Blog - Graceful Order

Cleaning with Lemons

August 8, 2014 · by Maria · 5 Comments

Got lemons? A week ago I shared how I clean my microwave using lemons, and I thought I would also share some of the many ways of cleaning with lemons. Going green has been a priority for me, and it has also been a process. I have slowly replaced my old cleaners with more natural store-bought ones or even homemade cleaners. I think we are all second guessing our cleaning supplies and we want to get away from anything potentially toxic. Of course, we need to replace them with alternatives that are natural and effective. Lemons are both.

Since lemons are acidic, they have antibacterial and also antiseptic properties that can help clean our homes, the natural way.

I use lemons to clean:

The Sink

Surprisingly, sinks can be one of the dirtiest places in the home. You can clean the sink by sprinkling some baking soda and scrubbing it clean. Once you clean and dry it, you can use a lemon half to scrub the sink some more. Squeeze as you clean and use both sides of the lemon and even the pulp. If you have any rust stains in the sink, you can try a mixture of salt and lemon (paste consistency) to scrub that area.

Cutting Boards

I recently shared in detail how I clean my cutting boards. I use a mixture of salt and lemon to scrub the board, before oiling it. You can also remove food stains from plastic cutting boards by using half a lemon, squeezing it into the board and letting it sit a while. Then rinse.

Garbage Disposal

To get rid of odors in the garbage disposal, you can cut up a lemon, throw it in and grind it up. I usually do this after I have already used the lemon to deodorize my microwave. If its just a drain, pouring a little hot water with some lemon juice will help to deodorize the drain!

Microwaves

For details on how I clean the microwave, you can read about it here. You can use a microwave-safe bowl and fill it up halfway with water and a couple tablespoons of vinegar and add a lemon half to the mix. Microwave this for 5 minutes and let stand for a couple of minutes. (Don’t stand in front of the microwave while it’s heating up the water, just in case your microwave is super strong and 5 minutes is too much.) Wipe down the microwave. Squeaky-clean!

Kitchen Odors

To get rid of lingering smells, fill a pot with water and add slices of lemon rind and bring to a boil. This will not only do the trick in the kitchen but your home will smell so fresh! You can also add a cinnamon stick to the mix if you like the scent.

Stovetops and Ovens

I have a glass stovetop and anytime that food splatters, or worse, boils over, a simple wiping down of the stove won’t do. You can make a paste of lemon juice, water, and baking soda and spread on the food spill. Let this paste sit for about 20 minutes and then scrub the area as much as needed before rinsing. The same will work for cleaning the oven.

We know that lemons have great properties for our bodies, but they are also great for maintaining the home!

Let’s remove toxins from our homes and let’s clean the natural way. It’s like cleaning with a “twist” 🙂 . Are you also trying to go “greener” with your cleaners? Do you already use lemon as an alternative?

Maria

Organizing Cookbooks

August 4, 2014 · by Maria · 8 Comments

All my friends know that I love to organize, But I am equally known for my love of ~~eating~~ cooking. I read cookbooks like one would read novels. When a favorite chef of mine has a new cookbook coming out, the release date is written on my planner (right next to my cardio gym class ~~suggestions~~ reminders…the irony). I take this stuff seriously.

Over the years, I have collected so many cookbooks that they were spilling out of my office. I needed a solution for organizing cookbooks. I knew that I had enough to fill up a bookshelf, so that’s what I did. There was a little corner in our home, that was perfect for my books. This spot was close to the kitchen, which made it even better.

I found this bookshelf at Target. I wanted something sturdy but inexpensive. It’s not like I have kids that jump on furniture! Scratch that. I don’t have kids that jump on bookshelves.

I started to place all the cookbooks in the bookshelf and I thought that I would have enough room to accessorize the bookshelf and leave some empty space…but nope. The books took up the whole space. If you have a ton of books to put away in a bookshelf, try to alternate the placing. Standing some books, leaning others, and so on… Break it up so that it is more interesting to look at and not so orderly. If you do have space, add a picture frame, a book-end, or an accessory on top of a stack of books.

I left enough space on top of the bookshelf to look through the books when searching for a recipe.

I added some accessories and voila! My little cookbook corner!

Do you also collect cookbooks? Where do you store them?

Until next time! I will be cooking up a storm (at the very least, reading about people that do!)

Maria

Using Ottomans to Store Books

August 1, 2014 · by Maria · 4 Comments

I recently shared pictures of our master bedroom and the master bedroom sitting area. But do you know what used to keep my room cluttered? Books! They were everywhere. I read a couple of books at a time, and if I really love the book, I won’t get rid of it. It becomes like a reference book, or I may even want to re-read it. Using ottomans to store books in the bedroom is a great way to keep books close, but out of sight.

Sure, I like pretty books displayed throughout the house. I like to surround myself with books. If you are a book lover, I think you understand. I just don’t want them in piles all over my bedroom, which is a space that I like to relax in.

I found this ottoman at Target earlier this year and I was able to store almost 100 books! I actually need to go through these and give some away, but I wanted to test the ottoman’s capacity.

There are different kinds of ottomans, but storage ottomans are my favorite since they perform double-duty!

I still keep a few books on my nightstand, but now I can see my nightstand. 🙂

Do you have ottomans in your home? What do you store in them? Books, Blankets, Games or are they a catch-all when the mother-in-law is on her way (‘cuz that’s a good idea too)?

