Paperwork That Can't Wait: Your Will & Trust

My husband and I recently did this fun, romantic exercise called estate planning. But more on that in a minute. As you can see from this blog, my "estate" of treasured possessions pretty much consists of favorite nail polish colors, cheap sunglasses and clothespins. So I always thought (without giving it any actual thought) if you're lucky enough to inherit my stuff, your next rational move would probably be to call 1 800 Got Junk, consoled by the fact that at least everything's already organized in plastic tubs. Having kids changes that. Who do I want to take care of them when I'm gone and, financially, how do I imagine that all working?

Long story short, we ended up at an estate lawyer and it was an eye-opening experience. It wasn't just about doing a will -- there are actually a bunch of documents that make up an estate plan for your family. I'm not a lawyer and this is not necessarily complete, but here's a rundown of what I did (much of it plagiarized straight from my own estate plan):

Revocable Living Trust - The foundation of your estate plan. Instructions for care of you and your family in case you're disabled, and distribution of your assets upon death. After it is created, you have to fund the trust, or transfer assets into it. An example of funding would be to name the trust as your beneficiary instead of your spouse on your 401k.

Financial Power of Attorney - A document that authorizes your agent to transfer property to your living trust and manage your financial affairs should you become unable to do so.

Advanced Health Care Directive (Living Will) - Authorizes release of health info to designated persons. Authorizes your designated agent to make medical decisions when you cannot. The living will part informs doctors of your end-of-life medical wishes.

Pour Over Will - This is your will, which transfers to your living trust any assets you do not transfer to it during your life.

Nominations - Names of persons appointed to act on your behalf in various capacities.

Memorial Instructions - Your personal wishes as to burial or cremation services.

Property Agreements - These govern the form of ownership of property owned by you and your spouse.

So, the whole planning process took about a month to complete... and that's when my husband and I had all the fun and romance mentioned above. When he gets to pull the plug on me. Which family member gets to take care of our Dear Darlings if our plane goes down. Where that final resting place should be. The best part of it all? It's done - it's signed - it's notarized. Now that's one big, BIG thing I don't have to worry about.... because peace of mind about her kids is the most useful thing a mommy can have in her house.

Wouldn't You Like to be a Tubbie Too?

Little did I know when I got pregnant, the first thing I should've done is run out and buy stock in those companies that make plastic storage tubs. Because let me tell you, around here we've got a tub for everything. My hall closet looks like that warehouse in "Raiders of the Lost Ark".... just stacks and stacks of tubs. I didn't realize the true genius of the tub until I entered the garage of my cousin Gena (mommy of four), where she has tubs of children's clothes all perfectly sorted: Girls 0-6 months, Boys 12-18 months, Infant Shoes, etc. A lightbulb went off in my head, and I've been tubbing ever since.

Need a tub of Princess Dress Up Clothes? I got it. How about a tub just for those annoying Melissa and Doug wooden puzzles that kids like to dump all over the house? Got that too. I've got a Play-doh and Accessories tub (large, but shallow), a Shopping and Gift Bags tub (I know I'll re-use 'em one day soon!), and even a Battery tub (small, acts as home corral for opened battery packs). Now that we have a fish tank, I've even got a tub for all the nets, tubing, and strange water purification drops they told me to buy. It's bad. My mom is staying at my house these days... let's just say she's lucky she's not sleeping in a tub.

But I know it's not only me. The other day in Toys R Us, I saw that they're now selling Pampers by the tub. Who needs a box anymore? I don't know what's behind my drive to tub everything: a little OCD, a desire to bring chaos into a home with two little ones, a dream that one day I will - like Bono - find what I'm looking for. All I know is that I've got an addiction. "Go, Tub Nation!"

