Food

Travel

Decor

Lifestyle
picking the perfect white paint color for kitchen cabinets
Decor

Picking the perfect white paint color for kitchen cabinets

/

Hi there! I am very excited to blog today about picking the perfect white paint color for kitchen cabinets. If you have been reading the blog recently you know that we are updating our nineties kitchen (on a budget!). The first step has been painting the orange-toned, cherry cabinets white. We decided to make this the first step as our hunch was that may be enough to seriously lighten and brighten as well as update the kitchen (versus a complete redo). In our case, we cook a lot (this blog was started to share recipes…) and the layout is perfect. The looks not so much – classic nineties kitchen with the orange tones and sage green counters. We had a feeling that a fresh, white coat of paint may do just the trick.

I have been eager to share this with you (spoiler alert I love the new white cabinets) but have been swamped at work and as I mentioned in my last post, you have to empty your cabinets (or you should), and even when you empty the cabinets dust still seems to get everywhere! Not for the faint of heart my friends…and especially not for a busy working mom with little time on her hands as it is! But, with that behind me, I can say it has all been worth it. So without further ado, today’s post is how to pick the perfect white paint color for your kitchen cabinets – I am sharing my favorite resources as well as the steps I took.

Steps to pick the perfect paint color

Ok, so like any other home improvement project mine always start with reading my favorite blogs, magazines and checking out Instagram and Pinterest. This is easy but I will say beware when it comes to paint colors. Just because a color (and especially white) looks good in a blogger’s home does NOT mean it will work in yours. So doing some browsing is great as a start but the devil is in the details. Do not just take what they have used and go buy the paint and put it on your walls!

After getting an idea of what family of color I want to focus in on, I head to the paint store. We are fans of Benjamin Moore so I usually stick with their palettes although I have found some great colors in Behr and the other brands. Pick out as many chips as you like at this point. The chips will help you narrow down your choices. Again, if I can leave you with two caveats. The above warning about blogger/decorator recommendations, and a second – do NOT pick your paint and actually paint your walls based on a tiny paint chip. Years ago I had chosen what I thought was a blue grey, and it ended up being light teal on the walls (fortunately I like teal!).

Which resources offer great advice on picking the perfect paint color for kitchen cabinets?

After several mishaps of trying to paint a room using a tiny paint chip as a way to visualize, I realized I needed to take one crucial step – painting the wall at least partly or by using a fantastic peel and stick paint sample in a large size to see what the color actually looks like on OUR wall (not some blogger or decorator’s home).

So at this point, I usually narrow down my paint chips to two or three and then I either go buy a sample of paint, or I order the color from Samplize which I absolutely adore. Samplize paints two coats of the color on a large, peel and stick wallpaper square. You can move the sample around to see it in different lights and locations. Folks this was a game changer! It is really worth the cost (around $6), and actually less expensive than buying a paint sample (not to mention messy and time consuming to paint it on your walls and have to look at an eye sore for days until you actually paint #beentheredonethat).

In addition to ordering colors I think would work in our home, I also have two blogs that I highly recommend you check out for their advice on picking a paint color. The first is my absolute favorite with paint expert, Kylie offering a great advice with a good dose of humor (dang that gal loves her wine:). You can really get technical here and learn about the LRV of a paint color (light reflecting value) and where to find it for each color. She also has so many before and afters, and what I love is that she works with people on a budget. I do not personally find it all that helpful to read about people with million dollar design budgets redoing their homes (hello…wouldn’t we all have a perfect home with that budget? And, what fun is that!?). Kylie also offers really great review of all colors and especially whites. White Dove? She has you covered? Simply White? That one too. She is a fantastic, free resource that helped me so much. Folks, you need to learn the difference between your cool whites and your warm whites if you are going to pick the perfect white paint color for your kitchen cabinets.

The second blog that I recommend is Maria Killam. She also has some excellent advice about paint colors in general as well as many photos that can help inform your decision. She explains how to understand a color’s undertones (goodness when did this all get so complicated?). Between Kylie and Maria, there is a ton of great advice and frankly I would have picked the wrong white paint color for kitchen cabinets without their wisdom. Thank you ladies if you ever read this!

How did I ultimately pick the perfect white paint color for our kitchen cabinets

So after setting up Pinterest boards, searching #whitekitchen on Instagram, reading blogs and finding the wonderful advice from Kylie and Maria, I took those paint samples from Samplize and pasted them on the wall. I looked at those dang samples in the morning, at night and at all hours of the day. I moved them around, held them up to my backsplash and asked everyone’s opinion (well maybe not everyone but my one daughter who is very into design).

We looked at White Dove (too yellow), Simply White (also yellow), Decorator’s White (icky sterile, hospital white in our lighting) and dozens more. Finally we decided on Benjamin Moore’s Swiss Coffee. It has no yellow undertones (again in our light) but was so much softer than the other whites under consideration. It also seemed to pair beautifully with another Moore color, Sail Cloth, which we decided to use for the walls. This entire process took about three weeks. If you don’t have that much time, you could possibly compress it…but I say, don’t rush it. Painting your kitchen cabinets is a big change so you want to get it right!

