Maria - 4/7 - Graceful Order

Organized Home Week 5 – The Entryway

February 3, 2015 · by Maria · 16 Comments

The mudroom, entryway, landing pad – whatever you call it – it can be your biggest ally or enemy in the order department. I have a tiny space in the entrance of my home that almost seems unusable…almost. I took a very narrow wall and made it a functional clutter buster in our home.

Remember when I talked about creating a morning routine? Part of our old morning routine was searching frantically for keys and wallets – not fun. Since one of my favorite things in life, besides chocolate pretzels, is coming up with organizing systems, I did just that with this little wall.

A place for keys:

We always had a key holder but it used to be in the office. The problem was that no one (including me) would walk to the office to drop off their keys. I added a key organizer right next to our entrance and that problem was officially solved.

A place for your bag:

Then there was my purse. I never lost it but it was always on the couch or the chair and it made the entrance look messy. I found this little deer hook and problem number two was no more.

A place for umbrellas:

Umbrellas – though not used daily, I wanted them handy. Sometimes we notice that it’s drizzling when we are on our way out, and it is really convenient to have an umbrella right there.

And on a totally related umbrella note: Do you know what happens when it rains cats and dogs? You might step in a poodle! – I’ll be here all night and I hang out with a 3-year-old all day.

A place for kid’s gear:

On the adjacent wall I have this enormous piece of furniture. When we started buying furniture for our home 11 years ago, I wondered if it was too big but now I wonder what I would do without it. It is technically a buffet for a dining room but here it functions as a “mudroom”.

It is decorated the way one would decorate a sofa table but the bottom tier holds a lot of kid stuff. The small drawers hold wallets, notepads and pens and the larger one has extra silverware.

Here is an orchid – totally unrelated to mudrooms, but pretty nonetheless. Sorry, I don’t know any orchid jokes. I’m sure you are glad.

I found these baskets at Target a few years back and they were fancy enough for this piece of furniture but practical enough for my boys. The bottom of the baskets are lined with felt and they are open bins so the boys actually use them. I know that if it had a lid, they wouldn’t but maybe that’s just my kiddos. They place their roller skates and all the safety gear in these baskets.

Add open and covered bins:

On either side, I have lidded bins that I use for extra candles.

I hope this post inspired you, especially if you have a small entrance like me! I encourage you to use every inch of space to your advantage so that your mornings are smoother and you can enjoy some graceful order at home.

I just thought of an orchid joke (actually I saw it online) “Are you an adult or…kid?”

Happy Organizing!

Also in the Organized Home Series:

Week 1 – Organizing the Refrigerator

Week 2 – Organizing Kitchen Cabinets

Week 3- Organizing the Pantry

Week 4- The Master Bedroom

Clean Soap Scum Naturally

January 29, 2015 · by Maria · 8 Comments

Today I want to share with you how I clean my shower and tub and remove soap scum naturally. First let’s chat a bit about this evil foe we call scum. It’s basically what we call the mineral deposits that accumulate in the shower/bath area due to hard water and talc build-up. The easiest way to clean the shower is by not allowing soap scum to build up in the first place. This way you can clean without using too much elbow grease.

I mentioned talc buildup and guess what contains talc? Bar soaps. Making the change to liquid soap will diminish considerably the amount of scum build-up in the shower area.

The following recipes are easy, effective and natural.

Daily Cleaning to prevent soap scum build-up:

I like to spray down my shower as soon as I finish showering. I keep a spray bottle in the shower with just vinegar and a few drops of lemon essential oil.

Lemon is great for cleaning but it also helps to counter the vinegar smell. The vinegar smell will evaporate, but the clean lemon scent remains.

Keep a squeegee in the shower area. My squeegee adheres to the wall and I use it every time I shower. It’s quick and saves me so much time cleaning.

Cleaning the shower when soap scum has already taken hold:

If you already have considerable soap scum build-up, like in my boys bathroom since they don’t wipe down their bathroom, then we need a stronger cleaner. As Emeril would say, let’s kick it up a notch. I combine a mixture of 1 1/2 cups of vinegar and 1/2 cup of dish soap and a few drops of essential oil. I spray down the whole tub, including the fixtures and I allow it to work for a few hours. Then I scrub and rinse the shower area. You may have to rinse a few times since there is soap in this mixture. I usually scrub and rise right before taking a shower so that I can really get in there since I’m…well…in there.

The difference is pretty amazing and proves that you don’t need toxic cleaners to keep a clean home. I guess that scum won’t mess with us!

Note: I would not use this recipe to clean marble, since it stains so easily. I would use this recipe for soap scum on bathroom tile, tub, and fixtures.

Organized Home Week 4 – The Master Bedroom

January 26, 2015 · by Maria · 8 Comments

I have mentioned before that the home should be a place that you feel safe, loved and that the home should feel like a hug. Needless to say, sometimes things get crazy and it feels less like a hug and more like a kick in the gut!

Well, even when other rooms may be out of hand because life happens, the master bedroom should still feel like an embrace. My boys know that they can come into our bedroom whenever they want, they can get in our bed, but there are limits – no food, no toys in mommy and daddy’s room.

Of course when they were babies our room was taken over by small cribs, bibs and diapers but that was just for a season, an awesome season. Now that they are older and they each have their own rooms, there is no reason to have toys everywhere. If my little one walks in with a little car in his hand, I don’t respond like mommy dearest (although I hate wire hangers) and I let him play, but if he wants to come in riding a truck and leave it there, I do tell him “not in mommy and daddy’s room”. It is important for you (and your spouse) to have a space that is calming and that you can really enjoy when the day comes to an end.

Sometimes it’s not even toys, we tend to stash things in the bedrooms so that they are not littering the house but we can be left with a room full of stuff and not a welcoming retreat. So let’s de-clutter the master bedroom!

1- Make the Bed with clean sheets

The bed is the largest piece of furniture in the room and if the bed is made (or isn’t) it makes the biggest difference. This could have been the last step but let’s make it the first so that we are encouraged to continue with the rest of the bedroom.

2- De-clutter the dresser

Pick up the items on your dresser that don’t belong there. I don’t have a dresser now but I used to and I know that it can be a magnet for trinkets, hair brushes and jewelry. After putting everything away, give the dresser a good clean by wiping it down.

3- De-Clutter the nightstands

My nightstand gets messy pretty fast because I have been reading the same 16 books for the last 2 years. I remember when I would devour books in weeks. Nowadays, by the time the boys are in bed and my chores are done (maybe) I can only read a few pages before drifting off to sleepy land. So I keep buying books and reading them at my new snail pace and once a week I need to organize them into stacks. If you bring water or water bottles to bed or place your jewelry there at the end of the day, clear out any clutter and keep what you need. Clean the nightstand and place the objects that are staying back in place. Don’t forget to add a pretty touch, a faux plant or flowers will brighten up your nightstand.

4- Clear items from the floor that don’t belong in the master bedroom

If there are a few things on the floor that out of place, take them into the room that they belong in. Put away any clothing that you have on a chair or bed. If you have a lot of things to sort through that are currently on the floor, take one zone at a time. Consider separating the items into boxes so that you can separate trash from things that need to go into another room or items to donate. Do not become overwhelmed, you have done so much already! You have all week to pace yourself. You can do this!

5- Vacuum and dust the room

Cleaning is the last step! Yay! Doesn’t your room look great? Now diffuse some lavender and get some rest…you deserve it!

Also in the Organized Home Series:

Week 1 – Organizing the Refrigerator

Week 2 – Organizing Kitchen Cabinets

Week 3- Organizing the Pantry

Organized Home Week 3 – The Pantry

January 22, 2015 · by Maria · 6 Comments

How are you all doing with the kitchen organization? Today we are tackling a big project – the pantry. The pantry is the workhorse of the kitchen. Unfortunately, if it is cluttered it won’t serve its purpose in expediting meals and grocery shopping. Today we are creating a pantry that makes our kitchen more efficient and fun…yes, fun.

The pantry below belongs to a client. I have a cabinet pantry and I will share pictures below. You can have an organized pantry whether you have a walk-in pantry like the one below or a cabinet pantry, like mine.

