I have a lot of drop-in surprise visitors at my house, and I mean a lot. One time last month we had people unexpectedly stop by our house four different times in one day. It was like a sit-com.

And honestly, I love it when people stop by.

The most important rule when someone comes to your house, whether their visit is a surprise or not, is that you never apologize for your mess.

Apologizing sends the message, “I’m embarrassed, and I wish you hadn’t come.” A little bit of a mess will help people feel more comfortable when you don’t let it bother you. Besides, you don’t know how their house looks, and you wouldn’t want to make them feel bad.

My kitchen table can look messy when people stop by. We use it, so it should. I always give myself a mental high-five if the breakfast dishes are washed and the counters are clear. I cringe a little if part of my home is really trashed, but I use it as motivation to clean things up more before the next guest comes.

All this brings me to the point that most guests will not see your whole house. If anything, they will notice the front entry, so it helps me to feel more confident when the front of our house looks orderly.

My favorite way to add order and style to a front entry is to place hooks on the wall. This little detail works no matter where I live. I prefer the hooks to be about 3.5 feet up from the floor, about kid-height. You want to leave a few hooks open for guests. (Don’t hang all of your coats and bags, most should go in the closet.) Hooks always give a feeling of organization.

My recent find at a consignment antique store is this old handmade cabinet. I was excited to have a place to put the pottery I made, and the lower cabinet contains media, puzzles, and games. I put my collection of pottery mostly on the upper shelves because I want to keep the first shelf open for guests to put their stuff and handbags on it. I can count on this space staying organized so it looks nice when people drop by.

See the comments for this post: Create a Good First Impression: Organize Your Front Entry

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My kitchen is in progress right now, but a few months ago when we bought our house it looked like this:

Untouched from 1970. Very dark with lots of harvest gold.

During our first week of home ownership we pulled down the upper cabinets that divided the food prep area from the eat-in area. My heart raced as I anxiously watched those heavy oak cabinets be pried off the ceiling and come crashing down. It was for the best, as it opened up the space.

We considered removing the lower cabinets and counter that divide the room as well, but I’m glad we didn’t. We noticed during that first week how often we piled our tools on the counter, and it was so useful. It is the main landing spot in the house.

The kitchen counter is our dumping ground for everything that we bring into the house: groceries, bags, and school papers. It’s the place where we temporarily set glasses, tools, and toys as we come in from other rooms. It’s where I wrap gifts, pack lunches, and serve up meals for family and guests.

The kitchen is the center for work and activity in the house, and having a clear counter to serve as a work surface is essential.

We often treat the kitchen counter as a storage space, but it’s supposed to be a work space. Storage can get in the way. We can put our stuff on the counter, but that doesn’t mean it should stay there. It needs to move out of the way for the next activity to happen.

Let’s work on clearing off the kitchen counter today.

I always have a dish drying rack next to the sink, but otherwise I try to keep the counters as clear as I can. When I set something down temporarily, it’s obvious and out of place. This gives me incentive to put things where they should go.

See the comments for this post: Clear Your Kitchen Counter (It’s a Work Space, Not a Storage Space)

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That’s a lot of receipts.

I think it’s time to clean out the clutter from my handbag. (It’s been a while.)

I also found a LEGO in there and the letter “Y” key that’s been missing from the keyboard.

(Two minutes later = much better.)

Bonus assignment: Use a tray for the things you need to stay organized as you walk out the door, so you’ll always know where to find your keys.

See the comments for this post: Clear the Clutter from Your Handbag

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I think you can tell a lot about a person’s interests by what they keep on their bookshelf. If you look at my small book collection, it’s obvious that I’ve always been a library girl. I take notes as I read and then return the books, leaving plenty of open space on the shelf for the next stack of books.

On my bookshelf you’ll see the favorite paperback novels that I saved from my childhood.

You’ll notice that I favor practical books and that I’ve saved some personal-development books.

