On Housekeeping and Montessori-at-Home

I always daydream of having a housekeeper who comes once a week to do the deep cleaning in our house. In my mind, this means that our home always feels organized and tidy and it's a huge stress relief for me to have that component of our lives taken care of. So the other day, when I ran into a friend on our lane, we got to talking about cleaning and housekeeping and I shared my daydreamy thoughts with him. 

His response really surprised me. And seriously got me thinking. All of my deep thoughts on cleaning and what it means to be a good mom after the jump!

That day in the lane, my friend said that cleaning your house is important and that no one else should do it but you. "When you're taking care of your own home," he said, "you know the status of everything. You know that plant needs a bit of water in two days, you know that dust tends to gather in a that corner; you're in contact with your home." He went on to say, "When you clean your own home and run your own household, it keeps your two feet on the ground; it keeps you engaged in tasks, and it keeps you well." 

Wow. 

I had certainly never thought of it that way. And as I walked away and thought about it a bit more, I was so happy to have an alternative perspective because I think he's right. (I'm going to add in right here that this friend is not married and he takes care of his own home. ;) 

If I didn't have the house to take care of, I might actually have too much idle time to focus on Coco. Now I know that sounds counter intuitive, but as a Montessori trained teacher, I know that children need to be engaged in tasks themselves. It's how children, even babies, gain the capacity to concentrate and problem solve. It's how they learn. That means that if I'm constantly with Coco, reading to her, playing with her and entertaining her sun up to sun down, she never gets the opportunity to expand her skill set and make discoveries independently. Right now, as I write this blog post, Coco is playing with two baby-food-jar-lids that she has been busy and occupied with for the past 20 minutes. She just discovered that she can make the lids spin on the hardwood floor when she drops them, but that they won't spin when dropped on the rug. She likes to watch them wobble and wobble until they stop flat. Then she lets out a little chirp when it's all finished. That is a discovery she made it all by herself. That probably wouldn't have happened if I had been playing with the lids with her. As an adult, I would have felt compelled to "do something" with the lids whereas Coco stumbled upon that organically through independent play. A discovery like that isn't satisfying when someone else does it for you or shows you. It's like solving a riddle. When you figure out a riddle and have that "Aha!" moment, it feels good. If someone tells you the answer before you figure it out, it's just a big let down. 

So, I don't think I'll be daydreaming of having a cleaner or housekeeper anymore. I am going to view my housekeeping as positive and necessary, both for Coco and for me. It's good modeling for Coco to see me engaged in tasks that are part of everyday life and it's good for me to be connected to our home. If I were working, it would be different. But I am a stay-at-home mom, so there is no reason for me not to take on that piece of our lives with purpose. I'm going to get my little sweetie involved as soon as possible. Did you know that children love sweeping and scrubbing as early as 18 months?! Children are so capable when we give them the tools and opportunity to be involved. Would you like to hear more about my integration of Montessori philosophy into our life at home? Would you like to know how you can engage your child in meaningful Montessori activities at home? If so, I'd be happy to make that a more prominent part of the blog. :) xo  

How do you unwind?

Since becoming new parents, J and I have been in constant flux mode trying to figure out how everything works now that we have a third, very tiny person with a unique and labor-intensive routine in our domestic mix. Like all new parents, we are simply learning as we go and some nights everything goes perfectly! She's in bed at 7 sleeping happily, J and I have a nice dinner, enjoy a glass of wine, then watch an episode of Downton Abbey and go to sleep happy and relaxed with a clean kitchen. Other nights she's not asleep until 8, we're eating at 9 pm and then we fall into bed exhausted with a sink full of dirty dishes around 11. I honestly have no idea what separates the good nights from the bad nights sometimes. I'm also a little surprised that it doesn't bother me more. Somehow I am comfortable with the trial and (mostly) error that seems to accompany early parenthood. It must be the hormones! 

Even still, we have tried to figure out ways that we could switch things around to make our evenings more fluid, predictable and consistent for Coco. One idea was that J make dinner every night. It makes perfect sense. He could stop at the store on the way home from work, make our dinner while I put Coco to bed and then we could eat together and enjoy our evening. It was a wonderful idea that lasted for one night. 

