Bedroom Colors!

Since I jumped into the idea of redecorating my bedroom, I have thrown around different color combinations in my head. I am female, so I automatically go towards the bright and frilly colors. But, then I have to stop and remember that my husband does share the room with me and he doesn't want to see polka dots all over the place. So, I am trying to compromise and choose colors that are a little more gender neutral, but by throwing in a great print in those colors, you can see a sense of me in the room.

After thinking... and thinking... and thinking...

Here are the colors that I am leaning towards using in our master bedroom.

 

 

At the moment, you are probably thinking, "how blah!" But, I am looking at some prints and patterns that will make each one of these colors stand out.

 

I have a confession to make... This is the first time that I have jumped in and designed a room by myself. I usually find a comforter or bedspread that I like and buy it with all the accessories and call it a day. Not this time!!! I am going to attempt to match colors, fabrics, prints, and accessories.

 

I am a little nervous about this whole process, but I am trying to stay confident. The goal is to finish the room and not give up!!! So, bear with me... I am sure it will be a fun ride.

 

 

A Bedroom Window Dilemma & Inspiration!

Just call me Mrs. Indecisive! I have always been an individual that hated putting a bed in front of a window. I am not sure why, but my OCD self just didn't like it. For some odd reason, it never felt balanced to me.

Side note: I will move furniture around in a room, look at it, and see if I get the right "feel" from the arrangement. I like my room to give me that balanced feeling in my head, and if it doesn't, it bothers me.

I know... I am weird! But, I have been that way since I was little. I can remember moving my furniture around in my childhood bedroom over and over again.

Since my husband and I are working on the appearance of our bedroom, we have been looking at ways to move furniture around (amongst other things). This past weekend, my husband mentioned moving our bed in front of the large window in our room. It is the only other wall in our room where the bed can be placed, so it is either leave it the same or move it to that wall.

On a positive note, the window is sitting directly in the center of the wall. So, we will have just enough room on either side of the window to place our end tables.

After thinking about it and continuously looking at my room, I may give it a shot. I mean, what is the worst thing that could happen? I may hate it, but I can always move it back to it's original place.

So, today, I wanted to scope the Internet for some inspirational photos of beds in front of windows. Take a look at what I found...

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Check out my favorite inspirational bedroom pictures on my Bedroom Inspiration board on Pinterest.

 

My Cleaning Essentials!

This past weekend, I told my husband that I was going to do some massive cleaning once school is out. Our last day is next Friday, the 24th. My house hasn't had a good cleaning since my baby was born. I know, I am super embarrassed, but what are you supposed to do when you have a four-year-old running around and a newborn to care for? Don't get me wrong, I have done some light cleaning here and there, like cleaning bathrooms and a little dusting, but nothing major. So, it is long overdue!

I must have great timing because yesterday I was reading Jen's daily post on one of my favorite blogs, iheartorganizing, and she was introducing her May mini-challenge. And, what might that challenge be... Cleaning House!!!

 

 

Now, I have some motivation to get my house clean! Since I have one more week before I can start this challenge, I thought I would show everyone my cleaning army. I have tried many cleaning products over the years and these are the ones that I have been using recently to get my house in tip-top shape.

 

 

1. Swiffer Duster Extenders - These are perfect for cleaning fan blades, crown molding, and walls.

 

2. rags - I have a box of old towels and dish cloths that serve as my cleaning crew.

 

3. Clorox disinfecting wipes - I love to use these on the bathroom counters. I also keep a set in the bathroom cabinets for those times when you want to disinfect the counter and toilet real fast.

 

4. o-cel-o sponges - I use these to clean the tubs, kitchen sink, and oven.

 

5. Swiffer sweeper - I LOVE to use the sweeper on my hardwood floors and tile. I use the dry cloths for the hardwood and the wet cloths for the tile. My daughter even enjoys helping in this department.

 

6. Clorox Green Works natural all-purpose cleaner - I use this for mirrors, windows, and everything in between since it is an all-purpose spray.

 

7. Kaboom Foam-tastic cleaner - I have tried MANY bathtub cleaners and this one is by far the best I have tested. You spray a blue foam on the tub and let it sit for a little while. When you come back, the foam has turned grey from the dirt on your tub. Awesome!

