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Summer Routine For Kids At Home

By Helena Alkhas
Filed Under: Kids, Organizing, Routines & Time, Summer

How To Organize And Create A Summer Routine For Kids At Home

Summer break is almost here, and we are all preparing for longer days, more outside time and having our kiddos home. Even though we all love the ease of Summer, it can quickly turn into a household of chaos. From disorganized mealtimes to scheduling conflicts, a lack of a Summer routine can throw the best of us off balance in a cinch if we don’t prepare. Here are some great tips on how to create a Summer routine for kids at home.

When you start to think about preparing for Summer with kids at home, you’ll want to take a look at how certain areas of your home are organized and then rearrange some things to fit the function they will have in your Summer routine. You’ll also want to check in on your daily routine and see how this will change, make a note of changes, and adjust.

Let’s start with organizing your homes hot zones for a Summer routine with kids at home.

1. Entryways and Mudrooms

In the colder months, our entryway closets and mudrooms are stacked with winter coats, scarves, hats, gloves, and heavy boots. Now that it’s warming up, you’ll want to switch out what you keep in these high-traffic areas.

Put away everything you don’t need and store it for next Winter. A few good ideas for what to keep in your Summer entryway and mudrooms for Summer are: flip flops, light jackets, hats, sunblock, bug spray, outdoor toys, tote bags.

2. The Kitchen

Start by clearing out your pantry, fridge, and freezer. Make room in your refrigerator or more fresh veggies and fruits from those farmer’s market trips. Create a space or a bin where you can keep some pre-cut fruits and veggies for grab and go snacks.

Making your kitchen kid-friendly during the Summer months will save you hours in a hot kitchen. To continue your kitchen refresh, check out my top 10 kitchen organizing tips.

3. Your Car

As the weather warms up, everyone gears up for day trips, weekend getaways, and Summer vacation. Your car collects Winter items as well, so take this time to remove snow scrapers, hats, and gloves, etc. If you don’t have one, pick up a trunk organizer.

Keep items like sunblock, bug spray, a first aid kit, sun hats, towels, bottles of water, a blanket for those impromptu picnics, and a change of clothes for each child. Here are my tips for getting your car ready for the Summer.

4. Your Garage

In your garage, you will want to move large Winter items, like snow blowers and winter sports gear to the back and move Summer items, like lawnmowers, weed whackers, and other yard care items, as well as outdoor sports and play equipment to a more easily accessible area.

Complete your garage refresh with my 5 best garage organizing tips.

Now let’s look at your routine for your Summer with kids at home. Here is a step-by-step method for re-assessing your calendar for the Summer months.

Look at what holidays, birthdays, events, camps, trips you have planned and mark these onto your schedule for June, July, and August.
Assess how much time you have left each week after these commitments are all planned out.
Remember not to overschedule! Always leave more time than you think you will need to guarantee free days to relax and enjoy being home with your family. You will also want to leave space for impromptu items.
Look at your daily routine. Here, you’ll want to make any adjustments to mealtimes, bedtimes, and downtime during the day.
Summer days are longer, which means if you have little ones at home, you will need to have a plan for an extra activity or two throughout the days.

Summer daily routines can be looser in structure, but a few “touch points” during the day will keep everyone feeling better.

Mealtimes are a great thing to keep on a schedule to create a nice rhythm to your days and avoid meltdowns.

Keeping a chore chart is also an excellent way to keep your home humming along in the Summer.

As we welcome the carefree days that the Summer brings, having a routine in place will help us avoid a slow slide into disorder and stress. All humans, especially children, need a little bit of structure or rhythm to our days to keep us balanced, healthy, and happy.

What are your Summer plans? Share them in the comments with me!

Grammarly proofread this post.

How To Create Vinyl Labels With The Cricut Maker

By Helena Alkhas
Filed Under: Living, Organizing

Creating Home Organizing Vinyl Labels With The Cricut Maker

This is a sponsored conversation written by me on behalf of Cricut. The opinions and text are all mines.

