It’s the end of the day and time to cook dinner.  Looking at your cluttered pantry takes away any energy you had left.  You just don’t have it in you to hunt for things again.  Ahh, you’ll make pasta tonight…something quick and easy and only requires a few ingredients.  As you go to collect them, you realize the box of pasta you grab is at least 4 years old.  And how Is it possible that you just bought more tomato sauce and tomato paste when you already had 6 cans of each in your pantry?

A cluttered pantry not only zaps your energy, but you’ll waste time searching for things and waste money buying items you already have.

I find that deep pantries are even more likely to hide things way in the back.  Before you know it, you have a graveyard of very expired items.

In this post, I’ll share practical tips for deep pantry organization.  I’ll take you through the exact steps to conquer clutter and reclaim order.

Four Steps To Declutter & Organize Your Deep Pantry

Step 1. Discard & Sanitize

Before you organize the pantry, it’s important to declutter.  This is an important step in any home organization project.  Check out this post for more info on why you should declutter first.

The good news is, it’s very easy to make decisions on what to discard.  The rules are clear…anything that is expired should be discarded.  I also encourage you to get rid of food items that you have too much of and aren’t likely to use e.g. the items you bought for that fad diet you were going to do last Spring.

Identify the Graveyard Zones as you Organize Your Deep Pantry

As you discard items, your graveyard zones will become apparent.  Graveyard zones are where pantry items go to die. If you find one shelf or a particular area of a shelf i.e. the back of the top shelf, has things that are from 2016 -2018…then this is a graveyard zone!

Make note of these spaces.  Later, you’ll want to implement solutions that’ll allow you to optimize these spaces.  We’ll look at this more in Steps 3 and 4.

Make it a Tiny Task

If decluttering the entire pantry all at once feels like a daunting task, then make it a tiny task by taking it one shelf at a time.  Declutter one shelf in the morning, come back and do a second shelf later in the day.  Work at it as you have energy.  The beauty of this approach is that you’ll gain motivation and momentum as you make progress in your space. Check out more about Tiny Tasks here.

Step 2: Sort & Categorize

After you discard the expired foods, it’s time to sort and categorize the remaining pantry items.  You can now get a sense of how much stuff you truly have. 

In my client’s deep pantry, we had over 2 bags of expired items.  She was shocked, but the back of the top shelf and majority of the bottom shelf were true graveyard zones.  The majority of these shelves had things that were never touched. I found graham cracker pie crusts from 2016, 2017, and 2018!

Once we could see how much stuff we really had, we could group the rest of the items in categories.  The categories will change based on your personal preferences and the type of food your family eats.  We used the following categories in my client’s pantry.

• Spices
• Canned goods
• Rice and grains
• Pasta
• Oil and vinegar
• Cakes and Brownies
• Muffins and Mixes
• Oatmeal

Step 3: Measure & Visualize

This step involves planning and optimizing your space. Here are four rules to help you plan your space. 

1. Maximize vertical space
2. Plan around dead zones [graveyards]
3. Ensure easy access to frequently used items
4. Utilize effective storage solutions including shelves, racks, and bins.

Before you buy any storage solutions, measure each shelf and plan your space.  I like to draw the space out in advance to visualize what it will look like. 

My favorite storage solution is plastic bins.  I love these because they are easy to wipe down when it’s time to maintain your organized deep pantry.  They also can contain a large volume of food.  They are easy to label.  And last but not least, bins are great in deep pantries, because you can slide them forward to see what’s in the back of the bin- instead of it getting lost in the back of the pantry.

My client had tons of spice bottles…often 2-3 of the same spice.  This happened because she couldn’t see what she had. In order to make her deep pantry functional, a spice solution was necessary.  She had a shelf on the side of her pantry that was very narrow…only 5 inches deep.  It was ideal for spices.  But, we needed to go vertical in order to optimize the space in the pantry.  We purchased a spice rack that we could screw to the wall so that it didn’t fall over.  The fresh new bottles allowed me to combine multiple partial bottles of the same spice.  Then we created an area for back stock- the extra spices she had afterwards.

In order to avoid the graveyard zones, we used bins that could easily slide out.  I also encouraged her to keep things on the front of the shelf specifically for the shelves that are not visible i.e. top and bottom shelves.  While this might seem like a waste of space, the reality is that it wasn’t storing anything valuable to begin with.

Step 4: Store & Organize

Finally, it’s time to store and organize your items.  The bins make this process super easy.  Take one bin at a time and organize.  Make sure to label each bin.  This allows you and your family to find things and return them to the right space.

Place things in the space according to how you use them.  The most frequently used items should be at eye level.  Heavy items should be towards the bottom of the pantry.  Less frequently used items that are not too heavy should be stored at the top of the pantry.

Maintenance

Once you have a system in place, it’s much easier to keep your pantry organized.  Every six months or so, you can tidy the space.  Just pull out one bin at a time and remove anything that has expired, wipe it down, and return the remainder.

Conclusion

In conclusion, transforming your deep pantry from chaos to order involves four key steps. Firstly, discard expired items and sanitize surfaces to create a clean slate. Next, sort and categorize the remaining items based on the frequency of use and type. Then, measure your pantry space and visualize how you want it to function, considering accessibility and convenience. Finally, implement storage solutions and organization systems tailored to your needs, maximizing space and ensuring items are easily accessible.

By following these steps, you’ll not only conquer clutter but also create a pantry that improves efficiency, reduces food waste, and inspires culinary creativity. With these simple steps, your deep pantry can become a well-ordered haven where meal preparation becomes a joy rather than a chore.

The post How to Organize a Deep Pantry appeared first on Our Happy Hive.

Is your email overflowing? Is finding an important message like searching for a needle in a haystack? Maybe that eTicket from the airline or the receipt for your latest online purchase is missing.

If you’re like most people, you have hundreds, maybe even thousands, of unread emails waiting for your attention.

Too much email is a big problem these days. Clearing it all out can take a long time, which nobody has. Email overload is a real issue, even for those of us who like to tidy up and organize.

True story: I still have and use the very first email address I ever created…yes, it’s over 20 years old, and you can only imagine the cobwebs in there!  It literally had over 70,000 UNREAD emails in it.  [don’t judge me]

[Don’t worry…I’m going to share my #1 tip for dealing with email clutter for good. If you want to cut to the chase, check out Tip #4 below, for the exact tool I used to declutter 75% of my email within 90 minutes]

This post contains affiliate links. For more information, see my disclosures here.

I received countless notifications that I was running out of room and that I should buy more storage.  But, I knew that adding more storage would not fix the problem.  It would only entice me to delay the fix longer, which would perpetuate not being able to find kids camp registrations, egift card receipts, or hotel reservations.

I needed to declutter my email and fast!  Declaring email bankruptcy, deleting everything, and starting from scratch was not an option.  While the majority of things could be deleted, there were some nuggets in there that I needed to save.  E.g. my husband’s first email to me, business tax receipts, flight reservations for an upcoming trip

Good news: you don’t have to go crazy sorting through thousands of emails. I found a simple way to get my email under control. Spoiler alert: within 24 hours and spending only about 90 minutes, I reduced my email by 75%. Let’s see how emails get out of control, the problems they cause, and steps you can take to reduce email fatigue and regain control.

How Email Overload Begins

The reality is, we receive a lot of unwanted emails every-single-day.  Some times it’s because of decisions we’ve made and other times it’s because of spam.  Here are the top 6 reasons are inboxes are overloaded with emails.

1. Ordering products online
2. Subscribing to email lists
3. Signing up for free give-aways
4. Clicking on a spam email
5. Your email address was leaked or sold
6. Your spam filter is not strong enough

The Negative Impact of Email Clutter

Email clutter can be a pain when you check your email, but there are other negative impacts to it as well. 

