House:
Tips and Life Hacks for your home-plus great ‘Tiny Tidys,’ awesome, bite-sized ways to tackle all of your organizing tasks…
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I had to help my brother, who has a two-car garage, organize some big storage items, work things, old furniture, holiday decorations, you name it, that had recently landed and accrued space in his garage. The pile was only getting worse as the months went by, and since he was going out of town last week, I offered to help…Ugh.
This is either quite a tragic task for you, or very easy, depending on how many people are using the linen closet, how many family members you have, and how large your home is, bedroom & bathroom-wise. Get ready to turn some old sheets and towels into something more useful, and let’s get BUSY…
I just want to state again that the entire concept of these little Tiny Tidys, and the "Home" aspect of House & Mind, is to allow for the realization that not only is the idea of perfection not desirable, it's not even an option. It simply doesn't EXIST. (Phew!)…
YES! It's that time of year again...The kids are going off to school, maybe even college...You may already feel completely overworked and scattered and stressed, trying to get the shopping, arrangements, papers ready for the title (or big) ones…
This one takes a bit more concentration than most other Tiny Tidys, but its well worth it! You can still do this even if you have adapted to mostly using a Kindle, and your bookcases are used to mostly house knick-knacks, plants and the like.
PICK ONE BOOKCASE/SET OF SHELVES YOU'D LIKE TO TIDY THE MOST, AND LET'S GET TO IT!
I know, this one is not so "tiny." In fact, the electricity went out in my apartment for about six hours when I wasn't home this week. I literally had to throw practically everything went, as, I found out the hard way, a few things spoiled! Ick.
(It's a pain to do this one. I totally get it.)
But! Summer is sadly, soon, coming to an end. You have had probably had more fresh fruit and produce in the fridge than usual. Now is a great time to get rid of these old left-overs, condiments that have seen better days, and, well, YOU know! All that good (and gross!) fridge stuff. You CAN do this in 45 minutes or less. It's just going to take a little bit of planning…
Have you ever scrolled through your contacts in your cell phone, and your heart absolutely lurches, because you forgot to delete the number of the guy who ghosted you five years ago (or vice versa!) or it pricks up and races when you see the number for that tutor you never called for your kid's advanced math class!? Today, we are getting rid of all that shame, stress and blah-ness that comes from looking at a device that may be filled with contacts and apps that do not express or reflect the good and juicy and interesting life you are living right now...
This is an EASY-peasy one, and also allows you a guilt-free excuse to go to/shop at Target! (Yes!) GO to the space/place/drawer/cabinet in your home where you keep things like: Antibiotic ointments, band-aids, anti-itch creams, summer bug spray, as well as products like cough syrup, cold and flu medicine, Tylenol, and the like…
This, admittedly, will be easy for some of us-and absolute hell for others. Choose which bag you'd like to conquer today- your tote bag for work, your everyday purse, your computer bag-whichever functions as your go-to, everyday-type-of-situation bag…
Okay! Let's be honest, here: When was the last time you checked the dates on those spice jars and tins you have lurking (in maybe more than one place!) in your kitchen? That little bottle of ancient bay leaves you haven't used for ages? The three cans of Kosher Salt saved in the very back? C'mon! We are going to hit this baby, and hit it fast and easy…
This one, for some reason, seems to strike a note of dread in many-but-much like the Make-Up Bag Tiny Tidy from last week, can actually, dare I say, be "fun." You can discover some new stuff that has been hiding, give away what you're not using, and make room and way for some new treats!
This one is pretty fun, I have to say, because you get to chuck all of the old stuff, and dream about some pretty new things to refresh that ole' make-up bag of yours...If you have a drawer/shelf AND a make-up bag, just pick one, or do both, if you're feeling extra-ambitious...
This is the last week of our Spring Cleaning Guide, so, rejoice! This last week can be either painful, or fun, or both, depending on how much of a hoarder you have bene this year. The key to thsi week? Start small! We're talking a hall closet or a few shelves of your linen closet, first. So, have a closet you have in mind that is the least terrible, and get ready to go!
Okay, this was one is easer than it seems, I think-even if you have bunch of sh*t in those (that?) drawer that does not belong! Get ready to clear out, wipe down, and get some quick tidying satisfaction!
As the seasons are beginning to turn, I bet you have LOTS of containers of frozen soup, winter stews and meats that may be way past their due date, or at the very least, need to be organized in there a bit better! This one is easy and fun, and not a full-scale commitment at all...
