A Fun Annual Tradition for Kids

Are your kids growing like weeds before your eyes?  Do you sometimes wish you could freeze time so you can remember them the way they are now?

{Well, maybe not when they're bugging each other during their school break :)  Only 5 days until school starts... oops, did I say that out loud?!  OK, back to the post... }

You can't stop time, but you can do things every year that capture your kids at each age.  And the end of the year is a great time to do that!

Christmas Storage Inventory List {Free Printable}

Are you packing up your Christmas decorations this week?  How do you store your decorations?  If you use the red and green totes, it's hard to know what you've stored in each one until you open it up and start taking things out.  If you've got several bins, it can get pretty overwhelming figuring out where to start!

After a busy holiday season, many people say they are going to simplify things next year, but by the next holiday, they're right back in the thick of everything and get too overwhelmed.  If that sounds familiar, then right now is the perfect time to take steps toward simplifying next Christmas! 

Here's a printable inventory list to record what you're storing in each container as you pack it up this year.  I'm also including tips for storing your decorations.  These two things combined will make decorating so much simpler next year!

It's a top 10 list! Top 10 posts of 2013 :)

I'm still in Christmas mode as we've been celebrating with each of our families the last 3 days, and today is the first quiet day we'll have at home to enjoy some of our gifts (and put them away so I can get my living room and dining room back!).

But this time of year, leading up to the new year next week, always gets me thinking about the year that's ending.

2013 has been a great year on the blog!  I'm so excited when I look back on how this blog has grown this year.  That means more of you are finding and using the organizing tips I've shared, which makes me very happy. 

And I've loved making new online friends this year!  It still amazes me how close I feel to people I've met online.  Our shared need for organization is a bond that ties us closely together!

Whether you're a new follower who started during the year, or have been a loyal reader all year, you may have missed some posts or could use reminders to help you start 2014 in an organized way.  So here's a top 10 list of posts from 2013 for you.

Organizing With My Friends!

If you are catching some mommy alone time with your computer...check out some of the awesome organization posts my organizing blogger friends have written!

Merry Christmas!

It's finally here!  It's Christmas!  I gotta tell ya, I'm a wee bit excited :)  Maybe as much or more than my kids.

Simple Christmas Gift: Chocolates!

I've been sharing a lot lately about clutter-free gifts and today I'm talking about a long-standing tradition in our family... chocolates!

These are easy to make and everyone loves them!  We give them to neighbours, friends, and family every year. 

I initially made these with my parents when I lived at home, and I've made them every year since then {which totals up to over 30 years of making these chocolates!}. 

Decluttering for a Simpler Christmas: Toys

Do you feel overwhelmed at Christmas with all the extra "stuff" in your home?

Before Christmas there are lots of holiday items taking over your home.  And after Christmas there are all the new gifts that need "homes".

One of the best ways to simplify Christmas is to declutter in the weeks leading up to it.  To help you do that, I've been doing a series of posts this month, sharing ideas to help you declutter your home for a simpler Christmas.  If you missed any of the posts there are links to all of them at the end of this post.  You can always catch up after Christmas if you want :)

Today I'm sharing tips to help you declutter toys.  It's so important to purge some of your kids' toys before the influx of new toys at Christmas.

Christmas Packing List {Free Printable}

Are you traveling during the Christmas holidays?  Many people have family gatherings, visits with friends, or vacations while school's out.

I don't know about you, but whether I'm going somewhere just for the day or overnight or for a whole week, I seem to have a lot to pack!  Especially since we had kids.  Sometimes I feel like we're staying for a week when we're just going to someone's house for the day :)

8 Tips for Packing Gifts When Traveling

Do you bring gifts with you to other people's homes over the holidays?  Maybe it's a hostess gift.  Or a few presents for grandparents or nieces and nephews.  Or, you may bring your own family's gifts to a family member's home to open there.

On Wednesday I shared 5 Tips for Simpler Gift Wrapping, but now how do you pack those wrapped gifts so they aren't damaged or the wrapping isn't torn?  Here are some tips to help you out!

