Ep 17 - 2022 Clutter-Free Gift Guide

Happy holidays, friends! I hope you are having merry start to your season. This is the week of Thanksgiving and this episode is gonna air in a couple of days on Wednesday. I had my first annual holiday event that I attended over the weekend that traditionally has felt like the kickoff for the holiday season for me personally, and it was canceled for the last two years, so I'm feeling especially excited about this holiday season, and I'm excited to bring you in this.

My annual Clutter-Free Gift Guide this year, it's on the podcast instead of (just) my blog post. And so I'm gonna be adding a couple new topics to the mix that have been pulled from Instagram. And everything we're gonna mention is gonna be on the show notes.

If you happen to read this on the blog (hi!), we're gonna make sure that you have links added along the way so you won't have to scroll down to the bottom to find what you.

You can listen right here, on Apple Podcasts, or you can read the transcription below. Enjoy!

A couple of disclaimers about this episode. As always, there is a Gimli snoring disclaimer, so apologies if you hear that. Hopefully you find it adorable like me. And also we do have some affiliate links in this episode in the show notes, meaning that myself or others get a commission if you decide to make a purchase through these links at no cost to you.

But it is helping us here - the podcast, so thank you!

For the organization lover

So I'm just gonna go ahead and get this party started. To kick things off, I'm gonna talk about gifts for the organization lover. So this year people were asking about really specific suggestions on Instagram. So I'm gonna kick this segment off with a tip that I talk about all the time, as hard as it can be to resist.

Highly recommend not shopping for organizational products until you know what problem you're going to solve in your house. You're gonna have the best chance of this if you use decluttering as the foundation of any project that you do.

So I know that that's not necessarily a sexy answer as far as gift-giving is concerned. So probably nobody's gonna like that, but I promise you, you're gonna have a better result. If you do declutter first, you're gonna end up with clutter in the way of well-intended organizing project products that don't end up being actually used.

So this time of year I see a lot of roundup articles with really cute suggestions for organizing supplies and products. But the thing to remember as someone who does this all the time is that for every organizing solution that I recommend, really frequently, there's gonna be another solution that I'm recommending, like maybe once a year.

And that's because everybody's specific needs the dimensions of their storage spaces. Everybody's needs are just a little bit different. I'm hesitant for this section to recommend products as like a blanket statement without this big caveat that measuring first is always gonna be the best idea. So instead this go-round, I have a few suggestions of things that'll help you get organized that people will actually use and can be customized to whatever problem they need to solve.

So this way you're not ending up with more clutter. You are helping to get it out. And I'm gonna give you some suggestions at multiple price points.

So let's start with books about organization. I get asked for recommendations from time to time about organization books. So I'm gonna tell you about some that I have loved and I've found very useful for myself as well as a book that is currently on my own. List of things to read in the very near future.

So first, The Life-Changing Magic of Tidying Up: The Japanese Art of Decluttering and Organizing by Marie Kondo. This is a book that I know a lot of people have enjoyed. Although I don't organize using the KonMarie method specifically and take it more of like a section-by-section approach versus topic (when I declutter).

Topic or you know, or category as a whole. I did find a few tips in her book so revolutionary, helpful for me in my own decluttering journey, cuz I read it when I was getting started decluttering, and organizing. There's a tip in the book about saying goodbye to items and the first time I read it, I did not appreciate that tip at all, but I found that in practice it was really, really helpful to assist me in just letting go of a few things.

So an example was an old bridesmaids dress that, you know, just had memories from that one time I ever wore the dress. Yeah, I, let's see, another agenda jacket from high school that I wore all the time and no longer fit because I'm not the same size as I was in high school, which is fine, and it just helped me to say goodbye to these items, to thank them for, you know all the fun memories that we had and then just kind of have, give them well wishes as they go along the way to their new home. So I do highly recommend this book. I really am a Marie Kondo fan, and I think it's a great book. She also has a few new books out, but if you haven't read her stuff, highly recommend starting with the original.

These next two books are more about ADHD specifically, but I found that they both have a lot of great tips that lend itself honestly to the style that I personally lean towards when I am organizing in my own home and kind of these simplified solutions.

I’ve found they’ve been very helpful for other people's homes as well. The organizational solutions recommended in these two books about organizing with ADHD have been so helpful - I love them both. But especially if you have somebody in your household who has ADHD and you wanna learn some org organizing strategies around this these two books are great.

