Come on into my office! I’m excited to show you my new Visual Planning board! Also known as my goal setting board. And my project to-do list board. And my let’s get motivated inspiration board.
Basically I call it anything other than its original name..
I’ve always been a visual person/learner and love seeing the projects I’m working on all laid out in front of me. Big picture planning like this REALLY helps me. It’s basically my way of dumping my brain out onto my wall instead of keeping it all jumbled up inside my head.
If you had a pre-conceived notion that I was sophisticated in any way I’m sure my explanation of this little project just blew that theory out of the water. Ha. Better you know the real me. ;)
I used to have my Visual to-do list off to the side of my chalkboard so that I could use my chalkboard for other things, but I decided to mix it up this year and put my chalkboard to better use. It’s front and center in my office and I wanted to create something that would not only be a brain dump station, but also an inspiration board that will help inspire and motivate me to meet my goals.
I’m so excited about how it turned out!
I’m a huge fan of sticky notes (just can’t quit them!) so I use the left side of the board to keep track of spaces I’m organizing, spaces I’m decorating and ideas for blog posts. There are so many other things I always have going on each day that I keep in my planner, but I love having these 3 things (the things I really enjoy doing!) out in front of me as daily reminders. I also love the feeling of pulling off one of my sticky notes and tossing it when my project or post is finished! They never go away of course because I’ll always replace old sticky’s with new sticky’s, but still.. major satisfaction when I can throw away a sticky note. :) #itsthelittlethings
At the top right of my Visual Planning Board I put my Monthly Goals and Daily Habits printables. I’m loving these so much! (You can download your own monthly goals and daily habits page HERE and read more details about them in this post.) I took these pictures early in the month when I was just getting started on these goals/habits. Because they are right in front of me every day in my office I can’t help but be reminded of the things I’m working on.
Although that still doesn’t guarantee I’m in bed by midnight.. (sigh)
I had some empty space at the bottom of my board so I decided to create a little inspiration. I tore out a few pages of my kitchen organization from the magazines I was featured in last Spring and then added a favorite San Diego picture and my Do What You Love heart. That’s the secret to happiness right there.
Just do what you love and the rest will fall into place.
I also added my all time favorite quote at the bottom.
Whenever you are creating beauty around you, you are restoring your own soul – Alice Walker.
Amen to that. :)
So that’s it! My Visual Planning, goal setting, project to-do list, motivational inspiration board. It’s helping me stay on track! And I can use all the help I can get. :)
Do something you love today for me! And then come back to see more office organization.
So that I can share more of what I love with all of you.
Happy weekend everyone! I hope you’re all having a good one so far! I’m popping in quickly to share some new finds and an old favorite post. I’m thinking I’ll share this older post with you all first.. it’s such a good one!
If you remember my mom’s organized laundry room makeover you’ve been with me a while! And I love you for it. ;) But even if you’ve seen it before it’s a fun post to re-visit. I just read it again myself and still can’t believe the before and afters of this space! (Clearly the above picture is one of the “befores”) If you haven’t read this post and enjoy a good organization makeover you are in for a treat! This is still one of my favorites to date. Organization galore! It made me want to instantly hop up and clean out a few of my own cupboards. But I didn’t because it’s late and I’m tired and Kenny turned The Office on Netflix and we are both cracking up remembering how much we loved that show and now I’m going to have to binge watch the entire series to see Jim and Pam get together again.
So organizing cupboards will obviously have to wait until tomorrow. :)
So many fun new finds this weekend! First here are a few recent favorite things I’ve been wearing and then I’ll share a round-up of some things I’m loving on sale for President’s Day!
Seriously could not love these camo pjs more! Sizes are flying fast so don’t wait if you want them! These would be my favorite pjs to date if it weren’t for the fact that my husband loves to tease me so much whenever I wear camo. He’ll walk in the room and say “Whoa! I didn’t even see you there! You just blend right in with your surroundings..” Then he laughs at himself for a good 5-10 minutes.
I always get excited about President’s Weekend sales. So many great prices on winter clothes and home decor! Here are some of the fun things I have and love, just bought or am debating buying at the moment. Enjoy the rest of your weekend and I’ll be back soon with something fun I put together in my office!
*This post is sponsored by Pottery Barn and affiliate links are used, but as always all product selections and opinions are my own! :)
Sharing a little guest bedroom re-fresh today! I so loved having this space decked for the holidays and was bummed to take off my new reindeer sheets! So I didn’t. I left them up through January. :) As soon as February hit I was ready to put away all things Christmas. I wasn’t quite ready to pull out Spring pillows and bright colors so I gave my guest room a small winter re-fresh! Here’s what this space is looking like today..
