#steph my beloved i NEEDED to add her

[sroloc--elbisivni]

17, 30, 39, 46, and 49?

17: What highly specific AU do you want to read or write even though you might be the only person to appreciate it?

my kingdom for someone else to write the au after season 2 rise where Splinter gets a retromutagen and Hamato Miwa, perfectly ordinary japanese teenager if you ignore her family's enormous secret legacy, decides to go find out who the fuck this guy impersonating her uncle is, without telling her family she's doing this.

30. Have you ever written something that was out of your comfort zone? If so, what was it, and how did it affect your approach to writing fic thereafter?

so when i wrote you run on gasoline it was the first explicit fic i'd ever written and i wanted to publish it anonymously because i was embarrassed that it was dark TF build-a-baby porn and then I couldn't figure out how to add it to a collection that it was written for so I took it off anonymous. and just having be visibly A Thing I Had Written was...i am cringe and i am free. jumping feetfirst in with dead dove erotica just made it so much easier to do whatever the hell i wanted next.

39. Is any aspect of your writing process inspired by other writers or people? If so, who?

i don't consider my writing to have 'a process' that i break down into component parts, but also like. dropping into an online messenger chat to bounce ideas back and forth with other people has been how i think almost all of my fics have been born since i started talking to @secretlystephaniebrown on skype in. fuck. 2015? 2016? steph when were we on skype. so i guess if i accept that i have a writing process the answer is 'all of it'.

46. Do you prefer writing on your phone or on a computer (or something else)? Do you think where you write affects the way you write?

LAPTOP KEYBOARD MY BELOVED. the day i have enough spare money is the day i am, like a sucker, going to buy one of those fancy portable digital typewriters just so i can have a Real Keyboard under my fingers anywhere, it makes my life so much easier and the words go so much faster. i'll definitely write on my phone if i'm especially consumed by an idea while out and about, because i prefer writing it down to waiting and potentially forgetting, but i don't think that where i write changes anything unless it's like--i don't like writing mushroomverse without internet access because i sometimes need to stop and do research every few sentences. part of why river dredging fic is taking so long is because the articles i need to read live on my computer and i don't like writing when i can't consult them for power.

oh, sometimes if i can't get a fic to flow on the doc that holds all of it i'll switch over to Notes app (even on laptop) to just write the next scene, because sometimes a blank page flows better than adding on to what i had before. and sometimes if i can't get a new scene to flow in notes when i've written the whole thing in snippets i'll swap them all over to a doc to read and get back in gear with.

49. What are you currently working on? Share a few lines if you’re up for it!

trying to get the first fic for bunnyguard wrapped up for the 22nd :3

Usagi made it back to Tadaya Noodles and Tea in time for the quiet part of the afternoon shift, before the dinner rush, when the shop was empty aside from a couple of old men playing mahjong. And Jotaro, at an empty table near the back, coloring on receipt paper. 

He looked up when the bell rang and his face lit up immediately. “Daddy!”

At almost four, he was getting much too fast on his feet. Usagi was barely kneeling to catch his son by the time Jotaro came barreling into his arms. 

[milos-journal]

my magnum fucking opus everyone (emh warrior cats au)

hey guys so i haven't posted art in a HOT minute and ngl its not because of this post lmao im just a lazy fuck. anyway welcome to my fucking EMH WARRIOR CATS AU!!!! im gonna do Evan, Vinnie and Jeff and then cut so if u wanna see Steph, HABIT (True form and Normal) and Alex ya gotta go under the cut sorry bud. feel free to send asks abt this if ur interested im makin this shit its own tag and everything bb

Swiftfoot (Evan)

Warrior of Windclan

Swiftfoot believes himself destined for greatness. Despite his smaller size he's always been one of the best hunters and fighters in his clan, and always put in his best effort. So when a "Starclan" cat going by HABIT proposes to give him leadership and power if he just lets HABIT do all the work, how is he supposed to say no? Little does he know, this would plunge his life into a hell he could NEVER prepare for.

Rabbitclaw (Jeff)

Warrior of Windclan

Rabbitclaw was always the smartest of the group. He is typical for Windclan, tall and lanky, but he is by all means not past average in physical deeds. However, he has always been the tom to come to for advice. That was, until his mate Frostberry had died while the medicine cat was out collecting herbs. And when he starts pointing fingers (paws? tails?) things get a lot more complicated, with more and more Windclan members drop dead, with many theories. The leader and reccently appointed deputy (his friend, Swiftfoot) swear up and down it's dogs, it's twolegs, it's poisoned prey. But he thinks a cats behind it. And right when he's about to find the culprit, Swiftfoot tells him to come visit him by the barn.

Bramblebush (Vinnie)

Warrior of Windclan

Bramblebush was a natural born leader, and was quite strong when it came to work ethic. He always pulled his weight and then some, and was very competitive with his friend, Swiftfoot. But, one night, Bramblebush had a strange dream about a silver tom. And then another. And then another. And they were getting more and more prophetic. But then he started having conflicting dreams and training with a black and silver tom, both sides pulling him in opposite directions, divinity and depravity. Soon enough, Windclan members start dropping like flies and many of his dreams point to Swiftfoot. He finally decides to confront the recently appointed deputy after his friend Rabbitclaw was found dead by a barn, but got attacked by him and was not only threatened, but forced to help him, and it ALL went downhill from there...

ok hoes if you want habit, steph, or alex ya gotta click the cut, this shits already long

Heronfeather (Alex)

Warrior of Windclan

Heronfeather is quite.. complicated. He and his brother, Rabbitclaw, had a rough past. Their parents were taken in a culling twolegs performed on the clans (how he got his face scar). Since then, Heronfeather has been a more anxious cat, always careful with his next step. But he is a lot smarter than many take him for. Many underestimate him, take him as a paranoid tom and that's it. But when things start going on around camp, without his brothers approval, he IMMEDIATELY starts investigating, getting him farther than his brother, pinning the culprit as Swiftfoot. However, unknowing that Bramblebush and Swiftfoot were now partnered up, he goes on a patrol with them thinking he was safe in numbers. However, he does not return.

