It may not feel much like September outside - hellooooo, heat and humidity! But the kiddos are back to school, #PSL is back on the Starbucks menu, and we finally got to flip our kitchen calendar and stop staring at the stunned kitten that was the August page. It can only mean one thing: September is here.

Yeah, I went school supply shopping. Never mind the fact I haven't been in school in 10+ years.

I used to get excited about things like Caribbean vacations, ponies, long weekends jam packed with parties, and Coach bags.

These days, two of the things I'm most excited for I'm also the most embarrassed about, and yet I'm posting about them on the Internet. Because I'm JUST. SO. EXCITED!

Thing #1: The Weekend with No Plans

This coming weekend, I have no plans (see what I did there, with the foreshadowing from the line above?) Correction: I have plans, and they revolve around things like cleaning the house, organizing the nursery closet, planting some new flowers in my flower boxes, getting an oil change, maybe doing a craft, making some lasagna, watching TV, walking the dog...basically, leaving the house as little as possible and not doing anything remotely exciting.

I don't know if this is considered "nesting". I call it "getting my shit together". Whatever it is, is it sad that I'm looking forward to doing it? Please don't feel compelled to answer.

Thing #2: The Home Organization Binder


A few weeks ago, this post inspired me to check out the Just Mommies Home Organization Plan (yeah, I know, the name "Just Mommies" is gag worthy and if the word "mommy" was taken out of circulation rightthissecond it would still be eons too late). But trust me: This plan is awesome. It assigns you daily, weekly, and monthly tasks to keep your home clean and organized, and there are regular catch-up days in case you do let some of your tasks slide. Right now, we operate on a let-it-go-until-we-can't-stand-it cleaning schedule, where there are dog fur tumbleweeds rolling across the floor and we've both been going commando for a week because there's no clean underwear left. This plan has you completing a few items every day, so your house is in a constant state of niceness, and nothing gets out of hand.

Some people can just keep their houses spotless with apparently zero effort. I am not one of those people. I enjoy cleaning, but I need a checklist to keep me on task and to help me keep track of what's done and what's left to do - to-do lists are a huge part of my job and now, I guess, my personal life. Hold me.

So I'm taking it one step further and started putting together a home organization binder. I KNOW, RIGHT? WHO AM I. This binder will keep track of my cleaning schedules, menu planning for the coming weeks, grocery lists, monthly calendars with important dates that are coming up (car inspections and maintenance, birthdays, anniversaries, appointments), Christmas shopping/card lists, mailing addresses, etc.

And for the past several months we've already gotten into the habit of saving all our receipts, bills, bank statements, and so on, all organized into folders with labels like House, Baby, Cars, Bank, and so on.

The thought of having an organized and clean house, never sending a late birthday card again, and not having to scrounge around for dinner ingredients at 7:00 PM and then saying "F it" and getting Swiss Chalet delivered makes me bounce up and down in my chair and clap my hands with uncharacteristic housewifey glee.

I don't know if this is just a temporary phase, a desperate attempt to get my ass in gear before the baby arrives and everything goes to hell in a handbasket, or if the unimaginable Best Thing Ever has happened and I am actually becoming Martha Stewart without the prison record. Only time will tell.

How do you stay organized at home? Do you have a 'system' for staying on top of things - what works for you? 

Ever come across a reaaaally simple solution to an annoying issue and you're amazed you never thought of it yourself? This just happened to me and I have to share.

Sarah posted a link on her blog recently to this post on smallnotebook.org about how to achieve an uncluttered look in your home without it appearing stark and bare. This is something I have been bothered by in the past. Striking a balance between being clean and tidy and being completely sterile and boring. I like our house to be comfortable and welcoming and cozy but I hate clutter and messes.

The secret? Make sure your horizontal surfaces are always clear.

So maybe everybody reading this is like THANKS, CAPTAIN OBVIOUS, clearly if you pick up your crap your house will look better, but it makes so much sense. You can fill your home with interesting knick-knacks, books, flowers, art, whatever tickles your fancy, and as long as your tabletops and counters and furniture aren't scattered with clutter, you'll have a tidy, orderly-looking room without it being too pristine or unlived-in.

Basically, if you're lazy, just take stuff off your flat surfaces and chuck it in a drawer or a basket and you're golden.

Observe:

1. Our kitchen table, before:


Our kitchen table, after:



2. Our living room couch, before:


Our living room couch, after:


3. Reading chair, before:


Reading chair, after:


It doesn't get much easier than this - if you have two minutes you can make your home look presentable. I picked up all the magazines and put them in the wine rack-turned-magazine rack. Books went on the bookshelves. Flyers went into the compost. Junk was appropriately tossed out or put away. I also did the same thing to the bathroom vanity and the next stop is my desk. Bonus - keeping these surfaces clear means you can much more easily wipe them off and keep them dust-free.

