Tips for a Clutter-Free Christmas Tree!

Hi Ladies,

For my decorating post this week I wanted to share a few Christmas Tree tips to minimize the mental clutter (stress/anxiety) that may come whenever you have something big on your to do list, like a Christmas tree.

Some people use a synthetic tree each year; this idea saves massive mental clutter. It saves money, time, and you know how big your tree is and what it's going to look like each year.

For those who purchase a live tree, remembering a few tips can also minimize clutter in your home and clutter in your brain:

1. Remember that whatever tree you pick will look much bigger when you bring it in your home and put it up. Measure where you want the top of your tree to go in your home, and then measure the tree you find to see if it will work. Also remember to take into account the circumference.

2. Less = More: Last year I got a big, beautiful tree because I was excited about my new tall ceilings and open space in my home. It was beautiful, but it was so much work and took up a lot of room. Try a smaller tree. Less money, fewer ornaments to take out & put away, needles to pick up, and lights to put on. Less work=less mental clutter! (And Ryon says: "...not as heavy to carry; your husband will thank you!")

3. PVC pipe watering tip: I HATE kneeling down and reaching through presents to water my tree with a pitcher. Find a piece of pvc pipe and stick it through the glitter and into the Christmas tree stand. Use a pitcher and pour the water through the pipe. Store the pipe in an easily accessible place, but out of sight.

Happy Decluttering and Merry Christmas!

Find Something You Love, Dejunk Two Somethings You Don't

Hello My Favorite Ladies,

Sara has seen my new pillows, but no one else has, so I am counting them as my post for the week. Something as simple as a new couch pillow can add a ton to the feel of a room. And they are so easy to take care of. Off the couch, on the couch.

I got these pillow covers from IKEA and then just embellished them with the dots. It's something you could do with almost any pillow in your home. Fabric adhesive binds to almost any kind of fabric, so you could come up with any pattern, any idea.

They do, however, take up room. So if you do something like this, remember to recycle/throw away one thing for every new thing you bring in your home. I just dejunked my entire office (pictures coming soon) so I am counting that as my two things to get rid of in regards to the pillows.
But I did want to share. It was a fun little project.

Mr. and Miss Pumpkin Heads

Clutter-free decorating tip of the week:
Mr. and Miss Pumpkin Heads.
Grandma Jensen sent the kids these decorating kits. I think it is an awesome idea. Besides being absolutely adorable, I love them because you can just pull your kids' Mr. Potato Head accessories out of the toy bin and put them in your pumpkins for the month of October. When Halloween is over, wash them off and put them away for every-day play.
Plus, kids LOVE putting them together, they are cleaner than paint, and you can carve your pumpkins a few days before Halloween if you want, or just leave the accessories in them.

My fall decorations are minimal this year. I dejunked my fall bin and kept the stuff I really like. I decorated Kimmie's shepard's hook from her wedding and put it outside my front door with leaves, vines and lights. It is my favorite fall area of my house this year.

I need four focus areas of my house: My front kitchen counter, my kitchen table, my living room and my side of the bed. (that seems to be a major clutter collector for me) If those areas of my house are clean, I can breathe. So I will take the twenty minutes (that's how long I need) at night before I go to bed to make sure these areas are in decent shape.

Check out my blog to see pictures of the kids with their pumpkin heads.