I also will let you know that in the new year we will have some ADHD-specific episodes and I’m hoping to go a little more in-depth in an episode about both of these books too. So, the first one is called Organizing Solutions for People with ADHD: Tips and Tools, to Help You Take Charge of Your Life and Get Organized by Susan Pinsky.

This book is really cool because it gives you kind of an overview of solutions, but then has a lot of room-by-room information, which was very cool. And let's see. The next one is how ADHD Affects Home Organization: Understanding the Role of the 8 Key Executive Functions of the Mind by Lisa Woodruff.

Lisa Woodruff is an organizing specialist who I believe invented the Sunday Basket concept. And she is just, just a gem. Love her books and she's absolutely fabulous. So highly recommend her work. This book is amazing. And yeah, the last one, and this is on my own list, I haven't read it yet, but I've heard amazing things.

I feel like I understand the cliff notes and I. I'm just excited to dig into this for myself, but it's called The Gentle Art of Swedish Death Cleaning: How to Free Yourself and Your Family from a Lifetime of Clutter by Margarita Magnuson. The great thing about this concept, it's essentially decluttering so you're not worrying about this big purge towards the end of your life or after you pass on that you're leaving to other people. So it's kind of this concept, it's an end-of-life concept to think about with a lot of practical information in there. And for anybody who has cleaned out a home after somebody has passed, you know, that, that can be a very beautiful gift to lessen that.

But it's also a beautiful gift that will help you, you know, live a more Clutter-Free life. So it's not just for the people after you, this is something that is highly beneficial in your own life too. So, looking forward to reading. If you know somebody is actively working on their decluttering and organizing in their home, a thoughtful gift would be to a store that they can buy solutions from to help them in their journey.

In this instance, big box stores can be a great solution and it can feel less generic if you're putting a really heartfelt message alongside your gift. Something as simple as: “I know how hard you've been working on decluttering and organizing, and I hope this can help you along your journey”, can kind of make the difference between an impersonal and a personal gift.

So highly recommend gift cards to places like The Container Store, Target, or Amazon. They all have great solutions for these types of products, and I also love that gift cards can come at any price point, so it's super customizable. I of course, have to mention working alongside an organizer as a potential gift, and you absolutely do not need to work with me if there's someone in your own area that could be a better fit.

Carly Adams Work with me home organization

But I do have a number of services that can be helpful for people as they're getting organized from anywhere at multiple price points. If someone just needs to touch base with an organizer, get specific product recommendations for their home, virtual organization can be a big help. That way you can get my eyes on your space and get personalized recommendations for, you know, your measurements and your space from someone who does this day in, day out.

If you're looking for ongoing support at a great price, my private community can be the answer because you still get personalized support from me in a group setting with ongoing support and accountability. And although my students have found wins starting day one, you have access to the private community for six months, and you learn my whole process along the way.

If you're in the Sacramento region and you're looking for one-on-one help in person, let's connect. I also offer gift certificates at any price point, so you can go to the Tidy Revival website to find all the details about my services.

For coffee lovers

Next up we have suggestions for coffee lovers. If caffeine is a staple in your daily routine, you might wanna think about giving the gift of coffee. A little rising grind this holiday season, so enjoy a personalized coffee subscription matched to your taste or a sampler box from Driftaway Coffee. They offer coffee good for you and the planet, and this is from their site.

Their coffee comes from around the world, matched to your taste and connecting you to the farmers. Gift cards are also a great stocking starter. You can never go wrong with Starbucks or you can support your local favorite chain in Sacramento. We love to give and receive beans from Tiferet Coffee. When shopping for clutter-free gifts, you wanna look at how useful the gift is and also the chance that they already have a ton of that item.

For instance, if I know someone likes coffee, my go-to is gonna be a coffee gift card or coffee beans, something they can consume versus another coffee mug. And it's not that mugs aren't helpful in themselves, it's just that I spend a lot of time helping people sort through coffee mugs, and I always joke (it’s not a joke) that the average number of coffee mugs is usually about five per person in each household.

So generally people find that they have enough mugs and they can add up really quickly. So specifically for coffee, highly, highly - cannot stress this enough - recommend with going something that can be consumed.

For the goal-getter

For the goal-getter in your life this holiday season, I'm bringing you some of my favorite resources. These are people who can help you build a positive mindset and crush your goals.