Hello there and welcome back to the Cricut Maker Series!

Last time I talked about the Cricut Maker I showed you how a non-DIY person -like moi- would unpack and set up the Cricut Maker machine. It was easy peasy; we all have to agree!

Well, this time around I wanted to learn how to create beautiful, home organizing vinyl labels to install in my kitchen. Let me tell you; it was not that straight forward as I thought it would be.

I am one of those geeky people who read manuals and watches tutorials, and then pokes around until I figure things out. I’m a true believer in Marie Forleo’s motto that everything is “figureoutable’. Still, I had to give more than one shot to learn to make these labels.

So, if you want to create beautiful, handwritten (or not) vinyl labels for your home or to install at your organizing clients’ homes, I have your back! In this post, I’ll show you the step-by-step process on how to create, print and apply these gorgeous labels!

Here are the steps you’ll have to take to get your hands on your labels:

First, set up your Cricut Maker machine as I show you here.

You will need your machine to be hooked up to your computer so you can create your masterpiece and then print it.

Of course, I’m already looking forward to wireless printers and have one less cord to organize in my home office! 😉

Install the Cricut Design Space on your computer
Calibrate your machine
Create your first project inside Design Space
Printing your home organizing vinyl labels

Let’s do this?!

1. Installing The Cricut Design Space On Your Computer

This was a very straight forward step, and all you have to do is click on a link and follow the process.

First, go to learn.cricut.com and click on Design Space.

Installing The Cricut Design Space On Your Computer

PS: Bookmark this page as all the tutorials you want to watch will be here. #lifesaver

How to make home organizing vinyl labels with the Cricut Maker. — Installing The Cricut Design Space On Your Computer

Download the program to your computer as you would do with any other software and install it following the guided process on the installation wizard.

Once it’s installed, you’ll be invited to create a Cricut ID, and your account will be set up inside Design Space. Easy Peasy!

This is how your Design Space “Home” area will look like.

Cricut Maker - Getting Started With Design Space and creating home organizing vinyl labels for your home or organizing business. — Getting Started With Design Space

Next, let’s calibrate your machine by clicking on the menu to your left and selecting “Calibration”.

Calibrating your new Cricut Maker machine.

2. Calibrating Your Cricut Maker Machine

Again, a pretty straight forward step and all you have to do next is to click on the instrument you’ll use which to create your vinyl labels will be the Knife Blade.

calibrating the Cricut Maker machine — Calibrating your Cricut Maker

Creating Your First Project: Vinyl Home Organization Labels

Once your machine is set up and connected, you have installed Design Space and created your account, you are ready to create your first project.

Simply click on the big plus sign and a blank canvas will show up.

There are MANY amazing things you can do with the Cricut Maker and I spent the longest time watching their tutorials and seeing the awesome things people are creating with this machine, but for today we are going to learn how to make our adorable vinyl labels.

Next, click on the tool TEXT, on the left side of the canvas and type the words you want to print in your labels.

This is the part where I (really!) struggled and I want you to skip all the headache and go straight to the finish line.

I’ll show you first what I did WRONG and then what to do.

Troubleshooting And Making Your Labels Print As One Word

As you can see on the image above, all letters are separated and I tried using the “letter-spacing” editing tool -that sits on the top bar and comes up when you click the words (see below)- to bring those letters together and have them connected in one single “word”.

That, however, did nothing to make this be a one-piece label.

Next, I tried using the “attach” tool thinking this would “attach” all the letter to become the label I wanted. No luck!

So, I decided to Google it and this video from the Cricut tutorials came up. In this video and two others she explains the difference between “grouping”, “attaching” and then “welding”, but she still doesn’t show you how to get those letters together so you can then make them print as one word, in one scoop.

That’s where my patient and persistent side comes in and I start poking around until I figure it out.

I decided to right click one of the words again and see what options I have in there. As you can see on the image above, the first option is to “UnGroup”.

That made me think “If I only have one word here (sugar), so why am I being given the option to “ungroup”?” Bingo!

