thinking about thanksgiving

Thanks to Stephen Andrew Jones I now have Thanksgiving on my mind.  I want to try his pumpkin pie recipe.  Last year we squeezed over 25 peoples into this small house and it was an engineering feat. Secretly I hope someone else hosts this year although I do love decorating for the day.

One thing I do know is that I plan to make stuffed portobellos again this year.  This time with a roasted butternut squash risotto.  I'll start working on that recipe this weekend.

Is it too soon for you to start thinking about the holidays?  xo

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finding storage where there isn't any

The number one question I'm asked regarding living in a small house is where do I put my stuff.  I've had people come over and question whether or not we rent a storage unit, we do not.  Or look around in the back garden for a 2nd house, true.

I like to get creative when it comes to storage.  Those suitcases up on the armoire are not just decorative, they hold pillow covers and magazines I want to keep.  That newly acquired chinoserie tin holds little snacks for my grandkids.  I love using pretty storage solutions because then it is a double win.  I'm not a big fan of underbed or hidden storage.  I tend to forget what's stored in things like that and then there is the dust issue too.  I like most of my stuff front and center so I can enjoy it.

Of course the ultimate storage solution is owning less.  Could you manage with one closet and no garage?  I've forgotten what it's like to have those options!  xo

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my daily cleaning list

Good morning and happy October.  Some people wonder how I keep my house so clean so I thought I'd share what my cleaning list looks like.  Plus here comes the holidays and why not get a jump on a lot of the chores? 

Daily Chores

Straighten living areas

Make the bed

Attend to all mail, either file it or recycle it

Plan my dinner for the day (do I need to soak beans? etc.)

Wash dishes and countertops right after we eat

Sweep kitchen and entryway

Straighten and wipe down bathrooms

Check the laundry and run if I have a full load

Take out the trash

Weekly Chores

Dust furniture 

Launder sheets and any other large items such as towels or blankets

Scrub bathrooms

Wash the floors

Refresh vases with flowers or branches

Monthly Chores

Deep vacuum the whole house including inside kitchen drawers with this Eureka vacuum

Clean out and organize refrigerator and pantry

Thoroughly clean kitchen cabinetry and other woodwork

Clean chandeliers

Wash the inside of the windows, sills and drapery rods

I do most of the cleaning with a little hot soapy water and I know this sounds like a lot of work (I'm tired just reading it) but honestly it takes me about 15 minutes each day to clean the house.  The added weekly chores adds another 30 minutes and the monthly list takes me about an hour.  Keep in mind this is for a small house with only 2 adults.  When I had 3 little boys running around wreaking havoc I still tried to stick to the same schedule.  Don't forget to leave your tips in the comments because that is the best part of this blog.  xo

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