Take Photo: Megan

Showing posts with label Megan. Show all posts

Sunday, November 29, 2015

UHeart Organizing: Making Up Pretty Organization

I have a weird weakness for makeup organization. Sitting down to put on a little makeup is one of the first things I do each day, so having it organized really just brightens my mornings right off the bat. Megan of Honey We're Home blog feels the same way, and she is here today to give us all a glance at her personal system, and inspire us to start the day off with a little organized glam as well.

Hi friends! I'm always fascinated by people's everyday routines, and for me, that usually includes at least a little bit of mascara. I feel naked without it! Although, I am often in only mascara, I do feel good when I've taken the extra few minutes to apply makeup. My routine only takes about 10 minutes for a full-face, but I've been wearing makeup since high school. Now, I keep my makeup stored in the top drawer of my dresser in my closet. The closet gets lots of light and since the dresser is right next to a mirror, it's the perfect place to get ready each day.

To make my makeup drawer extra pretty, I lined the bottom with gift wrap from Target in a gold and white chevron pattern. It goes well with the chevron paper on the side of the drawers. The drawer liner is just placed in the drawer, not glued down, so it's not permanent. The paper on the sides of the drawers is in place with spray adhesive.

Inside the drawers, the makeup is divided by product type and contained in acrylic drawer organizers. You can find these clear organizers in all sizes at places like Homegoods, Target, Walmart, The Container Store, and Amazon. They are durable and easy to clean with soap and water.

Here's how my makeup organization breaks down:

My blush and contour brushes are all in one container and I found mine mostly at Mac or Target.

The fun paisley blush brush is from Target and this 10-color blush pallet was only $5 on Amazon. It being so inexpensive, I was worried it might break-out my skin or go on weird, but I love it. In the drawer, it stands on its side next to the blush brushes.

My powders, mascaras, and pencils are contained in another compartment. I couldn't live without my eyelash curler!

I typically use my Urban Decay Naked palette for eyeshadow, but I still have some from Mac and Target.

I keep a set of eyeshadow brushes and brow liner in a pretty cup on the dresser so I can keep them upright and since they are what I reach for most often. The cup and bowls are from Anthropologie.

I did a bit of research on how long to keep your makeup products and found the following (from Elle and Allure):

According to that chart, I'm sure I should be tossing some of those eye shadows and eyeliners! How do you store your makeup? Do you need to toss some too?

"My name is Megan and I am a lawyer by day, design and decor lover by night, and Mama to the sweetest 2-year old boy you've ever seen. I'm passionate about fitness (and chocolate!) and could not live without my relationships, girl talk, and my morning coffee. I've been blogging for two years over at Honey We're Home, sharing my love of keeping things organized and beautiful at our house. My efforts to live in the moment and cook more are an adventure in progress."

UHeart Organizing: Be Prepared To Party!

One of the reasons I heart to organize is because I can't stand spending time digging and searching for things, especially when I am in a rush to get out the door. Another reason I organize is to be prepared when special occasions arise. I have been in situations where I am making last minute dashes through Target ten minutes before my kiddos have a party to be at, and it is stressful with a capitol S. Not to mention expensive. Megan of Honey We're Home is joining us today to chat about how she prepares for events, and is offering up some great tips to keep you on top of your party attending game.

The month of August found us celebrating six little friends' birthdays with parties almost every weekend. When the invites started arriving (via mail or Evite), I started to feel a little overwhelmed. I wanted to make sure we had all the dates/times/places calendared, that none of the parties overlapped, that we RSVPd on time, and that we had gifts for everyone.

I hadn't considered "preparing to attend a party" a process until we got all these invites at once. If you have more than one child, I'm sure keeping up with their social calendar of birthdays can be quite the juggling act at times- especially during the school year when you're also dealing with sports/dance/gymnastics or other activities. Today, I'm sharing with you some tips on how to stay on top of the birthday parties (or other events where gifts are appropriate) and some cute handmade cards to keep the costs down and make the gift more personal when it's for a child.

ONE - CALENDAR THE EVENT

I write the party on our family kitchen calendar that way we can quickly see if something is occurring on a weekend. I also put the date and location on my iPhone calendar with details like "bring socks or swimsuit" so we don't forget. Then, I "invite" my husband on my iPhone calendar so he knows what's happening on the weekend too, but it doesn't mean I don't still have to remind him. ;)

If you have an Evite account (just sign up with your email and password), you'll be able to log in and see all at once the Evite events you've been invited to.

TWO - TIMELY RSVP

As soon as we receive the invite, I confirm that we can attend, and RSVP right away so that I get it done and the host has enough notice that we'll be coming. At a lot of these kids' parties, if the party is at a venue, parents pay by the number of children attending, so it's polite to let the host know if you won't be able to make it.

THREE - GIFT BUYING

I have simplified kid gift buying by purchasing all birthday gifts online. It's more convenient than in-store shopping with a toddler and the selection is better. I find Amazon particularly usefully because you can search for gifts by gender, age, type of gift (arts/craft, animals/figures, puzzles, sports, etc.) and read reviews from other purchasers about whether the item is quality and a hit with the kids. The "best seller" items are usually good. If I give a gift that is particularly well-received, I've been known to purchase it in multiples and have it on hand for future gifts. Who knew 2 and 3 year olds would like a $10 Mickey Mouse play dough set so much?!

