Something Other Than Who You Are

Let me see a show of hands. How many of you want to be something other than what you already are? Are you raising your hand? I'm raising mine high! But I haven't a clue what it is that I want to be. Well, actually that's a lie. I want to be a lot of things, and maybe that's my problem. I'm not focused, goaled, or motivated. Or, maybe I am all of those things and just too confused on what to actually do.

Last night I couldn't sleep. And when I say I couldn't sleep, I woke up at 1:30, found myself tossing for about 15 minutes, and decided to get up so I didn't wake up my husband. I poured myself a glass of apple juice and made my way down to the couch for a little DVR time. Last night was the 10th anniversary of the airing of Keeping Up with the Kardashians, so I settled in for a some fun and tons of laughs. This is my Housewives guilty pleasure and I'm not at all shy about sharing my love for the show. And I don't care who mocks me. We all have those shows that we watch and you know which one is yours.

But whenever I watch the show, I always wonder what it would be like to go from being nobody to somebody. Sure, their dad was Robert Kardashian, but they weren't really known as a family. Sure they had money, but not like the money they have today. They simply had a crazy family and someone told them they should take it live. And they did. And they built an empire from it. My dad always says they are famous for being famous, and that's not a lie, but they have done more with their lives than just the show. And to be honest, they are just so much fun to watch! Some episodes I find myself laughing out loud, alone, and it's all the therapy I need.

So, how do I wish I was something different than what I currently am? Well, I guess I wish I was doing something different with my life. Or, that I was in a different phase of my life. It's not that I don't want to be a wife and a mother. I want to be those things and so much more! Do I want to be famous, no? Would I like the bank account, yes! I've always said that I would like to be famous enough that I reap the financial benefits, but not famous enough that I'm recognized when I'm out in public. Best of both worlds, right? But I don't feel like I have the talents to really make it in any of the areas of life I want to pursue. 

For instance, I would love to be a part of the family of Hallmark Channel's Home and Family, but have you seen how talented those people are? I could never live up. Their DIY experts are just that, experts! And so creative. When you think you are super creative, watch them. You find out quickly that you aren't! Orly Shani is my spirit animal when it comes to all things fashion and she can turn anything into something else. I'm constantly trying to recreate some of the pieces she makes! Ken Wingard has some amazing things he's created. I love his ability to take a wooden palette from a grocery store and turn it into a Christmas tree for your front porch! Again, things I would never think to make. They put me to shame. 

I wish I was successful store front owner. I would love to own my own shop of any kind! Yes, my mom and I have our little booth down in Louisburg, but I would love to have a freestanding business. Ever since You've Got Mail, I've wanted a children's bookstore. I know what I would name it, what books (old and new) we would have in stock, what cute kid friendly activities we would offer, and other sweet ideas. It would be a dream. But on the flip side, I would love to have a boutique. But not just any boutique. I can't share all of my ideas on that one because someone would definitely steal it. I have big dreams for that one! I also think it would be so cool to have an antique/general store. A place where you find incredibly cool furniture and the household goods to go along with it. And to take that one step further, I want to be a home stager. My mom and I had a couple of jobs last year and they were a success. We worked with a realtor friend, who had complete faith in our venture, and he sold those properties quickly! We like to think it was our vision and maybe it was. But we ran out of storage for all of our homewares, so we had to "close up shop". Doesn't mean we won't open it again someday! My dreams are big......and super expensive.

Oh, and here's another one. I want to be an author! I want to write a children's book, a cocktail book, a teenmance book, and a book about everything I've learned about life up until now. I feel like I have some knowledge I need to pass on! What kinds of things, you ask? Well, how to not get caught by an RA when you're in the boys dorm past curfew. How to quickly use the restroom at crowded events when there are thousands of women standing in line for a stall. How to pour a foam-less head of beer and how to get rid of said foam when not poured correctly. Very knowledgeable things! However, I'm not really a writer. But do I have to be? My dad certainly didn't I think I was in high school and college, but I've archived all the lessons he's taught me over the years, and I've tried to apply them to the blog. Is it working? 

