Take a peek inside the festive home of one of HYD’s very own organizers, Laura. With a love for the hunt and a serious work ethic, they’ve created an eclectic and stylish home out of a house that needed lots of love.
Organizing your Gift Wrap Supplies
Holiday Gift Guide 2024
Savoring the Season: Simplify Your Celebration
Hosting can be stressful. The familiar worries always seem to creep in: "Do I have enough food? Is the table set perfectly? Have I accommodated everyone? Is everyone having fun? Am I even having fun??"
The list of worries seems never-ending, and if you've ever played the role of the host, you've likely felt the nagging sense of worry that threatens to overshadow the joy of being surrounded by our loved ones. Well I am here to remind you, a shared meal or any gathering for that matter doesn't need to be fancy or stressful – It's about connecting, sharing stories, and creating lasting memories.
Image - Texture Photo
The key to an enjoyable gathering lies in simplifying the process. You don't need to strive for perfection or overwhelm yourself with the details. Instead, focus on the privilege of being able to gather with loved ones, an experience that should never be taken for granted.
Space Planning:
Before you start setting the table and sending out invitations, begin with a practical task that will ease the overall process. Take the time to declutter and organize your pantry, fridge, and freezer. Clear out expired snacks and consider using those bags of frozen veggies to create a hearty stew or use the frozen fruit in your holiday pie. By freeing up this space, you'll not only make the day of your gathering less stressful but also ensure there's plenty of room to store leftovers!
Help You Dwell - Organize
At a recent project, our team had the pleasure of working with a client who frequently hosts and caters to large groups. Our goal was to set up this space to streamline her collection of baking & cooking supplies within her pantry. We were able to optimize this space ensuring that everything is accessible and thoughtfully arranged, just in time for the holiday season!
Embrace what you have:
You don't need excessive decor or an elaborate tablescape to impress your guests. When it comes to holiday decor, less is often more. Start by choosing a simple and cohesive 'scheme' for your decorations. This can be as simple as selecting a color palette or a specific theme that resonates with the holiday spirit you wish to convey.
Skip the clutter! Avoid the temptation to clutter your space with unnecessary decorations. Overloading your home with seasonal decor can not only be overwhelming to the eye but can also make hosting more complicated. My favorite simple way to decorate your holiday tablescape is to take a step outside and scavenge for wildflowers, branches or dried leaves!
Whether you collect a few branches of evergreen, arrange acorns in a glass jar, or create a centerpiece with dried leaves, the simplicity of nature can be beautiful. These elements can be easily collected, and when the festivities are over, they can be returned to the great outdoors - now that’s an easy clean up! Remember: the key to a memorable holiday gathering lies in the warmth of your hospitality and the joy of your company. Simplify your decor, relax, and enjoy the festivities.
Let your friends help you:
Don't bear the full weight of hosting on your shoulders. Instead, invite your guests to participate and share in the responsibilities. After all, everyone has a favorite dish, and every good guest wants to contribute in some way. As the host, it's perfectly acceptable to delegate tasks!
Image - Texture Photo
By involving your guests in this way, you not only reduce your personal burden but also enhance the sense of togetherness and shared accomplishment. Hosting a memorable gathering becomes a collective effort, making the experience more enjoyable and meaningful for everyone involved.
Hosting should be a joyous and heartwarming experience, not a daunting or overwhelming one. By focusing on what truly matters – the connections we forge and the love we share – you can create a gathering that everyone will treasure. So, release the burden of perfection and enjoy the journey of hosting, a privilege that brings people closer and creates beautiful memories to cherish for years to come.
The holiday hustle and bustle can sometimes get the best of us, but having a plan and keeping things simple can bring calm to the chaos of holiday party planning. If you need someone to help bring it all together, Help You Dwell would love to assist you in preparing your home for your next event.
Image - Texture Photo
We’ve still got availability on our calendar to schedule your holiday prep + takedown services this year.
Let us Help You Dwell this holiday season.
