The Life of Our Dog, Chai - A Love Story.

In August 2008, I married the love of my life, Luke. We often talked about getting a dog, as I did not have one growing up and always yearned for one (just ask my parents). By the end of 2008, we started looking for dogs to adopt more seriously. We frequented a few local adoption days around Dallas early in 2009 without a match.

To give further context about this season of life, the recession of 2008 was in full force. I was employed full time at an educational architecture/interior design firm that wasn’t feeling the brunt of it as quickly as other sectors were. Luke, who was employed at a small, boutique hospitality architecture firm at the time, lost his job in early 2009, when the firm essentially dissolved. At this time, my company had its first round of many layoffs. I somehow kept making in through each layoff, watching so many incredibly talented humans (that I still keep in touch with) walk away from the company, simply because of a ‘dollar amount’ they needed to hit with financial cuts on a spreadsheet.

So here we were, newlyweds, one income, my student loans to pay off, car payments, rent, etc. Sounds so dreamy, doesn’t it? Everyone everywhere was fearful of losing their job. Life was incredibly stressful at this time. And to be clear, there were NO jobs to find if you lost yours. As we looked to cut expenses, we started looking at other rental options in the Dallas area where we lived. We were in a condo that had the WORST natural light, and frankly, it was depressing to be in. While Luke looked for any nibble of a job, he also looked for new rental options for us. Side note: there were no jobs, but by the grace of God, Luke landed architecture contract work with an architect he met through his old boss, after several months of nothing.

Luke continued to scour the area for properties we could rent and reduce our monthly payments to keep the ship afloat. Soon enough, he managed to track down a house we could rent, just a few blocks down from where we were. We weren’t ready to leave Dallas, so we kept our search quite narrow. A 1940s cottage, with a yard no less, and several hundred dollars less a month for rent! Jackpot! It was also a great option if we did find a pup, so we continued to lay the ground work for what might happen in the future. And worth noting, Margo and Norm were the kindest and most wonderful landlords we’ve ever had. To no surprise, they also loved Chai dearly. They’d bring her treats/refill her water and give her lots of ear scrubs anytime they had to stop by to check on the property if we were at work.

Above: Jenner, California. Newlyweds. August 2008. 

Fast forward a bit, it was about a month-ish before we were about to have to renew our lease or move out in the spring of 2009, and things started to get interesting. We secured the lease for the house rental and told our condo landlord we were ending our lease. Check and check.

We also went to another pet adoption day at a local Petsmart to check out the pups, where we met a dog named Nora. We loved her temperament, that she was a mix breed and her beautiful, rusty colored fur. We spent some time with her but were still on the fence about it, so we decided to visit her another day at the shelter she was at. We were told she would be back at Dallas Animal Services if she didn’t get adopted that day. We trusted the process and went to look for her the next day to spend more time with her. We never found Nora again. Thankfully she had been adopted, which was no surprise to us. I will always credit Nora as being Chai’s guardian angel, because she’s what ultimately led us to finding her.

Above: Newly adopted Chai in our condo, spring 2009.

FINDING + ADOPTING CHAI:

Over the next few visits to DAS, we met a German Sheppard mix and a German Shorthaired Pointer that caught our eye. They were wonderful dogs but the chemistry just wasn’t there. It just wasn’t the right fit. On one of the visits to see one of them, it just so happened to be one of their deep cleaning days. Dogs were moved all over the place while the cleaning took place, and it was on this day that we met Chai for the first time. They told us we could walk around but they couldn’t pull any dogs at this time. We walked around towards the back hall of the pup rooms (as I call them) and Luke all the sudden stops and says “that one”. I didn’t know what he was saying honestly. He spotted Chai instantly and just knew. Close by, there was a woman volunteering that walked by us, who I still refer to as the “animal whisperer”. She had dedicated her life to animals, knew so much about them and had many of her own. She was incredible to talk to. Luke asked her if we could see her just for moment (the dog he had spotted) and she got her out for just a quick minute to meet her right outside her room. The love connection between Luke and Chai was instant. It was undeniable. I was more cautious, as I had never had a dog and I didn’t want to get too attached too quickly. She was instantly in Luke’s arms, and little did I know, it was done.

We came back the next day to spend more time with her (praying she would be there when we got back). SHE WAS!! When we took her outside to one of the private play yards, she went right out, sniffed around, did her business (!!!), then immediately came running to us. Cue the confetti throwing and my heart bursting in a million happy pieces. We had just learned that her name was Chai (and for more context here, I deeply loved and still do love chai tea, so it was fitting). We learned that she came to the shelter at about 4 months old, with no name, so they name her there. We were told she had been surrendered by someone who had too many animals to care for. She was underweight and had patchy fur, likely from neglect. We saw through all of that. She was stunning to us.

Chai knew her name already and came when she was called. She had no ability to stop and would run back and forth to Luke and I, plowing into our legs to stop and get a snuggle and an ear scrub. We made our decision right there that Chai was going to come home with us. It was a very simple decision. Like marrying Luke, it was simple. A lot of life is complex and complicated, but not with those two.

Above: Chai at 5 months, the day we adopted her.

On the day the adoption was official, Luke went to pick her up while I was at work. Our friends, Anne and Russ, quickly came to the rescue and let us borrow their kennel to help with our transition with a new puppy. Thank you, Anne + Russ! I couldn’t focus at work and I remember talking to one of my dearest friends, Jessica, about what was happening. She knew what a big moment this was, as one of the deepest dog lovers/advocates I’ll likely ever meet. For the first time in my life, I was getting to drive home to MY OWN DOG. I was a 25 year old bursting with so much joy! This was a dream come true for me!

We spent about a month longer in our condo with Chai before we moved, including a quick stay from our dear friend, Kelly. Kelly is a longtime, dear friend of mine, and is one of the few people who knew Chai in her earliest days with us. We loved having her with us. Chai would have peed many more times on the carpet if it wasn’t for her! Thank you, Kelly!

Above: Just starting to snow, 1940s rental house. Dallas, 2009.

MOVING INTO THE DALLAS HOUSE WITH CHAI:

Alas, we packed up and moved into our 1940s house rental, equipped with the perfect yard for Chai to run and play in, right next to a hyperactive, squirrel hunting Westie. We loved the time in this older home with all the beautiful craftsmanship that came with it. I loved the sound of Chai’s paws click clacking on the hardwood floors. We learned a lot about being a family in this home and what we wanted in a home in the future for all of us to thrive. Notable moments in this home were lots of visits from our friends for dinners and slumber party’s with our dear friend, Sara, when we had to leave town without Chai. She’d swoop in and pup sit for the weekend. Chai loved her Sara time. Thank you, Sara!

BEACH TRIP WITH CHAI:

For Luke and I’s one year wedding anniversary, we drove down to Galveston in the intense August heat to get some beach time with our pup. We were thankful to find a house rental that welcomed dogs, yet didn’t smell like it! We spent good chunks of the days there walking along the beach with Chai, popping in and out of the water, and looking for treasures along the shore. Chai quickly observed that I kept stopping in the sand to dig up shells and stones, so she joined in. This made me smile so much, doing one of my favorite things with MY dog. I’d stop to look at what she’d found, then pick up the best stuff, being sure to give her lots of pets to tell her what great finds she’d found! The most notable memory we have of this trip is hearing her first deep barks when we’d go into the water. She would not follow us in but just ran up and down the shore barking, waiting intently for us to come back. She would not join us in the water, but stayed right along the shoreline. Ironically, Chai loved the water. If you looked close at her paws, they were webbed. She was a calm, efficient swimmer. We dubbed this role of hers as 'lifeguard Chai’, of which we’d see many more times around pools, as she watched out for her people to keep them safe. But mostly, this just made us laugh, because if you were someone who knew Chai well, you knew that she RARELY ever barked. She waited for moments where it was really worth it. This went on her whole life, only barking when it counted or she felt like her people needed to be alerted or protected.

Above: Chai at the beach, Galveston. August 2009.

We’d end up spending less than a year in the Dallas house before relocating north to a 7 acre ranch house rental in Frisco, closer to where we both now worked up in Plano at the time. Our new neighbors were 3 miniature donkeys named Rollo, Rosie and Sweet Pea. Rollo had audible toots when he’d run, Rosie was the mama bear of group, and Sweet Pea was just an absolute sweetie! We loved all of them instantly, including Chai. They all enjoy ear scrubs (just like a dog) and they were fun to drive alongside the dirt road with at the end of the day.

LIVING IN FRISCO WITH CHAI:

During the first 2 weeks on property, while getting use to all the crazy coyote calls around dusk and into the night, we had a snow storm come through, turning everything into a wintery wonderland. This was the first time we got to see how much Chai loved snow. It was undeniable. Over the years we’d get to see her perk up in snow many more times, despite living in Texas. Her nose would plow through the white fluff until she found a special treasure, like a buried tennis ball or the perfect stick to run around with.

Below: Chai and the mini donkeys, Frisco. January 2010.

Above: Chai and I exploring in the snow, Frisco. January, 2010.

We had many visitors out to the 7 acre Frisco property over the next 1.5 years. We had many friend gatherings, family visits and we loved romping around the property after work /weekends exploring with Chai. There was an infinite amount of things to power sniff out there, and Luke loved chipping golf balls in the pasture (also attempting to teach me some golf basics of which I’d quickly forget). Chai helped us gather up the golf balls in the field in a big metal bucket after each round. Life was good.

Before we new it, it was springtime in 2013, and we found ourselves in a more intense search for a home in the mid cities area. We’d been cutting our living expenses and saving money for years and were finally ready to take the home ownership plunge. While the Frisco property was a blast to live on, we did not love the area we were in. Fixer uppers in the area were hard to come by and we didn’t necessarily jive well enough with the area to want to put down permanent roots. We were more than ready to have a home of our own, that we could get our hands on, and put our architecture / design knowledge to good use (outside of our careers).

BUYING A HOUSE WITH CHAI:

After several back and forth negotiations, we signed our life over to a 1960s home in Hurst, Texas. My best friend from college, Anne, lived just a few streets over to sweeten the deal. She helped us feel more comfortable getting settled into the area. Thank you, Anne! At the time, the housing prices in mid-cities area were some of the best in the DFW area. Knowing that we hoped to have kids someday, we looked for quality schools and a big backyard for endless playing in for future children and Chai. We use to joke (and still joke) that all we really wanted was an older home with a window over the kitchen sink, a big backyard, and streets we feel safe walking on. This is still our primary checklist! We can figure out the rest after this!

Above: 1960s home purchase, in all her pink glory. She is no longer pink. Spring, 2013.

Now I’m not going to sugarcoat it…this faded, coral pink house sat on the market for months for a reason. Let me paint a quick picture for you…dark wood paneling everywhere, lots of old carpet everywhere, wallpaper on more walls than I want to mentally revisit, and just SO dark…BUT it had a HUGE backyard for the area! We could work with this! Here’s what you need to understand…when it comes to older homes, there’s very little that scares Luke and I off. Very little.

Fast forward a bit, we had the keys at the end of April/early May, and spent weekends and many nights after a full workday driving into Hurst to work on the house. We’d come home from work, grab food to eat in the car and start driving over to Hurst from Frisco (after traffic had died down) to squeeze in about 2 hours of housework before coming home. Chai loved exploring her new backyard and keeping us company while doing essential, yet mundane tasks, like tearing down faux wood beams in an already low living room ceiling, removing stubborn wallpaper, taking down sets of ridiculous saloon looking shutters, and scraping several layers of linoleum flooring to prep for new floors. Our flooring installers said we could save $500 if we’d do most of the removal of the existing flooring. We needed to save every penny would could, so we did it, and hated every minute of it. And when I say we, Luke did the scraping, while I was working through (I mean battling) every wall surface throughout the home with wallpaper removal.

Before: Looking into kitchen.

After: The power of paint.

Before: Living room + hearth.

Before: Laundry niche in all it's glory. Not an orange gal.

After: Painted hearth + doggy.

After: Laundry niche, paint, removed cabinet doors, added hooks for days, etc.

One evening we drove to work on the house with Chai, and as we were getting out of the truck in the driveway, our new neighbors, Brandi, Brian and Bailey greeted us with a big wave. We spent the better part of our 2 hours talking with them and learning more about them and the area. They were so welcoming (and still are!) and made us feel so good about our new landing spot. They loved on Chai and were happy we were all there. Thank you Brian, Brandi + Bailey!!

