part 3 of three: 15 quick and easy green cleaning tips

1. Invest in a few microfiber cloths. They're great to clean with, and over time you'll save a fortune on paper towels.
2. Old t-shirts make great dusting cloths.
3. For a natural and chemical-free way to make your home smell great, put vanilla extract in a little "bowl" made of tin foil in the oven on low heat.
4. De-gunk your microwave by boiling a cup of water for 5 minutes. Just make sure it's a microwave-safe bowl! Once it's done you can open up the microwave and the gunk will wipe right off. For a freshening scent, squeeze a lemon in the water first. 
5. Pour baking soda in coffee filters, tie it off with string and then pop them in cabinets, fridge shelves, inside shoes and other places that could use some air-freshening.
6. Put a bar of good-smelling soap in dresser drawers to make your clothes smell great.
7. Put a splash of vinegar on a plain white cloth and use it to rub scuff marks off of walls. It works just like those Magic Eraser pads!
8. If you use a Swiffer mop, attach a microfiber cloth to the bottom and mop with that, rather than buying those expensive pads.
9. For window and mirror cleaning, replace Windex with vinegar, and paper towels with old newspaper. It works even better and leaves no streaks behind!
10. To get rid of water rings on wood furniture, cover the spot in mayonnaise and let it sit for 5 minutes.
11. If oil spills on your carpet, first blot up the oil, then liberally sprinkle corn starch on the area and let it sit for 10 minutes. Vacuum up the starch, repeat if necessary.
12. If something in your fridge or kitchen pantry goes bad and leaves behind a nasty odor, fill a mug or bowl with white vinegar and put it in the fridge (or cabinet) overnight.
13. Baking soda works wonderfully as a de-gunker for stovetops, toothpaste spills, sticky food spills, and more.
14. Fill a spray bottle with water and a few drops of tea tree oil to use as a mold-preventing spray in your bathroom.
15. Buy houseplants. They freshen and detox the indoor air (but if you follow all the other tips, your indoor air will be a lot less toxic to begin with!)

Don't forget to check out my new section in the tabs at the top: green cleaning! Hope this little series has been helpful:) Please don't hesitate to ask questions!

green up your clean up: part II

Today is part two of three in my green cleaning series. Click here to check out part one: kitchens and bathrooms. I added a recipe for a drain cleaner to that section today, because I totally forgot to put in there when I first wrote that post! Don't forget to click over and check it out:)

Furniture and Laundry

Furniture Polish: use on wood furniture, wood cabinets, and some leather (do a test patch first).

• 2 parts olive oil
• 1 part white vinegar
• lemon essential oil (optional)

I save old t-shirts, cut them up into large squares and use them as dust cloths. They work great! I just make the polish, pour it in a small bottle, shake it up, then pour it into one of the cloths. 

Laundry Soap: powder laundry detergent.

• 1/2 cup washing soda
• 1/2 cup borax
• 1 cup grated organic soap

I've blogged this recipe before, but it was a while back so I thought it might be worth posting again! For the organic soap, I use Shea Moisture's Organic Coconut & Hibiscus Shea Butter Soap with Songyi Mushroom. You can get it at Target and it smells heavenly! You can substitute baking soda for washing soda, but first spread it out on a baking sheet and cook it for 20 minutes at 350 degrees.

Fabric Softener: Simply replace whatever you're currently using with 1/2 cup vinegar per load! You can put it in a Downy Ball or in the part of your washing machine where you'd put normal fabric softener. I'm a fabric softener junkie, and I like plain vinegar better than anything else I've tried. It makes your clothes soooo soft, and they don't come out smelling like vinegar, I promise;)

Today is the first of a three-part series: Green Up Your Clean Up! I am a big advocate of green cleaning. Not because I'm out to save the planet (although that's very important, too), but because I don't want to fill our house with nasty chemicals on a weekly basis. I don't want to get too preachy, so I'll just leave it to you to do your own Googling about the harmful affects our common cleaners have on us. 

Kitchens and Bathrooms

All-Purpose Cleaner: use on windows, mirrors, counter-tops (check to make sure the vinegar won't ruin yours first), glass, bathtubs, sinks, faucets, toilets, refrigerators, microwaves and stove-tops.

