Things That Help
Simple ideas, favorite finds, and practical guides to make home, family, and work life feel a little easier.
This is where I share the things I recommend most often: practical systems, helpful checklists, favorite tools, and small changes that can make daily life feel less overwhelming.
Nothing here is about doing more just for the sake of doing more. My hope is that these resources help you simplify, make decisions more easily, and create a little more breathing room at home, at work, and in the busy seasons of family life.
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The Minimalist College Packing List
A practical, parent-tested packing list based on what my own kids actually used at college — and what we could have skipped.
Before you fill your cart with every dorm item on the internet, start here. This guide is designed to help you buy thoughtfully, avoid overpacking, and make move-in feel a little less chaotic.
View the College Packing List
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College & Family Life
Practical ideas for busy family seasons, school transitions, college prep, routines, and all the moving parts that come with raising kids and launching young adults.
Button: See Family Resources
Home Systems & Routines
Simple systems for the spaces and routines that tend to create the most daily stress: kitchens, laundry, paperwork, entryways, calendars, chores, and family communication.
Button: Explore Home Systems
Paper, Photos & Keepsakes
Support for sorting, simplifying, and making decisions about the paper piles, old photos, school memories, family documents, and sentimental items that are hard to know what to do with.
Button: Get Organized
Small Business Support
Practical tools and systems for small business owners who need help managing tasks, papers, client information, routines, planning, and follow-through.
Button: Find Business Support
Favorite Finds
A collection of products, tools, and simple solutions I personally use, recommend, or have found helpful for creating a calmer, more functional home and work life.
Button: See Favorites
Need help making life feel a little easier?
Sometimes a checklist is enough. Sometimes you need another person to help you sort through the details, make a plan, and get things moving.
Balance & Bloom Living offers practical, in-home support for busy families, small business owners, and anyone feeling overwhelmed by the systems, routines, and projects of daily life.
Button: Ways I Can Help
College & Family Life
Practical ideas for busy family seasons, school transitions, college prep, routines, and all the moving parts that come with raising kids and launching young adults.
Button: See Family Resources
Home Systems & Routines
Simple systems for the spaces and routines that tend to create the most daily stress: kitchens, laundry, paperwork, entryways, calendars, chores, and family communication.
Button: Explore Home Systems
Paper, Photos & Keepsakes
Support for sorting, simplifying, and making decisions about the paper piles, old photos, school memories, family documents, and sentimental items that are hard to know what to do with.
Button: Get Organized
Small Business Support
Practical tools and systems for small business owners who need help managing tasks, papers, client information, routines, planning, and follow-through.
Button: Find Business Support
Favorite Finds
A collection of products, tools, and simple solutions I personally use, recommend, or have found helpful for creating a calmer, more functional home and work life.
Button: See Favorites
Need help making life feel a little easier?
Sometimes a checklist is enough. Sometimes you need another person to help you sort through the details, make a plan, and get things moving.
Balance & Bloom Living offers practical, in-home support for busy families, small business owners, and anyone feeling overwhelmed by the systems, routines, and projects of daily life.
Button: Ways I Can Help
Overall image style
Aim for:
Soft natural light
Neutral backgrounds
Real items, not overly staged
Light, calm, uncluttered
No giant piles of stuff
No obvious brand logos unless you want them
Consistent crop/shape for category cards
I’d avoid overly polished stock photos of perfect white kitchens and fake-smiling families. Your brand feels more like “a capable, calm friend came over and helped me make sense of things.”
Section 1: Hero / top intro
Where it goes:
At the top of the page, either to the right of the intro text or underneath the intro on mobile.
Size:
Landscape image, about 3:2 ratio or 16:9. On desktop, it can take up about 40–50% of the section width. On mobile, full width.
What it should show:
A calm “things that help” flat lay or tabletop scene.
Ideas:
A notebook or planner
Pen
Small basket or tray
Cup of tea/coffee
A few labeled folders
Maybe scissors/tape measure/sticky notes
Light neutral surface
Feeling:
Calm, useful, simple, organized — not sterile.
Alt text idea:
“Notebook, pen, and organizing supplies on a calm workspace.”
