Skip to Main Content
The Homes I Have Made
  • Rental Decor
    • Home Tours
    • Room By Room
    • Rental Solutions
      • Walls
      • Floors
      • Windows
      • Lighting
    • Peel & Stick Projects
    • DIY Decor
    • Shop Our Homes
  • Organizing
    • Decluttering
    • Labeling
    • Kitchen
    • Toys & Kids
    • Paperwork
    • Craft Supplies
    • Printables
    • Printable Shop
  • Military Life
    • Moving
    • Coffee Breaks
  • Projects
    • Cricut
    • Crafts
    • Sewing
    • Parties
    • Babies & Kids
    • Holidays
    • All Projects
  • About
    • About
    • Contact
    • Shop our Homes
Follow me:
  • Shop Organizing Printables
The Homes I Have Made Logo The Homes I Have Made Logo
  • Rental Decor
    • Home Tours
    • Room By Room
    • Rental Solutions
      • Walls
      • Floors
      • Windows
      • Lighting
    • Peel & Stick Projects
    • DIY Decor
    • Shop Our Homes
  • Organizing
    • Decluttering
    • Labeling
    • Kitchen
    • Toys & Kids
    • Paperwork
    • Craft Supplies
    • Printables
    • Printable Shop
  • Military Life
    • Moving
    • Coffee Breaks
  • Projects
    • Cricut
    • Crafts
    • Sewing
    • Parties
    • Babies & Kids
    • Holidays
    • All Projects
  • About
    • About
    • Contact
    • Shop our Homes
Open post by thehomesihavemade with ID 18096747946943151
Move number 12 taught me something…
Most people think I can walk into a new house and instantly know where everything should go.
Not exactly.

After 12 moves, I’ve developed a simple system for figuring out room layouts before move-in day—and it saves us a ton of time, frustration, and furniture shuffling.

I’m sharing those tricks in this week’s Sunday Short!

Not already on my email list? Comment NEWSLETTER below, and I’ll send you the link to sign up. If you’re already subscribed, you’re all set and it’ll arrive in your inbox Sunday morning.
.
#militarymove #spaceplanning #homeorganization
Open post by thehomesihavemade with ID 18455124037116106
One of the most common questions I get is:

“How many times have you moved?”

The answer is now TWELVE.

And somehow, move number twelve may have been one of the strangest yet because it was only around the corner from our previous house.

If you missed this month’s Coffee Break, I’m sharing the story behind our unexpected move, why it happened so quickly, and why this new house is opening up some exciting possibilities for future projects.

Comment TWELVE and I’ll send you the post.
.

#MilitaryMoves #LifeUpdate #TheHomesIHaveMade
Open post by thehomesihavemade with ID 18342118456172858
Well…it’s finally time to let you in on something.

Just 9 months after moving into our Camp Pendleton home, we packed everything up and moved again.

Home number TWELVE.

This wasn’t a planned move, and it certainly wasn’t one we expected to make so soon. But after a lot of conversations, a little hand wringing, and some surprisingly fast-moving circumstances, we decided to go for it.

In this month’s Coffee Break, I’m sharing why we moved, what made this move so different from all the others, and why I’m actually really excited about what comes next.

Comment TWELVE and I’ll send you the link to the post.
.

#MilitaryFamily #PCSLife #HomeJourney
Open post by thehomesihavemade with ID 17938974012052394
There’s been a pretty big change behind the scenes over here.

Last summer, we moved into our 11th home. And just a few months ago…we moved again.

Yep. Home number TWELVE.

I’ve been waiting to share the full story because it’s a little complicated, a little unexpected, and honestly still hard for me to believe sometimes.

This week’s Sunday Short is all about how we ended up moving twice in less than a year and what it means for our family moving forward.

If you’re already subscribed, June’s Coffee Break post will arrive in your inbox Sunday morning.

If not, comment NEWSLETTER and I’ll put you on my list.
.

#MilitaryLife #MovingStories #SundayShort
Open post by thehomesihavemade with ID 17915820132391411
One of the organizing questions I’ve started asking myself more often is:
“Am I keeping this packaging because it’s actually helpful…or just because it came with the item?”
.
That question completely changed how I store our Nativity sets.
.
What used to require two oversized bins full of tiny boxes and styrofoam now fits into one organized tub using padded storage pouches and labels.
.
And once I made the switch, I started realizing how many OTHER storage problems this same idea could solve too.
.
Sometimes the best storage solution isn’t the one the item originally came in.
Comment NATIVITY and I’ll send it over!
.