A little more muted than the bright red I had going on and I love the soft colors for this time of year. It feels so calming to me. Like this room is saying “hello.. so happy you’re here to visit. Come in and relax.”
That’s what I imagine it’s saying anyway. :)
It has been so cold lately that I wanted a really comfy throw somewhere in this room (I have one wrapped around me at all times when I’m on my couch or bed!). This faux fur knitted throw in blush pink is a dream! Crazy soft and I love the muted blush color this time of year. I got a pillow to match because, like the throw, it was on sale. I love it when all of the PB winter throws go on sale! They are my favorite as I’m sure most of you know by now and we use them year round. It’s funny because they seem to mysteriously disappear from my couch on a regular basis. I alway find them in my kids’ rooms! Clearly I’m not the only PB throw fan in the house. :)
Another new item I picked up for this room is this beautiful Belgian Flax Linen Floral Stitch Quilt in the color Midnight. My white duvet and the light fixture in this room have a bit of a boho feel so I wanted something that had that same look. I love the stitching on this quilt!
It adds so much texture to this space. I ordered the matching pillow shams too, but one of the three hadn’t arrived yet when I took these pictures so you might notice the middle Euro pillow has this Diamond sham on it temporarily. (Another fun quilt/pillow set I like from PB!)
These Pearl Organic Pillow Cases have been on my wishlist for years so I was excited to finally have a place in my home they would work!
I’ve always loved the Pearl bed/bath items from PB and still have the matching Pearl hand towels in my girls’ bathroom. :)
Such a perfect way to remind guests to relax and enjoy their time with us. :) The frames have antique silver accents which look gold and work well in this space with other similar accents on my lamps, bed, nightstands and table.
I haven’t really taken the time to style this table, but for now it’s holding a few simple items I shopped from around my house. I wanted it to look somewhat put together with my parents coming into town!
They came last week for Addison’s “grandparent day” at school. She also sang in church on Sunday so they were able to be here for that. We snapped this pic right before church and El wanted to be the photographer this time around because she has been so sick this week. Poor girl! At least she’s had lots of love at attention from grandma and grandpa while she’s home resting. Kole went to the park with grandpa today and is loving the extra attention too. Always a treat having family in town! Tomorrow is their last day here and my plan is to set work aside so that I can lounge and shop and visit and eat and lounge and eat and visit with my parents some more. :)
They have enjoyed staying in this cozy guest room and love the recent updates!
So happy they approve. I hope all of you do too. :)
Happy Weekend everyone! I thought I’d start a new weekend post series called “New Finds and Old Favorites.” Kind of a bonus weekend post. :) I’ll share a couple of quick favorite “new finds” (things I’ve heard about, things I’m loving, or fun finds on sale) and then also share a couple of “old favorites” (past posts I think you might enjoy). My goal is to make these posts simple and helpful to you! And easy for me to post over a busy weekend. Win win! ;) So here are a few new finds/sales I’m excited about!
*affiliate links used
I just ordered this Hamilton Beach can opener and I’m so excited about it! My friend has it and worships it (we took this pic at her house). It cuts the lid off of cans so quick and easy and leaves a smooth edge! Kind of funny but I always get excited about things like this. I love finding ways to make every day life chores quicker and easier!
My favorite Celine Throw I just shared in this post was just marked 15% off. Am I crazy if I pick up #3? :) I kind of love the aqua too!
This Teddy Fleece Pullover Jacket comes in so many cute colors and is 40% off! We have had a cold winter (cold for southern Cal!) so I’m still on the hunt for all things WARM.
*This post is compensated by Walmart and affiliate links are used, but as always all product selections and opinions are my own!
I’m sharing some organizing progress with you all today! YEA. Attic and office organization to be exact. But before I jump into that bag of chips, I have to quickly say that blog posts take me a long time to put together. This is in large part because I have issues with taking WAY too many pictures. Way too many pictures means I have to spend extra time sorting, selecting, editing, watermarking.. preparing the pictures to post. Taking less pictures is something I’m really going to work on this year.
Starting with my next post.
Ha. This post is picture heavy! As many of my posts are. Grab a snack.
Chips anyone? :)
I had so many questions about how I store my Christmas decor after the holidays and yes.. I realize it’s now February and not on your mind anymore. But I spent a good part of January organizing my attic and wanted to share my progress regardless! Soon after Christmas I ordered these clear Mainstay boxes from Walmart and got to work sorting and purging ALL the things in my attic down to only the things I really love, use and wanted to save.
