Checking in

Very busy lately and this week will be too!  I thought I’d pop in and say hello.  I’ve been paintingthis weekend and it looks like it will take a better part of the week to finish.  Not a lot of progress when I have just 2 hours or so of nap time to prep, paint and clean up.  But it is going awesome!  Mike and I picked some great colors after deciding that the “homespun linen” that was in the living room is just too beige for us both.  It is out and we are spicing it up!  Rooms under transformation are, dining, living, kitchen, hall, pantry hall and laundry room.  I’m done with the dining room (as seen in flickr streem) and already have blisters.  Awesome! 

WordPress finally caught on to the Tweet world and I now have a Twitter box in the right hand column, 3 down.  It’s supposed to update every 15 minutes but it seems to be “unavailable” quite a lot.   However, I am there.  And, as with most things on the inter-web I am already addicted!  You can find me at Christina RTS if your interested, or you can just follow along in my sidebar.   Clearly, I need as many outlets as possible to provide full streaming nonsense.

Be back soon.

Nathan’s Room

 I am really excited to share this room with you, also, a little nervous.    For some reason it feels really personal.  Much more than any other room in my house.  It’s where my boy plays, reads and sleeps.   I feel like this is where our story began.   Right here, in this room.   It’s all for him, but I will be honest.  I adore this room.   To us  it’s  warm and cozy, where we start and end every day.  I know he loves his space and that makes it that much better. 

The inspiration for this room came from the Little Golden Book prints.  I didn’t want any sort of theme or anything that felt babyish or commercial (I’m talking to you, Disney!)    These were perfect.  Book covers from my childhood!      So, lets get started!

A simple life

We took the kid to Toys R’ Us this morning for a  Little People Party & Story time.   We came a little early to look around, letting Nate test drive a jeep, bounce some balls and play with a train table.   We colored and collected our little gift bag and played with the Little People toys they had out for the kids.    We were there for about 1.5 hours.  We bought nothing but had a great time.

After we went across the street for some giant burritos at Chipotle and an even bigger diet coke.  Came home and put the boy down for a nap. 

I would have never imagined that I would consider this fun.  That this would be the makings of a good day.    Just one of the thousands of things becoming a Mother has taught me.  Life is different, but damn if it isn’t also good.

spring projects

I sat down after lunch with the big green notebook today.  This is always trouble and expensive.   It was time for some inspiration (ignore the fact I’m in the middle of two other projects) and this always gets my wheels moving.

I started my list for the season.  I do this 4 times per year.  Sit down and write up what I want to accomplish in the house and a list of what to buy, feasibleor not.   This season there is a lot that we won’t get around to. And some things that make an appearance every time like new appliances and now the bedroom makeover which is been taken off the back burner and put back into the pantry for a while longer.  I doubt that I will get the “living room” style set for the back porch as well as rockers and a table for the front but  you never know.   So they are on there. 

But, there is a ton that I will do.  This season I have lots of fun stuff and I am hoping to get it all done in the next two months.  Before the pool opens for the season.  Yikes!   There is yard work and house work and some stray things like buying pant hangers and an ironing board (shut up).   I have been putting off painting the dining room for a long time.  Years, actually.   See, choosing paint is the last step in room design.  You decorate and then choose your color.   The room is getting there but I am still having some  issues.  1. we cant get a rug yet.  Our cat has a “thing” for area rugs, if you get my drift.  and  2.  what to do with the top of the hutch is slowly killing me.    But, I have finally found a new light I like and have visions of reupholstering my chairs (except I waited to long to order my fabric and now its GONE)  so I think I’m ready to delve into paint.  I also need to paint the hallway between the dining room and kitchen.

This sort of opened a can of worms.   I’ve grown really tired of the yellow in the kitchen.  I can no longer live with it, it’s just too much.    Which brings me to my rock & hard place.  Do I paint it the color of the living room which I often sit in and thing this is so boring! or paint it the toned down darker shade that I have picked for the dining room.   I don’t know.  I have the chips taped up in the kitchen.  I also  have 1/4 of a gallon left from the living room and I think I will slap some of it up in the kitchen and live with it for a week or two. 

The issue with the paint in my home is one that I bet a lot of us have.  My living level isn’t a great room so to speak but it is very open.  You can see 3 of the 4 rooms no matter where you are standing.  Plus, there are areas that are 2 stories high.   This makes choosing tricky.   So, tonight I will consult “Mr. Opinion”  and take it from there.

