With gifts for your immediate family, extended relatives and friends – there’s a lot to buy, wrap and deliver. Decorating the house, preparing food – the list never ends. How can you keep everything organized, maintain your sanity, and have some fun in the process? We’ve got you.

Check out our favorite holiday storage and organization tips below, and give yourself the gift of calm this holiday season.

• One Step at a Time

First of all, remember that everything doesn’t need to happen in one day. Each step gets you a little bit closer to the finish line, and you’re doing great.

The holidays are a time to celebrate, cherish, and express gratitude for what you have. If you get stressed out about all of the items on your to-do list, remember to be grateful for the people the gifts are for, the nourishing food you’re cooking, the beautiful home you’re decorating. Pretty soon, you’ll return to what this season is really all about.

• Eliminate the Unnecessary

That being said, this time of year doesn’t mean you have to say yes to everything and please everybody. Say no to anything you can’t make it to. Eliminate things from your to-do list. Make dinners simpler, hire a dogwalker temporarily, save yourself for the more important stuff. It’s okay!

• Put Everything in the Calendar

Even if you groom through your checklist and weed out the non-essentials, this time of year will still have a million things. From school plays and recitals to office holiday parties and volunteer opportunities – it’s a lot. Be super proactive about your family calendar and put EVERYTHING into it. Literally everything. It will give you peace of mind and lessen the chance of the dreaded accidental double-book.

• De-Clutter Your Gifts

We mean this in two ways. First of all, don’t feel like you need to buy a gift for every single person. The guy at FedEx? He’s probably okay.

Second of all, give the gift of less clutter for others. Consider any of these clutter-free gifts to help others maintain serenity in their space. From baked goods to e-books – there are a ton of options. Check it out!

• Clean As You Go

Don’t leave it all until the end. Throw away scraps as you wrap gifts, ditch those old strings of lights that are shot – if you do a little bit along the way, the post-holiday clean up job won’t hit nearly as hard.

• Ask For Help

You’ve got a team of people all around you, waiting for jobs. Give them something to do! Let your partner pick up the dry cleaning, ask your child to wrap their sibling’s present, hire a temporary dogwalker to give your pup some love.

There’s no shame in asking for help in your holiday game – go for it! Things will get done faster, and the tasks you keep for yourself will get done even better than before.

• Labels, labels, labels

Label it all. Each and every gift. Which pile of clothes is going to Goodwill and which one is just laundry. Which dish is for the school’s holiday bake sale, and which is for the neighbors. Keeping everything in order will help you and those around you keep it all straight.

• Gift Wrapping Station

Now that your gifts are all ordered, it’s time to set up your gift wrapping station. Gather all of your supplies and set up shop. You can tell your kids it’s “Santa’s Workshop” and prepare presents as they arrive. Rather than messing around in different areas of the house, consolidate it all into one area that will need cleaning towards the end. Plus, it’s a fun way to concentrate all of that holiday spirit into one area.

• Minimize the Christmas Card

We don’t want to tell you to scrap it, (although so many people are!) because we get it. They’re a fun part of the season and a great way to see what all of those distant cousins look like now. But they can also feel like just another thing on the list that’s going to take a ton of time. From getting the photo together to addressing and stamping each and every envelope – it’s a lot. Consider making it digital or combing through your list. Or… no one would blame you for getting rid of it altogether.

1. Breathe, and Store for Next Year

After it all, take a deep breath and remember to enjoy! You’ve earned it. Stay tuned for our next blog post on storing those Christmas decorations and how to set yourself up for success next year.

Photo by Ben White on Unsplash

When it comes to storage and organization, it can feel like the work is never done. In truth, it never is! Your home, car, office and life are always getting disorganized and thus require more cleaning. It’s a part of… well… living!

As humans we move around, use things, eat on plates, drop things and create dirty laundry. All of this is okay, as long as we stay ahead of the mess so it doesn’t grow and become overwhelming. Overwhelm leads to cleaning procrastination, which leads to a bigger mess, more procrastination, and the vicious cycle continues.   

How can we avoid this? By making cleaning, organizing and proper storage an established HABIT in our everyday life. What specific habits should you develop? We’ve listed our favorites below.

1. Organize First, Store Later

So many people, us included, set out to organize our lives and the first thing we do is buy an expensive set of colorful storage bins.

The truth is, it’s much better to organize first and then store afterwards. Sure you’ll probably find a use for those bins, but your money and time will be put to much better use if you organize everything FIRST and then buy the storage containers based on need.

