Just Three Things - 09 | 27 | 17

I am stepping out of the office for a few days this week and it feels amazing. The kids went back to school a couple of weeks ago and have already brought home every form of sickness and cold. I couldn't flee from that nonsense fast enough, although, I am starting to feel a tickle in my throat as well.  And as much as I don't love being sick, I am already missing those runny-nosed snuggly boys like crazy.

Today I thought I would share a few quick updates from the iHeart block. I always tend to ramble and go beyond just three things in these types of posts, so I am vowing now to keep it short. Can I do it?

In last month's Redbook magazine, I shared my favorite tip for staying organized on the road with kids. Many of you already know that pouches are my organizing everything, so I wanted to be sure to hit Redbook's audience with the same scoop.

I always keep a few pouches pre-packed, some stay in the car, others come in and out depending on the day and reason for traveling. Regardless, they keep all of us prepared and sane. I use one for some school items so the kids can do their homework while traveling to and from school activities, another as a small emergency kit packed for those totally unexpected but let's-be-real-I have-three-active-boys-that-get-hurt moments, and another pouch loaded with gadget cords, notepads, and a few small activities.

These pouches are not only perfect for the task, they were also perfect for photographing for a magazine. However, I know the price is a little more than most would spend on a pouch, so I rounded up a variety of alternative yet similar options for you below.

I also use pouches for organizing my tote, my beach bag, bins in my office, small makeup and hair accessories, even a few items in the kitchen. Do you love zippered pouches as much as I do, and if so, how else do you use them to organize your days?

The cord tags shown above are these from the Container Store.

I recently worked on a small office update for a dear friend at our local school, and I fell in love with a product I hadn't tried up until now.

The office was originally a darker beige, so I started by giving her walls a fresher, lighter paint color (with permission of course). Working under fluorescent office lighting was a new challenge, but the Benjamin Moore Gray Wisp color complimented the rest of her space well and accomplished exactly what I was hoping for. When working on an office or desk space, it is always my goal to find a way to easily file and track down paperwork, while also keeping the actual desk and nearby surfaces as open as possible. Her primary desk holds her computer and phone only, and this side cabinet does the rest of the work for her.

For the wall, I utilized pieces from the Martha Stewart Wall Manager system, which is mounted on a rail. Once the rail was installed, a variety of mix and match pieces were added to customize my friend's storage and display accordingly. This is an organizers dream! I super love that the chalkboard and corkboard can easily slide out and flip to become a different surface type (the corkboard flips to a dry erase board and the chalkboard has another cork board on the back). A few other components I used were some trays that attached to the top rail to hold desk accessories such as pencils and pens, pushpins, glasses, notepads, etc... The lower rail holds wall pockets for notebooks/planners and important file folders. I even added a hook for her office keys.

For cohesion, I also added a couple of magazine files and a paper sorter from the Martha line as well. Next to pouches, magazine files rank high on my list of useful organizers. I used them here to hold catalogs and booklets that correlate to her daily duties.

And because no office space should feel sterile, I added a task lamp that can be turned on to add warmth and cancel out some of the harsher, cool fluorescent lighting above. And a faux yet realistic green fern helped to add a little life as well, yet requires no natural light or maintenance.

I still have a few more touches to give this space, but it has already been another project that I have had so much fun being a part of!

You may have already heard, but TJ Maxx now has a shoppable online store! I do so much of my shopping online these days (time, location, ease, etc...), so this was huge news for me. It is like having a mini HomeGoods right at your fingertips! Whenever I am looking for baskets and storage, HomeGoods has been a primary source for finding really beautiful options on a reasonable budget. So when I was sourcing some lidded seagrass baskets, I was thrilled to find them at a great price, and even more thrilled that it was a new-to-me source for online home purchases.

I fell down a rabbit hole of great home finds and rounded them up for you below. Quite a few remind me of higher priced pieces from a variety of well-known and more expensive brands. Can I get a high-five for stylish and budget-friendly home items?!

Ok, now do you see what I mean?! Did you already know this? Should we start a petition to get the full HomeGoods online now too?

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I know I promised to keep it at three, but just one more very quick thing! Have you seen the movie, Home Again? I could watch it over and over just for the house! It was so adorable and well done and such a great balance of colors and neutrals. I want to see more of it and can't seem to stop thinking about it! I found a few images online here and here. Enjoy!

Is there a movie you watch on repeat just because of a house or set? I do that all of the time, and would love to know what ones are on the top of your list too!