What's Hot in Modern Farmhouse Design and Technology

I attended the Philadelphia Magazine Design Home thanks to an invitation from Xfinity.  This is a sponsored post in partnership with Comcast.

There is no doubt that farmhouse style is hot right now, with its comfy-chic aesthetic and liberal use of neutral tones. But a term being tossed around in design circles, is "modern farmhouse". . .what does that even mean – how can a farmhouse be modern? When you typically think about a farmhouse, you may think of a rustic, old-fashioned farmhouse. But the trendy modern farmhouse look is anything but. It's full of warmth and simplicity, in the traditional farmhouse style, but it also encompasses natural textures and materials, and if you do it right, the latest in modern technology. 

Thanks to an invite from Comcast, I recently got a tour of a local modern farmhouse, that takes this design trend to the next level! Located on 2.9 acres in lovely Villanova, Pennsylvania, this 6-bedroom gem of a house sits among estates that have been around for decades. When you pull into the drive, you are greeted by a lovely home, that despite its luxurious feel, harkens back to a simpler time.

"The goal was to create a home with a formal elegance that respected the architectural past and that fit the neighborhood setting, but that had a decidedly modern appeal - a home focused on style, comfort and function, rather than formality and grandeur."

How To Make Simple DIY Flower Arrangements for Your Home

There's just something about a fresh flower arrangement that makes my heart sing. Beautiful, live flowers make any room brighter and more inviting. But the price tag on fresh flowers can be a real problem. With so many options these days, it's never been easier to create simple, DIY flower arrangements, without breaking the budget.

The cheapest and easiest way to make simple DIY flower arrangements, is to look in your own back yard. Do you have some flowers out there, or even some herbs? Both can be cut to make great arrangements. I am no gardener, by any means and much of what we have, came with our house. Right now, in my herb garden, the sage is flowering, so I cut a stem and stuck it in a mason jar with some oregano that's taking over one area of my messy flower bed.

Planting Seeds - Starting a Family Garden

It's spring, and that means people are out in their yards and gardens, enjoying the nice weather and getting their hands dirty. I'm not really a gardener. I try . . .for the last few years, I have been thwarted by a family of groundhogs. This year, we are going to try strictly patio gardening.

Thanks to Stonyfield and the folks at High Mowing Organic Seeds, we have some awesome vegetable seeds to help get our garden started this year, just in time for Earth Day. There's a lot of talk about organic these days, but why should we bother with organic seeds? According to the folks at High Mowing, organic seeds are selected from the healthiest plants growing in organic conditions. That meas they are adapted to thrive in those conditions, so if you grow or garden in organic conditions, you'll have the best results with organic seeds.

I typically don't do much when I garden. I use the soil native to my yard we don't use pesticides or other toxins on our lawn or plants. This year, I purchased some organic choice potting mix to add to my pots. We're using little peat pots and egg cartons to start our seeds.

Refer to your seed packet for best results and planting instructions, but generally you can start the seeds indoors and then transplant the seedlings outdoors. You should prepare your potting soil by mixing it with water until it's moist - but not soggy. This is a great task for kids and you can use a large mixing bowl or clean sand bucket for mixing. If you're using containers, be sure to poke small drainage holes in the bottom first (some ideas include cleaned out yogurt cups, or small plastic drinking cups).

Plant a few seed per container. After seeding, water lightly. It's important to not let the soil dry out during germination, but equally important not to over water (this is the hardest part for me). After your seedlings emerge, you can thin them to one seed per container by pinching off the unwanted plants at the base of the stem. For best results, your seedlings need about 10 hours of direct light a day.

Not familiar with High Mowing Organic Seeds? They are the nation's largest 100% certified organic seed company in the US. They also recently became the very first company in the nation to offer 100% Non-GMO Project Verified seeds. It makes me feel good to know that I am supporting family farms and helping to sustain a type of agriculture that provides a safe environment for the bees and other pollinators that produce one third of all food on earth.

Are you planning a garden this year? What types of plants will you be growing?

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I received seeds from High Mowing Organic Seeds as part of my yo-Getter relationship with Stonyfield. 

