Today's truth bomb
The less stuff you keep, the more stuff you’ll love.
Tagged with: decluttering, inspiration, today's truth
Articles tagged with decluttering
Worth repeating (again): Getting past "I might need it some day"
I wrote this post back in 2018. Now, as then, “I might need it some day” remains one of the most often-heard reasons clients have for hanging on to items they no longer use or love. I wanted to repeat this message again, because if you’re dealing with clutter, you can’t hear it enough.
Tagged with: decluttering, worth repeating
What to do with old journals?
Now I’m moving. (Which is why I haven’t been blogging.) When I cleaned out that file cabinet, I found the large stack of journals. I glanced through a few and really didn’t enjoy what I read. So I put them aside for disposal.
Tagged with: decluttering, journal writing, moving
Should you have a yard sale?
For years, I’ve discouraged clients who said they wanted to hold a yard sale. I always told them that it was a whole lot of work for not a lot of reward and it would be easier to just donate the stuff they were ready to let go of. If the client insisted they wanted to try a yard sale, I’d extract a promise that they would have a charity pickup scheduled for the day of or the day after the sale.
Tagged with: decluttering, downsizing, garage sale, yard sale
Downsizing bingo update
I used a bingo card for a few days last week and then realized that the strategy wasn’t going to be effective for my particular downsizing project.
Tagged with: bingo, decluttering, downsizing, moving
Using bingo to make downsizing easier
In an effort to make downsizing as fun as possible, I’m going to start the decluttering process with a bingo board. At Bingo Baker I was able to generate bingo cards that are randomized. I created 30 areas/projects and Bingo Baker randomized them to include 25 on a bingo card.
Tagged with: bingo, decluttering, downsizing, moving
No excuses series (part 3): "It was a gift"
The third common excuse we hear for keeping an unloved or unused item is that it was a gift. This is a tough one. People tend to have a difficult time parting with items that were given to them. (As an aside, this has completely changed how I give gifts, knowing that my gift may some day become clutter for the recipient.)
Tagged with: decluttering, worth repeating
No excuses series (part 2): "I paid a lot for that"
The second most common excuse we hear from clients who want to keep something they don’t use of love is that they paid a lot for that item. I get it. It feels terrible to let go of an expensive item that turned out to be a foolhardy purchase. But you know what? Keeping it doesn’t make you feel any better. In fact, when you see the item, it just makes you feel worse.
Tagged with: decluttering, worth repeating
No excuses series (part 1): "I might need it some day"
This is the first in a three-part series of posts debunking the three excuses we hear most frequently from clients for wanting to keep items they no longer use or love. The series originally ran in January and February 2017 and I rerun it periodically. Stay tuned for parts 2 & 3 in the coming weeks.
Tagged with: decluttering, worth repeating
Worth repeating: Today's piece of holiday advice
I wrote this post six years ago and I still think it’s sound advice. The more unloved holiday decor we keep, the harder it is to decorate your home. I urge you to build some ease into your holiday season by following this advice!
Tagged with: declutter, decluttering, decor, holidays, worth repeating
Worth repeating: When is an organizer like a dentist?
I wrote this post nine years ago (and I’m happy to report that I still go to the dentist twice a year). When I re-read it today, it still rung true, so I thought I’d share it with you again. I’ll add one thing: I certainly hope that working with a professional organizer is more pleasant for you than dental work!
Tagged with: decluttering, dentist, organizing, worth repeating
The power of working with a professional organizer
I’m always amazed at how often I put off dealing with clutter in my own home. If I give it some focused attention, I’m able to declutter and organize pretty easily. But if I add a professional organizer to the mix and the process is supercharged!
Tagged with: bathrooms, declutter, decluttering, professional organizer, working with a professional organizer
Worth repeating (once again): Working with a professional organizer
Way back in 2011, I wrote a post aimed at helping readers who are interested in working with a professional organizer make the most of the experience. I asked other professional organizers to comment, which made the post even more valuable. I just re-read it and I’m thrilled that a dozen years later it’s still valuable. So I’m running it once again. To get the maximum benefit, I encourage you to go back to the original post and read those comments—my colleagues added some great insight. And please feel free to add to the comments on that original post!
Tagged with: decluttering, professional organizer, worth repeating
Worth repeating (again): Why decluttering is so important
Decluttering should be embraced, not skipped, because when you let go of those items that don’t serve you, it is so much easier to organize what remains.
