Ask Anna

Did you know Salad Dressing Expires?

Did you know that salad dressing expires and that you should check the expiration dates every month? I bet if you look in your fridge right now you would have at least 1, expired salad dressing. Checking the expiration dates on salad dressings had never even crossed my mind until a few years ago when my sister mentioned it to me. I just figured salad dressing were one of those things that lasted forever, like soy sauce. Nope, I was wrong. A lot of salad dressing actually expire pretty quickly, especially the milk-based ones, like Ranch, Caesar, and this Champagne… Read More

How to Pack for a Trip

Wendy here, from Pretty Well Organized, to share some simple tips for how to pack for a trip. It seems appropriate, given that I am on my first blog conference trip, to share a bit about how I plan (and organize!) outfits for a trip. I travel for my day job routinely–which is much easier (in my opinion) to plan for. I just find it very easy to throw some suits in a suitcase and carry on. Dressing casually is always harder for me because I don’t travel for pleasure that often! I’m also pregnant…so there’s that hurdle too. What… Read More

Teacher Appreciation Gift Ideas

Teacher Appreciation Day is quickly approaching (as is the end of the school year, yikes!). I absolutely love my daughter’s Kindergarten teacher and want to give her something that will make her feel very loved and appreciated. I’ve been in the classroom a handful of times this year and it’s pretty amazing how she manages the kids, teaches them and cares so much about each one of them! I know I’d go crazy after about 1/2 a day in a classroom! In my search for the perfect gift for Malea’s teacher I’ve put together a round-up of some of the… Read More

How to Stay Motivated when Spring Cleaning

Are you having trouble staying motivated throughout your Spring Cleaning? I know sometimes it can be hard, which is why I’m sharing 5 tips for how to stay motivated when Spring Cleaning, over at the Easy Closets Blog. To read the full post, and get all the details click HERE. To help you out here’s a cute, printable checklist to help keep you on track. If you follow these 5 tips, you will have your house cleaned for spring, you’ll have a few extra dollars in your pocket and you’ll be so proud of yourself and what you’ve accomplished! If… Read More

DIY Towel Rack from an Old Shutter

When we redecorated our bathroom I really wanted to update the towel rack from the cheap, old, outdated towel rack, to something fun and more our style. I really like old shutters and I thought it would be fun to take a shutter and turn it into a DIY towel rack. My sister found this great shutter for me at a thrift store, and the best part was the price. Score! It turned out to be a plastic shutter but I thought it looked cool, and I think plastic is better for a steamy bathroom anyways. The first thing I… Read More

Baby Boy Shower

Spring season is upon us and that usually means it’s busting with new life!! I would have loved to have had 10 kids {or maybe 3}, but as God would have it, we were blessed with 1 little angel {depending on the day!}! Babies showers are THE BEST! I absolutely adore babies! The sounds they make, their little breath, soft skin and yes, smell {as long as it’s not burp up or a bad diaper!}. And let’s face it, this is a happy time for everyone! A new little bundle will be here soon and that means a baby shower is in order! There… Read More

How to Wash and Whiten Pillows

Reader Question: How do you wash pillows? Mine are yellowed and past the point of needing it! I’m afraid the washing machine is going to make them lumpy. Please help! Answer: I’ve got some good news and some bad news. While you certainly can wash pillows and even restore their bright white (see my whitening solution below!), depending on the quality and type of pillow you own, you may or may not be able to avoid lumps. Personally I love cheap, flat pillows, but have never had good luck washing them! As you can see from the photos above, I… Read More

7 Tips for Organizing a Shared Closet for Kids

We are in a months-long transition to shared rooms for our girls. It has been taking so long because they are unable to go to sleep in the same room. So while we wait on the patience to endure a few less than ideal nights, I have been transitioning aspects of their rooms into a shared space. I just finished their shared closet (check it out here) and I thought today I would share seven tips for organizing a shared closet. #1 Divide the space as evenly as you can We have a double sliding door closet so it is… Read More