February 16, 2021

TOP 5 KITCHEN PRODUCTS

Today I'm sharing some of my top favorite kitchen items. As I've spent more time at home this year, I've also spent a lot more time with my kitchen! These items are my favorite & some of our most used in the kitchen!

1. Cutting Boards - This is such a basic one but we probably use our cutting boards more than any other kitchen product/appliance besides our utensils and dishes. We have a plastic set that we can throw in the dishwasher and a bamboo set that we hand wash. Both are so useful and hold up so well with all of our meal and snack preparation. 

2. KitchenAid Mixer - We love to bake so a Kitchen Aid Mixer is a fun tool to have when baking. It makes mixing ingredients a breeze and is an esthetically pleasing appliance to keep on your countertop. Note - KitchenAid makes a ton of attachments for the mixer to help with preparing meals (meat grinder, pasta maker, etc) but we only have the whisk and dough mixer for baking. 

3. Pasta Pot - This pasta pot makes our lives so much easier since it has a strainer built into the lid. No need for a separate piece or need to clean extra pots and pans after dinner. You simply  cook your pasta as normal and once its done, lock the lid onto the pot and pour out the water through the strainer in the lid. So easy!

4. OXO Pop Containers - I love to decant our grocery items once we get home from food shopping. Taking things out of the boxes/bags that they come in and putting them in the pop containers makes my pantry seem so much more organized and seeing the food makes me more likely to eat it. I use the pop containers for a variety of snacks, baking essentials, cereal & pasta. 

5. Silicone Baking Sheets - As mentioned above, we love to bake so these silicone baking mats have been a game changer. They are non stick and reusable making baking treats easy and convenient. We don't need to spray a pan or worry about having foil/parchment paper available. 

What are your must have kitchen products? Always looking for the easiest & most convenient, especially when it comes to the kitchen!

XO

Michelle Paige

September 30, 2020

MASTER BEDROOM REVEAL

I have planned for about a year to share looks at our apartment now that it is fully furnished & decorated but I just never got around to it. I'm trying to make it a point to get those posts up this fall! I shared our entry way & kitchen and today I'm sharing our master bedroom! 







This room was such a selling point of this apartment since it's just a large space. I love that we can fit our king size bed, a cushy corner chair & our dresser in the room along with having his & hers closets! To be honest, this room was probably the trickiest to put together. I wanted it to be cozy feeling but also had to take into account Jody's aesthetic and couldn't make it too girly. After painting the room (twice!) we settled on white & gray and he allowed me to add some pops of dusty rose. (To compromise, he chose the lion canvas for above the bed :)!)   













The his & hers closet are another great feature of this room. The organization install was here when we moved in but honestly it has made such a difference in keeping both of us organized, I think I would have closet systems installed in our closets wherever we decide to live next. I love that I have shelves, hanging rods & drawers all inside my closet as well as a place for shoes, jewelry, bags, etc.  Jody has a matching closet on his side of the room! 


Bed/Dresser/Mirror/Night Tables: Raymour & Flanigan
Bedding: Macys
Night Sky Photo: The Night Sky
Pink Chair: Homegoods
Throw Pillows: Pier 1
Lion Canvas: Etsy
Chest: Wayfair

If you have questions about something you see in the photos, leave a comment below!

XO
Michelle Paige

January 27, 2020

5 TIPS FOR LIVING WITH YOUR S.O

Now that Jody & I have lived together for over a year, I'm kind of an expert (LOL, JUST KIDDING) but I do have some tips that made moving in together & adjusting to our new place more manageable! Check out my tips below & let me know if you have any additional suggestions.

Having a movie night on the pull out couch in the living room 😁

1. Be sure about it! My number one tip is not to rush this decision. Living together changes everything. When Jody & I got married, we didn't feel any differently afterwards; we just had a big party to celebrate our relationship! The big change was buying our own place & moving in together. I definitely recommend chatting about finances, schedules & lifestyle before making the big decision to move in to make sure it's the right choice for both of you.

2. Decorate together. You will never 100% agree on all decor so this is an area to COMPROMISE! Your husband wants a photo of lions over the bed (like mine did) - say yes. When you find the perfect pink chair for your bedroom corner (like I did) - he'll be more likely to say yes. Your place should reflect the two of you!

3. Share the chores. With a new place comes new responsibilities, so it's important to designate and split the chores. Jody & I bought a mini white board to put on our fridge and we leave notes & to-do lists for each other. We also try really hard to vocalize our appreciation for the other person when they do a chore that you hate doing. When I called Jody this morning, I made sure to thank him for doing the dishes I left in the sink the night before.

4. Watch shows together. Jody still loves playing video games & I love reading but we try to watch some TV shows together during the week. It's a great way to wind down and relax at the end of a busy day. We both love watching hockey games, The Bachelor, The Rookie, Dancing with the Stars, etc and also recently binged The Boys on Amazon & The Mandolorian on Disney+. 

5. Don't stop dating each other. Even though you live together & see each other all the time now, it's important to still get out of the house for a nice dinner or a fun activity every once in a while. Staying home can get boring so make sure to keep it fun. If you can't go out, try ordering in food from a new restaurant or having a movie night or a game night. 