Tagged with: decluttering, disorder, minimalism, storage, worth repeating
Worth repeating (again): Trying out the KonMari method
Marie Kondo is back in the news after revealing that she’s less focused on keeping a perfectly tidy home now that she’s the mother of three small kids. I applaud that: our priorities (and organizing systems) change and it’s okay to say so. Since I was thinking about her, I thought I’d dust off this 2015 blog post about the time I tried out her method to declutter my clothes.
Tagged with: books, decluttering, marie kondo, worth repeating
December 2022 tiny projects challenge: Day 3
For this tiny project, I turned my attention to winter coats and accessories. We store most of our winter wear at the top of our back steps. (We live on the second floor of a two-family home and my offices and the guest room are on the first floor.) There’s not a lot of space there and it’s just a 36” rod and shelf and no door. It’s not beautiful, but it is functional.
Tagged with: coats, decluttering, tiny projects
December 2022 tiny projects challenge: Day 1
During the lockdown in 2020, I did three tiny projects challenges and blogged about them. These were small organizing projects I could complete in about 30 minutes or less that I did for five days in a row. It was a great way to keep busy and I loved the results. I resurrected it in December 2021 and I’ve decided to make it an annual December tradition. Feel free to join me in challenging yourself to complete one small organizing project a day!
Tagged with: decluttering, desk, tiny projects
Sell (some of) your unwanted stuff on Decluttr.com
Decluttr also buys smaller tech, CDs, DVDs, textbooks, children’s books, and games and consoles. Based on my (albeit limited) experience, I recommend giving them a look next time you have something you’d like to sell.
Tagged with: declutter, decluttering, disposal, selling
A little goes a long way
Adriene is fond of saying “A little goes a long way” when it comes to yoga. I got to thinking that that’s also true of decluttering and organizing.
Tagged with: 15 minutes, decluttering, organizing, pockets of time, yoga, yoga with adriene
No Excuses series (part 3): "But it was a gift"
The third common excuse I hear for keeping an unloved or unused item is that it was a gift. This is a tough one. People tend to have a difficult time parting with items that were given to them. (As an aside, this has completely changed how I give gifts, knowing that my gift may some day become clutter for the recipient.)
Tagged with: decluttering, worth repeating
No Excuses series (part 2): "But I paid a lot for it"
The second most common excuse I hear from clients who want to keep something they don’t use of love is that they paid a lot for that item. I get it. It feels terrible to let go of an expensive item that turned out to be a foolhardy purchase. But you know what? Keeping it doesn’t make you feel any better. In fact, when you see the item, it just makes you feel worse.
Tagged with: decluttering, worth repeating
No Excuses series (part 1): "But I might need it some day"
This is the first in a three-part series of posts debunking the three excuses I hear most frequently from clients for wanting to keep items they no longer use or love. The series originally ran in January and February 2017 and I decided it was worth running again. Stay tuned for parts 2 & 3 in the coming days.
Tagged with: decluttering, worth repeating
Take a few minutes to clean up your cords
The surge protector in my office failed last week and I had to buy a new one. That surge protector was under my desk, out of sight. I don’t usually pay much attention to it, so when I focused on the situation I was kind of horrified.
Tagged with: cords, decluttering
Worth repeating: Getting past "I might need it some day"
I wrote this post almost four years ago. “I might need it some day” remains one of the most often-heard reasons clients have for hanging on to items they no longer use or love. I thought it was time to repeat this message.
Tagged with: decluttering, worth repeating
December tiny projects challenge: Day 5
After a weekend off, I took on a truly tiny project today: My evening bags. I store the few fancy dresses I own plus my evening bags and shawls in the guest-room closet. Last Friday when I put away all the little wristlets that I had been taking up space in the household desk, I noticed that I have a large collection of evening bags, which is puzzling since I’ve attended probably two fancy events in the past 15 years (both were weddings).
Tagged with: decluttering, purse, tiny projects
December tiny projects challenge: Day 4
Today’s tiny project was the organizer on the desk in my home that I call the household desk. This teak organizer is a clutter magnet (as such organizers often are).
