The Baer Minimalist's Cozy at Home Gift Guide

I absolutely LOVE finding the perfect gift for each person who graces my gift list. In a “quote normal year,” I create a budget, have a Pinterest board that I fill throughout the year with gifts ideas for each of my family members, and do a pretty good job of not overbuying. But this year is….shall we say, different.

This year, I find myself getting sucked into every Instagram ad, clicking “add to cart” way more than normal, and then feeling this crazy sense of overwhelm when I look in “Santa’s workshop” (aka, the guest bedroom), and see the growing pile of stuff. I may have to book a session with myself after the holidays just to get the house back in order.

So as I think through the final gifts on my list and try to come up with a list of my own, I’m going back to the basics. Gifts that can be consumed, or provide a new skill or fun night in. Enter the 2020 Gift List Full of Things You Can Do Safely from the Comfort of Your Home. ;)

Organized | HOLIDAYSMaria BaerDecember 4, 2020The Baer MinimalistHolidays, Gift GuideComment

The Baer Minimalist's Tips for a Seamless Move

When quarantine hits, and people are forced to stay at home more than normal, it seems like everyone and their neighbor puts a For Sale sign in their yard. Including us! We’ve got one week until the big move and I’ve loved reassessing our belongings as I pack and dreaming of all the ways we will make our new house a home.

I’ve been fortunate enough to help several families prepare for a move (in some cases, cross country; in others, down the block) and wanted to share my tips for a streamlined experience from start to finish.

How in the Heck Do I Organize My...Kid's Mementos

Over the last few years, I have helped a ton of parents make decisions on what is worth saving for their kids. We’ve tackled clothes, artwork, mementos, cards, teeth, locks of hair, you name it…

This last year, I also realized that I may be more sentimental than I had originally thought as I made decisions about what to hold onto for each of my kids throughout their first year of life. Yes, that first lock of baby hair was absolutely kept! On the flip side though, the vast majority of things were not. They’ve been donated to other families who can put them to good use right now, rather than collecting dust in my basement for the next 25 years until I can pass them off to my kids. And for that, I’m feeling pretty darn good.

Organizing Printables | A Stay Home Safe Gift for You

If we’ve ever worked together, than today’s resource probably looks familiar! Whenever I’m starting a new project with a client I pull out my handy organizing printables, which help keep track of which pile is which (because those piles can get pretty large after awhile).

I wanted to share this resource with each of you, because you may find yourself with a few minutes to tackle an organizing project of your own while we stay safe at home.

If you have the space, consider dedicating a portion of your garage for donations, or a spare closet for items that you intend to sell. Recyclables and trash can be dealt with as you go. And for those items that you wish to keep, take care of them! Put them on display, use them for more than a special occasion, tell stories about the items to your kids. Don’t let them collect dust or be boxed away for another time. Your future self with thank you!!

Get Down to Work with an Organized Desk

We are living through some intense times as of late, and my guess is a lot of you are working from home in the coming weeks. So if you are anything like me, and need a cleared-off desk to get any work accomplished, let’s chat about some ways to keep things organized.

Here are some easy tips for getting a system in place so that your desk is always ready when inspiration hits (or you simply just have to get your to-do list knocked out).

GET RID OF THE CORDS: Use a mixture of these Command Cord Bundlers and Command picture hanging strips to disguise all of your cords. Consider using the strips to attach your power strip to the side of your desk (or even underneath). Then the cord bundlers come into play to keep that tangled mess off the floor. Nothing screams “organized office” like having a cord-free environment.

Things I Never Thought I'd Have Time To Do Printable

With a completely clear calendar from social events, we are all finding ourselves with a bit more free time than we are used to. We’ve got to keep our minds, bodies and families busy, so what better time than now to create a list of all of the things you never thought you’d have time to do.

Each day, try to tackle something new. I’ve put together a starter kit of ideas on the printable below and also have space for you to keep track of all of the things you’re accomplishing - I hope that it will be a list you can look back on and be proud of.

By lifting each other up, we will all get through this together!