 

8. Mr. Clean Magic Eraser - When I have a tough stain on the tub (usually from makeup I have noticed) and the Foam-tastic doesn't get it off, I turn to these handy items. Just a little scrubbing will get anything off.

 

9. Clorox toilet bowl cleaner - I use this on my toilets. I love that it has bleach too. It makes me feel like my toilets are extra clean.

 

10. Pledge furniture spray - I use this for all the wood furniture. I love the smell of lemon. It screams CLEAN!!!

 

11. Lysol disinfectant spray - I love to spray the couch, chairs, comforters, etc. with this awesome spray. It helps eliminate all the germs.

 

What you haven't noticed on my list is a lot of Earth-friendly products. My goal is to start incorporating more and more environmentally-friendly cleaning supplies. They are not only better for the environment, but for us as well. Breathing in chemicals is not good for anyone, no matter what age you may be. If you have a "green" product that you can't live without please share it with me.

 



 

Planning for Family Photos!

When my daughter was born, we set up a "Watch Me Grow" series of photos with Photography by Katrina in Union City, Tennessee. Katrina takes pictures of your baby at 3 months, 6 months, 9 months, and then 12 months. And, of course, we had family photos taken at each session as well. We were very happy with the way Katrina's photos turned out, so we decided to use her again for Derrick. Our first session is May 18th and I am trying to decide what photos I want taken and the outfits I will need for each.

Having pictures taken requires some planning, especially when you have 4 individuals to think about in the process. One thing I have learned is that simple is better! Wearing busy clothing distracts from the picture. So, I am trying to keep that in mind.

If you know me and my husband, you already know Derrick is getting a few FOOTBALL themed photos made!!! We can't help it. We are a football family. My husband is a coach, so you know I want to capture Derrick in that environment.

Since this session is coming up real soon, I have been searching the Internet for inspirational photos. I wanted to share some of the pictures (and Websites) that I have found as inspiration.

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I love the casual look. Less is more when taking pictures, I think.

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Derrick has this blanket.

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I can not express enough how much I adore this picture.

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I hope that my daughter will cooperate, so I can get a picture like this made.

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I would love to get a picture of Kate and all of her princess dresses.

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All of these photos plus a few others are pinned on my Pinterest board called Fabulous Photography.

 

I can't wait to share the actual pictures with y'all. Have a wonderful weekend!!!

 

The Case of the Phone!

Guess what this girl did? FINALLY purchased a new cellphone. I had an iPhone 3 and wanted to upgrade to the iPhone 4s for a solid year before I decided to take the plunge. Why did I wait so long? Well, I kept thinking I would catch an awesome deal and get the phone for $49.99. After the Internet on my phone started continuously crashing when I tried to load it, I decided it was time to bite the bullet. I paid $99.99 for it, but I am still pretty excited.

The camera on my iPhone 3 was horrible. It didn't have a flash, so I had to make sure I took pictures where the lighting was good and the quality was STILL bad. And, come on... People LOVE pictures. I want to have great pictures on my posts and for my instagram account (theocdlifestyle) and I wasn't satisfied with the current ones. I do have a nice camera that I use for most of my pictures, but it is the times when I am out and about and need a quick shot that was lacking. Everyday, no joke, I said I needed a new phone because of the camera. And, I FINALLY have one now.

So, I hope you will see an increase in the quality of all of my pictures. Thank you for hanging in there through all of the not-so-great ones.

In addition to my phone, I got an awesome new case from Shutterfly. I was given the opportunity to review one of their products at no charge to me. I am a HUGE fan of Shutterfly and I was very thankful for the opportunity. All of my photobooks, the date print hanging in my office, and many actual photos came from this wonderful company. So, I decided this time around to try the iPhone case. And, let me just say, they are AMAZING!!! I chose several pictures of my children and one of me and my husband for the case. The case turned out very bright and shiny and the picture quality is exceptional. My husband even made a comment about how professional and expensive it looked.

This is the actual style of case that I chose...

Monogram Memories

iPhone case

$34.95

 

And, here is my actual case... 

 

Look at the cute packaging!

I chose the 2-piece case.

