One of the most commonly asked questions we hear is "How do I take care of my flowers once I take them home?" Here are a few of our tried and true tips for keeping your blooms as beautiful as the day you got them.

i asked a question on insta stories over the holidays that sparked tons of responses - how do you organize your life? i'm a pretty "organized" person but over the past few years have had tons packed into my life in a pretty short amount of time - my kids, my home, my business. and i never got around to figuring out how to manage it all, quite frankly. so i made a promise to myself in 2019 to get better at managing my life, including my always ignored personal life, to feel somewhat more balanced, complete and happy. i'm sharing the suggestions i received below in an effort to find my own balance and who knows, maybe some of these work for you!

• CALENDAR EVERYTHING

Calendar absolutely everything. Deadlines, to-do's, birthdays, who's cooking dinner. My biggest issue, and this is actually what I realize a life issue, is the fact that I keep things I need to do in my brain a lot and don't hash all of it out on paper. And when you keep things in your brain, it actually feels like you have more to do than you actually have to do and quite honestly, half of it never gets done. So my life basically started to spiral into an out of control hot mess and I blew up and cried (in a nutshell). So here's what I did over the course of, I would say, three days:

Personal Life

1. First I made an online personal calendar separate and apart from my business calendar. This is the calendar I share with my husband and where family appointments and events live. I also own Emily Ley's weekly planner and everything on my iCAL is written in my planner. Dinner, birthdays, date night, you name it. I'm an old millennial and need to see things on paper. 
2. Birthdays: I then calendared every single person I care about's birthday and sent invitations to my husband (if the person was of interest to him) - in most cases I actually gave myself an alert a week out so I could purchase them a gift (seriously, how on top of it do i look now?); 
3. Doctors Visits: I made almost all of my and my kids' doctor and dentist appointments for the next 6 months - fyi, for me this includes facials. 
4. Appointments: My nail and eyelash appointments are already recurring so thankfully, I don't always look like a hot mess. These happen every two weeks. But I did make my eyebrow appointment way in advance and received fantastic advice from someone to always make your next appointment at the end of your current appointment. That way, you don't forget to schedule. *GENIUS. 
5. Events: These got calendared the moment the invite came through AND THE GIFTS WERE PURCHASED AT THAT MOMENT AS WELL. You guys, I have 4 kids' party gifts sitting in my garage already wrapped and ready to go. I bought them the moment I received the invitation and RSVP'd because 2018 Melanie was the person that always gifted AFTER THE PARTY and honestly, being the After Party Giftor is really stressful - the gifts stay in my car for about 4 months and really, it just defeats the purpose of even buying a gift in the first place. Note* I also purchased gift bags and wrapping paper at the container store in advance (along with a gift packaging storage that is a God send) and now I don't have to run into CVS 5 minutes before the aforementioned party to purchase a gift bag. 
6. Trips: The big ones are already on the calendar for the year and flights bought for one. 
7. Dinner: I'm back to meal planning; HOWEVER, it's what I like to call "laid back meal planning" with max 3 home cooked meals a week and lots of leftovers or meal repurposing. I did get an instant pot over the holidays and it has been a life saver so I'm going to attribute my soon to be successful meal planning streak to that. I also find that for me, the key to meal planning is to plan 2 weeks out (so I get a one week meal planning break). I also made a chart on Evernote that I share with my husband that breaks down the meals per day with a link to the recipe (where applicable) and a note space below for ingredients not living in my pantry that need to be purchased at the grocery store at our sunday visit. see below for a snippet. 

So to recap, here are the tools and software I use: my iCal on my Mac aka Google Calendar, my Emily Ley Planner, Evernote for dinner researching (it's an online notebook with tabs so I can copy and paste recipes, too) and calendaring (I make my own chart), and the FamCal app (which syncs with my calendar and lets me assign tasks to my husband). I know this is a lot, but it's working so far so I'm going with it.

Business

i mean, my employees think 2019 Melanie is nuts but totally necessary. This is a whole other level of organized because we have HUGE GOALS but our entire year is planned to the nines and roles hashed out to meet projections. What we also did differently this year was literally calendar EVERYTHING:

1. Vacations
2. Instagram posts
3. Updating website with flower of the day
4. Company meetings
5. Due dates
6. Events

Literally all of this, plus more, lives on our calendar with reminders while due dates, pending orders, and additional to-do's live on Asana. 

