Tidy these spots and lift your mood!featured
Sure, it’d be great to have an HGTV team pop in and overhaul a room when your space just isn’t bringing the happy anymore, but try these quick tricks to tidy high-traffic areas and change the feel of a space…without the production crew budget.
Tidy tip #1: Feather your nest
Crisp new sheets, softly scented pillowcases, and a fluffy comforter tucked snugly across the bed- heavenly, right? (Right.) It’s a little startling how transformative a freshly made bed is for your mood and the general feel of the room. (Maybe it’s because you know that bedtime- whenever the heck that’ll be- will feel a little more purposeful and luxurious?) So make your bed! And make it like a magazine is gonna come feature it on their cover.
Got a few more minutes? Steal the “good pillows” you give to guests and swap ’em in for yours (and then buy new guest pillows!), remove any kids’ toys, pet accouterments, and late-night snack evidence from a 5-foot radius, and then make sure that every last blanket and fluffy object on the bed does exactly what it’s supposed to do. (Read: Thrill you down to your toes and all of the way back up to your sleepy head.)
Tidy tip #2: Line ’em up
This one takes a sec longer, but is pivotal for feel-good flow: Make sure your every day plates and glasses are in the right cabinet. Seems silly, because why wouldn’t they be? But if you think about it, most items in your kitchen live where they do because of a split-second Moving Day decision. Take a moment and really look at the hows and whys of your kitchen use. Shouldn’t the mugs be closer to your coffee pot? Dishes where you plate up the food? Line up the glasses you reach most often for right in the front of your most accessible cabinet (and maybe hit your 8 glasses of hydration a day).
Got a few more minutes? Weed out anything that has chips or hairline cracks, things that don’t quite fit your aesthetic or lifestyle, and the pieces that never get any love- yep, even if they’re part of a set.
Tidy tip #3: Hit the showers
What’s the best thing about being at a spa? (Besides the massages, helpful staff, and zen-like silence?) The luxuriously pared-down bathroom space. You can fake it at home! Start by taking everything out of your shower. Yep. Everything. Yep- those too. Unless you’re already really, really good at this game, you probably have a few types of shampoo and conditioner, sample sizes of rando products, razors, loofahs that’ve seen less germy days, and stalwart (and tired) li’l slivers of soap. Everybody out! The only items that go back in are daily use toiletries that you actually like. Toss anything old and grimy, and aim to keep the bottles to a minimum. Things you use less than once a week? Those can take up real estate in a mirrored cabinet or bathroom drawer.
Got a few more minutes? Scrub (or at least spray) the shower with white vinegar, wipe down the shelves and bottles, and make sure the shower head is flowing freely. (If not, white vinegar can help you out there, too!) Final step: Spritz your favorite essential oil in the shower or mix it in with all of that vinegar. Feelin’ zen yet?
