When it comes to simplifying your home, I tend to take a little bit of a different approach than what you might see on Pinterest, per say. “Over-organizing” is a thing, friends. There is such a thing (brace yourselves) as too many labels, too many boxes and bins, and too much organization. Here’s why: I don’t know about you, but I actually live in my house. Actually, five of us do! And, truth be told, our schedules are a little wonky, our laundry gets a little out of hand, and we tend to reach points where we simply have too much stuff. So, “organization” for my home is flexible, imperfect, and flexible (oh, did I say that already?). I need to be able to clean up in a cinch and find things with a toddler (or two) hanging from my leg.
SIMPLIFYING YOUR HOME
- Declutter. When in doubt, the answer is goodbye: See Justin Timberlake et al explain this concept here. I really curbed my shopping habit this year when I realized how much stuff I gave / threw away. Physical clutter = mental clutter and to me, with a family and a business to manage, I need as little mental clutter as possible. This can take a while and that’s ok. Go through your home and get rid of things. Out with the old, in with the new.
- Fresh up, then give everything a home: Now that you have a clean slate to start with, look at the way your home is laid out. Is there any way you could rearrange furniture or even get rid of furniture to make your home work better for your lifestyle / family? Remember this: your home should be a place of rest. Home is where we go to rejuvenate, recharge, reconnect and rest. It should feel comfortable and fresh. That doesn’t mean you need to spend a ton of money on decorations or new furniture. It simply means that you need to make what you have work for you. Once you feel good about the way the big pieces are laid out, make sure everything has a home. Do you have random junk drawers and baskets that need to be addressed? Dump everything from these places in a laundry basket and slowly sort / put away.
- Create a command-central spot: When we moved into our new home, we had this random short wall that I wasn’t sure what to do with. I ended up putting a dry erase board calendar (monthly format) on it and setting a small table against it. It serves as the place backpacks are dropped, homework is kept, and our schedules / meal plan lives. It’s nice to know those daily-use items have a place and our family has one spot to go-to to know what’s going on.
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Don’t forget to read Part 1 of our Simplifying 2017 series, and check back all week long for Parts 3 + 4 and for lots of fun giveaways, discounts, tips and more as we head into the new year. And, if you haven’t picked up your Simplified Planner yet, now’s the time! Orders over $100 get FREE domestic shipping until January 2 (and Happy Stripe is almost sold out)! Get yours before they’re gone! AND my book, Grace, Not Perfection, is on sale on Amazon for under $10 (for a limited time)!! The e-book is just $3.99! Check it out here.
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GIVEAWAY
We’re thrilled to be teaming up with some of our very favorite brands for today’s giveaway! Enter below to win $250 towards virtual services from The Home Edit, $30 towards “How to Organize Photos” in the Nancy Ray Shop, a $250 Framebridge gift card, a monogrammed Simplified Planner bundle, and a copy of Grace, Not Perfection by Emily Ley.
Giveaway winners will be contacted on Monday, January 2nd. Open to U.S. Residents only (sorry, International friends!).