I wish I was smart enough to make these things happen. Smart in that I had the business sense to put the plans in motion. To create a plan of action and have someone say "Yes, this is a wonderful business idea. Yes, I think it would sell. Yes, we want to be a part of it." I wish I was organized enough to make it all happen. Again, I was putting a plan of action together in my restlessness last night and I think that I need to be way more detailed in my every day life. I need to write something down for every single day of the week in my calendar and follow it to the letter! And I need to focus on each one individually, and equally, in order to make it happen! Or, I need to narrow my focus and just pick one or two. Okay, we know that's never going to happen! So, I just need to focus on each one equally in order to make it happen. And, put it out in the universe.

So what can I do right now in order to make myself feel like I'm a success at one of these enormous life goals? Well, I chatted with my mom just this morning, and I'm going to put my home staging business to the test inside my very own. I'm getting creative with the space I have and I'm going to readjust my original home vision into the modern day vision I have created in my mind. I'm going to focus on my cocktail book by continuing to create my masterpiece drinks and then watch it all unfold as I create the space I want for a lovely coffee table book. And, I'm going to find a way to be as creative in my own crafts as the experts on Home and Family are with theirs. I can do this! I am creative. I mean, look at all the lists I've created....see what I did there....in order to become the person I think that I am. Or the person I can become.

What are you going to do?

XO,

Andrea

Back to School - Mama Edition

This summer was spent in the car going on adventures around the country. Okay, not around the country, but instead throughout the Midwest and Southeast Region. There were multiple trips to the local pool by foot. Exploring the wild animals of the zoo. Feeding farm animals at Deanna Rose. Decorating and redecorating our booth in Louisburg. And endless hours of playing in the playroom. To say that we had any structure this summer would be a lie! We had zero. Dinners weren't on time. Bedtime got later and later. Sleeping in was a requirement on some days. And the house stayed in constant disarray all summer! 

So with the beginning of the school year, I felt it was time to get my house in order. It wasn't really the whole house, though that desperately needs it. Yesterday I decided to tackle things like a snack drawer for ease when packing lunch and McKinley's morning snack. My desk needed a complete overhaul with all the print outs, trash, and junk that had collected. And I took the time to finally utilize McKinley's Melissa and Doug dry erase calendar. I filled in all the dates, activities for the month, and added the daily specials so the whole house would know what was taking place at school the next day. By the end of the day, I felt like I had a decent handle on the house. Here's what I did!

I created a pantry in my unfinished basement to help keep the kitchen cabinets a little more organized and to keep extra things on hand so I could whip up dinners without constantly running to the store. And it's really helped. However, one the kitchen cabinets had become the catch all for everything! Left over baggies of snacks, half eaten sleeves of crackers that had been in there for ages, a can of chicken from 2012..... Needless to say, it was time to just throw it out and start all over! And that's what I did. Now, my cabinet is stocked with all the healthy snacks McKinley that he can grab anytime. And, it was awesome to just reach in the cabinet this morning when packing his lunch and not run up and down the stairs to get what I need! Huge time saver!

Up next was my desk! I should have taken a before photo, but I started organizing before I thought about it. Plus, it was embarrassing! The clutter was ridiculous! But now, it's back in working order and I'm so happy! Just sitting here typing this, I love looking at the pretty things that rest on its surface. Oh, and I just purchased this darling stapler yesterday at TJ.Maxx! Isn't it the cutest!! 

And lastly, it's the calendar update. This calendar has been hanging in several rooms of the house, but finally came to rest in McKinley's room where it belongs. It really is darling and perfect for helping him learn dates and days of the week. And it's keeping us all straight on what specials take place daily. Especially for me when picking out clothes the night before. Now I know which days should be dressier than others. Let's just hope I can keep up the effort.... 

There are thousands of other things that need organization in my house, but I thought this would be a good start! What are you doing to get yourself back to school ready? Any special prep around the house or with yourself personally? My personal calendar is another place that needs a little help, but I'm slowly getting that up to speed as well. 

I hope everyone is having an easy transition back to school! 

