Keepin' it Clean in Twenty-Sixteen

Happy Halloween, Friends!

As we embark on our final evening adventure of October my mind has already started to fast-forward to November. November. Can you believe it's already November?!

November is full of the holiday vibes. It's where we come together and give thanks, there is a fresh crisp feeling in the air, and we set full speed ahead into the glimmer of what little time remains in the year. We're dusting off our cornucopia centerpieces and polishing our best silverware in preparation of the BIG FEAST.

But as the holidays begin to move closer, we tell ourselves that we're not going to procrastinate and wait to get ready until the last minute. Heck, it's November and we're excited!  But more likely than not, we will be stuffing all of those last minute mismatched pillow covers into the hall closet, racing to sweep up the pile of dog fur in the corner before your guests ring the doorbell, or hurdling over the cat while you sprint to dust off the coffee table before the kitchen timer dings. We've all done it. Shoot. I'm pretty sure 98% of us say we're "going to get our Christmas shopping done early this year!" just to find ourselves running out on the 23rd to finish grabbing our stocking stuffers. You're not alone. I'll raise my hand for all those in this group... all while not making eye contact and looking down at my shoes in shame... but hey, my hand is raised nonetheless.

This year let's REALLY put an end to this continuous cycle by making not just a holiday change, but a lifestyle change. You know what you need to be prepared for that scrumptious Thanksgiving dinner??

15 minutes. That's it. FIFTEEN..... 1 & 5. Quince.

I've established a foolproof cleaning plan that gives me 15 minutes to clean and keep clean all aspects of my home. I don't know about you, but I don't have time to waste 3 hours plowing through room by room of my home. Instead, everyday I designate 15 minutes to the tasks set out for that day and the ongoing cycle ensures that my home is always ready to welcome even the most unexpected guests instead of stopping them at the doorway.

To keep the plan going I created an easy to follow schedule of tasks. Each day holds the same task : dishes. spot sweep. wipe off all the countertops. and clear the clutter.

In addition to the everyday essentials there is one task designated to that day of the week.

I used to spend an hour dusting, then sweeping, the steam cleaning the floors. It was tedious. Now, after reading Clean Mama's cleaning post and recommendation to split them apart, I easily stay far more focused and driven in keeping a cleaning home.

Our time is precious, and no one should spend hours a day just trying to keep up with the fuss of the home. Try the everyday method, tailor it to suit your needs. Whether you choose to use my sheet or create your own, you'll love your new simplified life. Nothing feels better or more refreshing than waking up and coming home to a fresh clean home every evening.

While on the topic, what is your nightmare area to clean?! Mine is the floors. The moment I sweep there is another tumbleweed of cat hair blowing in the wind across the living room. Living in a safari farm of a home full of animals is a floor chore... but we love them all the same.

Home Styling Plans : The Kitchen



Tagging along with last weeks post, you may recall me mentioning that the best thing you can do for your home is create a cohesive styling design.

After finally finding mine (rustic glam is where it's at!) I have also started my home styling plans for décor in the kitchen. Since my sweet home has a small great area style layout, I want to mesh together as much of the living spaces as possible. Together they will surely make a beautiful rustic and relaxing area that I will be so excited to come home to!

Let me know what your favorite piece is down below.... mine is that mug rack! I can't wait to fill it with gorgeous clay mugs!

Enjoy!

measurements cutting board | bread box | white serving tray | butter dish | farmers market sign |
mug tree | hand towels | white dishes | canister set | wall plate rack

*Affiliate links used

Home Styling Plans : The Living Room

It seems like everyone these days has a set style that they use throughout their home. Vintage, rustic, shabby chic, romantic, modern, art deco, coastal, contemporary, traditional and transitional... and so on and so forth. Defining your style can be difficult. Especially with ever-changing trends and fads and a Pinterest and Instagram FULL of ideas.

My biggest challenge over the years has been honing in on my style. Too often I go shopping for home décor and find dishware, towels, throw pillows, and table décor that I love... only to get home and find that I have a weird mix of dark, mid-century romantic feel and bright, stark white chic décor that looks as misplaced as the random tents at the local swap meet.

