2011 is here! Thank God!!!

The New Year has arrived!  Thank God!  But, I will get to that later.

First, it's time to hang those 2011 calendars.  In small spaces, finding a spot that is practical, where calendars with handwritten notes and reminders don't look 'messy', can be a challenge.  For me, the best solution is behind cabinet doors in the kitchen.  I use Command hangers to keep the calendars in place.  Reminder notes are written or clipped to calendar pages.  There is a fishing calendar for my husband who loves outdoor sports and a school calendar for my son. 

 

My husband's 'fishing' calendar.  The Command hanger is just visible at the top.

My son's school calendar.  Soon it will be filled with handwritten notes and activity schedules.

I also keep a calendar filled with landscape photos from Tuscany at work near my desk. It's silly, but every month I look forward to seeing the new photo.  I've never been to Tuscany or Italy, but it looks lovely.  The blue sky contrasted with green hills and the shining sun always make me smile.

So why am I thrilled to see 2011 arrive?  Nothing magic or fabulous has happened. My husband continues his job search and the loss of my dear friend Maureen in late April is still painful. But just turning the page on a new year feels as if I am putting distance between the difficult challenges and memories of 2010.  Many of you sent comforting words and encouragement.  Thank you, thank you, thank you! Especially Laney, Judy, Melissa, June, Rue and my sister Kelley, your thoughts and prayers are so appreciated! 

I could not imagine decorating for the holidays this year, so I didn't.  My only decorations were gifts from friends. Jill sent a huge red poinsettia which stood in for our Christmas tree...

 

Christy sent paperwhite flowers in a stunning silver container ....

And Doreen sent a wreath with a big red beautiful bow.

 

What wonderful friends!!! 

For the family Christmas Eve get together, I also made my smoked salmon plate with salmon my brother sent from Alaska. That's my son in the striped shirt.

And I shoveled a path for Buddy to take his usual walks around the house.

That was it for Christmas. Surprisingly, it was refreshing.  I certainly didn't miss the usual pressure to 'do-it-all'.

Which brings me to Jewel Box® Home and this blog.  Amber has been the heart and soul of this blog over the past year.  I could not do this without her.  We both look forward to bringing you Jewel Box® tips for your smaller homes and spaces in 2011. 

Happy New Year to everyone!

Genevieve

Post Title → 2011 is here! Thank God!!!

Let's Get Organized! Closets!

Most people, around the New Year, make resolutions to lose weight, tackle long abandoned projects or, my all-time favorite, make promises to get organized!

We, here, at The Jewel Box® Home recognize the need for organization in a small home. Without organization a small home can become even smaller as our "stuff" accumulates. Paperwork and mail, out of season clothing, library books to be returned, odds and ends-it all piles up and can push us right out the back door and into the yard! We all have that "junk" drawer or nook where we put unwanted items that have no home. My greatest enemies, however, are my closets!

Photo Courtesy of Eva Designs

The dreaded closet. My private nightmare! It is so easy to tidy up by putting something "temporarily" away in a closet where you can shut the door. Out of sight, out of mind, right? Bad idea! Let's get organized and take some small steps to make our small homes more functional.

Photo Courtesy of Country Living

Some Tips to help tackle that closet chaos:

• 
  
  Remove all the contents! That's right-drag it all out and create an even bigger mess! Let's face it, there is just no other way to do it. You must look through each thing in your closet and determine whether it stays or goes!


• 
  
  Donate or discard anything you haven't worn or used in the past two years. Pitch out all those yucky wire hangers.


• 
  
  Is there anything that could "live" in another closet or elsewhere in your home? Is something best suited in another area? Make sure that coat closets are for coats, linen closets for linens, clothes closets for clothes. It is so easy to store items that don't belong, but this can only lead to inconvenience later.


• 
  
  If it is not within your budget to purchase an entirely new closet system, consider starting with decorative boxes, baskets and clearly labeled containers. Some fun places to shop economically for these items are Target, The Container Store, Eva Designs and Home Goods. I just love the Elfa Storage Solutions offered at The Container Store. Think about splurging on plastic shoe boxes for all your shoes or matching plastic or wooden hangers. A little streamlining can go a long way!

Photo Courtesy of Closet Solutions

Cleaning out one closet a week can make a huge difference when tackling your organizational goals for the New Year. Remember to reward yourself with before and after pictures of your project and be sure to put your feet up afterwards and admire your hard work!

Amber

Post Title → Let's Get Organized! Closets!