Issue #159: the apartment spreadsheet you need 👀

issue 159 ~ week of March 6, 2020

Note from the Editor

TGIF <<First Name>>!

It’s apartment-hunting season in my little corner of the world, and to know me is to know I love talking about nesting. Fun fact: Many moons ago, long before I started working at GNI, I used to moonlight at West Elm, and to this day my encyclopedic knowledge of West Elm couches is still my greatest party trick. (Maybe that’s why I’m not great at parties? 😉)

I’ve moved enough times now (remember this throwback piece from my last move?) to know that the whole process can turn into a mountain of brain chaos if you let it sneak up on you, so I’m taking a more organized approach this time around. Where I would have led with creative energy before — stopping at nothing to immediately decorate — I'm trying to flex my more practical muscles this time around. Here’s what’s on my mind heading into the move:

🤓 1) My apartment-hunting spreadsheet: I’m not typically a spreadsheets person, but I’m starting to see why they can be so helpful, especially when it comes to choosing a new home. I decided to build one that was specific to our search to help keep track of what's important to us. (ex: Is there access to outdoor space? Does the apartment get good light? Is the kitchen conducive to the way we like to cook?)

Currently Eyeing: My apartment-hunting spreadsheet — maybe you'll find it helpful too? Feel free to open this template, then go to "File" in the upper left and scroll down to "Make a Copy" to make it your own.

📦 2) Organization and storage: A lot has happened since the last time I moved! Marie Kondo has a whole show on Netflix and I’ve started dipping a toe into some type-A tendencies. What a time to be alive! This time I'm prioritizing organization first to make sure our home works for us.

Currently eyeing: This slim storage unit that slides between your fridge and counter (or in other gaps in your kitchen). Apartment-living means taking storage where you can get it. Anyone else have a favorite product or organization hack for small-space living? (Tell us here!)

🤔 3) Creating a hierarchy of needs: It’s easy to get into the “must change everything” mindset when moving, but this time around, I’m trying to be patient and live in our new space for a bit before deciding what we need to tailor. In the past, I’ve made a “needs” and “wants” list, but I've reframed these in my Notes app as “essentials” and “non-essentials” in an effort to be a little more realistic with myself this time around.

Currently eyeing: In our case, an "essential" is a bedroom rug because our lease requires it. I am obsessed with this easy-to-clean living room rug I bought a year ago — now I’m looking for something similarly stylish and practical. 👀

Anyone else in a nesting frame of mind? How are you staying organized as you step into a new normal at home?

Until Next Week,
Tyler Calder | @tylerkcalder
Director of Content at GNI

what our team is loving this week

it's a dog in sunglasses kind of week (via @floravere and @alexandra.neu)

sponsor spotlight: Google

all things comfy (via @bymariandrew)

Now accepting all life hacks for making plans with friends (so you actually get to see them!). 📆 There are some weekends where you just need to shut it all down, be alone, tackle errands and housework, and bingewatch a season of Gilmore Girls. Then there are other weekends when you actually want to see your friends, but you also want to go to that event at the museum downtown. Trying to make your friend time align with activities you *actually* want to do? Enter the culture calendar — something you might like if you're craving a little structure for coordinating with friends.

Are you on team color-coded bookshelves? 📚 Or do you organize them by genre? Maybe you prefer to rotate them into your shelves in the order you want to read them? Any way you slice it, book-organization can make or break the clutter situation in your home, especially if you have a lot of them. So who better to talk to about home book-organization strategies (and how to take care of them!), than a real-life librarian?

This DIY home craft just got a new look. 👀 When was the last time you made a collage? Turns out, things are different now. Back in our day, you took some magazine scraps and worked with the materials you had at home if you were in a collaging kind of mood. But there's a new collage innovation out there: "collage kits" that artists and influencers are selling to help you bring their aesthetic to your next crafting session. What do you think? Would you buy a kit or would you rather curate the old-fashioned way?

Do you know the difference between worry, stress, and anxiety? 🧠 This piece presents some helpful tips for coping with each (in case you, like us, have been feeling one or all of the above lately). We especially love this TLDR: " Here’s the takeaway: Worry happens in your mind, stress happens in your body, and anxiety happens in your mind and your body. ...The good news, according to Dr. Marques, is that there are simple (not easy) first steps to help regulate your symptoms: Get enough sleep; eat regular, nutritious meals; and move your body."

Bonus read: It feels like every rom-com starts with a meet-cute. But are they even still a thing? 🍿

When you click links in this email to purchase a product, GNI might get a cut of your purchase.

this week's picks

smart reads of the week

heading into the weekend like...