Category: decorate

Spring Cleaning with a Side of Quarantine

Published on by blonde rosie3 Comments

Spring cleaning is nothing new since most of us either do a big clean each spring or know about it, just may not get to it. Well now that we have some extra time on our hands and we are sanitizing our homes, I thought it would be helpful to talk about spring cleaning in a time of the Corona Virus. Here are some of the ways that I clean throughout the year and have stepped up my cleaning process today to be safe.

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In recent weeks we saw how unprepared people were when we needed cleaning supplies and basic cleaning supplies. I personally use Grove Collaborative, an online cleaning supply delivery service. This way I can add items to my cart and then have them shipped to my home. You can choose how frequently you receive items and can adjust your cart with what you need. Since I have the storage space, I also order toilet paper, paper towels and laundry detergent in bulk from Target’s online website because I get free shipping and never have to worry about running out. My mom called asking if we needed anything and because I have my cleaning supplies mailed to me, I never had to worry about buying anything.

Have cleaning kits ready to go

Whether you have a big house or a small apartment, I have found that having a cleaning basket for each bathroom and floor makes cleaning so easy and fast to do. I have a set of bathroom cleaning products in each bathroom so I can easily grab a cleaning spray and wipe everything down post shower at night or while I brush my teeth in the morning. Most of my cleaning supplies are in my kitchen so it’s easy to wipe down counters each night before bed and I have a cleaning kit in our linen closet off our bedroom. On Sundays, while I collect all of the dirty clothes and bedding to bring down to the basement, I will quickly spray and wipe things down to keep it up. Now with this paranoia, I’ve been cleaning almost daily so now I can grab a kit and quickly clean.

Keep counters clutter free

I love a good knick knack but I try and keep them to a minimum because it makes dusting and cleaning a pain. My kitchen counters are the most frequently cleaned space in my home since I do it daily so I like to keep the bare minimum on the counters. If I decorate a table, I like to decorate with books in my living room because I can move things around and clean with ease. With the being home more now than ever, my coffee table has been used as a desk, dinner table and a catch all for junk. While I love a good decorative centerpiece, I simplified things a bit to make the space more functional for my daily needs. Now more than ever, we need to sanitize and the kitchen is a space where outside items are most. Having clear countertops makes cleaning a breeze! If you have stuff on your countertops, try to find a cabinet or drawer for them. If there is no space, see if you can purge a few things.

Everything should have a home

If you are cleaning and ask yourself, where did all of this stuff come from? The answer is you probably didn’t home a place for it to begin with. I use one of my end tables in my living room as technology storage. It’s where all of the cords, chargers and unused tech goes so it’s in one place and out of site. It makes cleaning easy because I just throw stuff in there and know where to find it later. Drawers do not have to be labeled and super organized, just have a drawer or cabinet where similar things go so it makes cleaning easy and you always know where things are. Having cleaning kits allows me to keep things sanitized but I didn’t have to worry about not having enough cleaner when the stores ran out.

Decide if you need more than one

I’ve moved so much over the last few years that I have really simplified the items that I own. Sure, I would still need a moving truck if I moved again because I’m not that minimalist, but I’ve done a good job of making sure that I have only one of everything of items that I don’t need more than one of. Not only does it help you get dressed easier because you are not overwhelmed with options, but I also am able to find what I need because I know exactly where it is. I donated a lot of unused bags, sweatshirts, shoes and home items that quickly became clutter because I couldn’t find a place to put allll of my bags or alllll of my sweatshirts. This quarantine has definitely showed me what I use most and what I really don’t need. My closet has full of work tops that I truly love but lately I’ve been wearing a lot more pajamas. I’ve always debated if I really need that many pajamas and I’m happy it’s something I like to have a lot of because they have definitely been my go to the last few weeks! Before I buy another top for work, I am probably going to ask myself if I really need it because I know that I already own so many.

Have the right tools to make cleaning easy

Hands down the best thing I ever bought was our Dyson vacuum. I got it on Black Friday for a good price at Target because yes, it is pricey but I read the reviews and wanted it. HSN also runs good deals throughout the year! Because it is so lightweight, I can vacuum when I see a mess easily instead of telling myself that I will get to it when I vacuum next. I have hardwood floors throughout the house and a few area rugs so I love that I can vacuum both floors without dealing with a long cord behind me. Now that I am home all the time, I have been vacuuming every other day because it is so easy to do! I also have a Swiffer with wet Swiffer cloths on each floor so I can easily wipe down our floors when needed. Since I have cleaning tools easily accessible, I am more likely to clean once a week than when it gets really bad and I reallly need to clean. I also purchased a few items like dusting cloths, a duster and others on Grove Collaborative because they have a section on their site of cleaning tools.

Oh and I wanted to also talk about a new item I purchased on Amazon! We don’t have a hall closet on our first floor so I didn’t know what to do with our broom and Swiffer so I bought these holders to put on the wall next to the stairs going down to the basement. It was the perfect space where I could store items so they are easy to get but out of site.

