Keeping your house organized during the holidays

As much as I am completely obsessed with the holiday season and all that comes with it (decorations, festivities, lots of company!) there's a teeny tiny part of me that gets a little anxious about how messy or disorganized or cluttered the house can tend to feel. Please tell me I'm not the only one! It's totally worth the added "clutter" but this year I was brainstorming some ways that I could avoid that anxious feeling. So today I'm partnering with Cottonelle to share what we'll be doing (we decorate tomorrow.. it's our tradition!)

Put away most or all other decor

This may seem like the most obvious and certainly most people do it to some extent. We already don't have much when it comes to home decor and our walls are almost entirely bare except for a shelf or two but we'll be taking down what we can so even with the christmas stuff out, it feels like it usually does—decorated but very minimal. 

Purge more!

There pretty much isn't a time that I'm not going through stuff and getting rid of things. We just loaded up our car completely full today of stuff we've purged over the last couple months. I feel so much better in our home when I know there isn't a closet that is over flowing with junk or cupboards that are overloaded with things we probably don't use any more.

Keep essentials stocked (and with easy access) for guests

This goes for everything from toilet paper to blankets. Keeping things that guests use and need in open places and easy to find. Our bathroom is all open-shelving so we keep things they might need really accessible. And the TP... we have 4-6 Cottonelle mega-rolls out at all times. I never again want to assume we have another roll in the hall closet as I'm using up the last of the TP. Been there, done that. :)

Keep your house mostly clean all the time

I realize this sounds a little idealist, but hear me out. Half the reason that having guests can seem overwhelming is that I want the house to spotless when they arrive (ha!). So If I can keep the house mostly clean and tidy throughout the week, then it becomes much easier to get it to that guest-ready level. I'm not SUPER crazy about this but because of the way I'm wired it's easier for me to relax and enjoy guests if the environment is tidy and clean than if it isn't. It's way less about how people see our house messy/clean and more about how I can actually be focused on the people and not doing the dishes.

Here's to hoping this helps me feel more organized this year! Even if it doesn't completely, every little bit helps and it is the most wonderful time of the year after all, so even if it's a little chaotic its still really amazing, right?

This post was created in partnership with Cottonelle. As always, all words and opinions are entirely my own! Thanks for supporting brands that support this blog!

Clinique gift + trying new products!

Hello hello! I have an amazing deal I wanted to share with those of you who like deals (ie: all of us). I've been on the hunt for a better moisturizer since my skin is SUPER picky about what it wants--drug store stuff just doesn't cut it and I thought I'd try one of the highest rated ones ever, Clinique's dramatically different moisturizing lotion. The infamous yellow bottle! It's been really great so far and to make it all even better, right now at Nordstrom they have a gift with purchase deal going on where you get 7 additional products (plus a zippered pouch) with any purchase of $29. It was like christmas came early! All of the gift with purchase items are pictured.

I seriously loved this offer because I'm always looking to try new products (especially higher end) but I don't always want to commit to buying before trying because I can be pretty picky. So this was an amazing way to get introduced to a few new items. I have completely fallen in love with this cheek stick and I probably wouldn't have discovered it had I not got it with the purchase. The color is exactly what I like and I prefer liquid/creme blush over powder any day of the week! Also, the soft matte lipstick goes on like butter on your lips and stays put for so long. I've already added a couple other colors to my wishlist, especially this one.

You can get the gifts with your purchase online here or at a local Nordstrom store (the Bellevue store is doing the event if you're close to Seattle!) It's seriously an amazing deal, you'd be silly to not scoop it up.

Thanks for letting me share! :)