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What are your career aspirations? Lawyer/attorney or marketing. 

How did you discover your passion? I take pride in standing up for and always doing the right thing. 

What mark do you hope to leave on the world? I hope by doing small things I can help people everyday. Holding the door open, inviting someone new to sit with us or giving someone a compliment can turn someone’s day around. It doesn’t have to always be something big that makes a difference in a person's life.

What extracurricular activities are you involved in? Allstar cheer, school cheer and track and field. 

What are you most proud of in your life? My team winning bronze at Allstar Worlds in Florida. Allstar cheer is a year round sport and we go through a lot and work really hard to be our best. Our team always comes together physically and emotionally to support each other. It was great to see our hard work pay off. Also my family for always taking me to practice and supporting me through it all.

What advice would you give to other young people? Work hard and never give up. Mind over matter makes a big difference and you have to stay positive even when it’s hard.

Outside of school work, what do you enjoy doing? Hanging out with my friends, shopping, going to the beach and visiting family in Tennessee and California.

The holidays have come and gone, and you’ve found yourself sitting in a pile of toys, clothes, or crafts supplies. And, your first thought may have been, “Where am I going to put all of this?” 

Rather than throwing it all in a closet and slowly walking away, now is the perfect time of year to do a reset and refresh of your kids’ spaces! As a mom of two girls, I know how overwhelming it can be to juggle the constant influx of stuff—whether it's toys, clothes, craft supplies, random "treasures" they collect—all while trying to be intentional about what should take up space in our home.

Coming from a professional organizer, teacher, and fellow mom, I hope that what I’m about to share with you gives you a boost of empowerment, encouragement and inspiration! Take these ideas, and tweak them to fit your family’s needs & personality. 

When it comes to tackling any space, there are two components that should be the focus:

1. Our Mindset

2. Our Goal

Sometimes, it’s a mindset shift that allows a breakthrough in a declutter session. When we spend some time thinking about our approach, our goals become more clear and much more achievable.

Mindset #1: Foster Independence.

Goal #1: Our kids take better ownership over their possessions, spaces, and time. 

“Give a man a fish, and you feed him for a day. Teach a man to fish, and you feed him for a lifetime.” ~Lao Tzu

As parents, we want nothing more than to see our kids succeed. From learning to walk, to grasping how to do a tough math problem, to showing compassion for others, to conquering their personal goals—our job is to give them as many tools as we can so they feel empowered to do these things on their own. 

Something as simple as designating a lower kitchen drawer with kids’ plates, bowls, and cups allows them to participate in setting the table or getting their own snack. 

Allowing your kids to be part of the never-ending laundry process takes some of that mental load off of you. My 13 year old does her own laundry from start to finish, so when I offer to run a load for her if she’s swamped with sportsball practice, she is definitely much more appreciative—because she now understands what goes into it. 

My 3 year old (who loves to climb) helps put her laundry away. We bring out the small step ladder, and she hangs her own clothes. Other items are thrown in the appropriate drawer/bin. It’s not about keeping a perfectly folded pair of leggings in a drawer for a toddler—it’s about learning to care for their things and seeing a job through. 

When the systems are put into place, our kids can then participate in the maintenance. There will absolutely still be messes (like that moment when they dump the entire bin of blocks on the floor...), but organization makes resetting the space significantly easier and faster. 

Pro-Tip: Include your children in your household routines. I’m sure you’ve heard this one before, but shifting the approach from, “Here’s your daily chore because I said so” to “This task helps our family unit work as a team” or “Will you be my helper?”  has an entirely different mentality and tone. 

A Product We Love: Drawer Dividers—a simple solution with a big impact. It keeps drawers structured and tidy.

Mindset #2: Make the bin the boundary.

Goal #2: We are intentional with what we choose to take up space in our homes. 

This can be a tough one! Our kids want all the things but then get overstimulated by all the things, and then...we get overwhelmed by all the things. 

While bins and containers may not be necessary for every space, they do establish a natural boundary for a shelf, cabinet, or drawer. When it comes to helping our kids declutter, this can be game changing—instead of asking your child, “What do you want to donate?” We can shift to: “Let’s choose your most special and favorite toys to keep in this bin.” The bin gives them the limit vs. you giving them the limit. 

Pro-Tip: Decluttering can be an overwhelming process, because we attach items with people and experiences. Focusing more on the desired outcome (for example, freeing up space for more room to play) can help keep us on track and more intentional about what we choose to keep. 

A Product We Love: Multipurpose Bins—they come in a variety of sizes and are a great use of vertical space.

Mindset #3: Every label is one less decision you have to make.

Goal #3: The whole family can participate in a tidying-up session.

I read somewhere that the average adult makes 35,000 decisions a day! Whether they are simple decisions (directions on leaving your neighborhood) or intense decisions (preparing for a major work project), our brains are already in overdrive. There’s a reason why we desire “a place for everything and everything in its place.” We want to make fewer decisions!

Our team is a big fan of labels in our client’s homes, because it’s one less decision they have to make. Family members, caretakers, and play-date friends can easily take part in tidying up knowing the “place for everything.”

Pro-Tip: Once a space has been organized, labels bring uniformity and clarity—these can be printed with a label maker, ordered online, or simply use a roll of masking tape and a permanent marker. The overall purpose is to give every item a home.  

A Product We Love: Zipper Pouches are a great solution for corralling tiny toys, games, puzzles, and craft supplies. Save space by tossing broken or bulky boxes.

As you approach your kids’ spaces this season, consider your mindsets and goals—with the ultimate focus on empowering and educating your children on how to achieve theirs.

Find out more about Natalie and her work here!

