Seasonal Switch-Up

I don’t care how organized you are (and believe me, I am), changing out the kids’ clothing for a new season is never fun! However, with some foresight, a little preparation, and the following tips, you can make it as seamless and painless as possible.

1. Declutter Regularly. Stay with me here…I’m not saying take everything out from all the drawers and closets on a weekly basis. Rather, if you can see the outline of your child’s belly button in a t-shirt, or your kid’s athletic pants are looking like high-waters, simply add those pieces to a “Sort Later” or “Donate” bin. Or if their pants have a rip, go ahead and toss in the trash. One less item to worry about later and wonder if it’ll pass for another season. News flash: It won’t!

2. Sort Smartly. If you’ve got multiple kids, designate a bin/shelf in each’s closet for pieces that are outgrown. Then, when you go to change-out for the season, you’ll know that everything in that bin is the same size — that is, the most recent one your child was wearing.

3. Involve Kids. I’d never say this when we’re talking about toys, but with clothes, kids like what they like, and are usually more than ready to part with things they aren’t wearing, be it for reasons of comfort, style, or “just because”. In this way, kids are effectively decluttering for you.

4. Label Everything. No matter how many times I swear I will remember what a bin has in it…six months later is a long time and I never do. It’s for this reason that we recommend labeling everything! Instead of your kid’s name, label it with the size. Got multiple genders and sizes, specify “Boy 5T” and “Girl 5T”. The more specific you can get in the label, the easier it will be to change things up and out.

Clothes storage is an ever-evolving, necessary evil of having kids, but it also means our households are growing and thriving, which ultimately, is our highest priority. These four tips are designed to make the seasonal switch-up for clothing decluttering, hand-me-downs and storage as seamless as possible. But if it still feels too overwhelming to tackle amidst all your other "to-dos”, give us a call!

Making the Most of your Cabinets and Doors

Last week, we discussed WHAT to store behind cabinets and doors, and now, as promised, we’re linking our favorite products for HOW to do it! Organizing is only effective if you’re using systems that will work for YOU. We stress this point a lot because we often talk with our clients, who are frustrated because what looks amazing on The Home Edit for one of their clients, or what works for your sister/friend, may not be what works for you. But we promise, something will work!

If you’re not sure what will work for your family, give us a shout and we’ll make it happen!

What’s Behind Door Number 1

What’s Behind Door Number 1

Whether you’ve got limited space or simply want to optimize what you’ve got, door and cabinet backs are where it’s at! There’s no shortage of things we can think to store on them, and all sorts of easy-to-install products to make the most of the space.

Got a linen closet door? Consider placing all your meds, feminine hygiene products, and backstock toiletries there. It’s easy to access for everyone, and will make finding the fever reducer meds in the middle of an exhausted night a literal and figurative life-saver!

Entryway closet door? Line it with a deeper bin rack to hold your seasonal accessories like googles and ball caps, or cleaning accessories like vacuum filter replacements and extra mop heads.

Office or bonus room door? This is a perfect spot for crafts — markers, jewelry kits, vinyl rolls, glue sticks, you name it. Or if crafting isn’t your thing, consider making a gift wrap station on the back of these doors. These over-the-door systems can house ribbon, bows, scissors, tape, gift bags, wrapping paper rolls, and anything else you might use!

Now, let’s talk the pantry door! Spices, food wraps and baggies, lunch bags, grab-n-go snacks, mints and gum are all great for the door, as they’re not too heavy and won’t compromise the integrity of the door itself. Not to mention, anything you place there should be easy to find for husbands and teens, uh, PEOPLE, who have a hard time seeing what’s right in front of them.

Finally, we’d be remiss not to mention cabinet backs. You can use them to store disposable bag dispensers, command hooks for dustpans, your family calendar, or even Post-Its of your running tally of favorite wines!

Make sure to check back at next week’s blog post, where we’ll share our favorite products for making these ideas come to life in your own home!

Seasonal Switch-Up

With a seasonal switch-up in full bloom (see what we did there?), now’s the time to ready your closets and drawers for spring and summer. It’s hard enough to find the perfect outfit that fits AND makes us feel good, so what we definitely don’t want to do is waste time simply trying to find what’s right for the season.

Bring your sandals, wedges, and flip-flops to the front, while pushing your boots, mules, and Uggs to the back.

While we love a good ROYGBIV color system, make sure you’ve sectioned it — tanks, short-sleeves and shells, longsleeves, cardigans and sweaters, etc. These sections should work for your lifestyle, but at least you know when you go to grab a white tee, you’re not having to weed through a wool sweater to get it.

In the midst of shifting, sectioning, and ROYGBIV-ING, this is the perfect time to purge and donate. If you haven’t worn it in 2 years, it’s lost its shape because of frequent washes, or it just doesn’t speak to you anymore, let that shit go!