I have made no progress what so ever on the basement.  I have to get moving on it with just over a week before the April task is assigned.  Also, I have been promising the kids room details and tour which is still coming.  I’m nearly finished with that but it’s something I can’t do with him in the room, or while  he is napping so that means I only have weekends when Mike is home.   I hope you will still be interested by the time I get it posted.

Despite the turn in the temps we had overnight I’ve managed to stay motivated and excited about the season ahead.  I really can’t wait to get started.  One of these years this house will look lived in and not like we just finished unpacking!  Probably the year we decide to move.  I digress.

Talk to me about Spring!  Are you doing anything around the house?

I did it for me

The last four days have been just perfect!   I am afraid to tell you out of fear of being hit by lightening.   The weekend was wonderful as I got to spend a little more time with Mike than usual.  There was also shopping for clothes, eating of candy and a few hours of girl time.   Usually a good weekend dies a painful death with a thud on Monday morning.  Not this week.

Yesterday Nate and I headed to Story Time just like every week.  We hung out for a while playing and reading books, then we did the same at home,  we both took naps and then went for an hour long walk outside, without coats, and played at the park for a while.   Today we went out shopping for a few items, I picked up an impulse item marked down 90% (!) and the things we came for turned out to be  50% off at checkout.   If that doesn’t start a day off right I don’t know what will.   We headed home for some lunch and I put him down for a nap and headed outside.  Armed with yard waste bags I got to work cleaning out my flower beds.  I raked and dug and pulled and picked up pine cones and just took in the sunshine and the fresh air and never for a second felt like I was doing work.   Then I put the patio set back into place. 

When Mike pulled in the driveway tonight Nate and I were down the road a little way just wandering and inspecting the ants and any thing that rolled by on “wee’wee’s”  wheels.  So happy to be outside, both of us.   We ate dinner outside,  barefoot. 

This year this isn’t as much an epiphany as the two past.  The weather defines me.  The warmth, the blue sky, the sunshine.  I am crossing my fingers that this feeling lasts.  The weather will turn back to average on Thursday and there won’t be any more dinners alfresco for a while.   But today I felt the sunshine on my face and dirt under my nails and I ate outside.  Even if it doesn’t last, today I took advantage of every second of it.  Today I did it for me.

What’s eating you?

I watch a fair amount of Oprah.  Okay, I have a season pass.  So what.    It’s no secret to anyone that she struggles with weight and loves to talk about it.  It’s sort of her “thing”  well that and being a billionaire.

Anytime she has a show about weight she asks the guest what are they really hungry for?  The answer is not cookies or popcorn.  The answer has nothing to do with food.  The guest come out with something missing in their life or some other reason.   They act in these shows like this answer is the golden ticket.  Once you know what you’re hungry for, why you are suppressing emotion, whatever: once you know, you’re cured!  Everything just falls into place.  Right?

Well, I know what I am hungry for.  What is eating me.  I know.  And yet I over eat, over shop, over clean, over pluck my brows.  Over, over, over.   I try and fill the void.   What do you do when you have the answer but the answer doesn’t help.   I throw myself to the bottom of the list when I don’t get enough time with Mike.  When he is working so much that I/we only get to see him for about an hour a day and on a good weekend for a full day.  

So, I know.  I crave time with my husband.  I get lonely, I turn to food.  Am I cured?  HA!   Not even close.  Because what comes next I don’t know.  I can’t fill the space with what I am hungry for.   I can’t have more time right now.   I have to keep on going until mid July when life calms down for a while.

I do what I can, what I know to do.   But I still don’t know how to fix it.   I wish I knew how.   No decorating project, clothes shopping, chocolate bar or day with a girlfriend is a fix.    All of it is great and it keeps me happy and allows my life to have balance but it doesn’t change the fact that after I put my son to bed at night I’m spending the next few hours by myself.    I get it, I know it, but I still go for the ice cream when I’m not actually hungry. 

For me, knowing isn’t the total answer.

CUYMH 4: What was I thinking edition.

It has finally arrived, Basement month.  The #1 reason I decided to go on this journey.   Our storage area is half of our basement.  When we moved in it had a hand full of boxes full of old college papers and text books, old sports equipment, camping supplies, paint and lots of flower pots.    Since moving in 2.5 years ago and having a baby it has exploded.    I find it is really true that if you have the space you will fill it up.  I’ve found in the past few days that what we have filled it with is a very large load of crap.

