Dynamic Women In Their Home - Molly
We’re in a year long series of interviews highlighting incredible women in our community. The focus of each interview is to have a candid conversation about their home, life, what they value, what feels challenging right now, and most importantly, what is bringing them joy.
Our next interview is with Molly Lam. Molly and I were destined to meet for many years because we were swirling around in the same handmade/makers community in the DFW area.
We’re in a year long series of interviews highlighting incredible women in our community. The focus of each interview is to have a candid conversation about their home, life, what they value, what feels challenging right now, and most importantly, what’s bringing them joy.
Our next interview is with Molly Lam. Molly and I were destined to meet for many years because we were swirling around in the same handmade/makers community in the DFW area. When I met her in the fall of 2016, I had come off of an incredibly taxing year of family health issues, followed by having a miscarriage of my own, all in the midst of studying for one of my Interior Design Professional exams. To say that meeting Molly as a fellow designer/maker at the Etsy Dallas Jingle Bash/Handmade Bash was a *bright spot* for me that year would be a total understatement! She stopped by my booth of paper goods and said the most sincere, kind things about my shop and my booth display. We hit it off, both encouraged and inspired by the design work we were both doing at the time, while also having young children about the same age. We’ve thankfully stayed in touch ever since and I continue to be inspired endlessly by the creative, color and dynamic work of hers over in her design shop, Tokodots. Since that show, her illustrations have evolved to various mediums, from prints, to cards, to fabric designs and surfacing art. She also has a card of the month subscription delivered to you monthly so you can keep a stash of beautifully colorful cards on hand for notes through out the year. Yes please!
Most days you can find Molly and I chatting about our kids, random house decluttering/organizing bursts, and how we’re navigating motherhood along side being a small business owner. I am so grateful to have her here to share with you!
Scroll down to enjoy my interview with Molly about all things home and life.
Photo Credit: Yony Lee Kim @ylkphotography
Share a quick snapshot of your last 5 years:
The last 5 years have been a whirlwind of the early years of motherhood as a SAHM to my two young boys, building and running a small stationery and art business.
What's your day to day like right now?
It’s the end of the school year (at the time of writing this) so things are crazy, breakfast and rushing to school in the mornings, usually followed by a little down time at home with my toddler after that. We spend time in the garden, making art, doing housework and sometimes just sitting on the couch to watch TV while I work on a project before naptime, then school pickup and the dinner/evening activity rush. By the time the kids are finally settled down some time around 8:00pm I find it really hard to make good use of that alone time! I like to just go to bed early if I can stay off of my phone, but a lot of days lately I’m up late trying to get in some time on creative projects.
How long have you been in your current home?
My husband and I moved into our one story, 3B house in the suburbs about 6 years ago before our oldest had his first birthday. Because of the timing of our move with a little one I let so many design decisions go for years and years and am still working through some ideas about how I actually want things to look.
What do you love most about your current home?
We have a “small” home by Texas standards, but I love that I can have eyes on both of my kids from the kitchen while I prepare meals in any of the areas they’d be playing in our house. When we were searching, we definitely had the kids in mind as we decided what was a priority for us at this stage, even if it’s not really what we ultimately love in a home.
We’ve also been really flexible about how we organize the space, and some rooms have seen many different layouts and setups for the kids as they have gone through different stages of childhood. We’ve eaten dinner at our dining room table about 3 times since we’ve lived here, and the rest of the time the room has been used as a “family work room” which has meant sewing spot, painting studio, Lego zone, puzzle area, or even cello practice area over the years. We’ve moved the table around the room in different ways, had a couch in there for a short time to accommodate a big tent in the living room, and cordoned the whole area off with a baby fence for a big portion of the pandemic. Our master bedroom, off the main living area, now has a big bookshelf, all of the art supplies, and several work tables for the kids because it is a convenient space we could lock off for the little one but I could still see and supervise from my spot in the kitchen. It’s not exactly the most relaxing bedroom setup for me, but we like that everyone has a variety of spaces to use throughout our home and that feels worth it for the sacrifice when the kids are small.
What's something you'd love to change/or feels challenging for you in your current home?
