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

Source Unknown

“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

Source Unknown

“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

Routines

Recently I've been really interested in learning about peoples routines. Specifically,  morning and nightly routines. I'm one of those weird hybrid gals who loves order but is somehow still free spirited. This usually means that I love the concept and idea of having rhythms in life but sometimes find it hard to commit to them.

I'm finding that leading an ordered life doesn't mean I have to be the most disciplined person on the planet but it does mean that I tend to be most at peace when I'm practicing a few choice routines. I know myself well enough to know that I'm more likely to stick with something if I make it as simple as possible. Lately, I've been inspired to adopt a few simple routines in my own life. Here they are:

Be Nice To My Skin: Witch-hazel to remove makeup and clean pores and Argan oil to moisturize. Every night, people. Every. Night. (I've been known to wake up in yesterdays makeup in the past)

Drink more water: I always forget, but two things have been helping me remember to stay hydrated. 1. I bought a pretty water bottle that I like taking with me places and that I like drinking out of.  2. I must say yes anytime anyone offers me water-- I never noticed how often I am offered water until I started following this rule. 

Monthly closet purge: This probably sounds crazy to most people but I go through my closet monthly and try to be reasonable about what needs to go. For me, the hardest things to let go of are the items that "I haven't worn in a year but would be perfect for that one random occasion with that one pair of pants that I also haven't worn in a year." I'm really trying to pare down and only keep things that I love wearing and that make me feel confident.

Weekly Bath: Don't worry, I shower in between :)  but I've recently rediscovered how flipping amazing a bath can be. Think candles, books, and floral scented soap.

Soaking in the Morning Quiet: This one is the hardest for me during the winter because the bed is just so warm. I have a comfy chair by a sunny window that is my morning spot. I'm attempting to make it routine to sit there for 30 minutes each morning with a cup of tea to read, think, be still, pray, or journal.

Sweat a little:  Pilates classes at 9:00am Tuesdays and Thursdays at the East Knoxville YMCA are my favorite. Anne is a great teacher and I feel more motivated in a class than by myself.  I'm starting realistically and trying to make 2 days a week at the gym a routine.

I'm super curious... Do you like routines? What are some of yours?

C

The House and Gardens Show 2015

We are so excited to be presenting at The Dogwood Arts House and Gardens Show this weekend!

 Our talk "The Ordered Home: How to De-clutter and Organize your Space" will be on Friday (2/13) at 11:00am. We will be manning a booth all weekend and we would LOVE to see you! The event hours are Friday 10am-9pm, Saturday 10-6pm, Sunday 11-5pm.

We are giving away a free closet makeover so come by and enter our drawing!

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!

Be Yourself.

Our homes are the places where the majority of us spend the most time, the place where we laugh, cry, rest, dance, yell, sing, dream, make our messes, stash our treasures and share life with others.  We get that.  We love that.

Photo compliment of Stylish Eve

We also love our clients.  Just about every week, Help You Dwell gets the pleasure of meeting a new face and hearing a new story.  It has been such a joy for us.  Often, when we walk into a new clients' home, the first thing we hear is "sorry."  Clients are sorry for the mess, sorry they've let it go this far, sorry they can't do better on their own.  We understand.  We never judge.  We have a story too.

"You may not control all the events that happen to you, but you can decide not to be reduced by them."  Maya Angelou

- Excerpted from Letter to My Daughter, a book of essays (2009)

As we walk through our plans to help folks find order and peace in their living space, we want to hear the story that brought them to this place.  It's so important in the process of organization of one's home.  HYD never wants a client to think that we're coming into a home to get rid of all the clutter just so it looks better.  Our goal is to always help the client live life with the freedom from the extras that pile up all around.  Working alongside the client, embracing their story, and being part of the process that helps to write a few lines in the next chapter is an honor for us.

Be yourself.  Just with less stuff and more you.  You are worth the effort. 

Let us help you dwell.

Life Resolutions

Because I'm an avid list maker I must admit that I have always loved making New Years Resolutions. In the past I've made lists of practical things I would like to do differently during the year. This year, however, I decided to make a life list. I chose things that I will more than likely work on and work towards until the day I die. These phrases are not my own words but are lines that stuck with me over the course of the year--things I read, things that were shared with me, things that I saw in other people. More than anything I want to be less consumed with my stuff and myself.

1. Buy less, choose well.

2. Collect moments, not things.

3. Be ware of hurry.

4. Live more from intention and less from habit.

5. Wherever you are, be all there.

6. Remember: The grass is greener where you water it.

7. Promote what you love instead of bashing what you hate.

8. Remember that comparison is the thief of joy.

9. Drive less, bike/walk more.

10. Do small things with great love.

We would love to hear from you all! What do you think about New Years Resolutions? Do you have any for this year? For life?

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.

How to Make Staying Organized Easier

Why is an organized home or an organized life so hard to achieve and so hard to maintain?
There are a lot of different answers I could give you but for me it always seems to boil down to a few main things.

