bishop&holland

Dallas Fashion Blog

tips for getting ready for the holidays

tips for getting ready for the holidays cordless vacuum

When we purchased our home in June, I thought we would have plenty of time to be finished with renovations and be somewhat settled in before the holidays. Fast forward to now and we’re still working on a move-in date, which is now looking like mid-November. Since we’ll be moving in just a week or two before Thanksgiving, I’m planning for the essential items we’ll need to get our home ready for the holidays and for holiday guests!

I’m using eBay to help me with the list of things I’ll need on hand once we make the move. The Home and Garden section has everything I need to be holiday ready. It’s so easy to search for the items I’m looking for by filtering for keywords, new or used, free shipping or local pickup, etc. We’ve found that eBay is a great place to start (and finish) getting your home ready for the holidays. They always have great deals on needed items, which is how I got this cordless vacuum- life changing with two messy little boys!

Thank you to eBay for partnering with us on this post! 

tips for getting ready for the holidays toy dyson vacuum cleaner tips for getting ready for the holidays dyson cordless vacuum kids toy dyson

Tips to get ready for the Holidays

Quick Clean-Up

The Dyson Cordless Vacuum is the best way to clean up quickly. My mom has one and I am now obsessed Being cordless makes it so quick and easy to use. It’s perfect for cleaning up quickly after meals, snacks or just little messes. I don’t know about you other boy moms, but my boys are messy! We love having friends and family over on the spur of the moment and the Dyson Cordless Vacuum is a great home too; to have on hand for a quick spruce up before guests arrive. The handheld option is great to use on upholstery – perfect for after the boys eat a snack while cuddling on the sofa. I love pulling out the lightweight Dyson for quick cleans ups at any time!

Christmas Tree and Holiday Decor

We’re planning to get a new Christmas tree for the new house and I love the idea of buying it on eBay; having it delivered and waiting in the garage. We love to put our tree up the day after Thanksgiving and I’m not going to have much time to spend looking for a tree with only days before Thanksgiving. I’m pretty sure I can find everything I need to decorate for the holidays here. This will definitely take some stress off! The only thing holding me back is that I’m trying to decide between a flocked tree or a traditional pre-lit tree…

Gift wrap and Ribbon

Having gifts wrapped and under the tree early in the season is important to me. I like to have everything done early so we can all enjoy the wrapping and anticipation of opening gifts. eBay has a great selection of wrapping paper and ribbon. Just what I need to have on hand for nap time wrapping sessions!

Candles and diffusers

When we packed up our old house I got rid of most of my candles. I couldn’t imagine how they could survive months of being in storage! Thankfully I can find all of my favorite candles on eBay. This one and this one are my favorite scents! I also plan to add some holiday diffusers, so I can enjoy the aroma of the holidays without worrying about burning candles during the day when we’re in and out. To me there’s nothing like that “Christmas tree smell” during the holidays- it’s so welcoming for guests.

Fresh flowers

I love having fresh flowers around the house, especially around the holidays when guests are coming and going. I ordered some of these inexpensive clear glass vases, so I can fill them with flowers and place them around the house. These vases make it so easy to arrange flowers quickly and I don’t have to worry about the boys accidentally knocking them over.

Toys

The boys are obsessed with anything to do with cleaning or helping me out. Since so many of their toys are in storage I ordered a few things for them to play with now. This lawn mower has been such a hit with them and when I ordered my Dyson Cordless vacuum, I couldn’t resist ordering the children’s size too. It actually picks up debris! While I’m getting ready for guests or cleaning up after a gift wrapping session, the boys can be helping right beside me. Doing most of my Christmas shopping online is a must. With their extensive collection of children’s toys, eBay has so many things to choose from. Leaving me more time to get my house holiday ready!

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Cheers,

Stia, Jean and Katherine

 

FAQs about our home renovation

FAQs home reno

The countdown is on! We are so close to being done with our renovation. It’s been a fun, but also stressful, process and I have learned so much! We’ve been sharing a lot of the process on Instagram Stories and a lot of you have had some the same or similar questions about our renovation – so here are answers to your most FAQs about our remodel!

sweater // jeans

FAQS about our House Renovation

Did you do custom vanities? Where did you find them?!