I never thought I’d buy a house with half-circle windows and really wanted something more interesting but here we are in the North Texas suburbs with lots of things I swore we’d never have. I have had a hard time expressing my own style in a home that is not really what I had envisioned for our family, but little by little we’re making it our own. We started by painting everything white, the walls and the kitchen cabinets, and try to use that as a base for the colorful textiles and artwork that we’d like to use in the space. The house has these small cutout shelf/nooks in some hallway spaces that really bothered me at first, but I’m finally figuring out how to use them in a way that I like.
In the last year, have you spent any time decluttering/editing in your home (if so where/why)?
Yes! It is a constant struggle, because I have a tendency to always be stashing things out of the kids’ sight—toys they are being too rough with, special items I want to have up my sleeve for when they need a surprise, or just things of my own that I don’t want out for everyone to see—and this often means stuffing things quickly into a locked cabinet, tall shelf, high counter, or off-limits closet and then not having the energy to clear it out when the kids are asleep. My guest room/studio closet, a few junk-type cabinets in the kitchen, and my desk are all places that I spend decluttering more often than I’d like, but as the kids get bigger I can find a little time and mental space to address these things, more than I used to at least.
If you have spent time decluttering/editing, what was the result? Was it helpful?
It always feels so great to declutter and get rid of things I don’t need but I’m obviously not doing it enough because there are certain problem spots that just need to be addressed again and again. Although each time I do a big purge—baby toys we’ve outgrown, maternity clothes I’m not saving anymore, and other unnecessary items, I’m getting closer to the simplified home I prefer.
What part would you rather do - declutter OR organize (+ why)?
I think I’d rather declutter.. I’ve spent years reorganizing things that were really just too big for their spaces. And now that I’ve realized the great feeling of leaving some spaces empty, I just want to clear out everything!
Where's your favorite spot in your home right now?
I love this hutch in our dining room/family work room. It had more of my own books and display objects on it until recently, when I had to make room for some growing book and Lego collections. But I love how my cookbooks can live alongside Lego manuals and everyone has their own space on this special piece.
What object in your home means a lot to you?
My favorite things are my quilts—mostly made by my mom but a few by me too. I wanted to find the right place to store them where I could enjoy looking at them all the time, so we settled on this console table in an angled spot leading into our family room. I love it because I can see them as I walk by (when the kids don’t have them draped all around the living room), but I also like that if I ever had to run out of the house in a fire I could probably grab an armful to bring them with me.
Tell me something fun or quirky about you I probably don't know...
I’m not an animal person. When I first moved to Japan after college I had a blog called “Afraid of Small Animals” inspired by my fear of the creepy crawlies that I figured would show up in my new apartment. Now that I have kids of my own I work really hard to show how excited I am to meet neighborhood pets so that my kids don’t end up scared too. But it might be in their blood.
OK, NOW A FEW RAPID-FIRE HOME QUESTIONS!
Light/bright OR dark/moody:
Light/bright
Open concept or separated rooms/nooks:
Open concept
Color or neutrals:
Color!
Real plants or faux:
Real.. if I can keep them alive
Listen to music or read:
Read
Favorite morning or daily ritual:
That first cup of coffee
Morning person or night person:
Morning
Favorite piece of furniture in your home:
My little Muji couch, the first piece of furniture I bought as an adult in 2005 in Japan and have found a spot for ever since. It’s faded and a little worse for the wear but still hanging in. I’d love to reupholster it in a bright, colorful pattern when the kids get a bit bigger. Maybe of my own design!
Do you dress like the interiors of your home?
Sometimes! Neutrals as a base for bright colors and interesting textiles… but I want to do a better job of mixing color and texture in my wardrobe. It’s a work in progress.
THANK YOU MOLLY for sharing more about your home and life with us! I love following along with your colorful life and designs and can’t wait to see what you’ll be creating next! Thank you for giving us a snapshot into this current season of life for you!
Photo Credit: Molly Lam | http://www.tokodots.com/
Portrait Photo Credit: Yony Lee Kim @ylkphotography
See Molly’s Shop on Etsy: https://www.etsy.com/shop/tokodots
Find Molly on IG: @tokodots
See you in the next interview!
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3 Things To Simplify Your Morning Routine For Less Stress: Back To School Edition
Well friends, it is August and back to school plus the general shift out of summer mode is upon us, and with that comes the resurgence of morning chaos (if we let it)!
