Here we are kicking off week 2 of 6 Bags for 6 Weeks. Somehow I am accomplished enough that I am DONE purging, but this week I’m on a mission to organize. I have been thinking how to organize a closet, and the best items to use!
This post was originally written in 2020 and updated in January 2024.
This post contains affiliate links
How to Organize a Closet
We have small, older closets in our home (aside from the master – that is good sized, so I have to get creative. I know there is no way I am alone in this, right? Not everyone has the dream closet, so hopefully some of these tips, and items will help you out. I will talk more about each item to explain how I use them.
Home Declutter Challenge
If you are new here – this is my week two post on a 6 week declutter challenge that my friend Jen and I are putting on. If you are just finding the post, we both have lots of content and would be happy to talk with you on Instagram (@arinsolange).
It is a great program to do WHENEVER, and at your own time. Just download the free printables and get to organizing.
The overall goal is to purge 6 bags of items from your home each week for 6 weeks. I can’t wait to see how much better I feel with nearly 40 bags less stuff in my house, and to see all your houses after!
Closet Organizing Ideas
The simplest, most impactful way to make a closet appear more organized is keeping all surfaces free of clutter. In my Ikea closet hack, you can see that I have plenty of items on my countertop, but every item has a place.
If you are working with a small space, make sure that you make proper use of all the vertical space. The inside of any cabinet is a great place to store makeup brushes, accessories, etc. I love these adhesive bins for this purpose.
In addition to keeping items off of surfaces, keeping the floor clear of unnecessary clutter is impactful. Consider using shoe organizers to give shoes a proper place instead of in a pile on the floor. The back of a closet is great for a hanging hamper or an over the door organizer.
Collapsible Basket – If you’re just using laundry baskets to transport laundry from a hamper to the laundry room, these are great! Since you can flatten them, they store easily!
Fluted Catchall– great to have on hand for anything that could clutter the countertop
Hanging Bar – I use this to hold my hair ties so I don’t lose them!
Over the Door Organizer– this one can hold so many different types of items and use that neglected back of door space
Shelf Dividers– SO helpful if storing shirts, sweater, jeans, etc. on open shelves
Jewelry organizer – jewelry is one of the hardest things to keep organized – these small pouches keep everything separate and visible hanging in the closet
Hanger Hooks – these let you hang an extra hanger on each hanger, doubling your space!
Shoe Drawers – easiest way to keep shoes out of a pile on the floor. Plus, great for under cabinets if you ever change up your closet!
Double Hang Bar – if your closet only has single hang, you can add this bar for another level of hanging storage
Off Season Organizer – if you’ve got sweaters or bathing suits to store in the off season, these organizers are great to load and put on the top shelf until they’re needed again
Hanging Baskets – perfect for small items; they can hang on the back of the door or on a small wall
Spice Organizer– this is great for surplus makeup storage or nail polish organization!
Amazon prime has become the number one way to shop, right? If I can find something on Amazon I would rather shop there than anywhere else, and based on other favorite blog posts by my readers, I assume you all feel the same. I have been looking for some decorative storage this spring and decided to round up my favorites for you all. In this post you will find some great decorative storage from Amazon that you will love. Be sure to check out the other great Amazon round ups at the end of this post too ( the kids room round ups are always a favorite!).
Cable box – I use these in the office to store unsightly cables/cords
Cabinet – I actually use this in the hallway as a hamper for the kids, but it could be used for linens, toys, etc. in a narrow space.
Leather Pouf – this is so useful. It comes empty so you can store items inside to shape the pouf. We have used it mostly for toys and blankets so it is nice and soft.
Hopefully this post helped you find the best organization items and you feel confident in decluttering and organizing your home and your life! Make sure you are following me on Instagram (@arinsolange) and Tik Tok for more organization and DIY fun, and leave any questions you have in the comments below.
It’s January – so we are collectively organizing, right? I know I am organizing to get my house off to the right foot this year. Today I want to share a full overview of my kitchen organization items I love so that if you are trying to organize any area of your kitchen you can grab what you need too!
This post may contain affiliate links
Kitchen Organization
The kitchen is the heart of the home. And whether you have 6 people in your home like I do or you live alone, your kitchen is a space that serves you daily, and thus needs organization methods in place.
I am a firm believer of a couple of things: 1 – you can not be organized with more than your space can hold. So if your kitchen is on teh smaller side, pick wise items so you are not overflowing.
2 – Although organization takes some work, if you have a place for everything you own it will be easier to keep it organized long term.
Declutter Before you Organize
Okay so before you organize your space – you probably have some donating to do! I have a 30 day declutter ‘challenge’ that you can get for free below. This is simply a document that will help you go through every area of your house in 30 days and help you get rid of 30 bags full of stuff!
