Home Making

how to stay organized during a move

March 28, 2013 | posted by Jaima @ Ring Around the Rosies | 2 Comments

Moving in and of itself can be stressful. At least for me. Throw in three big conference trips to three different states and your husband going away with the Army for 3-5 weeks all while trying to close on a house and move, and things just get chaotic

I don’t know of anyone who just enjoys moving. Sure, it is exciting and we are superduper ready for the next chapter in our lives, and thankful for the opportunity to move, but the moving part is just no fun. This will be our third big move. A lot of people don’t know this, but I was only 19 when we bought our first house. I’ve always been a go big or go home kind of gal – one to not just think about how awesome something might be, but to do it. People thought we were nuts. Only a select handful of people thought we might possibly make it. Eight years later, we still in fact own that house, and our relationship is better than ever. Then, after the accident, we moved back to Tennessee (and when I say we, I really mean Andrew – I was very pregnant and he made trips back and forth to Connecticut twice a month to pack and move stuff). And now, we are leaving our temporary home that we have been blessed to have, and our moving into our dream home.

Okay, if you have been here for a little while, you are well aware of my OCD tendencies. I am slightly giddy to share you my newest creation, birthed by my OCD. But first, I want to share with you how to make the whole process of moving a little easier and a lot less stressful.

One way I have found to streamline all of the boxes, is to print labels. I designed labels for every room / location in our new house – they are all different colors and include enough space below the color/name to write what’s in the boxes. This way it is much easier to direct your helpers where to put stuff. I don’t want to have to stand there with our helpers unloading the truck and tell them where to take things – this way they can see for themselves. Also, it is much easier to prioritize what to unpack and helps you find those lost things. And, because I love my readers, I am offering you all the labels I made for free! You can download them all right here. Then, you can change the names to fit your rooms, and simply print on Avery’s 8163 labels.

Here’s an example of the rooms I used.

Before you consider packing though, or even moving really, go through everything you have. Start with one room, or one section of a room and focus on just that one space for the time. I am a big time purger. I feel like I spent the last two years (since we’ve lived in this house) purging things. And yet I’ve already collected 4 big bags of stuff to donate. Everything in my home has to have a purpose, or a real sentimental value. If I don’t love it, if it doesn’t serve our space, if I haven’t used it in a while – it’s GONE! If you’re just beginning to go through things, either as part of your spring cleaning, moving, or just because, start with 3 boxes/bags. 1 to trash, 1 to donate, and 1 to keep. You can also include a box to sell, if you want to take the time to do that (I love getting paid for my junk). And then, immediately do something with the boxes when you’re done. Either put the keep stuff away, or pack it up ‘til you need it. Take the trash out, and take the donation box to your car for when you go by a place to drop it.

When you are boxing up stuff to keep, keep it labeled. You can see here, I’ve already started packing up stuff we won’t need for the next few weeks.

If you really want to make it easier for your friends or hired help during the move, you can keep the boxes also separated by room. I also circle an “F” on the labels when the box is fragile!

And there you go… I hope this helps you have a more organized, balance move. Someone on facebook commented that this is also a great idea for teachers who have to pack up there rooms every summer. You can label the boxes by center, subject, or area of the classroom. (have I mentioned how much I love the RATR facebook community and being able to chat with y’all there?)

You can download your own labels right here. Then, you can change the names to fit your rooms, and simply print on Avery’s 8163 labels.

And please go ahead and follow along on facebook and instagram to see how I handle the move (be it gracefully or not)

SHOP HERE

Filed Under: balance, Home Making, organizing, our house

my home “office”–where the magic happens

March 6, 2013 | posted by Jaima @ Ring Around the Rosies | 6 Comments

If you’re wondering why office is in quotations… then check out this post. Last year, we turned an old beat up camper into my home office. And it has worked out perfectly. It is my little get-a-way sometimes. I really love that it’s not actually inside the home where I am constantly reminded of the piles of laundry and the projects that need to be done around here. Having an outside office forces me to walk out the door and into my “work environment” so that I can focus solely on work.

So here is where we started… you can see all the before pictures in the original post. It was disgusting. But it was free, so with a couple hundred bucks and a lot of elbow grease, it is now an awesome little room!

Now, for the after pictures of the inside…

When you first walk in, this is what you see

Up until about a month ago, it looked like this… and then my amazing hubby surprised me with a new flat screen and wireless accessories to replace the 3 monitors I had and all those messy wires and speakers. (He rocks, huh?)

to the right of the door, is my make shift bookshelf. It and the desk are both part of Elizabeth’s Pottery Barn bedroom set, and the bookshelf is technically suppose to hang on the wall (the side against the wall has a beveled edge), but I’m all about making due.