CHAI’S BEST FRIEND:

In future months, our new neighbors would adopt at reddish-furred Golden Retriever named Rosebud. Rosebud was so easy to love and instantly adored by our family. She came from a service dog in training program for dogs that had ‘changed careers'. Instead of going into a service position, she moved into an adoption group and thankfully our neighbors found her! It was no surprise that she had originally embarked on a service path; her sweetness, temperament and intelligence were immediately evident. Her claim to fame was that loved to have her paws rubbed. She’d sit on her hind end and sit back, with both her paws held up to you, until you gave them the pets that she felt they deserved. She would ultimately become Chai’s best friend and we loved her dearly.

In the spring of 2015, when I was extremely pregnant with my oldest daughter, just weeks before she was born, we had a very late snow in north Texas. It was SO strange. Luke was constantly worried about me slipping and falling in the ice and snow, as was I! The pictures below were from that snow. I would give birth to Josie about a week and a half after these photos…and as I write this, it is her 10th birthday today! What a full circle moment!

Chai's bestie, Rosebud. March 2015.

Rosebud + Chai. March 2015.

Years down the road, Rosebud became ill suddenly and passed away. I remember hearing this news and crying so hard in our kitchen. I just couldn’t fathom at that time a loss like that, yet alone my own dog. I often wondered if Chai new she was gone…can they find out information like this with their routine walks and sniffs? What do dogs feel after a loss? Do they feel depression and go into mourning? I’ve always been curious…

CHAI WITH BABIES AROUND:

Well, no surprise here, Chai was amazing around young babies and kids. You have your concerns while you’re pregnant because it’s a new experience for all, but she was the absolute best. With my first born, she would get up with me during all the middle of the night feedings and lay by my feet until I got Josie back into her crib. With my youngest, who was more distracted when nursing, Chai would get up with me and lay in her bed outside the door, then walk me back to bed when I got Heidi back into her crib. My middle of the night guide dog helped me make it through these long nights…

Chai helped me survive in so many ways during my early years with babies. The lack of sleep. The complete confusion around my identity as a new mother, who had put her career on pause to focus on family (while still running a small business). I feel confident that there was undiagnosed postpartum depression in the mix with my youngest; fortunately for me, I would force myself to go outside and take Chai for a walk because I knew she needed it. I’m the one who needed the walk for my mental health. The baby needed fresh air. But my concern for Chai is truly what got me moving and got me outside. Her gentle nudge to keep going and keep doing normal-ish things is what kept me from going down a really dark, rough road that would have been so easy to go down.

In the fall of 2016 (the year Luke and I refer to as the year from hell), we had a miscarriage in between both of our girls. That season was one of the darkest I’ve ever experienced. I never want to go back. This might be why I don’t have more than 2 children. I was so relieved when the second one came that I said “I’m good, we did it. What a gift. Let’s savor this, what we have.” With Chai’s 6th sense, she didn’t leave my side during all the medical experiences I would be forced to deal with over the next 8 weeks, while I had constant reminders of loss that I couldn’t escape from, day or night. When I would sit down in our big brown chair in the living room, she would sit right next to me, with either her head or paw (or both) on my lap. Chai only did this when she knew I needed it. If she sensed a lot of stress, anxiety or concern from me, this is what she did (see below). Her head and often her paw was on my leg. How did I get so lucky with her, honestly? The calm she shared in my lowest moments I’ll never forget. How can I? What a gift she was.

Above: Chai resting her head on my leg, a message from her to me to take a breath, reset and not worry so much.

Chai was the perfect friend on the ground with the girls during tummy time, and would frequently check in with them by way of a quick lick in the face to remind everyone these were HER babies. Chai loved the girls so much. She was so patient while we learned to be gentle petting her and learning how to take care of her…and ideally not play in her water / food or eat it…yuck!

NORMAL DAYS WITH CHAI: Walking in our neighborhood was her favorite. I will 100% credit Luke for how well she walked on a leash, as he spent the most time with her on this when he was working from home in our earlier days with her (while I was in the office during the week). She was never really big on toys, but she loved to hunt for a great stick or chew on deer sheds, which usually came by way of family in Nebraska. Occasionally she had a stuffed animal she would snuggle with. We still have one of the gray hippos…we washed it and I think it made it’s way into Heidi’s bed the last time I checked.

We have two large oak trees in our back yard, one that has a split trunk that holds a squirrel village. Chai would often lay at the base of this one, just a few feet away to keep the squirrels at bay. She’d only go after the one’s that were getting bossy back there. She picked her moments wisely and it was so fun to watch her from our kitchen bay window.

Above: Every spring since we moved in, there's a patch of primrose that pops up. Primrose was one of my grandmother's favorite flowers. It's always a yearly 'hello' from her.

ADVENTURES WITH CHAI:

Early on we made a few treks up to Nebraska to see family. She always enjoyed time up there and the freedom of wide open spaces. She got along best with Rancher, my BIL’s past dog, who was such a good boy. He was in a dog league all his own.

Above: We had a trip a few years ago, in late October, to Beaver’s Bend with Luke's parents. We enjoyed lots of beautiful hikes in cooler weather with Chai and the girls.

In the last few years, we’ve made a few trips to Colorado to escape the intense July heat of Texas. We’ve explored to different areas around the Spanish Peaks, and also got to visit with some friends last year that had recently moved to Pagosa Springs. Chai seemed to physically feel really good in Colorado, even in her age. Maybe it was cooler mountain air, fresh water, power sniffs for days…she really enjoyed herself and had good, steady energy there. Even last summer (in 2024) she made several hikes with us with ease. Deep in my gut though I knew these might be her last, so I marveled at her agility at age15 and enjoyed every moment with her hiking with us and the kids. I can still see her now, taking what seemed like the longest drink of her life at Treasure Falls, just outside of Pagosa Springs. As I watched her, I referred to that as the “drink of her life”. It felt like a milestone moment.

I’ve always been so impressed with the dogs we’ve encountered on trail hikes anywhere we’ve traveled. Chai often led the way and would stay ahead of the person leading the walk. I loved seeing her guide us through the trail with confidence. And yes, for the warmer hikes, you’d often find me putting a cold, wet bandana on her neck to stay cool. It was all so fun…except for our visit to the San Dunes National Park. Luke had to carry her out of the park over his shoulders because the heat and sun got so intense so quickly that it was burning up her paws and she could barely walk. I will openly admit that I was panicking. It was not good. It was a mess. But anyways, we made it out and I don’t wish to go back!!

Below: Chai enjoying the view of the Spanish Peaks. July, 2023.

Above: Chai living her best wolfy life in Colorado, July 2024.

QUIRKY THINGS ABOUT CHAI:

Chai has always had white fur on her muzzle, so she’s always look a lot older than she is, even as a puppy. She always looked and acted wise beyond her years. She was for sure an old soul.

She rarely barked, but if she did, it was a very low, deep bark that didn’t seem like it matched the dog. I loved this about her. She would ‘play bark’ with Rosebud to get her to chase her around and play.

She would growl at the front door if anyone knocked on the door if I was at home alone with the girls, especially when they were babies. She was a great protector, disguised in the kindest, sweetest dog body!

Chai loved to swim and actually had webbed paws! We credit her older dog cousin Maxine for teaching her how to swim in my in-laws backyard pool many years ago. She would also turn into ‘lifeguard dog’ when anyone went underwater in their pool and bark at them until they safely came up to the surface. Lifeguard Chai had your back.

Chai loved social gatherings. At any birthday gatherings at our home, she loved greeting all the guests and checking in on them. She was an amazing hostess! My favorite story to highlight this was when we went to my friend Jessica’s going away party (who was moving back to Florida from Texas) at our friends Jeff and Laura’s house. Jessica requested that Chai come and our friends were good with that too. There was A LOT of people at this party, and small groups of friends were sprinkled all throughout their house, laughing and enjoying themselves. We didn’t see Chai most of the night because she moved from one group to the next, checking in on them, getting some ear scrubs, then moving on to the next group. For a lot of these gatherings you could find Chai in a fun color/printed bandana for the occasion. Again, the best guest and furry hostess!

Below: The party hostess at Heidi's 6th birthday dinner, November 2023.

Below: Chai enjoying the cool kitchen floor in the summertime. Yes, her dog bowl was vintage Pyrex, because she's awesome. 2020.

Above: Chai, spring 2015.

Above: Belly scrubs, 2016.

What I will miss most about Chai:

Her speckled salt and pepper fur, especially on her front legs.

How she’d patiently wait for bacon in the kitchen while it was cooking, and focus even more intently on it when it was out of the oven, nose in the air.

Her white markings on her head - she always had salt and pepper fur so she looked wise beyond her years, even early on.

The ‘woof woof’ sounds that she would make when she slept, that sometimes sounded like an underwater scuba dog, as we called it.

How she’d lay outside for hours in the best weather, shade jumping from the trees as the sun angle changed.

How she’d power sniff the air outside when a storm was coming in.

Her being my garden bouncer to keep the squirrels out.

How she’s disappear into the tall zinnias in the garden and reemerge on the path, never trampling anything and always being so respectful of what was growing.

Chai had an acute sense for understanding what the people around her needed. I would see her spend extra time checking in with someone in our family, or someone visiting to make them feel loved on extra that was going through a particularly challenging time.

I’ll miss her staring me down (watching my every move) and waiting for me to start getting ready for her morning weekday walks.

I’ll miss her going through all her tricks to get her cookies after a walk. Worth noting, I taught her new tricks when she was 14 years old —- this dog was SMART!

Every Easter Chai would go on her own Easter egg hunt. We did this before the girls were born, and when they could do an egg hunt, we did a separate one also for Chai. I’ll miss everything about this! It was so fun to watch! She had the perfect egg cracking technique to get her treats out!

I’ll miss gardening with my girl. She’d lay next to garden while I was pulling weeds or doing work in there, then she’d occasionally check in with me by walking carefully through the garden. What a joy it was to garden alongside her.

I’ll miss how much peace Chai brought me, just knowing she was around and helping me shift my perspective on life when it was getting too stressful or chaotic.

Below: Garden girl with our garden picks. Summer, 2023.

Above: Chai's Easter egg hunt. March, 2019/2024.

CHAI’S PASSING:

Chai’s age had been showing for some time, but her her legs and hips were struggling even more than usual. Winter was particularly hard on her this year in a way it had never been before. She did however have a great time out playing in the snow in early January of this year (2025). You could still see that it was much harder on her body.

Many don’t know that Chai had lost her hearing for a few years prior, but her eyes were still in great shape. Then one day during the winter (Dec/Jan 2024), I noticed her flinching and squinting a bit in the sun a few times during our walk. I didn’t think much of it because I thought she maybe just walked into something and was trying to blink it out of her eyes. Little did I know, she was developing a sunlight sensitivity that would make walks less enjoyable for her during the end, and make her want to be outside less (2 of her most favorite things, sad). As I noticed this recurring, I did my research to learn what it was, and tried to walk her early in the morning, before the sun was out much and stay in the shade of the trees along the street. We did what we could, even as we slowed down and shortened our distance. Chai taught me how to move slowly. I am constantly going, planning, moving on to the next things. But as I saw her age catching up with her, I decided to let her lead and it was one of the greatest lessons I will take from her. The ability to get slow, for no reason at all, simply to enjoy the moment.

Amazingly she was still up for going on walks 4-5 times a week with me, even at her age of 16. I was so proud of her (and me!) for staying committed to this. Even into her last week of life, she was still wanting to do a few walks each week. This time alone with her, walking in our neighborhood, became some of my favorite times of the week, after the hustle and bustle of the morning getting the girls to school. A lot of times she would lay in the living room, near the fireplace hearth and stare at me until I got changed to go for a walk with her. It was so funny to watch her do this most mornings. I loved her keeping tabs on me. Last fall, I started taking short videos of us walking together, seeing how our shadows were moving along the street together. I loved the shift of the sun angle in the fall during walks, not only because it was cooler, but because of the way her little ears bounced so happily when she walked. I must have known on some intuitive level that it was going to be my last fall with her.

Below: Morning walk with Chai in our neighborhood. Fall, 2024.

Above: Chai exploring in the winter snow. January, 2025.

At the beginning of February, (about a 1 week and a half before she passed) Luke took her to her 6 month wellness check up. In general she looked pretty good to our vet and said she was an old girl and doing great for her age (now over 16). He loved that she was still wanting to go on walks and told us to keep up the good work. She was gradually losing muscle mass in her legs and hips, which was normal for her age, but she was still eating and drinking well. All things looked good! She was being treated after this appointment for a minor gum/mouth infection that cleared up quickly with an antibiotic. We had also decided to start hip injections every few months to help her with her mobility with her hips. We scheduled that appointment for later the following week.