1. Decreased Productivity: Sorting through a high volume of emails can be time-consuming, leading to a decrease in overall productivity.

2. Missed Important Information: Important messages get buried among a sea of unread emails, leading to a risk of overlooking critical information or tasks.

3. Increased Stress and Anxiety: The constant influx of emails and the pressure to keep up can contribute to heightened stress and anxiety levels. Or, maybe you just feel overwhelmed by the  volume of unread messages.

4. Missed Deadlines and Opportunities: If emails containing deadlines or opportunities are not promptly addressed, individuals may miss important events, meetings, or opportunities.

5. Security Risks: Unread emails may contain important security alerts, password reset requests, or other critical information that, if ignored, could lead to security breaches.

6. Storage and Performance Issues: A large number of unread emails can contribute to storage issues, which either take up space on your personal devices or cost extra with your email provider.

7. Negative Impact on Well-being: Email overload can have  can lead to increased stress, a lack of focus or increased anxiety.  Thinking about going through your overflowing inbox can have a negative impact on your well-being. 

How to Declutter Your Personal Email Inbox for good

Here’s what I know, no one wants additional stress in their lives.  And while email can be extremely helpful, none of us need the headache that can come with it.  To overcome these challenges, let’s look at four sure-fire ways to declutter your personal inbox.

The goal is to get to Inbox Zero, but without a complete reset [declaring email bankruptcy] this goal can feel overwhelming.  My personal hope is to work towards inbox zero.  I hope to get there someday so it’s where I set my intention.  But, as I do with all decluttering, I aim for progress, not perfection.  So, let that be your mindset as you take on this decluttering project.

Tip #1. Manually sort and delete unwanted messages

This is what I tried first, before I found the golden ticket I share in Tip #4. I spent hours manually sorting emails within my Inbox.  Every email system, Gmail, Outlook, Apple etc. have options for you to sort and filter emails.  There are countless ways to sort and filter emails.  A few examples are:

Email address [[email protected]]

Domain name [yourlocalstore.com]

Brand name [Your Local Store name]

Or you can sort by:

I used this approach when my inbox would reach a critical capacity.  The challenge with this approach was that I would have to click through multiple screens to get all of the emails, and I often found that it didn’t actually pull all of the emails I was searching for.  Maybe that was a user error or a limitation of my email provider.  I’m not sure, I just know that it wasn’t quick or easy.

Tip #2. Unsubscribe from unwanted messages

The next step is to unsubscribe from any unwanted emails.  [everyone but emails from Our Happy Hive of course]. Unsubscribing helps prevent future problems, but it doesn’t clean up the current problem of email overwhelm.  In other words, unsubscribing doesn’t delete the existing emails in your inbox.

Tip #3. Create rules for spam within your inbox

Spam is not only annoying; it costs us time and money.  So, use your email inbox tools to prevent spam from landing in your inbox in the first place.  Most systems have built-in spam filters.  .

Here’s where you can access settings for Gmail and Outlook.

• Too many emails in Gmail here.
• Too many emails in Outlook here.

Similar to unsubscribing, this approach helps prevent email overload in the future, but does not delete existing emails that are crowding your inbox.

Tip #4. Use the Clean Email tool to make the decluttering process 100 times easier

Okay, so after years [literally years] of trying to manage my email myself and wasting too much time on it, I finally sought out some help. To my surprise, I found a simple, easy, and inexpensive solution. 

It literally helped me to clean out 75% of my 70,000 unread emails within minutes.  Throughout the day, I spent a total of 90 minutes walking through the system’s recommended actions, e.g., delete, archive, read, etc. I focused on the delete and archive and was surprised at how easy and effective it was.

I highly recommend using Clean Email as my #1 strategy for decluttering your personal email inbox.

Why I chose Clean Email

Several tools are available to help you declutter your email. My research showed that there are 2 main types of tools to help you manage your inbox: Unsubscribe Managers and Inbox Cleaners.

1. Unsubscribe Managers: These tools assist in managing and unsubscribing from mailing lists and newsletters, streamlining the process of reducing unwanted email subscriptions.
2. Inbox Cleaners: Inbox cleaning tools aim to declutter the inbox by archiving or moving old emails to designated folders. They often provide options for setting criteria based on time, sender, or keywords.

This doesn’t include tools that are often baked into email systems, like spam filters or tools to help you organize and categorize your emails.

My search efforts turned up many Unsubscribe Managers, which, as we discussed earlier, can be helpful for future-proofing your inbox but not super helpful in getting back to zero Inboxes.

I wanted to be able to drill into the emails in my inbox and ensure I was truly deleting junk and not something I wanted to hold onto, so having an easy sort and filter function was a necessity.

Clean Email was super easy to use and offered the ability to unsubscribe in one click. It also offers powerful tools to clean your inbox by sorting, deleting, and archiving existing messages.

It received 4.5 out of 5 stars in the Apple App Store and 4.7 out of 5 stars in Trust Pilot reviews.

Check out Clean Email Reviews on Trust Pilot Here

Awesome Features of Clean Email

Here are a few of the things I really liked about it.

+ Easy to connect to an email account

+ Intuitive to use

+ “Suggestions” was an easy place to start [As you can see below, it recommends I trash 23 messages from MyFitnessPal vs. Archive 23 messages from Apple]

+ Options for sorting by email addresses that had the most number of messages

+ Options to delete, archive, move, create a rule for future emails, and. unsubscribe etc. [If you go to the Unsubscribe section, it will tell you how many emails you have from each sender and you can decide if you want to keep receiving them or unsubscribe from them]

+ I could access it on both my phone via an app, and via my computer

+ Has a free trial so that you can try before you buy and it’s very inexpensive if you decide to purchase it. 

In Conclusion

If you’re tired of drowning in emails or feel anxious when you open your inbox, consider checking out Clean Email. If, like me, you’ve tried managing it yourself but find the constant influx of emails overwhelming, and even your best efforts only delay the inevitable “out of space” notification, it’s time to break free from email overload. Regain control and let your email become the helpful tool it’s meant to be in your toolbox.

The post How I Easily Decluttered My Personal Email Inbox…and You Can Too! appeared first on Our Happy Hive.

Our backyard is small…seriously small. From side to side it only measures 36 feet and from the back of our house to the fence, it’s only 20 feet. I grew up in Texas where even modest size houses have ample yard and sprawling trees. That’s not the case here in Calgary and it was something I had to adjust to.

We’ve now lived in our house for over 10 years years and I have fallen in love with our family friendly backyard. In the warm months, it’s a haven for the kids and an oasis for the adults. If you want to have a family friendly backyard where you can capitalize on your time together, welcome friends, and even better, make happy memories, read on for 14 tips to incorporate no matter how big or small your lot is.

This post may contain affiliate links. For more information, please read my Affiliates Disclosure.

Family Friendly Backyard for Adults & Kids

One of the things I love most about our yard is that there is both kid and adult space. There are no hard boundary lines, but there are definitely areas that are focused towards the kids and others where the adults congregate. The adult area lays the foundation for the backyard design. Note: If you’ve been around Our Happy Hive long, you probably already know that my husband is a “Carpenter Bee” – he is very gifted at building things from the ground up. If you don’t have a “Carpenter Bee” in your family, any of these builder projects can be outsourced. Take a look at 7 things that can be done in each area to make it a super family friendly backyard.

