Kids Reading Lounge

It's a rainy day in D.C., so our new outdoor reading lounge is packed up at the moment, but you can head over to Honest to Nod to see how we roll it out when the sun is shining! So easy and super cozy.

Tips to Organize Sports Equipment

Yes, we're still here!! As you might have noticed, we've been busy doing all kinds of things other than posting on the blog. But I've been planning a bunch of new projects, including getting our house ready for summer break, so just stick with me. 

As I count down the last days of school (I think I'm more excited about it than my kids), I start making a mad dash to organize the house for full time kid occupancy. And no where needed it more than our sports equipment area. Head over to Honest to Nod to see my attempt at helping the kids keep track of the ever-growing gear! 

p.s. this is Penny's blog debut and she's doing exactly what she's good at: getting into things and looking adorable doing so. 

5 Tips to Keep Spring Chores Green

Spring is finally here! That means my spring cleaning is in full force, but so is my effort to get the kiddos to help with chores. They have always had some sort of chore list, but as they get older, I feel like it's time to kick it up a notch. They are more capable of cleaning up after themselves.

But as I handed Cam a bottle of wipes to clean up her sink last week, I gave a second thought to what she was using to get the job done. I didn't really want her cute little six-year-old hands scrubbing chemicals everywhere. So I did a little research on how we can keep all of our spring chores a little greener this season.

Purchase Green Products

To start, trade out those chemical-laden products for a few green ones. You'll be keeping toxic chemicals away from you and your kids and out of the environment, too. There is a wide range of products available, but check out some of these tried and tested eco options. Also look for refillable products to help decrease the amount of plastic you're using.

Try a DIY Product

Still not happy with the green products commercially available? People swear by making their own. Trying a DIY product ensures you know exactly what you're using and helps the piggy bank too. How much time you need to make each product will vary, but start with these 25 recipes and see what is worth the effort.

Clean Indoor Air Naturally   

I love nothing more than opening every window in the house as soon as spring arrives! Letting all that fresh air in does everyone's mood so much good, and it helps sweep dust out as well. Stay away from chemical cleaners and air fresheners, though. If spring allergies prevent you from throwing the windows open, make sure you replace the HVAC filter before kicking the air on. It's always smart to service your system in advance, too.

5 Tips for Spring Cleaning Prep

This winter hasn't been particularly harsh, but for some reason I've had the itch to kick off spring cleaning for a while now. Maybe it's just because our kids seem to have amassed a ridiculous amount of stuff this winter or because we've all had a never-ending cold, but I'm ready to whip our house into shape. In years past, I've let the cleaning impulse simmer only to lose my mind finally and start upending closets willy-nilly. Since then, I've become much better about preparing for spring cleaning, and I have a few tips to share.

Plan in Stages

I break down any real cleaning effort into three stages: purge, organize, and clean. Going through these sequentially seems like a lot of work, but I find that it really saves time in the end. There is no sense cleaning toys you end up giving away. I like to start on a level of our home and go through one stage at a time for all the rooms on a floor. 

Involve the Entire Family

I always loop our kids into a cleaning effort. It helps teach them to be responsible, to take care of their things, and to appreciate the daily efforts of maintaining a household. If they balk, I let them know that they can help make the purging decisions or that I can ruthlessly do it for them. Think of some ways to make it fun for them, too. Whip up a silly product like cleaning slime or turn making labels for their stuff into an art project.

Take Stock of Supplies

Go through your cleaning and organizing supplies and make a list of what you have and what you need. Planning ahead ensures that you have whatever you need to get the job done once you get started. I also find that buying supplies in bulk makes the effort more cost-effective.

Outsource Maintenance

There are several home maintenance items that you'll likely need to outsource to the pros. Plan ahead for things like sprinkler system, pool, and air conditioner maintenance. Service providers book up quickly, and you don't want to wait until you really need these systems.

Make a Schedule

It's easy to let all of this slide, so I like to make a schedule to hold myself accountable. It doesn't need to be a Martha Stewart-worthy calendar, although Martha has a great checklist that I use as a starting point. Making a simple list with dates for each stage is enough. I always like to give everyone a reward for crossing items off the schedule. Let the kids pick a small prize for doing a good job organizing their rooms. You don't want to go overboard, since a big part is of spring cleaning getting rid of excess things. A little incentive never hurts, though!

This might seem like a lot, but with a little bit of planning, I find these to be effective tips that get me started on spring cleaning. Now I just have to tell the kids.

Disclosure: This post is brought to you by Merritt Heating & Air Conditioning. Thanks for helping to support the sponsors who support us!

5 Tips to Tackle Winter Allergies

As soon as the weather starts to turn cold, our entire family breathes a collective sigh of relief that fall allergies are on the way out. Then, a few weeks into winter, we all start developing what I think is the first wave of winter colds. We usually experience sneezing, runny noses, and watery eyes. But these symptoms just don't go away.

Then I remember. We've been spending much more time indoors, and we all suffer from winter allergies, too. Yes, those are a thing! Not only do we have to deal with spring's pollen and fall's leaves, but we're all somewhat allergic to mold and dust mites. If you're allergic to pet dander, then spending more time indoors during the winter can make those allergy symptoms more difficult to manage, too.

Moreover, the furnace that keeps you all nice and toasty during the winter might also spread all of those allergens throughout your home. So that means spending lots of time inside during the winter can cause more than just cabin fever around your house. But I've got a few tricks up my sleeve for tackling winter allergies.

Use a Dehumidifier

 Image via Flickr by laszlo-photo

Dehumidifiers help keep the moisture levels in your home down, which decreases mold growth and prevents dust mites from thriving. On the flip side, if you're using a humidifier to help with dry air and winter colds, make sure to change the filters to prevent mold growth.