XO!

andrea

Organizing My Life: The Bathroom Cabinet

I began a nail polish clean out a little over a week ago, but didn't get terribly far. You know those bottles. The ones that are half empty, where the brush won't even touch the polish, or have settled and the polish has started to separate from itself. Or, it's simply dried up. I had so many of those bottles. Plus, I had colors that I just wasn't wearing anymore and you just have to make the decision to throw them away. I had also gotten into a really bad habit of simply placing bottles that I had recently used in a makeup bag. That bag was completely overflowing and I couldn't find the polishes I wanted when I wanted to use them. It had just become a problem.

So on a rainy Sunday afternoon, I started the official cleanup. But, if you are anything like me, it doesn't stop there. While I was cleaning out bottles, finding new colors in different bags under the bathroom sink, I started pulling out more and more stuff. Before long, this is what my bathroom floor looked like! And you can see the mess that's still under the sink....

I found things I didn't ever remember having. Old makeup, lipsticks, lotion bottles that were nearly empty, samples I had never used, nail color strips I've horded for years, makeup bags galore, and the unused organizational tubs that I placed under there five years ago. Sure they had stuff in them, but they were overflowing and there was zero organization taking place. It was time to get it under control!

I started asking myself about the shelf life of makeup. I know there is a number listed on the back of each container, but some of the numbers are so small you can't read them. So, I headed to trusty Google and got the answers. We all know that you should discard mascara every three months, but what about lipstick? Well, throw it out after two years. I recently used a lipstick that I've had for a while and I swear it smelled rancid. Turns out, it was. There are a couple of things you can do to test yours. If there is a change in color, texture, or smell, toss it! I actually found a couple that looked like a wax had formed, I refuse to believe it was mold, so in the trash they went! However, if they don't have any of these three things wrong, go ahead and give them a good cleaning with some alcohol and continue use.

What about your powder cosmetics like blush, eye shadow, and face powder? They typically last one to two years. Same as the lipstick, if the color changes or there is a distinct smell, toss it. And if you've decided you no longer want that teal blue shadow, go ahead and toss that as well! Eyeliner lasts six months to a year and foundation six months to two years. Follow these rules and you will have a truly clean makeup bag! Mine is now completely up to date. Thanks Huffington Post!

As for the rest of the clean out, I took this seriously. I used Swiffer sheets to get all the dust, hair, and debris out of the cabinet and followed that up with Clorox Wipes. I did that for the entire cabinet. I then used a Clorox Wipe to clean out all of the storage bins. It just needed a true cleansing! And then I started pitching things right and left. Cotton balls that had fallen out of the bag, old bobbie pins that were laying around, samples that I knew I would never use, empty lotion bottles went into the recycle bin, and all of those hair accessories that I might use again went in a makeup bag that I wasn't currently using. I did the same thing with Tampons. Instead of having that bulky box sitting in the cabinet, which was taking up some much needed space, I placed them in another makeup bag. And all of my Jamberry packs went in another. Nice use of pretty bags that will decorate the interior! 

Here is what it looks like now!

 

Not all, but the most used polishes are in a side drawer. I placed them in cute little baskets. Great use of storage so they aren't just rolling around in the drawer.

Check out all the trash I threw away!! That's a lot of stuff from under one little bathroom cabinet, but it also goes to show just how necessary a clean out was. Maybe every six months. Maybe once a year. But definitely not once every five years! I'm pretty sure that's they last time I really took the time to clean this space out.

In my quest to organize my life, I'm five months in, and I've cleaned out a spice cabinet, a linen closet, my car, and a bathroom cabinet. I think I'm doing fairly well. Next up, under the kitchen sink! I can't remember the last time I really looked under there and I'm not sure I want to do it now....

What are you doing to organize your life? Did the makeup tips help? Are you ready to tackle your bathroom cabinet? Hope this helped!!

XO,

Andrea

Organizing My Life: Backseat Clean Up

On my quest to organize my life, one of the largest areas that needs help is my car! I drive a mama car. And it's the car we take around town and on road trips, and we take quite a few road trips. And as a result, it's filled with Hot Wheels, packs of wet wipes, crunched up Goldfish on the floor, and wads of Kleenex in the backseat where McKinley throws them after use. It's a disaster! I was forced to "clean" it out the other day when I had a friend rode with me, but it wasn't nearly as organized as I would like it to be. I want a place for the travel game boards, coloring books/crayons, and other miscellaneous kid friendly items that are wandering around the floor boards. Oh, and a trash can that's not a shopping bag that I found in the backseat. It's fine for now, but it flies all over the place, throwing the picked up trash back to where it came from. I need something that will stay put. Here is the brutal truth....

