Spring Cleaning the Bathroom

First off, be sure to enter the Get Clean Sweepstakes!

Over the weekend I worked on Spring Cleaning our bathroom with the brand new nice smelling French Lavender All-Purpose spray that Method sent over and here are a few of my tips when it comes to cleaning the bathroom.

1. Matching Towels: Discard any shabby towels and invest in matching ones. I prefer white ones because they feel like the spa or hotel at home and are super easy to clean. It also may be a good idea to have an unused set or two set tucked away for guests, so you will also always be prepared. (I'm kind of like Monica on Friends when it comes to this... ha)




2. Sort through your cosmetic and beauty products and make sure they are being used. Why have things that you've had in your bathroom closet for years if you don't use them or plan on using them? Save the space and discard that old eyeshadow color or shampoo you don't like. If you wear makeup, also make sure to clean your makeup brushes often.

3. Start being an educated consumer: This tip may not be for everyone but is a personal preference. A few years ago I sorted through all of our bathroom and cosmetic products and chucked everything above a 5 on the EWG Cosmetic Safety Database and I do my best to not purchase anything above that number. From what I've learned, what you put on your body gets so quickly absorbed into our systems and just like the food we consume, I want to make sure we are not putting unnecessary harmful toxins in our bodies.

p.s. If any of you have found a great 'aluminum-free' deodorant that works, hit up the comments -- I've tried 3 and I'm still searching.

4. Clean your bathroom once a week : When you keep on top of the weekly cleaning it really isn't that big of a deal to clean the bathroom. It is my least favorite chore so I often make it fun by turning on upbeat music and just going for it.

5. Have supplies handy: Make sure you have certain bathroom supplies stocked up and close by. The worst is running out of t.p. when it is most needed or eek... has this ever happened to you when you were at someone else's home? Have backup supplies accessible for guests as well.

What about you, what types of things do you do when cleaning the bathroom?

*This post is sponsored by Martha Stewart and Method, but these opinions and tips are how I really roll.

Photos by Rachel Jones – Black Eiffel.

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Spring Cleaning the Closet

I want to let you know about the Get Clean Sweepstakes, a really great prize awaits a lucky winner!

Laundry, laundry -- love it or hate . . . as for Monday, it is laundry day at our house. If clothes get dirty during the week, it has to wait its turn in the hamper until Monday comes again. This one day only system works for us and seriously gives me 'laundry peace of mind.'

Method sent me some laundry detergent and what I like about it is that the bottle is super small and smart so it really saves on space, it smells pretty darn good, and the concentrated formula works really well.

Here are a few of my other tips for how to organize the clothes once Monday gets them clean . . .  a few spring cleaning the closet tips you may enjoy:

For the last little while my closet has been in major transition (having a baby can do that). Until I get back to my goal, I am motivating myself by not buying any new clothes, and rebuilding my wardrobe in a way that I am excited about.





1: Dress like a French woman and seek after high quality items that will enhance your overall wardrobe, don't get wrapped up in purchasing quantity and those throw-away pieces. You know the ones I'm talking about, right? Have you heard that we only wear 20% of our clothes 80% of the time? Make that 20% the best!

2: Edit through your closet seasonally and filter out things that you haven't worn. If you live in a place where your climate doesn't vary that much, you can probably do this less. Also organize your clothes in a way that works for you -- by color, type, season etc...

3: Have matching hangers, it makes all of the difference and makes your closet look nice and uniform.




4: Organize your shoes. Keep shoes off the ground and find a organizer that appeals to you. A simple shoe rack, a back of the door wonder whatever works in your space. It will feel nice, make things much easier to access, and let you see at one quick glance everything available.

5: Get storage containers that match whether in your drawers or to store seasonal clothing items and accessories -- to give your space uniformity. They create instant boundaries and help limit overall stuff consumption. If it doesn't fit in your closet or storage bins, don't buy it or rotate something else out. Also a little secret of mine is that I always try to have an empty storage bin handy for backup in those quick pick up moments, like when a last minute visitor stops by.

Tell me readers, what are your laundry and spring cleaning out your closets tips? I would absolutely love to hear about them!

*Method provided the laundry soap, which is already our first choice. This post is sponsored by Martha Stewart and Method, but these opinions and tips are how I really roll.

Photos by Rachel Jones – Black Eiffel.

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Method

I am excited to be working with Martha Stewart LivingOmnimedia for the next several weeks highlighting one of my favorite brandsMethod. First up I want to let you know about the Get Clean Sweepstakes! Be sure to check that out.