I quickly realized that I love, use and want to save a lot when it comes to Christmas decor. :) Clear containers are my favorite when it comes to storing items like this because then I don’t need to label everything and I can easily see what’s in each box when it’s time to decorate for the holidays again. Walmart has so many storage options at a great price!
and one box I used to store keepsakes from my kids’ baby/toddler years. I have to be honest in telling you that this is the one thing I struggle with when it comes to letting things go. Other items I can ruthlessly purge and not think twice, but I struggle with letting go of my kids’ baby stuff and probably still saved too much. If you saw how much I started with you would be proud of this one box. Progress for now!
These smaller 17 quart clear boxes were perfect for grouping other similar holiday items together.
And for my mercury ornament garland. (Quick tip for next year: save bubble wrap from Christmas gifts you order to use when you store breakable ornaments and decor!)
So here is the “after” of my upstairs attic space. Do you love that my outdoor deer made perfect wreath holders? Who knew? ;) I would share the “before” of this space if I had a picture of it, but it scared me so much I didn’t photograph it. Let’s just say you couldn’t comfortably walk in this space! It was bad. I’ll share more pics I took at some point. The left side of my attic is all of my seasonal decor and keepsakes and the right side is ALL Christmas.
My new clear bins were a perfect solution to hold the items I love and wanted to keep! I combined them with the ornament boxes I’ve had for years and love having all of my holiday decor so streamlined and organized! Next year will be an easier process setting up and taking down for sure.
Next space I’ve been chipping away at.. for years!
My office. Oh man. This space has been hard for me! It has been “sort of kind of but not really organized” for years. I finally decided to go through the things I have been putting off going through since we moved into this house 5 years ago and just GET IT ORGANIZED once and for all!
That meant pulling everything out of my cupboards and making decisions on what projects I started years ago were worth keeping and finishing and what I needed to just let go. That also meant going through random miscellaneous pictures that aren’t in albums or organized on my computer and figuring out what to do with them. I’m not going to lie.. this little project took hours. Several nights of pulling things out of my cupboards and drawers and sorting and organizing in the family room in front of my TV. My favorite spot to organize. :)
But at last it’s DONE! My office is completely organized. (Angels are descending!) My cupboards that initially looked like this.
Now look like this. Ahhhh! I can’t even tell you how happy I am to have this project finished! There are too many pics to share of this space now so I’ll write a complete post on my organized office soon, but I have to share this one cupboard first because I’m so excited about!
For a long time I didn’t sort through random craft items in this room because I wasn’t sure how to organize them best. When I discovered these cute Craft Supply Boxes I was thrilled. PERFECT solution! I ordered 12 and got to work!
They are the perfect size for ALL the things I needed to store but wanted separated.
They were just a tad too big to fit in this cupboard facing forward so I turned them sideways and labeled everything. They stack so nicely and getting rid of the bulky boxes that were holding some of these items saved so much room!
Those of you who have followed my blog for years know that I used to be really into scrapbooking. I had so many scrapbook supplies that I finally said good-bye to because I just don’t have the time to spend on pages like I used to. I did keep some items I’d like to still use and some random craft items I know my kids will use for projects. I still love scrapbooking, but know that if/when I do start working on family albums again they will definitely be simple!
I even have one empty box for a future project.. score!
Hopefully you’ll be seeing some of the “in progress” projects in this cupboard actually completed someday. For now I’ll settle for just having them organized. :)
After getting my cupboards in order I felt the need to spruce up my desk with a few fun new accessories!
I also picked up this Weekly List Notepad. Thinking I’ll use this for planning meals! I’m always more motivated when I have a cute notepad. :)
I also love having a large desk calendar to write reminders on that I’ll see every day. The font on this one is so cute!
Last new addition was this little business card holder rack to hold my business cards. Because I have them. And displaying them like this makes me feel official. ;)
A cute and clean desktop.
And organized cupboards for a new year. Well.. a month into the new year. But a new year nonetheless.
Happy Monday! I hope everyone had a fun weekend! Ours started with a lot of rain but the rain cleared and the sun peeked out for Super Bowl Sunday and we had a fun low key day. Kenny cooked steaks so I was off the hook for dinner. Pretty much all I need to be happy. :)
Our fireplace was on in the morning but by the afternoon Kole was in the pool trying to “drain” the extra water with his squirt gun. :) I lost interest in the football game half way through and started organizing (no surprise there). Excited to share what I’ve been working on soon!
For today we’re talking Valentine’s Day! It always seems to sneak up so quickly and I’m usually scrambling to find a little something fun to give Kenny and the kids. I came up with a Valentine’s Day Gift Guide for us all and I hope it’s helpful! A few fun ideas for loved ones and of course a few fun things for us if our signifiant others need a hint. ;)
1 – Fresh Bath and Shower Gel– My friends LOVE Fresh bath products! I’ve been wanting to try them for a while now. Fun V-day gift!