Tagged with: decluttering, desk, tiny projects
Worth repeating (again): Working with a professional organizer
Back in 2011, I wrote a blog post aimed at helping readers who are interested in working with a professional organizer make the most of the experience. I asked other professional organizers to comment, which made the post even more valuable. I just re-read it and I’m thrilled that 10 years later it’s still valuable, so I decided to run it once again. To get the maximum benefit, I encourage you to go back to the original post and read those comments. And please feel free to add to the comments on that original post!
Tagged with: decluttering, professional organizer, worth repeating
November tiny projects challenge: Day 5
Today is my fifth and final tiny project of this challenge. It’s the top drawer of the desk we call our household desk. I declutter it every decade or so. And today when I opened it I realized it was ripe for a tiny project challenge.
Tagged with: 15 minutes, clutter, decluttering, desk, office supplies, organizing, tiny projects
Look around: What tiny project can you do?
When social distancing started, I attacked a few organizing projects around my house because I suddenly had time to do them. But my enthusiasm for them waned pretty quickly. Now, one month in, I’m starting to address some teeny, tiny projects that will remove some irritations without much effort.
Tagged with: 15 minutes, covid-19, declutter, decluttering, quarantine
Many hands make light work
I love leading organizing teams. The amount of work we can get done in a short period of time amazes me. Back in 2012, I wrote a blog post called Working with an organizing team that outlined some of the advantages of hiring an organizing team, rather than a single organizer. Eight years later, all of that is still true!
Tagged with: decluttering, professional organizer, team organizing
Worth repeating (again): Decluttering old papers and memories
I spent the day yesterday working with a client on years of accumulated paper so this post, in which I discussed liberating myself of excess paper, resonated with me today. I wrote this post in October 2015 and have not missed a single piece of paper I let go of during that purge four and a half years ago!
Tagged with: decluttering, paper management, worth repeating
Worth repeating: Decluttering is like exercising
I first published this post in 2014. Back then I belonged to a gym. Nowadays, most of my exercise (aside from walking my dog and working with my clients) involves doing at-home yoga. And the similarities still resonate with me!
Tagged with: decluttering, exercise, habits, take action, worth repeating
Worth repeating: The Life-Changing Magic of Tidying Up: A Review (part one)
Marie Kondo is back in the news, having launched a store on her website that sells her favorite things. I don’t want to go into the seeming incongruity of that. But it seems like a good time to re-run my 2015 review of the book that launched her success. You might also be interested in this post, where I describe trying out her system and this review of her Netflix show, which I did enjoy.
Tagged with: books, decluttering, marie kondo, worth repeating
Worth repeating: Why decluttering is so important
Decluttering should be embraced, not skipped, because when you let go of those items that don’t serve you, it is so much easier to organize what remains.
Tagged with: decluttering, disorder, minimalism, storage, worth repeating
Downsizing advice: My interview on Generations Cafe podcast
Amy Johnson Crow, a well-known genealogist, blogger and speaker, is one of my favorite genealogy luminaries. She offers fabulous advice. And I’m delighted to call her my friend.
So I was thrilled when Amy asked me to be a guest on her podcast, Generations Cafe. She and I had a great discussion about downsizing and figuring out what to let go of—both our own items and those of our parents. As genealogists we are both very sensitive to the value that family possessions might (or might not) have for future generations, which can make downsizing especially tricky. I was able to share my perspective as someone who’s spent a lot of time helping people let go of stuff.
Tagged with: decluttering, downsizing, family history research, genealogy, podcast
Worth repeating: Feeling busy? Take 5 minutes to create a little order
I wrote this post three years ago, in the midst of our kitchen renovation. I can’t tell you how many times I’ve implemented this since then. Five minutes on a timer and enough order can be created to restore sanity. I encourage you to give it a try!
Tagged with: decluttering, order, productivity, timer, worth repeating
Free shred event in Clayton on September 17
If you are like many of my clients and have papers waiting to be shredded and gadgets waiting to be recycled piling up in your home, and you live in the St. Louis area, you’re in luck. You can take them to the Shaw Park in Clayton on Tuesday, September 17 from 10 am to noon. The event is sponsored by Commerce Bank in partnership with the City of Clayton, The Shred Truck and Nilo-Tech E-Cycling.
Tagged with: decluttering, identity theft, shredders
Worth repeating (again): Self-care
I’m passionate about asking people to be kind to themselves and not let guilt about clutter (or anything else) get in the way of living their lives. I wrote this post more than ten years ago and its message remains just as strong today. It’s one of my very favorite posts, so I thought I’d share it again today.