Do you have any tips to share from living with your partner? Share them with me below!

XO 

Michelle Paige

January 14, 2020

KITCHEN REVEAL

So excited to share our kitchen! When we moved in, we didn't change a thing about the kitchen! The appliances, cabinets & counters were relatively new and we thought the wallpaper was really cool; the previous owners left us the table & chairs so even that didn't change. So basically, we just moved our stuff in and started using the kitchen! I was smart to register for neutral tools (black, white & stainless steel) since we hadn't actually moved into our apartment at the time of my bridal shower; but lucky for us, everything matched. Have a question on anything you see in the photos? Leave me a comment and I'll get back to you!

XO
Michelle Paige




Utensil Set / Juicer / Kitchenaid Mixer

Toaster / Knife Set / Cutting Boards

Kitchen Mat

Other items in our kitchen that you didn't see:
Flatware Set
Salad Server Set
Stemless Wine Glasses
Blender
Bakeware Set
Dinnerware Set
Cookware Set

January 07, 2020

DIY HOUSEWARMING GIFT

My sister & her boyfriend moved into their first apartment recently. Both were coming from living with their parents so unless they were taking things from home, they had to buy just about everything. Rather than buying them a standard housewarming gift like a trinket, I decided to DIY a gift that I knew would come in handy for them.



I first purchased a large garbage can & then filled it with a ton of household & cleaning essentials that I knew they would need as they started their lives in their new apartment. I included items like:
rubber gloves, window cleaner, lysol wipes, dish soap, paper towels, napkins, tissues, a first aid kid, plastic bags, laundry detergent, plastic Tupperware, garbage bags, toilet paper & dishwasher detergent.  They were really excited to open up the garbage can and find that it was filled with essentials.

This is a great gift idea for any one moving into their first home. Another option is to fill a laundry basket or wicker basket with essentials for the home! Trust me, your gift will not go to waste ;)

XO
Michelle Paige

December 09, 2019

AMAZON HOLIDAY HOME DECOR

Need some holiday decor inspo? Check out the below items, all available at Amazon!

XO
Michelle Paige

October 28, 2019

AMAZON FALL HOME DECOR

Sharing some Amazon home decor finds for the fall...

XO

Michelle Paige

August 30, 2019

ENTRY TABLE REVEAL

A year after moving into our home,  I'm finally sharing some details on it! This was the first little corner that we finished up, so I thought it only made sense for it to be the first area that I showcase on my blog...

This is our 'drop' table when we enter our apartment. Mail, keys, notes for each other, end up here






Table: Home Goods / Clock: Bed Bath & Beyond / Baskets: Home Goods / Vases: Home Goods & Pier 1 / Alexa: Macy's / Knot Decor: Z Gallerie / Faux Plant: Home Goods

XO
Michelle Paige

June 05, 2019

TOP 10 UNIQUE ITEMS WE REGISTERED FOR

Now that we have been married & living in our place for almost a year, I wanted to share my recommendations on the top UNIQUE items to register for! Obviously we needed dishes, pots & pans, towels, sheets, etc but we have really loved some of the items that we registered for. Today I'm highlighting 10 of the top items from our wedding registry:

Pasta Pot with strainer lid: Neither of us are chefs by any means, so we do a lot of heating & eating. The most complicated thing that we make is pasta so this pot really comes in handy. I know what you're thinking...I thought you said this post would have unique items... Well - once the pasta is done cooking, you can secure the lid which has holes and you can drain the water out without having to use a strainer. How genius?!

Family Name Wall Art: One of the things I didn't really think about registering for at first was art & home decor but I'm so glad I did! It's common to think about linens & appliances but some of the extra decor is just as important when you are making a new place feel like a home. 

Velvet Hangers: Moving our clothes into our apartment, I realized we had a lot of old & mismatched hangers. I registered for sets of new, all black, velvet hangers. Not only do our clothes look nice and organized thanks to the matching hangers but the velvet hangers are so thin, they actually save us a bit of space.

Pop Container Set: no more half eaten bags of chips, cookies, pasta, etc. When we get home from food shopping, we move a lot of our pantry items into these pop containers. I love that you can see what the snacks are and that these containers seal snacks for freshness.

Dust Buster: OK - I actually got this one as a gift for the holidays, but it has been the handiest tool. I use it mostly for picking up crumbs on the kitchen floor but it's also perfect for cleaning up small areas when you don't want to pull out the vacuum.

Personalized Bath Robes: Definitely the coziest gifts we received -- his & hers plush robes. I love cuddling up in my robe after a shower & slipping it on during chilly mornings. A robe is one of those items that seems nice but not a necessity so you might skip out on buying it for yourself. However, we were so happy to receive them as gifts! 

Kitchen Aid Mixer: These are expensive but if you love to bake, they are so worth it! I love to bake cookies, muffins & cakes and having this mixer has made the process of baking so much simpler! I also love that this mixer comes with other accessories so you can make your own pasta, juice, ice cream, etc.

