Tiny Tidy: Your Home's Landing Strip Area

Where you come home from a long, hard day, there is GREAT temptation to just toss your stuff any old place, crack open a bottle of wine and put your feet up…But what if you could get to the fun part after you quickly get organized for the next day? That’s what a perfectly functioning Landing Strip in your home should do for you (and your family): Get you good & ready for the next day’s activities/work.

So! With those thoughts in mind, let’s get to it!

1. Do you have a Landing Strip in your home, a spot where you and/or your family plunks everything down? This could be a bench near the front door, a shelf, an alcove with a shallow table, a space that’s unobtrusive yet works for this purpose. (You can also identify part of something else in your home for this purpose-for me, it’s part of my kitchen table and a nearby chair.)

2. Once you have identified where it is, take a good, hard look: Does it make you feel … well..anxious? Or does it make you feel calm and okay? (We want to go for calm and okay!) If it does NOT make you feel good, try to identify where and how you could change it.

3. If you have it, but it needs some changing, make a small list, or see if you have any items at hand that could make it function better: For example, do you have some hooks you could place over the bench for the kid’s jackets and backpacks? Or a few large, pretty baskets to toss shoes into? Try to re-purpose what’s around your house for this Tiny Tidy, and see what you can find…

4. If you don’t need to change it, but want to, try to see where you naturally gravitate towards when you arrive home. If it’s your bedroom, maybe your Landing Strip is a chair where you can place your bag and computer easily at hand, and can set-up a charging station for your devices near there, too. If you have a large family, maybe you can march everyone into the laundry room, and use a part of that space to keep clutter at a minimum, or clean out a hall closet to stash backpacks, shoes, and sports bags for their other, random stuff. Make it a ritual with the kiddos, and make them responsible for their own stuff from now on! No more running to the car to get their homework, etc. (They will thank you later for this, believe me!)

5. If you have a Landing Strip area that you like to use, then see if you can make it better: I love the Marie Kondo of putting her day bag in a drawer, so it’s out of site, and she does this as soon as she walks in the door. Maybe your Landing Strip area is in a few spots: You can maybe try stashing everything in a closet when you arrive home, and just have a charging station for your laptop and phone that’s equally out of the way, but convenient.

6. Try setting up a mail processing space in the Landing Strip area, too: I know this sounds ridiculous, because so few of use get tons of mail anymore, but make it a habit to keep any bills or parking tickets that are not automated and still arrive via the mail nearby, and RECYCLE everything and anything you don’t need IMMEDIATELY! As you know , a few days of junk mail build-up and make it seem like you have heaps of mail to go through. You don’t. And you won’t, if you recycle it all right away…!

7. De-clutter anything that really doesn’t belong there, including above-said old mail, invites, fliers for expired events, whatever else you have hanging around there

8. Enjoy your new, clutter-free Landing Strip area-you are DONE! xo

   Check out these sleek, chic & so cute bamboo baskets from my friends at Target:

TINY TIDY: Pick A Drawer, ANY Drawer...

I just want to state again that the entire concept of these little Tiny Tidys, and the "Home" aspect of House & Mind, is to allow for the realization that not only is the idea of perfection not desirable, it's not even an option. It simply doesn't EXIST. (Phew!) By keeping your home clean and organized at YOUR level and your own pace, you will find your life to become endlessly more satisfying and just...feeling a bit more together. It's really true! I promise. If you are happy with things a little messier, and it keeps your life and more richer and more creative, keep it that way! If it's messy, and your life is out of hand, and you feel perennially on the run, chasing after things and out-of- control,  maybe start a little slower, but take a stab at cleaning things up. That is what these TINY TIDYS are for, and with THAT in mind-I'd like you now to...Pick a drawer in your bedroom, kid's room kitchen or bathroom...ANY drawer! 

Get READY...

1. Gather up: A rag and your fave natural cleanser.

2. Place a towel on your bed or nearby counter.

3. Find & gather up the bottom of some smaller, empty boxes-think iPhone old boxes, shoe boxes, stationary boxes, so you have some different width, depth and length options.

4. Walk around your home, and figure out which drawer you are going to focus on. Do NOT over think this, please! I mean it! Just pick ONE drawer.

5. Once you have figured it out, take everything OUT of the drawer (just do it!) and put it on the towel-covered bed, or counter-top.

6. Spritz the drawer lightly with cleanser, and dust it off/clean the drawer off.

7. When you are done physically cleaning the drawer, turn and look at your stuff you have place on the counter...

8. It's probably a jumbled mess. That is okay!

9. Basically-THIS part is the "real" juicy part of this process-NOT how you are going to reorganize all of this crap. I know your throat may be clenching up and your heart could be racing-what with looking at what could possibly be a real mess. But it's alright. Take it easy.

10. If this is a junk drawer you are doing, start tossing! Recycle or put in the give-away bag ANY old cords or random things hanging around...Just be ruthless. The stuff has been sitting in there, most likely, forever.

