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Nov 08
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5 Easy Steps to a Holiday-Ready Home

By Blog, Quick Organizing Tips, Time Management No Comments

Is your home ready for the holidays? The time is now upon us – there is absolutely no denying that!

 

You’ve got to finish up all the loose ends before you’re stuck cramming these last-minute tasks into one week. December is already packed tight with to-do’s and errands, so do you and your family a favor by getting them out of the way early.

 

This way you’ll actually have time to be present for that quality time!

 

Here are 5 easy steps to a “Holiday-Ready Home”:

 

 

  1. ✨ Declutter your Guest Areas

    The living room, dining room, kitchen, den, bathrooms, guest bedrooms… every social room in your house needs a thorough going-over. However tempting it may be, don’t stuff things inside cupboards praying it won’t fall out. Your guests might find themselves looking for toilet paper or dish-wares at some point and the last thing you want is a waterfall of clutter falling on them! Be prepared for this instead. Keep it organized and clutter free, period.

  2. ✨ Store Clutter Away

    We often underestimate how our every day clutter (or organized chaos) can seem more like a mess when we have a house full of guests. Why put ourselves through that embarrassment? All the excess clutter that you know you won’t be using during the holidays can be stored away while your guests are present. There has to be some space free in your garage, crawl space, attic etc. to simply set it aside until after the holidays. Who knows, you might like the freed up space anyhow!

  3. ✨ Have it Ready!

    Whether it’s your ingredients for cooking, your games for playing, or your fine dinnerware for serving, it is always wise to get it out and in an easily accessible location before your guests arrive. You’ll spend less time rushing around searching for items you haven’t used in a year and makes entertaining more fun and less stressful. Set yourself up for easy entertaining and more enjoyment this holiday season!

  4. ✨ Make it Sparkle

    Deep cleaning and making your home perfect is best done after the busy holiday season. Make your home sparkle where it counts! Like the powder bath, your kitchen, dining room, family room, and guest room if you have company coming to stay with you. Pick a couple areas and make them areas shine. A sparkly home over the holidays will make everyone’s hearts shine a little more too!

  5. ✨ Give them Luxury

    Those fancy towels you purchased that you’ve been afraid to use, it’s time to get them washed and ready for display! Your guests will absolutely love them and I know it will make you smile when you see them on display. It will be like staying at a spa or fancy hotel while they’re with you, and being pampered will automatically lift everyone’s spirits up!

And voila – you now have a Holiday-Ready Home!

Sometimes, it’s the smallest things that make the biggest impact. Only do what you have time for. And remember, it’s more about the experience and being present in the moment that matters most!

Do you have family coming to stay with you this Christmas? Comment below!

Happy Holidays everyone!

 

 

 

 

 

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Oct 31
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What is the Average Amount of Time We REALLY Spend at Home?

By Blog, Expert Articles, Photos, Time Management No Comments

Fall has sure come fast this year!

 

I swear just yesterday it was shorts season. And now I’m layering up more and more each day! ⛄ Brr!

 

As our last leaves dance their way down, I can’t help but think about when we’ll be seeing the first snowflakes. But don’t get me wrong – I am not looking forward to the piles and piles we’ll be shoveling again!

 

Aside from pushing around all that white stuff, I think I’ll be spending my time mostly indoors. Sure I love a good walk here and there during the winter, visiting friends around the city, and a few weekend getaway trips. However when it’s rainy and chilly outside, even these favourites make me want to stay indoors!

 

I would much rather cuddle up with a good book, a matcha tea latte, and positive energy than brave the chilly weather.

 

Take a moment to think about what you have been trying to do consistently or focus on improving in your life. This is a great way to figure out what your winter project may be and to set some goals in advance!

FREE Download: Fall Cleaning Checklist 🍂

 

Photo projects are a great winter task to tackle. As is pairing down on memorabilia, since they don’t require many supplies other than maybe a photo album if your photos are not digital!

 

I believe in you and I know you can do this! It’s not easy to start, but once you get through decluttering one shelf or check off a few To-Do’s, you get momentum.

 

With all of this extra time spent inside, it becomes so important that we love our spaces 🤍 I, for one, would not like to be cramped up in a cluttered home with little to no opportunity of regular daily escapes. I love having a vibrant, comfortable home to welcome me during the colder months.

 

Which is why I spend much of my leisure time improving systems around my home and doing regular clutter checks in hot spot areas I know can accumulate clutter easily.

 

For those of us who work from home, keeping up with clutter is vital. We normally spend (aside from the time spent sleeping) 62% of our time at home. That equals almost 10 hours each day! This leads me to believe that we need to curate our homes to maintain a healthy, productive atmosphere for ourselves, but more importantly, for our families.

In this time period we are also seeing more of what is called the “Indoor Generation.” This title refers to the growing number of people who are spending the vast majority of their time indoors.

 

From one study, Canadians estimated we spent 68% of our time indoors*… but in reality, it is actually 90% spent indoors – often without enough daylight or fresh air.

*Indoors referring not only to the home. This includes other buildings, enclosed methods of transportation, etc.

 

If that isn’t a scary enough statistic for you, listen to this: Children who spend this much time indoors will be more susceptible to asthma, allergies, and other breathing issues over time. A whopping 40% more likely than their outdoorsy counterparts.

 

 

This is exactly why it is of utter importance to be on top of cleaning and decluttering regularly 👍🏼 This doesn’t mean we need to be doing chores in every moment of free time, but rather choosing joy in the process of decluttering and organizing to make it enjoyable! Without this self-discipline we would actually be putting our health at a big risk. Since we are blessed to live somewhere in this world where we are able to keep our homes safe and clean, why would we neglect to do so?

 

Now that you know we will be spending much more time inside… would you like to know exactly how much more? 🤔 Here is the breakdown of the differences in activities for the winter months:

 

 

❄️ November

This first real month of winter (for most of us) is where we begin to see an increase for time spent inside. November coaxes us to watch TV and Netflix 6% more than the preceding 8 months. Our socializing is also down -2% as we adjust to spending more time indoors.

 

🤍 December

Did you know December is the runner-up to July for spending the most time with family and friends? This makes sense with the various holidays landing in these 31 days… but would you have guessed it’s up by 15%?? It also takes the number one spot as the month we spend the most time cooking; an additional 8%!

 

📺 January

January takes the prize for the most time we spend watching TV and Netflix – with a shocking 13% increase. This is made possible because we cut down on social interactions by about -12%. And as the holiday buzz simmers down, our patience for cooking does as well. This drops to only a 1% step above the majority of a year’s months.

I hope these statistics shocked you into wanting to be organized and highly productive as they did for me!

Which stat wow-ed you the most? And what goals will you set for this winter season?? Comment below!

 

 

 

 

 

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Aug 22
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Why We Prefer New Year’s Planning in September

By Blog, Inspiration, Time Management No Comments

Transitioning from the hazy days of summer back into the realities of fall for some reason tends to feel very fortifying.

 

Maybe it’s because our days that have consisted of a loose schedule and dozing in the sunshine are now moving towards a crisper breeze and we are awakening back to life. And as the sun moves toward the southern horizon, our days are gradually shortening; which gives us the clue to renovate our productivity cycles.

Everywhere we look at this time, the trending topic is back to school season. Though many of us are prepping for this change, there is another theme of importance as well:

 

September says, “fresh start.”

The majority of people still set their goals every January 1st, but September is a steady second in becoming the new time for “New Year’s Resolutions.” Think about it – after a holiday season of stress, family time, over-indulging, and diet-breaking, is it really realistic to try and break our bad habits or create new ones?

 

September already brings the air of change, so since we are subconsciously set in the mood for reconstructing, let’s use that to our advantage and set some goals!

 

Firstly, Understand Your Goal…

 

Let’s organize your goals into these three categories: Personal, Career, and Finance.

 

The most important part of setting a goal with the intention of actually achieving it, is to really reflect on WHY you are choosing this goal. Do you feel obligated to do it, or is it something you truly want?

 

You should be passionate about your goals for the right reasons as opposed to settling for them based on what you (or others) think you should be doing! With this in mind, you will feel the motivation in your heart and that will carry you through the steps needed to reach it.

 

…But Always Remain Flexible.

 

Make sure to revisit each category on a regular basis and update or change any goals that seem outdated to you, or that no longer align with the path you want to take in life.

It’s okay to cancel things out that you once thought would be good for you – people change, careers change, and our big goals can change too! This does not mean you failed, it just means you are staying true to what you really want.

 

For example, if you’re fighting unnecessarily hard with yourself to get up extra early and implement a specific morning routine, maybe the goal is not currently something in your bandwidth. You may be better off focusing on a calming night routine instead.

 

Remember – following what feels natural to you is likely the best for you, listen to your body and build on the positive routines you already have in place. Once these are optimized, then you can begin these slow steps for other, more difficult goals.

 

Reach Out To Your Inner Circle.

 

One of the more surefire ways to keep yourself on track is to enlist others to keep you on track. It might be easy to sweep your goals off today, tomorrow, or all week… but your inner circle will kick your butt and hold you accountable like no other!

 

These people want you to succeed and at the same time see so much potential in you. Tell your inner circle what you’re trying to achieve so they can regularly ask about your progress. Or if you want a smaller accountability method, try just with a partner.

 

Who can you commit to that you trust to hold you responsible and at times, deliver brutal honesty?

 

And don’t just put it on someone else to keep you on track – set yourself digital alerts of your goals and daily steps, so you stay inspired and focused throughout the day and week.

Check-In With Yourself.

 

If you set goals last January, check back in with them now. Are any of them still unaccomplished, or now irrelevant? Revamp the ones you’d like to keep and cross off the ones which you no longer want to adhere to.

 

Whether you are redoing or creating new goals, keep these three Q’s in mind for setting the steps:

 

What is one thing you would like to stop, one thing you would like to start, and one thing you would like to continue?

 

Keep a record (digital or written) of your accomplishments along the way. This will inspire you on gloomy days, and show you just how productive you were all year by next September when you look back and review all of the hard work you put into the past year. You should feel proud!

Be The Tortoise, Not The Hare.

 

You will never cross the finish line if you burn out – or at least, you won’t be able to race the same again. Don’t push yourself past your limits and remember to take breaks. The goal race is in fact, not a race at all!

 

Set your pace and stick with what feels comfortable. Push yourself when you can, and give yourself grace days when needed. Rome was not built in a day, and you won’t be the best version of yourself overnight. It takes time, perseverance, and self-control. We all have our days of slip ups and setbacks, but what makes us truly successful is when we get back up and try again.

 

And again.

 

And again if needed!

 

Now that September is just a week away, what goals are you going to set for this year?

Comment below!

 

 

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