Digital Photo Organizing Idea

Today when I checked my photo software on my computer, I had 29,083 photos. The first problem here is that I need to get many of them off my computer & onto a hard drive so my computer doesn't go kaput on me, but that's a post for another day. The second deal here is,

"How in the world will I ever organize that many photos?!?"

Well, I'll be honest here, I don't plan to go back & organize all 29,083. Thankfully my software does organize them by date so that helps. Over the years, the digital photo world has made gift ideas, especially for grandparents, much easier. I can always go back, by date, & find just the photos I need for a calendar, a mug, a mouse pad, a photo book or a framed photo. Just to be able to do that has been great. But so many times I was just making gifts for other households & not my own. How was I to get these photos into books in my own house?

Many years ago, I took a scrapbooking class from a friend who talked about the importance of our handwriting in a photo book. Now the online books are great, don't get me wrong. They're quicker than making a scrapbook, colorful, & fairly easy to make. However, you don't get to write in them like you do scrapbook that you place photos in by hand.

About 8 years ago, when my oldest turned 5, I had an idea. (Of course, this is before Pinterest when I still had my own ideas.) I had my son make his own scrapbook of the his favorite photos from his first 5 years. I had him write captions in it, add stickers he liked at that age & just let go of any expectations I had for how it would look. It turned out great! At that point, I decided that I would encourage each of my kids to create their own book every 5 years. So far, we've gotten 4 books done & my middle child turns 10 in a couple weeks & we're already gathering photos on a file with her name on it to get printed to make the 5th book.

So, no there are not thousands of photos printed in dozens of books or frames. In fact, we've missed a bunch, but there are these treasures that will be with them forever. And my kids each have books that remind them who they are. They see their own handwriting at 5, 10 & eventually 15. They have looked at those books more than any other book in our house. They show them to their friends, laugh out loud, tell stories about the photos & enjoy them thoroughly. It wouldn't be the same if I had made them or had them done online.

This would also work for us big people too. Take the pressure off yourself of trying to organize all of them. The next time you're inspired, pick a year or three or five or maybe one event & start a file labeled "photos for book," start pulling in your favorites, get them printed & have at it. It doesn't have to be fancy with all the stickers & such, just your photos, your handwriting, your story. Trust me, that's the best one to tell.

How to Hang a Gallery Wall

In my dining room lives a sad wall. It's sad because it's windowless, goes on for days, and is screaming for attention. Currently it is stark white and has nothing on it but that's all about to change. If you follow us on facebook or instagram you know what I'm talking about.

I came home from Home Depot with approximately 4,000 paint color cards and finally landed on one over the weekend. The ol' sad wall is getting a coat of Behr's Vintage Coral Paint from their Marquee Odyssey Collection. The lighting in the two pictures is kind of wonky but the one I picked is the bottom option in the first picture.

But that's not all. I have big plans for this wall. It's going to be adorned with an array of art. If you have never installed a gallery wall it's pretty simple. Follow these steps to create one of your own.

1. Search your house, garage, parents attic, thrift stores etc and collect a group of wall hangings. Think outside of the box and get varying shapes, sizes, frames, etc. Consider hanging actual objects as part of this gallery as well. Don't be afraid to mix wood frames with metal etc. Some people prefer a color theme but it's not necessary.

2. Gallery Walls work best at eye level. You don't want things too high or too low. If your wall is shared by furniture, make sure you leave several inches between the top of the furniture piece and the bottom of your lowest hung art. You don't want your gallery to look crammed onto the wall. Smaller pieces need to be hung lower or at eye level while your larger pieces can be hung higher.

3. Arrange all of your art on the floor in front of your wall to figure out the order and spacing before you hang. Don't get too hung up on perfectly re-creating your floor arrangement but use it as a guide. I usually snap a picture of the arrangement on the floor just to refer back to as I'm hanging.

4. This will make some people cringe but I hardly ever measure before hanging things. If you are fine with a few imperfections I highly recommend eyeballing it. It helps if you have someone helping you so you can have them hold each piece up while you step back and evaluate before nailing it in. 

