by kathilipp | Feb 16, 2014 | tips and ideas |
4 Ways to Decorate After the Holidays
I love winter. What isn’t there to love about the season? Even after the holidays, the snow stays on the ground and we get to enjoy hot tea, good books, and other indoor activities. But now that Christmas has come and gone, and all the Valentines candy is picked over, it’s a great time to redecorate your home and make it look warm and cozy until it’s time for spring.
For some people, however, the last thing they want to do is think about decorations. After all, they just spent two months putting out all of their holiday stuff and then packing it all up again. However, it’s easy for your home to look boring and blah during the last months of winter, especially after all of the November and December holiday decorations are gone. I like to make sure that January and February get a few special decorations of their own, simply because it makes our home feel that much more pleasant and inviting.
Here are four ways to get your home ready for the last few months of winter:
1. Sort decorations by month
When you think about it, winter has four months, each with its own holiday. November has Thanksgiving, December has Christmas, January has New Year’s, and February has Valentine’s Day. If you put out a few holiday-relevant decorations each month, your home will always look warm, inviting, and appropriately festooned.
To make it fun and keep things organized, I purchased a few colored tubs from the store so that I could color code each of the holiday decorations. Decorations that represent Christmas, for example, are all put into a green tub. Thanksgiving gets brown, Valentine’s Day gets red, and New Year’s gets white. There are always a few winter decorations, such as wreathes, that you can keep out all winter long; those decorations go into a plain gray tub, to distinguish them from the holiday-specific ones.
2. Keep lights alive
While anything Christmas themed should be put away, you can still keep outdoor decorative lights up for months afterward. Using solar or LED lights instead of incandescent lights keeps the cost down low too, so there is no need to worry about extending the cost of lights beyond the season. To keep the lights from looking too much like the holiday, I only use it to trim rails or walkways. Everything else is turned off. Once the weather breaks enough to take the other lights down, they will go in another special tub just for holiday lights.
Any lights that remain up are just used for outdoor decoration. Try to keep it universal to any time of year and the lights never even have to come down!
3. Work in 30-minute increments
I know that for me, it’s overwhelming to try and find a full afternoon for house organization and decoration. Luckily, there are very few tasks that can’t be completed in 30 minutes. Instead of trying to carve out an entire weekend afternoon, work in phases. Often, you can accomplish just as much in three 30-minute sessions.
Here are a few things you can do in 30 minutes or less: clean off a dining room table, put out new winter-themed dishtowels, change your sofa’s throw pillows and decorative blanket, add a new scented candle to each room of your home. It often works best to combine a cleaning and a decorating activity, such as cleaning out the bathtub and putting out new winter-themed soaps. Don’t try to do everything at once; simply do a few tasks at a time until all of the jobs are done.
4. Have a Decorating Party
Who says you have to do it all yourself? Make it fun for everyone. If you’ve got kids in the house, spend an afternoon making paper snowflakes for January’s decorations or cutting out paper hearts for February. Take them to a store like Target and let them choose scented candles, window clings, or even decorative throw pillows to add to your home. Kids love to decorate, especially when you make it feel like play. They can also help you clean up, when it’s time to take everything down!
Don’t assume that just because the holidays are over, you have to wait until next year to start decorating again. Winter lasts through mid-March, after all, and there are plenty of opportunities to decorate your home so that it keeps feeling warm and friendly all winter long.
Jan Vespremi
Jan is a freelance writer and work from home mother. She loves DIY projects – and always sees them through to the finish. She most enjoys writing about home improvement tips, organization, and family.
by kathilipp | Feb 13, 2014 | Home |
It has been a week.
Half of it I’ve been traveling, the other half had, well, life.
And while the stuff in my house seems overwhelming, this challenge seemed even more so.
Some weeks I’ve be racking up huge numbers. But this week not so much.
Do you feel like a 2014 Things Drop Out?
Here is what to do when you feel like you’re falling behind.
- Take a real look at the numbers. In order to stay on target for the 2014 Things, you need to get rid of about 37 things a week – that’s less than six things a day. You can so do this.
- Concentrate on small areas. Do a drawer, or a shelf. Don’t say, “I’ll do the garage today.” NO. Don’t set yourself up for failure like that.