4 – Pour Spout Mixing Bowls and Valentine Heart Spatulas – I have these mixing bowls in yellow and they are my favorite! Such a fun Valentine gift idea in red. Put them with the Valentine Heart Spatulas and this gift is perfect for the person in your life who loves to cook! Or the person in your life like me who doesn’t love to cook but loves cute cooking accessories anyway. ;)
6 – Dove Chocolates – You can’t go wrong with chocolate for Valentine’s day and Dove is delicious! This is a fun pack of 6 bags. Tie a bow around each and give them to friends, family, teachers. Share the love! Then keep a package for yourself. :)
7 – Valentine Love Cards– Such a cute set of cards to send someone a special note.
9 – Vince Camuto Ankle Strap Sandal – I’m in love with these red shoes! Perfect for a night out. I have them in tan and they are so comfortable for a heel. Plus they just got marked down.. 50% off!
10 – Sam Edelman Odila Sandal – I’ve also been debating these cute blush gold sandals for Spring. LOVE them!
11 – North Face Etip Tech Gloves – Perfect gift for the man in your life if you are living in cold temps right now! These gloves are touchscreen compatiable and allow natural movement so they are also great for outdoor exercise and activities.
12 – Heart and Arrow Rouge Lipstick – I’ve wanted to try Yves Saint Laurent Lipstick for a while now (I’ve heard it’s amazing!) and would love getting this as a V-day gift!
15 – Personalized Valentine’s Day Cookies – These giant personalized V-Day cookies are too cute! Such a fun gift for anyone. Order by this Friday!
16 – Guess How Much I Love You – When my kids were little I loved getting them a cute book for Valentine’s Day (I still do this with Kole!). If you don’t have this classic in your collection you need it! I love writing a little personalized Valentine’s Day note in the front cover to make it extra special. :)
18 – Mt. Hood Genuine Shearling Slippers – These cute slippers have been on my wishlist for a while now! They come in 4 colors and are too cute. I want them for Spring/Summer because they don’t look as hot as the Uggs I live in during the winter months. If I’m home I have on some type of fuzzy socks or slippers.. always!
Happy February everyone! We made it through January. YEA. I love January for the organizing and “fresh start” but I have to admit.. it can feel like a very LONG month. And very Mondayish. Ha. :) So I’m ok with it being behind us! But despite the longness of January good things still happened. I thought I’d try something new this year and share a few family favorites at the end of each month. Things we’re each loving and what we’ve been up to. So get cozy (I got a little long winded on this one!) and I hope you enjoy our January family favorites!
*affiliate links used
Lunch date with these two! I seriously scored with this Patagonia Nano Puff Vest I gave Kenny for Christmas. He has lived in it this month! He loves it because it’s fitted and lightweight but also really warm. Hands down his most loved Christmas gift and definitely his January favorite! Don’t be surprised if it’s his February favorite too.
I have a few favorites around the house that are making me happy. First up – one of my favorite throws came back in stock (this SFERRA Celine) so I bought a second one! In the exact same salmon color that I love (although it comes in other colors). It’s so pretty in person and perfect to drape over a chair or couch corner. I love this throw in three different spots in my home during the Spring/Summer..
and on the mudroom bench. I rotate it around so much! I knew I wanted one more, but it sold out too quickly last Spring. I’m so happy it’s back in stock!
I’ve found the best way to breathe life back into my home once the holidays are over is with plants. Everything in my home always feels so bare and sterile after I take the Christmas decor down! Adding greenery makes a huge difference and always makes me excited for Spring. Faux plants are coming out this year and are looking more real than ever. (Check out all of the fun options at PB right now!) Seriously the BEST news for people who can’t keep a plant alive to save their lives. And by “people” I mean me. :) I’ve found that if you toss in one real plant or some fresh flowers with all of the faux plants in your space it makes everything look real!
These are my three favorite faux plants at the moment! I’ve loved trying these in different spots in my home. I bought several of these Fiddle Head Ferns last Spring and was excited to pull them out again this year!
They are the two faux plants above my stove next to my sign.
Happy little plants that look good everywhere I put them. :)
There are so many things to think about, get done, and keep track of every day. I don’t need to add watering plants to my list. Maybe someday that won’t be a big deal, but in this stage of life I’m all about simplifying whatever I can!
