hey you guuuuys....

so you probably noticed i was m.i.a. last week. i was lucky enough to be spending a week in hawaii with my best friends on the kona coast. we were there to attend a wedding and it was nothing short of amazing. i came back with a tan (i know) and lots of pics and memories that will last a life time (swimming with pods of dolphins, traipsing through the rain forest to a black sand beach and tons of r&r with my favorite peeps). anywhoodle, lots of bneato coming your way this week with blog posts, the bneato newsletter and other goodies--mahalo!

one more use for chalkboard wall

so we're going on vacation next week... hip hip hooray! and to hawaii no less (never been and sooooo excited)!! anywhoodle, our friend travis will be house sitting and watching our brood of cats so i recently took to the chalkboard wall to organize the lay of the land. are you as crazy as i am when you go on vacation, leaving nothing to chance? do you leave list (after list) for the house sitter? i hate having to look for things so i like to label everything (along with instructions just in case there's any question on how to use something.) i even labeled the plastic container where we house the coffee grounds and gave directions on how to make the perfect cup of coffee in our bodum press. while my actions may read ocd, i want travis to feel comfy and right at home.

what i've been up to...

Figueroa Mountain Farmhouse

California State Capitol 

playing a show

Neverland Ranch

Pit stop (Mt. Shasta in the background)

it was so nice to have a fall vacation (especially since i didn't have a chance to take a proper one this summer).  i wanted to include a handful of photos of my two week vacation (sacramento, portland, los olivos and beyond).  i'm fully rested and can't wait to resume blogging on all things organizing.

Vaca Vaca Vacation!!!

Hello world--vacation here I come! I'll be posting here and there but won't be fully back to work until October 11th.

(Image from MODE)

I'm Baaaaack!

Whew. What a roller coaster of a few weeks. I miss the family but am so glad to be back in Los Angeles. I returned home yesterday and almost always after returning home from a trip, I feel out of sorts. I think it stems from not being on a schedule while I'm away and being thrown back into the swing of things right away. Because I can't stand feeling willy-nilly, I try and get back on track asap. Here are a few things I do to make the transition seamless...

1. Coming back from a trip, I like to return home as early as possible.  Yesterday, I left SC at 6:30 am which put me back in LA at 10:30 am.  Having a full day to adjust before bedtime eases the transition.
2. Unpack immediately.  This is easy for me because I pack light.
3. Write your to-do list for the upcoming work week on the plane, that way, you'll have a good handle on things when you get home.
4. During your trip, if you have access to a washer/dryer, do a load of laundry the night before you leave.  When you get home, all you have to do is put away your clothes.
5. Clean house, wash dishes, take out the trash and put clean sheets on the bed before you leave. While this particular tip is for before you leave, it always feels nice and makes it easier when you return home.

(Image from Flickr Member iheartlinen for use under Creative Commons License)