1- Look at your pantry (before emptying it) and figure out what can change and what can stay the same.

Before you start organizing, figure out what works and what doesn’t. There is no reason to put items back in the same spot if it is not working for you. Maybe there is a better spot for the cereal or the juices. Maybe you want the kids to be able to access their snacks, or maybe you want to keep it out of their reach. Maybe the bread is jammed in an area where you dont see it so it gets moldy because you forget its there. You get the point, just re-think your pantry and don’t be afraid to change things up.

2- Empty the pantry.

Use a nearby kitchen table or counter to empty the contents.

3- Purge the pantry.

This is a great opportunity to discard expired cans and set aside a bag of items that you can donate. Many times we buy a specialty ingredient for a recipe that we never make again. Get rid of spices that are probably stale or you don’t use. I love these turntables for spices. Before purchasing turntables, make sure they fit your cabinet.

4- Clean the pantry shelves.

Clean the shelves as they collect crumbs and spices and oils.

5- Categorize the items that you are keeping.

Try to categorize as much as possible. You can put the tomato products together, or categorize by cuisine, or have a breakfast bin. There are many ways to contain the pantry so that everything is easy to find and replenish. Pick a system that will work for you.

6- Choose containers to group items while adding them back into the pantry.

It is no secret that these are my favorite containers. They are not inexpensive but sometimes you can find them discounted at TJ Maxx or other discount stores. Choose quality containers for the frequently used items. I love seeing what is inside the container and I know that the contents will last longer than in it’s original packaging.

7- Place snacks in a large basket.

For snack size items, baskets and bins are the best solution. Also, baskets are great for hiding messy-looking snacks. If the basket is not see-through then you can throw cereal bars and snacks inside and your pantry still looks tidy.

8- Designate zones in the pantry.

Choose whatever zones you want for your newly-organized pantry. Maybe a breakfast station, or a kid station or a baking station.

9- Re-stock your pantry.

The fun part! Place everything back in it’s place. You may have to move things around more than once to find the perfect spot for your new zones. Lastly, consider labeling the shelves or the containers.

10- Enjoy your hard work.

Sit back and stare at your pantry for a long time, while members of your family look at you and wonder what you are doing. Then look at them and smile periodically. Yes, they will wonder about your sanity but 1) they probably won’t pressure you for dinner 2) they clearly don’t know the joy of having an organized pantry.

Enjoy!

Organized Home Week 2 – Kitchen Cabinets and Drawers

January 14, 2015 · by Maria · 11 Comments

Last week, we organized a spot that is in dire need after the holiday season: the refrigerator. How is your refrigerator looking this week? Sparkling and organized? Did the kids already gulp down all your perfectly aligned juice boxes? I know mine did. 🙂

I want to spend the next two weeks in the kitchen (maybe I will venture to the bedroom if I get sleepy) because the kitchen can be a big task. This week let’s concentrate on organizing kitchen cabinets and drawers, and next week we will move on to the pantry. I told ya…big challenges but totally doable.

The first step to any organizing project is to de-clutter.

1. De-Clutter your cabinets and drawers.

Clear your kitchen table or counters to make space for the items that you will be removing from the cabinets. You may also want to bring in a laundry bin or large box so that you can place items that you want to give away. There are so many appliances, gadgets and plates that we meant to use but didn’t. These items should not be cluttering up your kitchen. Let’s only keep the items that we love and know to be useful. Just because you spent a lot of money on an appliance does not mean that you should keep it. Consider whether you will ever use that bread machine that takes up half a cabinet. Will you ever use that place setting that is incomplete? Always keep the end result that you want for your space in mind when deciding what to keep.

2. Organize your cabinets and drawers by choosing the best placement for your kitchen items.

After you have sorted all your cabinets and drawers, re-think whether the items should remain in their current spot. We can become so accustomed to having items in one spot that we don’t even consider moving them. For example, maybe dishes and utensils could be stored by the dishwasher to make putting them away easier; maybe you prefer them by the dinner table. Maybe the cutting board should be close to the garbage can or to the sink. Placing pots and pans by the stove is another idea. Also, consider placing heavier items in lower cabinets, keeping frequently used items easily accessible and rarely used items in upper shelves.

3. Add organizers and dividers to your cabinets, if necessary.

If you have a lot of plates or limited cabinet space, consider adding dividers and/or organizers. Here is one divider that expands but there are many others that you can choose from to customize your space. Sometimes I change the position of the cabinet shelf, since many are adjustable.

4. Add liners to the drawers.

Adding liners to the bottom of the drawer helps items stay in place and it makes the drawer pretty – those two reasons are equally as good in my book.

5. Organize under the kitchen sink.

Don’t forget the kitchen sink cabinet. This area gets messy pretty fast and can always use some tidying up. You can find a detailed post on mine here.

6. Tame the Junk Drawer.

Lastly, the junk drawer. This one needed it’s own mention as it can be the messiest drawer in the kitchen. You can find a detailed post here.

I think this is enough work to last all week, don’t you think? On a related note, I totally want a breadmaker machine but after writing this post, I am reconsidering.

Happy Organizing!

Maria

If you missed it:

Organized Home Week 1 – The Refrigerator

January 9, 2015 · by Maria · 75 Comments

Our Home Organization challenge begins today, and we start with a refrigerator makeover and a giveaway! Double yay!

My refrigerator stays pretty organized during the year UNTIL the holidays. After all the re-arranging in order to fit the extra food that I make for our Christmas Morning Breakfast and holiday gatherings, the fridge is a mess. So I dedicate the following picture to those that wonder if my kitchen is always sparkling and my fridge is full of perfectly arranged bpa-free bottled waters that always face forward:

Here are the steps that I took to get my refrigerator in top shape:

1. Empty the refrigerator and throw away expired food.

I emptied it out the refrigerator which was a good opportunity to sort and group like items on the kitchen table.

2. Give the refrigerator a thorough cleaning.

I was so ready to get my fridge looking good again! At this point it needed more than just organizing, it needed a good thorough cleaning. I removed and washed all the shelves and drawers and also cleaned the refrigerator walls.

Hey there good looking!

3. Add coasters and/or fridge bins to the shelves.

Then I added a new pack of Fridge Coasters. I have shared with you in other posts how much I love them! They have different patterns and colors – this year I chose green. They will help to keep the refrigerator clean by soaking up any spills.

Love. Love. Love.

After adding the coasters, I added all the bins that I use to corral items. Some of my bins (like the one in the picture below) are simply OXO bins without a lid.

4. Place the food items back in the fridge.

The fun part, add the food and drinks back in the clean fridge!

No more expired salad dressings.

I may or may not have over done it purchasing butter for holiday baking.

I keep asparagus in a wide-mouth sturdy cup and I add a little water. It lasts way longer than if I kept it in the veggie bin.

It doesn’t matter where I keep the milk, it doesn’t last more than a few days around here.

I love to re-position the shelves to accommodate the groceries. This really narrow shelf is for yogurt. I don’t like to crowd the very top shelf of the fridge so that air can still circulate freely.

Although I love fridge bins and I am linking them HERE, I suggest that you only purchase bins for items that you always buy. If you never buy juice boxes or yogurts then you don’t need empty bins taking up space in your refrigerator. I also keep an open bin to place whatever I am defrosting for the following days dinner. This avoids spills and keeps the fridge clean.

Adding just one bin to this drawer keeps onion or garlic skins from taking over the bin and helps to keep veggies separate.

Let’s not forget the large sliding drawer. It is my favorite part of french top refrigerators (my least favorite part being the freezer section). This is where I place the treats for little ones since the height it perfect for self-serve.

I use this container for the eggs which comes with a lid but I rarely use the lid since we buy so many eggs. You can find a slightly larger one HERE.

So maybe for the next 19 seconds my fridge will be sparking and full of perfectly arranged bpa-free bottled waters that always face forward. Until the boys realize that I have replenished the fridge. At least I have the pictures to remember it by!

But really, aside from the direction that the bottles face 🙂 it is easy to maintain a refrigerator when everything has a designated spot.

If you like the fridge coasters, then don’t miss out on the giveaway below! Two Graceful Order readers will be given 2 sets of their choice..all courtesy of Fridge Coaster!

