 As we usher in the new year, it's the perfect time to refresh our living spaces and embrace a clutter-free environment. A cluttered home can contribute to stress, anxiety, and a sense of overwhelm. Fortunately, decluttering doesn't have to be an arduous task. In this guide, we'll explore practical and effective ways to declutter your home in 2024, creating a harmonious and organized living space.
As we embark on a new year, take the opportunity to declutter your home and create a space that nurtures positivity and tranquility. By following these practical tips and incorporating mindful habits, you'll not only achieve a clutter-free environment in 2024 but also set the foundation for a more organized and harmonious lifestyle.
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 Preparing your home for the holidays when hosting involves a combination of cleaning, decorating, and planning to ensure a welcoming and festive atmosphere for your guests. Here are some tips to help you get started: Clean and Declutter
Decorate
Guest Comfort
Festive Lighting
Holiday Scents
 Entertainment and Activities
Festive Table Settings
Menu Planning
Welcome Guests
Emergency Supplies & Safety Precautions
Remember to enjoy the process and the time spent with your loved ones. Flexibility is key, so be prepared to adapt plans if needed and focus on creating lasting memories. How to Declutter and Organize Photos
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Decluttering and organizing printed photos can be a rewarding process that helps preserve cherished memories and create a more organized living space. Here are some steps you can follow to effectively declutter and organize your printed photos:
I hope this helps with your photo declutter and organization and I will be sure to share a digital photo declutter in an upcoming blog post. Happy photo organizing and enjoy those memories forever!   This article may contain affiliate links, which means I may earn a small commission if you make a purchase through the provided links. This comes at no additional cost to you and helps support the content I create. Thank you for your support. It’s back to school season and student and parents have to adjust again to daily routines, waking up early, preparing lunches and snacks (parents), getting to school on time, and making sure kids have balance with school and activities outside for happiness and wellbeing. To try to stay on track, here are some organization hacks for parents to help their children stay organized when going back to school: Set Up a Homework Station: Designate a quiet, well-lit space for your child to do homework and keep all necessary supplies within reach.  Morning Routine Chart: Create a visual morning routine chart to help your child stay on track with tasks like getting dressed, brushing teeth, and packing their backpack.  Meal Prep: Prepare lunches and snacks in advance to save time during busy mornings. Involve your child in selecting their meals. Using a bento box style lunch makes it fun and easy to store food in good portions, this bento box here is great for two sections of snacks and lunch.  Backpack Organization: Teach your children to clean out their backpacks regularly and only carry necessary items. Use compartments or pouches for organizing smaller items.  Label Everything: Label your child’s school supplies, clothing, and lunch containers to minimize the chances of items getting lost. This label maker is easy to use with bluetooth and app on your phone to print from.  Use a Command Center: Set up a central area in your home with hooks for backpacks, a bulletin board for important notices, and a file system for paperwork. Digital Communication: Stay in touch with teachers and school staff through digital communication channels to receive updates and important information promptly. Digital Learning Tools: Familiarize yourself with the digital tools and platforms your child’s school uses for virtual learning, if applicable.  Encourage Responsibility: Teach your child to take responsibility for their belongings and tasks, gradually giving them more independence as they grow. Emergency Contact List: Keep a list of emergency contacts, including the school’s contact information, readily available either in your phone or written in your agenda/calendar. Establish a Bedtime Routine: Set a consistent bedtime routine to ensure your child gets enough rest for productive school days. Encourage Time Management: Teach your child time management skills and help them create a daily schedule to balance school, extracurriculars, and downtime. Weekly Planning Meetings: Hold weekly meetings to discuss upcoming assignments, tests, and extracurricular activities to ensure nothing is overlooked. Delegate Chores: Share household responsibilities with your child to teach them valuable life skills and free up more of your time.  Digital Parental Controls: Use parental control apps or features on devices to manage screen time and ensure your child stays focused on schoolwork. Stay Flexible: Be prepared to adapt your organization strategies as your child’s needs and school requirements change.