Organized | LIFEMaria BaerMarch 18, 2020The Baer Minimalist, LLCTo Do List, OrganizationComment

How in the Heck Do I Organize My...Kid's Toys

Mamas, I see you…staring at the mess of toys all over the house at the end of the day (or in our current times, all throughout the day). And I’m right there with you. But I’ve found some great storage solutions that allow me to pick up the house in five minutes or less and get on with my evening (whether that is cracking open a book, pouring a glass of wine or just crawling into bed a few minutes earlier).

Kids toys can be a whirlwind of clutter & chaos...strewn about your home in a matter of minutes. But is there a method to the madness? In my opinion, of course! I have a few tips to help keep those kids toys tidy & save you a few (ok, a lot) of headaches.

Kids toys are just one of those unavoidable things that seem to collect faster than the dust bunnies under your couch. It’s a birthday here, a holiday there & before you know it...piles of toys E V E R Y W H E R E.

Organized | LIFE, Organized | SPACESMaria BaerMarch 17, 2020The Baer Minimalist, LLCKids Space, ToysComment

A Journey Around the World to Find Minimalism with Margaret Henney | Part II

Let’s just dive right in to the rest of my conversation with Miss Marge at Large. If you didn’t catch the beginning, click here to soak up the start of her journey toward minimalism.

Now let’s talk about your wardrobe. Every time I see you, you are incredibly stylish and put together. What does your wardrobe look like?

Coming from you that’s a huge compliment! There is the tendency to imagine that minimalists’ wardrobes are limited and that “limited” equals boring. Not true! Minimalists can still enjoy fashion and be stylish.

The foundation of a great wardrobe for a stylish minimalist is the capsule wardrobe. This means buying very thoughtfully and with the goal that every piece works together effortlessly (and can be worn for many different seasons/occasions). Buying one dress for one event is not a part of this equation. You invest in staples that are the foundation of your wardrobe and fill in any blanks with other fun pieces (or rent them!).

Organized | LIFEMaria BaerFebruary 25, 2020The Baer MinimalistMinimalism, Clothing RentalComment

A Journey Around the World to Find Minimalism with Margaret Henney | Part I

For three years, I have wanted to share this story with you guys! Meet Marge…my best friend, world traveler, aspiring minimalist and ridiculously talented writer. She left life as she knows it back in 2015 to spend an entire year traveling the world. I’m talking five continents traveled with a single backpack.

You will LOVE reading her story, her philosophy on life and the happiness she has found with living with less (but amping up all of the experiences she enjoys). Let’s just dig in, shall we?

8 Life Tweaks to Minimize Your Carbon Footprint

This year my husband and I set a goal (I just hate the word resolution) to become just a little greener in our household by reducing our carbon footprint as best we can. After all we need to keep this planet thriving for the next generation.

Making the switch can seem daunting, so we are taking it in small, digestible chunks to start with. Every little tweak helps. In your own home, you might consider choosing one are to focus on for a few weeks until it becomes a habit, then from their implementing another idea.

Here are a few of the small changes we’ve implemented so far and one GIGANTIC change that we are working on:

2019 Highlight Reel

This year takes the cake for being my favorite yet!

On a personal level, our not so little Pair of Baers have totally transformed our lives! Our house is louder, messier and happier than we ever could have imagined. Their laughter, smiles and snuggles bring us so. much. joy.

On a professional level, after taking time off to settle into motherhood, I came back to organizing with so much renewed energy and excitement. I mean I’m always excited to help clients feel like they’ve got it together, but I felt like I could relate on a new level after becoming a mother myself.

A few of my favorite moments of the year are:

How in the Heck Do I Store My...Holiday Decor?!

This time of year, one of the most frequently asked questions in the world of organizing is something along the lines of…How do I store my wreaths?! Is a bag or box better for storing my tree? What on earth do I do with all of these ornaments?! Is it normal to spend 5 hours unraveling Christmas lights each year?

So today, I’m sharing some of my favorite hacks and the products needed for organizing your holiday decor just in time to take advantage of those big SALES starting on December 26! And better yet, a lot of these solutions utilize items you might already have on hand.

WREATH + LINEN ORGANIZER

If you’ve got a blank wall in your storage space begging to be filled, consider using Command Hooks to create a gallery wall of wreaths. Bonus points if you organize by season! Imagine a tidy grid of wreaths with Spring on the top, summer in the middle, and Fall/Winter below. I can envision it now and it has me E X C I T E D.

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