- Get some help. Set a timer for you and your kids to get as much out of your rooms as possible. I know of one mom who is using the challenge for her kids to earn screen time.
- Ask a friend to help. Get on the phone and the whole time your chatting, both of you can be getting rid of stuff. Everything is easier with a friend.
- Picture your house lighter. Get a vision of what it’s going to look like when you’re done.
We can do this girls.
What tiny area are you going to work on this weekend. Tell me in the comments and you’ll be entered to win The Get Yourself Organized Project!
by kathilipp | Feb 12, 2014 | Home, Uncategorized |
Here are three important tips that you need to remember when packing your toiletries bag:
1. Go for the smallest toiletries bag possible. It seems easier to get a big bag, you know like those old train cases that our parents used to pack, but when you try to pack a big bag, you end up bringing things that you do not really need just because you have room. And you will end up with every cream, lotion, and perfume you own. All of a sudden you are bringing face cream that you have not used in ten years! If you must have room, larger bags can be handy in organizing your items as long as you get one with separate compartments that you can put your hair products in, first iad supplies in , and cosmetics in for quick finding.
2. Think about your traveling style. If you are going to be carrying on your luggage, you will have to put liquids in specific bottles that carry less than 3.4 ounces. The guidelines are specific and will be checked! And remember, toothpaste is considered a liquid. Yep, I had a friend who had to dump a brand new tube! Of course, it was the extra large whitening kind. Be prepared so you don’t waste money!
3. Pack extra baggies just in case. Besides putting each container in a separate baggy so liquid does not accidentally open and spill, it is a good idea to bring extra baggies. Whether you need them for a quick clean up or to bring stained clothes home, it is good to have extras. Believe me, you will thank me when your little one decides that he is done potty training and decides to go right.then.and.there.
Traveling can be fun, and with these quick tips, your toiletries bag will be a place that you can find needed supplies, not another area of stress. What good tips can you share as far as packing a toiletries bag?
by kathilipp | Feb 10, 2014 | Home |
The Challenge 2014 is underway and it brings even more goals to accomplish. But how do we make organizing work? Here are Four Quick Start Evaluation Steps to make any organizing goal more manageable:
1. Find two friends (at least) to do the project with you. It doesn’t matter if they’re phone friends, Internet buddies, or face-to-face girlfriends you meet with at Starbucks down the street. Find someone to keep you accountable.
2. Pick a room—any room to start the purge. I would pick the room that’s giving you the most stress and start there. You’ll feel better when some of the pressure is taken off.
3. Evaluate your plan. This is where people often give up. If something doesn’t work, they will scrap the whole idea. You decide what steps you’re going to take each day. Then after trying it, see if that is a good goal. Feel free to change it, but just keep your focus on trying to organize areas of your life.
4. Be flexible. The intention of The 2014 Things Challenge is not to add stress, but to make your life simpler by removing the clutter from your life and helping you stay organized. Just do something, intentionally, every day. If you can be flexible in the day to day goals, you will learn to be flexible when things come up that you cannot control. And in this way, we are no longer jut purging clutter from our homes, but also the clutter of disappointment or anxiety if something doesn’t go perfectly in our life. Because let’s be real. Life on earth is not perfect. But we do have a perfect God that will help us get through it!
by kathilipp | Feb 9, 2014 | Relationships |
I get frustrated at times with the idea we all get to determine how much our partner loves us by the size of the gift and whether the gesture of love went viral on YouTube. Yuck. We don’t need over the top. I think we just need a little something special for our men, presented in a slightly special way. Let’s learn how to love him with stuff in Day 2!
I wrote about this in my book The Marriage Project:
A tree ran into my car.
Yes, you read that sentence correctly.
I am blessed to live in Northern California where we bundle up in our winter woolens if there is a slight chill in the air, and the only snow we see is when someone forgets to use their Head & Shoulders shampoo.
So it was out of the ordinary when the storm rolled through town. Power outages were reported all over the city, fender benders littered the highways, and the Starbucks on our corner was closed.
Obviously, this was a desperate situation.
When I got home from my morning speaking engagement, I parked my van and ran inside, desperate to warm up and dry out.