I use Method cleaning supplies all the time in our home -- I am apretty much a super fan, and with some major Spring Cleaning beginning aroundour home, this is right up my alley! What I especially like about Methodproducts is they are non-toxic, and natural, but still work very effectivelyand come in pretty designed and eco-minimal packages. Are you a fan too?

As I share my thoughts about Method products I will also sharesome of my Spring Cleaning tips and first up I am going to explore the kitchen.Method recently sent me the above yummy smelling Clementine Dish Soap that isincredible – the smells is utterly addictive and it may sound crazy but it reallymakes me want to do the dishes. I love the sweet citrus smell! All of theirproducts I've tried smell amazing which makes Spring Cleaning much more enjoyable.




Speaking of dishes, when it comes to dishes I am reallygoing through a purging phase right now. I am working on pairing down what wedon’t need or use. I’ve conquered the cupboard above and I’m off to set the restin order. I’ve been using the Method multi-purpose spray as I goto wipe down the cabinets, which pretty much makes everything smell likeheaven.


Tip 1 : Figure out what your needs are and eliminatewhat you don’t use or like. When organizing match like items together with amplespace around them for easy access and organization.


A while back we got rid of all of our unsharp knives afterwe saved for months to upgrade to a few really great knives. Ithas made all of the difference and chopping, slicing and dicing much more enjoyable. 

Tip 2 : Discard unsafe knives (dull ones aredangerous!) and broken appliances, and save to upgrade to kitchen tools thatyou will use and last for a lifetime. Keep knives sharp by having themprofessionally sharpened once a year, and don’t put them in the dishwasher orleave them in the sink!




There is a tiny hidden wall in our kitchen where I put upcork squares and pin up rotating food ideas or articles that inspire me. Thevisuals help steer our choices in a better direction. As you can see from the current board above, right now we are really focusing on eating healthier in our family, although I do miss seeing photos of delicious desserts! 

Tip 3 : Be inspired while in your kitchen – Have aplace where you can see visual reminders of what types of things you want towant to eat. It can be on a wall, on the back of a cupboard, whatever worksbest in your space.



 

While going through our cabinets I have came across my little problem of loving books too much –especially well-designed and pretty photographed cookbooks so it is hard not tokeep adding to them. I’m in the process of going through all of the pretty onesthat aren’t dogeared to see what recipes I really want to cook. Furthermore, it is even getting more tricky to focus with all of the pretty cooking apps for the iPad theyare coming out with… have you seen Everday Food?! Gorgeous! (I will have to doa post on that.)

Tip 4 : Utilize what you already have before adding more.Set your limits and define the space it will take up, when you purchase something,pass on another.


My final tip is my black book of recipes. I’ve tried manythings … computer programs, recipe cards, custom recipe books, apps and more. What Ikeep coming back to and what works best for me is to the print off, clip andtype recipes, and put them into a binder with plastic pages. I have tabscategorizing sections like entrees, salads, soups and more and it is a snap to quicklyfind what favorites I want to make. When I meal plan for the week I just go through andtake out the recipes I’m going to use, write down the ingredients I need andput them in the front of the binder for easy access during the week. The plastic pages have also saved me from many spills.




Tip 5: Organize and collect your favorite andwell-used recipes in one place so they are easy to access when cooking in thekitchen.

So there you have it… my five Spring Cleaning tips for thekitchen! What are some of your tips? I would love to hear about them in thecomments! Favorite recipes, cookbooks shout those out too. Also what are your favorite cleaning supplies in the kitchen -- do you seek after the good smells like me?

*As a heads up, Method sent me the dish soap for review andI really love it. This post is sponsored by Martha Stewart and Method, but these opinions are my own -- you should see my Method Cleaning Arsenal before they even approached me.


Photos by Rachel Jones – Black Eiffel.

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Great Idea for your Inspiration Board

These little photo hangers are brilliant for when you don't want to poke holes in pretty pieces. Bravo!

(via Bb-blog)

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Great Idea for your Inspiration Board

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Things Organized Neatly

I am incredibly drawn to things that are beautiful and organized, sometimes I wake up dreaming about everything having its own place in our home. It is something I am continually working on. When I saw that Abbey from Design Scouting found a site called Things Organized Neatly I was instantly hooked, and I have joined with her in having it become my new favorite blog obsession.



I am further charmed by the cool Defender ad above because is one of my dream cars (sigh). Do you like to look at organized pretty things too? Are you a neat-nick? What types of things do you do to keep your life in order?

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