My last January favorite is this Varsity Stripe Hoodie. So cute and comfy and this month I haven’t felt like wearing much other than pjs or this hoodie and Ugg boots. I’m hoping to break out of my hoodie/Ugg/pj rut in February. Maybe with some other cute Treasure & Bond sweaters below. (I love T&B!) But they are going to have to be really comfortable to compete with my recent go-to’s. ;)
Ellie’s favorites.. that’s easy. Two things! The Apple AirPods she got for Christmas and cutie oranges. I can’t keep cuties in my house. One of her favorite things to eat!
She turned 15 years old this month.
She’s loving high school and is such a beautiful dancer and has made so many darling friends. I’m so proud of her and all that she’s doing this year.
But wow. I blinked! It’s all happening so fast. I know a lot of you were reading my blog when she was the age above. Seriously what happened!? We organized a few cupboards, decorated for the seasons, found some cute things to wear and BAM. During all of that fun blogging and hanging out together the kids kept growing. I love things about every stage with my kids and try to focus on the beauty and joy in each stage, but it’s hard to not miss having my babies as babies! :( Also I was 15 years old when I met Kenny..
so there’s that little fact to digest. #herewego #timetopray
Addison’s favorite? Well that’s easy. :) Some of you have been surprised I’m so cool about her never ending slime addiction. (You all know me well – I’m usually not a fan of mess!) So here’s the situation that’s been going on in our home for a while that might explain my coolness on the matter…
Ad is allergic to many things including dogs, horses and anything with fur. She’d love a dog but that’s out of the question for her. She can’t even handle hypoallergenic dogs (the saliva irritates her skin!). She is a pet lover so reptiles are really the best option. For a few years we had tortoises that she loved dearly. BUT.. the kids got older and busy with activities and played with them less and less. The tortoise responsibility (food/cage cleaning, etc.) fell more and more on mom and dad and we started wondering why we even had them. So when Cocoa started attacking Spring and we needed to separate the two of them, we decided it was time for them to go back to the pet store.
The kids were good with that decision and all was fine until Addison got on a Bearded Dragon kick. Oh yes. She has wanted a lizard for quite a while now! In fact, she begged for one for Christmas this year.
Kenny and I came home one day in December and found this sign hanging on our bedroom mantel.
And these smaller signs down the hallway and all over our floor. She also wrote a full report that she presented to the family all about Bearded Dragons (pros and cons) and why we should ultimately let her get one.
Her research and persistance was impressive! But I just can’t do it. (Mean mom!) I know without a doubt she’ll love it for a few months and then get busy and move on and I’ll be taking care of a lizard every day. A lizard! I can’t even handle real plants and I’m supposed to add lizard maintenance to my daily routine!?
I sat her down before Christmas and we had a little heart to heart. I explained why a lizard just wasn’t in the cards right now and asked her what I could do to make it up to her and what I could get her for Christmas that would be a fun second best option.
What do you think her answer was? Slime. I had to agree to be cool about the sliming. For life. Or as long as she’s into it. (Sigh) I really had no choice but to agree. And to buy her new slime supplies. And a new slime mat. And to organize a slime cupboard for her.
It’s messy. And I don’t love it. But I love Addison and it’s not a lizard.
So there’s that. ;) #rockonslime #slimeforever
Kole’s January favorite – Geronimo Stilton books! He got these for Christmas and loves them. My girls read and loved the Thea Stilton books at his age so I thought we’d try these and they have been a huge hit this month!
We also read one of my all time favorites this month together.. Skinny Bones by Barbara Park. My 4th graders used to love this book and Kole did too. So fun reading it with him.
So those are our January Favorite Things!
I’ll close with a few random fun family moments from the month and call this monthly post our 2019 scrapbook. ;)
Fun trip exploring Julian (a mountain town near SD famous for its pie!). We got our cold fix. I’m still loving these cute lace-up booties!
Addison made her debut as Glinda the good witch and killed it with her kindness on stage.
And last week Kenny and I took the girls to LA to see a Kelly Clarkson concert. SO fun. My girls love her and all of her songs so we surprised them with tickets for Christmas. I wish I would have recorded the screams that morning when they opened that gift! Totally made up for the fact that there was no lizard under the tree. ;)
Kelly was amazing and I have to say that after seeing her live in person I adore her even more. She is so genuine and down to earth and her songs just give you chills! We had so much fun singing with her all night.
Last favorite! Seeing all of your pics of things I love that now you’re loving! I’m thrilled so many of you are enjoying the glass water bottles I recommended! It always makes my day when I hear from you guys. Seriously the best!
Good-bye January! I guess you weren’t so bad and Mondayish after all. ;)
{JANUARY FAVORITES}
xoxo, Erin
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