2. Clean as You Go

When you use a dish, put it in the dishwasher. Hang up your towel. Make your bed first thing in the morning. Put clothes in the hamper.

Make it a habit to clean a little bit all of the time and to put things back where they live after you’re done with them. You’ll avoid the piles, clutter and mess.

3. Make Your Bed Every Day

It’s so simple, but it can make a huge difference. It gives you something to do every morning that starts your day on the right foot, and you’re guaranteed to end your day with a clean, comfy space no matter what happens.

4. Create a Routine and Stick To It!

This could be a morning routine, an evening routine, or organization routine in general. Making something a solid habit, and refusing to give up on it, will help you create the space for other healthy habits to form. Once one comes into play, others will as well.

Be realistic with yourself and you’ll reap the rewards soon enough.

5. Don’t Aim for Perfection

That being said, it’s not about being perfect. If you miss a day, that’s okay. If your bed is only half made by the time your toddler is tugging you into the kitchen – it’s all good.

Something doesn’t have to be absolutely spotless for it to be clean.

Do your absolute best, that’s good enough.

6. Things Live Where You Use Them

One of the best things you can do for your home’s organization? Designate where things live, and make sure they stay there. Better yet, designate that things live where they’re used.

The vacuum cleaner? Probably near the living room or kitchen. Bathroom cleaning supplies? Either in the bathroom or hall closet right outside. Items living far from their place of purpose guarantees lag in returning them to that spot, and thus the possibility of clutter. Avoid this!

7. Throw Away (or Donate) a Lot, and Often

This one is the most difficult to stomach for the hoarder in each of us, but it’s also crucial to keeping things in order. Purge a few times a year and get rid of anything you haven’t used in 6 months, and will probably never use again.

There’s so much freedom in this exercise, despite the potential immediate discomfort. Which items exactly? You know the ones – they’re the things you stare at all the time but haven’t picked up in a blue moon. It’s time for them to find a new purpose somewhere else.

8. Avoid Duplicates

Having a few duplicates of big items in case they break is one thing, but that extra coffee maker in the cupboard that’s about 15 years old? It can probably go. Duplicates are tempting, but rarely actually necessary. Toss ‘em.

9. 10 Minutes a Day

Small and steady wins the race. Dedicate 10 minutes a day to tidying up. You’ll find yourself in a cleaner, more calming environment and be more motivated to do bigger cleans on the weekends.

10. Garbage and Recycling Everywhere

Many of us underestimate how convenient trash cans are, but the truth is they’re pretty much necessary in every room in the house. Have them everywhere and empty them often. You’re guaranteed to lessen the amount of garbage left around your home that way.

Like any blogger advice, take what you like and leave the rest. Not all of these habits are going to work for every aspiring hyper-organized person. Pick what’s going to work in your life, what you can sustainably make a solid part of your routine, and make it a priority.

Let us know how it goes in the comments below!

Photo by STIL on Unsplash

Kids are messy. It’s the truth. No matter how hard we try, everything always seems to tornado with them around and the second everything is clean you invite another mess in. It can seem overwhelming and unavoidable, and almost as if you’ll always live in a little bit of a mess.

We’re here to offer you a respite from the disaster zone – and give you tips and tools for making kids organizing a healthy routine and part of everyone’s daily life.

While it may seem that kids will never be clean, there are some ways to curb the mess and make cleaning fun and manageable – or at least add fun colors so the mess in your playroom as an aesthetic appeal.  

1. DIY Multi-Purpose Shelves.

These will quickly become your best friend with your kids ever-increasing number of belongings – and they don’t need to be expensive! There are many you can make yourself that can serve as a book case, toy bin, organizer, shelf for pictures, etc. For inspiration, check out this one, this one or this one.

2. Sophisticate It

Kids décor can mean whatever you want it to mean! It doesn’t have to be loud colors or obnoxious prints if that’s not what you want. Toy organizers don’t need to be plastic and disrupt a space. They can also have a more sophisticated feel – like this or this. (Or even pull a fast one and upcycle something like this shelf made out of an old tire.

3. Expect the Unexpected

Toy organizing doesn’t need to include buying all new things – take a look around your house and you’ll notice many things that have a defined purpose that can also be used in a kid’s room. Tupperware, shoe organizers, spice racks, dish racks, etc. Take another look at various storage options around your home, it’s almost as if they’re all dual-purpose and also made to tame kids’ messes. Get inventive and find a new job for something you no longer need or already love to use in your kitchen, bathroom, etc.