As you know, I love to browse the net for ideas and I headed straight to Buy, Buy, Baby for inspiration. And I found it! Tons of over the seat organizers that I love, but my only issue with these is that McKinley sits in the middle so he can't really reach the pockets in front of him. The cute storage containers that fit in the seat might be the way to go. However, I could get both! That why I'm ensured as much storage as possible. Here is what I found.

Look how nicely all that stuff fits and that it's all in one place! Not all over the floor and seats of the car. Now, if only it would vacuum up all the Goldfish...

Now to tackle the trashcan. I did see a really cute idea on Pinterest. Take an old wipes container, cover it with your favorite contact paper to dress it up a little, a voila! You have a re-useable car trashcan! Just another way to reduce, reuse, and recycle! Oh, and look at all the other things you can do with a wet wipe box. That's a whole 'nother blog post!

What are you currently using in your car for organization? I would love to know what works for you! Anything you've tried in the past that didn't? I can't be the only mama out there that needs the advice.

Stay tuned to see how clean my car looks post organization!

XO,

Andrea

Organizing My Life: The Spice Cabinet

What is it about the spice cabinet? It is one of the most cluttered cabinets in existence or at least in my house it is. You would think thmore and more things inside the cabinet. So it wasn't really that things weren't in their original place, they just didn't always fit because of the other things that were in there. And apparently, it contained things I've purchased for recipesat we could all put things back the way we found them, but I just kept stuffing  I've never made so therefore the item never got used. Waste of space and money!

In my quest to organize my life this year, the spice cabinet was one of my things on my list of areas to clean out. Remember when I told you about that HGTV Magazine article about de-cluttering your cabinet and making more room at the same time? Well I did it! While attending the Kids Workshop at Home Depot on Saturday, I scoured the cabinet organizing section and found this door spice rack from Closet Maid. It was perfect for the job at hand. All I needed was a tape measure, pencil, screwdriver, and level. Oh, and a husband who was willing to install it! 

So this is what my cabinet looked like before. Seriously, it's no wonder I could never find anything or that things would fall out when trying to find something in the back. Can we say frustrating?

Obviously, this is where the spice rack was going. 

Measure twice, screw once.

The hopeful, magical spice rack pieces!

Right on the mark!

Here we go!! I started on the bottom shelf and added the spices I use the most to the rack. The larger bottles went on the bottom, for obvious reasons, the middle section is all baking spices, and the top shelf is all the herbs. But as you can see, there are so many more bottles that what's on the shelf. That's because some of them were empty (don't ask how that happened) and some were expired. Here's the thing on expired spices. There is no more helpful tool than your nose to decide if something is expired. Most of my expired spices were from either 2014/2015 and were they ever! The smell alone was a dead give away. Poppyseeds were rancid, garlic powder smelled way too garlicy, and let's be honest, 2014 is just plain old! They say that most spices can last up to a year past their expiration date. When in doubt, smell them!

I'm honestly not sure how all of this fit in the cabinet! The next several photos were all the things crammed into that tiny space! 

Most of everything seen here was thrown away! Again, things purchased for recipes that were never made. I'm going to try and be more cognizant of this in the future!

Here is the after!! I can't believe it. You can see into the cabinet, move things around and not have it fall out, and each shelf has a purpose. The bottom still houses some of the spices we use, just not on a regular basis. It also contains vinegar and oils. The second shelf is all baking. Flour, sugar, baking power and soda, extracts, and other baking essentials. The top shelf is for random things like jello and pudding mix, nuts, toothpicks, and other miscellaneous items that I do use, just not all that often. 

I am one happy mama!! I made dinner last night and found things immediately! I just open it to look at it and marvel at the organization at hand! I feel so accomplished. Let's hope when I check back in six months that it's still this clean and clear! And speaking of clean, use this time to really get in there. I used Clorox wipes on every shelf just to make sure it was clean of any spills. I don't need anything growing in my freshly spruced up spice cabinet!

