29 Oct 2018

A Master Facelift

by | posted in: Books, Home | 0

 

(This post is sponsored by Harvest House who sent me the book The DIY Home Planner to review.  All thoughts are my own.  Thank you!)

When my mister and I get married he already had all of our bedroom furniture.  We were both older when we got married, and thank goodness that I really liked our master bed!

So, we just don’t have the money to go replace perfectly good beautiful furniture just because I might not have picked it at the store, or I would like to lighten it up some.

But, he has always been generous to me in our marriage to make our home really what I would love it to be.  So, we’ve done that over the years.  We still have the same furniture, but my husband may not have picked the Hearth and Home garland that is now over our bed.

When we moved into this house 15 months ago, our master bedroom didn’t have a door for the master bathroom.  And it only had the 70s bar doors (the swinging type) into the toilet room.  So, before we even moved in we took those down and repainted that area.  But, we’ve done without a main door.  And all along I wanted these barn doors.

I had the privilege of getting to know Cathy Nugent during our time in ATL.  She is a beautiful wedding planner.  And since I was already married, I couldn’t use her skills in that market.  But, she and her husband, Rob, started A Hosting Home, and I love what they do.

When we had a little bit of money come in, we knew it was time to go for it.  So, Cathy and I talked back and forth, sent measurements, shot her Pinterest ideas.  And she and Rob took those and made us the perfect barn door.

We had some friends come and install it for us which was such a blessing.  A friend loaned us their truck, we snuck in a day date in ATL.  All in all, my husband said last night that he loved it, well worth the money, and could easily have cost us double what we paid for the door, delivery, and installation.

So, if you think you want a statement piece in your master (or anywhere else in your home), don’t hesitate.  Just think it through and go for it.

The DIY Home Planner has been a fun design book to look through and use the pages to think about what we would like to do here in our home.  As a watercolor artist, I love the illustrations!  If you are a pen and paper girl like I am, this book will be a great workbook tool for you for any room in your home.

18 Mar 2016

Little Tasks to Tidy Your Home

by | posted in: Home | 4

My husband would so appreciate this post!  He is so much tidier than I am – I think he knew that before he proposed and he still did, but I can always be better at it.  A clean and peaceful home are two things that really show him that I love him.  And when you know your husband’s love language, shouldn’t you try to shout it loud and clear all day long!

Well, some things I can work on.  Little tasks throughout the day.  I don’t have to spend all day cleaning or anything like that.  But, if I just find a few things each day that I can concentrate on – it will help in the long run.

  1.  It takes me less than 10 minutes to unload, load, and wash the dishes.  Sometimes I do this in the morning, sometimes I do it at night – but 10 minutes.  I sometimes have to tell myself this to get to the kitchen and set the timer.  Then I realize it never takes as long as I think it does.
  2. Find little sections of the house to declutter/clean and you’ll feel better about your house in general.  You don’t have to tackle a whole room at once.  I have two young boys and our house is filled with toys.  But, if I can do something while they are watching Curious George or playing on the back porch – it will be a blessing to all involved.Small Cleaning Projects IMG_20160318_131642964
  3. Keep my table and hutch cleaned off.  This is huge.  It didn’t happen when I was growing up, but since getting married I’ve always strived to keep the kitchen table clean and the hutch display worthy.  Now, we use our kitchen table for crafts, coloring, eating, snacking, playing games, but then when we are done we clean it up. Flowers all around
  4. Pick up the toys (or other items) around your house at the end of the night.  This is a great way to teach preschoolers responsibility.  Have them help clean up before bed time, putting all their toys away in an place that is reachable for them.
  5. Make your bed.  My husband usually does this in the morning which is such a blessing.  But, I know that if our bed is made, it makes our whole bedroom seem clean, bright, and cheery.  And I can more easily fold clothes there during the day.  And who doesn’t like to fold clothes?

What do you do in your home that is helpful in keeping it clean and tidy?