5. Hang the big stuff first. Smaller pictures or paintings can be moved around more easily. The larger pieces will inform the whole collage.

6. Step back and enjoy your work and the awesome art you have collected and can now display in your home.

Celebrate your Independence from Clutter!

That's right. We want you to get free from the clutter. HYD is celebrating our great nation's independence by offering 1 hour of free organizing or staging.  No matter how big or small the project, we want to give you some of our time to get you closer to freedom from your extra stuff & bring some peace & order to the spaces that need it most.  Details below...

How do you get this free hour?
Call or email us by July 18 to schedule your free consultation.

All you need to do is:
Email us at info@helpyoudwell.com or call us at 865.245.9080 to set up your free consultation today!

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HYD can help you with all kinds of organizing & staging needs.
We can help with:

- Organizing Home or Workspace, including every room in your house as well as your place of business
- Organizing your Home or Workspace before a move & assist with organized packing
- Staging your home to sell using items in your home to make it look it's best
- Create space for a new inhabitant:  baby, parent, roommate, etc
- Refresh your existing space using items in your home &/or workspace

A Home That Serves: Home Tour with Travetta Johnson

We sat down this week to chat with our friend Travetta Johnson about the concept of making a home and her ideology on decorating. Travetta and her husband own a beautiful Victorian home in a downtown Knoxville neighborhood. 

When you walk into the Johnson's home you immediately feel like you can breathe a little easier. I've always loved Travetta's ability to create beautiful spaces that somehow feel like home to everyone that comes through the door. Walking through their house is almost like reading a book. Travetta loves art, objects and pieces of furniture that tell a story.

I asked Travetta to tell me about how she decorated and chose the pieces in her home.

I love mixing old and new styles. I'm drawn to items that have history. There is something really sweet about your grandchildren being able to use the highchair that you used as a child or reading the same books over the span of generations. Pairing the older more antique items with more modern, clean lined pieces creates a really nice contrast. One concept that I have found really helpful when decorating an eclectic home is to mix things from different time periods keeping in mind that pieces that were made at least 50 years apart tend to be more cohesive. In general I focus on simple beauty by using things that invite people in, like flowers from the garden, a bowl of fruit, a photograph. To keep things interesting, I consider contrasting texture, color and shape when I curate a space. Establishing a natural flow between our home and the outdoors helps create a comfortable feel throughout the house. There is something nostalgic about porches, open windows and the hum of house fans.

Tell me about what roles your home has taken on in various stages of your life.

I read a book when I was in my 20's that changed the way I thought about my home. The book focused on the difference between entertaining versus hospitality. I want my home to be less about making impressions and more about making people feel welcome. Home is a place for people.

I've found that the role of my home has changed in different seasons of life. In early marriage our home was based around that concept of hospitality. We often hosted potlucks, game nights, and bible studies. When we had young children, home evolved into more of a place of retreat and nurturing. As our kids got older the hospitality theme resurfaced and now with grown children, grandchildren, and aging parents our house has served as more of a care-taking and provisional refuge again.

How do you find the balance of creating beautiful spaces without becoming obsessed with the appearance of your home?

The phrase "Man was not created for the Sabbath but the Sabbath was created for man." comes to mind. In this same way, we are not created to serve our homes but rather our homes are created to serve us. Homes feel ordered when they revolve around people and not vice versa. I've found that my taste and style has developed over time. I no longer feel the pressure to constantly redecorate in order to stay on top of the trends. There is a really sweet balance of creating beauty and comfort in your home and yet being content with it once it is settled.

Organize with Style - Our Recent Finds

This week we're sharing some of our finds in the organizing world
to help clear up a little clutter while looking fabulous too.
Hope they inspire you as much as they did us!

West Elm

These baskets by West Elm have endless uses while brightening up any space. Use them for towels, a hamper, toys, or as an entryway catchall.

