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10 Quick things to declutter.

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One thing I like to do on my blog, make lists. I like my lists short and sweet.  Not a lot of words to describe a single action.  Just tell me what needs to be done and list it.  So here it is. My short list of things to declutter.

1. Outdoor Winter Clothing.  Get rid of what didn’t work.  Repair and clean anything that needs it for the next winter.  Make a list of what you need to replace.

2. Reusable bags.  It could be plastic, paper or cloth.

3. Carry-on and Totes.

4. Suitcases and duffle bags.  Sometimes you just need a new one.

5. Keys.  You have 10 keys on your key ring.  Do you know what they go to?

6. Shoes.  What do your flip flops and slippers look like?

7. Beach items and Swim stuff.  Do the water guns work?  Are the beach towels clean? Can you find your 12 year old’s goggles?

8. Holiday Paper and tape.  Is it time to recycle the candy cane paper you’ve used for the last 5 Christmases?

9. Address Book. Clean out your contacts.  It can be on paper or online.

10. Pantry. Really?  Those date bar cookies have been in there long enough.

Happy Cleaning!

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Basic Toiletries For Your Emergency Kit.

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1. Feminine Hygiene Products. Include enough for a few months.  These products can be used for so many different things other than what their original purpose is.

2. Teeth Care. Be basic. Toothpaste and floss.

3. Brush. These can be small and compact.

4. Soap. A multipurpose and anti-bacterial bar would be great.

5. Shampoo. In a pinch you really don’t need conditioner. Keep clutter down.

6. Sunscreen. Depending on your clothing and hats, you may need sunscreen. A burn is a horrible thing to have when everything is normal.  During an evacuation? Yikes.

7. Chapstick. I would also say Vaseline.  Both will keep lips soft, and Vaseline can be used on the skin.

8. Bug Spray. There is no where in the world that doesn’t have bugs except for the poles.  I don’t think many of us are going to hang out there.  Bug Spray could be the single most important item besides toilet paper.

9. Toilet Paper. No explanation needed.  Remember to remove the cardboard tube.  That way is packs flat.

10. Nail Clippers.

11. Wipes. I say use baby wipes.  Everyone can use them for personal cleanliness.

12. Medication. How many people forget their meds on a trip? During a natural disaster it can be even worse.  What if you can’t reach your doctor?  How can you get them refilled?  Also, over the counter products like Advil or Imodium may be lifesavers.  When the power is out, you can’t go to the Pharmacy.

13. Glasses.

 

What would you put in as a must have for a basic toiletries kit? Have you had any experiences in travel or evacuation where you wished you had something?  Let us know in the comments!

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Ideas for Stocking Stuffers.

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Tired of the same old ideas to put into your children’s stockings?  Here is a list of

1. Candy.  Well duh!  Instead of grocery store candy, so to a candy store or family run manufacturer to get unique products.

2. Hair Accessories.  Christmas is a great time to invest in barrettes, ponytail holders and other things as they come in sets!

3. Cards. No, I’m not talking business or credit, but playing cards.  There are still so many games you can play with cards.  Look in your toy section and find a few.

4. Small stuffed animal. So many cute things.

5. Rubik’s Cube. So many cubes are made today with varying degrees of difficulty.

6. Money.  Simple, yet so wanted by all.

7. Cosmetics. Lip balm, lotion, bath bombs, makeup kits, and more make a great stocking stuffer.

8. Small books. A great paperback or a little gift book works great.

9. Coloring books/crayons. You can get very inexpensive ones at the dollar store.

10. Gift cards.  Self-explanatory.

11. Tea or Coco mix.  Good stuff like food or beverage always is welcome.

12. Action figures or Tiny toys. So many things in miniature. Little cars are great!

13. Pens/Pencils. Use for all those books!

Hope these ideas help!  Or you can do the traditional fruit and chocolate coins as well.  What have you gotten in your Christmas Stocking.

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10 things to Clean

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Here is this month’s list of 10 Things to Clean (but that you almost never do). Let’s get cleaning!