So now that you know a few things going into organizing your kitchen – I am going to share my favorite items. This is a round up of items that will allow you to enjoy your kitchen daily and easily put things away where they belong.
When it comes to organization – find items that fit your space. Likely not everything I list will be great in your space, but hopefully a combination of them will allow for you to feel better in your kitchen this year.
All of the items are linked above – but because I feel like some of them are much better explained below, scroll down to see how to use these items best in your home. And before you leave this post make sure you watch my Kitchen tour video for a closer look.
A Closer Look at the Kitchen Organization Items I love
2 – Pot Lid Holders – These are adhesive and your lids sit down in them. I have had these for about a year, and they work great for small and medium lids (but admittedly not for large!).
3 – Labels for baskets – these make it easier to know what goes where for anyone in your home. They are seen on my wicker baskets in this post.
4 – Lazy Susan Organization bins – these are awesome especially if you use your lazy susan for food! Having bins for the shape of the shelf will help keep you from lost space.
5 – Adhesive Paper Towel holder – we have this inside our under sink cabinet on the door. This is a great option for that or under your upper cabinets. A great way to keep them off your counter.
6 – Small adhesive cups – Seen in the photo below. These are great for small items in a cabinet. They would also work great in a cup cabinet for straws.
7 – Spray bottle hooks – seen in the photos in this post, these are a great option for inside your cabinet door. ( I have them – and shockingly everything stays in place!)
8 – Label Maker – this label maker comes in several colors and is easy to use.
10 – Spice Jars – these small spice jars are inexpensive but make your spices organized and pretty. If you want super inexpensive labels to keep them uniform grab this set for $10.
11 – Egg Drawer – This egg drawer is one of my favorite items I own. I got this about 18 months ago and have never looked back.
12 – Mason Jar Lids – I use mason jars to store all of our produce and a lot of my leftover storage (instead of tupperware) and love these mason jar lids.
13 – Clear storage bins – You can use as many or few of these as you want, but I love using them for things like kids juices and such to keep them all in one spot.
14 – Canisters – these are the smaller size in my photos. I use these for my baking essentials that aren’t as bulk (cocoa powder, salt, etc.)
15 – Inside cabinet storage – I got this for inside my under sink cabinet for holding items I use daily. I have been trying to make that cabinet more useful for myself, and this was another item towards that happening.
16 – Lazy Susan – we have two lazy susans in our kitchen storage. 1 stores items in our upper corner cabinet. I find that otherwise things just get hidden in the back. I also use one under my sink for all our cleaning supplies!
17 – Bamboo Drawer dividers – These drawer dividers are great because they fit most all drawers and allow you to use the whole space.
18 – Large Glass Canisters – These large canisters are amazing for storing baking essentials on your counter or in your pantry. They obviously take up more room than stackable ones, so you do have to weigh that.
19 – Powder Coated Glass Soap and Spray Bottles – I like keeping 1 spray, dish soap, and hand soap on my counter. I love these black powder coated bottles for that. They come with extra soap, flat, or spray lids so each bottle can be whatever style you prefer.
20 – Clear bins for under sink – these have been the biggest game changer for under my kitchen sink. If you are struggling with under sink storage I highly recommend these!
I truly believe if you grab even some of these great items you will end up with a cleaner, more organized kitchen this year. All of these kitchen organization items help to give everything in your kitchen a spot to go which will help you keep from cluttering the space, and will make keeping it easier for everyone.
Other Posts You’ll Love
This is not the only blog post I have to help you organize your kitchen. I have several other great posts and resources listed below that will help you get organized and stay organized this year.
Hopefully this post helped you find the best kitchen organization items and you feel confident in decluttering and organizing your kitchen and your life! Make sure you are following me on Instagram (@arinsolange) and Tik Tok for more organization and DIY fun, and leave any questions you have in the comments below.
Fridge Organization & Pantry Favorites: The Key To Organizing Your Home
When it comes to decluttering and organizing the kitchen is a top priority. Today I am sharing fridge organization and pantry favorites to get areas of your home that are used daily in tip top shape!
This past year I added a full Butler’s Pantry in our home, so I will show multiple ways to organize a pantry based on what you have: shelves, cabinets, drawers, etc.
This post contains affiliate links
Fridge Organization & Pantry Favorites: The Key To Organizing Your Home
Organizing your kitchen, pantry and fridge are of huge importance in your home. I can’t think of many other areas that are more heavily used, and thus easily become cluttered. With the constant use and clutter, a well functioning organized system for your refrigerator and pantry are key.
In this post I will be sharing my favorite products for getting those spaces in order, as well as tips on decluttering the space to get it ready.