The giveaway will end at 12 a.m. January 16th. Good luck to all of you and Let’s Organize 2015!

Maria

~ Graceful Order’s disclaimers and giveaway regulations can be found “here”. This posts contains links, a few are affiliate links. As always, thank you for your support of Graceful Order!

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Let’s Organize 2015

January 5, 2015 · by Maria · 8 Comments

A new year! Whether you are one to write down resolutions in multiple lists, or just a short list behind your calendar, or even if you are re-using last years list since it’s still not checked off as done! Not that I would know a thing about unresolved resolutions…Ahem!

Even with a blog about organization, I need more organization! Sometimes blogging about organizing can be kinda messy. 🙂 I also have some fitness “goals” for myself this year that include new eating habits. I want to be at a weight that I feel comfortable at and over this past year I have put on some pounds that are literally weighing me down. Excess weight can be similar to clutter. I don’t have any unrealistic goals and I won’t to do some crazy diet. I just want to feel comfortable in my clothes and be intentional with my food choices. I already eat organic and natural food at home, but I need to be honest about the other stuff I am consuming when I go out. Fitness is a focal point for me in 2015.

This year I am less about “goals and resolutions” and more about good habits. Don’t get me wrong, goals are great but I am more in need of better habits and that will take time and commitment to create.

There are some good habits that I want to create for my home as well. I want to continue doing my morning home routine and my evening routine because they simplify my life. I also want to buy less items for the home this year, especially the impulse buys. I donate so many items that are barely used. How many black pants do I really need? How many throw pillows? How many trays? I always encourage you to purge items that you don’t need and I do the same in my home. But the fact is, I wouldn’t have so many items to purge if I made better purchasing decisions to begin with. I am also a sucker for clearance sales so I end up buying items that I don’t love just because they are on sale. That is something that I intend to change this year.

I would love for us to accomplish some weekly organizing tasks together that are manageable and 100% guilt-free (who needs more guilt?…not I). If you don’t get around to them in the timeframe given it’s ok, just catch up when you can. The goal is not to live in a perfect home that looks like it isn’t lived in. The goal is to create a space that shows pride and contentment in our surroundings. Not a place where you can’t put your feet up on a table, but a space that makes you want to put your feet up. Don’t worry, the tasks will be easy and manageable and you will customize them to your family’s needs and routines.

I hope that you are on board with the 2015 Home Organizing Challenge and that it brings more joy and peace into your life and home. We are starting this week so stay tuned!

Are ya with me?! What are your objectives this year?

xo,

Maria

2014 Year in Review

December 29, 2014 · by Maria · 23 Comments

So how much eggnog did you have this week? Be honest.

Well, I totally indulged and really enjoyed hanging out with family. I love the slower pace that follows Christmas. The kids are home from school and I don’t take them to any after school activities this week. It’s a week off from alarm clocks and schedules and we love it.

The year is quickly coming to a close and I wanted to reflect on some of the projects that have either been my favorites or the ones that you have liked most! Our Christmas Home Tour was definitely top of the list! I am thinking of doing a full home tour next year. What do you think? If you missed it, here is PART 1, PART 2 and PART 3.

One of my most popular posts and probably one of my favorites, is my “Transform your Closet” post. This is where I share all of my favorite tips for organizing the master closet.

Another favorite organizational project of mine is how to “Create a Smoothie Station”. This saves me so much time and I make smoothies more often if I can find my supplies.

And since we are already in the kitchen, I also shared how I “Organize Under the Kitchen Sink”.

And tips on how to “Organize a Deep Cabinet Pantry”.

We also did a little (a lot) of natural cleaning in 2014. The most popular cleaning post was “How to Clean Wooden Cutting Boards”.

Before and after the holidays is a good time to clean the oven, stove and microwave. Here I share “How to Clean a Microwave the Natural Way”.

I love to clean with lemons, and here I show you different ways that I “Clean using Lemons”.

One of the most popular cleaning posts was “Five Places we forget to Clean in the Bathroom” – especially for moms with boys, wonder why…

There were a few client projects, and at the top were an “Office Makeover”

and a “Laundry Room Makeover”.

I shared tips on “Creating a Master Bedroom Retreat”. I since added a large rug under the bed and I can’t wait to share those pictures with you!

Not surprisingly, since most of us seek order and peace in our homes, the most shared posts from Graceful Order this year were the Home Routines. Here is the ” Morning Housekeeping Routine”.

And the “Night Housekeeping Routine”.

Lastly, the winner of the most pinned image on Graceful Order for 2014, is part of the “Organizing Small Bathroom Sinks” post! This organizing solution not only looks nice, but it is so practical! It is one of my favorite projects in my home. Simple, easy and functional!

Most importantly, I want to thank YOU because I truly enjoy sharing all these ideas and I am so grateful for your feedback and encouragement throughout the year! You rock!

See you next year!

Christmas Home Tour Part 3

December 24, 2014 · by Maria · 2 Comments

Yikes, the Home Tour took 3 posts to complete! There’s a whole lotta Christmas glitter all over this house and I hope that you enjoyed PART 1 and PART 2 of my Christmas Home Tour.

Today, I want to share with you our family room, which is where we always place our Christmas Tree and spend most of our time together.

Although my living room is decorated in white, gold and green, I LOVE the vibrant pops of red in the family room! I can’t decide between the “white” and the “red” Christmas decor so I choose both!

By the way, this little kid was trying to get into every shot! Blogging with toddlers…not for the faint of heart!

I can’t keep my little one away from the tree!

These are some of my favorite ornaments.

I actually love them all!

Ok, enough of the tree!

My dad brought me these roses the other day (my dad rocks!) and they were perfect for the end table.

Love these bright colors!

I didn’t decorate my kitchen very much, but I did decorate our kitchen table and I added a wreath to the window.

I switched out the products in my sink area caddy for some pine scented cleaners.

I close with the outside of our home (I would’ve opened with it, except there were Thanksgiving pumpkins out there until a week ago – don’t tell).

Remember this pot from my post on Decorating for FALL? I just switched out the center plant, which I always leave in it’s original plastic pot from the store. It makes it easier and cleaner to switch out!

That is all! Have an amazing holiday everyone!

~ Maria

Christmas Home Tour Part 2

December 22, 2014 · by Maria · 7 Comments

It is Christmas this week! Ahhhh!! Yes, I am super excited! I want to enjoy every second and be present in every moment. Last week, I shared the first part of my Christmas Tour and you can check it out HERE if you missed it.

This year I added some white touches to my dark dining room furniture. Draping a throw and adding a pillow to an end chair makes such a difference in the overall feel of the room.

I stuck with gold and green in this room, just like our living room.

I love boxwood anything and I use these decorations throughout the year. I placed one of the trees on a gold pedestal and that elevated the look, literally.

I placed an ornament on each place setting. These ornaments are too heavy for our Christmas tree but I am glad that they work here!

In a corner that leads to the family room, I have a bookshelf with all my cookbooks which also got a little Christmas color.

You can read about my cookbook bookshelf HERE.

In a few days I will share pictures of the rest of the house – I had to break up this post because of all the pictures. I hope you enjoyed them all!

xo,

Maria

Christmas Home Tour – Part One

Holiday Card Station

December 19, 2014 · by Maria · 4 Comments

No pressure but have you already sent out your holiday cards? When I send out my cards, I set up a holiday card station. It sounds silly but it will make getting the cards in the mail faster and more fun. If you set up a station you will work faster and everything you need will be at hand.

I love receiving and sending out Christmas cards! If they are the ones with the picture I save them to later scrapbook them in my Christmas album (which hasn’t been updated in 4 years but in my mind I am an avid scrapbooker).

These are the items that you need to create a holiday card station:

Holiday Cards (Obvious, I know).
Return Address labels
Address book
Stickers / washi tape / embelishments
Stamps
Pen

Tips before sending holiday cards:

Make sure that your stamp is sufficient for the card that you purchased.
Make Christmas address labels for all of your friends and family and that way you just print out the labels every year. Holiday Card Lists are more extensive than birthday invitation lists, and it is worth it to type all the addresses and save the document for yearly use. This is especially a good idea for those that send out lots of cards.