Since this space also doubles as our guest bedroom, I wanted to add a mirror and some welcoming accessories. The mirror came from a local thrift store. It was gold, but after a little spray paint I love it so much more. The picture frame came from Charming Charlies and the flowers were clipped off my bush (these were actually taken last summer).

to the left of the door, and if you’re sitting at my desk, this is the view:

This is a futon that pulls out into a full size bed. It is actually pretty comfy. We added a humungous memory foam mattress pad, and no bed is complete without a nice down comforter. There is room under the bed for storage or small suitcases as well. And I left 2 of the baskets on my bookshelf empty for guests.

I know my colors don’t all mesh very well together. The blue baskets on the shelf are too blue instead of a turquoise for the quilt and “YAY” banner (from one of my favorite etsy shops), but for now, they work. Truth be told, they won’t have to work for much longer, and I’m dying to tell you why, but I can’t just yet…

To give you perspective of how small this space is, here’s Bean visiting… you can see where the doorway, the shelf, and part of my desk chair is in this photo

Can you believe it once looked like this though? Skeevy… (yes, that’s the same corner, looking in from the door).

Having a dedicated home office is one of the most important parts of working from home. Before hand, I was working from the kitchen table, or couch, and let’s be honest… it is not very effective. There are too many distractions in our homes and to be successful we need to FOCUS! Or at least I do.

So what do you think? Do you have a creative home office you can share with us? Feel free to leave a link below or post a picture on our facebook page to see and be inspired!

Filed Under: Home Making, organizing, our house, wahm

naturally removing rust from stainless steel

February 18, 2013 | posted by Jaima @ Ring Around the Rosies | Leave a Comment

The weather is so wonky around here. It’s warm then it’s cold. It’s raining then it’s freezing rain. One minute I want to open all the windows to spring clean, and the next I’m crawling back under the blankets.

But I have been getting a few “spring cleaning” items crossed off the list until the full week (which I’m excited to do and share with you).

Yesterday I finally got the rust cleaned off our stainless steel stove. It’s been there since we moved in.

I took my trusty Scour Off and my favorite sponge

and lightly scrubbed (more like wiped) it right off.

And wala, less then 3 minutes later, I had a shiny, clean, brand new looking stove. WHY did I take 2 years to do this?

Are you anxiously awaiting spring, like I am?!

What things would you like more tips on, and help cleaning?!?!

click here

Filed Under: cleaning, get clean, Home Making

organizing puzzles

February 16, 2013 | posted by Jaima @ Ring Around the Rosies | 7 Comments

Elizabeth got several puzzles for Christmas, and she LOVES them. The boxes were always out, and the pieces were always scattered about the floor. And since then, the boxes have long been demolished. So, I needed to find something (for my sanity) to organize the pieces by puzzle again.

I bought several of these wire baskets at the Dollar Tree for her birthday party in July, and man, I wish I had bought every one they had, because I’ve used them for so many things since then.

I grabbed an empty one and a couple of ziplock bags. Then, I managed to find a picture of the puzzle from the broken boxes and cut it out.

Then just sort the pieces, throw in the picture, and rejoice before they’re all dumped out and mixed together again!

I have been on an organizing binge lately. Last year, I focused on getting rid of everything, and now that the house is almost completely cleared out, and the balance seems so much better, I’m trying to make things flow a little better with organizing! Truth be told, I have always been way OCD and organized, so be prepared for much more!

In the meantime check out these posts I think you’ll like:

Creating Balance in your Home and Day to Day Life

Our Family Room Tour

The Most Amazing Enchilada Recipe

Filed Under: Home Making, organizing, our house

new favorite flowers (bedroom refreshing)

February 5, 2013 | posted by Jaima @ Ring Around the Rosies | 2 Comments

I wanted to give you a quick sneak peak of our bedroom makeover. Makeover isn’t really the appropriate word, since we’re not really doing any thing except refreshing it… Finally, after almost 3 years of living here, it is getting the much needed attention it needs.

Pulling out ALL of the clutter and anything that doesn’t belong in a master bedroom, but that’s been stored here for lack of space. Adding some touches to make it much more relaxing and retreat like, so that we can actually come to the bedroom to relax and sleep, and not have to step over 4 piles of laundry.

I think the master bedroom should be the most romantic, zen room in the house. And ours has been the total opposite of that. It should be a place you can escape to, rest, dream, and well, you get the picture. But more on that in the full post.

