Some of my favorite childhood memories of my mom revolve around our kitchen. She taught me to bake, she let me write out my own recipes in a little cookbook, and she even hosted cooking classes for me and my friends. Now, as a wife and a homemaker, I have found that having beautiful kitchen tools makes even the most simple of tasks so much more enjoyable. For the past few months, I have been in the process of slowly editing out the things in our home that we don't need or use. This pursuit of a more minimalist-inspired living has led me to purchase intentionally and to value quality over quantity. By reducing the number of things we have, particularly in the kitchen, I have found simple cleaning and homemaking tasks to be peaceful, and an opportunity to express joy and thankfulness. I'm really grateful for my mom; particularly for her example at home, for her joy in living, and for her authentic heart of love for others. So, in light of Mother's Day being just around the corner, I have gathered my absolute favorite daily-use kitchen items to create three gift bundle ideas that promote beautiful homemaking. 1. Turkish Towels + Wooden Scrub Brush Honestly, I didn't understand the craze about Turkish towels until I got my hands on a few for myself. Now I'm hooked. I bought both the towels and the brushes on Amazon, but you can also find wooden or bamboo scrub brushes at TJ Maxx. Turkish towels get softer and softer the more times you wash, so toss them in the wash prior to using so they can be luxuriously absorbent. Purchasing Sources: Turkish Towels Wooden Dish or Veggie Brush 2. Amber Glass Soap Dispenser + Wooden Scrub Brush I know, I know, that little brush is in this roundup twice, but seriously. I love them. They are durable, have multiple uses, fit nicely in the hand, last way longer than sponges, dry easier (so they don't stink like dishrags), yada yada yada. They're essential. And word on the street tells me that if you love something, chances are it will make a great gift. As far as the soap dispenser is concerned, amber glass is just so pretty. Target has some beautiful ones in stock right now, or you can get crafty and make your own by up-cycling a kombucha bottle. I've found that Brew Dr. Kombucha bottles can fit some soap pumps. Just scrub that label off with a magic eraser, and voila - super pretty soap dispenser. Skip Bath and Body Works this time around, and instead fill that pretty soap dispenser with some natural lavender dish soap by Seventh Generation, and you've got yourself a beautiful mom's day gift. And don't forget a little twine bow to tie it all up. Purchasing Sources: Wooden Dish or Veggie Brush Amber Soap Dispenser 3. Wooden Cutting Board + Glass Bottle of Cutting Board Oil Wooden cutting boards are classic. They also make beautiful gifts, since they're used basically every day in most kitchens. However, as with all wood, they need to be cared for properly in order to keep the wood hydrated and to avoid splitting. You can pick up a bottle of food-safe cutting board oil at most any grocery or hardware store. To elevate the aesthetic of your gift, pour some of the oil into a small amber glass bottle. I purchased my small amber bottles in the vitamins section at Whole Foods. They're really inexpensive. Plus, they can be reused for homemade essential oil concoctions, so including it in this gift bundle is a sweet, worthwhile touch. Purchasing Sources: Wooden Cutting Board Cutting Board Oil Small Amber Glass Spray Bottle xo, Meg PS. Oh, and one last thing. Regardless of what you give your mom this Mother's Day, don't forget the chocolate. Because, let's be honest. Mother's Day simply wouldn't be Mother's Day without chocolate.