11. If you are doing, say, a lingerie drawer, inspect each and every article of clothing. Get rid of or put in a give away bag ANY thing you do not like, looks worn to you, or somehow, gives you the shivers. Do this quickly.

12. Depending on if you have clothing, accessories or junk drawer items. start looking at your new organizing system-those boxes and lids! Place some in the empty drawer. Start putting things back in the boxes, in a way that you'd really like them to be from now on. Play around with them. The lids are excellent to use for this, and act as little trays. I use them EVERYWHERE. They organize toiletries and junk drawer things really beautifully.

13. Futz around until you feel that "click," and get the drawer the way you like it.

14. YAY! LOOK at how easy that was- Congrats! You just tidied a random drawer in no time! #itsthelittlethings :)

These boxes and lids have been my main take away from that whole Kondo-craze- the lovely idea that you do NOT spend more money on more stuff to organize, just use the stuff you have!

I really do love that. If you feel like it, KEEP going! (Ha! My little strategy today, to be honest.)

And have a great weekend! xo

Tiny Tidy: Your Fridge (Ugh!)

I know, this one is not so "tiny." In fact, the electricity went out in my apartment for about six hours when I wasn't home this week.  I literally had to throw practically everything went, as, I found out the hard way, a few things spoiled! Ick.

(It's a pain to do this one. I totally get it.)

But! Summer is sadly, soon, coming to an end. You have had probably had more fresh fruit and produce in the fridge than usual. Now is a great time to get rid of these old left-overs, condiments that have seen better days, and, well, YOU know! All that good (and gross!) fridge stuff. You CAN do this in 45 minutes or less. It's just going to take a little bit of planning: 

So, let's GO! (get excited): 

Plan on tossing and cleaning out food items and produce that are old, expired and, well,  just done and over. You will want to rinse and keep, or rinse and recycle (please) plastic containers and glass jars, if at all possible. Have a recycle bag ready and waiting, and please make sure your sink is clean and ready. We will be dumping the old stuff and containers and expired condiments in there, first!

1. Start by getting: A sponge (or even better-Magic Eraser) your favorite natural cleanser, a rag, a bag for recycling containers, and a little note pad and pen.

2. Okay. Get ready! Open up that fridge.

3. Take a look in there. What is going ON, honestly? Take a really good look.

4. Now, start going through the obvious first-the shelves that are in view.

5. Go shelf buy shelf.

6. Put the "keep" items on the counter.

7. Place what you are tossing in the sink, just for now.

8. Now, you can choose to either wipe down the shelves as you go, using your sponge or Magic Eraser for the really gunge-y parts, or wait and wipe down all at once. Your choice!

9. Now-hit the side door shelves-the egg and butter compartments. Be thorough.

10. LOOK at those condiments. If the date has been scratched off check them out, but my guess is, they may have to go. Things like Apple Cider Vinegar, however, which I like to keep in the fridge. Just use your best judgement. (And your nose. ;)

11. Start making a list of what you want/need to replace, or even add. Here a few, healthy swap-out ideas: Coconut Aminos (you can buy at Trader Joe's.) in place of soy sauce. Plain Greek yogurt instead of sour cream; Any "organic" varieties of things like ketchup, jam and almond or peanut butter are just great. (Trader Joe's also has some wonderful and expensive options. Often their organic products are cheaper than "regular" items in a mainstream grocery store.) We are not an affiliate of TJs, by the way! Just enormous fans.

12. Okay. NOW-hit the veggie and fruit drawers. (I know. I feel you. Believe me.)

13. Throw the produce up on the counter.

14. Take a look. Can you cook/freeze/prepare any of it that is about to spoil? Plan on doing so now. You can throw veggies that are about to turn in an omelette or frittatas, make a quick salad. or even compose a strangely delicious new smoothie combination.

15. OKay! Hit those drawers. Pull them out real quick. Clean them as best you can. (You can do this!) I know, it's almost the worst. Just do it, though! You will feel lots better when it is DONE.

16. Now, take a break. (Just for a minute, though.)

17. Wipe down anything little spots you missed. (They are there!)

18. Now, look at the stuff on the counter. Start starting/tossing/recycling "old" food and condiments you have placed in the sink. Clean out the containers if you can-to clean and save, or to recycle. It is SO tempting to be lazy and skip this step. DON'T DO THAT.

19. Put everything back- all the food items, produce, condiments-that you plan on keeping.

20. Extra points if you want throw the lunch meat in an open plastic container to organize it better, or arrange the healthy foods shelf by shelf, so they are more accessible. You can be as cute as want. Roommates and family member swill have to deal. YOU CLEANED IT OUT! So there. Take that, bossy whoever.

AND YAY! YOU JUST CLEANED OUT YOUR FRIDGE! Now-it's time for a little treat! Whatever that means to you...Or, you can choose to cook a nice meal for yourself,  your sweetie or your kids, with what you didn't know was still good, fresh and lurking in that fridge of yours...

Have a good one! xo