Spring cleaning is about to hit the (dirty) fan

I've written about spring cleaning before, but I feel like every year I find new ways to make it easier...more efficient...and.......................fun?

It's never 'fun'...but for me, spring cleaning is all about the hype. Saving up some of my favorite podcasts...buying a book on Audible just for Spring Cleaning Week (read: month). It means new sponges and gloves and re-stocking my cleaning supplies. I send Mav outside each morning, light a candle, crank the music and then...get down and dirty behind my washer and dryer, inside my oven and even underneath the living room furniture.

THINGS I DON'T DO WHILE SPRING CLEANING:

• Play dates
• Organizing/Sorting/Donating
• Sleep
• Unnecessary craft projects
• Cook
• Errands
• Things I can hire out (ie: window + screen washing)
• Swap seasonal decor

For the past few weeks I've been feeling the urge but never pulled the trigger. Spring Cleaning is easiest to accomplish when it's planned in advance and is focused and efficient. Otherwise it's too easy to get side-tracked and lose momentum. I posted this blog a couple years ago that mentioned some of those things...but I've come to realize I do best with a comprehensive list. Like...a HUGE list.

When I say 'List' I don't mean your basic list of chores. I'm talking about every. single. thing. that needs to be done. Wiping down woodwork/baseboards. Dusting air return vents. Ceiling fans that you haven't seen the top of in the past calendar year? Those definitely need attention. I'm even talking about inside and behind all appliances...underneath all the beds. Washing every sheet, curtain, pillowcase, and bathroom rug. I list it ALL, room by room, even including hallways/entrances. Some days, deep cleaning the hallway doors and corners of cobwebs and mopping the floor is all I can accomplish, and that's ok! It gets another space cleaned and checked off the list.

In this massive book of lists I also include things like testing smoke detectors...replacing light bulbs...touching up obvious paint scuffs/scratches/dents...I do a little closet/drawer organizing as needed, but I like to keep my organizing overhaul separate from cleaning because it can get very overwhelming if you combine the two. I'm also not sure people organize their spaces as frequently as I do, therefore I think it's probably a good idea to separate the two.

While I'm working in each room, I continue the list making. I note things that need to be purchased, replaced, or projects that need to be finished. I want to add shiplap to a couple areas in our house but fun projects are kind of my 'reward' for getting this massive spring cleaning done. Having a goal to work toward always seems to help me. The reward is the fun part...filling nail holes and doing touch-up paint is the part that I loathe (even though every time I look at my trash cupboard, the paint scratches drive me NUTS!). I'd put it off for years and years if I didn't have this big, 'fun', Spring Cleaning project to motivate me. Lumping crap like that into a bigger project when everything is already out and kind of a mess helps the process.

Another thing I do that most people probably will never understand...I like to start Spring Cleaning with a clean house. I know, I know...kind of insane. BUT. It's impossible for me to accomplish BIG THINGS when there are two baskets of laundry and a pile of dishes in the sink. Staying on top of the usual daily grind stuff is KEY to being able to accomplish anything else above and beyond the normal household stuff.

I take the Spring Cleaning a step farther by including the exterior of the house. This spring I have quite a few paint touch-ups on our metal gutters from where an ice storm pelted the house and knocked the paint right off...that's going on the list. I need to hose down all of our porches/decks and lightly power wash the house in a couple places too...then I'll hose/wipe down all the furniture and that brings me to the windows. We have a million. They're all different styles and sizes and the screen porch is a whole other monster, so this is one of the things we outsource. We hire Josh's friend who owns a window-washing business to knock that out in a morning (it would take me a couple of days and it wouldn't be done nearly as well).

After that I can get my flowers planted, the landscaping finished, and be ready to fully enjoy summer without feeling like the house is falling apart inside and the dust bunnies are growing by the second. This is THE BEST PART OF SPRING CLEANING. We get to spend the entire summer outside, at the pool, eating on the porch...without feeling like all I'm doing is trying to get my head above water with the house projects and cleaning.

Mainly I just try to use my time really well when I'm in Spring Cleaning mode. Lots of independent play and naptime hustle. There's not a lot of deck-sitting or reading or entertaining during these weeks...the time for that comes once everything is clean and in order! Of course we have things come up and random things get scheduled but if I stick to the list, I can usually keep the momentum going to knock it all out before the pool opens (that's currently my goal...we have a wedding during my usual cleaning schedule, therefore the schedule has been thrown off a bit). I finish one thing at a time, one room at a time. And somehow, it all gets done!