30 Day Declutter Challenge For Your Home
Are you looking to get you whole home decluttered and ready for the year? This blog post is the first of a series of posts in a 30 day declutter challenge run by my friend Jen and myself.
Grab your free documents below and join me as I tackle our post Christmas chaos!
Before you run out to the Container Store, you’ll need to do a few housekeeping items to make room for food storage. First, it is important to clear out what you don’t need, and clean the space. Below I will discuss what to declutter and what considerations to make. With food it is slightly easier than other spaces, but still important, so don’t skip this step.
Where to Get Rid of the Food
When it comes to decluttering food it can feel very wasteful. To help counter that waste, be sure to make two piles. One for expired goods that need to be thrown out, and another for food you simply know you won’t eat. Once you’ve cleared your fridge and pantry, you can take your donations to local pantries that are very much in need right now.
What to Purge
When it comes to food, you really need to take EVERYTHING out of your fridge in order to declutter properly. Yes, you will have a big mess before it gets better, but I promise it is worth it.
When the fridge and pantry are completely empty, now is the time to give each shelf, door, cabinet, and containers a thorough cleaning. The last thing you want is to have a nicely organized fridge with sticky syrup on your new containers.
Throw out any expired goods now. If you come across food that you know you won’t eat, set it aside for the donate pile. Chances are if you have had that food item in your pantry or refrigerator for more than a few weeks you aren’t going to actually use it. I know I’m guilty of leaving food in my fridge and pantry that my kids have all of a sudden decided that they no longer can possibly eat.
For all the supplies you end up keeping, you’ll want to make sure you sort them into categories. You’ll need to be thinking about the best way to visually see your supplies in a neat and orderly manner. My favorite way to do this is by using bins and baskets, while my friend loves using acrylic or glass jars with labels. Check out this post with free printable pantry labels for goods that you choose to keep!
Get Organized
When it comes to organizing your pantry specifically there are two ways to do things – baskets and containers or a clean line up.
I am a basket person. I like to combine like items into baskets and bins, where as some people like to line things up well. My friend Jen shows in her post how she does the clean line up – which can help to see what you have. It is a matter of preference on which method to go with. Personally, I think using bins creates more breathing room for more food storage containers. However, glass jars are definitely more visually appealing.
Canisters for snacks and baking supplies keep things looking tidy and functioning well on shelves. I personally used the baskets below in our old pantry.
You can see in this post that my last pantry was much smaller and allowed for much less picture perfect storage, but I still worked hard at having a well functioning and pretty pantry.
Regardless of the vessel that you choose to use for your pantry, be sure to measure the dimensions to confirm that they fit on your shelves while allowing any nearby doors or drawers to close.
Keeping mason jars on hand make for keeping items in your pantry and refrigerator both organized and orderly. I personally put all fruit and veggies in mason jars for a clean and easy refrigerator storage.
Pantry Organization Tips
As I mentioned, this year we revamped our pantry for a cleaner look with doors and drawers. I personally am a fan of this crisp look, and it provided a new space to organize and work through!
I decided to keep a drawer dedicated to snacks that all the kids can easily access on their own, within reason of course. I went with these large containers with scoops attached to the lids. I have virtually indestructible bowls nearby so it is a one stop shop for the kids! This allows them to be as independent as possible, while also making healthy choices.
Another way to create more functional storage is to use that vertical space on the side of your doors. This is a great spot to attach measuring spoons, pot lids, spray bottles, etc. so that you aren’t taking up valuable real estate inside the cabinet. Many of these options are adhesive based too so damage to the door is a low concern and as a bonus, it is easily accessible.
Fridge Organization Tips
This past year I also overhauled my fridge and freezer, and you all loved it! Refrigerator organization can be tricky. You’ll want to pick bins and containers that make sense for the type of products you typically house in your fridge. I am a big fan of over the shelf drawers so small items like pouches, cans, and especially eggs. With 4 kids, we have a ton of smaller items that really benefit from this system.
I will also never be without at least one lazy Susan in my fridge. I love this lazy Susan because you can easily remove the items still in their container to the countertop for serving and cooking. Plus, what a great and easy way to view those goodies in the back of your fridge.
Freezer organization bins have been a game changer. It is so much easier to see what is in there and there is honestly so much more space! Just be sure to freeze items in an upright position to maximize that space. I use these blocks to achieve the upright freeze.
My Favorite Bins, Food Storage Containers, & Supplies
When it comes to fridge organization and pantry organization favorites , I am linking many of my favorites below. All of these are items I have owned and love, and hope you will find them helpful in organizing your own home.