5 Tips for Simpler Gift Wrapping

Are you overwhelmed with all the gift wrapping you need to do this week?  Or, if you've finished wrapping, are you wondering how to store all the leftover wrapping supplies for next year? 

Today I'm sharing 5 tips to make wrapping gifts as simple as possible.  And the bonus is that this process also makes storing your wrap easy too!

Decluttering for a Simpler Christmas: Entertainment

Do you feel overwhelmed at Christmas with all the extra "stuff" in your home?

Before Christmas there are lots of holiday items taking over your home.  And after Christmas there are all the new gifts that need "homes".

One of the best ways to simplify Christmas is to declutter in the weeks leading up to it.  To help you do that, I've been doing a series of posts this month, sharing ideas to help you declutter your home for a simpler Christmas.  Join me!

Today I'm sharing how to declutter "Entertainment" items like puzzles, games, DVD's, and CD's.  It's a loose category so you can include whatever you want to declutter this week to prepare for Christmas. 

Organizing Ideas for the Weekend: Avoiding Christmas Card Clutter

Happy Friday!  Ready for another organizing idea for your weekend?

Today I'm sharing ways to display your Christmas greeting cards.  You've probably been receiving some in the mail already, and if you're like a lot of people, you look at them and then pile them up on a table or counter somewhere, causing clutter.

Nobody needs clutter during the holidays... even Christmas clutter!  So find a creative way to show off those lovely cards and eliminate the pile at the same time.

I chose easy ideas because I know with less than two weeks to the big day you're probably not interested in adding another project to your to-do list. 

Check them out!

Simple Gifts: White Chocolate Candy Cane Bark

I've been sharing a lot lately about clutter-free gifts and today I'm sharing one of my favourite things to make and give... White Chocolate Candy Cane Bark!

This is so simple that even my kids helped make it last year.  It makes a great stocking stuffer, hostess gift, or neighbour treat. 

I heard about this from a colleague over 15 years ago and I've been making it ever since.  Here's how!

Decluttering for a Simpler Christmas: Clothing

Do you feel overwhelmed at Christmas with all the extra "stuff" in your home?

Before Christmas there are lots of holiday items taking over your home.  Decorations, gifts, lights, craft supplies, activities and projects for kids, holiday CD's, special baking supplies and tools, candles, Christmas cards, gift wrap, holiday dishes, and Christmas clothing.  Just to name a few!

And after Christmas there are all the new gifts cluttering up your home. Toys, books, electronics, games, clothes, and more decorations!  It can make your home feel cluttered.

One of the best ways to simplify Christmas is to declutter in the weeks leading up to Christmas.  To help you do that, I'll be doing a series of posts this month sharing ideas to help you declutter your home for a simpler Christmas.  Join me!

Today's decluttering project is to declutter clothing.  I don't know about you, but we receive a lot of clothing as Christmas gifts, plus my daughter's birthday is in October and my birthday is in December and we both tend to be given clothes for birthdays too.  So, usually around this time of year I go through all our closets and dressers to purge clothing and make room for the new items we receive.

Organizing Ideas for the Weekend: Clutter Free Christmas Gifts

Happy Friday!  Ready for another organizing idea for your weekend?

Today I'm sharing some great clutter free gift ideas.  Many of us struggle with clutter all year, but are most overwhelmed after Christmas when we need to find places for all the influx of "stuff" in our homes.  And in our consumer-driven society, we worry what messages we're sending our children.

I've been reading a lot about this lately and want to share some great insights from other bloggers on clutter-free gift giving.

Note: this post is not intended to offend those of you who love shopping and giving gifts.  It's simply something I'm learning about and wanted to share with you!  And for those of you, like me, who have already finished your shopping for this Christmas, you can keep these ideas in mind for next year.

Takeaways From My First Organizing Conference

Have you ever felt like you met a group of "kindred spirits"?  People who shared your passion for something?  Who thought and felt the same as you?

I felt that way when I went to the Professional Organizers in Canada national conference last month.  Every conversation was with someone who loved organizing as much as I do.  Who understood the freedom of purging, and the exhilaration of seeing an organized closet or garage.