Spring Cleaning - Naturally

I may have mentioned this before, but I am not a fan of cleaning. That doesn't mean I don't like a clean house, because I most certainly do. I just don't particularly care to clean my own house when I could be reading a great book instead.

For years, I had a fabulous young woman that helped me keep my house clean. When I started working from home, and freelancing, we decided that having her come to clean, wasn't a necessary item in our household budget, and I took on the main house cleaning role again.

Being the organized person that I am, I decided on a daily cleaning schedule, much like my grandmother did when I was a little girl. On Monday, I clean the bathrooms, Tuesdays is dusting day, and so on. Every day includes tidying up and laundry. By sticking to this routine, my house is usually neat and relatively clean, should you drop by.

In the spring, I get a little more enthusiastic about clearing out the junk, cleaning the place up and brightening up everything. And I love the way a house smells when it's clean. Recently, through my essential oil journey, I found the most wonderful, non-toxic multi-purpose cleaner. I had read countless testimonies about how wonderful it was and how people used it to clean just about everything. . .from fabric to granite.

This amazing multi-purpose cleaner is the Thieves Cleaner available from Young Living. It's sold in a concentrated form, and you you can make your own spray bottles of cleaner in the strength best suited to your cleaning needs. It's very economical, as a cap full of concentrate, mixed with three cups of water, goes a long way. I feel so good about using this cleaner on my counter tops and where my kids and cat hang out. No harsh smells to irritate us, or lingering chemicals on our surfaces. And it cleans GREAT! I don't notice any difference between this and my old, chemical-filled harsh cleaners.

In fact, there are all sort of natural cleaning recipes from Young Living you can use this spring!

Photo Courtesy of Young Living

 Another way you can "clean up" your cleaning game, is by using reusable cloths (such as microfiber or old t shirts) to save on paper towel waste,  By making your own cleaning supplies, you can re-use your spray bottles and containers, cutting down on the amount of plastic bottles that are discarded too. Those are two more wins for the environment and our planet!

What's your favorite natural cleaning method or product?

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Go Natural - How To Ditch the Dryer Sheets

This post contains affiliate links- thanks for clicking.

For years I used dryer sheets . Everybody uses them right? We all want soft, static-free laundry that smells great after all.  But you're not supposed to use them on towels - because they reduce the absorbancy. What's that all about?

Want to know a secret? Not everybody is using dryer sheets. Some people that are looking for a healthier way, have made an easy switch. Not only are they reducing the amount the chemicals in their homes, but they are saving money too! How are they doing this?

Using Essential Oils Around the House

I've been using Essential Oils in my day to day routine for several months now, and they have made a big impact on my health and well-being. I'm always researching new ways to incorporate them into our lives. I wanted to share some ways that I am using my essential oils around my home, each and every day.

Cleaning
Young Living even makes a natural, non-toxic essential oil blend just for cleaning! Thieves Cleaner contains ingredients from renewable plant and mineral sources, vegetable-based surfactants compliant with the Green Seal and EPA Design for Environment (DfE) standards, and even more Thieves and lemon essential oils for extra cleaning power. The bottle is even 100% recyclable.You can use it (diluted) to clean just about everything in your home - floors, pots and pans, upholstery spot cleaning, etc.

Cooking
Did you know that many Young Living Oils are completely safe to ingest? Be sure to check out their new line of Vitality Oils, specially labeled for consumption. I have become a big fan of citrus water (always use a glass vessel)  to help me keep my snacking to a minimum during the day! Recently, I added a few drops of Orange Essential Oil to a batch of dark chocolate brownies - they were DELICIOUS! Young Living has many savory oils as well, like Rosemary, Thyme and Oregano that can be used in your day-to-day recipes. They are very concentrated, so a little goes a LONG way!

Enjoying
Probably my favorite way to use my essential oils around my home is through my diffuser. Big to-do list today? A few drops of Clarity and I am all set to conquer my day. Feeling a little down? Add some Joy to my diffuser, and let the smiles shine. Kids acting all crazy before bedtime? Some Peace and Calming and reading does the trick. I love the way the diffuser and the essential oils make my house smell. I will never buy a scented candle, spray or room freshener again. It's funny how the kids will say, "Mom, what's in the diffuser today? It smells great in here!"

