three steps to creating a home bucket list

Source: deliciousdecors.com via Mallory on Pinterest

I've spent a lot of our time living in this house being tired. First, working full-time with an every-day-is-different, odd hours work schedule. Then I was pregnant with the same work schedule. Then there was a (sweet) newborn but the same work schedule. Then pregnancy, infant, work schedule. Then just pregnancy, infant, but discombobulated home schedule due to odd-hour renovations. Then newborn and toddler--the most awake I've felt since getting married! Then, first-trimester pregnancy, infant, toddler. Now, second trimester, infant, toddler, but the energy is coming back. Dang, do I appreciate the second trimester!

And knowing that this energy could be zapped any day, I am eager to get my house in order. How long have I been wanting to get this house in order?!. Better yet, how long have you been wanting your house more orderly? I'm desperate enough that I've tried a few projects alone and had to learn some hard lessons. But more on that epic fail tomorrow.

Today, I've got my home bucket list for y'all and three steps to establishing your own. This list is time-sensitive in that it isn't our grand bucket list, which would include the WFB Trifecta, as it is fondly called in our area: kitchen, master bedroom suite, and family room additions.

Why create a list? Not everyone is a list-maker (I adore lists like other people adore dessert). But for this event, we all need a list. We need visual order and tasks that can then be eliminated/accomplished.

Let's get list-making!

THREE STEPS TO CREATING 

A HOME BUCKET LIST :

time-sensitive version

1. Start with the areas that drive us nuts. I learned this from Project Organize Your Entire Life (30% read) that it is best, for me, to work on the places in my home that irritate me and paralyze me from doing good work elsewhere. These areas are not necessarily the most visible to others, but they limit my peace of mind and general efficiency, thereby making everything else more difficult. The biggest area for me is our basement. It keeps me from creating play spaces for our kids that max their creativity and interest, it keeps me from moving disorganization upstairs into rightful storage downstairs, and it just plain stresses me out every day I see it on my way to do laundry.

The Big Deal about this first step is that it is the de-cluttering step. Not a decorating, renovation step which comes later. Proper decorating and renovating can best happen when we see a clean slate before us. POYEL does a great job of explaining this in terms of storage purchases; you know you want more bins, totes, etc., but until you know what actually is left in the space, you won't be able to make the most prudent purchases. I fell for this. We have 18 clear plastic bins, which I know I want to continue using them, but I wouldn't say they've helped me organize too much just yet.

Also, I say start and not identify because I'm finding action words work the best. This first step trumps the following two, but it all works out because of that great word, START.

DO: Sit down and determine your top three "danger zones," those areas that drive you nuts and keep you from other good activity. Then, work your way through your home, room by room, and write down everything you want to accomplish. When you have your list, reorder it in terms of "danger zone" priority on a separate sheet, even separate items within the same space. Remember, you can have three areas listed in one space, followed by two in another, and then two more in the first space. Prioritize in order of your sanity, not in order of physical space.

Then, throw the first list away.

2. Note which actions require additional funds and manpower. For example, I really want our staircase and upstairs hallway done. Hawk encouraged me to get frames up along the stairs (even though 75% are empty), and I finished a chalkboard wall the kids are already glued to. The chalkpaint cost $9 at Home Depot so it didn't require much budget planning, but one of the other actions I want to complete in the space does, and I need a second set of hands. So the upper hallway is still near the top of my list but because it requires more preparation, it may get shuffled around a bit.

DO: Mark those actions which you already know will require more $$ and manpower, and possibly add a planning/budgeting/scheduling task to your list. For our hallway, I know who is willing to help but I need to work around his and his wife's work schedules. This has also allowed me to determine if I can purchase the ingredients this month or the next.

3. Consider what can be done during lag-times. This step helps to keep us from paralysis or inertia. I completed a small laundry decluttering quickly but haven't had the time to tackle the next area in the same way. I made a short list of things I could do quickly, or things that were somewhat standing in my way, so that I could remain active and keep my motivation and momentum.

So during the lag-time between basement decluttering areas, I managed to bring in our kitchen nook table, update our Home Binder, paint three areas with chalkpaint, and destroy the "epic fail" project you'll read about tomorrow. When my kids' naps finally returned to a brief overlap these past two days (thank you, Lord) I was able to start on the next basement area. Slowly but surely. 

DO: After creating your first list, either create a shorter, second list from the first or just star those items on the grand bucket that you can complete between bigger projects. These can be done when a smaller chunk of time arises and you want to get something accomplished; fillers between big actions.

