Home Living and Organization
I write reported articles and blog posts on organization, decluttering, interior design, storage, moving, hosting, and more.
5 Decluttering and Organizing Projects to Do This Winter
Spring might be the season for deep cleaning, but the cold weather means its time to get started on your winter organization projects.
Back to School: How to Organize Supplies and Set Up the Perfect Workspace
School is back in session, which means you need an organization system that can minimize chaos, before it gets the best of you and your young students.
Everything You Need to Do Before You Move to Another Country
Moving is always a big task, but moving abroad presents its own set of unique challenges.
14 Decluttering, Organizing, and Storage Tips to Make Your Home More Eco-Friendly
If you want to give your home an eco-friendly edge but don’t know where to start, look to your stuff. The quality and volume of the things you buy — and the ways in which you organize and store those items — can have as much of an impact on your carbon footprint as using sustainable building materials or installing solar panels on your roof.
How to Wash and Store Your Winter Coats
Spring is officially here. But before you start scheduling outdoor picnics to celebrate that extra hour of sunlight, you may want to add one more item to your spring cleaning list. The task in question? Washing, organizing, and storing your winter coats.
How to Organize and Store Your Electronic and Tech Devices
Chances are good you’ve amassed a large collection of electronics and tech devices over the years. Everything from early 2000-era CDs to iPad chargers. Save for shoving these items in a drawer or cabinet, it can be tricky to know what to do with them. Luckily, all it takes is some realistic planning and a couple hours of your time to save your desk drawers from total disarray.
11 Helpful Tips For Hosting Overnight Guests in a Small Apartment
Accommodating guests in a space-challenged apartment doesn’t have to be a nightmare, or even a lesson in patience. With some extra effort and a positive attitude, you can make the experience comfortable and enjoyable for everyone.
Start 2018 With This 30-Day Decluttering Challenge
This 30-Day Decluttering Challenge will help you conquer the clutter in your home, get organized, and make space for what really matters. Ready to get started?
13 Miracle Solutions For Arranging And Organizing A Kitchen Without Cabinets
Having an organized, clutter-free kitchen makes everything from cooking dinner to making coffee a thousand times easier. But what if your kitchen doesn’t have cabinets? Where are you supposed to put your plates, mugs, and snacks?
12 Relationship-Saving Ways to Share a Closet With Your Significant Other
Sharing a closet means two personalities, two wardrobes, and double the amount of shoes in a tiny space. If that mental picture sends you into panic mode, know this: Sharing closet space is totally doable. You just need some creativity, smart planning, and an open line of communication with your partner to make it happen.
19 Bodacious Backyard Storage Ideas, Tips, Hacks, and Solutions You Need to Try
Outdoor storage isn’t exactly straightforward. Unlike a home that has closets, cabinets, and drawers to hide your unappealing possessions, a backyard is wide open, meaning you have to think outside the box to organize and store your stuff.
Organize Your Storage Closet in 13 Glorious Ways
If the chaos in your storage closet has rendered it nonfunctional, don’t despair. You can turn it around with some thoughtful planning — plus a couple strategic wall hooks.
6 Signs You're Too Grown Up For a DIY Move
There comes a time in everyone’s life when moving homes without professional help no longer seems like the logical choice. What used to be a common (albeit chaotic) undertaking now feels like an impossible feat. Here are six telltale signs you've graduated from the DIY move.
26 Dazzling Deep Cleaning Tips and Tricks That Will Make Your Home Sparkle
The start of spring means it’s time to crack open a bottle of rosé, don the jean shorts you haven’t seen since September, and — oh, yeah — break out your cleaning products. After three months of lounging around your house watching Netflix and cuddling your cat, some spring cleaning is in order.
15 Amazing Multi-Purpose Entryway Storage Hacks and Ideas You'll Love
Considering the fact that an entryway offers the first glimpse inside a home, it’s a seriously overlooked and undervalued area. Sure, your entryway might be small, sparse, dark, or narrow, but hey — it’s got major style and storage potential. Here are 15 amazing multi-purpose entryway storage solutions that will keep your home’s first and last impression on-point.