The good thing about setting up a tray is that if you don’t finish in one sitting, you can put everything away and bring it back out when you are ready.

I hope you all have an awesome Holiday season!

Maria

Holiday Hostess Gift Ideas

December 18, 2014 · by Maria · 2 Comments

The following weeks will surely be fun and hectic! Christmas activities, gift buying, wrapping and holiday parties. It’s the season of giving and I want to share with you some of my favorite hostess gifts for the holiday season.

So hop on over to A Bowl Full of Lemons, where today I am sharing my top picks for hostess gifts! Today, Toni is also sharing how she decorated her front porch for the holidays! I seriously don’t get tired of Christmas-related decorating and gift giving!

I hope you enjoy the holidays! Cheers!

~ Maria

A Bowl Full of Lemons – Holiday Hostess Gift Ideas

A Healthy Mouth Routine and an Awesome Giveaway

December 15, 2014 · by Maria · 138 Comments

This is a sponsored post written by me on behalf of the LISTERINE® brand. All opinions are 100% mine.

Today we are talking about two things: A healthy mouth and a healthy giveaway (stay tuned at the end for instructions)!

You already know that I am hooked on all sorts of routines, whether they are for cleaning the home, organizing schedules, or even simple nighttime routines which of course include brushing your teeth. Well, I hope it includes brushing your teeth…

So we have brushed our teeth and flossed. What’s the point of using a mouthwash, if you already feel like your teeth are clean? Simple brushing of the teeth does not reach the entire mouth. Rinsing with LISTERINE® Antiseptic will help reduce plaque and gingivitis more than brushing and flossing alone, and that’s a pretty good reason, I think.

I like to keep my nighttime routine really simple because by the time that I put the boys to bed and pick up around the house, I am exhausted. I don’t want another to-do list in front of the sink. I simply wash my face, brush my teeth, floss, rinse with LISTERINE® mouthwash and put on some moisturizer, and call it a day – I mean, night.

Tip: If you keep your mouthwash handy, you will be more likely to use it.

LISTERINE® Healthy Mouth:

So what are “The Essentials” that work together to pack this powerful punch to kill these hard to reach germs? Glad you asked:

It’s the four essential oils that originally came from plant sources that have protected your mouth for more than 100 years.

– Eucalyptol – Derived from trees usually found in Australia, this essential oil acts as both an antibacterial and anti-fungal agent.

– Menthol – Identical to menthol found in natural corn mint, this essential oil is known for its germ killing properties.

– Thymol – Identical to the thymol in natural thyme and ajowan herb, research continues to demonstrate this essential oil’s effectiveness against bacteria

– Methyl Salicylate – Identical to the methyl salicylate in natural wintergreen, this essential oil is also often found in chewing gum due to its fresh flavoring properties.

This combination formula kills millions of germs on contact, helping keep your mouth healthy. For more information on LISTERINE® mouthwash, its unique essential oil-based formula, and how you can improve your oral health, visit www.listerine.com/products-essential-oils.

And now for the giveaway! Simply enter the giveaway by leaving a comment below and name the four essential oils found in LISTERINE® mouthwash for your chance to win a $100 VISA Gift Card!

Let’s keep our mouths holiday ready!

Maria

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Christmas Home Tour Part 1

December 11, 2014 · by Maria · 13 Comments

Baby it’s cold outside. Not really, it’s Florida and it’s pretty darn hot. But at least it looks like Christmas inside our home!

I had to break up this post into a few parts because of the amount of pictures, and today I am sharing the living room. The entrance of our home is a bit formal and I chose a green, white and gold color scheme for the living room and dining room (which I will share with you in a few days).

Here is what you see when you walk in though the front door.

My family room is somewhat small and I chose a large couch for one side and two chairs for the opposite side. We have re-arranged the furniture in this room so many times over the years but this is the best set up so far and the one that makes the room appear more spacious.

This little pillow (from Target) is one of the few things that I purchased this year to decorate for Christmas and I love it!

I found this little tree at Homegoods and it is battery operated and pre-lit. I love how simple it is.

Burlap adds a warm, casual touch in an otherwise formal room.

This should be called the Target table. The lamp, tray and frame are from Target. Can you tell I love gold?

This cool little mirrored tray is one of my favorites and I display it year-round. Isn’t it tray-chic? Hehe. What?! You didn’t laugh? Sigh.

The centerpiece of the coffee table is the same tray that I usually display with some glittery trees and this cool candle holder with an even cooler (or should I say hotter) candle from The Honest Company.

On the opposite wall, is my buffet which you already saw when I decorated it for Thanksgiving.

I picked up these reindeer last year at Target and I really like how they look on this dark piece of furniture. Wouldn’t you agree, deEr? Hehe. Ok, no more jokes.

This little sparkly tree behind the raindeer is also wrapped in burlap which is a nice contrast on the black marble.

Stay tuned for part two and part three of the holiday open house!

Is your home already decorated for the holidays? Do you decorate every room of the house or just a few?

Maria

Christmas Breakfast for a Crowd

December 5, 2014 · by Maria · 6 Comments

My family loves Christmas. My family loves to eat. My family comes over to my house Christmas morning ~~to eat~~ to spend time together and enjoy each others company. Seriously, my home has become the Christmas morning hub and I love it! My boys are blessed to have so much family that loves them and wants to see them open their presents and laugh together and reflect on how limitless Gods love for us is. But you know what isn’t limitless, time and croissants. We have to value our time together and we have to know how many croissants to buy. Did I just say all that in an effort to introduce a post about how to make Christmas breakfast for a crowd? Yes, I did.

So what do you cook when you don’t even know how many people are stopping by and when they are stopping by? Do you want to be sweating over the stove while everyone is eating fruitcake and singing carols? Ok, maybe you do. Bad example.

What if it was carols and these bad boys… Chocolate croissants. Do I have your attention?

Having lots of family over on Christmas morning is always going to be hectic, know it and own it. However, It can be hectic and fun if you have a plan. Sometimes, it’s as simple as selecting the right dishes and prepping some things the night before, which is exactly what I do.

I only make one item on the spot and last year is was the croissants above. They rose overnight and they went in the oven in the morning. Totally worth it, totally delish.

I made a sour cream bundt cake a few days before and it was off my list. You can also buy one and make it even easier for yourself. It goes great with coffee and even people that are not “breakfast” people will have a slice with coffee.

We buy a ham every year since it can be eaten room temperature.

Choose 2 casseroles, one sweet and one savory and make sure that they can be prepped ahead of time. Casseroles are the best options because you can prep them the night before and put them in the fridge. Christmas morning they go in the oven and you set your timer and sit with the kids. I did buy two warmers so that the casseroles stay warm for a couple of hours. Anything to not have to fuss over food is a good thing.

Set up a drink station the night before, without the beverages of course but with the carafes or pitchers in place. Take out coffee cups, stirrers, sugars, small pitcher for cream (not a tiny one that you will have to refill), and marshmallows if you are serving hot chocolate.

Prep your coffee maker the night before. Grind the beans (if you buy whole bean) and place the water in the container so that you only have to push a button in the morning.

Invest in purchasing one or two thermal pitchers so that you don’t have to worry about warm or cold coffee. These are the ones that I have and the coffee stays really hot for hours so that everyone can serve themselves throughout the morning.

Create a Cold drink station. This is a big bowl with ice and champagne and orange juice for mimosas or peach nectar for bellinis. That milk jug (which I love) is full of homemade egg nog (which I love too) that my husband (who I love most) makes every year. This way no one asks where they can find things in the fridge, it’s all there.

Of course, set out the basics – cups, utensils, napkins, serving utensils for everything you are serving and have extra garbage bags handy for all the wrapping paper.

But whatever you do, don’t throw away these moments, because they are better than chocolate croissants. And that says a lot because those things are good!

Enjoy this beautiful day, with an even more beautiful meaning. Enjoy your beautiful gifts, knowing that the best gift of all is knowing that God’s love is something you can never get enough of. Because even croissants you can tire of. It’s never happened to me, but I hear it happens.