You’ll find gardening books, but a lack of cookbooks.

You’ll discover I have very talented friends who wrote some of the books that I proudly keep on my bookshelf.

Last year I read some books that are such good resources if you are wanting to simplify and organize more.

Organized Simplicity: The Clutter-Free Approach to Intentional Living by Tsh Oxenreider

The first part of Organized Simplicity is like having a life coach to ask you thought-provoking questions. The second part is like having your really organized best friend come over to help you clean out your closet. Simple Mom readers will recognize her intentional style. You’ll start the book with a revived focus and finish the book with a good house makeover.

Desperate Households by Kathy Peel

First of all, I loved the encouraging tone of this book. It gives practical solutions for common family issues, but in a relatable way, not like a tip list you’ve already heard before. It covers topics such as getting family members to pitch in with less nagging from you, reducing stress in the morning, better marriage communication, time and priority management, and even keeping your house clean (but not so clean that all the fun vanishes from your family.) In one word, this book is: refreshing.

Simplify Your Time by Marcia Ramsland

I don’t think there is anything new that can be said about how to manage time, but still I read magazine articles and books to glean some reminders about what I should be doing. What I like about Simplify Your Time is the way it is organized into 30 short chapters, each one concentrating on a practical aspect of time management. This makes it easy for me to evaluate my own time management (making lists, using a calendar, saying “no” to irrelevant things…I’m doing well at those) and focus on what I need to improve (punctuality, taking downtime). It’s good for self evaluation with direction on the next steps to take.

The Minimalist Mom’s Guide to Baby’s First Year ebook by Rachel Jonat

Is buying a bunch of baby stuff supposed to make your life easier? That seems to be the common advice for new parents, but not in this guide. I contributed the Foreward for The Minimalist Mom’s Guide to Baby’s First Year, and here is part of what I wrote about it:

The must-have baby lists at the stores and in the catalogs are all written by marketing teams who want to sell you something you don’t really need. Rachel Jonat wants to give you something that every family needs…more time, more money, and more space. Her advice is a welcome relief from promises that the latest and greatest baby gear will keep your baby happy and give you more sleep.

In our consumer-driven society the word “minimalist” may sound extreme, but as Rachel describes it, honestly it means “conscious consumer.” There is a lot of freedom in that, as well as time and money.

Congratulations on becoming a new parent! It is the most awe-inspiring responsibility in the world with a wonderful mix of crazy and serene. A shopping list can’t fully prepare you for it, but the common-sense advice in this guide will definitely make it easier.

One Bite at a Time: 52 Projects for Making Life Simpler ebook by Tsh Oxenreider

From the book: “Sometimes it feels like simplifying is actually adding one more thing to that list, making it, ironically, another thing to stress over.” Oh my word, yes. If you need to simplify your life, but you don’t know where to start, then start here. One Bite at a Time is a rich resource; it takes all those ideas you know you should do and you’ve brainstormed about, and it gives you a blueprint to actually make them part of your life.

My ebook Simple Blogging: Less Computer Time, Better Blogging.

If you blog in your spare time like me, this book will show you how to make the most effective use of your time so you can grow your blog but still find balance. It will help you avoid blogging burnout and let the meaning and purpose in your blog remain.

This post contains affiliate links.

See the comments for this post: On My Bookshelf: Resources for the New Year

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I went to a store on Saturday to try to get my Christmas shopping done, and as I was standing in the checkout line I recognized that I was having a crazy moment. Not a crazy moment like when the kids are being noisy and it’s five o’clock and I’m trying to cope, but crazy as in, “Who is this person? This is totally not like me at all.”

What was happening?

I went to one store to buy a gift for someone else, and I came out with no gift but three things for myself: a wool sweater in a gorgeous shade of peacock blue, a matching pair of lamps with zebra shades, and a cape. Yes, a cape. No, not like a Halloween cape, more like an equestrian-style cape. I don’t know what came over me.