I'll check back in a month to let you know how I did...I might even post some of the gross stuff I'm conquering along the way to my InstaStories.

MmB

Bridal Showering

The best part about throwing a shower back home? Access to church's enormous TABLE CLOTH CLOSET. The weird ugly lace that wasn't cool 10 years ago is suddenly beautiful. Exhibit A.

We've been all over your Facebook with these photos, but that's partly because my mom was COMMENTING on all of them instead of CAPTIONING them, and for that I want to sincerely apologize.

However...it was one of the loveliest showers I've ever decorated thanks to my mom's huge collection of milk glass dishes; fresh greenery from Chicken Shed Primitives; and a group of ladies from my home church who I adore.

Here's what typically happens when there's a bride-to-be at our church.

A group of ladies get together. They pick the date, put the details in the newspaper, and divide up the menu. They pick a cute theme, make up a skit/dance/song for the 'program,' throw in a personal devotion by a beloved Sunday School teacher, and make sure the groom comes for the whole thing because this group of ladies...they are a rare fun breed. The groom's presence is required so he knows what he's getting in to.

Josh was so confused about why he had to come to our bridal shower. He was actually kind of annoyed about it because apparently this is not how churches in 'the big city' do things. The group of ladies who threw our shower dressed up like us (Mollie circa 2010 wore a lot of scarves) and did a hilarious skit where 'Pretend Josh' (ie: Mark Pearson) wore cut-off jeans + tank, work boots, an an obnoxious sleeve tattoo. I don't remember the content, but I remember everyone laughing. Hard. You bring a farmer in to play the groom at a bridal shower...and it's GOLD.

I've helped with a bunch of showers back home, and this is still the typical pattern that is followed. It's a system that's worked for 30 years, why mess with it?

I've messed with it. But only a little.

Jamie walks in, sees this massive table and goes, 'Ohhh that's why she was so stressed last week.'
In my defense...wedding doesn't stress me out nearly as much as BLC does...together, it's not been a great combination this spring. Creating this beautiful table was actually the easiest thing about my week.

We used to give corsages to the bride/groom/mom's/grandma's. This was actually still the practice for our shower nine years ago. Something about corsages feels sooooo painfully 90's to me...when I help plan the shower, that part of the budget goes toward something else...like framed pictures of the couple, a creative 'guestbook' or toward a more expensive present from the committee.

The first time I was part of a 'shower committee' at home, I suggested the 'no-corsage' idea and I swear...there was literal pearl clutching. Bless it. Now everyone sees me coming and just assumes ridiculous ideas will ensue.

Ideas like using real dishes to serve everyone at Jamie's shower.

The collection of dishes my mom has started with my G'ma Lottie. It continued with my G'ma Rose, and then they gave their collections to my mom shortly after she got married. I remember this collection of white dishes rattling in our china cupboard for my entire childhood. A couple years ago when my antiquing obsession took off, I found that adding to the collection was really fun. The hunt was fun, surprising my mom with the new things I found was fun. Researching the different brands, styles was fun (hers is all a grape vine pattern, but there are many different kinds of that pattern!), and my dad even has fun scavenger hunting for more when he's with us. It became our new goal to amass a collection so large that it could someday be split evenly between Jamie and I. In the meantime, we try to use the dishes as often as possible, decorate my parents' whole house with them, and we have a lot of fun searching for new pieces!

Using them for this shower seemed like a really beautiful and unique idea. So we went for it.

Guest Book Table Requirements: Pictures of the couple, something creative to sign (we used the engagement Shutterfly book for the third time!), and blank envelopes to save the bride some time on thank you's.

It's always my goal to do something NEW when I plan a party or shower. I don't want it to be like I'm just repeating the same ideas over and over with the same stuff. That wouldn't be special at all. I do use the same stuff from my entertaining + decor collection but I'm always trying to think of ways I can revamp things to make it all seem new and unique. Or I borrow a couple things to add to what I have.

I start by thinking about what the couple likes/dislikes/enjoys...once I planned a 'camping' themed shower because that's what the couple getting married loved....once I planned a vintage-cowboy-themed baby shower because that's how the new baby's room was being decorated. There was the vintage-pinup-girl-themed bachelorette party and the book-themed baby shower. And then Mav's birthday parties...Woodland Creatures, Top Gun, and Train (and this year I'm thinking Dr. Seuss!)...all totally unique and perfect for the honored guest.