7 Ways to Make Room For Working Out at Home
When it comes to exercising, sometimes sweating it out at home is best. After all, it’s more affordable and convenient than a gym or workout studio, and you don’t have to worry about what you look like when you’re sprinting (or dying) on the treadmill. Here's what you need to know about making space for your home gym.
The Ultimate Guide to Decluttering Your Kitchen
Kitchen stuff accumulates fast. Canned goods pile up, dishes double in volume, well-meaning gifts crowd your cabinets and before you know it, your kitchen looks like an especially bad episode of Hoarders. But it doesn’t have to be that way: With a little determination and practical planning, you can clear your kitchen of unwanted junk and completely transform your space.
Think Outside the Tree: Holiday Decorating For Small Spaces
It’s totally possible to transform your small space with just a few simple changes. Here’s how to give your pad a healthy dose of holiday cheer without overcrowding it.
Minimalist Living Tips: 8 Essential Rules For Living With Less
Rather than tell you how to create the perfect capsule wardrobe, we’re going to break down the principles of minimalist living so you can experience the sweet freedom of living with less — on your own terms.
How to Sublease Your Apartment
Whether you’re spending the summer with family in another state or traveling overseas for an extended period of time, subleasing can ease some of the stress of paying rent while you’re away. But the actual subleasing process, while simple in theory, can often be complicated and slightly risky, especially if you don’t know your basic tenant rights and responsibilities.
How to Organize Your Outdoor Space For Entertaining
Maybe you’ve got pool toys and squirt guns galore, tons of gardening tools or piles of sports equipment you don’t know what to do with. Don’t stress — finding a space to store your belongings just requires a little imagination and resourcefulness.
How to Organize and Arrange Your Book Collection
Book collections are one of the most overlooked home areas in need of organization. Even if you’re not actively scanning your shelves in search of a new book to read every week, having an organized space to house your favorite stories is the best way to ensure you’ll actually enjoy them. But it can be tricky to know where to begin.
4 Earth-Friendly Reasons to Embrace Minimalism
When you think about minimalism, you might picture a closet with only ten color-coordinated items hanging neatly, or you might imagine a stark white living space that features nothing but a modern couch. But minimalist living is less about a particular design aesthetic and more about a series of conscious lifestyle choices —ones that have direct impacts on the health and prosperity of the environment.
Why Winter is the Best Time to Move
Moving homes is a massive undertaking at any time of year. But doing it during the winter months, when people are spending more time indoors and competition for buying and renting homes is less intense, can ease some of the usual stress.
6 Steps to Take When Starting a Renovation or Self-Build Project
5 New Year’s Resolutions to Start Your Year Off Right
How to Clean Up For Your Cleaning Service
You’re supposed to pre-clean your home to some degree, but how much should you actually do?
Everything You Need to Know About Moving in Together After Dating Long-Distance
Managing a long-distance relationship is tricky, but moving in together after living thousands of miles apart is often just as challenging.
The College Student’s Guide to Decluttering and Storing Stuff Over Summer
When you’re a college student, moving home for the summer can be a major relief from the pressures of school. But a temporary move can also present logistical challenges when it comes to organizing and storing your belongings, especially if you attend school across the country.
How to Clean and Store Suits, Dress Shirts, Pants, and Shoes
Like snowboarding gear and winter boots, formal wear is one of those things that requires significant storage space. These well-made, fancy (read: expensive) items deserve — nay, demand — good treatment, especially if you want to make them last for another few years of wedding seasons and office presentations.
12 Clever Ways to Organize Your Book Collection
If you’ve been in the habit of carelessly cramming your books wherever there’s an extra inch of shelf space, it’s time to step up your organization game. A solid book organization system doesn’t just make it easier to find what you’re looking for— it also makes you more likely to actually pick up a book and read.