What do you do to organize your kitchen cabinets? Are you one to keep it this clean all the time? Do you have shelves dedicated to certain items? I would love to hear your thoughts! 

Next up, the linen closet! God help me!

XO,

Andrea

What is it about a New Year

Well, it's the third of January and there is something about a new year that gets everyone going. Going to the gym. Going on a healthy eating kick. Going on vacation. Going forward with those resolutions. A New Year just gets people going. Unfortunately, most people stop around the third week of the month! I know. I'm one of them. I've been there, done that on so many different resolutions, goals, or dreams. You figure if you haven't seen results in three weeks, you should just give it all up.

For me, the year 2017, is all about organizing my life! Categories and sub-categories exist in my life and they are all a huge, fat mess! I'm all over the place. I'm constantly switching gears. And I'm never really completing a task before moving on to the next. Then, maybe six months later, I come back to the original and possibly finish it. Seriously, this mama's life is a mess! 

So what do I have planned? Well, a lot! McKinley has stated that he is going to start going full-time to Kindergarten and that's going to leave me with some extra time on my hands. Time that I need to utilize. I've been making a mental list of all the things around the house that need to be done, but it's things you will never actually see. Organizational things. The linen closet, the cabinet under the sink in the kitchen, the spice cabinet, my personal closet, McKinley's closet, and the coat closet. Here are some examples of the clutter.

I saw this in a recent Food Network Magazine on how to better my space within the spice cabinet. I love that it's a total DIY! However, because I have three shelves, with two dividers, it might not work. Fingers crossed!

In addition to organizing, I have big plans for the walls of my house. Namely, our bedroom. I've been dying to paint our bedroom gray for several years now, but I've never really been able to find the time. Let's be honest, taking a day to paint a room just isn't going to happen. I need to repaint the ceiling, all of the trim, and then the walls. Time consuming to say the least. And, I want to attempt to paint our furniture. It all just needs a major overhaul, so with McKinley in full-time Kindergarten, I should have loads of time to finish this project, right? And, if Benjamin Moore would like to sponsor a post and supply the paint, that would be great! Also, if Home Goods wants to help with area rugs and lighting, just let me know. I'll be watching my emails closely! (PS, the walls aren't nearly this dark.)

And here is my mood board for the bedroom that I created a couple of years ago and put aside. I'm loving that blue I came up with. Maybe I could go with navy walls and gray accents. Or I could go with gray walls, nix the gray accents, and go with navy! I might be on to something.....

Then there's the businesses in my life. I have the Stella & Dot thing going and would love to build it stronger! Want to join my team? Call me! I would love to chat. But I also have Southern Unique Elegance with my mom and we have some big ideas for growing our brand. We want to take S.U.E. outside our home decor booth and we have some super fun ideas up our sleeve. Hoping to share those later in the month! 

I could tell you that I'm going to start going to the gym more, but we don't belong to a gym. I could use our home gym which consists of a Wii workout, a Jennie Garth aerobics VHS tape, and a New York City Ballet master class DVD. And I might do those from time to time, but I'm definitely not going to make any strong confessions right here and now. I am going to challenge myself, and my mom, to do this one pound of greens a day challenge I saw on Home and Family last week. One pound of greens, per day, for one week, and it's suppose to change your life. Your body and mind. Give you more energy and just charge the body in all the right ways. 

I am also considering some homeopathic remedies. Over the counter meds aren't working so why not take another route. McKinley has been suffering from seasonal allergies and the occasional sinus infection off and on for years. Clariton isn't cutting it so maybe something else will. And speaking of homiopathic, I'm also making my own lotions. (Kym Douglas had a great one here!) Less toxins in the body and all that. I've even switched up my deodorant and trying organics! I'm crazy!! 

What do you have in store for yourself during the new year? Any big dreams you want to fulfill? Any goals you keep setting over and over and never meet? Anything new you're willing to try? Share!! I want to get inspired for the upcoming year. I think we all need it, right?

Let's get going together!!

XO,

Andrea