Remember that every child is unique, so it’s important to tailor these organization hacks to suit your child’s personality and learning style. Consistency and open communication between parents and children are key to a successful back-to-school organization.  Creating a minimalist home involves simplifying your living space while prioritizing functionality and aesthetics. Here’s a step-by-step guide to help you get started: 1. DeclutterBegin by going through your home (starting with a small junk drawer for practice) and identifying items you no longer need or use. By following the KonMari Method you can go through items by categories so you can view everything that you have around the home. Categories are: clothing, books, paper, komono (miscellaneous) and sentimental items, be sure to follow that order. If that is too much of a long process, you can try room by room starting with the most overwhelming space but give yourself time. Donate, sell, or recycle these items to clear out unnecessary clutter. 2. Define Your VisionDetermine the level of minimalism you want to achieve. Everyone's level of minimalism is different, with the common goal of living with less, living with purpose and having more time to do what you love in life. Then you can also clarify your aesthetic preferences, colour palette, and overall design style. How much stuff do you want to live with and let go of? Visualize your home and get inspiration to motivate you to reach your goal.  3. Prioritize FunctionalityKeep only items that serve a purpose, that you love and add value to your life. Remove excess furniture, decorations, and belongings that don’t contribute to your daily activities or style.  4. Choose Quality Over QuantityInvest in high-quality, durable items that will stand the test of time. Opt for versatile furniture and decor that can adapt to changing needs. The same for clothing items that you choose to wear, keep quality and classic items. If you cannot invest in high quality items, search for second hand and used items. I suggest vintage and second hand for clothing and shoes, and furniture or decor through Kijijii or Facebook Marketplace to find what you are searching for.  5. Optimize StorageIncorporate smart storage solutions to keep your space organized. Utilize hidden storage, built-in shelving, and multi-purpose furniture to minimize visual clutter. The key is to not buy more storage items for organization, repurpose and try to avoid plastic and use more natural storage solutions like bamboo, or paper shoe boxes. 6. Neutral Colour PaletteStick to a neutral colour schemes for walls, furniture, and larger decor elements. This creates a serene and cohesive backdrop for your minimalist design. Add natural wood and materials for your space which will add to the peaceful environment you are seeking. Adding plants will also provide life and simple green touches to create another natural element. --  7. Limit DecorationsSelect a few meaningful decor pieces that align with your aesthetic. Avoid overcrowding surfaces with too many decorations so that you can also clean surfaces easily from dust. Adding artwork on walls or shelves to a minimum, and only having personal photographs in boxes to enjoy and only a few in frames will help create that minimalist look.  8. Empty SpacesEmbrace empty spaces as an essential part of minimalism. Allow areas of your home to remain unoccupied to promote a sense of tranquility. Rooms do not need to be filled with stuff, allow them to serve a purpose rather than a storage space. Whether it is an extra guest room, office space, or work/out meditation room these serve a purpose and don't require them to be all filled up with stuff.  9. Quality LightingUse natural light whenever possible. Incorporate quality artificial lighting to create a well-lit and inviting atmosphere. Using table lamps and side lamps instead of pot lights will give a more calming effect.  10. Mindful PurchasesBefore buying anything new to bring into the home, consider whether it aligns with your minimalist vision and adds value to your life. Avoid impulse purchases and think about what you currently have at home and if that something is replacing an item or adding to having more unnecessary stuff.  11. Functional LayoutArrange furniture and decor in a way that maximizes flow and functionality. Ensure that each item has a purpose within the space. Take a look at all the furniture in every space and see if removing some of it to create more space will help in the flow of every room. 12. Regular MaintenanceRegularly assess your belongings and declutter as needed to prevent accumulation of unnecessary items. Every day make it a habit to place items where they belong. Putting away dishes, folding clothes that were just put in the laundry and storing, hanging jackets and coats, putting already worn clothing in a proper place (laundry bin or hang/fold to wear again) and any items scattered around the home. Remember, creating a minimalist home is a gradual process. Take your time to make intentional decisions about what you bring into your space and how you arrange it. The goal is to achieve a balance between simplicity, functionality, and your personal style.
