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 One of the most appealing things we noticed when we toured our potential new home (that we've now been in for over 2 years!) was the beautiful hardwood floors.  The owners had torn up the carpet only to discover the beautiful treasure underneath.  


Hardwood floors are great because as a pet owner, accidents do happen and it's much easier to clean them up right away from hardwood flooring than it is from carpet.   I also love that it's easy to vacuum them and fur and dust can't get embedded into carpet fibers.  And since we still like some carpeting, we just add simple area rugs, which can easily be replaced over the years.

Just look at how shiny and beautiful the floor was in our listing photos when we found the home!

But just because your house has hardwood floors doesn't mean you can just take it easy and never worry about them.  Hardwood floors need properly cared for so that they last a long time.  Spills need cleaned up right away and you can't use certain harsh chemicals on them.  Today I put together a few ways I take care of my hardwood floors so that you can do the same and enjoy a lifetime of luxury!

1. Be Mindful of Abrasive Items
Yes girl! Those stilettos are adorable but calm down because I've seen people dig and gouge their hardwood floors because they stomp around in party shoes.  Seriously though, if you have a pair of heels that's scratchy on the bottom because they are really worn in, it's not a good idea to wear those around the house.  Unless you want to replace or refinish the floors many times more than necessary, just wear gentle soft footwear or go barefoot.

2. Use Gentle Products
One of the downsides to using cleaning formulas on hardwood floors is the potential harm the chemicals can do to your pets.  So I always like choosing a plant based cleaner.  Better Life Floor Cleaner is amazing and has plant based ingredients so it's safer for kids and pets.  It uses grapefruit, peppermint, and bergamot extracts to clean and restore the natural shine of your floors without any harsh fumes.  It works on hardwood, tile, marble, bamboo, vinyl, laminate, and other sealed floors.  No streaks, no haze, and no rinsing necessary!  I love the smell it leaves behind too, much better than harsh chemical cleaner smells that I'm used to.

3. Vacuum Regularly
You want to keep dirt and grit from rubbing into the hardwood flooring over time so make sure you vacuum on a regular basis. And when you do, don't use the roller brush function!  I think the only pain with hardwood floors is that it's easier to see dog fur and hair, which is technically a good thing, because it means it's not getting embedded into your floor like it would if you had carpet.  But the only thing with that is that you see what I like to call tumbleweeds of dog fur. Stella has tumbleweeds that roll around the house.  They like to hide under furniture so make sure when you vacuum, you use the wand attachment to get into all of those hard to reach places.

4. Mind the Humidity
If you live in a climate where it gets very humid in summer, make sure you have a dehumidifier or that you are regularly running your AC.  Humidity can shrink flooring.  Most of us don't need to worry about this unless maybe you have hardwood flooring in the basement where it can get damp, or where water can get in from time to time when it rains really hard.   A dry floor is a happy floor!

5. Use Furniture Pads
If you keep furniture directly on the hardwood floors and the furniture has legs that come to a point and apply pressue, use funriture pads. They are great because they also prevent your furniture from slipping around.  And when moving furniture, use sliders underneath instead of dragging it along the hardwood.


If you take care of your wood floors, you will be especially glad in the longrun when they look beautiful year after year!


How do you take extra special care of your hardwood floors?

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9 Awesome Products for the Home

There are certain things in life that make it so much easier.  My home is full of those things and everyone always asks what I use for certain things and where it's from so I decided to make a post about it.

Furniture Pads to Stop the Couch from Moving
I have hardwood floors and beacuse of that, my couch likes to move when I do so I got these amazing furniture pads and VOILA! I haven't had a problem since. These are nice and thick and very durable. 

Lap Desk for Working on the Couch
The easiest and most comfortable way to be on your computer while on your sofa is with a Lap Desk!   Trust me, you'll thank me later!

A Room Fan
I can't sleep without a fan on because I not only need the moving air but I also need the sound.   I love love love this Honeywell Fan.  It does an amazing job of keeping the room cool even on days when it's super humid.

