Great Things, Little Packages

The greatest things come in the smallest packages. 

I don't think that is true when it comes to living space however. My husband and I moved into my parents home for the summer before moving away for school. We got a "large" room to ourselves. We have most of our stuff stored in their basement, but our essentials out in the room with us. I documented our journey/struggle to give some ideas on how to make small spaces liveable and your own. 

First we got two of these clothing racks from IKEA since we do not have a closet! Not ideal, but they work pretty well! There is one for me and one for my husband. 

We slide them into a cubby and are in the process of making curtains to hide them. 

This picture, I want to emphasize the entertainment center in the background. Storage bins will be your best friend! They hide things really well and they add a cute flair to the room. 

Bedding is one of my favorite things! I love that it pulls a room together. I just wanted to share this shot and say regardless of where you lay your head down to sleep, you can always make a space your own. 

Why Do We Have So Much Stuff?: An Attempt at Helping to Organize

Hello, yes, I would like to report a disaster.

It's me. I'm the disaster.

I have too much stuff. I'm not just talking about the usual like too many shoes or whatever else. I'm seriously talking about unpacking going *Gandalf voice* "I have no memory of these things."

But, like, I need them? Maybe? I dunno; I like those stuffed animals, and they're cute and cuddly and could possibly be used by any future children I have?

But what do I do with them?

Well, okay, let's start with some basics.

Ah, the filing cabinet. My old foe . . . I mean, friend.

Seriously, I've put off getting one of these for my office for a while now because filing cabinets are for adults, and I'm not an adult, right?

Yeah, I'm a full-grown woman. I need to start acting like it.

Anyway, this is great. I've got my piano music in the bottom drawer, my financial files in the middle, and the top drawer has an assortment of other important things.

Look at those hanging files! Seriously, if you don't have manilla folders for every separate year of taxes, a separate folder for car payments/house payments/other bills . . . you just aren't doing organizing right.

I actually got the idea for cloth boxes from my mother, who used them in the room she let us live in for a while, back when we were in between living arrangements. They're really lovely for storage, and they come in any color.

Banker boxes! I love these things. They store pretty much anything and everything, so when you've got a whole heck of a lot of keepsakes handed down to you from both sets of in-laws, at least you have a way to store them!

And finally, plastic bins. The labels aren't on these yet, but what I usually do is take an index card and write in sharpie things like "Markers and Crayons" or "Stuffed Animals" or "Christmas Storage" or whatever else. These are some of the smaller selections. For really big things (see: Christmas Storage), you can get some the size of small suitcases!

Moving in and Cleaning up: A Few Tips for a Clean New Home

Oh my gosh, y'all. Moving is hard.

Seriously. I'm still exhausted. I need like five hundred naps. And I still haven't even unpacked everything. All the boxes are just in my place.

Anyway, here are some quick tips that I've learned from this craziness. These tips will all be about cleaning your house pre-move since clearly I can't give packing/unpacking tips when everything's still in boxes haha. (Maybe next time!)

Tip #1: Shelf Liner

I love this stuff! Use it on your shelves, in your drawers, and wherever else you want your stored items not to get all guffed up from the drawers' wood shavings. (Yes, guffed is a technical term haha.)

Tip #2: Floorboards

Okay, I'm not just talking about like the tops of these. Get all the crevices. 

Tip #3: Doors

Yes, you really should wipe these down. See all the little nooks and crannies in the door? Yeah, you should get the dirt out of there. Also wipe down the area around the handle, because that's where people touch it, so it gets pretty gross.

Tip #4: Blinds

No, that's not a shadow on that picture (though, yeah, sorry about the image quality; took these on my phone). The blinds on the top have been wiped down; the blinds below have not. Seriously, look at the difference just one good cleaning can do!

Tip #5: Cabinet Handles

Do these especially for your kitchen handles. You'd be surprised all the dirt and gunk that gets stuck there! In fact, it's a good idea to wipe down all of your cabinets, inside and out, because ew.

Tip #6: Windows

Isn't it so nice to be able to see?? Make sure you wipe these down on the inside and outside (where possible; this is a ground-floor window, and I don't want you leaning out of second story stuff!), and you'll be surprised how quickly your room brightens up (and looks better kept!)

Easy Chalkboard Labels

Here is a fun project I had this weekend to make our cabinets just a little cleaner and fun!