Wallnutz

It’s that time of year! Guests and family gather together to celebrate the holidays and togetherness. What does that mean for you and your home? Well, hopefully joy and excitement. Let’s look at how to make your home guest ready and welcoming.

Cleaning

I could do an entire article about cleaning, and maybe I will one day! One of my favorite cleaning tools is FlyLady.net. She has amazing tips and a daily email system to keep you on track, and all of the information is free! Love that. Some of the best tips that she gives are that you can do anything for 15 minutes and to take baby steps. Instead of being overwhelmed by last minute preparations, just spend 15 minutes a day decluttering the guest room or picking up your hot spots or washing the windows. She also has a downloadable holiday guide to get you organized and moving. If you are in over your head, check out Crisis Cleaning 101. A clean, uncluttered home is the first step for having a welcoming home. It doesn’t mean it has to be perfect, just do what you can without resentment. After all, you’ll get to enjoy it, too!

Try some tricks to get you motivated. Walk into your front door as if you are a guest, record what you smell, see and hear. What draws your attention? Do you need to clean the carpet or replace that light bulb? Do the same for each room and make a list of improvements. If it will take you less than 2 minutes to do, do it.

Another motivator is a timer. If you give yourself a defined amount of time to do something, you will focus on doing it, and it won’t take you as long. Are you putting something off? Set your timer for 15 minutes and see if you can do it in that amount of time. Go do it. This will still be here when you get back. LOL!

Making Room

You want your guests to feel like you have room for them, whether you really do or not! Clear a space in their closet for them to hang their clothes and empty a drawer or two. If you don’t have drawers, think about what shelves they could use or purchase hanging canvas shelves for your closet. Clear off surfaces in their area so that they don’t have to move your things to set something down. If you have more than one guest, do you have 2 side tables? Create a quick table by adding a tablecloth to your file cabinet or add a chair next to the bed with a tray. You can use the back to hang their guest towels. Another option for guest towels is a free standing towel rack or quilt hanger. If you have different color towels for guests, it will make them easier to distinguish and will make them feel special. Also look at the bathroom they will use. Can you declutter the countertop to make more room for your guests? Put out fresh soap and candles and put away anything else. If your guest room is also your office, try to get what you need off of the computer before they arrive, or if you have a laptop, relocate so that your guests will feel like they have some private space.

Adding Thoughtful Touches

With your guests in mind, think about adding something for them to wake up to and enjoy. It could be a painting that you haven’t hung, family photos in versatile sticker frames, or a decorative mural. Can you add some potted plants or a fresh cut flower in a bud vase to add life to the room? Make the bed welcoming with crisp linens. Check your guest linens for wear, and if you can, invest in some new sheets. You can find inexpensive sheets at discount home stores. Offer different types of pillows so that guests can sleep comfortably. Make sure that there is a reading lamp so that your guests can enjoy some private down time and add a comfortable chair and ottoman if your space allows. Offer some reading material such as magazines or a book they might like.

If you really want them to feel special, turn down one corner of their bedspread and place a tray with a tea set and hot water with chamomile tea bags or a pitcher of water with lemon slices. You could also leave chocolates on their pillows, a welcome note, or your child’s drawing for them. If they wake up earlier than you, make sure that you leave out some breakfast options with the accompanying dishes and flatware. Have coffee and tea available for guests that may need a cup in the morning.

Ask your guests ahead of time what they like to have around to eat and nibble on. We always do this with family, and it makes it so much easier. The same goes for anything that you question. Ask your guests. They will feel so special that you want to make them feel at home.