Family Friendly Backyard For the Adults

1. Build a deck

   We built a two-tiered deck with the highest level a few feet off of the ground and the lower level only 8 inches from the ground. The deck easily takes up 1/3 of our green space, but it has been so worth it. We find that we are 100 times more likely to go out and sit on the deck than we were when it was only grass. Having our lower level so close to the ground is nice because our toddler can easily get up and down on his own or we can sit on the edge to be able to more closely interact with the kids.

2. Invest in outdoor furniture

   So this goes hand in hand with building the deck. Once you have a platform, you need something to put on it. I’m thrifty at heart so I watched for the end of season sales, compared prices, and measured the space to find the perfect arrangement for our deck. We intentionally bought modular furniture so that we could break it up and separate pieces if we ever wanted to rearrange.

   

3. Build raised beds

   After gaining inspiration from other DIYers, we built two raised garden beds that flank our deck. I can’t tell you how thrilled I’ve been with this decision. The raised beds are approximately 3 feet wide and 3 feet deep by 11 feet long. We put about 12 inches of rock in the bottom and then filled them with soil.

   I love that the raised beds frame our lower deck so that you feel like your sitting in a garden. Because they are off the ground they don’t have as many pests or weeds. I can also control the quality of soil for the vegetable garden. This year I made a special mix of soils and added about 6 inches to the top of our vegetable garden…it has made such a difference in the produce. Most importantly, all of my gardening work can be done while standing and not hunched over. I can plant seeds, prune, and do the minimal weeding that’s required without hunching over.

   

4. Plant a square foot garden

   Next, we built a square foot garden in one of the raised beds. Square foot gardens are perfect for small spaces or yards where you don’t want to dedicate a large amount of space to a vegetable garden. You can read about it here.

5. Use Flowers

   Flowers bring color and beauty to any yard. They can be fragrant, bold, or delicate. We’ve incorporated hanging baskets around the yard and dedicated our second raised bed solely to flowers. It also makes me happy that our flowers are safe for bees and can help encourage the bee population (which is dying off due to pesticides).

   

6. Hang String Lights

   String lights add charm to any outdoor living space. They are functional as the sun goes down and are a fun aesthetic for dinner parties and evenings outside.

7. Get a Bug Zapper

   Even if you have the most beautiful yard, bugs can be a huge deterrent. We got a machine this year to help minimize the pests and let us enjoy our time outside day or night.

Family Friendly Backyard For Kids

A family friendly backyard wouldn’t be much without things for the kids. While the beauty of a backyard is pretty much lost on the kids, 110% of their focus is on having fun and engaging in a wide variety of activities. Our kids are young, 4 and almost 2 years old, so their attention span is short. We aim to have many different things they can do in order to keep them interested for a morning or afternoon outside. Below are some of our favorite things we’ve done. Some are simple adds, while others take a little more time to build.

1. Get a water table

   This was one of the first kid toys we bought and 3 years later it is still being utilized. Water facinates kids. They love to pour from cup to cup or transfer from place to place. It gets daily action at our house and is a vital aspect of kid play.

2. Splash pool

   Another hit is a splash pool. Initially, we bought a small wading pool that was made of a hard plastic, but we found it difficult to store. Now, we have an inflatable pool. It’s convenient to store, but you have to be cautious about getting a hole in it. Either way, the kids love to play in it. Sometimes they get in it completely, but other times, they just splash around or put toys in it.

3. Sand table

   Our vision for a sand box evolved overtime. Initially, we bought a simple plastic box that sat on the ground and had a lid. The main problem was that it got bugs in it, especially spiders. Next Mr. Carpenter Bee built a sand table. This is our second year with it and it has held up nicely. There are never bugs in it.  Place the lid on top if rain is expected or if you want the kids to use it as a picnic table. I love the fun bold colors too!  You can get the blueprints from MyOutdoorPlans.com.

   

4. DIY Chalkboard

   This is our latest addition.  It was built mostly from scrap lumber we have around our house. (Remember, Mr. Bee has had a few projects over the years) This simple project took a few hours to build. Little Miss. E got to help paint it. We hung a bucket from the dollar store beside it to hold the chalk. In the few short weeks, it’s been up, it’s already been a hit with the kids.

5. Lots of games

   This is an easy one. We’ve bought inexpensive plastic toys from the dollar store and more involved games from Amazon or Walmart. A Few examples are Tether Ball, Lawn sized Tic-Tac-Toe, a giant Connect Four, or little things like plastic bowling pins or golf clubs.

   

6. Sprinkler

   There’s nothing like having some good old-fashioned fun with a water hose or a sprinkler. The kids love it, it’s easy, and you can cross watering the grass off of your To-Do list!  This year, we upped the game with a 6.5 foot unicorn sprinker.  Our daughter is in love with it and our son talks about his horse in the backyard!  Needless to say, it’s been a huge hit!!!

   

7. Play Structure with a Saucer

   Now this one was more of an investment. After considering purchasing a play structure for a couple of years, we finally bit the bullet and bought one this summer. It was somewhat of an impulse buy because there was a sale that we couldn’t pass up. Initially, we were hesitant to buy one because we questioned if the kids would really use it after the first few weeks. I’m happy to share that they use it daily, multiple times a day. We’ve now had it for a couple of months and they are in love with it. One of the things we added to the set was a round saucer swing. It’s big enough to fit two kids on it and they can sit up or lay down while swinging. Another HUGE hit!

Each year I fall more in love with our little backyard. In the evenings it’s a sanctuary for me, in the day time it’s filled with joy and laughter. No matter the size of your lot, you can make it into a family friendly backyard. Having a space that’s appealing to adults as well as kids is essential. Beautiful flowers, vegetable garden, and string lights add to the ambiance while a variety of activities for the kids piques their interest. Don’t let another summer of avoiding your backyard pass you by. Make the most of your greenspace and develop it to help create happy memories as a family.

The post 14 Tips to a Family Friendly Backyard (even if your yard is small) appeared first on Our Happy Hive.

Quotes about the Benefits of Home Organization & Decluttering

Before you get started, think about what you’ll gain from all of your hard work!

Imagine yourself living in a space that only contains things that spark joy. – Marie Kondo

Good order is the foundation of all things. – Edmund Burke

Outer order contributes to inner calm. – Gretchen Rubin

For every minute spent organizing, an hour is earned. – Benjamin Franklin

A dramatic reorganization of the home causes correspondingly dramatic changes in lifestyle and perspective. It is life transforming. – Marie Kondo

Life is too complicated not to be orderly. – Martha Stewart

Happiness is a place between too little and too much. – Finnish Proverb

Quotes about Clutter

Is clutter part of the problem?

The first step in crafting the life you want is to get rid of everything you don’t. – Joshua Becker

Later is the best friend of clutter. – Peter Walsh

If you have debt I’m willing to bet that general clutter is a problem for you too. Suze Orman

Quotes About Tips for Organizing

Keep these things in mind on your home organization and decluttering journey!

A place for everything and everything in its place.  – Mrs. Beeton

Three Rules of Work: Out of clutter find simplicity; From discord find harmony; In the middle of difficulty lies opportunity ~ Albert Einstein …. Out of clutter find simplicity. – Albert Einstein

Strive for progress not perfection. – Unknown

Organizing is a journey, not a destination.  – unknown

Owning less is better than organizing more. – Joshua Becker

Worker smarter not harder

Quotes about Getting Started with Home Organization & Decluttering

Now it’s time to get started, what’s holding you back!  Thisequotes will help with motivation!