Now that I am finally pin-pointing the exact style that I like I have found that saving all images of the style and feel that I love together really allows me to make sure that everything meshes well together in a seamless fashion.

The next update that I have in mind and will start envelope saving for (are you all familiar with the envelope system?) is the living room. It's where a family spends majority of their time, whether it's curled up with a good book or enjoying family movie nights like we did when I was a kid.

In order to optimize the space and accommodate a move into a future home with a living room of any size and dimensions, I am opting for a 5 piece sectional that I can adjust to fit my length and width needs.

The remaining décor will be, as they say, rustic glam, with a mix of dark woods, galvanized steel, and wonderful pops of teal... my favorite! I found all of these favorites on Living Spaces - I've had wonderful experience with them in the past and their furniture is price-pointed perfectly and great quality.

While I do still have quite a while before this little renovation will take place, preplanning has allowed me to be comfortable and confident in my styling decisions, and also prep the rest of the house to create one cohesive design and space. Whatcha think?! I'm in love. Enjoy!

teal throw pillow | sectional couch | table lamp | coffee table | neutral throw pillow | chair side table | teal throw blanket |
& décor | letter bookends | galvanized storage boxes | area rug | galvanized trays

Favorite Essential Oil Roller Blends

Happy Monday!

Are we all ready to begin another week? I am! This Thursday we will be heading to Kansas for five days for a wedding, and I'm so excited for this little mini vacay... but I am also scrambling to pre-write a few posts for you avid readers and get the house and fur-babies prepped for our absence.


Today I'm bringing you a little post with few items that will surely be flying with me in my carryon bag - my favorite essential oil rollers!


I've been carrying a couple of these in my pumping bag and they've come in handy for those quick pick me ups needed throughout the day. All of the essential oils I used are Young Living and therapeutic-grade (Member #10301637). Try one of them, or try them all - you're sure to love them! What are your favorite blends?? (Shhh... I've even started adding a drop of the Lemon to my Komboocha for added detox and a refreshing, crisp flavor. Yum!)

My Four Favorite Essential Oil Roller Blends

{Affiliate Links Used)

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Headache Blend

• 10 drops Peppermint
• 3 drops Panaway
• 3 drops Lavender
• Fill remainder with Fractioned Coconut Oil

To use: Roll on temples, across forehead, and back of neck to soothing headache relief.
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Stress-Free Blend

• 4 drops Lemon
• 3 drops Lavender
• 2 drops Peppermint
• Fill remainder with Fractioned Coconut Oil

To use: Roll on wrists and back of neck for those times that you might want to throw your coffee mug at your coworker. (or even inhale directly from the roller!)
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Fresh Eyes Blend

• 8 drops Frankincense
• 2 drops Lemon
• 2 drops Lavender
• Fill remainder with 100% Pure Jojoba oil

To use: Roll underneath eyes and on crows feet (not too close to your lash line) after removing the days makeup, dirt, and grime for refreshed and rejuvenated eyes in the morning!
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Baby Coughs Blend

• 1 drop RC
• 1 drop Thieves
• Fill remainder with Fractioned Coconut Oil

To use: To prevent those middle of the night coughing fits that keep poor sweet babies awake, roll on the bottom of your little one's feet and a small portion in the center of baby's chest.

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And there you have it! You're on your way to healthy, clean and natural living.
All of these concoctions were made with these 10mL roller balls which I love, this fractioned coconut oil and this pure Jojoba oil. I love Jojoba - do you remember this post where it completely changed my skincare routine?! It's amazing!
I then added a strip of washi tape and added a little label with my favorite label maker.


Anyone else just jumping onboard of the EO train?? We're all happy riders over here! Don't even get me started on diffusing - it's so refreshing and relaxing. I need to buy 3 more!


Any one have any go-to blends that they'd love to share?? I have another pretty roller ball that needs some lovin'!
Have a wonderful oily day, my friends!

Household Cleaning Favorites

While we're diving deep into our Bag Purge Challenge and getting our homes ready for the upcoming holidays and winter weather, I thought this might be the perfect time to talk about a few home cleaning favorites.

Now, my home isn't always tidy. In fact, most days I get home and entertain the baby before trying to give her a bath, lay her down for bed, unwind and bathe myself, before slowly sinking into insanity my comfy bed.