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TopHome

We love this 8-pocket bag that can be used for any small items like cosmetics, cell phone, keys, or any small personal items you need a home for.

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View fullsize

Bliss Home

Find a home for all the little notes scattered around with this magnet board from Bliss Home.

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World Market

The cutest metal picnic basket for a delightful outdoor summer meal! Such a delightful way to pack up your picnic.

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West Elm

Drop your spare change, your keys or any other little treasures into the Heritage Catchall.

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After The Leaves Fall

Using reclaimed barn wood, After The Leaves Fall, creates beautiful storage for your earrings, bracelets, & necklaces with this lovely jewelry organizer.

Father's Day Gift Guide

On June 21, we celebrate the dads in our lives. HYD's gift guide gives you a head start on your hunt for the perfect thing. Some finds are local, some regional, others just straight from the heart. Let us know if you've got any to add to our list!

“A dad is someone who wants to catch you before you fall but instead picks you up, brushes you off, and lets you try again”

Go Forth Goods

1. The Traveler Mug by Go Forth Goods is one of our favorite handmade gifts for dad this year. Great for a mason jar full of coffee or sweet tea on the go!

Nothing Too Fancy

2. A vintage-inspired, super soft T-shirt from Nothing Too Fancy located near Knoxville's Market Square on Union Ave. They have an amazing selection of T-shirts with all kind of Tennessee goodness.

Mast General Store

3. Give dad a basket full of his favorite treats while you let him eat it guilt-free! HYD recommends checking out Mast General Store on Gay St. for a selection that never ends.

4. My husband's favorite accessory, his Patagonia Tech Web Belt. This guy is multi-purpose keeping dad looking handsome, his pants up and opening a bottle if the need arises. Find it in Knoxville at River Sports Outfitters or Uncle Lem's Outfitters.

Wildsam

5. Wildsam Field Guides not only navigate you through a city but tell the story of the place as well. Part documentary, part map, part oral history, these guides give the dad in your life just the adventure he's been looking for.

6. A gift card to one of these fine coffee establishments is great way to thank dad & to get his engine revving in the morning. Find them at Old City Java, KBrew, or Remedy Coffee.

7. If none of those strike your fancy, give dad a gift he will always cherish. A photo of the people that gave him his title. (Choosing a pic that includes the time he caught that really big fish is just a suggestion.)

Real Life Capsule Wardrobe

Before: Disregard the top half of the closet in both pictures. It belongs to my honey and he isn't quite sold on the idea of a capsule wardrobe.

After

Yall.....things got really real over here last week.

Let me begin by saying that I probably purge more than 80% of the population and thought a capsule wardrobe would be a cinch for me. It was wayyyy harder than I imagined.

Through the process I realized several things.

1. It's somewhat easy to purge your own closet of things that you don't like anymore, never liked and kept out of guilt, or things that are (let's face it) NEVER GOING TO FIT again. I did this kind of purging before I brought out the big guns.

2. An extra set of eyes is super helpful. I called in reinforcements and tried on almost every article of clothing I had (an embarrassing number) and said "fire away" to two amazing humans who said "please don't wear that in public" or "you should definitely keep that" to each item I tried on.

3. I realized that I was keeping several things that I loved and wore almost the entire summer (4 years ago) and just hadn't stopped to realize that I don't love anymore.

4. I filled up 3 laundry baskets of clothing/shoes to get rid of or sell and don't regret any of it. I was honestly shocked that was able to let them go so easily after I had a second party agree they were past their prime or unflattering.

5. I might have a shoe and shirt problem. You guys... it's bad.

Here are a few pictures during the process. My room was totally clean pre-capsule making and this is what it looked like after about 30 minutes. YIKES!

The hardest part was the final narrowing down to the smallest amount of clothing I could manage --we are talking a total number of 40 items including pants, shorts, skirts, dresses (not fancy ones--just everyday ones), shoes, and shirts. NOT EASY YALL!

My capsule broken down contains 5 pairs of pants, 2 shorts, 3 skirts, 1 dress, 2 vests, 19 shirts, and 8 pairs of shoes.

