My Organizing Tips: A fresh start to the New Year

            Hi Everyone! Happy New Year! I took a couple weeks off of blogging right after Christmas which was so nice and relaxing but I am back to kick off the New Year with many exciting things coming up for my blog but also sharing ways to stay organized, new recipes, home decor ideas, and so much more! My blogging goal for 2018 is to share more content with you and hopefully inspire you to create things in your own home.

           2017 was a wonderful year for us filled with ups and downs, traveling, family time, and so much more. One way to kick off 2018 is decluttering and re-organizing. As you know, I am a pretty organized person and love the feeling of cleaning and keeping things tidy. Some of you are like this and some of you aren't, either way I thought it would be fun to share a few ways to start off the new year by giving you some of my organizing and decluttering tips that I use for our own home.

Here are a few of my organizing tips: 

First, start small 

         Pick a place in your house that needs the most attention. Start small by focusing on one room or spot, this way you aren't overwhelmed by all of the areas that you want to accomplish. For us, it was the kitchen. Once you pick your place in the house start by throwing away anything you don't use, need, or want.

Create 3 Piles 

         Create a donate pile, trash pile, and keep pile. This can apply to your kitchen, closet, office, kids play room whatever area needs the most attention. Once you start and give that one area a little attention, it will give you the motivation you need to start de-cluttering. Trash items you don't need, have wear & tear, or simply don't want. Donate any items you want to remove from your space to your local Goodwill or Salvation Army or maybe a family member/friend wants to go through your pile. I ask myself several questions when I am determining my "keep pile" (Is this something we need, something we will use in the future, or something we can do without?)

Utilize your space 

       Whichever room or area needs some help, once you tackle the cleaning out part of the job you can then start fresh with utilizing your space properly. What I mean by this, for an example we needed some serious cleaning and organizing in our kitchen cabinet area and pantry. With the rush of the holiday's we kind of starting throwing things left and right. Use plastic bins, fabric totes, door hangers, or containers to organize your space. This will not only make your area look better but it will feel better if everything has a place. Especially if you are working with a small space and need some extra room, using a door hanger for your cleaning supplies, crafts, or shoes will really help your space situation. 

Labeling 

     I know you are thinking, I don't have "time" to label. Well, maybe you don't but I can promise you if you label the folders, label the plastic bins, or label your pantry items it will help you stay organized throughout the year. I really stick by this and this has helped me stay on track throughout the year and not just at the new year. Even if it is one label or two it will definitely not only look better but also feel better. 

         Here are a few areas that I have organized in the past week to make small changes in our everyday lives. Even starting with one drawer in your medicine cabinet or in your closet will start to make a difference and keep you on track. I hope you enjoy my own organizing tips and I hope this inspires you to create your own organizational needs in your own home :) Thank you for stopping by!

I organized the small areas of our pantry that needed some organization by using jars, containers, tupperware and bins to create an easier way to find things we are looking for. 

Our kitchen cabinets quickly get out of hand and just taking some extra time to re-organize a cabinet or two goes a long way. 

I received this spice rack from my parents for Christmas and it has been a wonderful way to get our species organized in our pantry and I love how it looks also haha :) Another way to organize your spices is by purchasing these clear boxes or trays to separate your goods. Very inexpensive and easy! I purchased these from Target for $6.99 and $9.99

I don't know about you, but we have books everywhere in different locations I thought it make a good statement in our sunroom but also a great way to organize our books! I created two simple book ends with greenery and larger books on the other end. 

Same thing with my cookbooks, they were everywhere after the Holidays. I made a cookbook statement in the Kitchen to add some color and this was a great way to keep them organized as well. 

Going back to my bin and tote idea, I love using these totes and bins even in our drawers to keep product, medicines, or any excess goods organized. 

Organization: 10 Tips to Declutter your bathroom with guest blogger CaitsCozyCorner

              Hey guys! Happy Tuesday! Today, I am teaming up with a lovely lady named Caitlin   who is known for her blog CaitsCozyCorner www.caitscozycorner.blogspot.com I am excited to share with you her "10 Tips to Declutter your Bathroom." We have talked about organizing and ways to organize your home before but I love Cait's tips and ways she organizes her own bathroom and home. Thank you Cait for sharing with us and for collaborating together for this post. 

Bathrooms tend to be the messy and disorganized of rooms in my house. I’m not sure why with so many towels, toothbrushes for the kids, bath soaps and sponges and more it’s just a disaster all the time! Since having our newborn a few weeks ago, I became insistent on getting everything cleaned and organized during my time at home. I also thought of some great tips to help you declutter your bathroom if you seem to be in the same rut as myself. So let’s share 10 tips to declutter your bathroom (or even your kids, guest or powder room)!

