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How are those New Year’s resolutions holding up? Crushing it at the gym? Good for you! Saving money? Keep it up! Staying organized? …Well, we know that one can be tough. But getting a jump start before you let yourself go another year wishing you’d have been more organized will be key. So, we’ve talked about the dreaded CABIN FEVER we can suffer from during the wintertime. Staying busy by keeping tidy and working on projects around the home will curb your restlessness. So while you may be considering putting off outdoor chores such as window cleaning, gutter cleaning and pressure washing til it warms up a bit, there’s plenty you can do now to gear up for a more organized spring cleaning season!   Purge & Replace – Less IS More If you’re bored, here’s a whopper of a project for you. We promise, while it’s time consuming, it is worth it! From the tidy minds at Just a Girl and Her Blog, we learned the power of “starting over.” If you’re looking to re-arrange, re-decorate or just completely purge and organize a room… remove EVERYTHING from it, and only return the furniture and items you truly need. You’re then guaranteed to make contact with each and every part of the room, forcing you to analyze and consider its value before deciding it’s a keeper. During this process you’ll come up with a lot of great things to donate or simply toss out.   Tax Season – It’s Here! I know… BOOOOOORING. But tax season is almost here, so getting your taxes done NOW while you’re cooped up inside will be a relief come springtime. Once the sun is shining and you’re ready to “shake the house,” spring cleaning season will feel significantly less daunting if your taxes are a distant memory. If you have a trusted accountant to do the legwork for you, our first piece of advice is stick with ’em! But if you’re doing them yourself, we have a few simple tricks that will have you feeling more in control: Designate a room or area that is dedicated to all things TAXES. Having everything in one place will keep your documents and your mind tidy during this hectic time. If you’re dealing with a lot of receipts and/or invoices, it’s best to organize these first before starting a thing. Create a system that categorizes these items in a way you can easily understand – better yet, scan each of them in and save each to a folder with related items. Look at tax returns of years past. Unless you’ve had major life changes in the past year such as having a baby, buying a house or starting a business, referring to last year’s return will help you get your checklist started. At the end of the day, filing your taxes may seem like a chore – but you get paid at the end of it! Chins up, good luck, and happy filing!   Re-Purpose Household Items to Organize OTHER Household Items Rather than shelling out a ton of money at the Container Store, (which is a fabulous place, don’t get us wrong), you may find everything you need to get organized in your recycling bin, basement or right under your nose in the kitchen. There are plenty of “disposable” items you may want to keep around… Whether it’s an empty sauce jar, yogurt container or coffee can, many of the receptacles your food COMES in can be re-purposed time and again. Store your leftovers, your nuts & bolts or office supplies. Rip or scrub off the labels, paint or leave plain – with a little creativity these can be decorative AND functional.   And don’t just throw out your shoe boxes! A little wrapping or contact paper can transform these perfectly good storage bins that you won’t need to hide under the bed. Even your soda boxes can be decoratively re-purposed as a pantry saver!   A little “going green” goes a long way – and the less you consume, the less you spend. Plenty of great ideas can be found online from the man himself, Bob Vila and the folks at HGTV – so don’t just take our word for it! What are some of your indoor organization projects you’ll be tackling this winter? Share in our comments below!

Shopping for holiday gifts can be stressful, especially if you have a long list of people with all sorts of tastes. Whether you’re shopping for kids, college students, tech lovers, pet owners, or the person who has everything, we’ve got ideas for you! Here are the five hottest gifts of the 2019 Christmas season that you might want to add to your list.

Hottest Gift for Kids: Echo Dot Kids Edition

  Alexa devices are useful for everything from playing music to making calls to checking the weather. Just this past June, Amazon launched the all-new Echo Dot Kids Edition designed with youngsters in mind. The device can answer questions, tell stories, and play kid-friendly music and games. At the same time, parents enjoy peace of mind with daily time limits and activity review capabilities. Multiple layers of privacy protection, including a microphone off button, maximize your confidence in this device.

Trendy Gift for College Students: Bluetooth Water Bottle Speaker

College kids love having music on the go. They also recognize the importance of staying hydrated between classes. Give college students a gift that lets them do both! The Bluetooth water bottle speaker available from the Grommet is the perfect picnic or poolside companion. It wirelessly syncs to your phone for six to 10 hours of music playback. The water-resistant speaker is smartly fitted to the top of the water bottle for superior sound and easy access. The water bottle itself is made of vacuum-sealed, insulated stainless steel to help keep beverages cold for 24 hours or hot for 12. Available in four colors—burgundy, black, teal, and white—you’re sure to find a design that works for your college student.

Popular Tech Gift: Smartwatch

Wearable smart devices are trendy among the young and old, active and not-so-active. Some smartwatches focus on letting you make calls and send texts, while others emphasize health and fitness tracking. Different styles and designs from Garmin appeal to men, women, and children. Options also come in a wide price range to fit your budget.

Top Gift for Pet Owners: Custom Pet iPhone Case

Pet owners often think of themselves as parents of their four-legged children. If you have a friend whose world revolves around their pet, this is a Christmas present they’ll love! All you need to create a custom illustrated dog iPhone case is a picture of your friend’s beloved pet and knowledge of what iPhone they have. Upload the picture to a custom phone designer on Etsy, and they’ll hand-paint a clear case with a beautiful portrait. This personalized gift is one your animal-loving friend won’t soon forget.

Give the Gift of an Experience

Whether you’re struggling to shop for a loved one who seems to have everything, or you simply don’t want to add to your child’s toy collection, consider giving the gift of an experience this Christmas. Outings promote togetherness and have more meaning than many trinkets you might buy. If you’re planning an experience for your family, consider gift wrapping tickets to a stage production, sporting event, or concert. If your budget is higher, plan a family vacation or cruise. When shopping for a friend, consider giving the gift of cooking classes, art lessons, or SCUBA diving certification. You can also give “we” gifts that include both of you, such as an afternoon together at a nail salon, a trip to the shooting range, or tickets to an art show. Once all your gifts are purchased, the final step is to get everything wrapped and put under the tree. These gift wrapping hacks should come in handy.

Whether you hop in your family “truckster” and head to the local lot or grab the tattered box out the attic, the Christmas tree is a vital part of celebrating America’s most beloved holiday. But if you just step back and think about the idea of bringing a living tree into your home, doesn’t it seem weird? I mean whose idea was this anyways? Continue reading "Whose Idea Was the Christmas Tree?"

What Exactly is Mercury Glass? If you’re attracted to stylish things, you might adore the look of mercury glass. This type of finish is more prevalent than you might expect. You’re especially likely to find mercury glass in the form of holiday decorations, but these can be a bit expensive. Learn more about mercury glass, how to make your own DIY glass ornaments, and tips for cleaning mercury glass to keep it looking merry and bright for many holiday seasons to come. Continue reading "What Exactly Is Mercury Glass?"