• 1 part distilled water
• 3 parts white vinegar
• a few drops tea tree oil (optional)
• essential oil (for fragrance - optional)

That's all you need! It's the cheapest way to clean imaginable, and it's just as effective at getting rid of germs as your store-bought cleaners. Adding the tea tree oil works as an extra-strength disinfectant, but I leave it out because I don't care for the smell. Also, if your hood or stove-top have built-up gunk on them,  sprinkle some baking soda on the spot and rub it. It works wonders!

Drain Cleaner: use to clear your drains, get rid of odor, and clean out disposal.

• baking soda
• white vinegar
• small pot boiling water

Sprinkle about 3 tablespoons into the sink drain, then follow with about 1 cup of vinegar. Allow it to sit (and fizzle) for 5-10 minutes, then pour the boiling water down the drain. This is an excellent way to routinely clean out your drains and pipes without using a lot of chemicals, and it's also a great way to get rid of bad smells, and keep fruit flies from buzzing around when bits of food are in the sink and the disposal can't get to them:)

posters and prayers for my puppy

By now I'm sure everyone has seen the adorable Keep Calm & Carry On posters. The poster was first put out in England during WWII, in attempt to help keep the public, well, calm! It made a huge comeback and was all over the place in the past year or two. An awesome reader from Texas sent me this website, called Keep Calm, and I am in love. Look at these great prints!

This phrase is another well-known PSA from the WWII era.

Love the color scheme and the cute message about sweet and simple living.

Another wonderful message about simple living. We "killed" our cable almost a year ago and haven't looked back for a minute. Amazing how much more active you do become without that box sitting there, sucking you in!

And finally, can I request some prayers and warm wishes for my sweet little Jemima? Yesterday evening she started behaving strangely, and over the course of 2 hours got worse, to the point of not being able to sit up un-assisted, not being able to walk properly or climb stairs, and not wanting to move or be touched. She was breathing strangely and craning her neck, and seemed to be in a great deal of pain. It was quite alarming:(

We spent 3 hours with her at the emergency vet, and also took her to a normal vet today. Her x-rays look normal, so now she's home with us (and on pain medicine so she can sleep), and we will get the results of her blood work and other labs tomorrow.

It will mean so much to her to know that everyone is thinking of her;)

clearing the clutter

You know that feeling you get when you've gotten your house all spick-and-span for a party? Everything is clean, fluffed up and put away, and you feel like life is just a little more perfect? There's no reason to wait until a party to start enjoying that life-is-beautiful feeling! Here are a few of my favorite tips.

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1. Only Keep the "Loves" and "Needs": This one comes courtesy of FlyLady. When deciding what stays and what goes, ask yourself "do I LOVE this?" and "do I NEED this?" If you can't honestly answer yes, throw it out or (better yet) donate it so that it will go to someone who will love it or need it more than you do. Rather than dwelling on yourself and the good memories you have associated with the item, imagine it's new owners and how happy they'll be to have it.

PS Another question I ask myself: "did I even remember that I had this?" If you had forgotten all about it, it probably doesn't mean that much to you!

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2. Use Technology: Computers can help get rid of a lot of your clutter. Just think: CDs are probably taking up 3/4 of the storage space in your car right now, when they could be taking up no space at all if you imported them and uploaded them to your iPod. Throw away the burned ones, donate the store-bought ones. Also, taking digital pictures of sentimental items can be a great way to remember them without having to keep them. If you're sentimental about things like the writing on the burned CDs, or your child's old toys, take a picture of it - then throw it out!

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3. Buy Boxes: I love the pretty, old-fashioned looking letterboxes like these from Container Store. I once bought 6 for $6 at Wal-Mart, so this isn't something that has to cost a lot. I have one for stationary, one for batteries and cords, one for office supplies, and so on. They're great because you can label them, and they look pretty on a shelf!

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4. Move It: Sometimes just moving stuff around can make all the difference in the world. You may find that you have a lot of extra room once you re-box, re-stack and shuffle items more efficiently.

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5. Twice a Year and Once a Month: Twice a year, go through every box, drawer, closet and cabinet you have and get rid of as much as you can. We do it every March and September, and it gets easier each time. Mark your calender and join us!
Once a month, take on one small organizing project. You could put a big stack of photos into albums, or take on my project for this month: go CD-less! Just pick something and tackle it.



