Gahhhh….it’s time for one of our favorite (and let’s be honest, only) blog posts of the year. Each year, we LOVE pulling together a list of intentional + thoughtful gifts for those gracing your list, many of which will add zero clutter to the recipient’s home.
This year we’ve broken it down into categories, and honestly, think there is something for just about anyone that you might have on your list (parents, kids, spouses, friends,…the dreaded minimalist).
Read MoreI absolutely LOVE finding the perfect gift for each person who graces my gift list. In a “quote normal year,” I create a budget, have a Pinterest board that I fill throughout the year with gifts ideas for each of my family members, and do a pretty good job of not overbuying. But this year is….shall we say, different.
This year, I find myself getting sucked into every Instagram ad, clicking “add to cart” way more than normal, and then feeling this crazy sense of overwhelm when I look in “Santa’s workshop” (aka, the guest bedroom), and see the growing pile of stuff. I may have to book a session with myself after the holidays just to get the house back in order.
So as I think through the final gifts on my list and try to come up with a list of my own, I’m going back to the basics. Gifts that can be consumed, or provide a new skill or fun night in. Enter the 2020 Gift List Full of Things You Can Do Safely from the Comfort of Your Home. ;)
Read MoreThis time of year, one of the most frequently asked questions in the world of organizing is something along the lines of…How do I store my wreaths?! Is a bag or box better for storing my tree? What on earth do I do with all of these ornaments?! Is it normal to spend 5 hours unraveling Christmas lights each year?
So today, I’m sharing some of my favorite hacks and the products needed for organizing your holiday decor just in time to take advantage of those big SALES starting on December 26! And better yet, a lot of these solutions utilize items you might already have on hand.
WREATH + LINEN ORGANIZER
If you’ve got a blank wall in your storage space begging to be filled, consider using Command Hooks to create a gallery wall of wreaths. Bonus points if you organize by season! Imagine a tidy grid of wreaths with Spring on the top, summer in the middle, and Fall/Winter below. I can envision it now and it has me E X C I T E D.
Planning ahead has always been my jam - dare I say, a hobby?! I’m always making lists so that I can feel like I’ve got it together and the holidays are certainly no exception.
I’ve been updating my online address book so that I’m ready to order my holiday cards on Cyber Monday (with pre-printed envelopes saving tons of time), creating a list of gift ideas for those lucky recipients in my life and of course, planning out the menus for the events we are hosting over the coming weeks.
One of my favorite resources to utilize for events is my Party Prep Checklist and I thought it was due time I shared it with you! If you subscribe to Haven, you’ve already got a hard copy at your disposal as it was featured in the November issue. (And if you don’t subscribe, what are you waiting for?!)
Read MoreThe holiday season is quickly approaching (and I’m sure a birthday party or five). You might find yourself asking the age-old question...what am I going to do about gifts?!
Raise your hand if you’ve ever felt “stuck” when it comes to gift buying (ME!).
I’m a huge proponent of consumable and experiential gifts (check out the 2017 and 2018 guides here) and wanted to make sure that we addressed the littlest gift recipients in our lives with this year’s installment.
$ - FREE OR LESS THAN $10
Kids love one-on-one time with you (especially if you have more than one child). Give your kiddo a budget and let them pick how you will spend it - the only caveat being that you have to DO something (rather than BUYING something). A suggestion, the Nutcracker Tea Party at Tina’s Traditional Tea Room in Carmel coming up on December 8.
If you’ve got time to get creative, plan a scavenger hunt or adventure day. Maybe you pull out a good old fashioned map and let your kiddo choose the destination. I promise the conversations you have & the memories you make will be worth more than any “thing” you could have bought them.
Recently a friend asked how I got such tight corners and clean lines when wrapping presents. Well, surely I didn’t intend for this to be a secret. So today, I’m sharing my tricks for wrapping presents that look like they were done by Santa’s elves themsleves.
Gather all of your materials (wrapping paper, gift wrap tape, scissors, topper and of course, the gift). Make sure your wrapping paper is rolled out on a flat surface. This is ESSENTIAL.
I’m constantly working to help others declutter their spaces, so when it comes time for the season of giving, I’m always trying to think of gifts that are consumable or feature some sort of new experience as an alternative to gifting another ugly Christmas sweater!
Of course there are exceptions, but the idea of treating those you love to something unique that doesn’t add clutter to their space is the perfect way to be a gift-giver extraordinaire. And that doesn’t mean you can’t get creative when it comes to wrapping if you still want to create a thrill around opening!
Here are five gift ideas to add to your arsenal this holiday season:
Indianapolis Food Tour Experience: This past summer, our wonderful city launched food tours in Fountain Square, Fletcher Place and Mass Ave. Food tours have got to be one of my FAVORITE things to do when exploring a new city, but I feel like this is also a really fun thing to do right here in our own backyard. Foodies will be pumped to receive this as a treat to use in the new year, giving them the chance to devour bites from a number of restaurants AND see behind the scenes of some innovative Indianapolis establishments. Tours start at $55 per person and can be booked here. Gift certificates can be ordered through Sarah Frey with the Indy Cultural Trail (sfrey@indyculturaltrail.org).
Read MoreWe’re back with Part 2 of our guide to hacking your way to a Chic + Organized Holiday Season. If you missed last week’s ideas, hop on over to learn the importance of a Holiday Checklist, best practices for hosting and attending events first.
These ideas are the brainchild of Caryn O’Sullivan, CEO of Drapery Street, and myself and were presented to an amazing crowd at the Indiana Design Center on November 8.
Read MoreRaise your hand if you are in charge of shopping for gifts each holiday season?
How about prepping the meals?
Planning out outfits for family photos? Not to mention scheduling them?
My guess is everyone has three hands raised, so we don’t even need to mention wrapping the gifts, booking flights for distant celebrations, hand addressing the holiday cards, decorating the house. I mean the list is LONG, and can certainly be a major stress during the most magical time of the year.
So when the Indiana Design Center reached out to see if I’d be open to sharing best practices and tips for a chic + organized holiday season, I jumped at the chance. I partnered with Caryn O’Sullivan, CEO of Drapery Street, and last Thursday we presented to a full house.
But I couldn’t leave you out of it, so without further ado, here are a few tried and true holiday hacks to add some joy back into your season.
Read MoreI'm all about experiences over physical presents and am glad my hubby feels the same! Last year I came across the amazing concept of a surprise travel agency, ala Pack Up + Go.
I feel like there are so few times in life when you can truly be surprised, and generally it means that the people closest to you are in on the surprise. Pack Up + Go plans surprise 3-day domestic trips for you and boy, are they good at what they do.
Back in January, we decided that June 6 - 8 would be the weekend for our trip. We filled out a questioniarre about places we'd recently been, what we liked to do on vacation and the type of weather we preferred. And we recruited some friends to join us in the experience who are also the type to always be up for anything!
From there, it was in Pack Up + Go's hands!
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