Several days into her antibiotic (almost at the end of the dosages) we noticed that her eating slowed down all of the sudden. We called to vet to inquire and we were told to go ahead and stop the antibiotic, as it might have been bothering her stomach. We followed their directive of stopping the medicine, but continued eating less and less. Of course we were all concerned, but at this point, we just thought maybe her stomach was off and needed some time to regroup. We kept moving forward. We were still doing our slow morning walks, and we thought we’d get through this rough patch soon enough.

Below: Chai getting cookies in the snow. January, 2025.

Above: Chai + I in the snow. January 2025.

Above: Treats in the snow for the best girl. January 2025.

The day that Luke took her back to the vet for her hip injection (I think it was a Wednesday or Thursday afternoon), the visit did not go as planned. They discussed how she was not eating and our vet didn’t think that it was because of the antibiotics, and that her body was shutting down. The vet discussed putting her down right then and Luke said no. It was not the time.

Luke went ahead and had her get the shot, simply to help her be more comfortable moving forward, whatever that was going to look like. When Luke and Chai got back from the vet, he texted me to come out to meet him at the car. I was scared. I had a huge pit in my stomach. Luke does not text me to go sit in a car with him ever. I sat in the car with him and he told me what the doctor had said, that her body was shutting down. We held hands really tight in the car and cried for a few minutes together. We were not ready for this or expecting the day to go like this. At some point I gathered myself and carried Chai out of the back of the car to the backyard and sat in the grass with her out of the sun and just cried with her. I couldn’t believe I was going to have to say goodbye soon to my best friend of 16 years. It didn’t seem real, even though her body was telling us otherwise. We even went for our last walk that morning. How could it be time?

In the midst of a lot of uncertainty, Chai showed us it was time. We prayed that she would communicate clearly to us what we needed to do next. And she did. She stopped eating completely and it was challenging to feed her sips of water, but she did a few times, probably just to do it for us because that’s just the type of dog she was. Friday morning somehow we got her outside to go to the bathroom and then she slowly came inside into the living room and laid between my two girls in a spot that she never lays. I believe this was her way of being close to them for the last time, with her last bits of energy. She would then go get in her bed and only move in the house one more time. One of my girls went off to school for a half day (the other stayed home with a stomach bug on Valentine’s Day), and Luke and I had to make the excruciating decision to schedule someone to come into our home on Saturday, the next day, to put her down. It was a living nightmare that we were forced to live through, as we knew this was what was best for her. Seeing her suffer more was not an option. She had been too good to us to allow that. It was worth every penny to see her pass in peace, rather than pain.

One of the worst parts of all of this was telling the girls what was going to happen, that Chai was going to pass away and not be here anymore. We’d had ongoing discussions about her age and that someday this was what would happen. But how do you share impossible news like that? You just do it and hate every moment of it. And you exist in the painful moment and cry together. That’s what you do. There’s nothing more you can do.

Above: Chai in a deep snooze with my scarf. January, 2025.

On Friday, one of us sat in the chair next to her all day, at all times, to keep her company, even though she wasn’t moving much and just sleeping. I took a nap next to her and she gazed at her, thinking about what an incredible life she lived with us, but it still didn’t seem real what was happening. We did facetime with my parents that last night, so they could see her and say goodbye. I hated every moment of this.

In the blink of an eye, Saturday morning came, a day burned deeply into my memory. Luke and Heidi went early in the morning to get breakfast tacos. I didn’t want to eat, but forced myself to. I didn’t want to leave Chai’s side. The afternoon before, Josie and I went on a special trip to the grocery store to get bacon to cook up for Chai. A bite of bacon was as good as it could get for Chai. This dog could smell this through the house, even being outside, without the windows or doors open! So that morning, Josie and I fed Chai a full piece of bacon. She did not hesitate, even though she had not eaten or drank much in many days. The joy of bacon for her cut through all of this and it was so heartwarming to watch her enjoy for the last time with us (I feel confident there is bacon for her in heaven as well).

I laid with her for about 10 minutes on the floor, just me and her, and I told her everything I needed to say, the things she already knew. The gift she was to me, to us. That she restored my faith in so much. That she’d stretched my capacity for love in ways I didn’t know were possible. That I was always going to miss her and love her. She opened her eyes during this, until I stopped talking, then they closed them again. I know she heard me. The connection I had with her was so deep, so raw. I pray that I have something like this again, someday. And here’s the thing…we already knew what we had with Chai being part of our family for so long…we told her daily how much we loved her and what a good girl she was…and we told each other how lucky we were to have her. This is not a tale of realizing how good something was once it was lost. We always knew how good we had it with Chai.

An hour later, a wonderful doctor (I think her name was Dr. Deana) from Lap of Love came at 9am to help us with Chai. I laid on the floor with her, always keeping a hand on her and staying close. We let the girls come and go as they felt comfortable. It was a quick, yet slow process. How does time do that exactly? We got to tell the doctor about Chai and how wonderful she was, how much she brought to our lives for so many years. And what a gift it was to get to love her for so long and as deeply as we did.

Chai passed away peacefully on February 15, 2025. She was a few months over 16 years old. She had a wonderful, long life. Much longer than so many dogs and pets. But of course, not long enough for us. We hit the jackpot with Chai. We thank God for her every day.

Our family chose to bury her in our backyard, and I won’t go into too many details here, because it was a very personal, raw, intimate time with our family. Our girls were so brave and so involved. They loved Chai so much. They still do. We let them be as involved with every step, as much as they wanted to be. We let them talk, cry and ask any questions they had. We did our best to answer them and help them feel comfortable.

Above: My locket I wear everyday of my girl. February, 2025. I cannot lie, I miss her every hour of every day. It makes a jingle sound when I walk + it sounds like her collar when we'd do our morning walks together. I love the sound. It brings me a lot of comfort.

Above: Cardinal friends visiting at my in-laws house. May, 2025.

The final story I want to leave with you about Chai has to do with cardinals.

A few hours later after Chai’s passing, Luke had left the house for a quick errand and the girls were inside the house. I went outside by myself to sit next to Chai’s new memorial spot and cried so hard I could barely breathe. It was gloomy and misty outside; it was an absolutely depressing day, no doubt. All of the sudden, I looked up and 2 cardinals landed right in front of me, about 5-6 feet away. I got really quiet as to not disturb them. I love watching cardinals. They stayed for a few minutes, eating little bits in the grass. It helped me get calm somehow. I hated my new reality. After they flew away, I decided to head back in to make lunch. When I stood up to walk to the back door, the sun popped out and a beam of light followed me all the way to do the door. I had an odd sensation in my chest and it gave me chills, that’s the only way I can explain it. The second I went to open the back door and go back in the house, the sun disappeared again, the clouds were back.

Later that day, I told Luke about what had happened. He mentioned something about cardinals having meaning when you see them after a pet or loved one has passed. I had never heard of this, so of course I took to researching it. Here’s a great description about cardinals meaning here. My jaw absolutely dropped. I felt so seen and loved in my excruciating grief. I’m still trying to process that moment.

In these months after her passing, I’ve had various encounters with cardinals, particularly during some really tough days where things have felt unbearable. They have shown up just for a moment, a check in if you will, when hope has felt lost. We see them as a quick check in from Chai. I believe this with my whole heart. I know what I’ve see and what I’ve experienced.

Most recently, my in laws lost their German Shepard, Zeke, of 11 years. The last few times since his passing that we’ve been over there in their back yard, we’ve instantly seen cardinals. Always within minutes of being there. I asked if they’ve always had them, and my mother in law said no, not usually. Most recently, on my father in law’s birthday ( May 3rd) we went over for a visit. While we were out the back yard we saw cardinals again, almost immediately. My MIL tells me they just made a nest in a bush very close to the house and she see them all the time now. Zeke, their dog that just passed…I believe this is him, his way of keeping tabs on things.

The cardinals take their time, they move slowly and intentionally. They stay for a while. They’re calm. They’re peaceful. They’re checking in to give us hope in our grief. They’re God sending messages from our lost pets to check in and say “we’re OK and we want you to be OK too. I’m watching over you.”

So what’s next for our family? Will there be another dog soon? Yes, someday. I’m not sure when. The pain of losing her is less sharp these days, but it’s still here. I do know that whatever the future has in store of our family, Chai is going to help guide us, in her own way, to make a decision about a new dog…and that the right dog is going to show up, in this season of life, and be exactly what our family needs — just as Chai was exactly what we needed for 16 wonderful years.

. . .

(If you made it this far and read our story, thank you so much! What a precious gem you are! I am publishing this post on the 3 month anniversary of her passing. Somehow we've made it this far. This was hard to write and I had to start and stop so many times during the last 3 months. There's been tears, anger, joy and a bunch of other feelings all coexisting together daily. But overall, this process has been incredibly helpful to document. It’s wonderful to have this account of her life and how our lives have evolved over the last 16 years. As I remember other stories about her, I’m sure I’ll pop back in and add them. I’m looking forward to revisiting these memories over and over again, and maybe some of you will too.)

---

PS. If you knew Chai and have a memory of her you want to leave below, we’d love it! And if you didn’t know Chai, we’d still love to hear from you, too. I’d love to hear about your pets, current or past. How did your pet change you? How did they make life better for you? I can’t wait to hear from you.

Thank you again for existing with me here in this grief + celebration of our girl.

*big hugs* // Kristin

Decluttering Your Home While Mourning The Loss Of A Pet

I am currently mourning the loss of our dog, Chai, after 16 wonderful years together with her. The pain is raw and real, but as I’m finding, life keeps moving. As a decluttering expert, dealing with sentimental clutter is a large part of what I’ve talked through with my clients over the years. As of now, I’ve essentially taken myself on as a client and want to share the process with you.

Since I am currently in the thick of the loss of my own dog, I wanted to offer you assistance navigating the items they leave behind, should you find yourself in this situation now or in the future. I’ve got you. We’re going to find our way through this together.

WHY YOU MIGHT WANT TO DECLUTTER WHILE YOU’RE MOURNING THE LOSS OF A PET:

• to help process / confront uncomfortable feelings

• help with acceptance of the permanent life shift you’re going through

• enjoy memories + stories about your animal

• help give words / discussion to the pain you’re feeling

• discover treasures that are a positive, joyful reminder of your pet

• make an impact in your local community by donating pet goods that can be useful now

• create space for new things in your future - be ready for good things coming!

START WHEN YOU CAN + ARE READY TO.

I was shocked that I was OK with removing /decluttering a few things the same day we had to say goodbye to our dog. I just went with it, checking in with my family if they were OK with me removing some of the items out of respect for them as well. For example, within a few hours I was OK with cleaning, drying and putting away her water dish, food dish and tray. The bowl could be reused in the kitchen, as it only held water prior. The food dish is being saved for a future pet and was relocated to a shelf in the garage for now. The tray we kept in the same spot on the floor in our kitchen and a gentle reminder of her and will likely be the spot a future dog will eat/drink at.

There were many other things that took more time address or I am still dealing with. Over the next few days after she passed, I was able to work through a few more items over the weekend, mostly because some items needed to be tossed or recycled, which was going to get picked up that Monday.

A few more items were dealt with the following week, and there’s a handful of things we are still going through or that we haven’t touched yet. I’ll share more about these here next. But all that to say, do what you can, when you can. It’s good enough. Move at whatever pace you feel comfortable.

WHAT TO DO WITH PET ITEMS YOU’RE DECLUTTERING.

RETURN anything unopened if you feel comfortable doing so.

(I did this with a rug I was planning to use for our dog to help her not slip on a section of hard flooring in our home. I had kept the tags still on and I had saved my receipt, since I wasn’t sure if it was the right rug).

DONATE items that are clean and in good, reusable shape to local animal shelters. Contact them directly to verify what they will accept / current needs. Sometimes their websites do not have the most current info on what is needed most in their shelter, as those needs can shift weekly I’d imagine.

(I sent an itemized list of the adult dog food we had, vitamins, supplements and dog treats via email to our local animal shelter. They were happy to accept all donations I offered. I put the dog food in several 2 gallon bags with the type of food labeled on the outside of the bag. The drop off experience was extremely quick and easy, as they already have a donation drop off location right in the front).

ASK your local animal shelter what things they are accepting. Ours mentioned they could also take towels of all sizes and blankets to keep the animals warm. They cannot take sheets or pillow cases. Those would be better used at local women and kids shelter, for example.

(We did not have any additional items to donate at this time, but by asking them about all the items they take - we now have this info filed away for future decluttering efforts).

ASK + OFFER if your vet will accept returns on unopened/unused medications. Ours would not, but my in-laws have a new pup that will need the same medicine in a few months, so they offered to buy it from us when it’s needed.

(PS. To be clear, I’m not suggesting reselling pet medicine, but our vet suggested we do this since he knows my in-laws dog will need it soon, as he is their vet as well. We’ve been trying to recover the cost of over $200 for an unopened box of medicine we purchased just weeks before Chai passed away. We’d love to be able to put that money aside for a future dog and the supplies that will be needed. Fingers crossed!)