This is a great trick for when company unexpectedly shows up or you feel obligated to tidy but don't have the motivation for a full-on cleaning. "Focus on the flat!" should be everybody's new motto. Go get some pretty baskets and make a habit of putting your stuff in them and your home will automatically look 100% better!

It's been one year since we packed up our old apartment and picked up the keys to our new house. While we've lived in lots of other places, we still refer to this as "our first home".

A lot has happened in the past year:

[+] we painted four rooms and very quickly learned that it does not, in fact, take 45 minutes to paint a room (yes, that's what we were told, and we believed it. ignorance is bliss)

[+] we put in a fireplace. It's electric. It still counts! You can hang Christmas stockings on it!

[+] we survived two ant infestations...and won

[+] we mastered the schedule of compost pickup and garbage pickup and learned the importance of bungie cords

[+] we installed a remote garage door opener. LIFE CHANGING!!

[+] we made a new flower bed, planted a couple trees, some shrubs and lots of flowers

[+] we discovered that curtains are actually the hardest things to buy

[+] we invested in a barbecue and have grilled just about everything you can imagine

[+] we set up a firepit and seating, perfect for making s'mores and spider dogs

[+] we swore we'll never own a side-by-side fridge/freezer again

[+] we had our first batch of trick-or-treaters

[+] we set off our security alarm accidentally. This happened a lot. Next time the cops come to check it out, we'll get a bill...oops

[+] we put up outdoor Christmas lights for the first time

[+] we built a snowman in the yard and made snow angels

[+] we got a puppy

[+] and now we're having a baby

It's been a busy year, to say the least. We have lots more planned for our house this year: staining the front and back steps, setting up the nursery, replacing some lighting, renovating a bathroom, and making some other changes. We also have big changes planned too, things that are going to be more costly and take a lot of time, but we'll get there.

It's definitely a work in progress, but it feels like home, and it's my favourite place to be.

Next project is turning this bedroom (which currently houses yoga mats, a TV stand, a piano, free weights, a mishmash of potted plants and some random furniture we didn't know where else to put) into a baby's room. As you can see, we've got a bit of a start. We have a crib, a rubber giraffe, a Pooh Bear, some books, diapers, a sling and a car seat = PROGRESS!






We've even got some paint swatches (I'm leaning towards Baby Bee Yellow).



If anyone has any baby-room-makin' tips, links, resources, etc. please send them along. We currently have no theme in mind, other than "cute" and "gender neutral".

Spring is here...ish. It says spring on the calendar. It's raining today, not snowing. The temperature's above zero. I guess that qualifies as spring.

Every time the seasons change I get excited to overhaul everything. Throw everything out and start fresh. Break bad habits, make good ones. Buy a new wardrobe. Start doing everything differently, all at once.

I have a few specific goals for spring:

1. Garden
We moved into our house in July last year and in between the painting, unpacking, decorating, and whatnot we didn't pay any attention to what's already planted in our flower beds. This year we have the chance to plant new stuff and get them looking the way we want. I'm so excited to have space to grow things...flowers and things to eat! My plans are to plant a lilac bush, hydrangeas, and some other flowers I don't know the names of yet; to yank out the old wooden fencing around the flowerbeds and replace it with some nicer edging; to grow tomatoes, peppers, lettuce, and green beans.

2. Clean
I already talked a little bit about my spring cleaning plans. I can't wait to open all the windows wide, put on some tunes and work away, ending with a house that smells lemony fresh and has a lot less clutter in it. I always feel better after throwing away things I don't need anymore. Old clothes, old magazines, old bills, old salad dressings, you name it.

3. Decorate
We've started doing little things around the house to make it look springier. We have a new centrepiece in the dining room to replace the old, heavy candlesticks with red berries that screamed winter. We've got new bright green placemats to brighten up the room a bit and a vase of yellow daffodils in the kitchen. Next up: my home office. I want to make it a place that's comfortable and girly but also conducive to actually working since I'll be spending a lot more time there over the next few months. Right now when I work from home I usually end up sprawled on the couch or hunched over the kitchen table - bad!

4. Shop!
I haven't bought any new clothes, shoes, or accessories since Boxing Week sales, which is pretty much a record for me. I haven't had any trouble finding things to wear every day but at the same time I'm kind of tired of the same boots, tights, and dark, neutral colours every day. I'm excited to get some new things to freshen up my wardrobe pretty soon. Here are some of the things I'll be keeping an eye open for - namely some girlie tops, nude heels, perfect flats, a cross-body bag, skinny cargos and easy-to-wear dresses:



There are other goals I have for spring - keep getting to the gym, do not make myself sick on Easter candy, train Rory to do a new trick, etc. - but these are the biggies.