5 Awesome Reasons to Downsize Your Home
If you find yourself yearning for a smaller home to call yours, you’re not alone. According to a 2017 survey from real estate site Trulia, 60% of people living in homes of 2,000 square feet or more said they’d like to downsize. And it's true that transitioning to a smaller home can be an excellent way to enhance your quality of life. Read on to discover the five big perks of downsizing.
6 Steps to Create the Perfect Workspace at Home
One of the keys to successfully working at home — aside from self-discipline and a strong Wi-Fi connection — is having a comfortable, convenient workspace. And no, the couch doesn’t count. Follow these six tips to create a home workspace that’ll make you happier and more productive.
18 Alluring Ways To Organize A Bathroom Without Drawers And Cabinets
Before you give up and resort to piling your bathroom products in a plastic bin on the floor, know this: There are a surprising number of unexpected storage possibilities in even the tiniest of bathrooms.
15 Things You Should Get Rid of Now For a Cleaner, Calmer Home
Decluttering your home is a big undertaking. It takes a considerable amount of energy to sort through your stuff to figure out what you should keep or get rid of. Luckily, there are certain items you don’t need to think twice about before tossing. We’ve compiled this handy, no-brainer list of clutter culprits for you, so all you have to do is follow our lead.
The Only Moving Checklist You'll Ever Need
Moving is no small feat — the sheer amount of planning and coordinating involved is enough to make even the most organized person feel panicked. Luckily, this comprehensive moving checklist tells you exactly what to do before and after you’ve settled into your new place.
8 Easy Ways to Create Space in a Small Apartment
If the closets, cabinets, and drawers in your small apartment are maxed out, don’t stress — there are plenty of sneaky storage spots and solutions in even the smallest of spaces. Follow these eight tips to learn how to create more storage space in your home, plus maximize the space you already have.
19 Genius Ideas For Packing Your Home's Most Difficult Necessities
When it comes to packing for a move, certain items are far more challenging to organize and load up than others. Some stuff is bulky, fragile, or just plain frustrating to deal with. That’s why we’ve compiled this list of clever packing hacks and tips for your most difficult home necessities.
How to Pack Everything For Your Move in One Day
Packing your place for a move is nothing short of daunting, especially if you’re in a time-crunch or you tend to procrastinate. It’s easy to feel totally stressed out (and maybe even panicked), but with a bit of prep work and some serious dedication, you can clear out your home and load up your car in one day.
10 Smart Ways to Organize Your Kitchen For Meal Prep
Meal prep doesn’t just help you save time and money — it can also lead to smarter, healthier eating habits. “If you have healthy foods at the ready, you’re more likely to opt for these over takeout or snacking through a meal,” says Amy Gorin, RDN. Here’s how to organize your kitchen to make meal prep a cinch.
6 Reasons Letting Go of Stuff is Hard (And What to Do About It)
Picture this: You decide to declutter your home, but despite your best intentions, 30 minutes into the project you’re surrounded by a pile of old college T-shirts, wearing a fedora you forgot you had, and sifting through your dresser drawer contents like they’re relics. We’ve all been there before.
How to Easily Organize Your Closet Once (And Never Again)
If you’re anything like us, you’ve probably decluttered and organized your bedroom closet many times over the years, and yet every few months it still ends up looking like a bull busted through your walk-in. Maintaining an organized closet will always be an ongoing process (because updating your wardrobe is an ongoing process), but there are certain things you can do to ensure you never spend more than 20 minutes rearranging your clothes ever again.
16 Amazing Beauty Storage Ideas You'll Absolutely Love
Instead of giving up and shoving everything you own into a plastic bin below your sink, get creative.Here are 16 awesome and totally doable beauty storage ideas and solutions.
The No-Stress Guide to Moving in With Someone New
Even if you and your roommate have next to nothing in common, you can still create a comfortable living environment by respecting one another and learning to communicate. Here’s how to transition into living with someone new — no stress necessary.
How to Organize Your Bathroom in 7 Simple Steps
11 Clever Kitchen Organization Ideas You'll Want to Try at Home
The kitchen is often the most used space in your home — and the least loved. Here are 11 clever kitchen organization ideas that will keep your kitchen clutter-free so you can focus on what matters most (no, really): enjoying your food.
41 Moving and Packing Tips That Will Make Your Move Dead Simple
Congrats on your new home! Now you just have to figure out how you’re going to pack and move everything without breaking the bank, your fragile lamp, or your back. Good thing we put together this list of 41 easy moving and packing tips that will make your move dead simple.
The Gift of Service: 5 Organizing Projects to Do With Mom
Instead of a flowery candle or new pair of shoes (that might just end up stashed in her closet), here's a better idea: offer your mom the gift of service and some quality time together. Here are five easy organizing projects you can tackle with your mom to help make her life calmer and more peaceful.
5 Garage Essentials and How to Keep Them Organized
The garage: a multi-purpose space with seemingly limitless potential for storage.But how do you keep it organized, functional, and still spacious enough to actually house your car?
Stay Organized All Year With This Simple Tip
Every year, you make the same well-intentioned promise: to keep your house clean on a regular basis. But how do you take that lofty goal and turn it into something actionable? How do you take an expectation and transform it into a constructive behavior?
Why You Should Marie Kondo Your Office
Winter is Coming. Is Your Garage Ready?
An organized, well-equipped garage makes it easier to keep your home clean, locate holiday decorations easily, and prep for rough weather.
8 Ways to Display and Store Art in Small Spaces
All artwork — whether it’s a curated piece for a gallery wall, or a portrait of a pug from the flea market — deserves a good home.
7 Rules For Mastering a Minimalist Design
The major benefits of minimalist design go beyond style. Attempting a minimalist look is the perfect opportunity to edit your belongings and create a feeling of calm in your home.
11 Easy Design Tweaks That’ll Make Your Home Feel Brand New
Even the most timeless decor can feel stale after a while. If your apartment needs a quick makeover, don’t worry about buying a new set of furniture or scrapping all your art. Here are 11 simple design tweaks to make your home look and feel brand new — no major renovations or tedious DIY projects necessary.
How to Store Liquor at Home
Whether you’re a liquor connoisseur, self-proclaimed mixologist, or just a lover of fresh cocktails, you probably have at least a small collection of hard alcohol at home. But if you’re low on kitchen cabinet space, where do you store your bottles of tequila and gin? Here’s a hint: A well-styled bar cart, though aesthetically appealing, isn’t always the answer.
7 Habits For Living a More Organized Life
If you crave a cleaner, less cluttered home, you might think the only solution is to completely overhaul your space. And while it’s true that a massive decluttering project will put you on the path toward home organization nirvana, staying on the path requires daily effort.
Digital Detox: 25 Days to Declutter Your Desktop, Devices, and Drives
If the chaos on your computer desktop sends you into panic mode whenever you open your laptop, it’s time to regain control of your digital space. Follow these everyday steps to eliminate digital clutter, organize your files, and restore calm to your screens.
Declutter These 4 Areas in Your Home Before the Holidays
The holiday season is nothing short of hectic. Between shopping for gifts, buying groceries, decorating, and spending time with family, the last thing you want to worry about is decluttering your home.That’s why you should consider getting ahead of the game by tackling a few key decluttering projects early.
7 Benefits of High-Quality Property Maintenance Services
If you’re a property owner or manager, there’s a good chance you’re swamped with a multitude of tasks each day. Between tending to your tenants’ needs and overseeing the operations of your facility, the last thing you want to worry about is fixing the dented sign out front or repairing the split asphalt at the back of the parking lot. That’s where an experienced property maintenance team comes in handy.
8 Expert Solutions For Your Toughest Moving Problems
Finding and securing a new home is challenging enough, but the actual process of moving — the packing, the schlepping, the logistics — can easily send you into meltdown mode if you’re not properly prepared. That’s why it helps to have a working knowledge of the most common moving predicaments you might find yourself in, plus how to handle them.