Calendars recommended by my instagram fam: 

1. emily ley's simplified planner - i've used this planner over the past 5 years and can vouch for how amazing it is. 
2. paperchase day a page planner
3. custom agendio agenda
4. FamCal App
5. giant desk calendar
6. put everything on your calendar - no matter how small
1. write down birthdays at the beginning of the year
2. work meetings
3. doctors appointments
4. bills due/dates
5. date nights
6. blow outs
7. write anything down as soon as you know about it and color code with highlighters
8. schedule things ahead of time so you don't postpone them
9. mold to your schedule!!
10. schedule as much as you can on weekdays so you have weekends with your family
11. events calendar for family - kids parties, adult parties, kids day offs, dentist visits
12. book all of your appointments either at the beginning of the year or at your next appointment!
13. get into the habit of looking at your planner every day! 

• SET REMINDERS, TO-DO LISTS AND NOTES

I need to vouch for the reminders app on my iPhone and Evernote because they've helped me organize myself. The reminders app has been amazing to write random things that pop into my mind that I need to do like purchase diapers, add a random something to our 2019 plan or operations manual, etc. Otherwise, my mom brain forgets 5 seconds after it enters my brain. And Evernote is basically an online Five Star Notebook with endless amounts of tabs to organize your life. So I have a Family Notebook with tabs like recipes, dinner schedule, etc. and an HOL Notebook with a To-Do tab for myself. 

Recommended by my instagram fam: 

1. reminders app in apple iphone
2. your task list in the notes section
3. write to-do lists every morning
4. one-note app
5. trello
6. evernote

• ON PERSONAL TIME & SELF-CARE

Recommended by my instagram fam: 

1. sleeping in - i laugh because this will never be me but it might work for others!
2. yoga + lots of water!
3. take one hour to yourself every day

• GOAL SET

Getting better at this. The daily and weekly goals are both things I need to work on. I've figured out the yearly goals, now need to set interval goals to get there. 

Recommended by my instagram fam: 

1. cultivate what matters power sheets for goal setting
2. set daily goals

• ON EFFICIENCY

To be quite honest, the below recommendations are all extremely helpful. I already wake up at 5 every morning, but committing to nothing without looking at my calendar is something I need to do and will get into the habit of doing. Also, like I mentioned above, reminders on my calendar (and anything on my calendar, really) is already making a difference. 

Recommended by my instagram fam: 

1. wake up early
2. commit to nothing without looking at your calendar
3. use siri to remind you for everything in 5, 10, 15 minute increments & 1 or 2 weeks out
4. release personal expectations
5. intern or assistant (anyone?)

• ON HOME CARE & DINNER

Meal planning (as indicated above), Trader Joe's frozen meals and insta cart are bffs. Trader Joe's has fantastic frozen ravioli I always keep on standby and their cauliflower rice, cauliflower gnocchi, fried rice, coconut shrimp, and 4 cheese pizza are lifesavers in our house! Re: instacart, I actually enjoy grocery shopping at 8:30am on Sunday (sue me) but insta cart is GREAT if I need to make time for other things and want someone else to grocery shop. 

Recommended by my instagram fam: 

1. hire a home cleaner
2. frequent laundry loads
3. meal plan!
4. get rid of food variety for kids - only eat a limited selection
5. sunbasket
6. trader joe's frozen meals for dinner
7. insta cart

it's holiday season and we're feeling the vibe. so we're switching things up with melanie's holiday gift guide and cristie's favorite christmas things. 

melanie's holiday gift guide

gifts under $50 (teachers, secret santa, colleagues, holiday hosts!)

cristie's favorite christmas things  

• this might fall under traditions, but i always have my gift wrap reflect some portion of my year. for example, the year i went to africa on my honeymoon i used this gorgeous wrapping paper. last year i was obsessed with my recent trip to japan, so i used some christmas washi tape i bought there with a bunch of fun stickers. this year, i am obsessed with my doggies, so you better believe the gift wrap will reflect!

hi september! we're gearing up for season. especially the holidays. and working on staying alive and positive through all of it. check out our new 'about us' video, shot by the amazing sisi smit. this company has evolved so much over the past few years and i finally feel like we're onto something. stay tuned for big things to come and thank you for following along, always. 

xx

melanie is currently…

obsessing over

• audio books: especially in the car. BUT it has to be the right "author" reading the book (i would research whether the author is good enough). i'm 85 and didn't realize this but there's an 'ibook' app on your iphone that allows you to purchase them directly to your phone and it's been a lifesaver! 