Wolfpaws (Steph)

Medic of Windclan

Wolfpaws is a victim of unfortunate circumstance. She initially was not tied up in any of this, she just helped heal her clanmates and occasionally give advice. Until she comes back to camp one day to find her friend, Frostberry's, dead body right in the middle. Rabbitclaw immediately starts accusing her, but the new deputy defends her. She finds comfort in him and later they have the little orange kit depicted, Myrtlekit! However, she finds herself more and more uneased by her (secret) mates behavior...

Swiftfoot (Evan) HABIT

Dark Forest Resident, posessing Warrior of Windclan

Not much to say about this guy that won't be in his little backstory. He's responsible for all the murders, the guy Bramblebush was training with in his dark forest dreams, the one pulling the strings. He easily pulls people along, tapping into the charisma and strength that Swiftfoot already possessed (transmasc swag).

HABIT (True form?)

Dark forest residence, past Skyclan deputy

HABIT was known as Jackalfrost when he was a deputy/warrior, and he was horrific. He lived in the lap of luxury as a kittypet until he joined the clans, which he only wanted to battle and fight, and threatened his way into the deputy position. He ruled and killed for sport (made cats battle for his entertainment, sent kits into training/battle super early, had an iron grip on the code and would punish minor breakers by death, etc.) He was assassinated by a silver tabby tom, the Thunderclan medic Silverwhisker. He still haunts the clans, taking some poor cats body every few years and doing it all again.

ok i'm done now AMA about this in asks PLEASE !!!!!! PLEAS E E

[batarangsoundsdumb]

guess fucking what? my inbox is so fucking full right now i'm unloading all of this shit in one post.

For the 11th gotham memes: gothamites react to bruce being jacked in a tiktok he made with kids, like super yoked, ripped as hell

fucking hilarious thanks. i think i did it in one meme post, but i genuinely don't remember which one

i dunno which of the batfam would do this but one time i was sleeping over at a friends house and ended up on the floor bc the bed was so very small and i just stayed there because the rug was soft

that's a drunk jason move i don't know what to tell you

tim and jason are "i listen to pop punk" solidarity. whenever jason highjacks the batmobile theyll go on long ass car rides blaring mcr and paramore and then never talk about it again

as they should!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! tim: no jason it's my turn using the aux cord i gotta put on my jams jason: don't you dare put on weird shit tim: don't worry, you're gonna love this *plays fearless (taylor's version)

hear me out hear me out, red hood stans 🤝 nightwing stans t h i g h s

holy shit yes.

SNL au: Bruce breaks character when pretending to superman and says something like "I'm not superman! You've seen his gps!! It's from 2001!!!" @sabeanybabe

superman flies past the snl building the next day just to say 'actually it's from 2005, i'm not a heathen'

does your back hurt from carrying the batfam fandom

it hurts more from the exotic rock collection i keep in my backpack, but thanks for the concern.

I love your posts by why would you always leave the best parts in the tags?

as a treat for the people that check the tags ;) (and also because i'm committed to the short post aesthetic)

somehow your playlist was everything i never knew i needed. i mean it. this is my new favorite playlist.

and don't you dare get a new favourite playlist!

babe ur stoner tim playlist is exactly too perfect, earth is literally blessed by ur existence

babe thanks so much! i love my stoner tim playlist because it's just my usual playlist but people think it's an artistic choice that i put taylor swift and britney spears in there, when it's just what i unironically like listening to

JANDKSKDK BILLY RAY CYRUS ON THE STONER TIM PLAYLIST I LOVE IT IT

again it's not even an ironic choice, i know every single word and i genuinely like the song

The last chapter of Fundamentals of Casework has me crying at work. Thanks I love it @dudelookitsalesbian

oh babe, i'm sorry, but also, not sorry i love chapter 4 so much it's my lovechild with the 'mental illness' tag

soooo....stumbled on your tumblr by some stroke of fate??? read your DC fanfic first. which is PHENOMENAL btw. then found all the batmemes; the funniest thing EVER bc everyone forgets about regular old gothamites. kept scrolling and your blog pops up as recommended. clicked on the ao3 for shits and giggles and waddaya know?!?!? it's YOU!!! you're LEGEND!!!! ever seen that meme? it's a video of a cat that got into a baseball field and the two announcers get really invested in his escape attempt and start giving a play by play of the cat instead of the game. memeable moment: "GREAT stuff from the Cat!!!"

i seriously think about this ask every single day and it's so fucking funny to me that i've never seen the meme you're referencing, but i still find myself going 'GREAT stuff from the Cat!!!' whenever i see something funny. but wow i'm glad you liked this steaming pile of garbage

Fav dc character overall? And fav batfamily character?

don't ask me to pick between the loves of my life, but i can tell you i've cried about every single batfamily member and also wally west (my beloved)

What's your opinion on fans having a problem with batfam being "too big"? And some even claim that batfam is just "Bruce Alfred Dick Damian" and the rest of them are just "friends and allies" (source: reddit) Personally, I like batfam because of this reason but idk

stupid. a family can never be too big. i'm not that big a fan of like huge batfam stuff with everybody from every single universe, because as much as it's funny for bruce to have like 30 kids, it just feels a little too OOC for me.