Until next time!

Maria

Master Bedroom Sitting Area

July 28, 2014 · by Maria · 3 Comments

Many newer construction homes have large master bedrooms. So large, that there is plenty of space for a sitting area. When we purchased our home, I was happy with the size of the master bedroom, but I knew that it wasn’t large enough for a master bedroom sitting area. There was only space for a dresser and a television, in addition to the bed and night stands. I thought that if I could find large enough night stands, I could forego the dresser. That’s exactly what we did, when we found these…

It still did not replace a dresser, but it made it possible to do without it. I also needed to find a small couch. I didn’t want to crowd the room or make it look like we were stuffing a piece of furniture in a space that clearly did not call for it. I found this couch and chair and I loved that they were armless. Armless furniture creates less visual bulk, and allows for furniture to be placed close together.

We purchased the chair in a print so that it wouldn’t look too “matchy” but honestly, I wouldn’t do that again because it did tie me into a color scheme. If I had purchased it in a neutral tone, like the couch, I could have simply changed the pillows for a new look. Don’t get me wrong, these pieces are more than 10 years old and I still like them very much!

The bedroom is decorated in neutral tones, with pops of coral.

This lamps and shades are from Target. I purchased two of these shades (that were on clearance, bonus!) so that I could tie together the floor lamp with the one on the side-table. This floor lamp used to be black and it was in my son’s room. I spray painted it gold, and now it works in my room. (You can’t see the gold stripe going through the floor lamp shade, due to the light.)

If you have mix-matched lamp bases, you can still tie the look together with matching shades.

Do I miss the dresser? At times. It was always our goal to customize our closets so that we would have extra space and so far my closet is done and my husband’s is next. Having drawers in my closet really helped!

I do love having a little sitting area to read, chat with my husband, or simply tie my shoes.

Is there an area in your home that was initially too small for your “vision” but you still made it work?

See you soon!

Maria

Creating a Master Bedroom Retreat

July 25, 2014 · by Maria · 11 Comments

The last two weeks we have talked about the master bathroom, and shared ideas about creating storage in small bathrooms, I also painted my laminate cabinets and organized under the sink. But now, let’s step into the master bedroom. Creating a master bedroom retreat is our project this week, and I want to share with you some decorating ideas.

The master bedroom should feel like a hug. Creating a master bedroom retreat is so rewarding because after a hectic day, you want to go into a space that says “peace”. My favorite bedding is all white because it has a casual, welcoming feel. I never try to make my bed perfect, I even like the wrinkles. I don’t think I have ever said those words before, but I do. They add to the casual, inviting feel. And it works because my boys always seem to feel that they are “invited” into our bed.

I purchased this bedding from Ballard Designs and I LOVE the large monogram. The sheets are not fussy-looking but they feel luxurious. Monogramming has a bad rap for being stuffy, but when paired with cotton, it’s just an elegant touch.

The “Graceful Order” wasn’t monogrammed into the sheet, that was editing. 😉

On the foot of the bed, I place a throw. Honestly, we rarely use it but I think it warms up the room.

Our bedside tables are large and thanks to that, we opted for a sitting area instead of a dresser.

I love this lamp and shade, both from Target. In this picture the lamp was off, but the sunlight was flooding in.

My husbands nightstand has a valet box where I store all the little papers and receipts that he brings home. Otherwise, the nightstand would be covered with receipts and business cards.

I love having an Oil Diffuser in the bedroom to disperse lavender and eucalyptus. Bring the spa-feel home!

Right now, the Oil Diffuser is resting on my jewelry cabinet.

There are a few steps in creating a master bedroom retreat.

Clear the clutter from the night stands. They become the “catch-all” in the bedroom and get messy fast.
Clear items from under the bed. I used to store stuff under the bed and I have to admit, it was just a big dust magnet. Most of the stuff I had under the bed, I should’ve either thrown away or made space for it in my closet. If you can, clear out this area and it will be so much easier to keep the room clean. I am glad I did this years ago.
Decide what “look” you are going for and get rid of decorations that don’t match the “look”. Sometimes you need to shop-your-house and bring in items that you already own and love into your new space.
The biggest investment (besides furniture) and the one that will make the biggest difference, is the bedding. Splurge on nice sheets. They last longer and therefore more economical in the long run. I look for a comforter that is washable since the boys love to jump on our bed. White comforters are my favorite because I can always add color pillows if I want to add a pop of color. For now, all white is my favorite.
Have the books that you are currently reading out on your nightstand, but not an entire set of encyclopedia next to your bed (do you still have those by the way? I do).
If you are going to go all out and paint the walls, choose a color that is relaxing. Skip “Peacock Green” and “Magenta Madness” for this project.
The next thing on my list (which we still don’t have) is purchasing a nice rug for under the bed. We have wood floors and I would prefer stepping onto a plush rug when I get out of bed. I know it will be a finishing touch to our bedroom and also add an added layer of comfiness.

Soon we will talk about creating a seating area and how to use ottomans in bedrooms.

Until then, please share with me your favorite color scheme for the master bedroom. Is your bedroom decorated in warm neutral colors, do you prefer cool tones, or just pops of vibrant color? I look forward to reading your comments!

Maria