Declutter and Conquer: 7 Genius small Home Organizing Ideas for a Tidier Space

This post is sharing with you the best 7 ideas for organizing your small home.

This month inside of my membership community, we are diving deep into the topic ‘creating calm’, so I’ve been focused on paying more attention to the things that bring me calm AND the things that don’t.

Cars, toys, soccer balls, swimming gear, games, ninja turtles, water bottles and all of the little boy accoutrements can be one of the most incredibly frustrating aspects of mom life. So, as you can imagine, it is so important for me to focus on creating calm in my space and doing my best to come up with clever solutions for storage and organizing without feeling like our home is too ‘stale’. These are 6 of my favorite organizing tips of all time.

I can remember not being able to go into certain rooms in our home as children so as to keep the home more “tidy” but like, I never wanted to be THAT mom. I want a home that feels cozy and comfortable but at the same time organized and stress free.

So, I thought it would be a good idea to document some places in my home that organizing has been helpful, easy and effective.

7 genius home organizing ideas:

01 | Color coding your books.

I have always been into color coding. I like to color code notes in my journal and color code my calendar. So, its no surprise that I also color code my bookcase.

Whenever anyone comes into my home, one of the first things they notice, besides the beautiful smell of course, is my bookcase. “Ooooh. I love the way that looks”. It ends up becoming a topic of conversation for about 15 minutes, where I thoroughly explain the calming effects of organizing anything by color.

It’s visually appealing, calm and just soothing to the soul. So, if you don’t have a bookcase and your books are just stacked up or scattered around the home, I highly recommend getting a beautiful bookshelf and putting all of your books together in a color coded system. It will force you to get rid of books you really don’t want AND create a whole little vignette in your home that just looks tidier.

Before I had a built in bookcase, I had this white and gold bookshelf in my office. It is my absolute favorite for organizing books. It fits everything and looks beautiful.

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Here’s a little peek at my cookbooks in my kitchen, also organized by color.

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02 | Matching baskets.

Now speaking of bookshelves and storage, I am absolutely obsessed with the look of matching bins and baskets for nearly every area of the home. In my own home office, I had a horizontal shelf installed up high on the wall and matching baskets line the top where I put all of my office supplies that I don’t need daily access too like stationary, camera accessories, power cords and cables, extra pens and random things.

I decided to do the baskets and shelf in black because it sits on a black accent wall and when you monocrome a dark cool color like that, it makes the room for more spacious. I love how it doesn’t feel overwhelming just a beautiful place that hides all of the things.

RECREATE this look:

For love of family

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03 | Large storage baskets.

Now another type of basket I like to use around the home are large, round baskets that hold a lot. In a small space there isn’t always enough storage for things like extra blankets or towels, toys, things that don’t really have a specific home. I even use them for laundry.

I have two of these large round baskets for my entryway and this is where soccer balls, swim toys and extra sports equipment go. It’s basically a genius catch all idea and allows my entryway to not be a total disaster.

A few baskets I really like:

Here’s a peek at the basket in my bathroom, it holds towels that won’t fit in the cabinets perfectly and hides underneath the vanity for easy access.

04 | Door hanging shoe storage.

The amount of shoes us women have sometimes it just unbelievable. Especially when in Texas, there really is not much of a need for closed toed shoes yet I have a closet full of boots. So, hanging shoe storage is literally one of the most helpful things that I have in my home. It creates so much wall space!

Plus, you can also use these door hanging shoe storage pieces for some any other things like toys, kitchen supplies and crafts. Also, belts, bras, underwear and more! I also adore the pop of pink.

05 | Use wall hooks for hanging bags.

Because we live in a townhome, sometimes we enter through the back and sometimes we enter through the front. So we placed wall hooks in the hallway so we can hang purses, backpacks, bags, keys, hats, etc. It acts as a catchall and command center for the home.

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House and home

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06 | Drawer storage organizers.

image source

There is nothing more annoying than opening up a drawer and feeling overwhelmed by whats in it. And in my small townhome, there isn’t even that much drawer storage. So, for the storage I do have, having drawer organizers is a god-send. It makes having things feel not so overwhelming. I am in the middle of doing this with every single drawer of mine.

HOT TIP: Be sure to measure your drawer out before you order so that what you order fits inside the drawers.

07 | Fill empty cabinets with organizers

Shop LTK

My kitchen is very small. Like, very small. It’s like one of those old British kitchens that even has the laundry units inside the kitchen. Needless to say, I don’t have a lot of space. However, where I do have space, I try to fill it with organizer units so that I can group my cleaning products and keep them looking pulled together.

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10 simple and healthy living hacks to get you back on track {Podcast Ep. 271}

This post is all about 10 healthy living hacks that will help get you back on track for a healthy lifestyle from Blissfully Ambitious podcast episode 271.

I hate to admit it but I have NOT been taking care of myself as well as I normally do. Several years ago, I discovered that I had issues with my gut and I’m highly sensitive to so many foods that I actually love. When I learned this about myself, I started eating a more Vegan diet ( not super strict because I absolutely love fish and cheese ). I also tend to stick with a strong gluten-free diet now that there are so many options out there. Banza pasta is my best friend.

With back to school season coming up and my little boy starting kindergarten this year, I am noticing that I’m not feeling so “ready” for my schedule load to get piled up. So, I have been feeling that it is a really good time for me to get back on track with my healthy lifestyle. I thought it would be not only a good idea to document the hacks that I am going to use to help me shift back into a healthy routine but also good for me to share with you so that I can be held accountable, too.

10 health hacks to help get you back on track for a healthy lifestyle

1. Swap alcohol for probiotic mocktails. I personally will be taking a 30-day break from any and all alcohol to give my body a complete overhaul. Alcohol slows down your bodily functions that help keep you in shape and healthy, like your metabolism, digestion, etc. So, if you give yourself a complete alcohol detox, you will reset your bodies natural health abilities.