• feng shui: i want to bring an expert into my house and our workspace. apparently the right energy in your space brings about better creativity, better moods. and we all know i'm all about anything woo woo. listen to this podcast if you want to learn more. 

• my new workout schedule: i made one! i've been attending pilates every tuesday and thursday morning at 6:30am with one of my amazing friends, nicole. and i'm happy to say it's consistent and i'm feeling so much better about myself. TBH having her go at that time holds me so accountable to the regimen and if i had to do it alone, i'm not really sure i'd go as often. i have an amazing/terrible knack for craving early AM's in my house to work on emails and other computer work before the kids wake up and i would very easily opt out of working out if i were given the chance. so if you're looking for a regimen, my advice is to find a friend to go with. it makes you so much more willing to actually get your but up and go. i also try to make it to buddha shack yoga in the gables for jenna's buddha burn class whenever i can because it's SUCH a good class cardio wise AND meditation wise. i literally sweat and stretch the stress and worry out every single class - it's exactly what you think yoga should be. 

• organization: this is very much interconnected with my feng shui topic above but i'm a huge believer and proponent of "everything has it's place." my house is pretty organized and i'm always looking for ways of throwing old things out and making space for clarity and new items. but there's always ways of making organizing easier and i'm into finding those things - bins, baskets, etc. 

• wellness: you're going to LOL but for those that don't know, my brother is graduating with his naturopathic medicine degree next year and he's my go-to for anything holistic. he prescribed ashwaganda and eleuthero for me to boost my energy levels (which have been low) and my immune system. it takes about two weeks to start working - i'm only a week in but feeling so much better about myself already. if you're into herbs and natural healing, i'd totally recommend them. i'm also thinking about and eyeing these vitamins from goop - i'm giving myself to the 15th of the month to pull the trigger. 

watching

• RHO Dallas: this has to be my favorite housewives series. the women are hilarious and their interactions are priceless. think 'i'm really trying to be a good person but i honestly can't stand you so i'm going to be a royal b*tch on TV and i don't care what anyone thinks." it fills my small quota of unnecessary drama for the week. i've been slacking on the other housewife series' because i've been reading like a crazy person! see below. 

• netflix movies!!!!!! to all the boys i've loved before, the guernsey literary and potato peel pie society. there's also one titled like father that i want to watch. some other suggestions by friends: grace and frankie, the staircase (if you're into creepy documentaries). 

 wanting

• a haircut: will get one by the next currently. i'm going short and low maintenance. 

• this home base binder for my new obsession with home organization: i mean do i really need it? probably not. will it add value to my life? of course. hopefully permanently. chances are temporarily. but i'll take it. am also giving myself until the 15th of the month to pull this trigger. 

• a quip: i use an Oral B electronic toothbrush and am 100% CONVINCED it's messed up my gums. i was told by my dentist that i might need gum surgery (they're starting to recede?!) at some point soon and the amazing revelation only came to be after i started using it. in the toothbrush's defense, i'm sure i was using it incorrectly and being too rough on my teeth and that mixed with subconscious stress biting has led to my gums hating every ounce of me. pray for me. anyway, the quip is supposed to be amazing and one of the best and most gentle electronic toothbrushes on the market right now. 

listening to

• audiobooks: all business related but i love a good self-help book: Built to Sell, The Third Door, and Good to Great.  the Third Door is a must read/listen-to because it shows you that to really make it in life requires grit and perseverance and a lot of patience. 

