Happy 2014, everyone! I can't believe that 2013 is over! Last year was a busy one here at Mom Home Guide. So, before launching my new projects for 2014, I am going to share the best of what I accomplished in 2013! Here is my 2013 Mom Home Guide Year in Review. Burlap Crafts Burlap was popular in 2013, so like many crafters, I jumped onto the burlap bandwagon in 2013. It was fun! Two of my favorite burlap crafts I completed was my stenciled no-sew burlap valance for my home's downstairs powder room, and my no-sew fringed burlap table runner. Both projects were problem solvers, as I was having Continue reading...
Organize Your House and Improve Your Life 15 Ways
Did you know that on average, Americans spend one year of their life looking for lost or misplaced items? If you are like the average American, you are probably aware of how easy it is to accumulate a ton of stuff in your home. I know I have! There are many of us who really need to organize our home. The more things you collect, the less space you have to store it. As a result, people often find themselves living in a home full of clutter. While you might find it difficult to part ways with things that have sentimental memories, home organization experts recommend getting rid of items Continue reading...
An Organized Kitchen Command Center
It’s often said that the kitchen is the heart of the home, but unfortunately for many moms, the kitchen is often the central point for something unwanted – piles of clutter. My kitchen tends to accumulate a lot of clutter, too. My kids like to do their homework on the kitchen table (even though there’s a desk for them upstairs), so we often have to take the time before dinner to clear off homework, pencils, books, etc. The kitchen table is also where I tend to leave the mail for my spouse to see when he comes home, so junk mail and newspapers tend to pile up there, too. Fridge Continue reading...
Unfinished Basement Playroom Ideas
Last year was a busy year! I started this website, and thankfully, at least a few people have read it! Thanks everyone for your visits! It's been a fun year. For all you new readers out there, I thought I'd post some of the most-read posts from 2012 -- enjoy! And, if you are wondering, I have created an unfinished basement playroom space for my kids, but it's nowhere near as nice as I'd like it to be. I haven't painted the walls or stained the floors in the unfinished basement playroom space, and there is still a lot of organizing to be done! I will have to keep working on creating a fun Continue reading...
What I Am Reading This Week
Reading magazines used to be a hobby, but now, reading all the fantastic mom blogs out there is my new obsession! These are some favorite posts that I came across this week. I just LOVE Mexican food, so I was happy to find this Cheesy Chicken Taquitos recipe from How to Nest for Less: I love this post on organizing a daughter's closet. I've been trying to figure out how to organize one daughter's hair accessories, and One Creative Housewife has some really smart ideas! My kids love fortune cookies, so if I could manage to make these fortune cookies (with free printables) Continue reading...
Decor for a New Kid Study Area
Last week, I finished the feature wall in my kids' new study area. I think it looks great! For the new feature wall, my kids picked out a pretty green paint, plus a really cute owl and tree RoomMates mural (Happi by Dena), that I purchased on Amazon (my go-to shopping place). The mural was pretty easy to put up -- the only help I needed was reading the itsy bitsy numbering on the mural's instructions that told me where to put each of the mural's parts. The numbers were so small, I couldn't read them even with the help of a magnifying glass! I finally had to call one Continue reading...
Organizing Kid Spaces in the Home
When my kids were babies, we kept most of their toys in a small bookshelf that we kept in the living room. Their baby toys didn't take up much space. But, as they got older, they got more and more toys, and before I knew it, their toys were all over the house. Over the years, I've done various things to find a space for them to play in, and a place for their toys. At first, my husband and I kept two large toy boxes in the living room to hold all their toys. But now that they are older, I am hoping to replace those toy boxes with a sofa, and move the toy boxes into a basement playroom Continue reading...
Baskets for Kitchen Organization
Years ago, when my husband and I moved into our home, there was plenty of storage in our new kitchen. But since then, I've acquired new cooking tools, small appliances and servingware, and now, there is not enough room to store all of our kitchen stuff in our tiny kitchen. Add to that all the plastic cups and plates for outdoor dining, and lunch box supplies for my kids, and we really have a problem! Despite the lack of plentiful cupboard space in my home's kitchen, I've recently found extra storage space in the kitchen. How did I do that? I created extra space on top of my Continue reading...
Cleaning Out the Toy Chests
Ever since my kids were tots, we’ve kept their wooden toy boxes in our living room. The living room, which is only furnished with an upright piano, was the perfect place for them to play in. The plush carpeting was nice for them to play on and cushioned their falls, and the room’s location just off the kitchen made it easy for me to keep an eye on them while I was cooking. But now that my kids are both 9, I am hoping to move the toy chests downstairs into a basement playroom. I would love to turn the living room into more of an adult living space, and furnish it with a small loveseat and a Continue reading...
Storage for Kids Rooms
Finding enough storage in children’s bedrooms can be tough, but if you buy furniture and accessories with storage in mind, you should be able to find plenty of storage for kids rooms. My daughters, 8, are twins and naturally enjoy sharing a room together. So, when I chose the children's furniture for their room, I chose children's furniture that would give us the most space as possible for storing their things. Their room is fairly large, but not that big, considering that we must fit two twin beds in there, a dresser, and as many places as possible to stash all their toys. So, Continue reading...