Life is a mess, but that doesn't mean I want my home to be. There are quite a few products that save my in my time of cleaning, and together they make this beautiful list of my 12 household cleaning favorites that I'm pretty sure keep the condo standing most days. Click on the title links of each product to get your own! Enjoy!

{Affiliate Links Used}





16oz Glass Spray Bottles

Why I Love It:

These glass bottles are the perfect dimensions to create your own cleaning concoctions. The glass bottles make them easy to clean and use with a variety of essential oils for different scents (which are not recommended for use with plastic) and the screw on caps make it the perfect conversion for holding liquid that you may not necessarily need a spray cap for --- say, homemade fabric softener??

Bissell Little Green ProHeat Compact Carpet Cleaner

Why I Love It:

This little green monster is perfect in our home - where there isn't much room to store bulky items and I don't have the patience to try and clean the carpets on the stairs, one step at a time. With the cat hacking up hairballs and the baby spitting up at random moment of the day, this little friend is perfect for those quick needed carpet cleanings. I pair this with a little rug doctor or Bissell pet solution, and we're good as new!

Clorox ToiletWand Disposable Cleaning System and Refills

Why I Love It:

I was never really a neat-freak or germ-a-phob growing up. Very little did I can about cleaning the toilet or scrubbing the shower with some good ol' Comet cleaner. Now as I've gotten older I've become much more aware of the dirt and grime around me, and I started getting quite the unsettling feeling every time I glanced down at my toilet bowl brush. It was gross. It collects toilet water. Scraps off doo doo. Sits in a bin of it's own filth.... you get the idea. I switched to a disposable toilet cleaner and I feel sooooo much better and sanitary! No need to pull off the scrubbing pad. The little button pushes it right off into the garbage for you. Hooray!

Method All-Purpose Cleaning in Pink Grapefruit

Why I Love It:

Admittedly I love the idea of homemade cleanser far more than any store bought. They're cheaper. You can customize the scent. You know exactly what you put in it. And you don't have to worry about all of the harsh chemicals. But for those moments when I do reach for the shelf brand, I always find myself reaching for the Method Cleaners. They are hypoallergenic, phosphate-free, and non-toxic; all of which are increasingly of more importance to me now with a baby scooting around. My favorite scent? For sure the Pink Grapefruit. It's light, airy, and makes for a fresh clean-smelling home without smelling like you just doused your house in Lysol. It's a win!

Method Mint Glass & Surface Natural Cleaner

Why I Love It:

Continuing on with my statements from above, next to fall in line is definitely the Mint Glass Cleaner by Method. You guys... this smells amazing!! It's crisp and fresh and more like a sweet combination of mint and pine, rather than that BAM! IN YOUR FACE WITH THE MENTOS SMELL! You all know what I'm talking about. This is fantastic! Oh, and streak-free! Win!

OXO Extendable Microfiber Duster

Why I Love It:

This is pretty new and recent to my cleaning collection, but so far I'm totally digging it! It seems to trap dust particles and leave a nice clean finish rather than using a rag and having the dust settle back on the entertainment center twenty seconds later (so frustrating, am I right?!) The duster on this is SO SOFT! I want to lay in a bed of it! The best part? It's microfiber and totally machine-washable. It helps me feel a little better about cutting down and not going through a Swiffer feather thingy every time I want to dust - which is often in my home. It's always dusty!

Shark Professional Steam Mop

Why I Love It:

Remember my post where I talked about moving in to my condo and how all of my belongings fit into a poor little 5x5 storage unit?? Well you bet your ass that this is one of the items I took when I sold my home. Again with the machine washable pads (as you can tell, I'm totally trying to cut back on my footprint... but really I just like the convenience and cost of reusing). I mix my Shark with white vinegar and essential oils for a fresh clean home. With tiny hands constantly searching around my entirely-wood-first-floor, this machine is a must.

Microfiber Waffle Weave Cleaning Cloths

Why I Love It:

Also one of the newer cleaning favorites and purchases in the home is my set of 12 microfiber waffle weave cloths in the color Jade. I added these to an Anchor gallon jar on my kitchen countertop and reach for one nightly to wipe off the counters. When I'm finished I hang it to dry so that it doesn't mildew, and then throw it in to be laundered with my other microfiber products. These soak up way more than paper towels and don't leave behind the dreaded lint in my mostly-dark kitchen.