Anyway.

I did get all of my Christmas shopping done, which is what I set out to do last week in an attempt to minimize stress for the holidays. I’ve never done it this early before, but setting goals and focusing on specific projects like this works really well for me.

I did it: in one week  I bought and wrapped unique gifts for more than twenty people (including December birthdays because we shouldn’t forget those.)

(Twenty? Yes. And more. And before you ask, yes I did take some people off the list to shorten it. And yes, we do draw names for two family groups to keep it simple. Right now I’ll just feel fortunate to have so many people in our lives to whom we can give gifts.)

In all this shopping, I learned a few good lessons…

“A little for you, a little for me…”

Every year when I go Christmas shopping I’m reminded of this basic truth:

And this can get you into some trouble. It’s hard to concentrate on the gifts you need to find when you see a whole bunch of shirts on sale that you know you’d like. You’re already primed to buy, there are sales everywhere, and it’s the end of the year. It’s a weak spot.

Know what your wardrobe is lacking before you go shopping. Have a wish list. Avoid buying something random because it’s on sale — that can bust your budget.

Go Early

There is so much more selection when do your shopping early. You can find clothes in the sizes you want. You don’t have to wait in line to check out.

Whether you go early or go late, you’re spending the same amount of time, but going early makes you feel successful instead of stressed out. I’m so glad I can go into the Christmas season with that crossed off my list.

Go Fast

Just because you’re going shopping early, it doesn’t mean you should linger and spend more time on it. Get it done. For the first gift we bought we went to a department store and spent an hour wandering around before we made a decision. I looked at our long gift list, and I knew we couldn’t do that for every gift. We changed our approach:

• Go to stores where you can buy gifts for more than one person at a time. This saves all the time you would spend driving, getting your kids in and out of the car, looking around, and checking out. After that first gift we consolidated our ideas and went to the antique store, the book store, and the hardware store. With most of our purchases made, we could finish up the rest of the list in other places.
• Bonus! When you go to fewer stores, you’ll have less enticement to make impulse buys. The more stores you go in, the more promotions and sales you see.
• Find a gift they’ll enjoy. You won’t find one that will make all their dreams come true. Don’t worry about it, just pick something.
• When you do all of your shopping in a condensed amount of time, it is easier to know and keep track of how much money you’re spending overall than when your shopping is spread out through the whole month.

Wrap It Up

When you get your shopping finished, you’ll feel so good about it that you’ll want to throw your hands up and call it done. Buying all those gifts takes a lot of time, but you’re not done yet. You still have to wrap.

I always forget just how long it takes to wrap all those presents. When the wrapping is finished, that’s when you really are done.

I use my shopping list to keep track of which presents are wrapped so I don’t forget anything and nothing gets lost. Seeing all those gifts wrapped signals to me that it’s over and I can ignore the rest of the sales and advertisements. I don’t need to add anything else.

All that shopping and I only had one crazy moment of impulsiveness get to me…I think that’s pretty good.

I returned the cape I bought. It was awesome for about an hour, but I decided it wasn’t perfect. I saved the peacock-blue wool sweater. It was so beautiful that we decided it could be my Christmas gift this year, not that Doug needs any help, I just really loved it. I’m keeping the zebra lamps too; I have a plan for those.

Now all the presents are put away at the top of the coat closet, and I’m deciding what to do next for preparations. I’m thinking I need to do some housekeeping before Thanksgiving, or maybe we need to get everyone haircuts.

See the comments for this post: Goal: Get Christmas Shopping Finished Early

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Are you ready to look at our progress in the kitchen?

My husband built this open pantry for us, but to fully appreciate it you have to see how the original pantry looked.

When I first viewed the old pantry, I didn’t see green contact paper from the seventies, I saw…

POTENTIAL!