By clicking “UnGroup” each letter becomes its own element and I was then able to move them together, connecting them.

I made this video for you so you can see how this goes. Once you figure it out, it’s very quick and easy!

Printing Your Vinyl Labels

Now that we figured out how to create our labels and have them come out as one word and not every letter of the word you want on your label, let’s print them.

I found this to actually be a very nice part of Design Space as you have a print-preview of your work and how it will show on your mat.

Simply click on “Make It” on the top right corner of your working space and the following screen will come up.

Next, click the “Continue” green button.

A screen with all the options of materials will appear and you will select vinyl for this project.

With your material set to Vinyl, load your mat with the vinyl attached to it and follow the instructions on the screen by pushing the buttons on your machine, as they blink.

Your Cricut Maker will do its magic and print your labels on your mat exactly where you positioned your work on the “virtual” mat on your screen. It’s awesome!

Removing The Labels From The Mat And Applying Them

This was the part where you’d see I am no handy. It was not a simple process for me to remove the labels from the mat and then apply them to the containers, but I’m determined to figure out a simpler process. Maybe using transfer tape will simplify things, so I’ll have to research some more and try again.

What matters is that the result is gorgeous and I can’t wait to create all labels for every container in my house. I’m secretly wishing winter was a little longer for this project! 😉

Conclusion And What Worked:

I loved the result and look forward to create labels for many other containers and areas of my house.
I would totally offer this as an add-on to organizing clients who value the aesthetics of it. Some of my clients wouldn’t care less but many would and it’s great to be able to make the labels for their projects.
There are tons of Etsy shops selling these labels at a hefty price -considering you may need well over 50-100 labels when organizing a kitchen, garage or large closet, so I’m excited to be able to make them myself.
I was able to get the labels in one full word and I’m pretty sure there’s an easier way of transferring them to the containers. As soon as I figure it out, I’ll get it up here for you.

Your turn! Would you like to have the vinyl labels for your home? Where would you use them?

Getting Started With Cricut Maker

By Helena Alkhas
Filed Under: Living, Organizing

How To Use The Cricut Maker – Beginner’s Guide

This is a sponsored post written by me on behalf of Cricut. The opinions and text are all mines.

I want to introduce you all to a great new item that I have discovered: The Cricut Maker.

Do you know those Instagram accounts of professional organizers, sharing gorgeous images of nicely organized pantries, playrooms, and cabinets? Have you noticed how they are not using your “grandmother’s label machine” anymore?

Did you notice the beautiful, handwritten, seamless labeling they do? And how those labels really elevate the result of the organizing project and ultimately the value they bring to their clients?

Well, my friend, it seems like as many things evolve, so did the labeling step of the organizing process! And since I love beautiful things AND love to pamper my clients, I decided I was going to learn how to use beautiful, seamless, handwritten, vinyl labels.

How I Learned About Cricut

A few weeks ago I was working with a client and organizing her entire house, including all the mudroom cabinets and the pantry.

The project was going well and after purging, sorting, measuring and deciding on what food storage bins we were going to use, I decanted all food items of her pantry and placed them back in the cabinet. All I needed to do next was to label the containers as we agreed not to label the shelves.

But I was hooked and wanted to install the “nice” labels!

Being in need of some attractive labeling, I searched online and found that they were nearly $1 per label! For this particular organizing project, I would need many, many labels.

I didn’t want to spend that much on labels, didn’t want my client to have one more expense -I don’t charge my clients for labeling the old-fashion way- but I wanted them to look great for my super sweet client, so I was on the hunt for another solution.

Looking for a more economical way to achieve the labeling look I wanted, I considered investing in a Cricut machine. But, because I am not a DIY type of person, I did not buy one.

I was worried that I was going to make a large investment and then not be able to use it. Not to mention that I’d have to find a spot in my home office to store the machine, supplies etc. After all, I’m an organizer and I don’t buy anything without considering where it will live once I bring it into my home.

The Organizing Gods Were Looking Upon Me

Enter, Fate.