Here is the beginning of my list, just to give you an idea:

MY TOP THREE: BASEMENT, MASTER BEDROOM, UPPER HALLWAY

• Create & install laundry risers by recycling old cabinets. (Need to purchase additional lumber.)
• Re-sort all kids and adult clothes in storage. 
• Build & install large shelving into laundry area.
• Create drying area in laundry area.
• Paint upper hallway ceiling with opera starbursts (will require $$ for stamp purchase and manpower).
• Assemble & install vintage map puzzle as hallway art.
• Organize laundry baskets for best use.
• Declutter shelving under the basement stairs.
• Build second large shelving area behind media wall.
• Build third square shelving area behind play cubbie.
• Paint opera starbursts in play cubbie.

LAG-TIME ITEMS

• Paint chalkboards in upper hallway, basement door, hanging board.
• Move low shelving unit into Blue Room.
• Research opera starburst stamp.
• Research fabric for MBR curtains (will require $$ to purchase).

What do you think? Feel like getting started? I can't recommend the following enough: Project Organize Your Entire Life for getting to a clean slate, and Home Comforts for making a house truly a home. If you catch either, do come back and let us know your experience!

So do tell: what is one of your "danger zones"?

icj,

~j

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have a lovely weekend (& cookies)

Source: ledelicieux.com via Delicieux on Pinterest

I made two Christmas cookie doughs last night in preparation for two little get-togethers this weekend celebrating Ace's 2nd birthday. And though I like how festive the cookies look in the picture above, I find I just want to make the same cookies I enjoyed growing up. My favorites?

Chocolate Crinkles and Gingersnaps.

I'm using this and that recipe.

Oh, and in keeping with the whole theme of this blog, the series Making it Home, and all I've learned from Karen Le Billon, this is actually the first time I'm making these cookies. Yup. I'm 32 and this is the first attempt, just in time to serve at a party. Ha!

Have a lovely weekend friends.

icj,
~j


p.s. Yesterday was St. Nick's Day. I grew up thinking it was the 7th because he "always comes to our house the next day," meaning no one remembered until we reported that he came to our classmates' homes the previous night. I'm so pleased that I pulled it off for the little guy! The big guy was disappointed that he didn't get anything:) I'll have to remember that for next year.

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recipe week : carrot & brown sugar souffle

Source: allrecipes.com via Jennifer on Pinterest

This recipe is serendipitous. I have no idea how I even found it, but I did, and it is now my favorite autumn dish. No kidding. And I'm not the kind of person to go crazy over veggie dishes typical at Thanksgiving. But this one? This is what I'm bringing to our Thanksgiving table this year. And the next.

The recipe as given below is what our family adjusted and prepared from the original allrecipes.com recipe. 

INGREDIENTS
1 1/2 lb whole carrots
optional: substitute 1/2 lb carrot with sweet potato, peeled & chopped
1/2 cup butter, softened over an hour
3 eggs
3/4 cup brown sugar
1/4 cup flour
1 1/2 tsp baking powder
3/4 tsp baking soda


METHOD

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F (175 C).

Bring a stockpot of salted water to a boil. Cook carrots until tender, 10-15 minutes. Remove from heat and drain well.

Place all the ingredients in a food processor* and pulse to puree. Outcome should be smooth with no chunks.

Pour carrot mixture into a 1 quart, round baking dish. Place the dish inside a larger dish with 1 inch of water to prevent burning the bottom of the souffle.

Bake uncovered in the preheated oven for 1 hour** or until firm.

Sprinkle brown sugar over the top and serve immediately.

NOTES
*You can also mash up the cooked carrots with a potato masher and then mix the ingredients in a large bowl using a mixer, as I did (we don't have a food processor)

**I set my timer for 50 minutes to ensure I don't burn the dish. If it jiggles a bit or looks wet in the center, I put it in for the final 10 minutes.


Seriously, folks, I almost didn't share this one because I want to be associated with it whenever I need to bring food, but since I didn't create it in the first place, I thought that level of selfishness best reserved for a future recipe. Ha!


THUS, I'm not offering three additional recipes of interest today because I think this one must stand alone.

Yes. It is that good. Are you making it yet???


icj,
~j


P.S. Alright now, SO MANY PEOPLE stopped me, called me, emailed me to tell me they are loving this recipe week and they especially want to try the One-Dish. Friends, comment. Let others be encouraged by your brilliance:) Let's get this community gabbing!

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french kids eat everything : but could you?

Source: thenglishrose.tumblr.com via Madeleine on Pinterest

Like a typical American gal, I dislike a lot of food. Remember how a former President reminded us how he didn't need to eat broccoli anymore? And half of America nodded in agreement, be it privately, because we, too, had at least one vegetable we wanted to avoid like a plague.

