Homekeeping

April 25th, 2012

Easy reusable labels

Washi tape — Japanese masking tape — is so fun to work with. It comes in a variety of colors and patterns and is easy to use. A nice feature is that it can be removed easily and reused. I used it most recently on my Christmas cards to affix our photo to the card.

Martha Stewart suggests using washi tape for making labels. The tape peels off easily allowing you to reuse your folders. I may have to try this with the extra tape left over from Christmas!

folders with washi tape labels via Martha Stewart

April 2nd, 2012

Gardening caddy

Spring has sprung and we’ve been enjoying some nice, sunny weather which has coaxed me outside to survey my lawn and garden. While the landscaping around our house still needs a lot of attention, there are a few spots that I am proud of — my herb garden is one of them. I am in the process of plotting and planning what to put in there when the weather gets a little warmer. In the meantime, though, I’ve been doing a lot of weeding and tilling to prepare. This gardening caddy idea from Martha Stewart is a clever way to keep all of one’s gardening tools in one spot. I might have to try it out!

Martha Stewart gardening caddy

February 19th, 2012

Vintage-inspired aprons

I have a drawer full of aprons in my kitchen. None of them, however, are as adorable as these vintage-inspired looks. Turn up the fashion in the kitchen by donning one of these feminine creations.

 

chambray apron from Anthropogie

 

cotton and lace trim apron from Anthropologie

color block apron from Anthropologie

half apron from Sur La Table

toille apron from Sur La Table

Parisian apron from Jessie Steele

October 28th, 2011

Creative Storage Solutions

Looking for creative, budget-friendly ways to organize and store household items?  Look no further!  Here are some ideas from Real Simple for repurposing everyday objects to help assist in keeping spaces tidy.  For even more ideas, click here.

Business Card Organizer as Gift Card Holder

Desk Organizer as Cupboard Divider

Corkboard as Jewelry Organizer

Shoe Box as Ribbon Organizer

Tissue Box as Plastic Bag Holder

January 31st, 2011

Sale at Sur La Table

Sur La Table — a tie with Williams-Sonoma for my favorite kitchenware store — is having their big annual sale right now. Time to stock up on kitchen basics and fun new items! Here are a few things I’d put on my list:

flour sack towels

Red Deco Dot Apron

Deviled Egg Platter

Porcelain Cake Stands

Bamboo Salt Box

November 23rd, 2010

Simple Tips to Make Thanksgiving Preparations Go Even More Smoothly

As I was finishing up my Thanksgiving menu and grocery shopping today I remembered a few tips that make preparing for Thanksgiving so much easier and less stressful. These simple tricks can make a big impact when in the midst of the chaos of entertaining and preparing such a special meal.

1) Create a menu plan.

The menu plan template I created includes the item (recipe/dish), ingredients, where I will buy each ingredient, when to prepare it, what serving vessel I will serve it in, and any additional notes I might have. I print the plan out and use it as my shopping list as well as a guide on Thanksgiving day. Each year I save the document and my chicken-scratch notes to remind myself of what I served that year, which recipes worked, and other lessons learned. The document doesn’t need to be complicated or pretty, it just needs to work for you.

2) Label your serveware.

I generally set out my serveware a day or two before the meal to make sure I have all of the right vessels and to determined how they will work with my tablescape. Once I’ve pulled out all of the vessels, I use post-it notes to label what item will go in what vessel. This not only helps me stay organized, but it is also helpful if you have family who are helping you set out the items — they’ll know where everything goes.

3) Keep recipes and notes in a clear folder.

Once I have determined my Thanksgiving menu, I put all of the recipes in a clear folder along with my menu plan. I take it with me when I go shopping. Before I leave the store I not only check my menu plan/shopping list but I also scan the ingredients on the recipes themselves to make sure I have not forgotten anything. (I hate having to make two trips to the store!)

The clear folder is also helpful because it keeps the recipes clean and visible  when cooking. If something spills on the folder, wipe it off and keep on going! No crinkled or smudged paper to deal with next year when you are pulling out your recipes.

I prefer the reusable tabbed clear folders like these. I write the event in pencil and then erase and reuse for my next event.

November 19th, 2010

Clip it.

These sparrow clips are infinitely cuter than the metal office clips we occasionally end up using here at my house to preserve an open bag of cereal or chips. Wouldn’t these make a great gift?

Sparrow Clips available at MoMA store

October 28th, 2010

DIY Nature-Inspired Wall Hangings

I love this idea for Fall wall hangings that look like pages from an encyclopedia. Pressed leaves, cardstock,  a few twigs and voila! Instant, nature-inspired wall art! They’d also make a great accent resting against the wall on top of a sideboard at a Fall dinner party.

Leaf wall hangings via Better Homes and Gardens

August 23rd, 2010

Sniff, Sniff: Stylish Tissue Box Covers

My mother and stepfather were in town recently and, as when any houseguest is coming, I tried to check off a list of items that tend to make the guest room and guest bath comfortable and welcoming for guests.

In the bedroom, I set out reading material, an alarm clock, and a fan. I emptied the closet to make space for their clothes and left a variety of hangers. I set a tray on the console with two glasses and some bottled water…

In the bathroom, I cleaned, cleaned, cleaned! The bath mats were fresh out of the dryer. The mirror was spotless. I set out toiletries and placed a vase with some flowers and aromatic herbs on the sink…

After my parents had arrived I walked past the guest bath and noticed a new box of tissues. My mom had found a stash of them in our supply cabinet and brought one up to the bathroom. Tissues! Of course! Why hadn’t I thought of that?

So that got me thinking about tissue boxes (I confess, this is the stuff that keeps me up at night!). The trouble with them is that, generally, they are pretty unsightly. They come in packages with funky patterns and colors and I cringe each time I set one out.

The solution to masking the ugly boxes is to hide it with a cover. Tissue-box covers, have a reputation of being really tacky, but I have found a couple that are surprisingly stylish.

This one from Restoration Hardware’s metal apothecary collection could work not only in a bathroom but also in other rooms around the house.

Restoration Hardware's tissue-box cover from the Metal Apothecary collection

How about this one for a little tike’s room? Adorable!

monkey tissue-box cover from Target

I love the idea of being able to customize a cover to complement the decor of a room. That’s why this project featured on Design*Sponge (one of my favorite, “go-to” blogs) caught my eye.

tissue-box cover by Brett Bara, featured on Design*Sponge

Brett Bara provides step-by-step instructions on how to sew a cover with the material of your choice. Pick a fabric that coordinates with your room, bust out the sewing machine, zip-zip…. you’ve now masked an ugly box and created a pop of color in your room!

July 16th, 2010

Chop, Chop. A Super Chic Cutting Board System.

After our upcoming kitchen remodel, my goal is to have as few things as possible cluttering the countertops. There are certain essentials, however, that need to be there — like our KitchenAid mixer and our Boos board.

We love our Boos board and use it everyday for chopping vegetables and herbs. We are careful to use a separate plastic board, though, for working with meats of any kind so that we can keep everything sanitary and clean.

I recently fell in love with this cutting board system by Joseph Joseph which offers an organized solution for keeping cutting boards from “cross-contamination.” Its sleek storage container and four color-coded chopping boards are not only aesthetically interesting, but practical as well. The illustrated tab on each board helps a cook easily identify the boards to ensure the same board is used each time for similar food types.

I am not sure if I need to add anything else to my already very full kitchen cabinets and countertops, but if I did, it might be this!

Index Cutting Boards available on A+R

a great way to organize cutting boards