August 2023 Newsletter
Hello Friends!
We have been having a beautiful Pacific Northwest Summer and I am HERE for it. I’m dreading its end, but will have more time for projects that have been put off to enjoy the sun!
Newsletter Topic of the Month
Kids and back to school can often mean entry wall overflow, lets prevent that with these easy tips.
Decluttering your Entry
Your home’s entry is often the most congested spot in the house. To declutter for good, try these tips.
Create an Entry Drop Zone
Create a space for coats, backpacks, shoes and bags for each family member. An entry bench like this gives everyone a space, it can be a custom built in, or store bought.
If you are short on space, hang one or two of these wall coat racks with shelf for coats and bags. The shelf give you a place to set smaller items.
Shoe Cabinets like this come in all sizes and if you are no shoes house, will solve your biggest entry clutter problem.
Set up a charging station for all the families devices. This manages cords as well and keeps the “where’s my device” questions to a minimum.
If you have kids, create a paper zone for permission slips and other important papers you need to sign and return to school.
Designate a spot for the adults to place things that need to go to work, returns etc., so you see them and remember to take them on the way out the door, or place them in your work bag if you have one. This will help prevent forgetting items while rushing out the door.
Have a topic idea? Area of struggle? A fun tip? Send it in and I may make it the topic of the month. Email me at hello@judygranleegates.com
Join in the conversation at Facebook group – Declutter and Resize – Bigger Living Smaller Space
Product of the Month:
FLOR Carpet Tiles
Ok, how do carpet tiles help with clutter? They don’t, however, part of my book is about creating a home you love, and sometimes that means covering a really ugly floor that you hate. These are a game changer. Here’s why:
FLOR carpet tiles come in a huge variety of colors from basic to AH-mazing. They are low pile, rubber backed tiles, you can cut with a razor knife. The tiles stay in place with, wait for it, sticky dots on the rubber side. The dots hold like crazy and once laid down, they look absolutely amazing.
There are many uses for FLOR tiles. I have used them in my last two homes. In my current home, I have a living room that needed a very large area rug. This proved VERY hard to solve. So I opted for floor tiles to create an 11 x 14’ rug that is lovely. I was able to assemble the entire thing alone, no help. I had a floor outlet I traced around and cut out with a razor knife. Easy-peasy. They also make ½ tiles so you can do a printed interior and solid exterior border.
Another thing I love about FLOR, a tile gets stained of damaged, you just replace it. I have used my carpet cleaning machine on the with great success. Every other year at cleaning I take it all apart after cleaning and let it dry in the sun, the reassemble (water will weaken the dots hold over time).
They look great, wear like crazy, are easy to clean or replace damaged or stained ones, can be used in a variety of ways, and are also great for renters. When you go, take them with. They are not inexpensive, but well worth the cost.
News & Upcoming Events
Its been a busy month! Several more podcasts in the “can” and some other fun stuff in the works!