This is the best tag I've seen involving the batfam, thanks for thinking of it

This is canon now @nctxrejects

lmao yeah i think at that point alfred has had to sit through like at least a dozen coming out talks and just has a pride flag collection in the attic that he pulls out whenever a kid comes out

idk why batfam hits different as compared to any other superhero family

bc it's found family and usually the other superhero families are almost all genetically related in one way or another

I don't know if you watch the umbrella academy but I saw your last post about batcest and saw the similarities. But the thing is (although I think it's weird) in TUA, they addressed it by saying "they were raised as weapons, not siblings" or something along those lines, which is simply not the case with batfam.

yeah i watched tua but i also thought it was ridiculous and they still treated each other as siblings so i didn't like the luthor/allison thing, and am glad they stopped doing that shit bc it fucking sucked.

Hot take: Batcest shippers are the same people who believe adopted siblings are not actual siblings

smoking hot take: batcest shippers are the people who watch 'my sister got stuck in the washing machine' porn

Duke was adopted by Bruce?

not technically no, but do i, tumblr user batarangsoundsdumb, look like i care?

True story but I had to change my freaking name because it used to be "Damien" and most people would go "OH LIKE DAMIAN WAYNE" like please I'm just tryna live

true story, but i don't actually think of damian when i hear the name damian, literally the first thing that pops up is damian darkh like bruh what?

apparently dc comics company supported comic stores by giving out new titles and stuff during the beginning of the pandemic to help them run and I just think that's wholesome

ah yeah that's so fucking cool, still don't like dc, the company, because this world is a capitalist hellhole and we're all owned by warner brothers or disney with no in between.

ayo looking at tumblr head canons and finding out bruce is actually a terrible father is a punch in the gut

lmao yes, in like 50% of comics bruce is a terrible father and it gives me whiplash

oooh I just saw the jason todd vs winter soldier post and the real question is: batman vs iron man

while iron man has like hundreds of cases of armor, batman could throw out an emp and have the guy dropping out of the sky in 2 seconds.

dickfast = fastdick = quickdick = quickie

magnum hot take

hey bata(?) just thought I'd let you know I have copied the obnoxious emoji and Billy Ray post for use on simping men going forth

thank you 😘🌷 (@spacebarsidecar)

why would you do that to your followers???? i get why i did it, but why would you???

what is scarecrow made the nightwing funko pop himself, like those diy-ers that paint over other ones

oh god no, horrible take, horrible take, that's a disgusting thought oh no

I see your HC that Bruce and Oliver fucked and raise you this: Dick and Roy ALSO fucked

yes they did and it was a horrible moment for jason to find out dick has fucked both of his best friends

"at this rate bruce adds like 1 child to his family every decade or so" Duke is introduced in 2013, Damian as Damian, not as an unnamed child, in 2006. And he is already 14 years old, Robins rarely remain Robins after 16 😬 It looks like a new Robin and Batkid will appear in a couple of years

i mean i can't wait? but somebody will probably die first tho, we're due for another major character death. my money's on either cass or duke this time.

BRO you're so right all of your Bruce's ex headcanons are amazing but they aren't ships, that's kinda wild. Like I don't want any peeks into how their relationship was I just want to see everyone make fun of them

lmao YES it's just i love bruce being a slut, like good for him.

I am in love with your posts your honour thank you

omg thanks are we like,, gonna kiss now?

The justice league needs to have a meeting to discuss how many of their members/partners have slept with bruce. Because through a combination of cannon & fannon (if DC wasn’t homophobic) we have AT LEAST: 1) clark 2) lois 3) oliver 4) dinah 5) john

Thats not counting villains or random civilians @dudelookitsalesbian

yes yes yes, they'll have a yearly meeting about how many of their collective exes could be out for revenge and batman's list just keeps getting longer.

tim was like "i'm drake now" and everyone was like ahh so your fursona is a dragon and tim was like pffffft no. ducks.

and what about it?

when steph's fighting livewire and she zaps her with lighting and nothing happens and then they both just. stand there awkwardly for a second and talk. yeah i couldn't stop laughing at that batgirl steph is the BEST

oh yeah that was fucking hilarious and i think it would be so cool and sexy of dc to give steph a little comic series,,, as a treat

Hi I absolutely adore all of yours "Bruce and Oliver very badly pretending they didn't fuck each other" memes

lmao i do too

I need you to know that “Bruce Wayne had frosted tips” is one of my favorite Bruce takes of all time it’s so galaxy brained. you’re right and you should say it

he also painted his hair blonde once when he was travelling and in conclusion, this is why he's being blackmailed by the gotham gazette.

you know my thing about gordon being branded as the only good cop in gotham is its a load of shit like arguably he's a good person and not working to screw people over or anything but the fact that he also works w. batman makes him a shit cop. like yea batman is better than the mob but its still illegal its still an abuse of power he just not making bank

babe, all cops are bad cops. (but yeah youre absolutely right, working with vigilantes makes you a shit cop, but also working against vigilantes just makes you an asshole cop yanno?)

ruh roh i think i’m about to add “so not yeehaw” every time i don’t like something

that's a very good vocabulary upgrade

somehow i feel like steph already knew. like babs obviously knew but i feel like bruce got high/drunk in front of steph and started telling his boarding school stories and steph was just like “oh you fucked up i’m never gonna forget this”

steph and bruce have weird uncle/rebellious niece dynamic and they just hang out sometimes and bruce will be like 'i once broke my arm when i tripped over a hedge when i was drunk so oliver drove me to the hospital on an electric scooter' and steph will just have to sit there with that knowledge in her head.

