Home is where you spend most of your hours, but for many people, making your home feel cozy and lovely can seem frivolous or overwhelming. In Episode 34, I interview interior designer and stylist Paige Lewin; we cover why it’s imperative that your home – temporary or permanent -- needs to be a place of respite and energy, why prioritizing your nest isn’t frivolous, what to do when your partner’s style differs from yours, and a slew of actionable tactics to get over the overwhelm factor and refresh your nest.
Given that I’m a freelancer, one thing I’ve been trying to get better at is doing quarterly check-ins on my finances. And it occurred to me that it would be good to do something similar with my 2016 intentions given that it’s so easy to make resolutions or set intentions and then forget about them! To get up to speed with mine, you can read my original intentions post; below is a check-in, which, as you can see, I've had mixed results! If you feel compelled to share what you’re working on I would love to hear it!
The never-ending nature of paper clutter -- incoming mail, bills, and school papers -- is both irritating and anxiety-provoking, and yet most of it can go straight into the recycle bin. Asha interviews Erin Doland, Real Simple’s organizing columnist and author of Never Too Busy to Cure Clutter. Asha and Erin discuss the wisdom of handling paper clutter in small bits, note the energy difference between mindful and mindless organizing, and share practical tips for both handling incoming paper and busting through the paper clutter already filling your house.
Are you overwhelmed, uninspired, or frustrated by your closet? Does the advice to clean out your closet by emptying the whole thing and starting over seem untenable? Are you not feeling ready to limit yourself to a small capsule wardrobe? Yeah, ME TOO! But the good news is that there’s another middle ground way to approach closet overhaul. This simple hack helped me edit and organize my closet in a totally not overwhelming way.
Marie Kondo’s “Japanese decluttering book” has taken the world by storm. The book details the author’s philosophy about organizing and decluttering, and gives step-by-step instructions for decluttering one’s home. She calls her steps the “KonMari Method,” and promises that it will change the lives of those who follow it. Thousands of people say it has, but plenty have voiced skepticism. In Episode 22 of Edit Your Life, Asha and I touch on different aspects of Kondo’s approach, and share our reactions -- both positive and negative -- to her method.
Modern day dinners are far from Rockwellian. More typically, they involve a revolving door of family members tired and hungry after a busy day, with parents who likely are lacking in motivation or sheer minutes to do a ton of prep work. Fear not! In Episode 14 of Edit Your Life, Asha and I share 9 tips for weekday dinner solutions, related to planning (don’t be afraid, this is totally minimalist planning!), efficiency, execution, outsourcing, and general mindshifts about what a modern day dinner really looks like.
Oh my word, I have a CRAZY AMAZING giveaway for you today! At the Wayfair Heart Home conference last month I had a chance to check out the wares of Smartstuff, makers of gorgeous furniture for kids. I fell in love with their super stylish #myRoom collection. And today, thanks to the generosity of Smartstuff, I'm giving away the #myRoom twin reading bed ($1,050 value) + nightstand ($675 value). How cute is it that the bed has a built in reading light?
Last week at Wayfair's Heart Home conference, I had the pleasure of hearing Maxwell Ryan (of Apartment Therapy) speak. And the experience was a good reminder of why it's so important to get out and see/meet people (I mean, I know this to be the case but clearly sometimes I forget!). I've known about Apartment Therapy forever, but it wasn't until I heard Maxwell speak that I truly became invested in the brand. Does that make sense?
As many of you know, I'm a huge fan of getting kids busy in the kitchen. The more they practice, the better they get -- both at making things and cleaning up. Over the years Laurel has practiced a ton and is a devoted from-scratch baker, and also makes a killer spinach souffle, among other things. She recently made my favorite coffee cake and after posting the below photo on Instagram and Facebook, several people asked me for the recipe. Here it is!
I love that Boston is home to so many fantastic independent ice cream stores. I love eating ice cream at said fantastic independent ice cream stores. My kids love eating ice cream at said fantastic independent ice cream stores. It seems like the perfect union! However, Violet's dairy allergy means that when we're out we end up getting her something she's not wild about (e.g., slush) or we ask for the tiniest kid sized cone possible and then deal with gnarly eczema flare ups.
Today, Paige of Tess & Ted Interiors picks up her Make Your Home Awesome series with great outdoor space tips:
We're almost halfway through August but given that the good weather tends to extend into October, there's plenty of time and reason to improve and enjoy your outdoor space. Added bonus of sprucing later in the summer season? Many stores are offering deep discounts on outdoor furniture and accessories and tax-free weekend is this weekend! Here are 10 ways to make your outdoor space totally awesome.
I'm not sure why, but for the last couple of weeks I've found myself eyeing green smoothies at cafes and in markets, then walking away because I don't want to shell out $5-8 for something I might find totally gross. So over the weekend -- after finding myself in this position yet again -- I decided I should try making one myself. And I will admit, I was shocked by the result! I made this recipe up on the fly and it was so awesome on the first attempt that Laurel asked if I would make more so we'd have a stash in the fridge.