Faux Fur Throw / Leather Chesterfield Couch (We LOVE it!) / Gingham Pillow
- We’re watching “The Queen’s Gambit.” I’m sure that 90 percent of you have already seen it, but for the small percentage of you who haven’t yet, watch it! It was a little slow-moving and depressing for my liking in the beginning, but I was hooked within the third or fourth episode. Keep with it! I’ve been looking forward to it every night. I’m seriously writing this post as quickly as possible so I can still have time to watch tonight, haha! (I also need to admit that I have no idea how to actually turn it on. I just fully rely on Mitch for all my television viewing. Netflix? Hulu? YouTube? I have no freakin’ idea where it lives and I LIKE IT THAT WAY.)
- Sammy and Charls set a date! Not sure if you saw this post over the summer, but my cousin recently became engaged to the love of her life and I can’t wait for 2022—due to the pandemic—on Nantucket to celebrate them. I’m just so unbelievably happy for them and as Emma says, it’s going to be “epic.”
- I’m considering an artificial Christmas tree for next year. Specifically this one! (The unlit one since it’s so much cheaper.) I know. For years I’ve sworn that I’d never go faux, but 2020 did a number on me. Granted, all of the tree drama was because of COVID and some bad bungee cords, and COVID won’t be forever. But… I’ve checked out. 😂 Thoughts?
- Are you going crazy with small children at home with you? Try sand art. My next-door neighbor Nicki did sand art with her kiddos last week and she couldn’t stop raving about how much her girls loved it. I bought this $4.99 kit on Amazon and it’s been a HUGE hit. We did two the first night, and it’s going to provide an additional two days of hours-long activity time. If you’re on the struggle bus, give it a try.
- I’m back on my “one home project a day” thing. It’s a silly thing, but it’s really giving me a sense of accomplishment, and it’s improving the whole family’s day-to-day. Thus far, we’ve taken down all the Christmas decor, reorganized the kitchen cabinets, and cleaned out the basement closet. I’m a walking cliche, but it feels amazing, especially this year!
- Have you tried The Laundress? WOW. I worked with the company last year, and I still have a few bottles, which I’d been saving for this winter. (Love saving little luxuries for Chicago winters!) The only products I use are the the wool/cashmere detergent and the silks/delicates detergent, which saves me trips to the dry cleaners and therefore a ton of time and money. Highly recommend. I also adore the Le Labo detergent, but it’s very expensive, so I only put a squirt or two into each load. A little goes a long way, though! Smells so good!
- I’m having a hard time with the weather. Maybe I should rephrase that. I’m having a hard time in general. I wouldn’t say that I’m depressed, but I am sad. Feeling heavy. Everything is just… a lot. Taking a walk (without fail) every morning has really been helping, though, and I’m trying my best to go no matter what, even when temps are in the 20s.
- In keeping with that, I bought rechargable heated mittens and rechargeable hand warmers. I considered just getting a ton of hand warmers, but bah. That seemed wasteful and I just remember those things not working very well during family ski trips. I haven’t received them yet but I’ll report back soon with my findings. I’ll be heartbroken if they don’t work so cross your fingers for me!
- Our dishwasher broke and we’re devastated, haha. Ugh. Adulting is hard. Does anyone have a dishwasher they love?! Please share, because the hot water part of our faucet ALSO broke (just an unfortunate coincidence) and doing the dishes in freezing cold water in the middle of a Chicago winter is pretty rough. We need to get this taken care of ASAP! (Also, the simpler the dishwasher, the better. We want zero bells and whistles and all the straightforwardness.) Oh, our humidifier also broke… and my hair is now a giant tangled ball. Haaaalp.
- Are you looking to buy or sell a home in Chicago? Consider our friend Conor Scanlon! He and Danielle are two of our best friends in the Chicagoland area, and he’s truly the best of the best in the real estate industry. He not only deterred us from making some really bad decisions but also found our dream home and secured it for us. (You can get in touch with him at conorscanlon@gmail.com.)
- Get these Christmas tree/garland storage bags! We bought them for our garland, and they hold SO much and are crazy sturdy! I know. It’s annoying to have to buy storage containers. It’s not a fun purchase. But if I learned anything from Marie Kondo, it’s that everything needs a home… and these bags are just that for our holiday greenery!
- If you’re looking for a Valentine’s Day present for your Chicago-loving significant other, consider one of M3’s silk ties. This is what I got Mitch! I love the blue tie with the red stars, and I adore everything that M3 stands for and works toward. If you’re a Chicagoan, it’s a must-have this season! (Also a reminder that our old lives are just around the corner.)