The Thoughtful Holiday Gift Guide
Glad Tidings
We want to wish you all holiday season full of comfort & joy. For those of you celebrating Christmas, we hope it’s one full of peace & celebration. Enjoy this beautiful Christmas poem from Madeleine L’Engle…
He did not wait till the world was ready,
till men and nations were at peace
He came when the Heavens were unsteady
and prisoners cried out for release.
He did not wait for the perfect time.
He came when the need was deep and great.
He dined with sinners in all their grime,
turned water into wine. He did not wait
till hearts were pure. In joy he came
to a tarnished world of sin and doubt.
To a world like ours, of anguished shame
He came, and his Light would not go out.
He came to a world which did not mesh,
to heal its tangles, shield its scorn.
In the mystery of the Word made Flesh
the Maker of the stars was born.
We cannot wait till the world is sane
to raise our songs with joyful voice,
for to share our grief, to touch our pain,
He came with Love: Rejoice! Rejoice!
Home for the Holidays
An Unprecedented Thanksgiving
2020 Holiday Gift Giving
We want to encourage you to be mindful as you approach gift giving this holiday season. With fewer parties and events taking over our calendars, we can choose to be more intentional about the gifts we give this year. Make time to think about those loved ones and friends on your list, and consider some new ideas…
Back Porch Mercantile: Save the Date
This week, Taryn stopped by one of our favorite local shops to get the scoop on their holiday collection. Jenny and her team at the Back Porch Mercantile have created an intentional and magical winter wonderland in the shop. The classic sentiment, “I’ll be home for Christmas” has never been more true. With less events and travel this year, people are focusing on creating a cozy and intentional place for family in their own homes.
5 Tips for Holiday Prep
Mother's Day Gift Ideas to Show Mama Some Love
Making the Most of Spring Break
*Happy* New Year Refresh!
If you’re anything like me, the holidays were a beautiful blur for a number of reasons. Family and friends gathering (which means that space behind the toilets finally got clean), endless dishes piled up in the kitchen, and a horde of gifts brought home in piles waiting to be put away. It was also a season of emotion; the joy and wildness of children, the fun of giving gifts; but also the grief of those who are no longer with us or the unmet longings that can surface greatly this time of year. And then, it’s all over. January begins, and everyone seems to have moved on to resolutions, dreams of new goals, bodies, projects, and of course…spaces. In some ways, I think we are all ready for a reset by January, a fresh start to help us move into a new season after what can feel like a funny time warp of the last 6 weeks.
And you might be thinking, I’m TIRED. In a good and full kind of way. How can I begin to refresh my home? One of the things I love most about what we do with Help You Dwell is coming into a space and making new what is already there. Sometimes we don’t need fancy new containers (although we do love them!) or a total home makeover. We just need fresh eyes and simple steps to bring some new life!
1. Change Position
A simple change can go a long way, even within the same room. Bring in a beloved piece of art from another room, exchange throw pillows from room to room, or rearrange the furniture to bring a change of perspective.
2. Let Go
With the tree and garland gone, now is a great time to see your living room afresh! Break down those gift boxes from Christmas, put away new gifts and toys in a more permanent place, and get settled back to your usual living space. Take an inventory of your decor, pillows, and blankets and consider how they are serving you - and then let go of them if they’re not!
Photo: @houseofniina
3. Make Space
Clear off all of those counter tops that were the centerpiece for your holiday gatherings and meals. Tidying up your kitchen island, decluttering countertops, and clearing the dining table will help your home feel refreshed and ready for a new season.
Now sit back and enjoy your fresh space and a new year!
Creating an ongoing wish list
I often find that when my birthday, Christmas, or Mother’s Day comes around, I have such a hard time thinking of things that I would like to receive as a gift. I’m not alone when it comes to having a hard time thinking of gift ideas on the spot— enter the ongoing wish list. Whether you create a Pinterest board, a registry, or simply a list on your phone, having a specific place to keep track of items that you would like at a variety of price ranges can come in super handy. In the same spirit—- we’ve found that keeping a running list of things to gift to others makes birthdays and holidays much easier. If you hear a loved one mention off hand that they would love to have something or if you have an idea for someone when it’s not close to a gift giving time, jot it down in a note so that you have quick ideas when the time comes. Pay attention when you are out with friends and family and notice what they consider buying or linger over in various stores. Keeping these ongoing lists will reduce the stress and scramble when you remember 3 days before a birthday that you need to get a present for someone you love.