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I thrive off of lists. I make them every day. Sometimes four times a day. There's something satisfying about checkboxes. That’s why I decided to share with you my Weekly Cleaning Rhythm PDF printable. It’s what my typical week’s cleaning-to-do list looks like. Sometimes things get shuffled around (laundry, ahem), but for the most part, everything always seems to get done. This printable is perfect for taping inside a cupboard for easy reference. If you like crossing things off lists, laminate it and use a dry erase marker on it. Whatever floats your boat. It’s just nice to have a visual reference point. I find cleaning to be therapeutic. I also find devoting 15 or 20 minutes a day to a few household tasks to keep the house in a state of cleanliness is more preferable than, say, letting everything pile up for a few weeks until I have to dig myself out of a pit of dirty towels and crusty dishes and crummy surfaces. Weekly Cleaning Rhythm Printable to the rescue. So, in the spirit of spring cleaning season: download it. Print it. Use it. Enjoy it. ![]()
As decades roll by, the most-changed room in older homes is typically the kitchen. This is due partly to the rapidly changing appliance and aesthetic upgrades, and partly because kitchens are one of the highest traffic zones in most houses. The more you use a space, the more it is worn. Our house was built in 1913. That’s right. Our little home turns 104 this year. And let me tell you, some of its rooms have aged better than others. The kitchen needed a little extra love. The vinyl floors were stained and honestly pretty gross, the wood cabinetry made the space seem smaller than it was, and somehow roughly 4 ½ different shades of clashing whites made an appearance throughout the small space. The tile backsplash had a disintegrating ivy sticker running all across it, and the faucet was more of a leaking utility spigot. But more than that, I knew it had potential. Have you ever been there? Have you ever stopped to survey your kitchen’s desperate need of a spruce? Have you ever trudged into your kitchen in the early morning light - and there you stand - planted in your fuzzy slippers, rocking a slept-on messy bun, and clinging for dear life to your morning cup of coffee. You blink at the dripping sink. More coffee. Sigh. We didn’t want to gut the whole kitchen. We simply wanted to improve its aesthetic and its function while remaining true to its early 1900’s personality. So we did. You can too. It won’t even break the bank. You won’t even have to give up that morning coffee allowance to fund a kitchen renovation. I painted the cabinets and walls white. I removed some of the upper cabinet doors, creating open shelving to lighten up the space. While orange rolls were baking in the oven, I grabbed a razor blade and a magic eraser - off came the ivy stickers. After a little looking, I found an affordable (and pretty) area rug. On a whim, we sanded down the floor and painted it black. Clayton replaced the existing drippy sink faucet with a new one that has a quirky vintage vibe. I absolutely love it. Now our little kitchen is the perfect mesh of vintage eclecticism and rustic charm. The perfect mesh of our creativity. The perfect mesh of us. You don’t need to style your home for the visitors. You need to style your home for the people that live in it. You. Your family. Whatever you do to enhance your space, don’t have to feel obligated to the current trends. Just do what you like, and if you don’t like it, do something else. I believe that the most inviting homes are the ones with well-worn and well-loved interiors that honor the truest style of its inhabitants. xoxo, Meg PS. Below are some how-to resources that we used to breathe some life into our space, as well as links to my favorite kitchen items that help bring personality into our otherwise black and white space. Walls and Cabinets: “Roman Plaster” by Behr at Home Depot
Rug: I thrifted ours, but I recommend checking out At Home’s selection of rugs. They have a good selection at reasonable prices. I have a few of their jute rugs, and they have been great. https://www.athome.com/ Floor: “Tar Black” by Behr at Home Depot http://www.apartmenttherapy.com/diy-room-decor-how-to-paint-over-vinyl-floor-tiles-apartment-therapy-tutorials-200139 Faucet: https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B005OYZN4U/ref=oh_aui_detailpage_o02_s00?ie=UTF8&psc=1 Chemex: http://www.chemexcoffeemaker.com/eight-cup-classic-series-coffeemaker.html KitchenAid Mixer: In “Almond” (Ours was a wedding gift from my mother-in-law and father-in-law and we absolutely love it.) https://www.kohls.com/product/prd-25941/kitchenaid-ksm150ps-artisan-5-qt-stand-mixer.jsp?ci_mcc=ci&utm_campaign=SMALL%20ELECTRICS&utm_medium=CSE&utm_source=google&utm_product=06373162&CID=shopping15&gclid=Cj0KEQjwwoLHBRDD0beVheu3lt0BEiQAvU4CKsuOeRnJzfjtX_fu-aRCwfH9fw7Jezli_dy45OATDP4aAg9i8P8HAQ&gclsrc=aw.ds&dclid=CLyIrK2ghtMCFcEBPwodWk4EuQ Wooden Cutting Board: We have several, and some of them were gifts. They are the best and look really pretty displayed on counters. http://www.ikea.com/us/en/catalog/products/50233422/ |
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