• podcasts: goop and second life are really doing it for me these days.  goop is always featuring leading edge thinkers and professionals that talk about everything from spirituality to nutrition to sex. it's such a good way to educate yourself on a relevant topic. and second life host, hilary kerr, co-founder of who, what, wear, is always interviewing female entrepreneurs who embarked on a second life (second career) to find their true calling. both make me feel much smarter at the end of the week and that's a win, win. 

eating

• a lot of Miami's Best Pizza. because for anyone that's local, they're back after closing for about 2 years. and back with a vengeance - they're using the same oven that's renown for making their dough so good. please go and try their meat lovers. it's everything.  

reading

• the journey of souls. 

• just finished: a place for us (1000% recommend), and next on the list: twelve lives of samuel hawley, grit and work party. also want to read: next year in havana, shoe dog. 

working on

•  detachment to everything. and not trying to force certain outcomes and leave things to faith. 

cristie is currently…

tired AF. just came home from my best friend's bachelorette in casa de campo and i am SPENT but also gloriously tan. also, no ifs buts about it i am getting global entry. hell is a place called customs in mia airport and i am just NOT going to take it on anymore! next week i am headed to tulsa, oklahoma for a wedding in which the invitation states there will be man eating anacondas and helicopters with a full music festival so looks like no rest till TULSA (in beastie boys beat). more on that next currently... also, i just read melanie's currently and i am so stressed with her new organization phase which has apparently really taken a hold during this labor day weekend. who knows what tomorrow will bring to me in my new feng shui's office - no day is every the same in HOL!

obsessing over

• what am i obsessed with, i feel like i am obsessed with everything and anything i come across but right now it just isn't coming to me (vacation brain still on). i guess i am obsessed with *currently* being in my pajamas in my own bed with the AC on 68 degrees tucked in with my computer on my lap.

• wait scratch that, i am obsessed with serena williams. i watched being serena on my plane ride back from portland, oregon and WOW - serena, you are my true idol in life. she has the mind of a champion and will never give up, never starts working on her game and her overall mental attitude and deep feminism really resonated with me. needless to say, i am rooting for her at the us open with all the #fangirl i have in me. she is the greatest female athlete of all time, no question! 

• nike - again, this comes from being in portland aka nike hq and just loving the brand. serena williams (my girl) is a brand ambassador too and i love the campaigns they do praising her. and my obsession with this campaign is unmatched - so on point & current. really shows what a big message advertising can carry and i am so glad nike uses its brand voice to communicate big messages. 

 watching

• every netflix romantic comedy possible. i love them all but especially - all the boys i have loved before because peter kravinsky is a total babe, angel sweetie. also loved - the gurnesey literary and potato peel pie society (not sure if thats the correct name because 0% chance i get that right when i say it outloud). netflix, please keep giving me these movies!

• felicity - because i am living in 1999. also, i don't have cable so the way i watch tv is truly bizarre but leads me to discover gems like felicity, which fun fact was produced and written by jj abrams before he was JJ ABRAMS. it's such a time capsule to the turn on the millenium - i love it.

• crazy rich asians - i loved this movie (and book series!) so much. take me to singapore ASAP please and thank you!

 wanting

• a thunderstorm and a good nap during it. can you tell i am tired? maybe i should just go to sleep.

• an essential oil starter kit. i want to embrace this wellness trend but i am overwhelmed to start. would love if someone gave me a tutorial... just going to put it out there....

listening to

•  podcasts, npr and howard stern - this area of currently really doesn't change. once a talk radio girl, always a talk radio girl. 

eating

• like a savage. it's time to make #betterchoices. off to trader joes i go!

• also, let me point out that i have tried to do miami spice 2 times this season and have ended up spending more than 200$ for 2 people with miami spice. how does this happen to MEEEE

reading

• still getting through A Place For Us, which i am loving. 

