Winter & The Holidays, Organized Decorating Martha Carol Stewart Winter & The Holidays, Organized Decorating Martha Carol Stewart

What to Do With the Christmas Card Clutter

We love receiving Christmas cards in the mail, but what do you do with all the Christmas card clutter? Here’s a few ideas.

We love receiving Christmas cards in the mail, but what do you do with all the Christmas card clutter?

Here’s a few ideas:

  1. Use them as the contact photos in your phone! Then they are saved! (And you can toss them after the holiday.)

  2. Punch a hole in the top. Use a ribbon and hang them on your tree. 

  3. Tape them to a door frame so they are displayed during the holidays. Take pictures of the ones you want to “keep” and add them to a photo file on your computer. Then toss at the end of the holiday. 

  4. Pinch a hole in the corner and put them on a binder ring to make a little book.

  5. Put them in a cute bucket or container.

  6. Purchase a Christmas card holder to display them on.

Spend 2-3minutes per day to attend to the cards. Don’t forget to toss the junk mail before it even enters your house!

Want to get your home in order for the new year?


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Winter & The Holidays Martha Carol Stewart Winter & The Holidays Martha Carol Stewart

The Heart Behind Why We Decorate for Christmas

Do you ever feel overwhelmed or just down at Christmastime? Do you get the holiday blues while trying to make it magical for your children? Here are a few tips to make decorating for Christmas seamless and stress-free!

Do you ever feel overwhelmed or just down at Christmastime? Do you get the holiday blues while trying to make it magical for your children? I was that way before the awful flood of 2016. I experienced having a flooded home and it changed my perspective on things like the holidays.

There can be so much pressure to buy all the sale items and to deck out your home in Christmas decor completely from top to bottom. But, what really matters is spending time and making memories with your friends and family. This is why we love giving clutter-free gifts like we talked about last week!

That being said, decorating for Christmas (however much is right for you and your family) can be a great way to enjoy the season with your family as well.

Here are a few tips to make that process seamless and stress free:

  1. Sort your decorations into categories.

Take your decor out ahead of time and take a few minutes to sort everything according to what area of the home it will be going in.

2. Decorate one area at a time.

Tackle decorating one area at a time to simplify the process. You can even do this over several days if that makes more sense for you.

3. Take your time and enjoy the process.
Give yourself lots of time to work on decorating so that it doesn’t feel rushed or overwhelming. Put on some music, heat up some hot coco, and enjoy this time with your family.

Need help getting your home organized for the holidays?

Here are some photos of our decor from a few years back.


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Winter & The Holidays Martha Carol Stewart Winter & The Holidays Martha Carol Stewart

Giving Clutter-Free Gifts for Christmas

As we countdown to Christmas, I would like to recap some of the true clutter-free gifts we like to highlight. These are gifts that leave no physical footprint. Here are some examples!

As we count down to Christmas, I would like to recap some of the true clutter-free gifts we like to highlight. These are gifts that leave no physical footprint. I’ve broken them down into categories for you.

Subscriptions:

  • Netflix

  • Hulu

  • Amazon Prime

  • Magazines

  • Make-up

  • Food

  • Beer, Wine

  • Audible

Activities:

  • Museums

  • Amusement Parks

  • Movie Tickets

  • Theatre Tickets

  • Bowling

  • Escape Room

  • Putt-Putt/Mini Golf

  • Trampoline Park

  • Zoo

  • Go-carts

  • Arcade

  • Scavenger Hunt

  • Murder Mystery

  • NFL, NBA, Baseball, Soccer tickets

  • Staycation

  • Vacation

  • Photo Session

Memberships:

  • Gym

  • Roadside Assistance

  • Golf Club

  • Country Club

  • Hunting or Fishing license

Classes/Lessons:

  • Music

  • Voice

  • Foreign Language

  • Dance

  • Gymnastics

  • Martial Arts

  • Painting

  • Art

  • Pottery

  • Golf

  • Archery

  • Horseback Riding

  • Flying

Services:

  • Babysitting

  • Pet Sitting

  • House Sitting

  • Freezer Meals

  • Maid Service

  • House Cleaning

  • Lawn Service

  • Carwash

  • Car Maintenance

  • Gas Card


Food:

  • Freezer Meals

  • Monthly Subscription

  • Restaurant Gift Card

  • Private Chef

Personal Care:

  • Massage

  • Med Spa

  • Manicure

  • Pedicure

  • Facial

  • Tattoo

  • Ear Piercing

  • College Fund Money

  • Cash

With all that being said, I LOVE WRAPPING PRESENTS! I even have a Pinterest board dedicated to unique gift wrapping ideas. For me, gift wrapping is like the final decorating part of the holidays. Purchasing clutter-free gifts doesn’t mean you can’t still wrap them in pretty paper! Here are a few ideas:

With all of these ideas, you are sure to find the PERFECT gift for that hard to buy person on your list.

Happy shopping! Happy holidays!!

Need help getting organized before Christmas?