The phenomenon of morning chaos comes from two things. One, things taking too many steps to complete. And two, things being done that don’t actually need to be done at that time. But I have GREAT news! We have control over both of these things, and when we streamline our morning, it also allows for more flexibility to handle those unpredictable moments that tend to pop up conveniently at this time (like spills, a forgotten scrunchie, or a missing favorite shoe).
Well friends, it is August and back to school plus the general shift out of summer mode is upon us, and with that comes the resurgence of morning chaos (if we let it)!
The phenomenon of morning chaos comes from two things. One, things taking too many steps to complete. And two, things being done that don’t actually need to be done at that time. But I have GREAT news! We have control over both of these things, and when we streamline our morning, it also allows for more flexibility to handle those unpredictable moments that tend to pop up conveniently at this time (like spills, a forgotten scrunchie, or a missing favorite shoe).
Whether your kids are headed back to school, you homeschool, you’re starting a new job or just wanting to tame your regular morning chaos during the week before you start your day, I’m here to help. Let’s not waste another second!
1. Clarify what’s essential for your morning.
You’re no longer going to walk blindly into your mornings or let them just happen to you, deal? You’re also not going to shove a bunch of stuff into your morning that won’t add value to you, your family or your day. When I say clarify, that’s exactly what I mean. I want you to go through this list below and ask yourself (honestly) what needs to be part of your morning (and for everyone involved) to make it great (and of course less chaotic). We’re going to do a morning time/activity audit if you will!
Before you add or allow something into your morning routine, first ask yourself:
Will this add fuel to my tank (or to others) to start the day?
Does it absolutely have to be done in the morning before work/school/etc?
Could it be done at another time and still be helpful/effective?
Do I even need to do it at all? (domestic chores, can lunch packing happen at night or the process be simplified or delegated)
Make sure whatever you have loaded up into your morning routine during the week are things that HAVE to happen in the morning to get your day started off on the right foot. Edit out everything else from your morning that doesn’t need to happen then and watch the chaos melt away!
2. Edit your “exit” zone.
You can also consider this your landing area for bags/daily essentials OR the place you grab all the things you need before you head off to school, work, etc. If you’re schooling from home, take some time to edit your learning hub/learning command center so your transition into your learning time is smoother and easier. Our exit zone in our laundry niche, which also happens to be the pass thru between our kitchen, pantry and garage. There is a lot of activity happen in one small area so it must be a well-oiled machine or it quickly turns into the hot mess express.
Here’s a few things to consider while you edit your space:
Does each item in this space support what needs to happen here?
What can I remove from this space to make grabbing our essentials for the day easier/quicker?
It is clear what each person should do here, is clearly marked, or highly intuitive so it is easy to do?
Do I have everything I need here or do I need to add anything to streamline how this space works? (more hooks, labels, rearrange a few items)
Have I given this space some breathing room (some white space) so it’s not chocked full of stuff and more flexible for us to move in and out of?
Does everyone in the home understand where everything is, what to do in here and what the realistic expectations are?
After you edit your space, give it a test run to make sure you’ve covered all the details. Walk everyone through how to use the space and let them ask questions and share feedback/share their insight to make improvements. Make tweaks as needed once you start getting in you groove during a normal week day. We learn and improve things only by living with it and by reflecting on how well it is working.
3. Carve out time to fuel + care for yourself.
Remember to do this what actually help you save time and energy over the course of your whole day, boost your mood and increase your patience/flexibility to handle whatever the day might through at you. This looks different for each person, but as the adult in the home, you need to invest time each day in yourself to care for your well-being, even in small ways right out of the gate as you start your day.
Here’s a few ideas to get your going:
Having a quality but simple/quick breakfast.
Filling your favorite water bottle up the night before to save time in the morning.
Quiet time to stretch before you join your family to start the day.
Packing a protein snack for later in the day.
Having fresh flowers out on the counter you see the most during your morning routine.
Reading a few pages in your book instead of screen scrolling.
Avoiding checking emails first thing in the morning.
Sipping your favorite coffee or tea while you get breakfast ready.
Delegating some tasks to free up a few extra minutes so you can spend more time caring for yourself.