13 Painless Ways to Organize, Store, and Get Rid of Paper Clutter
Paper clutter is one of the worst offenders. It accumulates quickly and can be totally overwhelming if you don’t deal with it on a daily basis. But, thankfully, all it takes to banish paper clutter from your home are a few clever tricks and well-implemented organization systems.
13 Extremely Easy, Eco-Friendly Organizing Tips For Your Home
Even if you already carpool to work, buy second-hand clothes, or pay your bills online, there are still plenty of small but impactful changes you can make to live a more environmentally responsible lifestyle. How? It starts at home. These 13 extremely easy eco-friendly organizing tips will help you save money, control clutter, and reduce waste (the ego boost is just a bonus).
12 Stellar Ways to Organize Your Kitchen Cabinets, Drawers, and Pantry on a Budget
Good kitchen organization isn’t just about stacking dishes neatly. It’s about creating a smart system that makes your life as easy as possible. That’s why we put together this handy list of 12 simple and brilliant tips to perfectly organize your kitchen cabinets, drawers, and pantry.
14 Easy New Year's Resolutions That'll Keep Your Home Clean All Year
Unless you’re Marie Kondo or someone who, ahem, writes organizational articles for a living, you’re probably overwhelmed by the idea of decluttering your entire home. It’s totally normal to want to sink into the pile of sweaters on your chair and resign yourself to living in chaos — but you don’t have to.
7 Super Creative and Cheap Ways to Store Your Luggage, Suitcases, and Carry-On
Whether you’re a regular jet-setter or a “once a year visit to home” kind of person, you probably have at least one travel bag that claims precious space in your home. And since there’s something strangely satisfying about coming back after a trip, unpacking your suitcase, and putting it securely out of sight, we’ve compiled a list of 10 tips and tricks for storing all your luggage, no matter the type.
20 Quick Tips For Hosting Your First Thanksgiving
Hosting Thanksgiving is no easy feat. The planning process is overwhelming at best and downright chaotic at worst. Already feeling behind? Don’t sweat it. Just follow these 20 quick tips to get a jumpstart on hosting your friends and family.
13 Easy DIY Storage Solutions That'll Organize Your Entire Home
We’ve all fantasized about starting the perfect kitchen or closet remodeling project — the one that will add secret drawers, sliding panels, extra shelving, and hooks galore to our homes, magically creating space for all the stuff we can’t find space for. But when you don’t have the time or funds for a full-on renovation, you have to get creative to maximize your available space.
How to Organize Your Linen Closet (11 Super Simple Steps)
We’d all love to have a linen closet worthy of a home design magazine, but despite our best intentions, these spaces often become the junk drawer equivalents for everything bed and bath-related. But with a little resourcefulness and creativity, you can say goodbye to your teetering stacks of towels and piles of hastily folded sheets.
20 Surefire Signs It's Time to Get Organized
Your obsession with twinkle lights aside, keeping Christmas stockings or plastic pumpkins lying around well into spring is a good sign you need to do a little decluttering.
How to Start Decluttering Your Home: 15 Actionable Tips From Certified Professional Organizers
Decluttering your home can be a massive undertaking, one that sometimes feels too daunting to even attempt.But like most things in life, the hardest part is getting started. That’s why we’ve compiled a list of no-fail decluttering tips from the experts — certified professional organizers with years of experience under their belts.
How to Decide What to Keep or Toss After Graduation
Sifting through four years’ worth of accumulated textbooks and school paraphernalia is a massive undertaking, but a little conscious organizing can go a long way. Here’s a simple guide to sorting your stuff after your graduate.
How to Rotate Your Wardrobe for Spring
Warming temperatures and increased evening light mark the beginning of spring. After dealing with the heft and bulk of winter clothes for three months, spring is the ideal time to lighten and brighten your closet, refresh your wardrobe, and make the best use of your closet space.
7 Things You Should Get Rid of Right Now
Tackling a big cleaning or organizing project can be daunting, but there’s an easy way to instantly declutter your home without thinking twice. Focus on the little things you can eliminate from your home right now—no planning, deliberation, or guilt necessary.