If you're struggling to get the results you want in your business, I highly recommend booking a strategy intensive session with Kachet Jackson-Henderson of The Kachet Life. I can tell you from personal experience that a strategy session with Kachet is like none other. She is able to look at your brand from a fresh perspective and give you practical advice that you can implement immediately to help level up your business. I always tell her that she is just an idea machine and sees things from another angle. Her advice is just amazing, and she can help you with everything from social media to website audits, marketing strategy, and partnership brainstorming - she is one of the best investments in my business.

My goal-getter roundup has to include Tami Hackbarth. She is the 100% Guilt-Free Self-Care coach. Having worked with Tami extensively over the last few years, I highly recommend her for coaching and group programs. This is for business owners or not. She helps you prioritize the activities and thought processes that will help you avoid overwhelm and burnout in the new year and beyond. She has made a very distinct impact on my own life and honestly my overall health. You can see our episodes 5 & 6 for examples in our two part episode. There are so many different ways of working with her, from reading her new book to her group program, Deferred Maintenance.

This last year, I've also been working a lot in my money mindset and at the recommendation of Tami, of course, I have fallen in love with a woman named Denise Duffield Thomas. Her work is just absolutely amazing. And if you're a business owner, I highly recommend her podcast in books. She is a money mindset author and coach for the new wave of entrepreneurs.

For the music lover

All right, let's talk about gifts for the music lover. If you are ready for something new. Let's get you singing. Halswell Music offers online voice lessons. This is by my dear friend Hally Elwell. She's an amazing jazz singer based on the east coast. She's an awesome coach for anyone, even if you don't have any prior singing skills, so you can learn more about her beginner adult voice lessons on her website.

You're probably gonna need an instrument to go along and play hand-in-hand with those singing lessons, right? So why not try the piano on Playground Sessions? You can take online piano lessons curated by artists like Harry Conick Jr. and Quincy Jones.

Music can be an amazing gift that's really easy to give. Pandora. Spotify, and Apple Music are all great streaming services that have every genre and artist and music you can think of. Consider buying a gift subscription or a gift card to one of these streaming services for a fellow music-loving family member or friend. You can buy those from most online realtors.

For the cozy home gal

These suggestions are for the Cozy Home gal. A cozy self-care night is always a necessity, and these links are gonna help you up your hygge vibes in no time.

All of these options would be great as gift cards, so your loved ones can pick out exactly what they want. My first suggestion is Fish and Chip Craft Co. This is a candle and handmade goods business in Sacramento, established in early 2019 by Marissa Greenband. Her mission is to repurpose wine bottles and other containers and give back to organizations supporting kittens through fostering and adoption.

The brand is named after her two cats, Fish and Chip, and I am obsessed with her custom refills. This allows you to connect with Marissa directly and provide your own loved container from home that you want repurposed and made into a custom candle for your home. This is my go-to service for my own holiday candles.

Instead of throwing out that cute candle that burnt down or keeping that random empty jar you've been holding onto, you can receive a custom-made candle in your container. Give it new life and they smell amazing. You can visit her site to get started.

Fish and chip candles — Photo courtesy of Fish & Chip Craft Co.

If you have someone on your list who is always binging the latest shows, check out Sackcloth & Ashes for their line of cozy blankets that you can use when you're having your latest binge show sesh. This organization was founded in 2013, and for every blanket purchase they give a blanket to a local homeless shelter. Their blankets are made from recycled materials with comfort and durability in mind.

Another super cozy and practical gift are Bombas Socks. These are my favorite socks. Ever - literally. For every sock that I have to replace at home, it is replaced by Bombas socks. I can just wear that brand year-round. For every pair of socks purchased, they donate a pair of socks to a homeless shelter. To date, they have donated over 42 million items.

I am also a big TOMS Shoes fan. If you haven't checked out their mission in a while, they've updated their giving policy. As you probably know, they were some of the founders in the one-for-one giving model. They've changed some things a little bit. From their website: they are looking to invest in a more equitable tomorrow, and that's why they invest a third of their profits for grassroots good, including cash grants and partnerships with community organizations to drive sustainable change. I'm including them in the cozy section because I just got a brand new pair of TOMS slippers and they are cozy as hell.

For the traveler

These tips are gonna be kind of quick and dirty tips for the traveler. If someone you love is a big traveler, there could be a good chance that they are planning their next big trip as we speak. So what better way than to give them exactly what they want or need for their next big trip than to ask what you could pitch in for.