For the adults in my life, I keep a Pinterest "gift idea" board and refer to it often. Or, even better, I'll search my friends' Pinterest boards to see if they have one for "stuff I want" - sneaky huh?! Shhh... Although Amazon is great for kid presents, for adults I like Mark & Graham (for monogrammed items), Minted/Paper Source (for personalized stationery), C. Wonder (for unique, cute items) HomeGoods & Hobby Lobby (for teacher gifts), and let's not forget the grocery store for wine! La Crema Chardonnay, Santa Margarita Pinot Grigio, and Liberty School Cabernet are three solid, inexpensive choices.

FOUR - GIFT WRAPPING/CARD MAKING

When a gift arrives, I tag it with a small post-it note with the recipient's name on it and put it in our bar area until I'm ready to wrap. Then, I make sure I have the appropriate sized gift bag or proper wrapping paper.

I've stopped buying birthday cards, opting instead to make our own as we sure have enough supplies for it! I love having craft supplies of all kinds on hand from markers, to washi tape to stampers and stickers, so it's fun to actually use them! I have a wrapping cart for organizing wrapping supplies in my office closet, but I like to take the top two divided holders out and keep them in my office for easier access for making notes and sending cards.

I've kept our stickers in a plastic file folder from Wal-Mart for years so I can find what we need quickly. You can always find cute stickers on sale at craft stores like Michaels or Hobby Lobby. Markers are kept in an old candle box and cup.

Getting my son in on the gift giving process helps instill in him the value of giving, and gives him some letter writing practice! A foam board or vinyl tablecloth protects the table from scratches and stains when he's creating at the white table.

Or sometimes, he likes to get on the floor.

I found these cute "Handmade with Love" stickers at Michael's.

Do you have this birthday party thing down to a science or does it stress you out sometimes?

"My name is Megan and I am a lawyer by day, design and decor lover by night, and Mama to the sweetest 4-year old boy you've ever seen. I'm passionate about fitness (and chocolate!) and could not live without my relationships, girl talk, and my morning coffee. I've been blogging for four years over at Honey We're Home, sharing my love of keeping things organized and beautiful at our house. My efforts to live in the moment and cook more are an adventure in progress."

UHeart Organizing: "Tray" Chic Organizing

Once you take the steps of simplifying, sorting and purging down your spaces, the next step is to organize! That process typically requires corralling/grouping items by type and purpose. Baskets, bins and drawer organizers are the "go to" solution for this step, however, decorative trays are an ideal solution for keeping items used daily nice and neat. Megan of Honey We're Home blog agrees, and uses trays all over her home in beautiful ways. What I love most is that she always has quick and clever solutions for giving them a sweet refresh every now and again. She is here today to share how trays both decoratively and functionally all around her beautiful home.

I'm so happy to be over here at Jen's blog today talking organizing. I've actually been on an organizing kick at my house since January when I resolved to tackle the 10 biggest problems areas of our house and hallelujah! I just completed #9 on my list, the Master Closet! It feels good to get those major spaces decluttered. But, sometimes just corralling small things or making little spaces more organized and pretty is very satisfying too.

I organize and "make pretty" our home by utilizing trays in nearly every room. Are you with me that things just look better when they are sitting in a nice tray?

In our kitchen, we currently have three trays defining our space. First up, this gorgeous blue and white bone inlay tray I picked up at HomeGoods. Such a bright, happy color goes perfectly on our white counters, sitting right by the stove and holding the spices and oils we reach for most frequently while cooking. (I also keep prepped ahead oatmeal and ground oats with flax for my protein pancakes in those jars to the side). Makes busy mornings run much smoother.

What kitchen would be complete without a coffee station? At least in my house it's a daily necessity! We don't have an elaborate set-up, but I do like to decant the coffee beans and sugar into glass jars. It doesn't take long and it's much prettier to look at. And a simple cutting board can function as a tray too. The cute little fox is a tea bag holder, but I like to use it for my spoon after stirring my coffee. I picked him up at Target.

By the sink, we have a small white/clear plastic tray that holds our dish soap (again, decanted into an inexpensive oil jar and I love bright green soap!) as well as our hand soap.

And now that SPRING is upon us, I can use my bright yellow tray from West Elm to hold a few bottled waters and paper straws. Combining decorative and functional is the goal.

You don't have to have a bar cart to create a mini bar station in your home. A large tray can hold your liquor bottles, glasses, and other accompaniments. The natural raffia on this tray gives it a great texture.

This mirrored tray from Target was a steal at $40. I've kept my eye out for another one, but so far I haven't seen it. We usually keep all.the.remotes here, but I wanted to show you how pretty the tray is without them. This reflective tray really brightens our living room. Of course, I do have to wipe a certain 5-year olds fingerprints off of it on a regular basis.

