it’s time to organize – small entry organization hacks for those of us who are “mudroom less”

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IT’S TIME TO ORGANIZE – Small Entry Organization Hacks For Those Of Us Who Are “Mudroom-Less”

Drescription

My favorite mom quote goes as follows – “Without systems there is chaos. Without systems there is chaos“. One of you deserves credit for it, left sweetly in the comment section two years ago, and I chant it ALL THE TIME. This applies to every single part of our lives, and as someone who unfortunately isn’t innately gifted in the organization realm, and yet abhors visual mess, I HAVE to create systems, or else the house is so chaotic and messy and it actually affects my mental health (thus the choice to live more minimally with less stuff).

Labels are my boss. Baskets make me feel safe. So when we were brainstorming about how to talk about organization in the New Year, I ranted about all my pain points at the mountain house – the “no mudroom entry,” the exploding vanity, the lack of linen closet, the hall utility closet that housed both the vacuum and the board games. All solvable, WITH A SYSTEM that includes starting with the right product. And even though we knew we were moving to Portland it still seemed like a good time to come up with some better solutions – both for guests that stay, my family when we return in winter/summer, and of course for the blog.

So we partnered with Target to highlight their new and always loved organizational products to ease our chaos and make our homes and brains calmer after the holidays. Systems, it’s all about systems :)

The “No Mudroom” Entry

We packed in a lot of solutions up here, for ideas for all your pain points. Not everyone can enter and exit through a designated mudroom, especially apartment dwellers, and us. But walking into chaos, stepping over shoes and the visual pile of coats drives me NUTS. Now the elements that you MUST have here are simple –

A Drop Zone (could be the bench or the tray on the shoe rack) – This is for mail, keys (if you don’t have hooks), and bags. Get yourself a tray, bowl, or basket (and a hook if you want to never have to look for your keys again).

Shoe Storage – This could be a shoe shelf like this (which is nice because it can be wheeled away if you have guests over), a trunk, or a basket. While I prefer something more enclosed, getting my kids to “drop” is a challenge enough so ‘arranging’ is a monumental feat. Plus a shelf keeps them from getting scuffed up and you have less searching to the bottom of the basket time. Someday, crossing fingers, we’ll graduate to this.

Don’t have a coat closet? ME NEITHER! So you need either hooks on your wall, a coat rack, or a freestanding piece of furniture. The first two are better for small spaces (plus wet coats can’t dry off in an armoire).

3. A Place to Hang Coats/Scarves, and Hats – Could be standing or to save space use a wall-mounted hook system like this. Use the anchors provided (I’ve skimped on those before), try to do a weekly depopulation based on the weather, and put away coats in hopefully a coat closet nearby, leaving just what you need here.

4. Designated Baskets for Daily Needs – Under the bench: 1. “House shoes/slippers” (easy to change into when you come home, 2. “Dog accessories” (leashes, bags, treats), and 3. “Hats and gloves”. I love these baskets with the wood on top, but opting for something more closed will make it look cleaner (just make sure you know what is in them so you don’t have to do the “search and bury”).

Shout out to that bench – please note the good joinery under the seat!! So good.

The “No Entry” Entry

For those of us with even less space or perhaps at the back, side, or kitchen door we have a one-piece unit for all of those same needs – it’s pretty genius. At the top you have hooks for coats/hats and scarves, then a bench to sit on for shoes and a surface for a drop zone, with shoe storage underneath. ONE AND DONE.

It’s a small space solution that packs a ton of function into one piece. All you need is a 4′ blank wall near your door and you can live a better life in a small space. Pretty sure someone should write a book with that title.

So no, you don’t need “an entry” to have an entry. You just need a good, solid system and Target has truly made it even easier.

I Did It! I Finally Chose Fabric For The Farmhouse Kitchen Cafe Curtains…We’ve Gone Patterned