What about you? Do you keep an ongoing wish list? Here are a few things on ours if you want to see…
These Linen and Cotton Bowl covers from Food 52. Double win— they are beautiful and help reduce single use plastic at the same time!
2. These awesome one of a kind wind chimes <3<3<3
3. Personalized address labels
5. These lovely watering cans from Terrain.
Merry Christmas and a great new way to begin 2019!
“We wish you a Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year!”
We hope your holiday season is full of love, laughter, and peace.
Image by TexturePhoto
As a way to make it easier for you to move forward with getting your home organized, we’ve come up with a new starter package! 2019 is just a few days a way and you are probably still recovering from the hustle of the Christmas season. We would love to help you start your year right, by bringing peace & order to your home and family.
Click on the image above to get the process started!
Holiday Gift Guide 2018
Experiences
Tickets to The Unusual Tale of Mary & Joseph’s Baby
Rock climbing @ River Sports
Photo Session with Carrie Jo Savage, of Texture Photo
Yoga passes @ Glowing Body
Blue Apron Meal Subscription
Ice Skating on market square
Pottery Class @ Mighty Mud
Progressive dinner- visit 4 different downtown restaurants and walk between courses
Cooking classes and a 4 course meal with Chef Cedric. See this article for more info.
Image from The Hive
Image from Knoxville Holidays on Ice
Image from River & Rail Theater Co.
Goods
Coffee from 41 & Change Coffee Co.
New Minimalism: Decluttering and design for Sustainable, Intentional Living
Homebody: A Guide to Creating Spaces You Never Want to Leave
Brass Easel Photo Desk Calendar
A set of hand made glasses from Pretentious Glass Co.
A best seller from Union Ave Books
A plant from Stanleys Greenhous
Image by Artifact Uprising
Image by Pretentious Glass
These 5 Things : November 2018
Image by Laurey W. Glenn
There are so many blogs and columns out there that it can be overwhelming and hard to find the good stuff. We’ve gathered a few of our latest favorites to share with you below. What blogs do you read regularly? We’d love to know your go-to’s!
a tried and true tip
If you've browsed the magazine aisle at the grocery store in the past few years, you have probably noticed that organizing is trendy. Magazines promising "35 tips to get your whole house organized", "how to organize your pantry in 30 minutes", or "best organizing products" are all vying for your time and money. While those articles are helpful and fun to read, there is one organizing tip or method that we always come back to. Organizing by category rather than by room or space is more a helpful and thorough way of turning chaos into order.
What we have found, is that often times people store the same kinds of things in multiple places around the house. You may have holiday decor stored in multiple closets and storage spaces. Organizing each space separately wouldn't be as productive as pulling out all of your holiday decor at once. We suggest taking inventory of all that you have so that you can do a more thorough purge, and then organizing and re-storing the items in a way that makes sense. If you can't store all like items together due to space issues, try grouping by specific categories within the broader category. If you are working with holiday decor, you could separate by seasons/holidays or by inside and outside decor.
Whether you are organizing clothing, cleaning supplies, or linens, make sure to think through every area in your house where you store similar items so that you have an accurate picture of all that you have. You may be surprised by the duplicates or excess that you find.
Do you have a tried and true organizing tip? We'd love to hear!
Merry Christmas
The team at Help You Dwell wishes you a very Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year!
We are mixing it up this week and sharing a few of our favorite Christmas links from around the web. Enjoy!
1. A Hosting Checklist to get your ready for the Holidays
2. Paying it forward this Holiday season
3. The ultimate Holiday dinner guide
4. A fun holiday craft.
5. We know the Holidays are not easy for everyone. For when it's hard.