Try Homeopathic Remedies

Try some homeopathic remedies like a warm cup of tea with honey and lemon or a drop of peppermint oil in the shower. I loathe giving our kids over-the-counter medicines for persistent problems like allergies, so I always try to use a few homeopathic remedies to help them feel better.

Have Your Ductwork Cleaned

Did you remember to have your HVAC system serviced before the cold weather hit? Annual maintenance and regular duct cleaning both go a long way toward improving indoor air quality and decreasing the effects of allergies.

Wash Bedding Frequently

I try to wash our bedding in hot water at least once a week during the winter season. Don't forget your kids' stuffed animals either. If your kiddos are anything like mine, they sleep under a whole pile of them! Wash their stuffed animals in hot water or place them in a plastic bag and freeze overnight.

Install an Air Purifier

Whole-home air purifiers can help reduce the spread of mold spores, dust mites, and pet dander. An air purifier alone might not do the trick, but it can help when combined with other allergen-reducing tactics.

Given the drastic temperature shifts many of us have had this winter, I'm having a hard time just telling which end is up. But at the very least, it seems winter isn't done with us yet. So it's not too late to tackle those winter allergies!

Disclosure: This post is brought to you by Wood Air Conditioning, Inc. Thanks for helping to support the sponsors who support us!

Unpack Your Backpack Station!

It's finally back to school day for us! As expected, we were all excited and then this morning everyone was sad and nervous. BUT at least we were organized. I put together this Unpack Your Backpack Station with The Land of Nod this year and so far (one day in) it's worked like a charm. Check it out!

Outdoor Art Space for Kids

Despite the fact that is had rained every single one of the last fourteen days in D.C., I moved forward on our spring plans to put together an outdoor art space for the kiddos. They need to get out (and, let's be real, I need them to get out) and have been loving their new studio space. Want to put one together for your own lovies? Head over to Honest to Nod to check out how we did it with The Land of Nod's help!

Kane's New Room!!

Unlike Cameron's new bedroom, where we were basically starting from scratch, Kane had most of his furniture already locked down. When you're 18 months old and get kicked out of your crib by an arriving sibling, and your mom and dad refuse to buy a toddler bed, you get hooked up with the furniture they tell you you'll take to college (I'm only partly kidding). But I still wanted Kane to be excited about moving and getting a new room. He has a strong personality and a real love for adventure, collecting, travel, and the color green. And he builds with legos for HOURS (seriously, HOURS) at a time while he listens to a variety of audiobooks. So that's where I started.

Cameron's New Room!!

Finally!! We've been in our new home for a little over four months now and despite the fact that the kids' rooms were complete almost before anything else, it's taken me this long to get the photos pulled together. And their rooms are not entirely even "done," because I left room for them to add to things as they grow. But this is probably the closest and most picked up they'll be for a while (having them home in the summer is like letting animals run rampant in the house. If I have to pick up one more wet bathing suit off of the hardwood floors, I'm going to lose it).

New Bathrooms for the Munchkins!

One of the things I love most about our new home is its neutral palette. There is lots of grey and lots of marble. But while those work perfectly with my aesthetic, it seemed a little serious for the kids and their seriously silly personalities. So I knew that I needed to lighten up their rooms a bit. At the same time, I didn't want to make their spaces seem so kiddish that they wouldn't hold up over time. This was especially the case in their bathrooms. I wanted to create fun, bright spaces but still make sure that I could change them easily to grow with the kids. Enter Munchkin's bright and modern bath products -- the perfect way to keep them entertained and both themselves and their bathrooms cleaned up. I think they turned out fabulously!

Chairish Color Challenge

As you might imagine, we've been in the throes of designing and decorating our new home for a few months now. And while we're still in the process of getting all of the furniture in (why, WHY does it take so long to make furniture?!), it's so fun seeing it all come together. Our new house finally has a real family room, but thus far we haven't really designated a kid-space in it. And there's the perfect nook for one. So I was super excited when Chairish asked if I'd be interested in participating in their Color Challenge and design a room full of color based on one of their rugs. It was the perfect opportunity to give some thought to what would be fun for the kids while fitting into the rest of our family room.

In case you aren't familiar with Chairish, it's a great online curated shop that features vintage furniture, decor, jewelry and accessories. We are big fans of mid-century modern design in our home, but it can be hard to swallow those prices when it comes to purchasing new furniture for our young kids who I know will thrash them. So vintage can be a good choice, including options that are inspired by classic designers (Chairish offers plenty of designer furniture as well!). Plus, no 16-week lead times! 

In any event, Chairish challenged me to create a styleboard around a vintage rug while making the room pop with color. Our family room already has several bright pieces of furniture, so I want to be careful about how I add more. Here's what I'm thinking for a kids nook that will tie in to the rest of our family room! 

1 / I actually picked a mid-century neutral colored rug to start. The shape fits our nook really well and since the rug in our family room is already really bright, I wanted to use other accessories to pop up the color in the kids section.  

2 / At the top of my list for the kids is a good arts/crafts table. I love Saarinen, but wouldn't throw that cash around for a table that's going to see the kind of use I'm anticipating. This Saarinen-inspired set fits the bill. 

3 / Our family room actually gets great natural light, but a floor lamp is a must during these long winter months when the kids are up early while it's still dark and the sun goes down before dinner. 

4 / I love this bright orange-striped, oversized box for holding art supplies. 

5 / In addition to hanging their own artwork, I'd love to add this vintage school map of Rome. My history-loving kids would go gaga for it.

6 / You can't get enough storage for kids and a lucite cube is the perfect way to keep even your storage neat and tidy. 

7 / Pillows are a great way to add color without a huge commitment. I love this combo of Turkish and Moroccan pillows.