Tagged with: 15 minutes, decluttering, empowerment, self-care, shannon wilkinson, worth repeating
Worth repeating (again): Regifting
I wrote this post in 2013 and am still enjoying the painting my relative passed on to me. In fact, a couple of years later, another cousin of my mother’s gave me a painting by my grandmother that she had been given and I hung it up with pride. I so enjoy living with these two paintings. If you have unloved items in your home that you can regift to someone who will appreciate them, I urge you to let them go and make someone happy.
I know from working with clients that people have a very difficult time parting with items that were a gift.
Tagged with: decluttering, disposal, gifts, organize your family history, worth repeating
Worth repeating: Maintaining order
I love doing whole-house transformations. That’s when my team and I come in and create order in every room of a client’s home. We’re working side by side with the client, decluttering and organizing in ways that work for them.
Tagged with: decluttering, order, team organizing, worth repeating
Worth repeating: Decluttering old papers and memories
I wrote this post in October 2015 and reading it today made me appreciate the big task I accomplished in getting rid of all those papers and memories. Here’s the good news: In the three and a half years since I let that stuff ago, I haven’t missed on thing. Not one. Letting go is liberating!
Over the weekend, I faced down the challenging of decluttering a file cabinet full of old papers and memories. I love having these experiences that put me in my clients’ shoes and help me better understand what they’re going through.
Tagged with: decluttering, paper management, worth repeating
In my clients' shoes
I had one of those great experiences yesterday that reminds me how my clients often feel when we work together. I had met a woman who was interested in pursing a career as a professional organizer but had no experience beyond working in her own home and helping her family members get organized.
Since she was someone I might hire and train, we decided to do an organizing session at my house to see how she liked it and what her organizing style was like. (Turns out she’s a natural!)
Tagged with: closets, decluttering, professional organizer, working with a professional organizer
Worth repeating: What can you do in five minutes?
I can across this post I wrote in August 2017 and thought I’d share it because I found inspirational! It’s amazing the decluttering and organizing you can get done in short, five-minute bursts of time. I’m going to try this again tomorrow!
I’m a big believer in using a timer to motivate me to work quickly and get stuff done. I have a seriously full calendar but a relatively free morning today so I thought I’d see if I could some clutter spots and other small tasks taken care of.
Tagged with: declutter, decluttering, timer, worth repeating
Tidying Up with Marie Kondo: A professional organizer's view
On New Year’s Day, Netflix premiered a new series called Tidying Up with Marie Kondo, starring the Japanese organizer and international phenom, Marie Kondo. Marie’s book, The Life-Changing Magic of Tidying Up, was a huge bestseller. Many of my clients have read it and I know it’s motivated many people to declutter and organize.
Tagged with: decluttering, marie kondo, organizing team, television
Worth repeating (again): Ten minutes to calm
I wrote this post in 2014, but it’s as true today as it was then. The items on my desk have changed, but the need to focus on clearing it for just a few minutes hasn’t. It’s amazing the results that ten minutes of focused tidying can produce!
Yesterday afternoon, I sat down at my cleared-off desk (I’d cleared it because the housecleaner was coming that morning), and proceeded to trash it. I don’t know what happened—I think I was looking for something I’d written down but couldn’t find. Plus I’d probably dumped some stuff on the desk when I came home. (Yikes.)
Tagged with: 15 minutes, clean desk, decluttering, worth repeating
Worth repeating: Working with a professional organizer
Tagged with: decluttering, professional organizer, worth repeating
Getting past "I might need it some day"
One of the most common reasons folks (including me) tend to hang to items that they use or love is that they feel they might need it at some point in the future and they fear regretting that they let it go. If you live in a home with plenty of storage space and you’re organized enough that you can find the item when you need it, then this might be no big deal.
Tagged with: decluttering
Getting my desk under control
Last week, my desk got out of control. I had a leather in tray that was overflowing, despite my having gone through it recently. I had a busy client week and spent what time I was at my desk dealing with urgent items. Look how bad it got. (I’m not proud of this picture.)
Tagged with: clutter, decluttering, desk, habits
Stop the Clutter! cards
Tagged with: decluttering, organizing products
No Excuses series (part 3): "It was a gift"
This is the third in a three-part series of posts debunking the three excuses I hear most frequently from clients for wanting to keep items they no longer use or love. The series originally ran in January and February 2017. Click here to see the other articles in the series.
