Which brings me to current ugly that needs to be dealt with. The kitchen light.

It’s an old 80′s box style fluorescent lighting fixture, with a yellow oak box. Luckily, most of the time it’s barely noticed, but lately it’s not just being ugly on the outside. It’s being ugly on the inside too! There is something wrong with it. It won’t turn on right away, at times taking up to 5 mins or more to get going. And we have replaced the bulbs too (of course). So, we think it might be more than time to get a new fixture.

What kind of lighting do you like in kitchens? We are leaning towards pot lights, or maybe even some sort of awesome track lighting, but just aren’t sure. Have any of you replaced an old box style light before? Any tips?

What I loved most was that not only is the book full of great ideas, but unlike many, there is an actual resource guide in the book! When I first started reading and saw the following images of a crafting/laundry space, the first thing I wanted to know was where the organization system on the wall came from. Luckily, all I had to do was go to the back section, and find the page number, and there it was! The systems came from Omni Track.

All throughout the book I found myself referring to the resource section, jotting down ideas. In fact, the laundry really caught my eye because that is a room of contention in our home. Check out the multiple ways the same space was used, one focused on crafting activities, the other turned to a laundry station (you can click to see the images full size).

Great use of space, right? I really love the whole concept since our laundry room is large enough to do what is seen in both photos! Oh what a dream that would be.

The book is really great, I love the way Gale approaches her writing, it’s much like talking with a friend. She has included a section on clutter clearing, handy tips and tricks for measuring rooms (make sure things fit before you move them around physically), worksheets to help you realize how you really want and need to use your spaces, and so much more. It’s been so fun to go through our spaces and see what new ideas we can implement. Since we live in a home that is spread between 4 levels, making each space somewhat small, figuring out smart ways to use our current space is a priority. Right-Sizing Your Home has given me loads of new ideas to try in our spaces. If you love books, and your house isn’t totally working for you, this book is one to check out for sure!

Thanks Gale for writing it, and especially for letting me read it!

Now for the really fun part! One lucky reader will get their very own copy of Right-Sizing Your Home ! If you want a chance to win, just leave a comment on this post before midnight on July 17th!

*this giveaway is now closed, congrats to Kerri*

The book offers design ideas as well as resources for material choices that are easy to keep clean. One material that is talked about often is called Crypton. We actually have a pet bed made from Crypton, and it is amazing stuff! If you are into science at all, you will especially love Crypton, not only is it “space age” material, but it really does do what it says it can do. I was really excited to see it incorporated into the Slob Proof! solutions, as I had no idea that it was also available for furniture.

One of our home rules is that our house must be livable. We don’t have “show rooms” in our home, each of our spaces is a space that we truly use and enjoy. Debbie uses this same approach and focuses on designing for the way your really live. I loved that aspect of the book because it resonated with me, and I feel like too often people design for someone else. In a no nonsense and funny tone, she gets right to the point… if you have kids, or a messy pet, white couches are not likely for you! She also offers great tips for designing on a budget and making the most of your money spent.

She even has some quirky tips, like using permanent markers for quick touch ups, or even white out ink! And the book even addresses window treatment options, lighting, use of color, and flooring. If you are interested in learning more, you can connect with Debbie via Twitter, Facebook, or read her Designing Solutions blog to get tips and advice. I really enjoyed the book, and have been planning and saving up to add some of the solutions to our home. You can find Slob Proof! Real-Life Home Decorating Solutions online at Amazon.

Thank you to Debbie and Alpha for providing the book for review.

Do tell, dear readers! We are going to have to remove what we have now, and do something new (we have some ideas), but we want to hear what you think first!

However, I have been getting some work done on the guest room. The room that is forever causing me to wonder if it should really be a guest room or not, is looking more and more like one each day. The bedding is on the mattress. The mattress isn’t on the bed frame just yet (just in case we do figure out how to get rid of the mattress properly), but it does look like a bed. A gigantic daybed of sorts.

I also got one of the big maps up on the wall, and I have a fun idea for it which I will keep secret until I can reveal it here.

Now that the weather outside is leaving us no choice but to work on the inside of our home, I hope to get the guest room figured out. I am still also trying to find a way to add the craft area to my office, because if I can figure that out, the guest room will stay. Oh house tinkering, how I love you!