Gift Wrap Storage

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A common pain point, especially around Christmas, is how to store gift wrapping supplies. I’ve even met one person who is so unsure of how to deal with it that she actually throws everything away after Christmas and just buys new supplies every December. That’s certainly one way to deal with it, but let me help you be more efficient!

Declutter

The first step is to declutter what you own. I’m the type of person who always saves supplies if they are still in good condition, but I do get rid of those that are torn or wrinkled. I’ve also added a few reusable supplies, like furoshiki (squares of fabric) and cloth ribbon for wrapping gifts, alongside the usual disposable or recyclable supplies.

If you are trying to streamline what you own, consider creating a capsule of sorts. For example, if you were to buy plain red paper, you could use it for Christmas and Valentine’s Day as well as birthdays! You can also pick only wrapping paper that contains at least *some* red, and then as long as you have red ribbon and red gift tags, you’re all set! Limiting the colors of your supplies actually make them more versatile.

Store

As for storage, if you are low on space and/or budget, the easiest solution is to use a hanging garment bag for wrapping paper and perhaps a pants hanger for ribbon, as below. You might even have those supplies on hand already! If you have a lot of rolls of paper, consider subdividing them, such as one bag for Christmas and one bag for birthdays.

If you like this idea and want something that is more specialized, I recommend this hanging two-sided storage caddy. I love that it has space for bags and gift tags, and you could even store premade bows safely.

Another good way to store gift wrapping supplies is in a tote under your bed. You can opt for a canvas tote or a plastic one. Both allow you to store all your supplies in one spot, though I have a slight preference for the nesting boxes in the plastic tote, which will protect bows more adequately and help you keep accessories in their designated space.

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Another solution that doesn’t take up too much space is an over-the-door rack like this Elfa version, below. It fits behind most closet doors, and Elfa systems are highly customizable to your needs.

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Finally, if space and budget are not an issue, let me introduce you to the Cadillac of storage solutions: the Elfa Gift Wrap Cart below! I bought mine about 20 years ago and it’s still as good as new! I believe the price was lower back then, but I recommend that you wait for an Elfa sale before buying it. I haven’t labeled the drawers (because I’m basically the only member of my household who uses it), but the top one is for gift tags and scotch tape; the second one is ribbon; then tissue paper, bags, and boxes. And rolls of wrapping paper on the side. Wrapping gifts is such a joy when you’ve got a place for everything!

Worthwhile travel accessories

[This post contains affiliate links. This means that if you use my link to make a purchase, I get a very small commission, at no extra cost to you. I only recommend items that I own myself and that I am glad I bought!]

Packing

I recently went on a trip to Europe with my family, so I had the opportunity to test some new travel gear, and I decided to share what I found useful. First, as I said in a previous blog post, I wholeheartedly stand by my dual-sided compression packing cubes. Not only do they help keep everything organized in my suitcase, they also help clothes take up a bit less space! I actually tried compression bags (the kind that have a one-way valve so that you can roll them up and expel air from them), but the cubes are definitely my favorite. They accomplish the same thing, but have the advantage of looking good and being much more practical in both open and closed states, so I’m sticking with them. I slip an AirTag in each suitcase, which gives me peace of mind by letting me track my belongings. I also like using TSA-approved combination locks, which make my life easier because I don’t have to also keep track of a key. Pro tip: Use the same code for all your locks.

The easiest way to travel light is to bring fewer clothes than you need for the trip and do laundry on the go. I love having my laundry travel kit for just this purpose! It also comes in handy if I (or one of my kids) get a stain and we need to treat it as soon as possible, before the trip is over.

Toiletries

As for toiletries, anything that comes in a gel form (moisturizer, shampoo and conditioner, hair lotion, etc.) goes into Go Toob + silicone bottles, which have a wide mouth that makes filling them (and cleaning them) easy. Meanwhile, true liquids (like mouthwash) go in Nalgene bottles. Both of these are completely leak-proof, and I am particularly happy to have found those Nalgene bottles – everything I had tried previously for mouthwash had leaked, but these are perfect! I then put my toiletries and personal care items in my Bagsmart toiletry bag, which has convenient clear compartments, multiple zippers, and is easy to hang behind a door.

Purse

I needed a cross-body bag big enough to carry my essentials (like a purse but also for travel items like water, sunscreen, passports, etc.); however, it had to be small enough that I could take it with me into museums and churches, where backpacks or large purses are not allowed. So I bought this medium-sized Travelon anti-theft cross-body bag and loved it! It was absolutely perfect for my needs, and I even had extra room in there for a few souvenirs. It doubled as my personal item on the plane. It was very useful during this trip and a great investment for future ones! I also got an RFID card holder so that I could carry an ID card, a few credit cards, and some cash, without the bulk of the rest of my wallet.