The third common excuse I hear for keeping an unloved or unused item is that it was a gift. This is a tough one. People tend to have a difficult time parting with items that were given to them. (As an aside, this has completely changed how I give gifts, knowing that my gift may some day become clutter for the recipient.)
Tagged with: decluttering, worth repeating
No Excuses series (part 2): "I paid a lot for it"
This is the second in a three-part series of posts debunking the three excuses I hear most frequently from clients for wanting to keep items they no longer use or love. Click here to see the other articles in the series, which originally ran in January and February 2017.
The second most common excuse I hear from clients who want to keep something they don’t use of love is that they paid a lot for that item. I get it. It feels terrible to let go of an expensive item that turned out to be a foolhardy purchase. But you know what? Keeping it doesn’t make you feel any better. In fact, when you see the item, it just makes you feel worse.
Tagged with: decluttering, worth repeating
No Excuses series (part 1): "I might need it some day"
This is the first in a three-part series of posts debunking the three excuses I hear most frequently from clients for wanting to keep items they no longer use or love.
When I work with clients on decluttering, we discuss their goals and motivations for letting go of excess. They understand that it makes most sense to hang on to meaningful items, not those that are sitting idle. Yet it’s not unusual for a client to want to keep an unused item that’s perfectly good because “I might need it some day.”
Tagged with: decluttering, worth repeating
Worth repeating: Trying out the KonMari method
The popularity of Marie Kondo and her best-selling book “The Life-Changing Magic of Tidying Up” has not waned since I reviewed her book back in 2015. In fact, Marie Kondo has scored a reality show on Netflix and there were reports of a sitcom based on her. Wow! So I thought it might be interesting to repeat my 2015 post on my impressions of her method when I tried it out on my clothing.
Tagged with: books, decluttering, marie kondo, worth repeating
Today's piece of holiday advice
Yesterday, I watched a client part with the holiday decor that was weighing her down. Bags of decor left her storage room to find a new home with folks who will value it. It felt so good. It led me to write down this piece of advice for you. I’m willing to bet that you’ll be very happy if you implement it.
Tagged with: declutter, decluttering, decor, holidays
The joys of working with an organizer
For seven years, I’ve periodically swapped organizing services with the amazing Aby Garvey. Aby is not only great at making spaces function really well, she makes them beautiful too. I absolutely love watching Aby fiddle with a collection of something to make it look great in a container. I could do it all day.
This past Saturday, Aby was kind enough to come to home and help me address my the large closet in my home office, where I keep supplies. Three years ago, she helped me tackle the same space and made it really lovely. I blogged about that experience in a post called Lessons learned while decluttering. In the intervening three years the space had become a little unruly. It still functioned well, but it had lost its visual peace.
Tagged with: aby garvey, decluttering, home office, professional organizer
What can you do in five minutes?
I’m a big believer in using a timer to motivate me to work quickly and get stuff done. I have a seriously full calendar but a relatively free morning today so I thought I’d see if I could some clutter spots and other small tasks taken care of.
So I pulled out my phone and asked Siri to set a timer for five minutes. I did it seven times. Here’s what I managed to accomplish in just seven five-minute blocks:
Tagged with: declutter, decluttering, timer
Worth repeating: A key to keeping surfaces clear
Today I’m taking some inspiration from a blog post I wrote almost three years ago. I wish I could tell you that my bureau has only three things on it today, but the truth is there’s a little bit of clutter. This weekend I’m going to clear it off and get it back to the state that is pictured! Then I’m sure it will be easier for me to keep it clear.
Tagged with: clean bureau, clean desk, decluttering, goals, habits, routines, worth repeating
Worth repeating: Working with an organizing team
I started leading organizing teams in 2008, but it was a relatively rare occurrence. By 2013, I’d renamed my team organizing service OPERATION: PEACE OF MIND and more than half my client appointments were teams. Now, I work almost exclusively by leading organizing teams. (And occasionally I send out teams that are led by experienced team members.) I find that the synergy of the team makes a team organizing session more than the sum of its parts. For those clients who can handle the fast pace, team organizing allows for swift and dramatic change. It’s rewarding for the client and for the organizers. I love it!
Tagged with: decluttering, professional organizer, team organizing, worth repeating
What do you store on your desk?