Maria

Christmas Tablescape

December 1, 2014 · by Maria · 2 Comments

Every year I say that I am not decorating as much as I did the year before. Before I finish the dissertation on how I am taking it easy, and enjoying the ride, I find myself already covered in glitter and looking through Pinterest. This year was no different. I didn’t go crazy with Pinterest ideas but I did use glitter and bits of it will be in my hair until next Labor Day, at least. I decided to do a “simple” (I always feel I have to put that in quotations) silver and gold Christmas tablescape.

Most of the items I used were not Christmas items but when united with certain touches, the overall look was definitely a winter inspired table. I bought these silver embossed placemats from Target and I know that I can re-use them throughout the year. I also like the contrast of the silver and gold so I added gold napkin rings to the dark gray napkins.

I spray painted these pine cones silver and added clear glitter while the paint was still wet. Glitter is something you always regret after-the-fact but in the meantime it looks great! 🙂

I purchased the plates at Crate & Barrel in a Christmas clearance sale. I love the fact that they are “holiday” but can also work year-round. Especially the dinner plate which only has a gold rim and no other design. After Christmas sales are the best for stocking up on items that you can use the following holiday season.

(The lighting on some of these pictures is horrible because I took them with my camera phone, since I didn’t have my favorite camera that day.)

The centerpiece is a conglomerate of items, mostly items that I display year-round in our home. A deer that I found at Target, a gold-croco tray, a silver vase with 2 stems of evergreen and candles. The votives are also from Target and the large candle is from Erin Condren.

The rest of the table has glittered trees and candelabra. Our dinner table seats eight, and I was able to fit quite a bit on the table without it looking overly-crowded.

So that’s one Christmas Tablescape, I will share another look soon. If you follow me on Pinterest, you may notice me pinning tutorials on “how to get glitter out of your hair” but don’t fret, tomorrow I am back to researching new years party ideas. Hang tight.

Maria

Client Project – The Makeup Drawer

November 28, 2014 · by Maria · 2 Comments

A few days ago I shared pictures of a laundry room before-and-after, in my client’s home. Today I am sharing another spot in her home, her makeup drawer.

Here is the before picture. The biggest problem in the drawer was the amount of things it contained, the items simply didn’t fit in the space. Some items like the nail polish, we placed in another station along with files and like items. Then we tackled what was left.

The first step in organizing any space is clearing it out.

Clear out and clean the drawer. Makeup drawers get really dirty and should be cleaned out periodically.

Secondly, go through all the makeup and decide what can get tossed.

Sometimes we keep makeup that we don’t even like because it is from a good brand. Toss it. Nothing is as valuable as clearing your space and making room for products you truly like. Also, get rid of items that may have expired.

Find organizers that fit your drawer.

Purchase an acrylic organizer or simply use cardboard jewelry boxes that will fit the space. Jewelry boxes are great because bracelet boxes are perfect for lip and eye liners and square jewelry boxes are perfect for corralling lipsticks and blushes. If you want to give them a uniform look, cover them in a pretty gift wrap.

Create categories for your makeup

Place the items back in the drawer and create categories. Try to place all your blushes in one spot, same for lipsticks, eyeshadows, liners and lip glosses. Having these categories will help you stay organized.

And finally, here is the after!

Last year I organized another client’s makeup drawer, you can check out the before-and-after pictures HERE.

Happy Organizing!

Maria

Another related Graceful Order post:

Makeup Organization

Organizing Chunky Necklaces

November 24, 2014 · by Maria · Leave a Comment

Storing or Organizing chunky necklaces is challenging, at least it was for me. I don’t wear too much jewelry but I do like statement pieces. I own large rings and I love how a chunky necklace can elevate any outfit. I have had a standup jewelry case for years and although it works for some of my jewelry, my necklaces were becoming a tangled mess.

Since I had some empty wall space in my closet, I decided to dedicate that area to my necklaces. The first thing I did was purchase this tie rack on Amazon and that took care of most of my necklaces. A tie rack is perfect because it has so many spots to place necklaces individually.

I then added some mix-matched hooks from the Young House Love line at Target. I don’t think Target stores carry them anymore but they still have a few here online.

One of the hooks was perfect for small chains.

And of course, like with any project, I brought in some “pretty” in the form of a little plant.

You can read more about the rest of my closet HERE.

Now that I can see my necklaces displayed, I will wear them more often. Maybe I will wear one today. Or maybe I will stay in my pj’s until noon. Or maybe I will wear one over my reindeer pajama shirt. Yup, that’s what I will do.

Happy organizing!

Maria

~ This posts contains links, a few are affiliate links. As always, thank you for your support of Graceful Order!

Client Project – Laundry Room Organization

November 21, 2014 · by Maria · 8 Comments

It has been a while since I have done a good ol’ before-and-after post. They are my favorite posts on other blogs and if they are about laundry rooms, all the better. Last year I shared with you my laundry room, to which I have made some changes and I will be sharing soon. Today I am sharing a client project and I hope you like it!

I started to work on this home a few months ago, one room at a time. The home was not disorganized but my client wanted the organization to go to another level. She was pretty sure where things were located, but systems had to be created and labeled and lots of purging had to happen.

When we started with the laundry room, it looked like this.

Here is another view – nothing horrible but it had a lot of potential.

Start with a clean slate.

The first thing we did was remove everything from the shelves.

Keep a donate basket and a trash bin nearby.

Immediately we spotted items that were either expired or my client knew she would never use. If the items were in good condition they went into a bin for donations. Many items went into the trash. You will immediately feel you are making progress by removing these items and you will start to feel “lighter”.

Purchase bins or baskets to contain the items that are staying or find unused bins around the house.

If you can find containers that are the same color, it will help the overall look to be more organized and cohesive. I purchased some plastic baskets to contain the items that were going to stay. I found these at Target. I like baskets with no lids for the laundry area because you are less likely to put back items inside a lidded bin, especially frequently used items.

We knew the luggage had to stay. It is a great idea to store smaller luggage inside the larger one and reduce the amount of space that they take up. One basket was designated for batteries and lightbulbs, the other for laundry products, the other for travel toiletries and the last one was miscellaneous. I will be honest, my least favorite label is “Miscellaneous” because it can turn into a catchall, but sometimes it is necessary if you have a few items that cannot take up a whole basket.

There was enough room to add the laundry basket to the top rack so it wouldn’t have to be on the floor. My client was going to add the labels after I took the pictures so you will notice they are missing.

Add decorative touches to your laundry room.

Yes, laundry rooms are there to serve a purpose, but adding a few decorations will make doing laundry so much fun! Just kidding, that won’t happen. But it will make it a happier spot if you add a cute little plant, or a clock or a laundry printable to your laundry area.

I hope you enjoyed this post and I will share more about this home next week.

Happy Organizing!

Maria

Organize Under Your Kitchen Sink

November 17, 2014 · by Maria · 8 Comments

Organizing under the kitchen sink and under the bathroom sink is always a challenge due to the plumbing and hoses that you have to work around. I have shared with you my old system for organizing under the kitchen sink but I now have a new and improved system that I am excited to share with you.

There was nothing essentially “wrong” with my old system but recently I changed some things around in my closet and I was left with an extra shoe rack. It was a small, narrow rack and I thought, “wouldn’t it be cool if it fit under the kitchen sink?”. I tried it and it was a perfect fit! There was even enough room to place my cutting boards right beside the rack. I keep my cutting boards inside a file sorter.

I purchased two small plastic bins at Target. One bin holds napkins and the other kitchen towels. I now store all my glass food containers on the second and third shelf of the shoe organizer. They are so easy to access!

On the cabinet door, I placed a large over the cabinet basket that holds garbage bags and storage bags. All the additional storage bags and sponges are on the other side of the shoe rack.

On the opposite cabinet door, a grocery bag container holds all my bags – that happen to be all from Target! 🙂 There is a similar one here but most home stores have a version of it available.

What else do you keep under your kitchen sink? Do you also find it a challenging spot to organize?

xo,

Maria

Organizing a Deep Pantry Cabinet

November 10, 2014 · by Maria · 7 Comments

I wish I had a closet pantry, or better yet, a walk-in pantry. I also wish I had long legs and could relate to those people that say that they forget to eat. I have none of these situations going on under my roof.

