We’re kicking off December with our first ever organizing gift guide! We know that there are a ton of gift guides floating around online during this time of year, so we made sure to carefully select products that: (1) we know you’ll love; (2) are on the practical side; (3) aim to tame the clutter in the recipient’s life, not add to the clutter. Whether you’re shopping for a picky teenager or want to pick something special up for yourself, we hope that our list helps you find just what you’re looking for.

Now that we are in November and just weeks away from Thanksgiving (my favorite holiday!!), I’ve started jotting down to-dos in preparation for our out-of-town guests. Doing things like stocking up on the basics, creating a storage plan and making your guest room homey will make your company feel more comfortable during their stay.

Over the years I have worked with some amazing interior designers on client projects and one of our most recent collaborations was on a family home featured in the cover story of The Washington Post Magazine Fall Home and Design issue. Our focus in this house was to make sure that everything was categorized, organized, and easy to see and access so that no time was wasted spent running around looking for what they needed, wanted, or thought they should have but couldn’t locate.

You’ve probably heard of “skeletons in the closet,” but what spaces are clients most ashamed of and afraid to organize? Here’s a hint: if you have one, you’re probably not sure what’s there, and when you find out, you may be surprised. Basements. Here is some advice on how to keep one of the most easily disorganized parts of your home neat and tidy.

This week, we interviewed Hillary Denham, owner + designer of Free Babes Handmade, the “classic bows for adventurous souls.” I came across Free Babes on Instagram and quickly fell in love with these darling bows, and of course, the beautiful, organized, and heartwarming photos on the @free_babes Instagram feed. We posted a photo on our Instagram feed of some of her organized bows and are so impressed by Hillary’s success as a designer and entrepreneur. I couldn’t be more grateful to feature her on our series, The Organized Lifestyle.