Young Living Essential Oils in Thieves, Lavender, Lemon, and Peppermint

Why I Love It:

I've recently become a Young Living distributor and I've been testing my way through quite a bit of their products. Back to the category of making your own products in the glass spray bottles, your possibilities with these oils are endless. Create a furniture freshener to get rid of that stinky dog smell. Spray a concoction of Lavender and Peppermint on your pillow for a night of peaceful sleep. Add some Lemon to your kitchen cleaning to keep the scent light and fresh. Or better yet add a drop of it to a glass of ice water each morning to detox. Mix up some water, vinegar, and thieves to create your own disinfecting spray. So many options, and each one of them just as great as the last. 

(Side note/plug - I am Member #10301637. Feel free to contact me with any questions or inquiries. I'm filled with recipes and ideas!)

Dyson V6 Cord Free Vacuum

Why I Love It:

I go this little baby for my birthday a few months back, and I am hooked! She fits everywhere! under my impossible-to-reach couch. On my stairs. Cleaning the corner cobwebs with the extended. No cord = no hassle. It charges quick and picks up everything. I never owned anything Dyson in the past, mostly because I couldn't justify the cost. Now, to prove my loyalty and how well it works I'm going to show you a picture that haunted my dreams for two weeks after snapping it. This rug in my home was "as-clean-as-it-will-get" before going over it with the Dyson. The fabric is kind of dense, so my Bissell, as amazing as I thought it was, never truly cleaned down into the threads. And then I went over half of it with my new Dyson. The picture tells the rest...Hold your breath. It's disgusting.

Cleaning Caddy with Dividers

Why I Love It:

This is an absolute must in my opinion. Keep all of your cleaning essentials for each room in a caddy. I currently have one in my kitchen and one in my bathrooms. No lugging around cleaning products from room to room, or shuffling through a bunch of bottles that should have never made it in your kitchen to begin with. It keeps everything together, it looks nice, and it's the most functional product to keep your cleaning up to par. I did a thorough post on how I'm using mine from Home Goods here. If you can't find one at one of your local home stores (they're tough to find sometimes!) this one is a great alternative! I'm going to get another one in that beautiful coral color for Alex's supplies!

Clear Stackable Shoe Drawer

Why I Love It:

Along with the cute little caddies, drawers in your under-sink cabinets are a great decision. Organize and separate your sponges, cleaning cloths, wall flowers, toilet scrubbers, latex gloves, etc. etc. etc. These keep your cabinets clean, simple and organized and you have everything just in reach and easy to sort through. I love them! You can see how I put them to use under my kitchen sink here.

There you have it, cleaning buddies! My list of cleaning product favorites that are in full-force and working in my home. What are some of your favorites? Do you have any ride or dies that didn't quite make my list?

30 Bag Purge : The Month's Challenge

Yes, I am back with another post in the home organization universe! Can you believe it?!


After taking a spur of the moment trip up to the mountains this weekend (literally, spur of the moment... we were only there for about 30 hours!) my home looks a little like a tornado blew through it. Last minute packing = rummaging through drawers and throwing articles of clothing in the air. But now we're starting the week fresh and are about to get crazy organized, people!

I just came across A Bowl Full of Lemon's 30 Bag Purge Challenge, and I have to say that I'm sold! (Have you checked Toni out?? She's amazing! I just bought her book and I'm already obsessed.) With the holidays quickly approaching there is no better time than the present to get the house in tip-top shape and begin to declutter the madness I call a home.


Admittedly, I am somewhat of a hoarder. Ugh. That makes me cringe at myself. Too many things in my life become a "I'll get to it later..." and then three weeks have gone by and I seem to still have that same unfinished project staring me dead in the face. Or that pile of paper in the corner that "I'll make sure to shred tomorrow." and then the day after. and then next Tuesday. and then the 32nd day of April. Really.




So what's the best way to keep organized and cut back on clutter?
Easy. Get rid of it!
Has it been unused for the past century? Does it collect dust? Has it become an oversized paper weight?


