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Small Space Organizing

By Melissa Tosetti

I am a big fan of small houses and often write about the subject. Just some of the benefits of small houses include:

Small mortgages
Small utility bills
Less cleaning
Less opportunity for clutter which has a way of expanding to fit the size of its environment

Admittedly, living in a small home does have it's challenges - like a lack of storage space. Although the goal is to keep the accumulation of "stuff" to a minimum, the vacuum cleaner still needs a proper home. Small homes can easily look cluttered if there isn't a place for everything and everything isn't in its place.

Small Space Organizing by Kathryn Bechen is the answer to the storage issue. Bechen takes you room-by-room and offers easy to implement solutions for maintaining a well organized home.

In addition to being filled with ideas, she also includes plenty of resources at the conclusion of each chapter.

Much of her advice goes beyond storage, creating unique decorating opportunities like:

Remove front doors of one cabinet and create your own coffee bar by housing your coffeemaker, cups and coffee there.
If you have room, paint an old dresser and use it as a kitchen island. The drawers can hold dishtowels and cloths and you can mount your own paper towel holder and hooks for cooking utensils on one end.
Lean an old wooden ladder against a bathroom wall to hold towels and add a bit of architectural interest.

For many years I've been putting into practice one particular tip she offers for the kitchen: Buy large clear glass jars with lids for storing things such as rice, beans and cereals.

I use Mason Jars in a variety of sizes. I can easily see when I'm running low on an item and my beans, pasta and rice no longer have the opportunity to break out of their containers and spill everywhere.

Small Space Organizing is a book that will remain in my personal library and be referred to again and again. Consider picking up a copy for yourself. Implementing the tips will transform your home no matter what its size.

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Savvy Shopping For Your Home

By Melissa Tosetti

The Savvy Life's personal shopper Mandy Kendall has gathered luxurious and affordable items that will turn your home into a cozy retreat. From candles and comforters to velvety throws, the items she's picked will create ambience and warmth and may even help reduce that heating bill.

I especially love this shawl wrap for just $16.95. With that shawl, a cup of coffee and a Sherlock Holmes book - I wouldn't move from the couch for hours!

To see all the items Mandy has picked, visit her Savvy Life Home Comforts page.

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Each week, Mandy finds the best deals from Shop.com on essentials that fall in line with The Savvy Lifestyle including items for the Home, Food, Wardrobe, Beauty, Travel and Entertainment.

What I love about Mandy is that she “gets it”. She is a long time reader of The Savvy Life and understands the nuances of living savvy. She recognizes that Savvy Women want classic, quality items at affordable prices.

Like eBates, there are major benefits of using Shop.com including great deals, cash back, e-gift registry and more. Registering with Shop.com is simple:

1. Start by visiting www.shop.com/mandykendall.

2. Click on Sign In at the top of the page, and follow the New Customer prompts.

3. Be sure to visit The Savvy Life’s Trend Shop each week to see the new items Mandy has picked out exclusively for you.

Enter to Win!

Once you've registered, send Mandy an email with "I'm a Savvy Shopper" in the

subject line you will be entered in a weekly drawing for a $50 Restaurant.com certificate.

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Is Savvy Living - Green Living?

MB Austin of the blog Bite Size Green compares the Savvy way of life to the Green way of life.

Is Living The Savvy Life good for the environment as well as for your finances? Find out in her article Does Savvy = Green?

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The Economy of Sharing

For anyone who has participated in sharing sites such as Freecycle, you may find this article especially interesting.

It talks about how residents of the San Francisco Bay Area have taken the idea of borrowing and sharing to a new level.

Read the article at The Economy of Sharing

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Holiday Organizing Tips

After spending 20 minutes on Saturday night untangling our indoor and outdoor holiday lights, I promised myself I would figure out a way to ensure I don't find myself in the same position next year. Happily, I just stumbled on this idea from Martha Stewart:

What a simple, brilliant and affordable way to store holiday lights!

While this particular idea is going to keep me sane next year as we decorate the tree, her suggestion for displaying holiday cards is fantastic:

Yet another simple and affordable idea.

I'm going to sneak off for a few minutes this Saturday and search my dad's ranch for branches that I can use to make my own holiday card display. While I'm there, I'll grab a few handfuls of mistletoe as well. I love using elements of nature for seasonal decorating!

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