The only purchases I made were two pairs of shoes for my summer capsule. Both from Target. I've been wanting a pair of more stylish tennis shoes to wear for the summer and I spotted these and couldn't resist.

I'm only a few days in but I'm totally sold already! My mornings are drastically less chaotic because I have so much less to weed through. I love how open my closet feels now. I even went out and treated myself to some new wooden hangers.

We would love to hear from you! Would you ever try doing a capsule wardrobe for a season? Have you done it before? We want to hear about it!

Organizing Your Summer with Your Kids

It's been officially one week since my kiddos had their last day of school before summer. So far, they've enjoyed sleeping in, lounging around the house in PJs, some crafts they've been wanting to get to, and taking a road trip to visit old buddies in Asheville. Thankfully, we're off to a pretty good start.

“Summer will end soon enough, and childhood as well.”

— George R.R. Martin

With that said, summer with school-age kids home can be a bit overwhelming without a plan. It can also be a wonderful time for kids to explore, relax, create, and enjoy the freedom of days without the time restraints of the school year. All you need is your time, a little rhythm in your day and a brainstorming session with you kids to make the most out your family's summer.
Here are 7 tips to get you started:

1. Make time each day to play or connect with your child.

Take the time to play a board game, make a milkshake or catch fireflies. It doesn't have to be an elaborate project or outing, just a few minutes of your attention can make simple moments last forever.

2. find the balance for structure

After the long school year, kids need time to unwind, relax and let their brains and emotions take it easy. Kids also need a routine so that they know what to expect. Come up with a loose plan for each day, like hang at the house in the morning doing a small job or working in the garden, afternoons are spent running errands, at the pool or splash pad, or visiting a friend. The summer is a great time to teach kids how to do certain chores well so that during the school months, they can continue contributing to helping the house stay in order.

3. help kids develop a healthy relationship with time

"I'm bored" is a phrase we can all remember using at some point and one I'm sure you've heard from your child as well. Use the summer as a time to help your kids be comfortable with themselves, without technology. This may be hard to commit to at first, but don't lose heart. Here is more on why being bored can be a good thing and ideas for kids when they are.

4. Strictly limit screens

Give your kids certain times of the day for technology. Kids are less likely to bug you about it and more inclined to use their imagination if the option of being on a screen is off the table until a certain time.

5. establish daily reading / quiet time

Setting up this time during each day keeps your child's mind engaged and growing as well as gives you time to yourself. Here is a great list of summer reading ideas.

6. plan memory making activities

Get the kids involved in this brainstorming activity. Here's a list to get you started...
- Play an outdoor movie in your backyard
- Have a lemonade stand
- Make a firepit in your yard and enjoy s'mores together
- Have a water party with sprinklers, water balloons, water guns, slip-n-slide, etc
- Plan a bike ride and pack snacks for a picnic along the way
- Go berry picking
- Make your kids breakfast in bed (or encourage siblings to do it for one another)
- Surprise Dad (or Mom) at work with lunch
- Go hiking, camping, kayaking or canoeing
- Plant a small garden or even just a couple of pots of plants
- Host a pot-luck outdoor party, let your kids help with the guest list

7. capture the summer in a photo album

My kids love to look back at photos from previous summers. As you embark on this summer's activities, grab your camera to snap shots along the way. The week before school starts, have your kids help put an album together as a way to celebrate the priceless memories you've made. It will be time very well spent.

Capsule Wardrobe: A Help You Dwell Challenge

I'm taking the plunge and I'm inviting you to join me.

If you aren't familiar with the concept of a capsule wardrobe, essentially, it is a simplified wardrobe of versatile pieces that you love wearing. In other words, for each season, you pick a certain number of items and wear only those. For the Summer season, I will be picking 37 items (including tops, bottoms, dresses, outerwear, and shoes) and donating, or packing away the rest.