The way to get started is to quit talking and begin doing. – Walt Disney

It takes as much energy to wish as it does to plan. – Eleanor Roosevelt

The scariest moment is always just before you start.  – Stephen King

The best way to get something done is to begin. – Anonymous

A little progress each day leads to big results.  – Unknown

A year from now you may wish you had started today. – Karen Lamb

Nothing is particularly hard if you divide it into small jobs -Henry Ford

Final Thoughts

Simplicity is the ultimate sophistication.  – Leonardo DaVinci

The post 24 Home Organization & Decluttering Motivational Quotes appeared first on Our Happy Hive.

Usually, around 7 p.m. my husband and I are struggling to not raise our voices as we deal with the kid’s bedtime drama.  But one night a month, I have a reprieve, G.N.O. (Girl’s Night Out) also known as “book club.”  It’s a much-needed break from the ordinary.

My neighborhood friends and I relax with a cool glass of fresh, crisp, citrusy white wine.  We talk over warm appetizers and sugary desserts.  Laughter fills the room as we share stories of our kids’ latest antics and other life musings.

This night, book club would be at my house.  And it was time for me to unleash the cleaning tornado.  Time to sanitize, dust, and declutter so that the home is welcome to visitors once again.

Kitchen Counter Clutter Battles

The kitchen counter is where you likely fight daily battles with clutter.  It’s the landing spot for so many things…mail, homework, rubber bands, and hairbrushes.  And those are only the things that shouldn’t be there.  You’ve still got dirty dishes, the sticky cutting board leftover from cutting fruit at breakfast, and crumbs from the last kid that cut her muffin before eating it.

This is one clutter challenge I wrestle with on a daily basis.  Because we constantly struggle with it, I have figured out some tips that can help all of us.

Dealing with Kitchen Countertop Clutter

First and foremost, you need to understand why you have a clutter problem, to begin with. Here are three reasons you should consider.

• Homeless – Something doesn’t have a home or designated place so it floats around and often ends up on the counter.
• Poor Routine – Family members are not practicing daily routines and habits to keep the counter clear.
• Lack of process – You don’t have a process in place for managing the new things that come into your home e.g homework, mail, or the latest toy from the kids’ happy meal.

Do it now:

1. Take a look around. What clutter is on your counter?  Is it reoccurring clutter, meaning, it usually reappears every week. 
2. Consider why it’s on the counter. Is it there because it’s homeless, family members are not putting it in the right place, or you don’t have a process in place?
3. Write down the trouble spots and the reason for the clutter.

Professional Tips for Decluttering Kitchen Counters

Before starting any decluttering or organizing process, it’s always helpful to know what the pros say.  If you were going to hire an organizer, they would give you a few guiding principles to help you get organized.

• Give it A Home – Make sure everything has a home or it will continue to float around and end up as clutter. If the electrical tape keeps ending up on the counter and you move it around from week to week.  You need to pause and think, where is the best place for this item and put it there.
• Behind closed doors – Spaces look clutter-free when things are neatly put away out of sight. Consider your cabinet and pantry space.  What things can you take off of your counter and move to a hidden location?  Things like a toaster, blender, or cookbooks often fall in this category.
• Use Attractive Storage Containers – There are some things you’ll want out on the counter, like a bowl of fruit. Instead of just placing the bananas or tomatoes directly on the counter.  Find a pretty bowl, potentially one that you already have, and use it to store your fruit.  The same can work for mail, sugar for coffee, or utensils.  Instead of a bowl, you may use a basket, canister, or bin.
• Implement the One In – One Out rule – As you bring new appliances, dishes, or serving ware into your home, make sure to remove something from the space. This will help you to maintain your space and prevent future overcrowding.
• Go Vertical – Make use of every vertical space.  For example, we put cutting boards vertically filed above our microwave in a space where practically nothing else could work.  Vertical space works well for spices, racks, and shelves.
  

Kitchen Countertop Storage Solutions

Now that you have a few tips from the professionals, let’s get to the nitty-gritty.  These are really practical steps you can do today.  Refer to the list you made earlier with the type of clutter that’s on your counter.

Paper Clutter DIY Solutions

If you find receipts, recipes, and mail often end up on your kitchen counter, then you need a paper clutter solution.

• Create an incoming mail bin. Find an attractive basket or box, to put mail in when your first bring it in.  Give yourself a timeline to go through the mail and sort it.  A best practice is to do it immediately when you bring it into the house.
• Get a folder or a plastic pouch for receipts if you save them for tax purposes or in case of returns. Otherwise, recycle!
• Establish a command station if you have space. My daughter brings home a ton of schoolwork every day.  The sparkly glitter, colorful construction paper, and Crayon drawings became a mountain of clutter at the edge of our counter.  It lasted for weeks and clearly wasn’t a problem that was going away.  It called for a solution.  We created a mini-command station in our mudroom (near her backpack) where she could put her homework folder and any incoming papers.  The clutter is now gone from the counter!

 

 

 

 

 

 

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Trinkets and Misalleanea Storage Solutions

• Create an organized junk drawer. You may find random things land in your kitchen like never used birthday candles, all of the extra batteries in the house, flashlights, and rubber bands.  Designate a drawer or two for these things.  Fill the drawer with little containers to divide and create zones.  You can use plastic bins or even technology boxes like the box from an iPhone.  Even small mason jars can work, but circles don’t make the best use of the space.

These zones can be used to categorize the random things that land in the kitchen.  Now, instead of being on the counter, you’ve created a small home.

• Make A Kids Basket – No matter where we go, it seems that we end up with little tiny trinkets for the kids. It could be the toys from a happy meal, stickers from the dentist, or loot from a birthday party goody bag.  It comes in all forms and lands in our house regularly. While I’d prefer to toss it, the two little humans in our home want to hang onto it – for-ever!!!  So, they have a designated space that includes a bin for their markers, papers, and trinkets.  A bowl works great for this too, but it has to be maintained (pruned regularly) or it becomes a clutter bowl fast.

Appliance Storage Solutions

• Discard First – If there are appliances that you don’t use, give them away, donate, or sell them.  There is no need to keep them in your kitchen especially not on your counter.
• Coffee Station – If you regularly have coffee or tea, then you can contain the supplies by making a cute coffee station.  Grab a trey, put your sugar on it, coffee beans or tea bags, potentially even a few spoons for stirring.  The trey contains the items and makes them look like a neat cluster instead of unruly clutter.
• Make Use of Cabinets – For the appliances, you do use, put them out of sight as much as possible.  A lower cabinet is a great place to store them or an “appliance garage” or even the bottom of your pantry can work.

 

 

 

 

 

 

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Appliance garages…they’re our new love. Nothing makes a kitchen feel more cluttered than having out all the small appliances at once. Limited space in the kitchen? Try housing these items in a hutch in the dining room or on shelving in the garage. Add containment (and label) to house the attachments, small pieces, etc within the space to keep everything in one place. Clear counters = clear mind! #organizedsimplicity #home #organization #proorganizer #atlanta

A post shared by Organized Simplicity (@organized_simplicity) on Jul 22, 2019 at 4:58am PDT

Spices Storage Solutions

• You may store your spices on top of your stove or your counter.  This can add to the feeling of clutter.  Move your spices to a drawer, cabinet, or the pantry.  I grew tired of the amount of space my spices required, so we went vertical.  My husband built an inset spice rack on a pretty much useless wall in our pantry.  I love it and will never go back to storing spices on a horizontal surface. 

Cook Book Storage Solutions

• This is another item to put out of sight.  Some people make use of their vertical space and put racks on the side of a cabinet or a wall.  Others make a shelf at the end of their island.  Also, cabinets are a great place to store cookbooks if you have the room.

 

 

 

 

 

 

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A post shared by Allie Mann (@allie.mann) on Sep 27, 2018 at 4:51am PDT

How to keep your kitchen counters free from clutter

Once you declutter and clear your kitchen counters, you’ve got to make sure you have good habits or routines to keep your final product. Create a habit that works for you and your family.  Here are a few ideas.