There was enough room in this kitchen to build a wide pantry in the center. Our first plan included pantry doors, but it’s so convenient to just reach in and get what you want that we might leave it open like this. Plus I think the food looks pretty, which is a good thing because everyone can see all of it all the time.

In this post I’ll show you how we built it and how I organized it to keep it looking nice.

We took square footage from the living room to expand the pantry. The living room didn’t need that incredibly useful space.

First we knocked down the wall.

Then my husband framed a new wall and the pantry.

He constructed shelves, and we painted everything white.

Then we moved in our stuff. I had serving platters and bowls that I hadn’t been using on a regular basis, so I took those out of the boxes and employed them full time for pantry organization. The bottles of oil are corralled on a tray that can easily be cleaned.

To make the most of the hard-to-reach space on the top shelf, I put a big lazy susan to hold bottles of syrup and canned goods.

A wooden bowl holds small things that would otherwise be lost.

I mostly use glass canning jars to contain our dried beans, fruits, and nuts. The price of new kitchen canisters is crazy compared to canning jars that you can buy for about a dollar. I like having the uniform size that you can stack or interchange the lids. You can find them at Ace Hardware, Walmart, or even the grocery store. The wide-mouth quart and half-gallon sizes are the most useful.

I usually don’t label the jars because it’s an extra step, and I can see if it’s popcorn kernels or noodles or raisins. But on the top left, some of the baking ingredients all look the same. I label those with a piece of clear scotch tape and a Sharpie marker so that I don’t have to remember when it’s something random like arrowroot.

I found baskets to hold onions and potatoes.

The spices are on full display. (Good thing I decluttered the spices already.) The salt and pepper shakers were nearly identical except one had four holes at the top and one had five. How was I supposed to remember that? I took a paint pen and labeled them.

The small trash cans are a throwback to our apartment days. We empty them into the larger bins outside. I labeled those too with a Sharpie marker. Classy.

Clothespins to fasten the chip bags.

The baking mixes are all together.

One concern with open shelving in the kitchen is keeping it clean, but we installed a very effective range hood over the stove that vents to the outside. It works really well, so the shelves stay clean and only need a little dusting every few weeks. Which I probably should be doing anyway, but now there’s incentive.

More home improvement to come!

See the comments for this post: Open Kitchen Pantry Remodel (And How To Keep It Pretty)

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Should I buy this shirt? Click here to see the full size or to print.

I’ve written a lot of words about putting together a wardrobe that functions with fewer, but better, clothes.

I’ve come a long way from back when I had a closet with four different sizes but nothing to wear and a bikini older than most sixth graders.

I gradually reduced my wardrobe and identified why some clothes didn’t work for me so I could avoid purchasing mistakes.

I talked about how to put together outfits with the 3-piece rule: if you wear a two-piece outfit (a shirt and pants), add a third piece (try a scarf, cardigan, or jacket) to complete your outfit for a more cohesive look.

I simplified my style by wearing less casual clothing and making a “comfortably dressy” style that works for me.

One question I hear repeatedly is, “Where do you shop?” I don’t have one specific store that could be my style secret. It’s mostly about how I shop. This might be the lengthiest post I’ve written, but I want it to be a useful resource.

The first lesson I ever learned about shopping for clothes was to know your colors from the book Color Me Beautiful. It’s from the 80′s, but the color guides are still relevant as a starting point. Are you an Autumn who looks best in warm shades of rust, brown, and sage green? A Winter who looks vibrant in jewel tones? A Summer like me who practically lives in soft blues and grays? Or perhaps a Spring who looks best in fresh coral, cream, and camel? That’s just a start, but knowing which colors work best is what helps to narrow down clothing choices.

I only go shopping for clothes a couple of times a year, and I always look for something very specific.

What I spend money on: shoes, pants, undergarments

What I don’t spend much money on: shirts, scarves

How to avoid spending even more money:

1. Avoid stocking up for clothing insurance. For some reason we act like we’re going to run out of clothes. When I find something really great, I’ll wonder if I should get two. Most of the time one is enough.