Here's why.

I love cooking. It is my absolute favorite way to unwind. When I take a bath, I still think about things that are bothering me and I get antsy or distracted and I want to check my email or Facebook or look something up online. Ridiculous, isn't it? But that's just how it is for me. Bathing is a purely physically relaxing activity. It relaxes my body, but not necessarily my mind. Cooking is different. When I cook, I go into a complete flow state of mind. I chop. I stir. I smell. I watch. I pinch. I wash. I add. I wait. I decide. I become entirely absorbed in what I'm doing, so much so that everything else ceases to exist. When the meal is finished, I am refreshed, invigorated, renewed. It's much more than the food. So how could I give that up? I can't. I really can't. 

For now, it looks like we will remain in our state of flux. Tonight J got Coco ready for bed and read her some stories before I nursed her and that seemed to work really well. So as long as we keep trying, I'm sure we'll find something, but I'm dying to know. What is your evening routine? How did you adjust to life with a baby? I've read lots of books, but I'd love to hear how real parents are doing it! ;) 

Organizing: Martha Stewart Special Edition

Have you seen?! Martha Stewart has a new Organizing Special Collector's Edition on newsstands now! I was slightly giddy when I bought it at Hudson News in the Seattle airport on the way back to Switzerland last month. (Hint: You can also buy it from Amazon if you don't live near a newsstand. ;) It was like serendipity. There I was, wiling away the time on our layover, thinking about all the stuff I had brought back with me in our suitcases and wondering where on earth I'd put in once I got home. It's true. I'm embarrassed to admit that I haven't even fully unpacked yet! But how can I? The majority of what we brought back was baby stuff for Coco and I had to go through her armoire and dresser and sort out the clothes that no longer fit to put away (sniff!) and clear out space for the new stuff before anything would even fit in there. It's a big job. And with a baby, it's a job you're doing every twelve weeks or so. My goodness!

We've only been living in this apartment for eight months and it's not a finely tuned machine as of yet! I always find it a challenge, and it typically takes time to find organizational systems that work in a new space, but this time has been even harder. I'll tell you why. Our miniature, 150-year-old European apartment has a total of zero closets. ZERO! Unless you consider the itty-bitty medicine cabinet a closet. It's kind of an organizational nightmare. We have sideboards, wardrobes and dressers, but we need more. Or do we? 

Martha's first line of attack in the Organizing Special is to cut the clutter. Good point, Martha! Then she offers tips for every room in the house, including kids' rooms and entryways, two areas that I really want to focus on intently. This is going to be the most exciting spring cleaning ever. Not least because this is the first time that J and I have actually stayed in the same apartment for more than one year. Isn't that just nuts?! It wasn't always because we wanted to move, in fact, it was usually circumstances, like moving to a new state or country, or getting a job as managers of an apartment building meant we had to move across town, but it's beyond nice to finally feel settled at last! I find it rather fitting that we are settled down now that we have a baby. Sigh!

So, that said, I'm positively aflutter about this getting organized business. What are your favorite strategies in home organization?

Home at last. (And the tale of the wine explosion at 40,000 feet!)

Sweet readers, have you ever been away from home (with your baby!) for five and a half weeks? I can tell you, that upon arriving home yesterday afternoon, it felt positively weird. It reminded me of walking in the door after having given birth and stayed in the hospital for nearly a full week. Following the transformative, life changing event of giving birth and the hospital stay avec bébé, our apartment felt surreal; like a mirage somehow, as if I weren't actually there. Yesterday afternoon it was the same way. I marveled at how familiar everything was, touched things to be sure they were real, admired the furniture and coziness of it all. It's difficult to describe. It felt like I was somehow in a home of mine that had disappeared, or gone to the moon, and then suddenly come back again. Thankfully that limbo feeling went away after a few hours. Then it was perfectly comfortable to be back in my own space with my own routines: J made me a delicious dinner, Coco went to bed at 8:30 (perfect) and then I went upstairs to see the neighbors and went to bed at 10:30 (perfect again ;).

This morning Coco and I woke up at 8:15 to sun streaming in the windows!

