Wave Themed Teen Bedroom

Hello!  I thought I would try to get another post out before the back-to-school madness hits around here. I've been wanting to share my teenage daughter's beach themed bedroom for awhile, now. It's always a bit sad to watch your child grow out of their little kid room and want something a bit more sophisticated. However, this room still has plenty of playful touches that doesn't feel too grown up.

We decided to go with a beachy 'wave' theme.  My daughter picked out her favorite color--a soft blue. Paint color is Soothing Blue by Valspar. 

The surfboard belonged to my father-in-law. It was in bad shape, so we gave it a couple coats of paint and leaned it against the wall.We chose to put mirrors in this dark corner niche to add more light to the room. These wavy mirrors are from IKEA. (They don't sell these mirrors online, but here are two other fun options. Click here and here.)

This inexpensive canvas wave print is from Bed, Bath & Beyond.

On one wall, we framed out a rectangle with basic molding and painted the wall with magnet paint.  After a couple coats of the magnetic paint, we covered it with BEHR's semi-gloss paint in the color called, Wipeout. (This is the same color we used on the surfboard.)

The wooden tags were found at Michaels.
Small green and blue buttons were hot glued to magnets.

A few other art pieces and an old skimmer board were hung on the wall by the bed.

Beachaholic pillow came from Joanns.  Bedding is from IKEA.

The drapes, pillow shams and the recovered chair were made out of fabric from two IKEA twin duvet covers. We fell in love with the bold stripes and the blue and green colors. I cut up the duvets and with some simple machine sewing, made them work perfectly. (This particular duvet cover is no longer available at IKEA, click here to see more options.)

We ordered the vinyl 'wave' scripture from here.  Have you ever put vinyl lettering on your walls?  It's super easy and looks amazing!

 I love how this verse goes perfectly with the room's theme.

The fabric draped on the ceiling is to look like waves.

Simple clear-colored tacks hold up the lightweight fabric shades (these were found at IKEA.)
Light fixtures are from here.

and the best part...
My daughter loves her room! 

Other posts you might like:


5 Things to Learn from a Professional Stager



Red and White Room- Baby to Tween


Linking up to: Lindsay'sSweetWorld, 

Wave Themed Teen Bedroom

Monday

Helping a Tween Keep Their Bathroom Clean!

Have a tween or teenager that absolutely cannot keep their bathroom clean?

I do...

I mean, I did

***(This post contains affiliate links to help you locate products. No products were given to me. All opinions are 100% mine. Thank you.)

I can now say that my soon-to-be teenager CAN keep her bathroom clean!  Want to see how?

Bathroom Checklist + cleaning wipes + $ = a clean bathroom

Thankfully my tween is motivated by money and checking things off a list.

Money is tied into a completed checklist.

Let me back up a bit...

We were having lots of problems with my daughter keeping her bathroom clean.  She just wasn't doing it.
Clothes, hair products, tissues, toothpaste-- was just part of the mess we all had to look at.
Her bathroom is in plain view for everyone to see when they come upstairs.  Such an eyesore.

Playmates and friends sometimes use this bathroom....

My son and his friends sometimes use this bathroom. 

I needed this bathroom clean!

After lots of nagging that didn't work...

After lots of heavy sighing that wasn't heard...

After much frustration and me pulling my hair out...

I finally made a checklist and told her I'd pay her for a full checked chart.

She loved it!  I couldn't believe it!
She really enjoyed checking off the chart and bringing it to me at the end of the week for payment.

I loved having a clean upstairs bathroom.
Yet, I wondered if she could keep it up...
Every week, I'd sit down and make a new chart and every day she'd check the boxes as she cleaned her bathroom.

One week I forgot to make a new chart...
so she stopped cleaning her bathroom.

Hmmm...
I'm still trying to process if I created a child who will only clean for a checklist and $ attached?
I couldn't dwell too much on this thought...I needed a clean bathroom.

  I immediately got to work and made a chart on the computer that I could put in a glass frame with a dry erase marker to make the marks.  Now I won't have to keep making new charts!

Here's our chart and what works for us.

I walked my tween through each of these steps and modeled how it was to be done. I also gave her a timeframe of when the cleaning had to happen by.  In our house, the bathroom must be clean before she leaves for school.

Every day my tween is required to do these steps:

1. Pick up her clothes off the floor.

2.  Keep the bathroom counter completely clean.
(Nothing is to be on the counter- no clothes, make-up, toothpaste, hair stuff, etc.)

3.  Using a baby wipe (or a cleaning wipe), the counters and sink must be wiped down.

(We tried using rags and cleaning products daily, but that didn't work. These Amazon Elements Baby Wipes, 720 Count are extremely affordable. The wipes take minimal effort and can be thrown away after being used.)

4.  Using a new baby wipe (or cleaning wipe), the toilet must be wiped down in this order:

seat, under seat (rim) and then behind the lid.

5.  On Saturday, (usually our family cleaning day), my tween is required to help me fully clean her bathroom.  This is when we use cleaning products and not only clean the toilet and counter, but also scrub the bathtub, floor and mirror.

After each step is completed, a check mark is made in the corresponding box.
At the end of the week, a full checked chart (or only missing less than 5 checks) = $1.00.