SHRED + RECYCLE receipts or bills from the vet or other related paperwork. TIP: You can only recycle paper-based receipts (they don’t make a black mark when you run your nail over it). Get these items out of your home and free up some extra space in your files, at your desk and on your counters. You deserve this.

(All of our vet bills recently, and a few that were filed away, all had a lot of personal information that needed to be scratched out and/or shredded. I’m only holding onto one receipt currently, as I filed for a rebate on a NexGard product - I’ll shred everything once the rebate shows up).

RECYCLE textiles with a company like Trashie (they are my go to) to divert textiles beyond reuse from the landfill. It’s a paid service I believe is worth the cost if you don’t have a local textile recycling service available to you (like myself). These are items that are beyond donating and someone else can’t reuse them in their current state.

(Things I sent to textile recycling after my dog passed away: the outer layer of a dog bed, extra layers of old blankets and an mattress pad we used to build up one of her beds, and old body pillow that was worn down she used along the wall in one of her beds - all of these items were washed and dried before I shipped them).

TOSS anything that cannot be recycled, cannot be donated, is soiled, damaged and cannot be repurposed. Some things are just trash, and no, you are not a bad person.

(Things we had to toss: the inner bedding layer of a dog bed, foam padding used to build up one of the dog beds that couldn’t be reused, packaging we couldn’t recycle while consolidating treats to donate).

GIFT items to friends or family that have an animal like yours. Be mindful that food and treats will be harder to giveaway, as animals have to be eased into new foods when they are introduced because of how delicate their digestive system is.

(We weren’t able to gift anything of Chai’s, but focused on local donations and textile recycling).

KEEP items that you can still use, repurpose or use in the future if you have space for it. This can also include a few keepsake items you want to have around to remember your pet.

(Items we kept from our dog include: her collar - we plan to make this into a keychain for our car keys, her tray / food / water bowl - these will be used for a future dog when we get one, collar tags for our keepsake box, travel bowls / leash for a future dog).

LINKS Here’s My Declutter For Good links list, including a section dedicated entirely to animals. There’s lots of great ideas for donating to animals to get you started. Make sure to do a search to better support your local community.

REMEMBERING YOUR PET WITH A FEW KEEPS.

One thing we did within our family to remember our dog, Chai, was to create a memorial spot in our backyard that we’ll fill with beautiful flowers in the spring. It’s now a peaceful spot that we can go to and sit with her, while calmly listening to birds and whatever else nature presents. This is also the spot where I sat down, just hours after her passing, I saw my first cardinal sightings while I was crying and missing her so deeply. The cardinals calmed my energy and they grace me with their presence every few days so far. I had no clue that cardinals had spiritual meaning and connection with those who have passed, animals in particular. You can read more about this here if you’re interested.

I’ve also make lockets for myself and my girls with some of our favorite pictures of Chai in them. I wear mine everyday. My girls have bigger ones at their bedside and smaller ones that they can wear whenever they want to, especially on those days they’re missing her extra. I see them kiss their bigger locket goodnight and they say goodnight to Chai and I know it helps them feel close to her.

In the living room, we have a small wooden box with a few things that were hers or remind us of her. The doctor from Lap of Love saved some fur from my favorite speckled spots on her leg that’s in a small container, a few photos, folded up poems that were giving to us, and the collar tags with her name on them. There’s also a sea stone in there that reminds me of Chai’s beach trip with us when she was just a puppy.

Lap of Love also made us a clay impression of her paw that has her name on it. It is so precious. I can put my hand in it anytime and it eases my pain of missing her a bit because it’s such a tangible reminder of her. I plan to take a photo of this clay impression and other photos to make a Christmas tree ornament for her this year so we can have her here with us on our tree for years to come.

Something my girls have asked for is a ‘book of Chai’, basically a book of photos of her. Since I’ve been dragging my feet on family photo books for a while, this is the kick in the pants for me to finally try out some different companies to see which one I like the best. Send all our recommendations in the comments below if you’ve had a particularly great experience with a photo book printing company. Currently I am looking at Once Upon and Chatbooks.

Right now, these are the things getting us through these first dark days without her, that will hopefully sustain us into future weeks, months and years as we continue on without her here. However you want to remember your pet, make sure it respects the physical space you have and brings you joy, however you wish to do it.

In the future days, weeks and months, the decluttering effort will continue. The best I can do is stay open to the pace that my heart can handle, while focusing on creating space to be flooded with sweet memories and physical space for what life brings ahead.

Sending you love + big hugs. // Kristin

What To Do With Gifts + Unwanted Gifts After The Holidays

Your holiday decor might still be sprinkled around or you’ve happily packed it away…but guess what’s still lingering around in your home? ALL THE GIFTS! While there’s nothing wrong with friends and loved ones showering you with joyful bits and acknowledgement during the holidays, have you ever considered that not all of it has to stay?

Gifts, whether they’re something you asked for, were giving on a whim, you love the gift or it’s not your jam…they ALL have an impact on your home.

Now that it’s deep into January, we’re going to quickly assess all the items that have come in the door in the last few months from the holidays, decide what to keep and what needs to go (resourcefully/responsibly) in a quick effort to reset your home for the new year!

1. ASSESS WHAT’S WALKED INTO YOUR HOME DURING THE HOLIDAYS.

Take a scan of ALL the things new to your home since the holidays. Gifts, decor, treats, etc. This includes things you brought in for yourself + things that others gifted to you.

+ While you’re doing this, take inventory of items you either

1) Do not like 2) Are on the fence about. Pull these items aside to assess further in our next steps. You can do this room by room or simply by doing a quick walking scan throughout your home or wherever these items have landed.

+ Recycle any bulky packaging, boxes, papers that are no longer needed from gifts. Most wrapping papers cannot be recycled unfortunately. Brown kraft paper and 100% paper based gifts wraps can be recycled! Recycle papers, manuals, paper-based receipts you don’t need to instantly lighten your load of ‘stuff’ in your home. These are all the “clutter extras’ that often come along with gifts that can take over your home if you don’t keep tabs on it!

2. ASK MORE QUESTIONS AROUND GIFTS YOU ARE ON THE FENCE ABOUT OR DO NOT LIKE.

Here’s a quick checklist to help you assess gifts you’re unsure about or aren’t sure what to do with them next.

ASK:

+ Do you like the item at all? Would you consider buying this item with your own money (whether it was on sale or not)?

+ Do you already have something similar that you use regularly prefer/love more? If keeping this item, is it a duplicate and will it actually get used regularly?

+ Do you have space for the item? Are you OK with the time it will take to manage/care for the item in your home?

+ Does this item have a negative association with it? Does it trigger a negativity memory, reminders or thought patterns just by looking at it? (DON’T KEEP)

For gifts you do not like, are not your aesthetic, you already have or simply has a negative association with it, these items need to GO.

---

FOR ITEMS YOU’VE DECIDED NOT TO KEEP:

+ You can seek a return/exchange if you can nail down where the item came from + get something else you’ll enjoy more or need more at this time.

+ Donate or giveaway the items (assuming it’s a good shape + can be useful to someone else). Also consider the option to recycle the item when applicable (check locally).

+ Check locally for charities where someone in need could use your household items immediately (women and children’s shelter for example).

+ Do a swap with a friend. They might have a few things they’d love to swap with you for something you happen to have!

+ Consider re-gifting this item for a future gift to someone else. While this might sound tacky initially, I think this idea is resourceful + helps minimize waste, especially if you know someone who would love an item that you don’t love.

+ For items you plan to re-gift, make sure you have space to hold onto it until you can gift it. If you’re worried about giving it back to someone accidentally, add a little note to the item of who is was from, so when you go to create your next gift, you know who NOT to give it to! Easy!

3. FOR ITEMS YOU PLAN TO KEEP, LET’S FIND THEM A PROPER HOME.

Just because you love the item, doesn’t mean it’s going to easily find a landing spot in your home. Here’s how to find your ‘keep’ items a new permanent landing spot.

+ First, confirm if by keeping this item IF something else in your home needs to leave. Ex. You received a new chopping knife you prefer MORE than your old one because you like the size even more than what you currently have. The old chopping knife can go (donate if still in good shape) + keep the new one. No need to keep both!

+ Consider the 1 in 1 out rule, if this is applicable to you + your home right now. Ex.1: You received a new book + you can let go of another book you’re not going to read or enjoy again. Ex. 2: You’re in the process of rebuilding your sweaters collection + you want to keep what you have plus the new sweater you just received (the rule would not apply here because of your current needs to rebuild part of your wardrobe).

+ Figure out what area of your home this item should live. If you were gifted a new blanket, put it near your favorite cozy reading corner or over a piece of furniture/end of the bed to grab easily. Make it easy to enjoy and use this new gift in your home.

+ For items that don’t need to stay out all the time, tuck it away in a place where you will use it the most. Ex.1: You have brand new gloves. During this colder season, put them near all your outdoor gear in a hanging basket that’s easy to grab on your exit route out the door. Ex.2: You just received a new kitchen utensil - place the item in the drawer ideally right below the counter top where you will use it the most, based on its function.

Put things where you’ll use + enjoy them the most. Keep it simple!

4. SET STRONGER GIFTING BOUNDARIES MOVING FORWARD.

For future holidays, birthdays, etc. remember to communicate needs, preferences + requests with those you’re closest to.

+ Real reality, this still might not work…in which case, please revisit steps 1-3!

+ If you receive something that you already have or have something very similar to, it’s OK to let them know + respectfully try to sort out a return/swap. This just happened to me with sunglasses! I was able to work with customer service over email + return the sunglasses for a new pair that I now love + wear daily!

+ Intentionally declutter before these times of the year so you have more clarity on your needs before going into the holiday season so you can give family/friends some specific, clear direction on preferences.

+ Remember: Clear is kind. Unclear is unkind! Communicate clearly for best results!

+ Know that you can be gracious + grateful for a gift + it still not work for you. You can then do something resourceful with this unwanted gift or send it on it’s way WITHOUT GUILT. Deal?!

After a gift has been given to you, it’s now YOURS + YOU get to decide what YOU want to do with it. Don’t let the fear of guilt force you into keeping something that will simply become clutter in your home. Nothing about this is a gift at all!

---

WHAT TO DO NEXT:

+ Download my free declutter guide to get you taking quick + easy decluttering action in your own home (linked in profile).

+ Click the follow button for @fuzzyhipposhop to follow along for more decluttering tips + basics to get you unstuck in your home on instagram!

+ Check out more free decluttering resources HERE!

+ Check out more decluttering tools + guides HERE!

Thanks for following along as we lighten the load of home AFTER the holidays + reset our spaces/routines for the new year!

Sending you lots of love + peace in 2025.

Please drop any comments + questions below. I’d love to here from you! // Kristin

3 Reasons Why You Need To Declutter During the Holidays

Yes, I said the D word (declutter)! It’s probably the last things you want to be doing right now, as you prepare for the holidays coming full speed ahead for you. By the end of this blog post, I want you to feel fully confident that short bursts of decluttering are absolutely critical to helping you navigate this holiday season, free up your time, save you money and allow you to enjoy the season even more than before.

So let’s dive into the 3 Reasons Why You Need To Declutter During the Holidays.

1. Things have changed this year + so has your home.

Let’s be honest, in the last year while some things have stayed the same, but a lot has changed. I want you to lean into this as you pull out your holiday decor. I’ve found over the years that holiday decor tends to overwhelm and overstimulate both myself and my kids, so I’ve become very picky about what comes out for the holidays. As you pull out each item to decorate for the holidays, decide which items deserve to stay and which ones should move on to another home. Broken, beyond repair items need to head to recycling or trash depending on the material.

Also consider if your aesthetic taste has changed. This is normal by the way! Focus on quality, timeless pieces that feel valuable and special to you and your family. Selecting less of a higher quality that will last a long time will save you money long term. If you decide to replace or bring in anything new, make sure something else is headed out to donations. Aim for less. Be honest about how much space you have to store decorations and you’ll reduce what you’ll have to store and manage the rest of the year while it’s are not in use.

2. Decluttering right now will save you money.

Hear me out. If you haven’t heard me shout this from the rooftops enough yet, the purpose of decluttering is to make your life easier, and a large part of this is knowing exactly what you have in your home so you don’t overbuy or impulse buy things that you don’t need. Now I have your attention!

Here’s a few examples of how this can play out for you right now:

• Decluttering with your kids and what all they own right now (and fits) will help everyone clarify what they have and what they need during this season - perfect information to gather right before a gift giving/receiving season!