And then I read French Kids Eat Everything and discovered a mind-blowing concept: the French believe that every person, beginning in childhood, will come to like the taste of every real food, with rare exception. This belief depends on three things, namely, that the food will be offered repeatedly and explained/examined as it is offered, that it will be prepared in a delicious and appropriate manner (so no carrot-brownies to get kids to eat carrots), and that it can be prepared numerous different ways, in different dishes, or as a stand alone. This method forms the foundation of their food education.

Yes, food education. Not food introduction, but full-blown education.

Compare this to the mindset common in the US: at my peditricians, all over baby websites, and on the backs of baby cereal boxes, I read that it may take a baby/child 17-20 different taste sessions before the person determines whether or not they like it. What's problematic here? It is presumed that the taster may dislike the food, and there is little or no encouragement to prepare it fresh and with a delicious method that brings out the flavor rather than hides it.

I've presumed most of my life that there are one or two ways of preparing a food and if I don't like how it tastes in that method, then I don't like the food. So green beans? I started eating fresh, slightly boiled or baked green beans just this past year. Asparagus? You may have seen my little escapade here. Fish? Ever since I knelt on and crushed the kindergarten class goldfish, I could catch, clean, and cook it but never eat it without gagging. Until now.* My experience had been that the foods I didn't like were often prepared again and again the same way. And often, these foods weren't prepared with respect to their natural flavor. 

Enter Karen Le Billon. She explains the concept of food education throughout the book. Here's an excerpt to get us started:

French researcher Claude Fischler, who spent thirty earys studying eating habits and food preferences...Together with American researcher Paul Rozin (92).

By the time they were school-age, French kids liked eatin a variety of foods, and their love of variety made them more interested in vegetables. . . .French children had a very good understanding of which foods were healthy (and unhealthy) and why (92).

Americans tend to be anxious about food and to identify health, nutrition, and dieting as the key issues they associate with eating. The French, on the other hand, almost never mention any of these topics when asked for their thoughts on food. Rather, they talk about pleasure, tasty food, socializing, culture, identity, and fun.

How do French kids learn these ideas?

Part of the explanation is the amount of time they spend at the table with their parents , where (naturally) the conversation focuses on food (93).

French adults love variety and will eat varied diets as a matter of course. Naturally, their children grow up to do the same. This was evident in the comments people made in passing about food choices. "I had an apple yesterday, so I'll have a peach today," my mother-in-law would say. . . .Or when discussing at breakfast what we should eat later that day, "We already had chicken this week, so we shouldn't eat that again" (94).

Ms. Le Billon offers a plethora of education and application via her own failed and successful attempts so after concluding my read, I was able to get our family started. I began to try new recipes, mainly from this cookbook and that and then from an allrecipes.com search of specific foods like sweet potato, fish, etc. The French Women Don't Get Fat cookbook is an excellent way to begin to cook fresh food in a simple, tasty way for someone like me who is just learning how to cook.

What I found was that as I took the time to introduce the foods to my son (starting at his age of 15 months), I expanded my own taste! Here's a quick recap of what I did:

1. I chose recipes I could handle making. I looked at the time, ingredients, and equipment required and I often paired a new dish with something easy like Near East rice pilaf (boxed).
2. I served everything one dish at a time in the French order. This was HUGE for my son. If you have young children you may observe that having everything on the plate at once results in the child picking at the food. By serving the vegetable first, clearing that plate and serving the meat/grain, clearing that plate and serving the cheese & fruit, I found he and I ate a full meal. 
3. Thus, we were able to examine, taste, and savor each new flavor. We both smelled each plate as I served it. I let him touch the food for the first minute, and then I helped him eat with utensils (the French don't even let the kids feed themselves for the first 18 months!) which helped him slow down and take time with the food. (More on slow eating this week!)
4. We both had to take 3 bites of everything, even small bites, and we talked about the specific flavors, textures, and smells of each food. There were definitely some I didn't taste more than 3 times, like an anchovy dish from Jamie Oliver, but I know I'm going to make that dish again and give my taste buds a chance to adjust.
5. We only make enough for one meal so that we don't have leftovers. Since variety is key (again, more on that later) and taste is a priority, I try to make just enough for that meal. You'd think it would result in a decreased desire to cook but I've found just the opposite. And the few nights that I can't handle cooking or our schedule is crazy (we do have 2 under 2 after all), we toss in a frozen pizza or spaghetti & meatballs.

It's remarkable how much my own experience of food has changed. I now presume that if I don't like the taste (which applies to almost all seafood), I will eventually. I don't feel guilty about turning it down after the required taste because I know I'll approach it again. I'm having more fun creating weekly menus because I know I'll try something new!

What do you think? Are these new concepts for you, too, or are you old pros? I'd love to hear!

icj,

~j

Read why French Kids Eat Everything is a book about pleasure here.