I went upstairs to our bedroom, where my husband was working at his desk. Not five minutes after I got changed into dry clothes, Roger and I heard a big crack and looked out in horror and amazement as our giant oak tree decided to take up residence on top of my car.
All we could do was watch, laugh, and thank God that no one was in the car at the time.
Since then, I’ve been cruising around town in a series of rental cars until my van is fully functioning again. I’ve tried out hybrids and subcompacts, 4-runners and sedans.
Until yesterday. Yesterday, the rental agency ran out of the teeny-tiny cars I was renting to save money. They asked me if, for a few dollars more, I would like an upgrade to a nicer car that was available right away…a current model black Mercedes-Benz E-Class.
Um…OK.
I knew, being in possession of that car, I had to turn our ho-hum, stay-at-home night into an out-on-the-town date night. You wouldn’t want an automobile like that going to waste, now would you?
Roger and I used a gift card to get a couple of lattes at a Starbucks drive-thru, and then took a drive into the mountains, sipping our drinks and enjoying the scenery and the company. A perfect date—all for the small price of an upgraded rental car.
There was just something so fun and adventurous about that car that it turned that silly little latte into a memory that will last us a lifetime.
So this week, I want you to get him a little something, but give it to him in a special way.
Here are some ideas for a little something to love him with stuff (all of these can be had for under $5):
- His favorite candy bar (that he doesn’t have to share with you).
- A magazine that he loves but is too cheap to subscribe to.
- His favorite sports drink.
- 5 packs of his favorite gum.
- His favorite Starbucks drink delivered to work.
- A frozen yogurt.
- A guy-flick movie rental.
- Baking him his favorite chocolate chip cookies.
- A small bottle of manly scented lotion with the promise of a back rub.
- $5 iTunes gift card (or Google Play for our Windows guys.)
- A video game rental.
- $5 in quarters for the local arcade.
- A new ringtone.
OK – now to give it to him in a special way. You could…
- Leave it on the dashboard of his truck.
- Hide it in his computer bag.
- Tie it to the dog (as long as it’s not edible…)
- Have one of your kids deliver it.
- Put it on his pillow.
- Have Amazon send it to his office.
What are you going to get him to love him with stuff – and how are you going to give it to him? Share your ideas in the comments below so we can all learn from each other!
GO….
by kathilipp | Feb 5, 2014 | Home |
Step One: Your Plan of Attack
Find a system that works that will keep you current with laundry. If you do not have one, here is what we use:
In our hall, we have four, 30 inch tall, plastic laundry hampers. Each one is a different type of laundry:
* Whites
*Colored underwear
*Everyday clothes
*Jeans, towels, sweats
This helps all of us to be able to sort the laundry quickly and easily.
Step Two: Sort It Out
Get your laundry room area cleaned out in order to be most efficient. This might take an afternoon if your area is small. If it is larger, I suggest taking fifteen minutes a day to get it in order. The best tip I have for this step is that we have a permanent “Give Away ” box in our laundry area for our clothes our kids have outgrown. When the box gets full, I take it to Good Will.
Getting rid of clutter can be a blessing to someone else as well. {click to tweet}
Step 3: Clean It Up
Before you start stocking up the shelves, give them and your washer and dryer a good wipe down. Deep cleaning makes any space a good one.
Step 4: Label It and Put It Away
This is the fun part! Label everything in order to make it easy to find. Some examples are stain removers, dryer socks, and socks (Mismatched Socks might be a better title sometimes).
Step 5: Keep It Up
The best way to keep up with laundry is to do it every day. The other thing that will make your life a lot easier is to remember this rule: Until the clothes are put away your laundry isn’t done. Just because the clothes are clean, and dry does not mean the laundry is done.
These steps will change laundry from something you dread to something that you can get done quickly in order to bring blessing to your self and your family.
by kathilipp | Feb 4, 2014 | Relationships, Uncategorized |
Your first challenge is simple. All I want you to do is say something nice to your husband. That’s it. Really. Let’s just love him with words
Because the truth is: often we wives have the power to change the way our husbands walk through the world by choosing the words we speak to them.