2. Make a “What Not to Buy” list. (Know your weaknesses.) I know I’m always tempted to buy another white shirt in the summer or another gray sweater in the winter even though I really don’t need any more.

3. Use retailmenot.com for discounts on online purchases, or at least free shipping. The format is clean and easy to use to find coupon codes.

4. Keep track of your sizes. I keep notes in my address book about the stores I shop at regularly, and I always keep a note of what size I wear at that store. This helps me to remember when I wear a different size top or bottom than usual, and it saves time when I’m shopping online and can’t try things on.

Shoes

I grew up wearing shoes from Payless and other inexpensive stores. Honestly, I didn’t understand why anyone would buy more expensive shoes when you could get cheaper shoes for so much less. I probably wore out my shoes every four months, and then I would go get a new pair. My upper limit for spending on shoes was about $40.

But then…one season I needed to replace my shoes again. We were about to go to Europe, and I was pregnant, and I desperately needed good shoes for my feet. I couldn’t find any cheaper shoes, so I decided to buy a pair of Cole Haan boots for $100. At the time it was the most expensive pair of shoes I had ever bought. I took them with me on the trip (they were the only pair of shoes I took since I like to travel light), and I wore them all the time when I got back. I wore them almost every day (except during summers) for the next five years. Those $100 shoes cost me $20 per year. Because they lasted so long, the most expensive shoes I had ever owned became the least expensive, and  I saved a lot of time by not having to replace them each season.

Once you upgrade to better quality footwear, it’s hard to go back to wearing cheap shoes, or maybe it’s my age.

I only wear shoes that are both cute and comfortable. I always feel sorry when I see someone hobbling around in heels that are obviously killing her.

I’m partial to Clarks for sandals, you saw my red Spring Step shoes the other day, I have a pair of Naot shoes that are a little more dressy, and my boots are Lucchese which are made in El Paso, Texas.

You’ve heard that some women don’t realize they’re wearing the wrong bra size? I was wearing the wrong shoe size for a while. My feet actually shrank two sizes when I went gluten-free. If you’re having a hard time finding shoes with the right fit, be sure to get measured at a shoe store to see if your feet have changed.

Denim

When you buy jeans, it’s not about buying the right brand, it’s all about finding the right fit. When I shop for jeans, I always plan to add about $10 to the price to get them hemmed to the right length. Most people can’t find the perfect fit straight off the rack. Find a pair that fit perfectly through the waist and hips and then tailor the length. Jeans should feel snug when you first try them on, and they’ll loosen up as you wear them throughout the day. If they’re already loose when you first put them on, they’ll be saggy later.

Most people have too many pairs of jeans. If you can wear them a couple of times before washing them, and you do laundry once a week, you can make do with two pairs of jeans, or three at the most. I would rather spend money on two perfect pairs of denim than keep seven hanging in my closet that I sort-of like.

A darker rinse looks more dressy so you can wear them more places, and they don’t show spots.

Shirts

It’s so easy to find shirts on sale that I don’t like to spend very much.

When I shop for shirts I look for washable knits that don’t require ironing or much maintenance. I like them to have some detail at the collar and a tailored fit. I usually ask myself, “Does this look more like a blouse or a t-shirt?” and since my style is comfortably dressy, I opt for the one that looks more like a blouse (but still feels like a t-shirt).

The shirt I’m wearing now (and in the next photo) is from Banana Republic, and it’s a soft knit, but it has a ruffled neckline that keeps it from looking like a plain long-sleeve t-shirt. It’s a winter shirt, but I bought it in early spring at an end-of-season clearance sale knowing I would want to replace a long-sleeve shirt this winter. When you only have a few clothes, it’s easy to identify what you need.

