How to Store Your Dinnerware

When looking for a storage solution, the most important thing to me is keeping my dishes protected from damage and these sturdy canvas boxes from Honey-Can-Do are perfect for the job. I especially love the clear windows that allow you to easily see what is stored inside!

To reduce the risk of damaging your dinnerware, use the protective inserts that come with the Honey-Can-Do Storage Boxes between each dish. You can also use felt dividers or even coffee filters as extra cushioning to provide protection from scratches to your dinnerware. If you’re storing super delicate dishes, you may even choose to wrap each individual piece!

Storing Your Glassware

What I love about these storage containers is how simple and straightforward they are to use. Storing your glassware is made easy with the inserts provided to safeguard against chips or scratches.

Once you have placed all your glassware in the storage boxes, simply close the lid and the sturdy handles will help you carefully transport your boxes to the pantry or closet.

We ended up storing our iced tea glasses which are perfect for entertaining and aren’t necessarily used every day. So it goes to show that not everything stored needs to be fancy or expensive. These boxes are also just a really practical solution for items you don’t have room for in your cabinet.

There are so many ways to store your dishes but with these tips you’re off to a great start!

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Hang It Up

The first thing I like to do when cleaning my closets is to decide what clothing stays and what clothing goes. It feels so good to finally let go of that dress you haven’t worn in years! Next, I organize and hang up everything that made the cut.

Upgrading your hangers to wooden hangers, like these from Honey Can Do, will help to keep your clothes wrinkle-free. They also work great at keeping your pants in place with its no-slip vinyl-coated pants bar.

Box Things Up

Now that the clothes are hung up, I like to use boxes to tidy up the shelves. Bigso has boxes for many different storage solutions. I’m loving the Wilma nesting boxes for my hats! The scalloped lids add an elegant decorative touch!

The Ludvig storage boxes are perfect for purses and anything else you need to hide in plain sight.

Add Some Luxury

The last thing I want to tackle is my accessories. WOLF’s Vault Tray System will finally get all of your jewelry and sunglasses in order. There are several different tray inserts you can add and stack as your accessory collection grows.

I am especially fond of the Sunglass Insert which fits neatly into the Vault Tray and holds up to five sunglasses. The most impressive feature is that the Vault Tray System includes an anti-tarnish fabric lining that will absorb gases known to cause tarnishing. It feels good to not only keep my accessories organized but to also protect my investments!

Your closet is going to look spring fresh and you’ll be able to enjoy the beautiful outdoors in no time!

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Cleaning doesn’t have to be a chore or even take a whole day! Map out a daily, weekly, monthly, and yearly cleaning schedule that fits with your schedule and prioritizes your health and needs.

What to Tidy Up Every Day

At some point last year, I downloaded an app on my phone that reminded me to “tidy up” just 15 minutes a day. So when I’d get the alert – similar to a “take some steps” or “breathe” prompt – I stop what I’m doing, get up, and find something to clean. To be honest, I was surprised at how much nicer some of the most commonly used spaces in my home became.

Not sure what you actually NEED to clean every day? Here’s my quick list, and yes, it usually takes right about 15 minutes!

• Make the bed and tidy bedroom.
• Do dishes and wipe down counters.
• Do a single load of laundry.
• Disinfect commonly touched surfaces.

What to Clean Once a Week

I’ve always been a “one day a week” kind of cleaner. But adopting a cleaning schedule has helped me realize what tasks need to be completed each day versus once a week. I’ve gotten so much better at prioritizing my cleaning tasks, simply because I’m more educated about how to keep my home nice and tidy.

There are a few things that need to be done each week, but, depending on my mood, I either try to tackle one a day or have a deep cleaning day once a week.

• Meal prep for the week ahead.
• Take out the trash (all the way to the curb!)
• Clean out the fridge, focusing on take-out boxes and Tupperware.

• Sweep and vacuum floors.
• Clean the bathroom.
• Clean windows and mirrors.

• Wash towels and sheets (and that one sweater you wear every day).
• Do a light dusting of shelves and surfaces.

• De-pet-hair your couches and pillows

Make a Yearly Cleaning Schedule

Many people’s yearly cleaning schedule happens right around the spring – you know, spring cleaning? I’d like to argue that I generally enjoy my big yearly cleaning projects more than some of the others on the schedule. I really do feel cleansed from the inside out; it definitely feels like a nice reset to a *clean* slate.

Tackle these cleaning projects once a year or even do a different task each quarter. However you organize your cleaning schedule, I guarantee you’ll appreciate your efforts.

• Fridge and pantry overhaul.
• Go through clothes and donate.
• Clean inside cabinets and drawers (even that junk drawer we like to ignore).
• Deep clean the oven.

