Sadly, I’m on a flight home today from Croatia. But on the bright side, I’m bringing tons of goodies with me. The most important being a brand new husband along with two shiny, new rings. So life can’t be that bad. Well, other than the 6-hour long layover.
When I get home, I’ll do my best to answer all your e-mails and comments as quickly as possible. Again, thank you ever so much for your support. I’m excited to be back.
And no, I’m not wearing gloves, heels or a fur coat on the plane. When I fly, it’s all about comfort.
With school in full swing for most kids, I can’t help but think about the most iconic classroom item: the chalkboard. Since the invention of chalkboard paint, the use of chalkboard in the home has exploded. And while it gives any room an undoubtedly cool, vintage vibe, every time I see one I can’t help but wonder are they all that practical.
More often than not, it seems chalkboards are only used for the first week or so — if that — and then never used again. So here’s a rundown of the common ways chalkboards are used in the home, along with whether or not they’re a good fit.
There’s been a bunch of talk in the media lately about the importance of eating whole foods. But despite all the hubbub, most of us haven’t changed our diets. We’ve had no reason to. The explanations in favor of whole foods typically fall on the vague side. “It’s good for you.” So we feel no urgency to switch up our eating habits.
But today, I have shocking proof as to why eating whole foods is substantially better in every regard. Proof so powerful you’ll want to immediately trash all processed grub and fill your fridge with only foods considered whole — at least that was my reaction.
The circles above are called NutriCircles. They visually show how many vitamins, minerals, amino acids and other nutrients are present in a food. If you look closely at the example, you’ll see a raw strawberry possesses tons of vitamins and minerals; whereas, strawberry jam, not so much. In fact, its nutrient content is pretty pitiful.
One of the most fascinating parts of decorating is discovering how other people live. Case in point: photos. Some people find displaying personal photos completely distasteful. Others find it an absolute must. And there really doesn’t seem to be much grey area.
Why the strong reaction? I’m not 100% sure. But I have a guess.
I think it’s three fold. The first part being what type of person you are. Those who are auditory or kinesthetic learners typically don’t put as much sentimental value into photos. So they don’t feel the need to have them around. Whereas, those who are visual receive a great deal of comfort and happiness from seeing their personal photos on a daily basis.
Of course, that alone doesn’t determine if you display tons of photos. If you’re an extremely private person, chances are you won’t deck your home out in personal photos. Just as if you’re an extremely conscientious person who decorates for others instead of yourself, you’re not likely to plaster personal photos on your wall because you don’t want to make anyone feel as though they’re unwelcome or have them think you’re bragging.
Where do I fall? I came from a home completely sans of any type of photo display. Not even a photo album. When asked about it, my mom always said she didn’t need photos. The people she cared most about she saw all the time. So the idea of having personal photos in my home is completely foreign to me.
But Brent came from a home decked out in personal photos. So I’ve decided to branch out and try adding a personal photo or two to our new home. Of course, it doesn’t hurt that there are so many fun and beautiful picture frames from which to choose.
One night while out to dinner with my dad, he called the waiter over and proclaimed, “This meal was absolutely delicious. Please tell the chef it was the best I’ve ever had.”
I’d seen him go through that routine dozens of times. You could call it one of his quirks. Whenever he felt someone did something particularly awesome, he’d let them know. And that night, it suddenly clicked in my brain why he did. Mostly, because he explicitly told me.
“Meghan, you know why I do that don’t you? People rarely ever hear when they do a good job. Most of the feedback they receive is negative. So if someone impresses you, be sure to let them know. You may be the only person who ever tells them that, and it will mean the world to them.”
And I did. From that moment on I made it a point to let people know when they exceeded expectations. Speakers. Teachers. Artists. Chefs.
But just the other day, I realized I’ve completely neglected an entire group of people.