Since I don’t forget to eat, I had to figure out how to organize my pantry cabinet. The biggest issue in this type of pantry is the depth. Most of the time I forget what is in the back of the cabinet. My pantry cabinet is beside my refrigerator and I found that most of the shelves were not practical for food storage. They were too deep and I could hardly reach the ones towards the very top (remember the long legs deal?). I want to share with you how I solved both problems in my kitchen.

The first thing I did was find containers that were a perfect fit. I got rid of all our chip bags that kept collecting in the back of the pantry and thus expiring. I did the same for grains.

The second thing I did was add large baskets in the back of the deep cabinet that housed similar items. In this picture you can see that all my canning jars and gadgets are in the white plastic basket towards the very back. Next, I labeled the cabinet at the very bottom with a label that read “Back of cabinet-Canning”. That way I won’t forget what is inside the containers that are towards the back of the cabinet.

Next, I added more shelves. This very narrow shelf was perfect for a pull-out drawer for bread. Next to it, I stacked the kids mac and cheese.

Under the bread is another narrow shelf that has all of our snack bars. I organize them inside a scarf/sock organizer. The one pictured below has the adult snacks and there is one right behind it for the kids. This system has been one of my favorite additions to the pantry.

Above the bread is YET another narrow shelf that we (as in my husband while I watched) added, and I use it for my boys utensils.

And then we get to one of my favorite organizing tools of all time – turntables! I have two turntables in this cabinet: a large one towards the back and a smaller one in front of it. Since the one in the front is smaller, I can still reach back and access the other condiments. (I linked similar sized turntables).

Now the last shelf is the highest one and it was almost completely inaccessible to me before. I could only reach a few bottles in the very front. I added a turntable and dedicated the shelf to cooking oils. In the back of this cabinet there are extra oils that I use to refill the turntable.

So you know what? Who needs a walk-in pantry when you have limitless turntables and KIND bars? I know…it would still be nice, a girl can dream. In the meantime, I will enjoy this little space and all the practicality it has brought to my family!

xo,

Maria

Other related posts are : Organizing the Kitchen Sink , Pantry Makeover , and Coffee Station Organization

5 Places We Forget to Clean in the Bathroom

November 6, 2014 · by Maria · 12 Comments

This post already has me trembling inside my hot pink cleaning gloves. Cleaning our homes is such a repetitive routine that we can often forget obvious areas that need attention. I’m sure there are more than 5 places we forget to clean in a bathroom, but these are the ones on top of my list.

Clean the Door Handles

Cleaning the door handles should the part of our cleaning routine. Not only because sticky hands touch the door handles, but germy ones too.

Clean the toilet flush handle

Just like the door handle, it is easy to clean the rest of the toilet and forget the flush handle. Usually people flush before washing their hands so …enough said.

Clean the toilet hinges and caps

Especially if you have boys, there can be a lingering odor in the bathroom even after you have cleaned. The answer to this issue is periodically removing the hinges and bolts off the toilet and cleaning underneath. I know…eww.

Clean the toilet brush

The toilet brush is used for cleaning but it can get pretty dirty itself. After cleaning the toilet bowl, I throw in about a 1/2 cup to 1 cup of washing soda and let the brush sit in there for a few hours. Then I rinse it and place the brush back in the holder. Don’t forget to also wipe down the holder before placing the clean brush inside. This is a natural and biodegradable way to clean the brush without having to use bleach. You can do the same for the plunger.

Clean the waste basket

If the bathroom waste basket looks pretty clean, you may want to just clean it with a disinfecting wipe. If it looks like it needs a bit more attention, I do the following: fill halfway with water and add about half a cup of vinegar and a few drops of tea tree oil. I let it rest while I clean the rest of the bathroom, then I dump out the water and wipe down the inside and outside.

There are other areas in the bathroom that need attention but I just mentioned the ones that tend to skip our minds. What areas can you think of to add to the list?

Until next time!

Maria

Other related Graceful Order posts are:

Updating the master bedroom

Under the bathroom sink

Organizing small bathroom sinks

This post includes a few affiliate links. Thank you for your support of the Graceful Order blog!

White and Gold Thanksgiving Table Setting

November 4, 2014 · by Maria · 8 Comments

Last week I shared an easy and quick Thanksgiving table setting. Today, I am sharing another option that will take a little longer, but the results are worth it. This white and gold Thanksgiving table setting is elegant yet earthy and thanksgiving-ey and beautiful-er. Okay so I can’t adorn the English language but I can set a mean table. Let’s dive in.

As I shared in the post about updating the dining room, our dining room table is more formal than I would like. I love it but I am always trying to dress it down to match the rest of the house. It’s just that when you have kids, a mirror-finish dining table can be a little scary. Ya know what I mean?

So I look for ways to marry fancy and less fancy. Hence the white wooden pumpkin on the gold pedestal. I found this beauty at Homegoods and I knew it would be a great centerpiece.

Our table is really long so I usually like long displays throughout the table, instead of an actual singular centerpiece. I “shopped” my house and Target (they essentially look the same since I shop there so often) and I pulled items together to create mini-vignettes throughout the table. The gold coral pedestal is actually an upside-down tea light holder from ZGallerie.

Here is another similar arrangemt.

I love the contrast of the casual rattan placemat, the fancy gold-rimmed plate, the casual print napkin and the fancy white and gold pumpkin (that were only a dollar, by the way).

The gold candleholder in the background is from ZGallerie and it holds an Erin Condren candle.

One full look at the table. I think it came together great. I have to decide between this look and last weeks table setting. What do you think?

Feeling Thankful,

Maria

Organizing Costumes

October 30, 2014 · by Maria · 3 Comments

You wanna be Spiderman or Wolverine today? How about Supermom?

Over the past 10 years we have accumulated quite a few costumes in our home. Kid’s costumes can be pretty expensive and if you have more than one little one, it’s wise to keep them so that they can later benefit from dress-up options (and your wallet can benefit too!). Organizing costumes is a task that can take a while, but saves a lot of time and aggravation in the long run.

I used to keep the costumes in one big box in the garage. Then it turned into two boxes because the costumes and accessories were just too many. The contents of the boxes were spilling over because although I had a pretty good idea of what costumes I had, I didn’t know the sizes. Bottom line, it was a mess.

I came up with a great system that I want to share with you that has really worked for us. The first thing I did was purchase 2-gallon zip lock bags; these are ginormous and that’s exactly what you will need. I separated all the costumes and placed each one in a bag, removed the air from the bag and wrote on the zip lock bag the name of the costume and the size.

I then “filed” the costumes in a large plastic container. I was able to fit two containers worth of costumes into one by simply placing everything into the zip lock bags.

This is also a good opportunity to donate whatever costume is too small for any of your kiddos. This year when deciding what my 3 year-old was going to wear, I didn’t have to make a mess trying to find the right size since it was already written on the bag. This is definitly a time and space saving project!

I would love to hear from you how you store your kids’ costumes.

xo,

Maria

Other Graceful Order posts about fall include:

Easy Thanksgiving Gifts

Five Minute Thanksgiving Table Setting

Fall Mantel

Decorating a Fall Porch

Five Minute Thanksgiving Table

October 27, 2014 · by Maria · 7 Comments

Seriously, it took me five minutes. Granted, I used the same plates and placemats that were already displayed in our dining room but even if I had to add these, it would be close to a “Five Minute Thanksgiving Table”.

What is the trick to this fast table setting? Using swags as a centerpieces. Swags are meant to hang above doors or hallways, and they usually have a bendable metal frame. All I did was straighten out the swag to eliminate the curve and add it to the center of the table. In this case I used two since my table is so long.

Then I added these leaf napkin rings to some bright orange cotton napkins. I placed the napkin above the plate so the napkin ring would stand out a bit more.

The finishing touch was the green goblets. Well, the real finishing touch will be the turkey but that will take a bit more than five minutes to finish up!

This is a very quick and easy tablesetting even if it takes you longer than five minutes. I will share another thanksgiving table setting later this week so stay tuned. In the meantime, share with me your favorite ways to set a thanksgiving table.

