Make Space For Nesting

Boy did the weather change suddenly here in the Pacific Northwest. For weeks it was seventy-and-gorgeous and then a switch flipped and now it’s sixties-plus-clouds-and-rain for the foreseeable future. While I’m sad to see the sun take a break and the days get shorter I do love the crispy fall air, the pumpkins popping up at the grocery stores and the nesting urge coming out of hibernation. I think the nesting urge is intrinsically human; born of more time spent indoors, the desire for warmth and the press of activity that leaves us all a bit fatigued and in need of a nap.

Nesting is the act of preparing the home for living and in the fall that means preparing to hunker down. Nesting prepares the mind as well as the home for repose; it’s amazing how much more restful a space can feel when the clutter is gone, just looking around at a beautifully organized room slows your breathing and invites soothing rest. Below are 3 organizing projects that will prepare your home for nesting and leave you feeling well pleased to stream a movie, flip open a book or even take that nap you’ve been craving. Each one has a different flavor; choose one that feels good to you or lay them out across the next few weekends. And take your time, a big part of the satisfaction you’ll feel comes from the process itself – the process of nesting.

pantry

Somehow Fall cooking feels more exciting than the other seasons, something about soup maybe? (That could be just me, I love soup!) Decluttering and organizing your pantry can breed excitement for preparing your favorite Fall recipes, from Pumpkin Bread to Chili to the specially-seasoned Popcorn for that movie you’re going to watch. The pantry is not that hard to organize if you follow these simple steps.

1. Take everything out

2. Toss anything that is expired or that is unlikely to be consumed

3. Group what’s left into categories (canned goods, baking, oils, vinegars, pasta etc.)

4. Place your most frequently used categories in the best (most accessible) spots.

5. The occasional-use categories go higher up or further back

6. Assess your product needs, Lazy Susans, canned-goods risers or bins may help make your pantry more functional and visually appealing

It’s such fun to cook after you’ve cleaned out your pantry, and blissful to snuggle up with that bowl of popcorn!

BOOKSHELVES

Books are an easy project, and another that feels appropriate for Fall. Books tend to accumulate and spread out all over the house; in living rooms, on bedside tables, stacked and stuffed on shelves. Follow the steps below to edit and assemble your book collection, all in one place.

1. Gather all books together in the designated space they will live

2. Go through the books and keep any that fall into the following categories: all-time favorites, need for reference, would like to read again, plan to read. 

3. Every book that does not fall into one of those 4 categories goes in a donate box

4. Style books on shelves, bring houseplants, pictures and pottery in to complement the look

The box (or 2!) of books for donation may be a bit heavy, but all you have to do is get them into your car and then drive through your local Goodwill – it takes about 30 seconds to drop them off. And you are left with a curated library that is also beautiful to look at from the sofa as you settle in for a few minutes with a book.

ARTWORK ARCHIVE

This one is a doozy but oh so satisfying once completed. Kids’ artwork has a tendency to pile up. Over the course of a school year there could be anywhere from 50 to over 100 original works left lurking about the house. Follow the steps below to get a handle on the buildup, spend some quality minutes with your kiddo and set yourself up for future intake.

1. Gather up all the art (sans kiddos for these first steps)

2. Do a first edit, weeding out the obvious trash candidates and noting your favorites

3. Bring your child into the process, ask them to go through the edited pile and pick out the ones they’d like to remember (pointed choice of word here, keep reading)

4. Arrange everything they’ve picked on the floor with the artist in the middle and snap a photo.

5. Now ask the artist to select a small number (up to you, I recommend 5) to keep

Five may seem like a small number but over the years that adds up to quite a few, depending on how artistic your kiddo is. I highly recommend The Classkeeper App, which digitally archives your child’s art in an easy, real-time way so you don’t have to go through a big purge every year. You could take individual photos of all the ‘Remember’ pieces that you aren’t keeping and stash them in the app – that way anyone you want to invite (grandparents, godparents, aunts, uncles,etc.) can have the pleasure of viewing the masterpieces any time they like! Make this a fun ritual with your little one and punctuate it with a treat like Hot Chocolate or some equally ‘nesty’ vibe.

These projects feather your nest and make it a pleasing and restful place to spend time. If you are looking for a soundtrack to play while you work I recommend Marc Cohn, Sting or U2. For some reason they feel Fall to me, and get me into the nesting mood.