The Ask Anna Blog

How to Stay Motivated when Organizing & De-cluttering

I received this question from one of my Facebook readers and I think it’s a great question because I know we all struggle with this to a degree. Here are her questions: “I am doing the proverbial spring cleaning….going through my closet and cupboards and throwing stuff out in mass quantities….just barely the tip of the iceberg at this stage. My question is how do I stay motivated? I do this every year and fizzle out before I am done…..and then I have the same unused cups in the top shelf, the same unused sheets in the linen closet….the same… Read More

How to Keep Hardwood Floors Clean

I’ll be honest, I probably only mop about once a month. It’s hard to find time to mop the floors when I have a busy 3 year old running around the house all day! However my floors stay spotless by spending about 30 seconds a day cleaning them. What’s my secret? Washcloths. Source I have a drawer of white washcloths next to my kitchen sink, and every day I pull out a new one. I use the washcloth all day long for wiping down the counters, oven, microwave, etc. At the end of the day I give my floor a… Read More

Kitchen Makeover Ideas and Transformations {2 Years in the Making}

My kitchen has been through so many changes in the last 2 years. When I look at pictures of it “way back when” I can hardly believe it’s the same kitchen! In this post I will give you some of my many kitchen makeover ideas and reveal all the transformations my kitchen has been through! Here’s a picture of our kitchen the day we moved into our house. White linoleum floors, old orange wood cabinets, beige walls; a perfect “blank” slate for me. Four months–to the day–after we moved in we had “the flood” and got… Read More

How to Bake a Perfect Cake (Baking Level Cakes)

A few years ago a friend of mine taught me this great trick for baking level cakes, and if gives you a perfect cake every time! I really hate it when you bake a cake and end up having to cut so much of it off to make it level, so I was super excited to learn this simple solution! How to bake a perfect cake – here’s what you need: An old hand towel Safety pins or paperclips Scissors Water Wilton baking pans (these are optional but they are my favorite pans to bake with) Start by cutting the… Read More

Simple & Inexpensive Chandelier Makeover

This chandelier was in the house when we purchased it a couple of years ago. I have never liked it but I haven’t had the money to replace it {chandeliers are expensive!}. I had it listed on Craigslist for a few months but finally gave up on selling it when I didn’t get a single email! I decided that this year was the year to give it a make over. I apologize for these blurry pictures but I realized that I didn’t have an official “before” picture so I had to crop these out of other pictures. First I removed… Read More

Guest Bathroom Makeover, the Reveal!

Today I’m excited to reveal my spare bathroom makeover! It’s been a whirlwind makeover but I’m in love with the way it turned out! Do you remember this post? My bathroom was sad and had no identity. It was filled with things from our previous home and, until now, it was the only untouched room in the house. But not anymore! {Before pictures} Here is the mood board that I created using the inspirations I found at Apartment Guide and Moving Today. Today it looks like this! Because I felt like this room needed more texture I asked my husband… Read More