New Year Organizing Tips

Happy New Year friends! I hope 2022 is off to a great start and full of possibilities and opportunities. Like many, I view the new year as a time to revisit my goals and priorities. Do you set goals or intentions for the year?

I personally love to start any new season with a refreshed and revitalized home. I find these new seasons of life are wonderful reminders to evaluate what we own, what we actually use, and what brings us the most peace when we're home - especially after the holidays!

So, why focus on your home? An organized home benefits everyone you live with because a well-thought-out and clean space will provide a comfortable and relaxing environment for your entire family, including guest's to enjoy.

To help you organize your home, I'm sharing a few tips and areas I like to focus on in my home. Let's create a space with systems that work for you so you can spend more time focusing on the priorities and goals you've set for 2022!

A Healthy Home

When it comes to New Year's resolutions, a big goal is often a focus on health and what we put in our bodies, which is why my first recommendation is to organize your freezer, refrigerator, pantry, and back stock items.

SHOP: Seagrass Utility Basket // One Gallon Glass Jar

Amber Glass Spray Bottle // Nordic Storage Basket with Bamboo Lids

The New Year is a great time to empty your freezer, refrigerator, and pantry to take inventory of what you have, toss any expired food, and group items by category. Use labeled bins, a lazy susan, and specialized containers to organize food in your pantry, freezer, and refrigerator to create a system that works for your household's needs. Commonly used categories include:

• Veggies

• Fruit

• Protein

• Seafood

• Breakfast

• Treats/Sweets

• Snacks

• Grab n Go/Ready to Eat

• Sauces & Dips

• Condiments

• Yogurts

• Cheese/

• Breakfast

• Dry Goods

• Baking

SHOP: Storage Bins

Categorizing your items helps with locating your food in your refrigerator or pantry, and quickly viewing what you have when your meal planning or writing a grocery list. Taking the time to empty your pantry, freezer and refrigerator also provides an opportunity to thoroughly clean and reset some of the most used spaces in your home.

Grocery Shopping Tip: Use a family shared app for streamlining grocery shopping. Check out my favorite app for grocery shopping, 'Out of Milk.'

TOOLS FOR SUCCESS

Achieving a goal requires a plan and actionable steps. Creating a space in your home to visualize the month and write out your plan can help you stay on track. My second recommendation for resetting your home for the new year is to refresh or update your command center.

Where in your home do you have a family calendar, drop your mail, plan your week and/or meals, etc.? The command center should serve as the primary location in your home for sharing information and plans with the entire family or household. The ideal command center should fit your family's needs and be located in a space in your home that everyone can access.

Not sure where to begin? Consider a wall organizer from 1THRIVE.

SHOP: 1THRIVE Wall Organizers

1THRIVE creates a variety of customizable wall hanging command centers with interchangeable pieces to meet your needs. 1THRIVE command centers are perfect for providing a visual space to write out goals, list actionable steps for success, view a monthly calendar, and collect/store important items like keys or mail.

Goal Tracking Tip: Use your calendar to track your success. For example, if drinking 60 ounces of water a day is your goal, add a check, color in the box, etc. each day you achieve your goal. For the month of January, I am tracking the days I don't spend any money.

BEYOND THE HOUSE

Think beyond your home when you begin organizing areas you spend the most time throughout your week. Many of us spend a significant amount of time in our cars, whether we commute, run errands, shuttle kids, etc. so a clean and organized car will set you up for success on the road.

SHOP: Trunk Organizers

If you ever find yourself looking for a piece of paper and pen, shuffling through miscellaneous items in your trunk, or wondering why your car always needs to be vacuumed, then your car is in need of a little organizing love. From the glove box to your trunk, take a few minutes this week to reset the inside of your car. We are often in a rush when we are going to or from our car, and this space can become a dumping ground for miscellaneous items (travel mugs, jackets, empty water bottles, etc.). Follow these quick tips for organizing your car:

• Remove all items that do not serve a purpose in your car (your car is not a storage unit, i.e. if you have donation items sitting on your backseat, drop them off!).

