The Ask Anna Blog

How to Prepare for the Week Ahead

Hello! It’s Wendy from Pretty Well Organized here to share a few tips for how to prepare for the week ahead and make the work week less stressful and more enjoyable! Sunday afternoons we spend just a couple hours preparing everything we need for the week ahead. After trying several different types of planning, this process has proven to save us time tenfold over any other process or amount of planning. The first thing I do is take inventory of what we have going on in our calendar. I use my own custom created planner to keep track of activities…. Read More

Celebrity Couples Themed Party

I am so excited to share the pictures of my celebrity couples themed party with you! Last year I was in Cambodia for my birthday so I didn’t get to have a big party, and this year I wanted to make up for it. It took me a long time to come up with the theme for the party because I wanted it to be perfect. In the end it wasn’t even my idea, it was my friend’s idea, but I thought a celebrity couples theme would be so fun to see what people came up with! After my 1920’s party… Read More

How to Remove Wax from Fabric, Carpet and Lots of Other Things

I’m sharing a tried & true tip for how to remove wax. This wax removal tip will have your linens, carpets, etc. back to perfect in no time at all! For my celebrity couples birthday dinner party I borrowed a bunch of linens and tablecloths from my friend, who is a fabulous even coordinator. The silver tablecloths were gorgeous and shimmered beautifully in the candle light. The only problem was that some of the candle wax spilled and dripped onto the linens leaving them with lots of wax drippings, looking like this. YIKES! When I saw this I thought, “she’s… Read More

How to Clean a Toilet – the Back ledge under the Tank

Here are some helpful tips for how to clean a toilet, including those tricky areas, like the back ledge under the tank. Today I’ll be answering a reader question from Tamara, who wrote in response to Anna’s post on getting rid of that “boy bathroom smell!” She asks: “Any tips on how to clean toilet bowls, under the tank on the back ledge of the bowl, you know, that little space straight in front of a 4 year old’s aim?” HOW TO CLEAN A TOILET (THE BACK LEDGE, UNDER THE TANK) Here’s what you’ll need: Flat head screwdriver Rubber gloves… Read More

Homemaking Tips for a Smooth Start to the Day

Maybe it is just me, but when I added a kid to our household mix, I really struggled in the homemaking area for quite some time. Still do, in some areas…and our youngest is 20 months old! So, I will just put it out there…parenting is more important to me than doing the dishes most days. And a nap can take precedence over almost anything. But I still wake up and get frustrated with the fact that our home never seems to be as clean as I want it to be, and there are always more things that need to… Read More

How to plan for an Outdoor Party and Summer Get-togethers

Now that summer is here it’s time to starting thinking about pool parties, BBQs and lots of impromptu outdoor get-togethers. Today I’m going to give you 8 tips for how to plan for an outdoor party, and what to always have on hand for when your friends drop by. Stock up To always be prepared for people to stop by, or to have a last minute outdoor party, it’s important to plan ahead. Head to the store and stock up on fun paper plates, napkins, plastic cups, silverware and straws. Having these items on hand will ensure you’re always ready… Read More