• Decluttering in your kitchen will help you remove items you don’t need to prepare large family meals and streamline your efforts in your kitchen. Your kitchen will function more easily, leaving you less likely to waste food since you can see and access everything you have, saving you money weekly!

• Decluttering your clothing alerts you to items in your closet you love, want to wear and helps you become more creative/resourceful with what you already have. It’s exciting to rediscover old gems in your closet you have forgotten about and move them into a location that reminds you to wear them and gets you excited to enjoy them during this cooler season. Having clarity on what’s in your wardrobe will help you not impulse buy, even when those enticing good deals strike because you’ll know exactly what to avoid and what to look for (if there’s any wardrobe holes you’re wanting to fill).

3. Save time and energy.

Here’s the basics on this one…the less you have in your home, the less you have to manage. Fact. The holidays tend to feel like everything is ‘extra’ and ‘more’. And with all of this ‘extra’ and ‘more’ comes more things that take over your home and your bulldoze your time and peace. To help you achieve LESS during the holidays, consider these tips to help you declutter in small bursts to regain more time and breathing room.

• Every few days (or once a week), put a timer on for 10-15 minutes + pick one area in your home that feels chaotic/cluttered + do a quick declutter burst.

• Relocate items that need to go back in a different room. Remove items you no longer use or love or items that are in poor shape/beyond repair

• Attack one small zone that is in a high traffic area that you utilize daily. Do a fast 10 minute declutter burst on this area, like a high use kitchen drawer, a kitchen counter, the kitchen table, the drop zone you go in + out of before/after school, a part of the pantry, the fridge, a small hall closet. Editing these spots will transform your everyday immediately by removing physical obstacles (extra stuff) that make your daily tasks harder than they need to be.

Taking short bursts of time to simplify the spaces in your home, however small, especially during the holidays, will reward with more time, less energy spent on “stuff management” and more clarity on what you have in your home (and what you might need moving forward). Everyone in the home will benefit from decluttering during the holidays, long after this holiday season has passed and long into the new year.

Wishing you all the most peaceful + healthiest of Holidays!

Thanks for being here + I’ll see you soon in the next post.

Other holiday + seasonal blog posts you might enjoy: 

No Clutter Holiday Gift Ideas for Kids + Adults

Decluttering While You Prepare for the Holidays

5 Ways To Lighten Your Holiday Load

Giving, Gifting  + Navigating Unwanted Gifts

No Clutter Holiday Gift Ideas for Kids + Adults

You’ve probably seen some of these no clutter gift guides before, but today I want to add a fresh spin on it for you! After working with many of you in your homes, virtually, and with my own family and friends, I know what ends up as burdensome clutter in homes. We have the incredible opportunity to both filter what comes into our own home as well as be more intentional about what we share with others to not add to their home’s clutter!

There’s 3 no (or low) clutter gifting categories we’re going to focus on. Disappearing/consumable gifts, experience based gifts, and gifting essentials to someone. Let’s get into it!

1. Disappearing + consumable gifts.

And what in the world do I mean by this? These are consumable items that can be eaten, drank, or used up and ideally you’re left with a recyclable or reusable container/packaging, or nothing at all. Here’s a few ideas to get you started…

Disappearing + consumable gift ideas for KIDS

• pencils, pens, markers, crayons, paints - things they can use daily and go away

• paper, notebooks, journals - can use them + keep them or recycle them when they’re done (here’s tips on recycling paper goods

• a favorite treat, snack, candy or gum - consume + be done with it!

• books - I’m counting this one here because books have a much longer lifecycle than the average gift + can be recycled, donated, regifted or sold when they’re outgrown without creating trash

• favorite toiletries - think lotions, bath washes, lip care items, etc.

Disappearing + consumable gift ideas for ADULTS

• luxury self-care items - candles, diffuser oils, soaps, lotions, lip care items

• magazine subscription - they can enjoy this + then recycle it when done

• paper goods - think helpful home lists, planners, calendars, check lists, that can be used + then recycled when you’re done with them (here’s a slew of helpful home paper goods you can check out currently in my shop)

• homemade food/baked goods/ingredients - a home cooked meal, like a big pot of soup/sides, homemade baked goods, homemade vanilla extract (I’m trying this soon!) or provide all the ingredients packaged neatly for them to make something in their home, like a bread/hot chocolate/s’mores/soup with a recipe attached

• a food basket the entire home or family can share of some of their snack, drink + treat favorites

• their favorite coffees, teas, ciders, sparkling waters, italian sodas, etc. - if you don’t know their favorites, offer a sampler of a few for them to try out

• a savory custom dry spice rub to flavor meats, fish + other proteins or a collection of salts + peppers for everyday cooking

• low maintenance plants or a gift card to a local nursery to help with outdoor house projects

• holiday scent / holiday potpourri ingredients / mulling spices for the crock pot or stove top (here’s a combo I love)

• kindle gift card - for anyone who doesn’t mind reading books on a screen (this would not be for me but I have plenty of friends who’d love this idea!)

2. Experience based gifts.

For this gift category, think about how someone can have a new or familiar experience inside or out of the home and not have to keep any additional items in their home to do so.

Experience based gift ideas for KIDS

• pass for an indoor activity park - think Urban Air, Ninja Kids, Kid Mania, indoor trampoline parks (you can get a pass for them + for a sibling or friend to join them - check locally)

• trip to the skating rink, ice skating or bowling

• pass for a local museum, discovery science zone, etc.

• gift card to a favorite place to get ice cream or a favorite treat out

• tickets for a soccer game, basketball game, movie or concert

• gift card to buy music

Experience based gift ideas for ADULTS

• gift card for a dinner out (either dine in with someone or get it to go)

• gift card for a few coffees or teas out

• tickets to a game, concert or movies

• tickets to a museum, art show or gallery

• gift card to buy new music to enjoy or stream a new movie

• gift card to a favorite bookstore (local is a bonus) or get them a library card to their local library if they don’t have one

• donate in their honor of one of their favorite charities

• self-care gift card for a massage, pedicure, facial, or nail treatment

• plane tickets to come visit you or someone they love

• gift them a class or training to learn a new craft or skill - think Craftsy / Skillshare / Masterclass for online options, but don’t forget to think about a local pottery, art, piano, martial arts or an outdoor survival class (just to name a few)

• gift a helpful digital guide to learn a new skill in less time - you can check out my shop for so many helpful digital home guides that cover everything from decluttering, organizing, kitchen, kids, moving, digital clutter + more!
  

3. Essentials gift giving.

This will first involve talking with someone and/or their family to find out what basic needs they need help with this holiday season. You might be surprised at the true needs your family, friends and neighbors…and it’s not luxury items, it’s things just to get by.

Essentials gift ideas for KIDS

• replace an everyday garment of clothing - think grown out jackets, pants, shoes

• gift card for clothing

• gift baby essentials like diapers, wipes, blankets, etc.

• books - yes I love books so much + know just how essential reading is to our kids it’s going to make it into several categories here!

• offer to pay for a few weeks or month of school lunches

Essentials gift ideas for ADULTS

• gift card for clothing

• gift card for groceries +/or gas

• help pay a bill - of course you’ll need to know this person well to know you can help in this way, but this may take away a huge financial burden for someone for month

• offer a ‘coupon’ for a free dinner any night - you can cook it or pick up + bring it to them (especially love this for any elderly in your community)

• offer to watch your friend’s kids - for an afternoon or an evening so they can go out to eat alone or get some errands done without the kiddos

• offer your help with a house project

• new linens, towels or kitchen essentials helpful for everyday use

• cold weather essentials - often something we overlook for long lasting seasonal gifts (think warm socks, a good blanket, hand warmers, gloves, ear muffs, a warm hat, etc.)
  
  
  

Now it’s your turn to get creative and run with these ideas. These are a jumping off point and not limited to what we’ve listed above. I can’t wait to hear about all the no clutter gift ideas you come up with this holiday season!

And please don’t forget to drop your favorite no clutter gifts in the comments below!

Wishing you all the happiest + healthiest of Holidays!

Thanks for being here + I’ll see you soon in the next post.

Other holiday + seasonal blog posts you might enjoy: 

Decluttering While You Prepare for the Holidays

5 Ways To Lighten Your Holiday Load

Giving, Gifting  + Navigating Unwanted Gifts

Decluttering While You Prepare For The Holidays

I’m all about helping you (and myself) simplify the holidays. It’s a time that can often make you feel overrun by things to do and overrun by STUFF! It’s a time of giving and often receiving items that you don’t necessarily need or want. You need to have a plan for your home as you move into the holiday season to get control of what’s coming in, as well as what’s staying. Here’s 3 tips to help you declutter while you prepare for the holidays with ease.

1. Declutter as you decorate.

Of course, if decorating for the holidays is not your jam, you can feel free to skip this section. No sweat!

As you start pulling things out to shift your home to feel ready for the holiday season, I want you to take an objective look at each item you pull out.

Here’s some questions to ask yourself about each item:

• Is the item in good shape?

• Do I still like the item, is it still my taste?

• Do I feel excited to pull this item out + see it in my home for potentially months on end?

• Will this add more joy + not stress to my home while it’s out?

• Is it worth the space it takes up to both store before the holidays + the space it takes up in my home while it is out during the holidays?

• Do I still have the space to store this item when it’s not in use?

Now with these in mind, edit as you decorate for the holidays. Donate items locally in good shape that someone could joyfully use in their own home. You can also offer them to friends and family or put a free bin down at your curb (not on a trash day)! Also, aim to not bring in anything new to your holiday decor unless it is a 1 to 1 swap.

2. Declutter your outerwear.

Think jackets, coats, sweaters, gloves, scarves, boots and cold weather accessories. Most of us deal with some sort of seasonal weather change. Even if it’s not a big change (like my sister who lives in Miami), this is still a good time to check in on light jackets, raincoats, rain boots, etc.

What to ask yourself about your outerwear:

• Does it fit properly?

• Am I comfortable in it?

• Do I look forward to wearing it?

• How practical is it to wear + do I actually wear it?

• Does the piece pair well with the season of life I’m in?

• Does it need to be set aside for repair or alterations?

For items that are in good shape that you’d like to part with, consider local groups who have people in need of these essentials/basics for the temperature changes. I drive by a church close to my home that puts out a coat rack during the colder months where you can drop off a coat or pick one up if you’re in need. I LOVE this idea. ‘Coats for Kids’ might be in your area (another great one). You can find more donation resources and ideas here:

Donate Decluttered Goods + Donate / Recycle / Sell / Toss

3. Declutter the extras.

I know this sounds vague but I’m going to get this clarified and dialed in for you quickly. I am talking about all the things making your home and life feel heavy, especially around the holidays. They need to go.

Here’s some examples things you can remove now:

• Outgrown toys, books + clothing.

• Extra decor around your home that you no longer enjoy (look room by room - think art, pillows, blankets, knick knacks, items given to you don’t use or like)

• Items covering your fridge (edit to as minimal items as possible).

• Things that you’re holding onto that have a negative memory or association with them.

• Countertop clutter (items that need to be relocated, tossed, recycled, or simply put away).

• Emails cluttering up your inbox (take a few minutes to unsubscribe from marketing emails from people/places/business you no longer want to hear from).

Aside from these tangible and digital areas to declutter in your home, it’s important to address old ideas, thought patterns or traditions that don’t suit your current season of life (this is a mental decluttering strategy - remove thinking causing stress/overwhelm unnecessarily, create helpful/healthy routines that will bring joy and value to your home, life and the people around you). I really like the approach on this post on decluttering your mind and keeping it that way by Simple Home | Simple Life blog.

Decluttering before and during the holidays will help everyone in the home clarify what’s most important, gain clarity on what all is actually in the home, and have clear direction on any needs/wants to communicate with others around you who want to gift something to you. Be sure to ask and listen to others on their needs as well so you aren’t adding clutter to someone else’s holiday. I hope you’ll find these decluttering tips helpful as you prepare for the holidays and move into this new season.

If you’d like MORE HELP decluttering and resetting your home, here’s a few great places to start.

No B.S. Guide To Decluttering Parents + Kids Guide To Decluttering

Free Declutter Guide Learn the basics of Decluttering Organizing Basics

Shop all Declutter + Organize Guides/Products

Reset Your Home For Summer Checklist

It’s officially Summer according to the calendar (even though it’s been hot here in North Texas for a while now). The focus has shifted to popsicles and hydration now more than ever! With the arrival of Summer comes necessary shifts in our life and home so we can cruise into this next season enjoying what it has to offer. Seasonal transitions are an inherently great time to slow down, reset your home, part ways with anything you don’t want to move forward with in your spaces, and gain clarity on what you’d like in greater focus moving forward.