If you answered yes to any of these, its time for it to go.


The 30 Bag Challenge is simple. Your goal is to get rid of 30 bags of garbage. clutter. useless. and unneeded items. What I love about this challenge is it's complete customizable to your lifestyle! I took my 30 areas that I want to create a bag from, and placed them all into a pretty little sheet that I get to mark off as I go.

Want to get rid of 12 bags today? Go ahead. Do it. Missed the last 2 days? That's okay, too! Make up for it today and tomorrow. That's the beauty of it. Do it as quickly or as slow as you want to,  just make sure to do all 30 bags.


This is the perfect time to get rid of all that crap you'll end up stuffing in the hall closet last minute before your guests arrive on Thanksgiving.... (not that I've ever done that before... cough cough.)


Are you ready to challenge yourself?! Use my list, or create your own! Let's all declutter and cut back on the junk together! Are you with me?! Do you feel inspired?! Can you hear my pump up voice through the computer screen?! It's shouting in excitement at you! Let's turn over this new Fall leaf together!

It's Fashion Friday!

It's Fashion Friday! This is a little segment I've been wanting to dive into for a while, but I'll be honest... I wasn't sure I'd be that interesting in this area. There are TONS of bloggers out there that focus on fashion and style and all things pretty, and more often than not I focus on things going on at the home front.

But as my blog name suggests.... I dabble!

So I'm going to give Fashion Fridays a shot. If this is something that might interest you or you enjoyed reading, comment below and give me some feedback. I'd love to keep this going on a weekly basis if there's some interest from readers out there... somewhere. I do have those, right?!

What is Fashion Friday??

Well what I hoped you have gathered from the title is that it's all things fashion-related. More specifically, my "fashion" or lack thereof from this week. It includes an outfit post with details on the what-she-wore portion, and any little tid-bits I think yall might like. Enjoy!

This Weeks Rundown

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Monday

Shirt : Ross

Pants : Ross

Flats : Mossimo by Target

Belt : Merona by Target [it's reversible!]

Necklace : Burlington

Lips : Rimmel 1000 Kisses Lipliner in 011 Spice

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Tuesday

Sweater : Mossimo  Boyfriend Cardigan by Target

Undershirt : Mossimo by Target

Bodycon Pencil Skirt : Unknown

Black Opaque Tights : Hanes

Heels : Cathy Jean

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Wednesday

Shirt : Maternity Top bought at Ross

Pants : NY and Co

Heels : Cathy Jean

Pearls : Gift from Dad a few years back

Coral Watch : Walmart

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Thursday

Cardigan : Crazy Girls on Amazon [so cheap but comfy!]

Pants : New York and Company

Necklace : Burlington

Watch : Michael Kors

Heels : Cathy Jean

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Friday

Sweater : Mossimo  Boyfriend Cardigan by Target

Purple Top : Mossimo by Target

Jeans : American Eagle Straight Leg

Shoes : Vans

Necklace : Kay Jewelers

Fridays are "casual days" around the office. And today on this particular Friday, I'm about to move 32 chairs down 5 floors, and bring 32 different chairs up the same 5 floors. So today ended up quite a bit more casual than normal... but hey, comfy is a style, right?! Shout out to my beautiful friend who got me this necklace for my birthday! Those of you who know us know that Alex is our little turtle... She used to make a "turtle face" and has been in love with the water since day 1. And now I get to carry this beautiful little family of turtles with me all day long while I daydream about her at work :)

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There you have it! There was nothing too exciting this week. We just began the new fiscal year and after trying to close everything out last week, we're all a little pooped in the department. I'm not sure that this segment will stick, but if it's something you'd like to continue to see more of then leave a little note or comment below. I hope you enjoyed this little post!



Homemade Lavender Detox Bath

 

Whether you're a stay at home mom of 1 or 8 little monkeys, a full-time working woman bringing in 40+ hours a week at the office, a world traveling nomad setting sail to explore the next new area, or any combination of above, we all need a little break once in a while to clear our head and jump start our next adventure of life.