• from my trip to portland aka nike land, i was inspired to pick up Shoe Dog and i am 50 pages in and obsessed. its like a really fantastic How I Built this episode but so much more too. phil knight is my hero. could not recommend this book enough to the point of when i landed from casa de campo in the FLL airport this afternoon the first thing i did was text melanie to get this book & read it. 

working on

•  having a good attitude, being a good wife, friend, sister, daughter, aunt & coworker! helping melanie and house of lilac grow to the next step (always exciting!!!!). 

hello from the end of summer at house of lilac (wow). it's been a summer of big plans and changes for us (to say the least) and i've been able to really dissect the details that make this company run day to day (the benefits of a slow season). we're getting ready for a rebrand over the next few months along with some other really amazing exciting growth plans so we're just bracing ourselves for lots of new and exciting projects. i'll one day write a whole email on how this time has transformed me as a human being but i've really learned that everything in life is perspective. how you look at a situation, how you handle it, what you do with it. what action you take. i've come to appreciate myself more over the past few months, especially my ability to take challenging situations (or what could appear as such) and completely transform them into learning experiences or into an opportunity. because everything is the way you look at it. and when you choose to look at life like a miracle every day (good or bad) everything is a silver lining. EVERYTHING. 

melanie is currently…

obsessing over

• the mercury retrograde we're in right now. don't roll your eyes if you just did because it's a real thing. and if you're a leo, it's going to affect you more because the sun is currently in leo. read more about it here but all i've gotta say is, don't schedule important conversations during this time. dani beinstein, the astrologer, said it best in this instagram post: 

"Summer of retrogrades. People are stewing, spinning their wheels, unable to gain traction. What once may have felt complete is now up for review. The past is resurfacing. We’re questioning our choices and our stations. Though it may be uncomfortable or painful, it’s purposeful. I know I write that all the time and I know it can feel old and tiring but who ever said life isn’t without its roadblocks and challenges? Or that clarity is the norm? We do the best with what we have in the moment and we take it from there. Allow it to move through us is the best offering I have here. At the end of the day, we’re energy and sometimes the current just needs to flow through."

• the facial serum that i need to purchase. i took a poll on instagram and here's what's in the running so far: drunk elephant, vintner's daughter, skinceuticals. i'm pretty sure i'm going to pull the trigger on skinceuticals bc way too many people recommended it and it's only a daytime serum. and i'm so overwhelmed by the below options that i need to research and figure out what i'm going to do.  too many good options! here were the other comments and responses I got below (in case anyone's interested): 

serums

• drunk elephant b-hydra
• little barn apothary
• selah cosmetics
• Obagi
• Caudalie 
• joanna vargas
• rodin 
• skinmedica - pigment correcting

cleansers

• lancer
• glossier jelly cleanser

creams/oils

• lancer retexturizing
• good genes
• creme de la mer
• dermalogica - day time
• dermalogica - night time
• caudalie oil
• skinbetter (with retinol)

toners

• amore pacifica
• i use - palermo

exfoliators

• paula's choice

watching

• RHONY, RHOC, RHOP - that's real house wives of new york, orange county, and potomac because i'm attending the bitch sesh live show this thursday and need to catch up with my pointless housewives knowledge. 

• million dollar listing nyc - because you can't ever get enough of steve gold selling nyc properties. 

• friends reruns on netflix. basically the funniest sitcom of all time and i'm re-enjoying every second of the first season so far. 

• sugar rush on netflix. it's kind of like a wannabe food network baking challenge and im not 100% into it yet. i'll keep you posted. 

• obviously: frozen, moana, PEPPA PIG (kill me), and paw patrol.

 wanting

• all of the skin products above. 

• a workout regimen. need to boost my energy levels. the exhaustion is real. 

• so, this is worth discussing. we got married in 2014, and ill admit have moved 4 times since, but since then my every day glassware and silverware just disappears. like my cupboard looks like a college student's cupboard with mismatched cups (including brewery glasses). and we all know i've moved past that point in my life (bitter sweet). i was really upset at the beginning and then realized being upset (especially when i had no clue where any of it was going) was going to get me nowhere so now i'm focusing on the silverware and glassware i'm going to purchase for the house. i want to go villeroy and boch for the silverware (because i deserve it) and crate & barrel for the glassware (because let's be honest, i have kids and these will break). but i need to go try them out because the "hand holding, in action" is everything. if you have recommendations on this front, please share. 

listening to

• same old podcasts. nothing new to report here on the podcast front. i did listen to an amazing how i built this featuring the slack founder stewart butterfield for any entrepreneurs out there. it took him 2 business failures to actually reach success and his faith story and perseverance are really incredible motivators. 