- For Pete’s Sake Pottery’s newest collection is the cutest ever. I mean, COME ON! I’m loving everything. The Valentine’s Day products are downright adorable!
- I’m way over 10 bullet points. Fail. 😆
This upstate NY girl is with you on being sad about the weather yet trying really hard to get outside every day. Curious to know how the hand warmers and mittens work. I’ve been thinking about investing in heated warming socks too!
I was born in upstate New York so I truly know how bitterly cold it can get up there!! Do you ever make your way to Lake Champlain? I was born in Plattsburgh on the Air Force base so we have a lot of happy memories there! Anyway, WILL DO about the hand warmers and mittens. They come on Thursday and my hopes are crazy high haha!! Stay warm!
We have a Kitchen Aid dishwasher that works really well. I actually took my plates to the store to make sure they fit! (Yes I am that person!). It has a 3rd rack which I love and the middle rack is adjustable which is really nice. I find it really easy to load and make everything fit.
No joke, Mitch bought a Kitchen Aid today because of you and Jean (in the below comments)! THANK YOU. There were just so many to choose from and it all gets so confusing—seeing two positive reviews were very helpful and we decided to just go with the blog readers’ suggestion, hehe! I LOVE that you took your plates to the store to see if they fit, hahaha. The best. Again, thank you!
First. Spend the money and get a pre-lit Christmas tree. We got ours last year at chalet during their 25% customer holiday shopping event. Can’t say enough about how much I love it! And if the lights have issues they can help with fixing it. You can see my tree on my Instagram page (@evelinasnellphotography)
Go to ABT for your dishwasher. We have a Miele and love it – favorite part is the silverware drawer. Was just telling my husband I need things to do being stuck at home again – going to try you project a day! Thanks.
I SO APPRECIATE YOU SAYING THIS ABOUT THE TREE TODAY! A few friends reached out to me and they were like “What are you thinking?! PRE-LIT!” I was seriously juuuuust about to get an unlit one to save some money, haha, so thank you!
We went to ABT today! We LOVE ABT. The dishwasher we just had was a Miele, so Mitch was like no more Mieles for us… but I loved that silverware drawer function and I thiiiiink the new one has that feature too.
Thanks, Evelina! Love your name!
We have a Kitchen Aid that is awesome; so quiet you hardly know it is on. Check for lowest decibels. It washes well, holds a lot and dries well. It has the third rack as Nicola described, which is super handy for small items or extra cutlery. If you are considering an artificial tree, I highly recommend Balsam Hill Flip trees. There are multiple options from which to choose: type of needles/tree, shape, size, white lights, colored or both, LED or plain etc… The Flip tree is on rollers. We roll it in from the garage, take off the cloth storage bag, lock the wheels, flip it then add the top piece, plug in and turn on. Bingo! Lighted tree in 5 minutes. I requires minimal fluffing and comes with 2 pairs of cloth gloves just for that purpose. The remote allows us to turn on both colored and white lights or just the white or just the colored. You can find most any diameter or height of tree you desire. Best to buy on sale , if possible.
I mentioned this to Nicola above, but we got a Kitchen Aid today because of your recommendations… so thank you! We’re so excited to have a functioning dishwasher, and one that wasn’t $1800 haha. All the options were very overwhelming and it was incredibly helpful to get positive reviews on Kitchen Aid. Just decided to go for it! :) As for the tree, SO HELPFUL. My mom concurs that Balsam Hill is the way to go. Have you seen the Norway Spruce?
https://www.balsamhill.com/p/norway-spruce-artificial-christmas-tree?sku=2800822#prodDescription
It’s not a flip tree but it looks so good! (And it comes pre-lit and is on major sale!) Do you feel like the flip is a must-have for you?
Thank you so much, Jean!
We love Whirlpool appliances. We bought a brand new Whirlpool dishwasher right before we sold our old house and were so excited because it actually fit our glasses. When we moved into our new house, we were happy to see that it had the same dishwasher. Whirlpool is great because they are made in the US and, if something goes wrong, everyone works on them. For our LG and Samsung appliances, it’s so hard to find anyone who will even look at them.
AH — This is so good to know about Whirlpool being made in the US! Our home came with a stackable LG washer/dyer and I can tell that it’s going to go in the next year or so. I DREAD THE DAY. Thank you, Ashley!
First, get a pre-lit tree and simplify your life. “I enjoy stringing Christmas lights on trees” said no one, ever…..
Second, spend the money for a quality dishwasher that is quiet and efficient—I highly recommend Bosch for it’s mechanics and very low noise level. Dishwashers are the work horse of your kitchen, especially for families and the investment in a great one is worth it imho….
