Bon Maxie Blog
The Top 3 Things I've Taken From the Marie Kondo Method
Let's face it, decluttering is good for the soul. After the past few years, we've been spending more time at home and I feel like I've picked up a few Marie Kondo tips along the way. If you're looking for some ideas to feel fresh and rejuvenated in the home here are the top three things I've taken from Marie's famously effective method to declutter your home! 1. Tidy by category, not location I was guilty of this one! Tidying room by room, but really you are just shuffling the 'stuff' from one room to another. By tidying by category, you are tidying up all the things in the same category in one go. If tidying clothes, gather all of the items of clothing from the entire house in one spot. Confronted with an enormous pile of clothes, you can see exactly what you have (and what you no longer need.) 2. Ask yourself 'does it spark joy?' This is the Marie Kondo classic phase we've all heard. But it works. First, put your hand on everything you own, ask yourself if it sparks joy, and if it doesn't thank it for its services and get rid of it. When keeping items that truly 'spark joy' we are keeping items that bring us thrill, if it doesn't bring us joy, you will notice you body will feel heavier when holding the item. 3. Nostalgia is not your friend I think we've all been here too! You open one box filled with old letters, or tiny baby clothes.. suddenly you are down the rabbit hole of nostalgia. The tip here, but your blinders on and focus only on the category of stuff at hand. Have you decluttered the Kondo way? Let me know!
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6 Tips for Effortless Weekend Getaway Packing
Now that getting away to our favourite weekend spot seems viable again, we're back to working out whether 17 outfit options for 2 nights away is maybe one too many and back to counting out triple the amount of undies actually required (yes, but what ifffff....). I'm guilty for previously overstuffing my poor old duffel bag—everything was jammed into the one area, worn and clean, with my toiletries bag and shoes in a separate Coles bag because they didn't fit. Inconvenient. Not to mention finding things was impossible! That was, of course, before the Bon Voyage Weekender was born—partitions to keep white tees away from shoes, internal pockets for underwear and fragile bits, and, like any Bon Maxie bag, super comfortable to carry. So now we're all off to our favourite weekend holiday spots again, here are my 6 top tips for easy weekend packing: 1. Pack travel-sized toiletries Go mini! So many places, including Mecca or Woolies, sell miniature versions of cosmetics and toiletries—it saves having an overstuffed sponge bag, and saves adding the weight to your shoulders. No need to lug around your perfume bottle, our Refillable Perfume Atomiser holds up to 120 sprays and comes without the worry of breaking your bottle. 2. Stuff rolled up socks, cords or undies into your shoes Need I say more? Space-saving #hack 3. Roll your clothing The Kondo method, but for your holiday! Rolling will save you space and things will come out of your bag with very little crinkling. It also makes things easier to see in your bag. 4. Use smaller pouches to store items Just like our Very Handy Pouches that have clear options, using a bunch of pouches means more compartmentalising and less rummaging to find smaller bits and bobs like poppy pins, lipstick and hand sanitiser. 5. Create a 'where and wear' list In essence, be realistic about what you actually need. Create a list of the locations and activities that you'll be doing and pre-select an outfit to suit. Where you can, stick to shoes that work with most outfits. Bonus if you manage to pack 2 tops for every bottom #versatility. 6. Choose a bag that can fit it all Obviously choosing the perfect weekender bag is key, and our Bon Voyage Weekender Bag was specifically designed to counteract the unpacking mess that often explodes in a hotel room. No need to take multiple bags, the Bon Voyage delivers extra vertical space without the bulk. Its unique dividers help compartmentalise your items to prevent unnecessary rummaging, and, to top it off, it's super comfy on the hands and the shoulder! Shop the range
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2 Genius Hacks for Less-Stressy Fragrance Gifting
Fragrance buying. It's overwhelming enough buying scents for yourself, let alone trying to select one for someone else. Well well well, have we got a nifty hack for you. Two, even...that'll make buying a lovely scent for another lovely human, a bit of a breeze. Recently I was on the hunt for a replacement cologne for my husband Joe, anndd of course his favourite is now discontinued. Ugh. So the hunt began for a similar fragrance replacement. The hunting lead to googling to find something that had the same smelly style and I ended up stumbling across the perfect scent-purchasing hack! Meet: The Fragrantica Perfume Finder. A handy little tool, produced by the scent dictionary site, to find you the perfect choice if you're looking for something similar to a particular scent! This handy hack sends you in the direction of a handful of fragrances (I printed the suggestions for Joe's replacement cologne and hit up my local Myer to smell away!) to target, removing a huge stress of perfume purchasing and not knowing where on earth to start. You'll most likely end up with a scent that's bang on the money. How does it work? Simply enter in a known favourite perfume and the clever little fragrance elves will give you a suite of similar scents! If you have more scents to add to the profile, even better, as it narrows choices further. Genius! Looking to up your perfume gifting even further? Our second hack: To complement your perfect perfume gift, our Refillable Perfume Atomisers help your giftee (or you!) carry your scent to refresh throughout the day, after the gym or to store in the bathroom, without worrying about a large glass bottle. Adding one to your gift will certainly get you some well-earned brownie points! Black is a popular choice for men's gifts (our White and Black atomiser packaging is neutral) or why not grab a stash to keep as super-handy gifts that just about anyone can us. You could even colour code multiple scents for your own fragrances! They're super easy to fill (no dismantling perfume bottle tops) - just unscrew the lid and spray right into the vial. And they're leak-proof (no pumps on the atomiser like other styles that can leak through your bag)! Happy fragrance buying! Yours in less-stressy perfume purchasing, Clare x Shop our Refillable Perfume Atomisers
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So, What Can You Actually Store on our Easy-Drop Earring Holders?
Earring Holders are one of our signature products. Why? Because 6 years of designing them means we know a fair bit about what makes earring and accessory storage easy. And with over 40,000 Australians who have a Bon Maxie earring holder, we've become the go-to earring holder brand. Our Easy-Drop Earring Holders are our easiest-to-use design, but they actually hold a lot more than you'd think! Holding all types of earrings, our unique Easy-Drop slots are super close together so there's no wasted space between them. Double up hooks in the holes for even more capacity! The side 'wings' are designed to stash your extra bits like rings, brooches, hoop earrings, bracelets or hair ties. Our Side Bars were designed so you could put 2 or more on your holder, on one side or both, depending where you store it! Shop the range
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6 Items That Will Instantly Make You Feel Organised at Home
Whether you're at home more due to lockdown or just like hanging out there, mess at home can really weigh on your vibe. So, we've curated our instant declutterers and calm-inducing picks from our range that help you feel a little more organised, without the effort.
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Why you need to download the FREE Stocard app right now!
There’s something panic-inducing about trying to locate a loyalty card at the checkout, right? Fishing through your handbag to find your wallet, then thumbing through ALL the cards you’ve collected over the years with sweaty palms. The "I’m sorrrryyyyy”, you manage to whimper. The glares of half a dozen customers staring at your back.
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5 steps to an almost-always-clean-looking bathroom!
Bathrooms. They're very useful but very very annoying to keep clean. It's something I've always struggle with. Doesn't help that cleaning is on the bottom of my to-do list.
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3 lifechanging apps to declutter, save more time & give future you some time back
We can all agree there are too many apps around BUT these ones below each have a purpose: one declutters, one gives you time back, and one saves you time in the future. Win, win, wiiiiin.
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