Tips for Maintaining a Consistent Cleaning Schedule

• Enlist some help. The bigger the family, the bigger the cleaning crew, right? Turn chore day into a fun family cleaning day with tasty snacks and spontaneous dance parties. After all, we’ve learned how to make all kinds of at-home things fun in the past year!
• A great playlist makes a big difference. I don’t know about you, but I just can’t get into a good cleaning groove – or really even motivate myself to start – until I have a playlist that perfectly fits my mood. Whether you love the curated cleaning playlists or you prefer calm, soothing notes, set yourself a soundtrack to help you make it through your cleaning schedule.
• Commit to 15 minutes a day. If all of this still feels overwhelming, then just commit to 15 minutes a day, and tidy something different each day. You’ll be surprised how often you add on an extra 10 minutes here or there; before long, you’ll be a cleaning pro!

The post This Cleaning Schedule Will Keep Your Home in Tip-Top Shape appeared first on The Inspired Home.

When things get busy around the house, it’s hard to keep up with the pace of all the growing chores, which is why I love products that do the thinking for you! The TOWNEW automatic trash can is a sleek and modern trash can that has self-sealing and self-changing technology that keeps your hands clean! Who wouldn’t love a garbage can that does the “dirty” work! This way I can keep on with chores in the house without the constant urgency of having to take the trash out!

On the trend of making things easy for yourself, I love a good product that makes a process more efficient and gets the job done! This Joseph Joseph scrubber is one of my FAVORITE and go-to cleaning items in the kitchen. It’s stiff bristles make for effective cleaning and safe on non-stick cookware. It dries quickly and flexible for cleaning all the nooks and crannies! For someone like me, I can be a messy cook and sometimes let my cookware get past the point of no-return — the course bristles help with the tougher spots and restoring my cookware to new!

One of my favorite products I use throughout the week to my life easy is this perfect Honey-Can-Do garment rack! I find that my closet can feel overwhelming at times, especially when I’m in a time crunch — I use the garment rack to lay out all my clothes/outfits that I plan to wear during the week. This way I have easy access to the items I know I’m going to wear and quick access to all my pre-planning looks!

Each Sunday I spent the week pulling pieces, adding them to the rack, and building out my looks for the shoes with shoes included! This frees me of so much time in the morning that I wasted just staring into the abyss that is my closet! It makes me so much more efficient in the morning so that I can grab what I need and go! Then, at the end of the day, I can throw the clothes into the cute hamper.

I also love these Acrylic Stackable Shelves for organizing accessories like sunglasses. It makes them easy to display in a visually organized way so that you can see and get use out of your accessories.

The post 5 Simple Products That Will Bring More Order to Your Life appeared first on The Inspired Home.

Check out these clever over the door storage options for your next organizing project.

Over the Door Hooks

I love hooks. They’re perfect for blankets and even towels. Hooks over the door are pretty convent too. Just hang this over a bathroom door and you have a place for extra towels. Especially if you share a bathroom with another person. But you can also hang other things as well! Purses for an entry door or hooks can be a great place for gym equipment like ropes and bands. The possibilities are endless.

There’s also this great rack for caps and hats!

Over the Door Basket Organizers

This multi-pocket organizer is perfect for organizing toys or books. If you’re running out of space in the playroom or game room use this over the door organizer for just about anything. The canvas material makes it heavy duty and great for all types of products.

This is another clever over the door basket storage system. This can be used in multiple spaces as well. Goes great on a pantry door for extra storage but also can be used in a craft area or even for school supplies for back to school. We used it to store some extra supplies for our new quarantine life.

Over the Door Bathroom Caddy

This hanging bathroom caddy comes with hooks and removable baskets. Perfect for dorm rooms or small bathrooms. Simply remove the baskets and hang them back up to dry when you are done in the shower.

Over the Door Ironing Board Holder

If you don’t have space for your iron or ironing board then using the door for storage is a great idea. This ironing board holder is a great solution for a medium-size ironing board and iron. Keeps everything out of the way but still gives you easy access.

The post Utilize Your Vertical Space with This Clever Over the Door Storage appeared first on The Inspired Home.

It was okay, I told myself. I would still get that stunning white open basin sink. We were able to inlay one without the exposed lip of the porcelain. I was happy. We continued on with our kitchen renovation and moved into our beautiful new kitchen. Then the mess started. Fingerprints on stainless steel. Scratches and guck on porcelain. Stain marks on marble. Why did no one tell me about all the ways I could destroy my darling new kitchen?!

I began using products I found in the cleaning aisles to help with the cleaning and maintenance. And while they definitely do work, the strong chemical smell was really disruptive to our family kitchen. I needed a quick solution that didn’t knock us back off our feet every time we used it. Cue the homemade cleaner search!