We did a custom vanity in the master bathroom and custom built-in in the family room. Our contractor’s carpenter custom made both.

Where did you find the light fixture above your built-in bookcase?

Thank you all for the help on Insta stories on finding a picture light! We ordered this picture light from Caitlin Wilson and are so happy with it!

Where did you go to look for wallpaper?

I looked mostly on Pinterest once I had an idea in my head. I wanted to do something fun, and was leaning towards animals. I also looked at Caitlin Wilson, Serena & Lily, Lulu and Georgia, Anthropologie and of course, Thibaut and Schumacher.

Did you do a gray grout in the boys’ bathroom?

I did a medium gray grout. I wanted something dark for the boys and I think I could have gone even darker! The exact grout is Timberwolf at Floor&Decor.

Did you have the cabinets painted or are they new?

Our kitchen cabinets are the original cabinets. We just had them repainted inside and outside. They look amazing and just like new now.

Did you do anything to get more light other than all white everything? We are in the process of trying to make our kitchen brighter.

We replaced all our can lights with new ones. Our electrician recommended Commercial Electric can lights. They have 5 different light settings and he put five in, each with a different color light. We ended up choosing level 4 – cool white. It is a bright light, and the reason I love it is that it doesn’t turn our white paint yellow.

Love your master tile. Where did you find it?

We found it at Floor & Decor.

Where did you find the faucets in the boys’ bathroom?

We found all our plumbing at Westside Kitchen & Bath. They were so helpful in choosing the right fixtures/faucets for our house. We ended up selecting Phylrich in the boys’ bathroom. The finish is satin brass.

What countertop did you choose for the kitchen?

Our countertops are Silestone Calacatta Gold.

What did you do for backsplash in the kitchen?

I originally planned on using a white subway tile, but once our cabinets were painted and counters were installed we thought it needed something else. We ended up using a honed white carrara marble. I love the way it ties the whole kitchen together.

What are type are your hardwood floors?

Our hardwood floors are 5″ white oak.

What floor stain did you pick?

We are close to choosing a stain and I’ll share once we decide!

What paint did you use?

We used Benjamin Moore White Dove almost everywhere. I was not looking forward to choosing paint after visiting the paint store for the first time. Our painters were amazing – after seeing our selections for tile, counters, etc and knowing I wanted a white house, they shared what they thought would look best. I was a bit hesitant, but I’m so happy with they way it all turned out! The only place we chose a different color was the boys’ bathroom vanity.

Can you share paint colors and master suite layout?

The house is painted Benjamin Moore White Dove minus the boys’ bathroom vanity. Our master suite is bedroom with windows facing the backyard. Two smaller doors lead into master bathroom (vanity on the right and tub and shower against furthest wall. Our bathroom door faces the tub area and to the left of tub is walk in closet. I will try to do a video of the layout soon!

Light fixture source?

Our picture light is from Caitlin Wilson, the entry way light is from Serena & lily and Henry’s chandelier is from RH Baby & Child. I am still looking for lighting for William’s room, the master bedroom, dining room and breakfast room.

What is the exterior and are you doing any changes to it?

The exterior is red brick. We don’t love the brick, but it works for now! The exterior will be phase two of our reno. We would like to do a little work in the backyard – redo the patio and add an outdoor kitchen area. It’s a great corner lot and lots of potential, but we wanted to focus on the inside before moving in!

Cheers,

Stia, Jean and Katherine

Photography by: Audrie Dollins

the best sales this week

neutral tote bag

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The Best Sales This Week

Recently on B&H

What We’re Loving This Week

  • We put this heart sweater on last week’s post and we ended up buying it in the purple color, too. Obsessed! PS: It’s only $55!
  • These booties are pretty much perfect- block heel, neutral color and they’re suede- love!
  • Living in cozy sweaters and sweatshirts these days and this one fits the bill and is so cute

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Cheers,

Stia, Jean and Katherine