BirchTree Organizing

05/20/2026

Garages are hardworking spaces, but they’re not meant to store EVERYTHING.

Garages (at least most) are not temperature-controlled, which means heat, cold, moisture, and pests can infiltrate and damage the items stored there.

That’s why deciding what NOT to store in the garage is a key component of any garage organizing project.  

Keep these items out of your garage to avoid damage, safety risks, and costly replacements:

🍎Perishable food
🍷Wine
📚Books and other important papers and documents
👚Clothes and other textiles such as bedding, blankets and towels
🪑Wood furniture
🦴Pet food
🥫Canned Food
🫓Rugs and carpets
📀Electronics

And the last item I would NEVER store in a garage: 🌉photos.

For a more in-depth look at the specific risks to these items and why a plastic storage tote will NOT save them, check out BirchTree’s latest blog post, linked in my stories and saved to the Blog Highlight.

Tell me, are any of these a surprise to you?

05/10/2026

Taller than me, but forever my little girl!

Love my people for giving me a day filled with all my favourite things.

To be seen is to be loved and I was very loved today. ❤️

My daughter even FINALLY watched one of my all time favourite movies with me: Ever After.

Have I been trying for years to get her to watch it with me?

Yes

Did I take advantage of the fact it’s Mother’s Day and knew she wouldn’t say no to make it happen today?

Yep!

Did she love it?

She sure did!

As I knew she would, which is why I don’t feel bad about it at all! She gave the movie 8/10.

And rewatching this favourite with her, seeing her reactions to the same moments I love in the movie, just made me love it even more!

Happy Mother’s Day to all the mom’s, mother figures and mom’s to-be, I hope you had the most wonderful day!

05/08/2026

05/06/2026

Spoiler alert: it’s not about right or wrong.

When it comes to decluttering, so many people get stuck, struggling to make the “right” decision, for every item.

But the truth is, it’s not about right or wrong.

What REALLY matters when decluttering is making an ALIGNED decision; one that fits with your current life, your space and how you want your home to feel.

An aligned decision removes the pressure of getting it right and shifts the focus to making intentional decisions that support your goals.

It might mean letting go of:

✨something that used to matter, but no longer serves you,

✨a well-intentioned gift you appreciated the thought and effort behind, but that missed the mark,

✨supplies for hobbies, activities or projects you had the best intentions of completing, but never did, or

✨of items you spent money on believing you would use/wear, but in the end did not.

An aligned decision can also mean choosing to keep something because:

✨it genuinely adds value or joy to your life right now

✨you have a specific plan for the use of an item or

✨the item supports a specific goal you are pursuing.

Shifting your mindset from “Is this the right choice?” to “Does this feel aligned with the life I’m creating?” makes the decluttering process lighter, more intuitive and a whole lot less overwhelming.

What’s your biggest obstacle when it comes to decluttering? Let me know below.

05/03/2026

No need for an $$$ reno!

A few simple tweaks are all it takes to maximize the space and function in your coat closet.

You can also use the hanging shoe pocket to store anything you need to grab on your way out the door: dog leash, doggie bags, keys, travel tissue, sanitizer/wipes, ChapStick, even your wallet! 

The possibilities are endless!

Have you done the seasonal switch-out from hats and mitts to ball caps and sunglasses yet?  Let me know.

I’m a little behind this year and haven’t done it yet – but it’s on my list for this coming week!

04/29/2026

Celebrate mom without adding clutter!

I’m first and foremost a mom and I would LOVE any one of these gifts (in fact, I’ve received many of them over the years)!

Have you already got your Mother’s Day gift for the mom(s) in your life?  Let me know below.

And if you want to learn more about having a BirchTree Gift Card sent directly to your inbox, send me a DM. ✉️

#519

04/26/2026

We climbed a waterfall! 🌊
 
Just one of the highlights from our recent vacation in Jamaica.🇯🇲
 
Lots of sunshine, poolside and beach relaxing, beautiful scenery everywhere we looked, and a few adventures, including climbing Dunn’s Falls, tubing down a river, ziplining on Mystic Mountain and an incredible night swim under a star-filled sky in the stunning Luminous Lagoon.
 
Swipe to see more from our trip.
 
Although we’re blurry in the Luminous Lagoon picture, the blue glowing water is perfectly captured. Experiencing it in person as a family (and by some wonderful fluke, basically all by ourselves) was my favourite part of the trip! 🥰
 
And I’d be remiss if I didn’t give my daughter credit for the last photo which is the view from our room at night. I think she has inherited her father’s gift for photography! 📸

Tell me, do you have any upcoming travel plans? Or is there a destination that’s high on your dream travel list?
 

03/29/2026

The most important change in this pantry?
 
Creating clearly defined ZONES!
 
There were already some great products in place, including the Decomomo bins and baking ingredient containers, but without zones, they weren’t working to create the systems this multi-functional space that is home to more than just food and kitchen items, needed.
 
So, we took everything out, created categories by sorting all similar items together, and then mapped out the zones based on:

✨frequency of use; and

✨ whether little toddler hands should be able to reach the items.
 
The rest was adding complementary containment to stop shelf sprawl and maximize vertical space so the floor can stay clear and, of course, labels.

My favourite additions are:

✨ the large turntables in the deep corners; and

✨ the adjustable beverage can organizer on the ground; it was empty at the time I took the photo, but ready to hold the beverages when they arrived.
 
Speaking of canned beverages, what one is most popular at your house?
 
I’m not a big fan of carbonated beverages, but Coke Zero is my husband’s go-to and my daughter’s is Sprite.
 
#519