1. Baskets Under The Sink - If you don’t have a extra room, baskets are a nice way to neatly store shoes, dog leashes, and packs. When they are tucked under a pretty console it doesn’t turn into a blemish. I think this idea is excellent.

2. Hanging Shelves Above The Toilet - I always want to put some extra storage above our toilet but could never find anything I liked that would fit such a small and cramped spot. Adding some hanging shelves above is perfect to place extra towels, soap or anything else you may need to grab quickly.

3. Baskets In Drawers- Don’t you hate opening a drawer and everything rolls into one another? I use small baskets from the dollar store to help keep lipsticks together, toothpaste and toothbrush parts and other little things in one central location.
4. Use Jars - Mason jars are my favorite way to add some fun flair plus they fit everything! Cotton balls, toothbrushes, makeup brushes and more! I love mounting them to the mall, especially in my powder room where space is limited. Having this extra storage makes all the difference!

5. Hand Soap Bottles - Do you ever have too many shampoo or conditioner bottles under your sink or in your shower? They can take up a lot of room, especially when you buy in bulk like I do. Make it easier on yourself and put them in soap bottles! They give you the same pump feeling and you save so much room by having the smaller bottle.
6. Clear Vases- I used to always try and figure out the best way to store toilet paper. They can be bulky and trying to make them accessible to your guests can be daunting. I add big vases and put some toilet paper in it for a more decorative, tasteful way to store your toilet paper.

7. Toy Baskets - Are you a parent? If you are, you understand and maybe even cringe over all the bath toys you may have for your little one. An easy way to tackle that project? Grab some cute pins and add a bar to place over the tub. This is an easy way for your child to grab what they need and learn placement value for each toy in the tub. Be creative with how you store your items too and have your child even help if needed to feel apart of the process.
8. Tension Rods- Lots of jewelry but nowhere to put them? Add a tension rod that you can purchase at the dollar store, as well as some s hooks. These s hooks are perfect for hanging your necklaces or even hanging old clips for your hair! Tension rods are easy to install in your own bathroom or even your child's bathroom to help store extra towels, wash clothes and robes. The possibilities are endless adding tension rods to any bathroom in your home!
9. Repurpose - Turn containers from jam, candles, and anything else you can find into chic supply jars! They make your powder room a bit more festive adding some cotton swabs, tissues, or even soap for your guests to use!
10. Add A Wall - Of course you can only do this if you have the space but who doesn’t hate going into a bathroom and having the toilet just out in the open. Add a privacy wall to the side as well as extra storage space for yourself! It’s the perfect solution.

Image: Premier Surfaces

Because bathrooms have now become our sanctuary we want it to be an escape from the bustle of our everyday lives and keeping it clean and declutter free is key. You want to enjoy your me time in your bathroom and to help you look and feel your best, the people at Premier Surfaces can help you achieve that look with their natural stone countertops. They have an en

enormous collection of granite, marble, soapstone, and quartz  at every showroom – whatever you can dream up, they can help you find it. They offer design consultants to help you choose the perfect material for your bathroom countertops, as well as anything else you may need for your remodeling project, including designer tiles, sinks and faucets. Whatever your bathroom dreams, you can achieve it with Premier Surfaces, located in the Atlanta area.

How would you declutter your bathroom?

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organization: kitchen pantry

before pictures:

the after pictures:

using bins and organizing trays keep your items clean and organized

these bins are inexpensive and great to store your snacks

i love keeping my cookbooks exposed and on display :)

i  love these small organizing trays to organize my spices

the cookie jar reed and i made when we were dating

 my before & after pictures of my pantry are crazy! just by re-organizing what i have and purchasing a few small bins and trays made a huge difference. i love organizing and i have been wanting to tackle this pantry for awhile now. well, i now had the chance to get to it today! you can find bins, crates, plastic trays, jars, and other items just about anywhere in order to organize your space. 

i found these clear plastic trays at target as well as the tan bins that i used for our snacks. i recently had a switch in my diet and now that consists of gluten free; therefore, i pitched a lot of items away from the before pictures. i needed to keep most of the pantry items but added in some new gluten free items as well. 

