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blog #3: Have a Greener, Cleaner Home: 18 Sustainable and Quick Organizing Tips You Can Stick to

Enjoy our feature on Redfin!

Chances are, decluttering your home, keeping your space organized, and becoming more sustainable with your choices are items found on many homeowner’s New Year’s resolution list. And with any resolution, the hardest part isn’t making the decision, but actually following through with your vision for the year. However, there are countless sustainable and quick organizing tips you can start – and stick to. We’ve reached out to professional organizers across the country, from Jacksonville, FL, to Vancouver, CA for their best tips and tricks to make decluttering and sustainability that much easier. Check out what they had to say so you can have a greener and cleaner home this year.

1. Put a physical date on the calendar to get the decluttering process started!

Half the battle is making the commitment to begin. Be sure to make an event of it and don’t forget to set the vibe – open the blinds, light some candles, put on some comfy clothes, a killer playlist and let the

sorting process begin. Afraid of losing memories by decluttering? Take photos of the items in question and create a little photo album you can look back on that takes up way less space than keeping it all. –

Whitney Pynn, President + Founder POSITIV SPACE, LLC

Go to Redin’s blog to check out the rest of these helpful tips!

Originally published by Redfin January 18th, 2022

BLOG #2: STAY IN, IN STYLE!

MAKE YOUR HOME YOUR FAV NEW RESTAURANT

With the outbreak of the Coronavirus pandemic it definitely can’t hurt to take all necessary precautions to keep you and your family safe. So good chance your weekend plans have changed a bit. You’re probably saying “stay home and cook?! I wanted to be out brunching all weekend long!!” But, let’s get serious, staying in can be the MOST glamorous. Eat and drink and NOT have to drive or pay for an uber? Sign me up! It doesn’t take much to set the ambiance and make your time at home special. I mean if we gotta do it, let’s enjoy it to the max, right? We want to help give you a few tips to enjoy your night in.  

1. LIGHTING

   Easiest way to set the mood. Lower your lights, and light up some candles! We are HUGE fans of tealight candles. So cheap, so effective! Place them in your living room, dining room, the bathroom, I mean you really can’t go wrong.

2. USE YOUR GOOD DISHWARE

   Seriously though, what are you saving it for?! If you have it, use it, enjoy it. If it’s going to take up space in your home you might as well put it to use!

3. MAKE YOUR OWN CENTERPIECE

   Go outside and pick some branches, holler over to your neighbor and ask how they’re feeling and if you can pick some flowers, or just pick ‘em! Ask for forgiveness, not permission, right? You know what’s best. Get creative, get weird, it will be fun to enjoy and look great on your insta.

4. WINE GLASSES FOR WATER

   Isn’t it fun to be bougie, ritzy, fancy sometimes? If i’m not at home you can find me camping, and it’s not always glamping I’ll tell you what, but wine not, class it up for change? See what I did there? ;)

5. NO LABELS ON THE TABLE

   I was lucky enough to grow up with family friends that felt like family that imparted golden nuggets of wisdom like “no labels on the table”. Thank you O’Malley’s! Growing up my mom would say it time and time again and it really stuck with me. Instead of leaving the salad dressing in the bottle, put it in a cute little dish, you see where I’m going with this? We are bombarded with so many words everyday, let the dinner table be a place with just some good ol’ conversation; hold the extra visual noise.

6. LET YOUR OUTFIT CHOOSE YOU

   Open your closet and see what speaks to you. I love waltzing through life letting my intuition lead me where it may. Maybe it will be a themed dinner? Oh goshhhh I loveeee a good theme!!! I’m getting excited for you! Post pics!

7. USE WHAT YOU HAVE

   I am definitely NOT an expert when it comes to cooking, and I admit my boyfriend spoils me rotten with his culinary expertise, but it doesn’t mean I don’t know how to use Yummly. Guys, you can literally just type in the ingredients in the app and like magic recipes will pop up! Get creative with your cocktails or mocktails too, create a little challenge for yourself! Yesterday we made “Mint Ferraris” as an after dinner treat because we had Campari and Menta Branca. A twist on the classic Ferrari cocktail. NOTE: if you try this at home it can be a very polarizing experience, you will either LOVE it or absolutely DESPISE it. Can’t know until you try! 