For more fall tips, check out my perfect thanksgiving gifts, fall porch and fall mantel posts from earlier in the month!

xo,

Maria

Entryway Organization

October 23, 2014 · by Maria · 5 Comments

“Hon, did you see my keys? Mom, where is my bike helmet?” Sound familiar? Everyone stop and go hunt for the keys, the helmet (and my mind, for that matter).

We all need a landing pad. Ideally, a mudroom would be a great place to store all these things. However, I live in Miami and mudrooms are not really popular. Some people do have large foyers that they can add storage to, and create an area to “land”. But if your home is like mine, there is no foyer, no mudroom, and when you walk in, you are in the living room.

To read the details of how I use my small entryway as a landing pad, click on over to A Bowl Full of Lemons, where I am sharing my Entryway Organization. As always, let me know what you think in the comment section!

xo,

Maria

Easy Thanksgiving Gift Idea

October 20, 2014 · by Maria · 9 Comments

Easy Thanksgiving gift idea that is also inexpensive! This is a great idea for teacher and neighbor gifts during this time of the year where we want to reach out and say “Thank you”. Since you probably have more than one neighbor and your kids surely more than one teacher, these little jars of sweetness are perfect.

To make them even sweeter, I found them at Target in the dollar section. They even included the black and white string and the tag.

These fall M&M’s are all the color you will need for this little project.

Just fill up your jars, close them up and place a sticker on the lid, or use the tag that is provided. Either way, it will be appreciated and you will be able to show greatfulness, in a cute, simple, easy and inexpensive way!

If you are still in the fall mood, you can also read about my my fall porch and my fall mantel, if you missed it a few weeks ago.

I am grateful for all of you! I would give you all a jar full of M&M’s if I could. Maybe they would be missing a few by the time I deliver them. I am only human.

xo,

Maria

Adding Fabric Loops to Towels

October 16, 2014 · by Maria · 4 Comments

Today we are adding fabric loops to towels. Why? Well, earlier this week, I shared my mini-project about adding hooks to the boys bathroom so that their towels wouldn’t end up on the floor. Well, it has been a success but I found a way to make it even better. Even better than cake. Well no, not that much better, but you will still like it.

The boys were doing a good job hanging up their towels but they still didn’t look tidy and at times they would slide off if the weight of the towel wasn’t distributed right. I added loops to their towels and now I can say that I love the result!

I sewed a piece of fabric at the horizontal center of their towels. It was quite easy and it was only time consuming because of the amount of towels. But not more time consuming than picking up towels from the floor, thats for sure!

This is how they looked on the towel hooks.

I even did it to their hand towels. (I found these nautical towels at Homegoods, just in case you are interested)

A small project that makes a big difference! Love that!

One more thing, IKEA has some towels that already have a sewn-in loop for hanging. I have not purchased them or checked out the quality, but it’s another option.

Do you struggle to get your kids to put away their bath towels? Maybe this is a good solution for you too.

xo,

Maria

Bathroom Towel Hooks

October 13, 2014 · by Maria · 7 Comments

Bathroom towel hooks for kids are an absolute game changer. It is a constant battle in our home to get the boys to put away their towel after bath time. It is always on the floor and if it gets hung up, it is shoved into the towel holder and probably would have looked better on the floor. So I could either keep telling them the same thing every evening or I could I could change the system since it wasn’t working for anyone involved.

In comes the hook idea. Maybe if all they had to do was “drape” the towel over a hook, they would do it. This way it is easier and requires no folding of the towel, like with the towel bar. I have shown you their bathroom before when I painted it earlier this year. I needed some hooks that had a shelf since I knew that removing the towel bar would damage the wall and I wanted to cover that up.

After I found the right size shelf with hooks (at Homegoods), I got to work. I didn’t know how difficult or easy it would be to remove the existing towel bar, but it was surprisingly easy. I just placed a flathead screwdriver behind the porcelain piece, and I hit it with a soft mallet. You should wear safety glasses and be careful because there is a possibility that the porcelain could shatter and hit the floor.

In this case, it came off with very little effort and intact. I just went around the piece with the screwdriver and the mallet until I felt it detach and then I gently pulled it off.

Now the other one.

Now you can patch up the hole but you don’t have to worry about making it perfect if you will be placing a shelf right over it. The first thing I did was take out the level. I used a level because it seems to be the only thing that my husband really cares about when I do any solo DIY project. “Did you use a level?”

Me – “Honey, I remodeled our whole bathroom while you were at the office!”

Husband – “Yeah, but did you use a level?”

So I did, and here is proof!

After drawing the line with a pencil, I decided to also use a stud finder to make sure that I wouldn’t run into a stud while installing the shelf. Yes, there are times in life when running into a stud is a really bad thing.

So I marked where the screws would go and proceeded to add them on either side.

And then the shelf and a few accessories, of course!

This has been a total success so far. No more towels on the floor.

I put up a shelf by myself, I used a level and avoided a stud. Not too shabby.

xo,

Maria

Organizing the Kitchen Sink Area

October 9, 2014 · by Maria · 18 Comments

Let’s talk about organizing the kitchen sink area, shall we? Does the area around your kitchen sink get a little messy “looking” at times? I say “messy looking” because sometimes you need all the items that you have out on the counter, so they are not technically out of place, but it can look a bit cluttered.

My first solution for organizing the kitchen sink, is to place all your sink necessities on a narrow plate or small platter. Once items are grouped, they already look neater. The second solution is to buy matching bottles. Find one cleaner that you like and buy all the items from the same brand. You can even refill the bottles later if you decide to change brands, make your own cleaner, or if you buy the product in bulk sizes.

In this case, I am using cleaners from J.R. Watkins, but sometimes I use all Honest Co. products, Shaklee products, Mrs. Meyers or Method products. (Most of those are available at Target unless I added a link). Those are some of my favorite brands and they all have cute packaging. Cute packaging isn’t a must for cleaning but…I take that back, cute packaging is essential, second to quality but essential nonetheless. Especially for our little project here, if it is visible, make it pretty.

Another thing that I notice is that really fancy soap bottles that you are supposed to refill, don’t have the best pumps and get jammed all the time. I prefer the bottles that already come with the brands I like.

Staples for organizing the kitchen sink area:

Baking Soda. I keep a little shaker of baking soda because that is what I use to clean my sink at night. I also use it to clean pots and pans, if they have a little stain here and there.

2 – If the sink needs a really good scrub, or the glass stovetop had a bad spill, or a pot has a stubborn stain, I use this natural scouring paste from Shaklee, called Scour Off. Like most Shaklee products, this product lasts a long time because you need so little of it when you use it. It smells divine!

I use this brush to clean my sink, although it’s really meant for dishes.

3 – I also keep a cleaner for the counter, hand wash, and dish detergent on the plate.

4 – Find the tiniest plant in the world and add a little “pretty” to your sink area. I found this one at Homegoods.

5 – You need to find a plate large enough to hold all your items. I found mine at CB2.

And that’s an organized kitchen sink area!

* In the picture you will notice that my sink has a built in soap dispenser. I use that one most of the time, and if I run out, I use the one on the plate.

I hope this post was helpful! Let me know in the comment area if you already have a similar system.

xo,

Maria

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Organizing Nail Supplies

October 6, 2014 · by Maria · 5 Comments

Before I had kids (you know this will be a good post when it starts like this) I always had my hands manicured. Nowadays, I rarely get my nails professionally done because the polish won’t last for more than one day. I start cleaning and doing dishes (cue for the mice to start singing the Cinderelli song) and there went the perfect manicure. So for the most part, I fix my nails at home.

If you are fixing your own nails and you are not organizing nail supplies in one spot, chances are you are going through drawers looking for a file, then the polishes are in another spot and you may not even use them unless you see them. If you have a lot of nail polishes, like me, I love this tiered nail polish organizer that I purchased about two years ago. Mine holds over 60 polishes and it is full. If I feel compelled to buy a new polish, I give one away that I am not using. Not that it’s anything to brag about to say that you limit yourself to 60 nail polishes! But the organizer does keep them all in one spot.

See how it is tiered so that you see all of your polishes? Love that.

