If there's one thing that working moms and stay-at-home mothers have in common, it's that ubiquitous feeling of guilt. For working mamas it's often the guilt of missing a school function or having to take a business trip, while stay-at-home moms frequently say they often feel guilty for not putting their education and previous career experience to work. While we may beat ourselves up for not Read more

There's a time for giving your house a deep Spring cleaning, but preparing for unexpected guests is not that time. If you find out with just a couple hours — or a few minutes! — notice that company's coming, no need to panic. All it takes is a little prioritizing and a few shortcuts, and your house will be visitor-ready in no time flat. Read on for my tips on how to speed clean every room in Read more

Spring cleaning is a chore which, quite frankly, I dread. But once you get through it — through the depths of your junk drawer and the black hole of your closets — you feel a sense of relief. Your routine is refreshed and your mind is clear. You can actually see the clothes that you own, and you don't waste any more time putting dead batteries into your remote controls. I have learned a thing Read more

On rushed mornings, the last thing I want to do is drag my space-hogging ironing board out from the closet, unfold it, plug in my iron, and wait 10 minutes for it to heat up. Instead, I wind up choosing something a little less wrinkled than the clothing I initially had in mind. So I decided to buy a fabric steamer, the Rowenta 1400-Watt Pro Compact Steamer ($50), and see if I might become a Read more

Last week I bought this antique leather wing chair at an antique shop in San Francisco. I'm kind of obsessed with it! It has so many amazing features like nailhead trim, turned-wood arms, a ladder back, and of course, tufted leather. Its leather cushion is also worn in and a little cracked, which is the well-loved look that I'd been seeking. When I bought it, the leather was a little worse for Read more

Last week, I gave you a preview of Rust-Oleum's new Cabinet Transformations, an easy, affordable product which beautifully and durably refinishes cabinetry and furniture. I tested it out myself on a recent trip to New Orleans, and I'm convinced it's the greatest thing since sliced bread for those who are looking to affordably update kitchens. But where there are avocado-colored kitchen cabinet Read more

One of the simplest ways to expand the visual height of a room is to paint your ceiling, as the effect draws the eyes upward. Unfortunately, I rarely see it done, so I thought I'd offer you a few tips and ideas for the task. (My inspiration was this beautiful living room in a house tour I just discovered.) If you want to really draw attention, paint tin ceiling tiles to add graphic Read more

Now that we've covered the question of what is dishwasher-safe, I thought I'd move on to an equally important subject: how to load your dishwasher. The task may seem like a no-brainer, but you'd be surprised by how many people earn a capital F in Dishwashing 101— I'm talking to you, roommate. It also may seem like a trivial matter to some of you; as long as you can fit all the dirty plates Read more