This is a real Deja Vu post for a lot of you. YES, last year at this time I did a post about how I want cafe curtains in my kitchen and then did nothing about it. You see I really only want/need them during the winter when it’s so dark outside and at the time I didn’t have the time to think/shop for the right patterned fabric. But the longer we live here the more I really really want to have these curtains AND add pleated fabric patterned shades on all our sconces (stay tuned on that one). And I finally realized the type of fabric I wanted was a small print on a relatively thin fabric and I couldn’t find this in store at all. So I started shopping for block print fabrics, mostly from India since that’s where the artisans typically specialize in this. They all sell via Etsy so I started ordering sample after sample. But the problem with these is that there are thousands to choose from AND you can select what type of fabric you want – i.e. cotton, pure white linen, off-white linen, thick linen, Duck fabric, etc. And each color of “stamp’ on the fabric looks different depending on the base fabric. So therefore this has taken forever (months) to order all the options I want. A lot of the samples had to be made and many only came in as small as a yard. So many of them I love up close, but then as you stand back in the back of the living room they don’t read as well (either too dark or too polka dotty). I also don’t want them to be too thick as they need to give off that airy casual vibe (not a forma creased pleating – I’m not opposed to pleating, but I don’t want thick fabric and pleating look for this space). I wanted to bring in some warmer tones since the island has a lot of red/purple in it and it’s definitely my “accent” color. But I also don’t want it to be too jarring as when you look at the space as a whole (kitchen, living, nook, entry) a more cohesive color palette will, I think, be more calming and harmonize better. I also can NOT decide between a more white background or the flaxier fabric. The white is fresh and the color pops off of it nicely, but the flax looks good with the wood and is certainly more warm. At one point (the day we were shooting this) we narrowed it down to these two fabrics, but when we hung them up neither felt right. From a distance, the one on the left was so dark (when you are in the kitchen it’s so cozy) and while I love that burgundy floral one it actually looks a little stripey with the repeat from a distance and I think I want something that is more fluid to offset the rectangles of the windows and the tile. So where I’ve landed right now is we all (including Brian and the kids) love this blue-green floral pattern, where the flowers are staggered (not in a line). But I can NOT decide between a brighter white fabric (looks so good with the walls and pops against the windows in a happy way) or the natural linen (warm and more casual, but will it look just dingy?). Sadly, I don’t have a professional shot to show you – I ordered the bright white sample after we shot this, but here is an iPhone shot of it. I fear that I’m drawn to the white more because I like crisp colors, but is it too high contrast? Anyway, I SWEAR I’m on it this time. I love so many of these and I’m unsure if I’m going to DIY this or hire out. And I’m happy to say I think one of these will also be our pleated lampshade fabric (which we are going to DIY here since they are going to cost $115 EACH to do – and I have 9 of them, so…) A fun process post for you today:) The holidays are nuts and even I get sick of looking at holiday stuff all December, so I hope you love a quick design update post :)

6 Beauty Products I Use Every day

