LOVING LATELY

Signs of spring in Seattle. It's been a long winter and seeing these giant, vibrant blooms everywhere is such a sweet sign of a new season on the horizon.

The most delicious gluten free chocolate chip cookies I've ever had in my life. My thoughtful friend Erika brought them to my baby shower and they were a huge crowd favorite. Google "New York Times Chocolate Chip Cookies" for the recipe. I hear they are a labor of love and take three days (!!!) to make, but the results are well worth it.

Dinners outside! Another perk of spring.

New linen sheets by Len.Ok Linen. Linen is such a luxurious texture, it stays warmer in the winter and cooler in the summer than cotton, and is more eco-friendly as a bonus. We're getting all the sleep we can now before the baby arrives.

Attending baby showers for a handful of friends who are also expecting. Two friends have recently delivered and three others are due within a few weeks of us. So many new babies among our friends this year which makes it even more sweet.

This salad. The easiest and the fragrance of that fresh basil is heavenly. Just chop tomatoes, basil, fresh mozzarella and drizzle with olive oil, balsamic vinegar, and salt and pepper. So good.

All the ice cream. Because, #36weekspregnant.

BASSINETS AND BABY PREP

Our life currently looks like a lot of nesting, cleaning, and prepping for baby. It's fun to think about making a literal and emotional space for this tiny little human that's going to join us so soon.

One thing to check off our list was how this baby is going to sleep for the first few months. There's a million options, but we decided on this bassinet by Babyhome.

I liked that it was lightweight, easily portable for use next to our bed or elsewhere, and this year's version is updated to include two side mesh windows for easily seeing the status of your baby without having to hover overhead.

Safety is always my first concern with the baby, but a close second is the aesthetic, and I liked that this one was beautiful, modern, understated, and available in neutral colors. It doesn't scream "baby" or look like an eyesore when set up in our bedroom.

It's great for travel since it's smaller than a traditional pack-n-play, so we will likely be taking this with us for sleeping for the few trips we have planned for this summer with baby. Another feature I like is that it can easily switch between being stationary or a rocker to help soothe the baby. The bottom legs flip to change positions.

There's side pockets for storage, and it comes with an attachable changing pad.

We are officially in the third trimester and things are starting to feel more and more real. The prepping and nesting is at an all-time high and I don't see it slowly down anytime soon. I love preparing a space for this baby and dreaming about all that is to come. So much anticipation for us in this season of life.

Share in partnership with Babyhome. Maternity jeans available here.

NESTING SERIES: THE OFFICE

The nesting continues in full force around here. I've been wanting to tackle my office for a while, but it was something I'd say that I'd get to "one day" which turned out to be never. I knew I needed help in this department because the project felt too overwhelming to me to try to take on by myself. I have built-ins that are awesome, but I didn't really know what to do with them or how to best create a system for all the incoming/outgoing things, projects, papers, bills, etc, AND create something that was not just organized, but aesthetically pleasing as well. Enter: my friend Annie of Live Simply By Annie, a professional organizer located in Seattle. I knew Annie would be able to help me and I am so glad I asked.

In one afternoon, my office went from unmanageable and chaotic to organized, beautiful, and functional. Annie is a powerhouse of an organizer and I cannot recommend her services highly enough. The best part for me was that I didn't have to spend a dime on any kind of extra storage containers. Annie used everything I already had, and streamlined, reorganized and rearranged until Every Single Thing had a place and a home. She gets a vision for the space and works and works until it all fits just so. I still can't believe it. I am a combination of stunned, impressed, and grateful for the new, workable space.

The before and after:

Stunning, right? The update makes me so, so happy.

More after photos:

Those white boxes I've had since college and are $3.99 at Ikea.

I have a second desk/side area next to the built ins that was my previous shipping station, but we switched it around slightly.

My new shipping station on the other side of the room along with orders going out. (That print is now available for download, email me at allie@allieseidel.com if you're interested)

The desk space. I had Daniel paint the top of the desk for an easy update from the light wood.

Annie arrived with a game plan and lots of storage ideas. She asked my overall vision, and we went to work. Annie nudged me along in every area, and I for sure needed it. Annie would ask what a certain pile of papers was, and I'd say "Oh, that's something I just have to go through someday." And she'd say "Great. That someday is now. Go through it." I would laugh because I didn't want to take up too much of Annie's time, but she said that's what this time is for. To go through every single paper and decide to keep it or toss it. That's all organizing really is, lots of small decisions. But you have to put in the time and effort to actually do it.

I appreciated Annie's no-nonsense but kind style of organizing. I think I was imagining something more drill-sergeant like and it would just be "Toss everything and start over" but that wasn't it at all. It was more "Keep what works for you, let go of what doesn't." Annie's personality is suited so well for this field. If she wasn't there, I don't think I would have ever gone through each and every piece of paper I had in my office. I would have just left it as "good enough" and a project for "someday" which I now know won't ever come to fruition. I needed that push of someone else present the time blocked off, and the good kind of pressure to get it done. The moment that my office was completely organized was unreal, like a huge weight has been lifted off that entire area of my life. Completely priceless and so worth the afternoon of work.

Organizing this one room has made me realize how important it will be to become as organized as possible everywhere else pre-baby. The products have started to roll in, and I want to develop a system that works for us so that when the baby joins us in June, the only chaos I'll have to worry about will be baby-related, not stuff-related. I think becoming hyper-organized will help me make the transition as smoothly as possible.

SOURCES:

Annie's Organizing Services: livesimplybyannie.com. Desk: re-purposed old door from my in-law's remodel. Trestles, storage boxes, small white side desk, lamp: Ikea. Shipping station dresser and ghost chair: gifted. Planner: Get to Work Book. Fiberglass chair: Modernica. Square prints: Artifact Uprising