4. Crap Buckets

Crap. Buckets. These are perfect for those teeny pieces of plastic that inevitably end up in the pile of stuff on the ground in a kids’ room. They’re not things you can throw away, because they obviously have some purpose, but that purpose is not clear. Crap buckets. Do it. And label with the kids’ names if you want to get really fancy.

5. Bungee Cords

These are a great addition if you want to create your own DIY crate for stuffed animals, or wrangle things into a corner. They stretch, hold, and keep their shape for years and years.

6. Don’t Underestimate Magnets

Use wall space! It’s there, and so many things can be attached via magnets and easily put back. Bins for coloring books, cups on the refrigerator, favorite drawings, cups full of crayons, etc. Create some much-needed space by expanding storage options upward!

7. Use Air Space

A continuation of the previous point, take up extra corners of the room with toy hammocks – a great choice both aesthetically and logistically. Take a look at a great example here.

8. Legos, Legos, Legos

In the eyes of your children, there are never enough legos. They pile up, get mixed up, can all fit together and can REALLY hurt on bare feet. If you’ve ever accidentally stepped on one on your way out of your child’s room at bedtime you know what I’m talking about. OUCH.

So how can we keep them off the floor and out of harm’s way? There are many ways – Ziplock bags, plastic bins, color-coded storage, storage by size, themed set, etc. Whatever your strategy is – define it now and stick with it. Save your arches and don’t leave it up to chance.

9. Outdoor Storage

Backyard storage is just as important in terms of organizing, enjoying your space and increasing the longevity of your toys. Designate bins per type of toy or child and make it a habit to return everything to its home after every Saturday outside.

10. Binders for Manuals

Ah, manuals. Often neglected but desperately needed in rare but nonetheless critical moments. We recommend saving all of them and organizing them in a binder if possible. You’ll thank us later.

Photo by Vanessa Bucceri on Unsplash

It’s back-to-school time! That magical time of year when the summer comes to a close and we all get prepped for another year of growing, learning, and endless amounts of paper coming home on a daily basis.

Seriously – what’s with all the paper?! And endless amounts of school supplies, new clothes, athletic wear, arts and crafts – the list goes on and on! Kids in school can be messy – and keeping things organized get can very overwhelming very fast.

The good news is – there are TONS of easy, low-cost solutions out there to keep things organized or at least under control as you head into another school year. We’ve gathered our favorite tips for you here.

1. Go Through + Give Away

One of the best things you can do with a new school year is start it on a clean slate. That means going through everything and giving away what you don’t need! Or, correction… what your KIDS don’t need. 😉

This includes old clothes that no longer fit, worn out shoes, broken school supplies and stuffed animals they haven’t touched in years. Get rid of the old and make way for the new!

2. Label everything. Like, everything.

Spending money on brand new supplies only to have them lost the second your kid gets to school is annoying to say the least. In order to avoid this fate, label EVERYTHING your kid takes to school with their first and last name, and a phone number if appropriate.

3. Meal Prep for the Week

This can save monumental amounts of time in the morning and evenings getting breakfast, lunches and dinner together. Do a bit of prep over the weekend and plan out breakfast options as well as dinner plans. Stock the pantry full of easy to grab snacks for lunches, and store all of your lunch prep materials in the same place in the fridge.

4. Streamline Those Mornings

There are many ways to get this done – but making your mornings as easy as possible will make or break your school year. Keep the bathroom clean with the essentials grouped on the counter for your kids to use. Have a designated spot for shoes and backpacks where your kids can grab them in the morning on the way to the car. Set alarms with more than enough time to eat breakfast, get dressed and have the occasional meltdown as you begin the day. Starting everything off on the right foot will help you stay calm, organized, and decrease morning chaos as much as possible.

5. Keep the Car Clean

Depending on where you live and what your commutes look like, you and your kids probably spend a ton of time in the car. It’s your mode of transportation to all schools, activities, friends’ houses, movie nights, etc. It’s the epicenter of your whole schedule – and if it’s a mess, you’re going to feel like a mess. As much as you can – decrease the amount of stuff that accumulates – keeping little packs of essentials like chargers, band-aids and snacks. Vacuum once or twice a month, and attach pockets to the back of the front seats for your kids to store playbooks, toys or other activities.

