Happy New Year Friends! We have so much to catch up on (after a full year, this house renovation is just about to get going!!!) and while I'm busy getting content created for March, I wanted to quickly stop by and share that my all time favorite under sink organizer is currently 38% off!! So many of you have inquired about this. It was a favorite in our first house, and was the first thing I purchased for our current home! If there's one thing I've learned, it's that investing in good quality organization products is a household game changer. And trust me I've tried them all. When it comes to under the sink, there's plenty of hacks to try, cheaply made products to use and frankly all of those have only left me frustrated and constantly re-organizing. So, if you're like me, and looking for simple, efficient organization, this unit is for you! The original price originally gave me sticker shock (but after five years with our first unit, and now 2 years with our second...it's well worth the investment). And the best part...I've NEVER seen this thing on sale. So today, when working on our kitchen remodel design, I spotted the deal, and knew I had to share it with you! So, if this is something you've been eyeing, now's a great time to invest in it! But be sure to act fast as the price can change at anytime. And if you happen to be looking for another great kitchen organizer...this one we also added in our last house and was equally wonderful...and it too is currently on sale! Happy Organizing Friends!
P & K | A Shared Toddler Big Kid Room
Wood Dump Truck, Hape | Colorful Wood Blocks, Grimms | Wood Digger Truck, Hape
They grow up so fast!!! OK, well, mine aren't quite headed off to college. But boy oh boy, I'm not sure where the past two years have gone. Well, to be completely truthful, the past year and a half! After moving last year, we've put most of the renovating / decorating on the back burner. And after loving our twins' nursery in our last house (photo below), I knew it was beyond time, to start creating a more suitable space for both P & K.
Liberty Crib, Serena & Lily | Dahlia Chandelier, Pottery Barn Kids | Glider, Pottery Barn Kids
For starters, we recently transitioned out of cribs (insert super sad face). We debated using the toddler conversion that was included with our cribs, but ultimately were desperate for more floor space in their tiny bedroom (110 sq. ft.) So, to maximize space, but also wanting to fit two twin size mattresses we decided on bunk beds.
Knowing good and well, that bunks for toddlers isn't always the most practical, we planned for two things...one, we looked for a unit that was shorter than a standard bunk height (therefore, we bought the Ikea Mydal) and two, we plan to diy this budget friendly bunk ($169) into an awesome cottage / castle / fort for our kiddos. So, inspired by the look of this and this, we hope to finalize and create our design in the upcoming months. In the meantime, our kiddos love sharing the bottom bunk, and P has even spent a few nights on the top.
**Something To Note: If you're considering the Ikea Mydal, know that the rails do not go high enough to safely secure a traditional twin mattress, you need to plan on purchasing a twin that is 5 inches in height or less. We didn't realize this until we were at the store, so out of convenience we went with Ikea Minnesund Foam Mattress, $89. So far, it's getting the job done and works for the kids. Had we thought it out more, I'm thinking I may have gone with this one instead. Anyways, just a heads up!
In the space where the second crib had resided, we put in a round play table (ours we got on major major clearance and is now sold out ~ but you can find similar ones here, here & this budget friendly one here). Paired with these chairs, this space is perfect for puzzles, blocks and drawing!
I lOVE that my kiddos can now sit for more that just board books! With their current favorites being this, this, this & this! So, to encourage their love of reading, a reading nook was on the top of my list for their new space. For shelves we went with a popular Ikea hack. At just $3.99 a piece, Ikea's "BEKVAM" spice racks make for the perfect children's bookshelves. We painted ours white, and hung a total of 6 units. Easy, Peasy! A diy poster from their second birthday party, this framed art and this animal head, bring more color to the space. For chairs I came across these children's loungers from TJMaxx, they were a steal at $35 a piece. Similar styles can be found here and here. There's nothing I love more than hidden storage! These storage ottomans have stood the test of time and come in all kinds of great colors. Perfect for hiding larger toys or corralling loose ends!
And to solve our major storage issue, we installed two Billy Bookcases from Ikea, both with height extensions, to corral and organize all the toys. The ultimate plan is to make these into 'built ins'. But in the meantime, they're perfectly functional with the addition of storage bins and baskets that store and hide all of P & K's toys.