Getting up a few minutes earlier so you can move slower while getting dressed for the day.
Listen to your favorite music or an inspiring podcast while you get ready.
Going to bed 20 minutes (or more) so you can feel more refreshed when you wake up in the morning.
Tidy up the kitchen, your bedroom or your exit zone the night before so the first thing you see in the morning is order and peace.
Test these 3 simplifying strategies in your home now to reduce the stress and chaos you feel in your morning. And remember to check back in with these whenever you feel the chaos on creeping up again…you just might need to implement a few simple tweaks to get your routine back on track!
See you in the next post!
BIG HUGS,
Kristin
More Support for Your Home + Life:
✔ Lots more decluttering + organizing support here to lighten the load in your home!
✔ Ready to take action in your home? START HERE with with FREE Home Simplifying Quick Guide!
✔ Not sure where to being + need help getting started? Check out the tools I’ve created for you HERE.
Dynamic Women + Their Home - Kirsten
We’re in a year long series of interviews highlighting incredible women in our community. The focus of each interview is to have a candid conversation about their home, life, what they value, what feels challenging right now, and most importantly, what is bringing them joy.
We’re in a year long series of interviews highlighting incredible women in our community. The focus of each interview is to have a candid conversation about their home, life, what they value, what feels challenging right now, and most importantly, what is bringing them joy.
Our next interview is with Kirsten Griffin. She’s currently a Job Captain at HKS, Inc. and the Vice-Chair for AIA Dallas Latinos in Architecture (LiA). Kirsten and I got connected through Instagram by a mutual friend/colleague a few years ago AND of course our names are quite close so we’re automatically bonded for life. Quite quickly we had several incredible, genuine, interesting conversations about simplifying life through editing in her home and planning for her future. I’ve always been impressed with her insightful, wise beyond her years questions and ideas about home. I’ve loved getting to know her through our chats about our spaces, the misc. house projects we’re working on/dreaming up, and all things design. I deeply admire her passion for architecture, and her intentional action to make an impact and serve her local architecture community. I love all the commitments she shares with us on Instagram from caring for herself through fitness goals (PS. this girl is strong, don’t mess with her!) and her intentional focus going after her architecture license. And all of which she does while having fun along the way! Recently she’s woven more into her day to day stories about her deaf/hard of hearing and bilateral cochlear implant journey. I value her perspective on this topic that I’m continuing to learn more about. Follow along with her vivaciousness over at @kirsten_ttu on Instagram.
Scroll down to enjoy my interview with Kirsten about all things home and life.
Share a quick snapshot of your last 5 years:
Been a busy 5 years! I Graduated college with my Master degree, got married and started working full time in an architecture firm. We adopted two dogs while living in an apartment, then we bought a house to have backyard space for the pups. Now working on my Architectural Exams and highly involved in the architecture community.
What's your day to day like right now?
Work out in the morning, go work at the office at home or the company office and then spend my evening attending an event or at home studying for my Architectural Exams.
How long have you been in your current home?
2 years! Got it July 2020.
What do you love most about your current home?
The space! Get to have my own office and my own home gym.
What's something you'd love to change/or feels challenging for you in your current home?
The challenge would be the bathrooms, its a late 70's home. So the bathrooms are not a big as the newer homes.
The outdoor patio is the space where I enjoy drinking coffee in the morning or relaxing in the evening when weather is nice.
In the last year, have you spent any time decluttering/editing in your home (if so where/why)?
Yes, the closets. There were a lot of clothes and memorial items that haven't been used in years.
If you have spent time decluttering/editing, what was the result? Was it helpful?
Relief, we have plenty of space. More than we think. Spend less time stressing about the overload of items or looking for something.
What part would you rather do - declutter OR organize (+ why)?
Organize but we have to declutter before organizing. Organizing because you know exactly where everything is rather then looking for awhile to find it.
Where's your favorite spot in your home right now?
The smallest office the house with the little couch in the corner. A small cozy room.
What object in your home means a lot to you?
My small round breakfast table, I sit here almost everyday drinking my coffee. Came from my uncle who passed away recently.
The breakfast nook is my favorite spot I spend a lot of my time.