   However, I totally understand the difficulty of taking an alcohol break when it is completely socially normal to have a glass of rose at a party. So, I like to keep several options in my fridge so I can grab a few whenever I am going to a party or event where alcohol will be present.

   My favorite? The Ginger Lemon Olipop probiotic sparkling water. It’s kind of like keeping a little mocktail at hand. I like to pour this over ice, garish with a lemon and drink it with a straw in my colorful wine glasses or even a to go water bottle. It feels so fabulous.

2. Swap scrolling your phone first thing in the morning for journaling. Did you know that when you first wake up your brain needs time to move from delta ( deep sleep ) to theta & alpha brain wave states and then finally to beta brain ( wide awake ). When you wake up and scroll your phone, you push your brain to move immediately to beta, bypassing your most optimal brain wave states.

Also meaning that you completely bypass your subconscious minds prime state for rewiring. “Big mistake…HUGE” as Vivian Ward said in the movie Pretty Woman.

So, swap it for journaling. I am a big fan of the morning pages. Where you just dump everything out of your brain first thing in the morning. This is super helpful for your mental health and wellbeing. You can also start dream journaling and just record whatever it is you dream about.

These are my absolute favorite notebooks to journal in. Something about the spiral notebook, the size and the lines.

3. Replace scrolling screens with reading books or listening to podcasts. Look, I love a good Real Housewives binge or Tik Tok scrolling session more than anyone. I will also be the first to tell you that I know just how much those very things bring about chaos in your brain. Just one scrolling session for me and I feel like my brain has 39242 tabs open all at once.

What this does is create clutter, confusion, stress, fatigue and overwhelm in your mind. When your mind is stressed, your body is stressed and it is going to hold on to every ounce of fat possible because your body feels that it is in fight or flight.

Drop the scrolling and opt for reading a really good book. Also, when you are reading or even journaling, your mind gets put back into that meditative state which is prime for rewiring your subconscious and manifesting your dreams. If you have a hard time reading a book, you can always download audible or get your self a kindle, too.

Here’s the one I have my eye on: the Kindle Paperwhite in Agave Green

4. Plan your meals daily. So, instead of rushing to grab a last minute bit, when you plan out your meals for every single day before hand, you will save so much time, stress and energy. I like to have a calendar on my fridge where you can plan out a week of meals and know EXACTLY what to buy at the store for each week.

This will also help your mind get out of decision fatigue and just already know exactly what it is going to eat every day of the week. It’s a fabulous brain hack that will also save you so much money at the grocery store.

Grab this magnetic calendar to stick on your fridge. It also comes with a shopping list so you can literally see everyday and start planning what you’re going to have for dinner for the week. You’ll also be able to have a glance at how well you are nourishing your family all month.

5. Schedule your workouts ahead of time. Even if it’s just a 20 minute walk, you need to move your body daily. I have a better time at committing to this daily habit, if I put it in my calendar. I’m big on workout classes.

You can join a membership like ClassPass and take a variety of classes or you can join a gym and take theirs. When you have a habit of sticking to a particular class, you will be more likely to make it a habit. You will also make friends which feels more like a sense of community which is nice.

On the days I don’t go to my classes, I either go for a walk or do workouts at home. Youtube has so many great options for workouts at home. I love to do 20 min pilates bar workouts. I got myself a cute pink pilates bar and I am obsessed, I’ll never miss a day of moving my body.

6. Make your water more fun. I talk about how much I love adding salt / electrolytes to my water in this post here. It is a habit I absolutely swear by, especially for women over the age of 35. There are so many benefits to getting in your nutrients while you are hydrating and half the time those nutrients help you to hydrate faster.

So often, when we think we are hungry, we are just dehydrated and need some water.

Another thing I LOVE to add to my water is Chlorophyl drops. It’s benefits include detoxing the body, clearing up your skin, fixing bad breath, neutralizes toxins, helps weight loss, etc.

7. Use a vitamin planner. I have been using my pink jumbo vitamin planner for years. I absolutely swear by my vitamin regimen and if I don’t plan them out weekly, I completely forget to take them. I have an entire video training on the specific vitamin routine I use for my age and cycle inside my workshop, Goddess Glow Up.

8. Use a planner & a habit tracker. You MUST begin to somewhat get your life organized. I use the calendar on my phone AND a daily planner. I also keep my habit tracker on my desk. If you can get in the habit of scheduling out your healthy living habits, I promise you, you will feel so much more calm and like you have your life together.

I have tried out so many different planners and for some reason, these large blue sky planner layouts are always my favorite and I use them consistently.

9. Greens at every meal. This is my daily rule. I have to add something green to every meal. In the mornings, I love my green smoothies. If I have an iced coffee in the AM, I drink a match in the afternoon. If I order french fries, I also get brussel sprouts. I add spinach to my eggs, etc.

If that’s hard for you, you can also add the daily green powder to any drink, I add this to my smoothies but also, if I haven’t had a vegetable all day, I will drink this at night. It is so so good for you.

10. Get to sleep by 9:30 every night. Or at least try getting to sleep at the same time nightly, preferably before 10. At 9pm, your natural body rhythm produces melatonin. So, if you stay up too much later than you are wasting your natural sleep aids and it will be harder for you to get to sleep.

HOT TIP: put your phone down and screens off by 8:45, 9:00 at the latest. Save that show for the next day. The way that a good night sleep aligned with the natural circadian rhythm will change your life has always had me in a chokehold. Just try it.

I recorded a podcast episode to go along with this blog post and dive in a little deeper into each hack. Take a listen here: