5 Tips For Falling in Love with Your Home Again

 1.  Make a list of spaces in your home that need order.  Pay attention to how the space is currently used and what you'd like it to be used for.  Having vision and purpose for the space is key to getting motivated to start & finish. Try thinking about the things you wish you had space for in your home. When you start thinking outside of the box you may realize that you can re-purpose a closet into a crafting nook or a home office.

2.  Don't do it alone.  Call a friend, a family member or Help You Dwell to be a second set of eyes allowing you to envision creative ways to organize and re-purpose your space that you might not ordinarily think about.  Organizing with others helps you not get bogged down in the details and helps to make the decisions on whether to keep or share items with others.

3.  Make attainable goals, staying focused on one project at a time.  Set aside small, specific increments of time to accomplish your goals.  Setting aside an hour of focused, intentional time can be much more productive and less overwhelming than a whole day or weekend of work.

4.  Get supplies ready; trash bag, donation bag/box, "put away" bin (laundry baskets work great for this) and any storage containers you may need.  We recommend organizing before buying bins so you know how many containers you will need. If you prefer to buy storage bins before hand, make sure to keep receipts so you can return items you don't need.

Photo by Texture Photo.

5.  Get started. Half of the battle is taking the first step. Turn on some music, grab a bottle of water and stay the course so you can enjoy your space the way you've always wanted.

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Best way to Organize your Fridge

Are you tired of random leftovers and holiday meals taking over your kitchen and refrigerator? It’s the perfect time to give our fridge & freezers some attention.

A fresh year, a fresh start.

Whether you are hoping to save some time or money, putting some energy into your fridge will reap benefits to your everyday. Are you tired of wasting food or accidentally spending too much on groceries? Take these practical tips into account and you will be on your way.

FIRST THINGS FIRST

Before you even open the doors, let’s handle the exterior. Take everything off - including magnets, lists, kids artwork, invitations, photos, coupons, and more. Give it a good wipe down once it’s clear.
All the items you removed should fall into one of 3 categories:

• Discard what is no longer necessary (things like expired promotions and past event invitations)

• Save and store items that are sentimental (things like photos and children’s artwork)

• Place the pieces that either bring functionality (current sports schedule) or joy (recent family photo or art) back onto your fridge or freezer doors.

Magnetic picture frames for fridge from Amazon.

Now onto the inside - you’ve got this!

SYSTEM

It may feel overwhelming to do a one time fridge/freezer overhaul… so what if we implement a couple recurring habits to keep our appliances in neat order.

This one item may be a game changer for your fridge & freezer.

One way to save space and money is to do a quick inventory check of your fridge, freezer, (and pantry or cupboards) before doing a grocery run. While you’re in there, check dates and freshness of perishable items. For dressings and condiments, group the oldest ones together and pull them to the front so they are more likely to be used soon. Make a list of items that are running low or need to be replaced asap.

Secondly, schedule a reminder or task for yourself to do a quick leftover assessment the day before your trash is collected. We recommend dating your leftovers (this can be as simple as a sticky note, masking tape, or writing with whiteboard marker on Tupperware) so that there is no confusion about what food is fresh. Toss any food that is no longer good.

These two small actions will help ensure your fridge and freezer are not overlooked or overflowing with extra or outdated items, which will make meal prep and cooking much smoother. You’ll thank yourself later!

ZONES + CONTAINERS

Based on the needs of your home, create areas for the items you always have on hand (ie. school lunch items, baby food, fresh fruit, grab & go yogurts, etc.). We recommend using clear containers to corral similar items. This allows you to remove and discard the cardboard or plastic wrapping on food items so you can easily see how many you have left. Bonus points for using containers and bins that are dishwasher safe in case of a mess. This will also save you time & trouble in the event of a spill. The open top file box item below is actually a perfect fit for many freezer drawers (hack from The Home Edit gals).

Deep Storage Bin

Fridge Turntable

Freezer Storage Rack

Fridge Can Organizer w/ Shelf

Small Open Top File Box

PLACEMENT OF SPECIFIC ITEMS

As far as food safety goes, there is a way to best utilize the different shelves in your fridge. Food that does not require cooking should be on the higher shelves, while items that do need to be cooked are placed in the lowest areas to avoid cross contamination.

Placing a small open box of baking soda really does add freshness and reduce odors.

Example: cream cheese, fruit, and leftovers up top while raw meats should be placed in the lowest drawer.

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Need a hand in organizing your fridge?

We would love to help. Our team of organizers bring a fresh perspective and resourceful ideas to create order in your unique space. Take this first step and you’ll be on your way to enjoying cooking, eating healthier meals, and saving money on groceries.

Reflecting on 2017

2017: a few highlights from this past year

1 BABY BORN
Hank, to co-founder Caroline & husband Andrew

1 WEDDING CELEBRATED
Katie, Office Admin & Project Manager to Andy Martin

1 PARTNERSHIP WITH MOVING TIME
local moving company we trust and highly recommend

4 NEW TEAM MEMBERS
Erin, Bekah, Allie, Katoya

4 HOME TOURS
Tiny Home, Historic Home, Downtown Home, Parkridge Home

5 GIVEAWAYS
We collaborated with other local businesses and gave away some awesome goods

6 EVENTS HOSTED/CO-HOSTED
First Friday @ Nest, Intro to the Art of Design, Interior Design Workshop, Pottery Barn Workshop, DIY Workshop @ Fountain City United Methodist Church, Spring Flea, Fall flea

7 INTERIOR DESIGN PROJECTS COMPLETED
Cassandra worked on one of a kind design plans and installs

12 NEWSLETTERS
Sign up to receive the HYD monthly newsletter and announcements here! 

17 MONTHLY CLIENTS
Month by month, one project at a time we served these clients all year long

24 MOVES MANAGED
Ranging from partial/packing and unpacking to full scale move management

52 BLOG POSTS
Check out our weekly posts here 

200+ ORGANIZING PROJECTS COMPLETED
Pantries, garages, basements, closets, bathrooms, linen closets, etc.

Life Resolutions

Because I'm an avid list maker I must admit that I have always loved making New Years Resolutions. In the past I've made lists of practical things I would like to do differently during the year. This year, however, I decided to make a life list. I chose things that I will more than likely work on and work towards until the day I die. These phrases are not my own words but are lines that stuck with me over the course of the year--things I read, things that were shared with me, things that I saw in other people. More than anything I want to be less consumed with my stuff and myself.

1. Buy less, choose well.

2. Collect moments, not things.

3. Be ware of hurry.

4. Live more from intention and less from habit.

5. Wherever you are, be all there.

6. Remember: The grass is greener where you water it.

7. Promote what you love instead of bashing what you hate.

8. Remember that comparison is the thief of joy.

9. Drive less, bike/walk more.

10. Do small things with great love.

We would love to hear from you all! What do you think about New Years Resolutions? Do you have any for this year? For life?