Hello I just wanted to tell you you are So right in all your steph opinions bc she is, in fact amazing and I think that's very sexy of you. Ps. Your Bruce/Oliver fic is hilarious

babe, thank you so much and yes steph is amazing and i love her and she deserves the world and she's the best member of the batfam hands down. also thanks

In Supersons we see a couple of kids that are implied to be Damian and Jon's children and the boy has laser eyes and can fly, so I asume he's not adopted. The girl, who calls Bruce grandpa, can also fly, btw. So it's canon (probably by accident) that Jon can have kids and he must have married one of Bruce's kids. (I'm hoping for Damian, mostly because any other of his children would be waaaaaaaaaaaaay too old.) @artemisa97

lmao that was probably an accident seeing as jon is a 17 year old superhero in the year 3000 (by the jonas brothers)

You know, I'm a die hard fan of your memes, but I gotta say one thing: if Gothamites actually took gas mask everywhere with them, then the Scarecrow would just be a weird dude in a weird costume, and not a villain oh so scary. DC really should just takes notes from you.

bold of you to assume there's no gothamite anti-maskers

How does it feel being the funniest person on this app?

horrible, next question.

I can't listen to Green Day or Billy Joel without thinking of your post about how Bruce got arrested at a Billy Joel concert @nightwings-kid

yeah that's your mistake, i on the other hand can't enjoy billy joel without thinking about the glee rendition of 'uptown girl'

I've FINALLY been watching the Batman animated series and I gotta say, after watching "the gray ghost" I am CONVINCED that Batman is a closeted super hero geek who was 100% freaking out the first time he met Superman and is just REALLY good at hiding it.

superman: so what do you do in your free time? batman, thinking about the superman fanfiction he's writing on the batcomputer: i have no free time

bruce and oliver be like boyfriends to co-workers 401k (do the justice leagues get 401ks??? not that bruce and ollie would need them, but-)

lmao yes just 400 thousand words of bruce realising 'oh dip oliver is such a fucking dumbass' (also i don't know what a 401 k is but i assume they don't?)

Gothamites would totally boo superman as he saves Gotham while batman is out. @meenje

he's like 'okay think about that next time you want to be saved from an alien octopus'

I just took long break from dc comics and I come back to see ric grayson ??

i think it's very cool and sexy of dc to see dick and just think 'you know what? let's just give him a traumatic brain injury' and then didn't develop his character in any real way

SPEAKING OF RIC GRAYSON, gothamites making confused memes out of ric grayson is much needed

'dick grayson is my taxi driver? can anyone explain what the fuck happened he looks like an italian plumber?'

i hate to say it but batfam are def "marvel characters" in that sense they are characters who are human but become superheroes unlike most dc characters who are gods trying to be human maybe this is why I like batfam

fair enough

[voidselfshipp]

The sword

Cw: ask to tag, none that I can think so? Mentions of Gore maybe? Its in a joke but feel free to ask me to tag anything.

Ok to rb

Summary: jericos sword, the eye of the beholder, was thought lost after the events of endgame, dr strange found it one day and is advised to call jerico to pick it up, sadly to do that he Will have to endure the mockery of loki first

A/n: im just playing around with my s/I , I dont have anything set in stone yet so enjoy the Shenanigans

Theres a tale, a rumor of a sword, created right where thors hammer and axe were build.

The sword was lost after the events of thanos death, Granting the world peace wit the populations restored.

And yet here it was the sword.

--it has jericos magic all over the place--dr strange said-- im afraid I cant touch it without Burning myself...

Wong looks at him-- youll need to call her, give it back to her, the eye of the beholder is much powerfull in her hands

Stephen looks at him-- she said she was going to take a bath, and loki is over her place to visit, I dont want to hear him

His friend looked at him-- the sword grows restless, it needs its weilder, unless you want a flying sword cutting peoples head accidentally until it reaches her

The sorcerer sighs pulling out his phone and calling jerico-- cant Belive youre making Me do this...

Jers phone rings,loki, who was enjoying dancing to himself, groans, answering the phone-- ah the second hand dorkcerer calls, what do you want?, is it about the date you have with jerico on saturday? Wich I May add, breaks our agreement of spending a whole week with her EACH!

Dr strange sighed-- yeah, no, when se comes back from the shower come and see me, we found her sword

The god of mischief stops breathing for a second-- the eye of the beholder?, wasnt it destroyed with the battle with thanos?

The other Man sighed-- so we thought, but jericos power re-assembled it

Loki sighed-- fine, we'll be there in twenty minutes

-- see you there

He hangs up and loki puts Jers phone to charge, he leans on the bathroom door knocking it softly-- my little mouse, the second hand dorkcerer called

He hears a muffled-- oh what does stephe want? Did he cancelled the date?

The Man scowls at the thought of not spending saturday with his girlfriend-- no my dearest, he found your sword, I told him in twenty minutes Will be there,how much more time Will you be there?

--give me ten

When jerico was done getting herself changed loki opened a portal to the sanctum.

--Ah there you are-- dr strange said closing a book as loki closed the portal-- thought youd be too busy taking your head out of your arse

The god of mischief scowls-- and I thought youd be in a childrens party, pretentious magician

As both fight wong leads jerico to the sword--are they always fighting?

Jer sighs-- yeah it gets worse when thors around-- she looks at the sword and smiles picking it up-- just as I remember her-- she twirls the weapon-- I missed her humming

-- well its a powerful weapon in the hands of an artist --wong added-- now do you mind breaking those twos fight?

She nodds gripping the sword tightly, she holds it to her lips and whispers-- hold them back

Throwing the sword It breaks in to, handcuffing loki and Stephen to opposite walls.

The cape dr strange was using slips off of him and flies to jerico, putting itself on her-- aww you missed me?-- jerico asked--The cape swishes around.

--i feel. so. betrayed. -The sorcerer said.

The cape mocks him to the best of its abilities-- bueno-- (well) jer started-- you two done?,if you say sorry to eachother, ill let you two go

--never!

--No way!

The sword sort of sighs with its weilder-- okay, ill revoke your cuddle privileges

Both men turn to her, Like scared puppies-- no!