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Preparing Your Home for Guests this Holiday Season

Can you believe Thanksgiving is NEXT WEEK?!

I don’t know about you, but for us, this year has absolutely flown by! Here are a few tips to jog your memory on how to prep for guests coming in town during the holidays.

Can you believe Thanksgiving is NEXT WEEK?!

I don’t know about you, but for us, this year has absolutely flown by! Here are a few tips to jog your memory on how to prep for guests coming in town during the holidays.

Guest bedrooms – Southern Style

  • YOU will NEED CLEAN AND COMFORTABLE BEDDING FOR THE GUEST BEDROOM. 

    Clean being the more important of the two! Make sure all bedding is washed and the bed is made neatly. Yes, they might mind the Louisiana Catahoula hound hair on the pillow! Make sure to have enough pillows and an extra blanket if needed. Here is a link to “How to Make a Bed,” in case you need some help.

  • CLUTTER FREE SPACE IS IMPORTANT.

    Of course, they want to see the 72 photos of you and your kids at the Saints game displayed on the nightstand, but they’d also like a space to rest their own personal items. Make sure the bedside table is clear enough for them to have space for their phones, ipads, laptops or other personal items. Be sure to have a spot for their luggage. Maybe just 1 photo of Drew Brees hanging on the wall will suffice? Having a little hanging space in the closet is considerate too. Move the debutante dresses to the other closet!

  • HELP ENTERTAIN YOUR GUESTS THAT HAVE DIFFERENT SLEEPING HABITS THAN YOUR FAMILY BY PROVIDING SOFT LIGHTING, WATER, SNACKS AND ENTERTAINMENT. 


    Lamps, books, InRegister, 225 magazines, local brochures for nearby attractions as well as a Wi-Fi password provided for late night or early morning reading are a just few nice touches. Water and snacks like pralines, Satsuma’s, or Zapp’s chips help a guest feel cozy and may make them forget that it’s 90% humidity outside on Thanksgiving Day. Did I mention they might need hair ties? Do they need space for a C-Pap machine, medications, baby to sleep or nurse?

Guest Bathrooms

  • PLACE A CLEAN BATH TOWEL, FACE TOWEL, AND WASHCLOTH ON THE GUEST’S BED SO THEY DON’T HAVE TO GO SEARCHING FOR WHAT THEY CAN USE.

    In my house, I like to designate certain towels as guest towels so that my family members don’t use them to wash the dog or clean up the mud on the floor (Can you relate?). My guest towels don’t look like the others. They are actually white, for one (not dingy white and well loved). I have put these in baskets, tied them with a ribbon, or just stacked them nicely. Any of those options make the guest feel welcome.  

  • A NICE BASKET OR CONTAINER OF TRAVEL SIZE TOILETRIES IS HELPFUL IF YOUR GUEST FORGOT AN IMPORTANT ITEM.

    This basket can include but is not limited to shampoo, body wash, conditioner, toothbrush, razor, mouthwash, toothpaste, dental floss, comb, hair ties, or bug spray (mosquitos are like hawks, y’all). If your guests have small children, include toiletries geared for children as well.  

  • MAKE SURE THAT THE BATHROOM IS CLEAN.

    This is especially important if your guests share the bathroom with my children. Uhm, I mean children. Any children.  

All of these tips can help your guests feel relaxed and pass a good time while staying in your home. They let your guests feel that they are wanted and welcome. But be careful, if you are too kind, they might not leave. And as my Mother-in-law likes to say, company and fish stink after about 3 days!

Most importantly, y’all have a good time, cher! Laisses Bon Temps Rouler!

DOES PREPARING YOUR GUEST ROOM FOR COMPANY SEEM OVERWHELMING? LET US GIVE YOU A HAND!


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Kitchen Organizing, Winter & The Holidays Martha Carol Stewart Kitchen Organizing, Winter & The Holidays Martha Carol Stewart

Preparing Your Pantry for the Holidays

Can you believe it?! The holiday season is in full swing with Thanksgiving just two weeks away! So, in preparation, we decided it’s the perfect time to take inventory and clean out the pantry. Between Halloween candy coming into your home as well as holiday baking coming up right around the corner, we came up with 3 tips to help get your pantry cleaned out before the chaos only increases!

Can you believe it?! The holiday season is in full swing with Thanksgiving just two weeks away!

So, in preparation, we decided it’s the perfect time to take inventory and clean out the pantry. Between Halloween candy coming into your home as well as holiday baking coming up right around the corner, we came up with 3 tips to help get your pantry cleaned out before the chaos only increases!

Here they are:

  1. Toss Expired Items

    Look through everything in your pantry and throw away anything that’s expired, especially if it’s been in there since last Christmas!

  2. Replenish Ingredients

    Make a list of any items that need to be replenished for your holiday baking. Having clear bins makes this process so simple and quick!

  3. Wipe the Shelves

    Take the time to wipe down your pantry shelves, cabinets, doors, etc. while you’re already cleaning out.

Need help getting your pantry in order?


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