Next post – I will reveal the “after” photos. I am waiting for a new hood and we need to repair one part of the backsplash before I can share the photos with you. Until then, do your research before trying to pick the right white for your kitchen cabinets! Mimi

Updating nineties kitchen
Decor

Updating our nineties kitchen on a budget

/

Hi all. It has been awhile but goodness we have had a lot going on…not the least of it an upgrade to our nineties kitchen. That’s right. The nineties called and they want their kitchen back! Oh and what a throwback it was. Orange stained cabinets with sage green counters. So, how do we update it on a budget? Well today’s post is short but I promise much more as I really wished someone had clued me into what goes into painting kitchen cabinets as a start! But what would a home decorating post be without a “before” picture? See below my friends.

The nineties kitchen – orange stained cherry cabinets and sage green counter tops….how do we update on a budget?

So first, this kitchen has delivered so many delicious meals and I realize just how fortunate I am to have it! Please do not think I am not grateful…but that said…well, it is time to enter 2021. We can still honor our possessions by giving them a facelift right?

So that is what we did. The details will be in posts to come (promise…I am still not 100% there as this involved emptying all of those cabinets, rewashing EVERYTHING as dust was EVERWHERE…). So, let’s call this a sneak peek and a post so y’all know I am still around:) Until then… Happy St. Patricks Day (I am part Irish so I love a good St. Patricks Day!). Mimi

Decorate with digital art from Etsy
Decor

How to decorate with digital art ( from Etsy)

/

Hi all. Today I am excited to share how to decorate with digital art from Etsy. It is inexpensive, creative and with the array of offerings on Etsy, the possibilities are limitless.

Like many of you, the months of hibernating at home has me evaluating every room with a critical eye. Recently I moved a large piece of art out of the foyer and into our dining room, and I love the new placement. However, as I searched around for a replacement for the front hall, to my dismay, I learned that without spending hundreds of dollars I could not find anything. Then I discovered some great matching brushed gold frames at TJ Maxx ($15 for 3 on clearance!). I bought six, and as it turned out, the frames were just the right size for some beautiful vintage and art prints that I downloaded and printed from our color printer. While it was a stroke of luck to find these frames, I have seen similar ones at Michaels and big box stores.

How to decorate with digital art from Etsy – first steps

So the first step is to assess your space. Is it casual? Formal? What is the color scheme? How big is it? For this particular project, the area is an alcove as you enter our main front entrance. Below the wall is a console table with some decorative objects. The feel of the area is slightly formal (but not stuffy) as the rooms that branch off of the foyer is the formal dining and living rooms. The walls area pale ivory with a hint of yellow (Benjamin Moore Niveous) and the floors are natural, hard wood. With that in mind, I started the fun part – searching for art.

Originally I was not looking specifically for digital art but I realized as I entered search terms that this option was available. Some of the art types and terms I considered included:

Asian art

Botanical prints (there are dozens of digital options here)

Abstract art

Mid century modern

Most of the Etsy shops also allow you to sort by color, size and type of art so other categories may appear as you get started. Beware, a few hours can go by as you surf around in Etsy (enjoyable hours I may add).

As I was looking for a slightly vintage, formal feel with those specs in mind I finally settled on Wonder and Chaos a delightful shop full of interesting and sometimes whimsical prints at very reasonable prices. Their vintage theatrical prints really caught my eye (see photo). I then found other prints that fit the feel and color scheme of the area.

What size to download?

A great benefit of digital art is that once you download the art you usually have access to multiple sizes. In my case I was searching for roughly 8 by 11 which would be easy to print at home and would fit into my beautiful, bargain frames. I noticed though that you can download a larger size and go to a photo processing site such as Shutterfly to print if you want one of those larger pieces.

Printing and other tips

The first time I printed out one of the prints I used plain white printer paper. This was not a bad idea to get a sense of layout. However, that quality paper is NOT going to give you the best print as I soon found out. I happened to have some very fine Cranes resume paper (remember when people actually used paper for resumes?). It was such a huge improvement to print on very high quality paper. While a box of high quality paper may be pricy compared to regular print paper, it is well worth it. Also, many of the Etsy shops offer printing tips which I highly recommend you read.

After printing out each print (I had chosen six), I grouped them together in different layouts. My bargain frames also had a great bonus of a paper template so I could tape up the gallery before putting in any nails. If you buy frames without that sort of template I would recommend tracing the frames onto craft paper and then cutting them out. A level is also key to ensuring that you hang the templates straight. Lastly, I used double sided tape to lay out the frames to give an idea of how I was going to display the art.

How to decorate with digital art from Etsy
My paper templates to help me layout the gallery wall

I decided to slightly stagger my middle grouping for some interest. Then I hung the pictures (once again using a level). Here is the finished wall.

How to decorate with digital art from Etsy
The finished gallery wall…all for a total of $60!

Above you can see the finished wall (and yes my photo is a bit cut off…still learning on the photography front!). The entire wall cost $60 which is a fraction of what I would have paid with paper prints and trying to frame them custom. I also have access to the larger sizes or can print multiple copies. All in all I have been so pleased with this find!

I hope you enjoyed this post on how to decorate with digital art from Etsy. Please share with your friends and come back often!

Lentil Quinoa Chili in the Slow Cooker Vegetarian
Food

Lentil and Quinoa Chili in the Slow Cooker

/

Hi friends. Well with about three feet of snow on the ground (it snowed yet again yesterday) I have been looking for comfort food. To date, I have not been as healthy as I should be with snacks… This time, chili fits the bill so well with its satisfying heartiness and a touch of heat. The bonus with this recipe for Lentil and Quinoa Chili in the Slow Cooker is that it is healthy (and practically effortless) too! The recipe is actually vegan, although I like to add some grated cheese and sour cream so in that case it would be vegetarian. You could skip those toppings of course if you are following a vegan diet.