1. Most of us have too much stuff.

We live in a culture that screams, "You are what you have". We see hundreds of advertisements everyday telling us what we need and why we need it. We live in the most wasteful country on our planet. I'm trying hard not to buy into our "next big thing" culture but it is SO hard. If you need help letting go of things, try asking yourself these questions.

A few ways to fight the clutter bug are to....

-Sell things that you no longer need. Craigslist, facebook sale groups, and instagram make it easy to snap a picture and orchestrate transfers of items.

-Adopt a "one-in-one-out" policy. If you want a new dress, give an old dress away. This will ensure that you always have room for the new because you are MAKING room for it. It's really nice to be able to see what you have and have adequate space for it. I strongly encourage people to keep only what they have room for. If you have to cram it in for it to fit, then you have too much. If it's been sitting in a box for 3 years, you probably don't need it. At the end of the day here is what we need to remember, "You don't need more space. You need less stuff."

2. Most of us are over-committed.

When you are over-committed you tend to put things off. Case in point: I could sort through the mail I just got out of the mailbox and throw away the things that are junk, file what needs to be filed, and take care of bills that need to be paid BUT I'm running late to meet a friend for coffee AND I have to write a blog for Help You Dwell AND I need to throw a load of laundry in..... so the mail can wait. Inevitably, this leads to a pile of mail that will take an hour and half to sort through and take care of.

A few ways to combat over-commitment are...

-Stop committing to things on the spot. Try saying "let me think about that and I'll get back to you" about the next 5 things you are asked to do or help with. This is really hard for me because I get really excited about things and volunteer for a million and one things that I truly want to do and be a part of but don't actually have time for. The worst feeling in the world is when you commit to something that you love but don't have time to do well. So often we turn passions into burdens because we take on too much.

-Know thyself. Pay attention to your attitude and your energy levels in a given day or week. How much can you handle before you start feeling stressed out or burned out? Every person is different and knowing what works best for you is key. Also, try not to be hard on yourself for needing a break--resting is a key part of working, living, and loving well.

The Greatest Christmas Gift

"Fear not, for, behold, I bring you good tidings of great joy, which shall be for all the people. For unto you is born this day in the city of David a Savior, which is Christ the Lord. And this shall be a sign unto you: Ye shall find the babe wrapped swaddling clothes and lying in a manger." Luke 2: 10-12

Help You Dwell wishes you and yours the most Merry of Christmases!  May your hearts be full of the great Joy that has come for all the people.

Knoxville Holiday Gift Guide

Image by Rala on Market Square. All items for sale in store.

We were thrilled to partner with WDWRK as guest bloggers last week. We wanted to give you the link to our Holiday gift guide:Shopping Locally in Knoxville in case you missed it. So without further ado...

HERE IT IS!

Additionally, here are links to some of our favorite gift guides in case you are still looking for last minute ideas.

1. A Cup of Jo (gift ideas for everyone in the family)

2. Happy Pretty Home (gifts for every price range)

3. WDWRKCO (handmade gifts)

4. Little Green Notebook (DIY gifts)

5 Ways to Simplify Your Life During the Holiday Season

A 1950's Christmas

1. Take some time to reflect on your desires for the season. What things are most important to you? What can you let go of? What parts of this season really stress you out and what parts really bring life to you?

2. Clear your calendar. If you are like us, you are probably committing to way too much over the month of December. Along with all of the parties, events, and celebrations, we often feel the pressure to have our house decorated by a certain time, food cooked, guests rooms ready for out of town guests,  Christmas shopping done, and presents wrapped. It can be exhausting just thinking about it.

3. Delegate. If you have a willing husband and kiddos, put them to work. Let the kids help with things like hanging stockings on their hooks, wrapping presents (who cares if the wrapping isn't pristine?), and using cookie cutters to cut out Christmas cookies. If you have family coming in town, ask them to help with the cooking--It's always more fun to have a friend in the kitchen with you and usually people want to be of help. If you don't have family in town, host a "Decorating Party" and invite friends over for Egg Nog and to help you decorate your house and string lights.

4. Do good. Make a point to turn your focus on others during the Holidays. Volunteer as a family, purchase angel tree gifts (and let your kids help you pick out the gifts), make a meal for an elderly neighbor who doesn't have family in town, or donate lightly used coats to a homeless shelter. Taking the time to remember those around us who are lonely or struggling helps us remember the point of Christmas.

5. Cut back on social media. Be purposeful in spending time with loved ones rather than browsing Pinterest, Facebook, and Instagram for hours. Skype a friend or family member that lives far away, write a letter to a grandparent (include pictures!), grab coffee with a friend, schedule a play date, or split a babysitter and double date with another couple. Spend your time wisely and push through that to-do list so that you can get to the fun stuff! 

The Thankful List

What better way to celebrate Thanksgiving than to make a list of the many things we are thankful for. Here are each of our top 5.