One small thing I did in here (besides new bedding), was added simple, fresh cut flowers to the bedside table. They immediately calm me down, and it is so nice to see first thing in the morning instead of the mess. Such a small thing that looks so elegant, but with a HUGE impact.

And you want to know something? This is what the flowers look like today. Guess how long they’ve been there… TWO MONTHS!!! Crazy, right? Flower Muse sent them to me before Christmas to review. I forgot to take any pictures of them then, because the holidays were so nuts.

You can tell that they’re starting to turn just a tad around the edges, but I’ll be honest in saying I haven’t changed their water. I’ve never had fresh flowers last longer than a week, which is one reason I don’t buy them very often.

Oh, and something I like even more… they come STRAIGHT from the farm. There’s no dyes, or anything like that, they are real, organic, flowers. Flower Muse is an eco friendly, farm-to-table floral e-tailer. And I don’t think I will ever buy or send flowers from anywhere else again… I am not a huge rose fan, so I love that they have a lot of variety…

So tell your hubby’s all about it… do like I do, and just send them the link as a nice subtle hint!! Or heck, treat YOURSELF, Mama! I know you deserve it!

How do you make your bedroom a retreat!?! I would love any ideas as we finish ours up!

disclosure* Flower Muse sent me the flowers to review. I was not compensated for my time or opinions. To see all of my policies and full discloser statement, please click here.

Filed Under: balance, Home Making, our house, sponsor

our family room

January 10, 2013 | posted by Jaima @ Ring Around the Rosies | 4 Comments

So many bloggers put up pictures of their immaculate houses. Everything is perfect, clean, and accessorized. And that is fabulous, and one day, our dream house will be too. But, I want to share with you that it isn’t all about the house you live in! You can make a home out of anyplace without feeling like it’s not Pinterest worthy.

You see, so many of you have asked for a home tour, and I’ve put it off forever because our house is nothing special. Well, that’s not true – the house itself is not special, but the home we have created it to be is special. It is special because it’s the home we brought our daughter home to. It’s been our safe-haven when we really didn’t know where else to go after the accident. My aunt and uncle rent it to us, and for that we are eternally grateful since we still have our house in Connecticut as well.

This has made a great home for us. I’m not going to lie, I complain about it a LOT. Which then makes me feel guilty because I know there are lots of people out there who have NO place to call home.

For now, the 980 square foot home works. There are lots of little quirks that I’d like to fix, and a lot of redecorating I would like to do, but those things haven’t fit in with our “paying off ALL of our debt” lifestyle. Plus, we both realize it’s just a temporary home.

Living in only 980 square feet, you have to get creative, and you have to be very intentional with what you have in your home.

This room was built on in the 80s sometime, so it’s a step down from our dining room. Before moving in, we painted everything. The back wall (to the left of the fireplace) use to have a huge mural of a lake. I’m not kidding. And green carpet. The ceilings are pretty low throughout our whole house (like maybe 8’). There are still things I would love to do in here. We really need to raise the curtain rod, and I would love new curtains, new rug, and new accessories. I’m over the red BIG TIME. Andrew had the rug and couch when he was on Active Duty, and we’ve just kept it and brought in things that matched. But I’m over it. Our carpet also needs to be restretched – Andrew says I vacuum too much (sometimes twice a day), but I think it was just a poor installation job. Those lines drive me BONKERS.

(And don’t mind the pretty pink potty – we’re in the throws of potty training)

This fireplace is electric and I LOVE it. We bought it for our home in CT and just love it. It makes the home feel so much cozier.

Andrew plays the piano, which I love. He plays late at night when Elizabeth is in bed, and I just love hearing it through the house.

You can see our gallery wall in more detail here. I like things simple and clean, so I don’t like all kinds of knicknacks and clutter all around. On top of the piano is a basket for storing remotes, a Scentsy warmer that I adore, and our daily devotionals.

Love having the basket there. We (almost) always know where the remote is this way, and it hides the extra XBox controllers. Little to no effort is involved with tidying up, or putting your game stuff away like this.

I love how this Scentsy warmer reflects hearts onto the wall at night. We don’t have lamps for the room (they’re on the list too), but this puts off the perfect cozy glow. I had never bought Scentsy before, but it made the holidays smell like home, and now I’m loving the clean springy scent of coconut lime! I tried to cheat and buy a different scent pack at walmart – FAIL! The smell only lasted 1 day, and who knows what’s in theirs. I cut mine on at night as a nightlight and don’t need to use it during the day. You know I hate plug-ins and aerosol sprays and how toxic they are for your babies air. Scentsy claims to not use phthalates.

