I love having a family, but it gets hard trying to keep up with everyone’s stuff. 

When someone wants their specific thing and you don’t have it or even worse you can’t find it, the meltdown can be dramatic. (Giving very much Viola, Angela or Denzel.)

Depending on the situation, making sure personal preferences are honored can be difficult especially when you don’t prepare for or anticipate it.

Everyone has their own thing and I try my best to honor it – as long as it’s within reason. 

After all, preferences matter.

That’s why personalization is so important to me when it comes to managing my family and home. Personalization allows time and space to honor the personal preferences of those you love and those who matter in a specific moment. It also creates a designated place for certain things. 

The MAGIC of Personalization is that it makes people feel special while having the power to organize their stuff, streamline a routine or even make a space look good. 

To me personalization means assigning an item or space to someone by putting their name on it, assigning them a special color, or honoring a personal preference.

Personalization can make something more meaningful, aesthetically pleasing, goal-oriented, intentional, or consistent for anyone – from your kids, spouse, and yes, even you.

It certainly makes our family traditions and everyday routines more meaningful.

Maizah has to have Rufus (her stuffed animal dog she got as a gift from her grandparents for her first Christmas) and the Januaries (what I call Caliana and Christian since they were both born in January) need their respective blankies to go to sleep. Whether we’re at home or traveling, that is a must. 

On movie night, everyone has to have popcorn but different kinds. Maizah wants over-the-stove popcorn (popped with olive oil), Caliana wants white cheddar popcorn, and Christian prefers the buttered microwaveable kind. (I’m an over-the-stove popcorn kinda girl but with butter.) I assign everyone a bowl – in their designated color – so there are no mixups or confusion. 

What I love about personalization is that it also can be aesthetically pleasing. Let’s face it, we all love how something looks with our name or initials. It’s certainly helped me style the kids’ bedrooms in a fun yet specific way. 

In the book, I talk about the many ways to make a kid’s bedroom their own PLACE (personalization, light, access, color & energy) and I recently revamped their bedrooms to be more age-appropriate since it’s been a few years.

One thing I have always loved since growing up was personalized jewelry pieces.

When I was in high school, my mom gifted me a beautiful 24 karat gold necklace with an M initial until I was a young adult. (I lost it in my 20’s and I don’t have many regrets, that is one of them.) To this day, I always have a piece of jewelry with my name of initial on it. It’s such a simple & small way to personalize your everyday style. 

If you follow me on Instagram, you know I love an initial mug to start my morning with. It really is all about the little things and when you personalize them, they make an even bigger difference.

Personalization doesn’t just make the packing process simple but also makes finding what you need easy.

It helps me pack efficiently whenever we travel as a family. How you pack for your family when you all are headed on a trip can really set you up for success or kill the vibe.

We’re headed to LA this month as a family for a work trip, so the goal is to pack with a purpose by personalizing the process.

And in just a few weeks, the kids will be back to school. From lunch boxes to backpacks, I like to make sure everyone has their own personalized thing each school year. Shopping for back-to-school for your kids can be quite a tedious task, but making a list and assigning items to your kids can lighten your load.

When I pack school lunches for them, everyone usually has a preferred snack and/or fruit preference. Maizah likes pretzels, Caliana prefers Sour Cream & Cheddar Ruffles, and depending on his mood Christian wants plain Lays or Cheetos Puffs. 

Getting everyone the same items in different colors or prints whenever possible is one of my favorite mom hacks. 

The goal isn’t to make something perfect, just MAGIC. 

Whenever I have a dinner party or give a gift, taking that extra time to make name cards or sign a card with a personalized message makes all the difference. It’s important to be intentional when we personalize something. It makes people feel seen and important and loved. That’s what it’s all about.

My favorite thing about personalization is that it keeps me consistent. Managing the day-to-day for yourself and your family is no easy feat. But whenever we can tailor fit every day to what we like and prefer, it ends up being worth it. 

So yes, if you see a necklace or a coffee mug with your initial on it that makes you smile, I say go for it. Monogrammed and personalized items can be the little touch of self-love you may need in the hoopla of everyday life. Don’t downplay it.

Personalization doesn’t just matter for family, it matters for you, too.

After all, you are the MAGIC, my friend.