The Best Clutter-Free Gift Guide

As seen in Huffington Post

clutter free organized gift guide

While snow, mistletoe and all things holly and jolly may put a smile on other people's faces, it triggers a twinge of anxiety in me.  I really don’t like clutter.  Obviously.  And with all of the great family time that the winter holidays bring comes the influx of new items into our house.  

We have a bit of a double whammy in our home.  We celebrate both Hanukkah and Christmas.  Can you say present overload?!  That’s why it is especially important to have a plan going in.

I think that the key to staying organized during this time is to try to slow down the inpouring of new items and then develop a strategy to deal with all of the crap, oops, I mean presents, that you accumulate over the holidays.  Now don’t get me wrong, I’m not all scrooge-like about Christmas, I love buying gifts for my family and friends, I love seeing their faces when I’ve managed to get them exactly what they wanted, and I even like receiving gifts sometimes (as long as it is exactly what I wanted without me having to tell you what to buy!).  But I also like to have alternatives to traditional gifts.  Here are some of my favorite ways to spread cheer without clutter:

The Gift of Time

Offer to take this person out for lunch or a movie.  Maybe a double manicure or pedicure is more up your alley.  Set a time and date to actually do this and then follow through. I can almost hear your objections through the computer right now: “I want them to have something to open!”  Wrap up a few emery boards, or a box of popcorn with a note explaining the gift.  You really have the opportunity to get creative here (this, of course, assumes that you want to spend time with the person in question, if you don’t then maybe you shouldn’t be exchanging gifts in the first place!)  

I like applying this strategy to kids as well.  Make a cute gift certificate promising a meal out at their favorite restaurant with Mom and/or Dad,  a grandparent, aunt or uncle, etc. (I have some free printables you can customize here.)  Other ‘gift of time’ ideas are: family movie night (they pick the movie and snacks), an indoor picnic with their favorite food, a few hours at the mall with you where they can pick a present (set a budget!) and grab ice cream, go spend $30 at a local arcade, get artsy and paint a ceramic together, spend a morning at their favorite zoo or museum.  They key to this is really to zero in on what they love to do and let them have that super important one-on-one time with you.

Experiences

Giving someone an experience may be a good option if you don’t live in the same city, or you want them to be able to do something on their own schedule (and not necessarily with you!).  Essentially you will be buying them a gift certificate but the intention is more for them to go do something rather than buy something.  Every city has it’s own fun local things to do, but here are some ideas; day pass to an amusement park, a local museum or zoo, cooking class (in-home or at a restaurant), indoor trampoline places, massage, spa day, fancy car rental for a day, water park, ziplining, the list goes on and on.  Try to think of what they would love to do and let them experience it. You can check out some more ideas here  and here (no affiliation).

Consumables

I mean, c’mon, who doesn’t like to eat?  I love getting food as a gift.  I eat it, it’s gone, no clutter!  I know what you’re thinking, that the holidays are already filled with so much good food that no one could possibly need more.  And I totally get that, but, 1. It doesn’t have to be junk food and 2. You don’t necessarily have to give it at that moment.

Subscription boxes are all the rage right now, you can do a one-time gift, or choose for the recipient to get them for a few months.  They offer everything from meat, to meals to coffee and tea to wine and hard liquor.  There are so many choices.  Here are a few places that list different boxes (and they ship to Canada, eh):

If you want a more DIY approach (and more budget friendly) than you can put together your own box of deliciousness.  A “make-your-own-sundae” kit is always fun: bowl cones, sprinkles, caramel sauce, you get the picture.  As long as you don’t include the ice cream you'll be good to go.

Have a favorite cookie recipe? You can put all the dry ingredients in a cute mason jar with instructions.  Do a homemade hot cocoa mix in a holiday-themed tin.  As always, my go to for all things DIY is Pinterest, so head over there if you need some more inspiration.

Shared Gifts

This is one category I would reserve for kids or couples, because not everyone likes (or wants) to share.  But it is a great way to give a real, tangible gift without adding too much clutter.  For children you could buy a new puzzle, board game or art kit.  Look for something that they can both participate in and would be encouraged to do together.

Depending on the adults you’re buying for you could go a similar route, though I would opt for a slightly harder puzzle or game (maybe not Candyland for instance).  You could also get something for their home that is personalized: notepads, a new wine rack, luxurious new towels, a plant they can care for together.  Try to think of their common interests and build on that.

Good luck with your holiday shopping & Happy Organizing!

Keep Your Home (And Family) Organized This Winter

As featured in Huffington Post

stay organized this winter

Ah, Winter.  What is not to love about this magical, snowy season? Ok, I’m obviously kidding, unless you are an avid skier or snowboarder, or you make your living plowing driveways, chances are you’re not exactly looking forward to the cold, sleet and snow.  That  being said my 4 year old really loves winter. She thinks that all of the sparkly snow is the most beautiful thing in the world.  And I guess it is.  Until you remember all the gear required to keep you warm during the season of sparkles.

