Remember that show? I never liked it. I much preferred Clarissa and Are You Afraid Of The Dark!
I’ve been working on our house lately and we’ve changed a few things. Since I am more obsessed with houses than I am oatmeal (surprise!), I wanted to share : )
First, we had to get a new faucet in our kitchen. Our old one broke in a non-fixable way, so I set out to research the options. I REALLY wanted one of those Delta no-touch faucets, but then I saw how expensive they were. : ( So instead we bought the Delta Berkley from Lowes. Not cheap, but very beautiful. Matt installed it himself, and I’m so happy I can spray the leftover baby peas from the corners of the sink down the drain again.
Also in the kitchen…remember my shelves of Ball jars? {Old picture, old stove!!}
The day came when Mazen found them fun to play with. My biggest concern wasn’t them shattering because they are pretty sturdy but them falling onto his head. Many of you had some great ideas on what to fill the space with now on Instagram, but for the time being, I am keeping them empty. I kind of like the open look!
The jars have been relocated in rows to our upper shelves and I actually love them there.
Also, this cute bike box I found at Homegoods, which opened in Cville this spring. LOVE that store!! I bought it for only $7. It houses our nut butters and loose things like granola bars.
Lastly in the kitchen, I must profess my love for our new trash can. This was perhaps the most exciting purchase of 2013.
You see, our old trash can was an OXO with the hinge on the outside. I tried weighting the can down and protecting the hinge with some moleskin, but nothing worked. The hinge always dinged the wall and left black marks. The lid also clanked down REALLY loudly, which wasn’t great during naptime. Also: fingerprints. And lastly the bag holder was awful – our bags were always loose.
{This was taken after I spackled and painted the wall for the second time!}
I have had my eye on this Simple Human can for ages. But one hundred and seventy dollars!?!?! For a trash can!? I just couldn’t justify it. I backed out many times during trips to Bed Bath and Beyond. But one day, with 20% off coupon in hand, I decided to just get it. My gosh, this is a trash can that has been worth every petty penny!
First off it sits perfectly flush with the wall. Yay!! Number one problem fixed.
Second the bags fit SO much better – nice and tight. No clip even necessary. There are also no fingerprints and it’s so wide that throwing large things away is even easier.
I love how the inner can pops up and out for easy bag changes {it rests on a little ledge in there and then lifts back down when you’re done.}
And finally – the soft close. No more clanking. I love it so much. End of story.
*I am not affiliated with Simple Human – just love this can!!
Back to the house – Mazen’s room has a new Homegoods bedspread that I found for $29. It rivals the $120 versions that I love in The Company Store catalog. Maybe this makes up for my trash can spending problem?! I love that his new spread shifts around much less than the comforter + duvet cover that was on there before. It has a nice clean look. New grey pillow too!
Also in the baby dept, we have a baby gate now. I bought this one with a coupon from Babies R Us. Do not recommend! I sort of hate it, and my wrist had a terrible case of tendonitis (or something) for the first few weeks of using it. I now have to try different ways to open it so I don’t keep hurting myself. Gates suck.
Remember that fab end table I bought? I love it! It housed my terrarium for about 2 seconds until Mazen crawled in there and discovered that the table makes an excellent drum.
So then a non-breakable frame took the spot. And then it broke. So now it’s just a drum!
And last but not least, Homegoods hijacked my wallet again with this new piece for our basement. I found it on sale and loved the combo of modern white with the wooden drawers. That pretty much sums up my decorating style right there. I hope to house art supplies and things for Mazen as he gets bigger!
Show me your houses!!
Jeri says
OK… you are going to have me out there buying a trash can. I have been eyeing one at Williams-Sonoma. Never thought about Bed Bath and Beyond. I wonder f they will have one at TJ Max or Home Goods?
S/N: Finally got my Mint.com working!!! On my way to debt free!!! I love “my” Katheats.com!!!
PS: I gave up fast food for the month to see if I could. Started July 1. Had Chinese food yesterday. It was take out not fast food.. Ordered steamed veggies and chicken with the brown on the side. OMG!!! The sauce was so salty! I couldn’t eat it. Well guess my taste buds are changing.