My vegetarian diet

I was a vegetarian for two years when I lived in California (definitely influenced by the Southern California get healthy vibe) before getting married. As Mr. SB is an avowed omnivore I have transitioned our household to more of a meatless Monday or even Tuesday, Wednesday type of diet.

Why? Plant based diets are so good for you even if you may need to plan a bit to ensure you are receiving all of the nutrients you need. Vegetarian recipes are also flat out cheap (meat is always the most expensive part of the grocery bill here) and so much better for the environment. I heard on a podcast recently that skipping meat for just one day of the week actually equals saving the carbon emissions for one cross country trip (coast to coast). Wow! Imagine if the entire country committed to at least a meatless Monday?

Benefits of lentils and quinoa

Often I find that some vegetarian recipes lack texture and sometimes I am still hungry – not this recipe for lentil and quinoa chili. It is full of texture and flavor. The combination of the nutty lentils and the quinoa which naturally thickens the sauce makes it super satisfying.

The recipe is full of health benefits too as both lentils and quinoa are considered superfoods. Lentils have been associated with improved digestive health, sustainable weight loss and healthy blood sugar levels. One cup of lentils has about 18 grams of protein and almost a full day’s worth of folate. A serving of lentils is also high in manganese and potassium. Quinoa is another superfood and is actually not a grain but is a seed. It is also a complete protein possessing all 20 amino acids which is key if you are following a vegetarian diet. One cup cooked quinoa also offers tons of health benefits.

How do you make lentil and quinoa chili in the slow cooker?

This recipe is one of what I call, “On my last nerve” recipes. I keep the ingredients on hand in the pantry. I use both black and red kidney beans for some variation. Cans of beans are fine but if you have pre-cooked beans that would work too. I like the Costco quinoa which is already pre-rinsed to save a step. Trader Joe’s chili lime spice is a wonderful addition if you have a TJs on hand. If not, regular chili powder works just fine and then feel free to squeeze some lime on top at the end. Basically you stir everything together and let it slow cook for eight hours or four on high. Add your favorite toppings. Mine include cilantro, lime, avocado and a small dollop of sour cream. So without further ado, here is the recipe. Enjoy!

Lentil Quinoa Chili in the Slow Cooker Vegetarian
Print Pin

Lentil and Quinoa Chili in the Slow Cooker

Hearty, healthy and just what you need on a cold winter's day. The recipe is vegan but you may want to add some sour cream, grated cheese too. Fresh cilantro and a squeeze of lime perfect this protein packed, superfood-rich dish.
Course Main Course
Cuisine American
Keyword budget friendly, lentils, Perfect Slow Cooker Pot Roast, Quinoa, Superfoods, vegan, vegetarian
Prep Time 20 minutes
Cook Time 8 hours
Servings 8
Cost $5

Equipment

  • Slow cooker

Ingredients

  • 1 yellow onion
  • 2 cloves garlic
  • 1 15 oz can petite diced tomatoes with liquid
  • 1 6 oz can tomato paste or I like the tubes of past and I use two tablespoons
  • 1 15 oz can black beans drained
  • 1 15 oz can red kidney beans drained
  • 1 cup brown lentils uncooked
  • ⅔ cup of quinoa
  • 1 Tbsp chili powder or if you can find it 1 and ½ Tbsp of Trader Joes Chili Lime powder
  • 1 tsp smoked paprika
  • 1 tsp ground cumin
  • 1/2 tsp onion powder
  • 1/4 tsp garlic powder
  • 1/4 tsp cayenne pepper
  • 1/2 tsp salt
  • A pinch freshly cracked black pepper
  • 4 cups vegetable broth
  • 1 cup of water
  • Fresh chopped cilantro
  • Sour cream guacamole, avocados, lime juice or other toppings you desire

Instructions

  • Dice the onion and mince the garlic.
  • Add the onion and garlic and all ingredients to the slow cooker. Stir to combine.
  • Place a lid on the slow cooker and cook on high for four hours (or low for 8 hours).
  • After cooking, the lentils should be tender. Taste the chili and add salt to taste.
  • Serve hot with your favorite toppings.
Instant pot no soak white bean and ham soup
Food

Instant Pot (no soak) White Bean and Ham soup

/

Hi there from snowy CT! We have about three feet of snow on the ground and it is still snowing…dreaming of summer days around here. Last weekend we headed up to NH to ski at Gunstock Mountain Resort which has the most lovely views of Lake Winnipisaukee. Yours truly was taken out a by a teen skiing out of control. Fortunately just a few bumps and bruises…I was worried about my knee but it seems fine a few days later (phew). Sunday, I decided not to ski (but still enjoyed my favorite apres ski recipe for buffalo dip) and instead made this perfect, easy, no-soaking the beans instant pot ham and bean soup. Trust me on this one – it comes out perfectly every time and not having to soak the beans saves time and allows this soup to be a last minute dish. So here is to snowy days and hot soup.