Did I empty my actual kitchen cupboards to haul these mason jars to the shower so the cute floral straws would look perfect on this table? Yes. Yes I did.

I like to over-plan things so then I can leave a little extra time at the end to kill myself with unnecessary details. While my mom and I were rinsing an insane about of dishes the day before the shower, we noticed 'Rose' in old masking tape on the bottom of two plates and quickly decided that should be some kind of contest. Whoever flipped their plate over and had the ROSE label won a cute little brown bag with a pink candle + kisses. Funny enough, the real Grandma Rose had her name on her own plate. We didn't even know where we put the plates and we also didn't know where G'ma would want to sit. What are the odds.

I also spent a couple hours sifting through Jamie's Instagram and screen-shotting every single picture she and Adam have ever taken so I could email them to myself, put them on a Word Document, and have my mom print them on cardstock. It cost next to nothing to accomplish and look at how cute the beverage table was.

Thank goodness the rest of the committee handled the food, because as we all know, THAT is not my department and mom helped me behind the scenes. I started the shower with a video of Maverick talking to Nana about Jamie and Adam, their jobs, and his ring bearer duties at the wedding, which was super cute. Then Donna, Jamie's godmother (and our 7th + 8th grade Sunday School Drill Sargent) did the devotion. Julie Maley came up with this idea for Jamie and Adam to bake a cake from scratch without a recipe, without help while we all watched! It baked while they opened gifts and then they had to eat it.

It was terrible, but my guess is, Weston Keil spent the better part of his week making sure it didn't go to waste.

This shower was probably the hardest I've ever had to work to pull off exactly what I imagined...and I wouldn't do it for just anyone. But Maid of Honor and Sister Best Friend are not titles I take lightly...so it obviously had to be the prettiest shower I've ever decorated. 

MmB

I've never used fresh greenery + flowers before and I AM IN LOVEEEEEEE. I couldn't stop taking pictures of how pretty each centerpiece was.

And then at the end of the shower, each centerpiece became a bouquet I wrapped in brown paper and sent home with mom's, G'ma's, etc. Just a more updated way to accomplish the old corsage idea. 

That Smallwood picture came straight off our bedroom wall to become shower decor. I also loved using the mugs we gifted them right after the engagement because they're adorable and perfect to drink coffee out of during brunch.

How to Plan a Bachelorette Party in 75894412 Easy Steps

Whenever possible I try and re-use decor because buying special stuff to decorate with just for parties doesn't make sense to me anymore. The Shutterfly book I made and gave Jamie for Christmas has been her guest book at all three of her showers. Everything in this picture is something I already had and just re-vamped to pull together the cute 'succulent' theme for the party. The pictures + frames were all given to her after her first shower planned by Adam's Aunt's/Sister. 

I'm kidding. I only have SIX easy steps to bequeath to you all in regards to planning the perfect Bachelorette Party.

Perhaps you noticed two weeks ago I threw Jamie's bachelorette party and I have to say, it might have been one of my best parties to date. I had six whole months to think about it, plenty of time post-Christmas to plan it, and a great group of girls to gather to celebrate. It was all pretty ideal conditions for party-planning.

So if you find yourself in the bach-party-planning position, here are my best pieces of advice:

Apparently there was a miscommunication about Jamie wearing a white dress to the party...she wanted to wear black to match everyone else but I forced her into white and this is the magic that happened. #dontmesswiththeplanner

Step 1: TALK TO THE BRIDE.

I get the whole 'surprise' thing...I mean I sort of get it. The problem with surprising is that maybe you're accidentally planning something the bride hates. There can be elements of surprise built into the night/day/weekend, but I'm a firm believer that the party should be loosely discussed with the bride prior to making plans. Who does she want there? What does she 'picture' for the day/night? What would she like to do? Most of you are probably saying, 'Well if you're the MOH, shouldn't you just know all those things?' I am not sure there has ever been a bride + bridesmaid who have known each other BETTER than Jamie and I do, and we still had lengthy discussions on certain aspects of the party. Logistics, number of guests, including the mom's, activities for the day leading up to the party, where she wanted to go for dinner, etc.