KathEats says
All great news!
Christine | Mindful Juggling says
I hate to give unsolicited advice but please be careful with that baby gate since it’s at the top of the stairs and isn’t screwed into the wall. You have to make sure you tighten it regularly because Mazen will throw his whole weight against it, believe me he will!!! 🙂
The decorating is lovely. You have a good eye for color and patterns. Also, I need to spend more time at Home Goods.
KathEats says
It is screwed into the wall : )
Christine | Mindful Juggling says
Phew!!! Forgive my intrusion, then. 🙂
kristen says
omg i LOVE that trash can. i HATE our current can for the same reasons you hated your last one, and have wanted this one for years but can’t justify spending the money! eventually i’ll squirrel away enough coupons and bb&b coupons to get it! 🙂
Amanda says
I love home updating, too! And I love your style, mine is similar…a mix of modern elements & classic touches. Just bought a house a couple months ago and it’s hard to hold back on redoing & decorating everything at once. I’m almost done giving our second bathroom a mini makeover with paint & decorations, I will be posting about it soon on my [newish] blog!
Courtney Stokes says
I love it! I think there might be a HomeGoods store 30 minutes from me… yah! We have a new house/first home! Not really new… it was built in 1926 haha 🙂 Anyways, I am pulling inspiration from your home for sure… could you just come help me decorate?? Haha! Thanks for sharing you house!
[email protected] Apple of My Eye says
I can not tell you how much I love Homegoods! Just the other day I got the CUTEST cake platter with red ribbon detailing built in as well as some mason jars, adorable recipe cards, and patterned towels. Love the renovations you did!
Ashley @ My Food N Fitness Diaries says
Love everything! Wish I could hire you to come perk up our house a bit!
Kinsey says
One of the walls in our family room has a giant white board on it (you can buy it online as a sticker) and it is some much fun to draw on for parties, write out schedules, lists, menus etc. The whole family loves it!
Kate says
Love the kitchen curtains – can you tell me where you found them? Thanks!
KathEats says
I made them!
rosie says
Clean white with old wood is my favorite combo too! We have to get a new dining room set since we sold ours before leaving Asheville, and I’m dreaming of an old farmhouse table with some crisp looking chairs! Maybe different chairs all painted white?
Emily K. @ Leaf Parade says
I always forget how absolutely wonderful Home Goods is until I drop in and spend what sometimes amounts to an entire afternoon there. These are some beautiful things! And I’m loving how obsessed you are with that trash can — it’s the little things, isn’t it? 🙂
-Emily K.
char eats greens says
We have SO much decorating to still do in our house, but I think it’s a cost issue :(. Hopefully I can score some good deals like you. That’s probably the key for right now until our budget isn’t so tight!! Love that wood piece!!!
kiki says
oh, I love the bicycle basket. Home Goods is the best!
Erin @ The Grass Skirt says
Your house is so charming. I love that little box with the bicycle on it!
I hated Round House. Clarissa all the way! 🙂
Kristin says
Great post, I am now craving that garbage can!! AH! Home goods is addicting.
Alicia @ Wanna Be Ina says
Home Goods is absolutely one of my favorite stores. Not only can you find great furniture and decor there, but I love the food section too. We stocked up on Rufus Teague BBQ sauce there a few weeks back. If you haven’t tried that sauce, you should…it’s divine, has no HFCS, and you can find all the ingredients in your own kitchen. It was about half the price that I pay for it at WF. Granola is usually a good score there too, but then you already have a great source for that! 😉
Anna says
Finally, someone as crazy about her Simple Human trashcan as me! Seriously, best purchase ever. Plus, the lid closes really securely to contain any odor. No other can like it!
Lindsay says
My parents have the same trash can, and every time I’m over, they rave about it. I think it’s their favorite thing in the whole house. So funny 🙂
S.P. Gass says
Here’s a link to the baby gates that we like pretty well. I feel better with having the top-of-stairs one screwed into the wall rather than using the spring-fit kind: http://lowtechtimes.com/2013/06/06/low-tech-babyproofing-and-safety-tips/
KathEats says
Ours is screwed in….it has the option of tension only so that’s why it looks that way
Kelli H (Made in Sonoma) says
I have that trash can but the size a little smaller than that. I love it! It’s going on 4 years of use and still works perfectly!
