On Saturday I finally became the proud owner of a library card. It was a spontaneous decision and I couldn't feel more motivated to start reading more books. Up until now I have really been lacking in the reading department. I have quite a few books I purchased at the book sale earlier this year. I intended to participate in a Summer reading challenge that I failed miserably at only reading 1 book. Now that winter is approaching, there is nothing I love more than snuggling up on the couch in my blankets with a hot cup of coffee or tea. The perfect equation to add a book. It also works out that the Semi-Charmed Winter 2014 Book Challenge just launched on November 1st. I can totally get on board.

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Happy Saturday! It's a cold one here in Upstate NY (36 Degrees!). I think it's Mother Nature's way of telling us winter is coming and we best get ready. We had our first accumulating snow yesterday. Nothing over the top but it was sticking to the ground for a few hours. It never seizes to amaze me when I see the first snow related accident into the ditch. It's like people forget what it's like to drive in snow from one year to the next. I mean come on, we only get around 5 to 6 months of non snow months. It can't be that hard to remember.

Anyways, now that it's going to be consistently cold outside, it's time to start getting organized. The summer months are much to precious to waste indoors cleaning, so now that I will be spending more time inside I want it to be clean and organized. I am not the biggest fan of winter, but I must admit I love to make my home feel warm and cozy this time of year. I like to pull out the seasonal candles and decor to make my home feel inviting. I however can't do that until I get cleaned up.


Today I want to share my tips for getting stuff organized in a smooth way. No chaos here. Once I am done writing this post this is how I am going to spend most of my weekend. I can't complain to much. I will be doing this in my pajamas with a hot cup of coffee just inches away at all times, and music jamming in the background. Cleaning and organizing doesn't have to be a bad thing :) Follow these tips and you will be on your way to less clutter and a happier living space:

• Make a list of all of your rooms you want to tackle. List everything that needs to be accomplished in each room. Not all rooms will need major attention, so this will help give you a starting point.

• Pick the rooms that need less attention first. This way you can whip through them and leave the biggest areas for last. For me the rooms that need the least attention are my dining room and bathroom.

• Remove all clutter off of all surfaces first. For example if you are in your living room and your coffee table is cluttered with magazines or dishes, these can be eliminated quickly by putting the dishes in the kitchen and recycling the magazines/flyers.

•  Now that you can see all of your surfaces, wipe down and dust everything. Don't forget to dust around the ceiling and in corners. Cobwebs can be hiding anywhere, and getting them cleaned up is the first step is getting that clean feeling in your space.

• Next I will tackle any cabinets or closets. Pulling everything out if usually the best plan of attack. For example, in my bedroom closet I hang most of my work clothes and store my shoes, bags, coats, and any other little thing that doesn't have a place. Often it looks like a bomb went off in there any is very hard to find matching items. Pulling everything out makes this an easier job.

•  Now that you have everything out, sort through things that you use and things that you don't. Bag up anything you haven't used in 6 months. Chances are if you had no use for it in 6 months you probably won't use it.

• Once you have sorted and bagged up some stuff, take care of the rest of the clutter and things on the floor. Put everything away in its place. 

• Now that you have wiped everything down, got rid of cobwebs, organized its closet/cabinet space, and cleaned up the floor you should be able to vacuum or sweep. You always want to save this to the end. 

 There you have it. A plan of attack to get clean and organized. And you did it all in your pajamas. Pretty sweet deal! I hope you get some things accomplished this winter!

Do you have a long work day? Do you have a lot of stress in your life? If you answered yes to either of these questions, you probably have a hard time relaxing AND drink a lot of wine.. If you have a hard time relaxing, you probably have a hard time getting to sleep or may wake up with a wine hangover. I can relate and have spent months trying to find things to help me relax. Thankfully I have found a few products that have come to the rescue.



After a long stressful day, I find I need to set the mood to relax. I love to light candles, especially ones with warm, comforting scents. Lately I have been burning my vanilla cupcake candle from Bath and Body Works. The vanilla scent makes me feel warm and safe, allowing me to relax. During the summer months I would follow up with drinking a glass of wine and taking in the comforting smells. Now that it has become colder out, I opt for a hot cup of tea.

After enjoying my beverage of choice, I like to take a hot shower. The hot water relaxes my body and allows me to further de-stress. I apply a generous amount of my Aqua Spa body creme in Relax. It is a combination of lavender and chamomile. The scent lingers a long time and smells amazing.

After my shower I like to read a book and have a glass of Tart Cherry juice. Tart Cherry juice is a natural source of the hormone melatonin, which helps with sleeping and insomnia. I notice when I drink the juice, I am less restless and get a better nights rest. Anything that isn't a man made chemical and helps me sleep is A-OK in my book!

Now that I have relaxed with my yummy smelling candle, slathered myself in calming body creme, drank my juice, it's time to head to bed. I already feel much better and less stressed. I add one more final touch to the routine, which is spritzing my pillow with Febreze Sleep Serenity in Lavender. Its the perfect ending to my long, stressful days. I also use Lavender oil which is not pictured, which is also great. Sometimes grabbing the spritz bottle is easier, but the oil is 100% more effective.

So there you have it. My relax routine for those crazy days.

 How do you deal with stressful days? Have you ever used any of these methods? Tell me below!

Linking up with  Treasure Tromp for Treat Yo Self Thursday and The Grits Blog for Little Friday :)