--i Will say sorry!-- loki said, to then sigh deeply-- sorry for calling you a second hand dorkcerer

--apologies accepted...

--Stephen...-jerico Warned. Amused at her boyfriends behaviour.

--Fine, sorry for insulting you

Both apologies were as fake as they come, but it was enough.

The sword lets them go returning to its normal form,being taken by jerico who rests part of the blade on her shoulder.

The cape returns to dr strange.

-- now that you are here-- Stephen said-- care for tea?

--i could use some yeah-- loki said.

-- follow me then

Jer followed them both happy to have her beloved sword back, and being able to enjoy at least two of her partners company, wondering how long would it be before they fight and insult eachother again.

[shawierich-blog]

New Year, New Home: How To Declutter And Organize All Year

This is your year. You're going to start fresh and figure out how to declutter and organize your home (and keep it organized) once and for all. You should be able to get that figured out in a month or so, right? 

Not necessarily. Once the calendar flips, you'll find yourself rudely reminded of your responsibilities at work, the tangle of schedules for the kids and a longing for new personal adventures (like finally committing to that morning yoga class). Suddenly, your infallible home organization system seems hopelessly flawed.

Don't get stressed out! Here's a plan you can actually stick to. We created a month-by-month checklist culled from the smartest home organization experts we could find to help you get your act together at the leisurely pace of a full calendar year.

Declutter and Organize Your Home, One Month at a Time

Month One: Tackle your laundry room.

Let's go right to one of the trouble spots as we decide on the best ways to declutter and organize your home. Your laundry room is one of the hardest-working spaces in your home. Since it sees a lot of action, start your organization project by removing everything but the washer and dryer. Give all surfaces and baseboards a nice cleaning and then sweep or vacuum the floor. Then:

Add a drying bar: Rather than hanging your wet delicates from random spots in your house (we've all been guilty of using the shower, doors and chairs), install a drying bar right in the room. Mount a shower rod, bath towel holder or extension rod underneath a shelf, giving you a great spot for a row of hangers.

Contain your supplies: “Instead of having bottles of detergent all over the top of your machine or all over the floor, use a rolling cart,” Bonnie Dewkett from The Joyful Organizer advises. “It slides in between your washer and dryer or along side the unit. It is plastic and easy to clean when detergent spills.”

Organize your clothes: Laundry bins full of dirty clothes can easily crowd your floor. Use a hamper, baskets or bins to pre-sort dirty clothes (one for whites, lights and darks). When it's full, you'll know to do the wash.

“Have a spot for miscellaneous items,” Bonnie adds. “Misfit socks, items you find in pockets, and small toys that have fallen into the laundry basket can all clutter up your laundry room. Purchase a bin or jar and put all of these random items in there. Let your family members know where to look to find their stuff. Every few months, clean it out.”

Month Two: Give your mudroom a makeover.

Your mudroom is the entry to your home, which means it could be the first thing people see when they come over. Whether you have a spacious room or a cramped doorway, chances are this space could use a little love.

“Only things that you truly need as you're coming or going and that you use on a daily basis should be kept in the area,” Steph from Modern Parents Messy Kids explains. “A safe rule is: if it can possibly go somewhere else, it should.”

Include seating: A small bench is a smart addition to any entryway, since it offers a place for people to safely put on or take off their shoes. And added bonus? You can use the space underneath to store shoes.

Install hooks: Hooks work great for entryways that lack a closet space. Even a short rack can hold your guest's coats, purses and other accessories.

Allocate space: Purchase a basket for each family member, and allow them to use it for their shoes, gloves and scarves or small sports items. 

Month Three: Simplify your bedroom.

“In order to get the most restful sleep, the bedroom should be a serene, uncluttered environment,” Kirsten Fisher from Imagine Home Organization says.

You can't figure out how to declutter and organize your home if you can't get a decent night's sleep! To simplify your bedroom, Kirsten suggests:

Being consistent: Give your room a unified look by purchasing a complete bedding set that includes a bedframe, skirt and shams. Commit to taking three minutes each morning to make your bed.

Maximizing storage: Use bedside tables with drawers and add behind-the-door shelves. If you find you need extra storage, place a trunk or long ottoman at the end of the bed.

Keeping surfaces clear: Avoid messy floors and table tops by establishing a “home” for every item in your bedroom. Nothing should be left lying around!

Staying clean: Place your clothes hamper in an easily accessible location, this way dirty items can go directly from your body to the laundry without stopping on the floor or bed.

Month Four: Rearrange your kitchen pantry.

Along with the laundry room, the kitchen probably gets the most work out of any room in your house- - which is why organizing it can be so hard. While you probably clean out your fridge and scrub your counters regularly, you may be guilty of avoiding your pantry.

To declutter and organize your pantry, start by removing everything and giving it a good scrubbing. Then, take a look at everything you have stored inside, and dispose of anything that is expired or will never be used (did you need that much cream of mushroom soup?).

Limit your pantry to the necessities. Donate anything you won't use to a food bank, and move doubles to other cabinets or even the basement.

For the remaining items, Abby from Just a Girl and Her Blog recommends swapping out bulky packaging for containers or bins that can sit on top of one another. She also suggests using cabinet risers to hold things like spices and soups, which give height to items in the back and make them easier to locate.

Month Five: Declutter and organize your shed.

“In order to maximize storage in your shed, you need to provide a storage system,” Kirsten says. “A large empty cube is the least efficient method of storage, so you need to create structure.”

Remove everything from your shed. Eliminate items you no longer use or aren't in the best condition. Organize everything into categories, such as sports gear, gardening equipment, tools and decorations.

“The best solutions utilize the full height of the wall and overhead space,” Kirsten adds. “Organization says minimizing the number of things you have to have on the floor. Utility shelving is excellent and one of the best systems for flexible wall storage for tools is ELFA sold by The Container Store.”

