thankfulness

Thankful Hearts

It is November, and for many of us it’s a time for reflection, being grateful, and thinking about our many blessings. During this season many families will gather around a Thanksgiving table and spend time sharing things that they are thankful for. This is wonderful – focusing on the positives in our lives rather than the negatives is important, and we as humans don’t practice thankfulness enough.

As we approach this season of thankfulness, our team at Help You Dwell wants you to know our hearts are overflowing with gratitude and love for you, our clients and friends. We are overjoyed that so many of you have allowed our team members into your homes during the past year. We have laughed with you, cried with you, celebrated with you, and hopefully served each of you well.

Our Thankful Team

We hope you can set aside some time to pause and reflect on your many blessings during this season of thankfulness. Take time to tell those that you love how much they mean to you. You mean so much to our team and we have truly been blessed by helping you.

There’s no better time than now to get started organizing your home to help create an environment that brings you peace and happiness. Remember, bringing calm and order to your home is a process. We are happy to help you along the way, no matter what challenging situation or complicated transition you may be facing.

CALL US AT 865.245.9080 OR BOOK OUR SERVICES HERE!

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Ideas for an Organized + Meaningful Thanksgiving

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Before you get overwhelmed or let another list of ideas make you feel like you aren't doing "enough"... we're sharing these tips to bring just a little additional function or fun to your Thanksgiving, but it doesn't have to be complicated. There is something very sacred and special about welcoming guests, family and friends into your home with as minimal fuss as possible. The hospitable act of opening your door, your table, your kitchen, your heart and your family is not to be taken lightly. Give yourself some grace. And if you are the one visiting someone else's home, go with gratitude. What if you chose not to get caught up in the expensive decor, fancy fixings, or newest trends this year? We challenge you to make a little commitment to yourself and whoever you are gathering with - that you will simply be grateful to gather, and the rest is all secondary. 

Our ideas to bring functionality + fun to your Thanksgiving:

Image from The Pretty Blog.

Image from The Pretty Blog.

  • Turn up the tunes. Make a family mix playlist on Spotify, so that everyone gets to hear a few of their current favorite songs. Or you can pick a genre or artist that everyone will love and have it playing in the background all day.

  • No Phone Zone. What if you and your guests all put your phones away (silenced and in another room) during your meal? Consider how this could eliminate distractions and foster togetherness at your table.

  • Take your feast outside. If the weather allows, shift your Thanksgiving meal outside - embrace the crisp fall air and a change of scenery. Ask your guests to bring camping chairs and set up a fire to enjoy after the feast. This will allow time to linger and savor the day a little longer. This blog post is an incredible inspiration for your outdoor Thanksgiving.

  • If you have help, take it. Don't try to be a superhero - let your people pitch in and give you a hand.

  • Walk it out. If you can find just 20 minutes, grab a neighbor or loved one in town and step away from the kitchen and enjoy fresh air and company for a brief break. If you enjoy your Thanksgiving meal for lunch, this is a great idea for the whole gang after the meal. Get your body moving for just a bit, you might even enjoy that pumpkin pie a little more if you do.

Links we're loving: 

Image from The Pretty Blog.

Image from The Pretty Blog.

with thankful hearts

Before you get swept up in the hustle & bustle of the holiday season, let's slow down and make room for gratitude. This week we're going to share a few of the local businesses we're thankful for! 

Image via K Brew's Facebook page.

Image via K Brew's Facebook page.

K BREW


Whether you are downtown or in the neighborhood, there's a location close by! The baristas are excellent at crafting beautiful caffeinated drinks while also making you feel at home. It doesn't get much better than a friendly face and a hot cup of high quality coffee. 

Image via The Happy Envelope website.

Image via The Happy Envelope website.

THE HAPPY ENVELOPE

We have a strong affinity for creative designs and pretty paper goods. From calendars, to wall prints, to stationary and even wedding invitations- they've got it all. And the lovely husband and wife team deliver incredible customer service and attention to every detail. Their beautiful studio and shop is downtown on Jackson ave. 

Image via Three Rivers Market website.

Image via Three Rivers Market website.

THREE RIVERS MARKET

Through the freshest produce and highest quality food, the co-op aims to "nourish a healthier community". That's a cause we are all about. If the co-op is your routine grocery shop or you just stop in once or twice, you're supporting their fight to stop waste and address food justice issues in our community. 

Image via Rala's Facebook page.

Image via Rala's Facebook page.

RALA

Looking for a unique gift this holiday season? We always love the variety of original goods and gifts available in this downtown shop. The best part is the shop is curated with products that are regionally and locally made by artisans. So many fun items specific to our region of East Tennessee. 

Image via Moretz Moving Facebook page.

Image via Moretz Moving Facebook page.

MORETZ MOVING COMPANY

These guys have become our go-to for most of our clients who are moving locally. They are professional and reliable. Family owned and operated for over 30 years. We've enjoyed working with them and watching them handle our client's furniture and belongings with extreme care. 

We are so thankful for the local businesses we've been able to learn from in the past 3 years. We love being a small business that cares deeply about the local economy and helping our neighbors.

 
Thanks to Texture Photo for one of our favorite shots.

Thanks to Texture Photo for one of our favorite shots.

 

Last but certainly not least, we are thankful for you; our clients, friends & family. Thank you for allowing us to walk alongside of you in transition, to create beautiful and functional spaces, and to help you bring simplicity and order to your homes and workspaces. 

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Our Beautiful Clients

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As HYD closes the books on our second year of organizing, staging, event planning, collaborating, volunteering, home touring, learning, listening, and laughing a lot, we can think of no other word than "gratitude" for what we get to do each day.

2015 has given us so many wonderful opportunities to walk alongside folks who have had a variety of dwelling needs. We have lots of "before & after" photos of their homes (many that we need to publish so you can see what amazing spaces we got to create with them) but it always comes back to the people. The stories, the victories, the calls, the cards, emails, & follow-up photos from our clients are what make us really love our job.

The longer we've done this, the more we've come to realize how intimate what we do can be. Allowing us to walk into the chaos your home may be in is not easy. Our clients are brave, humble, & hopeful & we are so thankful to now call many of them friends. We understand that those "before" pictures we take are not taken lightly. A lot of life has come before the disorder. Thankfully, there's a lot of life to come after as well.

As we think through the list of HYD's clients, we've gotten to work with men and women in just about all seasons of life:

  • parents with school-age kids who need a command center/home office and system to keep things running smoothly

  • empty-nesters who are ready to think about downsizing and purging

  • homeowners ready to park vehicles in their garage after years of the garage being full

  • widows & widowers who need someone to walk through the purging, packing, and transitioning to another home or life in their current home without their loved one

  • moms with babies and preschoolers who need help making order of all the accessories that come along with little ones so they can focus more time on kids instead of clutter

  • small business owners who pour their hearts and souls into their businesses but have little time to make their home what they desire & desperately need as a quiet, ordered respite

  • artists with a passion for what they create but a mental block when it comes to setting up their artistic space

  • new homeowners who want to start organized so they can stay that way

  • office managers/workers who want their offices to be organized, efficient, & places where they're inspired to do their best work

The list goes on and we look forward to seeing the awesome people and opportunities 2016 holds for HYD. Be on the lookout for new package deals, organizing & staging workshops, and lots more!

Happy New Year from HYD!