I have a closet and a dresser full of clothes that don't often get worn. I gravitate towards a handful of clothes that are my favorites. I love clothes but I hate my tendency to try on 85 different outfits only to go back to those favorite pieces that make me feel awesome. In an effort to practice what I preach when it comes to an organized and decluttered life style, I am committing to a capsule wardrobe plan for my summer.

One of my 2 closets currently

Why am I doing this?

1. I want to buy less but buy better quality.

2. I want my mornings to be more simplified

3. I'm interested to see whether I get bored wearing the same items in various combinations or whether it's freeing to have less to choose from.

4.My closet space is limited and not designed well. I want to be able to see clearly what I have and currently I have too many clothes for my space.

So, over the course of the next week I"ll be narrowing down my wardrobe and will report back in 2 weeks to let you know what items I chose for my Summer Capsule and how it's all going.

For more information about what a capsule wardrobe is, check out this description. Want to know how to build one? Here is a guide.

Yard Sale 101

Help You Dwell has been busy lately clearing the excess from houses, garages and basements.  Springtime is a great time for this!  And working alongside our clients as they let go of all kinds of items to go to new homes is so satisfying both for us and our clients.  One way several clients have decided to go about the purge is with a yard sale.  A yard sale is a great choice if you have the time, energy and neighborhood to pull one off.

HYD recently had the opportunity to help a client from almost start to finish in preparing for a huge sale.  We thought you could benefit from some of the planning tips we used to make her sale a success.  If a sale is right for you, read on for a timeline of how to go about hosting your own successful sale.  This is a great time of year to hold one!

SALE PREP

PLAN A DATE, GET A BUDDY (OR A FEW)

- Yard sales are always more successful, less work, and more fun with friends &/or neighbors

- Saturdays always get the most traffic and Spring or Fall are the best times to hold one

- Check your local weekend planner guide for other events you may have to compete with

- Set time. Sales usually start at 8am and we suggest an end time as well, that way you can do an "everything's half off" when you're about to close up shop

2-4 WEEKS OUT

- Gather items and place in one space in your home

- Store sale items in trash bags or boxes so you're not tempted to extract an item once you've tagged it a sale item (Stay Strong - Let it Go!)

- Plan an exit strategy, either schedule the charity pick up (Habitat for Humanity ReStore or KARM Store) or the vehicle you will load to donate the items that don't sell

- Begin pricing.  Think to yourself, "How much would I pay for this item at a yard sale?" or check online for suggestions if you're not an avid yard saler. This site is helpful.

1 WEEK OUT

- Place Craigslist advertisement.  Read other ads first to get ideas of how to grab shoppers' attention and make sure to be clear on location, date, and time.  Also, adding lists and photos of items helps draw more to your sale.  Lastly, if you're not interested in "early birds," use a phrase like "early birds pay double" or "no early birds please."

- Use social media. Facebook is an easy place to just post your Craigslist ad.

- Make signs. Think less is more. Your sign should be on bright poster board, backed with cardboard and write with a thick black marker. Just write "Yard Sale" plus location, date, time. Arrows are great too especially for neighborhood sales.

THE WEEK OF

- Gather tables, tarps, tents, tablecloths to display and protect items

- Visit bank to obtain change

- Finalize pricing

- Get drinks and snacks for sale workers

DAY BEFORE

- Set up sale area

- Get items as close to prepared sale area as possible

- Gather grocery bags, boxes, and packing materials for customers to use

- Have apron with pockets, fanny pack or cash box ready

- Keep pricing materials close in case you missed any and need to add a quick price

SALE DAY

- Post signs

- Move all items to sale area

- Sell it all!

Mothers Day Gift Guide

Mothers Day is this Sunday and we wanted to offer a few last minute suggestions if you are looking for gift ideas. We picked items that are usable and won't take up long term residence on a counter or a shelf. Keeping in mind that we are trying not to add clutter, we have come up with 5 items that any mom would love to receive.

1. K. Hall Peony Candle : This candle looks and smells like Spring and has a 130 hour burn time. Extra bonus: the tin is definitely worth repurposing once the candle is used up. We would use it to store tea. 

