Home

The first day of fall around here is the day after Labor Day, no cares given that temps are still in the mid 80s, and the official date is September 22. The day after Labor Day is the first day of fall.  I commemorated this glorious day by digging out  harvest decor and sorting through the millions of ceramic pumpkins I have collected over the years. Dollar Tree is a ceramic pumpkin enabler.

As if I didn’t already have a million ceramic pumpkins, a shiny little gold one begged to come home with me the other day.

Owls. Lots of owls. Forgot how many of those I had and there are still a few boxes that are incognito.

Irma threw a wrench in the game, my plan was to have the house fully decorated for fall by today. Didn’t happen. In the following week, I’ll do additional fall decor posts highlighting our living areas, along with the front and back porches.

Today, I’m highlighting the kitchen. I’m sort of moving away from the farmhouse look and moving in another direction. Since I’m not quite sure what that direction is  I’m keeping things minimal this year.

I’m attacking my fear of color this year and integrating the red and oranges and yellows that make fall so amazing. Since my kitchen is so monochrome I decided to bring in lots of color with a large vase of fall florals.

I still have yet to do the DIY tutorial on how I made these open shelves. *adds to my editorial calendar*. I’m really enjoying these shelves, I just added a few fall elements and moved and swapped a few things around.

Irma beat up the trees in our front yard quite a bit. While cleaning up the debris, this pinecone on steroids was just sitting there in the open. Intact I might add. It has a new home, and may be getting a bath of spray paint. We’ll see.

I also made use of the random scattered stray branches. Collecting these were my contribution to the yard clean up efforts.

I’m on the hunt for the perfect fall printable or picture. Whenever I find it, it will live in this frame.

Today, I’m enjoying a little old school blog action and linking up with a few other home bloggers this week for a fall home tour. The Welch House is the next blog in line for today. Head over to see how she’s getting her home ready for fall and be sure to follow along for the rest of the week for a little fall home decor inspiration.

Thank you to JCPenney for collaborating with Unlikely Martha on this post. As I am rebuilding my kitchen ware collection, JCPenney has been a great resource. I was compensated for this post. All opinions are mine.

Typically our Easter service attendance time alters from year to year. At times we make it to the early service, often times we select  a later service and some years we don’t make it at all. These factors all depend on a plethora of things from cranky kids to the weather but one consistent tradition we have is Easter brunch.

The past few years we’ve trekked out, this year we have decided to brunch in. Presenting brunch in my book is an epic event that requires the proper serving ware and utensils. I ventured out to JCPenney to purchase a few items to add to my all white dinner and serving ware.

This latte cup, while great for serving it’s purpose, also makes for great presentation of grits and in this case, a parfait.

As I am building my all white dish collection I am also updating my kitchen appliances and when I saw this Black and Decker toaster oven on sale I grabbed it.  I mean one can only toast bread on the broiler setting in the oven for so long!

This little addition is perfect for toast and quiche and bagels and you know brunch things!

Whether you are in need of a new dress, jewelry or furnishings for your home JCP has it all for Easter and year round at an affordable price. The convenience, pricing and quality of products makes your trip to JCPenney #SoWorthIt

Thank you to Lemi Shine for partnering with Unlikely Martha. My children help out around the house and I would prefer them use non toxic products. LemiShine is working out great for us. I was compensated for this post, all opinions are mine.

Spring Cleaning/ deep cleaning is that never ending task that always seems to loom over my head. I manage to keep my home tidy and in order thanks to my handy cleaning schedule but those monthly/ sometimes bi weekly deep cleanings can’t and don’t happen because my busy schedule with the children leave me void of any energy needed to accomplish those tasks. After ripping and running 4 nights out of the week, by the time the weekend comes I’m just trying to catch my breath.

I’ll admit, I haven’t always agreed with the idea that children should help clean simply because I wasn’t made to do any heavy cleaning as a child.

NOW? Glad you asked.

After years of tiring myself out trying to do all of everything around here pertaining to the house, I eventually had to put my foot down and learn to demand that in order to keep OUR home in order ALL hands need to be on board. The transition wasn’t easy and I still have issues enforcing the rules but when I get it right it really helps having everyone pitch in to do their part.

Here are a few tips on how to successfully make Spring cleaning a family affair.

Assign Specific Tasks/ Post a Chore Chart

Nothing causes more chaos than expecting someone to do something  they aren’t aware of. Assign tasks and communicate those expectations clearly. If necessary demonstrate how you expect the task to be completed. To keep things fresh and fair, especially when dealing with children, change assigned tasks periodically. My kids have their favourite and least favourite jobs but they still have to do them all. When I got a new vacuum after looking at GadgetReview.com and their Shark review, the kids actually fought over who would do the vacuuming!

Utilize Chemical Free Cleaning Products

Traditional cleaning products are toxic. There is no way of sugar coating that. Switching your cleaning arsenal to products like Lemi Shine that are non toxic, biodegradable and septic tank safe will give you peace of mind in letting older children clean counters, bathrooms and other areas that specifically need strong cleaners.

Lemi Shine offers an array of fresh smelling non toxic cleaners that include an everyday spray that does wonders on granite and stainless steel, along with dishwasher tabs, dish detergent, and a washing machine cleaner that works very well.

For more information on the Lemi Shine line of non toxic cleaners head over to their website to find locations that carry the product line along with some printable coupons.

Transform the Mundane Task of Cleaning into Family Time

Turn the tunes up, assign tasks and get to work. Weeks upon weeks of rushing off to practices and getting home in just enough time to scarf down dinner, take a bath and go to sleep makes it hard to gather for family time during the week. Carving out this time and turning it into a fun experience will create memories while getting the house clean.

Practice Positive Reinforcement

One of my arguments for not making my children clean, was I would have to come behind them and do it right. My husband in turn took out the time to demonstrate how to do each cleaning task to his specifications. It took some time but now my children know how to properly clean the kitchen. As kids will be kids they often try to skimp and cut corners but when they get it right without prompting, I believe in positive reinforcement to let them know I see their efforts and to keep up the good work.

Do your children help out around the house? Please feel free to add some additional tips in the comments about how to make cleaning a family affair.

Save

Save

Save

Save

Save