• Replenish essentials like hand sanitizer, tissues, first aid kit, etc.

• Evaluate what you store in your car and consider a zippered pouch for your center console or a trunk organizer for your trunk if you find you have several loose items. Keeping your belongings in a designated container will help you contain and manage the items in your car.

JUST THE BEGINNING

Tackling your food storage, command center, and car organization are manageable and easy projects to complete when kick-starting any new season of life. While the projects may seem small, the overall impact is great, and I promise you will be happy you devoted the time to get these areas organized, leaving you to think - what should I organize next?

DIY Succulent Pumpkin

I love the fall. The colors. The flavors. The pumpkins. The wine. You name it!

There are two types of people in the fall, the people who decorate for the Christmas season on November 1, and the people who like to soak up the fall through Thanksgiving. Now that Halloween is over, I am ready to refresh any seasonal décor throughout my home with fresh fall foliage, branches, local eucalyptus, and pumpkins.

I love a good DIY project, especially with a glass of wine and friends. Can you relate? Today I am going to show you how to create a succulent pumpkin centerpiece using two different DIY methods. The first DIY method is a planted succulent pumpkin, and the second style is a glued succulent pumpkin. From Cinderella and Ghost Pumpkins to Jarrahdale and Tiger Stripe, there are various styles of unique pumpkins to pick out at your local farm stand. I choose a Jarrahdale pumpkin for the first project and a Ghost pumpkin for the second DIY project, with an assortment of small succulents.

Planted Succulent Pumpkin Materials

• Sharp Knife

• Large Spoon

• Pumpkin of your choosing

• Variety of Succulents*

• Cactus Mix*

• Moss*

• Water [Spray bottle preferred]

*The required amount of succulents, cactus mix, and Spanish moss will depend on the size of your pumpkin.

Planted Succulent Pumpkin Directions

STEP 1 Cut a small hole at the top of the pumpkin. The opening should be smaller than the diameter of your succulent grouping.

STEP 2 Using a spoon, scoop out the pulp and seeds. Discard pulp and seeds.

STEP 3 Fill the pumpkin approximately ¾ of the way full of cactus mix.

STEP 4 Plant your succulents directly into the cactus mix. Use additional cactus mix as needed.

STEP 5 Using a handful of Spanish moss, stuff the moss in between the pumpkin and the succulent making sure to let pieces of moss hang out. Be as generous as you would like with the moss, it’s up to your creative eye!

STEP 6 Spritz your planted succulents with water and care for your new centerpiece as advised per your selected succulents.

After the holiday, or when your pumpkin begins to turn, remove your succulents and plant them in a new pot of your choice. Sharing a few beautiful pots for your succulents: Earth Fired Clay Dish with Saucer, Barnacle Round Shoulder Pot, Fiber Concrete Barrel Bowl.

Glued Succulent Pumpkin Materials

• Hot Glue Gun & Glue

• Pumpkin of your choosing

• Variety of Succulents*

• Moss*

• Water [Spray bottle preferred]

*The required amount of succulents and moss will depend on the size of your pumpkin.

Glued Succulent Pumpkin Directions

STEP 1 Warm up your hot glue gun and pre-determine the amount of moss you would like to place on the top of the pumpkin.

STEP 2 Place a generous amount of glue on the top of the pumpkin, followed by the moss. Shake/tilt your pumpkin to the side to remove any loose moss.

STEP 3 Remove your succulents from their containers and carefully remove excess dirt, separating succulents as you feel fit for your pumpkin.

STEP 4 Using small dabs of hot glue, arrange and secure your succulents to the moss at the top of your pumpkin. Use additional moss to complete the look and fill any gaps.

STEP 5 Lightly spritz the succulents with water.

Whether you plant your succulents or glue them to your pumpkin, the end result is a gorgeous pumpkin you created! A succulent pumpkin centerpiece is a unique and beautiful addition to your Thanksgiving table and a great gift for your family or friends to enjoy for the season.