Month Six: Condense your entertainment.

Although the world seems to be becoming increasingly digital, many of us still hold on to our beloved hard copies of DVDs, Blu-Ray Discs and even VHS tapes (nostalgia, right?). Instead of letting those bulky plastic cases take over your living room, invest in a multimedia shelving system.

Before deciding on the size of your unit, take a look at your inventory and omit anything you don't need. When is the last time your teenage children watched those cartoons? Figure out what your family still uses, and donate or store the rest.

Once you've established your new library, create a system that determines how you organize your media on your shelves. You can get as specific as you want (by album title, artist name or genre). If you're wondering how to organize your home and are really short on space (and don't mind ditching the cases), opt for a simplified setup.

“When storing movies, DVDs and CDs, it's really helpful to remove the DVDs and CDs from their packaging and store your movies and music in a DVD binder instead,” Lauren Kim from momhomeguide.com says. “A DVD binder has several sheets of plastic sleeves that can store at least 200 DVDs and CDs. I moved my family's movies into a DVD binder, and now instead of storing our movies in a big ottoman, we can store our movies in a slim binder that fits easily into our TV entertainment unit.”

Month Seven: Revitalize your bathroom cabinet.

Although it's commonly referred to as a medicine cabinet, you're better off using this space for your beauty products.

“Consider moving drugs to a different location, such as a high kitchen shelf,” Alice Daniel from Better Homes and Gardens suggests. “High humidity and heat can cause some medicines to lose their potency. Wherever you store your medicines, make sure they are out of reach of children.”

Only the most-used items should be stored in your bathroom cabinet. If you don't use it daily, put it in the closet or under your sink. To organize your remaining items:

Use jars: Clear jars make it easy to quickly find whatever you are searching for. Use them to hold your cotton balls, Q-tips, band-aids and small lotions or ointments.

Add trays: Thin desk trays double as the perfect organizer for small items, like nail polish, tweezers and other tools.

Place by popularity: To avoid adding time to your already hectic morning, organize your supplies based on how often you use them. Place most-used product at eye level, and less popular ones on higher shelves.

Month Eight: Focus on your furry friends.

You may not be able to train your four-legged friends how to declutter and organize your home, but you change a few things to make it easier to keep them safe and organized.

“Just like with children, it's important to weed out your pet's playthings from time to time,” Sarah Soboleski from Classically Organized advises. “Your pet most likely has a favorite chew toy and preferred stuffed animal, so work on letting the rest go. And, of course, you should have one central location to keep their playthings. A bin or basket or even a diaper caddy could work well to corral their items.”

It's also a smart idea to buy an inexpensive rubber mat to put under your pet's food and water bowls. This will keep it from sliding around, protecting the floor from scratches and spills.

Just like you, your pets have a unique list of special needs. Type up relevant care instructions, like medicines, allergies, contact information and directions to the nearest animal hospital, to put with your family's records. This way, whoever is in charge of your companion will know what to do if anything was to happen.

Month Nine: Purge your playroom.

“A thing that's important in any organizing endeavor,” Stacy Erickson, a child development specialist and professional organizing blogger for Home Key Organization, says, “is to have the least amount of stuff possible. Less stuff equals less to clean/put away which equals more time.”

Kids are constantly getting new toys and games. Before jumping right into your organization project, take the time to donate your child's unused toys.

“Reducing the amount of toys in your space not only makes things less overwhelming for you, but it can also help your child focus better and become more engaged in independent play,” Stacy explains. “Try putting half of the toys that are out right now away in a safe storage spot. Carefully observe your kids for a couple of days after that and see what happens.”

Organize toys based on similarity, and store them in clear bins for easy visibility.

Abby recommends labeling everything - this will help you or your child find things quickly.

Use wall storage and stackable bins to keep your floors clear of clutter.

Following this system will help encourage them to be active themselves in decluttering, regardless of their age.

Month 10: Establish a recycling system.

Americans generate about 254 million tons of trash. That's a lot of garbage! As you figure out how to organize your home, minimize your family's ecological footprint by creating a recycling center right in your own home.

The best way to stay consistent with your recycling is by sticking to one place. Determine an area in your home that can hold the extra storage (the garage, laundry room and kitchen are popular areas), and clear it of any existing clutter.

Then, purchase matching containers. Every area recycles differently, but it's safe to say you'll need at least three options: one for metal, one for plastic and one for paper. Depending on space, you can hang bags from your wall, stack bins on top of each other or place cans next to one another.

“Designate and clearly label containers for your recyclables,” Jill Annis from Simply Organized, LLC says. “Have the containers easily accessible in your kitchen or pantry to prevent recyclables from cluttering counters.”

Month 11: Declutter and organize your home office.

Start this new habit in the new year to significantly declutter and organize your office. “Reduce paper clutter by scanning documents and storing them electronically when possible,” Bryn Huntpalmer of unclutter.com explains. “Organize your electronic files into clearly labeled directories on your computer hard drive and get in the habit of backing up all your files to an external hard drive at least once a week. You might also consider automatic backup to Cloud storage.”

To organize your physical papers, create a color-coded filing system. Each category (medical, financial, insurance, warranties, etc.) should have a unique color or pattern. This will allow you to keep everything in place and easily found in the case of an emergency.

When it comes to the rest of your office goodies - focus on simplicity. Invest in a few boxes and drawers to hold supplies, and be sure to label everything so you know what is inside. Play with fun colors, photos of your loved ones or your favorite quotes. This is a place of creativity - you'll want to surround yourself with a little inspiration!

Month 12: Manage your makeup.