• Do a nightly clean sweep and make sure your counters are clear before you go to bed.
• Have family members immediately put dishes in the dishwasher
• Sort mail when you bring it into the home

Here are 5 things to do in the kitchen before you go to bed.

Conquer Kitchen Clutter

Most kitchens see a lot of traffic and can quickly become clutter traps.  Now you have the steps you need to take to declutter your kitchen countertops.  The storage solutions will help you keep things neat and tidy.  And your daily routines will allow you to keep them clutter-free for good!

Pinterest: I’m overwhelmed with the clutter on our kitchen countertops and ready to get rid of it once and for all! These practical kitchen counter decluttering tips were so helpful.  Now I have great storage solutions and a clutter-free kitchen counter!

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The post How To Declutter Your Kitchen Counters – Like a Pro appeared first on Our Happy Hive.

Tips for Making Time for Habits in Your Busy Schedule

Making changes can be difficult if you feel like you don’t have the time to do it. But with a few simple tips, you can make time for habits even in a busy schedule.

How to Make Time for a New Habit

Tip #2 Use a Block Schedule to find your windows of opportunity for your new habit.

 

1. Look at your regular weekly commitments. I like to use a block schedule, to map out a standard week.

 

2. Find windows of uninterrupted time. It could be first thing in the morning when the house is quiet. During your lunch. When you’re sitting in the car waiting for your kid to finish basketball practice. Or any other time that works for you.

 

3. Schedule your new habit. This is the time each day or week when you’ll do your new habit. Consider setting reminders or alarms to help you stay on track.

 

Be realistic about how much time you have and what you can reasonably accomplish. It’s better to set achievable goals that you can stick to than to overreach and give up.

 

Tip #3 If you feel overwhelmed, try to break your goals down into smaller, more manageable tasks. This can help you stay focused and motivated.

 

 

Maybe your habit isn’t something like exercising that takes a chunk of time, rather something you want to do every day like making your bed. In this case, you won’t need to schedule your habit, but pair it with another task you already do regularly. For example, commit to making your bed every day before you brush your teeth. Don’t allow yourself to brush your teeth unless you’ve made your bed.

 

No one wants to sit next to someone with bad breath, so you’ll be motivated to get that bed made!!!

 

Small changes that don’t require too much time or energy add up over time, and can help you stay motivated.

 

Strategies for Starting New Habits and Breaking Bad Ones

Once you have identified the habits and changes you want to make and found ways to make time for them, it’s time to start making changes. Here are some strategies to help you start new habits and break bad ones.

 

Tip #4 identify the triggers that lead to your bad habits and try to avoid them. Take note of the situations and emotions that lead to your bad habits and try to find ways to stay away from them.

 

Tip #5 find ways to replace your bad habits with good ones. If you find yourself in a situation where you are about to indulge in a bad habit, try to find a replacement activity that is healthier and more productive.

 

Tip #6 be patient with yourself. Change takes time and it is normal to have setbacks and slip-ups. Don’t give up and keep going.

 

Tools to Help You Stay on Track

Tip #7 Use a Habit Tracker to mark your progress.  There are many tools available to help you stay on track with your habits and changes. Consider using a habit tracker or goal-setting app to help you stay organized and motivated.  You can grab my FREE Habit Tracker below!

 

You can also use a daily planner or calendar to keep track of your goals and progress. Writing down your goals and progress can help you stay focused and motivated.

 

Other tools that can be helpful include accountability partners, mentors, and coaches. These people can help you stay on track and provide valuable advice and insight.

 

Motivation to Stay Committed to Your Habits

Making changes can be hard, and staying motivated can be challenging. Here are some tips to help you stay committed to your habits.

 

Tip #8 Stay motivated by focusing on the benefits of making changes. Remind yourself why you are making these changes and how they will benefit you in the long run.

 

Tip #9 Don’t be too hard on yourself if you make a mistake or have a setback. Everyone makes mistakes and it’s important to be kind to yourself and keep going.

 

Tip #10 Celebrate your progress. Making changes can be hard work, but it’s important to celebrate your successes. Take some time to reflect on your progress and the changes you have made. Celebrate the progress you have made and the habits you have started or broken. Share your progress with others.  Encourage yourself to stay focused and stay positive. Be mindful of your thoughts and focus on the progress you are making.

 

Finally, don’t give up. Change takes time and commitment, and it’s important to stay focused on your goals and keep going.

 

The post A Busy Woman’s Guide to Starting New Habits and Breaking Bad Ones appeared first on Our Happy Hive.

My husband and I are tired. Tired of feeling overwhelmed and like we’re in the hamster wheel of life.  Time flies by, but when we pause to reflect on what the week or month was like, we can’t even remember what we did or what was important about it.  We are on a journey to simplify.

If you are ready to stop overwhelm and feel more satisfied with the life you are living now, then read on.  Let’s look at ways to declutter your schedule and get back to the sweet things of life that bring you joy.

Overcommitted & Overwhelmed

We have become worshipers of busyness.  It’s not so much that we like being busy or that we like its byproducts: exhaustion, overwhelm, and lack of real connections.  We like what the marketing experts portray to us about life and get sucked into busyness. 

For example, we want our kids to have every opportunity and to be well rounded, so we opt to enroll them in several different extracurricular activities…to the point of fatigue. 

Or, as parents, we want (or feel compelled) to do everything…keep the house running, work for money, volunteer, exercise, and go to book club.

It’s tough.  Seriously it is.  There are a lot of expectations on you, needs from you, and standards by you, that drive you to overcommit.

But the reality is, you are finite.  You only have so many hours available and you are only one person.  Without being intentional about how you spend your time, the most urgent things in life are taken care of, while often, the most important things sit by the wayside.

How To Simplify Your Life

When you’re tired or overwhelmed, it can feel like there’s no getting off the hamster wheel.  BUT, in order to live the truly sweet life, the one you dreamed of, you must hit pause and evaluate your commitments.  More than likely, it’s time to simplify your life.

They say a cluttered space leads to a cluttered mind.  Well, I’d say a cluttered schedule leads to a cluttered life.  If you’re ready to stop the overwhelm and simplify your life, take a few moments to consider these questions.

Identify – What brings you the most joy

Each of us is motivated by different things.  You may have a young family and want to spend as much time with them as you can.  Or, you may have just come out of a financially difficult time and crave financial security.  Below are a few examples of life motivations that bring joy. 

Relationships

You are the happiest when you are with those that mean the most to you.  Work and hobbies center around your relationships.  For example, working provides a financial means for you to support those relationships.  Hobbies are a way for you to connect with those relationships.  Spending quality time with those you love is important to this lifestyle.

Security

You desire a sense of order and have a distaste for change.  Work is important for a financial peace of mind, but it’s not a driving factor in your life. You find joy in being loyal and dedicated.  Mutual respect is important to you. 

Achievement

You are the happiest when you accomplish new things, reach your goals, or hit your targets.  Status quo is snoozeville for you and epotimizes a boring life. You feel the happiest when you have more influence, prestige, or financial reward. 

Excitement

Action!  You crave action, adventure, or opportunities for creativity!  You seek out new situations and environments where things are unpredictable.  Your highest standard is to have an exciting life.

Freedom

You love being spontaneous and having space in your life.   Opportunities that allow you to exert your independence and self-control are ideal for you.  Being boxed in or micromanaged is flat out depressing.  You crave autonomy with few restrictions.

Balance

You are happiest with an ideal blend of work, family, and self-care.  Each of these aspects are important components of your lifestyle.  Flexibility is key to you finding the sweet spot in each area.