She let me know she was ready for her nap at 10:30 on the dot - no jet lag?! Fingers crossed on that one. ;)

Then I set about rescuing my new J.Crew shirt that suffered a wine explosion on the plane! Yes, that's right. A wine explosion. It turns out that those plastic cups on the plane are quite brittle. So a little squeeze meant that my cup broke apart and wine went everywhere. Everywhere! All over my shirt, drenched my tray and completely sprayed the face of the man sitting next to me. Horror! Thank goodness Coco and I were seated next to the two most wonderful, fathers themselves, sweet as can be Irishmen of all time, Alan and Simon. They held Coco throughout the flight, bounced her, walked around the plane with her while I ate my dinner (that was Simon - no joke!) and were sympathetic and helpful the entire time. Swoon! I've always loved the Irish, but those two strengthened my love, admiration and devotion to that culture even more. Alan wasn't the least bit ruffled by the wine explosion. He just wiped his face with his napkin and said, "Well it happens, you know?" Yes, Alan, I do know. And I can't thank you enough for knowing. Bless him! Bless them both!

Here is my shirt pre-Vanish soak. Uh-oh! Can I just say that I'm so glad I had extra clothes for myself and Coco? We used them all!

Immediately after dunking the shirt in the Vanish, the wine stains turned blue and very quickly started to fade to a greenish hue.

Fifteen minutes later, nothing! 

I heart Vanish. Not to be completely dramatic, but honestly, it's a miracle! Do you remember the days before oxygen bleach? You had to salt the red wine stain immediately, soak it for days, wash it in cold, hope and pray, dance for the stain gods and it still always stained for good. Not anymore. So totally rad if you ask me. :)

This afternoon we are having chicken wraps with N upstairs, heading down to the lakeside for a walk with the kiddos and bringing a blanket so we can all soak up some sun on the grass. Then when J gets home, it will be another walk outside. I'm so grateful that spring has sprung! At the same time, I'm filled with dread seeing all this sun and praying that my allergies won't be half as miserable as they were last year. Oof!

What are your favorite spring activities? Or if you have them, drug-free, breastfeeding-friendly allergy survival tips? ;) Happy spring!

{top photos taken with Instagram}

Tiny Bathroom

I've been thinking very seriously about shower curtains since reading this post a couple weeks ago. The bathroom in our new apartment is super tiny. This means I need to think fast because I've got the grand opportunity to get a stylish shower curtain (without breaking the bank) while I'm home visiting over the next few weeks. 

Here are my current picks, which I find like, but which may or may not coordinate well with our Pink Dogwood and White Lacoste towels.

Simple and clean from west elm, but I do worry that the white would be too bright and draw attention to the contrasting flooring.

This Marimekko stand out from Crate&Barrel would definitely add some pop and excitement, but the colors might mean hiding the pink towels or buying more white ones?

If J and I were little children, I'd definitely choose this one from Dwell Studio, but we are grown adults so it is much too juvenile. Ultra cute for a modern kids' bath though, don't you think? Speaking of being children, J and I love to think about what fun we would have had together as little kids. We're pretty sure we would have gotten along really well even then.

I'm also fond of this embroidered curtain in the light blue from Pottery Barn. They used to (as in this morning) have an embroidered shower curtain with dots instead of the parallel lines. I preferred that one, but perhaps it sold out today. Either one is clean and crisp, which I love.

As you can see in the picture below, the bathroom truly is miniature. The toilet is to the right of the tub and immediately to the right of that is the wall. Mini, indeed! I want to make sure I choose a shower curtain that will draw attention away from the not-so-attractive tile floor but will still coordinate, lest I should accidentally draw more attention to the floor through accidental clashing. Yikes!

This photo was taken just as the previous tenants had finished clearing out.
It's looking a little grungy, yes, but it's bound to be sparkly clean for us when we move in tomorrow! 

So far I haven't found a shower curtain that I absolutely love and am ready to buy. And I'm thinking that the curve around the tub may mean we need two. This was the case in our last apartment in Portland, but in the end I opted for two overlapping clear liners and just one shower curtain. No matter what, it's very exciting to be moving into and creating a home we will live in for the next three years. Tomorrow I get the mailbox plate engraved! 

Faithful reader, what do you think? How can I add a little drama and intrigue to this boring bathroom? Am I crazy to wish to make it inviting and to look a little bigger? 