A week later the Circuit company contacted me and asked me if I would be interested in joining the Cricut Influencer team, trying their machine and introducing my readers to what an amazing tool it is for those who want to create beautiful labels for organizing projects.

Of course, I said yes!

And I am so glad that I did. Today I’ll show you how simple the Circuit Maker is to set up and then on my next post I’ll show you how to connect with Design Space, the online editing tool, so you can start making gorgeous labels -and so much more- in no time.

Even if you are not a DIY person (like me!), you will love using this machine for your labeling and organizing projects. Whether you are organizing your home or working as a professional organizer, the Cricut Maker offers you endless possibilities not only to help you organize your family but also to create beautiful items for your personal use or to gift friends.

Let’s get started!

Getting The Cricut Maker Out Of The Box And Setting It Up

The Cricut Maker comes neatly packed in one box and opening it really feels like opening gifts on Christmas!

Every step of the process invites you to be creative and start a project.

Your First Cricut Maker Project

Each box comes with materials for your very first project.

So even if you’re not ready to invest in supplies, you’ll have something to get your hands on and try your machine.

The Contents Of Your Cricut Maker Box

Inside the box you will find:

The machine itself,
Your first project kit
Cables – to connect to power and to connect your Cricut Maker to your computer (yes, you need a computer to work on a project),
A rotary blade attachment,
A cap for the rotary blade,
A pen,
And two mats

A Svelty Machine

Cricut Maker has a beautiful, sleek design and it’s something that looks nice in your home office or craft space and you won’t have to “hide”.

Unlike my printer, which is black, big and bulky, the Maker is lean, curvy and elegant.

Once you remove the Cricut Maker out of the box, connect the two cables that came with it.

First, place the power cord and connect it to power. I recommend using a power strip to prevent power surges from burning your machine.

Next, connect it to a computer. Plug the square cable to the back of the machine and then the USB end to a USB port.

I used my laptop to connect to the Cricut Maker as we will have to connect to Design Space, the online design tool that will tell your machine what to do according to your design choices.

Installing The Cricut Maker Rotary Blade

Once your machine is connected to power, lift the top by gently pulling it up.

Ta daaa! As you do it, the side of your Cricut Maker will gently open. It’s a sexy machine, I’m telling ya!

Now that your machine is open, let’s install the rotary blade that came with it. Don’t be scared! It’s actually quite simple.

Open port B -the one to your right- and remove the round part that’s there.

With the spot open and empty, grab the rotary blade and insert it on that spot.

The rotary blade has a gold top with an acrylic cover and it will sit and fit just right.

Next, close the metal bracket and then

firmly close the gray, plastic bracket.

Voilá! Your rotary blade is installed and ready to go.

If you ever get stuck in this process, don’t fret. The Cricut Maker has an amazing resource page with detailed videos to help you every step of the way.

The Cricut Maker Is A Professional Organizer’s Dream

You know how I love an organized space and how I’m always looking for smart storage and organizing solutions, so when I realized that the Cricut Maker actually *comes* with its own storage, I was totally giddy!

I mean, I have organized many craft rooms and one thing you know you’ll find in crafts rooms are the tiny little pieces that need a home!

Well, the Cricut Maker designers knew better and designed the machine to hold all your accessories. Because, you know… there are some cute gadgets that accompany this baby!

The machine also has a little cup to the left to hold your pens -on the deep side- and your blades -on the shallow side.

The Cricut Maker with the closed storage compartment.

And here it is. As you open the lid, this neat storage space shows up.

In it, you can place the tools and gadgets that will help you create your beautiful designs -and my cute labels!

Now that the machine is set up, we are ready to start our design which I will show you tomorrow, in my next post.

Where To Place Your Cricut Maker

When I received my Cricut Maker I had to create a home for it, as it wouldn’t fit on my (L-shaped) desk. So, I placed a straight desk in my office to hold the Cricut machine.

However, one important thing I learned today is that it needs at least 10 inches clearance in the front and back of the machine which made me turn it sideways on my desk. This is not a big deal as I can always turn it around when not in use but consider it when you’re deciding where you’re going to place it.