Caroline's list:

Photo by Knox Heritage

1. My Knoxville Community. I'm thankful for my neighborhood, the kids down the street that stop by to say hello, the older gentleman that always waves when I walk by, and the neighbors that we have shared meals and stories with. I'm thankful for a downtown that is creative and encourages new businesses, the farmers market, and local festivals. I'm thankful for my church which is made up of a mess of humans that hurt each other but strive to confess and repent and live life together. I'm thankful for a city that feels like home to me.

2. This sermon. Daryl Arnold from OBC in East Knoxville preached at our church on November 17th and I basically cried through the whole thing. Thank God (literally) that I don't have to work my way into a relationship with Him.

Photo by Katie Norrell

3. A home and a family. After working in the social work field for several years I often think of the many neighbors we have in our city who spend their nights on park benches and in tents. Many of these people are estranged from their families and holidays just become another day of the year to them. I'm thankful for a husband and family that love me in spite of myself.

4. Good Health. I have a few friends and family members that have chronic health problems and illnesses and it has made me much more mindful of how thankful I am to be in good health. I've watched as people I love have struggled with the most humbling grace and rawness and have watched in amazement at the beauty that seems to accompany brokenness.

5. The ability to make money doing something I love. It is uncommon in our world to have the opportunity to do what you love for a living. I still kind of can't believe that Taryn and I get to work together to organize, stage, decorate and meet amazing people along the way. What a privilege! 

---

Taryn's list:

1.  My family's health.  Matt, my kids, myself & both sets of our parents are alive & very healthy.  I am so grateful my kids get to know their grandparents & that Matt & I get to be active & involved in our kids lives.

2.  My people.  The close circle of women, men & children that I get to love & be loved by brings me to tears weekly, if not daily.  I am thankful that I am known & cared for by so many.

3.  Hope.  No matter the circumstances, this one word has carried me beyond what I could've imagined.  I'm thankful for a husband who never gives up, friends who remind me of my purpose & a God who calls me His.

4.  East Tennessee.  This place I get to live just continues to fill me with wonder, awe & curiosity.  The people, the artisans, the hills, the food, the rivers, the music, the art, the history - I am thankful to be a Volunteer.

5.  Help You Dwell.  I have been blown away by my experience with HYD.  Any creativity that has been buried in me now has an outlet as part-owner of this little business & I just love it.  We have so much room to grow & the ground is fertile.  I am thankful.

Creative Christmas Present Idea

We now offer gift cards for this holiday season. Email us at Info@helpyoudwell.com Or visit us at Helpyoudwell.com Thanks so much!

Donations for Habitat for Humanity

It's been a couple of weeks since HYD's first ever pop-up market & we are still a little high from the experience.  Caroline & I were overwhelmed by the positive response from our shoppers as well as our vendors.  The community support from our Knoxville family was tremendous.

We are excited to say that with our 10% of profits from the sale, HYD & the vendors donated over $200 to Habitat for Humanity of Knoxville. 

HYD would also like to thank KBrew for providing their delicious coffee to our guests throughout the day.

Lastly, we wanted to show off some of the shots of the day that our dear friend, Katie Norrell took.  HYD was overjoyed to watch all the hugs, compliments & conversations throughout the day of the market.  We are looking forward to the next one, whenever it "pops-up!"

If you didn't make it out and are interested in purchasing any of these fine goods, let us know and we will get you in touch with the maker.

We had over 200 people come through our market and our vendors sold over $2,000 worth of goods. We had a blast seeing old friends and making new ones. If you took pictures at the market we would love to see them.

These 5 Things : November 2014

Image from A Daily Gathering

1. How to live in 86 square feet. I bet you didn't think it was possible.

2. Check out this Ted talk about living with less.

3. Need creative ideas for your home? This book is on our wishlist.

4. We are gearing up for Thanksgiving and this article from the Washington Post is a great place to start if you are looking for ideas for getting your home ready.

5.  We are a little bit in love with this tiny new york apartment. Check out these 13 tips for decorating small spaces.

Help You Dwell Pop Up Market - You're Invited!

Look for these signs (above) on Saturday! This Saturday, November 8th at 1721 Coker Ave. is Help You Dwell's first ever pop up market and we are so excited! Please come out and support local Knoxville artists and craftsmen along with Habitat for Humanity (10% of profits).

For those of you who are unfamiliar with Habitat, the Knoxville chapter has been up and running since 1985. 475 homes have been built through the organization in our city for people who find themselves unable to afford typical housing. Habitat builds homes using volunteers and home buyers, sells them at no profit, and the homes are financed with a 25-30 year, 0% interest mortgage. Habitat makes home ownership an option for people who have fallen on hard times, or who need a "hand up, not a hand out". The home owners are heavily involved in the building of their homes and pay a regular mortgage like anyone else. Check out the website to learn more about Habitat for Humanity and how to get involved in Knoxville.

Some of our vendors are set up to accept credit/debit transactions but not all of them so make sure to bring cash. We can direct you to a close ATM if needed :)

Can't wait to see you all and please share our flyer on Facebook or your website!

Caroline & Taryn

The Help You Dwellers