Can You Relate?

If you want to simplify your life, you need to be clear on what’s important to you. Did any of the lifestyle motivations above sound like you?  It’s okay if more than one spoke to you.  If you didn’t identify with any of the descriptions, that’s okay too!  Just take a moment to think about the things that do motivate you.

Also, your life motivation can change due to circumstances.  Before I was married, my career was extremely important to me.  I was very motivated by Achievement and Security.  Now, that I have young kids, I am more motivated by Relationships (but Achievement is still important to me).

How to Get More Time in Your Day

In order to stop being overwhelmed, it’s important to become clear of your priorities.  Taking a minute to reflect what’s important and what success looks like, will help you make critical decisions that ultimately will help you get more time in your day. 

What does success look like for you and your family?

Once you have a sense of what’s important to you and what brings you joy, think about what success looks like for you or your family.  (The tool below will help you with this process.  You can download it at the end of the post)

Step 1) Brainstorm a list of your priorities.

Step 2) Summarize what success looks like for you or your family in the next 12 months.

Maybe you’re like me and very motivated by achievement, but want to focus more on relationships for a period of time…e.g. while you have young kids.  Maybe, you’ve invested a lot in your career and don’t want to slow down.  Perhaps you love your free time and you crave to be with nature in an unscheduled environment.  There’s no right or wrong answer, just define success for yourself.  For me, in this season, it’s to have a thriving family.

Step 3) List all of the commitments you or your family have made for the next 12 months. Put an asterisk by anything that doesn’t align with your priorities or what success looks like at the end of 12 months.

What needs to change?

Once you define your priorities, it’s time to identify any necessary changes.

Like I mentioned earlier when I married my focus shifted from career to family.  It was our goal to have kids as soon as possible.  I was a leader for a large organization in Houston and was moving to Canada to be with my husband and start a family.  My boss offered me the opportunity to continue to work full-time from Canada, but instinctively, I knew that things had to change.  My priorities changed and the way I spent my time needed to change as well.  I needed a less cluttered schedule and fewer commitments so that I could simplify my life and focus on the new priorities.

By redefining your priorities and evaluating your commitments, you may see some incongruencies.   Often, there are tradeoffs you need to make.  In my example, family became my priority instead of a career.  For me, that meant, more trips to the zoo, more play dates, and more crafts with my kids.  It also meant I resigned my leadership position, worked fewer hours, and worked from home instead of an office. 

To declutter your schedule, make a list of what you want “More of” and “Less of”.  They should reflect your priorities.

Step 1) Make a list of the things you need to do more of, in order to achieve your definition of success.

Step 2) Make a list of the things you need to do less of (or in some cases “stop” doing) in order to achieve your definition of success.

How to say No!

Another key to having a Decluttered Schedule is to create more space in your life.  Create more margin each day.  The processes we’ve reviewed up until this point highlighted commitments you need to end and trade-offs you need to make.  Likely, if you’re not already, you’ll need to become good at saying no. 

How good are you at saying “no”… not because you have a commitment, but because the opportunity does not align with your priorities or definition of success.

Before we had kids, I volunteered on the Board of Directors of The Cerebral Palsy Association, I served on the leadership team at our church,  sang on the worship team, went to book club, had my own consulting business, and worked part-time for a company in Houston.  It was a lot…and I liked it that way.  But life changed…I became a mom.  My priorities were different and how I spent my time needed to change as well.

So, what did I do?  In some cases, I said no temporarily.  Essentially, I took a break.  In other cases, I scaled back and spent less time on the commitment.  And there were other situations, where I needed to end my involvement altogether.

You’ll likely need to say no to some of the commitments you have that don’t align with your definition of success.  You’ll also need to decide how to respond to future requests for your or your family’s involvement.

How to decide what’s important so you can maintain an uncluttered schedule

If you want to be ruthless about decluttering your schedule, then the most important thing you can do is to ensure the way you spend your time aligns with your priorities.  So, the first litmus test- does the new commitment align to your definition of success…will it help you feel fulfilled at the end of the year?

The second test, does the commitment bring you joy or bring fulfillment?  This can be a slippery slope, but realistically speaking, there are things you want to do that are purely for the sake of enjoyment.

If the new commitment doesn’t meet one of these two criteria for you or your family, then I’d seriously recommend saying “no”…especially if your goal is to have an uncluttered schedule.

Are you ready to simplify?  Are you tired of struggling to keep up with all of the needs of your home and family?  It’s time to reevaluate your priorities, define what success looks like for you and your family and then be ruthless!  Assess how you’re spending your time.  Identify what you need to do more of and less of.  Give yourself permission to say no.  Be committed to maintaining an uncluttered schedule and keeping the margin in your life.

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The post Simplify Your Life: Declutter your Schedule appeared first on Our Happy Hive.

It’s December 23^rd, and I’m sitting with my parents, chatting about the whirlwind of activity we just experienced. Our extended family just left after five fun-filled days of making cousin memories, decorating gingerbread houses, having elf-themed sleepovers, and eating all the Texas treats this girl could imagine.  (things I miss when I’m in Canada.)

As we catch our breath from the holiday hustle, my thoughts shift to the upcoming Christmas plans—Christmas Eve, a candlelight service, family pictures, and, of course, meals for the masses. Preparing dinner for over 15 people requires thoughtful planning, and that’s when it hits me—what about Christmas Eve? With less than 24 hours to go, we needed to come up with something fast!

How to Avoid the Holiday Meal-Time Hustle

I hate operating this way. I don’t need the extra stress and anxiety. But it happens, especially during busy times of the year.  What I’ve come to realize is if you want to have stress-free holiday meals and enjoy some peace, it’s all about being a smart planner. This is especially crucial when life gets crazy and you’ve got a bunch of hungry folks to feed.

To avoid the holiday meal hustle, create a game plan. In advance, before the holiday madness kicks in, grab a calendar and list all the meals where you’ll have guests. Then, come up with a loose plan for each one. Will you be the chef, do a potluck where everyone brings something, or just call for some delicious takeout?

3 Ways to Make Your Holiday Meals Stress-Free

If you prefer to be the chef, then you have a few options.

You’re the Chef

Anywhere from 2-4 weeks in advance, plan your menu.  Identify the things you can make ahead of time and freeze. Depending on how much leigh way you have, could 1-2 dishes each week and freeze them.  I’ve done this with my granny’s Sweet Potato Casserole and Corn Bread Dressing.  It’s also a good option for breakfast casseroles, soups or chili, and sauces.  Once the holidays arrive, you’ll only have to focus on things that don’t freeze well like salads, or the Turkey.

Also, remember, even if you prefer to cook your own things there are still ways to create stress-free holiday meals.  You don’t have to cook EVERYTHING.  The best items to cook yourself are the main dishes or signature dishes.  Consider preparing the main dishes yourself. Roasted turkey, ham, or a special family recipe can be the centerpiece of your meal. If you have family-favorite dishes that are special to your holiday tradition, make them from scratch to maintain the homemade touch.

Delegate Dishes with a Potluck

Maybe you want the home-cooked touch, but you don’t want to do it all yourself.  A potluck is another great option for stress-free holiday meals.  Potlucks not only ease the cooking load but also introduce a variety of dishes.  With a potluck, you encourage family members to bring their favorite side dishes and desserts. Another fun twist if you’re inviting friends is to have them bring their special family favorite dish or a dish based on their heritage.  To avoid duplicates and ensure a well-rounded meal, assign specific dishes to family members. Make sure you coordinate to prevent having too much of one type of dish.

