Tuesday, January 26, 2010

The BEST thing you can do for your house.

I want to tell you about a family I know. This family had a lot of money, I mean A LOT! They had a huge house in one of the nicest parts of town. Their house had a big backyard with an in ground pool, they had hardwood floors, high ceilings, skylights, winding staircase, and more and more. Sounds like the perfect dream house right? WRONG!!! So what's the problem? Was it bad plumbing? No. Termites? No. Bad neighbors? No. The problem was that the house was a pig sty! That's right, toys, clothing, food, garbage, all over the house. The house smelled like a trash bin, and the beautiful hardwood was impossible to see among the mess. The pool had green stuff growing in it and smelled like pee. Nobody wanted to visit the house in fear of catching a disease. So.....

The best thing you can do to make your house 100 time more beautiful is keeping your place clean and organized. Ok so I know what you're all thinking "cleaning is so boring, I'd rather be picking out paint colors." It's true, picking out decorating elements would be WAY more fun and interesting, but it's not going to matter if your walls are the perfect shade of "mother of pearl" if your living room looks like a laundry mat exploded in it. Just think, you could have your make-up done by a celebrity make-up artist, but you'll never get prince charming if you have food stuck in your teeth and smell like a locker room.

I decided to start organizing my kitchen. Not only did I want it to be orderly, but I was tired of opening cupboards and seeing stuff all piled in a messy heap. It just looked like an ugly mess. I started with the vitamin cupboard. We have a lot of stuff because there's adult stuff, kid stuff, and infant stuff. We also shop at Costco and have super sized bottles of everything.

BEFORE












I started by throwing out anything past the expiry date. Next I moved half full bottles into smaller bottles, remembering to label them and write the expiry date. I also consolidated doubles of things into one bottle if it would fit.

AFTER













Next I worked on the spice cupboard. I had been following in my mother's foot steps, buying spices in bags because they were less expensive. Unfortunately, they don't stay very fresh, or organized. I was sick of never being able to find what I needed.

BEFORE












I went to Ikea and bought some empty spice jars. I filled them and labeled them. It's MUCH better now.

AFTER
























I've been organizing a lot lately, so stay tuned for some more pictures!

- Elisabeth

Tuesday, January 19, 2010

Wacky Wednesdays at IKEA


If you're lucky enough to have an IKEA store near you, then you already know about IKEA's great prices and huge selection. BUT, did you know about Wacky Wednesdays? Every Wednesday IKEA chooses one item, and puts it on sale at an incredible price. I've seen lamps that are originally $12 for $2, side tables that are originally $60 for $20, mirrors that are originally $90 for $50, and more and more. Now you'll be one step closer (and with more money in your wallet) to achieving a beautiful house!

To find out more about Wacky Wednesdays visit
http://www.ikea.com/ms/en_CA/ikny_splash.html

Me Ka Aloha!
- Elisabeth

Friday, January 8, 2010

Welcome to my first house!

When I was 24, my husband Dave, my daughter Rosie, and I moved into our first house. It was a nice change from our small, two bedroom apartment. When the real estate agent told us that we got the house (there was a bidding war) I started crying - happy tears. We bought a 3 bed, 1 1/2 bath, semi-detached house, WITH an in ground pool and hot tub! We are located across the street from a new French Immersion elementary school, a playground, and splash pad. We are minutes away from our favorite grocery store, church, shopping mall, and highway. And that's not all. Our neighbors are wonderful (more about that later!) My Mother put it best when she said "You hit the jackpot!" and Dave's grandmother said "It's perfect! Why would you ever need to move?" Ya, we're pretty lucky! Now all I need to do is make the inside perfect! Here's some pictures of the house before we did any changes.

Welcome!

Hey hey! Welcome to Beautiful Starter House. I decided to start this blog because I am a new home owner trying my best to make it a beautiful one. I think it's hard to make your first house (your "starter house") a house you can be proud of - without breaking the bank. Here you will find creative and inexpensive ways to make your starter house the house of your dreams. You may never want to move into another house again :)