You can also shop all these items in my AMAZON STOREFRONT and see many items in action on my Tik Tok.
Hopefully you feel like you learned more about fridge organization and pantry organization and feel ready to tackle the first few days of our declutter challenge. Be sure to pin the photo below for later, and follow me on Instagram (@arinsolange) and Tik Tok for more tips and tricks.
Are you team cold weather, or summer forever? If you live in St. Louis like me, you have no choice but to embrace the cold – because like it or not it is HERE! We live in a 150 year old house, so I am constantly researching ways to battle the cold. Over the years as a mom I have found some tips that work well for us, and through some trial and error have some tips for old homes too!
This post was graciously sponsored by Hoffmann Brothers – Thank you for supporting the companies that support my blog! This post may contain affiliate links.
Cold Weather Tips for your Home
As moms we have to juggle a lot. A home, kids wardrobes, school, work, basically some days it feels like we are in charge of keeping the world spinning, doesn’t it?
For me I think that only gets harder when fall hits. There is more clothes, more laundry, and just in general more PREP for the week. To help I want to talk about a few tips that I do each fall to help keep our home and lives running a bit more smoothly.
Cold Weather Tips for the Home
Your home is your safe haven and the biggest place to tackle when it comes to prepping for the cold, so lets go over making that a safe and great environment first!
Checking your Furnace
If you have been around for a while then you know that one thing I talk about is getting your AC and furnace checked annually. This is the time to schedule your annual furnace maintenance with Hoffmann Brothers if you are in St. Louis or Nashville – and if you aren’t already on a plan to make sure that is done yearly, it is a good time to sign up.
They will come out and make sure everything is working smoothly so you can sleep well at night knowing your heater will get you through the winter – because although the AC is also important in that regard – a cold home is not a safe place for kids this winter.
Steps to Take when It gets REALLY cold
Nothing scares you for cold quite like a really old house. Since moving into this house we have had to broken/ frozen pipe situations and it just is not fun! Below are a few things you should do when it is really cold.
You want to run all faucets when it is really cold. A slow steady stream – not just a tiny drip. This is especially important for pipes exposed to the outside of the house.
Open sink cabinets to allow the warmer air from the house to get to the pipes
Run space heaters by areas of concern to keep the pipes warmer.
Keep draft stoppers by your doors.
If your pipes still freeze DON’T PANIC. Typically things become an issue when they thaw, so as things start to warm up, if you can not be home 24/7 turn your water off. If you will be home you can watch the area like a hawk. If you detect a leak turn off your water until Hoffmann Brothers can get to your home.
Call Hoffmann Brothers if you have a leak of any kind of leak, but while they are there discuss ways to prevent this next time. Hoffmann Brothers is very big on giving long term solutions not bandaids, so they will be helpful in what you may want to do – even if that is not something in their wheel house. (this past time for us this meant reaching out to insulation experts).
One last important thing! I tell every mom they should test and make sure they have a carbon monoxide detector on every floor of their home especially during these months.
I know for me I sleep SO much better at night knowing we have them working and running – accidents happen, and machines malfunction, and a simple inexpensive detector like this one can keep your family safe!
Cold Weather Tips for the Car
Another place to prep your lives in the fall is your car! As a mom there is a LOT that goes along with cold weather and the car. For me that means grabbing a plastic basket and loading it up with the things below – because honestly when it is cold you want to be safe, but you also don’t want to be inconvenienced!
A pack of warm socks (I can’t tell you how many times my kids step in a puddle or something this time of year and their shoes are soaked and their feet are cold!)
Large Gallon sized baggies for wet clothes or gear that comes in the car
Prepping your Life for Cooler Weather
Now having your home and your car prepped will have you SO MUCH less flustered this fall, but that doesn’t cover everything – on top of that I have a few mom hacks that will make life a little less stressful this fall.
Keep in mind – these are tips coming from me, a mom of 4 kids aged 8 – 1. Some will probably not apply to your family, but adopt them as you wish to make this fall much less stressful.
Cold Weather Mom Hacks
In each backpack for your kids use a small pouch like this one with 2 or 3 extra pairs of gloves or mittens. (worth noting that this year that pouch also contains several back up masks for each child).
By November first I make sure I have checked to see if each child has a pair of snow boots, snow pants, and thick winter hat that is ready to be worn.
Make sure you have hats and ear warmers for each kid – this is something to have several of as well.
Shoes – this is dependent on your child’s school or life, but one thing I make sure of is that my kids have a couple of options that they can wear daily. This time of year shoes get wet and cold so one pair of shoes for school won’t cut it.
