Lunchskins

Did you know that in the United States more than 20 million sandwich bags from school lunches wind up in landfills?  I have been guilty of sending plastic ziploc bags in my kids' lunches, but I always feel guilty about it.  I have tried using the laptop lunchbox and sandwich wrap mats, but was not happy with how either worked.  I could not fit my kids' sandwiches or thermos (if they wanted to take something hot) into the laptop lunch and the sandwich mats were very hard to clean and seemed to get water trapped underneath the plastic.  For other friends of mine, the laptop lunch box has worked so I think this could be a good solution for some depending on what you pack for lunch.  I thought at the very least I should try some reusable snack bags for all the times we carry snacks on the go.  My first grader has to pack a snack every day--think of how many plastic bags that would add up to!!  Lunchskins is a company started by mompreneurs.  They make these adorable reusable bags that can be found here: www. lunchskins.com.

Wallies

I love the idea of these peel and stick chalkboards you can put around your house for messages, reminders, to practice writing, to keep a weekly calendar, or just for doodling.  These are the least expensive ones I've found from the company "Wallies."  They make the chalkboard ones in several different colors and you can purchase them in packs of 2 or 4.  I also like the dry erase version.  Visit their website here:  www.wallies.com.

Lego storage

Both my boys, ages four and six, and all of their friends are Lego obsessed.  I've spoken with several moms about ideas for storing Legos and I have to say since my kids are probably at the early stages of Lego play, we throw them all in one bin when picking up.  I have discovered, however, something that is a big help: a small dustpan.  This really makes clean up faster and easier than picking up all the little pieces with your hands.  If you want to be a bit more methodical I have found some other solutions, the best of which I think is the Box4Blox Lego storage box.  Apparently, you put the pieces in the top and they sort of shake through so the smallest pieces go to the bottom of the box.  Their website has a video demonstration of how it works and can be found here: http://www.box4blox.com/.  Target online has several Lego storage boxes made by the company Iris.  Another option is using a tackle box to sort them out.  Let me know your ideas.  By the way--I have given up on keeping the sets together and just let the guys build custom designs.  I have kept all the instruction booklets in case they ever want to reconstruct the originals.

Open floor totes

Yesterday I was helping a friend pick out a new rug at Celadon, a local store here in Mt. Pleasant.  While there I spotted these adorable canvas open floor totes.  I think they would look great in a child's room designated as a place to house stuffed animals.  These days I am totally into open storage and have found that closed boxes (with the exception of maybe a big toy box or chest) do not work for us.  Having something open really facilitates easy clean up.  Just throw it in and be done.

Charleston Artist Collective

A friend of mine, Allison Williamson, has launched an online artist gallery to represent, show, and sell local artists' work.  Twenty percent of the profit made will go to help a local charity or cause (this month $370 has gone to Carolina Youth Development Center). Each month artists will contribute paintings centered on a certain theme.   I think this is such a great idea as it allows those interested in collecting art an approachable and affordable way to do so. Check out the website here: charlestonartistcollective.org.

                                       Mary Hoffman, "Shadow Dancin'" 10 x 8, $650

                                       Anne Darby Parker, "The Contour" $625

                                     Susie Callahan, "Sailing Day," 8 x 16 $250

Made By Girl

I love Jennifer Ramos' Made By Girl blog (you can find it in my blog bar) as well as her shop on Etsy.  Her colorful posters would add delight to any home!  Visit her shop here: http://www.etsy.com/shop/jenniferramos?ref=seller_info

Before and after

I recently helped a friend with giving a new look to a few rooms in her house.  The first room that needed attention was her office which the previous owners of the house had painted in a rust color with very darkly stained wood for the trim and cabinetry.  We chose Benjamin Moore Revere Pewter for the new paint color and Dove White for the trim.  We used the chocolate brown and cream zebra rug as an anchor piece and went from there to select the chocolate brown sofa and oatmeal colored curtains.  She purchased some modern accessories from West Elm (the mirror above the sofa, and the floor lamp) and also used some pops of turquoise to brighten things up.

We also decided to go for a richer color in the dining room and decided on a chocolate brown to tie in with some other accents around the house.  The new chandelier (from West Elm), and the mirror add a modern touch.  

We took the shades off and moved the old dining room crystal chandelier into the master bath to give it a more elegant touch.