{shower curtain photos from here, here, here and here}

Fan Dreams

This sticky humid weather we've been having has me dreaming of fans. Forget air conditioning! Almost nowhere (and I really mean that) is air conditioned in Zurich. At the grocery store, there is a little bit of air conditioning, but when the temperature gauge hits 87 with 96% humidity, it's pretty much miserable and steamy everywhere you go: work, school, shops, train, tram. Not so fun. 

Even still, air conditioning is terribly overused. What the world needs now is fans. Lots of fans! Here are a few of my favorites.

Industrial and sleek from Restoration Hardware. I'd love to have this whirring overhead while I go to sleep at night. 

Don't discount the power of a paper fan. These little cuties are compact folded up in your handbag and incredibly effective at getting the air moving. You can choose solid colors, or one that's airbrushed with a Mt. Fuji-esque motif or this really cracked me up. 

As for the desk, I could just die over this gorgeous vintage Emerson fan from Vintage Fans. My goodness, talk about combining form and function. I'm definitely swooning over this one!

What's your weather been like these days? How do you beat the heat? 

{photos from here and here and here}

Clean and Modern Email

Gmail is updating their look at last! It's definitely the best web based email around and now it will look good, too.

Now if I could just clean out all of my old folders and gunk I've got in my archive... How do you keep your email neat and tidy? Are you a deleter? A filer? Or, like J, a 1,208 new messages in the Inbox sort of organizer?

Home, Sweet Home!

Last weekend we went to measure our new apartment and afterward, while sitting lakeside, I found myself experiencing immeasurable delight. J said that of course I felt that way because we're moving into what is really going to feel like our first home. And I must confess, I think he is right! We have moved every year (at least once!) since we have known each other. That's eight years of U-Hauls, new apartments, getting settled, dismantling, and doing it again. This time we know we'll be staying put for three years. What a delightful feeling, indeed.

J in the kitchen, which is being updated this week!!

Living room with incredible hardwoods.

Living room from other side. Woodburning stove!

Bedroom with amazing parquet floor.

Second bedroom (and the current tenant finishing up packing!)

I'm really looking forward to the process of getting settled and creating a space we can call home. Next up, some pictures of the adorable neighborhood!

New Home

We could not be happier about our new apartment in Seefeld. It is definitively the most desirable neighborhood in Zürich and utterly impossible to get into - especially at an affordable price. One evening we were riding the bus to a party at a friend's house and I got to thinking about how I'd like to live in the city. As nice as Adliswil is, it's a suburb and I just don't do suburbs! I'm a city girl, through and through. I looked up at J and said, "You know what will happen? Someone we know will be moving and then we'll take over their apartment and it will just work out that way and we'll get an amazing place."

Less than three weeks later we got an urgent call at 10 pm from some friends. Their neighbor was moving and if we wanted to get this place we had to act fast. We viewed the apartment the following evening and got the application in the mail the following day. Things fell effortlessly into place from there.

I was a little shocked to discover the total non-existence of equal opportunity housing policies here in Switzerland and extremely shocked to see people's reactions. At work and among friends, we got everything from sincere congratulations - you'd think we'd just completed our doctorate - to jealousy and whispering of the not-so-subtle variety. Waiting to hear back about an apartment you really, really want is hard enough, but having to endure remarks like, "An affordable apartment in Seefeld? Do you even have a chance? What makes you think they would they choose you?" is horrible. You might be asking yourself right now, how does one respond to that? I'll tell you. With a confident smile and an enthusiastic "It's not advertised! Our friends recommended us. They've been in the building for six years. Isn't it great?!" Oh, it's fabulous, darling!