A Good Blender
Smoothies are my life. They are a great way to get your recommended daily intake of fruits so be sure to invest in a reliable one.  My favorite is my Ninja blender.  This thing is so good!

Closet Organizer
This Closet Organizer is amazing. I used to use one for my shoes in the closet but now I use it in the basement. You can use it for decorative items or for actual storage.

Batter Bowl
This Pioneer Woman Batter Bowl is amazing. It's great when you need to mix something and then pour it.  I especially love it for pancakes!

Cutlery Set
My Pioneer Woman Cutlery Set is LIFE!!!! It's so strong and durable and it's beautiful.  Don't ever cheap out on knives!

Lid Organizer
I love this pantry organizer for lids or cutting boards. It makes it so much easier to store and find what you need!

Boot Shapers
Boot shapers make closet life so much easier!   I love that my boots all stay tall and standing up now!


What other items can make life easier? Share below!

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10 Ways to Maximize Storage Space In Your Home

If there's one thing living back at my parent's home has taught me it's how to maximize storage in a small space.  I'm pretty much limited to my bedroom so I have to make the most of what I can. 

But even if you just have a small house, there are many ways to maximize storage space.  Here are 10 ways that you may find helpful.

1. Choose furniture that doubles as storage.
Whether it's a vanity chair, an ottomon, or a nightstand, always make sure there's a hidden storage area so you can keep your belongings out of sight but still handy for when you need them.  I even store my shapewear in an ottomon next to my bed!

2. Use clear plastic bins in large storage areas.  
Large plastic bins are great for your main storage areas like the attic or the basement.   You can combine like items and label the bin.  Everything can be stacked away in a uniform fashion.   Sometimes I see people line an entire wall with clear plastic bins. 

3. Add shelves in your closet.
Shelves are great at the top of your closet where you can never reach to hang things, so it's great for shoe storage, sweaters, and handbags.   You can always add a shelf (or another bar)  in the bottom of your closet for pants and jeans.

4. PURGE!
Seriously...you do NOT need 4 cheese graters in your kitchen drawer.  Get rid of the 2 oldest grungiest ones.  Learn to let go of things you don't use, wear, or that you have multiples of.  This is especially helpful when you need to purge a closet to make more room.

5. Decorate vertically.

Too often, people line an entire room with furniture and storage items.   That makes a home look even more cluttered and cramped. Just because there's an open space where you can see the wall, doesn't mean you should use it. Look for tall furniture and storage items. Instead of having 2 end tables, get a tall ladder storage shelf.  Your storage capabity doubles VERTICALLY.

6. Hang papers and reference items.

Instead of shoving things into a drawer that you end up referring to a lot, get a cork board or a magnetic board and use that to hang things that normally sit in a pile like a book of stamps, take-out menus, bills that need to be paid, etc.  You can buy hanging letter organizers as well.

7. Keep surfaces clear.

Too often we keep and collect knickknacks by decorating mantels, and tables with them.  This makes a room look too busy and very cluttered and it also tells our brain that it's okay to add more.  That's why in a lot of homes with knickknacks, you'll also see random items like a nail file, magazine, and a few CDs in a pile on the same surface.  Clear open surfaces make it easier to dust and clean, and they help keep you motivated to NOT pile things up.

Even adding a wire shelf under the kitchen sink helped double storage space.

8. Take advantage of awkward tiny areas.

The empty wall space between the top of the doorway and ceiling in your bedroom can function as a storage space if you just add a shelf.  Or you can use the stairwell leading down to your unfinished basement to hang cleaning supplies rather than keep them in a pile on the floor in a closet. 

I bet you can't even tell there are small clutches in these handbags!

9. Store belongings inside of other belongings.

I store small purses in larger ones and when it comes to luggage I literally have 10 smaller bags inside one large suitcase.  The same can be done for things like storing umbrellas inside of rubber boots in the closet. 