 This article may contain affiliate links, which means I may earn a small commission if you make a purchase through the provided links. This comes at no additional cost to you and helps support the content I create. Thank you for your support. When it comes to travel, we all want to go somewhere new for some relaxation, new adventures, discovering more and just to have fun and get away. The planning part can either be fun or stressful depending on how you think about it, but I like to get excited for a vacation and the planning part is part of the experience. When you plan and pack smart, you will alleviate some stress that can come when unexpected stuff happens out of your control. Here are some of my travel must haves for packing to make your life easier when you embark on that journey! 1. The right carry-on luggage The right carry on-luggage is so important as this is basically your closet and essentials for everything you bring when you are away from home. I always recommend having a carry-on luggage that is light weight, and that has bigger wheels to roll along. If you are going from transportation and walking a lot to your accommodations and anywhere in your destination, you don't want to risk busting those wheels...trust me it has happened to me! I ended up buying a new carry-on luggage while I was away because of this. I also just discovered this amazing carry-on luggage which is like a closet in your luggage, such a game changer! It's an award-winning Carry-On Closet® suitcase. Engineered with built-in shelving system, indestructible polycarbonate shell, and integrated USB charging port. The Carry-On Closet® will keep you organized anywhere your travel takes you. 2. Packing Cubes for clothing Packing clothes in packing cubes will make your clothing stay in place and organized within your luggage. Not only will it leave your luggage organized, when you unpack you can simply leave your clothes in the packing cubes and put them straight into drawers of your wardrobe/dresser at your accommodations. If you have no where to store them, you can also just have them sit on top of a dresser or table for easy access. No need to search for items within the luggage as it will be easily seen in your packing cubes. 3. Shoe bags for travel When packing shoes, you want to also store them in a shoe travel bag to keep them clean, but also to keep the rest of your luggage clean. Ever since I used shoe travel bags it has been a must have to pack with, and especially in case of foot odours you have that contained and avoid any smells or dirt spreading. With these bags you can make sure your shoes have a home in the luggage. 4. A Long Passport Wallet A long passport wallet is so essential as it will store your boarding passes (if you have them printed) and foreign currencies and cards and of course your passport. I have been using my long passport wallet for years and it has been put to good use. I can also fold any travel letters like an affidavit or long birth certificate within. You just need to have the right travel purse or bag to store it in. 5. Electronic Organizer Bag The electronics all need to live in one place and it is easy when they have a designated home to live in. This electronic organizer bag for travel can store all of your USB cables, chargers, headphones, and everything you would need for your devices. The electronic organizer bags are waterproof for peace of mind and have pockets and dividers within to separate and categorize all of the items inside. Make sure you keep this in your carry on bag so it is easy to bring out when you need it. 6. A luggage cover protector When you invest in a good luggage, you want to make sure you take care of it on it's journey through the airport and plane and back to you. We all know that luggages get tossed around and not properly cared for as there are many luggages travelling constantly. You want to protect the outside of it with a luggage cover fits it like a glove and it is easy to store away and laundry wash for next use. 7. Clear Toiletries Bag Using the right bag for your travel toiletries will make your life easier when passing security at the airport. You want to use a clear travel toiletries bag so that all of the products and items you bring can be seen easily when it goes through that conveyor belt machine. You can also just bring it out from your carry on bag separately so it can be seen right away. When you just fill this bag up, you know that the liquids will be allowed on the plane as well as it is TSA approved and airport/airline compliant. I also love all of the toiletries bags and containers at Muji which I use all the time to store my skin care products in clear containers. 8. Apple Air Tags If you want to have peace of mind when it comes to your stuff or even the people you travel with, using these Apple Air Tags like a tracker will help you to locate them through an app within your phone. I have experienced losing my mom believe it or not when travelling, at the airport, and also in a foreign destination where english is not widely spoken. It was scary when it was happening and I had to act fast, I was lucky to meet someone who spoke english and she gave me the police phone number who could respond to text messaging in english. Thankfully I never had to contact the police and my mom suddenly appeared after an hour and a bit. Always have a meeting spot and don't assume someone will be where you think! If I had this it would have been easier at that time, I highly recommend! 9. Air Tag Watch Holder or Rings
The Apple Air Tags need a home and having it live in an Apple Air Tag watch is probably the easiest way to have them live on a person. If you travel with kids or elders who definitely need this in case, this is the best way to have them use it. If you already wear a watch and don't want another accessory to be worn on the wrist, using an Apple Air Tag ring is another option where you can have it on your bag, belt or your keys as well. 10. Travel Backpack
If you want to travel even lighter and with less, a travel backpack like this one above is amazing! Great for the backpacker who likes to travel on many adventures, the perfect backpack - convertible from everyday use to travel mode in seconds. Engineered with an award-winning closet system, durable Shore-Tex™ fabric, and drop-proof 16" laptop storage, the Endeavor will keep you organized wherever you explore next. These items will make your travel experiences more easier and packing for travel is definitely the one thing you can control to avoid stresses that can come with your travels. I hope my tips have helped you, happy travelling everyone!
