A Quick Weeknight Tidying Project – Laundry Room

In summer, I like to use Lavender detergent on my laundry I’m tired after a long Monday workday, but don’t want my house to completely slide. Tonight I am setting myself an easily accomplishable but still important task: Sorting my cleaning supplies and organizing them in my laundry cupboards. (I don’t do busywork – this …

Making the Most out of Summer

One of the plants I water during my nightly 20 minute watering ritual this summer QUICK THINGS TO DO TODAY: Let’s do several special things to enjoy our weekend. This is probably one of the last weekends of summer. Whether you’re gardening for pleasure (instead of for chores), doing something active like biking, hiking or …

Maximizing Outdoor Time in Summer

Here in Seattle, we have a beautiful three or four month summer – sometimes it rains all June, sometimes it’s sunny all October. The rest of the year, as you can imagine, is rainy, cold, and windy. So I like to spend as much time outdoors while I still can. I maximize my time by …

Spring Cleaning, Interrupted

My balcony at the Edgewater Hotel in Seattle I had intended to have all my Spring Cleaning all finished long before the end of April. However, I couldn’t resist taking advantage of two opportunities to vacation with loved ones this month. I enjoyed a weekend staycation at a hotel with my boyfriend’s mom, and a …

Preparing for Spring Cleaning

Spring Cleaning Sponges, from Ocelo, on Amazon QUICK THINGS TO DO TODAY: Look over your list of upcoming birthdays this month. Write cards some evening this week, and mail them ahead of time to anybody with a birthday in the upcoming week. For further-out birthdays, order flowers, and prepare to send gifts if you’re planning …

Getting and Staying Ready for Guests

Happy Easter Eggs Pillow, from Pier 1 Imports I just had a houseguest stay for two nights over the weekend; I have a guest staying one night this weekend; and a guest staying over the first weekend in March. I’m delighted to finally have guest bedrooms (two of them!) to offer guests instead of a …

The Last Week of February

QUICK THINGS TO DO TODAY: Let’s start off our day by finding two things to throw away. Recycle magazines that have sat unread on your coffee table for more than a couple weeks? Old cosmetics? A mismatched sock you despair of ever finding the mate to? A pair of pantyhose you’ve been hanging onto despite …

Progress on Late Winter Projects

The palest pink roses I placed in my guest room to bring a hint of spring into the room Today I’m looking back at my busy weekend and congratulating myself on how much I got done. I’m also looking at the week ahead, though, because there’s more work to be done! QUICK THINGS TO DO …