The coats, snowsuits, boots and hats can be especially challenging if you have an entryway that is on the small side.  I recently had a reader send in some pictures if her organizing dilemma.  She has a small vestibule, the closet feels messy and disorganized and the bench she designated as a place for people to sit and put on their shoes always has stuff piled on top and below.

Unfortunately, there is not much I can do to change with the actual size of the entryway.  But there are a number of organizing tricks we can implement to help maximize that space that you have to work with.

Don’t Fight Your Instincts

reader's pic

Try to find organizing solutions that work for you and your family.  In this case the reader was frustrated that other members of the household kept using the hooks on the inside of the door.  First of all, bravo to you for putting hooks there in the first place.  It is an excellent use of space.  If people hang coats up on the inside hooks of the door, let them.  If it feels like everything ends up getting piled there then maybe you need to set some ground rules.  Throw a few labels on the inside of the door and give each person ONE hook.  Let them know that they only get to hang one coat or sweater there.  Everything else must be go on hangers.  No exceptions.

Since having hooks on the door is such a great use of space why not go for broke and install a second row of hooks at a level where the kids can hang up their own coats? Less stuff to hang in the closet and they can do it themselves.  Double win!

The same principle applies to the bags and backpacks that keep getting thrown on the bench or the floor.  They are being left there because there is no other place for them, or the place that you designated for them requires too much work.  Try to work within people’s natural tendencies and create a ‘Drop Zone’.   You can use a pretty woven basket in the front (or some type of bin, heck, even a laundry basket would work). The goal is to have one place to put all the stuff that would otherwise land on the floor.

Think Vertical

Using the vertical space in a given room is a great way to increase your storage space.  This is especially true in the entryway.   Think about putting a row of well-installed hooks on the wall for all the bags and backpacks that might otherwise hit the ground.  If you don’t have a lot of wall space, think about the vertical space you do have.  Look at the inside walls of the front closet. You may be able to put some hooks there. Do try to install solutions near where the household member ordinarily put stuff.  It will be much easier to simply tweak their routine than to completely revamp it.

                                                                         Have Defined Spaces

reader's pic

Try to think of defined spaces for your things in the same way that directions help us to get from point A to point B.  When a path is clear it is easy to follow.  This can be as simple as having a mat for shoes and boots, or labeling the storage containers.  It is hard to blame the members of your house for leaving stuff all over the floor when they come in if it isn’t clear where to put it.  

In this case I would go one of two ways, depending on budget.  You could either put a small shoe mat under the bench or get a new bench that does double duty.  A space to sit on top and storage for shoes, and maybe even a bag or two on the bottom.  Ikea makes a great one , alternatively you can hang onto the bench you have and put in a sleek and slim shoe cabinet. Check out this link  for some options.

Invest In Good Hangers

Okay, so by invest I really mean spend $50 to $75.  Not really much of an investment when you think about it to increase the space in your closet.  Why buy new hangers? Why not just use the mishmash of what you have collected over the years from the dry-cleaners, the Dollar Store and your parent’s house? Because they are ugly and they take up too much space (and I said so!)

Nice slimline hangers take up way less space in your closet, which means you have more room.  Plus, it looks really pretty and uniform when all of the hangers match.  People are 90% more likely to maintain a space that looks nice (I may have just made that statistic up but based on my experience but it seems like a realistic estimate.)

Declutter The Space

Even if you have already gone through the coats and boots and shoes and you’re only keeping what you really need and use, chances are there is room for improvement.  Most of the time when I am organizing a client’s closet the stuff on the floor and the higher shelves never gets touched and they have no idea what’s up (or down) there.  So tackle those shelves and really assess if you need those items in that space.  It’s likely that you can find a new home for most of it and save the front closet space for your most frequently used items.  

You also want to make that shelf space do double duty, so here is a great place to stack bins for extra storage.  Make sure they are clearly labelled so you don't have to pull them down every time you're looking for something.

 

My last suggestion if you are dealing with a smaller space is to swap out seasonal items.  Try to keep only what you are currently using in the front closet and find another spot for the off-season stuff.  If space is a big issue you can use vacuum bags or bins (or even vacuum bags in bins!) to store it until you are ready for the next seasonal swap!

Good Luck and Happy Organizing!

 

Organize Your Clothes With Drawer Dividers

I love love love using drawer dividers to keep clothes organized.  Especially baby clothes!  Using these open baskets in the drawers makes clothes easy to find and makes the transition between seasons a breeze!

Drawer dividers make it easy to keep your kids' clothes (and yours!) easy to find and organized. They also make it super simple to transition through the seasons.