“‘I enjoy stringing Christmas lights on tree’ said no one, ever” — Hahaha
THANK YOU. I honestly don’t know what I was thinking and I’m so glad readers knocked some sense into my mind. My top contender is now pre-lit and I’m psyched about having an easier decorating experience next year!
Thank you for the Bosch recommendation!! Mitch says that after doing a bunch of research these past couple of days, Bosch is definitely #1 or #2. Weirdly though we can’t seem to find one in our area?! It must be THAT GOOD! :)
But yeah, totally agree. Would rather invest in a good one and have it hold out for much longer!
That blanket looks so soft! I’m not ready to make the transition to a fake tree either but when I’m still finding pine needles in March I might think again!
I was right there with you until 2020—Mitch is open to the idea but not totally down; I can tell haha!!
I. Your kitchen, one can see you have a Wolfe range and a Subzero refrigerator. You need a high end dishwasher. Miele is the best! It is so quite, and the silverware top rack is the best!
Bosch is also a great dishwasher.
We currently have a Miele and Mitch says it has traumatized him hahaha — He was looking all day for a Bosch but couldn’t find one anywhere in the city… I guess a ton of people are trying to replace this time of year! Thank you so much for your insight!! <3
Dear Kelly,
I believe that God who created all things is still in control and will see us through even this! Thank you for your honest and encouraging posts. I’m a grandmother and love your suggestions for my grandchildren. I’m also a teacher (teaching online for now…) so, I appreciate the insights you gained during your years as a teacher in NYC. I also love the “one home project a day” and ordered the tree storage bags – plastic does NOT work! THANKS
Awww thank you, Cynthia! This comment really meant so much to me today and lifted my spirits. Love that you’re a teacher; thank you for all that you do. It’s a tough job but one of the most important and worthwhile ones out there. Yay for the xmas tree storage bags! They’re such great quality and hold a TON! :) Have a great day, and thank you again, Cynthia!
I switched to an artificial tree and I love it. But if you do buy an artificial tree, spend the extra money and get one that’s pre-lit. The time it saves, all the hassles with the lights, is absolutely worth it, and the ability to assemble the tree (which should be easy) and then to plug it in and have it lit…voila! You will LOVE it.
THANK YOU, JUDY! I am now definitely getting a pre-lit tree. I honestly didn’t think it would make much of a difference but so many people keep saying it’s a must, so it’s gotta be a game-changer! Thank you again :) XOXO!
My parents have an amazing pre lit Christmas tree from Balsam Hill and they love it. Not cheap by any stretch but they look incredibly real and not having to put on lights on has been a game changer. It’s been five years and the tree still looks amazing.
They are having a post holiday clearance sale now. They also have an annual Christmas in July sale. Both great times to which their top of the line trees at a discount.
Liz,
THANK YOU! We ended up going wit the Balsam Hill because so many people were echoing your exact thoughts. I really can’t believe how real it looks! So glad we did it, *and* we got it during the giant sale which made it a little less painful.
Thank you again!!
Hi Kelly! That Christmas tree looks amazing -I don’t have one that brand but have heard good things. I would try to reach out to the company and maybe they would sponsor you or find another reputable company that would because it is my belief that you need the prelit tree. I know it is an investment but with your darling little ones you have better things to do than string lights on your tree if you don’t have to. So many other joyful things to spend your time on during the holidays!
You’re so kind, Shirley! I ended up buying the pre-lit one because so many people said how important it was… and I’m SO excited. I can’t believe that next year, Mitch and I will leisurely be able to put up the tree after the girls go to bed… and then that the following day, we can actually ENJOY decorating it as a family because the “hard” part will be done. And no mess?! That’s what I need right now in life, haha!! Thanks again. You’re the best!
So I talked the hubs into getting a Balsam Hill pre- lit tree after our our real tree ruined my brand new flooring( water damage). I splurged and am in LOVE! it very little time to put up and looked amazing just fluffing up the branches. All the while I fluffed while my two littles decorated. No help with the mittens though, we are now wearing mismatched because we have lost 7, yes 7 halves of mittens/ gloves. Have you ever tried a sun lamp to help with the blues? I’m seriously considering it.
Thank you Felicianna! Our pre-lit tree came, and I’m just so happy with it. So sorry about your flooring. I have to say that I was so worried about our floors this year, even though they’re old… That sounds like a nightmare! Can they be fixed?! Fingers crossed for you!
YES! I used to use a sun lamp. I do think they are helpful… I would just sit under it while I read, watched TV or worked on my computer. Very little effort, so my thought was why not? This was a long time ago; maybe I should try it again!
Miele or Bosch for the dishwasher!!
We got the Bosch! WOO! Thank you, Carolyn!