Every House Needs...First Aid and Personal Security Essentials

Welcome to the third installment of the Every House Needs... lists! {You can find the first and second installments here.}  I think today's installment is probably the most important {albeit the most boring}, because the lists today are all about making sure your home is prepared for emergency situations. 

First Aid Essentials by gesshoo on polyvore.com

First up is a list of First Aid Kit essentials.  HB consulted an NYC school nurse for the list.  Admittedly, I'm not doing so hot on this list.  We have maybe half of the items, and even then, they're not all in the same place.  I need to make this a priority.

1.  Adult and Children's Tylenol and Motrin.

2.  Liquid Benadryl for any allergic reaction.

3.  Ace bandages

4.  Band-aids

5.  Gauze

6.  Small scissors

7.  First Aid tape

8.  Thermometer

9.  Alcohol to clean the thermometer

10.  Antibiotic ointment

11.  Tweezers

12.  Eye rinse

13.  Cough medicine

14.  Burn spray

15.  Caladryl lotion

16.  Hot water bottle for a stomachache {Is that not the cutest hot water bottle cover?!}

17. Epsom salts to dissolve in a bath for sore muscles

18.  A list of emergency numbers: poison control center, police, fire department, ambulance, hospital, doctor, neighbor.

Personal Security Checklist by gesshoo on polyvore.com

Next up is a Personal Security checklist from a Colorado police sergeant.  We suck at this list.  We definitely have the canned goods, and M knows how to do CPR.  I was certified a million years ago, but really need to take a refresher course.  We have an ancient fire extinguisher in the laundry room that came with the condo.  That's about it.  Yikes.

1.  Flashlight

2.  First Aid Kit {see above}

3.  One or two people who know CPR

4.  Rope ladder with wooden steps, to get out of a second-story window in an emergency

5.  Fire extinguisher
 
6.  Bottled water, candles, and canned food, in case of a power outage 

Are you prepared for an emergency situation?  Alice did a fantastic post on fire safety a few weeks ago that you should definitely check out. As she points out, it's important to be prepared for any situation because in the event on an emergency, you won't have any time.

Hop to it!

Every House Needs...Powder Room and Makeup

Welcome to the second installment of the Every House Needs... lists!  {You can find the first installment here}.  Today is Bobbi Brown's list of makeup essentials and Meg Braff's list of powder room essentials.  Enjoy!

Make-up Essentials by gesshoo on polyvore.com

Bobbi Brown's Makeup Essentials:

1. A good set of makeup brushes.  I just ordered some of these brushes, per Shasta's recommendation. Can't wait to start using them!

2.  Moisturizing balm. This is my miracle cream. I have super duper dry skin, which is made worse by the Retin-A I use.  But as long as I slather my face with this stuff every night, I wake up with soft, dewy skin.

3.  A flattering light source and white lightbulbs.  Bobbi recommends placing your vanity near natural light, which is best for applying makeup, but she says the next best thing is white lightbulbs.

4. Blistex.  I prefer Burt's Bees or Chapstick, but whatever. You get the idea.

5.  Goody Ouchless Hair Elastics.

6.  Customizable makeup palette.  My college bestie always had theeee most flawless makeup {still does!}, and I largely credit that to her customized Bobbi Brown palettes.  I've always wanted one, but yet to actually do it.  Maybe 2012 is the year?

7.  Pictures of family.

8.  Blush.  I've always been a NARS girl, but on Sally and Molly's recommendation, I've just ordered Tarte Amazonian Clay in Blissful.  Here's hoping it's as great as they say!

9.  Concealer.  "It's the secret of the universe", according to Bobbi.  I couldn't agree more!

The only thing I think she's left out here is mascara.  I have blonde eyelashes and small eyes, so if I don't wear mascara, it's just not good.  What about you? What are your essentials that Bobbi left out?

Powder Room Essentials by gesshoo on polyvore.com

Meg Braff's Powder Room Essentials:

1.  Hand soap.  If it's liquid, be sure it's clear! {Rumor has it that Kiehl's Coriander is Tory Burch's fave.}

2.  Vintage hand towels to add a personal touch.

3.  A Charlotte Moss "Left Bank" candle.

4.  A tall mirror, to make ceilings seem higher and give the space grander proportions

5.  Disposable white or ivory hand towels. Personalize them with a monogram in the color of the room.

6.  A beautiful tray to put everything on.

7.  A bowl with simple, fresh flowers.

8.  Ample lighting.

9.  Luxury hand cream in chic packaging.

10. If there's a window, sheer cafe curtains, with a tiny gimp on the bottom, to add privacy and style but maximize natural light. {not pictured}

I'm not sure I'll be providing our guests with La Mer hand cream anytime soon, but I sure would love to get a whiff of that Charlotte Moss candle!

Every House Needs...Kitchen

Ina's Kitchen Essentials by gesshoo on polyvore.com

As part of my ongoing organizational efforts, I've been sorting through boxes and bookcases and suitcases {no joke} FULL of old magazines.  I tear out the articles/images I want to save and file, and the rest goes in the recycling bin.

I came across a House Beautiful article from May 2009 that I just had to share with y'all.  The article is entitled "Every House Needs" and they interviewed people who they consider experts to share what their must-haves are for each room of your house.

I found these lists to be extremely helpful; in fact, it was a guideline of sorts for me when I was registering for our wedding gifts.  But these lists are also helpful for recent college grads setting up their first apartment, newylweds setting up their home, or for anyone who's looking to fill in the gaps in their home.

I'm going to start sharing one or two of the lists each week {there are 16 in all!}.  This week's is Ina Garten's kitchen essentials:

1.  KitchenAid stand mixer.  We registered for one but didn't get it.  Luckily, we got enough gift cards to purchase one.  I just haven't pulled the trigger yet.

2.  Chef's Choice knife sharpener.  This is on my when we have the space list.  Nothing worse than a dull knife.

3.  KitchenAid 12-cup food processor.  Ina and I differ here.  She prefers Cuisinart.  I did a lot of food processor research when we registered, and in almost every head-to-head test, the KitchenAid won.  And they're made in the USA.  Cuisinarts used to be, but are now outsourced to China.

4. LeCreuset dutch oven.  I have an unhealthy love affair with my dutch oven.  It stays on my stove from October-March.

5. All Clad pots and pans.  We're slowly building our collection.  Emphasis on slowly. 

6. Boos cutting boards.  

7.  Williams-Sonoma Goldtouch bakeware.  Alice turned me on to these; they really are amazing.

8.  A set of stainless steel mixing bowls.

9. Williams-Sonoma set of 10 glass mixing bowls.  We have 2 sets of these.  I got my first set in college and it's still going strong.  I just wanted a second set for backup.

10. Black oven mitts.

11.  All Clad roasting pan.  We don't have one, but it's another one that's on the when we have the space list.

12.  Meat thermometer.

13.  Whisks, spatulas, and wooden spoons.  Get the cheapies at Crate and Barrel. This is not where to invest your kitchen money.

14. Wusthof knives, specifically: a chef's knife, paring knife, bread knife, and slicing knife.

15. Measuring cups and spoons.  We received the All Clad cups and spoons as wedding gifts, and they're lovely, but again, this is not an area where you need to spend a lot of money.

What do you think?  Did Ina leave anything out?