Tell me something fun or quirky about you I probably don't know...
I’m left handed but I only eat and write with my left hand. And I do everything else with my right side. Can write/draw also with my right hand (not as good as left).
OK, NOW A FEW RAPID-FIRE HOME QUESTIONS!
Light/bright OR dark/moody:
Light/Bright
Open concept OR separated rooms/nooks:
Both! Open concept for social events and then separation for more comfort/cozy.
Color OR neutrals:
Neutrals
Real plants OR faux:
Faux
Listen to music OR read:
Listen to music
Favorite morning or daily ritual:
Getting my day started early and drinking coffee
Morning person OR night person:
Morning, but I still have my days where I don't want to get up.
Favorite piece of furniture in your home:
Breakfast table
Do you dress like the interiors of your home?
Yes, Simple
THANK YOU KIRSTEN for sharing more about your home and life with us! I can’t wait to see what you’re involved with and creating next!
Follow along with Kirsten’s architecture, mentoring and home adventures over on Instagram @kirsten_ttu HERE. Photo Credit: Kirsten Griffin
Ready to take action in your home? START HERE.
Note sure where to being + need help getting started? Check out the tools I’ve created for you HERE.
See you in the next interview!
Dynamic Women + Their Home - Hannah
We’re starting a year long series of interviews highlighting incredible women in our community. The focus of each interview is to have a candid conversation about their home, life, what they value, what feels challenging right now, and most importantly, what is bringing them joy.
We’re starting a year long series of interviews highlighting incredible women in our community. The focus of each interview is to have a candid conversation about their home, life, what they value, what feels challenging right now, and most importantly, what is bringing them joy.
Our first interview is with Hannah Key of The Freckled Key Photography. I’ve lost track with how Hannah and I first got connected, but it went something like…I use to work with someone in corporate architecture that went to school with her husband and I followed his wife on Instagram who is also a talented graphic designer and maker who was connected with Hannah and once posted about a photo Hannah took of their family. Phew! I’m grateful for the incredibly indirect way we’ve connected. I’ve truly enjoy getting to know her through Instagram, email and quick weekly messages about the randomness going on in life, motherhood shenanigan, decluttering adventures, an amazing vintage garment we’ve spotted, or our shared love for Revlon lip stain sticks! PS. She’s also an incredibly talented abstract painter/artist and absolutely worth having in your social media sphere! You can follow Hannah on Instagram here: @thefreckledkey
Scroll down to enjoy my interview with Hannah about all things home and life.
Please share a quick snapshot of your last 5 years:
Oh girl, you know I’m wordy, haha! I’ll try to keep it brief… In the last five years we have become the parents of TWO daughters, ages (nearly) 7 and 4. My husband started working for himself full time in April of 2019 so we are both officially self-employed, which is both amazing and stressful, haha. We have moved TWICE in the last five years (but we’ve been in Houston since 2009). We sold our beloved first home in January 2019 and moved into rental while we built our new home. We moved into our new home in November 2020, so just over a year ago now. I would say the last 5 years has been one of immense personal growth, and growth as a family. I struggle with anxiety and it really came to a scary head in the fall of 2020. I’ve come leaps and bounds since then (with the help of counseling, medication, prayer, and my beloved husband) and ever strive to empower other momma’s in their mental health journeys. We are not alone!
What's your day to day like right now?
I am a part-time homeschooling momma to my oldest (she attends school 2 days a week and I teach her here 2 days a week), so my day to day really changes depending on the day of the week, ha! Mondays and Wednesdays my girls are both in school, so I work from my home office or photographing families on those days! Tuesdays, Thursdays, and Fridays I devote 100% of my energy to teaching and house duties. Weekends are a wonderful time to reset as a family; Scott (my husband) and I often take on a project and/or go for a hike with our girls.
How long have you been in your current home?
Just over a year! We moved in in November 2020.
What do you love most about your current home?
The natural liiighhht! OH my. My husband is an architect and when he was designing our home I told him I wanted two things: hardwood floors and as much natural light as possible — and he DELIVERED! I don’t have to turn on a light until dusk, and it just makes my heart sing.
What's something you'd love to change/or feels challenging for you in your current home?
