1 00:00:03,480 --> 00:00:09,640 Speaker 1: Welcome to Before Breakfast, a production of iHeartRadio. Good Morning, 2 00:00:10,800 --> 00:00:16,240 Speaker 1: This is Laura. Welcome to the Before Breakfast podcast. Today's 3 00:00:16,239 --> 00:00:21,959 Speaker 1: tip is don't decorate with cereal boxes. Anything that is 4 00:00:22,079 --> 00:00:24,720 Speaker 1: visible in your home is part of your homes decorps, 5 00:00:25,800 --> 00:00:29,280 Speaker 1: so it's best to be intentional about what you display. 6 00:00:31,440 --> 00:00:34,800 Speaker 1: Today's tip comes from McKellen Smith, who blogs at The 7 00:00:34,880 --> 00:00:39,280 Speaker 1: Nester and whose latest book is House Rules, How to 8 00:00:39,360 --> 00:00:44,640 Speaker 1: Decorate for Every Home style and budget. In a podcast 9 00:00:44,680 --> 00:00:48,239 Speaker 1: interview I heard recently, she said, everything that sits out 10 00:00:48,320 --> 00:00:52,839 Speaker 1: in my home is a decoration. She explained that this 11 00:00:52,960 --> 00:00:55,320 Speaker 1: means that if you have cereal boxes sitting on your 12 00:00:55,400 --> 00:01:01,319 Speaker 1: kitchen counter, you are decorating with them. Now, it may 13 00:01:01,360 --> 00:01:04,240 Speaker 1: make you giggle to think about decorating with cereal boxes. 14 00:01:04,319 --> 00:01:06,640 Speaker 1: They tend not to be all that attractive, But if 15 00:01:06,680 --> 00:01:09,199 Speaker 1: you are like me, when you look around your home, 16 00:01:09,840 --> 00:01:13,160 Speaker 1: you may realize that you are doing just that. Do 17 00:01:13,200 --> 00:01:15,320 Speaker 1: you have bags of coffee beans sitting next to your 18 00:01:15,319 --> 00:01:20,880 Speaker 1: coffee maker, dental floss by your bathroom sink, laundry detergent 19 00:01:20,880 --> 00:01:22,920 Speaker 1: at the foot of the stairs that you intend to 20 00:01:22,959 --> 00:01:25,959 Speaker 1: take up to the laundry room at some point, A 21 00:01:25,959 --> 00:01:28,200 Speaker 1: big box of diapers on the floor in the nursery. 22 00:01:29,600 --> 00:01:34,440 Speaker 1: Turns out you are decorating with all those things. None 23 00:01:34,480 --> 00:01:37,040 Speaker 1: of these items are intended to be part of the decor, 24 00:01:37,160 --> 00:01:39,840 Speaker 1: but if they are out, they function as part of 25 00:01:39,880 --> 00:01:45,240 Speaker 1: the decor anyways. People's eyes don't have some special filter 26 00:01:45,400 --> 00:01:48,600 Speaker 1: that pumps up the intentional decor and hides the stuff 27 00:01:48,640 --> 00:01:53,320 Speaker 1: that's stored. In plain sight, everything is visible all the 28 00:01:53,400 --> 00:01:57,720 Speaker 1: same that beautiful framed artwork you chose because you love 29 00:01:57,760 --> 00:02:01,680 Speaker 1: the colors, and the cereal boxes that you probably did 30 00:02:01,680 --> 00:02:06,680 Speaker 1: not select for their esthetics. Now, to be fair, I 31 00:02:06,720 --> 00:02:10,160 Speaker 1: am a practical person, and I totally understand that people 32 00:02:10,280 --> 00:02:12,360 Speaker 1: leave a lot of stuff sitting out so it is 33 00:02:12,400 --> 00:02:16,200 Speaker 1: convenient to use, or because it reminds them of something 34 00:02:16,240 --> 00:02:21,520 Speaker 1: they need to do. Sometimes that is fine, but at 35 00:02:21,560 --> 00:02:26,800 Speaker 1: least think about it. At some point in my fifteen 36 00:02:26,880 --> 00:02:31,040 Speaker 1: years of changing diapers, I realized that storing the diapers 37 00:02:31,080 --> 00:02:33,400 Speaker 1: in the top drawer of a baby's changing table was 38 00:02:33,480 --> 00:02:36,720 Speaker 1: probably just as convenient as storing them in a box 39 00:02:37,120 --> 00:02:41,520 Speaker 1: next to the table, possibly even more convenient and definitely 40 00:02:42,000 --> 00:02:46,120 Speaker 1: more attractive. Storing the cereal boxes in the pantry is 41 00:02:46,160 --> 00:02:49,720 Speaker 1: no less convenient than taking up counter space. There's no 42 00:02:49,800 --> 00:02:52,640 Speaker 1: need to decant them into pretty jars or anything ridiculous 43 00:02:52,720 --> 00:02:57,040 Speaker 1: like that. Once they are in the pantry, they are fine, 44 00:02:57,120 --> 00:02:59,720 Speaker 1: but at least they are no longer part of the 45 00:03:00,040 --> 00:03:04,880 Speaker 1: general kitchen decorating scheme. As for stuff that truly does 46 00:03:04,960 --> 00:03:07,919 Speaker 1: need to be convenient, it can at least be corralled 47 00:03:07,960 --> 00:03:13,240 Speaker 1: and put in something attractive. For instance, shoes can go 48 00:03:13,280 --> 00:03:17,520 Speaker 1: in individual baskets by the back door. Make Up you 49 00:03:17,600 --> 00:03:19,920 Speaker 1: use daily can go in a nice little container on 50 00:03:19,919 --> 00:03:23,120 Speaker 1: your bathroom counter so it is not spread all over 51 00:03:23,160 --> 00:03:28,320 Speaker 1: the place. The cute little container becomes the decor, not 52 00:03:28,440 --> 00:03:32,320 Speaker 1: your bottles of whatever it is you use. If you 53 00:03:32,360 --> 00:03:34,520 Speaker 1: need reminders of things you have to do, you might 54 00:03:34,600 --> 00:03:39,360 Speaker 1: still be able to find another solution. For instance, commit 55 00:03:39,440 --> 00:03:42,720 Speaker 1: to quitting the habit of leaving things on the stairs 56 00:03:42,800 --> 00:03:47,600 Speaker 1: or outside doors. Just put the object in its final home. 57 00:03:49,120 --> 00:03:52,160 Speaker 1: It takes just a few seconds longer, and then you 58 00:03:52,240 --> 00:03:56,440 Speaker 1: don't have to deal with it a second time. If 59 00:03:56,440 --> 00:03:58,480 Speaker 1: you need to remember to bring your library books to 60 00:03:58,520 --> 00:04:01,880 Speaker 1: the library, rather than put them on the kitchen counter, 61 00:04:02,800 --> 00:04:04,720 Speaker 1: go put them on the driver's seat of your car. 62 00:04:05,840 --> 00:04:09,280 Speaker 1: Pretty hard to forget to bring them back. Then I 63 00:04:09,280 --> 00:04:11,760 Speaker 1: would also suggest walking through your house and looking for 64 00:04:11,840 --> 00:04:14,240 Speaker 1: spots where things have wound up out in the open 65 00:04:14,280 --> 00:04:18,000 Speaker 1: instead of put away. Again, there might be a good 66 00:04:18,000 --> 00:04:21,680 Speaker 1: reason we leave olive oil and salts on the counter 67 00:04:21,760 --> 00:04:24,080 Speaker 1: by the stoves, since we cook with these things multiple 68 00:04:24,080 --> 00:04:28,080 Speaker 1: times per day. But then I saw that these two 69 00:04:28,080 --> 00:04:32,240 Speaker 1: items were attracting other things like champagne vinegar, which we 70 00:04:32,440 --> 00:04:36,279 Speaker 1: use maybe twice a year, that could get put away. 71 00:04:37,360 --> 00:04:41,600 Speaker 1: No need to decorate with that. If you survey your 72 00:04:41,640 --> 00:04:44,080 Speaker 1: home for items stored in plain sight, I'd love to 73 00:04:44,080 --> 00:04:47,839 Speaker 1: hear what you discover. Are you decorating with cereal boxes? 74 00:04:48,920 --> 00:04:54,320 Speaker 1: You can reach me at Laura at Laura vandercam dot com. 75 00:04:55,080 --> 00:05:00,360 Speaker 1: In the meantime, this is Laura. Thanks for listening, and 76 00:05:00,440 --> 00:05:10,599 Speaker 1: here's to making the most of our time. Thanks for 77 00:05:10,680 --> 00:05:15,440 Speaker 1: listening to Before Breakfast. If you've got questions, ideas, or feedback, 78 00:05:15,800 --> 00:05:25,120 Speaker 1: you can reach me at Laura at Laura vandercam dot com. 79 00:05:25,240 --> 00:05:29,240 Speaker 1: Before Breakfast is a production of iHeartMedia. For more podcasts 80 00:05:29,279 --> 00:05:33,880 Speaker 1: from iHeartMedia, please visit the iHeartRadio app, Apple Podcasts, or 81 00:05:33,920 --> 00:05:35,800 Speaker 1: wherever you listen to your favorite shows.