If you only have a few polishes and a minimal amount of nail supplies, I love the idea of using these Command Brand bins that simply adhere to the inside of the cabinet. I found these two sizes at Target but you can also fine them on Amazon here.

Here is an example of the smaller caddy at work inside my cabinet. I don’t use it for this purpose but I wanted to show you how the small one fits a few polishes, a nail file and a cuticle cutter. I actually use this caddy for my floss picks.

Purchase a little acrylic divider (they sell these at Walmart, Target and sometimes at Homegoods) to place the rest of the nail/foot care supplies. Here you can fit your files, toe separators, cuticle oil, cuticle and nail cutters. I place this little caddy next to the polishes in my bathroom cabinet.

Of course you can also put together a little bin (even from the dollar store) or a small cleaning caddy and place all your nail supplies in there. This is a great idea because it makes it portable and you can take it with you wherever you do your nails. In my case, I keep it in my bathroom which is where I do my nails, so portability is not an issue.

The mice are almost done with my dress, gotta go!

~ Maria

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Stress Free Holiday Tips

October 2, 2014 · by Maria · 3 Comments

Are we talking about Christmas in October? Yes, indeed we are. We know it’s around the corner. The holidays, a time for joy, family, food, togetherness and a sprinkle of stress. Is that ok to admit? The holidays can be a little hectic. We really want to savor the moments but it’s hard to enjoy gift wrapping, baking, and parties when everything is last minute. I want to share with you some stress free holiday tips that will help you be in the moment, when the moment comes.

My first suggestion, is to order Christmas cards early! Pictured below are my cards for this year, they are from Tiny Prints. I normally order my cards in October, which leaves me plenty of time to address and send them out. Maybe even with a glass of chardonnay and a little music…now were talkin’!

Photo christmas cards are my favorite to send and to receive. I can never bring myself to throw them out after the season is over, so I just file them away with a post-it marking the year. I also prefer the message to be printed onto the card, this way the only thing I have to do is write the address on the envelope. This year, I even had our return address pre-printed on the envelope. I only wrote the recipient address and it was actually fun to write these out, in peace, no rush.

Another tip is to order gift tag stickers. What a time saver! I have so many gift tag stickers, with different themes to use year round. It already has our name on the sticker and I only have to write the recipient’s name. This year I will be using the ones with the antlers (how cute are they?) which are also from Tiny Prints. Erin Condren also makes beautiful ones that I use for holidays or birthday gifts (the ones with the “Enjoy” message). You never have to worry about the tag falling off because they are stickers.

Wrap presents ahead of time and create a stash. I only place the gift tag sticker on the gift and I skip the bow. This allows me to stack the boxes without the bow getting in the way. When I am ready to bring the gift out, I place a pretty bow on it.

Have a Christmas Gift List. Do this in order to avoid last minute shopping because someone just slipped your mind. Also, keep track of what you are spending.

Here is a FREE CHRISTMAS GIFT LIST PRINTABLE (the one pictured) that can help you track your gifts and spending.

Stock up on baking items that you will need. Holiday baking and cooking can be so much fun, so be sure to have the essentials at hand. Butter, sugar, vanilla extract, and then more butter. 🙂

If you have kids, this is a good time to sort through their toys and donate items that they no longer need. My little one plays with most of his toys so I just have to ask myself if he really needs 5 firetrucks. I make space for the new toys that he will receive.

Choose recipes that are tried and true for any holiday party that you will be having. It’s already a hectic season and you don’t need to add unnecessary stress over whether a soufflé will rise and hold. Read here about how I plan for Christmas morning.

The biggest and most important tip is to go easy on yourself. Do what you can, order items ahead of time, cook ahead of time but if the soufflé deflates, don’t deflate along with it. Enjoy your families and friends, enjoy this beautiful time!

Maria

Organizing Vitamins

September 29, 2014 · by Maria · 5 Comments

Even a good system, won’t work for you forever. You may remember last year I shared how I stored my vitamins right on our counter. You can read about that here. But it just wasn’t working for us anymore because of the amount of vitamins and supplements that we take.

I moved to organizing vitamins inside the kitchen cabinet and they were taking over my coffee station. Remember when I posted about the coffee station? I think my mom was the only one that read that post (thanks Mom!), so you can read more about the coffee station here. I wanted the clean look of my coffee cabinet back, so I found a Turntable that fit perfectly inside and with a height that would allow two tiers of vitamins. This was the one that worked for me.

See how it was a perfect fit?

I placed the larger vitamins in the bottom tier, since I had more height to work with. There are 28 vitamins in here and there is room for one more. What a small footprint for so much storage!

Hope you like this little tip! Where do you currently store your vitamins?

Until next time!

Maria

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Decorating a Fall Mantel

September 26, 2014 · by Maria · 5 Comments

Decorating a fall mantel? I almost didn’t decorate for fall at all. It just feels like so much trouble to get out fall decorations, when I know all the decorating I will do in the Christmas season. But then, I started by decorating the front porch, and sure enough the next thing I knew, I was making pumpkins out of tulle for the whole house. Well, maybe not “making them” and not out of tulle, and certainly not for the whole house. But I did buy two ceramic pumpkins at Target, so kinda the same thing.

I was only going to decorate the mantel, so I stayed within the lighter fall colors to tie into the rest of the room. Keeping the existing color scheme, I purchased some stems and pulled others from my stash in the garage and I already had this wooden bread bowl.

I cleared out the mantel, which honestly is the key in decorating a mantel. It’s easier to re-envision an area when you are not looking at the way it is already decorated. Even professional designers lose perspective in their own homes. You look at furniture arranged in the same manner for so long, that you can no longer think of new placement. So definitely clear out the mantel and begin from scratch.

I left the lamp because I need a lamp in this spot.

Start with the focal point or centerpiece (which is not always in the center). In my case, I decided that the bread bowl would be in the center.

Then I added one of the hydrangea stems to the bowl. I didn’t cut them since I want to re-use them for other decorating projects. I did the same with the other stems, just folded them over.

Then I decided to use the pear and the pumpkin to fill in the empty spaces between the flowers.

And when I was done, it looked like this.

I added a sanded wood grid as another elegant yet earthy touch, to bring the look together.

I left this lamp in the same place because I love the gold underneath the shade. It is such a simple looking lampshade with a little surprise inside.

On the other side, I decided to bring in two vases that were previously in my family room. I didn’t even have to change the greenery.

More pictures of the pumpkins, my favorite part.

And another look.

In the end, I was glad that I decorated (even a little bit) for fall.

Do you decorate for all the seasons?

Maria

Fall Porch Decorating Ideas

September 23, 2014 · by Maria · 13 Comments

It’s fall! Well, I live in Miami, so it’s still pretty green around here. Miami has no idea that it’s fall! I want to share with you how I decorated my porch for fall, so that it would feel like we have in fact changed seasons, even if the coconut trees are none the wiser.

Fall porch decorating ideas 101: add pops of orange! This is an opportunity to mimic the colors that are naturally occurring somewhere else in the world. Let me take a moment to say how much I love this Martha Stewart swing that we purchased at Home Depot a few years ago. The only thing that could have made it better is if it came with a cold glass of sweet tea! We sit there all the time, especially during this time of the year, when the weather changes (in Miami language, that means less hot).

The pillows on the swing are from Target and I purchased the initial pumpkin from Kirklands, three years ago on a mega-after-thanksgiving-sale, those are the best times to splurge on these items.

I added a little pumpkin to the plants that were already in my planter. I considered buying mums or something more colorful but the little pumpkin infused enough color. I then surrounded the planter with some more pumpkins. These pumpkins are not real because pumpkins won’t be available for a couple more weeks over here, but the real ones are beautiful and I will probably switch them out later on. I usually use these to decorate inside the house.

Then the door. I have used these wreaths for years, and as long as they keep their color, I will continue to use them. I love how they pop with the existing brown door.

Then of course, a little rug. The finishing touch to any porch. This one was less than 6.00 at Ross…crazy!

One last look at the porch!

So Miami may not know that it is fall, but my neighbors sure do!

Do you decorate the porch? Are the trees already changing in your neck of the woods?

Maria