Do a clothing check in.

1. Take a quick look in your drawers and clothing and remove anything that you KNOW you don’t plan to wear during this warm season. This would include things you avoided last Summer season, items that don’t fit, are uncomfortable, or items you no longer enjoy wearing. If you find anything that you still enjoy wearing that needs to be repaired or altered, put those items aside to repair on your own or take to a local tailor. Here’s our list of donation resources for clothing throughout the US and are often local to your area.

2. Move things around so it’s easier to get dressed during this warmer season. I’m a notorious’ organizing by color only person’ in my closet, but this season I was noticing that I was struggling to dressed easily once the heat started to crank outside, so I decided to move everything around. I grouped all my short sleeves, shorts, skirts, etc. together, organized them by color, then moved these ‘warm weather staples’ so they are the easiest to see in my closet. You can do something similar in your drawers with your warmer weather items. These visual cues focused on the current season for your clothing will help you get dressed with great easier.

3. Pay attention this seasons to items you’re avoiding OR wanting to wear more of. If you notice you’re avoid a particular pair of shorts, start asking questions. Are they uncomfortable? Do they need to be altered? Do they fit right? Are you not sure what to wear them with? Do you need to try them out with other tops or accessories to have more fun with it? Move things you want to wear in a spot that is easy to see. If you have a dress that you’re unsure you want to keep, wear it around the house for the day or on a day you’re running car errands (or quick errand into a store). See how you feel while you take it for a quick “test drive”. Try to mix things up and try out garments you’re not sure about with other things you’ve haven’t worn them. Intentionally shaking things up a bit will likely breathe new life into these pieces you’re unsure about. And if it’s not a match, you can be confident parting ways with these garments after you’d tested them out this season.

Do a food check in.

1. First take a breeze through your fridge and freezer. Look for anything you’re not going to eat, is expired or you simply don’t want anymore. Clean out and recycle and much as possible (please check locally for plastics they accept).

2. Next assess your pantry area. Whether you have an official pantry space or you like to store your room temperature snacks/dry goods/spices/baking ingredients in cabinets, out on a shelf or on top of the fridge, focus on removing anything that is expired, no one is eating or you no longer want to eat. If anything is unopened and not expired, check to see if your local food bank will accept it.

3. Organize and plan for the season. In any area holding food (fridge, freezer, pantry, cabinets, etc.) spend a few minutes group liking items so you’re not digging around all over for the same things. In any kitchen zones that you’re struggling to keep in order, give them a boundary (clear container, basket, tape line on the shelf) to give them a clear home. Label any area necessary so finding things and putting things is easy and intuitive for anyone in the home. Take note of anything you need to restock from your food decluttering session you just completed. Make your life easier with meal planning by creating a list of go-to Summer meals you can put on autopilot for the season. Try our weekly dinner planner notepad here or our Meal Planning Printable Bundle here that will help you plan out your meals with ease for months at a time!

Do a general home check in.

1. Walk the main areas of your home to look for anything out of season, and items that need to be removed or relocated. For example, the winter coats still on the hook in the entryway can be put away for the season. If you’d like to lighten the look in your living a bit, swap out blankets from other rooms to lighter ones during the Summer months. Swap out your kids artwork in frames to ones that feels lighter and brighter. Remove any unnecessary decor, pillows, nick nacks, etc. that make your space feel crowded and cluttered for donations. Recycle old magazines from past seasons. Recycle, file, shred, toss old mail/paper pile that’s been staring at you.

2. Look through your medicine cabinets and toiletries for expired products and items you need to restock. Come Summer, I always get caught off guard with all the products that are essential for our Summer, from bug sprays, aloe, skin care, sunscreens, lotions, etc. Check for expiration dates on all items each year. It’s also important to check in on your first aid kit status and restock on any essentials, including medicines. Check out our TOSS section for proper disposal of products, medicines and common expiration dates for many household items here.

3. Create spaces that encourage you to enjoy your Summer season and support any goals you have. How do we do this? Here’s a few ideas. If you want to read more this Summer, create a reading spot with your favorite books, great reading light, cozy blankets and a spot to put your feet up (you can do the same thing for your kids). If you want to focus on less screen time and more activities in the home, create a puzzle table or game area with card decks/board games so things highly visible and not tucked away. If you’d like to cook more with seasonal ingredients while they’re the freshest, display fresh products in a beautiful way in your kitchen and plan out some meals that highlight your seasonal food favorites (see our everyday meals planner and our meal ideas list maker here).

I hope these tips will help you take a quick look at your home with fresh eyes, lighten your load in your home, and help you focus on more of the things that you enjoy about this Summer season.

If you’d like MORE HELP decluttering, organizing and resetting your home this Summer, here’s a few great places to start.

Free Declutter Guide, Learn the basics of Decluttering, Schedule Decluttering Support, Donate Your Decluttered Items For Good Links SHOP all Declutter + Organize Guides/Courses

How To Declutter All The Kids Stuff at the End of the School Year

It’s no secret that when school is out (and in the weeks leading up to it) your home can be inundated with papers, artwork, supplies, and random objects far beyond what your home can handle. Today we’re going to break down each category of kids’ school clutter, how to declutter them, then what to do with what you want to keep. And yes, we’re going to discuss how to work with your kids to get them involved in the process so it’s not all on your shoulders! Yep, I’ve got you!

School Papers + School Work.

EDIT: Go through any school papers that came home with your child or have them go through it on their own. My now 8-year-old does this completely on her own. I like to quickly glance through the stack before to scan what’s been going on in her world, then I let her take over the process. Take a few minutes to marvel with them in the stories they wrote, the assignments that were particularly challenging, or things they enjoyed the most. If it feels daunting, set a timer for 10 minutes to keep things moving.

RECYCLE: Anything that doesn’t want to be kept and is paper-based without tape or glue can be recycled.

KEEP: If there are papers you or your child wants to keep, assign them to a folder for a while (ie. give it a clear boundary with a home your child can manage). Revisit this folder in a few months to see if these keep items still need to be kept (often they are ready to part with them sooner than you’d think).

Kids Artwork.

EDIT: Go through the art pieces with your kids or have them go through it on their own. I love having them tell me about their favorites and how each was created. Pull aside the favorites they want to keep and set aside the ones they’re ready to move on from.

RECYCLE: Art made from tapeless origami or watercolors, crayons, colored pencils, and/or markers on paper can all be recycled when no longer wanted. If a piece of artwork has paint, stickers, glue, googly eyes, glitter, popsicle sticks and feathers, it should go in the trash. Are there plastic pieces? Foam stickers? These are all things that cannot be recycled, and shouldn't be placed in the recycling bin even if they are attached to paper or cardboard. See addition kids art recycle and toss tips HERE.

KEEP: Artwork that your child wants to keep can be saved in a few ways. 1) Displayed in the home in frames or pinned up in any way you choose. We rotate out artwork each season or every few months n frames on an art ledge. 2). Have a keep folder (like the papers) to save for a while and revisit later. 3) Make it into something else, like a card for a friend’s birthday or gift wrap for a grandparent. 4) Take digital photos of their favorite art pieces and create a printed photo books each school year, semester, or whatever timeframe works best for you. I love how Holly Blakey creates art books for her kids using this technique. Alison Mazurek also has the best space saving suggestions related to kids artwork and saving here. I hope to get more diligent with this in our own home, so I’ll keep you posted on my progress soon!

School Supplies.

EDIT: Before you start chunking things in the trash, look at all that has come home with the filter of “could we use this again next year or someone else?” Over the last several years, we’ve been able to reuse several things from year to year. From backpacks, lunch bags, notebooks, plastic folders, dividers, to pencil cases, crayons, colored pencils, pencils, some unused notebooks, pens, erasers, etc. All the sudden your bill for school supplies next year doesn’t seem so high!

RECYCLE: Extra paper boxes and bulky packaging that’s no longer needed can be recycled so they don’t take up as much space. Reuse or donate anything in good shape that is no longer needed or you have duplicates of, from books, to writing utensils, extra paper, notebooks, rulers, etc. Full notebooks that have been used up as journals or for notes can be recycled if they are without tapes, glues, stickers, etc. These extras can also be offered up to local schools and charities to support teachers and students with school supplies needs. Check out all my donation links under schools and teachers here for more ideas.

KEEP: If you have school supplies you anticipate using again for next year, I would encourage you to pull them aside in a bag or container and label it. One of my age old tricks is to remove any permanent marker from notebooks and plastic folders with a damp Mr. Clean Magic Eraser. If you’re trying to remove any labels or stickers on most plastics or non-paper surfaces, it will easily come off with some drops of lemon oil rubbed on it for a few minutes. Wipe the area clean with water and dry off completely once the label or sticker has been removed.

Random Toys + Misc Objects.

EDIT: Before you start editing, talk together with your kids about where these fun “extras” are going to live in your home. Give them a clear boundary or two so they have a home for the toys/extras so can be easily returned there. Pull everything out onto a table or flat surface to go through it. Identify what’s trash, recycle, donate and keep items. Discuss limiting duplicates, things that broken or no longer loved. With a clean boundary (like a basket or a drawer) it will be clear how much can be kept moving forward.

RECYCLE: Paper-based items, cards, boxes, notes, etc. can make their way to recycling if they’re not longer being kept. Check on what plastics your area accepts locally. Consider toys in good shape that could be given away/donated/sold and pull those aside for donations. If it is a cheap plastic toy that will break in two seconds, it’s best to send it directly into the trash. You can also offer up a box of toys or kids decor freebies to a local Buy Nothing Group or share to your area on Freecycle for others to enjoy.

KEEP: With the newly establish boundary for your child’s random keep items, help them organize what they have and discuss how to filter what comes into your home in the future. For example, group items by sizes and how it is used/by type for example. Ask them questions about what they enjoy playing with or what they enjoy having around the most to help them focus on what they should allow into the home in the future. This editing and organizing process will also give them clarity on what they already own. Discuss that once this “boundary” is full or feeling disorganized (they’re digging around, can’t find things or the drawer won’t shut for example) it’s a red flag to take some time to go through and edit what’s in there. They can ask for your help or go through it on their own. Practice over time will make this process easier and smoother, promise!

Are there any other kids “school clutter” that I missed or you want me to talk more about? Make sure to drop it down below in the comments. Now tell me, have you tamed the school clutter yet in your home this summer? Tell me everything in the comments below!

Want to get this decluttering party with your kids + need more help getting started? Here’s a few options for you to get you moving + motivated.

Parents + Kids Guide to Decluttering

The biggest game changer to make decluttering in your home with a family less chaotic + more peaceful!

Free Declutter Guide, Learn the basics of Decluttering, Schedule Decluttering Support, Donate Your Decluttered Items For Good Links

Zero Dollar Spring Wardrobe Refresh Tips

Whenever I hear zero dollar tips, my ears perk up…you too? Today we’re going to focus on your Spring wardrobe and how you can refresh what you already have in your closet and drawers. These Spring wardrobe tips will help you more creatively and resourcefully get dressed with more ease, more options, and without spending money. Shall we?!

You decide what feels Spring for you. Truth be told, most of my wardrobe crosses over most seasonal boundaries. Over the years I’ve found that I do like having a few pieces that pull me out of the dark, cold winter months to perk up my mood and my mindset. I suggest you have a few of those pieces to boost your spirits too.

Assess what you have.

First I want you to take a thorough look at your clothing and accessories currently in your home. Getting reacquainted with what you have in your closet (or things you haven’t worn in a while) will give you clarity on what you own in your closet/drawers/etc. If you haven’t decluttered/edited your clothing and accessories in a while, head to my last post on simple tips to Declutter Your Wardrobe for Spring. After a light edit and survey of what you have you’ll be ready to rock!

Move things around.

One of my top tips for breathing new life into any space, including your closet/drawers, is to move things around. But not just move things around randomly, move things strategically around a specific goal (in this case, showcasing your Spring or warmer weather favorites). For example, as we shift into this next month, you’ll want to intentionally move Spring-focused garments/pieces in a spot that is front, center and easy to see. Now take a moment to look at your current closet space. Let’s say you organize your closet by garment type (pants, shorts, blouses, short sleeve, long sleeves, sweaters, scarves, etc.). To shift it for Spring, you’re going to reorganize what’s in each section from Spring back to Winter. For many of us, this looks like lighter/brighter colors on the left and then moving gradually to darker pieces over to the right. This alone will help you get visual cues for Spring all throughout your closet and give you a fresh perspective on your clothing. You can use this same idea for your drawers with folded up tshirts, pants, shorts, etc. And don’t forget to keep those essential basics (favorite pants, joggers, jeans, tops, layering pieces, etc.) in a spot that is easy to get to, as they create the foundation for any season you move into.

