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    A Phrase to Inspire You and Your Home in the New Year

    This Post May Contain Affiliate Links. Please Read Our Disclosure Policy here

    Do you ever choose a word (or words) of the year to inspire you? This year I decided a word isn’t enough, I need an entire phrase.
    “A place for everything and everything in its place” is a very motivating and inspiring phrase for me right now! It’s not just motivating me to simplify or organize (although it certainly does that!) but to thoughtfully consider how each place in my home could be intentionally designed to contribute to a more peaceful rhythm and experience in my day. 
    An inspiring place to get dressed for the day. An peaceful spot to put on makeup. A lovely place for my jewelry. 
    On Sunday I repeated the phrase of the year as I began making some adjustments to the arrangement of our our bedroom, bathroom and closet.
    While I still have a ways to go to bring it all together together, without buying a single thing, I’ve already improved our bedroom and how I feel in it.
    I’m always delighted with how rewarding it is to slow down long enough to put your mind and heart into creating a sanctuary.
    If you’re craving a meaningful transformation in your home this year, come join us for Home Therapy sessions and the all new step by step Room Recipe method, now in HomeBody Gathering Place! More

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    My Quick & Easy Organized Gift Wrapping Closet

    This Post May Contain Affiliate Links. Please Read Our Disclosure Policy here

    Today I wanted to show you my “use what I have” quick & easy organized gift wrapping closet.
    I’ve been working on organizing and fixing up small spaces in my home little by little this year. I’ve been sharing behind the scenes and progress in our HomeBody Gathering Place community (and these projects will continue even more in 2025 — come join us!). Since October in the HGP I’ve shared before photos and progress updates in my mudroom, pantry cabinets/closet and coffee station! It feels great to be making steady progress on decluttering, simplifying and beautifying spaces.
    This guest room closet really was getting out of control so something had to be done.
    In a smaller home, you can’t afford to lose any space to clutter or disorganization, especially a much needed closet.
    My dream and eventual goal was to wallpaper this closet and repaint the dresser, but I decided in order to quickly get some sense of organization and function before Christmas, I would leave the more creative or time consuming ideas for another season! My goal was to declutter and use what I have rather than get sidetracked on any grand ideas.
    I finally got a lot of the random stuff out that had piled up there (thanks to the motivation of our HGP Bag A Day challenge which we held this fall. We’ll be doing another community challenge and focus on simplifying our homes in the HGP in January, so I’ll be working another closet or room then!).
    If you could use a dose of weekly Home Therapy to inspire you to action in the new year, come join us.
    Sources: Gift Wrap, Ribbon, Floral Box, and Cards
    Once the clutter was out, I started to think about how I could better use this space.
    When a closet or cabinet has a distinct function or organizational system, it won’t be as likely to get cluttered again. I had just bought some new gift wrap so I was inspired to focus on using this closet mostly gift wrapping and packing supplies. But also decided to use the upper shelf for guest sheets (I had bought these containers a year or two ago, they work great for organizing our lesser used guest sheets) as well as hung some out of season clothing to one side.

    Recently I shared my over the door organizer in this post: 10 Organizers We Use in Our Home. I bought this for a different purpose but now I love the organizer in here as it can hold all of the small gift wrapping items that had previously filled up one of the drawers in this dresser.
    I will probably organize the cubbies of this organizer even more, but it was simple to just toss items in and instantly have an empty drawer to use!
    This is a Restoration Hardware dresser that was here in the house when we moved in. It’s good quality and I never like to let a dresser go to waste so we moved it in the closet to make best use of space.
    Now it’s the perfect spot for gift wrapping and the drawers are a handy place for rolls of gift wrap, small boxes and bags, and a spot to stash gifts, too.

    Then I got an idea for what to do with the rolls of ribbon we’ll use when I wrap Christmas gifts this year. Some of them are in the door organizer, but I thought it would be fun to keep some of the new holiday ribbon I got from Rifle Paper Co. separate to use for Christmas.
    Since I only wanted to use what I had to organize this closet, I found I had an extra tension curtain rod to use for the Christmas ribbon. The tension rod fit perfectly on one side of the closet. Now this ribbon is organized and very convenient for use in this season. Plus there is a lot more room on the rod so I can add more ribbon!
    By the way, the trick to making ribbon functional on a rod like this is taping the edge of the ribbon when not in use. Otherwise it will unroll and land on the floor :).

    Our closet doesn’t have a wired in light so for now I used this set of two rechargeable lamps (on Black Friday sale right now!).
    I bought these earlier this year and have already found so many places for them around the house, but I decided the lamps in this spot will make gift wrapping extra cozy in these dark evenings!