How We Use Our Alexa

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We recently got a few Amazon Alexa’s for Christmas and it’s amazing how useful these things are! Sure, I wish I could just say “hey Alexa, cook dinner” or “hey Alexa, fold my laundry” and it would happen but it does help us out a lot in ways we didn’t even realize. It’s nice to have an assistant who is able to set timers, play music, check the weather and answer questions I may have. I usually ask Alexa to do something or answer a question before I take out my phone. You can also sync it to other technology in your house so we can turn on lights, change the temperature and other systems.

How We Use the Alexa in the Kitchen

We have an Alexa in the kitchen and it can hear us tell it to do things anywhere on the first floor which is really nice. While I unload and load the dishwasher or cook dinner at night, I like to have Alexa play music or play a podcast. Without having to waste time on my phone pressing buttons to play what I want, I just simply have to tell Alexa to play. If I’m cooking, it can tell Alexa to set a timer or ask it a question while my hands are dirty. The volume is great and can be heard throughout the entire first floor and even house so I can go from room to room without missing a tune or missing parts of my podcast.

How We Use the Alexa in our Bedroom

We replaced my very old alarm clock from college with an Alexa and at first I was a little nervous with the change. Are we sure it was going to go off? Was it going to wake me up?? I asked Alexa to set my daily alarm for a certain time and she said she would so I went to sleep. The next morning I woke up to a very pleasant alarm and was happy I swapped out the alarm clocks. I was able to create a morning routine with my Alexa so in the morning I have an alarm that goes off, that I usually hit snooze on and then a few minutes later, Alexa gives me the morning briefing. A customizable feature that shares snippets of news stories. I love it because the noise helps wake me up in the morning better than an annoying alarm going off. You can also create a nighttime routine, I’ll have the evening briefing news play at night which is a sign that I should be getting into bed for the night. Sounds silly, but it’s nice to have something to help me stick to my routine. Alexa is growing in what it is able to do. You can also create lists and easily order items by just saying “Alexa, add diet coke to my grocery list” or “Alexa, order paper towels”.

Our Entryway

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The unpacking process is taking way longer than I thought it would but I keep telling myself to enjoy the process and that it will all get done! I really like to have a clean, minimalist look and with everything to have a home. Before we purchased anything for the house, we started to unpack and use the furniture and items that we had. Then we made a list of areas that needed some extra TLC and what storage solutions were needed. One area that was being neglected was our entryway. There is a little foyer that is really practical and had so much potential! The space was small but I knew we could get creative to make it functional. After a few months of forgetting where I put my keys, piles of mail on our coffee table and forgetting to bring something to work, I decided we needed a system for a drop zone.

I already had the magazine holder which was perfect for keeping our mail and important papers but I wanted to get hooks for keys and such. I spent what felt like forever trying to find a cute and practical solution. Luckily, I was able to find this key organizer on Amazon and it has been great at keeping our items organized and prevent it from getting chaotic! I like to keep my keys, train pass, umbrella and headphones – literally anything that I may forget to bring with me on the hook so I can remember to grab them before I leave. It’s a small space to finish decorating but it makes us one step closer to finally being settled into our new home!

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wall mount key holder // similar magazine rack (mine is from Homegoods)

How Keeping My Home Clean Helps My Mental Health

Published on by blonde rosie2 Comments

I like to consider myself a clean person. I have my weekly routine of tidying up, laundry and changing my bedding that helps me stay on top of everything. However recently, life has been so busy that I just haven’t had time to clean. I thought going to bed without putting my dishes in the dishwasher to get an extra five minutes of sleep would be worth it but at the end of the week, I now needed more than 5 minutes to clean the house. So starting in January, I am doing a deep clean of my house and going back to my routine to keep my home clean… Does anyone else like to do a deep clean in January?

Bathroom
I keep a small plastic bin of cleaning supplies in our hall closet next to the bathroom so I can make cleaning easy and convenient. Be sure to have a roll of paper towels, a cleaner with bleach, a multi-surface cleaner, and toilet cleaner so you have no excuses not to clean the bathroom! At night while I do a face mask or use mouthwash, I will clean the sink and countertops and I can get everything clean by the time I need to wash the mask off.

Vacuum
I used to never vacuum because it was such a pain until I bought myself this cordless vacuum. Now when I see a mess, I immediately clean it up and do a quick walk through the house while I have the vacuum out. Once a week, I will vacuum the floors and pick up pet hair on the couch and it only takes me minutes to keep the house dirt free.

Bedding and Laundry
On Saturday mornings, I bring all of the laundry to the basement and sort it by color in baskets that I keep by the washer. Since I have enough clothes that I don’t need to do laundry every week, I can pick out the clothes that I need to wash and leave the rest in the hamper for the next week. On Sunday mornings, I strip the bed and bring the sheets to the basement to get washed. Under our bed, I have a storage container of sheet sets so I can immediately make the bed with fresh sheets. After too many times of bringing sheets down to wash and then forgetting to do it until late Sunday night, now I just swap out the sheets right away. Once a month I will wash the other blankets and duvet cover.

