September Acres

Displaying and storing kids' artwork can be a daunting task.  As a mom, we want to keep everything . As a homemaker, we know it's not possible to keep even half of what they do.  Between the stuff they do at school and the things they make at home on their own it's just too much to consider keeping it all.  And multiply that by 2, 3, or more and we'd need a room devoted to displaying and storing all those great masterpieces! That's where things like blogs & Pinterest come in handy - there are millions of ideas for displaying and storing your kids' artwork.  Some are pricey, some are DIY.  Some permanent, some temporary. One of my favorite articles on this subject comes from Houzz.com   It gives 20 great ways to display kids' artwork.  They are all items that you can purchase for displaying artwork but most of them you could DIY in some sort of fashion.  It got my wheels turning for sure.  This cute lavender display is one of those th...

source If I had my way, I'd have a dining room like this one.  Odd?  I can't tell you how many people I hear say "I don't want a dining room, we would never use it."  Right now we have a dining area or an eat in kitchen, that's it.  Our table does seat 8 (very cozily) so it works for us but I would love to have two spaces as opposed to one. Whether you have one dining space or two (or more!) how do you make it a space you want to use on a regular basis? Keep it clean - It's so easy for the dining room to end up as the dumping ground - a place for mail, keys, school work, magazines, etc.  I try to keep our table clear unless we're using it.  Likewise, you could set your table each day so you're ready for the next meal.  Anything to keep it junk free and usable for dinner (so important) or homework. Clean it - Not quite the same as keeping it clean - make sure the rug or carpet is clean, wash windows and screens and make sure light bulb...

Book storage is a necessity for most of us. Over the years they pile up - from the first board book our first baby receives as a gift to the books we read in our book clubs as adults.  Where do you put them all?  There are so many options.  The run of the mill book case.  Built-ins.  Stacking them under coffee tables.  Floating shelves.  Endless options, really. Pottery Barn Get creative! (Source) Take Advantage of Vertical Space (Source) Stack your books by color  Books really show the personality of a household.  I've always felt that you can really tell a lot about a person by the books they display in their home.  Books make a home feel cozy and lived in.  They make your home unique - none of us have the exact same books in our home as someone else. What's your favorite way to display your books? If you've missed any of my 31 Days series you can find them here.

Do you notice smells when you walk into other people's homes?  I sure do!  Sometimes it's amazing - like when you arrive for Thanksgiving dinner and smell that heavenly turkey.  Or go to a birthday party and walk in immediately smelling that signature 'cake' aroma.  Sometimes it's not good at all - pets or cigarette smoke for example. I think that welcoming aromas make a house feel cozy and warm.  I like to think others feel the same way.  To be honest, I'm not a huge fan of what I call 'artificial aromas' - like room sprays and Glade Plug-ins.  I like the more natural ones - like apple pie.  Wait, maybe I just like apple pie??  The smell of baking, baking anything, just makes a home seem like a home - lived in and loved. I do love a good candle though.  My favorite being Buttercream from Yankee . Worth. Every. Penny. I also love the smell of a clean house.  Especially if someone else has cleaned it.  In my house th...

Image: coastalliving.com What better way to make your home inviting than to start at the front door.  Whether you have a grand entrance or something more modest, making the most of the space will be a great first impression for your guests and a reminder to you how good it feels to come home each day. 5 Ways to make your entrance a welcoming one: Paint your front door!  I'm sure you've heard this before. Paint your door a fun color (like this cheery blue, above) or a complimentary color to the rest of the house - if your house is red brick with white trim paint your door a shiny black. Keep it Clean. Keep the outside of your home as neat as possible.  Sweep every couple of days.  Make sure the welcome mat is free from debris.  Keep plants & bushes watered. Put away the kids' toys when they're done playing with them. Plants & Flowers. Place a big pot of seasonal flowers by the front door.  Mums are perfect for fall.  And it doesn't ...

I'm excited to be participating in the Nester's 31 Days series again this year.  Tomorrow's the big day!  Last year over 1200 bloggers participated, blogging about anything and everything you could think of for the entire month of October. My theme this year is 'Making your House your Home' so I'm linking up in the 'House & Home' category, natch. This month's all about making your home comfortable, welcoming, creative, warm and most of all, you !  This is where you'll find links to each day's post.  I hope your stop by to check it all out. Day 1 - Enter Here Day 2 - Aromatherapy Day 3 - Book Shelves Day 4 - Dining Day 5 - Kids' Artwork Day 6 - In the Backyard Day 7 - Music Day 8 - Feeding Them Day 9 - Movie Night Day 10 - Flowers Day 11 - Kids' Rooms Day 12 - Master Bedroom TV? Day 13 - Game Night Day 14 - Homework Station Day 15 - Favorite Things Day 16 - Fresh Baked Day 17 - Spic 'n Span Day 1...

Well, it's that time of year again when Nester challenges us to write on one topic for 31 days in October.  I haven't been posting much this year - things are super busy and when it gets like that something needs to go and this time it was blogging.  I miss it sometimes and sometimes I'm just too busy to miss it. One thing about the 31 Days challenge is that it really is a challenge .  Think about it, no matter what, you need to post something worthy of reading for 31 days.  In. a. row.  Not that the blog police will come check on you if you miss a day.  Or your blog will get shut down.  Or someone will be mad if you don't post.  It's more of a personal challenge and I'm one of those people that if I say I'm going to do something I will do it. Even if it's just writing a blog post so I can cross it off my to do list.  I've spent a little time thinking about whether or not I wanted to participate in the challenge this year and I've decid...