Cleaning Up Kids' Stuff

There are a lot of good ideas for reducing the take-over factor of your kids' stuff.  I think this is pretty clever if you have the wall space.  You certainly don't have to do anything quite that expansive - even just a long line around the wall (like a chair rail?) would be cool.  And this is a smart one too - not the most attractive idea I've ever seen, but very practical and easy to pull out, set on a table and go.

frame gallery wall

I am starting to think about ways to make my daughter's art work stand out.  Sticking it to the fridge isn't quite cutting it.  If I had endless space, I'd love to do something like this.  Even with the limited space I do have, I'd love to make it happen in her room, perhaps on a smaller scale.  Let's keep this one on the top of the to-do pile...

Gold Leaf

"That is the simplest, prettiest thing in the world", I just said out loud.  Perhaps a slight exaggeration, but this is a pretty clever idea.  And just about as easy as it gets.

Christmas Bouquet

My jaw just dropped when I saw this.  And someone mentioned making it out of those sentimental heirloom ornaments you might have inherited from your grandmother... brilliant!!  I LOVE it.  So gorgeous and so clever.

Twiggy Wreaths

These really reminded me of my sister in Winnipeg, but I thought I'd stick them on here for future reference.  Although the tradition and symbolism behind a regular wreath makes it timeless, this is a cool twist on an old classic.

DIY baby swing

This is a seemingly very simple and very cute idea.  A swing that you can make yourself that goes a bit beyond a board and some rope.  I'd love one of these for the girls' room, although I won't claim that there's enough room...sigh.  But even just for the back deck, this would be awesome!  Once we get the sewing room set up, this might have to be one of the first things I tackle!  Sweet!

BE who you want to be

WOW.  It only takes two minutes to significantly improve the outcomes of your life.  Watch this TED talk.  She explains how in her study, individuals were told to stand in a "high power" pose or a "low power" pose (picture Wonder Woman and someone texting), for two minutes and then go into a high-stress interview.  The people who took on the high power poses were preferred by the judges, by far.  The judges didn't know what was going on, they just evaluated the candidates for the job.  Watch the video if you want the details, but it has to do with hormone levels in your brain.  So, she says, next time you're going into a high-stress performance situation where you really want to be yourself and say what you want to say, hide in a closet and stand like a super hero for two minutes.  That's it!  Awesome!