Tips » XOXOrganizing

[ TIP ] 3 Tips for Organizing Your Craft Closet

August 17, 2015 by XOXOblog in Closets, General Organizing, Tips

1. Keep school supplies separate from craft supplies.

It’s better to keep these two categories separate. Your kids should be able to go into the school-supply cabinet and get what they need without being distracted by “cool” things they find.

2. Put supplies away between projects.

With all the embellishments, ribbons, buttons and paper that are in our craft areas, it’s better to put as much away at the end of the day as possible. If you’re working with specific tools and craft supplies, there’s no harm in keeping a few things out, but try to keep things as tidy as possible so you don’t have a bigger mess the next day. Use containers to store the small pieces for each project you have out.

3. Encourage your children to help clean up after crafting time.

Get the kids involved so they’ll learn responsibility and organizing skills. Supervise them the first few times until you’re confident they can do it themselves. Labeling your drawers/containers could come in handy when the kids are responsible for putting away crafts.

A fun incentive to get the kids motivated to organize and clean up is our XOXO Daddy Dollars and XOXO Mommy Money. Use with our XOXO Chore Chart.

[ TIP ] While Traveling … Do This

June 15, 2015 by XOXOblog in Tips, Travel

What’s in Your Gym Bag?: 10 Workout Essentials Under $20

May 11, 2015 by XOXOblog in 10 Things, Taking Care of YOU, Tips

10 workout essentials under 20 v2

Shop these items: 1. J.Crew Water Bottle $19.50 2. Sephora Express Cleansing Wipes $4 3. BAGGU Nylon Toiletry Bag $10 4. Gaiam Thirsty Hand Towel $9.27 5. No Regrets Just Results Tank $12.99 6. Newman’s Own Organics Mints 6-pack, $11.92 7. Forever 21 Phone Arm Band $10.90 8. Cyndibands Hair Ties Arm Candy 3-pack, $4.95 9. Forever 21 Caged Cami Sports Bra $12.90 10. Forever 21 Yoga Mat $9.90

[ TIP ] Save on Space

April 20, 2015 by XOXOblog in Garage, General Organizing, Tips

[ TIP ]: The price of anything is the amount of space you exchange for it.

XOXO says: If you have limited storage space, go ahead and spend the extra $1.50 on a 4-pack of paper towels each month rather than buying a 6-month supply in bulk. Remember, each square inch of your home is valuable real estate so use it wisely. Who says you need to fill every shelf or closet to the brim? Give yourself some room to breath so you have room to grow into your space. It will be worth it in the end. I promise.

4 Tips for a Successful Spring Cleaning

April 6, 2015 by XOXOblog in General Organizing, Tips, Uncategorized

Blog Graphics - Spring Clean

It’s that time of year again! Spring has arrived and your home is ready for its annual deep clean, not to mention a little decorative sprucing up. Before you put your gloves on, here are some simple organizing tips and tricks to help you breeze through your spring cleaning routine:

Clean small sections of your home each day: It’s overwhelming to think you have to clean your entire house at one time. It’s better to clean one section of each room at-a-time so the task at hand will be easier to take on. Try this: start with one cleaning agent and do as much cleaning as you can with that one cleaning agent. Don’t put it down until you’ve cleaned everything you can with it. Next, move to the next cleaning agent.
Declutter the big stuff: Chances are people won’t notice a dust bunny (or two) in the corner of your living room, but if they see clothes on the couch or books on the floor, they’ll notice. Tackle the big, noticeable stuff before tending to the small stuff. Try this: set a timer for 5 minutes and ready, set…GO! Run around like the fast forward button was pushed! Take the big stuff to their respective rooms. After the timer dings, you’ll notice a considerable difference. Repeat as necessary.
Put things away every night: Make it a habit to pick up items that are left where they don’t belong. Have your kids help out as well. Each person could be responsible for his or her own belongings. Try this: have your family remove their belongings from the common areas every night before bedtime.
Cheat…a little: Keep a decorative box (with a lid) inside the closet of each room. When you’re in a hurry to tidy up for company, the box will come in handy until you have more time to put everything away. Make sure the box is emptied and the contents are put away after company leaves or you’ll have a really big mess on your hands later. Try this: when emptying the box, take out only 3 items at-a-time and then come back for more.