2. Seed Packet Notecard Set: These vintage seed packet note cards are to die for. 20 come in each set.

3. Blue Chair Tomato Jam & 7 Citrus Marmalade: Summer in a jar. Enough said.

4. A potted plant. Perfect pick me up inside or could be replanted in the yard!

5. Yoga classes: Or any other kind of class or event. We love giving gifts that include an experience.

Salvage & Homewares Sale THIS SUNDAY

We're now three days away from our Spring Pop-up with the lovely folks at Mid Mod Collective. It's going to be a gorgeous day to be out and about so we hope you can come. Details here.

HYD is so pleased to introduce to you our artists and craftsmen joining us on Sunday. Some are linked to their web pages, some don't have pages. You'll want to meet them all.

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Ashley Addair - visual artist

Daniel Aisenbrey - heritage furnishings

Rebekah Campbell - textiles

Adam Henry - wood burning

Rob Laliberte - woodwork, vintage items, design

Sarah Musgrave - photography prints, handmade & vintage items

Ericka Ryba - pottery

Eric Savage - reclaimed wood furnishings

Thress Nursery - plants, handmade items

Blair Wright - architectural salvage

Jordan Wright - mason jar lamps

The Slow Life : Home Tour with Ashley Addair

Help You Dwell sat down with Ashley Addair this week to talk about simple living. Ashley is an established artist living in Knoxville with her husband, two children, the occasional dog, and sporadic out of town guests. To give you a bit of background, Ashley and family have spent the last year or so living a bit nomadic-ally while her husband gutted and rebuilt their home. (Which incidentally used to be a neighborhood grocery store) Their newly finished home is truly a work of art in itself. Ashley is a wonderful thinker and writer and one of her recent blog entries about her entry way inspired us to ask her about her approach to her home and lifestyle.

Tell me a little bit about what simple living means to you.

A: In this season I'm learning a lot about letting things be as they are. I'm trying to live out the tension of facilitating change and evolving but at the same time, accepting things as they are; not fighting the chaos of life. I'm trying to posture myself in a way that allows for finding beauty in that chaos and letting that be enough. 

That is such a refreshing answer. On a practical level, do you have any habits or routines that help you accomplish and maintain that simple posture?

A: I recently read a haiku that said "To make a home, start in one corner- Make that yours. Work outwards, slowly." I'm trying to take that and practice "looking smaller". I'm picking little things, small corners that I can work on and letting the rest go. I'm endeavoring to let things evolve without me and it's helping me notice natural rhythms and the beauty of observing from a distance. Basically, I'm working on becoming increasingly slow: on letting life wash over me and recognizing that slow is the gift of this season. I'm becoming more okay with embracing limitations. In a very literal sense, I've picked one corner of the yard and one corner of the kitchen to focus on and I'm venturing to let the rest go. 

One of the hardest parts of simplifying is letting go of all the "stuff". You seem to have a really healthy detachment to "things". Tell me about that.

A: I have moved around a lot over the course of my life. I've found that there is a gift in traveling light. Honestly, at this point having kids has forced me to recon with the fact that things will get messed up and broken. In general, I try to let things be meaningful without being attached to them.

You can meet Ashley and purchase her art at our pop up market on May 3rd from 11-6. We hope to see you there!

Caroline & Taryn

Kickin' Collaboration

The event page is live.
The vendor list is packed.
The garage bays are full.

And YOU are invited!

MId Mod Collective

For Help You Dwell's second Pop-up Market we are so pleased to be collaborating with one of Knoxville's coolest new shops, Mid Mod Collective. We are fortunate to co-host this spring's market at their fantastic venue on N. Central St. just north of Happy Holler in Old North Knoxville on Sunday, May 3 from 11-6.