I’m a huge fan of homemade cleaning solutions when it makes sense. For a mix of reasons including environmental friendliness, no chemicals around young children, and the economy of simple solutions for your budget. So, when I started my research on at-home cleaning solutions for porcelain, I was pleased to find that the same paste I’d been using to clean my shower for years was all I needed for this task, too.

If you’re a fan of science, or remember exploding volcanos from elementary science fairs, you’ll appreciate this classic recipe. Just a simple mixture of baking soda and vinegar will take away all gunk and stains that you could throw at your sink. I suggest making a paste in the sink, so you can best gauge how much you need, but just sprinkle baking soda over the entire bottom surface then drizzling a light amount of vinegar over top.

Let it fizz!! The power is in the fizz. Once the reaction occurs, the cleaning begins. Once the fizzing dies down, go ahead and use your brush to work the combination into a paste.

Make sure you get all of the nooks and crannies around the sink drain and work it into scratches and stains.

Then, using your Skoy scrubby pad

The post How to Clean Your Porcelain Farmhouse Sink appeared first on The Inspired Home.

Here are some of my favorite products to organizer drawers in our homes.

Dividers are the easiest way to make the most of the space in your drawers. Simply divide the space into two sections using these Dial Industries dividers and organizers. By doing this, you have made two different spaces for t-shirts and jeans, or maybe shorts and tops. Either way, you can now not only see the separation, but you can also identify and grab your favorite shirt with ease.

The Dream Drawer line also has these fun dividers to keep your underwear and socks all in order as well. You can custom fit them to your space by using scissors to cut off extra pieces. It’s such a great solution for those unsightly drawers we all have.

If you are a sunglasses lover, why not keep all your glasses in order with this beautiful system by WOLF. This creamy off-white sunglass insert is the perfect way to keep all your pretty (and expensive) glasses protected and in great shape. It has a velvet lining and even comes with a clear top to prevent dust and other particles from settling on your glasses.

Just find a space in your drawer that has easy to assess and insert it!

More practical solutions for your drawers are these dresser drawer fabric organizers by iDesign. They neatly contain, sort, and organize all your items and you can easily see and access them! I love this option for the cohesiveness it brings to the space. If you love a space that is easy on the eyes then having a drawer full of these beauties will make folding a putting away laundry a little easier.

The post How to Make Your Drawers Look Professionally Organized appeared first on The Inspired Home.

Today I’m going to share five functional décor items to help make your apartment feel more efficient and home-like. Starting with five simple items that give you the ability and freedom to decorate elements and areas within your home versus an entire space.

1. Maximize Your Space

“I wish I had more space in my kitchen”, a wish that is uttered daily by everyone with a restrictive kitchen. Our apartment has a u-shaped kitchen with minimal space and counter surface space for kitchen prep. I searched high and low for something that would pair with my kitchen and give me that little extra space for meal prepping.

This kitchen cart, on wheels, is the perfect storage solution to my kitchen problem — the most efficient part is that when I need the area space in the kitchen, the cart can be wheeled off to storage until I’m ready to use it again! It has made my dinner time so much more enjoyable and bonus, I can watch TV while I prep!

2. Elevate Your Plants

Plants are the perfect items to help quickly dress up your space while making it feel lush and full. I love adding potted or faux plants in corners of our home or in areas where there is an awkward empty space that can’t be filled. But, sometimes adding a plant to cover-up a problem area, doesn’t solve the full issue!

It only took a small epiphany during my decorating journey to realize that they don’t need to be on the floor! Here I added an arrangement on top of a small side table and was pleasantly surprised by the outcome! By elevating the arrangement, I was able to fill more space and frame the artwork better!

3. Light a Candle

When all else fails, the ace in my pocket is always candles. It’s an easy and elevated way to dress up a boring space. My entryway was missing something — I was looking for more dimension, more texture, more something!

When lit they will serve as the calmness to the entryway of my home! Candles also have that versatility in your home — they are a great accent piece for any table or a quick fix to a centerpiece for a dinner!

4. Complimenting Accents

For many years, I was also in search of pieces that would be great juxtapositions to other elements in the space. In other words, I was constantly overthinking what would be best for space. My approach today?

Finding pieces that are complimenting accents that give a more minimalistic or monochromatic feel. This vase pulls the colors wonderfully from this marble table enhancing and enriching all the colors in this space. It also adds texture and dimension to this small coffee table.

5. Tidy Up Your Blankets

As I mentioned earlier with plants, blankets are another great décor “filler” for your space. Our bedroom was in need of a little something-something to cover-up more floor space, and I couldn’t find the right elements to do that!

This super chic rope basket is the perfect piece to tie together this space and functions as storage for my blankets that were originally draped on the bed. The texture and metallic fiber in the material give it a luxe feel that truly helps to dress up the area.

