Simple Home - Buffet Storage

I have a horrible time making decisions. Seriously. It can literally take me years to decide where to hang a picture. Case in point, we have lived in our current home for almost a year and a half, and up until last week, our dining area wall was empty of furniture because I couldn't decide what kind of buffet I wanted. And then I stumbled upon Southern Shab on Facebook, a small business in Caney, Oklahoma that specializes in repurposing furniture and building custom farmhouse tables.

Before

The "Before" picture caught my eye. I knew it would be the perfect kind of storage for me because of the number of small drawers. Since I do have such a horrible time making decisions, I sent a picture of the rug that I use for the color palette for our house along with pictures of our open Great Room/Kitchen. And this gorgeous piece was delivered a few days later! I just love it! Thank you, Southern Shab!

After

I love this piece for two main reasons. 1) It is a refurbished piece. I have always been an environmentalist, and I love the idea of giving something that is old a new life. I want to add my own story to it. Bonus - it can be a lot cheaper to have an old piece made to look like new than it is to buy a newly manufactured piece.  And 2) I love the shallow drawers because they work for my needs. Because I'm not using this buffet in the traditional way to hold my table linens and other dining accessories. I am using it for my homeschool center!

Previously, I had many of my supplies in my closet. And to get to that closet I had to go through my bedroom and then the bathroom and then sort through the walk in closet. That's just not practical storage! We do a lot of work at the dining table, so keeping items in the buffet is optimal for our family. And it works with my personal organization rule: store things where you use them!

Math manipulatives

Art supplies

The shallow drawers allow me to break down my homeschool supplies into small categories so everything isn't mixed together. I have a drawer for flashcards, a drawer for stickers, a drawer for notebooks, etc. I don't keep our textbooks here because they are heavy, and I have them in one basket in a cabinet near the table. After just one week, I have seen a great change in our homeschool structure because I am not constantly running from the room to grab supplies. I can set up the 2nd grade math activities and simultaneously grab a Pre-K alphabet puzzle without any hassle. 

Don't be afraid to organize your house in a way that may not seem traditional. Each family is different, and we have to do what works best for each of us!

Simple Tasks - Bathroom Week - Bathroom Decor

I have a child with severe mold allergies. It does not take many mold spores to cause a severe reaction.This forces me to keep my bathroom clean and well ventilated at all times. Because of this, I limit my bathroom decorations.

For today's task, take a look at what decorates your bathroom and consider 1) How often you fully clean the space and 2) How easy it is to clean.  Do you find yourself avoiding wiping down that counter because there is too much clutter? Remove items that get in your way and that do not serve a functional purpose.

Also examine if you need to replace some items to make them easier to clean. Fabric shower curtain liners and 100% cotton rugs can go into the washing machine and last for years. Although the initial investment may be more than their non-washable counterparts, they will last much longer.

Finally, look at the walls. If you already have decorative towel hangers and robe hooks, you may not need much more decoration. A couple of framed pictures can add color and be easy to wipe down as long as the backs of the frames are not cardboard. Cardboard absorbs moisture and results in mold! Sculpted wall plaques can also be problematic if they are difficult to dust. As dust accumulates, it can also draw moisture and breed mold spores.

A clean bathroom can be an inviting and relaxing space. Clear surfaces and walls help us keep it clean, so keep it simple.

I keep my children's bathroom neat and simple so it is quick to clean.