 The season of summer is here! Parents will now have to figure out how their kids will be spending their free time. It can be challenging to keep kids stimulated and avoid too much screen time, but also schedules. It’s best to get activities organized for them to continue to learn and play, so that they have a summer filled with creative and fun experiences. Here are some DIY hacks for kids summer organization: DIY Summer Outdoor Fun Station Kids need to be outside and enjoy the sun, even if it means being in their backyard, porch or balcony. Creating a summer outdoor fun station will get kids playing on their own and will keep everything organized and easy to put away. ● You can repurpose a shelving unit you have or you can get some wooden crates and stack them on top of eachother. ● Inside the shelving/crates you will store larger plant pots or buckets and fill them with a variety of things from water guns, chalk, balls and frisbees, sand and water toys (if you have a sand table or box), and bubble makers, and bug catchers ● You can have a large basket to gather any dirty or wet items to gather for cleaning and drying after water play. ● If you don’t have a water or sand play space, you can also use two large empty plastic storage containers and fill one with water and the other with sand and place on a sturdy table or you can also make your own DIY table to place them in.  DIY Summer Car Kit/Road Trip Survival This is a way to make car rides more peaceful and ready for any trips to the beach, parks or road trips. ● Use a shower caddy to store markers, pencils, paper, colouring/activity books and card games. ● Place another shower caddy for when eating food and drinks in the car to avoid mess. ● You can also store stuff in the back trunk area with a shoe holder and store extra supplies like diapers, wipes, swimming goggles, bug spray, sunglasses, toilet paper and anything small. ● Get a small storage container for the trunk and pack it with a change of clothes, towels, sand toys, water toys, and a picnic blanket.   DIY Craft Station Create a DIY crafting station at home so that it’s easy for kids to bring out and start creating art.
 Family Command Centre Having a central place for the family to keep track of the summer schedule helps everyone stay organized with plans. From summer camp, sleep overs, play dates, vacation away or staycation you can do this to stay organized. ● Use a wall near the kitchen or mud room, or any spot where the whole family gathers. ● Place an acrylic or dry erase board for a calendar as the focal point. Use chalk markers or pens that you can erase with. ● You can have a Summer Daily Routine and Activity checklist for the kids living here, and get them to learn how to take care of the home and have some responsibilities, which can help them earn some screen time. This will allow them to be more independent and teach accountability while being active. ● Create another spot for a board for any to-do lists you need for grocery or essential shopping, or what to pack and even meal plans for the week. ● You can also include an in-box/mail box so you can also drop things off here, it’s easier to remember what needs to be dealt with. ● Add a clock and hooks for keys and greenery for some decor. Your child’s artwork can also live here too!  Image via Pinterest by Erin Wheeler of Sunny Circle Studio. I hope these tips help you have a fun filled and stress-free summer with your kids! I shared these tips on CTV Your Morning earlier this year that you can check out below. Have a great summer and thanks for reading! Get Organized with My Amazon Finds for the Home Disclaimer: This article includes affiliate links when you click through the links in this and I earn a small commission for my home organizing product recommendations. I am all about using what you have already in the home to organize your stuff, but if you don't have items to elevate your space, then you can search for what to use to help your home function better. I wanted to share some of my home organization recommendations found on Amazon, and it makes it easier when you don't have to waste time looking for stuff in store. Bathroom OrganizationThe bathroom contains products that can expire and get bad, so it's best to check what is good and let go of what isn't so that you use what is healthy for your hair and body. Once you know what is staying in the bathroom, then you can use organizing items to contain your items with some of my recommended Amazon finds. Under the sink storage This under the sink two-tier storage bathroom cabinet organizer with a sliding basket is great for storing what you need in the bathroom. You can store cleaning products or all the toiletries from hair, skin care bottles and sprays to feminine products and anything you need stored away in the bathroom. You don't need to have everything at the bottom of the cabinet, things can be contained and the vertical space can be used even more. Bathroom drawer organizing If you have drawers in the bathroom for storage, but especially areas like the kitchen where the junk drawer exists