You may want to adjust the checks and the payment according to what drives your child.

My tween is always looking for more money- and $1.00 is meaningful right now.
Later on, I may pay more and possibly require more?  We'll see?  I'm still thinking this through.

(Update 2016: My 15 year old now wants $5. a week...)

If you'd like to use our charts, feel free.

Click here to print out the striped Bathroom Check.

Click here to print out the Gray Bathroom Check.

Click here to print out the Blue Bathroom Check.

Print out, trim and fit inside a 5 by 7 inch frame.
If you want to type up your own steps, just cut off my steps at the bottom and tape on yours.

VELCRO Brand - Sticky Back Coins, work great on a dry-erase pen and to the top of the frame.

Display on the counter in bathroom,

and see if your tween can keep their bathroom clean!

You may be surprised?

Now if I could only come up with a checklist for her backpack and her room and...

Linking up to:  TheFrugalGirls, InspireMePlease, 52Mantels, SerenityNow, CraftOManiac,
FundayMonday, MadeByYouMonday, SundayShowcase,
InspireUsThursday, PinItParty,

Helping a Tween Keep Their Bathroom Clean!

Thursday

Organizing a Crafty Kid's Room

My (almost 10 year old) son has (unfortunately) inherited my love of collecting...not too mention my love for crafting and creating.

On top of these clutter issues, he has one of the smallest rooms in the house to call his bedroom. Yikes!

Today I'm sharing how we've managed to give him a room that really works with two great pieces of furniture.

#1 A Wardrobe

This IKEA cabinet has been a lifesaver! 

What started out as a wardrobe to hold my son's clothes--

now holds all his craft supplies!  It's basically his own 'art' cabinet! 

Take a look...

According to my son, art supplies are more important than clothes...

and yes, I really couldn't agree more!

IKEA no longer sells this brand of furniture, but you can click here to see similar wardrobes.

Now of course I need to point out that we straightened things a bit before we took this picture.

You can't possibly believe that it looks this organized all the time!  Ha!

You see, my kid would rather create than put things away...another trait he inherited from me.

Clear, plastic shoe boxes and bins hold supplies.

I had my son make his own labels, in an attempt to put him in charge of the organizing.

Drawing books, notebooks, journals, sketchpads, folders...

and magazines have a home.

And how cool is this? 

Projects still 'in progress' hang from clipped hangers!

Now, moving to the other side of the room...

Lifesaver #2  A multi-use bed

Have you seen these beds?  They do everything!

This bed truly has it all!

It's a bunk bed, a trundle bed, a pull-out desk, a book shelf, a dresser...

Once again my child has chosen to fill the drawers with collections instead of clothes.

(I didn't get a picture of the closet, but we re-organized it with lots of bins to hold the neglected clothes.)

And the best part?

 The secret cubby hole behind the bed!

It's his perfect reading spot...and hiding spot from his sister!

This exact bed can be found in many stores like this one here.

Or, build your own and buy your plans---click here.

At this exact moment, I can proudly say, my son's room is neat and organized!

-----

I wonder if I should let him in it?!?

Happy Organizing!

Click here to see how we organized my son's LEGO collection!



Linking up to: CraftOManiac, TodaysCreativeBlog, StrictlyHomemade, ReasonstoSkiptheHousework,
UncommonDesign, GingerSnapCrafts, It'sOverflowing, HouseofHepworths, BearRabbitBear,
SassySites,

Organizing a Crafty Kid's Room

Monday

Red and White Room- From Baby to Tween!

I'm sharing my daughter's room today.

I created this room right after she was born, almost 11 years ago.

I have always loved the color red and didn't want to go the pink route...so red and white it was.

(Just so you know, I had a red bedroom as a child...and a red wardrobe..and a red wedding...and...)

Of course the room started out with a crib and changing table back then...
(picture taken in 2001)

Actually, the first thing we placed in the room was this red and white rug from Pottery Barn.

I fell in love with the checks with the flowers.

Using big red and white checked fabric I made a simple valance for the window.

I also made a 'canopy' of sorts. 

One piece of hemmed, double sided fabric-- hung on wood dowels.

I didn't want to paint the walls red, so I added red flowers stenciled with paint

onto the walls and closet doors.

We bought white furniture from IKEA and replaced all the knobs with round, red ones.

I added strips of red checked ribbon to the sides of the bookcase to cover the shelf holes.

Even inside the cabinets, are touches of red.

Over the years, we've added a desk and a red swivel chair.

Red checked bulletin boards hang over the desk

and even red magnetic boards to help with organizing.

Such a beautiful room with so many memories...

Here's a picture of me and my baby girl 11 years ago.

Notice the red bins and red hangers in the closet?!

 BUT...

(I knew this day would come!)

My daughter now thinks she wants an orange-colored room?!

ORANGE?!  Oh dear!

Linking up to: StuffandNonsense, HappyHourProjects, FrugalGirls, HomeSavvyAtoZ,

SassySites, PocketFullOfPink, NaptimeCrafters, Tatertots&Jello, SerenityNow,

Red and White Room- From Baby to Tween!

Wednesday