eating

• went on extensive vacations this month and was not consistent in my eating. and my stomach is still hating me for it. does this happen to anyone else? trying to get back into good eating habits, including home-cooked meals, especially now that school is around the corner. routines for everyone! 

reading

• a place for us - so good so far. SO GOOD. would totally recommend. it's not a super plot driven book but is super engaging. 

working on

•  a million things all at one time. story of my life. but primarily, HOL 2019. that's our main focus these days. 

cristie is currently…

hello from the skies! I am *currently* writing this from my flight back from chicago (thank you gogo inflight services!) but getting on that flight to chicago was a crazy experience due to a classic cristie scenario that occurred earlier today.  I was lunching at Nico - which I totally recommend if you are ever in chicago!! - and went to the bathroom AS ONE DOES and did my business. I got up from the toilet and noticed my ID had fallen into the toilet and BOOM automatic toilet sensors flushed and I saw my ID go into the hole of no return leaving me with NO ID FOR MY FLIGHT IN 4 HOURS. PSA - if this ever happens to you, you have to file a POLICE REPORT that your ID is missing and then go through an extensive TSA security check, where I was violated by 5 different people, and my luggage was dismantled and SEARCHED. But alas, I made it on the flight and I am writing this blog post - WOOO!

obsessing over

• all my travels. I am in the midst of writing an extensive blog post on this because wow, in july I have TRAVELED. The beginning of the month was spent in western Colorado (Durango & Telluride) from there I went to my best friends bachelorette party in the Bahamas. This past weekend I was in Chicago because my husband had a work commitment here and I decided to come with him and experience a Chicago summer (which WOWWW!!!) and in about 2 weeks I will head off to Portland, Oregon. I will finish off the summer (to me end of summer is Labor Day) in the DR for another best friend bachelorette party (sidenote - this meme has never been so true).  So I am #blessed because I am getting around and I love nothing more in this life than traveling!!!

watching

• comedians in cars getting coffee - I love this series. Definitely recommend binging this one on a rainy day (which Miami seems to be getting a lot of!)

•  parenthood on netflix. This show gives me all the feels.

 wanting

• to get a good nights sleep. I have been going, going, going this weekend and I just want to get to my bed and SLEEP. Nothing in this world I value more than SLEEP. So right now all I want is to get off this flight, go home, cuddle with my dog and get a good nights SLEEP. can't wait!!!!!!

listening to

• podcasts all day long. I am *currently* listening to this new one that came recommended called Inside of You that I had randomly downloaded so it’s on my phone and available for me to listen to on this flight. I am really doing A LOT on this flight haha. But basically it’s a classic interview podcast (my jam!) from Michael Rosenbaum, who was Lex Luther on smallville (never in my life did I see this TV series). So far, it’s great and interesting. He is interviewing Jennifer Love Hewitt and I am enjoying hearing from her since she played such a big part of my pre-teen movie going years!

eating

• I ate like a QUEEN in Chicago. Had the most amazing meal at Avec in the West Loop & Nico (RIP my ID). Had deep dish pizza at Lou Manalti’s but also came the realization that I DO NOT LIKE DEEP DISH. Chicago is a total culinary capital of the US (I would put Portland, San Francisco, New York and New Orleans on this list too) and I appreciate that!

• indian food, Thai food, Indonesian food. I am so into all the spices & flavors that come from these regions. Literally if I am craving food, it is probably from one of these categories.

• I am SO BEYOND THRILLED with the return of Miami’s Best Pizza.  I grew up having Miami’s Best every sunday with my family (again #blessssssed). Something about that tomato sauce just feels like home to me! The fact that it has reopened and the same characters work there and the pizza tastes exactly the same (!!!!!!!) is really one of the best things to happen to me in 2018! Welcome back, Miami’s Best!!!!!!!

reading

• the stacks just keeps getting bigger and bigger and I am not reading any of it. I want to read A Place for Us (the next book club book) but I have not even purchased it. I feel like I read the internet all day long but it’s useless wormholes and articles that I do not retain any information from or maybe I do but it serves no purpose in my brain.

working on

•  just having a good attitude towards everything in my life because it’s a game changer. Choosing to have a good attitude just makes life so much more fun.