#DeclutterYourHome #OrganizingIdeas #SimpleStorage
Open post by thehomesihavemade with ID 18089267939365576
I know it’s early for Christmas organization content…
…but that timing is actually part of the reason I wanted to share this now.
.
Because if you wait until you’re actively unpacking seasonal decor, you usually don’t have time (or energy) to rethink the storage system.
.
For years, our Nativity sets were stored in giant bins full of tiny boxes, styrofoam, and bulky original packaging.
It technically “worked.”
.
But eventually, the packaging became more frustrating than helpful.
.
So I switched everything over to padded storage pouches with labels — and now both sets fit into ONE bin with room to spare.
.
Today’s post is really less about Nativity sets…
and more about questioning whether your current storage system is actually serving you.
Comment NATIVITY and I’ll send you the link!
.
#NativityStorage #OrganizedHome #StorageSolutions
Open post by thehomesihavemade with ID 17908811100411250
I realize it is VERY much not Christmastime…
…but this is one of those organizing projects you’ll want to think about BEFORE you actually need it.
.
I finally re-packed our Nativity sets and got rid of all the giant original boxes and styrofoam packaging they’d been stored in for years.
.
Looking back, I should have made this switch a long time ago.
.
This week’s Sunday Short is about the simple storage swap that saved a surprising amount of space — and why this idea might solve a completely different storage problem in your own house too.
.
If you’re already subscribed, this week’s email will arrive Sunday morning.
If not, comment NEWSLETTER and I’ll send you the link!
.
#HolidayStorage #HomeOrganization #ChristmasDecorStorage
Open post by thehomesihavemade with ID 18076394891649465
After more moves than I’d like to admit, this is the system I rely on every time.

Not just a checklist—an actual timeline of what to do and when to do it.

3 months out
1–2 months out
Weeks out
Moving week

It takes all the guesswork out of the process.

You can get the full master moving timeline free on my website.
Comment MOVING to get my Master Moving Timeline
Open post by thehomesihavemade with ID 18201578704359887
One of the biggest mindset shifts while decluttering my craft supplies?

I stopped organizing for “someday.”

Instead of keeping supplies for every possible future hobby… I started organizing around the crafts I actually do RIGHT NOW.

That one shift alone helped me clear out:
→ extra machines
→ duplicate tools
→ bins of unused materials
→ supplies tied to old hobbies/phases

And because I was limited to one Kallax shelf, I also had to get really intentional about how the storage itself worked.

The end result is SO much easier to maintain and actually use.

If you missed this week’s post, comment CRAFT and I’ll send it over! 
.

#CraftSupplies #SmallSpaceOrganization #HomeOrganization
Open post by thehomesihavemade with ID 18084418139576499
One thing I’ve learned about craft supplies?

We tend to keep supplies for the person we USED to be.

The sewing era.
The scrapbook era.
The quilting era.
The Cricut-everything era 😅

And before you know it, you’ve got cabinets full of supplies for hobbies you haven’t touched in years.

When we moved into our smaller California home, I only had room for a single IKEA Kallax unit for ALL my craft supplies.

So I had to get brutally honest about:
→ what crafts I actually do
→ what tools I really use
→ what duplicates I didn’t need
→ how to maximize every inch of storage

And honestly? I don’t miss most of the stuff at all.

I’m sharing the full process (plus how I organized everything into just 25 cubbies) in this week’s post.

Comment CRAFT and I’ll send you the link!
.

#CraftRoomStorage #DeclutteringTips #OrganizedLiving
Open post by thehomesihavemade with ID 18328148851266322
I never thought I’d go from entire craft ROOMS…to a single IKEA Kallax shelf.

But honestly?
It ended up forcing me to finally get realistic about all the supplies I’d been keeping “just in case.”

Turns out, I didn’t need:
→ bins of fabric for projects I no longer make
→ duplicate machines
→ endless backup supplies
→ 60 rolls of vinyl 😅

And weirdly? Crafting feels MORE enjoyable now.

This week’s Sunday Short is all about how I reduced years of craft supplies down to just 25 cubbies without feeling deprived.

If you’re already subscribed, this week’s email will arrive Sunday morning.
If not, comment NEWSLETTER and I’ll send you the signup link!
.