We honestly do not watch much tv. We do not have cable or satellite or anything like that. Just a few local channels. We do have Netflix that we occasionally will watch at night. Andrew use to play XBox a lot, but we have both become more conscious of where we spend our time and mind.

We store his games in this basket so that they’re all out of site. I store a couple of Elizabeth’s movies and my workout dvds in the center. She became obsessed with Rio after seeing it at her cousins. She loves Veggie Tales and Mickey Mouse, too. Those and Nemo in the truck, are about the only things she’s ever really seen or knows of. She has no clue who Dora, Spongebob, or those other mind pollutants are.

My hand weights stay beside the tv, because that’s where I work out in the morning. I like these because they stack.

Elizabeth’s art easel is in here too, because she uses it ALL the time. And her basket of puzzles and small toys are between the couch and piano too.

So there you go. Our uncluttered, simple family room. Tell me, what is your design style?!

Filed Under: Home Making, organizing, our house

simple shower saver

December 11, 2012 | posted by Jaima @ Ring Around the Rosies | 3 Comments

As Christmas approaches, we’re all trying to prepare our homes for guests and the festivities! Today, I have a super time saver for you!

I’ve shared with you before how I clean my shower, but now I have something so much simpler! I don’t know about you, but I seem to have less and less time to clean my showers like they need to be cleaned every week (even though it really only takes like 10 minutes). But now, while I’m in there, I can clean them effortlessly really fast in no time!

I picked up a dawn dish scrubber at the dollar store, added 1/2 tsp of basic h (to make the degreaser formula), and then filled it up with water!

“Ta Da”, as Elizabeth says!!! Super easy, and it works so well!!! No more water spots in the tub!

I was so excited about it, I didn’t even wait for the shower to dry before taking pictures! You have got to try this!

On another note, people ask me all the time if Shaklee products really do save me money… Here’s how! This is the ONLY cleaner I use for my windows, showers, carpets, wood floors, counters, furniture, toilets, oven – everything! I even bathe Jade in it (and Elizabeth too sometimes)! In 14 months, you can see I still have a little more than 1/2 a bottle left! I would say that the $10 I spent on this bottle of Basic H has DEFINITELY saved me money! No more windex, bissel carpet stuff, swiffer solution, kitchen cleaner, scrubbing bubbles, clorox toilet bowl cleaner, dog wash, shower spray… This is it!

GET YOURS HERE! I recommend starting with one of our kits!

See all of my cleaning tips here

Filed Under: cleaning, get clean, Home Making

simple steps to creating a greener, healthier home (even if you rent)

November 12, 2012 | posted by Jaima @ Ring Around the Rosies | 5 Comments

I have been chosen to participate in Apartment Guide’s “Repurpose or Recycle: Environmentally Friendly Tips for Renters” Blogger Program. Apartment Guide offers tips on how to make your apartment greener and make the most of your space on the Apartment Guide blog. I am super excited to share some of my own ideas with you!

As you know, green, more natural living is one of my passions. Not only for the Earth’s sake, but more importantly (to me), for our families sake. I know a lot of people are thinking, “well I won’t make the difference”, or “It doesn’t matter anyway”. To that, I simply ask you to reconsider. I know small things can makes a huge difference. Just as they have for our family.

It can be intimidating and overwhelming if you try to do everything at once, so I have come up with a few simple things that have worked for our family, even as renters in our current home.

1. Recycle. Everybody says that. It can seem like a lot of work, but it doesn’t have to be. Keep a paper bag or box at home for your paper goods and glass. Take them out at the same time every week that you take your garbage out. Our first home was in a condominium, and while we had dumpsters on site for our garbage, there was no recycling. One thing some of the neighbors did was come up with a recycling program. We simply established a place within the gate of our dumpster area to place recyclables. It was great to come together as neighbors for the good of something!

2. Share. We have been richly blessed with hand-me-downs for Elizabeth. I highly recommend sharing clothes and baby items as they hardly get used otherwise. If you don’t have other kids around, there are a lot of great freeshare sites out there, and even creeping up on facebook. We have also got a lot of things for our home off of Craigslist.