So there you have it!

I hope you can see how easy it is to set up your Cricut Maker and get started with it. And if you’re dying to get your hands on your own Cricut Maker, Cricut is at Michaels in Canada and in the US, and coming soon to WalMart and Costco.

Next, I’ll be showing you how to open and work in the Design Space and we’re going to create our first vinyl label with the Cricut Maker.

Be Guest Ready With The Last Minute Holiday Declutter-Grab the Free Checklist!

By Helena Alkhas
Filed Under: Living, Organizing For The Holidays & Gift Guides

We are down to the final two weeks before Christmas! With the big day almost here, I’m sure we would all have liked to have every room in our home cleaned, organized and ready for friends and family.

Despite our well-laid plans and best intentions, we have probably spent a little more time than we expected on shopping, wrapping gifts, and cooking, which leaves us a bit short on time to clean. Well, it’s not too late. You can still get your home guest-ready with the free Last Minute Holiday Declutter Checklist.

The best way to conquer that last minute holiday clutter clean-up is to hit your home’s hotspots.

Making sure that the most visible and most used rooms in the house are clutter-free will make your whole home guest ready, even if you don’t have as much time to dedicate to cleaning as you planned for at the beginning of November!

Decluttering The Clutter-Gathering Corners Of Your Home

The Front Porch

Your front porch and entryway are the first thing people will see when they get to your home, so make sure they are clear of clutter and refreshed. Once these spaces are clutter-free, a few simple holiday touches will go along way for making your home feel comfortable and festive.

Photo by Mary Prince Photography – Discover entryway design ideas

The Entryway

Photo by AM Dolce Vita – More entryway ideas

The Kitchen

More often than not, the kitchen is the most gathered-in area of the home-during the holidays this is even more true.

With all of the holiday treats, delicious foods, and crafted cocktails it’s no wonder all who enter want to gather in this heart of the home. When it comes to getting your kitchen guest ready, clear, clutter-free, and clean are king.

Photo by Dalia Kitchen Design – Look for kitchen pictures

The Powder Room

If you have a guest bath or powder room be sure to clear everything that is not necessary and put that in drawers or in a closet so it is not adding visual clutter.

Leave out only what’s necessary, depending on whether you have overnight guests or just friends and family visiting throughout the day.

Photo by Black Knight Group – Look for powder room design inspiration

The Living Spaces

Photo by sarah & bendrix – More dining room photos

When it comes to setting the scene for guests in your main living space you’ll want to make sure its both cozy and functional.

Make sure each seating area has a place to put a plate of snacks or a beverage, check your lighting and place a few candles around to make your space feel warm as if it is asking your friends and family to “relax and stay a while”.

Photo by Design Shop Interiors – Discover living room design inspiration

You still have time to make your house a holiday haven for your guests. Grab our Last Minute Holiday Declutter Checklist and make the most of your holiday preparation time.

Before you go, don’t forget to check out the 2019 Life-Binder to help you plan and organize every part of your busy life in the new year!

What are the spots in your home that give you the most difficulty when it comes to being guest-ready? Let me know in the comments below!

How To Organize And Host A Brunch For Friends

By Helena Alkhas
Filed Under: Entertain, Fall & Thanksgiving, Living

A few months ago, I hosted a brunch for all the Brazilian professional organizers who came to Chicago to attend the National Association of Productivity & Organizing Professionals Conference! It was an absolute treat to have them over, as hosting always is!

It was a wonderful experience to have so many colleagues from Brazil and was my pleasure to host them and get to know them better.

Today, I’m going to list the steps I took to prepare for a gathering of about 20 people. I’ll give you my shopping list, the recipes I used, and a few tips for hosting a brunch of your own!

If you’re worried that hosting an earlier meal will require you getting up insanely early and being exhausted by the time everyone’s arrived, don’t be. By keeping these tips in mind, you can host a laid-back brunch and have enough time to enjoy your guests and the food, too.

