5 Straightforward Tips For Arranging Your Bookshelves

3 “don’ts” for air drying your laundry, how to make a relaxing and skin-soothing milk bath, and more. October 27, 2021 [View Online]( Good morning! Whether you just got a new bookcase or think your current one could use a fresh arrangement, Today’s Good Thing is here to help. I’ve got 5 easy, actionable tips for arranging and decorating a bookshelf. By the time you’re done, your bookcase will look like it jumped out of the pages of Better Homes and Gardens. Also in today’s newsletter, some tips and tricks for those of us who love nothing better than a good long soak in the tub. I’ll show you how to make a skin-nourishing milk bath, plus I’ll tell you all about my most indispensable bathtub accessory. (As much as it pains me to say it—Rubber Ducky, you’re not the one.) Jillee TODAY'S GOOD THING 5 Helpful Tips For Arranging A Bookshelf [Photos of a bookshelf.]( These simple strategies will help you create a functional arrangement that looks great and adds interest to your space. 1. Start With A Clean Slate. You’ll make your own life a lot easier if you start with a clean, empty bookshelf. Your bookcase will already be empty if it's new, but if not, go ahead and remove all the books, decor, and anything else on the shelves. (And wipe down the shelves with a damp rag while you’re at it.) 2. Edit The Contents. Go through your books and decide what’s worth keeping. The books and other items on your shelves should be meaningful to you, which may mean parting with those college textbooks you haven’t opened in years. If a book has served you well but you’re ready to part with it, start a donation pile. 3. Add A Basket Or Two. If you have a few random items in your collection that don’t really have a home, consider putting one or two decorative baskets on the bottom shelf of your bookcase. Baskets are a great way to corral smaller items without cluttering up the overall look. 4. Make A Statement. If you want to spruce up the look of the actual bookshelf, consider lining the back of it with a fun wallpaper or painting it with a bold color. It’s an easy way to add plenty of personality to your shelves, though it should ideally coordinate with the rest of the room. 5. Arrange Your Books. When it's time to replace your books on the shelves, there are several ways you can do it. You could arrange your books by size, color, genre, title, construction (hardcover, paperback, etc.), degree of emotional significance, or however else you like. As long as it suits your needs, anything goes! [4 More Tips For Arranging Bookshelves ➜]( Related • [These 9 Simple Decorating Ideas Will Make A Big Difference]( • [6 (More) Hacks That Will Make Your Home Feel More Luxurious]( ⚡️QUICK TIPS⚡️ • Looking for some fun and easy ways to celebrate Halloween? Check out 16 of them here, including games, decor, and more. [Read more ➜]( • From protecting delicate dishes to cleaning computer monitors, you can use coffee filters in all sorts of useful ways. [Read more ➜]( • Making your own vegetable stock powder is surprisingly easy, and it’s great for adding extra flavor to soups and rice. [Read more ➜]( WASH IT WEDNESDAY 3 “Don’ts” For Air Drying Your Laundry [Photos of clothespins and clothes on a drying rack.]( Air drying is a great way to reduce wear and save energy, but there are a few “don’ts” you should be aware of. 1. Don’t Air Dry Down Items. Down benefits from the heated air flowing throughout your dryer, which helps separate and dry the feathers individually. Air drying down items may leave the down in soggy clumps, which isn't ideal. Also, when you do dry down items in your dryer, dryer balls can help to restore the loft. 2. Don’t Hang Sweaters To Dry. Bulky knit sweaters shouldn’t be hung on hangers, even just to air dry them, as gravity can quickly pull heavy sweaters out of shape. Instead, lay your sweaters out flat when you air dry them, and once they’re dry, fold them and store them in a drawer or on a shelf to preserve their shape. 3. Don’t Hang Your Laundry Outside If You Have Allergies. If you or someone you live with has allergies, you may want to avoid hanging your clothes outside to dry. Pollen can easily attach to the fabric and then aggravate allergy symptoms once the clothes are brought back indoors. To be safe, you might want to stick to drying your clothes on a rack indoors. BEAUTY Make Your Own Soothing And Exfoliating Milk Bath [Photos of making and using a milk bath.]