GETTING BACK TO BASICS

Hi guys! I'm returning home today and I know that my house is going to be less than par since I left my hubby in charge of three boys! So it was funny when Tonia sent me her guest post talking about cleaning your home! Maybe she was hinting at something;-)

Hello there people, Tonia here from Chic Modern Vintage. I’d like to say that I’m taking an impromptu trip to some exotic locale, but that is not the case. Ms. LaKeitha is in New York and I’m filling in while she’s out. We all like to discuss how to decorate, and what to use to decorate. I like to get down to the bare basics of great decorating. 

I was speaking to a long time family friend the other day, we discussed bed bugs. Yes, bed bugs. She asked, “You remember when, your Grandmother use to take all the mattresses out, and lay them out in the sun?” Then she went on and asked, You remember when she would have everybody in the house cleaning windows?”

Here are three things to add a bit of spark to your home this Fall. Things that my Grandparents did when to keep their home in tip top shape. It will only cost you a bit of sweat.

Clean windows let tons of glorious light in. Try a good cleaning inside and out twice a year. In the Fall and then again in the Spring.

It’s a bit of a hassle and might be considered a bit weird, but laying your mattresses out in the sun, will freshen them up. We never had bed bugs either.

Fall is a great time to clear out things out, and get organized. Donate usable unwanted items. This way you’re not overwhelmed when Spring comes.

These are things we all know to do but sometimes they are overlooked or maybe not mentioned. A good clean and organized home is really the first layer of decorating.

Thanks so much LaKeitha for asking me to fill in while your off gallivanting in New York. I hope your having a fabulous time in New York City. Can I get a key chain, please?

Great tips Tonia! I laughed at the thought of me putting the mattress outside for a while! My husband would not only think I'm crazy, but he would probably check into a hospital too! Have any of you ever put your mattress out in the sun for a while? Do you have any cleaning rituals that you do with the change of the season? I'd love to hear them!

Okay, so I'll be home later today! I may be able to post tomorrow or I may wait until Friday after I've gotten some rest...I can't wait to share everything with you!

SPRING CLEANING/ DECLUTTERING

The other day I asked you guys if you do any spring cleaning. Your answers didn't surprise me that many of you do. One answer stuck out to me though. Basically the comment was that they don't spring clean because they keep their home clean throughout the year so that they don't have to bring down such a happy season. That comment got me to thinking. Why do we spring clean every year? Why don't we limit ourselves to only what we need and not what we think we need or have to have because of the price?

To be honest I don't like to clean. When I say don't like to clean, I mean going through my piles of things that I "had to have". My husband asks me all of the time "Lakeitha, do you REALLY need that?". And EVERY time I answer "YES"! Well, this is what happens to the things that I REALLY need

It just piles up on one side of the garage. And really, that's not all of it! My husband calls me a hoarder. I call myself a "bargain shopper". But then I had to answer this question: How is it a bargain if you don't NEED it? That question got me thinking. Then I started to wonder how much other stuff I have in my home that I don't need that I had to have because I thought it was a bargain.

With all of that said, I am going into "Spring Cleaning Frenzy Mode". I plan to go through all of my closets (linen closet, laundry closet, bedroom closets, etc), and the garage and get rid of things that are not needed. And with my next project in mind, I may attempt to do something that I am scared to do. Have a garage sale. I usually donate things that I don't want, but if I have a garage sale, I can use the money to help pay for my laundry closet makeover. Anything that does not sale will be donated to Goodwill.

So, what about you? Do you collect things because of the unbelievable prices (Target's clearance)? Do you have a Goodwill addiction and every time you pass one, you have to run inside to see what they have? Or, do you only buy what you need and is as organized as Martha?!