Figure out what you can prepare the night before.

My motto always is, “Life can be simpler,” and this absolutely applies to the prep work required for your brunch.

Set out the plates, platters, bowls, and silverware so it’s all ready to go in the morning. If you have kids and they’ll use the space where you’ll serve and have your guests, simply set things aside on a room close by. No more frantic, last-minute loads in the dishwasher while the food gets cold!

What to serve when hosting a brunch — Serving a mix of warm dishes and cold salads makes your life simpler.

The same goes to dishes like salads and desserts that can be prepped and be ready to serve the day of your brunch.

In my case, I served chicken and tuna salads, for example, and I had them ready to serve and then stored them overnight in the fridge.

If you’re using flowers or greenery to decorate the space or table you’ll serve the food, have the vase and arrangement ready to use the day before as well.

Prepare your flower arrangements the night before.

The goal is to have as much prepared ahead of time as possible, so on the hours before your guests arrive, all you have to do is to get things in place and make yourself pretty.

Be creative with your presentation!

Want a simple way to wow your guests and make your serving table beautiful? Mix up the serving containers.

You can buy fun disposable options that match your theme or use what you already have at home which is what I always do.

Pull out the tartlet tins for the fruit, or skewers for the donuts holes! Even the simplest fare can seem extra fancy if it’s served in a nice dish, so swap out those orange juice cartons and syrup bottles for pitchers and small ice cream bowls.

How to organize to host a brunch. — How to host a brunch!
Tips on how to organize, what to serve and a shopping list for a fabulous brunch with friends.

Since I always use the same serving platters and cake stands, another way to make my table colorful and look “fresh” is by using beautiful and colorful napkins.

I have 4 sets – one for each season – and I use them together with the dishes and a basket with the silverware to make it very easy for guests to serve themselves.

Setting a table for a brunch. — Have your dishes, silverware, and napkins ready to roll!

You can swap the silverware caddy for fun Ball jars or even tin buckets. Have fun with it!

Don’t be afraid to delegate.

Is one of your guests known for her to-die-for cinnamon rolls? Ask if she could bring some! Keeping an eye on the oven? Ask a guest to take over on coffee duty while you pull the last dish from the oven and add it to the table.

On the day of our brunch, I accepted help from a friend to walk Tuff and from another to get the dishes rinsed. It was perfect, helpful and my friends were so happy to help.

How to host a brunch — Accept help from your friends.

Choose dishes for a crowd.

Instead of choosing a dish you have to make in small batches, like eggs or pancakes, opt for something you can cook–or better, reheat–in the oven in the morning. If bacon is a must-have, pop it in the oven, too. There are tons of easy brunch dishes you could choose from, or you could keep it fresh with an easy self-serve parfait bar!

What to serve on a brunch — Select dishes that are easy to prep and serve.

If kids are invited, be sure to serve kid-friendly food or even cereal if you know they would do better with a food they’re used to.

An easy option is to prepare sandwiches and wrap them in parchment paper or a brown bag.

You can make the wrapping even prettier by using baker’s twine. I love the look!

Finally, consider your vegetarian guests by offering them options so they can have a full meal with the green salad you’ll serve.

Here’s what I prepared for a group of twenty:

Chicken curry salad
Tuna salad
Cakes and pie
Bagels
Quiches, savory
White bread, sliced
Cold cuts and cheese board
Pastries and home-baked cookies
Mixed greens salad with balsamic vinaigrette dressing
A bowl of mixed berries served with mascarpone cheese (recipe below)
- 2 large containers (Costco size) of strawberries
- 1 large container of blueberries
- 1 large container of blackberries
- 1 large container of raspberries
Mascarpone cheese cream. Here is the recipe:
- One large mascarpone cheese container
- Half of that container with heavy whipping cream and
- Half of that container with confectioner sugar.
- Mix everything gently together with a blender or a spatula. You wanted to be creamy and easy to scoop but not fluid.
- Serve it on a container next to the fruit bowl or to make it extra beautiful serve it on a clear container creating layers of mascarpone cheese and berries.
Beverages: coffee, tea, prosecco, lemonade and orange juice

