Home Sweet Home

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Home Sweet Home

Home Sweet Home. Three simple words written on the doormats or on the wreaths of many homes…

Do these three words make you smile and really affirm how you, and your loved ones feel about your home or is it a phrase and feeling that you are aspiring to have, or even hoping for in this holiday season ahead? One thing for sure is that we always learn in the holidays…there is always hope.

One of our greatest joys, is to bring people to the place where they literally walk through each of their rooms and look around in awe and amazement, with such gratitude in their hearts and restored hope in their eyes.

They can breathe once again, taking in all of the beauty of their home. A restored, beautiful, clean, organized home where just a few strategies and systems are figured out together to make their every day lives easier, brighter, more productive and fuller.

That sense of awe on their faces, is as wonderful and beautiful as the faces of children during the holidays.

There’s no place like home for the holidays, and like you, “Together” is our favorite place to be. Memories are made around the table, around the counter, around the living room…memories are made when we gather together, and relationships grow deeper and stronger.

Do you need a little motivation and help to get your “Home Sweet Home” ready for the weeks ahead? Here are just a few of our favorite strategies, systems and ideas that we’d love to share with you…

 A Few Organizing Gifts From Our Family to Yours

Around the table…

  1. The night before gathering, set your table and/or buffet. Place all serving pieces and serving utensils out in their designated places. Place a post-it note on each dish with what is being placed into it. (ex: meat, broccoli, bread, gravy, etc)—Not only is this such a time saver for you, but it also allows your family/guests to be able to help you when the food is ready.
  2. Every time you create a beautiful table display that you love, take a photo. When the holiday or event is over, pack everything from that table creation into a bin (non-perishable items). Place the photo on the bin, and it’s all ready for the next holiday event.
  3. To create great memories, laughter and wonderful conversations around the table, we love to have “conversation starters” at each place. Put under each plate or fold in a napkin. We have even folded the paper very small and baked them inside crescent rolls or biscuits. You can create your own questions, or buy them already created (Tabletopics.com)

Ideas for questions—What was your favorite gift you ever gave or received? If you could travel anywhere in the world, where would it be? If you could share a day with anybody in the world, past or present, who would it be? If you could have any superpower what would it be?)

Around the home

  1. Time to “winterize”- Go through your coat closet and make sure everything fits everyone. It’s a great time to donate and bless others. Have a basket/bin for each family member for their hats, gloves, etc If your closet does not fit all seasons, place a rolling rack elsewhere to hang out-of-season coats/clothing. Place a zip cover over it to keep it clean.

If you switch out your winter/summer bedding. Store all quilts and pillows in a jumbo ziploc bag with zipper.

Gift Giving

  1. Gift Lists-Keep 2 notecards in your bag (or 2 lists on your phone) 1). Birthdays 2). Holiday. For the Birthday Gifts notecard: divide the notecard into months, Jan.- Dec., under each month place all dates and names for that month. Leave room to write gift bought

For the Holiday Gift Giving notecard, list all of the people you will buy for during the holidays. Again leaving a space to write gift.

Use these lists to save time and money throughout the year purchasing “off season”. Whether “Steals and Deals” or the “O List” comes out, or you are at a fair/ event with great vendors, take out your list and match the perfect gift to the perfect person, buy it and write it down.

Gift Wrapping Station- keep gift wrapping materials organized in a gift wrapping bin or organizer. Use a dresser and desk or folding table or closet. Items to have on hand: Scissors, tape dispenser, ribbon, gift bags, tissue paper, gift tags. (Great hint: Use your child’s art work from school to wrap gifts. Wrap the whole gift or place one of the art pieces on top of the wrapped gift as a “special touch”. Make sure to write “artwork by ______” underneath the special masterpiece.

In this beautiful season of gratitude and gathering, of giving and receiving, and renewed faith and hope, awe and wonder…..each time you open your door , may your beautiful home rise up to meet you… and cause you to whisper, home sweet home.

Submitted Jane’s Addiction Organization Team

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