There isn't a single restaurant in Ames that takes reservations, so I called Provisions a week prior to the party and then also an hour before we arrived to let them know a party of 18 would be needing their biggest table around 7:00. We barely waited 10 minutes, just enough time to snap pictures of every possible friend-combination in the perfect evening light.

Step 2: SET A DATE + MAKE THE GUEST LIST.

A night in January full of texting + Facebook messaging wedding party, mom's, and a couple of 'key' besties, and we had the date set. At that point, I knew I could take a couple more months 'off' before the 'real planning' started, because planning something simple for months on end isn't how I like to party-prep. Certain things just don't need to be done four months in advance. I had a couple girls immediately texting me to ask what they could bring for the party and I was like, 'Cannot handle those details right now.' Once the general plan is mapped out, the rest really doesn't need to happen until the week before. Jamie's homework was curating the guest list and getting me everything I needed to address invites during this in-between time.

I served a small selection of Jamie-Favorites for appetizers...bacon-wrapped-dates, my mom's scotcheroos, and chips + salsa. The theme of a bachelorette party should be the BRIDE! What she likes, what she wants, what she eats.

Step 3: CREATE + SEND INVITES.

I make sure I know the framework for the day/night/weekend EXACTLY. Then I head straight to Etsy, pay anywhere between $5-$10 for an adorable template, and create in less than an hour. I showed Jamie everything before we did the final save+print just to make sure I wasn't implementing something into the schedule she didn't want and/or wording something in a way she didn't like. The invite for a bachelorette party is SO important because it communicates the 'vibe' for this particular kind of party. Will it be a weekend rager? Will it be a night of binge drinking + strippers? Will it be a fun, classy, appropriate affair where everyone will be comfortable and have a great time? (Ours was the latter, if you were wondering) I prefer to send invites for parties like this 4-5 weeks prior and I think I was right around the four-week-mark with these...most of the attendees were already aware of the date, which meant I didn't need to rush.

Activities with mom's + sister's included brunch, nails, shopping, coffee, ring cleaning, porch-time. 

Step 4: KEEP IT SIMPLE.

Perhaps you enjoy taking an entire weekend away to Nashville, KC, Vegas, etc. to spend $1,500 at a party with a bunch of people you don't know. It's been my experience that bachelorette parties like that are just unnecessary and TOO MUCH. The very best ones have been when we gather to spoil and celebrate the bride with good drinks, good food, good friends, and a few structured 'activities' that all make for a fun night of laughs, conversation, and goofy stories about Nikki. I didn't over-do the decor (I went with a succulent-theme, perfect because Jamie loves succulents and I happen to have quite a collection), I didn't over-do the apps (because we were going to dinner after!) and I asked all the girls to bring a bottle of wine so I could share that expense a bit. We were strategic about how we structured the day so we could include the mom's and do some of the fun bachelorette-day things Jamie loves (nails, brunch, coffee) without asking a group of 18 girls to spend that much money and time on a bachelorette party.

A general rule Jamie and I like to abide by: Unless they're part of the wedding party or family, you shouldn't require 'your people' to attend/throw more than one shower for you. People get over-extended and annoyed that they're being invited to a bridal shower and then a church shower and also a bachelorette party, then an online Norwex/Pampered Chef shower in addition to the actual wedding + gift. SIMPLIFY, EVERYONE.

Step 5: PARTY PREP.

Start with a big list of everything that needs to be bought/ordered/cleaned on Monday the week before the party. Then just take each day at a time, checking things off the list and outsourcing as much as you can (MOM!). Do not get side-tracked with big projects that don't need to happen (See: potting bench outside of my white garage that did NOT need to be tackled the Wednesday before the bachelorette party). Don't be afraid to ask for help (Also see: texting friends to ask about borrowing wine glasses b/c I only own 8 and I had planned a 'wine bar' on my porch). And wait until the day before to do any real cleaning...otherwise, you'll just end up cleaning three bathrooms twice in one week. I like to start pulling out all the decor/party supplies I've gathered so I can see everything I have and fill in the holes with a final list + trip to the store (yes, I'd forgotten party plates + napkins until the day before) and then I take my time setting things up because that part is the most fun for me. Prep the week prior is the most important part to ensure the day is easy/fun/stress-free/and zero work.

I always like to switch the house around just a bit to make the party seem more special, not just like any other day when people come over. Part of that was adding this fun fabric, succulents, and replacing our family pictures w/ pictures of J + A.

Step 6: PARTY!

