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New Year, New Home

Are you ready to get rid of the clutter in your life? Here I am, signing in to tell you what exactly to do with common items from the top places in your home that you may have overlooked.

10. Bathroom
TRASH: Did you know that your bath and body care has a use by date after you open it? RealSimple magazine breaks it down pretty simply here. There is a special symbol on the back of your product with a number on it. That is the expiration date! From now on, write the date you opened it on it so you know when to toss!
DONATE: Women’s shelters will take unopened products from hotel stays! Recent fun fact courtesy of my sister after I complained to her about my husband’s toiletry hoarding habit when he travels for work. I will be making an effort to do this in 2020. I made a pretty serious pledge last year to create less waste and one purchase that significantly helped with that was a reusable menstrual cup. After donating tampons and pads to a women’s shelter, go out and buy the Saalt Menstrual Cup. They last 10 years, are cost effective, and can be worn for up to 12 hours. Seems like a no-brainer and I’m so glad I made the switch last year!

9. Bedroom
TRASH: Stained pillows should go! I have a cost-saving tip for future pillows so you don’t have to toss them every year… Buy a waterproof/bed bug protection pillowcase. They will save your pillow from drool, greasy hair, and keep it fresh much longer.
DONATE: Old blankets and towels can go to animal shelters! They are usually in desperate need for these items to comfort the crated animals. Bonus: Take over a bag of food for them too while you’re at it!

8. Office
TRASH: Do you need 50 pens all collected from hotels, restaurants, your office? I really don’t think so and honestly, half of them probably don’t even work. Toss them now!
SELL: Did you promise yourself you’d use that fancy camera you bought last year but never did? List it on Facebook Marketplace for that lucky photographer. I’ve had some serious luck on that page.

7. Living Room
TRASH: Nothing. Seriously. You should be able to find a home for your furniture and/or storage bins & baskets. If you can not then….. SELL (again) on Facebook Marketplace. I really prefer this to craigslist btw. Think outside the box with rearranging your furniture and get creative with storage bins. I am constantly moving my bins from the pantry, to my closet, to the living room depending on need. If we get a new toy for the kids, likely I already have a perfect bin for it’s storage.

6. Playroom
TRASH: Toys that are broken. I also use this as a lesson to get my children to play with their toys nicely. If they break it and it can not be fixed, it goes in the trash and they know it. Sorry kids…

DONATE/SELL: Toys that are not age appropriate and video game consoles that have not been used in a year.

5. Pantry
TRASH: Expired food – duh! Also, plastic containers without lids and broken chip clips. You know, go through your cabinets real quick and toss useless items!

DONATE: Did you get extra canned corn for the holidays? I’m sure you can find a way to cook with it but you probably won’t. So go ahead and drop it off to a food shelter.

4. Wardrobe
FIX: Do you have pumps with a worn out heel? Take them to a shoe repair now! If you don’t know of a local one, there are also some dry cleaners that will repair these. Also, watches that need new batteries should be repaired. They’re going to waste in your closet and watches are very much so fashionable these days.

3. Garage
SELL: It’s been a while since I got on a bike and I don’t think it’s going to happen any time soon. This means I should say goodbye and sell it to someone who can use it. Also looking at some surfboards that are collecting dust from our “just moved out here” days.

2. Backyard
TRASH: Moldy outdoor cushions! To save yourself some money in the future, buy yourself a nice outdoor cover. We bought these after our old cushions were ruined by pine sap.

1. Car
TRASH: Last but not least – do a quick scan of your car. Get rid of the gas station receipts and food wrappers (don’t worry, I’m guilty of eating and driving too). Toss those old detail wipes you kept in your car because you were >definitely< going to keep your car clean with them before they dried out.

Let me know in the comments below if I’ve missed anything or if you need any more help decluttering your life!

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Decor Packing Prep-Talk

This year there is only 4 weeks between Thanksgiving and Christmas as opposed to last year’s 5. Have you started decorating for the season of giving yet? Have you started shopping for the actual ACT of giving yet? Right, me neither. Here to drop some helpful tips and hopefully get your season on a more organized path before it’s over.

Since we went away for Thanksgiving, I decided to get out the boxes of ornaments and decor early and start placing them around the house (peek the corner of June’s room above). I’m a day after Thanksgiving tree buyer and we usually keep it simple with one bin of decor but now that my daughter has a vision of her own for every season, I really need to find a more efficient way of storing everything. In the process of unpacking everything, I learned how ABSOLUTELY disorganized I was with my seasonal goods. It’s actually scary. Luckily, I have a major vision for how I want my garage organized and I can’t wait to share the completed project with you once my Amazon finds arrive in the mail. Keep scrolling for my organization wish-list.

  • If you have nutcrackers and delicate trees, I found a comprehensive storage bin with room for all of your delicate decor items as well as ornaments. Click here. I ordered it and it should be waiting for me when I return from vacation. Already can’t wait to pack up everything!
  • For the family with the extra large tree. This container has double duty ornament compartments.
  • If you have a more neutral home and don’t have a garage to hide bins, this gray bin is more aesthetically pleasing for storage in linen closets.
  • Start off the season annoyed by tangled lights? Fret no more, there’s obviously a bin for that!