*I did come to love salmon in Alaska, in 2000. I spent the summer living in an old cabin and working at the SwissAlaska with the owner's daughter, a college friend. We fished for silver salmon when we could. Eating salmon 3 hours after catching it is quite the different taste from what we're used to days later in the midwest.

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French Kids Eat Everything : the book for adults

It may have kids in the title, but the book is meant for adults.

Karen Le Billon takes her readers through her very funny, empathy-enducing, year-long experience of food re-education. She discovers the glories of eating through the demands placed on her children, but the revelations and life changes occur in her.

Let me give a little background. Ms. Le Billon (a former Rhodes scholar) and her French husband, both college professors, reside in Canada with their two daughters. Due to their schedules, they are able to travel back to her husband's home village to intimate themselves with family, history and culture. Soon after arrival she discovers that her previous encounters with the French and their food were all precursors to a much greater cultural shock; as she is now a resident, she needs to pick it up and eat as the French do and she has no idea why or how to do so.

And she resists. Vehemently, and sometimes with tears and an outburst. Forget the kids, this is an adult battle. What follows is her deeply reflective memoir of sorts about a love-hate relationship with food and the transformative sway the French way has in her own family, not the least of which is her observation of thin women eating full meals of rich food.

Source: noselodigasanadie.net via Katherine on Pinterest

My favorite episode is the fourth chapter, L'art de la table: A Meal with Friends, and a Friendly Argument. After weeks of being ostracized, criticized, and demoralized, she finally sees a light. During the friendly argument someone says, 'It's not the act of eating, but rather the approach to eating that is the most distinctive element of French culture.' (65)

The French see the experience of pleasure as the primary reason to make, cultivate, and enjoy food. '

For the French,' someone remarks, 'the enjoyment of eating arises because they slow down, savor their food, and find deep meaning in sharing it with other people.' (162) 

I don't know about you, but the only time I took real time enjoying a great meal was when we celebrated my husband's 30th birthday at a nice restaurant. It was better food than the every day and it was a special occasion, both reasons to savor the food. But to savor it on a daily basis? It never crossed my mind as possible or necessary.

Ms. Le Billon understands. Before I could stop myself, she writes, I retorted, "But few people are really that interested in eating such fancy food. And it's a terrible idea to make everyone eat the same way. People should be allowed to choose what they eat!" 

Conversely, the North American (and UK?) approach 

seeks pleasureful taste second (or third) to nutrition, budget, ease, time, etc. "But choose what?" said Antoine with a smile. "Sure, Americans are free to choose, but they end up making terrible choices. They have no standards for what, when, or how they eat. And they often eat alone. We all know the result!" (68)

Ms. Le Billon touches on the result in a recent blog post, highlighting how the French obesity rate is roughly 1/3 that of the United States'. One-third! And when I read Antoine's comment I sourly admitted that I had little standard for what, when or how I ate. In fact, Hawk and I regularly ate all day long. I recall one of my favorite college professors (whom I wrote about here) explaining his no food, no drink class policy as I sipped my diet Coke unthinkingly, directly in front of him. Constant eating and drinking was so much a part of my activity, and the activities of those around me, that I did so without thinking! And I am by no means overweight. I've wanted to shed a few pounds in this year or that, but technically my BMI and all those medical numbers kept me in the normal range.

We eat something with added nutrients, and it may or may not taste good. We eat standing up. We eat on the run. We eat quickly. We eat cheaply. I'm not talking McDonald's here, I'm talking grocery store! Before reading this book I shopped with budget, ease, and nutrition

Think anecdotally. I'd bet the last time you and a friend talked about your upcoming menu, one of you raved about how easy or healthy it was and then you added, oh and it tastes good, too. We may have Italian, Kenyan, Thai backgrounds and we may make recipes accordingly, but as a culture on the whole, food is a commodity, it is consumed far more than it is enjoyed.

So how has this principle changed me? I'm going into greater detail this week, but let me list is out for you:

1. I look forward to eating every meal.
2. I look forward to cooking meals, and I am finally learning how to cook!
3. I eat foods that taste marvelous.
4. I enjoy food guilt-free, and that food is good.
5. I spend twice as much time at the dinner table.
6. I spend twice as much time with my kids.
7. I'm losing weight effortlessly, and appropriately. And I never work out.
8. My food likes have quadrupled. I'm trying more foods than ever before, and I buy/cook seasonal produce. Variety is so good!
9. I eat bread. Sugared items. High-fat and high-caloric foods. Nothing real is off-limits.

I can't wait to share more. If you've discovered the book as well, do let us know! 