Bonus tip: I was going to leave this one out, but I think it's important: just dive in! Don't try to whip up a huge master plan, or overwhelm yourself with a long to-do list. Just start de-cluttering something. It gets addictive!


Feel free to leave comments or shoot me an email with your own de-cluttering tips! I'd love to start a monthly feature like this one:)

Some favorite sites for getting inspired and equipped to organize:

• Real Simple: Organizing
• Fly Lady: De-cluttering
• The Container Store: Tips

unplugged: getting the heebie jeebies!

So our adventure with going unplugged continued last night, and thanks to my husband's great ideas, we stepped the fun up a notch! We went by the library before it closed, and checked out a book of scary short stories! We ate dinner, waited for dark, then bundled up, grabbed some blankets and a flashlight and hopped in the car for the beach.

It's kind of amazing how something so calming and beautiful as the beach can turn creepy and sinister if you set the mood right. It was a chilly night, so no one was anywhere around us, so we had the beach all to ourselves. We wrapped up in the blanket and read one of the stories. It was SO fun and so creepy. By the end of the story I was jumping at every little sound we heard.

I'll leave you with some fun pictures I've taken recently. Check back tomorrow for a dresser "before & after"!

unplugged: let the games begin!

In addition to my design blog, I also follow several hippie-ish, green-living blogs, and they're all talking about the same thing: unplugging! The idea intrigued me, and I wanted to give it a shot. These days we're all so very, very dependent on our electronics. We send emails, browse the web, watch our TiVo or a movie, then hop in bed ... after we check our email one last time, of course! Sadly it's just not possible to totally unplug. You have to have your phone and your computer to get by in the world, these days ... but there's really no reason that you have to use any of it at night when you could be spending time with family.

I mentioned the idea to my husband on Sunday, and the first thing he said was "how will I check my email?" ... we're very addicted to our email, haha. But after I explained it to him (you can check it up until dinner time), he was excited to try. We decided to start this week! Our agreement is that Monday - Thursday we will put the computers, phones, TV, DVD's, Roku, etc. away, right before dinner, and we'll stay unplugged for the rest of the evening.  Then we'll just do whatever people did for fun before the TV, cell phones and internet made their way into everyone's home!

It ended up being a lovely evening. We took our time cooking a delicious meal (baked salmon, steamed veggies and whole wheat pasta), we played Bananagrams, and we read aloud in our current book.

We even had time to fold some laundry, tidy up the house and go to bed a little earlier than usual! It was really great. We're already making plans for fun things to do while we're "unplugged" this week, and I'm especially excited about our plan for tonight. Stay tuned!

Dogs are always unplugged, so Jemima just chose to make a "fort" (her new favorite pastime) and hit the hay early.

Have you ever tried anything similar? Feel free to join us!

excuse me, there's been some kind of mistake ....

I think there was a mix-up, and I was actually supposed to be born into this life. This gorgeous, sun-baked, 1950's world where everyone lounges around in bright colors and floral swim caps all day!

These photographs are by Slim Aarons, and they're the reason I've been drooling over this book for months. I really should break down and buy it ...

everyone loves a good deal!

This post is dedicated to making your home a little more lovely: for less than $25 dollars.

If you have a hard time committing to color when it comes to pricey items, you're not alone! I prefer to decorate in whites and neutrals, and let the color come out in the accessories. This adorable peacock feather frame from the Liberty of London for Target series is fun, colorful, and just $9.99!

These sweet little spice jars from Anthropologie were already a pretty good deal at $5 a piece, but now they're marked down to just $1.95 each!

You might recognize these fun pillows from World Market from looking at my home tour! They're only $14.99, and they're a great way to bring some happy color into your home. They make me feel like I'm on a tropical vacation every time I look at them:)

Wouldn't these fun rectangular vases look cute with pink Gerbera daisies packed all in a row? They're from CB2, and they range in price from $9.95 to $19.95

This is Anthropologie's signature scent. You know how when you walk into any Anthro, anywhere, they all smell the same? This candle is why! My sweet mama bought me some, and I light them up all the time. I LOVE that smell! You can get the bigger one for $28, but since this post is about deals for under $25, I'm including a picture of the smaller one, which is $18.

