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These 5 Things : November 2018
Image by Laurey W. Glenn
There are so many blogs and columns out there that it can be overwhelming and hard to find the good stuff. We’ve gathered a few of our latest favorites to share with you below. What blogs do you read regularly? We’d love to know your go-to’s!
Is your storage unit the best investment?
We get it. Sometimes life comes at you in ways you never imagined and you find yourself needing to make a quick move either to a smaller place or for a short period of time. Storage units can be the best route if you don't have a family member or friend to let you store your extra stuff while your in transition. BUT......
this blog is for all of you that don't fit into that category. : )
Today, storage units can range anywhere from $40/mo up to $400/mo depending on how big and how nice a unit is. At first, this can be easily added into the budget for some folks. Others, it's a bit of a stretch. Oftentimes, it all makes sense to store that piece (you really don't like) from your grandma or the dining room table and 6 chairs that you used at your first house but don't need now or the really nice bed frame you hope to use someday but haven't yet because it never seems to match the style of your current home. But then you do the math. Say you've had the unit 4 years now. And say you're just paying the average price of a unit in Knoxville, TN which is about $90/mo. That is $4320. Yes, Four-Thousand Three-Hundred and Twenty dollars. Woah.
Like we said earlier, you may have very good reason to need that extra space for a transition period. We get it. But, if the "transition period" has lasted so long that you don't really remember what's in the unit, it might be time to reconsider that extra monthly expense.
HYD would love to help. As you've heard us say before, taking someone along when you're ready to find new homes for items you no longer need is definitely the way to go. If you've got a friend ready and willing, grab 'em and go for it! If not, HYD would be honored to be that helping hand as you decide the best way to find the right spot for all those items in your storage unit. Who knows? Some of it might be just what you need in your current space but you'd just forgotten you had it! We can help with that too!
Don't let another month go by spending money that could be much better spent on family, friends, travel, and life that you can enjoy! Make a valuable investment of a bit of your time and a small investment in HYD services and enjoy the freedom from the monthly storage expense as well as the peace of mind that comes with letting go of items you don't need and others do.
These 5 Things : November 2015
Image by Sarah Musgrave
1. Check out this excellent guide to styling your shelves. If you don't follow Emily Henderson's blog, it's a good one!
2. 6 Ways to Speed Clean to a Clean Enough House. A few time- saving storage pieces and ideas for getting the whole family involved in cleaning habits.
3. This list of 15 Holiday Hosting Shortcuts is chock full of good ideas to keep stress low and let the good times roll.
4. Instead of decorating for the seasons, try layering to build warmth in your home.
5. It can be a major challenge to incorporate a TV into your decor. Check out this blog entry for a few ideas.
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.
Closet Purging 101
February is a great time to go through your closet. Purging your closet prior to switching out seasonal clothes makes it easier to see what you have and see what you need next winter when you transition again. We have come up with a few suggestions on how to get started and questions to ask yourself when you get stuck.
One of the most helpful things is to closet purge with someone who you can trust to tell you the truth about what's flattering and what's not, what looks dingy, and what is outdated.
We always suggest pulling everything out and categorizing by type of item. For example, shoes, belts, t shirts, nicer shirts, skirts, sweaters, jackets etc. Pick a category and go through each item and decide whether to keep it, give it away, return it to someone, or trash it. Once you are done with the category, put the items you are keeping back into the closet.
Often times when organizing you will end up with a "maybe" pile or those items that are just really hard to make decisions on. The following 4 questions may help you figure out why you are hesitant to let it go which may help you make a decision.
1. Do you feel good about yourself when you wear it?
2. Have you worn it in the past year?
3. Do you have other clothing items that look very similar or serve the same purpose?
4. Are you holding onto it for sentimental reasons or out of guilt? (We often recommend photographing beloved clothing items that you know you won't wear again so that you can have a visual memory to hold onto that won't take up place in your closet. Trying to keep your closet limited to items that you actually wear will make getting dressed a lot easier.)
BONUS- A great resource article for you… Second Chances: Renovate Your Wardrobe Instead of Buying New!
Organized Room = Project Finished
Time to let you in on a little secret...
I'm not always organized.
My house has rooms that I'm not always proud of, usually multiple ones. This is one big reason why I want to walk alongside you amazing people to overcome those spaces that keep you from entertaining, creating or just enjoying your home or workspace.
Thankfully, I have an incredible business partner who serves me as wonderfully as she serves our clients. (She would also tell you her home has those rooms too :) Caroline generously offered to help me dwell a bit in one of my favorite spaces in my house.
It's that room I want to spend more time in. It's away from the busyness of our household of five plus a puppy, my favorite books are in there, all my crafting materials, stationery, journals, photos to edit, and the light is wonderful, hence the name, sunroom. It's my office & creativity room. My daughter plays violin in it as well.
Unfortunately, it too often looked like this...
Quickly, it had become the dump room, the "I don't know where this goes (or am too lazy to put it away now) so put it in the sunroom" room. The thing is, all these items have homes and many of them in the trash or donation box.
After just a couple of short hours, a few moves of furniture, and a rearranging of decorative items from all over the house, (Caroline is soooo good at this!) I got this room back...
I love being in here now. I'm so thankful for setting aside the time, having a dear & talented friend to help, and purging so many unneeded items.
The story doesn't end there though. So, what happens in a room that's ordered, organized & inspiring?? Well, your daughter comes in to practice violin, notices the sewing machine neatly stored under the table and asks, "Mama, can we sew?" To which I can finally say, "yes." Below is the finished product, Saige is very happy in her new nightgown, and Kate is even happier that she got to make it, with a little help from mama. Find the pattern here.