Supplementing Your Meal By Ordering Out

The third option you should consider for stress-free holiday meals is ordering out.  As my parents have gotten older, we have incorporated more dishes from local restaurants.  We don’t typically have the entire meal catered, but select dishes.

When I was growing up, my mom had a friend who loved to bake pies and rolls to earn extra income.  It was not uncommon for us to order her warm and buttery yeast rolls and bring them to a family gathering. 

More recently, our church would sell honey-baked ham or smoked turkey as a fundraiser.  This was another delicious option that made our meal prep easier.

Another option we’ve used there was a locally run dinner prep where the owner would bake home-cooked meals, and then you heat them at home.  We ordered side dishes from her for a meal or two. 

And finally, we had a favorite local Bar-B-Que that was reasonably priced and sold not only meats but incredible side dishes.

We’ve found that the smaller non-chain restaurants offer better quality and prices and it’s a great way to support a local business. 

8 Holiday Meal Shortcuts for Stress-Free Holiday Meals

Since cooking is typically a part of the holidays, it’s helpful to have a few shortcuts in your back pocket.  This will help you maximize your time to spend more time with those you love and not on your feet!

1. Pre-Cut Ingredients: Buy pre-cut vegetables, pre-made pie crusts, and other convenience items to save time on food prep.

2. Prep Ingredients in Advance: Chop, dice, and measure ingredients beforehand. This will save you precious minutes when it comes to assembling dishes.

3. Freezer Meals: Prepare and freeze dishes in advance, so you only need to reheat them on the day of the gathering.

4. Use Make-Ahead Recipes: Choose recipes that can be made in advance and reheated. This not only eases your workload on the day of the event but also often enhances the flavor of dishes.

5. Stock Up on Essentials: Ensure you have enough tableware, serveware, and beverages. It’s better to overestimate than run out during the event.

6. Slow Cooker or Instant Pot: These kitchen appliances can be a real time-saver. You can prepare soups, stews, or side dishes in advance, and they’ll be ready when needed.

7.  Grocery Meal Services: If you only expect to have a few people e.g., less than 4 -5, then consider a grocery meal service like Hello Fresh or Chef’s Plate.  They simplify by removing the planning, shopping, and prep steps.  They provide great instructions, and the meals are fairly easy to cook. I’ve used these types of services for weeknight dinners and small holiday gatherings and had great success.

8. Set Up a Buffet: Consider a buffet-style serving arrangement that allows guests to serve themselves. This minimizes the stress of plating and serving everyone individually.

Check out these posts for more time-saving tips:

6 Brilliant Batch Cooking Methods That Will Make Dinner Time So Much Easier

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Your Christmas Meal Gameplan for Stress-Free Holiday Meals

Now, back to that loose plan I mentioned earlier.  List all of the meals you’re responsible for.  And write down if you’ll be the chef, do a potluck, order out or some combination of the three.  It’s best to create your game plan at least one week before people arrive.  This’ll help you avoid the stress I felt on December 23^rd when I realized we inadvertently missed planning for Christmas Eve.

Remember, the key to a successful holiday meal is to balance your own culinary skills and preferences with the convenience of ordering or potluck contributions. The goal is to enjoy the holiday with your family, so choose the approach that best suits your situation and comfort level.

Check Out These Posts For More Christmas Inspiration

The post The Essential Guide to Stress-Free Holiday Meals appeared first on Our Happy Hive.

The holidays can be a fantastic time with family and friends, but they can also be a time when you feel disorganized, overly busy, and stressed.  One of the ways to reduce overwhelm is to organize your home BEFORE the holidays.

Between Thanksgiving and Christmas, it’s easy to feel like you’re flying by the seat of your pants.  Your routines get out of whack with Christmas parties, kid activities, and added chores like shopping and cooking. 

By organizing your home ahead of time, you can go from the feeling of disarray to one of a well-oiled machine.

Here are 12 areas to organize your home before the holidays.

Organize Your Kitchen Before The Holidays

The kitchen is a key gathering place for any social event.  That’s why it’s the first on my list for ways to organize your home before the holidays!

1. Organize Your Pantry

Your pantry is already a busy place on a normal week.  When you add Thanksgiving and Christmas cooking, holiday baking, and house guest to the mix the pantry can go from bad to worse. 

Get your pantry organized by removing anything that has an expired date.  Grouping like-items in the same bin or area on the shelf e.g., Baking Items, Spices, Grains.  Lastly, label your bins or shelves so that family members and guests can find AND RETURN things to their respective areas.

2. Clean Out Your Refrigerator

Similar to the pantry, the refrigerator is an area that gets a lot of traffic.  Cleaning it out before the holidays will help you make room for casseroles, ingredients, and extra food for any parties or guests you’re planning on having.

Be sure to take items out and wipe down the refrigerator.  Mix 1 teaspoon dish soap, 1 teaspoon baking soda, and 32 ounces warm water for an easy solution to clean and deodorize your refrigerator. 

3. Declutter Countertops Before the Holidays

This is a great time to do a deep clean of your counters.  Declutter any piles that have accumulated.  Find homes for the “homeless” things that have been collected in recent days/weeks/months.  Wipe down the flat surfaces getting under small appliances and wall surfaces like the backsplash.  Having a counter that is clean and clear will make it easier for you to do your holiday baking and make your home feel more inviting to guests.  Check out this post for more ideas.

Organize Your Space for Holiday guests

Thanksgiving, Christmas, and New Year’s are also special times to have friends and family over.  Getting ready for guests is the second area we’ll delve into in order to organize your home before the holidays.

4. Create  a Welcoming Entry Way For Holiday Guests

Another way to organize your home before the holidays is to create a welcoming entryway for your guests.  Add an inviting mat outside your front door and if you’re in a cold climate, make sure you have a mat inside the front door for people to stand on with their messy boots.  It’s also helpful to have a boot tray for people to set their wet boots on when they come in so that the snow and mud don’t drip all over your floors. 

If you want to make your entryway more inviting, add a diffuser with some essential oils to add a welcoming scent.

5. Declutter and Prepare Your Coat Closet

With more visits (announced or unannounced ) from neighbors, friends, and your crazy Aunt Mae, it’s nice to have the coat closet ready for any cold-weather gear they might bring along.

As a Texas girl, I was not accustomed to using a coat closet (we rarely had to wear coats!). But now that I live in Canada, it is critical to have a place to hang everyone’s coats as they enter the house.

Make as much room as possible. Clear out any unnecessary clothing that has accumulated e.g., old coats that you no longer wear. When possible, put the families’ coats in a different place in your house. Add sturdy hangers so that you’re prepared to receive your guest’s gear.

6. Prepare Your Guest Room

If you’re planning on having house guests for the holidays, then this room is a must to organize and freshen up.  Ensure it has:

• fresh linens,
• spare hangers in the closet
• a place for folded clothes
• and/or a space for luggage like a luggage rack or a cabinet

It’s also nice to put out fresh towels, soaps, bottles of water and if you want to be extra, a few packaged snacks. 

For more ideas, check out this post “Easy Ways to Make Your  House Guest Feel at Home.”  

7. Winterize Your Mud Room

Remove any remaining summer gear like flip-flops, sunscreen, and straw hats.  If your family keeps their shoes in this area, declutter any shoes they’ve outgrown.

Organize your winter gear including any gloves, hats, snow boots, and coats you have in this area.  It’s helpful to have a bin for each family member for their gear.  Hooks for coats or backpacks keep things off of the floor.  Also, shoe racks or boot treys are another great way to keep this space organized.