If your child loses their mittens or gloves a lot you can take a long piece of yarn and a needle, use the needle to poke through the glove or mitten on the underside and on the inside tie a knot. Do this on both ends of the yarn then string that yarn through the arms of their jacket this will help keep their mittens safely where they need to be.
Hopefully you found these cold weather hacks helpful and you feel ready to tackle the cooler temps both at home and with your family. If you need any assistance or have more questions on Hoffmann Brothers and their annual maintanance plan be sure to shoot me an email or dm on Instagram (@arinsolange) and I will get you in touch with the right person!
How to Declutter your Home – A 30 Day Declutter Challenge
We are entering into year 4 of our 30 day Declutter Challenge. Who has been around this blog for long enough to remember the first year? I am asked all the time about how to declutter your home, so this challenge will walk you through every room in your house and help you do just that!
This post may contain affiliate links – post updated for 2023
How to Declutter your Home
Especially after the holidays, we have all acquired more – but with things slowly creeping back to ‘normal’ I am sure I am not alone wanting to clean things up and get rid of so much of the extra stuff.
This year, Jen and I will be leading a declutter your home in 30 day challenge. This blog post will serve as my hub post for information on the challenge, as well as a way to find all my additional resources.
I will walk you through this challenge as well as some general guidelines when it comes to decluttering your home.
A Bit About Me and My Organizing and Decluttering
Like I said above – this is year three for me walking through a declutter challenge with my readers and followers. As a mom of 4, one thing I have been very passionate about is finding ways to embrace my kids’ toys and passions in a way that doesn’t make my home feel like a cluttered mess.
Sometimes for me that means a DIY to allow for a functional and beautiful way to keep things accessbile. Sometimes it means a creative way to store things, and sometimes it just means knowing what to declutter and minimize to lessen the ‘stuff’.
This next month will be a combination of those skills and posts to help give you unique tips that hopefully change your mindset a bit when it comes to kids’ stuff.
30 Day Declutter Your Home Challenge
This 30 day Declutter Challenge will be run with my friend Jen – you can check out her declutter hub here. On that page you will find all of her blog posts and resources to help you as well.
The Important Details on How to Declutter your Home
Alright – so here is what you need to know and do for this challenge!
First things first – Grab your documents and officially sign up! You will get all of the documents immediately to declutter your home, but will also get weekly emails going forward with a packet of additional information, helpful posts, and my favorite products! As always – you can unsubscribe at any point.
When does it start? – This session we will be walking through the 30 day declutter challenge right along side you here on our blogs and Instagram starting Jan 2, 2023.
What do you need? – The documents that you get to your email for free when you sign up, time, and motivation. Everything else is optional. We will walk you through products and techniques to help in the declutter process, while also helping you to organize what is left – but that doesn’t mean you have to do it the way we do – let us serve as inspiration for a strategy that works in your home with your family!
Prizes – I know that is highly motivating, right? We have done this differently over the years, but this year – I will be giving prizes out to those who participate. Simply tag us in Instagram posts/stories so we know you are joining in!
So How do You Declutter your Home?
Getting your house down to what you need, and ridding it of the clutter will make you feel so much better. I have worked with my followers on some ways I do this over the years, and I am always so excited to hear how much they love joining in.
Taking one space at a time, but really committing time to getting your house and life organized is the only way to do this process. We will be walking you through one space a day to make this feel more feasible and less daunting.
What is the Declutter Goal?
You will have 2 goals in this challenge:
To check off every section of the 30 Day Declutter Your Home document.
To rid your home of at least 30 bags of ‘stuff’ and track that on your document.
Where does everything go?
30 bags of stuff to get rid of can sound kind of daunting. But I can tell you that last year I decluttered more than 60. Some spaces of your home will not have much, but other areas will have bags and bags!
For me personally I considered a trash bag a ‘bag’. But don’t get caught up in the details. The goal is to just push yourself to let go of things you don’t need. You will have some choices on where those items go:
keep – items that bring you joy, or you truly use in your life!
donate/sell – if you are going to donate and live in St. Louis check out this post for some great places to donate.
fix – but you have a time limit!
throw away – One thing that you will find is we have lots of trash. I know it can feel daunting with the trash aspect because no one wants to just throw tons of stuff away, but trash is trash.
With selling or fixing there needs to be a time line of sorts, so one week after this challenge ends you need to have committed to having everything dropped off at a donation site, or picked up. If you haven’t fixed it or sold it at that time then it likely won’t happen and it’s probably time to part ways!
Why Do This Declutter Challenge?
There are probably other declutter challenges out there, but both Jen and I have loved doing this challenge with our readers and followers, and we think you will too.
We will be helping along the way with new blog and social posts that will help you find the best products, and walk you through the best tactics. Both Jen and myself have a strong passion for this – but we are also both so unique in our tactics.