I have a list of projects and ideas a mile long. So how do I get anything done? Well, first I compile all of my projects and to-do’s so that it’s all there in one place, or maybe two, but it’s there in the physical form and not just my head. Then, I break down larger projects into to-do’s and prioritize the highest priority first. Now that I have what needs to get done most urgently, I can schedule when it will get done. This is where a great calendar comes in. I write down when I am going to… buy the paint and then when I will paint the wall. If I’m going to get paint, do I need anything there for my other projects? I usually do. I run through my list and see what else I should get at the store. Then, I make a shopping list so that I’m ready with what I need and what size and all of the details on one list. Go to the store. This sounds easy, but life sometimes happens. If I can’t make it to the store the day that I scheduled, then I move my note to the next day that I can. While at the store, I try to stick to my list. I don’t make impulse buys, but if it turns out that I need something to complete the project (i.e. a different drill bit), then I get what I need. I have everything. Almost. I always realize that I need something else. Does this happen to you? I’ve done everything in my power to check that I have everything, and then I forget about the sandpaper or the tack cloth. Sigh. I usually have to make another trip to the store before or during a project. It’s not a perfect system, but that’s ok. If I’m going to get anything done, I have to start somewhere. Ok, NOW I have everything. First, I gather all my tools and supplies. If I’m painting, it’s my roller, roller tray, primer, paint, screwdriver (to open the paint), stirrer stick (always grab a few of these when you get paint, they’re free!), brushes, sandpaper, tack cloth (great for after you sand), painter’s tape, drop cloth or paper, painting clothes, paper towels or rags, and a squirt bottle (for mistakes or accidents). Prep my workspace. I move the furniture out of the way if possible and put my drop cloth down (I’ve been using and reusing the paper drop cloths). If the wall or sill or whatever I’m going to paint is dusty, then I clean it off first. Then, I diligently tape off anything that I don’t want to paint such as molding and windows. (Tip: If you are painting stripes or next to a color that you have, after you tape paint over the edge of the tape with the color that you taped off. It seals the tape and gives you a cleaner line.) Once that’s done, I primer the wall if I need to change the color drastically. (Tip: I get my primer tinted if I’m painting a dark color. Just ask them to do the shade that’s right for the color of your paint.)  Once the primer is dry (look on the can for drying time), then I can put up my first coat of paint. I use a roller for most of the work and then do the edges with a small roller, a brush, or an edging tool. (Tip: I find that the edging tool is good if you are up against something flat like a corner, but for my popcorn ceiling, I’ve found that I really have to use a small brush (1/2”) to get it right.) I usually do 2 coats of paint depending on the coverage, and with the second coat I am less thorough and just trying to make sure that I didn’t miss any spots. Once the painting is done, I remove the tape and touch up any edges with my small brush. I put all my supplies away, and put the furniture back in place. Now, I admire my hard work, and then think. What am I going to put on this wall? Of course, that’s why you’re here. We have lots of wall décor and fun decals to dress up your walls whether you just painted them or you don’t want to or can’t paint them. We’ll make it easy. Check out our shop by space or shop by theme for more help deciding.

Wallcandy Chalkboard Wall Decals

It’s that time of year. All the students are gathering their supplies and heading off to school. What a great time to think about their workspace at home. Creating a specific place and time for students to get their homework done, can instill good study habits and help them learn better while enjoying it. The structure will help you, as well. By providing a routine, you reduce the stress involved with getting your children to do their homework. You can also incorporate it into your schedule so that you can be there at some point to go over what they need to do or review what they have done. Depending on your family’s schedule, you can determine when you should have dinner and if school work is done before or after. Setting a time and place is a great way to instill a consistent habit.

Try to choose a place that is quiet and well lit and has enough workspace. Since it can be difficult to have a dedicated space, consider creating a space in your home with a fold-away desk or shelf. This could be in their room or perhaps a home office. To decrease distraction, consider what the child sees while sitting in the space. Reduce or remove clutter and distractions. Can you add a room divider or reposition the desk so that they are not distracted by toys or the television?

When it comes to decorating the space, really involve the student. You want this to be a place that they like so their opinion is key. Consider what colors will create the proper environment for them. Some children need extra stimulation and bright colors may keep them going, but others may find that softer colors are less distracting. Whatever you choose, keep your child in mind, and remember that you can change it as they change.

In addition to color, you can add containers and décor to the space. Make sure that they have all the supplies that they need on hand. Consider what your storage needs are by examining their supplies first. If they only have a few, then you might just need a drawer or a shelf with a pencil cup and paper tray. Have them help you choose the containers, and label or designate where the supplies go so that your child can easily find what they need and put it back in its place. If they need a computer, files, and art supplies, then you need to consider how much space it will take and provide or repurpose furniture to accommodate them. Laptops can be stored when they need extra desk space, or you could put your monitor on a swing arm or system so that it can easily be moved.

Decorating the space will improve the chances that your student will use the space and enjoy being there. If the desk is against a wall, consider hanging their artwork with Sticker Frames or create a Mural with them so that they can have ownership of the space. You can also use Vinyl Decals to decorate their containers, desk, and wall. In addition, if they need a space to brainstorm or for reminders, consider a Chalkboard or Whiteboard to make it easier. For noting due dates and school events, provide them with a Wall Calendar so that they can keep track, and you can help them. You can even incorporate learning tools, check out our Educational Stickers to make it fun.

Create a system for their homework. This could be in and out boxes or a folder designated to homework with new on one side and finished on the other. I had a great 5th grade teacher that made us a homework chart on paper. The chart went into the brads and had date, subject, title, and due date (I think). Every time we got a homework assignment, we had to log it into our chart. Then, you could use the pockets for unfinished and finished work as I stated above. I just loved the organization and checking off my homework.

We also use chart holders (like on the doctor’s office exam room doors) and decorate them with modern stickers and their names to keep track of each child’s paperwork, library books and such in them. It works great to keep folders for each project/after school activities/things that need to be signed by parents and keeps us from losing library books (which had always been a problem.) Also, they are right by the kitchen so everyone stops by and checks their holder on the way out the door. I would lose my mind with paperwork if we did not have these!