    I’ve had the linen boards since my navy office two homes ago.
    I loved that office so much, I think I might want to paint this whole room navy in honor of it. 🙂
    The printable gift tags and Hygge art on the linen boards (which I bought at HomeGoods years ago) are free gifts for members of HomeBody Gathering Place! If you are an HGP member, you can find them in your dashboard.
    I got all of these adorable wrapping supplies from Rifle this year … including the cards, gift wrap, ribbon etc! I love them all!
    Now that I have a cozy spot to be, I can’t wait to make a hot drink, turn on some tunes and wrap gifts!
    Gift Wrap Left to Right: Penguin Village // Nativity // Christmastide
    Click here for all above sources More

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    10 Organizers We Use in Our Home

    This Post May Contain Affiliate Links. Please Read Our Disclosure Policy here

    1. Back of door organizers.
    I have this one in a gray color, and also a beige color. This is our guest room and we use this organizer for gift wrapping supplies like ribbons, small boxes, bags, tags, cards, tape, scissors, etc.

    2. Bedsheet organizers.
    These neat organizers have become so handy for storing our lesser used guest and seasonal linens. Now we’re able to efficiently organize and maximize space on the upper shelf of the closet. Plus this allowed us to make more room in other areas of our home.

    The cases are hard — you wrap the sheets inside so they stand up like a box.

    3. Under bed organizers.
    I love these attractive linen toned under bed organizers (we use them in our guest room for extra pillows!).

    I also love these under bed organizers for under our daybed (pictured above). I talked more about them in this post: No Linen Closet? No Worries! 3 Reasons These Shallow Underbed Storage Bags Can Help!
    Lidded Trunk
    4. Lidded trunks.
    Click here for all above trunks
    I have two of this one! I use them for extra blankets.
    Cabinet Riser and Mug Source
    5. Cabinet risers.
    These cabinet risers come in a set of two — they are very handy to organize in cabinets!

    6. In-drawer knife organizer.

    7. Kitchen drawer organizer.
    I have several types:

    8. Kitchen wrap organizers.
    Foil, Plastic Wrap and Wax Paper Organizer with Cutter
    Similar Sandwich Bag Organizers

    9. In-drawer spice organizers.

    10. Lazy Susans.
    I have these wood lazy Susans above, and these black and white lazy Susans in my pantry.

    Find my Prime Big Deals blog post here with photos and mood boards of my finds on sale! Only one day left of this sale — there are so many good deals.
    Here is The Inspired Room Amazon Storefront — bookmark it to return to all of my faves and deals from Amazon.

    Shoe Storage Solutions
    7 Home Organizing Tips + Organizers That Changed Our Lives
    Small Space Hacks: Collapsible Laundry Bags (7 Ways They Can Simplify Your Life)
    The Secret to Decluttering, Organizing, Decorating and Homekeeping Success that No One Tells You About!
    Click here for more Organization inspiration posts on The Inspired Room. More

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    A Bag A Day Keeps the Clutter Away (Join our Fall Decluttering Challenge)

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    A Bag a Day Challenge Fall 2024
    Clutter is a thief of joy and a distraction from the peaceful, welcoming home we long to have. For many people, including me, clutter can feel so stressful and overwhelming. I’m not referring to the manageable amount of every day things you need or want to have around you, but the accumulation so much stuff that it causes anxiety or frustration.
    I got inspired by the Bag A Day method many years ago because it is so simple, doable and effective. 
    Often people feel overwhelmed because they overthink clutter or procrastinate dealing with it.
    If you are eager to make progress on a decluttered home this fall, you’re invited to join us for our Bag A Day September challenge in our HomeBody Gathering Place community.
    No need to overthink or over prep for the Bag A Day Challenge, just fill one bag of clutter every day and out the door it goes! 
    It’s that easy. You can do this challenge on your own, but you’ll find invaluable community encouragement and support in the HGP to finally turn your home into the sanctuary you’ve always wanted.
    After 30 days, 30 bags of clutter will have been removed from your home!
    Basket / Photo Source
    The Bag A Day method is addictive in healthy ways! Once you get started, I promise going through the Bag A Day Challenge in the HGP will change the way you feel about your home.
    Of course you can also modify this simple method to your own schedule or needs. 
    Go on a clutter finding frenzy somewhere in your home every day or once a week— put your findings in bags. 
    Set a bag or a box by the door or a corner of the room and toss clutter in it every day.  
    Set a goal to fill a few bags every weekend. 
    However you choose to use the Bag A Day Challenge, we’ll do it together in the HGP!
    Homebody Mug
    If you are not yet a member of the HGP, sign up for your subscription here so you’ll be ready to go in September! The yearly membership is the best deal and you get additional freebies and perks, so I recommend being an annual member!
    There is so much more in the HGP to learn and be inspired by. We can’t wait to begin fall nesting and prepping our home for hospitality and holidays, too! This season we’re focusing on telling a story with our home. It all starts this September.
    Think of the HGP as your home therapy group.
    Together we decorate, putter and declutter all year round.
    Every week and every season in the HGP we learn, overcome challenges and change mindsets. We fall more in love with our homes — and I’m there to answer questions and help you every step of the way.
    Participants in the Bag a Day HGP challenge this September will also be entered into a giveaway to win one of our exclusive HomeBody Boxes! It’ll be a fun and productive challenge!
    Ready to get started? Let’s go! Our fall nesting session starts September 2. The Bag A Day Challenge begins September 5. More