Griddler/Panini Press: We aren't allowed to have a grill on our terrace but still get the occasionally craving for a good burger. This griddler allows us to cook burgers in the comfort of our kitchen. It also is great for making grilled cheese sandwiches or paninis and also comes with a waffle maker for homemade waffles on the weekends. Yum!

Tool Kit - Another thing I didn't think of immediately but was definitely needed during the move in process, a tool kit! This isn't all that unique to be honest, but it's something that every couple should invest in & have handy.

Ugg Pillowcases - We ordered a bedding set from a different brand when we moved in to our apartment and while the sheets were fine, I found the pillowcases to be so scratchy and uncomfortable on my face. I didn't even know Ugg had a home decor line until I was walking through Bed Bath & Beyond. As soon as I felt these pillowcases, I had to have them. They are soft and cozy and inexpensive! (I've bought 3 sets of them to date)

Amazon Alexa - There are SO many versions of the Alexa out there now but I think having one is essential. We have the dot so it's probably the simplest of the smart speakers out there but it works for us. I ask it for information (sports scores, weather, etc), it plays music, we set alarms while cooking or doing laundry. It's truly come in handy more times than we can count!


What's the best thing you registered for or bought for your home lately?


XO
Michelle Paige

September 26, 2018

EMPTY HOME TOUR + THE UPGRADES WE ARE MAKING

Sharing a glimpse into our new home today! Take a look...

LIVING ROOM: Our main living space was the first room we started working on! The previous owners left the couch for us which was sooo nice of them so we updated it with some new pillows & throw blankets to make it cozy. We also repainted this room, updated the light fixtures & bought a media console, coffee table ottomans, a lamp & bookcase. We still need an accent chair & art for the walls. The windows will also be replaced & then we'll need some window treatments.

ENTRY WAY/DINING AREA: I can't quite call this a 'dining room' because it's open to the living room and also serves as our entry way area. The space is small but after using it to keep all of our gifts from our shower & move in supplies, we were able to find a great little dining set at Pier 1. We also got a new light fixture for the ceiling (took us 3 tries before we found one that we loved!!). We still need some entry way furniture since there is no closet when you first walk in. We were thinking of some hooks for the wall & a storage bench, but a coat rack or hall tree might work as well. I also want a plant for the corner between all the mirrors.

KITCHEN: The kitchen is basically finished & was the room that needed the least amount of work! We are deciding to leave the wallpaper up & got a lot of our kitchen supplies for our shower, so it was really just a matter of unpacking everything. (These photos are from the previous owners listing online before we moved in.) Ideally, I would love a new refrigerator but it works fine & isn't really in the budget right now, so we are keeping it as is. I love how this room turned out once we unpacked all of our goodies. It will probably be the first room I share a finished tour of!

BEDROOM: We have been working on filling the master bedroom with furniture lately! It's coming along!! This room was olive green when we moved in; we repainted it a beige color & then repainted it again a light gray & it FINALLY is looking the way we want it too! This room had new windows installed and so far we have purchased a bedroom set & new bedding. We need an accent chest to go between the closets, an accent chair for the corner, some art for the walls ('m thinking of creating a gallery wall above the bed) & lamps for our nightstands.

HALLWAY: We have a long hallway between the two bedrooms which we repainted to match the living room area. I got some art & photo frames to hang on the walls. The end of the hallway also has a little console table area where we will drop our mail, charge our phones, keep the takeout menus, etc ha! We found the table at Home Goods & it looks perfect in the space!

SECOND BEDROOM/DEN: This will be the last room that we work on. Right now, we're just using it to keep all of our extra tools, boxes, junk, etc. But we did repaint it an icy blue color & this room got new windows installed too! Jody wants this room to have a beachy, nautical feel. 

BATHROOM: We definitely want to make some upgrades to the bathroom - mainly fixing up the shower/tub a bit & getting new chrome fixtures. We haven't started on that yet, but it is definitely a project for the near future!

That's it for now! It's a cozy little space but it's been a lot of work to fill in and make it feel like a home! We are definitely getting there! 

If you have any decorating tips or suggestions on where to show for furniture and accent pieces, let me know!!

XO

Michelle Paige

September 07, 2018

SURPRISE! WE BOUGHT AN APARTMENT!

We are moving!!! Ah - this is by far the biggest change/adjustment we will be making this year and we are so excited/nervous/busy getting our new apartment all set up so we can officially move in!

A little back story -- we closed on our apartment less than a month before our wedding & while it was very exciting, I had to put it on the back burner until the wedding was done so that I could keep my sanity haha! Since the wedding chapter has closed, we have been working hard on getting our apartment all set to live in! Luckily, the place was left in really good shape, so with the exception of some new paint & some upgrades to the bathroom, it's pretty much move in ready. The trickiest part is that we are both coming from living with our parents so we don't have much to bring besides our clothes. It feels like every hour we have free is spent shopping for furniture right now! 

Please share your favorite furniture & home stores so I can check them out! 

We are on the hunt for literally everything :)

XO

Michelle Paige

PS. If you're interested, I'll be sharing an empty home tour & 'before' photos of our apartment! As rooms get finished, I'll share room tours as well!