So here are a couple of ideas to get you started for someone who loves to travel:

If they have a preferred airline that they love to fly, an airline gift card makes an amazing gift
Hotel gift cards (or an AirBnb gift card!)
Cash for spending money
Funds towards their passport renewal
A gas card for those road trips (Chevron or Shell are both great options)
State park pass can be an amazing gift - here’s the link for California!

Non-profit supporter

This next section is all about non-profits that are close to your heart. Giving back is very important to me and to Tidy Revival as an organization. I have listed a couple of my favorite non-profits below, and hopefully this inspires you to give to an organization close to you and or your loved one's.

One of my favorite organizations is Aging Up. They are a nonprofit that empowers youth with experience in foster care to successfully transition into adulthood. Check out their website for more information on how you can support their mission this holiday season.

Women's Empowerment is a nonprofit organization here in Sacramento that educates and empowers women who are experiencing homelessness with the skills and confidence necessary to get a job, maintain a healthy lifestyle, and regain a home for themselves and their children. Check out their holiday wish list to provide for those in need.

Organizations that help animals are especially near to our hearts. We had to say goodbye to our first fur baby Hank over Thanksgiving in 2020 and this year we welcomed a new addition to our family gambling through NorCal Bully Breed Rescue. There are so many wonderful organizations in every area if animals are near and dear to your heart, they always need funding and can be a great place to donate towards.

For all non-profits, one time donations are amazing, but if you're able to set up a monthly donation, it provides the extra bonus of helping non-profit organizations plan their budgets long-term.

For the pet lover

These are all about the pet lover. If those on your list are obsessed with their dog, we've got the perfect gift. Wilderdog Santa Paws Cole Sacks are the holiday-themed poop bags that are hilarious and practical. They're also biodegradable so owners can pick up their dog's waist while also maintaining a healthy environment. I love Wilderdog and I'm friends with the owners. They have awesome products for dogs that love adventure. Highly recommend.

In the past, I have been a little quicker to recommend subscription boxes, and I think they can be good, but they can also be hit or miss. Now that I have a dog that is not necessarily the best match for many toys because he will just destroy them instantly, I know that not every pet gift is one size fits all. I know I give this advice along the way again, but it can be a great idea to ask the gift recipient what could be the most helpful for their pet.

Honestly, maybe there's an ongoing health issue that you could pitch in toward that would probably be even more appreciated than a toy. And if that's not the case, they're gonna know exactly what would get a lot of great use.

For the gal on the go

This next section is for the gal on the go. For many of us, myself included, the best gift these days is can be the gift of not cooking. So I highly recommend food delivery gift cards. GrubHub and Postmates are great. These delivery services that'll leave you satisfied with your favorite meals from your local favorite local restaurants, and they have gift cards available online, making gift giving as easy as delivered pie.

Gifting someone with a gift card to their favorite local restaurant is also something that you can never go wrong with, especially now that everyone delivers or has curbside pickup.

For the gardener/houseplant lover

These tips are for the gardener or houseplant lover. If you are shopping for a family member or a friend that loves gardening, consider buying a gift card from Burpee, which is an awesome website that has an abundance of seeds from practically every plant you can think of. This is one of my go-to gifts for my dad who loves wildflowers and roses.

Locally in Sacramento, a couple of my favorite go-to stores for house plants are Propagate Sac. I absolutely love that store and the owner is just a gem. I also love Green Acres. Every gardener or houseplant lover has their favorite go-to store, and there again is no shame in asking - that way you can get them a card from the place that they love to go. It'll totally make their day and make their season.

For the fashionista

These tips are for the fashionista. I've got ideas to help you pick out the perfect gift for your favorite fashionista in your life. From jewelry to wardrobe redesign, we've got some faves for you.

If you need help redesigning your wardrobe, my good friend Missy from Simplified Wardrobe is a personal stylist and wardrobe consultant virtually serving clients all over the world.

She specializes in minimalist capsule wardrobes, color analysis, and redefining your unique personal style. She styles women who want to have effortlessly impeccable style, streamline their closet and start their day confident and stress-free.

If you're in the Sacramento region and you're looking for someone to help you with a closet cleanout and to host a live sale of items from your closet for profit, Mersy Hogan can be a great resource for you. She is a personal stylist, a thrifting specialist, a Creative Director, and a professional plus-size model. She can be an amazing resource and provide services for all shapes and sizes. DM her on Instagram to get started.