How you do it is up to you. Here are a few ideas for ways to love him with words:
- Say it to him
- Text it to him
- Put it on a Post-it Note in his truck
- Call him
- Whisper it to him
- Put it in a card in his computer case
- Write it in lipstick on the bathroom mirror
Have you got your great idea of how you’re going to say it? Great. Now what to say…
Here are some ideas. These are from The Husband Project: 21 Post-it Note Sized Encouragements
And remember, tell me in the comments what you did (or are planning to do) to love him with words. (And post a picture to my Facebook Page so I can share your love with the world!)
by kathilipp | Feb 3, 2014 | Home |
The number one question I get when it comes to organizing is about ALL THAT PAPER. What do I do with it? What do I need to keep? How do I keep it from coming into my house? Please make the MADNESS STOP!!
Sigh…
I strongly suggest you gather all your loose paper into one place—every clutter pile of mail in your living room, all those magazines you want to save but aren’t sure why, the random sticky notes, coupons, envelopes. Search every nook and cranny around your house, and everything that was once a tree (except your furniture) goes in the box. It might be hard at first. I know that large stacks of paper make me want to roll up in a ball in a corner and weep uncontrollably. If you are already there, here are a few verses for you for FREE to comfort you!
Fist off, keep the paper from coming in the door. Here are a few tricks to stop the incoming flow:
- Stop It at the Source: If you aren’t reading the magazines, don’t let them renew. Call the customer service number of catalogs you receive to get off their list.
- Stop Giving Out Your Address: Don’t enter that sweepstakes to win a boat or free windows for your house. Or at least check the box that says they can’t share the information. (And don’t worry – we here at KathiLipp.com NEVER share your info.)
- Keep a Recycle Bag in the Car: I would have my kids go through their backpacks in the car and any paper they didn’t need (or I didn’t need to see) got put in the bag.
- Have a Plan: Our mailbox is in our garage, right next to our recycle bin. At least 60% of paper never comes into the house as it goes directly into the bin. If your box is outside, sort the mail at the box and walk into the house with two piles: one to handle, one to recycle.
You will need to organize this pile of papers into three boxes:
FILING –
This box is for anything that you need to file. Every household should have a simple filing system for receipts, warranties, tax returns, and all those other papers that aren’t currently “in motion” but may need to be referred to at a later date.
Try to keep your files as lean and mean as possible. You don’t need to keep your check stubs from college or warranties from a fridge you no longer own. Since so much of our lives are stored on our computers, we can get rid of a lot of the paperwork we no longer need. You can find most instruction manuals online, scan articles to keep on your computer, and put reminders directly on your digital calendar.
If you are still getting bills in the mail from your regular utility companies, get online and ask to go paperless. Yes – it will save some trees, but more importantly, it will save your sanity.
GIVE AWAY –
Do you have magazines that your library or some other organization would love? Ask first, and then drop them off.
GARBAGE AND RECYCLING –
You shouldn’t have much for the garbage, but I suggest a shredder for any sensitive information you want to get rid of.
Set aside one day a week to do all your paperwork. If only for fifteen minutes that day, being consistent will make the difference in a home cluttered with paper and one clear for real living!
Finally – my gift to you! 
This little filing system keeps all my papers organized and where I need them, when I need them. It has saved my bacon more times than I can count!
What do you struggle with as far as papers? Please tell me I am not the only one…
by kathilipp | Jan 30, 2014 | Uncategorized |
I am over at The Happy Wives Club talking about How to Recover from a Fight. I would love to hear your ideas about how you keep it from going from a “I don’t like the way you fold towels” to “I never liked your mom!”
by kathilipp | Jan 29, 2014 | Relationships |
I’ve been getting a lot of questions about whether we are doing THE HUSBAND PROJECT on the blog this year. As much as I would love to, we are pretty chalk-full around these parts with clearing out our clutter. So this year we are keeping it simple, but on purpose – four weeks – four quick challenges. Each week, just look for the challenge, and do it – it can take less than 5 minutes and your husband will love it.
And of course, each week there will be a little give away. So once you do the challenge, share in the comments and you’ll be entered to win.
Want to join in? Let me know in the comments below and you’ll be entered to win your own copy of The Husband Project.
Come on. You can do it. 5 minutes to show your husband the love. Let’s make everyone’s February a little love-lier…