Tips to making no soak instant pot white bean and ham soup

I recommend Northern white beans for this recipe. You can use Cannellini or other white beans too but Northern beans really hold up well to pressure cooking. Also, this soup is very versatile. With my French husband, I tend to use a generous tablespoon of herbs de Provence. If you prefer though you could Italian seasoning or any mix of herbs that you like. I also recommend chopping the onion, celery and carrot roughly (mirepoix) for some texture against the creaminess of the beans. Lastly, if you want a vegetarian option, skip the ham, add more salt to taste and use vegetable broth instead of water. Serve the soup with some crusty bread and a salad and your winter day will be that much warmer!

Instant pot no soak white bean and ham soup
Print Pin

Instant pot no soak white bean and ham soup

Super easy and relatively fast recipe as there is no need to soak the beans. Tender white beans in a rich stock and plenty of vegetables and salty bits of ham make a delicious and economical soup. Freezes well and heats up too for lunch or supper now or when you need it.
Course Main Course, Soup
Cuisine American, French
Keyword Beans, Instant Pot, No soak beans, Soup
Prep Time 35 minutes
Cook Time 35 minutes
Servings 8
Cost 5

Equipment

  • Instant Pot

Ingredients

  • 1 pound dried Great Northern White Beans picked over and rinsed. Cannellini beans would work here too but reduce the cooking time by five minutes.
  • 1 tablespoon cooking oil olive or I like avocado oil
  • 1 white or yellow onion diced
  • 3 stalks of celery roughly chopped
  • 3 medium carrots peeled and chopped
  • 3 cloves garlic finely chopped
  • 1 heaping tablespoon of herbs de Provence or another seasoning mix you like such as Italian seasoning
  • 1 bay leaf
  • ¼ pound of ham or a ham hock bone (with some meat on it). If going for the vegetarian option then leave out the ham.
  • 4 cups of chicken stock or vegetable and 4 cups of water (if using a very meaty ham bone you may want 2 cups of stock and 6 cups of water as the ham will be salty).

Instructions

  • Turn Instant Pot on sauté setting and heat olive oil in the insert.
  • Add onion, celery and carrots and sauté until starting to soften, a few minutes (keep an eye on it as they can burn if you are not careful…stir occasionally).
  • Add garlic, stir a few seconds until you can smell the garlic.
  • Then add herbs and bay leaf, stir and turn off the sauté function.
  • Add the dried beans to the pot along with the ham shanks.
  • Pour in the stock and water and combine gently.
  • Close lid and seal pressure cooker.
  • Cook on high pressure and set timer for 35 minutes. It will take about 25 minutes to reach pressure and then the timer will start. When finished cooking, let pressure naturally release for 20 minutes.
  • Manually release any remaining pressure, carefully open pot (only after all pressure is released).
  • If using a ham bone or shank, then remove ham shanks to cutting board and shred/cut meat into bite-sized pieces. Add back to soup and season with kosher salt and black pepper to taste.
  • Serve with a salad and some crusty bread for a delicious lunch or supper.
Perfect slow cooker pot roast
Food

Perfect Slow Cooker Pot Roast

/

Happy Monday! Did you enjoy the big game? I fell asleep after eating waaaay too many chips and queso as well as stuffing myself with my delicious (if I do say so) buffalo dip. I am not much of a football fan but I am 100% about the snacks! We have had so much snow in the past week in CT. I had all kinds of plans and frankly tossed them all, cozied up by the fire and read a book (After the War). As it was a lazy kind of weekend, I also had the good sense to make my perfect slow cooker pot roast which takes all of ten minutes to prep and then cooks all day making the house smell delightful and come dinner time – you have a delicious meal all cooked.

History of pot roast at the SB house

Apparently pot roast has been a staple in our family for decades. My grandmother made it every Sunday evening. My mom did too more often than not. I tried using the family recipe but if I am being honest, I must have done something wrong as it came out terrible (Mr. SB told me that, “he had limits”…when I served it to him). So after fiddling around with my slow cooker, I created this easy recipe which I have been making for at least ten years. It literally comes out perfect every time. It hardly qualifies as a recipe (as it is so simple to make) but you would not know it by the results. I think the secret is a bit of red wine and some rosemary both of which add so much flavor.

Steps to making perfect slow cooker pot roast

The first step is a good quality piece of beef. If you have been reading my blog for some time, you know I am a fan of Walden Local for grass fed beef from local New England farms. Pot roast at the supermarket is often called pot roast. Other cuts of meat that work are bottom round, round roast – really any of the less expensive, thick cuts of beef.

Root vegetables work so well with this too. I love turnips, potatoes and carrots. You will want to slice them all about the same thickness for the best results. Turnips and whole carrots are usually thin enough that I slice them in half lengthwise and then cut them again so I have four pieces from the original vegetable.

A few notes on the ingredients

The recipe calls for cream of mushroom soup too. I use the Pacific brand or Trader Joe’s as both brands are simply cream, mushrooms and salt. I recommend reading labels carefully if you go the standard supermarket route as some brands contain a great deal of preservatives. Perfect slow cooker pot roast also calls for a packet of onion soup. I like Simply Organics for a good brand (again without dozens of ingredients I can not pronounce!).

Lastly, a small tip is to lightly grease the slow cooker for easy clean up. I like to use Choice Foods spray avocado oil.

Grab a loaf of fresh bread and an easy salad and dinner is done!