This month like all that have come before it we are working with Zones.  This is really important for me this month, getting like items into groups so when I need to get to the Christmas decorations they are all in one place.    My zones will be, Mike’s crap(!) baby, home maintenance and decor. 

Here are Peters guidelines with my comments:

Quick Tips for Your Storerooms
Start slow. It’s taken months or years to build up the clutter. Organize one section at a time. – This is huge to my success this month.   Everything is mixed up as we just sort of add to the pile rather than having a place for things.  I just started in the front and am moving my way back- creating piles for each zone as I go.

Collections and mementos. Ask yourself if those items stored in a trash bag or old box in the garage are really that important to you. If they aren’t honored and respected, maybe they are really clutter that you do not need to hold on to. If you truly treasure items, display them proudly and properly in your home.     I have been really good about keeping the special things protected:despite that I have been really honest with myself about what to let go of.   i.e Dad gave me a dolphin water globe that I truly adore because A.  I was in a “dolphin phase” (Shakes fist at resulting hateful tattoo) and B.  he got it for me on a trip.  Something that he just didn’t do anymore.  That being said it is not something I want to “display proudly”  in my home.  But, Peter, I’m not getting rid of it.  It’s in a special box and if I ever have a daughter I will proudly place it in her room.  If I don’t I may let it go at some point but right now I am not ready.  I don’t care if you call that clutter.  While I am taking the rules seriously, I think most rules have exceptions and this water globe is mine.

Streamline. If you haven’t used it in a year, get rid of it- This feels a little like the “no junk drawer” rule.   I am  keeping it in mind while I sort.  Lots of things are in the garage sale pile but I just cant make up my mind about the camping stuff- even though Mike and I have not camped since 1999.  What if one night Nate wants to put up the tent and sleep in the backyard?  I sort of want to keep it for that reason.  If we have the room for it is that breaking a rule?  This is HARD!

Get stuff off the floor. Once items start spreading across the floor, it’s almost impossible to keep them under control. Use vertical space and shelving units to increase your storage space- YES!   Agree.   We had a shelf unit that wasn’t assembled that came with the house so I put it up and with everything I have tossed/donated/garage sale pile it has made a huge difference in the amount of floor space and also in terms of seeing what you are keeping.

Make the most of your space. Basements and attics are sometimes used for many purposes at once—storage, crafting, a place to watch television, etc. Once you’ve cleared away some of the clutter, decide what you’re really going to be using your space for and organize accordingly- This goes back to cleaning up your family room space from a few months back so I have not included the living portion of our basement in this months challenge.  

I’m not done yet.  I will be honest I’m sort of at a paralyzed halt.  I am at a point where I don’t want to finish and I am not enjoying it.   The “sell” pile is daunting.  Am I really going to have a sale?  Will anyone buy any of this stuff?  Should I just pack it all up today and donate it?  AHHHHH!    I thew away about 8 metric tons of actual garbage.   We have some sort of illness where we keep boxes.  All kinds, big ones  like the box the excercauser came in, the microwave, the phone, the DVD player, shoes, my word all kinds of boxes.  Plus, I had all of the light fixtures I have replaced since moving in.  4 of them just hanging out in a pile.  I didn’t know what to do with them and hey, we have tons of room down there so in the hole they went.  Just clearing out that kind of stuff made for a huge amount of floor space.  I even found a box of hand me down clothes for Nate that I thought we had already emptied, just in time too.  It was full of 18 month items.  

A hiccup in this is Mike is not participating.  This area is a lot of his stuff, stuff I think he should get rid of.  Do you really need a workbook from a class you took your Freshman year of college?   Or your old baseball uniform? (which does NOT smell good!)  Or the entire contents of your desk from your post doc job? But, I’m just giving him his own zone and one day maybe he will be inspired to purge it a little.   Maybe.

Progress has been made but I’m not there yet.  I really have not enjoyed this task like I have the ones that came before it.  I don’t know if its because its just “stuff” and not a space we live in and there for has no decor aspect involved, or if its because getting rid of all of this is a little hard.  You look at the pile and it looks like $$ sings mocking you.  Look  at all this carp you spent real money on- HAHAHHAHAH!!!   I don’t know but I can’t possibly share pictures of how it looks today.  But I will when it is complete.