Theresa says
I love posts like this when you get a peek into other bloggers homes! Love the box with the bicycle on it, and the trash can! Ours gets so many finger prints on it, drives me crazy! But it works for now, because like you said, they are so expensive! I got mine at TJMaxx and it was still $70! Love your home.
Amelia says
I am in LOVE with our Simple Human garbage can too. Ours is the one that opens from the shorter side of the rectangle rather than on the longer part of it. It fits perfectly in our kitchen since we couldn’t figure out where to put a trash can otherwise. I also love the fact that you can step on it to open (especially with full hands). We have received so many compliments from guests and family members that it has turned into many Christmas/ birthday gifts for them. Ha! Practical though!!
From day 1 of your blog, every ‘home’ picture you have shown has always been very ‘Real Simple’ mag quality. 🙂 Love it!!
Sarah says
Simple Human cans are the BEST! The company really stands behind their products in my experience.
I had one that was a couple, maybe 3 years old when the hinge mechanism wore out and broke. I emailed the company and they shipped me a replacement part for FREE, no questions asked. That makes the high cost of the can totally worth it in my opinion.
Tracy says
We just replaced our kitchen faucet with that same one…I love it!! I also went through the same thought process with the touch faucet. Not worth an extra $100 or so 🙁
KathEats says
Had it only been $100 I would have but I was pricing them at $600-700
Tracy says
Whoa! The Delta site does show $600ish but if you look at the same faucets on Lowes site (Delta Ashton Touch2O for example) is $349. Our faucet at Lowes was $249.
http://www.lowes.com/pd_165324-72981-19922T-SSSD-DST_0__?productId=3281198&Ntt=delta+faucets&pl=1¤tURL=%3FNtt%3Ddelta%2Bfaucets&facetInfo=
KathEats says
Darn!! Maybe I missed out then : )
[email protected] says
Love the natural style of your house, really bright and beautiful!
Hillary | Nutrition Nut on the Run says
lovin’ the teal comforter. looks very inviting 🙂
Kim says
Love the Snick reference! I actually really liked Round House as well as Clarissa Explains it All and Are You Afraid of the Dark. Ah, the memories of Nickelodeon…. Do you remember You Can’t Do That On Television or Pinwheel (that one is REALLY old)?
Anyway, love the changes, especially the new faucet and the box with the bike on it. Very cute!
KathEats says
I don’t remember Pinwheel?! But I do remember the others. What about all the fun kids Nick shows like David the Gnome!
Kim says
Oh my gosh, YES! Pinwheel is really, really old and I only have vague memories of it since I was pretty little when that was on, but I do remember David the Gnome! This wasn’t a little kid one, but what about Hey Dude? I wanted to be like Melody, a lifeguard on a dude ranch! Haha. 🙂
KathEats says
Sigh…I know all the words. That and Salute Your Shorts!
Kim says
That was a good one too! Nickelodeon did a good job keeping us entertained as kids, that’s for sure!
Elisabeth says
I loved Pinwheel! Also loved Secret World of Alex Mack, You Can’t Do That on Television, Salute Your Shorts, Clarissa, Hey Dude and Are You Afraid Of the Dark. I didn’t care for Round House either, or All That. Ahhh…the good, ol’ days.
Karen says
I’m dealing w/the same type of decorating decisions at the moment: love/pricey; satisfactory/budget friendly. I just know the extra happiness I will feel in surroundings I love vs. like will be so worth it. Unfortunately, I am just one of those folks that needs to either buy something I really adore or not buy at all. So, I will be splurging on a few pieces of furniture. But I too rationalize these purchases with random steals. On that note, you remind me to check out Home Goods this weekend for some incredible deals on things like towels and sheets. (Funnily enough, a few years ago I went through the same thought process as you re. that exact Simple Human trash can, which I too had been coveting at BB+B for months! At three years old, mine is still going strong!)