Perfect slow cooker pot roast
Print Pin

Perfect Slow Cooker Pot Roast

No-fuss recipe for an unbelievably tender pot roast with a savory, flavorful gravy and perfectly cooked vegetables. Serve it with some crusty bread and a green salad for a delicious meal.
Course Main Course
Cuisine American
Keyword Beef, Crock pot, Perfect Slow Cooker Pot Roast, Slow cooker
Prep Time 15 minutes
Cook Time 9 hours
Servings 8 servings
Cost 10

Equipment

  • Slow cooker

Ingredients

  • 1 3 to 4 pound Beef roast (chuck roast, pot roast, bottom round or other large, lean cut of beef)
  • 1 Container Cream of mushroom soup (see notes above on brands)
  • 1 Packet Dried onion mix (I like Simply Organics brand)
  • 4 Carrots Cut in half vertically and then again in half
  • 4 Parsnips Prepare as you do with the carrots above
  • 1/4 Cup Dry red wine
  • 1 Tbsp Dried rosemary leaves, crushed

Instructions

  • Combine cream of mushroom soup, soup mix, dried rosemary, red wine and stir. Place mixture in the slow cooker (you may want to coat the slow cooker with a thin spray of oil for easy clean up).
  • Place roast on top of mixture and turn to coat so that all sides are lightly covered.
  • Place sliced vegetables around roast (I like to coat those too in the soup mixture).
  • Cook for 8 to 9 hours. Enjoy with a green salad and a fresh loaf of bread if you like.

52 places to organize in your home in the new year
Lifestyle

Top Spaces to Organize in Your Home

/

Hi there! Phew, we had quite a snowstorm in CT yesterday with at least two feet of snow from what I can tell. How did you fare? With all of the time indoors, I have continued the decluttering and organizing and have more places to share with you along with a few tips and ideas. This is the second part of a two part series about top spaces to organize in your home. If you missed the first post, you can find it here.

Digital decluttering: email and files

Your digital space can be easily over run (I am looking at you 3,000+ emails in my unread inbox!). I find that being able to read the email without opening it is my downfall. So, I can see the “Thanks” reply so I don’t bother to open it. As I become busy, the emails just pile up.

I have taken a “look at it once” approach. When reviewing emails, right away I determine if I need to either delete it or put it in a folder. I like to organize folders by year or client/person. For example, I usually can remember an email by who sent it to me and the general time frame so this strategy works well for me. I recommend organizing by however you think. An easy way to deal with Gmail organizing when you want to delete emails is to do a search and then it allows you to delete anything in that search.

For files on your desktop, I like to do the same. I usually set up a year folder and then subfolders within such as:

Girls Activities

Clients (and then subfolders with each client’s name)

Financial (and then subfolders such as tax preparation)

You get the picture. This way, my desktop is clean and orderly which is a mood boost when I am getting started in the morning. Here is a screenshot.

How to organize your digital files
Organized inbox by calendar year

We also organize pictures the same way – by year and then month. This has worked so well as I can recall generally when a vacation or event happened so when I want to create a photo book or look back on a memory I know exactly where to look.

Also, do not forget to create back ups of any digital files. I like Microsoft One Drive for a cloud version. There are also free versions of Dropbox and other cloud storage that work well too. Nothing worse than having your computer malfunction and losing all of your work and other files!

Organizing your car

The car can be a magnet for clutter. If you have young children it may accumulate toys, empty wrappers from snacks and sippy cups. Older kids tend to leave sports equipment, books, water bottles and wrappers too. I seem to have an issue with reusable shopping bags multiplying!

The first step is to remove everything from the car. Give it a good vacuum and wipe down and then put back in what is really needed.

  1. Papers. Insurance cards, registration and if you belong to a Triple A, make a copy of that card and put in the glove box of every car so it is easily handy.
  2. Emergency water/snacks. I always keep water bottles in the car. I am not a fan of plastic bottles but this is the one place that I do keep bottles handy. Occasionally my girls will forget a water bottle for sports practice or as they head to school so keeping a stash is key.
  3. Shovel and ice scraper. If you live in a climate where there is snow and ice this is a must.
  4. Blanket. I always keep a blanket. This has been handy for kids becoming cold or even our pets.
  5. Trash bags. A store of trash bags makes it easy to keep the wrappers and other unwanted items at bay. When I get gas, I use the time to empty the trash if needed.
  6. Money. Have you ever found yourself wishing you had a spare $20 for ice cream or a cool drink? Or maybe the sports team is collecting money for the coach’s gift? I find a spare $20 in the glove box has been so handy.

Children’s art

  1. Children’s Art. As I mentioned, I did look into Artkive. I realized I can do the same with my own iPhone for much less money. To keep it manageable, I am taking a few pictures a day. I will allow myself to keep one small folder of originals. So far, it has been so much fun to review the girls’ art. With one recently off to college, it is bittersweet and seems like yesterday that she was at her little table painting with her glitter paints and making all kinds of projects! Eventually I will take the photos and make a collage on Shutterfly with the favorites. At any rate, I will have all of them stored digitally which is so nice!

So, I will leave you with one last thought. Organizing is like an exercise program. You do not just do it once and that is it. We move through various stages of life and that movement requires us to re-examine our possessions.

