Here we are in mid-September. Summer is officially over. The kids are back in school. You can feel a hint of crispness in the air when you walk out the door each morning. I’m inspired to muse about the changes I anticipate for myself, and particularly, my business. I don’t like to let things get to comfortable and I am constantly striving to figure out new and innovative ways to expand Rachel & Company. So what’s ahead you might ask? I’m excited to create more online classes, expand the rachel-company.com Shop page, and continue to partner with other amazing groups to promote new ideas and offerings…

With the onslaught of Hurricane Irma and Harvey, it has put emergency preparedness at the front of my mind (and yours too, I’m sure) and now more than ever I find it important to address emergency preparedness and being organized for an emergency. Here are a few quick tips to safely store all the items that you may need in an emergency situation.

As cheesy as it may sound, labels are the glue that hold your systems together. They are the structure to support the system that you’ve worked hard to put into place (like organizing your pantry) and keep categories together. Labels can help you save time (especially with kids), cut down on waste, save money and make daily tasks easier. I highly recommend the company Mabel’s Labels, their products are durable, aesthetically pleasing and can be applied to multiple items.

Last month I chatted with Kirsten and Graham from the The Home Hour podcast and I’m so excited to announce that it’s now up on iTunes! In the 45-minute segment we talked a lot about closet organization, decluttering tips for your home, and of course back to school (tis the season!). I touch on everything from how to stop decision fatigue, the motherly instinct to be prepared for those “just in case” situations, and why I focus more on being a realist instead of a minimalist.

I don’t know about you, but I depend on routines and schedules. If you’re interested in adopting some tried-and-true tips that have worked in a busy household with young children, I’ve included the morning routine tips that have worked for our family over the years below. For younger and older kids, the same morning routine tips apply but your involvement will be determined on their age and how much responsibility/independence you’d like for them to have.

For many college-bound kids, college is the first exposure to a lot of “adult” responsibilities as they are living away from home, which include keeping a schedule, balancing priorities and due dates, cleaning, groceries, and and the increased responsibilities of living on their own away from home.  While a lot of the college experiences/adult expectations will be learned as the year goes on and through trial and error, there are some tips that college students (and parents) can anticipate and prepare for.  

The moving process can be a lot to manage and includes so much prep and coordination that when moving day comes you are ready to just be done. So, we’re sharing the tips that we give to our clients and implement on each and every project that we work on. Regardless of the size and scope of your move, these tips can help to streamline the process and create a better (or at least less stressful) experience.Things like mapping out your floor plan, decluttering your home before your move, and creating a packaging system will help your make your day less stressful when the big day comes.

When I head out the door in the morning I’m armed with the essentials that will get me through the day, knowing that I will likely be away from my home for many hours. Over the last 9 years of learning to balance motherhood and my full-time career, there are products that have become my go-tos because they work with my busy and demanding schedule. Here are a few essentials from my wardrobe, beauty routine, travel bag and office.

To be completely honest, garages are one of the most difficult areas for us to get excited about. We are less concerned with making the space “pretty” with products that tie into the home’s aesthetic and more focused on figuring out how to make the pieces of the puzzle fit together in a way that makes it both visible and possible to access, which can sometimes be tricky in such a tight space. Here are our 6 tips for how to get started, what to consider, and how to make the most of your space to create a functional garage.

Like many families are currently experiencing, the beginning of summer signals the end of the school year and with that comes the beginning of a schedule (or lack thereof) that is far from our typical September-June routine that we’ve nailed down over the years. Despite all of the chaos and excitement from the last couple of weeks, I want to get back on track so that I can enjoy summer (which officially started yesterday) and I am already feeling behind in my Type-A mind. Here are some tips to help your summer be a little more organized. Things like making a plan, organizing to-dos and keeping lists around the house will make a world of a difference for you.