now our pantry is clutter free and easy to use. i hope you find your own inspiration in organizing your home as well. i always find it exciting that the finished product is much easier to use and clean. i hope you all enjoyed your weekend and i hope you are having a great week so far. thank you for stopping by and happy wednesday! :)

home decor: my craft room reveal

i am so excited to share my craft room with you!! i spend several hours a week in this room and i absolutely love it! this is my space where i organize, make crafts, and blog. this room is filled with black & white, polka dots, stripes, and pops of color. i am easily excited by tissue paper, crafting, greeting cards, and boxes-lots & lots of boxes (as you can see they are everywhere). everyone has their weird quirky things they like right!? ha! i know i sure do anyways.

there is a lot to talk about in this room but let me first talk about some of the special pieces in this room. they are:

-merci bag hanging on the wall is my first trip to Paris at an amazing concept store that i fell in love with. i studied abroad in italy for 6 months and this was one of my favorite pieces of my trip

-black hanging picture frame on the wall that has white flowers in the picture, that was a gift from my aunt and those are my wedding flowers

-the golden bunny on the stack of magazines on my sewing table is from my great great aunt as a hand me down

-the gold hanging frame that talks about champagne is a gift from my bachelorette party from my best friend and maid of honor

-my sewing machine was a gift given to me from my grandmother when i was in high school 

-my white computer desk was a desk that i have had my entire life that my dad has re-painted several times and i love it more each time we paint it ha!

-the pearls hanging on the mannequin hand on the book shelf were my great aunts that she wore and i inherited

-the picture of my mother and i at easter several years ago is one of my favorite pictures of us

-my books: some are hand me downs, one is written by my great aunt, others are encouraging words and positive thinking, and words on heaven and jesus

-the curtains that are handmade from my mother-in-law

-the white canvas with lipstick is from my bachelorette weekend with most of my bridesmaids lipstick

all of the pieces that make up my craft room are very special to me and things i am very passionate about. i am fortunate that my wonderful husband allowed me to make our extra room a craft room instead of a boring office or another guest bedroom haha (i promised him the next house he would have a man room) so we agreed! some of the other details of my craft room include some of my favorite cards that i have collected over the years as well as my favorite brittany fuson fashion illustrations. i love her work and i have collected many of her prints the past few years since i discovered her. 

gift wrapping & packaging items are also high on my obsession list. as you can see above with my ribbon holder that my mother got me for Christmas (i absolutely love it). some of the other items i hoard are tissue paper, gift tags, twine, and colorful pens. i love wrapping gifts for others and have always appreciated a pretty package. i believe its always special when the packaging is as good as the gift inside. 

some of the things i am working on this week include putting up the new card shelves that reed made me and firing up my circuit to make some new paper items. i can't wait to share the card shelves with you later this week. they are adorable and as always i admire reed's craftsmanship. he is so talented! anyways, i hope you all enjoyed your weekend and hope you have a great monday. see you again this week :) 

organization: kitchen cabinets

 before:

after:

 baking cabinet

serving bowl cabinet:

serving & entertaining cabinet:

cooking & baking dishes cabinet:

woo hoo! my kitchen cabinets are organized!! i love projects like this. i love mapping out what items i want to go where and putting it altogether. am i the only one?? haha! organizing is something i love to do. whether i am organizing my craft room, my office at work, or my closet; i love organizing. 

 i cook and bake a lot and it's important to me that i have an organized kitchen space that is constantly clean. i have always been a tidy person at my apartments when i was single or at my college dorm room but i have really discovered after owning my first home with my husband; that i am a organized-neat freak! ha. 

luckily, reed is a tidy and clean freak as well, so it works out great! if we have a weekend at home i always choose saturday or sunday to deep clean the house at some point. well, today was that day! i feel so much better if everything is clean, dusted, laundry done, floors mopped, etc. i hear from many friends and family members that once i have kids someday this will probably change haha! until then, i am enjoying being a neat freak. 

as you can see from the photos above of my before and after it is quite the difference and organized. i have always wanted an entire cabinet dedicated to baking utensils and supplies. i am a happy camper today because i now have that. and if you know me, i get excited, really excited about the little things. the other cabinets are organized with serving pieces and every day dishes. i have a separate side of the kitchen where our oven and refrigerator are and those cabinets have our every day glasses, coffee mugs, dishes, bowls, and silverware. they are pretty organized as well but my baking cabinet is much more fun haha!

i wanted to share a little kitchen cabinet organization for your saturday. i am in the works of a lot of new changes and exciting things coming up to dots & details and i can't wait to share them with you soon. as always, thank you for stopping by and i hope you enjoy this beautiful saturday!

:)