I see a lot of messy desks. And sometimes my own desk is messy. I’ve come to believe that the key to having a truly clear desk is to be really careful about what you actually store there. When you clean off your desk, you want to have plenty of clear space on which to work. For me, all that clear space gives me a sense of peace while simultaneously motivating me. When your desk is cleared off, how clear is it really?
Tagged with: clean desk, decluttering, order
No Excuses series (part 3): "It was a gift"
This is the third in a three-part series of posts debunking the three excuses I hear most frequently from clients for wanting to keep items they no longer use or love. Click here to see the other articles in the series.
The third common excuse I hear for keeping an unloved or unused item is that it was a gift. This is a tough one. People tend to have a difficult time parting with items that were given to them. (As an aside, this has completely changed how I give gifts, knowing that my gift may some day become clutter for the recipient.)
Tagged with: decluttering, no excuses series
No Excuses series (part 2): "I paid a lot for it"
This is the second in a three-part series of posts debunking the three excuses I hear most frequently from clients for wanting to keep items they no longer use or love. Click here to see the other articles in the series.
The second most common excuse I hear from clients who want to keep something they don’t use of love is that they paid a lot for that item. I get it. It feels terrible to let go of an expensive item that turned out to be a foolhardy purchase. But you know what? Keeping it doesn’t make you feel any better. In fact, when you see the item, it just makes you feel worse.
Tagged with: decluttering, no excuses series
No Excuses series (part 1): "I might need it some day"
This is the first in a three-part series of posts debunking the three excuses I hear most frequently from clients for wanting to keep items they no longer use or love.
When I work with clients on decluttering, we discuss their goals and motivations for letting go of excess. They understand that it makes most sense to hang on to meaningful items, not those that are sitting idle. Yet it’s not unusual for a client to want to keep an unused item that’s perfectly good because “I might need it some day.”
Tagged with: decluttering, no excuses series
The phrases that make me cringe and smile
When I’m working with a client, a few phrases make me cringe when I hear them come out of the client’s mouth. And a few make my heart sing.
Tagged with: clutter clearing, declutter, decluttering
Starting the new year with a clear desk
If you can’t remember the last time you saw the surface of your desk, perhaps it’s time to experience the joy of a clean desk. I know that time is limited and cleaning up your desk may not rank high on the list of ways you’d like to spend your time. but it’s worth it. When you sit down at a clear desk, your mind is more clear and you can be more focused on your research.
Tagged with: clean desk, decluttering, new year
Use your empty boxes to ship stuff (free!) to Goodwill
I just learned on Facebook about Give Back Box, a program that makes it really easy for you to donate to Goodwill, while reusing empty boxes. I think it’s just plain brilliant. After you’ve received something in the mail, fill the empty shipping box with items you’d like to give to Goodwill, rather than taking it to the dumpster. Then go to Give Back Box website and print a free shipping label. It will be pre-addressed to the nearest participating Goodwill. Then all you have to do is tape the label to the box and take it to UPS or the Post Office. You can even request a pick up. It’s all free to you.
Tagged with: decluttering, donations, give back box
Worth repeating: Need a reason to declutter? Do it for your pets
I wrote this post three years ago and I still talk about this kitty who so enjoyed his decluttered space. It came up last month, in fact. Making your animal’s life easier is another great reason to clear out a cluttered space.
Many of my clients are animal lovers. I’m an animal lover too. I even made my living as a pet writer before becoming an organizer. Perhaps I attract animal lovers.
Tagged with: animals, clutter, decluttering, worth repeating
Feeling busy? Take 5 minutes to create a little order
When I get busy my natural messiness kicks in. Our kitchen is being renovated so disorder reigns in our house and has for the last six weeks. But even in small spaces that have nothing to do with the kitchen, like my desk, everything felt out of control this morning. I’m feeling pulled in a bunch of directions and just wasn’t taking the time to put away the stuff I could. And the clutter started getting tome.
Tagged with: decluttering, order, productivity, timer
Why decluttering is so important
I met with a client recently who explained all the storage solutions she and her husband had attempted in an effort to create order. They have three kids and a small house and it felt to them like their home was bursting at the seams. Yet their storage solutions hadn’t solved the problem.
Tagged with: decluttering, disorder, minimalism, storage
Worth repeating: Eliminating the extraneous
My desk needs some serious help at the moment, probably because I’m spending too little time in my office these days. This weekend, I plan to focus on creating more visual peace in my office. I’m taking inspiration from this blog post, which I first posted on February 18, 2013. I’m so glad I signed up for Jen’s program and I wish she were still offering it!