Start a new job working from home? Well the old job’s clothes may not be right anymore and it may be time to donate many of those formal clothes. You child is now in kindergarten? Toys that were once useful may not be in this new phase. You get the picture. Similar to an exercise program, it is wise to start out slowly. Tackle one area at a time. You have the year to do it.

Happy organizing!

woman in black long sleeve dress standing on brown concrete pathway
Lifestyle

My Child Leaving For College

/

Hi there. I have been completely pre-occupied these last couple of weeks for two main reasons. First, I have a client in the political space (non-partisan, non-profit). With the events of January 6th plus inauguration, it has been non-stop. I am so happy that the inauguration was held without event. I particularly loved the poet laureate, Amanda Gorman. I will be re-reading her poem for days to come.

Second…drumroll…college girl left for actual (versus online in the dining room) college. So today’s post is about my child leaving for college. I promise to be back soon with organizing and food (so much to blog about!).

Getting ready for college (me not her!)

Folks, first, I want to say that the pandemic has made this experience so different than the typical send off. Through the years, I have read Facebook posts of friends who were distraught about their child leaving for college. They counted the days. They wept. I get it. My little pumpkin with braids in her hair who was just tackling her ABCs at the kitchen table is now off to college? What? Time plays tricks on us as those moments seemed like yesterday. So, yes, I had some sadness (and wait towards the end of this post for the full details). However, honestly after watching her not have a full life all fall term due to the pandemic, well I was happy that she could finally experience college life – in all of its good and not so good, but learning moments.

Getting her room ready

I was so excited to have her pick out a color palette for her dorm room (yes as a blogger it should not be a surprise that color palettes can be part of the dorm room!). We had fun, donning our double masks and equipping ourselves with plenty of hand sanitizer, as we hit Target, Ikea and Homegoods for just the perfect mix of throws, pillows, sheet sets and accessories. I also went into full mom mode, packing a first aid kit and “dorm doctor” set of medicines just in case. We picked out the essentials – electric tea kettle, Brita filter and of course some nice clothes too. I am not sure how we fit all of it into the car, but somehow we managed (with a Thule on top of course).

A walk down memory lane

At the same time, I was full into organizing her art going back to toddlerhood (yes, I did not throw all of it out…I had an art portfolio for my favorites). Mr. SB and I had a good chuckle at some of the cards with funny sayings, misspellings and portraits of us all drawn by our little artist. A favorite was one of the Disney princesses after seeing Disney on ice. Funny how those memories come rushing back to you. So come the day to drive there, I felt like I had fully gone through a walk in time but was generally happy to see her off on her great adventure.

Get ready for water works

Then came my youngest daughter’s video, which compiled special moments from all of our home videos. As high-school girls said to her sister, “I made it for you last spring but since you did not leave, I am giving it to you now.” She put together the sweetest mix of scenes of she and college girl when they were tikes. Yup, there they were dancing together on a vacation to Mexico. Hugging each other as little girls. All dressed up for Easter, Christmas and Halloween. Oh sure, I was ready to send pumpkin off…really, I am truly happy. I promise. Just fine.

Ladies (and gentleman if I have any male readers:) I bawled my eyes out…I had to head to bed early “to read a book” so I could cry by myself. I played that darn video at least ten times until I am pretty sure I had no tears left.

A few observations about my child leaving for college

When I finally pulled myself together I realized that you know what? It was a gift. Am I still happy that my gal is all grown up and in a wonderful university where I know she will thrive? Of course. Am I so happy that she can have a full college experience. Yes! But trying to pretend that time has not passed, that my own life will not be changing dramatically (even with just one out of the nest) or that life is frankly short, is not a good way to live. Appreciating all that she has become, all of those moments that make a wonderful life and make being a mom so gratifying, is not something to sweep under the rug so to speak. No matter how painful it can be! So maybe I did not do a month’s worth of Facebook posts, or document the drop off with dozens of photos, but I had my own way of thinking about it.

At that last moment where she had to leave, I gave her a big hug. I shed a few tears which I did wipe away quickly and drove off. My little girl flapped her wings and flew pandemic restrictions and all. Mom could not be prouder.

Did I text her a few hours later? You bet I did!

52 places to organize in your home in the new year
Lifestyle

Organizing Challenge!

/

Hi there, so 2021 is well under way and like most of you, I have organizing on my mind. I thought I would share a few tips and plans as well as my list of spaces to organize in your home in the new year.

We are on the second week, but some are small (intentionally) so if you double up one week then at the end of the year you will have tackled at least one a week and have an organized home! This will be a two part blog post and you can find the second post here.

A note on organizing large spaces

For larger spaces, I recommend breaking into multiple areas and feel free to go as micro as you wish. One organized shelf is better than none. I use my 5 steps to organize anything for every space. As I mention in that post, a large space can be daunting to empty out all the contents as some pro organizers recommend. I find tackling one shelf or area that you can comfortably organize in a day or weekend is better. Making a bigger mess trying to organize is not the goal!

Disposing of unwanted items

Also, there are multiple ways of decluttering and disposing of your unwanted items. Here is a short summary of what I have found helpful. I plan to add more detail in a coming post.