Get A Good Step Up: Kikkerland EZ Step Stool

While not that short, I was always hopping on wobbly chairs or standing on the kitchen counter to reach the highest places in my house. Finally, I came to grips with my height and decided I really needed a step stool: one that was very lightweight and took up hardly any space in the hall closet. The Kikkerland EZ Step Stool has been awesome since the day I got it -- it collapses to lie about two inches flat, yet is strong enough to hold  300 lbs. Plus, in bright orange, who wouldn't love the design of this little practical item? Bonus: my four year old loves to stand on this when we're making cookies. So Sweet!

Kikkerland EZ Fold Short Step Stool, Orange

The $1 Rule To Live By...

.... If it's from the Dollar Store, the 99 Cents Store, or any dollar bin type sale, "Don't put it in you or on you." I'm including this here because I think it's super useful for moms and easy to remember. I heard this one from my brother, who works for U.S. Immigrations and Customs Enforcement and busts counterfeit goods being sold everywhere. It's no secret that these stores and products are notorious for selling knock-offs, but at such low prices it's easy to forget that scary ingredients are often lurking. So the rule means no food, no vitamins, no lotions, no lip gloss, no kid's jewelry (cadmium = super toxic), etc. This is one I'm definitely going to live by... "Don't put it in you or on you."

Best Clip: The Little Clothespin That Could

People don't hang their clothes out to dry much anymore. As a result, I fear we're losing the art and usefulness of the little clothespin. I rediscovered the lowly wooden clip in my mother-in-law's kitchen --primarily she uses clothespins as "chip clips" (see my Pirate Booty bag here), but you can use them to cinch a bag of bread, close a bag of frozen veggies, seal up a ripped liner in a cereal box, shut a paper bag of flour.... the list goes on. They're even great for getting crafty with the kids. I now have a small drawer in my kitchen filled with clothespins. Since I didn't actually own any clothespins a few years ago, I had to go buy some at the grocery store. What a deal -- you can pick up a pack of 100 for $4. Pinch me!

Go Ahead, Break These Sunglasses

My kids break my sunglasses -- all the time. Even when I'm being really careful and say "no." (Imagine that!) So until that blessed day arrives when they're old enough to know better &/or listen to me, I've been buying sunglasses at H&M -- stylish and only $8. Heck, buy two pairs! My latest favorite are these H&M gold aviators. Kinda 80s, right? Gotta go to a H&M store to pick these up though, they're not sold online.

Now Retired: My Jewelry Box

My jewelry box was a mess -- tangled necklaces, mismatched earrings, and altogether forgotten items. Plus, my little girls were getting into my jewelry, playing with it and breaking things (oh no, Grandma's brooch!). My solution: a hanging pocket jewelry organizer. With see-through vinyl pockets on each side, my stuff is never lost anymore and always on view when I'm getting dressed. It's out of reach from the little one's curious hands, and it only takes up an inch of closet space. I'd suggest making sure yours has pockets of various sizes, especially if you have some long necklaces. You can find them with pretty patterned canvas backgrounds -- I picked up this one at ROSS Dress for Less for $10 -- but they sell them on Amazon (link below) in black and white. Really, really love this!

Household Essentials 01943 Ultra 80-Pocket Hanging Jewelry Organizer

Why I'm Watering My Bagels (& Not Crazy Yet)

No one really loves a stale bagel, and after a day or two in my pantry I used to pooh-pooh mine too. Then one day I read that if you are re-warming a baguette in your oven you should sprinkle the crust with water first to freshen it up. Wow, did that work! Just get your hand slightly wet under the faucet and then wipe your hand over the crust to moisten slightly. Pop your loaf in the oven for 8 minutes or so ... fresh baked perfection. Well, that same trick works awesome for bagels in the toaster too. Just moisten the crust side of the bagel a little bit (not too much) and toast away. Your bagel is back to life, fresh from the bakery. I love this trick. People think I'm crazy watering down my bagels before I toast 'em, but a girl's gotta keep things fresh. (p.s. This tip works wonders for leftover pizza too, just slightly moisten the crust and bottom of your slice before re-heating.)