Between the 2 of us we have 7 kids 10 and under. We recognize and know the difficulty of committing to something like this, but also know that if you do you will be so glad you did.
Along with blog posts, we both follow our progress on Instagram via posts and stories, so you will have plenty to follow along on there too. So just know that this is very much something we are doing with you!
We will also have some guests jumping in with great skills and tips along the way, so our hope is to really truly help you kick this year off well and feel decluttered in your mind and home.
Declutter and Organization Posts
Below is a list of some amazing posts and resources I have already written to help you in this process. I will continue to add to this resource list as the challenge goes on.
In order to easily find this hub page full of all your resources on how to declutter your home be sure to bookmark this post, and pin the photo below. Like I said – we will continue to add to this post as the month goes on. Hopefully you love doing this 30 day declutter your home challenge and we can’t wait to get to know you all during this process on Instagram (@arinsolange) and Tik Tok.
Christmas books for kids are so fun to add to every year! I have been loving sharing our favorite books with you all the last few months, and love how much you all seem to love them too. One of my favorite things about putting in our little coat closet book nook was that it allowed for me to have a place to put cute kids books on display for each holiday.
This post contains affiliate links – Originally posted 12/19 – updated 9/20
Best Children’s Christmas Books for Display
I rounded up the best children’s Christmas books for display all in one post, as well as have a free printable piece of art work you can add to you space in the post.
To make life easier, and because I know this time of year is filled with so many errands, I thought it might be easier to find you books that could all be purchased on Amazon. I know for me the holiday season just gets so crazy hectic, so Amazon is my go to – and finding these great books all on Amazon makes me so happy.
Free Printable
In our book nook this year, I wanted some holiday decor on a budget, so I decided to try out hanging a poster. I am going to offer this in a few different sizes below, so just download and print the size you prefer.
For my poster I printed it in size 36×48 (so really big). I had it printed online at Staples in a colored blueprint for about $8.
I then used two sticks from the craft store (I got mine at Michaels) and simple hot glued QUICKLY them to the front side of the poster at the top and bottom. I love how it turned out as a simple way to add holiday decor, and I can easily re use the sticks holiday after holiday.
Now onto those great Christmas books for kids – the first round up is all books we own and I recently grabbed several of the books from round up two.
There are board books and paper books both to allow you to find something great for any of your kids. Add a few each year and you will have a gorgeous collection of Christmas books in no time!
Hopefully these gave you some fun new ideas on books for your kids to read this season. If you do the elf on the shelf – I always think it’s really fun to have your elf bring back your holiday books each year, or even bring a new book or two too add to your collection.
And if you are shopping for Christmas gifts – check out this page with all my gift guides. I update this page often so you are sure to find great, up to date gifts for everyone you love!
Hopefully you found some Christmas books for kids that you love and they will love too. Be sure you subscribe to my blog for more holiday fun, and if you have any questions be sure to leave a comment below or shoot me a DM on Instagram (@arinsolange). And don’t forget to follow along on Tik Tok.
My living room may be a mess of Christmas Decor not yet in place, but Jack and Walker’s room is festive as can be! I knew when we added the fun green dresser to their space that it would be the perfect room to add Christmas Decor this year, and sure enough it tuned out SO CUTE, on a tight budget. Ill share all about how I did this Christmas boys’ room, but be sure to let me know if you have any questions.
This post contains affiliate links. It was written in 2019 and updated in 2022.
I won’t be sharing some of the year round details in this post, so be sure to check out their room blog post to find all those details!
Christmas Boys’ Room
I knew when doing their room that I wanted it to be easy simple changes, and I wasn’t about to spend a fortune on their space for Christmas. That said I also knew there was a chance that this could be the only room with double the fun in one room, so I had to do it!
The Details
Over the boys beds I did a super easy printable over each of their beds. I will add them as free downloads below. I had them printed at Fedex for about $5 each. Fedex only prints in certain sizes on their blueprint paper, so you will have to cut out the printable!
Over the beds I also added wreaths. These are SUPER inexpensive wreaths from Walmart. I added a fun ribbon to make it more festive!
I added this AMAZING felt deer head to the wall between the boys beds with a fun garland and I am obsessed with the detail. The Deer head is from Heartfelt Creations (c/o) and she has so many other amazing options!
Aside from that I added a fun tree, some little decor I had on hand and a garland to their dresser!
The Bedding
So my boys don’t really sleep with comforters, so for this I went with a nice knit blanket on each bed. I also got some festive sheets, but because I am probably overly frugal on some of this, i didn’t do technical Christmas Sheets. I love that the ones I went with are festive and fun but could be used all year! I also got each boy a Santa Pillow and they are both so obsessed. I will have a hard time getting HOHO back from Walker.