3. Use it up. There are few things that I am anal about, but using up what I have is one of them. I hate wasting things. I can remember my great grandma cutting open a bag of flour or sugar to get the last grains out. That’s because she lived through the Great Depression. However, people my age are so quick to toss out the last cup of something. Why do we let food go to waste and continue to buy more? Because we have the money to. Doesn’t mean we should. We are such a wasteful nation. Same goes for shampoo, soap, and all other products. There’s no need to throw it out if it isn’t completely gone. Don’t buy 3 or 4 types of Shampoo. Buy 1 (or 2 if you have special hair needs), use them all up, replace them…

4. Switch your cleaners. This is a huge one. Actually, it’s a pretty small task, but it makes a huge difference. If our home should be the safest place on the planet, why are we constantly poisoning it with toxic cleaners? I challenge you to look beneath your sink and check out the label of your favorite cleaners. Chances are you’ll be surprised to learn that most of them can’t be disposed of in the trash – yet we use them in our home every day. I get emails every day from moms who tell me they no longer have to buy allergy medicine or that their kids haven’t had to use inhalers in weeks since switching to cleaner products!

5. Unplug! This sounds so silly, but Apartment guide recently published an article that shocked me! You will actually save money by unplugging appliances around your home. I always thought as long as it wasn’t on, it wasn’t costing anything. Now I will rethink that! Look how much money and energy you can save and put towards creating something better for your family!

6. Repurpose. I am semi-famous for this. Part of paying off our debt this year has been in “making do” with what we have. These shelves and our sensory tables have both been made for free with pallet wood. You can find tons of pallets for free on craigslist. The monogrammed plate was an antique plate of my moms. I simply added the “s” with a sharpie! (how’s that for free). The picture frames were all a hodge podge that I painted black to make them look uniform. In the bottom picture, I shopped my home for things to include on my summer shelves. I printed out my own art for the frames, used old candle holders for the flowers. The shelves (and everything on them) were repurposed and came together to create something unique and personal in our home.

For more tips and real-time tips and updates on how to make the most of your small space, “like” Apartment Guide on Facebook, tweet at them @AptGuideon Twitter, “circle” them on Google+and follow them on Pinterest. AND, If you’re ready for a whole new space or looking to move, ApartmentGuide has the photos, floor plans, features and tips to help you search for green apartment communities.

Disclosure Statement:
Apartment Guide and owner Consumer Source, Inc. partner with bloggers such as me to participate in blogger programs. As part of that program, I received compensation. They did not tell me what to purchase or what to say about any products and believe that consumers and bloggers are free to form their own opinions and share them in their own words. Consumer Source’s policies align with WOMMA Ethics Code, FTC guidelines and social media engagement recommendations. You can find all of my reader agreements and policies here.

Filed Under: cleaning, health, Home Making, organizing, sponsor

fall mantel reveal

October 29, 2012 | posted by Jaima @ Ring Around the Rosies | Leave a Comment

I like to keep things simple. I use to decorate every room. No lie. Now, I like simple, clean, uncluttered – even during the holidays. In fact, bringing my box of fall decorations inside, made me want to clean out in other places so I took 2 big bags of clothes out of my closet… I seriously have a new found hate for “stuff”. If I don’t love it, if it doesn’t serve a purpose or have a deep sentimental value I can’t stand to have it in my house. I’ve spent the past 2 years purging stuff, and it has been super freeing to me!

Enough chatting… onto the mantel!

Want to know a secret? A few years ago, Pottery Barn came out with all of their birchwood accessories. I loved it. I did NOT love the outrageous price tag! So, my husband found some while we were driving down the road. And umm, we may have went back to gather some! Everyone got birch candle holders that Christmas.

Andrew bought the electric fireplace for me for my birthday one year! It was a display at one of the home improvement stores! It makes our home so cozy! Just like it did our house in Connecticut!

So warm and simple. I love it.

How do you decorate for the seasons?

Filed Under: fall, Home Making

make your own mood spray

October 26, 2012 | posted by Jaima @ Ring Around the Rosies | Leave a Comment

Today I am so excited to have my friend Alex guest posting! She has a fabulous blog over at Elven Eleven. Take it away girl!

Lift your spirits all day long with a simple and easy aromatherapy spray made with just water and essential oils. It is super easy and it really works! Spritz your surroundings when you need a mood-lift, lightly mist your linens to promote restful sleep, or spray a cloth a few times and toss into your dryer for day-long mood enhancement!

Certain essential oils have known effects on our mood – and many (including my favorites: lavender, peppermint, chamomile and sandalwood) promote a calming state. I am constantly seeking stress-busting and mood-enhancing strategies (aren’t all moms??), and I have found this to be an easy and effective way to immediately feel calm and less frazzled.

The recipe is beyond simple: water + essential oils. That’s it!

I use travel sized (2 oz.) spray bottles and fill them with distilled water (so they would last a while without mold or bacteria) and add 25+ drops of my favorite oils. Mix and match to your liking, and enjoy!!