 

 If you haven't checked out Shutterfly and their awesome personalized products, don't hesitate. Great company! And, their products make excellent gifts too.

 



 

(All of the opinions in this post are mine. Shutterfly did not pay me to promote their product. They provided me with a free case & I gave my honest review of the product.)

A Few of My Favorite Things: May 2013

Each month, I will start sharing some products that I am using and/or loving at the moment. I thought it would be a great way to show everyone some of the things that I use at home. These things will not only include organizational items, but clothing, home accents, beauty products, and children's goodies. In a nutshell, everything is game! ;)

If there are some products that you think are pretty awesome and feel I should try, please let me know. I am always looking for new products to test. It makes me happy when I find a product that changes my life.

So, without further ado, here are some of my favorite things in May...

1. Shutterfly iPhone Case

How neat is it to have your children's, pet's, or friends's photos on your cellphone? I ordered myself one of these beautiful cases with my babies' pictures on it. 

 

2. Hand Stamped Personalized Necklace

I absolutely LOVE this necklace. I found it while searching on Pinterest one day. Handmade with a charm for each of my children's names and birthdays, my husband's initial & mine, and our wedding date. This would make an excellent mother's day present. *hint, hint*

 

3. Bath & Body Works Oceanside Scent

I purchased one of these wallflowers to try out as one of my summer scents and it is amazing. It has a very light and fresh scent. I am not fond of candles and scent bars that have a strong "take your breath away" scent. So, this is perfect for me!

 

4. Under Armour Perforated Great Escape Shorts II

I am signed up on Under Armour's email list. So, I am always receiving emails with new shoes and apparel. I received an email a couple of weeks ago with these shorts and I have thought about them ever since. I can't bring myself to pay $29.99 for a pair of running shorts, but that doesn't mean I can't ooh and aah over them. Right?!?!

 

5. Pinkalicious

My mom came home from a shopping trip with this book for my daughter. She thought Kate would LOVE this book since pink is her favorite color. And, my mom was absolutely correct. She had me reading the book twice and her daddy three times on the first day she got it. Very cute story!

 

6. Coton Colors Bargello Mix Dinnerware

Have I mentioned that I love Coton Colors? Have I mentioned that I love bright and colorful dishes? I have the red and white chevron plates by Coton Colors hanging on my kitchen wall. I would LOVE to add some of these to my collection. They immediately make me smile when I look at them.

 

 

Children's DVD Storage: Take 2

A year ago, I created DVD storage for my daughter that I thought was going to leave us with a lot more space and a more organized environment. Boy was I wrong!!!

I thought my daughter would leave the DVDs alone since I placed them in a box and put them in our entertainment center in the living room. Wrong again!!! She would sneak in the living room when no one was in there and snatch a DVD or two to play with in her room. Next thing we knew they were popping up in her purses, under her bed, and everywhere she played.

They started out looking like this last year...

And, they ended up looking like this...

So, I decided it was time to try something new. That is the thing with organizing... A solution may work great at one point and then become a complete disaster. It is all about the process. There are always better ways of doing things and I am always looking for that better way.

I had these binders laying in my office waiting to get used, so I thought they would make a great solution to my problem...

Staples 1" and 1 1/2" better view binders

And, I purchased these Vaultz CD pages from Wal-Mart...

Step 1: Sorting

I sorted the DVDs into two categories: Disney and non-Disney. Yes, we have that many Disney DVDs!!! I also made sure that I had all of the information packets for each DVD. I collected all of them and stacked them in a pile.

Step #2: Storing

Next, I placed all of the Disney DVDs into the 1" binder sleeves. Then, I placed all of the non-Disney DVDs into the 1 1/2" binder sleeves.

I put all of the DVD information packets and a few actual cases (for travel) into the pink box that once housed all the DVDs.

Step #3: Creating a List

Next, I got out a piece of paper and a pencil and created a list of all the DVDs I placed in the binders. Then, typed up two separate lists in Microsoft Word; one for the Disney DVDs and the other for the non-Disney DVDs.

Step #4: Creating a Label

I don't have a picture for this step, but I created a label using Microsoft Word and Avery 18160 labels for the edge of the binders.

Step #5: Putting it all Together

Maybe this technique will work a lot better than the last one. Only time will tell!!!