Up and Down

I have been feeling a little rollercoaster’ish the past week, maybe a little longer.  One day is wonderful, we have plans and have fun.  Another we are in for the day and I am looking forward to it and then it’s lame.   The weather is really factoring in.  For example, Tuesday it was 78, today’s high is 37.    It’s not much of a surprise that my moods are swinging, too.   I am really looking forward to the next warm day so I can clean up my flower beds.  I noticed yesterday that some bulbs are popping up!   I know that once the weather turns for good that I will be in a much better place daily.   This winter hasn’t been any worse than the past few but it sure affected me the same.  I hope that next year will be  a little better.  Nate will be a little older and I hope to plan art and craft projects for the two of us to do together.  Not that I wish this last bit of babyhood away but I really can’t wait for the next stage.  I think I may get a light box too.  That is supposed to make a huge difference all by itself.

I am also getting my ass kicked by the time change again!  I toss and turn and fall asleep around 1, as a result I pass out on the couch watching TV at night, go to bed wide awake.  Rinse, repeat.  So, I’m trying even harder to stay busy and awake at night to correct this pattern. I got a little bit done on the basement (I promise that is coming in a day or two.)  I’ve been working in Nate’s room a bit, full tour should be ready next week.   I am planning a few other small projects as well.  I really must have things to do that are not working out or cleaning in order to stay sane.    I am finding balance with them as well as checking out books weekly.   I get a real book to read and a few on decorating, gardening or cookbooks and a big stack for Nate who’s favorite activity is having us read to him 24 hours a day.  This helps break it up or it would be all day long with Brown Bear, Brown Bear and Ploar Bear, Polar Bear.    Despite the ups and downs of the last stretch, I can’t imagine how I could have made it without these things.  

That’s my week.  Sleepy, trying hard to stay motivated with this crazy weather and staying on top of it all.   Are you guys feeling really blah and burnt out right now, or is it just me?

cleaning tips for real life

 Victoria asks:

Do you have any tips for cleaning up and maintaining a house in three hours or less per day? I’m sure you have a few readers whose only free time during the day (or in the evenings, after work) is while the kids are asleep, either during naps or after bedtime. I’m slowly reclaiming my home in the 3 hour naps Charlotte takes every day, but any tips for streamlining the process would be greatly appreciated.

______________________________

I have good news!  You can totally keep a clean and tidy house with short periods of time to clean.  

The main thing I do that saves time and allows me to get small tasks done fast is keeping the proper supplies on hand and in appropriate places.  Each of my bathrooms are stocked with what I need to clean.  Windex, Lysol 4 in1 spray,  Tilex soap scum remover, a sponge, a roll of paper towels,  toilet bowl cleaner & brush and a magic eraser.   Keeping the stuff you need inthe room you need it  makes a big difference to me.    Rather than passing thru the room and noticing the mirror is dirty I stop and clean it on my way.  With the cleaner in the room I don’t take 3 steps out of the bathroom and wonder WTH was I doing, get distracted by stepping on a toy car and forget all about the mirror.    Same thing with a dirty shower.  I notice that its looking dingy when I am in it.  As soon as I get out I spray the soap scum remover and by the time I’ve blow my hair out it’s done it’s job.  Just a quick once over with the sponge and a rinse and the tub is clean.   I don’t mess around with a bucket to clean bathroom floors either.  I mix my floor cleaner and water in a squirt bottle, spray the floor, mop over it, rinse the mop, and move on.  So stock your rooms and keep it simple.  Clean what is dirty when it’s dirty, only clean the whole room when you really have the time for it.

I also pick up during the day.  When Nate goes down for his nap I put all of his toys away so I can see what needs cleaning.  If I leave them out I don’t notice the cheerios ground into the carpet.   Again with supplies on hand.  I have stuff in the family room that it requires as well as the vacuum right around the corner.  Everything is close so it goes really fast.  I can run the vacuum, dust and pick up in 10 minutes tops.  I also take nap time to clean the kitchen and sweep/mop.  Run or unload the dishes, wipe down the counters and table top.  

A good way to figure out how to squeeze things in is take a list of what you think needs doing frequently and what you can do weekly or monthly.    Then you can figure out where it fits into your day.    Cleaning doesn’t have to be an event, it can be just a quick wipe here and a rinse there.    I rarely spend more than 30 minutes at a time because I do it all throughout the day.  Kitchen sink looks dingy, I squirt some soft scrub in it when we eat a meal, rinse it when I rinse the dishes after the meal.    toilets need cleaning, just squirt in some cleaner and leave it.  Next time you use the bathroom run the brush over it and it’s done.   It all becomes second nature when you do it the second you notice it.  Granted, this can be a challenge with a 18 month old- but Nate loves to watch that cleaner squirt.  I can give him the swiffer duster and he “helps” me dust, or hell, a spatula and he’s good for at least 10 minutes roaming around seeing where it fits into and how many smack noises he can make with it.  You may be able to get little things done even when she is awake.