And it was as if every keynote speaker and every workshop leader was speaking directly to me.  The tools and resources they shared are ones I can apply to my organizing business and this blog {think of this post as a preview to some of the topics I'll be blogging about in the new year!}.

I know some of you have been to blogging conferences and know what I'm talking about.  Join me today while I share some of what I experienced and learned {and check out some fun pictures}!

Simple Gifts: DIY Laundry Soap

Need to do Christmas on a budget?  Want to give a clutter-free gift to people on your list?

Last Christmas I really wanted to give practical gifts to some of our family members and I needed to do it on a limited budget.  Since I started making homemade laundry detergent a few months earlier and I loved how it cleaned our clothes, I thought I'd make an extra batch at Christmas to give to some family members to try.

They'd heard me talk about it already, but they weren't sure if they'd like it enough to make it.  So it was a win-win all around!  They got the opportunity to try out DIY laundry detergent and I got to give practical, clutter-free, budget-friendly gifts.

Here's how I made it.

Decluttering for a Simpler Christmas: Holiday Decorations

Do you feel overwhelmed at Christmas with all the extra "stuff" in your home?

Before Christmas there are lots of holiday items taking over your home.  Decorations, gifts, lights, craft supplies, activities and projects for kids, holiday CD's, special baking supplies and tools, candles, Christmas cards, gift wrap, holiday dishes, and Christmas clothing.  Just to name a few!

And after Christmas there are all the new gifts cluttering up your home. Toys, books, electronics, games, clothes, and more decorations!  It can make your home feel cluttered.

One of the best ways to simplify Christmas is to declutter in the weeks leading up to Christmas.  To help you do that, I'll be doing a series of posts this month sharing ideas to help you declutter your home for a simpler Christmas.  Join me!

December Family Goals Printable and December Blog Goals

It's December!  Time for another monthly family goals printable for you!

December is one of my favourite months of the year.  Not only because it's Christmas, but because my birthday is on the 21st!

December is typically a very busy month for most people, with extra celebrations and an ever-looming deadline for your "To-Do List".  In all the busy-ness of this month, it's extra important to set goals as a family so you can make sure you prioritize your time and energy and actually enjoy all the festivities!

Profitable Organizer's Black Friday Special Is Live!

Happy Black Friday everyone!  Hope you've already found some great bargains.  Just remember not to fill your home with "deals" that end up becoming clutter :)

OK, on to the post.  On Monday and Wednesday I shared links to Cynthia Murray's videos about why professional organizing is a great career and case studies of people who wanted to become professional organizers but weren't sure how to get started. 

Cynthia's 3rd video on professional organizing and her Black Friday special are now live!  

[Update: this sale is over, but you can still get free information about joining Profitable Organizer by clicking here.]

Oops! I decorated too soon :)

For those of you who have been waiting (with bated breath I'm sure!) for the kitchen post I promised yesterday, I'm sorry, but I've decided to put the series on hold until January. 

Profitable Organizer's Black Friday Preview!

Stay tuned for another post today about my kitchen!  But first, today I'm posting separately again about another great organizing video.

On Monday I shared a link to Cynthia Murray's video about why professional organizing is a great career and I mentioned that Profitable Organizer is having a Black Friday sale in a couple of days.

Today, Cynthia released her 2nd video on professional organizing. [Update: This special is over and the videos are no longer available, but you can get free information and other videos from Profitable Organizer by clicking here]

An Advent "Calendar" of Christmas Books

Do you have Christmas books that your children enjoy reading at Christmas?  Do you sometimes run out of time to read them and pack them away for the following year unread?  Do your kids enjoy opening presents? 

We have lots of Christmas books that my kids enjoy reading together, but sometimes those books get overshadowed by all the other activities at Christmas.  

I knew I needed to organize a way to ensure that we actually made that time.  Here's what I did last year to solve this problem and we enjoyed every single one of our Christmas books!

Dishes and Glasses Cupboard Organizing Tips

This month I'm organizing my kitchen and as I do I'm sharing tips to help you organize your kitchen.  Today I'm sharing tips for organizing dishes and glasses in your kitchen cupboards. 

Want to Get Paid To Organize?