MId Mod Collective

HYD loves Mid Mod's eye for style and their unique finds from all over the US. The 10 vendors that make up the collective have created a showroom that inspires no matter what your taste in furniture or decor.  Not only have they, along with Dewhirst Properties, brought a wonderful old building back to life, they have given local mid-century modern fans a place to find all their design needs whether you're looking for that rare high end piece or need to design on a budget.

MId Mod Collective

MId Mod Collective

MId Mod Collective

We hope you can join us for this fantastic event. Along with all the great home wares Mid Mod Collective and Help You Dwell will be offering, The Sweet and Savory Food Truck, Old City Java, Wild Love Bakehouse, The Vagabond Roaming Boutique, and Cruze Farm will also be there for the event. So mark your calendars, grab a buddy & come make a day of it!

'The Life-Changing Magic of Tidying Up' Quick Guide

www.tidyingup.com

If you receive our weekly emails, you may remember us mentioning that we recently read "the life-changing magic of tidying up: the Japanese art of decluttering and organizing" by marie kondo. We highly recommend the book if you need to psych yourself up to get organized. Marie offers so many great tips that we couldn't possibly cover them all in one blog post but we wanted to give you the "Help You Dwell Quick Guide" to the book if you don't have time to read it yourself.

1. Many organizing books and experts suggest tidying or decluttering a little bit a day over the span of one's life. The fact of the matter is, a little at a time is usually not a dramatic enough change to motivate you to purge the way most of us need to.  "A dramatic reorganization of the [entire] home causes correspondingly dramatic changes in lifestyle and perspective."

2. Always begin with thoroughly eliminating clutter. "If you can see the dramatic results, you will be empowered to keep your space in order ever after."

3. "Storage methods do not solve the problem of clutter." Hence the reason that tip #2 is so very important. You can have a house busting at the seams of very organized things but organization alone doesn't make your home a peaceful, welcoming place.

4. Think in concrete terms so that you can vividly picture what it would be like to live in a clutter-free space. Next, identify why you want to live life that. Why do you want to tidy? Finally, examine what you own.

5. When going through your items ask yourself, "does this item give me joy?" If it doesn't.... away it goes! Think of the process as deciding what to keep rather than deciding what to give/throw away. Imagine your home with only things that you love.

6. When you start the decluttering process, start with things that do not tend to hold sentimental value like clothing, books/media, papers etc.

7. If you are having a hard time making a decision about an item try to cut out the rational circular thinking ex: "I might need this later, or it's a waste to get rid of this". Try instead, to ask yourself why you have the item- when did you get it and what meaning did it have for you when you got it. "To truly cherish the things that are important to you, you must first discard those that have outlived their purpose."

8. "Letting go is even more important than adding." "When we really delve into the reasons for why we can't let something go, there are only two: an attachment to the past or a fear for the future." "The best way to find out what we really need is to get rid of what we don't."

9. There are three approaches we can take toward our possessions: face them now, face them sometime, or avoid them until the day we die.

10. "Tidying ought to be the act of restoring balance among people, their possessions, and the house they live in."

Spring Cleaning Giveaway Winner Announced

Thank you all for participating in our Spring giveaway. We are excited to announce that our winner is Terri L.

A big thank you to Stanley's Greenhouse for sponsoring this giveaway. If you have never been to Stanleys, you are truly missing out. It is a locally and family owned and operated greenhouse and plant farm in South Knoxville. For the Spring season they also run a "Secret Garden located in West Knoxville right off of Kingston Pike at Northshore. Check out their website and stop by the store or the garden to see what they have in stock.

The weekly planner featured in our giveaway is from Rala which is an awesome shop right off of Market Square on Union Avenue. They have a great selection of local and regional art and hand made goods along with Knoxville's best selection of cards for any occasion you could think of. Check out their blog or their facebook page  and stop by the store if you are looking for a gift or just need a pick me up.

Spring Cleaning Challenge Week 4

Another beautiful East Tennessee day with birds chirping and pops of color everywhere!
Let's finish out the month of March with a couple more simple tasks to help you enjoy the rest of Spring.