See you tomorrow with more about food, pleasure, and the joy of eating.

icj,

~j

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diy : family cookbook

Source: memoriesoncloverlane.com via Jennifer on Pinterest

What a brilliant and totally attainable endeavor! Here's what I love about the idea, and then keep reading to see how we're going to organize and thus gather our own family memories recipes!

1. The pictures are personal, attractive, and relate to the recipes.
2. The style in which the recipe is written is my favorite style: simple, minimalistic, and easy to cook from.
3. Affordable, lifelong, collectible book.
4. The possibilities are endless!!!

I'm starting to compile our recipes today.

1. By Season first and in this order: Autumn, Winter, Spring, Summer
2. Within the Season, in this order: Vegetable, Meat, Grains & Pastas, Baked Goods, Cocktails
3. A List section for specific holidays: Harvest,* Thanksgiving, Christmas, New Year's, Epiphany, Valentine's, St. Patrick's, Easter, July Fourth, and Birthdays General.
4. A Meal List: I love how Mireille Guiliano and Jamie Oliver present their recipes within a greater meal plan.
5. Each Recipe will include: Source, Prep & Cook times, Age-appropriateness (as in, this was made when the kids were such and such ages), and the Meal in which it was enjoyed.
6. As often as possible, a photo to accompany the dish. Preferably as freaking amazing as Clover Lane's!

NEXT WEEK is ALL ABOUT FOOD. I'm finally reviewing the French Kids Eat Everything brilliance, discussing how we plan our meals each month, and more!

icj,

~j

p.s. Sorry for the late post. Last night was the first in which I got more than 4 hours of sleep the whole night, and we had our music class this morning. I've had a headache for 2 full weeks, but I'll be darned if today isn't looking up!

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who gets to make the decorating decisions?

Source: nanlawson.bigcartel.com via Jenny on Pinterest

When planning their weddings, women stereotypically lament their husband's lack of interest but by the time they're decorating the house, it seems to be a great advantage. Or there's the battle over which shows like Designer's Challenge arise.

Hawk and I started out with an all-together mindset: any decorating, paint, furniture decision would be made together. We did this pretty well for the first three years of our marriage, but we've since realized that we aren't actually doing much decorating. We painted. We've added some things to the dining room. And aside from a crib, that was pretty much it.

We've realized we've been at a standstill since that first bout of painting. So after many conversations including budget, style preferences, and organization, Hawk agreed to let me take the reigns and make changes and decisions as long as I didn't make any major or permanent without a little design consult together.

We've had a few revelations:

1. I think that the person taking care of the space should have greatest say in how that space looks. Unless that individual doesn't care or their style is stuck in the 70's, of course. But to keep an area tidy and fresh, one has to have pride in that space. How can I have pride in this house I keep if it doesn't reflect me and my family? I think this reason more than any other is why a woman tends to be most concerned with design; we may not be in the 1950's, but the fact remains that women tend to keep house more than men in the same house.
2. The order of change is important. I like to make changes where we can afford to and where I see a need, but Hawk really wants one space finished before moving into any other area. This is big for our ability to make decisions together. It had been a stumbling block for us until we realized we had these different approaches. I've adjusted to his because it gives him more peace when I start making changes. Right now, we're focused on the living and dining rooms.
3. Walls are a priority. Artwork gives a home a personal feel more than any other item, be it family photos or a painting. It also draws the eye up and away from any mess on the floor or furniture! It's easy to change and easy to DIY, so something is better than nothing.
4. In the end, one person has to trust the other. Hawk isn't as abstractly spatial; he likes to see it as true-to-life as possible before he'll embrace it, but that's not always possible. So he has to trust that I have a vision and it's good. Case in point, the back hallway. I painted thin horizontal stripes, and we love it more each day!

What about you? Do you agree? Or should it be totally 50/50? I'd love to hear what you think!

icj,
~j

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we're a test kitchen!

Last week was a rough one in our nest, and we're back with exciting news. I mentioned in this post that I was taking more chances; I recently went outside my comfort zone to personally thank an author who has altered my thinking.

After reading French Kids Eat Everything by Karen Le Billon, I wanted to tell the woman herself how her triumphs and trevails impacted our family. She was gracious enough to respond with enthusiasm and after more conversation, she extended an invitation to be a test kitchen for her next book.

AAAHHHHH!!!!

We've already begun. Of course, I can't share the menu or recipes on the blog, but I can tell you that we're receiving guidance on how to introduce these foods to our kids given the needs of their ages (infant and toddler). If I'm allowed to discuss anything, you'll be the first to know.

In the meantime, check out her recent post about Why French Kids Don't Get Fat, and note that the French obesity rate is almost 1/3 of the U.S. rate!