I can scarcely count the ways this move is going to be wonderful, but definitely near the top of the list is decor. I have missed the vintage charm of our beautiful apartments in Portland more than I can say and our new place has serious charm: Original parquet floors from 1865, a wood burning stove from the same era, tall old windows with deep window sills, wainscoting! Elements such as those deserve decor that is warm, a tad modern to off-set the historical feel and cozy. Here's what I've got in mind.

photos from ikea.com and pendelton-usa.com

With the exception of the striped wool throw, which J and I saw in Sunset Magazine and immediately became completely obsessed with, all of the furniture and decor come from IKEA. The coveted striped throw is from Oregon's own Pendelton Woolen Mills. And did I mention it's 100% pure Merino? {swoon!}

When brainstorming what's important to us in a living room, we both agreed that cozy is paramount, hence the high pile wool rug, the Pendelton throws and the comfy couch where you can really snuggle up. It's also extremely important to us that our television not be the focus of the room. In fact, we don't even want it to be visible, so the cupboard will keep it tucked away and out of sight when we are not watching a movie rental from iTunes. In order to add a little warmth to the top of the cabinet, I envision the blue pitcher vase on top and a stack of books. I just love an artfully selected stack of books. To keep things from being too drab or plain, the red lamp gives a punch of color! Finally, the sofa table with its gooey golden glow will keep the sofa away from the wall and create depth and dimension in the room without the couch feeling like it's just out in the middle of the room on its own. I think it's going to be delightful!

What are your top priorities when decorating? What does your ideal living room look and feel like? What sort of "living" does your living room cater to?

Best thing since sliced bread.

Today I received my first grocery delivery and it's safe to say I may never go to the store again. Last night all it took was a little time, a few clicks and today all of my groceries arrived on-time, lovingly packed and I didn't have to carry anything up two flights of stairs!

This being Switzerland, one of the payment options is to be sent a bill via email. I do have to say I love the level of trust when it comes to money in this country. 

It did take some time to select everything, about an hour and fifteen minutes from start to finish. That's still less time than it would have taken to go to the store and I was at home in my slippers! Coop @ home has a 100 chf minimum for delivery and an 18 chf delivery fee. If you order more, the delivery fee drops and I paid only 13 chf. As J said, we probably saved 13 chf in impulse buys just by not being physically in the store. Very true! And really, those were some heavy items. Having them brought up the stairs right to our door is worth every cent (or rappen as they say here in Switzerland). 

I'm hooked. Only online grocery shopping for me. It really is the best thing to happen to the grocery store since sliced bread!

The Appliance I Cannot Live Without

Last summer, my friend Kate and her boyfriend were visiting us in Portland.  As we washed all of the dishes by hand following a roast chicken dinner, she asked me a hypothetical question:  Would I rather have a dishwasher or a washer and dryer in my apartment?  

At the time, I answered washer and dryer without hesitation.  Then I continued to wash the dishes in a basin of soapy water, rinse them and delicately balance them on the overcrowded dish rack.  Yes, I thought that a washer and dryer were more desirable.  That was only because I had yet to experience adult life with a dishwasher...

Dishwasher bliss!

Now that I have lived the last month with a dishwasher, I will never be able to go back to handwashing!

So, what is the appliance you can't live without?  Or perhaps, if you're an expat too, the one you're missing the most right now.

Laundry

As anyone who has lived abroad can tell you, laundry is certainly one of the most challenging aspects of expat living.  It doesn't seem like something that would be a big deal, but it is.  It is a very big deal.

Ready to wash.  Detergent and laundry card are ready to go!

In Switzerland, each apartment building handles laundry differently. Some buildings, like ours (thank goodness) are first come, first served when it comes to laundry.  In other buildings there is a roster where one must sign up.  In others, there are assigned days for each apartment.  Typically when this is the case, each tenant is given full use of the laundry room for one day every three weeks or so!  Just to keep things exciting, it's a date, not a day that you're given.  So you might wind up having a Thursday, in which case you'd be at work most of the day and then tasked with cramming 8 or 9 loads of laundry in before midnight.  No thank you!

Regardless of when you can do laundry, there are all sorts of rules. In Neuchâtel, the laundry room was locked at 10 pm and all day Sunday. Apparently the concierge in that building was not aware that Sunday is the universal day for doing laundry. Apparently I had never considered laundry "work," nor lived in such a religious place.  Go figure.  

At any rate, I can't really read the rules in my current laundry room. Here's a sampling of the signs I'm wondering about.

I can see that I'm not supposed to do laundry after 10 pm.  Standard enough.  I wonder what the rest says.  Clearly there are some really bright ideas outlined in this rule list.  That man has a lightbulb over his head, that's how I know.