For my birthday recently, some friends put together a spa gift basket (thank you!) and it came with this unique wooden decorative tray. I put it to use in my bathroom to hold my toiletries. Now when I'm getting ready in the morning, all my products are close at hand and I have the fond memory of a special gift from friends.

Did you realize you can make a small tray out of a shoebox lid and duct tape? That's what I did with a sturdy shoebox lid and snakeskin patterned tape. Just cover the lid completely with the tape, aligning as best you can the pattern and pressing down as you go to push out any air bubbles. Have you seen all the different patterns and colors that duct tape comes in these days?! So many options.

Or you can use fabric or paint to give a tray more personality. I added a feminine pastel fabric (shhh- it's a shower curtain from Target!) to the bottom of a rather boring brown tray and then topped it with plexiglas to protect the fabric from spills, etc. You can get the plexiglas at most craft stores and they will cut it for you for a nominal fee. To get the fabric cut just the right size, lay the plexiglas on top of the fabric and trace around it. You'll be able to position your fabric exactly how you want to this way too.

Finally, I modernized a traditional wooden tray with a couple of coats of craft paint. Just let the paint completely dry between coats and you shouldn't have any issues with paint peeling off with the tape.

And don't forget, trays also make great stationary stations either during the holidays or even year round!

I'm constantly switching out the trays in our house and always keep my eye out for good deals. Please tell me I'm not alone! I'm sure my husband thinks I'm a crazy tray (and basket!) lady. Thanks again Jen for letting me share some of my organizing tips here. I'd love to hear your ideas for tray transformations and how you use them in your house.

______________________

"My name is Megan and I am a lawyer by day, design and decor lover by night, and Mama to the sweetest 5-year old boy you've ever seen. I'm passionate about fitness (and chocolate!) and could not live without my relationships, girl talk, and my morning coffee. I've been blogging for four years over at Honey We're Home, sharing my love of keeping things organized and beautiful at our house. My efforts to live in the moment and cook more are an adventure in progress."

UHeart Organizing: Drop It Like It's Hot!

If someone were to ask me, "What are the essentials for an organized entry?", a drop zone would be one of my answers. A drop zone is a dedicated place to set down everything you carry inside on a daily basis. I adore that my friend Megan from Honey We're Home, is here to show you an example of why a drop zone is so important, and how she added one to reduce the trickling pile effect. Here she is now!

Can I share something scary with you?

This is the scene of our kitchen counter {the part that backs up to our breakfast room and living room} at least half the time. What is all that mess?! It drives me crazy and I feel like I'm forever attempting to keep the area clear. But, despite my best efforts, it never stays clear for long. I admit to being that type of person who gets uptight with this kind of clutter. Especially in this area of the house because it's pretty open so you can see the junk from every angle.

I identified 4 general categories of stuff that accumulates on our countertops: 1) the contents of my husband's pockets; 2) random items that don't belong there- juice box {always a random juice box somewhere}, sunglasses, my tote bag {Stella & Dot if you're interested}, cup, icy hot pack, receipt; 3) food that needs to be put away - peanut butter, syrup, sliced almonds, tortillas, bread; and 4) mail, bills and magazines. The cute kid in the background can stay.

Because we often enter our house through the back garage, this is the first place we tend to drop things. I knew we needed a new DROP ZONE, but wasn't sure how to incorporate it since the home doesn't naturally accommodate that specific spot.

Then I had an idea to move the Overstock Dalton Mirrored Accent Table that was in our bedroom downstairs to see how it would fit under that window. The table is pretty small, actually the perfect size for the space. You can see from the picture below that we still have plenty of room to pass through. Now, this space functions as our Drop Zone to hold all those odds and ends in the man's pockets as well as mail, magazines, and loose change.

Underneath, I put a large basket {from Target} for newspapers/magazines.

I'm hoping that now that we have a specific place for the mail and for those random items, we'll be able to keep the counter more clean.

I got this marble stand that I normally use for fruit at Crate & Barrel. It's a nice size and adds some height.

The gold tray is from West Elm.

The table has two small drawers that I'm currently using to hold receipts, extra keys, and small electronics I want close at hand. I got the drawer dividers at The Container Store.

In case you're interested, I had the drapes sewn with fabric I purchased at High Fashion Home.

I still had to put away the bag, food, and random stuff but I can definitely breathe easier with these counters clean!

Would something like this work in your home? Do you have a specific drop zone in your house?

"My name is Megan and I am a lawyer by day, design and decor lover by night, and Mama to the sweetest 2-year old boy you've ever seen. I'm passionate about fitness (and chocolate!) and could not live without my relationships, girl talk, and my morning coffee. I've been blogging for two years over at Honey We're Home, sharing my love of keeping things organized and beautiful at our house. My efforts to live in the moment and cook more are an adventure in progress."

Take Photo

Sunday, November 29, 2015

UHeart Organizing: Making Up Pretty Organization

Saturday, November 21, 2015

UHeart Organizing: Be Prepared To Party!

Thursday, November 19, 2015

UHeart Organizing: "Tray" Chic Organizing

Tuesday, November 17, 2015

UHeart Organizing: Drop It Like It's Hot!