( Treat your skin (and yourself) to a restorative soak with an unexpected ingredient: milk. If you're not familiar with "milk bath," it's a mixture of powdered milk and other ingredients meant to be added to bathwater. One advantage milk baths is that they contain lactic acid, an alpha hydroxy acid (AHA) that helps to gently exfoliate skin by dissolving the bond between dead skin cells and the new skin underneath. On top of the exfoliating effect, milk baths can also help soothe mild skin conditions like sunburns, insect bites, eczema, and run-of-the-mill dryness. And perhaps most importantly, taking a milk bath means you get to enjoy some relaxing “me time” in the tub! Here's how to make and use a homemade milk bath: Combine 2 cups of powdered whole milk, 1/2 cup of cornstarch, and 1/2 cup of baking soda in a large jar. Put the lid on and shake until well combined, then remove the lid and add 10 drops of [lavender essential oil]( if desired. After adding the oil, replace the lid on the jar and shake again. With the lid sealed, put your jar of milk bath in a cool, dark place for 24 hours before using it to give the ingredients time to coalesce. Then when you’re ready to use it, add 1-2 cups of the mixture to your tub under warm running water. Then sit back, relax, and let your milk bath work its magic! [See The Full Tutorial ➜]( JILLEE'S PICK This Bathtub Tray Has A Place For Everything [A photo of Jillee in a bathtub.]( Speaking of a relaxing soak in the tub, there are plenty of things I like about my (sort of) recently renovated master bathroom. But there’s no doubt that the top spot goes to my soaking tub. I’ve always loved relaxing in a warm bath, but our old oddly triangular tub wasn’t really ideal for it. But since I got a proper tub, I’ve only grown to love baths even more. And one of the best “accessories” I’ve added to my bath setup is [this bamboo expandable bathtub tray](. It has all sorts of clever spots for different items, including a tablet holder (which I mainly use for magazines, but to each their own!) This tray has a spot for your phone, a recessed tray for soap or washcloth, and even a spot for a drink. It’s meant to hold stemmed wine or cocktail glasses, but it supports a big glass of water or Diet Coke all the same! If you could use a tray for all your bath necessities, I wouldn’t change a thing about this one. [See my bamboo expandable bathtub tray on Amazon ➜]( POLL OF THE WEEK Sleepy Sacrifices Q: Which step are you most likely to skip when you're too sleepy to do your full "get ready for bed" routine? (Click one of the options below to submit your response.) 1. [Flossing]( 2. [Removing my makeup]( 3. [Brushing my teeth]( 4. [Putting on skincare products]( Results from last week's poll: When it comes to makeup, the vast majority of you are all or nothing! Over 2,000 of you weighed in on the question “How often do you usually wear makeup?” Here's how you responded: • 38% said “Rarely” • 28.8% said “Every day” • 19.5% said “A few times a week” • 13.8% said “A few times a month” A FEW MORE THINGS... 65 Left To Go: Apparently October 27th is the 300th day of the year (or this year, anyway), which I thought was cool. That means there are only 65 days left in 2021, so if you have any New Year's Resolutions or yearly goals you haven’t completed yet, it’s time to buckle down (or pretend you never made them—I won't tell!) Did You Know? Trick-or-treating has been around since the 1500s. In Scotland and other areas of the British Isles, the Halloween tradition of "[guising]( involved going from house to house in costume and doing a short performance in exchange for food or treats. Immigrants brought guising to America, where the phrase "trick-or-treat" was eventually added. The cultural exchange went full circle in the 2000s, when the "trick-or-treat" vernacular started catching on in Scotland and Ireland. What did you think of today's email? [Not good]( | [Just okay]( | [Loved it!]( 🏠[Visit the By Jillee Shop]( 🤗 [Join OGT Free]( Let's connect! [facebook]( [instagram]( [pinterest]( [youtube]( If you have thoughts, comments, questions or a tip or trick you'd like to share, I'd love to hear from you! My inbox is always open, so just hit "reply" and let me know what's on your mind. See you tomorrow! Sending you bright ideas and simple solutions to help you create a home and life you love. My mailing address is: One Good Thing by Jillee 841 S. Main St. Heber City, UT 84032 If you're not happy please reply to this email to tell me why, or you can [update your preferences]( or break my heart and unsubscribe [here](. View our privacy policy [here](.