Image: JollyEdition

1. Tackle the RSVPs. 

Spring is filled with wedding and baby showers, birthday parties and the like.  Take a moment to check your paper pile and your inbox to find all the RSVPs and give yourself just 15-20 little minutes to knock them all out and make sure to add the events you plan to attend to your calendar now!

image: Martha Stewart

2. Love your linens. 

Nothing is better for sleeping than a fresh, clean set of sheets.  Make it easier on yourself to grab that clean set by matching all your sheet sets and placing them inside the coordinating pillow case.  While you're at it, discard any unmatched or stained pieces you no longer need.

Spring Cleaning Challenge Week 3

Now that the weather is getting nicer we have been finding it hard to stay motivated to be inside all day. Often organizing can be time consuming but we have come up with a few more ways to declutter in quick spurts so you don't waste your day away. I often find that the kitchen is the easiest part of the house to purge. Offices are hard because of the surplus of paper, closets are hard due to the volume of items that get crammed in so they aren't seen, kitchens, however, are really easy to purge in a timely manner.

image:designsponge

1. Take a quick scan through all of your kitchen cabinets and drawers and remove anything that you haven't used in the past year. We all have those random items that someone gave us, or we found in the car etc that somehow end up in our cabinets and never come out. We all have duplicates and half working items as well. Now is the time. You have our permission to give away the mismatched plastic cups, the chipped mugs, and the really unfortunate serving platter from your great aunt. When you have room in your kitchen cabinets to clearly see the things you love, you will be more likely to use them.

We have found this article to be helpful when we feel like we need permission to purge.

image: goodhousekeeping.com

2. Purge your fridge.  Maybe it's just me but I always seem to accrue salad dressings and condiments and promptly forget about them. Take 5 minutes to check the expiration dates on items in your fridge that you typically don't think about. While your at it, a quick scan of your pantry can't hurt either. Pay attention to canned and bottled items that we tell ourselves "last forever". I promise they don't.

Spring Cleaning Challenge Week 2

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“Do a little something today that your future self will thank you for.”

It's week two in our Spring Cleaning campaign.  The warm weather is creeping in, daffodils & crocus are popping up and step-by-step you're moving to more order and peace in your home.

Last week we focused on ordering our bathroom closet & tidying up our email inbox.  Keeping it simple and achievable, this week we move to our bedroom closet and the kitchen.

this week's challenge

1.  Donate or consign all your fancy dresses you bought for that one occasion and said, "I'll wear that again" and never did.  Repeat Boutique in West Knoxville is a great option if you choose to consign.  If you choose to donate, you may have a friend that comes to mind that might love to get your fancy dress or any of the local thrift shops would gladly welcome your donation.

2.  Take everything out from under your kitchen sink, clean the cabinet and put back only what you use regularly.  No tricks here.  Just keep it simple.

Spring Cleaning Challenge

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“That’s what decluttering is: taking time to decide what’s important enough to remain in your life. It’s not about getting rid of everything, or emptying your life completely. It’s about figuring out what matters to you. And then getting rid of what doesn’t.”

— Leo Babauta

For the month of March our blog entries will be centered around Spring Cleaning. Rather than overwhelming you with long detailed lists of things to do each week, we will give you two quick ideas to break up your work into manageable weekly to-do’s. We want to keep it simple and to the point while giving you helpful tips to stay motivated.

This week’s challenge:

1. Take a trash bag to your bathroom and fill it with anything you don’t use or anything that has expired. For items that haven’t expired but you don’t use, think about donating to a homeless shelter (The Volunteer Ministry Center or KARM) or giving them to a friend. Let yourself off the hook and don’t guilt yourself into keeping a bottle of face wash that you hate just because you used it once and didn’t like the result. In the future, look for small bottles when trying out a new product or do some online research and read customer ratings before buying.

2. Go through your email and open up any email that you didn’t sign up for or always delete before reading and unsubscribe yourself. One less piece of junk mail clogging up your brain and your inbox. * https://unroll.me/ makes it easier to unsubscribe from multiple emails at a time