or in your office desk drawers, these drawer inserts are perfect for all the little things that need a home. When organizing, be sure to remove everything from the drawer, then clean the bottom surface, then place the drawer inserts for your items. If you want to avoid them from shifting around, use this special museum gel or museum putty and place at the bottom of each insert. Then you are ready to organize things back and make sure you organize things into like items and create those categories. Shower caddy Having your shower or makeup/skincare essentials in one place is easy with a caddy, where you can easily pick it all up and bring where you need it when getting ready. This shower caddy is stackable and modern looking it will look nice anywhere you decide to put it from the counter or under the sink, or even the shower. It comes with an adhesive if you plan to have on the wall. Kitchen OrganizationThe kitchen is a high frequent area used daily for preparing meals and storing food, drink and everything to cook and contain what we consume. It's important that we make it function well for everyone in the home so that you can spend less time searching or shopping for items you need, so you can prepare what to eat without wasting time, energy and money. Here are some of my favourite Amazon organizing items for the kitchen. Spice Jars with bamboo lids and minimalist labels
Do you need your spices out of the packages or in the same spice jars? It's so much more pleasing to the eye when they are all uniform and and you can open your drawers or cabinets with them displayed so beautifully. If you want to elevate the spice jars, my Amazon find includes 24 spice jars, 150 square labels and 150 round labels (white and minimalist looking), a funnel for filling spice jars with ease and a brush to clean the jars. It's easier to get everything you need in one package and this Amazon find definitely gives you what you need for that spice upgrade. Water bottle organizer Water bottles topple and can get out of control when you have too many of them. There are bottles for cold drinks and hot drinks and sometimes every family member has more than one. It's good to go through all the bottles and make sure they are still what you want to use and working well. Then you can create a home for the bottles by using this cool bottle organizer to be placed in the cabinet and they are easy to get when they live in one spot. This set of 2 shelves can hold 3 containers in each shelf, and is designed to fit most pantry cabinets & refridgerators. Each shelf measures 11" ( 28cm ) × 7.9" ( 20cm ) × 3.8" ( 9.6cm ). Ziplock storage bag organizer I use ziplock bags for my son's lunches and snacks, and I always clean and re-use them so that they are not ending up in landfill. I usually place all of the ziplock bags into one large freezer size ziplock bag and although that does work, when I found this on Amazon I thought wow it's a home just for the ziplock bags in all sizes. This lives in your drawer and you can lift the top and the bags go in easily. Just decant those ziplock boxes and recycle, and elevate those snack and sandwich bags with this special ziplock bag organizer. Laundry OrganizationDoing laundry should feel good when you have to do something tedious and that takes up a lot of time. Even though this area is not frequented by guests, you want to make it feel good for yourself so you don't mind doing laundry when you have to. Glass Jars for Detergent and Pods and wooden scooper
Decant the laundry detergent, pods, and scent boosters and place them into large glass jars for the laundry detergent and use labels so they are visible and pleasing every time you have to re-fill and use. Use a wooden scooper for each jar to make it even more enjoyable to do your laundry. You can also place your fabric softner or liquid detergent into a nice large glass jar with a pump , which will match nicely with the other jars. Woven baskets If you don't have a place in your laundry space to store the laundry jars either on secure shelving or anywhere stable, you can use these nice woven baskets to keep them contained. As you can see it is also great for storing toilet paper in the bathroom. Laundry minimalist labels Adding labels to your laundry jars will make it easy for all family members to know what lives where, especially when doing the laundry re-fills. This set of labels for the laundry and bathroom and are white and minimalist and comes with 144 pre-printed glossy labels and are water resistant. Dryer Sheet Acrylic Box Did you ever think that your dryer sheets could use a home? If you still use dryer sheets, then you can upgrade their home by decanting the box and they can live in this modern acrylic tissue box holder which is converted to be a dryer sheet box and use the dryer sheets instead. These are just some of my Amazon finds for the home, and if you want to see more of my recommendations you can check out my storefront for what you need. The links above are Amazon Canada links, but in my Amazon Storefront for USA they have alternatives for the similar items.