I’m at the point that when I clean out my closet, I’m cleaning out clothes that are worn out because I wore them so often, instead of giving away clothes that I never wore. My shopping list each season is based on what I need to replace. (This fall it’s a pair of jeans, a long-sleeve shirt, and socks.) Now that I’ve reduced my wardrobe to clothes I wear regularly, it’s less tempting to bring home a random shirt that I found on sale, or to even go shopping in the first place.

Where to Shop?

Remember that Friends episode when Rachel buys all her furniture from Pottery Barn, but Phoebe hates Pottery Barn? At the end of the episode their apartment looks “like page 72 of the catalogue. Oh look at that! The ornamental bird cage! Large!”

Just like you wouldn’t buy all of your home furnishings from one store, you shouldn’t buy your wardrobe from one store. You have to build your collection of clothes from a variety of sources, layering different pieces.

So where to go? Here is my experience and a few unapologetic opinions:

Banana Republic – I like to shop the sales racks for blouses, sweaters, and pants, but the clothes sometimes look better on the hangers, so I always try them on before buying. There’s no reason to pay full price because sales happen so often.

Gap – A great source for basic shirts (from the sales racks), but the dresses and pants never fit me. It’s an example of saving yourself time by knowing how the brand typically fits your body.

Ann Taylor & Loft – I’ve bought a few dresses from the clearance racks.

JCrew – When there is an amazing sale, it’s a happy day because the clothes I’ve bought there have been good quality. The clothes are so collection-centric though that I either find several things I like or nothing I want.

Lands’ End Canvas – I’ve bought a few things here, tank tops for instance, and now is the right time of year to hit up their bathing suit sale for next summer. Good tote bags from Lands’ End.

Discount stores like Marshall’s and TJMaxx – lots of blouses to bring flair to your basics

Department stores like Dillard’s and Macy’s – I don’t shop these much because I find them overwhelming, but here is where you get cashmere sweaters during the after-Christmas sales (which I guess now start four weeks before Christmas).

L.L.Bean – I guess I’d call this a source for sensible clothes for winter? I don’t experience much cold weather here in Texas, but my house shoes and tote bag came from here, and the quality is consistent.

White House, Black Market – the clothes fit me perfectly, but the boutique prices mean I only have a couple of pieces.

Zappos.com – I love all the reviews for shoes. I usually buy my shoes online, but I always do a quick price check first to compare other sites such as Piperlime and Planet Shoes.

The stores I don’t favor:

Old Navy – I don’t know, it’s hit or miss. I had one favorite shirt that I bought there, but other clothes are lesser quality. The colors are more prone to fading than their Gap counterparts, and it’s definitely more casual.

Benetton – I love the look of the preppy, colorful styles and the sales are tempting; I just don’t like the fabrics. Many of the clothes have dry clean labels because if they go through the washer they’ll shrink two sizes and never be the same again.

Anthropologie – Inspirational, but the quality is just not there to justify the high prices.

H&M – the clothes look great from far away, but are not as impressive when you get up close and check the quality.

Thoughts on Thrift Stores

I love the idea of vintage, and I shopped at thrift stores often when I was in high school and college. I especially love vintage housewares, and most of our furniture is second-hand with charming imperfection. I don’t shop for second-hand clothes very much anymore, though.

When I used to shop at thrift stores, I ended up with a variety of clothes that were “almost-right” or “good enough.” Now I keep a small wardrobe with just a few carefully-chosen items, and I want them to be exactly right.

To me it’s worth spending a few dollars more to buy exactly what I’m looking for instead of hunting for the hidden gems. In my area, the thrift store prices aren’t that low compared to the price of a new garment at an end-of-season sale. Your results will be better than mine depending on your local thrift stores, if having more variety suits your style, and you don’t mind stopping by regularly to check for new finds.

