Like many of you, I wear many of hats throughout a day. Between being a mom, running a full-time business and managing my team, plus keeping my house and personal well-being in check it feels like there never is enough time. We are always searching for time to add to our day. Clients always tell me that if they had more time they could do XYZ and I get it. I know that I can’t change how many hours are in a day but I can change what I do in the environment where I spend my days. There are things that I can do throughout the day and week that can get me—and you, too—more in control and grounded so that when I lay my head down at night I’m not running through the laundry list of items still on my to-do list. And while I can’t dish out tips for how to master the work/parenting balance (is there even such a thing?!), I can tell you that there are things that can be done in your home to help save you time and sanity, which is a pretty big “win” if you ask me!

I’ll admit it: I skipped a lot of spring cleaning this year. Maybe you did too? With my girls heading off to sleepaway camp in a few weeks, I knew that I would be focusing my energy on touching literally every bit of my home and getting it organized (plus, it will serve as a nice distraction from how much I miss them!). My husband is thrilled that with our free time I am going to be organizing our home from top to bottom (ha!) but I reminded him that I am not aiming for perfection with this decluttering yet just trying to make a dent in the things I didn’t get around too during spring cleaning. The summer months are the perfect time to open the windows and tackle the areas that have been on the to-do list.

My girls are heading to their first summer of sleepaway camp this year, which has brought a lot of emotions (they’re beyond excited, but Jon and I already miss them!). Once we made the decision that they would be headed out for a month of adventuring and lifelong memory-making, it hit me that there would be a lot to get done to prepare. I’ve packed my kids for plenty of family travel and quick trips, but never for such a long time period, so it was time to get in full-on organizing mode!

It’s officially spring and with that comes the start of spring cleaning and organizing. This year I’ve created a Spring Organizing Series here on the blog, which will be a collection of blog posts dedicated to getting specific areas of your home organized. First up in the series is the topic that I get asked about most often: kids stuff!

How was your weekend? We went to a family matinee and saw Wonder. As expected, I cried the entire time (I wasn’t alone!)…but I can’t recommend this movie enough. Such a great message to spread kindness! After the movie we were out running errands and popped into CB2, one my favorite stores because their storage and home decor is always on point. Of course, my pink-loving daughter beelined to this adorable flamingo and since we’ve been looking for a solution for her growing jewelry collection we gave it a go.

Today, June 1st, I turn 40. I am closing out my most challenging, rewarding, and life altering decade. In my 30s there were at least 5 major life changes where organization helped me…and when I say “helped” me at points, being organized actually saved me. Saved me from having to focus on the unnecessary and waste time, saved my sanity so that I could just stick to the routine and saved me money because I knew what I had and didn’t overspend which saved me lots of unnecessary stress. Here is a little insight into my life and how I navigated it all!

Closets are area that for many seems to be too big of a beast to tackle for many reasons. With kids, it’s inevitable that systems will never be perfect. In order to create a system that will be successful for you and your family it is important to think about your needs, identify how you and your children use the space, and figure out what you want for it to look like. Here are some of the tried-and-true tips that I incorporate into my client’s homes and that would work in any tight space, from dorm rooms and studio apartments to older homes with teeny storage spaces.

I’m excited to announce that we have launched a new series on our YouTube channel dedicated to organizing with kids with my daughters fielding the questions! Our first video discusses How To Pack Your School Lunch.We hope that these quick, fun videos are helpful for you (and your children!) and we would love to know what other topics you would like to see covered.

Organizing can be seem overwhelming for a host of reasons like lack of time, not knowing where to start and when you throw children into the equation, I know that it might sound and seem impossible. You’ve probably heard me say it before, but I stand by the belief that homes do not (and very likely will not) always be neat, but they can always be organized. And, organization with kids is possible. Here are some tips on how to organize everything kid related, from Toys and Food to Homework and Art.

As the mother of two 9 year old twin girls I have quickly learned how hard it is to keep track of all these small moments but I have also learned how important it is to hold onto first art projects and old pictures. My family likes to use Savor, a company that creates beautiful keepsake boxes to curate the items that we want to preserve. We love that The Library: School Years Keepsake Box includes a Birthday Survey–an easy way to track and look back on changes from last year. For kids, each year can feel like a lifetime and it’s easy for them to forget what happened when they were younger.