8. ROBE UP

   After dinner put on a robe or your coziest attire, put on some slippers, and be grateful that you are already home and have no where to be.

I know the state of the world is more than just a little freaky right now, but let’s get creative during these trying times and make the most of our new found time at home! All we can do it take it one minute at a time.

#makelemonade #stayhealthy #stayin #stayweird 

Originally published March 13, 2020 4:07:00 PM

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BLOG #1: Happy new year!

But, I still need to de-Christmas…halllp!

Ready to start out 2020 with a bang, but still can't seem to bring yourself to take down your Christmas decorations? I feel you. It's a process! And, it can be hard to say goodbye to such a special time of year....or maybe really easy! #thankyounext The holidays can be quite the workout, and this is the final push! This year, while I was putting away my decorations I decided to change up my thought process: instead of thinking of this holiday ending as a dreaded chore, I chose to think of it as a bonus self-love activity. Hear me out, you get the opportunity to give your future self the gift of having everything put away in an organized way. I know it sounds totally cheesy, but when I chose to think of the de-Christmasing process as wrapping up an early Christmas present to myself, if you will, it made it much more fun! Here are 5 tips you may find helpful to get you started:

1. Pick a special box or container for your special ornaments

Last year, my boyfriend and I stayed at the Madonna Inn for our anniversary. If you haven't been, do yourself a favor and GO! So funky, gaudy, each room completely unique and over the top amazinggg! I mean you can have a rock waterfall shower IN YOUR ROOM! I digress... Anyway, he had some champagne, two Madonna Inn champagne glasses wrapped in a bright pink box, and flowers waiting for us in the room (guys take notes). So, this year I decided to use that bright pink box with the gold Madonna Inn lettering I've been holding on to to wrap our special ornaments in. Every time I look at it I am instantly overflowing with love and beautiful memories. See where I'm going with this? Wrap up your ornaments in a special box as if you are giving yourself a gift and it makes the whole process much more enjoyable and the best part is you can enjoy it again and again, year after year!

2. Re-purpose take-out containers for ornament storage

I try to hold on to any ornament boxes when I do the purchasing, but what about all the other ornaments that are gifted to me or didn't have a container originally? Take-out containers, or any small tupperware container with a lid work great. I lined an old plastic Chinese food container with some cute Christmasy wrapping paper, and BAM! We have storage that is both practical and adorable.

3. Use hangers to store lights

I don't know about you but untangling strands of lights is enough to just about drive me mad! Yes, patience is a virtue, and I am working on it, but I have enough lessons in patience everyday without adding another one. Utilizing hangers are a great way to avoid that completely! And, they barely take up any room. Simply loop either end along the hook of the hanger, I use the female end on top (Girl Power!), but it really does not make a difference either way. Then, wrap the lights around the rest of the hanger until you can plug the other end back into itself. Seriously, life changing.

4. Wrap fragile items in seasonal kitchen towels

I tend to get Christmasy kitchen towels each year as gifts from family, extended family, you know how that goes. Super cute, but with the limited space I have in my kitchen, I need to put them away with the rest of the decorations. Why not put them to work? Have a larger fragile Santa that you want to store without damaging? Wrap that jolly fellow up in the kitchen towel and it's a win, win! Tissue paper, wrapping paper, and bubble wrap are also good packing options. All about that re-purposing!

5. Utilize plastic bedding packaging for nonbreakable ornaments

Whenever I get a fresh pair of sheets, or other bedding, and they come in those nice zip-up flexible plastic packaging I like to hold on to them, because I always seem to find a good use for them. This year I decided to use one I had for my nonbreakable ornaments. It's fun because with it's transparent design you can see what you have in there at a glance. And, you're not buying more plastic #savetheearth

Label those boxes clearly with 'Christmas' and you are good to go! Think about how much time you spend wrapping presents for other people. A ton right? It's time to give yourself some of that same care and consideration.

Happy de-Christmasing to you and yours!

And, a very happy, healthy New Year! Let’s make 2020 our best year yet!

Love always,

Whitney

Originally published January 7, 2020 4:44:00 PM

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