  1. Discard. The first and easiest is trash. Keep a trash container close to you when tackling a space. Packaging, broken items and other unwanted stuff goes right into the bag.
  2. Donate. I have a wonderful thrift shop in my town where I donate items and then the thrift shop sells them in a lovely shop. All proceeds go to charity. For anything of value that I simply do not want I tend to donate here. Goodwill is also a good option. I find they take everything. Of course friends and family may want your items. But they may not! Be careful about giving old items without asking.
  3. Sell. Selling for me is a good option for items such as sports equipment or children’s toys and furniture. We have a local Facebook group that connects to Facebook marketplace. I would recommend you proceed carefully. I tend to stick to my town and it is easy enough to check out a person’s profile to make sure they actually live locally. For clothing, I have found that teen clothing does very well at Plato’s Closet and there is minimal work involved. Thred Up is another online thrift shop. As you receive little for clothing, I prefer to donate most clothes.

I also give myself a set time to remove the items from my home. I used to struggle with this – I was great at identifying what to get rid of but not so good at actually taking it out! A week is a reasonable time frame in my case.

Also, I recently added a donate box in my laundry room. I try to either identify 5 items a day to either donate or discard. When the box is full I give myself a week to remove it and either donate or sell. So far, it has worked very well. My children also add to it as they outgrow clothing.

Top spaces to organize in your home

With the above in mind, here are my top places to declutter and organize in your home this year.

Office

  1. Desk files. This one could be broken into as many weeks as you need. A few categories I am tackling include old credit card statements, (I keep a year on a rolling basis and organize by month so when the new year’s month is here I throw out the year before), car repair files and medical. Once I get through that I will go through files from former jobs. There is debate on whether to keep these items at all? I prefer to at least have the last year on hand for most categories.
  2. Desk drawer. I have two desk drawers that tend to collect items and plan to go through all the odds and ends, pens (do they work?) and office supplies. I love rewarding myself after decluttering and organizing and have my eye on some coordinated blush pink pens and this acrylic, monogrammed pen holder to display them on my desk. Another organizing tip: if it is pretty you will likely want to keep it that way!

Kitchen

  1. Pantry. This can be a big job. I tend to do a review and clean out every November before the holidays start. On a monthly basis, I take a look at staples to see what is short on supply and buy new items as needed.
  2. Junk drawers. I have three junk drawers. They are actually no longer used for “junk.” One holds cooking related items such as recipes I prefer to have on paper (if they tend to be long, I would rather look at print), chip clips and fridge liners and drying mats for the dishes. The other one has our note pads used for shopping lists, pens, scissors, and a space for take out coupons. The last one stores electronics. These general groupings make it easy for me to go through quickly and remove any items that no longer work or seem out of place.
  3. Tupperware/Storage. This is a big one too. I finally donated any pyrex without lids. We also instituted a system where the lid goes on the container when storing out of the dishwasher. I had a rack for lids but that system did not work at all! Have you found that to be the case?

Attic

  1. Attic. So this one is almost complete for me and it took me three days. I need to add some labels so that the rest of the family knows where to put luggage, extra storage containers etc. I also finally donated my girls’ stuffed animal collection (four bags!) and will confess I just could not do it the first time I faced that the girls were no longer playing with stuffed animals. So I stored them and this time I was more than happy to donate to a place that wanted them. Sometimes you may need a little time mamas…do not be hard on yourself if you do.

Basement

  1. Basement. I tackled the basement over holiday break. It took me three days and like the attic it was a refresher. Post holiday it always tends to accumulate as we decide which Christmas decorations are going up and which stay stored. This time I went shelf by shelf. I labeled areas for each appliance and if something did not fit, donated it. I also tackled some gifts that we simply do not use and gave those to our local thrift shop.
  2. Holiday decorations. This one I tackled a few years ago but every year I do a review. This year I identified items for donation. My girls loved colored lights when they were little. We now have white lights. The thrift shop will be getting some very nice colored lights next year:) I put the box on top with a note to myself, so next season I will remember to bring it over.

Bedrooms

  1. Closets. This one is an ongoing project. I plan to break it into 1) shoes 2) clothes (work and casual) 3) miscellaneous. So far, I have tackled my and Mr. SB dress shoes. I donated shoes we were not wearing. My rule is that if shoes do not fit into the existing racks, then I need to find a few to donate.
  2. Under the beds. Do you store items under the bed? I find this space to be a terrible place to store anything because I forget about it! One solution, is to either not store anything or use clear storage containers. I also will leave myself a note in a prominent place that reminds me that I stored my summer shorts or whatever under the bed!

Living room

  1. Bookshelves. I have two book shelves in our living area and books all over the house. We are book worms. I want to tackle the books as well as display them and other objects from our travels in a beautiful way. I look forward to sharing that project.
  2. Coat closet. We have two coat closets. I bought two new coats at the J. Crew holiday sale (and they are on sale now!). One in pink (The Lady Coat) and one in green (I love them both!). That means I need to donate two of my existing coats. I do try the one in one out for clothing as much as possible. Once you hit your max on storage, that is the only way to maintain an organized, decluttered space. I have also plan to identify any shoes that no one wears any longer and store the summer shoes in the attic.

Garage

  1. Gardening supplies. I have this on the calendar for Spring. We store gardening items in our garage. Every year I seem to accumulate a few more pots so I try to donate some as well.
  2. Tools/Workbench. This may be more my husband’s area but I did buy a pegboard set of attachments on Amazon which will help organize the rolls of tape, wire and other odds and ends.
  3. Cars. Yes, I include cars. In each car, I store snow removal items (during winter), sunscreen (during summer), water bottles, a warm blanket, a bright yellow, reflective vest and some protein bars in case of an emergency. I also have $20 in the glove box where I also keep the insurance and registration. Other items I store include masks (#Covid19), reusable shopping bags and hand sanitizer. That said, there always seems to be other items that are not needed. A regular review of items is warranted every few months.