Maternity Style

It’s hard to buy new clothes that you’ll only wear for a couple of months, especially when maternity clothes are priced higher. Read this post at AlphaMom:

MacGuyver Maternity: Five Steps To Extending Your Non-Maternity Wardrobe Throughout Your Pregnancy

My 7 Must-Have’s for Comfortably Dressy Style:

• dark denim
• big sunglasses
• scarves
• tote
• washable knit layers
• boots
• dresses

See the comments for this post: The Shopping Guide: Comfortably Dressy Style

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I think what’s in your bag can be quite telling about your current season of life.

I’m at Starbucks because the internet hasn’t been set up at our new house. (Maybe it will be turned on tomorrow, I’m hoping.)

So I’m standing in line at Starbucks to order my drink, and when I reach into my tote bag to get ready to pay, I find a bag of frozen fish sticks in there. There are fish sticks in my bag! It’s not my snack. They’re not even cooked, they’re frozen! It’s just so ridiculous, and of course I can’t be subtle about it, I have to show them to the cashier who has probably seen worse but he laughs anyway.

When I sit down at my table the power cord for my computer has a piece of blue painter’s tape stuck on it from all the painting we did last week. I have to get a picture of this. What you don’t see is my purse full of receipts. It’s just a traveling file folder for this home renovation.

We haven’t moved into our house yet because of the construction; we’ve been staying in the nearby town. With all of the traveling we did this year, we’ve lived out of suitcases for most of the last nine months. It will good to get into our own home again. The movers are bringing our stuff on Thursday. There are a few things we’ve missed, and we’ll be happy to have our own kitchen where we’ll cook more than frozen fish sticks.

I’ve come to rely on basic routines so much this month as we drive back and forth between houses, storing necessary things in the trunk of the car, trying to keep some basic organization in place as school starts. School brings so many more small things to do, it’s unbelievable. Trying to remember everything such as how the school library books need to be returned on Fridays, and she needs white t-shirts for field trips. I need a place to put all the papers that come home every day. I don’t even have a table for her to do her homework.

What has helped me is the routines that I knew before but didn’t need so desperately until now. Things like:

Transferring all the information from school flyers to my personal calendar so I have a few less papers to keep up with.

The after-school routine of checking her take-home folder and starting homework right away.

Trusting my decisions to act on information instead of stacking up papers and waiting until later.

Making do with only five outfits for each of us and getting the clothes ready for the week on Sunday night.

Keeping our clothes organized in the packing cubes from our trip while we’re staying at other people’s houses.

Twice-weekly visits to the library for more kids’ books and movies.

Putting the kids to bed an hour earlier to compensate for the early wake-up call.

Night-time showers and baths so we can get out the door before seven a.m. without feeling hurried.

Chicken taquitos.

Knowing this won’t go on forever. Neither Doug nor I want to live in a project. We want to get it all done so we won’t have home improvement projects to do every weekend for years. We’ll unpack our stuff and have furniture and places to sit. It’s almost ready.

See the comments for this post: Frozen Fish Sticks & Creating Order in Disorder

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“Today is a better day than later.” - Lane Grace Meeks, 5 years old

I can only plan today. Who knows what tomorrow will bring?

See the comments for this post: Today is a Better Day Than Later

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Photo by House to Home

Jam jars with red gingham-print lids. I can’t resist them. They’re perfect for holding all my erasers.

Wait a second…

Why would I own so many erasers?

If I don’t need something, then I don’t need to container-ize it, or label it, or make a list about it. Sometimes I forget that when I see pretty editorial pictures.

It’s organizational eye candy.

If you’re feeling like your efforts to organize aren’t really paying off, try looking for ideas that solve a problem, not just look pretty or add to your possessions. Too many containers can make a home feel…bloated. (I’m trying, but I can’t think of a better word.)

A lot of people wonder, “When will I finally be organized?” and “When will I be de-cluttered?” It’s a process that is ongoing. You’re never really through, but one sign that you’re close is when you start giving away your old containers that you don’t need anymore.

See the comments for this post: The Jam Jars

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