We're elated to be a part of the prep and to learn even more about better cuisine. It's high time I talked about the book itself...

icj,
~j

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making it home : nightly cleaning

I read something a few months ago that repeats in my mind daily: her house might be messy here and there, but it's always clean despite the presence of 4 children. Or something very close to that.

Each morning the best thing that can greet me, besides my family, is a clean house. When I walk downstairs and find a mess -- any mess -- I'm a bit more on edge. Can you relate?

Instead of starting with a clean slate and having only the day's matters to attend to, I'm playing catch-up from the day before. And I feel it immediately.

So it's important to me to straighten, wipe down, sweep, and leave the place in a pleasant state so that the next morning when I hit that prepared coffee maker, I'm a happy woman.

Though not anything remarkable, I'd like to share with you my nightly method for returning the house to its mostly-happy* state.

Source: wanelo.com via Erin on Pinterest

Here's what I do:

1. I give myself a time-sensitive incentive. I read recently that a task takes all the time it is given. So if I give myself an hour to clean the kitchen, it will take me an hour. If I give myself 10 minutes, it will take me 10 minutes. And the less time doesn't have to mean less quality.

So I either take out ice cream to thaw or a beer to warm (which is how good beer should be served, with the chill off and not genuine-draft-cold). I may toss it back in the freezer once before I'm ready, but it keeps me moving. 

2. I watch the clock, and I'm done at 9:00pm, with a 5-minute grace period. Ace's bedtime is 8:00pm, which means we're out of his room by 8:15pm. On a night like last night when Hawk was at the Brewer game (and dropped a ball off one of Braun's fouls -- DOH!) and I put both kids down myself, I was downstairs by 8:30. Everything below took 30 minutes.

But that 30 minutes was worth every second.

3. I have an order, and I keep to it. This is key: the kitchen comes first. Ms. Mendelson suggests leaving the kitchen until last, but I'm the sort who feels peace if the counter is cleared, the floor is wiped, and everything is put away in the kitchen. If there's food out, I'm annoyed. If there's a dish awry, I'm irritated. Plus, it's usually the area of the greatest mess, so when it's done I know my work gets easier from that point on.

To me the dining room is an extension of the kitchen; technically I start there. Here's the order:

• DINING ROOM: 
• Clear dishes, discard/store food, load washer
• Put away all food items from table like salt, olive oil, etc.
• Brush all crumbs onto the floor from table, chairs, and Ace's seat
• Wipe down table
• KITCHEN:
• Reserve/discard food from pots & pans in the kitchen
• Start dishwasher (unless I think there's room for breakfast's dishes)
• Hand-wash pots, pans, & plate chargers (we use for every meal)
• Spray and wipe down counters & stovetop
• DR/KIT:
• Sweep & discard crumbs
• Wash floors (really, this takes like 10 minutes max and is totally worth it)
• POWDER ROOM:
• Put away items like make-up, magazines, etc.
• Use a baby wipe to clean sink and toilet top
• Sweep up whatever might be on the floor
• LIVING ROOM:
• Put away toys
• Put away clothes and diaper materials (with kids, something is always out)
• Straighten furniture
• Clear off entryway bench & bench bins
• Straighten/store shoes 
• Crack open my Hopilicious

Do you think you might struggle with it? Try this: time yourself for each task. You'll likely find, as I did, that what I avoided for fear it would take up my whole night was actually done in a matter of minutes. I don't have a stopwatch, but I watch our kitchen clock. I find I'm generally done with everything in the dining room and kitchen within 20 minutes.

What do you think? Do you have a similar or totally different routine you'd recommend?

Remember to comment for this month's giveaway! 

icj,
~j


*Mostly-happy in that I am working to totally declutter every single room in our house before Christmas. My goal is to truly have a place for everything and everything in its place. I hate clutter. I hate mess. I hate things stuffed along a wall or kitchen counter. But right now we have a few things on the stairs and more things than places.

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diy :: refresh your home aroma

You know how scent is the strongest memory inducer? Well, I hope those who come into my home leave with a peaceful sense. Wouldn't this be such a great and easy way to achieve it? I nice recipe for success.

Source: morganmoore.typepad.com via Jennifer on Pinterest

Anyone up for trying it out? I plan to the next time I'm at the market and can grab a few lemons!

icj,
~j

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new rules for home decorating

Enough! I have been living under the most ridiculous home decorating rules, rather self-imposed I admit, and I say enough.

this is a terrible selfie, but I wanted a visual

Maybe you can relate. You gander at what everyone else is doing. Perhaps you even pin it to boards you call create in space or inspiration for reality except that these brilliant and beautiful pins never become reality.

Because you have these rules. This silly rules that make no sense.

