Drop Zones

Photo by Zachary Staines @zaccastravels

Know Thy Drop Zones

Person walks through the front door after a long day at work, person chucks the keys on a small table by the door, tosses bag on the floor, jacket over a chair and the mail and keys on the counter. On the way to the bathroom, person picks up some toys, balls or random items along the way and piles them on the stairs creating a cluttered tripping hazard.

Baskets! Baskets! Baskets! They come in many shapes, sizes, colors and some have lids.

If you are short on time or come across “lost” items daily, baskets are a perfect solution for drop zones. Place two by the main entrance if there are more than two people living in the home. Place two big baskets in the family room, one for blankets and one for random personal items that gather in the communal spaces. So when a family member yells out, “where’s my _____?” you can say, “retrace your steps and check the baskets, sweetheart, honey, love muffin, ooggebooboo.” At some point they will get it. Give it time. Add a basket at the bottom of the stairs to collect things that found their way to the lower level. This allows you to bring the basket upstair when you have time to replace the items and it reduces the tripping hazards around the house. Baskets are also a life saver when unexpected company stops by for a visit. Your home will always look tidy and your visitors will be unaware of your dirty little secret. Try it.

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Michael’s offers 50% off all baskets for most of the year with World Market and Ikea having great selection of baskets and sales throughout the year.

OM in the HOME

Photo by: Logan Nolin @logannolin

Sep 11, 2017 1 min read

Meditation comes in many forms and is accompanied by various rituals. The details that embody a meditation practice are very personal. It is not necessary for one to reach enlightenment or seek out a guru to feel at peace in a living or working space. 

One simple way to create a sense of tranquility at home is by...ready, it's so easy and almost as if you already do it automatically... taking a deep breath on purpose. That's right, taking a deep breath, inhale for a count of five, hold that breath for a moment and then exhale for a count of five transforms human cells and calm the mind.

Breathing is where meditation starts. It is the most incredible release of stress and anxiety. It's free and can be done any time of day. Try this breathing technique before entering home after working, then do it again before going into a work environment. It is a great way to release what has happened and bring the mind to the present moment. 

To take that to the next level, find a soft and pleasant scent that makes you feel light and free. This scent can be found in a hand soap, candle, tea, citrus fruit or essential oil.

These are the simplest ways to start to feel at OM.

#tranqil #peace #meditation #om #home #work #scents #balance

A Minimalist's Quandary

Photo by: LOGAN WEAVER @lgnwvr

Aug 16, 2017 1 min read

It can be challenging being a minimalist in a big box world. Saving money buying in bulk can be tempting, especially for households with multiple people. Perpetually used items such as TP, soap and my favorite, coconut water make sense to keep in stock. This particular quandary could create a bit of confusion for a new minimalist.

Although buying in bulk is the gateway to becoming a hoarder, it is possible to stock pile efficiently. The bonus is that you can still call yourself a minimalist. Here's how...

1.  Make a list of your most used items

2. Research the best deal whether online or at a big box store

3. Choose a dedicated space (a kitchen cabinet, pantry, garage or basement) to store these items and line them up as they would be displayed on a store shelf.  

Now you are ready to be a calculated, budget-friendly, efficient minimalist. 

ORDER UP

Photo by: Jason Leung @ninjason

Organization leads to productivity and clarity in the creative process. Inspiration highway needs to be free and open to allow any creativity to flow. The roadblocks that occur delay the flow for an undisclosed amount of time, which turns out to be a necessary part of the life cycle for new ideas. Emptiness is the beginning of something big and wonderful. After emptiness, there is a glimmer of a possible idea flickering faintly in the distance. In a few days that flicker becomes more pronounced and its time to pay attention and start connecting some dots.

natalini is experiencing this very phase and is now connecting dots along with bringing big, bold visions to life on a scale that has only been a dream until now. Our big visions are going to be featured on the MARKETPLACE page. This is where the sculpture loving, museum going, Dwell reading design junkies will feel right at home. Our really big vision is to see these pieces make it to an exhibition in a museum or gallery somewhere in the world.