Children’s safety

Finally, if you have children older than 4 and want to keep them safe in vehicles, get a MiFold seat. This ingenious device folds up very small, and helps adjust a vehicle’s seatbelt to be safe for smaller kids, so that you don’t have to worry in a rental car or cab. I’ve used them for the past 6 years and absolutely love them! This time around, I also tested out SafetyTats, which I actually used on my kids’ clothing instead of on their skin. It allows me to write down a phone number when I can be reached in case we ever got separated, and the adhesive worked incredibly well – I could remove it from one shirt and apply it to another for a whole week!

Swedish death cleaning

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A lot of people get scared away by Swedish death cleaning because of the word “death” and how morbid it sounds. But death is going to happen to all of us (along with taxes and… butter exploding in the microwave); it’s just a fact of life. So what is death cleaning, exactly?

I read The Gentle Art of Swedish Death-Cleaning by Margareta Magnusson and really enjoyed it. It’s a short, light read that gives lots of explanations and concrete examples. In essence, “death cleaning” is the process of going through one’s things while keeping our death in mind. It has been a longstanding practice in Sweden (where it is called döstädning). Some people do this when they are elderly and feel like they are at the end of their life, but a lot of people do this as a matter of course earlier on simply to feel unburdened. I remember that when I was 12 or so, my friend’s mother turned 50 and went through all her belongings to declutter, because she didn’t want her kids to have to do it someday. I believe she’s about to turn 80 now! And here’s a video by Do It On A Dime on the topic, so that you can see what it might look like in the life of a busy 30-something mother (and fellow professional organizer).

How does death cleaning compare to Marie Kondo’s The Life-Changing Magic of Tidying Up, you might wonder? Well, you DO pare down to just the things you love, but with the greater goal of making life easier for those you leave behind. It can be so overwhelming dealing with someone’s estate after they have passed, so anything you can do to make that transition easier for your family will be appreciated. An important extra step, though, is to take care of paperwork pertaining to your estate. Make sure you have your affairs in order: an up-to-date will, instructions for funeral arrangements, all relevant paperwork and passwords in a secure-but-easy-to-access location, etc. Even if you don’t have heirs, it WILL be someone’s problem (here’s an example).

In some cases, there might be things you are keeping for the purpose of handing down to your grown children. If they have their own home, consider passing things on now instead of after your death! Not only will it make life easier for everyone, but you’ll also get the satisfaction of seeing your things get used again. And if your kids don’t want those things? Well, at least now you know, and you can find a better place for them.

You can also create a box with things that are deeply meaningful to you, but would be insignificant to anyone else (or that you would prefer no one sees). Label that box clearly with instructions for your loved ones to dispose of it after you are deceased.

In summary, Swedish death cleaning is an act of kindness meant to avoid burdening your descendants with your stuff. It does require you to adopt a minimalist mindset so as to create a simple lifestyle that is easy to manage and that leaves more room for joy. In that way, it is meant to make your life better.

My single best tip to pack a suitcase

The internet seems full of advice for packing a suitcase, much of it redundant or obvious. I mean, we all know already to pack toiletries in a resealable plastic bag and to put our heavy items at the bottom of the suitcase, right? So, I’ve decided to keep it simple and tell you about the one single thing that has improved my suitcase the most: packing cubes.

Yes, packing cubes have been an absolute game-changer for me! Gone are the days of the entire contents of my suitcase shifting during travel, or of having to riffle through everything just to get the one shirt that I wanted. With packing cubes, you can just grab the cube you need and reposition all cubes as you see fit without creating a mess! They are easy to arrange neatly in suitcases of any size.

I’m a big fan of these dual-sided packing cubes by Taskin for packing socks, bras, and underwear. I put all the items on the side with the mesh cover when I pack, then as the trip goes on, dirty items go in the water- and odor-resistant side until laundry day. I do the same for my kids. Taskin packing cubes are also expandable, which is a big help.

I like to separate my items among a few cubes (which, to be honest, are not cubes so much as rectangular prisms). On our family trip to Florida in June, I had my swimsuits and cover-up in one cube, then t-shirt-and-capri-outfits in one and skirt-or-dress-outfits in another. Some people might prefer to have one cube for tops and one cube for bottoms; one cube for business-wear and one for casual clothing; or perhaps one for their clean clothes and another for dirty clothes. It’s about whatever works for you on this trip. Obviously, I file-fold clothes in there just like I do in my dresser – that’s been another gamechanger!

I also love that packing cubes come in different colors, which is particularly useful if you are packing a single suitcase for two kids, for example. You can assign a color for each one and never have to riffle through a whole bag to get their things, since they’re visible at a glance. I also designate a color for the first aid kit so that it stands out among my black packing cubes. (Packing essential first aid items for a trip, by the way, is a great opportunity to organize your first aid and pharmacy items at home! Toss what is expired or no longer useful and replenish stock as needed.)

So, there you have it. – packing cubes. I wouldn’t live without them now!