Section 2: Featured Guide — Minimalist College Packing List
Where it goes:
This should be the biggest image on the page, paired with the college packing list blurb and button.
Size:
Use a larger horizontal image, maybe full-width banner or image on one side/text on the other. Ratio: 3:2 or 4:3. If you want it to look good on Pinterest later, also take a separate vertical version.
What it should show:
An open suitcase or storage bag with a small, edited group of actual useful college items.
Include:
Folded towels
Twin XL sheets or bedding
Laundry bag
Shower caddy
First aid/medicine pouch
Chargers/power strip
A few hangers
Labels, scissors, tape, or marker
Avoid:
Huge piles
“Dorm haul” chaos
Too many plastic bins
Anything school-specific unless intentional
Feeling:
“Here’s what you actually need” — calm, practical, parent-tested.
Alt text idea:
“Minimal college packing items arranged neatly beside an open suitcase.”
Section 3: Browse by Category
For this section, I’d use one image per card. Keep all card images the same shape so the page looks tidy.
Where it goes:
Above each category title or as the top image of each card.
Size:
Square or slightly horizontal. I’d choose 1:1 square for all category cards because it keeps the grid clean. Around 600 x 600 px is plenty.
Card 1: Family & College Life
Image idea:
A simple family command center or school/college prep moment.
Include:
Calendar
Clipboard
College packing checklist
Pen
Maybe keys or sunglasses
Optional: folded laundry or tote bag nearby
Avoid:
Photos of your kids’ faces unless you truly want them public.
Alt text:
“Family calendar and college checklist on a kitchen counter.”
Card 2: Home Systems & Routines
Image idea:
A calm, useful home system.
Include:
Labeled basket
Kitchen counter station
Laundry basket with folded towels
Entryway tray with keys
Simple bins in a cabinet or pantry
Best option for your brand:
A tidy entryway or kitchen counter system. Very relatable.
Alt text:
“Organized home station with baskets, labels, and daily essentials.”
Card 3: Paper, Photos & Keepsakes
Image idea:
Sorted paper or memory items in progress.
Include:
A small stack of photos
File folders
Keepsake box
Pen
Sticky notes
Maybe one labeled folder: “Keep,” “Scan,” or “Memories”
Avoid:
Anything too personal or readable, like addresses, school records, medical info, or family details.
Alt text:
“Photos, folders, and keepsake papers organized on a table.”
Card 4: Small Business Support
Image idea:
A warm, organized workspace.
Include:
Laptop
Notebook
Calendar/planner
Pen
Simple folders
Coffee/tea
Maybe a small plant
Feeling:
Capable, calm, supportive — not corporate.
Alt text:
“Laptop, planner, and business paperwork arranged on a desk.”
Card 5: Favorite Finds
Image idea:
A small collection of useful favorites.
Include:
Label maker
Favorite bins/baskets
Simple cleaning cloth
Planner/notebook
Drawer organizer
Tape measure
A small stack of practical tools
Feeling:
Curated but not salesy.
Alt text:
“Favorite organizing tools and home supplies arranged neatly.”
Section 4: Final call-to-action
Where it goes:
Near the bottom, beside or above the “Ways I Can Help” button.
Size:
Medium horizontal image or small portrait-style image. Ratio: 3:2 or 4:3.
What it should show:
Either you working with a simple system, or a warm home detail.
Ideas:
Hands writing in a planner
Hands sorting papers
A tidy kitchen counter with a basket and notebook
A cozy but organized home corner
You from the side/back, working at a table, if you are comfortable
Feeling:
“Support is available. You don’t have to figure it all out alone.”
Alt text:
“Organizing papers and planning simple home systems at a table.”
My favorite layout for the whole page
Hero: text left, calm workspace image right
Featured college guide: big image + text/button
Browse by Category: 5 square image cards
Final CTA: warm working/planning image + “Ways I Can Help” button
For the college packing list specifically, I’d take two versions of the photo: one horizontal for your website and one vertical for Pinterest. Pinterest loves vertical images, so something around 1000 x 1500 px or a 2:3 ratio would be perfect.
My strongest advice: make the photos look like real life, edited down — not showroom-perfect and not chaotic. That is exactly the sweet spot for your brand.