10 Home Essentials to Have on Hand

I absolutely love our little place (we live in the lower level of my sisters' duplex in Minneapolis). It was built in 1910 and is full of charm, complete with high ceilings, original woodwork, hardwood floors, and noisy pipes :) I have loved slowly decorating it and making it ours over the last  year and a half. We are close to the river and lakes, all our favorite neighborhoods, great shopping, and amazing restaurants. It is our home and there is something so special about where you do life together. P and I love to entertain, explore, cook, and get creative, and our home is where we do that together. I have compiled a list of 10 home essentials that I feel are great things to have on hand to help you stay organized and ready for whatever adventure awaits you.

Candles: It has only been within the last couple months that I have started to splurge on having candles that I love in our home. These are some of my new favorites, especially the "Otto" candle :)

Pretty blank cards: I have found that if you have little cards on hand you are more likely to write them to encourage someone special. And it is great to have them when you need to attach a card to a gift, rather than spending $5 dollars on an event specific card. 

Cookies and ice cream: P and I are guilty of always having take-and-bake cookies and Haagen Dazs ice cream in our freezer.  You never know when someone is going to stop by or when you are going to want a mid-week splurge.

Fresh flowers: I know this is an extra expense, but especially during these cold, dark winter months, having flowers in the center of our table brightens our meals and our spirits.

Baker's twine & washi tape: I have both in a plethora of colors from Papersource. I use them for everything from wrapping gifts, to adding a little extra something special to a handwritten card, or for last minute craft ideas. 

Craft station: My husband is the creative and handy one in our relationship, but I have created a craft station in our basement that I am so thankful for. In the past I would always misplace my craft items and then when I really needed it I had no idea where it was. Now I have a set of drawers I bought at target where I house rulers, scissors, stamps, hot glue gun, pretty papers, ribbons, glitter, etc. Now they are always right where I need them, and I know where to place them when it is time to put them away.

Coffee, tea, wine, beer, Pellegrino, POM, simple cocktail items...: Having these items on hand and re-stocked is so important so when you are opening your home to friends and family you know your basics are covered. A new favorite of mine is Pellegrino and POM juice :)

Plants: While I do not have a green thumb, P definitely does and he has taught me a thing or two. I love the fresh greenery in our home and I encourage you to try growing some in yours - jade plants are a great choice to get started with. We have quite a few green living things in our home, considering its small size - a lemon plant, two fiddle leaf fig trees, air plants, succulents, and a large jade plant :)

Coffee Table Books & Cookbooks: When I am feeling uninspired I will open up one of the many coffee table books or cookbooks that we have in our home. It freshens my perspective and helps me to get excited about pursuing a new endeavor.

Meaningful artwork & photos: This last one takes time to accumulate and collect. It is so tempting and much easier to run to your nearest home store and pick out something to hang on the wall to fill that empty space. But I encourage you to wait for something memorable that you love. That means you will have to be okay with a few blank walls, but believe me, adding artwork and photos over a lifetime is so much more enjoyable and exciting.

With Love,

A

Photos by Angela Anderson