room. They're not perfect, but since this isn't our forever home and they're going to stay with the house, it's all good. I much prefer darker bamboo blinds, for the record. ;-)

This is what we were dealing with. The sheers are window-length (vs. floor-length) and came with the house. A previous owner splattered a tiny bit of paint on them, but I just haven't had it in me to replace them. So, this has been our view:

 

 I've grown to dislike the metal white curtain rods like these. So, I also grabbed four oil-rubbed bronze (almost black) curtain rods to switch the sheers onto. That said, this whole project (which should've taken 2 hours, tops) took half a day...plus.

First things first. Take down these annoying things. (And, yes. This is currently our cat room. When we stage it one day, the cat pans will hit the basement and kitty towers will say buy-bye. Until then, we are slaves to our cats.

 
Thanks, hon. Oh, and I have a spot I just patched near the roofline that needs painting. Just waiting for one of those afternoon energy surges to hit to get those small but annoying projects done. ;-)

While we were at it, we took out any and all extemporaneous hardware -- some from the 80s, some from the 40s, and these...original brass screws. God knows what these blocks of wood were actually for.

Next up, measuring, marking, drilling, screwing in brackets, and hanging the blinds. I hemmed and hawed over whether to get white or this tone (again, a deeper I would've liked more) and I'm still iffy on these. Eh, they'll do.

We have two double-width windows on each end of the room, and three windows in the middle (long) wall. So, no matter what, I couldn't get the correct size (even putting two together wouldn't work). But, since I knew we'd have the curtains up over the blinds, it didn't matter! Whew.

The other thing that actually worked out well (aside from broken drill bits and a handful of other headaches) was that I was able to use two curtain rods to create one full-width one for the large window. I just used the smaller "insert" one, took off the finial on the end, and inserted it into a second rod. Plus, we got an extra rod out of the deal, so that made my day.

This story told, we still keep at it. While I thought the whole thing was frustrating and upsetting both of us by the end of the process, Dave ended up glowing over how "well" it went, and how he really enjoys fixing up the house together. So, maybe he won't roll his eyes the next time I discover a project I want to try...