 

The world is full of toxins. We inhale them. We eat them. We touch them. We live with them in our daily stressful lives. They are a part of us, and we are a part of them. These little miniscule particles - both the tangible and emotional kind - can wear us down during our day to day activities. Sickness. Exhaustion. Emotional Meltdowns. We've all been there. But there are a few things we can do to keep our health and sanity. And one of the most enjoyable ones are a nice, hot, detoxifying bubble bath with my own homemade bath salts.

 

This recipe is super easy to follow and will leave you feeling refreshed and rejuvenated while the salts work their magic detoxifying your body and mind.  

 

 

What you'll need:

• 1 Quart Glass Jar
• 3 cups Epsom Salts (I opted for this one for the added moisturizing features)
• 3 cups Baking Soda
• 8-9 drops Lavender Essential Oils

Mix all dry ingredients together. Add essential oil drops and mix again. Use 1/2 cup in a warm bath and feel the concoction begin to work its magic!

 

Epsom salts have been used for years to heal and relax the body, muscles, and joints. The added baking soda is what is drawing the toxins out of your skin, and the lavender adds a subtle calming effect. It's recommended to sit in a detox bath for 20 minutes once a week, so after laying baby girl down to sleep last night I found it to be the perfect opportunity to light my candles from Charleston and soak the case of the Mondays away.

The recommended 20 minutes is the perfect amount of time to listen to Claud Debussy by Clair de Lune and Beethoven's  Moonlight Sonata. My mind went completely blank and free - which is a rarity. This sweet mixture was the best R&R, and I implore everyone to try it! Seriously. Add in the music. No overthinking your life. No stressing about tomorrow. No worrying over the sink full of dirty dishes. Just a simple quiet moment with your body and mind. Follow it up with a nighty and fuzzy slippers and sink into bed with a happy, relaxed heart and soul. Enjoy!

My Completed DIY Eagan Mirror

This post has been a long time coming...

Well okay, not that long since I didn't even complete this project until a short while ago. But with the amount of love and elbow grease that went into this DIY project, I'm surprised I didn't sit down that night and get to typing. You all remember that slight obsession I had when I saw this Eagan mirror?

I mean, how can you not?! Look at it in all of it's glory! I knew I had to set out to try and make my own... and I'm here to tell you... I succeeded!

For those of you that follow me on Instagram, you'll have already seen my beautiful Eagan mirror. Remember this post where I started mapping everything out? Well... she's complete. And she's a beauty.

Since I already walked you through most of the planning phase in my other post, today we're just going to get down the nitty-gritty where I show you the process from start to finish. Let me start by reiterating a saying/warning that I am going to head in the future... "measure twice, cut once!" If you've been following along you'll know that I preplanned all of my measurements in advance before even starting on this post. The problem is I planned everything, bought my 20 piece mirror set, and went to Home Depot and cut all my mirror trim. What I did not do is measure the mirrors once they arrived. I was pissed off to find that the mirrors were not 8" squares, but rather 7 5/8". THIS THREW OFF MY ENTIRE PROJECT MEASUREMENTS. GAHHH.

So after frustration, anger, remeasuring, replanning, re-homedepoting... we started again. My mirror still came out to a huge 48" x 48", we just needed to adjust the trim a bit.

The first thing after getting my second batch of lumber was to lay everything out and make sure the measurements were right this time. And indeed... they were!

After the trim was verified and fit correctly, I started on the outside and worked my way in. I used Gorilla wood glue for all trim pieces, and held down the trim with these plastic clamps.

Once the clamps were in place and the glue was drying, I mapped out the inner trim again, just to make sure. The last thing I wanted was to lay down and glue 3/4 of the project only to find off I was an inch off at the very end. And had to start all over.

After the 3rd time of mapping everything out, we doused the plywood backing in the Gorilla glue, and went to town laying the inner mirror portion one column at a time.

After all of the pieces were down, I needed to add a little weight to ensure a strong and secure hold. Finally! Something to do with my mounds of old novels I have yet to donate!

I let the entire project cure and set for 24 hours. I decided to go back and add a quick coat of Annie Sloan chalk paint in Old White, and rested her on top of my sideboard. I am THRILLED by my new homemade PB Eagan Mirror. In total, mine cost me just over $70, which went perfectly in line with my 10% of the PB $700 cost goal. Is anyone else in love?! I now think the rest of my home needs some kind of mirror on every wall. Mirrors! Mirrors everywhere!