Cabine Monde is a local jewelry designer here in Sacramento, California. Each piece of jewelry she makes uses the highest quality materials and precious gemstones, and each collection is designed with the intention to offer inspiration from the inside out. Cabine is proud to be a member of 1% for the Planet, a global movement of businesses and individuals committed to accelerating smart environmental giving. Your purchase directly supports vetted organizations who are fighting to combat issues related to climate in the environment. This partnership is one of the ways that Cabine lives out its mission of supporting the community and the earth, and her jewelry is just absolutely beautiful. Again, cannot recommend gift certificates enough so that people can pick out exactly what they want.

Kiddo gifts

Next, we're gonna talk about kiddo gifts. The ClassKeeper App is our new favorite solution for kiddo school, artwork and schoolwork. The ClassKeeper mobile app is every parent's solution for keeping the memories that from school in a safe, organized, digital way without the monster-size stack of bins hogging the storage space in your home for decades. Say bye-bye to the bins and hello to memories that are viewable Anytime you wish on your mobile device and easily shared with loved ones.

Those invited can either be a contributor to help upload photos (a service that Tidy Revival provides). They can also upload stories or just view them - you’re in control.

ClassKeeper App - our favorite solution for kiddo artwork — Click on the image or link above to learn more about our favorite kiddo keepsake solution!

Suggestions from parents on Instagram…

These are some suggestions given by parents on Instagram for some of their favorite gifts for kiddos. These are some recommendations that I've grabbed over the years. There's a few books in here.

First up is Ambitious Girl by Meena Harris. When a young girl sees a strong woman on TV labeled as too assertive and too ambitious, it sends her on a journey of discovery through past, present, and future about the challenges faced by women and girls, and some of the ways they can reframe, redefine, and reclaim words meant to knock them down. Anyone who's ever been underestimated or overshadowed will find inspiration in this empowering picture book from New York Times bestseller Meena Harris.

I also heard from many parents that they’re loving books by Vashti Harrison, like Little Readers: Bold Women in Black History, and Little Dreamers: Visionary Women Around the World. Learn more about all the books in the series!

Another favorite is National Geographic Kids Magazine. A fun publication designed especially for kids 6-9. Give the gift of learning about animals all over the world.

Okay, this is a toy. This is recommended by my mom friends and Instagram community: Magna-Tiles. These are the toys your kids reach for constantly and (this is their words) don't add to the clutter. I can attest that in all the playrooms I've ever organized, I don't think we've ever decluttered Magna-Tiles; they have always been a keep.

Another great gift would be to give the gift of passes to the places that the kiddos in your life love to visit. So think like the zoo (link to Sacramento Zoo) or the children's museum (link to the Sacramento Children’s Museum).

You could get a membership to either of those places or funds towards sports or lessons that they're gonna be part of next year. As we know, those fees really add up and parents can really appreciate getting a little help with those activities.

You can also give something practical for the kids in your life, giving the parents yet another little break. I'm an auntie who has gifted the next size up pajamas, shoes, shirts, or recently we have been giving cash for a future vacation, spending money or towards the big toy that our niece or nephew is saving up.

Practical gift cards & cash

And that brings us to practical gift cards. So obviously I am a big fan of practical gifts at the holidays, and gift cards are always a great way to go.

So let's be honest, people love choosing the gift they want and. It also means that you don't have to worry that you are gonna be getting them something that they won't like. So places like Amazon, Target, Costco are all great places for gift cards because they have something for every person of every age.

You can share some love this holiday season by giving your loved ones a gift card for one of these shops, and I promise you they will put it to good use. And finally, the gift of cash never goes outta style. Consider gifting money to a family member or a friend.

Venmo and PayPal are both super easy and really common apps that you can use this holiday season to make it easy to gift funds for everything from a latte to next month's rent.

I hope these ideas have inspired your holiday shopping this year. My goal is to help you shop without resorting to giving trinkets that you know are gonna end up in a landfill in a month. So I am wishing you and your family a very happy holiday season full of wonderful memories and free from clutter.

Thank you for tuning in today.

If you wanna learn more about how I can help you head to Tidy Revival dot com to learn more about how I work with people one on one, or in the Clutter-Free Home Process private community. If you enjoyed this episode, please be sure. Here to subscribe so you'll always have access to the latest episode.

We would also love to hear your takeaways. Please feel free to tag us at Tidy Revival on Instagram, Facebook, or TikTok. The Tidy Revival podcast is written and hosted by Carly Adams and edited by Brittany McLean. Title Song Maverick is by Dresden The Flamingo, and until next time, remember…