MelissaEsplin.com

Sponsored: Nesting with The Honest Company

September 25, 2014
honest-company-logoThis post is sponsored by the Honest Company. They're a fabulous resource for safer home products such as cleaning supplies, personal care and baby essentials. They'll even deliver all that awesomeness to your doorstep through their bundle and save subscriptions. Also, how cute are their diapers?   Has anyone ever asked you the question: Would you rather have a cleaning service or a landscaper? I was thinking about this the other day, I'd much rather have a landscaper. I can't stand all the weeds in our yard and I have no idea what to do to make our yard look pretty. It's been a source of internal contention for some time. I can't seem to keep the real plants alive and the morning glory seems to love whatever it is I'm doing wrong. And the truth is, I don't mind cleaning. Doing the floors and dishes aren't my cup of tea (Chris does those, thank heavens), but I get strange satisfaction out of cleaning bathrooms. melissaesplin-honest-company-bathroom-nesting-2 After some reflection, I think I know why:
  • The bathroom is a small finite space (unlike floors which go on FOREVER).
  • You know when it's clean because of how it smells when you walk in.
  • A clean bathroom seems like a much brighter, open space.
  • It's easier to keep a bathroom relatively clean/tidy for a longer period of time than to keep the kitchen sink tidy (unless you just never cook).
I've slacked off in my bathroom duties with this pregnancy because of the tight spaces, little air circulation and how those two play into basically suffocating me when cleaning out the toilet with bleach. I'm sure What to Expect When You're Expecting has some warning about cleaning agents alongside with germophobic warnings as well. Let it go on the record that I absolutely hate that worthless book. I read it once while I was pregnant with Penelope. It induced moderate to severe paranoia about everything I came into contact. Worthless.  I digress. melissaesplin-honest-company-bathroom-nesting-1 See my slacking duties? You can see smears on the mirror and all of my junk out with no particular purpose. Honest Company sent me a bunch of cleaning supplies which were just the motivation I needed to get cleaning and jazz up my bathroom a little bit. Did I mention these cleaning supplies didn't send my lungs into a panic? The eucalyptis mint bathroom cleaner works as nicely to remove bathroom grime as it smells. And it smells soooo good. melissaesplin-honest-company-bathroom-nesting-3 Taaa Daaaa!!! Look at that transformation!! This is no amazing before and after. Quite pathetic really, but Chris noted a very dramatic change when he first stepped foot into my bathroom. At some point, we're going to demolish this bathroom and give it the finish it deserves (or should I say I deserve?). We want to replace the vanity with double sinks (so Chris can actually use this bathroom, he's currently stuck with the one down the hall). I want to tear down the wall to the "toilet closet", who needs a 3' x 8' closet for a toilet? Open that floor up, baby!! I also want to tear down the wall to the linen closet and have open teak shelving there. Add subway tiles along the floor and walls and a giant soaking tub and I'll be a happy woman. Until that happens (cough, $$, cough), I'll be happy with my minute upgrades. :) melissaesplin-honest-company-bathroom-nesting-2 I started out by designing and cutting out vinyl decals of random geometric outlines to add some fun texture to the wall. I organized my nail polishes on the little rack to keep them away from Penelope and around for frequent use. This is a spice rack I scored from Ikea for $4. Chris originally put one in his bathroom so I copied the idea. It's perfect for storing bathroom stuff up high. melissaesplin-honest-company-bathroom-nesting-4 I end up taking my cosmetics around the corner to the bedroom mirror and work on applying my face while sitting on the floor. It's much easier than trying to manage my giant belly around the counter top to get close enough to the mirror to curl my eyelashes. I was previously using a wire basket, which would frequently lose pencils because of the wire-y-ness of the basket. Switching to a real tray made a difference. It's prettier, too. melissaesplin-honest-company-bathroom-nesting-5 I decanted my hand soap to a pretty dispenser and bought mis-matched containers for my toothbrush, tumbler and plant. The light in this bathroom really stinks, so the plant is now happily living in our bright master bedroom instead. I miss the greenery in my bathroom, though. melissaesplin-honest-company-bathroom-nesting-7 I got a new curtain that allows a little more light in and has more of a neutral spin to it. The geometric pattern plays well with all of the different textures. A while back we were using regular towel rods, my towels never seemed to migrate off the floor. Chris cut out some wood, stained it and added hooks to the wall instead. It's much easier to hang towels when in a rush to get kids out the door in the morning. melissaesplin-honest-company-bathroom-nesting-8 I created a little piece of artwork that reads, "Hello Gorgeous". I already feel gross with this pregnancy and I know it'll only get magnified when the postpartum body comes into play. I need a little reminder that I'm gorgeous no matter what my body may look like. It's sad how media distorts perceptions of how our bodies are supposed to look like after a baby. I'm a believer in trying to maintain a healthy lifestyle, but a healthy outlook is also important. Other than that, I haven't done as much nesting as I would have liked. Next up is organizing artwork; making sure it's all framed and hanging it on our bare walls. I've got 2 boxes and a pile about 5 inches tall of art that's waiting to find a home on our walls. My mom will be in town next week to help with the baby, so maybe she'll be able to help. :) This post is sponsored, but all thoughts and opinions are my own.