Scarves, bandanas and hair accessories are my secret weapon when shifting between seasons. Scarves/bandanas can be worn around your neck in a variety of ways, almost like a necklace, or in your hair like a headband or wrap. They are a limitless resource to take an outfit that feels heavy/wintery into a lighter Spring style.

Leverage accessories.

Regardless of the type of accessories you have or collect, these are essential pieces that can help shift your wardrobe into Spring (or any season). Some of my personal favorites are light weight scarves/bandanas (in my hair, around my neck a few different ways), jewelry (I like to pull out some of my bigger/lighter earrings for example), and changing up my lip color (yes I do consider that an accessory). My scarves/bandanas are my secret weapon helping me feel endlessly creative when updating my wardrobe. I have some vintage ones I’ve collected over the year from estate sales/thrifting, a few favorites from Madewell, and of course the hippo bandana I designed for the shop. Other items to consider are belts (love adding more color with thinner belts or lighter woven ones), shoes, jewelry, nail polish color, bags, hair accessories and hats. I’m sure I’m missing something but you’re catching my drift. There’s so many items you likely already have in your wardrobe that can help shift your style into a lighter Spring vibe.

Get creative.

Do “Spring” however you want. You can google spring style trends like I did here. You can also ignore all of them (common for me). You can scope out some ideas on Pinterest and throw together a Spring style board to give you ideas for outfit combos you’d like to try out from things already in your own wardrobe (I love to do this for all seasons when I get bored getting dressed). As I discussed in my last blog post about decluttering your wardrobe for Spring you can walk through your favorite stores or visually shop online for outfit/clothing Spring ideas without ever buying a thing. If you can do this for decor in your home, you absolutely can do this to inject some inspiration into your Spring wardrobe! Take pictures, save images of your favorites and challenge yourself to try out some new combinations and have more fun getting dressed.

Pay attention.

As you move through this Spring seasons, I want you to pay particular attention to a few things. One, what are your favorite go-tos that you feel like you can wear endlessly over and over again? These are your Spring essentials that help make everyday life easy! Two, what pieces are you avoiding? Are they still around after a light edit but you’re still not wearing them? To bring them into more focus, move them to a highly visible spot in the front of your closet or out on a hook so you give more attention to them. Wear them in your home for half a day and see how you feel in them. Give them a test run out for a few errands. Living life in these pieces that you’re on the fence about will give you an answer if they should stay or go. Sometime trying on a garment with pieces you’ve never worn them with before breathes new life into them and you fall back in love with it. Mix it up. Test things out. Edit as you go if needed.

Just remember as we move into this Spring season and warmer weather, make sure to check back in with your closet, drawers and accessories to gain clarity on what you already have. Just like you need to shop your pantry before you create a grocery list, you need to do the same thing with your wardrobe. Often breathing new life into your ‘getting dressed routine’ is as simple is putting fresh eyes on things you already have.

Want more support decluttering your clothing closet/wardrobe for Spring + beyond?

Clothing Closet Declutter Guide

Learn the basics of Decluttering

Let me know how I can support you in your home.

Drop your comments below. Thanks for being here!

Declutter Your Wardrobe + Accessories For Spring

Attention!!! I am NOT going to tell you to toss or donate the bulk of your wardrobe and start fresh for Spring! Nope! Instead we’re going to declutter your wardrobe and accessories for Spring from a lighter, more resourceful approach. Together we’ll walk through how to quickly edit your wardrobe and dress so it’s more effortless, some easy steps to make better sense of the closet space/drawers you have to store everything more efficiently, and become more resourceful with the clothing you already have. Are you in?! Good. Let’s get started.

I’ve discovered over the years that getting dressed is the easiest for me + my brain when my closet + drawers are organized by color. Take some time to figure out what organizational style works best for you so getting dressed feels as effortless as possible.

1. Clarify how you like to get dressed.

Probably not the first question you thought I was going to ask you! For example, I love getting dressed by color. 95% of the days throughout the year, color drives my initial choices of how I get dressed, followed by what the weather/activities for the day are steering. This might look a little different for you. Take some time to think through how you like to get dressed and what feels most intuitive for you. Is it pure function? Is it based on patterns you like to wear? Do you prefer to have a uniform of sorts (you love wide-legged trousers and a fun blouse for work most days)? It’s OK to have a combo of these on different days of the week or 2-3 primary ways you enjoy getting dressed. Get in tune with this so you can better organize your closet space to support what works best for you (see future steps).

Bonus Tips:

If you’re not quite sure about how to do this, I suggest you observe how you get dressed for the next week. What make getting dressed feel easy? What makes it feel challenging or frustrating? What order do you like to get dressed in with each garment? What color or colors do you gravitate towards? Did you always pull out extra layers to pair with basics? How do you dress differently on certain days or times of day? These are just a few different ways you can document how you naturally get dressed to help steer how you’ll edit and organize your closet/drawers in the next steps.

2. Do a light, strategic edit.

In this Spring wardrobe and accessories decluttering round, I only want you to focus on these 3 things:

• Remove Spring/Summer items you haven’t worn in the last few years - including items you’ve fallen out of love with or have been avoiding for a while, don’t fit well or are uncomfortable

• Remove items that don’t align with how you want to dress in your real day to day life (ie. the observations you uncovered in the step 1)

• Remove accessories, outerwear, shoes, etc. that haven’t seen the light of day in years - if you do uncover something you forgot about that you love, let’s move it somewhere prominent so it can be enjoyed (see step 3)

Bonus Tips:

After you do this light edit, make sure to prepare items that can be resold or worn again for donations. Wash, clean, fold and organize items by type to help whoever receives your items get them in the right hands quickly. Donate items in recyclable paper bags, boxes or reusable bags to reduce waste during the process. Items beyond repair or can’t be resold can be sent for textile recycling. Check out more resources here.

3. Move things around to dress for the new season.

One of the bonus benefits of doing a wardrobe decluttering is a greater awareness of exactly what you own. Having this mental clarity is incredibly powerful! It helps you become more creative with what you already own and keeps you from running out to buy new pieces. Keep these next tips in mind while reorganizing your closet/drawers for this new season.

• Group hanging items by how you like to get dressed (example by color, by garment type, by pattern, by occasion/activity, or a combo of any of these - use your insights from step 1)

• Move things in a spot that you want to wear in a prominent place, like on a highly visible wall hook, in the front of the group of blouses, on the top or in the front of a folded stack - think about how a store would merchandise their goods for maximum beauty and visibility when highlighting these items

• Clothing you’re keeping that’s for a different season/weather can move out of the prime real estate spots of your drawers and closet space (think back of drawers, up high, tucked away, in a container under the bed, in the back of the closet)

• When folding shirts/pants/shorts/etc. group by colors that you enjoy most in that season and move other seasonal favorite colors (like for fall for example) towards the back if you don’t plan to wear them anytime soon

Bonus Tips:

Pay attention to items in your wardrobe you can wear through several seasons. These pieces should be easy to see and access at all times. They deserve prime real estate in your closet and drawers since they create the foundation of a versatile, flexible wardrobe.

Dressing for Spring is all about transitioning between cooler + warmer temperatures, often within the same day. I love pairing a classic black pair of joggers with a blouse or top that feels like Spring. I’ll layer it with a sweater, a scarf or hat to stay warm as needed. Above: One of my favorite lavender thifted tops I purchased from Third Sister Thrift.

4. Get creative + resourceful with what you have.

Instead of running out to buy new pieces this Spring, I want to challenge you to utilize the clothing and accessories you already have. Here’s my top tips for extending your wardrobe and reinventing what you have so it feels fresh and new (for free)!

• Dress in layers - while the weather is likely still shifting from cooler temps to warmer, you can take a typical Fall/Winter top and add a “Spring friendly” cardigan, blazer or scarf to change the entire look while still staying warm (I love dresses or skirts layered with sweaters/sweatshirts to stay warm while there’s still a chill outside)

• Utilize accessories - scarves, jewelry, hats, headbands, shoes, nail/lip color can all take a Winter look and completely transform it to feeling lighter and fresher for warmer weather

• Shop your favorite stores for ideas - without buy anything, peruse the aisles or online collections for what’s new for spring and see what aligns with what you already have in your closet; I also like to check out the seasonal thrifted ideas from thredUP that are usually at the top of their homepage

Bonus Tips:

Friendly reminder that you NEVER have to follow trends you see in the fashion world. Choose what you love and what you feel good in. Pay attention to what colors, prints and patterns you always gravitate towards and weave those in all year long with slight tweaks for the season as it makes sense for you/seasonal temperatures.

5. Plan + play with what you have.

One evening when you have a little time, pull out a few favorite staples in your wardrobe (for Spring or those classic anytime pieces you love - think a favorite t-shirt and favorite pair of joggers). Lay these pieces out on your bed and then pull out a few different layers /accessories to change up this look for different temperatures/styles depending on where you live/your daily life. Also consider how you can dress this combination up or dress it down. Challenge yourself to come up with at least 5 ways to make it feel like 5 different outfits. I did something similar to this last Fall with 10ish different combinations with the same few pieces. You can try out this same concept for Spring. Check it out here on Instagram.

Bonus Tips:

Consider taking pictures/document your ideas while you brainstorm different outfit combinations. You can organize your closet around these ideas or simply keep a “Spring Outfits” photo folder on your phone. You can do something similar with looks you find on Pinterest and keep a photo/idea log there. Have a friend over to help or hop on facetime to share ideas while you brainstorm new clothing combinations for the next season. Your friend might even have a piece or two they no longer wear that you do a swap for to refresh both of your Spring wardrobes!

Once you’ve moved through this process in the small bits of time you have, you’ll better clarify how you want to dress, be more in touch with the pieces you already have in your wardrobe, and you’ll better utilize the closet and drawer space you have. By taking a short time to brainstorm clothing combinations you’ll take the guesswork out of it later on, saving you time/mental bandwidth. Wins all around!

Want more support decluttering your clothing closet/wardrobe for Spring + beyond?

Clothing Closet Declutter Guide

See all Declutter Tools + Guides

Let me know how I can support you in your home.

Drop your comments below. Thanks for being here!

How To Do A Spring Declutter On Kids Toys

The dust has settled on the new year and we’ve all moved into a new routines. By now you know a bit more about the things that walked in the door at the end of last year. Some are being enjoyed and others are just creating unnecessary clutter and work for you. Since we are right on the cusp of Spring (even if the weather doesn’t quite feel like it where you are) this is the perfect time to reset your home from the toy clutter that’s accumulated since the new year. Here’s 3 steps to help you do a solid decluttering on your kids toys as we move into Spring (or anytime)!

Toys can mean anything your kids are playing and engaging with. Cast the net as wide or as narrow as you’d like to declutter.

1. Observe what they’re playing with.

This includes anything you consider “toys” in your home or fosters play, problem solving and creating. Think sports equipment, outdoor toys, bath toys, books, building sets, random “treasures”, rock collections, crafting supplies, stuffies, games, etc. I bet off the top of your head you’ll be able to identify several things you haven’t see your kids touch in months (if not longer) or have outgrown. In this phase of Spring toy decluttering, we’re merely taking note of what you’re seeing going on in your home to help you in the next step.

Bonus Tips:

To confirm your suspicions about what your kids are or aren’t playing with, ask them about what their favorites are (if age appropriate). Talk to your kids about things you never see them use and discuss whether to keep it or not. Move things around to draw more attention to items you suspect they enjoy but might have forgotten about because of where they are stored (out of sight). Use this as a benchmark for which items to keep while you’re observing what they’re naturally gravitating towards.

2. Do a thorough edit involving your kids.

You can tackle this in a few different ways. One, by a single category at a time. For example, edit all books, all building toys, all bouncy balls, all board games, dress up items, etc. Individual categories help you focus on one group of things at a time. Two, you can also edit by zone in your home. Toys in the bedroom, the primary play area, the toy chest, etc. Focusing on a certain zone in your home allows you to start and complete one area before moving on to another. However you want to do this is the right way to do it for you. In both of these options, you can break down the process into small chunks, as you can get to it with your schedule. Your kids will also stay more focused for a Spring decluttering on toys in small bursts of time. Correct, no clearing your schedule for a toy edit! Ain’t nobody got time for that!

Bonus Tips:

Involve your kids in whatever what you are able and feel comfortable. Age will steer conversations and the level of involvement. Take this decluttering time with your kids to ask questions, to listen and learn about what they’re enjoying most at this time. It is a time of connection and learning together. Ask what they enjoy most out of a group of book OR which are your favorite books you love reading over and over again? Ask directly “which items do you no longer enjoy?” Involve them in the donation, recycling, and giveaway process. Talk about what is trash versus something you can repair and keep. These are all just jumping off points on how to start. You know your child best and I know you’ll come up with some great ideas on decluttering together that is age appropriate. If you’re child is too young to involve, focus on toys they’ve outgrown, are developmental appropriate, safety and what activities you want encourage. Avoid toys that do all the work for your kids - focus on keeping toys that can be reinvented over and over again into different things depending on how they want to play in that moment.