So I've made a list of my previous rules and whether one is self- or other-imposed, the new corresponding rule, and a few that just need to be there.

Old Rule #1: That won't help the resale of your house, also known as, live expecting to leave and refrain from making it yours or enjoying it now.
Goodness, then why buy it? Unless you're a professional flipper, and we at thishawksnest are far from pro flippers, then this is the sort of worrying, silly mindset that makes renting a better route. Isn't this what we envision when we walk through open house after open house? We spend every single minute thinking this is what I would do with this space. So why not do that then?

I've spent 2.5 years listening to this sort of reasoning. Twopointfiveyears people. That's just silly. We've said from the start we hope to make it in this home through the birth of our fourth child (if we're lucky enough to have four) or ten years, whichever is first or most pressing. A decade of one's life is a long time to live with a spirit of transition and borrowed space. But we have. We've refrained from hanging pictures, shelves. We've refrained from repainting things we don't like anymore. We've refrained in an entirely uncreative, unexciting, and un-home-like way.

New Rule #1: 

Unless it involves demolition or the creation of a new structure, it can always be changed if/when you want to sell the house.

Old Rule #2: Paint is a big deal.
Even though we know that we can always repaint, we've waited far too long to do so. When we first painted, we came to an agreement on the paint throughout the main floor (living room, dining room, stairs and upstairs hallway). And we were happy with it. It was a good thing to do, to come together on something. But I think in that new-marriage desire to please each other, coupled with the fact that we didn't yet know what our style was, we chose something that is no longer us.


So I've decided to repaint the living room, hopefully before Obie's arrival. Hawk is thankfully on board (or I wouldn't do something that drastic in such a main area). And in discussing the living room, a few other rooms came up. The bathroom, for example. Right now it is a deep chocolate brown. But we're thinking of repainting it with Restoration Hardware's Slate, mixed into the zero-voc Sherwin Williams Eg-Shel (which was a total I'm a pushover moment mistake that we may be able to turn into good news).

New Rule #2: 

Paint can ALWAYS be "undone" unless you're painting unpainted wood.

This also applies to our staircase. 

very old shot from our original painting experiences

The 13 steps leading from first to second floor are both unpainted and painted. The risers are white, and the steps themselves are stained and glazed wood. I really really really want to do something fun and crazy on the staircase--in part because it can have some great daily impact without overwhelming a very visible part of the house, and in part because I want to experiment! 

And if it is ugly, then guess what -- I can just repaint it. Crazy, right?

Old Rule #3: We have to live with the result regardless of whether or not we like it.

This one is a doozy. Here's why: in part, this old rule is true, especially for families such as ours who depend on a very fixed expense budget. Whatever we do, we have to live with it for at least a little while depending on the project. But that's where this rule ends. Let's throw a couple of punches at it:

1. If it is easy and inexpensive to undo, then we don't have to live with it at all.
2. If it is difficult and expensive to undo, then we should have thought through it more and our problem is less one of results and much more a problem of planning. I'm thinking wall demolition or breaking down upper cabinets and replacing them with open shelving (oh please please please can we do that this summer, Hawk?).
3. There is no invisible (or visible) House Fairy holding us to our actions; only three things limit what can be transformed or undone in a house: 1) housing codes, 2) our budget, 3) fear. And maybe, a distant #4 might be time. We will have 2 kids under 16 months come March, but I think it is still very much dependent upon 1-3. 
4. We have to live in it. So we better like it. And when people come over, they instinctively and subconsciously assess our personalities based on what is presented through our home. Why keep something we don't like just because we did it once?

New Rule #3: 

We can change things and develop them until we are satisfied.

Which leads us to...

Old Rule #4: Our decoration and home improvements dictate our permanent personal style.

I bet how we want our home to look in 10 years is going to be different from what we like today. I used to like leather seating. Now, I think it's unattractive without those puckered button thingies (what are those called and why can't I remember the term?) Ah! Tufted.

Source: cococozy.com via Jennifer on Pinterest

That's silly, isn't it? But let me tell you, Hawk and I have felt so much pressure to figure that out now. And we're in a starter home, we aren't dolling out moola on fancy house dressings, so now's the time to experiment.

New Rule #4: 

Our personal style determine our home decore and thus should develop and alter as time passes.

Alright, four new rules are a good start. What do you think? Check out the poll in the sidebar. We'd love to hear from you!


happy Monday, folks.


icj,
~j

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making it home series : is it for me?

a series about starting from scratch

Traditional. Great word when applied to holiday decorations, homecooked meals, and the act of passing on a particular tried-and-true technique to an interested apprentice. But traditional in reference to the home? Homemaking? Housekeeping?? Egads, get away thou vilest of words!