Enjoy all your new enhancements, Kath…love them all!
J Edwards says
Have you looked into the baby gates with the pedal foot release. It
Is especially great when your hands are full. Just a thought. I have had
One in my house for almost 10 yrs. my oldest child will be 10 soon and my youngest is 2.
Good luck Kath! I enjoy your blog so much!
And we have loved it.
KathEats says
on the one hand I should probably get one that I love since it will probably be up for a long time, but on the other hand I feel like we just bought this one and screwed it in so I hate to tear it back out
Jean says
It’s so crazy what a good garbage can makes. My boyfriend and I had to get a new one for our kitchen recently and we were shocked at how pricy they can be, but we decided to go for it and it’s AMAZING. No more smelly trash smell in our apt!
Kaila @healthyhelperblog! says
I LOVE the simple human brand! We replaced one of our garbage cans with one of their models and they are so great! The soft close and quietness of them is awesome! Our other garbage can is starting to go, so I think it’s time for another Simple Human investment!
Bill Randall says
You sure are styling over there! LOVE the bike box, because I have two bikes. What is that microwave thing with a drawer under it?
KathEats says
A pizza oven!
Kristi says
You won’t regret that trash can! We got it 5 years ago when we got married. We had a stack of BB&B gift cards from wedding gifts, so we walked in that store like we owned it and splurged on the trash can :-). It’s still in great shape and was worth every penny. Love seeing house updates, by the way!
Jessica says
We have the same can and the only reason we have an expensive can is because it was a wedding gift. One of the few my husband added to the registry and he has raved about it ever since!
Mer says
Pretty upgrades!
Alison says
Love all of the new stuff!
I know several comments have referenced the baby gate, but I just saw a post from Meghan’s Hope that set off a few bells when I saw your new cabinet. Hopefully that is secured to the wall as well? (If it is, yay you! And if not, I would really recommend this website to you and any other mommies of crawlers / toddlers or grandmas & aunts with those who visit! Terribly sad story about a little girl that was killed when a dresser about that size fell on her, and it made me go through our house again and reinforce items I hadn’t considered before.) http://www.meghanshope.org/
Justin says
Wow that’s a pretty big garbage can, very stylish though lol! I could never get use to climbing over those toddler gates at the top of the stair case, when my niece was just 3 years old she’d be pulling away on it like a caged animal haha.
Katie @ Talk Less, Say More says
You really do have such a beautiful home! I hope that someday I can decorate my home to look just as beautiful, comforting and home-y! 🙂
[email protected] says
Although its different from my own I love your decorating style!
Emily says
The house looks great! Do you have to buy special garbage bags (like from BB&B) for the new can?
KathEats says
Nope. It came with a sample of the Simple Human brand, but I actually think my generic 13 gallon bags fit better
Jill Allison Bryan says
I had to laugh at your Simply Human Bed Bath Beyond story having had the same exact experience myself, right down to the backing out several times because of the high price and then finally going for it with my 20% coupon in hand. 🙂 For something that you use so many times a day it’s worth it to have it function well and look great. Good purchase!
kristen @ verbs and vignettes says
clarissa was my favorite. we watched some dvds of are you afraid of the dark in college, and they still scared me to a silly degree.
i’ve been itching to decorate my apartment. but then i can never decide how i want to make each room look! so i’m sticking with mismatched and random for now.
zoe @ loseweightandgainhealth says
We have exactly the same bin (trash can) and it is great. We found stair gates that I think are much better than the ones you have. They are like a giant roller blind that go from left to right across the stairs. the advantage to them is there is no step to walk over when you are carrying ing baby which I liked. The best feature was that when baby is in bed, you can leave them open and there is no obstruction to the stairs. They really are genius.
KathEats says
Do you have a link or brand?
Andrea J says
Can you point me towards those shelf-filling suggestions? Scrolled through the instagram feed a bit but I didn’t see it. I’m moving into a new house this weekend and it has shelves just like that that I’m looking for ideas for – Thanks!