Here’s the shopping list I used to get everything needed for those meals:

two large containers of chicken curry salad
two large containers of tuna salad
three small cakes of different flavors like vanilla, chocolate and fruit tart
12 bagels – plain, everything bagel, asiago cheese etc.
12 mini quiches of different flavors
one small loaf of white bread sliced
several kinds of cheese – brie, gorgonzola, and cheddar, for example
meat cuts like ham, salami, and prosciutto
olives – green, black, stuffed
salted almonds or mixed nuts
grapes
pastries like bear claws, chocolate croissant, mini scones, and home baked cookies
two large containers of mixed greens salad
two jars of vinaigrette dressing
2 large containers (think Costco size) of strawberries
1 large container of blueberries
1 large container of blackberries
1 large container of raspberries
1 large container of Mascarpone cheese
1 bottle of prosecco
1 bottle of lemonade
1 bottle of orange juice

I hope these tips help to simplify hosting a brunch! Having friends over for food and drinks is one of my favorite things, and I love keeping the morning simple and stress-free. Happy Brunching!

The Most Beautiful Thanksgiving Decoration Ideas

By Helena Alkhas
Filed Under: Fall & Thanksgiving, Living

Easy And Creative Thanksgiving Decoration Ideas

Thanksgiving is fast approaching and, if your family is anything like mine, celebrating Thanksgiving usually means having guests over for a delicious meal! To make your prep work simpler this holiday season, I went online and compiled a few favorite Thanksgiving decoration ideas to share with you.

I chose decorations that are simple and don’t require a lot of storage so you can spruce up your space without the stress!

Decorate Your Table With Some Greenery

A little bit of eucalyptus can go a long way! Greenery is such a simple way to liven up your space, and eucalyptus seems to be the fan favorite this season.

Doesn’t it look great paired with a neutral table runner, candles, and a few festive pumpkins?

Pick up a spring or two a few days ahead of time, and tuck it into a vase or wreath for a few days before you’re ready to add it to the table!

I love keeping a variety of white and simple candles around that work with all seasons. Doesn’t everything look lovely together?

Create a Custom Backdrop with a Metallic Banner

It wouldn’t be the holidays if you didn’t snap a few family photos, right?

A simple metallic banner can spruce up the narrow entryway when you’re first welcoming guests, and it can easily serve as a backdrop for holiday photos.

A gorgeous neutral like this gold can transition easily from season to season, and interchangeable letters can turn this piece into a year-round staple.

Gold "Give Thanks" banner above a festive table — Photo by 1111 Light Lane

Create Giftable Pumpkin Flower Arrangements

The sweetest thing about this Thanksgiving decoration idea? It’s also a gift!

Hollow out a few leftover pumpkins from Halloween, add greenery and a few seasonal blooms, and voila! Adorable centerpieces that your guests get to take home.

These are adorned with white berries, russet mums, and rosemary, and you can check out this post for more floral arrangements for Thanksgiving centerpieces.

P.S. Peep that eucalyptus–told you it was a staple this season!

Pumpkin Floral Arrangements — Photo by On Sutton Place

DIY a Tablecloth with Kraft Paper

I love this little DIY because it makes the table settings perfect for a buffet-style meal!

If your guests are all going to pick up their dishes to fill them in the kitchen, why bother setting everything out on the table? With $3 Kraft paper from Walmart, you can have a simple tablecloth that’s also kid-friendly.

And, if you’re feeling crafty, you can decorate the place settings to make each guest feel extra special. However, if you’re in a pinch, putting out a few candles, pumpkins, and greenery can go a long way.

Kraft Paper tablecloth decorated with guest's names — Photo by Lemon Thistle

There are a lot of pieces that need to come together when you’re planning for Thanksgiving, but that doesn’t mean you can’t keep things simple, beautiful, and stress-free.

These gorgeous and creative Thanksgiving decoration ideas are proof of that!

Living