6 Quick Question: Hoard Much?

Relatively speaking, I’m a pretty clutter free creature—especially after watching an episode or two of Buried Alive or Hoarders. In fact, after such viewing, it may be argued that I have the opposite problem in the form of a selective case of home OCD.

Case in point: my refrigerator. 

Clean at all times with three exceptions: a shopping list, invitations that have yet to be written in my day planner at which point they will promptly be tossed in the trash and a framed magnetic photo of my sweet deceased puppy dog Ralph…OH! It’s also critical that all three permissible items are neatly arranged on the side of the fridge not the front. Very important.

Of course I feel sorry for my future children that their macaroni artwork won’t be showcased on the steely doors of my Frigidaire, but I find comfort knowing that surely such neglect will only build character. Besides, if they take after their mother, they’ll find a deep satisfaction in hoarding magazines. Stacks and stacks of magazines.

It recently dawned on me that a serious publication hoarding situation is brewing in my neck of the woods…



You may now be anticipating a come-to-Jesus moment where I admit my hoarding sins and vow to rid my house of every pre-2011 issue…but that’s just silly. We all need a hoarding vice. This is mine, and I know you have one too.

So spill your guts. What are you stashing away in that casa of yours?

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4 Quick Question: Halls Still Decked?

Looking around my living room, holiday decor is still in full force. Even without a full-fledged tree this year (gasp!—I know. I’m a major holiday slacker) bowls of ornaments, sparkly stockings and Christmas card displays are still scattered about. A part of me wants to hang on to the holidays a bit longer, but another part is dying for my house to get back to normal.

Your turn: Are you the sort who holds out on packing away ornaments until the twelve days of Christmas have come and gone, or do you find yourself ridding every corner of you home of tinsel as soon as the presents are unwrapped? Do tell. 

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9 Quick Question: Quarter Life Bucket List?

Now that my quarter life crisis has come and gone and I’m entering my late 20s, I’ve been thinking a lot about where I’m headed in the next 5 years. I’ve had so much fun in my early 20s, met so many wonderful people and have had so many opportunities that I’m thankful beyond believe to have had. I can’t wait to see where life takes me as I creep towards the big 3-0.

You know the list maker in me always wins, so I’ve decided to put together a bucket list for the next 5 years. With ideas still fresh on my mind, I’m excited to share it with you as I get further along, but I want to hear from you!

What is one thing that you want to check off of your list in the next 5 years? Skydiving? Finishing War & Peace? Taking off on a new career adventure? I wanna know!

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12 Quick Question: Hardwood Housekeeping

I know that I’m not alone in my never-ending love affair with hardwood floors. Honey stained strips, espresso planks—all are fabulous in my book. What’s not so fabulous is the struggle to keep them clean. In this neck of the woods, with four little ones parading around the house, tumbleweeds lurk around every corner.

Needless to say, the dust buster has become this zoo keeper’s partner in cleaning crime.

Alright fellow hardwood worshipers, spill your cleaning guts. Muddy feet from the kiddos making you want to pull your hair out? 

Dust bunnies uniting under the sofa? How do you keep your floors spotless?

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9 Quick Question: Worst chore ever?

Let’s face it. Certain around-the-house chores are what nightmares are made of. For me, it’s cleaning kitty litter. As much as I love these perfect paws—or should I say, purr-fect? I know. Take it easy, Cara—scooping their leftovers scrapes the bottom of my want-to-do list.

Picture my misery this morning while giving the litter boxes their weekly tidy up. Stinky smells…Gritty litter…This less than happy kitty mom was contemplating opening the front door and looking the other way while her furry felines shimmy into suburban wilderness. Don’t judge. Take a scoop or two from a littler box frequented by a cat named Tooty and let me know your initial thoughts.

Now it’s your turn to vent. What’s your least favorite chore? Don’t skimp on me people! I want all of the terribly icky, germ filled details.

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6 Q & A: Keeping It Together

Alright, another question in the inbox! This one comes from Olivia…

Hi Cara and Eric! My question is about staying on track with home projects. I moved in with my fiancé a couple of months back and technically this will be my first house once we get married in October.  I am wanting to go ahead and start on a few home projects but there are so many it makes my head spin just thinking about it!! How do you decide what projects to go after first and how do you stay organized?

Good question, Olivia! We’ve been known to skip from project-to-project in a way that may seem unorganized to some (have you noticed the 15 projects we have simultaneously in progress at the present time?), but there is a method behind the madness. Whether you prefer to tackle one project at a time or several, large undertakings or small, keeping yourself organized is a must for keeping your sanity in tact.

Eric and I use a simple to-do list to keep our priorities straight and excel spreadsheets to keep budgets in line. We also have an ever-expanding binder full of inspiring magazine photos, favorite paint colors and other fun home goodies so that when the mood strikes us to venture into a new project, we are already one step ahead.

As for deciding which home projects to tackle first, we will always suggest a priority list. Make one for you and have your soon-to-be-husband do the same. Find which projects overlap and start with one of those first. You can’t stand the wallpaper in the guest bath, your hubby cannot wait to add shutters to the house, and you both will not be able to go on another day if you don’t take care of the front flower beds? Knock out the flower beds first and then take turns working through other projects on your list.

Hope this helps you, Olivia, and we can’t wait to see the before & after shots!


I know you guys are just bursting with helpful hints of your own for Olivia! What are your tricks of the trade for knocking out home projects AND maintaining your sanity?


-Cara

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5 Quick Question: What kind of pack rat are you?

All this week, I’ve been staring at boxes. Boxes in the living room. Boxes in the bedroom. Boxes in the office. Boxes. We kick off the big move on Monday and that means we have another full week of boxes waiting for us.

What’s your moving strategy? Do you push forward and knock it all out at once? Do you take your time arranging until everything feels just right? Are boxes still piled in your garage from a move five years ago? We want to know everything!

-Cara

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9 Quick Question: Trim Paint

This week we Wilkersons are dedicating all of our free time to paint. We conquered the walls this past weekend, so the job of painting trim is nearing. We’ve heard other bloggers and friends sing the praises of frog tape—we’ve stocked up on the green stuff—but we would love any tips and tricks from our fine friends! 

Spill your secrets: Do you have a certain paint you love? Are you a semi or high gloss person? We just gotta know!

-Cara

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