Some of my favorites that I'm using right now:

Purification Oil

The first thing I did with this one, is add a drop or two to each of my wool dryer balls. An easy and inexpensive way to switch out some chemicals from your home, is to stop using dryer sheets. I purchased a set of wool dryer balls at HomeGoods (I think they were $12 and good for 1,000 uses). I added a few drops of my Purification Oil to each one and use them every time I dry clothes - even towels (no chemicals to make them non-absorbent). They don't prevent static cling 100%, but they do soften my clothes nicely.

I also added a drop to the filter on my vacuum. Every time I sweep the floors now, I get a pleasant whiff of Purification.


Lemon Oil and Lemon Vitality Oil

Did you know a drop or two of lemon oil can help remove that sticky label gunk from jars and bottles? It's true! I've been able to re-purpose many more cool jars after I discovered this little EO trick!

I am also including a drop of lemon vitality oil in my water each day. Drinking more water helps to curb my snacking throughout the day.



Have you tried essential oils yet?

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Please note that essential oils are not regulated by the FDA. Because they are not evaluated by the FDA, essential oils are not regulated to treat, diagnose, cure or prevent any illness.

Fall Home Tour 2014

Better late than never - right? I love to decorate my house for fall. Fall is my favorite season and I like to go "all out" in my home decor, but still keep is simple and casual. I actually do three layers of fall decorating.

The basic pieces are going to be up from October 1st (or earlier) until Thanksgiving Day. Then I add in "Halloween" pieces, like ghosts, jack-o-lanterns and my Trick or Treat Banner the week before Halloween. Those things come down the day after Halloween, and I put up some Turkeys and Corn that I have.

One of my favorite ways to decorate is with real pumpkins and gourds. These are pretty inexpensive and easy to find. As soon as they come out, I start buying a few each trip. I like white and traditional orange pumpkins the most, and they all need to have a nice stem. Owen collected a bunch of acorns on a recent outing to a local state park. I put them all in a Dollar Store glass vase, and wrapped some twine around the neck.  Another example of inexpensive and easy fall decorating.

My parents have a flock of turkeys that live in the field behind their house, so the kids find a lot of turkey feathers in their yard. We collect them, and display them in my grandmother's iron stone pitchers.

Last year, we took a family trip to the Corning Glass Museum, and Ryan made a blown glass pumpkin. I bought one from one of their glass blowers as well, and these are a great addition to my pumpkins - they can really catch the light on a sunny day. Those are lentils in my votive candle holders. Coffee beans add a nice rich brown color also.

You can find some great free holiday printables on the web. One of my favorites is subway art. Each season, I find one to put in this frame. I've also collected small ceramic pumpkins from the Dollar Store over the years, and I spread these around on the mantle, tables and book shelves.

Outside, I use a combination of real and fake pumpkins and mums around my front porch and walkway.  As much as I dislike using fake pumpkins, the real ones sometimes rot before the season is over OR the squirrels eat them. On Halloween night, I add luminaries and jack-o-lanterns for a spooky touch.

So there's a quick Fall Home Decor Tour of my home. I like to keep it simple with traditional colors and objects.  I'm planning to add some touches of burlap, so I'll keep you posted on any updates! I may even try covering my own pillows!

What are your favorite ways to decorate for Fall?

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How to Make an Easy DIY Chalkboard Tray

Who doesn't love something with chalkboard? It's all the rage in decor and crafting right now, and I admit to falling victim. A while ago, I came across the most adorable silver tray, painted with chalkboard paint on Pinterest, and I thought "how can I make a chalkboard tray?" Well, that pin sat in my mind for a long time, poking at me to try and re-create it myself.

I scoured local thrift stores for silver trays, never willing to commit, afraid of messing it up. The biggest hindrance to my crafting is my fear of messing it up. Does that ever happen to you?

In a stroke of brilliance - ok totally random and accidentally, I found out the DOLLAR STORE has silver-looking plastic trays. These would be perfect! Here's how you can make one of these darling trays for yourself (for under $3) - perfect for a Menu Planner, Party, or gift.

Things You Need:

Silver Trays - got these at the Dollar Store
Chalkboard Paint - I used Martha Stewart
Painters Tape
Painting Sponges
Ribbon (optional)

What To Do:

Tape off the edges of your tray - the corners were tricky, so take your time.