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    Basket Storage Trunks

    This Post May Contain Affiliate Links. Please Read Our Disclosure Policy here

    It’s that time of year when we start turning our thoughts to making life feel cozier in our homes. I’m a big fan of baskets for adding texture and warmth to a room, but I also love to use them for storage and organization. Basket storage trunks can be used to hold anything from games to seasonal items to extra bedding (we use ours for blankets, sheets and pillows), too. I’ve even used our basket trunk as a small space coffee table!
    Click here for above sources (I have two of the bottom right one!)
    See more basket trunks in this folder of my Amazon storefront.
    Get inspired by organization posts on The Inspired Room here. More

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    Shoe Storage Solutions

    A friend recently asked us for ideas for shoe storage so we went on a quest for the most attractive solutions. Since we found such great ideas we thought we’d share them with you, too.
    Here are our favorite ideas and sources!
    Cabinets:
    Click here for all above sources
    Racks:
    Click here for above sources
    Cubbies:
    Shoe Cubbies
    Benches:
    Click here for above sources
    Bench

    Seagrass bench source above

    Wood bench source above
    More Ideas:
    Click here for above sources
    Space saving shoe rack for a closet like these
    Under bed shoe storage like this
    Shoe organizers closet bins like this
    A rolling cart like this
    Fabric stackable shoe bins with clear window like these
    Clear stackable shoe boxes like these or…these similar ones with magnetic doors
    Over door organizer like this
    Hanging organizer for closet like these
    More sources – click the images below for details:

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    7 Home Organizing Tips + Organizers That Changed Our Lives
    The Secret to Decluttering, Organizing, Decorating and Homekeeping Success that No One Tells You About!
    Small Space Hacks: Collapsible Laundry Bags (7 Ways They Can Simplify Your Life)
    Six Simple Secrets for a Less Cluttered Home
    All Organizing Posts on The Inspired Room

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    My Inexpensive Clothes Closet Organizing Ideas

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    What’s behind your clothes closet door? Are there neat piles of folded sweaters and orderly rows of shoes? Or do you have a single, straining closet rod filled with smashed together clothing and one long shelf filled with toppling stacks of sweaters and t-shirts?

    Most of us like the sound of the first scenario, but live with the second.

    I love the above quote and try to keep the contents of my closet in tune with it by seasonally editing what is in my closet and keeping it organized. Doing this not only keeps the space uncluttered, but also lets me find what I want right away.

    I did one of these “clothes closet editing sessions” recently when waiting for the paint to dry when making over my primary bathroom.

    I had gotten lazy and was just leaving my shoes on the floor when there are shelves for them and not keeping my clothes organized by the season.

    I like my walk-in closet. It isn’t huge or fancy with wallpapered walls, a chandelier and center island like you see closets have on Instagram, but it is all mine. It was one of the selling features of the house that I liked.

    When Ed and I were touring the house with the real estate agent 9 years ago, after seeing the view of the lake from the house and then walking into the bedroom and saw the two “his and hers” walk-in closets, I turned to the agent and said, “Where do we sign?” 🙂

    Before having a closet to myself, I have always shared my clothes closet with my sisters growing up and then Ed. In college I had a tiny little space with a folding door to hide it.

    Cleaning Out My Clothes Closet

    I did a thorough clean-out of every item in the closet – contents of the drawers, what was hanging on the rods and stored in boxes on the shelves. I found I didn’t need the pink boxes and their contents anymore so out they went with a big pile of clothes that I no longer wear, like or that don’t fit anymore.