Sick of running late because you couldn't find your go-to red lipstick? Yeah, we've all been there. Take this month to manage your makeup:

Ditch: Even though your makeup hasn't run out yet, it may still be time to ditch it. All makeup has a shelf life, and ignoring it can make your face a breeding ground for bacteria. Dispose of anything that is past its time (do you really need three black mascaras, anyway?).

Divide: “Now that you're left with the products you want to keep,” Sarah Soboleski from Classically Organized says, “start putting things together in categories. Keep your brushes all in one place, your moisturizers together, and your lip glosses grouped with one another. This way you always know where to find something and you can see your collection at a glance to know if you're getting low or missing a certain color.”

Designate: Place each item in a designated space, and commit to keeping it there. Depending on the setup of your vanity, use drawer dividers, acrylic drawers, plastic containers or over-the-door organizers to hold your products.

And don't forget about those brushes! Just wet your brush, swirl it in baby shampoo, rinse and lay to dry overnight.

Too much stuff, not enough space?

You wanted to figure out how to declutter organize your home, and you succeeded - that's great! But now you're left with a ton extra things you're not ready to get rid of, but they don't necessarily have a place in your home.

Our solution? Self-storage. Life Storage offers a variety of storage options to protect even your most delicate belongings. Visit our website to find a storage unit near you. You can even learn more about how you can receive a free rental truck.

How do YOU tackle clutter year-round? We'd love to hear your tips and tricks. Let us know in the comment section below!

This post originally appeared on the Life Storage blog on 1/5/16 and was revised on 12/31/18 to provide new information.

[ginobsessions]

Sorry to those who are trying to avoid it, but Christmas is coming folks, whether you like it or not.  I for one LOVE Christmas, I adore giving gifts, spending time with family and more than anything I delight in being able to start drinking before midday without anyone batting an eyelid!

This post is not only for gin lovers, but is also directed at Christmas loathers…like my Uncle Malcolm, lets see if we can fill you guys with a little of the best kind of Christmas Spirit!  So here you have it;

A Gin Lovers Guide to Christmas

Decorations

The first step on my yearly Christmas journey is the tree and decorations, and I’m not ashamed to say they go up at the end of November!  When decorating with a gin theme, here are some options to consider.

Tree decorations – Gin baubles have become a recent Christmas craze and are ideal for hanging on trees or garlands.  There are a few different distributers. Sipsmith have adapted their miniature bottles with ribbon, allowing them to be hung from branches as tree decorations.  The presentation box, filled with six, 5cl bottles will only set you back £25 and provide that extra bit of Christmas cheer.  This year Pickering’s are again selling their famous gin baubles, which are now being shipped internationally!!!  A box will set you back £30 and contains six different, brightly coloured baubles, each filled with 5cl of delicious Pickering’s gin.  If you haven’t watched their advert for the baubles yet, you really need to!  If you’re looking for something a little less alcoholic, FromPeriod2Penthouse on Etsy are selling some gorgeous handmade, silver plated gin themed tree decorations, made using the bowl part of a spoon.  These decorations are far more traditional and beautifully stunning.

Lights – Every Christmas needs lights, and would you believe it, gin lights are actually available to buy.  The gorgeous lovelies at Tatty Devine have created a fabulous string of gin bottle Christmas lights.  They are battery operated, with each string measuring 4.2m and holding 16 mini gin bottles.  These lights are absolutely adorable and a must have for any gin themed Christmas!

Food

Arguably one of the most important parts of the day, the whole family gather together to eat food that has been cooking for hours.  So lets throw some gin into the mix.

Many argue that breakfast is the most important meal of the day, which surely then means that Christmas breakfast is the most important meal of the year!  Hubby and I ALWAYS start with a morning gin, which comprises of gin and bitter lemon.  However, if this is a little bit too far a leap, why not start the day with some tea and toast?  Gin and Tonic tea of course, courtesy of Fortnum & Mason.  A pack of 15 bags will set you back a mere £6.95, an absolute bargain in my eyes. For the toast, why not smother it in something ginsanely delicious…gin jam.  Pinkster sell a yummy raspberry gin jam and fear not strawberry fans, for Fresha Strawberry Gin have just released their own jam too, I have been lucky to try this and it really is great.  If you’re anything like my Gran, and you’re more of a marmalade fan, then The Bay Tree have you guys covered with their lemon marmalade with gin and lime.  Not a fan of toast, in which case grab yourself a tub of Rachel’s Organic lemon & gin yogurt which is now available to buy in Sainsbury’s.

The rest of the day can be filled with a selection of the following…

Nibbles – Lidl are selling Gin and Juniper roast pork flavoured crisps or Joe & Steph’s can provide the Gin & Tonic popcorn.

A sweet tooth – Gin & Tonic chocolate, by Coco Chocolatier, Tarquin’s Cornish gin fudge or Prestat gin truffles.  Smith and Sinclaire have created the ultimate in grown up sweets, chewy edible cocktails, in the form of their gin selection and their gin cocktail selection.

Mince pies – a staple at many a Christmas dinner table.  Only this year, why not try a mince pie with a difference?  Aldi are releasing Sloe Gin Mince Tarts as part of their new collection, and at only £2.29 for 6, this is a definite must have for any gin lover.

Christmas Pudding – The big end to our festive stuffing is the Christmas pudding.  Selfridges are selling a sparkling gin Christmas pudding and Meg Rivers has created a Christmas pudding with gin.  If like me, you’re not a huge Christmas pudding fan, then fear not, for the wonderful people at Sacred Gin have liquified it for us…Christmas Pudding Gin, now this to me sounds far more in the spirit of things!

Clothing

It is important to look the part on Christmas day, I always wear a Christmas themed dress and buy my father a hideous Christmas Hawaiian shirt, but this year, lets think gin!

