FEATURED STORY
How to Defuse Holiday Stress
The #holiday season is in full swing. That typically means shopping, cooking, wrapping, visiting, hosting and any number of additional obligations. You might thrive on this kind of activity, or you might shrink from it — either way, you’re going to feel the #stress. To defuse stressful feelings, don’t overcommit, says Dr. Kate Truitt. Know […]
TALES FROM THE CLOSET
Tales from the Closet brings you all the reading material you need to become and expert at organizing.
ORGANIZING WEBSITES
Use the list of resources below when its time to organize your things. No matter how big or small the job is, you’ll find any one of these websites helpful.
Hoarders Help
It's time to remove the emotional value from the items you never use and the ones that clutter up your home. Remove the clutter and get organizational advice.
Quick Tips
Bring the Outside in for the Holidays
Make Room for the Holidays
Holiday Decorations Don’t Last Forever
Declutter as You Decorate
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Bring the Outside in for the Holidays
You can #decorate for the #holidays elegantly and #inexpensively by foraging, says HGTV. Fallen branches, leaves and evergreen boughs are easy to come by, especially if you’re doing a little bit of fall pruning. Take a spirited forest walk and not only will you get some fresh air, you’re likely to find fragrant pine cones and greens suitable for the mantel, dining room table or porch railing — maybe even a log for the fireplace. Amaryllis and holly cuttings offer more ways to bring the outdoors in for a designer-approved #Christmas home. #HolidayDecorations
Make Room for the Holidays
Is your space so #cluttered that you don’t know where to put the #Christmas tree? Prepare your home for the season by #dcluttering before you start #decorating, The Spruce says. Start by clearing out the stray children’s toys, and ask kids to pick a few things they no longer want to #donate or #trash. Do the same for your #holiday #decorations by getting rid of anything no longer fits your decorating scheme. And do a quick tour of the tchotchkes #cluttering your display surfaces — can they be stored for the holidays in favor of more seasonal items? You might find something that can be #donated or regifted. #HolidayDecorations
Holiday Decorations Don’t Last Forever
If you’re anything like the folks at the Organizing Blog, you might have a stash of vintage #Christmas ornaments you’ve collected over the decades. These fragile little gems — some of them family heirlooms — adorn your tree year after year, but they weren’t made to last forever. Pack and unpack them carefully, continually #decluttering and eliminating the ones you are no longer fond of. And remember, you can only use so much Superglue; accidents happen, and those jagged edges and frayed wires could present a #holiday hazard. #Upcycle when you can, says DIYnCrafts, but be prepared to say goodbye when necessary. #HolidayDecorations
Declutter as You Decorate
As you #decorate for #Christmas or another December #holiday, you will undoubtedly unpack a lot of ornaments, twinkling lights and knickknacks — and you will likely add to that pile over the season. Do yourself a favor at the outset, says Good Housekeeping: clear out the #clutter of seasons past. Unused winter clothing, outdated and dog-eared decorations, spare shopping bags, and extra charging cords that don’t seem to attach to any appliance can be #recycled, #trashed or #donated to make way for new things that will put you in the holiday spirit. #HolidayDecorations