  1. Door Frames and Door knobs.  Get all that finger print dirt off!
  2. Your toothbrush holder.  Clean it, replace it or run through a dishwasher.
  3. Your electric toothbrush.  Replace the head and clean the body and holder.
  4. Facial scrubber.  Replace the pad and clean and disinfect the handle.
  5. Razor.  Replace it!
  6. Loofah. How old is it really?  Yuck, get a new one.
  7. Corners of the room. Get those cobwebs out of there!
  8. Stove drip covers/knobs.  Get the gunk out.
  9. Electrnics. When was the last time you cleaned your cell phone, ipod, laptop and more.
  10. Washer/Dryer.  Wipe everything inside and out.  Don’t forget the lint trap!
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10 Things to Declutter for the Holiday Season.

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Tis the season!  The season to declutter that is!  Yes, declutter.  Look I know the holiday season from Halloween to New Year’s is a VERY busy time for all of us.  However, decluttering can not only help you cope with the stress, but make each year easier by limiting everything you have to dig through.

  1. Your credit card statement.  Okay, I don’t mean take all your credit card statements and shred them.  Although, you can. I mean go through them and look at the actual charges.  Are their reoccurring charges that you can get rid of?  Say a magazine subscription you no longer read but haven’t cancelled?  That gym membership you never use?  Time to let those go.
  2. Online. Unsubscribe from all those emails.  It’s easy to ignore all those emails that go to your social media tab in your email. Start unsubscribing from them. Keep you inbox clear!
  3. Candles.  Tis the season to give and get candles.  How many do you have? Do you have a drawer full of unused candles?  Time to get serious and sort them.  How many of them are half burned? Time to cull the herd down to a select few that you really enjoy.
  4. Old Makeup. Clear out your makeup case.  Can you narrow it down to just what you wear? Let the old and unused stuff go!  How about nail polish?  How many do you have that you haven’t used?
  5. Ugly gifts. We all get them.  That ugly elf picture you mother-in-law thought was oh so cute but goes with absolutely nothing you own, accidentally drop it and get rid of it.  You should only have things you want, not something that others think you should have.
  6. Dinnerware.  How many sets of dishes do you have?  I understand one good set and an everyday set, but do you have extra dishes from various relatives or holiday dishes?  How about mugs?  We all have those travel mugs that say I love NY or something.  Time to donate?
  7. Liquor.  Have bottles of liquor around you house?  Do you have a liquor cabinet?  How many times do use those bottles?  Have you had that same bottle of rum for the past five years?  Time to let them go.
  8. Spices.  Check you spice cabinet.  Spices have an expiration date.  Let go of the spices that you only used once and haven’t used again.  How about the more popular spices.  Are they expired? Time to replace them.
  9. Old Pens. We all have a junk drawer or a drawer for school supplies. Go through all you pens/markers/pencils. Get rid of the ones that don’t work or you won’t use. Replace what you need to.
  10. Old Eyeglasses.  Do you wear glasses?  Do you have a bunch of old prescriptions lying around? Many eye glass places have donation bins where you can donate your old eyeglasses. Let someone else use them!

Okay, now ready, set, purge!!

 

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10 Winter Activities

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Winter is such a cold and blah time.  But here in the Upper Midwest we try to make the best of things.  While there are a lot of indoor activities, there are also a lot of outdoor festivals and events.  We have broom ball tournaments on frozen lakes, ice fishing, skiing, snow tubing, snowmobiling, ice skating, nighttime snowshoeing, ice carving, skating races, cross country ski races, dog sledding, bonfires, sleigh rides, curling and so much more.

Some more hygge activities you can try yourself include: building a snowman, go on a nighttime candlelight carriage ride, drink warm apple cider in front of a fireplace, binge watch Christmas films, make gourmet hot coco, have a fire in the fireplace and read by its light, toast marshmallows in your fireplace, go sledding, go look at homes that have their holiday lights up, take in a Christmas play, bake cookies, donate to your favorite charity or volunteer your time, make a ginger bread house, or write a letter by candlelight.

What do you like to do to make Winter special?  Let us know in the comments.