    The leopard print shoes were hard to let go, but I can’t wear flats anymore. I have high arches on my feet and need to wear shoes that support them so I don’t get a flare up of plantar fasciitis.

    The pink boxes fold flat so I will keep them to use somewhere else in my house. I took the clothes to my local thrift shop.

    Here are all all the empty hangers that were holding the clothes I took to the thrift shop. I moved them into Ed’s closet where he has an empty closet rod on one side.

    See the mirror leaning on the wall? That is one of the two that were above the sink vanity in the bathroom that I no longer needed.

    Once I had cleaned out the closet and reorganized everything, I put the mirrors to use again by hanging them on the back wall of the closet.

    Having mirrors on the walls makes the space look bigger and brighter. My closet also has a floor to ceiling wall of mirror tiles which make it easy to see if I like an outfit or not when getting dressed.

    Now I have all my clothes organized once again by the season. Winter to the left and summer to the right.

    I need to wear hats with wide brims whenever I am outside to protect the white vitiligo patches on my face. Since it is a must, I have tried to embrace it and have collected a few hats that look nice and have wide brims. I can easily grab one now right off the closet shelf.

    I spray painted the hatbox navy blue for a new look. It had a black and white pattern on it before.

    I made new labels for the baskets that I made lids for. I add lids so I can easily stack the baskets. To find out how to make the lids, check out this post: How to Make Lids for Storage Baskets.

    To learn how I make the storage basket labels, see this post: Decorative Free Printable Labels for Organizing

    My shoes are all where they should be now.

    As are my totes…

    …jeans, and folded clothes on the shelves and in the drawers.

    Picking out what to wear and getting dressed is once again easy to do now that I have cleaned out and organized my clothes closet.

    If you haven’t cleaned out and reorganized your closet recently, I highly recommend it. It feels so good to now like everything I see in my closet just as the quote at the beginning of the post stated.

    Inexpensive Closet Organizing Ideas

    Here are a few inexpensive closet organizing ideas that may help you create a clothes closet you enjoy going into every day.

    With so many affordable closet organizing solutions and options nowadays, it is easier than you think to upgrade your closet no matter the closet size or your budget.

    Install a Closet System

    Inexpensive closet organizing systems are made for every size closet from small to a large walk-in closet.

    I refitted my closet in my previous house with a DIY closet system called Easy Track. It was affordable and easy to install in an afternoon. If this doesn’t fit your needs, look into Easy Closets or closet and shelving units from IKEA that will allow you to design just what you need while keeping the cost down.

    Add A Double Rod

    I have a double rod system in this closet, but you don’t need a closet organizing system to have a double rod or any DIY skills.

    Home stores sell affordable hanging rods like these that fit over existing rods so you can create a double rod… literally in an instant. They are ingenious.

    Use Better Hangers

    There is a reason wire hangers are free… they are not made to hang clothes for a long time. If you want to prolong the life of your clothes, don’t keep your clothes on wire hangers. Use more substantial hangers that will maintain the shape of your garments.

    I use the clear style hangers that retail stores use to hang clothes on the racks. When I buy clothes I always ask to keep the hanger.

    Label Storage Boxes and Baskets

    As I mentioned above, I add labels to storage boxes for smaller items like scarves, handbags, and other items I don’t use frequently.

    These boxes are from IKEA

    Labeling each box helps me know what I have at a glance.

    Adding labels also keeps me organized for the long run since I know exactly where to find or place everything after I wear it.

    My motto….  “If I have to hunt for it, I will probably never wear it.“

    Stacking shoe racks can be bought at stores like Target and Walmart. The stacking shelves fit nicely under clothes hanging from the rod above. The plastic shoe containers are from the dollar store.

    I like using see-through storage containers for my shoes so that I can see what I have at a glance. I label each with a description of the shoes that are inside. This keeps them organized so I will be a “shoe-placer” not a “shoe-tosser-to-the-floor” kind of girl 🙂

    More Clothes Closet Organizing Ideas:

    Replace the light bulb in the closet light fixture. See how a simple light bulb switch can remove the color cast it gives clothes hanging in the closet in this clothes closet lighting post.

    Use matching hangers so the rod looks visually appealing – just like your favorite clothing boutique.

    Treat your closet like your favorite clothes shop. Keep items categorized on rods – shirts, pants, skirts, jackets, and by the season.

    Keep items visible. If you don’t see it, you won’t wear it.

    If your closet is small, make more room by storing out-of-season clothes in boxes, under the bed or in another room and make sure to label each.

    Organize in a way that works for you and your budget. The dollar store has many budget-friendly closet organizers.