wearing the same EXACT makeup for 6 years. Not because I don't try new things, or because I'm not into beauty, but because these products are exceptional. They were all originally recommended to me by pros (makeup artists when I started my on-camera career) and every time I've strayed from them I've come back, crying, makeup smeared down my face. I know that every skin is different, obviously, so I'm not necessarily talking about the shade or color - it's the product itself that is shockingly good regardless of what color of skin it's on. 1. Eye Brow Pencil by Laura Mercier. If Obama knocked on my door and I only had time to apply ONE thing to my face it would be my eyebrows so I could do my special eye-brow move for him. I look strangely sick without those two little lines across my face. I've tried one million different kinds out of sheer desperation (and because I don't really want to spend that much on an eyebrow pencil), but this one has the most natural looking colors. I think that nobody wants to be the lady with the drawn on eyebrows, but some of us have to be. This is a very good one that is easy to apply (it has a good consistency) and a really natural looking color. I buy fair blonde. 2. Orgasm Collection Blush by NARS. The only thing wrong with this blush is its name. When I was 24 I bartended at a bar with a drink called the "G Spot" and I think that SO many more people would have ordered that drink had they not had to say "hey lady, can I get a G-Spot over here?" So disregard that bad name because this is America's blush. It has a huge cult following because it makes every cheek look happy. Even if your skin is a wildly different tone, this blush is for you. It looks crazy hot pink but once its on your face it just looks healthy and alive. Ask any makeup artist in the world (because they all have it in their kit) about this blush and they'll tell you it's amazing. Be careful with "Super Orgasm" because its kinda shiny. 3. Long-Lasting 12 Hour Wear Eyeliner by Sephora. Everyday I put on a tiny line of eyeliner on the top of my lash line, and this one is by far the best. I've tried the really expensive and the really cheap. Most of them are too shiny, smudge too easily, have a brush thats too thick to apply, don't stay on long enough, or don't ever come off. This is just simple, easy, jet black (or brown), and long wearing. Plus it ain't expensive. 4. Luminous Silk Foundation by Giorgio Armani. When I was first introduced to this I was like "foundation? Base? What am I, a lady-mom from 1985?" But then they applied it on my face and my skin looked immediately fresh, flawless, and totally makeup free. It's expensive but worth every penny. I used to drive to Beverly Hills to buy this stuff when I ran out (because it used to only be sold at Saks in store). It has a SLIGHT reflective quality that makes the light bounce off your skin in a really healthy-glow kind of way, and it's really light so you never feel like you are wearing makeup, yet it covers all dark circles (I don't even wear concealer), and flaws. 5. Long Lash Mascara by Laura Mercier. Now this is the only one where I'm like "I like it" but I'm not swearing by it. I'm desperate to find my mascara. Something that doesn't smudge, but is long lasting, easy to take off, and doesn't clump. If it can add length and curl then wonderful. Extra credit if it makes me look like Kim Kardashian circa 2008. But seriously, any amazing ones out there? I've tried fancy (Chanel), and drugstore (Loreal) with the same similar results - not bad, but not the one. Maybe I just have bad short blonde lashes and will never be satisfied because ultimately a mascara will never give me what I want. That could be it. Also I got eyelash extensions recently which was a DISASTER - so expensive and barely made a difference. And then as they grew out I kept picking at them and ripped out so many of my own lashes, so now I have stupid short, choppy lashes. Perhaps mascara isn't my biggest problem. 6. Chubby Stick Intense Moisturizing Lip Color Balm by Clinique. I love these and I have them in MANY colors. They look natural, and give your face a little pop without looking like "OH HEY GIRL CHECK OUT MY LIPSTICK." And you can apply it easily in the car or anywhere without a mirror because you can't really mess it up. Plus it's moisturizing and feels good. And kinda tastes good. I was a kid that ate chapstick, so theres that. SO. Those are mine. I'm loyal and I keep it pretty simple. I don't have boxes of eye shadow for a special occasion (although I do like this one). Every now and again I wear a brighter lip, or for on-camera work I put on lashes, but generally this is what I like on my face and many of those are universally good - it's not the color that I love, its the product. And now, dish.

