Smallish Home

christmas presents
Organization

WHERE DO YOU HIDE PRESENTS IN A SMALL HOUSE?

December 5, 2020
It’s December and the Christmas season is in full swing at our house.  The tree is up, the eggnog is in the fridge and the packages from online shopping are accumulating quickly.   But what do you do with all the shipping boxes full of presents that need to be kept a secret?? Let me tell you, hiding presents in a small house is HARD!  I try to keep gifts a secret, but it can be challenging to find places to hide items, especially big items, when you feel like your house has no storage space.  We don’t have an...
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how to organize board games
Organization

ORGANIZING BOARD GAMES IN BAGS

November 17, 2020
There’s nothing better on these cold, rainy fall nights than sitting on the floor by the fireplace and playing a board game as a family.  With young kids that are always on the move, it feels particularly special to spend quiet time connecting over a little friendly competition, discussing strategy, and learning about good sportsmanship.    But goodness, board games take up A LOT of space!  In a small home, it’s challenging to find a place to store all the different sized game boxes.  And let me tell you, I’m just not a fan of looking at mismatched, brightly...
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spooky stick halloween wreath
Design•DIY

DIY SPOOKY WREATH

October 19, 2020
This hardly qualifies as DIY since it may in fact be the most rickety thing I’ve ever built. BUT this Halloween wreath was quick and easy to put together and, best of all, FREE!   I really wanted a black wreath for my front door this year.  I thought the color would look great against the yellow door and while I probably could have found something similar in stores, I decided to attempt a DIY using things I had on hand. First step, gathering sticks.  The kids were more than happy to help out with this and we were able...
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pumpkins and front door
Design

DECORATING A SMALL HOUSE FOR HALLOWEEN

October 12, 2020
8 months out of the year I have absolutely no interest in holiday decorations.  But come September and October and suddenly I get the itch to add, add, add decorations and make the place look FESTIVE!  It’s like all of a sudden the weather changes and I want to surround myself with cozy textures, fall colors, and pumpkins. And it doesn’t stop there.   Fall decorations morph into Halloween with the addition of more pumpkins, skulls, and crows.  Halloween slides into Thanksgiving with the removal of all things orange and scary.  Then comes Christmas where everything gets put away and...
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Design•Organization

AN ORGANIZED TODDLER CLOSET

September 25, 2020
Today I’m SO excited to walk you through my daughter’s closet reorganization!  At 2.5 years old we are at the point of transitioning away from a baby closet to a little kid closet.  I’ve been slowly purging the baby gear as we outgrow it and have started seeing a bit of space opening up.  It’s bittersweet to see the baby stuff go…  On one hand, I’m super excited about FINALLY regaining some space in our house, but actually getting rid of the baby items makes it feel so real that my babies are growing up.  It’s strange and somehow...
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bathroom shelf update
Design•DIY

DIY MATTE BLACK HARDWARE

September 16, 2020
Are you looking for an easy way to modernize your bathroom hardware?  Look no further than spray paint.  For less than $6 you can DIY a cohesive set of bars, hooks, and holders that elevate the look of your bathroom.   After spending $80 on spa paint for my bathroom I needed a budget-friendly way to update the rest of my bathroom.  Specifically the hardware.  The shelf brackets, towel ring, and toilet paper holder were all a brushed nickel and while there is nothing wrong with that finish, I was ready for a change.     I mean, when you live in...
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Benjamin Moore Aura Bath and Spa White Dove
Design•DIY

A FRESH UPDATE TO A SMALL BATHROOM

August 28, 2020
Earlier this summer I did a “phase 1” makeover to our bathroom.  While we still need to replace the tile and vanity, we took the opportunity to make some very doable updates to improve the look and feel of the bathroom.  And I’m so glad we did! Removing the dated wallpaper and adding new paint and accessories instantly modernized and freshened the entire space.  I’m so excited to share some of the process with you today! Background Our house has one full bath and one-half bath.  The full bath is shared by all the bedrooms and is teeny tiny. ...
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Dining table remote learning setup
Lifestyle•Organization

6 TIPS FOR STAYING ORGANIZED DURING REMOTE LEARNING

August 20, 2020
With less than two weeks until school starts, my mind has been heavy thinking about distance learning.  Last spring, like many, we found ourselves immersed in a surprise 10 weeks of remote learning.  It was hard! For both my Kindergartener and myself! But we survived.   And while this summer has been a welcome break, we are now heading into a new school year with an unknown number of weeks of distance learning ahead of us.  I know the year won’t be easy, but I’ve been thinking a lot about what worked and what didn’t and what changes I can...
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school supplies organization
Lifestyle•Organization

ORGANIZING A DISTANCE LEARNING CART FOR BACK TO SCHOOL

August 12, 2020
Recently our school district announced that we will be starting fall semester with remote learning for all children.  While I’m thankful that they made a decision, I can’t tell you how stressed I was leading up to that point.  I had spent weeks worrying about what fall would look like and what was best for my son who would be entering 1st grade.  After finally making the choice that I would enroll him in the distance learning option, I got the email that confirmed the entire district would start the school year remotely. I’m relieved.  But also nervous about...
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rolling art cart
Organization

AN ART CART FOR KIDS – A SIMPLE WAY TO STORE ART SUPPLIES

June 26, 2020
Do you need a simple way to store art supplies while also encouraging creativity and independence?  Today I am organizing a mobile art station that’s perfect for small spaces and gives all those art supplies a proper home.   If your kids are anything like mine, they probably love to get out ALL the art supplies in order to cut, glue and tape their way to a creative masterpiece.  I totally get it.  What could be better than dumping everything out so you can SEE what you have?  But then come clean up time and all of a sudden...
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