Job title / company: Franchise owner of Rhea Lana’s of Valparaiso

Town / city you’re from: Syracuse, Ind.

Town / city you live in now: Valparaiso, Ind.

Describe your family. Significant other? Children?  I married my Highschool sweetheart Brad 13 years ago. We have 3 daughters. Jasey is 8 and then after a 5 year battle with secondary infertility we were blessed with our twins Locklynn and Leonora who are almost 2.

Do you have a license or degree? If so, in what, from where? I got my bachelors and masters in accounting from Ball State University and then obtained my CPA license.
Describe your professional background / history? I worked for a handful of years at a large accounting firm doing taxes before my oldest was born and I decided to stay home with her which has ended up being the absolute best job I could imagine.

How did you discover your passion? During our battle with secondary infertility we decided to fill our home, and the ache in our hearts for more children, by becoming foster parents. We have fostered for almost 5 years now and have had 7 different kiddos in our home. One stayed for just a few weeks, a few for just a few months, and many for well over a year. We loved each and every one of these children immensely. However, they were various ages, genders, and sizes, and as parents know—kids just require and need a lot of stuff. This meant we were constantly gathering everything they needed and later either sending it home with them if it still fit or finding a way to pass those items along when they moved on. The cycle of buying and selling gently used baby and kids’ items made me realize how valuable it was to have a reliable place to do both, and that’s what led me to Rhea Lana’s—helping families find quality items at affordable prices while also giving parents a way to pass along what they no longer need. Being able to work with our local foster closets and other non-profits to help make sure others can utilize these resources is the icing on the cake!

What mark do you hope to leave on your industry? I hope to make quality, affordable kids’ items more accessible while creating a sustainable way to give them new life. Whether it’s helping families stretch their budgets, supporting foster and adoptive parents, or reducing waste, I want Rhea Lana’s to be a trusted resource for the community season after season.

How do you find balance in your life? This was one of the big reasons I decided to pursue starting Rhea Lana’s! The sales are twice a year and while it’s a lot of work in the weeks leading up to each sale it can still almost all be done on my own schedule while I get to be home every day with my girls. It’s made for a great work/life balance.

What are you most proud of in your life personally and/or professionally?  Personally, I’m most proud of the family I’ve built—despite the challenges along the way. Professionally, launching Rhea Lana’s of Valparaiso has been very rewarding. Having this children’s resale event be a continual way for local families to buy and sell high-quality kids’ items at a fraction of retail prices and helping parents provide for their children while giving new life to items they no longer need makes all the hard work worth it.  

What advice would you give your younger self? Take all the pictures, nothing really is all that serious so try not to sweat it, and yes motherhood and kids really are the most amazing life experience even if some of the mundane days and parts are not.

What do you hope your children learn from you? I hope my girls are able to learn from me not to settle for anything they want out of this life. Whether that’s the partner they choose to do life with (I picked an incredible husband and father to my girls and we both tell them frequently how much this decision for themselves will impact both them and their future kids—choose so very wisely), the career path they decide to go down (and that it’s ok to veer off the chosen path…the only taxes I do these days are my own), or just the ways they choose to spend their time (pursue your passions and what excites and invigorates you but be sure you look for ways to have it help and impact others too if possible).

Outside of work, what do you enjoy doing? I love spending time at the lake with my family, reading, playing games, photography, and machine embroidery.

Having a beautiful home should be attainable on any budget. Your husband’s one condition is that the recliner sofa stays? We’ll design around it. You don’t want to hire anyone, you just need guidance and advice with DIYs? I’m your girl. You want to keep your heirloom lamp and work it into the design? Challenge accepted. You have an electrician in the family? Amazing. Let’s use him or her. Many big firms have a set process (and for good reason, to be consistent and profitable), however, that process isn’t always one-size-fits-all, especially for those on a budget. A firm usually has a minimum spend (which can be rather high), a quick timeline to execute all rooms at once so they can forecast for future work, and a markup added to the pieces you purchase. I have nothing against this process. Companies need to make money  and this process works for a lot of clients who want to be rather “hands off” and let a firm handle all aspects of the design, sourcing, purchasing, and construction management. 

I encourage anyone interested in hiring a designer to do your homework - call around. Ask questions about their design and purchasing process, hourly rate, set vendor and trades’ lists, etc. Figure out what works best for you and your needs. Having clear expectations on both sides is so important.

• • • • • • • •

It’s easy to fall in love with too many design styles, but this can leave your home feeling mismatched—like a modern farmhouse kitchen paired with an industrial living room. By creating a cohesive color palette and aesthetic, you’ll establish a clear guide for your home’s design. Each room should align with your moodboard, which can also help harmonize differing styles. Take the time to understand how you and your family live so your home is both beautiful and functional for your lifestyle. Canva is a great place to build a moodboard yourself (or even word/a google doc). I would recommend you start by adding in an image of your flooring and your wall-paint color followed by trial and error with combining different materials or screenshots of rooms you like from pinterest until you've created a cohesive palette. If you're only looking to refresh a space with new throw pillows, a new rug, etc. I would recommend grabbing articles of clothing from your closet of all different colors and start laying them on your sofa one at a time until you've found the color that speaks to you and compliments the sofa best. You can then start adding in additional colors from there. Take that sweater with you when you go to the store to shop - this might sound silly but there are a million different color shades at the store and it's so easy to become overwhelmed trying to imagine what color would look best in your home. My advice for anyone working on your home without the help of a designer would be to create your moodboard and then go one room at a time. Make a general plan for the room based off of your moodboard. It's so easy to purchase a piece of furniture you fell in love with in the store and then you bring it home and it's totally clashing with your existing pieces. Making a plan will help you shop with intention! 

Read more about Samantha here!