How to Grow and Care for Lemon Cypress Trees

You might recognize the lemon cypress as the potted evergreen that seems to show up in every big box retail store before Christmas. However, this narrow, columnar evergreen tree is more than a lemon-scented holiday plant for indoors. It is a versatile needled conifer that can be used as a hedge, specimen, bonsai, or kept in a container on a patio. Also commonly referred to as the Goldcrest Monterey Cypress, Cupressus macrocarpa ‘Goldcrest’ (also known as Hesperocyparis macrocarpa) is a Monterey cypress cultivar with upward-growing branches. The unique yellow-green color of the lemon cypress can play off the darker greens of other conifers, while texture can be experimented with by placing the shrub next to boulders and fencing. Lemon Cypress Care One of the great things about C. macrocarpa ‘Goldcrest’ is that it is an easy plant to care for. Provide full sun to partial shade. Do not enrich the soil. Water a new plant weekly until established. Light Lemon cypress trees require a good amount of light. Outdoors, a lemon cypress tree should be planted in full sun to partial shade. Indoors, the tree needs 5 to 6 hours of indirect sunlight or morning sun; don't put it in a wast-facing window, as the bright light can harm the foliage. Soil The lemon cypress is adapted to grow in poor, sandy, well-draining soils that are low in organics and not very fertile. This poor soil allows the slow-growing tree to pace its development to match its height with its roots, helping to ensure that winds do not blow the thin and narrow plant over. Water As an outdoor shrub or tree, once established, the lemon cypress needs little supplemental watering. Allow the plant to establish itself by watering it once a week during the first season. If kept as a houseplant, give it a thorough deep watering weekly, ensuring the soil is never too dry. Temperature and Humidity A lemon cypress prefers cool, moist climates with temperatures between 20°F and 80°F. Grown indoors, the lemon cypress needs to be kept in a place with sufficient humidity. Fertilizer Don't fertilize a lemon cypress tree. It's native environment has poor soil conditions, and rich soils will cause quick, uneven growth and could result in an unstable tree. Types of Lemon Cypress In addition to the straight species. Cupressus macrocarpa. a few cultivars of Monterey cypress have been bred: C. macrocarpa 'Goldcrest Wilma': a slow-growing dwarf cultivar, 6 to 8 ft. tall, and 1 to 2 ft. wide, with fragrant, golden yellow needles C. macrocarpa 'Golden Pillar': with golden yellow needles when grown in a sunny location, and a mature size of 20 ft. tall and 4 ft. wide C. macrocarpa 'Citriodora': a slow-growing cultivar that can reach 15 to 30 ft. in height. New growth is bright yellow and turns deep green in the first year. Pruning Lemon cypress looks best in its natural, untrimmed, slow-growing upright shape. The only regular pruning maintenance required is when the lemon cypress is used as a hedge, bonsai, or topiary. In these cases, it needs to be done carefully and in a timely fashion. This shrub, like most conifers, does not take well to hard pruning. Pruning Tip Looking for the best pruners for your lemon cypresses? We tested top-rated pruners in our Lab to make sure your shrubs stay happy and healthy. Propagating Lemon Cypress The best time for propagating lemon cypress from cuttings is in the winter. Here's how it's done: Cut stem. Cut a piece of stem about 4 inches long. Remove lower leaves. Strip the foliage off the bottom part of the stem so the first 2 inches are bare. Prepare new pot. Add moist, well-draining potting mix to a small pot. Use a pencil to poke a hole in the soil mix. Use rooting hormone and plant. Moisten the cut end and dip it in rooting hormone. Insert the cutting into the small hole in the soil. Cover pot with plastic. Cover the pot with a plastic bag and use sticks to keep the plastic in place. Make sure the plastic does not touch the cutting. Place in bright location. Place the pot in a warm location away from direct sunlight. Water it as needed to keep it evenly moist. Remove plastic bag and let plant grow. When the cutting has developed a good root system—you'll know it's there when the stem does not move if you gently tug on it—it's time to remove the plastic bag, move the pot to a sunny location, and let the sapling continue to grow in the container, or transplant it outdoors. How to Grow Lemon Cypress From Seeds Most lemon cypress trees are cultivars and propagating them from seed does not produce a plant with the same features as the parent, therefore, propagation from seed is not recommended. Potting and Repotting Lemon Cypress Excellent drainage is crucial for lemon cypress so make sure the pot you use has large drain holes. Terracotta pots are ideal because they let air get to the roots but the pots also dry out faster so adjust the watering frequency accordingly. If keeping the lemon cypress in a container, it should be repotted once every three to four years. Move it to a larger pot at least one inch wider than the old pot and backfill with fresh potting mix. Prune the roots conservatively to keep growth in check while repotting. Overwintering Even when grown in a temperature range where it can be grown outdoors, cold winter winds burn the needles so the tree needs some protection. Below USDA zone 7, lemon cypress is best grown in a container and brought indoors during the winter. Keep the humidity around it high by adding a humidifier to the area and place it away from any drafts or heaters. Common Pests & Plant Diseases Cypress is prone to attacks by aphids, mealybugs, caterpillars, and scale insects. These usually don't affect the overall health of the tree and can be controlled with insecticidal soap.1 A more serious problem is coryneum canker, a fungus that can kill the tree. To keep it under control, remove infected branches promptly and dispose of them in the trash. Common Problems With Lemon Cypress After pruning a potted lemon cypress, you might notice that the tips of the pruned branches turn brown. That is part of the natural process and the brown spots should be disguised in due time by new bushy growth.