Ok. I can’t stress this enough, YOU NEED TO PREPARE FOR ORGANIZATION. Plans don’t just fall into place for the items you own. Systems don’t create themselves! This season is stressful for some because of the hosting, the decorating, the cooking… all of it. If you need help prepping for any of those above things (sure, I have some recipes if you really want it), please contact me! I’m itching to bring some order to your life.

XOXO.

Easily Organized | Roxy Hetzel29B4A01E-7FC5-4A25-9C9C-021CF0C4F98A

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Deep Freezers the Right Way

Since I’ve started this blog, I’ve had a few good friend’s reaching out to pick my brain or even suggest future posts they’d like to see. Well, I LOVE that! It gets me excited for my next move in this venture.

The other day, my dear friend sent me a text requesting fridge organization tips. She has a deep fridge which can lead to wasted food since your it all just ends up mixed together with no order. She has just welcomed her second baby into their family and she’s working hard to stock up the freezer for her return to work. The bags were piling up and unfortunately forgot to do the lay flat while freezing trick so the bags were bottom heavy and taking up too much room. Her exact text to me was “it gives me anxiety and I feel like there’s gotta be a better way”.

There definitely was a better way so let’s get into it…

Luckily for her, I was returning some items at Ikea and found the perfect deep freezer tool! I found these lidded bins (picture below is a link to item) that would be great for stacking in her drawer. They keep her milk sorted by month and it’s ok that the bags aren’t all flat because she doesn’t need to see it when she opens the drawer. Only when it comes time for her little one to go through them. They come in multiple sizes so I’m sure you can find one that works for your dimensions. I stacked two of the larger ones in her freezer to store her milk.

Sockerbit Lidded Box from Ikea

As always, don’t forget to check out my Instagram page here for more motivation on how I used these Ikea bins to create a satisfyingly organized freezer drawer!

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Clear Out/Clean Out

Today’s project was pretty simple and straightforward and I just had to share my success with you! My client was a (my) very independent 3 year old. She needed to be able to reach her every day essential articles of clothing and I needed to get rid of a lot of the junk I was hoarding since she was born. Head over to my instagram page @easily_organized to check out my closet organization highlights to see the progress report!

Lets start with my tip of the day…

Tip 12: Start decluttering by completely emptying and cleaning out the space. I threw every single thing out of the closet. Sure, it may have made the bedroom look extremely scary and the project kind of daunting but I find it’s good to get a glimpse of everything that’s taking up space in there. Also, when you do this, it’s so much easier to get a good deep clean. So grab your swiffer and collect all the dust! Just so you know, I didn’t throw everything onto the floor without order… I kept the dresses together, the shoes in a pile…etc. I’m not totally crazy.

Tip 13: Frequently re-evaluate the items in your closets/cabinets. I only found about 3 or 4 articles of clothing that didn’t fit June anymore because of how often I purge. Donate anything you don’t use. This may seem cliché but I’ll add a slight spin and recommend you let others borrow these items until you may need them again. Maybe make an arrangement with a friend that you’ll pass on your child’s clothes if they promise to do the same when/if you decide to have another one. Stop holding onto things you do not need! Fine… I may not be as sentimental as most people but I really enjoy knowing someone else is making good use of something we used to love.

Tip 14: Categorize the pieces in your space. If it’s clothes then sort by season first and then by color. Closets like this with a lot of hanging space can accomodate for holding your seasonal gear year-round. I had previously kept the sweaters all together when, in fact, a few sweaters were only for winter weather or snow and most were meant for SOCAL mild weather. Now I have snow gear and cold weather items together and out of the way since we hardly use them.

Tip 15: Maximize the use of your current storage baskets. I was so proud of the fact that I didn’t have to go shopping to create this look! It really just took me dumping out the baskets I had and finding a proper home for everything in them. For example, I had bathing suits jammed into a basket when they should have been easier to find since we use them all year. Now, the basket on that shelf holds goggles, small pool toys, and her floatie. I strongly believe in a common sense organization method. You don’t need to add every bin or basket to a space to make it easier to navigate. Make sure you’re using the bins you currently have before buying any new ones! That might just create new clutter.

Check out the before photo below! What a simple yet pleasing transformation! What do you think?

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Daily Rituals

Raise you’re hand if you have a roommate? Yes, I’m including children and spouses in the equation. Well, those roommates might not be on board with your resolution to keep the household organized. Try to get them on board with the below list of easy to perform daily rituals!