Source: re-nest.com via inge on Pinterest

If you've been following this series, you know I'm studying and practicing my way through Cheryl Mendelson's Home Comforts. She has done quite a bit to turn that lovely-though-avoided word into something precious, a call to arms, a convicting echo of what can be.

What a traditional woman did that made her home warm and alive was not dusting and laundry. Someone can be hired to do these things (to some extent anyway). Her real secret was that she identified herself with her home. She lived her life not only through her own body but through the house as an extension of her body; part of her relation to those she loved was embodied in the physical medium of the home she made (9-10).

But most men and many women do not want to identify themselves with homes they create through their housekeeping and through which they offer themselves to others (10). 

I agree. Most in my generation read the phrase "identify [him]herself with the home" and likely cringe with dismay. Surely, this is the thought of the 1950's enslaved and uneducated housewife. And that may certainly be true. But show me how Ms. Mendelson is incorrect? Do we not walk into another's home and judge it to some degree? Either by decoration, cleanliness and messiness, warmth, fragrance, and more? Perhaps we are generous critics, but instinctively we know that the home reveals much about a person's character.

My home used to reveal that I was too busy to take it seriously. I was rarely unclean or dirty, but I was almost always messy. The household which "neaten[s] mostly when the house is out of control"? Check. Dishwasher run when it is packed? Check. Garbages emptied when they are full and unsavory? Check.


And I never had peace. Never really felt rested. And looking back, I now see that we created an environment in which no one else could truly rest either. 


It spoke volumes about me whether anyone acknowledged it or not.

Source: thecobrasnake.com via Annabel on Pinterest

She identified herself with her home. I'm well educated (though I know, I'm not a great writer by any means). I come from one well-educated family and married into another. I have a masters and the bill to show for it. I've been employed as long as I've been legally permitted, until quite recently. And yet, a great expression of self and of love for others comes out in my home. Crazy, eh? Cray-zay.


In these first few steps toward making it home, I find deep satisfaction in moving about the house, cleaning, organizing, preparing, cooking, and more, thinking to myself, people know me by the house I keep. 


They know that I want them to be warm. They know that I want them to smell something lovely and delicious at 6:00pm. They know that I hope they feel festive by the manner with which I decorate. They know I want them to rest comfortably by the cleanliness of bed linens & towels, the sofa pillows that invite them to lean back. They know I care about their health by the smooth, freshly wiped kitchen counters & floors. Because part of my relation to those I love is embodied in the physical medium of the home I make.


If you are like Hawk & me me & Hawk and you have little real practice in making a home, this is a great place to start.


Q you:
What is the area you put off until you just can't take it anymore? Laundry? Dinner remnants? Bathrooms?



Happy Thursday!


icj,
~j

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nesting : so what's the plan, stan?

reasonstobreathe.tumblr.com

Happy Monday!

I've mentioned before that I am approaching this new stay-at-home lifestyle a certain way. I'd love to tell you a little more about that so you can either make fun of me (in the privacy of your own home) or enjoy the adventure of lived trial and error as I pursue perfection.

Perfection? you say. Surely you're deluding yourself. Quite obviously as a fallen human and as, well, me, I will never ever reach perfection. But what on earth is the point of aiming for 80%? Or 60%? I've always loved that quip, shoot for the stars and you'll at least hit the moon. Set the bar high, see the ideal and go for it, and then love the result even though it is less than the ideal but way more than previously conceived.

I have a lot to learn about homemaking. I'm sure you'll all agree that my generation and possibly those immediately before and after it have little experience, understanding, and admiration for homemaking. Sure, as a hobby maybe, but I've heard comments about all those stay-at-home moms who have nothing better to do with their time so they. . . .

MY THREE homemaking GOALS:

1. To keep house in its entirety, creating a comforting, clean, and efficient sanctuary for family and friends.
2. To raise our children well by understanding and investing in each current developmental level and being fully present to them.
3. To be a good wife and mother.*

I love to read, and I often learn best when I am able to study the written word with a goal in mind. I can take things at my own pace, and books give me a constant friend to consult with questions. To the first end, I'm quite actively working my way through one of my very favorite books, Home Comforts by Cheryl Mendelson. To the second end, I'm reading The Mission of Motherhood by Sally Clarkson and using Montessori resources, my own ingenuity, and my son's lead.

Later this week I'll highlight each goal and its corresponding guide (and some caveats), showing you a few of the points I hope to accomplish under each and some interim goals to get me started this fall.

Hope you enjoy the ride!

icj,
~j

*I'll spend time on the blog discussing the first two, but the third may be reserved for private conversation. It is a matter of personal character development, and I don't think you're really here to read too much about that.

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