I'll be publishing a post in a little while about my kitchen cupboards, but first I want to let you know about a brand new organizing video.


If you read my post last week, Everything You Wanted To Know About Being a Professional Organizer, you'll remember that one of my recommended resources was Profitable Organizer.

Well, it turns out, they're releasing a series of videos this week, all leading up to a great Black Friday special!

Organizing Ideas for the Weekend: Planning for Christmas

Happy Friday!  Ready for another organizing idea for your weekend?

Christmas is just over a month away!  Does that make you excited or stressed?  Maybe a bit of both.  Most of us want to be able to enjoy ourselves during this special season.  But we often have so many tasks on our to-do list and so many events on our calendars that we end up being overwhelmed and tired throughout the month.

In order to experience more peace and joy, it's important to plan ahead and simplify as much as possible.  I'll be sharing lots of ideas in the next few weeks about this, and I'm going to kick things off today by sharing some Christmas planners and printables to help you get organized.

Everything You Wanted to Know About Being a Professional Organizer

Have you ever wondered what a professional organizer is?  Or what a professional organizer does?  Have you ever thought about becoming a professional organizer but weren't sure how?  Have you wondered if a professional organizer can help you deal with the clutter and disorganization in your home?

Then read on, because today's post will answer all those questions!

Christmas Gifts in a Jar

Do you have some "hard-to-buy-for" people on your Christmas list?  Are you looking for gift ideas that don't create clutter for the recipient?

One of my most popular posts year round is Gifts in a Jar.  In that post I showed how our kids make jar gifts for their teachers.  Their teachers love receiving these jars because they are unique and clutter free!

Today, I want to show you the Christmas jars we made last year.  Hopefully it will help you fill in a few ideas on your Christmas gift list!

Organizing Baking Ingredients and Party Supplies

This month I'm organizing my kitchen and as I do I'm sharing tips to help you organize your kitchen.  I've been focusing on organizing kitchen drawers so far in this series, but now I'm switching gears and looking at organizing kitchen cupboards.  Today I'm showing you how to organize baking ingredients and party supplies. 

Organizing Ideas For The Weekend: Organizing Kitchen Drawers

Happy Friday!  Ready for another organizing idea for your weekend?

Since I've been organizing my kitchen drawers and sharing tips to help you organize yours, I thought I'd share some more pictures and ideas for how to organize kitchen drawers.

Tips for Organizing Deep Kitchen Drawers

This month I'm organizing my kitchen and as I do I'm sharing tips to help you organize your kitchen.  Today I'm showing you how to organize pots and pans and utilize the space in deep drawers. 

Organize Stuffed Animals On the Back of a Door!

Do your kids have stuffed animals all over their beds, dressers, bookshelves, or, let's be honest here, their floors?  I'm convinced those creatures make babies during the night.  And asking kids to part with them is like tearing out their limbs! 

Yesterday I shared pictures from my visit to The Container Store (A.K.A. A Little Piece of Organizing Heaven).  Today I want to show you what I bought there (that could fit in my suitcase and within my budget!) and how it has helped keep my kids' stuffed animals and other toys organized. 
  

A Little Piece of Organizing Heaven!

For all my American readers who frequently shop at the Container Store, you can probably relate to my excitement in this post.  For all the rest of you, today I want to share with you what I like to call "a little piece of organizing heaven"!

 

{This is not a sponsored post... I just had a really fun time here and want to share it with you :) }

Everything Organized Pinterest Board

Are you on Pinterest?  Do you love finding great organizing ideas and re-pinning them?  Then today is your lucky day!  Even if you're not on Pinterest, keep reading because you'll be able to enjoy this too!

Tips for Organizing Kitchen Drawers

This month I'm going to be organizing my kitchen and as I do I will share tips to help you organize your kitchen.  Today I'm going to kick things off by showing you how I organize my utensil drawer and my junk drawer. 

Blog Updates Tour Day 2

Yesterday I told you about some changes I made to the look of the blog and took you on a tour of the updated menu bar on the blog.  My goal is to make the blog feel less cluttered and to make it easier for you to find the organizing tips you need.