For her – I found an awesome little shop on Etsy called oflifeandlemons who have a fantastic range of gin products, but I was particularly drawn to their Christmas themed gin T-shirts and jumpers.  The We Three Gins jumper and GINgle bells T-shirt are already firmly on my Christmas list.  Matalan have also jumped on this year’s band wagon with their “gin is my Christmas spirit” jumper and “Gin-gle bells” sweatshirt.

For him – Spreadshirt have got a great variety of gin themed T-shirts, but this one is a personal favourite of mine.  I only drink gin on days that start with T… Available in a variety of colours and sizes, I think this T-shirt will fully convey anyone’s gin passion.  Oflifeandlemons also do a variety of unisex Christmas jumpers, which are definitely worth taking a look at.

  Small Gifts/Stocking fillers

When we were growing up, we always had one main present, then lots of bits and bobs crammed into a stocking…a book, a film, a small game.  These bits were important because we were allowed to open them before breakfast and before the arrival of Uncle Malcolm…who was always late!  So here are a few small gift ideas which would work perfectly as stocking fillers or as a pressie for your gin loving Secret Santa pick.

Smellies – Everyone gets smellies for Christmas, so why not make these extra exciting with a twist of gin and tonic.  Sting in the Tail have an amazing collection of gin and tonic toiletries, including soap, bubble bath, hand wash and bath bombs.  that’s right folks, you can wash your cares away in gin!  The Letter Room stock the full gin and tonic range, and is definitely worth checking out.  I can personally vouch for the bubble bath…I bathed in gin and tonic and it was fabulous!

Toiletries – Once one has bathed in gin and tonic, it would seem only fitting to smother one’s body with the stuff too and thankfully, there are products available.  Head over to BoozyBodycare for a Gin and Tonic Happy Hour wash bag, which contains Gin and Tonic body wash, hand cream and body cream.  The Bath House also stock a beautiful Gin and Tonic hand cream and if you know someone who would want that gin taste lingering on your lips all day, then why not get them some Gin and Tonic lip balm by The Prohibition Company?

Drinking – Sadly we cannot drink gin all the time, however, we can drink from someTHING gin related all the time.  I don’t know about anyone else, but this “Gym? I thought you said gin” water bottle sums me up completely as does this Jolly Awesome “Might be water, might be gin” bottle.  After a gin mug, then look no further than Supermug they have a HUGE selection of mugs, including gin themed designs.  There is most definitely something for everyone here!

Candles  – I love a good candle and surely the best kind of candle is one scented with gin and tonic?  Vineyard Candles have created an entire boozy candle collection featuring Prosecco, Pino Grigio, Shiraz, various cocktails and of course, our beloved G&T.  The candles are available in various sizes and with beautiful gift boxes.

Books – Christmas wouldn’t be the same without a book, and there are some fabulous gin books on the market.  I have couple of personal favourites, one is Gin glorious Gin by Olivia Williams which takes you on a great tour through gin’s troubled past.  The second is Shake, Muddle and Stir by Dan Jones and contains loads of great gin cocktail recipes which are beautifully illustrated.

Games – Everyone loves a good game at Christmas, and Just Gin have come up witha good game…Just Gin – A Gin Card Game!  In a nut shell, this game is top trumps, yup, you heard right, gin top trumps.  Featuring 36 different gins, these cards have categories including number or botanicals, alcohol volume, distance to London and also state the distillers perfect serve.  A great way to brush up on your gin knowledge whilst having some fun.

Giniatures – If you’re looking to add a little Christmas spirit to a sticking then pop over to Just Miniatures, who stock a great range of gin miniatures.  If you want something a little more special, Drinks in Tube now offer three great gin tasting kits as featured in a previous blog post.  Eden Mill have come over all Christmasy and have created a candy cane gin.  This 10cl bottle comes beautifully presented in cracker style packaging and can be found in John Lewis stores.

Glitter – Christmas would not be Christmas without some glitter and sparkle, and for this check out Pop a Ball, who have an entire range dedicated to gin!  When this shimmer powder is added to drinks, they immediately takes on a beautiful, sparkling shimmer, making them look like they have been breathed on by a unicorn…or fairy…or something equally as magical, perhaps a fairy riding a unicorn!  Even better, all their products are suitable for vegans, vegetarians and coeliacs!

Larger gifts…for someone you really like

If you fancy getting something a little bit larger for your gin loving friend, why not treat them to a gin making kit?  There are lots on the market including this one from Men’s Society, which is available at John Lewis.  This six piece kit enables you to transform a bottle of vodka into a bottle of gin in just 36 hours and is priced at £50.  Eden Mill have created a gorgeous gift box called “The Twelve Gins of Christmas” not only does it contain 12 gins, but also two beautiful glasses, a booklet which gives information about each of the gins and one gin tour voucher for the Eden Mill distillery.   Similarly, there are so many distilleries out there now offering tours, why not buy your gin loving friend a day out to remember…or forget, depending on how much gin they try.

Gift wrap

Once you’ve selected your gifts, you’ll need to wrap them.  My quest for Christmas gin gift wrap wasn’t too fruitful, however, Brainbox Candy have some bright “Gin O’clock” wrapping paper which they sell in packs of four sheets, and Zazzle are selling rolls of “You are the lime in my gin and tonic” paper and well as rolls of “Keep calm and drink gin“.

Christmas Crackers

What Christmas is complete without pulling crackers at the dinner table, and Drinks in Tube really have this one covered!  Coming in packs of 6, these Christmas crackers are bursting with Christmas spirit, 50ml of Christmas spirit if you want to be precise.  With three different cracker packs to choose from, and each containing some excellent gins, these little treats will be quite the talk of your table.

  So there you have it, my guide to the perfect gin filled Christmas…only 47 days to go folks, Merry Gin-mas!!

Gin-gle Bells Gin-gle Bells Sorry to those who are trying to avoid it, but Christmas is coming folks, whether you like it or not.