10 Ways To “Enhance” Your Romance In The Bedroom: From Us (And Our Friends And Partners)…Anonymously

Welcome to our first anonymously written post, mostly because our partners made us promise. We’ve toyed with doing this at EHD as a way to keep our privacy (and privacy of our partners/family/friends) while being able to dive into what we really talk about in the office. Valentine’s Day is approaching and most of us don’t want diamonds, all we really want is a way to connect more. You know, to feel in love with our partner. And a side of butterflies wouldn’t hurt. Rumor has it that sex can get stale. It can even start to feel like an obligation, another box to check, after years of marriage and especially after having kids. But intimacy is SO important, and sex is how a lot of couples feel that intimacy. So in addition to the usual “For Him/For Her” gift guide (stay tuned), this year we’ve crowdsourced from all the women we know (and some men) ways/ideas/products to help bring some romance back, excite us a bit, and to help us “connect” more with our partners in the bedroom. Life is long so why not put some effort in and keep having some fun. *Please note that these are direct quotes from our ANONYMOUS friends and selves about stuff they/we LOVE and have worked for them/us. Everyone will be anonymous, mostly to save partners from embarrassment from their moms who likely read this blog. **And a warning – While we think these suggestions are about getting romantic, connecting and having fun in healthy consensual relationships, we also suggest that Emily’s parents (or those that might feel uncomfortable talking about sex) stop reading right here. :) 1. Dispea Podcast: “If you like reading romance novels (me!!) and like listening to podcasts (me!!) then throw on this erotic, not cheesy, story podcast after crawling into bed and see if it works. In my experience just turning it on, turns us on. However, my male partner wants to note that this is more for women than men. I countered with, ‘well, if it works for women isn’t it also for men if you know what I mean?’ He concurred. But be warned that perhaps both partners might not like these stories equally.” 2. The Spicer App: “This app is so fun. It presents activities and ideas and lets you “like” the things you would feel comfortable doing (separately from your partner, so you can answer as honestly as possible). Once you’re both done you get a list, but only see the activities that both you and your partner both “liked”. You can play “dares” or just see what you both are into. It’s fun and just the act of filling out the questions gets us both excited.” 3. Modern and Pretty Lingerie: Duh. But, a lot of us struggle with lingerie because not only can it be actually unflattering, but there is something so “come hither” cheesy about it – almost like putting on a costume, which sure, can be fun but feels kinda false for a regular basis. Historically lingerie brands have done anything BUT empower women, instead they have been another cog in the objectification machine and been a huge source of body shaming. We found Lonely Label lingerie on Instagram and it looks so pretty and modern. Please note all the beautiful women on their site are of many different sizes, shapes, colors, and ages. EXACTLY. Goodbye Victoria Secret. 4. OMGYES: “I found out about “OMGYES” through an Instagram ad, prominently featuring a photo of Emma Watson (who is a big supporter of the site). Think of it like Skillshare for the big O. You pay a one-time fee, which grants you access to an entire archive of informative and eye-opening videos from women of all ages, sharing their experiences and techniques. It’s not porn, and it’s not just text-based articles with diagrams. It’s kinda like chatting in your living room with your best friends, except your best friends are women’s pleasure experts. Learning about your own sexual pleasure only benefits your relationship and a lot of us weren’t taught ANYTHING. Let’s all get more informed.” 5. Eva II: “This discreet and insanely pleasurable little guy changed our sex life. If you feel like you have a hard time ‘getting there’ when having sex, this will make that a non-issue. But if you don’t want to make that investment, multiple women highly recommended this. Also I haven’t tried this but would sure love it – can anybody recommend it?” 6. Take a Sexy Photo: “Whenever I feel a little unsexy and perhaps slightly insecure about my looks I find that taking a naked or sexy mirror pic makes me feel like a new woman. A lot of the times I don’t even share the photos with my partner (but that can help set the mood, too). I just find that simply giving myself space and opportunity to love myself helps open me up to express that love with my partner. But if you do feel comfortable sharing this with your partner, it can be fun and exciting to throw on some lingerie and have them take some photos of you. Don’t be afraid to treat yourself like you are an exquisite masterpiece – because you are.” 7. Pop on a Steamy Movie Or TV Show: We’re not talking porn. Most women (and men) know the power of “The Notebook”, but a lot of guys don’t necessarily feel cool pressing play on that one. But there are some shows and movies that are less, “50 Shades of Ryan Gosling on a ferris wheel,” and more “Rugged Scottish warriors and vampires”. Our favorites are Outlander, True Blood, and even Dirty Dancing. 8. Turn Up Some Music: “This may be the oldest trick in the book. And when we say music – think romance, not sex. We’ve always struggled with selecting that right music choice. While I don’t mind ‘Let’s Get It On’ on the dance floor, there is something too ‘on the nose’ about it in the bedroom. This is highly specific per each couple out there, but I almost suggest more thinking about it romantically. One example: Play ‘your song’ – the one you did for your first dance.” 9. Pamper Yourself Into The Mood: “Everyone has different things that make them feel sexy. For me, feeling relaxed, soft, and smooth make me feel very sexy. I love taking a warm bath (with a candle because sometimes a cliche works) and using Frank Body Scrub to get my skin super soft and smooth. Then when I get out I like to use Fur Oil (actually TWO people swore by this) and then throw on something comfortable but that shows off all my soft skin, like a satin set.” 10. Celebrate Your Partner, Publicly and Privately: “This is coming from me, Emily Henderson, not anonymous. I think that making your partner feel like they are the best, not just with an ‘I love you’ but really letting them know why, what is it about them that you love, why are they so great is the best way to feel connected. And don’t be afraid to call out physical attributes – men like to be complimented as much as women.” Now we’d love to hear from you. What makes you feel good and empowered in the bedroom? Let’s talk about sex (and romance), baby.