It’s raining again, but still so warm I can have the doors and windows open to let in the fresh, wonderful smelling air. I’m glad I didn’t pack away all the hot cocoa and teabags, and that I left a few Duraflames in my fireplace caddy. My puppies are not very happy about having to be indoors so many hours today though!
QUICK THINGS TO DO TODAY:
- Empty trash cans (don’t forget bathrooms and bedrooms) and recycling. I don’t like to let these things pile up. My house feels so much fresher when the trash has been taken out.
- If you have outdoor lights that are on a timed schedule, have you adjusted them for the longer days? I noticed my lights were on at 4pm yesterday – how silly! I need to update the timer to have the lights turn on at 8pm.
- Have you had a healthy snack today? A handful of blueberries, a handful of nuts, half an avocado, a banana?
TODAY’S PROJECT: Dining Room and Breakfast Nook
Today I am tidying and doing maintenance cleaning on my dining room and breakfast nook. I just threw a dinner party last night, and this morning there are bits of dried rice crunching under my bare feet!
The dining room needs to be swept, then mopped (Sweeping first makes the mopping job take less time). The tablecloth needs to be laundered, table dusted, chairs dusted and chair pads sponged with a washcloth. The curio cabinet needs to be dusted (but I’ll only do the outside today). Since it’s a cloudy day, this is the perfect time to wash my dining room and breakfast nook windows.
My breakfast nook table tends to get cluttered up quickly. Today I’m finding new homes for a teapot, hot pink candle, two empty vases, and eight different bags of doggie treats.
The wood floor needs to be swept and mopped too, and the tablecloth laundered, table dusted, etc. I expect both rooms to take less than an hour total to clean today. I’ll finish by cutting myself a pink peony from my front yard (they just bloomed today!) to put in a vase on the breakfast nook table. The last thing I’ll do is spritz both the dining room and breakfast nook with my Lilac home fragrance spray.
LOVELY BLOGS: The Paris Apartment
This blog author lives in Florida and runs a lovely shop there. She’s currently in Paris at the markets and exploring. Be sure to take a peek at her blog which is currently filled with gorgeous photos of Parisian decor, buildings, and other goodies.
LOVELY DRINKS: Twinings’ Cold Brewed Iced Tea
I was recently delighted to discover that Twinings accepts Paypal. I raided my stash of “Monopoly money” in my Paypal account to have several of their new cold brewed iced teas shipped to me. I immediately filled up a pitcher with the Earl Grey and enjoyed several glasses throughout a long hot afternoon.
I discovered that Earl Grey doesn’t keep well overnight. I’d left the pitcher with its leftover tea, right on my kitchen counter overnight like I do every time. My Lipton cold brew teas stand up well to that. This one didn’t. Cloudy and bitter tasting. So I threw it out and I’ll make smaller batches next time. So far the English Classic iced tea is my favorite, with Lady Grey next. I probably won’t buy the Earl Grey again. Meanwhile, I am glad to know I can restock my iced tea supplies any time I have cash in my Paypal account!
LOVELY FRAGRANCE: Papier d’Armenie
I’d never heard of this concept until today, and I’m fascinated by it. (Perhaps I’m more attuned to home fragrance issues lately since I have smelly baby puppies peeing in my house!) This French company has been making these products since 1885. I love that the booklets of paper are decorative, not just functional.
You light the little strip of paper on fire, then blow it out. As it smolders, it supposedly removes pet and food cooking odors from your home. I’m game to try it!
LOVELY GARDENING: Dwarf Citrus Trees
I was so excited when I saw Sur la Table’s new dwarf citrus trees that I literally started tearing up. I’ve been looking for nice dwarf citrus trees forever! I have seen them online but it was always from some nursery I’m unfamiliar with, or a company I didn’t trust enough with my credit card number.
I’m afraid my bad gardening skills will make these die or just never bear fruit. But I want to try. I have a nice sunny patio they can live on in summer, and a sunny breakfast nook they can winter in. I think I will pick up the Meyer lemon tree, a perfect size for tabletop right now. And I’m thinking these would make great gifts for some garden-loving aunts and friends, too.
LOVELY LINKS FOR TODAY:
Crushed Peas with Feta and Scallions (Epicurious)
Making Homemade Kosher Dill Pickles Without the Pickling (Wicked Good Dinner)