Man, this is tough. My husband really designed the home of our dreams! I suppose if I could name a daily grievance it’s the ever-presence of my girls’ toys and clothes. I am very strict about culling their toys and clothes several times a year, but it seems I always find a pile of dirty clothes here and there as well as dolls, stickers, and craft paper all over my floor by days-end, haha. I am a creative person so naturally I highly encourage my girls to be messy and creative on a daily basis, but I am also a very TIDY person so perhaps I need to put some effort into teaching them how to better clean up after themselves; an exhausting effort, indeed, ha!
In the last year, have you spent any time decluttering/editing in your home (if so where/why)?
Yes!! All. The. Time. I probably tackle a drawer a week just to satisfy my love of organizing/purging. I will take on a larger declutter project, like a closet or a room, probably 1-2x a year. I love it!! I like everything to have a home and truly feel stressed when things are a mess so frequent little declutter projects are my JAM!
If you have spent time decluttering/editing, what was the result? Was it helpful?
ALWAYS helpful. I find that doing these small weekly declutter tasks give me energy to do the next one! I also love that my girls are witness to my frequent editing of our things, showing them that “stuff” is not where our joy and purpose lie.
What part would you rather do - declutter OR organize (+ why)?
Oooooo…. Can BOTH be an answer? Haha! I suppose when it comes down to it, I enjoy the decluttering process more. I find such satisfaction in seeing things LEAVE my house, haha. Giving everything a proper home after the declutter is immensely satisfying as well.
Where's your favorite spot in your home right now?
In the mornings, I really enjoy sitting on our big window bench with a hot cup of tea and my Bible (and my phone, because I’m addicted to my daily Wordle!) Afternoons I want nothing more than to sit in my sun-filled (TINY) paint studio and throw my cares at a canvas. My girls will often join me there with paper and pastels; it’s a sweet time of day that I have grown to love.
What object in your home means a lot to you? Oh man, I am pretty sentimental about items so there are several in my home that really mean a lot to me. I like to have a small treasure or two in each area of my house that reminds me of someone I love. I suppose the ones that give me the most daily smiles are 1) the hand-written birthday card from my grandmother that I keep in my bathroom. Seeing her handwriting every morning and reading her brief note are a daily delight. 2) A stained glass medallion that hangs above my kitchen sink. One of my dearest friends died of cancer 11 years ago and her dad made me this piece to remind me of her. I think of her every time I wash the dishes. 3) A large floral painting that my grandmother did when she was about my age. It sits on top of our piano. She is the one who taught me how to paint, so having one of her earliest pieces in a prominent place in our home delights me.
Tell me something fun or quirky about you I probably don't know... Hahahaha…. so many things?? Um… Okay, here’s a good one: I eat my pizza backwards (crust to tip) and I eat my sandwiches and burgers circumference first, then the middle. Ha!
OK, NOW A FEW RAPID-FIRE HOME QUESTIONS!
Light/bright OR dark/moody:
Both!! My photography and paintings are very much dark/moody (I believe this is a reflection of my own inner conflict — ever seeking light in the dark) but I HAVE to have light! My mood is so effected by light!
Open concept or separated rooms/nooks:
OPEN CONCEPT! Walls make me feel claustrophobic, ha.
Color or neutrals:
COLOOORRR!! I am all about those jewel tones!
Real plants or faux:
Real plants — I’m not the best at keeping them alive, but I have kept a 12’ fiddle leaf fig alive for 7 years, so I’m counting that as a plant momma WIN!
Listen to music or read:
Read. I am super super sensitive to sound, so music often stresses me out, haha!
Favorite morning or daily ritual:
My morning tea at the window seat.
Morning person or night person:
Ooophf. This is tough. I really like my morning tea time, but I tend to have more energy at night!
Favorite piece of furniture in your home:
Either my piano or my bed, ha!
Do you dress like the interiors of your home? Yes! Full of color and mixed patterns. Pattern mixing all day e’ry day!!
THANK YOU HANNAH for sharing more about your beautifully colorful life + home right now with us! I can’t wait to see what you’re creating next!
Follow along with Hannah’s photography, painting + much more over on Instagram @thefreckledkey HERE. You can find out more about here photography work at The Freckled Key Photography HERE. Photos Credit: Hannah Key
