Amy Slenker-Smith

How to Get Organized for the Holidays Now 🌲

October 23, 2023 by Amy Slenker-Smith 1 Comment

Last year, a friend admitted she didn't want to decorate for the holidays because she had too many decorations. They overwhelm her to the point she'd rather leave them in the storage room. I understand why she feels this way and even how she got to this point in her life. I've seen it in so many homes and I know she is not alone. Recently, I stopped at a big-box store to pick up trash bags. At the front door, I was greeted by a display of oversized Christmas decorations and Halloween too. And my first thought was, where do people store these things? The Holidays We watch the advertisements running. Decorations pop up everywhere. Christmas candy and novelties line the grocery store aisles. Like it or not, we are entering that time known as “let’s circle back after the holidays.” The holidays….sigh. Thanksgiving and Christmas are lumped together into a period of 6 weeks that so many people just hope to survive. What if this year was different? What if you celebrated a …

5 Easy Ways to Organize Recipes with Evernote

October 2, 2023 by Amy Slenker-Smith 5 Comments

Do you feel like you have endless recipes books, recipes cards and internet log ins? But no idea where to find that amazing recipes you made last year? I'm a fan of digital organization for many things but it is especially useful when it comes to recipe organization. I love Evernote for Recipe Organization. Evernote will help you "Tame your work and organize your life." It can help you manage projects, tasks and your schedule in oneplace. I have been using the Note and Notebook feature for years. I prefer other tools for project management and my calendar but if you're just getting started, Evernote could be a great one stop shop for you. Today, I'm just focusing on how I use my favorite Notebook, my recipes. Evernote allows you to save various formats of your recipes in one place. And I can rely on the info synced across all my devices including my phone, iPad, and laptop. This means I'm never away for Thanksgiving without access to my apple pie …

How to Declutter and Organize for a Home Remodel

September 4, 2023 by Amy Slenker-Smith 3 Comments

You signed the contract. The remodel is happening. And your dream kitchen will soon become a reality. Demo Day Now Demo Day is fast approaching and you're wondering, where will I put all this stuff? Not to mention, how to prepare meals? In the garage? Maybe the basement? Unfortunately, I've seen many clients wait until the last minute, box everything up, and pile it in a corner. Then, dig through boxes for months looking for items they need. Instead, spend a little time organizing and decluttering the contents thoughtfully. Consider before, during, and after the remodel. Here are some tips to keep you organized. Before the Remodel Start easy. Declutter with a clean sweep of the room. Use the Demo Day deadline as motivation. Walk through the kitchen and fill three boxes labeled Trash, Donate, and Relocate. Open every cabinet and drawer but move quickly. Set a timer. Be decisive. Trash/Recycle - Mismatched plastic containers, chipped glasses, extra lids, …

3 Easy Steps to Create a Clutter-Free and Organized Bathroom

August 21, 2023 by Amy Slenker-Smith Leave a Comment

Do you have half-used bottles of shampoo under the bathroom sink? Or perhaps a cluttered countertop overrun with lotions and potions. What about that really expensive beauty product that you didn't like but can't bring yourself to throw away. Does any of this sound familiar? It's ok. You are not alone. Bathroom clutter should be very easy to manage because most of the items are consumables. Yet somehow, linen closets and cabinets are usually filled to the brim. And if you cannot use your toiletries fast enough, they expire, or change composition and thus become unusable. By keeping all this clutter, you might just be delaying the inevitable and making it really difficult to keep your bathroom clean and organized. But what if we tried a different approach? What if you could see everything under the bathroom sink? And you had organized drawers and cabinets with the make-up and toiletries you use daily? Think about how much simpler it would be to get ready in the morning. What if …

9 Tips to Set Up a Successful Yard Sale

August 1, 2023 by Amy Slenker-Smith 2 Comments

I know what you're thinking, you hate Yard Sales. I have a dear friend who loathes them too. We have this friendly banter every year. She loves to sell items on the Facebook Marketplace. She's patient and invests the time to get her price. While I applaud her efforts, it's more time than I'm willing to give. My approach moves volume quickly, so to each their own! And there's another great benefit to Yard Sales which is the community with your neighbors. While decluttering is great, I look forward to hanging out with friends and neighbors during my Yard Sale. I talk to people perusing my sale and share a cup of coffee with buyers and sellers. Here's how you can do it too! Yard Sale Tips and Tricks: Collect Sale Items for Several Weeks - Designate a staging area in the garage. Collect a big pile of stuff to sell. Encourage the kids to their own items and allow them to keep the proceeds from their items. Set Up and Price Items the Night Before - It's hard to do pricing when …

It All Began with The Clutter Comment

July 24, 2023 by Amy Slenker-Smith 2 Comments

Growing up in a generous family there were gifts for every holiday. More was always more! I carried this mindset into college where I met my husband Steve. After graduation, we got married and moved to Washington DC. We were checking off all the boxes: fast-paced careers, new cars, travel and buying a house. All part of the American Dream right? Or so we thought for many years. The Famous Clutter Comment I’ll never forget Steve's comment as we were packing to move into our ‘starter’ home. The Clutter Comment as I've called it for over 20 years. It would eventually be the catalyst for my desire to embrace a simpler lifestyle with less. We owned a large display of 20+ picture frames that showcased our life together. Photographs of family, friends, pets, and travel were neatly arranged (or so I thought) on top of our piano covering nearly every square inch. Steve commented, “It looks so cluttered.” I Don't Have …

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