I don't really care for tea, but I've always wished I liked it! This sweet little tea set from World Market might actually make me want to acquire a taste for tea, just so that I could use it! It's a serious steal at just $14.99.

Happy Shopping!

the patio!

I wish there was a way to get the entire patio in at once, but I think I would need a ladder. Isn't it so fun, though? There's also a matching coffee table that we can take out there. We've already had dinner on it, and Saturday we're planning on having brunch out there!

Doesn't it look like the perfect place for a post-beach-day nap?

My mother fixed me up with lots of new potted plants, some large and some small. She assured me that it's OK if they all die, but I really, really hope I can at least keep the pretty palm alive!

So sunny and sweet:)

ingredients for spring, part deux

You may remember this post: it had 5 fresh and fun ideas for welcoming in spring! I'm back with 5 more ideas to get you feeling springy:)

1. Get out and enjoy nature:

It's easy to let your days off slip by quickly, because you turn on the TV or computer and before you know it, half the day has gone by. Plan ahead to get out and soak up some sunshine or greenery! You can click here to find trails in your neighborhood.

2. Take a class: 

Spring is all about things becoming new again, so why not celebrate by learning something new? Most communities and cities offer free or inexpensive classes on everything from watercolor painting to dog obedience training. Lots of stores like William Sonoma and Home Depot offer free classes, as well.

3. Go green with your cleaning! 

This is something I've been slowly working on for the past year or so, and at this point ... all our cleaning products, from laundry detergent to window cleaners, are homemade and green! If you think your cleaning products are harmless, just Google "harmful chemicals in cleaning products", and you're in for a surprise. There are tons of great recipes on-line for everything you need to keep your home, clothes and dishes clean. You'll feel better, breathe easier, and save tons of money.

 4. Work with what's in season: 

We get a bit spoiled by convenience, because these days every sort of fruit and veggie is available all year round. Since moving to CA, my husband and I have tried to shop at the farmer's markets as much as possible, and it's been a fun challenge to learn to cook according to what the farmers are growing. You can click here to find out what fruits and veggies are fresh and in season now, as well as recipes to try!

5. Enjoy a meal al fresco:

Whether it be a picnic at a beach or park, lunch at an outdoor cafe, a springy snack on your porch, or a BBQ in the back yard, plan at least one meal a week to be enjoyed outside ... before it gets too hot!

ingredients for spring

{photo credit}

Today my twitter feed was abuzz with lots of springy tweets about the enjoying weather, eating outdoors, and listening to music. It's funny how during the winter we want to surround ourselves with big coats, fuzzy blankets, and hole up on the couch with hot chocolate and cookies. Then spring comes around and we want to open all the windows, de-clutter our homes and lose a few inches off our waist! Spring seems to be the time when we want less things around us, but we want to enjoy them more. Spring is definitely my favorite season, what's yours?

Here are some fun, springy recommendations from white waxflower:)

1. buy a fresh, light cardigan

Here in SoCal, even on the hottest of days, it tends to get a bit chilly at night. I just got this sweater from J. Crew, and I am obsessed with it. I've worn it almost every day since I got it! It's very slimming and oh-so-soft. As soon as it goes on sale I'm buying more of them!


Don't need a new cardigan? Treat yourself to a pedicure instead:)

2. make a happy, energetic playlist

Beautiful Life - Fisher

Shark in the Water - VV Brown

San Fernando Valley - Bing Crosby

Song For No One - Miike Snow

3. keep fresh flowers in your home

I can never get enough of pink carnations and white daisies!

4. Stay hydrated in style.

Pick up a bottle of Pellegrino (or another "fancy" water) on your way home. You'll feel very European, and the bottles are adorable with a white daisy or three sticking out of the top (see #3)

5. Simplify (in three easy steps)!

• Pick a saturday to go through and weed out your old clothes, shoes, dishes and kitchen supplies. You'll enjoy having extra space in your home so much more than you enjoy those things you never use anyway.
• Pare down your makeup routine. When you have a little sun on your face, you don't need to wear nearly as much!
• Clean out your pantry and do your best to replace it with whole foods. You'll have more energy and look better, too!

Happy Spring!