We’re back! We didn’t mean to take so much time off but we had a small little bug with WordPress. Hope everyone had an amazing holiday. Tessa and I were both really busy with family, but had a great time. So on to our first post of 2013!
I love to make lists so writing down my resolutions is something I look forward to every year. I always come up with some home projects that I want to finish and a few personal goals. Since adding a third child to our family it has made me think of resolutions with one goal in mind–SIMPLIFY! I want to simplify our routine, schedules and our home.
Here are a few of my home resolutions:
1. Simplify my kitchen–add open shelving. I’ve been longing to have open shelving in my kitchen because it feels a bit closed in with so many upper cabinets. I swear the cupboards are closing in on me. I’m sure some of you have some strong opinions about open shelving, but I love the simplicity of everyday plates, bowls and a few other items out on display.
2. Clear the kitchen clutter-starting with my pots and pans. I need to clear out all of the mismatched pots and pans and simplify down to the actual ones we use. We bought all new pots and pans a few years ago and they are already trashed. They look like we’ve owned them for 20 years. I’ve loved my Le Creuset dutch oven since I bought my first one a year ago. It always washes clean and still looks new despite lots of use. So this year I want to pair down to the basic essentials and invest in quality.
3. Lots going on in the kichen this year…I also hope to finally update my 90s kitchen and give it some more modern touches starting with painting the cabinets and the island. Thinking maybe a gray island with soft white cabinets.
4. Moving away from the kitchen, my husband is convincing me we need a TV in our living room. Currently we have one in the basement playroom, but nothing on the first floor (which is how I prefer it to be.) My challenge is that if we put a TV in our living room, we would have to mount it above the fireplace. This is something I have NEVER wanted to do for many reasons, but I don’t see any other option and trust me, Tessa and I have spent hours trying to re-configure the space! So I am on the hunt for the perfect inspiration photo that will make this a reality for my husband, but acceptable for me. I’m definitely going to have to think outside the box on this one.
5. Finally for the house, I resolve to give every room in my home a purpose so we use all the space. This is one resolution that I continue to make and work toward year over year. When we first moved into our house it was set up with a formal living room and a formal dining room. We tend to congregate in the back of the house in the kitchen/family room. Over the past two years I have made our house less formal and have evolved each room so they get used on a regular basis. For instance, what use to be the breakfast nook is now my office and what used to be our family room (right off the kitchen) is now a space for a dining table. Our needs are constantly changing and I think in the next year or so it’s going to be important to have a homework/computer workspace for the kids. So, I envision adding something like the picture below to my office area, but not quite sure yet how it will come together.
6. On my personal list, I have one resolution that I am determined to accomplish–photos of me with the kids. I feel like time is slipping away so fast and there are no photos of me and the kids. So for the year 2013 I have committed to taking one photo with my kids once a week. Now these photos probably won’t be perfect but instead I want to capture ‘real’ moments in our lives. Case in point…week one’s photo:
Sunday morning 7:30 a.m., in a bathrobe, getting ready to read the paper. Poor little William is being squeezed by his sister and Charlie is too cool to smile but let’s face it, this is reality and a typical Sunday morning…and it’s a photo of us together for once!
Would love to hear about some of your home goals for the year. Check back tomorrow when Tessa reveals what she has in store for 2013 besides having a baby!
Like the idea of recording your kids as they grow so quickly. It is a wonderful way to keep a record as they change.
However, I would really, really think about a TV in a living room…it will really change the sense of that room very much. (But that is my humble opinion!)