Paint the flat part of your tray with the chalkboard paint. Pay attention to your strokes and thickness of the paint.

Let it dry the recommended amount of time.

Add a second coat, paying attention to stroke lines and paint thickness again.

Let it dry overnight - or as directions advise.

After it dries, carefully remove the painter's tape.

Cure the chalkboard by lightly rubbing chalk over it and erasing. Go lightly to avoid scratches.

Now it's ready to use - I turned it vertically and placed it on a small easel I have. You could add a bow to the top with a hot glue gun, or even a small hook on the back to hang it up. The more I thought about it, the more uses I came up - it would make an adorable cheese tray - you could write the names of the cheese right on it!

How would you use one of these chalkboard trays?

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4 Ways to Protect our Planet Every Day

Reduce, Reuse, Recycle. We hear it a lot don't we? In fact, I just used it in a post about finding additional recycling materials in your own bathroom. Seems like everyone is going "green" too. And with Earth Day celebrations planned for April 22, it seems as if we are being bombarded with green messages.

But what does it all mean? Does planting trees on one particular day, or recycling on one day make a difference? Actually it does. . .but think of what we could do for our family's, our neighborhood's, and even our planet's sustainability if we made some small changes Every Day.

I'm not saying you need to add solar panels to your house and buy an electric car, although both of those things are good for the planet and can save you money in the long run. But thinking about how you consume things in your own home, what it takes to produce those things and then trash those things, how you use them, and what their carbon footprint is, can make a difference. The last thing any of us need, is to make our lives more difficult. But sometimes, some easy things can make a big difference.

What are some simple ways you and I can help the planet - not just on Earth Day, but Every Day?

• Something I've been considering is switching to cloth napkins and trying to eliminate so many paper products in our home.  Reusable snack bags and sandwich bags are an additional option.

• Grow your own herbs and vegetables. We do a bit of this each year. It doesn't have to be a "garden" - just some pots on a sunny windowsill or on your back step.

• Try composting. There are some great tips out there for starting your own composting bin - it doesn't have to be large, every little bit helps. This is also on my consideration list.

• Walk. Are you lucky enough to live within walking distance of entertainment and supplies? Can you walk (or bike) to the school or park where your kids have sporting and other activities?

All of these choices have a gentler impact on our planet. What "easy" activities, tips and tricks do you have for protecting our planet? 

Here's a little video about some eco-friendly products from Melissa Gerstein, Co-Founder of Lifestyle Brand, "The Moms" - what are some of your favorite earth-friendly products and brands?

I'd love to know more about how your family helps protect our planet - leave me a comment!

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How-To Make Your Own Terrarium

If you've been paying attention lately, you've probably noticed an increase of succulents, air plants and terrarium ideas in advertisements, store displays and magazines. Gardening, both indoors and out is becoming a popular pastime and hobby. After seeing several terrariums, and thinking how cute they were, I got a few friends together to make some of our own and share our results. The February issue of Family Circle Magazine had some really simple instructions to get us started.

Catch a Breath of Spring at the 2014 Philadelphia Flower Show

Here in the Philadelphia area, it's been a very long and snowy winter. The best antidote for that is to breathe in the sights, sounds and smells at the Philadelphia Flower Show.  This year's theme, ARTiculture, creates an exciting fusion of art and horticulture.

I am always a little breathless when I walk in and see the Entrance Garden for the first time. For this year's show, the inspiration is the art of Alexander Calder.

I love to roam around the big displays and imagine if my yard looked like that.  There is a great selection of "everyday" looking plants and ideas that are bound to inspire you for spring. Like this great frame full of succulents. Wouldn't this look great hanging on a patio or porch? Succulents and terrariums are so popular right now.

Every time you turn the corner, there is a surprise or something unexpected. For instance, this year the Garden to Table Studio, sponsored by Organic Gardening magazine is moving to the show floor. Experts will be presenting cooking demonstrations throughout the day. There's a Butterfly Experience, with 20 species of butterflies. The Make and Take Room and more.

The Philadelphia Flower show truly has something for everyone, including some amazing original Andy Warhol paintings.