8. Organize and Clean Your Vehicle

It’s also good to organize your vehicle before the holidays.  Vacuum/wipe down the interior.  Clear out the trunk to make room for luggage, groceries, and Christmas presents.  Add a box of Kleenex for any seasonal colds and if you live in a cold-weather climate, add a blanket or two to your trunk.

Other Holiday Related Organization

Specific holiday-related tools and resources is the final area we’ll consider in order for you to organize your home before the holidays.

9. Declutter Your Holiday Decorations

Decluttering your holiday decorations will also help you organize your home before the holidays. There’s always a huge shuffle in our house of holiday decorations between October and December.  We have pumpkins and fall leaves for October/November and then tons of Christmas decorations (like 11 boxes of all-the-things!).  Sort like items into bins and label them.  Discard old or broken décor that you no longer use.  It’s best to do this before the holidays, but if it’s already too late this year, plan on doing it when you take down and store the holiday décor.

10. Organize Your Holiday Budget

Raise your hand if you overspend during the holidays. Or perhaps it’s a splurge gift or two for your kids or food for an unexpected party with family and friends. Before the holidays hit, make a budget. Include gifts, extra food, charities you support, any out-of-the usual travel, and accommodations you’ve planned. This effort will help you to be prepared and avoid any surprises in January or the following months!

11. Declutter Your Christmas Card Address List

If you send out  Christmas cards, take time to update and declutter your address list.  Flag anyone who has moved in the past year.  Add names of new friends and colleagues.  Contact people via phone, email or Facebook to get their new details.

12. Organize and Declutter Your Kid’s Toys

Last but not least, if you have young kids or grandkids, it’s ideal to declutter and organize the toys before the holidays to make space for anything new that comes into your home.  This is a good opportunity to involve kids.  Have them help you pick out the toys they no longer enjoy or use.  Anything that’s in like-new condition, you can donate to a charity or give to another family.  If you have an abundance of toys, then consider storing some away in bins and implementing a toy rotation.

The Benefit Of Getting Organized for the Holidays

The holidays can be busy and overwhelming, but some preparation and organization can help you be ready to tackle the holidays with ease and make the most of the time with your family.

Wishing you an organized and stress-free holiday season with your family and friends!

The post 12 Ways to Organize Your Home Before the Holidays appeared first on Our Happy Hive.

Hey mama, life is busy.  You’ve had the school science project, the weekend sports tournament, your husband has been out of town on business and somehow, the holidays are just around the corner!!!

The holidays are a time for family, friends, and fun. But they can also be a time of stress and anxiety if you’re not prepared. One way to reduce the holiday chaos is to declutter your home before guests arrive. In this post, I’ll share the decluttering process and three areas of your home that you can declutter to get ready for the holidays.

Decluttering makes your home more manageable. There’s less stuff to deal with on a daily basis. According to studies, decluttering can also be energizing, reduce anxiety, and ease family tension.

How to Declutter In 4 Steps

Below are the basic steps to declutter any space.

Decluttering Step 1: Identify the Room or Category

The first step to decluttering is to choose the room or category you’re going to focus on. This can be anything from your entire room to just one closet or drawer. I like to break projects up into tiny tasks I can do in 30 minutes or less.  So, if you get overwhelmed at the idea of decluttering, start small!  Once you’ve decided what you’re going to declutter, it’s time to move on to step two.

Decluttering Step 2: Establish Your Criteria for the Things You Will Keep

This is an important step! You need to decide what criteria you will use to determine which things stay and which things go. For example, if you’re decluttering your closet, you might keep items that are still in good condition and that you actually wear. Or if you’re decluttering your kitchen, you might keep items that you’ve used in the last 12 months and that you don’t have duplicates of. Once you’ve established your criteria, it’s time to move on to step three.

Check out this post for more ideas on how to make decisions on what to get rid of when decluttering.

Decluttering Step 3: Sort

Now it’s time to start sorting through your things. This means taking everything out of its “container” (closet, drawer, pile, etc.) and deciding if it’s a “keep” or “toss” based on your criteria. This can be a little more time-consuming process, but it’s worth it!  Sort into five piles, Keep, Donate, Recycle, Sell, and Trash.  Once you’ve sorted through everything, then you can move on to step four.

Decluttering Step 4: Organize Your Remaining Items

The final step is to organize your remaining items. This means putting everything back into its “container” (closet, drawer, pile, etc.) in a way that makes sense and is easy to maintain. For example, if you’re decluttering your closet, then you might want to organize your clothes by season or by type (e.g., shirts, pants, skirts). If you’re decluttering your child’s bedroom, then you might want to organize the toys by category (e.g., cars, dolls) or by age group (e.g., baby toys, toddler toys).

You may also decide if you want specific containers to help you store and organize your belongings.  Make a list of your needs and locate the items within your home or buy necessary supplies.  Finally, be sure to find a home for EVERY ITEM you keep. If something doesn’t have a home, it will soon become clutter (again!)

Rooms to Declutter Before the Holidays

Now that you know the basic decluttering process, let’s touch base on the areas to declutter before the holidays.  I recommend focusing on three.

First Room to Declutter Before The Holidays: The Entryway

First impressions are everything, so you want your entryway to be neat and tidy. To declutter your entryway: Start by putting away any shoes or coats that might be lying around. Hang coats up in a closet or on hooks by the door. Store shoes in a shoe rack or in baskets underneath a console table. If you have any umbrellas, hats, or gloves lying around, put them away in a coat closet or storage bench so they’re out of sight but still within reach when you need them. Finally, wipe down surfaces and dust any knick-knacks that might be sitting on an entry table or shelf. A clean entryway will give visitors a good first impression of your home.

Second Room to Declutter Before The Holidays: The Kitchen

The kitchen is the heart of the home, and it’s likely where you’ll spend most of your time during the holiday season. Whether you’re cooking a big holiday meal or just whipping up some snacks for guests, you’ll want your kitchen to be clean and organized. To declutter your kitchen:

Start by getting rid of any expired food in your pantry and fridge. Next, clear off your countertops. Wipe down surfaces and put away any small appliances that you won’t be using. Finally, declutter your cabinets and drawers. Get rid of any dishes or cookware that you have collected over the years like coffee mugs or plastic cups.  Discard any dishes that are chipped, cracked, or missing parts.   If you have extra pots and pans, consider storing them in a storage closet or basement so they’re out of the way but still accessible when you need them.

Take some time to go through your cabinets and drawers and get rid of anything you don’t use or need. Donate items that are in good condition but that you no longer use. Throw away anything that is old or broken. Once you’ve decluttered your kitchen, you’ll be amazed at how much more space you have—and how much less stressed you feel.

Check out more kitchen organization ideas here.

Final Room to Declutter Before The Holidays: The Living Room

The living room is typically the room where family and friends gather to watch television, play games, or just relax. But if your living room is cluttered, it can be difficult to relax. You’ll want this space to be comfortable and inviting for your guests. To declutter your living room:

Start by getting rid of any old magazines or newspapers. Stack books neatly on shelves or in baskets. Go through your bookshelves and get rid of any books you no longer want or need. Declutter your coffee table by getting rid of magazines, knick-knacks, and other items that you don’t use on a regular basis. Put away any toys or games that might be lying around. Consider storing them in a toy box or closet if you don’t have time to put them away before guests arrive. Once your living room is decluttered, it will be a much more inviting space for you and your guests.

Decluttering Before Christmas

Decluttering before Christmas can seem like a daunting task, but it doesn’t have to be! By focusing on just three areas—the kitchen, living room, and entryway—you can make significant progress in getting your home ready for holiday guests. Taking some time now to declutter will help reduce stress later on and allow you to enjoy the holiday season with family and friends!

The post How to Declutter Your Home Before the Holidays appeared first on Our Happy Hive.