One final thing to note, the rug can be found here. Color is Swedish blue. We had it in their nursery and kept it in this space. It's cotton and has held up well to all of our wear and tear! I highly recommend a significant rug pad underneath (we bought and love this one), as this rug is by no means plush. But I love that it's lightweight and can easily be washed and hung outside, tackling all those stains that are unavoidable with babies and toddlers!
So, there you have it. The current state of P & K's room. There's still walls to be painted, a new light to be installed, the bunk design to finish and execute and another wall that needs to be designed (thinking making it a multi use space, displaying / hanging dress up clothes, while also making it a wall to display their art). So, while this is no way a completed space, I'm so happy it's finally a cheerful, functional bedroom for my growing toddlers!
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And on one final note...I'd like to address (and thank!) all the outpouring of love and support from my last post. I'd be lying if I said the past two years have not been hard. In searching for some measure of peace, I've taken the past few months (and frankly, last year) away from the internet and away from creating. I miss this little space I've created here and I look forward to sharing more of our simple life with you! So, thanks for sticking around and thank you to the many many many of you who took the time to reach out through email and comments and messages the past few months. It truly means more to me than you know! LOVE, LOVE, LOVE you!
love, michelle
Organize | Craft & Art Supplies
I love having mini Picasso's around the house. Drawing, painting, crafting with my toddlers is such an integral part of our daily routine. Brian and I have always had a love for creativity and a passion for creating and to now share that with our kids is truly special. But, unlike our last home, where we had an entire room dedicated to crafting and creating, this house has left a void in that department. So, like with all small house dwellings, we had to get creative! That's when I came across this cart. It's just the thing to help us stay organized and perfectly wheels away to be placed out of sight and away from curious hands. We store it in our pantry (along with 3 others...that's how much I love these). The height is perfect to fit under our pantry shelves and when I need them, I just roll them out like a flight attendant on drink duty.
One of my favorite and most used organizing tools is my label maker. I never fully understood their appeal until I invested in one myself. Now I label any and all things possible!
I also added snap hooks (similar 4-pack found here), to the sides to hang tape and other essentials.
The cart that gets used the most is our art cart. My kids recently found a love for watercolors with this set being my favorite for its wide range of colors. For hand prints, I love this large round stamp pad. My mom introduced me to these and they're truly the easiest thing to use for all those toddler hand print crafts. And while we love our character coloring books around here, one of my favorite things is to buy those 'grownup' coloring books, copy the pages and use the prints for the kids to color on...I currently have this one in my shopping cart, the botanical prints inside would be the perfect kid friendly framed art for our living room.
And if you're curious to know how we use the other three...one organizes play-doh, games & puzzles...one is used for their play food...one is for kid snacks (in a few more months, I'm hoping we can allow them to start helping themselves at snack and meal time) along with their cups & plates...and one is used for seasonal items.
Organize | Under Sink Storage
If there's only one thing I've learned it's that investing in good quality organization products is a household game changer. And trust me I've tried them all. When it comes to under the sink, there's plenty of hacks to try, cheaply made products to use and frankly all of those have only left me frustrated and constantly re-organizing. In our last house I came across this under sink organziner. At first I had total sticker shock, and had a hard time seeing the value. But after initially installing it, I was completely sold! 5 years of use and it still looked and functioned like brand new. So, when we bought our current home, it was the first thing I purchased. (actually, I made the mistake of buying a copycat brand, thinking it was this one...yeah it didn't even compare. So, if you're looking for an under sink storage, make sure you're purchasing THIS brand). Seriously, it was that good! Two shelves give plenty of storage space and it rolls out like a dream.
Under Sink Organizer, Household Essentials | Grapefruit Hand Soap, William Sonoma | Vegetable Brush, Sur La Table
As for my favorite cleaning products, it's taken me awhile to figure out what products and brands work best for us. Now that I've got our go-to's down, cleaning has become a more mainstreamed process in our house. For hand soap I love this (currently 20% off!) for the kitchen. There's something fresh, subtle and inviting about these hand soaps. For dish detergent I stick to this old stand-by. If you've followed along for awhile, you know my love of silver, and you may know that our everyday silverware is vintage silver plate flatware. To keep it looking good, I love this silver polish! I prefer the cream version to the liquid, it's much easier to apply and gives faster results. My newest addiction to our cleaning regime is this spray. While not a anti-bacterial, it's great for dusting and wiping down surfaces. Plus the subtle aroma it gives to our home afterwards makes for a happy space!