Office Changes are Coming

Now that I'm working from home more, I'm spending a ton of time in my home office.  I feel blessed to have a whole room in our house to myself, especially one that has a big window that overlooks some gorgeous, lush green trees.

I've been working a lot at that desk (from Z Gallerie) in the afternoons, and the glare on the computer was getting to me.  

So I turned the desk around to face the window.  

I like it so much better!  I can't believe I didn't turn the desk around earlier.  I think it's because I don't really like having my back to the door, but I'll trade that for the view.  It's still very bright in the room, I just couldn't get a bright shot out the window without blowing out the trees.  

I'm also planning to paint the walls.  I liked the pale yellow initially, but I'm leaning towards a deeper grey now.  Have you seen her office?  It's one of my favorites!

Blog Organization Binder

Since launching a second blog, taking on contract legal work, participating at my son's school, and working out nearly every day, my life has suddenly felt overwhelmed.  Then, I got sick.  Our bodies tell us when we need to slow down and regroup, don't they?  Over the weekend, I spent a lot of time resting, then, feeling better, got motivated to start clearing out lots of places in our house that really needed it.  

I knew I needed a better way to organize all the stuff that goes into running two blogs, but hadn't quite figured out how to arrange everything until I was reading Jen's blog this week.  She created a genius, and gorgeous, blog binder that you can even buy at her etsy shop.



Taking ideas from Jen, I created my own binder, that contains everything I need for my blogs, and also a daily agenda for my days in general.

I got my binder and supplies at Staples (the Martha Stewart Collection).  

I created custom templates on my Mac in Pages, but I'm sure you could do the same thing with Word.  I just copied and pasted my blog's header from my blog onto the page and printed it in color.

Because I wanted a "week at a glance" for what my posts will be for each week on both blogs, I created a template for that too.  I prefer to have my blog posts scheduled in advance, but that doesn't always happen.  

I'm also keeping my workout worksheets here.  I take them to the gym with me, then put them back so I can keep track of my progress.  (If you're interested, I'm doing the Jamie Eason Live Fit 12-Week Trainer).

The first page in my binder opens to the Daily Agenda.  This is my "go to" list for my day.  I like to plan it before bed the night before, but sometimes, I make my daily plan in the morning while I eat breakfast.  I usually pull out the agenda and stick it in my purse so I have it to refer to when I'm out and about.  

I also printed out a free downloadable calendar from Today's Creative Blog.

I loved Jen's idea of using Washi tape to create labels.  I printed the date with my labeler, then affixed it to a piece of Washi tape. So fun!  I think I got most of my tape at West Elm or Paper Source, but it's widely available online if you do a search.

Do you use a binder or something like this to keep your blog and life organized?  I still use a big calendar in our kitchen for appointments and reminders, and that helps a ton too!  I also like the calendar app on my iphone that syncs with my computer.

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Linking up with my friend Courtney!

Lulu & Georgia (and Discount Code)

I'm happy to share a 20% discount code with you to Lulu & Georgia, a new home decor online retailer:  HoneyWereHome20.  The code will be good until October 17.  Enjoy!

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Master Bedroom Update (Mirrored Nightstands)

Mirrored nightstands have been on my wish list for a very long time, and I finally took the plunge and ordered a pair from Pottery Barn (the Park Mirrored Nightstand).  They arrived on Friday and made me one happy girl!  (They are catalog/internet only).

They really make the whole room feel brighter and more glamorous.  I also like the sleekness of the drawers and how clean they look with the straight ledge pulls as opposed to knobs.  We have room for wider nightstands, but these seemed to be the ones I liked the best.  The PB mirrored dresser (that I love) felt like it would have been too tall.

Our bedroom has evolved over the couple years we've been in this house.  We started with our dark brown leather bed, dark wooden nightstands, and a too-small lamps.  The bed and nightstands have since been relocated to the guest room.

In February this year, we exchanged the headboard for an upholstered bed from Overstock.com.  I placed a starburst mirror over the bed and brought in two Homegoods lamps.  

I like to keep my nightstands clear of clutter, and put books, a notepad and something to write with inside the drawers, along with tissues.  I need to get a prettier alarm clock- I've tried others, but keep going back to my old, ugly one because it has worked the best.

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Our Fall Porch

Our front porch is looking more Autum-like these days with a collection of pumpkins in various colors, shapes, and sizes.  I put some of them in bushels from Michaels and added hay from Hobby Lobby.

Have you gussied up your front porch?  

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My BFF is at Honey We're Healthy today!  You don't want to miss this one!

D. Lawless Hardware WINNER

Hi all!  I had grand plans to share so much with you this week, but a fall cold has completely wiped me out!   I'll be spending the weekend on some much needed recuperation, and hopefully, will be back on Monday feeling much better. :)



Thank you to everyone who entered the D. Lawless Hardware Giveaway.  The winners are:

and 

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Also, on Honey We're Healthy, I'm introducing Jennifer, a new food contributor that will be sharing healthy recipes twice a month.  I wanted to tell you about her here because she also has a home decor blog, The Chronicles of Home, that I think you'll really like. 

If you get a chance this weekend, go say hi to Jennifer!



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One more random thing, I'm getting a TON of spam anonymous comments, so I have disabled anonymous comments in lieu of requiring a word verification and will see how that goes for awhile.  

Fall Table Settings

October has arrived!  Can you believe it?  We are inching toward one of my favorite times of the year and I'm ready for it!  Houston was teased with some cooler weather this weekend, which has me really wishing for temperatures below 80.  I think we're gonna have to wait awhile longer though:( 

This weekend I was thinking of some creative ways to add flair to our autumn table settings, and came up with a few ideas I think you'll like.  I will share the first one with you today, and a few others later in the week.  

Our original Fall table was infused with traditional seasonal colors like rusty orange, gold and amber.  I placed a faux feather in the center of the plate, but wanted to see what else I could do to play with the setting. 

At Michaels, I picked up a few inexpensive packages of goodies for just a few dollars.  Below is how I arranged a couple of tiny eggs, a little bird, and a small nest. I think the result is adorable! 

I actually like the bird and nest resting on the burnt orange napkin better than on the plate alone.  The colors are so pretty. 

I'll show you some place card ideas later this week and our Fall porch.  I actually found myself listening to Christmas music over the weekend.  I guess I'm already in the holiday spirit!  We'll be picking out James' Halloween costume soon- so far, he's torn between being Superman or a Circus Ringmaster.  

I hope your Monday is off to a great start!

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