10. Use plastic storage drawers in cabinets.

Whether it's in your closet, or under your bathromo sink, plastic storage bins not only keep everything neat and uniform rather than piled in front of each other, and they also add to your vertical storage space.

Tell me - how do you maximize storage space in YOUR home?

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Racor Storage Solutions Secure Hold Hooks & Ladder Lift Review

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Racor Storage Solutions offers a line of durable home storage solutions, focusing on your garage or shed, which is generally used for storing tools, gardening equipment, and heavy duty household equipment.   I am a huge fan of Racor and I got to review some more storage items from them and I once again am a satisfied consumer!

I received the Secure Hold Hooks and the Ladder Lift from Racor.

The Racor Ladder Lift is the perfect solution for storing a ladder overhead and freeing up space in the garage.  it uses a rope and pulley system along with a fixed hook that gets mounted to the ceiling.  This thing is so sturdy that it can lift up to a 150 lb ladderway to store any ladder overhead and free up extra garage space. The Ladder Lift uses a rope and pulley system along with a fixed hook that is mounted to your ceiling. You can easily lift a 150lb ladder of any length.This is also better for your back because you don't have to hoist and lift since the pulley system takes care of that for you.  It's very easy to assemble and my dad had no issue installing it. 

The Racor SecureHold Triple Tool Holder is a holder that mounts to the wall and is great for storing any long handled tool such as a shovel, hoe, rake, broom, etc.  You can actually hold up to three long handled tools very securely, no need to worry about them falling off.  

The Racor SecureHold Double Tool Holder is great for holding 2 long handled items and the Single Tool Holder is great for just one.  Together, they are a great organized way to store long handled garden supplies!  I loved the ease of installation and I love how sturdy they were.

Once again I am totally impressed and satisfied with the Racor products I am now using in my home!

Racor Home Storage Solutions Review

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When it comes to keeping my house clean and organized, the garage is the biggest challenge.  With 2 cars parked inside, it seems like there is never enough room to store everything else in a neat and tidy fashion, so that's why I need Racor in my life.  Racor is a line of Home Storage Solutions that will make life much easier, starting with your garage.  From bike racks, to storage hooks and other garage organization methods, Racor has high quality products that are guranteed to make a difference the moment you install them! 

Their line of storage hooks come in handy for ladders, brooms, shovels, and other bulky items that need to be kept off the ground but not just shoved into a corner.  Plus, we all have learned by now that when you keep several tall items leaning in one part of the garage, there will always be atleast one time when you run into them and they ALL fall down!  

 

I received a Small J-Hook, Ladder  Hook, Extended U-Hook, Large J-Hook, and small U-Hook from Racor and I am quite pleased with how easy they were to install and how effective they are when it comes to keeping my garage organized and clean.  The only thing needed to install these was a screw driver and they were flexible enough to be inserted securely into drywall!

The Small J-Hook is good for backpacks, coats, skates, or golf bags.  It's small enough to not get in the way, but sturdy enough to hold even the heaviest gym bag! It's welded from steel and wire so there's no fear of it ever snapping.

The Ladder Hook is ideal for ladders, or large hoses. The long hooks allow you to store multiple items, whether it's an extension ladder and a painting ladder, or just several hoses.   

The Extended U-Hook is perfect for lawn chairs and garden tools and it's a great way to keep your electrical cords from getting tangled up by laying in a pile.   It's also a conveniently shorter size. 

The Large J-Hook is not bulky, but has a deep J shape which is ideal for chairs, leaf blowers, and sleds.  I used it for leaf blowers and sleds and it really held them sturdily and was very easy to install of course.

And the Small U-Hook is perfect for brooms, shovels, step ladders, and any long handled tools.  This is great for keeping them off the ground and out of the way, but I also really enjoyed how short the hooks were so that they weren't sticking way out when I walked by them, yet they still held just as much stuff.

Definitely check out Racor for ALL of your garage home storage needs!