Containing Clutter
Having a two story house is great until I need to clean and put everything away. I keep a fold up storage cube at the bottom landing of our stairs and at the top of the stairs to collect items that need to be brought up and brought down. Everytime I go up or down the stairs I can pick up something and put it back where it belongs. It takes time but then it doesn’t make cleaning so overwhelming.

Kitchen
We take the trash out on Sunday nights and go through the fridge to toss old leftovers or expired food before we bring it to the curb. We are pretty good at keeping the kitchen clean and I like to wipe down counters and load up the dishwasher while I cook dinner. I’m a big multitasker so I like to clean up while I watch tv or wait for dinner to cook.

After work I rarely have any energy so I like to do my cleaning on the weekends. I found that when I keep up with a routine, cleaning is easy and it’s easy to keep up with. One day I will have enough money for a maid, but for now I spend my Saturday mornings cleaning! I love coming home to a clean home and cleaning has always been relaxing to me. There’s just something calming about organizing a drawer or finding a better system for my linen closet.

All I Want for Christmas is a Dyson Vacuum

Published on by blonde rosie2 Comments

For months, I have wanted a new vacuum that actually worked so I read all the reviews and did my research. The final conclusion was that the Dyson cordless stick vacuum was the best on the market. As much as I didn’t want to spend the money, I knew it was just one of those adult purchases that I needed to make so I kept an eye out for the best price. During the Thanksgiving holiday, I noticed that Target was running an amazing deal on the Dyson cordless vacuum. On Black Friday, we hopped in the car and drove to a Target near my parents house and purchased the last vacuum on the shelf! As soon as we got home from North Carolina, I opened the box to start charging it!

With our cat and just usual foot traffic, we had a lot of dust bunnies and just the normal dirt that accumulates in a house. It took me 30 minutes to vacuum the entire house and I had to empty the canister 3 times because the amount of dirt it picked up! Because it weighs only 5 pounds, it is easy to do a quick vacuum whenever I see a mess or do a quick clean during the week. There is a bit of a price difference between the Motorhead Model and the Animal Model so we went with the standard Motorhead Model. So far we have had no issues with picking up Ed’s cat fur and I can use the handheld attachment to vacuum the couch with ease! I’m a little embarrassed to admit how excited I am to vacuum because that is how much I love it! At work, I am telling all of my coworkers to treat themselves for Christmas and buy a new vacuum because it makes cleaning a breeze! Dyson offers several options so you can find the best option that fits your home needs. So far, I have been really impressed with our vacuum and can’t imagine using anything else. I have found that with previous vacuums you have to go over back and forth to get up all of the dirt, but the Dyson picks up everything the first time. It makes cleaning easy and I don’t have to worry about a cord going from room to room. I hope Santa treats you to a new Dyson vacuum for Christmas!

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Dyson Vacuum // Pajamas

Downstairs Guest Bath + FALLing in Love With Our Bathroom Theme

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I’m back today to share another room in our house that is kinda unpacked and decorated. It’s been a long journey, but I like forcing myself to finish a room so I can share it on the blog. Sometimes you need that extra boost of motivation! I’m trying to spend a block of time unpacking a box or decorating a space each day, but boy is it exhausting!

Honestly, one of the big selling points for this house was the half bath on the first floor. It was recently redone and the perfect size for guests. When my parents visited me while I was at my old apartment, it was a challenge to get ready in the morning because we were all fighting over the bathroom to get ready! Now we have two bathrooms so there is no longer a line for the only bathroom and it’s been useful having a two story house – less steps! There was also enough room to add the small cabinet that I used in my old bedroom to store accessories. Now it has products for guests to use and can hide cleaning supplies so they are out of sight. I am not a fan of clutter so with the little amount of counter space and the size of the room , it actually helps limit how much stuff I can put in there so it’s not too crowded.

llama hand towels

I’m sure I will decorate this bathroom some more in the coming months but it is so nice to have a room in our house that feels finished. I added some fall decor for now; the llama soap and hand towel were a must have because of Jake’s love for all things llamas! Both of these were TJ Maxx finds! My plan is to swap out fun decorative hand soaps and hand towels for each season. Easy updates to make to the bathroom and I’m sure our guests will enjoy them too! Next step is to go through the artwork I have in the basement and decide if I can use it or if I need to buy some new frames for the space.

Oh! And I have to point out our towel hook because the bathroom didn’t originally have one. The sink just looked so sloppy with a hand towel on it and I didn’t want to put any holes in the walls. One night I was browsing on Amazon and did a quick search to see what I could find. On a whim, I bought this adhesive towel ring and had to share it because it’s really good quality!

Bathroom Details

llama hand towels // llama hand soap (TJ Maxx) // flower arrangement (similar)