A true labor of love that I almost walked away from, but I am so happy I didn't, and so happy she's done! It's the perfect large sideboard piece that can change and be redecorated with the changing seasons.

Simplifying Life : Staying Organized With a Busy Schedule

We're all busy, and life has a tendency to get crazy. We've all had those days where we think to ourselves "I cannot wait for Saturday when I can sit down and relax and do nothing"... and then Saturday comes around and suddenly there are 867 things we need to get done that we forgot about. So much for relaxation!

I, like many of you, struggle to keep my head from rolling off of my shoulders at times. I've been pondering of how I can continue to press forward with my love for blogging, give my peanut all of the love and attention that her squishy-self deserves, keep the home from burning down, and staying dedicated and motivated at work. If there were 2 more of me, that'd be great, but since there's not, I have come up with a few ways to stay organized and simplify this amazing, extraordinary life that I am loving as a new mother.

First up, the computer. We're a technology-driven generation who relies so much on the electronics that we keep close at hand. One of my biggest power-sucking favorites is my laptop. I use her for everything. (Sidebar... have you ever realized that everything in your life is a her? My bike... she was beautiful. My laptop, I love her. My car, her name is Remi. Interesting thought, right?... okay, moving on!) Back to the laptop... how many of you are like me and use your computer for everything, so your background looks a little something like this....

[ Source ]

It takes you more time to find the file you're looking for than it does to work on it! I needed a little simplicity... starting with organizing my desktop. I opened up my Control Panel, looked at the dimensions in pixels of my screen, and got to work in Pic Monkey. What I love about this little hack is you can find literally any type of background image you want on Pinterest. Want it to have Fall leaves and cocoa mugs in the background for the upcoming months? Do it. Are rain drops and dragonflies your thing? I'm sure you can find that to. I opted for a pop of color with a floral-feel, and threw in a few square boxes to organize it to suit my current needs. I love my new background!

Next on the list... we won't be going into too much detail about this one (spoiler alert, keep a look out this weekend for all details behind this beauty). My new planner cover! You're going to get an inside look at how I am keep afloat with my day to day shenanigans plans. But since I just got my A5 planner cover in the mail this afternoon, I couldn't miss the opportunity to show it off in a quick sneak peek! Isn't she beautiful! My love for the color mint now gets to be with me everywhere I go!

Okay, I know it's cruel to show you nothing but a cover of something that's so fantastic, but it really does deserve it's own little breakdown. So, to keep your inquiring mind off of those gorgeous 6 rings of goodness... let's get into the deep stuff. Cooking. For the past 5 months I have been trying to figure out how to juggle work, then picking up peanut, and getting a good cooked meal on the table. A light bulb went off and I knew just what to do... Pinterest to the rescue!

I created a board with 7 meals. That's it. 7. No more scrolling through my dinner board that has 563 recipes to figure out which one I want. I now decide in the beginning of the week what I'll be making, and move those recipes into my new board for the week. At the end of the week, I clear them out and lather, rinse, repeat. Now all my recipes are easy to find and even quicker to throw together!

Is anyone else already doing this? Am I just slow on the roll? This literally has saved me all week. I knew what I'd be making, and what I needed, and the recipes were just on click away! And now I have enough One Pot Cajun Pasta to last week for the next 17 meals since I haven't quite gotten the hang of cooking in smaller portions. Oh well, waste not!

Finally, when you have all of these delicious recipes at your finger tips, of course you're going to need to do a little grocery shopping! Admittedly, grocery shopping is my "me time". In order to get the most out of that half hour I spend browsing around the grocery store, I created a pretty little printable to make sure I get the job done efficiently. Now I just pop over to my menu board and scribble down what I need, and boom! I'm set and ready to go! Isn't it lovely?1

There you have it, friends! These are the quick little things I have put into place that have helped me simplify the ever-growing craziness of life. I am so happy for everything that has come my way, but I am only human and some days I feel like I am doing the juggling act in a one-woman circus. Do you have any tips or tricks to keep the hectic schedules at bay? Stay tuned for the best part yet, and the possibility to score your own version of one of my favorite organizing tools :)