NewlyWoodwards

an unconventional home

Refreshing your home with clean carpets

by

It’s not yet spring in my neck of the woods, but the inside of our home was needing a bit of a deep clean. It was especially apparent that our carpets needed a little refresh after we took down all the holiday decor.

Life can be hard on rugs, and our light colored living room rug was looking worse for wear. Even though we are mostly a shoeless home, we LIVE in our home. And our kids and dogs are ROUGH on our carpets. Like, they spill every single thing they bring in there. (And there was a pretty nasty red wine incident on this rug while I was wrapping Christmas presents. The horrors.)

4 simple ideas for a garage that works

by

In our home, our garage is a hardworking space. It not only stores vehicles, but also shoes, coats, outdoor toys, sports equipment and tools. Since the space is designed to fit two cars, that means we have to truly maximize the space. And it can too easily become a dumping ground.

But we have a few simple tools and ideas that have made this small space work better for our family.

DIY carpet installation on stairs

by

The basement project continues. Maybe it never ends. I don’t know.

But the most recent completed project makes a huge impact – we finally have carpeting on the stairs going to the basement! With two kiddos (one who’s still a little shaky), having safe stairs is pretty important. And we have found that just having the stairs completed makes us even more likely to go to the basement to play. (And as the temperatures rise, the cool basement will be a wonderful respite.)

We didn’t have a huge budget to finish the basement, and stairs are a fairly straightforward DIY job if you have the right tools. We did have the main stairs in our home professionally installed, but these are used much less and were a great way to save some money. (Ryan has installed carpeting in our rental homes, so it’s not a new skill for him.)

Five ways to prepare your home for 2019

by

If you are feeling the need to purge and simplify your home after the new year, you are not alone.

Following the excess of the holiday season, your home has earned a breather, don’t you think? You have earned one, too. Because you and your home have weathered a busy and full November and December – entertaining, decorating every nook and cranny, and filling closets and cupboards with hidden gifts and treats for Christmas morning.

3 simple ways to manage mud in the spring

by

It’s springtime in the Midwest. That means it snowed 8 inches last week and it will be 60 degrees this week. 

Friends. I’m not even kidding. 

If there’s one thing I know about spring in Illinois, it’s that it comes with plenty of MUD. And we live in the country – so that means even more mud. And then a little more mud. 

But I’ve figured out a few ways to keep our home relatively mud-free. Here are my simple tips. 

Tips to prepare for holiday entertaining

by

Will you be entertaining this Christmas?

We host lunch at our home on Christmas Day, which has become one of my most favorite traditions – especially since having kids. We can open gifts at home and then welcome both sets of grandparents and other family members. It’s wonderful.

So as we approach the holidays, I’m all about preparing. Because the more I prepare ahead of time, the better everything runs, the less stressed I feel, and the more I can enjoy the holiday.