When the schedule and expectations have been clearly communicated to all guests and the MOH has done the work to over-plan every detail according to the exact desires of the bride (with a couple surprises thrown in!)...it makes for a flawless party. I'm not kidding. From drinks + apps to breakfast the next morning, it was some of my best work and it's really because I killed myself on the front end. It was so worth it though! Everyone had fun (except maybe Josh who I announced as 'the stripper is here!' when he snuck in from working at 6:00) and ending the night with a slumber party was the perfect way to get in some extra cuddle + coffee time with Jamie's most-special besties. We ended the festivities with tired eyes + church on Sunday morning, and don't worry, I made sure we stopped and posed for group-photos throughout the night because there's NOTHING WORSE than getting to the end of a party and realizing you forgot to take pictures with your favorite people.

I'd do it again! But the good news is, I won't have to. ;)

MmB

We're using eucalyptus at the wedding, so I didn't want to overuse that kind of greenery, but did throw some in to this shower. I've tried to come up with different colors/themes for each party/shower so the wedding stays completely unique.

The wine table was out on the porch to break up traffic-flow in the dining room and to get fresh air in the house.

The bride's latest obsession.

Mom's + sister's spend the afternoon at Cafe Diem reminiscing over their old wedding albums...

We ended the night with games at the Wine Bar.

Without knowing we'd get such amazing pictures at Provisions, I forced everyone outside in the middle of gifts so Josh could take this picture before he left. I have no regrets about this. #prettydressesandbarefeet

I made Jamie's favorite, sweet potato hash, for breakfast on Sunday morning. This was something I could prep well in advance so I'd be able to relax and enjoy my morning coffee with everyone else. It's been two weeks and the beds in the basement are still unmade but it doesn't matter because it was fun.

In wedding prep season, maintenance is just a whole thing. It's like our full-time job. Tans, eyelashes, waxes, manicures/pedicures, hair extensions...you guys. Having a wedding in 2010 was so different than bachelorette parties and weddings in 2019 but WE ARE HAVING SO MUCH FUN.

Lazy Avocado Toast

I've been to the Magnolia Table myself, and I can honestly say, this "recipe" that I "made up" rivals Joanna's avocado toast creation. And I can say that because I've had both.

I call this 'lazy' avocado toast because, weirdly enough, avocado toast has a lot of steps. There's just a lot happening in the kitchen all at the same time when I make it so I've tried to simplify each 'thing' as much as possible. Because making a quick healthy lunch shouldn't take 50 minutes. 

And you'll probably all out laugh at my guac portion of the recipe. I don't care.

What you need:

2-3 eggs

1 piece of wheat bread

Avocado
2-3 strips of bacon

Minced onion

Garlic salt

Pepper

Lime juice

Goat cheese (optional)

Cut/mash up the avocado in a small bowl. This is the part that takes the longest. Throw in more garlic salt + minced onion + lime juice, more than you think you need. I have no 'measurement' for this. Some people chop red onions into tiny perfect pieces for their guac, but those people are overachievers. If you use enough minced onion, you get a little crunch and all the onion flavor you need in the 10 seconds it takes to shake the bottle. Stir/mash it all up.

Start frying the eggs. However you like them. I always throw some garlic salt + pepper on ours.

While the eggs are frying lay the bacon on a plate, on top of a paper towel. Cover with another paper towel and put in the microwave for 1-3 minutes, depending on how crunchy you like your bacon. I usually do a minute and a half. Bacon in the oven is yummy, but bacon in the microwave is faster. Faster wins.

Throw a piece of toast in your toaster. 

At this point bacon + eggs + toast are all happening at the same time, the gruc is made, and the whole thing will be done in less than three minutes from here!

Now it's time to build your toast masterpiece...this is my favorite part. Start with the piece of toast, then strips of bacon, then stack your eggs. Smear as much guac as you'd like on top. Go where the Spirit leads you on this, guac is good for your soul. I like to finish my toast off with some crumbled goat cheese on top; however, goat cheese is a HARD PASS from Josh...which is why that particular ingredient is labeled as 'optional.' 

This is perfect for breakfast, lunch, and even supper. It's good as a mid-afternoon snack if you didn't remember to eat breakfast. I'd make it every day if avocado's weren't so finicky and it didn't take so long to make. It takes some practice to get good at making it for a crowd, but I've found they don't mind the waiting so much when the outcome is the best toast of their lives.

MmB