I did manage to gather from this sign that there is a washer and dryer for the red side and another for the blue side.  

It's helpful that this sign is in blue and the other one is in red.

Unfortunately, I couldn't remember what side I live on, so I just did my laundry in the empty machine, which is the red side machine.  Side of what you ask?  Oh, you'll see.

That's when the fun really began.  Do I put my detergent tablet in the little compartment up top or straight in with the clothes?  What does all of this mean?

Hell if I know.

In the end, I put my laundry tablets up top and it seemed to work out fine. Then I went upstairs and set a timer to make sure I am there the moment the cycle finishes.

Action shot.  I can't help but be puzzled by the total lack of suds.

On the way up, I checked to see which "side" I live on. Our apartment is up the stairs to the left, so it turns out I live on the "blue" side.  I can't believe it.  First load and I'm already breaking the rules!  

The lobby is nothing short of hideous.  A far cry from the lovely Silver Court!

Letting Go {Moving Forward}

I become very attached to the space I live in.  Sadly for me, the time has come to let go of this incredible apartment.  It's not easy.  

When we left our last apartment to come to this one, it was literally a gut wrenching experience for me.  It made me sick to dismantle that home and move out of that space.  This time around won't be quite so dramatic, partly because I've had ample time to prepare mentally and partly because I am very excited about our new life in Switzerland.  But still.  

When we left the Olympic in Northwest, I made it bearable by cleaning the apartment from top to bottom and taking photos so I could remember it just like that.  The funny thing is, I didn't really miss it at all once I was gone.  These are the photos I took.  I do remember it just like that.

So, I plan to do the same thing here.  Tonight I'll get the place all cleaned up, take photos and remember it just like that.  Hopefully, though it seems ridiculously impossible, I won't miss it at all!

Small Stuff

It's always the little things that make me the most delighted.  Like this glass front cabinet with all of the brightly colored cookware within.  This really makes me smile.  I love the black and white floor contrasting with the colorful pots.  And I love thinking of all the wonderful things I cook in said pots.  Mmmm.  Another little thing that's making me happy is the lovely, soft spring rain we're having in Portland and that my husband just finished vacuuming and mopping our apartment.  Lovely.  Little.  Things.

A Few Things...

First off, don't these carnations just make you smile?! I am completely obsessed with pink carnations, and with Weck Jars. They really do make a delightful combo. Yum!In other news, I just ordered a new battery for my laptop. My computer might be described as a dinosaur by some, given that it is a 2004 Powerbook G4, but I'm telling you, aside from being a little slow, this thing is going strong! At least for what I need it for. A little email here, some blogging there, Facebook, MS Word and Excel, printing some stuff now and then. Do I really need a super fast computer? No! But it is a pain that it always has to be plugged in and that every time I do unplug it, I have to reset the clock when I start up again. So, I got a new battery off of eBay for a mere 35 bucks. Rah! Over the years, I've loved this little computer. I added RAM at one point. Nice! I installed Leopard. Yes! I am with the times. I even got a new hard drive when the old one went kaput on me. Not so fun. But, luckily, the computer started acting up and gave me advance warning so I got all my photos burned onto cds before the big crash. Excellent! And it was very inexpensive to replace the hard drive. I have really gotten my money's worth out of this thing - and without putting that much into it. Why is this relevant to my blog? Well, I am hoping that having more mobility with my computer will make it easier to update more often.

Over the past few weeks, I've been busy with a project. I decided to completely rearrange our living room and dining room a few weeks ago. I didn't really realize what a crazy decision this was at the time, which is probably a good thing. I might never have begun if I had realized what I was taking on. I must admit though, I love doing interiors and I'm having heaps of fun. HEAPS! Here are a few before pictures for your perusal.Looking from the northeast corner of the apartment toward the bedroom and entry hallway.Looking south from the northeast corner into the kitchen.The view east from the archway to the bedroom and entry hallway.

Basically, I decided to flip-flop the arrangement of these elements. Here are a few pictures in progress.

Yikes!Oh my! What have I done!? Don't worry, it's working out fine. Once I have the place spiffed up and ready to have some girlfriends over tonight, I will take a few photos so you can see the finished product. What fun!