  • Make Bed – It is so nice to walk through a house full of made beds. If you have young children, get them used to the idea by encouraging them to at least put the pillows back at the head of the bed and arranging their stuffed animals in a fun way.
  • Empty Clean Dishwasher/Dishrack: It makes life so much easier when you can put dirty dishes in the dishwasher without wondering if there are clean dishes in there. Also, how are you supposed to keep the sink clutter free if there’s a bunch of dishes in the dishrack?? Just do it! It only takes 5 minutes out of your morning.
  • Plan Dinner – Make sure you have something defrosted or maybe even something ready to throw in a crockpot. I’ve linked my favorite one for you here. You can even brown meat in it before you set it to slow cook! If you take the time to plan dinner, you can make sure you have the ingredients you need ahead of time.
  • Pack Lunch From Leftovers – After you’re finished eating, assess the leftovers you have and see if you can make a creative lunch for your next day. I wish I could get motivated to meal prep but I feel like this is a more exciting way to change up your daily meals and it’s so much easier! Just take the protein you ate for dinner and throw it in with some salad or veggies and rice and you’ve got a tasty meal! Chris bought these containers and I made fun of him at first but we get so much use out of them.
  • Wash Dishes/Run Dishwasher – My last Instagram post was all about keeping a clean kitchen. No one wants to wake up to smelly food in the sink that can also leave unsightly stains!
  • Put Dirty Clothes in the Hamper – Either that or hang up the clothes you wore that day that didn’t get stinky. Don’t just throw your jeans on the closest armchair, find its home so it’s easy to get ready the next day.
  • Lay out Clothes – I’m not a morning person so when I was rushing to get to work or the gym early in the morning, it was so nice to already have everything ready to go. Do it the night before so you don’t start off your day feeling rushed.
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Enlist Help

About a month ago, a friend sent me a picture of her mom organizing her cabinet with the caption “You’re going to be so proud”. She herself is the mother of a 3 year old and a (now) one month old and I promised I would come over any time to organize the MANY toys they’ve accumulated over the years. Her mom beat me to the punch. Mind you, her house is super neat! It looks straight from a magazine. The only issue was keeping the storage bins and baskets categorized. Cars were with the legos, magnet tiles were thrown in with puzzle pieces… I think you get the picture.

For a select few, organizing is like meditation. It comes easily and seems effortless. For others, it may be a tedious chore. In my friend’s case, they have full-time jobs with 2 kids and like to travel frequently. No wonder their storage solutions needed a facelift. Whether you love organizing or hate it, my next tip is this:

Enlist the help of others!

Find a friend, partner, even child willing to help and turn on some music, maybe some trashy T.V, and grab yourselves a drink! You’ll find that this person can do more than keep you company. They may have a different perspective on the task at hand and can probably offer up some new ways of getting your life together.

This doesn’t only apply to cabinet organization, but life in general! Maybe you need to figure out a new weekly routine for school pick-ups, a way to balance your new job schedule, or where your new coffee machine would look best. Either way, it does not have to be a painful process and it can’t hurt to ask someone for help!

Drop me a line below and let me know who your favorite helper is. Or, if you want to enlist my help (I’ll even bring the wine!). If you’re ready to get to organizing, below are some of my must-haves for any task management session.

  • Smart speaker: You’ll have your hands full so being able to tell your TV to turn on or what music to play is key! You can even ask it for a joke to pick you up OR to add another bin to your shopping list if you need just one more.
  • Your favorite playlist: Mine is called Deep Focus. It’s a mostly instrumental playlist built and updated by Spotify.
  • Wine! And some wine glass charms so you don’t mix yours up with your helper’s. These were gifted to me by the same adorable friend who motivated this post.
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Finding a Home

If this wasn’t your home, would you be able to figure out where everything was?

My mom came to help me with the house after I gave birth to our second child. Being that she lives across the country, we don’t see each other as often as we’d like but we always make the most of it when we do. Our homes are also constantly changing during the time we’ve spent apart.

If you know her, I’m sure you can imagine that she is amazing to have around during a major life change. My mom is terrific with kids, is the best cook in the world, and has this calm demeanor that I’ve always aspired to emulate.

One day, while she was being super mom in the kitchen, she looked at me and said “Rox, your kitchen is so easy to navigate. Everything makes sense.” I felt this wave of pride come over me. Why? Because I’ve never really looked at myself as an extremely organized person BUT for someone to feel just as at-home in your kitchen as you, yourself, does… Well, that is something to be proud of.

This brings me to my tip of the day:

Before you make a purchase, think ahead of where it’s home will be. Find a home!

I’m sure you’re thinking “OK, but what about gifts?” There’s an easy solution for this. Keep cabinets coordinated by category so you can immediately add your newest addition to your home.

Tips for smarter smaller kitchens:

  • Maximize space by mounting kitchenware.
  • Use expandable drawer organizers.
  • Place measuring cups in a drawer/cabinet closest to your prep area.
  • Place pots and pans near the oven.

Tips for smarter larger kitchens:

  • Do not force yourself to use all available cabinets. If budget allows, consider converting cabinets into beautiful and fresh open shelving.
  • Keep items off your counter and take advantage of extra drawer space. These spice drawer organizers are a must have!

What are your favorite ways to stay organized in your kitchen? Drop me a note below!