To get started I would do these things.  Once Charlotte goes down start in the kitchen, you probably have breakfast and lunch to pick up after.  Do a little more than just the dishes.  Wipe the baby fingerprints off the front of your oven and dishwasher, wipe down the counters, sweep the floor and run a quick mop over it.   Then go to the living room, pick up her toys.  Dust the tables & TV screen, run the vacuum if she can sleep thru it and tidy up.   If you feel like doing more go make your bed and tidy up.  (I do this before I get Nate up in the morning.  make the bed, open the binds and wipe down the master bath counters and tidy up.)   This doesn’t all have to be done everyday.   The mopping can be sporadic, the TV wont need dusting daily (unless those little fingers can reach it).     On the days you have a little less to do you can clean the fridge out and run some laundry (I fold and put away at night while watching TV- after the boy is down.)  You just do what you can, when you can.  But doing little things all the time really keeps the house mostly clean, most of the time.

Truly what keeps my house clean is I don’t let stuff pile up.  I deal with today’s mail today,  I keep my own things put away as well as Nate’s and sometimes Mikes.  When I don’t have things cluttering up I can see that the table is dusty.   Also, I’m addicted to how great my house looks when its clean and smells fresh. 

So, do the big stuff when she goes down but if you try and incorporate the little stuff throughout the day you wont even notice that your cleaning.  If you can get the little things out of the way you wont spend much time cleaning an entire room all at once. And, you’ll probably be shocked at how you really can keep up with it all. 

 

Free Style

Do you have a room or two that are a little bland or in need of a pick me up?  You may live an apartment and aren’t interested in buying anything new for a space that isn’t yours.  Maybe you’re finding that your grocery bill just keeps getting bigger every week so you don’t have a decorating budget.  No matter your reason, I can help.  All you need is an open mind, an hour and a laundry hamper.

Pick which room or rooms you’re interested in making over and clear them out.  Take everything off of every surface.  Pictures, lamps, plants, clocks, walls, even throw pillows off your couch or bed.  Toss it all into a hamper.  Then, go around to other rooms and grab things that you like.   Anything at all, even if it “belongs” in the room you’re removing it from.   After collecting things from around the house you already love and bring them into the room your working with.   Next,  make a mess.  Lay out all of the items you have collected and sit back and take a look at what you  have.    The next step is fun but can be hard, too.  Putting together the new things.   I think the easiest way to start is see if a new color scheme jumps out at you.  Or if an accent color to what you are already working with.    Then you get creative with it all.  Move the art into new configurations,  switch the throws from the couch and the bed.  Switch a lamp from a buffet with a bed side lamp, take the curtain panels from another room and swap.  You get the idea.  Also, don’t be afraid to try a new floor plan.  If the task of sliding a sofa around the room is unappealing, draw it out on paper first so you don’t do more scooting than necessary.  Once you are done with the bigger items re do your flat surfaces.  A good thing to keep in mind is you don’t have to use everything.  Maybe to freshen your room what it really needs is a make-under?  Cutting out some decorative clutter can be as appealing if not more so than a over decorated space.  You can use the original items from the room but move them around a little, pair them differently and add in a new item or two that made there way in the room via the hamper.  

Don’t forget to check in your closets and storage spaces.  Do you have a pair of old curtains  from a previous place, or a sweater that shrunk 2 sizes?  Look at these in a new way.  You can sew a throw pillow out of that sweater,  a pair of drapes can be use to reupholster the seats of your dining room chairs.   If you have any decorative wrapping paper you love you can use it to line the back of a book case or a dining room hutch.  Maybe you have a half full gallon of paint in a great color,  use it in a bland bathroom, or paint the inside of your coat closet.   Take your time and check your inventory.  You may be shocked at what you come up with.

The idea here is that you use what you have without spending a dime.  And, most likely your space(s) will look very different.   This can be a lot of fun to shop in your own house, and super rewarding to get a new look with what you already have.  Falling in love with forgotten things or letting go of something you never really liked to begin with.  Lastly,  if you have $5 to spare, pick up some cut flowers from the grocery store.   When all else fails, fresh color always adds additional life.