One thing that has always been important in our home is to make drawing, art and creating accessible. We intentionally keep paper and drawing supplies out on one end of our table at all times and it gets used every single day!

3. Make it easy for play to happen.

After you’ve completed your Spring toy decluttering on any and all of the toys and play/create things, assess what you’ve decided to keep. Take a moment to make sure to set up clear zones for play to happen easily in your home. Not everything has to be out at one time, but items should be easily accessed by the kids as it makes sense for your space. Lesser used items can be tucked away, up high or in a spot adults can help with if it needs more supervision or more time to set up. Keep their favorites easy to access. If you want to encourage more reading or for that untouched bead set to be used, make it easy to see and reach for.

Bonus Tips:

During the Spring season, continue to take note of what they’re enjoying and what they’re outgrowing. Decluttering is an on-going process for all of us and this idea is highlighted the most with kids. They grow and change in the blink of an eye. Taking the time to filter what comes in, care for what is in the home, and being resourceful with what is kept is a must. When they’re asking for new things or to buy something with their piggy bank money, ask helpful questions to guide their decisions making like: where will this item go in the home, do you have anything like this already, how will you use this or play with it, how will you take of it, how much space will it take up and is that worth it to you, etc. While your child will still make the decision, these are questions they should learn to have in the mind before bringing new things into the home. Yes, it gets easier for you and them with practice!

NOTE: Adults need to comb through all these tools in our mind as well to help filter what we bring into the home. We model what we want to teach to our kids and decluttering is a powerful medium to share and learn with our kids over and over again.

A few organizing tips:

Once you’ve identified all your toy “keeps”, use this list as a go by when you’re finding homes for things + getting reorganized:

• Try to store things where they will be used a much as possible, or where it would be the most convenient to access them

• Make sure the main users (kids) can safely access things you want them to

• Keep sometimes toys or items that need adult support away from the main play zones

• Organize items by type and by size (building, books, kitchen toys, dress up, etc.)

• Big items need a big shelf or bin / Smaller items need smaller containers to store them - when they get mixed is when you dig and lose things!

• Not everything needs to be out at one time / consider rotating things around as needed / less out reduces overwhelm (where they choose nothing) and fosters more creativity

• If you want to encourage more play with a particular thing, put in an obvious, easy to access space / move things around until you get the results you’re after

• The size of your space or zone detemines how much you’ll have out. If something needs to be tucked away or pulled out, make sure it’s in an easy to reach spot so things don’t get forgotten/ignored.

• Encourage easy clean up by making it simple and intuitive for your kids to do it on their own - but make sure to teach them what to do, what the expectations are and follow up!

• The best “toy” you can offer your kids is open space to play, create, learn and breathe! Aim for less whenever possible.

Want more support decluttering all things kids?

Declutter Guide for Kids

See all Declutter Tools + Guides

Let me know how I can support you in your home.

Drop your comments below. Thanks for being here!

How To Start Your New Year: 3 Easy Tips To Simplify Your Life + Home

Truth time. I hate the pressure of starting the New Year off “right” and I’m a natural born goal setter and go-getter. There’s pressure to have goals, set intentions, do more, be more, do better. I’d like to take a counterintuitive approach in sharing 3 tips with you that will reduce your overwhelm day to day and simplify your life and home. We are setting no goals here, just offering ways to simplify your life. Deal? Ok, let’s get started.

Creating peace in my office niche has both to do with how the physical space looks/feels + with what’s lurking in my email inbox. Both need + deserve attention to be maintained.

1. Unsubscribe to Emails

Now I want you to be ruthless in this email unsubscribe purge effort for 10-15 minutes. The plan is to start unsubscribing from emails you don’t read or doesn’t add value to your life.

Make it happen: Look for marketing emails to stores you don’t shop at, emails you never signed up for (it happens), blog or email subscriptions to content that no longer interest you. Also consider changing the frequency setting to once a month to stores/shops you love but don’t want to hear from them as often.

Benefits: You’ll scroll less and have less emails to manage. By creating more boundaries in your email inbox, the more time you’ll save and the less overwhelmed you’ll be by your inbox.

Bonus tip: Do this a few times a year to keep your inbox wrangled (I like to do it at the change of a season since it’s easy to remember) . Deleting unwanted emails is a separate effort. If you struggle with this, schedule a reoccurring appointment on your calendar once a week for a short burst of concentrated effort to simplify your inbox.

Having the beds made in the kids’ room is crucial so the room doesn’t feel incredibly small as a shared space. When the beds are made, they tend to put their clothes away quicker and keep the room cleaner overall to maintain the fresh feeling they walked into. Since my kids are still young, this is often a joint effort and modeling this skill is the first step.

2. Make Your Bed Everyday

Don’t come at me like I’m a crazy person, OK? The benefits far outweigh the 2 minutes of bed-making, trust me.

Make it happen: Carve out 2 minutes in the morning, before you leave the house or dig into your workday, and make your bed. If you find that it is taking more than 2 minutes to make your bed, you need to do a bed audit. Remove all the unnecessary extras (excessive throw pillows or blankets) and keep only on the bed what is useful, beautiful and cozy.

Benefits: You set an invisible intention for the day that you value your space, your time and your home. Your room will instantly look more streamlined, spacious and cleaner. This clean visual cue (a made a bed) is a mood booster cue anytime you walk past or in your bedroom.

Bonus tip: One of my favorite ways to streamline and modernize the look of your bed (minus a big price tag) is to place a long lumbar pillow on top of your sleep pillows. It adds a moment of design, elevates the look of the bed, and is useful for your back if you like to sit up in bed and read at night.

3. Clear Off Your Kitchen Counters

I don’t care if you love to cook, don’t love to cook, have a large kitchen, have a tiny kitchen. I want you to take 5ish minutes before you turning in for the night to wrangle as much chaos in your kitchen so the next morning you don’t walk into an immediate to do list. Deal?

Make it happen: set a timer for 5ish minutes and hit the kitchen highlights. Put dishes away. Load the dishwasher. Clean things out of the sink. Put anything away sitting out on the counters that doesn’t need to be out. Wipe the counters down. Put things back where they belong.

Benefits: When you walk into your kitchen the next morning, it’s such a relief to walk into a fresh, clean space versus an immediate to-do list. Remember the saying “clear counters = a clear mind”? It’s a real thing. When there’s less visual clutter there’s less stress and overwhelm. Not to mention it will simplify your food prep throughout the day, saving you time and sanity.

Bonus tip: Create a predictable system/routine for washing dishes, whether it is handwashing or running the dishwasher. Know when it’s easier to run it and carve out a few minutes to put clean dishes away. I also want to encourage you to ditch your dish drying racks for good. They take up a ton of countertop space and encourage poor habits (like letting dishes just sit there without every being put away for days on end). Opt for a dish towel instead and hang it up after you put the clean dishes away. You’ll thank me later for all the extra counter space you’ll have back in your kitchen! You’re welcome!

When we take a few moments to simplify small bits in our day to day, the benefits continue long after. They also encourage us to value the spaces we have, what we own, and take better care of ourselves with just a few small shifts in our day.

I can’t wait to hear how these tips impact your entire day (please share below)!

If you have more in your home you’d like to simplify, check these handy tools in the shop:

Business + Life Simplifying Guide Clothing Closet Declutter Guide

Declutter Guide for Kids The Ultimate Kitchen + Pantry Guide

Let me know how I can support you in your home.

Drop your comments below. Thanks for being here!

Giving, Gifting + Navigating Unwanted Gifts

It’s the most wonderful time of year, sort of. Full permission here to feel lots of different feelings as the holidays roll around.

There is an influx of things, demands, pressures and more, so no wonder we feel overwhelmed and confused when we’re suppose to be having the time of our lives (or of the year)!

To go against the grain on this, as we do here, I’ve got a list of tips and tools to help you reduce the holiday overwhelm around giving, gifting and unwanted gifts.

1. GIVING - Fill Up Someone Else’s Bucket

There’s a vast array of places to give of your time + donations. As a personal choice, I like to move into these seasons being aware of others that need our support, especially during this time.

• Consider local charities / Non-profits Organizations you’ve caught wind of during the year that you’re inspired by and love the work they’re doing (Abide Women’s Services is one in my area I support through donations/Amazon wish list donations during the year)

• Keep local shelters in mind and take a few minutes to do some research on your area and what their needs are most during this season - often they have an active list of items on an Amazon wish list you can easily grab (from toiletries to bedding/clothing - Safe Haven in Tarrant County is one example - check locally for how you can support your community).

• Creating care bags for the homeless are great to have on hand to share when you have the opportunity (I love this resource with a list/breakdown of items that are actually useful to someone without a home/what is helpful - HOMELESS CARE PACKAGE IDEAS)

2. GIFTING - Think Low Waste + Less Stuff

I think our mind automatically goes to OBJECTS when gifting (guilty here too)! Before you gift someone a physical object, please be mindful of these ideas below while you’re making your decision.

• Will this items cause them to have to manage something extra or will it take up a lot of valuable space in their home? The gift you’re thinking of for someone sounds awesome, but will it cause them to have to spend time on something new they’re weren’t planning for, taking up their time or space in their room?

  KIDS: As this applies to kids, remind yourself that open space to move and create is the most valuable thing you can give a child.

• Consider the case for disappearing gifts. At least this is what I like to call them, as they are intended to be gifted to someone, enjoyed and then they are gone (nothing physical is left behind). Think edibles, candles, flowers, soap, experiences like a trip, visit to a theater show or music, a visit to a favorite ice cream shop, etc. What I love about these is it allows someone to enjoy something special from someone without the burden of managing something new in their home and adding to clutter. Yes please! You can also consider making a donation to a charity of their choice on their behalf.

  KIDS: I love this as it applies to kids because stuff just tends to collection around the little ones. Redirecting gift giving to something that is not an object is also important for them to learn that we can give to each other in many ways.

• Ask for ideas on what to gift them + also what they don’t need. I often ask my sister especially when thinking of gifts for my nieces and nephews what they DON’T need in their home, what do they have plenty of already. This is a powerful question because it does ask someone to take visual inventory of what they have in their home, what they like and what their current needs/preferences are. This is not tacking, it is thoughtful to put the person you want to gift to in the drivers seat. If they have specific needs you open the door up to learn about them or consider a gift card to a specific place so they can get exactly what they want.

  KIDS: I love this as it applies to kids because stuff just tends to collection around the little ones. Redirecting gift giving to something that is not an object is also important for them to learn that we can give to each other in many ways.

3. UNWANTED GIFTS - What To Do With Them

If you already have it, have too much of it, it is not your style or it’s not developmentally/age appropriate for your kids, it needs to go. No guilt needed, it’s just time to part ways with it + here’s your permission to do so!

• Find out if you can return it. Even without a receipt, most stores have a policy with store credit, returns and exchanges for certain amounts (Target with your ID is $75 per year without a receipt the last I checked). I have had to do this in our home for duplicate books, games or items we just wouldn’t use in exchange for something we would.

• Sell the item if you have the time + are willing to put in the energy. This is not always my recommendation, as many of us don’t have the time to managing selling something, but sometimes it works out just fine.

• Can you gift it to someone else who would love it or find it useful? Depending on the item, this could be through local donations, schools, churches, shelters, local theaters or organizations, or by offering it to a neighbor, family or friend.

• Repurpose it with a creative DIY. If there is something you do like about the item and you have space for it, consider adding some tweaks to it to make your own/your aesthetic. For example, you were gifted an art piece but the frame doesn’t go within anything in your home and it is not your vibe - consider painting it, refinished it (if wood) or replacing the frame. If you were gifted a pitcher or vase for flowers or for your vessels collection but you don’t love the color or finish, consider refinishing with paint or by creating a concrete/pottery look with paint and baking soda.

Lastly, don’t forget to set whatever gifting boundaries you need for yourself (and your family) as the holidays approach. This could look like being very specific, asking for no gifts, setting a gift budget, thrifting or finding gifts secondhand or focusing on experiences only to dodge bringing new things into your home.

Whatever you choose, remember that boundaries are healthy, communication take practice and an awkward conversation here or there is worth it in the long run so you can thrive in your home (and others in theirs) without the burden of unwanted stuff.

Wishing you all the happiest + healthiest of Holidays!

Thanks for being here + I’ll see you soon in the next post.