Dude! We are almost there! And this one is fun, because this weekend, we are going to focus upon..
Okay, we realize that this may not apply to everyone, not by a long shot. Some have spotless car trucks, many don't care about this anyway, and some live in fantastic urban cities that do not require the ownership of automobiles (lucky ducks!). SO! If you docare, and if you spend an inordinate amount of time in your car like I do, living is Los Angeles, this little Tiny Tidy is for you. So, here we go!
We are on to Weekend #2 of our Spring Clean Guide. How was last week for you? Was it too much, or not quite enough? Please, do let us know below! Now, we are going to kick off this weekend with a few "big" tasks, sprinkled in with some truly smaller, more "fun" ones. Okay, ready or not! Here we go...(And again, please feel free to start Friday night, if you wish!)
Today, we will be cleaning out our nightstand drawer(s)! We don't mean to be cheeky. But whether you store some saucy stuff in there, or not, it is completely refreshing to do this, especially if, like us, you love to lounge, eat, read, work and do tons of other fun things in bed...OKAY! Here we go...
We are going to jump right in with our Spring Cleaning Guide, Weekend One!This is going to get some things out of the way that will make you feel sooo good, and get your home ready to rock-n-roll for Spring...Here we go!
I just found out that Amazon has this sort of incredible new Trade-In Program...Actually, as soon as you hit that link, the page will even tell you which of our previously purchased products are eligible to turn in for Amazon gift cards! I think this is great, especially if you are someone who shops often on Amazon, and if you buy lots of your household staples and cleaning supplies online...
I know! You're probably like...SERIOUSLY? But this one came to light for me last week when it was raining here in Santa Monica VERY hard, so badly that my and my neighbor's kitchen sinks got terribly jammed up. The (awfully sweet!) plumber actually took everything out from under the sink and wiped the space down before leaving (!) And although it wasn't gleaming and spotless, it made me realize that doing a quick-clean under the kitchen sink is NOT such a difficult thing to achieve...
There is so much that can be said about this topic, I don't even know where to begin. This post could be titled "Finding Your Personal Style," I guess, or "Clean Out Your Closet for Good!" But, especially for women, the topic of how a person puts themselves together, (or chooses not to) is one that can cause some considerable debate. It is politically, emotionally, often ethically charged, when we talk about the provenance and price of our clothing...
This little Tiny Tidy is SO fun, so visually stimulating, and just so satisfying, PLUS- if you have some saved jars (and who doesn't, am I right?) this should take no longer than 10 or 15 minutes: DECANT YOUR SWEETS & SNACKS INTO JARS IN THE PANTRY!
It's really hard to focus on a huge project-whether work or creative, while staying on top of your day-to-day. Countless productivity systems have been developed to help us get and stay and keep on track. They are literally almost hundreds of ways and systems that have developed over the past twenty years of chopping up one's time and focus, to try and create real and genuine balance in your life. BUT, that is NOT what this post is about...
We will be posting these little quick fixes, to get you ready for spring cleaning, or just to rev up your day or morning or evening so you can either A. Relax or B. Tackle some more important sh*t and clear your mind. So, with our further ado...Clear the top of your table top, vanity or bureau of choice, and style it! (WHY NOT?)
Wherever you may reside, if you did not do a post-Holiday sweep of your home, spring is the time to really renew and refresh your space. But do not fret! If you are stressing about not being able to tackle your entire home, we are going to break down a few things for you that will help you be on your way. Promise! Hang on to your hat! Here we go...!
I was so excited when my friend Kat Yore found time in her busy schedule to come on over and shoot my apartment for Apartment Therapy (will post more photos from this great shoot soon!) But when she said, in the beginning of last week, "I can come over Friday," I thought I had several evening to futz about and get ready?
I have a pretty small, two-bedroom apartment. Recently, during the typical January de-clutter and purge session, (and doing a little January Cure from our beloved Apartment Therapy) I was walking through my little space, trying to figure out what to "Fix." And I realized, whoa, first of all, what an attitude! I actually love my "little" apartment. I find it charming and comforting and perfectly suited to my needs.
Where you come home from a long, hard day, there is GREAT temptation to just toss your stuff any old place, crack open a bottle of wine and put your feet up…But what if you could get to the fun part after you quickly get organized for the next day? That’s what a perfectly functioning Landing Strip in your home should do for you (and your family): Get you good & ready for the next day’s activities/work. So! With those thoughts in mind, let’s get to it…!