6. Establish a Filing System

One essential thing to remember about the school year is it’s so much paper. Like, more paper than you could ever imagine. Homework, arts and crafts, newsletters, permission slips – the paper never ends. That’s why it’s essential to have an organization system in place so you’re ready for the cyclone when it hits.

Have designated folders for each of your children, as well as for yourself for school administrative stuff. Set these up now and label all tabs accordingly – this will save you a mountain of clutter later on.

7. Start a Supply Stash

You never know when your kid is going to need extra binder paper, a ruler, extra calculator batteries and magazine clippings. Keep a plethora of materials in a bin somewhere that you can whip out at a moment’s notice when a last-minute homework assignment pops up.

8. Plan Ahead

If you aren’t already, using a family calendar digitally or in paper form can be incredibly helpful in keeping everything organized. Note all school breaks, holidays and events now – as well as friends’ birthdays, parent teacher conferences and auctions. Refer to it frequently and update it whenever things come up. This way, nothing will be missed or catch you off guard.

9. Designate a Homework Spot

This services multiple purposes. Anchoring your kids to one specific place in the house for homework and productivity can keep them focused and help get homework done faster. It can also minimize mess as all of the crafts, building and coloring happens in one place. It’s a win-win.

10. Choose a Bedtime and Stick to It

One of the best ways to keep everyone together and in good spirits is for everyone to get a good night’s sleep – yourself included! Set a bedtime and stick to it. Routine, routine, routine.

Photo by Element5 Digital on Unsplash

The home office – it’s a breeding ground for mess. No matter what you do for work – you probably have stressful moments and that stress can manifest very easily in your physical space!

Cleaning up this space can calm the mind and the body – leading to more productive work and more satisfaction!  

The good news is there are many ways to organize that office and keep it clean ONCE AND FOR ALL.

Let’s dive in!

1. Go Through and Throw Out

This is one of the most important first steps you can take. Over time, a lot accumulates in our offices. Old papers, opened envelopes that are now irrelevant, broken knick knacks, old chords to electronics you no longer have, etc. This stuff gathers and clouds your space – and therefore your mind. Throw it out!* Trust us, it’ll feel so good and your clutter-free space will feel just like new.

2. Find Your System

Everyone operates differently! When it comes to finding a space for everything and everyday organization – find what works for you. It might look radically different than what works for someone else and that’s okay! Bins, (clean) piles, file folders, etc – it’s all good in our book as long as you stay consistent.

3. Make a Home for Everything

Adding on to the previous tip, make sure you know exactly where everything goes. Your unpaid bills, your stapler, extra stamps – it should all have its place. This might mean coming up with a bunch of different categories if things don’t fit neatly into a few different labels. This is okay! A lack of clarity of what goes where is where piles come from – avoid this.

4. Label, Label, Label

After you’ve decided where everything goes – label it! Labels will make it even clearer and help you stay consistent with putting things back where they go.

5. Deep Clean Consistently

Clean your office as often as you clean your bathroom! Or every other room in the house! Wipe your desk surface down, sweep underneath and dust off those picture frames. Organization goes deeper than just loose papers- make it a clean place from the inside out!

6. Avoid Sticky Notes

We don’t want to outlaw sticky notes by any means as they’re an incredibly useful tool! However, overusing them is a quick way to visually clutter your space in a way that isn’t helpful. If you’ve got too many around chances are you aren’t able to focus on one and read what it says anyway! Keep them to a minimum, and have a miscellaneous notepad where you take quick notes and transfer the info to where it belongs shortly after if necessary.

7. Invest in a Good Chair

We can’t emphasize this enough. Spending hours hunched over a computer or bent in a weird way puts a ton of stress on our bodies and over time, can create lasting effects. Save your back, hips, neck and other key joints by investing in an ergonomic chair. There are so many on the market now and the heavy price could save you hours of physical therapy and even surgery later on.

8. Decorate

After all of the organizing and cleaning – it’s time to make it fun! Make your space a place you want to be and curate it to your taste. Adding fun colors, objects with meaning and pictures of loved ones can all make it a place that’s fun and comforting as well as one for discipline and work.

After all of these steps we hope your work-from-home routine improves and you’re able to find more fun and clarity of mind in your home office.

What tip worked best for you? Leave us a comment below and let us know!

** When throwing out your office junk – donate what you can and throw away e-waste responsibly please!