Wild Moss Home

A little over a year ago, I launched Athena Rose Home (ARH), an Organization and Design Company with a vision to help others create beautiful, modern, and organized spaces. A passion project that began during the pandemic, ARH provided me with a creative outlet to focus my free time and energy. Throughout the first few months of launching ARH, I reconnected with old friends and made new connections with fabulous female businesses in the area and beyond.

Part of organizing your home and maintaining an orderly space involves evaluating what you own and need. Too many items in one area can quickly lead to disorder and ultimately chaos. I believe this rule also applies to life. We only have so many hours to give, so when we start to feel overwhelmed, that feeling can be a great reminder to evaluate what's most important in life and at home.

Six months into launching ARH, I went back to work in the hospitality industry. In the beginning, working full-time and running ARH on the side felt manageable but, the weekends were short, and the best times for connecting with clients were also the most valuable time to spend with my family - can anyone relate to this work/life balance struggle?

Over the last several months, I spent a significant amount of time talking to family and friends about life, the best use of our time, and managing what feels is the new normal due to the pandemic. Ultimately, shifting ARH from home services to a refined focus of providing in-person or virtual consultations and blogging was the best direction for the future and resources I could devote to keep my passion project alive.

ARH & The Change

The original company name, Athena Rose Home, was thoughtfully chosen and derived with meaning. Each word represented the vision for what ARH would strive to become as a company focused on organization and design within the home.

ATHENA: the goddess of intelligence and wisdom, representing a ‘task culture,’ solving problems to meet current needs. Organization and design offer functional, beautiful spaces where we can live and flourish.

ROSE: soothing and mood-enhancing, a symbol of love and beauty. Organizing is a process that takes time and careful consideration, but the results reveal a beautiful space that you love and is both relaxing and inviting.

HOME: where we live, love, laugh, and our soul can rest. A home should evoke pure happiness, calm, serenity, and a place for your mind and body to be at peace. An organized home offers more time to enjoy what matters most to you and your family.

As my brand and connections began to grow, so did the importance of putting a face to a name. Most comments, messages, and emails began with "Hello Athena," but that's not me, and over time the name and the direction of my passion project felt like the wrong fit. I craved a change.

The first change I made included closing my Etsy shop where I sold vinyl labels. Next, I essentially put blog writing efforts and posting on hold for most of the summer. With a busy career and a growing family, it was time to reevaluate what I wanted most out of ARH. Working in marketing and having a natural love for design and home projects, I decided to shift from an organization company to a blog about all things organizing, home design, and DIY.

I love and find my clients appreciate virtual sessions and in-person consultations to discuss their project needs and home goals. While I enjoy working with clients in their homes to organize and help maximize their space, my primary focus will remain on consulting clients and supporting other local organizers as time allows. In the meantime, I am saying 'goodbye' to Athena Rose Home and 'hello' to Wild Moss Home.

Wild Moss Home

After several months of feeling a deep-rooted desire for change from the services and products I offered, to the name of the company, I felt a strong connection to Wild Moss Home. Wild Moss Home, or Wild Moss for short, speaks to home, life, the natural landscape found around my home, and new flexibility to what this company could become - anything!

No matter how organized your home or life is, you will reach a time or a phase where everything feels cluttered, busy - WILD. Embrace the wild and move through it with intention, reset your home or life to what you need to thrive and be happy. The wild is part of the journey and provides an opportunity for the change you never knew you needed in your life. If that change includes organizing or redesigning a space, I would love to connect with you to talk through that process and create a plan you will love.

Living in Pacific Grove near Pebble Beach, California, is truly spectacular. The natural landscape throughout this destination includes scenic coastline and enchanting forests dripping with Spanish MOSS. The moss is beautiful and whimsical in my eyes. I love the moss in the trees or as an accent within a table scape.

Say Hello & Connect

Launching Wild Moss is exciting and offers the company a refined vision for the future. For those who have followed and supported me along the way, I appreciate YOU! And if Wild Moss is new to you, I am thrilled you've found me in this space and hope you will connect with me soon!

Stay connected through the Wild Moss Newsletter, Instagram, Pinterest, and the LikeToKnow.it app.