Check back in for the remaining spaces to organize in your home in the new year. It may just inspire your own decluttering and organizing journey for 2021.

Why Your Past Matters When Decluttering and Organizing
Lifestyle

Why Your Past Matters When Organizing

/

Hi there! A new year is prime time to talk decluttering and organization. Like many of you, I like to start the new year with a clean and organized home and will be writing more about that and how to help you in coming posts. Before I get into tactics though, I want to start with some retrospection. Your past matters when organizing. Why? Because just like in relationships, marriage, parenting and finances and more, much of your behavior may be rooted in the past. In fact, psychology plays a large role in why decluttering can be so hard. So let’s take a moment to think this one angle through.

What was your home like growing up?

Did you grow up in a spotless, perfectly organized home? Every item had a “home” put in its designated place at all times? Or was it the opposite? Maybe it was tough to find the kitchen table because of all of the papers piled on top? Or the dining room was not a dining room but a storage unit? Did your parents save everything or throw it all out?

How the Depression and the War influenced family organization

In my case, my dad grew up in the Great Depression. My mom was also born at the tail-end of the Depression and was growing up during World War II. People had far less stuff, whatever was purchased was bought very carefully and nothing was discarded without thought. Characteristic of that era, my parents tended to save items and were reluctant to throw them away. It turns out my French husband had the same dynamic. His parents grew up shortly after WWII when there were real shortages of necessities in France.

Growing up

How did this impact our homes? Both of our families had lovely homes for which we are grateful. My mom kept a spotless, beautiful home, and the clutter was mostly confined to the hidden areas. That said, over the years, these items tended to accumulate so I became used to seeing a space (especially a closet or “junk drawer”) full of items. In other words, no one wanted to throw anything out! Sure we would get new decor (but the old decor was stored for someday). I am not criticizing my family for these ways – it went along with the times. Also, even when I was a kid, we did not have the explosion of cheap items created abroad. We tended to buy more carefully and keep what we bought.

How does that impact my organization journey?

Fast forward to now

If you have been following my blog, you know I started an organization journey (Project O) a few years ago. I had some of the typical obstacles that kept me from throwing anything out:

  1. “I might need it someday”
  2. “My children (or sub in nieces/nephews/their children may need it someday.”
  3. Sentimental
  4. It was a gift
  5. “It cost a lot/or it is worth a lot.”

I promise to write more on these challenges. That said, the biggest obstacle for me has been overcoming the past and what has been engrained as “normal.”

What is “normal” varies for each person

Your past matters when organizing because it sets up your “normal.” Here are a few habits/behaviors that may be setting you up for failure as you try to declutter and organize.

  1. Your family saved everything for someday. You may need that rope (yes, I come from a family of avid sailors…we had plenty of ropes around the house/garage!), tennis racket, window treatment, fill-in-the-blank. This is a big one. In my house, we often had lovely new curtains or a rug…but the old ones were not discarded but stored. I can not remember when an item that had been replaced was used again…
  2. Your family and friends shopped a great deal. Shopping was big in the eighties and nineties. Many of us grew up going to the mall just for fun. Shopping was entertainment and bargain hunting was a practical sport in my family. Frankly I still enjoy a trip to my favorite boutique or discounter. That said, shopping and especially impulse buys can really add to your stuff and make your home unmanageable. Retailers are masters at luring you in with sales and then making it very hard not to buy. Social media and the Internet, with hyper targeting, has made it even more likely you will buy on impulse. Buyer beware.
  3. Your house was a mess/super organized/cluttered. I have a friend who grew up in a very cluttered home. Her mom never saw a garage sale she did not love and came home with dozens of “finds.” My friend today has the opposite approach. Her husband calls her the “terminator” as she throws everything out. It can work both ways. She could have also become immune to clutter and that would become her normal for now. Neither is inherently bad but if clutter is something you want to avoid then be aware of how your home growing up may impact what you are comfortable with now.

Where am I today (and how do I deal with it?)

So dealing with my past has helped me really understand the obstacles that face me when decluttering and organizing. Here are few:

As I noted, my mom kept a very clean and lovely home. I actually am also very particular about cleanliness which I no doubt inherited. Enjoy cleaning…but decluttering is another story.

I have tendencies to keep items too long (I am looking at you Restoration Hardware window treatments…) with the idea I may need them someday, they were costly, it was a gift etc.. Questions I ask:

Am I keeping this because of my past? What part of my past? Frugal, depression era parents (usually a good thing especially when it comes to finances but not so much when decluttering).

Do I feel guilty because perhaps my modern day values do not align with the values of my family growing up (but are OK today as we are not in a depression, items are readily available etc.)

Is a closet that is stuffed to the gills a result of too much stuff or the fact that I am used to seeing closets looking that way? While Pinterest and Instagram may present unreasonable or unrealistic organization, both platforms woke me up to what is possible. As I have decluttered and organized I have discovered how calm and freeing it can be to have fewer items.

Have you examined your past and how it may impact your decluttering and organizing journey?