Cold Winter Day

We've had a lot of cold winter days lately.  I am one of those people who would hibernate if I could, and that's actually the running joke between us and our neighbors.  "See you in the spring," they say every fall, knowing I won't be out and about until the weather reaches above 60 degrees.

So, we're having a lot of pajama days too, which is just fine by me.  Hope you are all staying warm, and I am excepting invitations to Hawaii!

Charish Mood Board

A few weeks ago I was asked if I would like to create a mood board for Charish.  I was excited to do it because let's face it, who doesn't love creating imaginary rooms with beautiful objects and furniture!

If you haven't heard of Charish you need to go check them out here.  It is a wonderful web-market where you can buy and sell items including vintage furniture, lighting, decor, rugs and even vintage designer jewelry! Like Ebay, but for luxurious stuff... So cool!  I love mixing old and new elements in a room to create a curated eclectic feel and at Charish you can find some great vintage items that are one of a kind and can really ground a room.

When I was thinking about what kind of mood board I wanted to create I thought a sitting room/living room would be perfect since that is where my mind is at these days.  As a matter of fact, my sitting room makeover is almost complete...just waiting on a few last projects, so once it is done I will share that.  But, in the meantime....

This is my imaginary gold, wood, jade and navy sitting room.  I feel like I was inspired by a Maxfield Parrish painting.  Love!

Vintage Laundry baskets // Abigail Rush Armchair // Mavi Shape up Pillow (similar ones here) // Elliot Tufted Ottoman // Mid-century Armoire/Chest // Vintage Globe // Gilded Songbird Print // Jade Green Art Pottery Vase // West Elm Jug Vase // Haeger Celadon Vase // Serra Flat Weave Rug // Wheeled Coffee Table // Nature Balls & Basket // Golden Velour Three Seat Sofa // Bicycle Pillow // Juliaca Ikat Pillow // Batik Butterfly Pillow // Van Gogh Print // Victory Pendant Light // Driftwood Glass Top Table

DIY kids chore chart

I have been wanting the make the girls a fun chore chart for a while now.  There are a bunch of cute ones you can purchase on Etsy, but I wanted to make one that was personal and more of a game.  

I also found a bunch of cute chore chart clipart on Etsy, but I figured I could quickly sketch up some myself and it wouldn't take too much time and it would be free!

I started by making a list of the chores my kids need to help with and then I sketched them up one evening while the girls were playing and Ken was watching football.  Then I scanned the drawings into my computer and used them as clipart and added wording for each chore. 

I used my paper cutter to cut each one to about 2 inches square.

I already had laminating paper that I have used for different things here and there, so that didn't cost me anything.

So, I put each chore tag face down on the laminating paper.

Then I put another sheet of laminating paper on the other side.  It's a little tricky to get it in the right  place, but you can un-stick it and re-set it if you don't press it down.  

I have found that the trick to getting it stuck really well is to use an old credit card and press it down up to the edges.

 Then I cut them all out.

Cut and stuck magnets on each one.

I found these magnetic wipe-off boards at Walmart for $5. each on clearance.

And there you have it! 

So far, the girls love their "chore game."  We shall see how long it lasts!

 I keep the extra chore tags on the side of the file cabinet.

Clean your cell phone - the easy way

I am sharing a Tuesday tip today.  Sometimes I search forever to find the right products for a specific job.  Once I find them I want to post them so other people don't have to search so hard!

Today I want to tell you about Wireless Wipes.

About 6 months ago I was having a major breakout problem on one side of my face.  I tried a few different prescriptions from my dermatologist, which of course didn't work.  Then I decided to do my own research and figured it might be my dirty cell phone that was causing the problem.  Afterall, they say your cell phone has more germs than a toilet seat.... EWWWWWW!!!

The answer: Wireless wipes!

Wireless wipes are waterless cleaning cloths that come in 3 different wonderful scents and they clean dirt and germs from your cell phone (or other electronic device).  I use them on my phone at least once per week and I haven't had a breakout since.

Here's my phone before with lots of finger prints and "gunk."

I just use a single wipe to clean the whole phone and the case as well.  I like these wipes because they aren't really "wet" and they are safe for your phone.

After - Clean phone!

Wireless wipes are around $10 for 3 handy resealable packs (12 wipes each pack).  You can buy them here.

Totally worth it!

(*This is not a sponsored post.  I just really like this product and wanted to share my experience with it.)

New Year New Plan...

I am not a huge fan of resolutions.  I would rather try to make small but manageable changes that last for the long term.

In the past my struggle has been to balance my motivation to complete projects with my motivation (or lack thereof) to take care of myself.  So this year I thought...."Why not tie those two things together?!"

So, I formulated a plan for myself.

The 1/10/1 Plan:

1) GET FIT: Lose 1 pound per week (for at least 30 weeks since I have about 25-30 pounds to lose).  

I plan to do this by exercising and being mindful of what I am eating and when I am eating.  (Since I just had major surgery - a few weeks ago - the exercising part will start slow at first).

2) DE-CLUTTER: Eliminate 10 items from my house per week.

These items could be anything from large things like pieces of furniture to small items like old notebooks.  I plan to ask myself these questions when deciding what to eliminate : 1) do I need it? 2) do I love it? 3) if it were gone would I miss it?

3) BE PRODUCTIVE: Complete 1 project per week.  

These projects might range from completing my sitting room makeover to jewelry commission work to cleaning out and organizing my junk drawer.

I plan to start on Feb 1st and I plan on rewarding myself every weekend if I accomplish these 3 things each week.  I realize some weeks might be better than others, but I hope to really give this a good try!

I also plan to keep a running tally.  If I can stick to this in the next year, I could lose 30 lbs, get rid of 480 items, and do 48 projects!

Okay...here goes!

Fabulous Friday... thinking of spring.

Well, winter has officially begun.  With the temperatures here in the negative numbers the last few days -  I am already dreaming about spring.  I planted some violets last spring that I got from a friend of mine and I am looking forward to watching them bloom this year.

Here is a painting of violets I did last spring.   I thought I would share it with you.  I would love to do more flower paintings this year and have them made into cards, etc. to sell.  I think this would make a pretty birthday card... What do you think?