That Bracelet I Never Take Off: Mesh Silver Bracelet

I have received more compliments on this mesh silver bracelet than any other piece of jewelry I've ever owned. I first saw a version of it on a fellow student in a UCLA interior design class I was taking - she wore a wide cuff version of this slinky mesh beauty with everything. I had to have it! I've actually worn this bracelet over the past ten years to the point I need to get a new one. I prefer the slimmer version on me - it's dress up, dress down, a little rock and roll, a little feminine too. Again, this one is often sold out. I may just have to buy another one soon. Here you can see it on a site called Fannie's Finds.

Favorite 4 Year Old Coloring Book: My Pretty Pink Doodling & Sticker Purse

If you have a girlie little girl, this is an hours of fun book she'll love. My 4 year old has returned time and again to her "My Pretty Pink Doodling & Sticker Purse" -- and apparently so have a lot of other little girls because this was on back-order over the 2010 holidays when I tried to order it as a gift. It now appears to be sold as two separate books - one for coloring and one for stickers. The pictures & stickers feature lots of butterflies, animals, flowers, gems, hearts and other decorations. Plus the stickers are easy-to-peel for little hands. Just darling.


My Pretty Pink Doodling Activity Purse

My Pretty Pink Sticker Purse

Yes, Real Women Wear Cologne: Quercus by Penhaligon's

I like to wear men's cologne more than I like wearing perfume. For whatever reason, I don't like to smell too flowery or sweet, which often is the result on me when I use perfumes. My long-time favorite in the cologne/unisex department is Quercus spray by the London perfumer Penhaligon's (trivia: this is the shop where Princess Diana used to buy Bluebell, one of her favorites). I'm no perfume snob, I like what I like on me, but this one is a nice light mix of citrus and barbershop that you can wear any season. Find it at Amazon:

Penhaligon's London Quercus for Women 3.4 oz Cologne Spray

Best Dark Nail Polish: OPI Lincoln Park After Dark

I lived in Chicago for awhile after college and I've heard this matte color was inspired by the dark dresses the ladies were wearing around there circa 2005. It's been a go-to color of mine for years now -- this dark eggplant shade is somewhere not quite purple, not quite black, not quite burgundy. Pretty on toes or fingers. I found this OPI color in a local nail salon years ago, but you can pick up a bottle on Amazon.com for around $5.

Best Kitchen Sponge: TWIST Euro Sponge #10

Let me start by saying, I kinda hate kitchen sponges. They're icky stinky after a couple days, spread germs around the kitchen more than they clean up, often leave a trail of water when swiped across my quartz countertop, come in ugly yellow and pink, and are filling up landfills everywhere. On the other hand, I'm not a fan of the kitchen dishcloth either, for many of the same reasons -- I can't imagine anything ickier than a dirty cloth sitting in my sink. Enter the Twist Euro Sponge #10 -- it is the rock star of kitchen sponges. 100% biodegradable, super flat & absorbant, it's got a cool modern look that really fits in with my kitchen. You can use it for everything. Want to clean it? Toss it in the dishwasher or sterilize by boiling. I found these at Henry's Farmer's Market by my house and now keep a huge stockpile of them in my house. If you get 'em on sale, around a $1 each. Find out more at http://www.twistclean.com/

Welcome to my blog.

OK, I'm picky. About lots of random things - especially around the house. And when I find a few of my favorite things (yes, cue the "Sound of Music"), it's usually after lots of trial and error. So this blog is devoted to the products I've life-tested and use all the time, as well as some useful tips and ways to get things done that I've discovered along the way. Why? Mostly so I can have an ongoing list of my stuff (I'm a mom of two and my long-term memory seems to be on the fritz half the time), but also because other people out there might be looking for the same types of things and ideas. I hope you find it helpful . If you've got something or some way of working smarter around the house, I'd love to hear it. Cheers! -Beth