Amazon Storefront Canada Amazon Storefront USA Thanks for reading and happy organizing.  The season of spring is when we always give our home a good deep clean and that also includes a good declutter and re-organization of our things. Once you have cleaned up the dirt in your home from the winter, you want to get areas tidy and organized for the season and why not try out these hacks to help out! Here are some hacks to use when you get organized for spring: Wardrobe Hack With warmer weather we can finally put away the heavy layers and focus on lighter clothing. Don’t hold on to clothing that is no longer your style, we grow and evolve and it’s ok to let go of items that don’t show the best version of ourselves now.
Kids Organization Hacks The kids' areas can really get overwhelming especially when they have more stuff after the holiday season. Have you been dealing with more toys creeping up into the living area and common spaces? Now is the time to work with your kids to find out what they would like to keep and let go. You can always shuffle toys and their things from the common area, and keep things in their bedroom so it doesn't lose control. Try these small hacks for more organization with the kids stuff:
Kitchen Organization Hacks Now is the time to go through the pantry and fridge and remove all the expired items and know what you need to replenish. Once you do that then you can do some extra little hacks for more organization in the kitchen like these:
Try these hacks out and start spring with a different approach with organizing in your home.
 The next major travel season is this March break and with many issues of lost luggage when travelling lately and influx of travellers post pandemic, it’s much easier to travel with a carry-on luggage no matter the time or distance of travel. This is especially easier when travelling in warmer climates to those all-inclusive vacations, where all you need are light summer clothing and swimwear. If you are travelling to a colder climate, it's also possible as well with these organizing tips for travel! Always Use a Packing ListThis is so essential so you don’t forget to bring certain items, like chargers, travel adapters, etc...I once travelled to Vancouver and forgot my makeup, and then I purchased some while there which wasn’t ideal of course. Follow a list and you will be organized from the start! The carry-on luggage By using this size luggage you avoid checking it in and you no longer need to worry about losing it or wasting time waiting for it when you arrive. You can happily walk ahead at arrivals and get ahead all the way to your hotel! Use packing cubes and fold clothing vertical
This allows you to keep your items separated by categories like all tops, bottoms, undergarments and socks to have their own home. Then simply bring them out into the hotel dresser drawers and keep items clean and organized when you settle into your hotel room. Use a shower cap for shoes This simple hack that you can purchase at the dollar store, keeps shoes contained and protects your clothing from getting dirty. Bring flip flops/slippers and one pair of outdoor shoes perhaps a dressy pair and you wear your casual shoes to the airport. If you are travelling to a colder climate, choose to wear your boots instead. Use shampoo and soap bars for less liquid in luggage  I started to use soap bars more and just bring my own containers and it’s also less waste. Pack travel sized toiletries as much as possible. Most people want to bring their own toiletries as they don’t always want to use what is provided by the hotel. I usually make sure to just bring my own facial wash and lotion, toothpaste and sunscreen (if I’m going to a hot climate). Most of the stuff I can buy while I am there and I will just leave the items at the hotel when I’m done. Use clear (Zip lock) bags to pack little stuffUse clear (Zip lock) bags to pack electronic items, toiletries, travel documents, and all together and misc. items. Having chargers and travel adapters in one place makes it easy to find especially when you are running on low battery! Use a zip lock bag or even a makeup bag to contain these, and other small items you need. I prefer having a clear zip lock bag to hold my important travel papers. I also like to have all of these in my carry-on bag so it’s easier to show at security.  Final tip:Always bring a tote bag, steel straws and empty water bottle in case. I find this useful in everyday life and even when travelling. Continue to have less waste wherever you go! When you pack less you will have less worry and stress, happy travels!  |
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