#CraftRoomOrganization #DeclutterYourHome #CreativeStorage
Open post by thehomesihavemade with ID 17855534598662398
Not all bike storage solutions fail because they’re bad.
.
Sometimes they fail because they don’t match real life.
.
What finally clicked for us:
🚲 adults + infrequent riders = wall storage works great
🚲 little kids + everyday riders = simple floor parking works better
.
Honestly, giving our younger kids an EASY spot to “park” their bikes has kept the garage more organized than any fancy system we’ve tried.
Sometimes practicality wins.
.
I shared both bike setups we’re currently using in the blog post—comment BIKES and I’ll send it over!
Open post by thehomesihavemade with ID 17888693910507399
One thing I’ve learned after organizing countless spaces over the years:
Convenience matters more than “clever.”
.
We originally installed one of those wall rail bike systems that looked SO organized.
And honestly? It worked beautifully…in theory.
But the bikes were hard to get down.
The handlebars tangled constantly.
The kids couldn’t use it independently.
So the bikes ended up back on the garage floor anyway.
.
After our latest move, we completely changed our approach and started using TWO different bike storage systems instead:
→ one for adults/older kids who rarely ride
→ one for little kids who ride constantly
And it’s working SO much better.
.
Because the best organizing systems are the ones your family will actually use.
.
I’m sharing both setups (plus why our original system failed) in this week’s post—comment BIKES and I’ll send you the link!
Open post by thehomesihavemade with ID 18360861553237306
I spent YEARS trying to find the “perfect” garage bike storage solution.
.
And what I eventually realized is this:
there probably isn’t one universal solution for every bike and every rider in a family.
.
Because little kids who use their bikes constantly?
They need something VERY different than adults or teenagers who ride occasionally.
.
For a while, we tried using the same hanging system for all 5 bikes.
It looked tidy…but it wasn’t practical for everyday use across all ages.
.
So in our current garage, we stopped trying to make one system work for everyone and instead started using TWO different bike storage setups based on who uses each bike and how often.
And honestly? It’s working so much better.
.
This week’s Sunday Short is all about the bike storage systems we’re using now and why matching the solution to the rider made all the difference.
.
If you’re already subscribed, this week’s email will arrive Sunday morning.
If not, comment NEWSLETTER and I’ll send you the signup link!
Open post by thehomesihavemade with ID 18044725778783779
Quick reminder: you don’t have to force every space into the same solution.
.
Paint, wallpaper, paneling— they all have their place.
.
This bathroom just wasn’t a great fit for the first two.
So I tried something different… and it worked.
(With one small mistake I’d definitely fix next time 🙃)
But overall? It made the space feel brighter, more intentional, and way more finished—without anything permanent.
.
I break down what worked + what I’d do differently in the post.
Comment SHIPLAP and I’ll send it your way.
.
#realhomelife #diymistakes #rentalhacks #homeprojects #decoratingrealhomes #budgetdiy #smallbathroomideas #featurewalldesign #renterlife
Open post by thehomesihavemade with ID 18117305905749056
Not every wall needs the same solution.
Sometimes paint makes the most sense.�Sometimes wallpaper is the easiest option.
And sometimes… neither one is worth the hassle.
.
This bathroom was one of those times.
Between the plumbing, the mirror, and the layout, I knew I didn’t want to deal with working around everything.
.
So I tried something different on just one wall… and it completely changed the space.
.
It’s brighter, more finished, and still 100% removable.
I walk through exactly how I did it (and what I’d tweak next time) in today’s post.
.
Comment SHIPLAP and I’ll send it to you.
.
#renterfriendlyhome #bathroomupdate #diyhomeprojects #smallspaceideas #rentaldecor
Open post by thehomesihavemade with ID 18209472745326953
I used to default to painting every rental wall.
And honestly… it works.
.
But over time, the mess, the effort, and having to paint it all back started to feel like a lot.
.
So I started experimenting with other options. Wallpaper was next.
.
And now… I’ve added a third option to my list.
It’s not better than everything else—but in the right space, it might be the easiest upgrade yet.
.
I’m breaking it all down (and how I decide what to use where) in this week’s Sunday Short.
.
If you’re already on the list, you’ll get it Sunday morning. If not, comment NEWSLETTER and I’ll send you the link.
.
#renterfriendlydecor #homedecorhacks #temporarydesign�#rentalhomeideas #decoratingtips budgetfriendlyhome�apartmentdecorating simplehomestyle realhomelife
Open post by thehomesihavemade with ID 18080487185146690
One thing I’ve realized after working in other people’s homes…
.
Most organizing problems aren’t actually about stuff.
They’re about systems that don’t match real life.
.
Because honestly? Most of the “solutions” we use aren’t complicated.
It’s just a fresh set of eyes. A different way to use what you already have.
.
And systems you can actually maintain.
I break down what actually works (and what doesn’t stick) in this week’s post.
.
Comment ORGANIZE and I’ll send it your way.
.
#OrganizingTips #HomeSystems #DeclutterMindset
Open post by thehomesihavemade with ID 18104929823492572
After 6 months working as a professional organizer, here are 3 things I didn’t expect…
→ You don’t need to be embarrassed→ A fresh perspective changes everything→ Organization isn’t a one-time fix
.
Being on the other side of people’s homes has been really eye-opening.
.
We see everything. And I mean everything. And the truth is… we’re not judging. We’re just solving.
.
I’m sharing the full behind-the-scenes (plus a few organizing habits I’ve already stolen for my own home) in today’s post.
.
Comment ORGANIZE and I’ll send it to you.
.
#HomeOrganization #RealHomeLife #SimpleSystems
Open post by thehomesihavemade with ID 18335054938247822
Last year, I hit burnout so hard I completely stepped away from this space.
.
And after 13+ years of working for myself… I didn’t even know what to do with my time anymore.
.
So on a whim, I got a job as a professional organizer.
Six months later, I have thoughts.
Some things totally surprised me. Some things made me rethink how I organize my own home. And some things… I did not expect at all.
.
I’m sharing the behind-the-scenes in this week’s Sunday Short.
.
If you’re already on the list, you’ll get it Sunday morning. If not, comment NEWSLETTER and I’ll send you the link to join.
.
#SundayShort #RealLifeHomes #OrganizingLife
Open post by thehomesihavemade with ID 18108260470915066
If you have a weird, awkward space in your home… This is your sign to stop trying to “decorate around it.”
And start using it.
.
This nook used to:
 • break up our only usable wall
 • limit storage in our kitchen
 • make the whole room harder to function
.
Now it:
 • holds all our serving pieces + extras
 • uses the full height of the room
 • actually makes the space feel finished
.
I shared the full DIY + how I styled these very deep shelves in the post.
.
Comment NOOK and I’ll send it your way!
.