Today I'm taking you on a tour of my updated sidebar.  Hop on board and check it out :)

I've Made Some Changes On This Blog!

You may have noticed over the last little while that I've been slowly making some changes to the layout and design of this blog.  If not, that's OK... you were probably focused on all the decluttering you were doing last month right?!

If you're a recent follower, first of all, WELCOME!  Second, I apologize if you thought I was changing things every day.  I don't usually don't do that.  In fact, I set up most of the design and layout initially on this blog when I started it a year and a half ago, and I haven't really changed it much since.  Until recently.

I really wanted to make my blog easier for you to navigate.  I wanted you to be able easily find what you were looking for.  Or even to find things you didn't know you were looking for, but that you actually needed to see :)  So I made some changes to help you out. 

Stick around the next few days while I take you on a tour!  I know your time is precious and limited so I'll show you how you can get the most out of the time you spend on this blog so you can find all the organizing tips you need!

November Family Goals Printable and November Blog Goals

It's November!  Time for another monthly family goals printable for you!

Day 31: Maintaining a Clutter Free Home {31 Days of Easy Decluttering}

Welcome back to 31 Days of Easy Decluttering!  If you've missed any of the previous posts, there are links to them here.

Wrapping Up The Series Today

No new decluttering projects today. Instead I'm sharing tips to help you continue your decluttering journey. 

Day 30: Cookware {31 Days of Easy Decluttering}

Welcome back to 31 Days of Easy Decluttering!  If you've missed any of the previous posts, there are links to them here.

Today's Easy Decluttering Project

Today we're decluttering cookware.  

Day 29: Desk Drawers {31 Days of Easy Decluttering}

Welcome back to 31 Days of Easy Decluttering!  If you've missed any of the previous posts, there are links to them here.

Today's Easy Decluttering Project

Today we're decluttering desk drawers.  

Day 28: Coats & Jackets {31 Days of Easy Decluttering}

Welcome back to 31 Days of Easy Decluttering!  If you've missed any of the previous posts, there are links to them here.

Today's Easy Decluttering Project

Today we're decluttering coats and jackets.  

Day 27: T-Shirts {31 Days of Easy Decluttering}

Welcome back to 31 Days of Easy Decluttering!  If you've missed any of the previous posts, there are links to them here.

Today's Easy Decluttering Project

Today we're decluttering t-shirts.  

Day 26: Email Inbox {31 Days of Easy Decluttering}

Welcome back to 31 Days of Easy Decluttering!  If you've missed any of the previous posts, there are links to them here.

Today's Easy Decluttering Project

Today we're decluttering our email inboxes.  

Day 25: Small Appliances {31 Days of Easy Decluttering}

Welcome back to 31 Days of Easy Decluttering!  If you've missed any of the previous posts, there are links to them here.

Today's Easy Decluttering Project

Today we're decluttering small appliances.  

Day 24: Laundry Room {31 Days of Easy Decluttering}

Welcome back to 31 Days of Easy Decluttering!  If you've missed any of the previous posts, there are links to them here.

Today's Easy Decluttering Project

Today we're decluttering the laundry room.  

Day 23: Bathroom Counters {31 Days of Easy Decluttering}

Welcome back to 31 Days of Easy Decluttering!  If you've missed any of the previous posts, there are links to them here.

Today's Easy Decluttering Project

Today we're decluttering bathroom counters.  

Day 22: Mugs {31 Days of Easy Decluttering}

Welcome back to 31 Days of Easy Decluttering!  If you've missed any of the previous posts, there are links to them here.

Today's Easy Decluttering Project

Today we're decluttering mugs.  

Day 21: Fridge {31 Days of Easy Decluttering}

Welcome back to 31 Days of Easy Decluttering!  If you've missed any of the previous posts, there are links to them here.

Today's Easy Decluttering Project

Today we're decluttering the fridge.  

Day 20: Under The Bed {31 Days of Easy Decluttering}

Welcome back to 31 Days of Easy Decluttering!  If you've missed any of the previous posts, there are links to them here.

Today's Easy Decluttering Project

Today we're decluttering under the bed.