    If you have the room, consider adding a chest of drawers to the closet. so that all your clothes are in one place.

    Hang a mirror on a nearby door or wall.

    And lastly, if you enjoy your clothes and want to maximize the ways you can coordinate and accessorize them to come up with new outfits consider hanging a Fashion Coordinating Idea Board in your closet.

    Having one will help you save ideas you find in magazines or catalogs to coordinate your clothes into many different looks.

    By tacking a piece of paper and hanging a pencil from ribbon using a push pin or thumbtack will help you take note to write down outfit combinations you created and liked. Doing this will end the standing in front of your clothes and thinking you have nothing to wear syndrome.

    Ultimately when your closet is well organized and your clothes are in sync with your personal style, you should be able to walk into your closet blindfolded and pull out any shirt, pant, jacket, and shoes and walk out looking and feeling great!

    And remember….

    More Clothes & Closet Organizing Posts

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    The #1 Fashion Tip That Will Help You Dress Better

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    Do you have a clothes closet filled with beautiful clothes that you never wear only because you’re not sure how to coordinate and style the clothes to come up with new outfits or ways to wear each item so that you look your best?

    If so, I have the best how to dress better fashion coordination tip for you that will help you get better at styling your clothes. It is so simple, yet will eliminate “the getting dressed struggle” of putting separate items and accessories together into stylish outfits.

    If you want to get better at styling your clothes, consider adding a fashion coordination idea board right in your closet. It is the best place, better than in notebook or on an online app.

    By placing it in your closet right where you need it every day when you are getting dressed you won’t forget an idea as they will all be right there front and center in your view. Seeing them will not only inspire you, but also help you remember the looks and outfit combinations you liked.

    How to Organize Your Fashion Coordinating Ideas Board

    You can make your fashion idea board any size and organize it the best way for you. When you like the way an outfit is coordinated in photos in magazines, online and on social media, clip or print the ideas and start creating a fashion coordinating ideas or inspiration board.

    I have had the scarf tying book since college. It has many ideas that I always seem to forget. Having it handy makes it easy to come up with a new way to tie a scarf as I am getting dressed.

    Where to Put a Fashion Coordination Idea Board In Your Clothes Closet

    A fashion coordination idea board can be hung on the wall in a walk-in closet or on the back of the door in a small closet.

    Once Your Board is in Place Add a Valet Hook

    To help me coordinate my favorite pieces when creating new outfit combinations, I have a “Valet Hook” on the outside of my closet door.

    The hook comes in handy to simply hang clothes I plan to wear.

    I also have what I call my “fashion coordinating hanger.”

    When I worked in retail display I oftentimes had to coordinate separate items of clothing into stylish outfits to display on the end caps of the clothes racks to help shoppers see the coordinating potential of the clothes on the rack.

    I tied one end of a 12″- long piece of ribbon to the hook part of the hanger with a loop to fall at the end of the ribbon. This loop was to hang a second hanger for a skirt of pair of pants. This way a skirt/pants could be seen just as they would when worn.

    Doing this helps me have outfits for parties, vacations or my workday ready to go.

    How to Make a Fashion Idea Board for Your Closet

    The easiest way to add a fashion coordination idea board is to simply purchase a large memo board at an office supply store, hang it up and start pinning clippings and ideas to it.

    If you are like me and would like to make the board look more like a piece of wall art, you can add a bit of decorative style to a memo board with a large frame, a piece of foam board and fabric following the step-by-step instructions below.

    supplies needed:

    fabric

    frame

    (2) dollar store foam boards

    scissors

    straight edge ruler

    spray adhesive

    clear duct tape

    1. Measure opening on the back of the frame and cut two pieces of foam board to this size. Leave a 1/8″ short all around so when you add fabric, the foam will still fit snugly into the frame.  You need two pieces of foam for thickness and stability.

    2. Use spray glue to attach the two foam boards together to create one thick board.

    3. Lay fabric face down on work surface. If there is a pattern on your fabric, make sure it is centered before cutting. Center foam board on top. Cut fabric so you have enough to wrap around to the back of the board on all sides.

    4. Wrap fabric around board and secure with duct tape to the back of the board. Repeat on all sides making sure to pull the fabric taut as you tape it to the back.

    5. Use no-damage picture hanging strips to hang your style inspiration board to the inside of a closet door or wall.

    By making and hanging a fashion coordination outfit idea board in your closet will make coordinating your clothes much easier. Expect to start hearing…. “Ooooh…la…la you are looking stylish today”.

    More Fashion and Closet Organizing Ideas:

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