#functionalhome #renterhacks #organizationinspiration
Open post by thehomesihavemade with ID 17884382235519888
This nook made zero sense.
.
It broke up the only solid wall in our kitchen/dining space… which meant no dining hutch… which meant no storage where we actually needed it.
.
We tried ignoring it.
We tried “making do.”
But the second we added shelves?
Everything changed.
→ turned wasted space into real storage
→ created a spot for dishes, serveware, and plants
→ AND made it a focal point instead of an eyesore
.
And the best part?
It’s a simple DIY we can remove when we leave.
.
I walk through exactly how we built it (and how I styled those deep shelves without making them look cluttered!)
.
Comment NOOK and I’ll send you the full post!
.

#renterfriendlydecor #smallspacesolutions #homeorganizationideas
Open post by thehomesihavemade with ID 18098957117102736
There are a lot of annoying things in rental homes…
But this one? This one had me stuck.
.
An awkward nook.
Right in the center of the only usable wall.
Too deep to ignore.
Too big to style.
Too weird for any furniture we own.
.
For the longest time, it just…sat there.
Until we finally stopped trying to “work around it” and decided to use every inch of it instead.
.
In this week’s Sunday Short I am sharing all about what we did—and why this ended up being one of my favorite projects in the whole house.
.
If you’re already on the list, it’ll hit your inbox Sunday morning 💛 If not, comment NEWSLETTER and I’ll send you the link to join!
.
#sundayshort #renterfriendlyhome #homeproblemsolved
Open post by thehomesihavemade with ID 18091574242957173
We’ve moved 4 times in the last 4 years, so at this point…I don’t even try to “wing it” anymore.

Because every single time I think I’ll remember everything… I don’t.

So I made one master moving timeline with everything I actually do—broken down by when it needs to happen (months out, weeks out, right before, etc).

It keeps me from scrambling at the last minute and makes the whole process feel way more manageable.

If you’ve got a move coming up, comment MOVING and I’ll send it straight to your inbox.
#MovingTips #MilitaryMove #PCSReady
Follow on Instagram

Subscribe

to get new posts delivered to your inbox

You did it! Now check your email to confirm your subscription.

There was an error submitting your subscription. Please try again.

  • ^ Back to Top
  • Home
  • About
  • Contact
  • Disclosure & Privacy Policies

©2026 The Homes I Have Made Design by Purr.

I am an Amazon Associate and earn from qualifying purchases.