KathEats says
I’m not sure how to link directly to the picture but if you scroll through my Instagram feed its photo number 29 a picture of the white shelves empty
Andrea J says
Thanks!
Ashley @RunInHighHeels says
Love the mason jar idea!!
Elise @ Expeditions of Elise says
This is a fun update! In my future dream kitchen I would have one of those touch faucets…
Have you thought about updating your house tour? This post reminded me of it, and it’d be fun to see what’s changed since you first did the tour!
KathEats says
I need to !
Georgia-Mae Morrison says
You are such an amazing decorator! I finally have my own room in a house (after sharing a room my freshman year of college) and I can’t wait to finish decorating it and making it feel like home. When I actually do buy a house someday I hope I can make it as cute as yours 😀
Steve says
I like your new faucet! My daughter and her husband sprang for the touch version, but I’m too cheap for that. In the photos I noticed you have a new range too. Gas I think. I’d like to get a gas range but am concerned that it might blacken the bottoms of my pots and pans. Is that an irrational fear?
RE: the Salmon. I do a similar salmon recipe with honey and ginger, with some butter. But I’ll try the maple thing very soon, maybe tonight.
KathEats says
Gas cooking is great. If you’re worries about staining you could try bar keepers friend..it’s great for stainless
Sara @ sarasmiles says
The same exact thing happens with my trash can. There are black marks all up on my kitchen wall where it sits. Ugh. Too late now…
I love love that end table. It’s gorgeous. If I was a baby, I’d probably want to bang on it too!
Paige @ Healthy Hits the Spot says
Cute stuff! You are a great decorator!
Jacqui says
Ooooh, I love the green chairs! It looks like you are a natural decorator. I wish I had that talent, lol!
Avery says
Your house both inspires me and makes me sad. Sad because my house is not even a fraction as cute and cozy as yours and inspired because,.. hey, you make me wanna go Martha Stewart all over my kitchen,.. 😉 way to go girl! 😀
Shay @ Whine Less, Breathe More says
Love the white piece with wood drawers!
Lindsay says
LOVED the peek into your home today, especially that adorable bike box! I am currently creeping closer to having our newest apartment put together…but somehow the beaches here in Hawaii keep distracting me!
Lisa C. says
I love your style! I am glad you are doing occasional home topics on your blog. Love it!
Juliet says
I love that trash can. I have it myself, and it’s going on at least 8 years, maybe more. Still in perfect condition. Still as happy with it as the day that I brought it home, resenting every penny that I paid. But perhaps it’s the trash can version of the little black dress that always works or expensive but always comfortable and functional shoes. Over time, it’s how much you use you get out of it that counts. 😉
And if you want sticker shock – check out the Vipp cans and bathroom tools. *shudder*
Alicia says
I am going to chime in with annoyingly unsolicited advice… I’ve been told that gates with a bar along the bottom are not good for the top of the stairs because of tripping. But I am very clumsy so I focused on that with my selection… 🙂
Love your blog!
Jennifer says
I love Homegoods! Just love the store. You can find so many unique things at great prices, too. The trash can looks awesome. I’m sure it’s worth every penny. I love slow closing things like kitchen draws and bathroom toilet seats. 😉
Is your kitchen floor cork? It looks like it in the picture. If so, how do you like it? I’ve heard nothing but good things about cork flooring.
I’ve said it so many times but you have the best decorating taste. Your house always looks magazine ready. 🙂
KathEats says
Yes like it a lot! Except for the fact that it does ding and dent easily. It’s probably comparable in durability to lineoleom but not as good as hardwoods
KathyS says
Hi! I just found your blog, and have to admit I’m more interested in the house stuff than the food, so I am looking forward to the final kitchen reveal (although, it may already be there as I was having a hard time with this blog interface searching for just your house/kitchen stuff). Anyway, I was wondering what you thought of your cork floors in the kitchen. I’ve been thinking of installing them, so would love to hear your thoughts on durability, look, etc.
Thanks!
Kathy
KathyS says
Of course, two seconds later I saw that someone else already asked… sorry!