The PHS Philadelphia Flower Show is the nation's largest flower show. the show features the world's premier landscape designers and florists, who turn 10 acres of the convention Center into an unbelievable floral fantasy come to life. But it's not all flowers and trees. The Flower show hosts world-renowned competitions in horticulture and artistic floral arranging, gardening presentations and demonstrations, special events and a mammoth indoor Marketplace.

Know Before You Go
Dates: March 1-9, 2014
Times: Monday-Friday 10a-9p, Saturday, March 8th 8a-9p and Sunday, March 9th, 8a-6p
Location: Philadelphia Convention Center, 12th and Arch Streets, Philadelphia, PA 19107
Information: www.theflowershow.com or call 215-988-8899
Ticket Price: Advanced: Adult $27 Student $20 (with valid ID) Children(2-16) $15

Proceeds from the Flower Show benefit the year-round programs of PHS, which is celebrating it's 186th year of gardening, greening and learning.

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Disclosure - I was invited to a press preview of the Flower Show before the set-up was completed and open to the public.

DIY: Decorating With Books to Create a Summer Mantle

One of the best features of our house is a great mantle over our living room fireplace. I decorate the mantle for each season, switching up the focus, colors and items to set the tone for the room.

This summer, I wanted to try something different. I cleared off the mantle and assembled some pieces of my grandmother's and some other white pieces I had around my home. I gathered up some seashells collected from family trips as well. Everything was white, ivory and beige so I needed a color. I decided to use a weathered blue tray to anchor my mantle.

As I arranged my pieces, I realized that I needed some height to add more interest. So I hunted around. I came up with nothing. . .and then it hit me - BOOKS!

I scourged my library (a few years ago I parted with many (many) of my hardback books) for hardbacks that were the proper size. A yard sale, used bookstore or thrift store would also be a great and inexpensive place to find the books you need.

Once I had my eight books assembled, my mantle started to come together. . .but the books were too "colorful" and distracting form my calm sea-inspired mantle "vision". How to fix that? Why cover them in brown paper of course!

I had a roll of plain brown paper in my craft stash, as well as some brown paper bags, so I set to work covering the books.

Did you cover text books in school when you were a kid? I used to love to do that with mom. It's the same theory; however, I didn't take too much care with these covers, the spines just needed to look good.

Once the books were covered, they still needed "something". I grabbed by denim twine and doubled a length and tied it around the books. This way I also brought in my blue anchor color. The brown also coordinated really well with the sand I had used in my hurricanes too.Here are the steps I followed:

Now I had height AND my books tied in with my color scheme and vision.

This could easily be adapted for any season, I'm picturing a darker brown burlap ribbon for fall, with some pumpkins and apples. . .

Do you use books for decorating? How do you tie them into your decor?

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Check out the Link-Up for More Summer Ideas

Cleaning. . .it's not just for spring.

Many years ago, when I worked a corporate job, I had a cleaning person. She was wonderful and came to see us once every two weeks. The days Audrey was here, were my favorite to come home, as the floors shone, and everything smelled great.

For 10 years, I never looked back.  Our wonderful cleaning person even came with us when we moved 2 miles away from our original home.  I couldn't imagine a life without her. But between the sagging economy of a few years ago, I left the corporate world and began my new career from the comfort of my home.

In light of that, we made a financial decision to let our cleaning person of 10 years go. . .I was in pain. 

So armed with a Spring Cleaning issue of Real Simple and the internet. . .I  set up a regular cleaning schedule for myself. . .one "big ticket" item a day:

Monday - Clean the Bathroom
Tuesday - Dusting - all rooms
Wednesday - Vacuuming and Water the Plants
Thursday - Mop the Floors
Friday - Catch-all Day for anything that didn't get done

Weekends - Wash towels and sheets and Water plants

Everyday - Tidy-up and Declutter, Clean the Kitchen, 1 Load of Laundry

I prefer one thing a day to 3 hours of cleaning on the weekend. And it's worked out really well. Over the years, I've made some modifications and I add that day's activity to my daily to-do list, so I also get the sense of accomplishment when I finish it and cross it off. I also have a "pretty" version laid out on a back page in my Planner to remind me.

Got any great cleaning ideas?  What works at your house?

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