The post 5 Design-Forward Functional Items You Need For Your Apartment appeared first on The Inspired Home.

Over the years, I have finetuned my craft of maximizing the space in my apartment to prevent me from feeling cramp and overwhelmed by all the things I have accumulated over the years. From storage hacks to storage savers, this post will share the details of how I manage to keep order and space in my 1000-square-foot Seattle apartment.

Only Keep What You Need

Over time, I’ve learned to become less emotionally attached to the items within my home. I’d love to make up irrational excuses as to why I need to keep the item, only to allow it to accumulate dust for another 5+ years.

Organization Tool: Dresser Drawer Organizers

Drawer organizers have truly allowed me to move forward with the clean mindset of keeping only what I need! The beauty of drawer organizers is that they visibly show you exactly what you have so that nothing gets left behind and everything gets used.

Take my workout drawer for example. This drawer has always been a constant black hole of leggings and sports bras and truth be told, I was grabbing and wearing the same few things over and over again. This level of organization allows me to see all my bras and pants — it also gave me the opportunity to donate everything I wasn’t using! Win, win!

Organization Tool: Shoe Rack

Accessibility to seasonal shoes is also important to me – all my shoes are currently boxed and stored throughout my closet. Every month, I refresh this rack with shoes I plan to wear that month for easy grab-n-go access. By rotating out my shoes I’m able to remember all the gorgeous shoes I have and get some great use out of them!

Organization Tool: Drawer Organization Tray

In our kitchen, I did the same with our drawers. It seems that in every house there is that ONE drawer that becomes the catch-all. Using these organizers gives me clear visibility into the drawer with no rummaging necessary! Everything is visible and easy to grab! Life-changing!

Maximize Your Space

Typically when it comes to organizing in my home, I’ve always focused on my closet. But, with limited cabinet space, I needed to create a plan on keeping my cabinets clean and organized so that nothing falls in the abyss of my cupboards.

Organization Tool: Food Storage System

These organizing containers not only keep everything fresh but also allow for maximum organization. Before I would have never been able to have stacked the sugar and brown sugar, but now I can with ease! Not only does it make me more efficient in the kitchen, but I’m also prevented from purchasing something extra at the store that I think might not be there!

Now, organizing can be a very daunting task, but it’s manageable. If you start with the areas you might be frustrated with the most, you can work your way down the list of other areas in your home a little at a time to help create a space that you love and doesn’t stress you out!

The post How to Organize Your 1000-Square-Foot Apartment appeared first on The Inspired Home.

Their irons carry the same technology as their flat irons with the same concept of providing high-performance results with no damage. I spent some time testing their high-performance steamer and iron over the last few weeks and my clothes have never looked or felt better!

In this article, I’m sharing my perspective on ironing vs. steaming and when best to use them!

Ironing

Ironing doesn’t have to remind you of a chore from your childhood. When using the right iron, it should give you that thrill and promise of professionally cared for clothing! There are many great irons out there, but I think this high-performance iron by CHI is like the Ferrari of irons. It has a sleek design, made with premium material (titanium infused ceramic soleplate and has the power to smooth out wrinkles fast!

Irons are perfect when you desire pressed clothing like a collared shirt or suit.

Typically, items made of heavier materials that require more than just steam to release their wrinkles are better meant for ironing. I love using an iron to make a simple white cotton tee look refreshed and new — it gives it that “right out of the box” look and feel!

Now if you live in a 900 sq ft. apartment like me, you don’t always have space for iron and ironing boarding, and an iron does require a flat surface in order to achieve optimal results! On the flip side, an iron can de-wrinkle large surfaces in a short period of time like bedsheets. Is there anything better than crisp sheets? I’m not sure there is!

Steamers

Steamers are lifesavers when you are in a pinch and need to de-wrinkle something quick! I prefer to use a steamer on the mornings before I go to the office for a refreshed look! This CHI handheld steamer is the perfect compact, lightweight AND portable steamer! Yes, portable steamer! Think of all the times you could have used a steamer on vacation. This steamer preheats quickly and gives off continuous steam for 5 minutes.

Personally, I enjoy the flexibility of a steamer – it’s a great on-the-go refresh for your wardrobe! Steamers are also safe on a variety of different fabrics and can be utilized on the most delicate ones too like silk! With satin skirts and silk tops making a comeback these last few seasons, steaming has been my second job!

But, there is nothing more satisfying than watching those pesky wrinkles disappear within seconds! The additional bonus? No ironing board required! Simply keep your item on the hanger and steam away! Wardrobe refresh made convenient.

What’s your wardrobe refresh preference?

The post Iron vs. Steamer: Which One Should You Use? appeared first on The Inspired Home.