When I set this room up my husband instantly was in love, and told me I have to do it every year for our kids rooms. it made the upstairs feel so festive for the holidays, and a Christmas boys’ room certainly brought the cheer to our upper level….now just to figure out how to do something in Avé’s room, since she is upset theirs was all out haha!
This year, some adorable Santa mugs were floating around Instagram, and I won’t lie – I loved them. But in true Arin fashion, I wanted some in white, but also instantly pictured them in pink. I decided to try my hand and do some DIY Pink Santa mugsto report back to all of you.
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The best part about my little DIY I’m about to share – you could totally paint over non plain white Santa mugs, it just might take a bit longer. Also a little FYI – if you are anything like me, you will see this post, and think “I can do that” and not read it through. This DIY had lots of hiccups, so I totally recommend reading how I did it!
DIY Pink Santa Mugs
First of all – the mugs I started with were these cuties from Walmart, but they are currently sold out. I knew I wanted to do a somewhat ‘ombre’ pink color look, but wasn’t sure exactly what shades, so I got some pink craft paint and started the process.
Let me tell you – I can not speak for all paints NOT working, but I can tell you that several brands of matte craft paint DID NOT work. I would paint them, and the paint would just slide off.
The good news is – they were hard to not have drips on, so that made for easier starting over, but it was way too easy. You guys I’m talking even after baking the paint on if I laid them in a bowl of water the paint just slid right off – like all of it with no effort.
So what did I use?
I had on hand some of THIS PAINT from Target in Satin. and I happened to have used it on ONE mug. When I started my process of starting over and dropped this one in the bowl to soak it was not easy to come off. Which I knew must have meant it was the way to go.
So grab your craft paint, some brushes (use normal brushes not foam!), and mugs and lets get to the tips.
Tips for success/ my process
Wipe down the mug with rubbing alcohol.
Okay first off – you want thick coats, which goes against everything most of us know on paint. DO NOT give a mug a second coat until its been baked with the first coat on. So give your mug a good thick -ish first coat then leave it to dry.
Once it has FULLY FULLY FULLY dried put the mug (or mugs) on a baking sheet then put that sheet in the cold oven. Once they are in there set the oven to 350 degrees. You will bake the mugs for 30 min ONCE THEY HIT 350. Then leave them be. Do not take them out of the oven until they cool.
Next – if your mug needs a second coat or touch ups this is your moment. I know this means a lot of time, because you have to fully start over on time, but its worth it.
If you messed up on any spots, or there are drips inside you can use rubbing alcohol to remove any of the paint at this point.
THAT IS IT. Your mug is ready. I will say I have gently hand washed the mugs, and do not think you should dishwasher these.
I have a game plan to do a few more this week (if time allows) in other colors, but if you do any mugs show me what you end up with!
If you love pink for Christmas check out these posts!
Pin the Photo below to Make DIY Pink Santa Mugs Later
Hopefully your family has fun with festive mugs and it helps make your holiday that much more fun. Be sure to follow me on Instagram (@arinsolange) and follow along on Tik Tok for more ideas!
This past week I was making Thanksgiving bingo for Ave’s class and honestly – it was so much dang work that I figured I would share with all of you to to use as well. Enjoy this free printable game and play it with your kids this Thanksgiving.
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Free Thanksgiving Bingo
Thanksgiving is one of my favorite holidays because it is so low key. Nothing much is going on – in our family there is a whole lot of football watching (not for me) and eating.
With 4 little ones I am always looking for fun ways to entertain them on those holidays. I want time to be an adult, but also – I want the kids to make memories and have fun too.
When I made Thanksgiving bingo for my daughters kindergarten class I figured it would be something fun to play at home with the kids too.
What you need?
For this all you technically need is a printer – for myself, I also laminated mine for the school so they can use them again if they want, and so it allows them to use dry erase markers instead of little plastic markers if they want.
This year is all about NOT sharing (yikes – I will have some back tracking to do with my middle littles), so I sent the option of mini m and ms, as well as the laminated cards so they could go the marker route – either one.
What you are Printing
When you download the file you are going to see that it is so many pages long. That is because when I created this for my daughters class I needed 17 different cards for 17 different students.
So – if you are playing this with family – feel free to print them all and switch out cards between games, or just select a few bingo cards when you print.
You do need to make sure to print the last 3 pages because they are the cards you will draw. Cut them out along the lines and draw them to see what Thanksgiving symbol is up next.
What Ages?
I created this very much so to mimic ZINGO so really I do think that younger kids could handle this all the way from toddler up. The cards are large enough that for a game or two you can likely keep the full family engaged.
No numbers or anything like that are needed, and the printable cards to draw are large enough to help kids recognize the symbol.
Hopefully your family has fun with this free Thanksgiving bingo and it helps make your holiday that much more fun. Be sure to tag me on Instagram in photos of you all playing (@arinsolange), and leave any questions below.
Matching Family Christmas pajamas are a must, right? As a mom of 4 with 2 boys and 2 girls, when I do family Christmas Pajamas it is a little different than than some, but I still love to get festive as a group, and have rounded up my favorites this year for your whole family or just the kids!
This post contains affiliate links – Post was updated in November 2022
Matching Family Christmas Pajamas
Last year I rounded up pajamas to show you how you could mix and match – however this year I decided to just find some great options and you can sort of mix and match to your hearts content.
I am also fully aware that sometimes not everyone in the family wants to do the matching pajamas thing – to each his own! So if you fall in the category, I am also including some matching pjs for just the little ones in your life – babies, toddlers, and kids.
Coordinating vs Matching
As I stated above – I have 4 kids. I have a mix of boys and girls which as time has gone on has made it harder to do matchy matchy.
I think sometimes when your age ranges are wide and your options on being perfectly matched can also get trickier.
In the round up below you will find some great options that you can match perfectly, but you are also going to find some great solids and prints that coordinate really well with each other so that you can coordinate your family.
To shop the image below just simply click the number and you will be taken to that site. Like I said above – in the description you will find more about sizes and options on each pair so be sure to check that out!
Ski Slopes – the classic Hanna Andersson pajamas are high quality and a great item to wear all winter long!
A Christmas neutral – these are Pottery Barn, so once again a high quality product. Plus they have sizes and styles for everyone
Christmas Trees – these come in a bunch of holiday prints and have Prime shipping!
Christmas classics flannels – if you’re not a “matchy matchy” family, these flannels are a great piece to build from. There are so many colors you could pull out to create coordinating pajamas.
Cozy Cotton Flannel- these are 100% cotton and look so cozy. Make sure you size up if you want to toss them in the dryer!
Pink Santas – these are an option similar to the ones my girls are in in the photos above
Flannel Santas – perfect for the families with little ones who believe in Santa with all their hearts.
Matching Pajamas for Kids
Like I mentioned, I totally understand that not all families like to match one another. Especially when hosting, you might not want to be in your pajamas all day when your guests start arriving! But there is nothing cuter than a bunch of little kids running around with their new presents in their matching holiday pajamas.
If that sounds more like your family, check out these ideas for kids holiday pajamas. There are options for the newest of newborns up to big kids.
Hot Cocoa – if your family likes to drive around with hot cocoa and look at Christmas lights, these are the pjs for you! Plus they are Hanna Andersson so they’re high quality.
Classic Holiday Items – another Hanna Andersson option so you could size up to get two years use out of them if you won’t be handing down to other kids
To find these matching family Christmas pajamas later be sure to pin this photo. I will update it yearly, and be sure to follow me on Instagram (@arinsolange) and Tik Tok for more holiday content!
Best gifts for 5 year old boys. Sweet Avé just turned 5, so I put up my gift guide for 5 year old girls a few weeks ago, but realized I didn’t have one for 5 year old boys from when Jack was this age. So if you are looking for the best gifts for 5 year old boys, I have rounded them all up in one place.
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Best Gifts for 5 Year Old Boys
Sharing gift guides has by far been one of my favorite things to share on my blog – as a mom of 4 I do so much research when it comes to getting gifts for my own kids, and their friends, so I love taking the research out of things when it come to buying gifts for you guys.
I have a 7 year old son, 5 year old girl, as well as a younger son and daughter. Over the years I have found (especially with 2 of each gender) that getting well thought out gifts keeps the playroom from getting over crowded and your kids busy playing.
I always to try to find some unique finds, as well as some great options that all kids love. Check out this post below and just click on the image to shop. Hopefully whatever the boy in your life loves you will find something he will just love!
Rule of Thumb on Gifts
If you ask me – when it come to gift buying or telling friends and family what to get your child try to find great options that fall into different categories.
I like to get items for outside, then items like puzzles, books, a toy or two, maybe a bath toy. Basically think items that can be used in different areas of the house and be enjoyed at different times of the day.
This will help keep them having fun while it helps keeping your house from being crazy cluttered.
Other Gift Guides to Check out
Once you have finished shopping the best gifts for 5 year old boys be sure to check out the rest of my gift guides. I recently updated how to find these posts to keep it easy to find just the gift guide you are looking for!
If gift guides are you thing you can simply bookmark the page below and find all my gift guides any time you need to shop!