Tagged with: clean desk, clutter clearing, declutter, decluttering, desk, home office, jennifer hofmann, worth repeating
The joy of finishing the long-delayed project
This past weekend, I experienced the thrill of an empty basement in my own home. My husband and I live in a two-family home built in 1908. (We used to rent out the downstairs apartment, but now we live in the whole thing.) It has a scary unfinished basement that I joked was straight out of Silence of the Lambs. The limestone foundation walls and plaster-and-horsehair dropped ceiling shed dust onto the floor that is so bad we have special “basement shoes” so we don’t track dust around the house.
Tagged with: decluttering, emotions, encouragement, karel worley, paint away, procrastination, professional organizer
Worth repeating: Shifting your perspective by shifting your furniture
Nearly three years ago, I moved my desk 90 degrees. The impact was immediate and amazing! I’m still loving the placement of my desk, so I thought I’d repeat the post I wrote about it in 2013.
Tagged with: clean desk, clutter clearing, declutter, decluttering, desk, furniture, home office, jennifer hofmann, worth repeating
Decluttering old papers and memories
Over the weekend, I faced down the challenging of decluttering a file cabinet full of old papers and memories. I love having these experiences that put me in my clients’ shoes and help me better understand what they’re going through.
Tagged with: decluttering, paper management
Unwanted housepaint gets new life with PaintAway
Do you have old cans of paint hanging around your house? I do. And so do many of my clients. At least here in St. Louis, it can be so hard to actually get rid of the paint, which is considered household hazardous waste.
Tagged with: decluttering, disposal, hazardous waste, paint, paint away
Today's truth
Tagged with: decluttering, inspiration, today's truth
Trying out the KonMari method
In a blog post earlier this week, I reviewed The Life-Changing Magic of Tidying Up: The Japanese Art of Decluttering and Organizing by Marie Kondo. In this short book—an international bestseller—the author details her KonMari method for decluttering and organizing.
Tagged with: books, decluttering, marie kondo
The Life-Changing Magic of Tidying Up: A Review (part one)
Have you read The Life-Changing Magic of Tidying Up: The Japanese Art of Decluttering and Organizing by Marie Kondo? She’s the Japanese “tidying consultant” whose book has sold over 2 million copies worldwide.
Tagged with: books, decluttering, marie kondo
Worth repeating: Lessons learned while decluttering
Even professional organizers benefit from the help of professional organizers. After I worked with my friend and colleague Aby Garvey last summer, I wrote this post, which summarizes the insights I gained from our time together. Aby and I have swapped services for years, and I never tire of it!
Tagged with: aby garvey, decluttering, home office, professional organizer, worth repeating
Maintaining order
I love doing whole-house transformations. That’s when my team and I come in and create order in every room of a client’s home. We’re working side by side with the client, decluttering and organizing in ways that work for them.
Tagged with: decluttering, order, team organizing
Worth repeating: You can learn to be organized
I wrote the post below in June 2013. Reading that yearbook inscription still cracks me up. And makes me proud that I’ve learned to be organized.
Some people are born organized. I know a lot of folks like that, since I hang around with professional organizers. Other people weren’t born organized, but they’ve learned to be organized.
Tagged with: decluttering, get organized, organized, organizing systems, persistence, worth repeating
Worth repeating: Ten minutes to calm
I wrote this post a year ago, but the scenario has been repeated here many times. Taking just ten minutes to put stuff away and tidy up can have powerful results!
Yesterday afternoon, I sat down at my cleared-off desk (I’d cleared it because the housecleaner was coming that morning), and proceeded to trash it. I don’t know what happened—I think I was looking for something I’d written down but couldn’t find. Plus I’d probably dumped some stuff on the desk when I came home. (Yikes.)
Tagged with: 15 minutes, clean desk, decluttering, worth repeating
Worth repeating: Regifting
I know from working with clients that people have a very difficult time parting with items that were a gift.
When this comes up with clients, I always urge them to ask themselves whether the gift giver would want them to keep an item that they don’t use or love. (Usually the answer is no.) Then I encourage them to give the item to someone else. That someone else could be a stranger (via a charity) or someone they know.
Tagged with: decluttering, disposal, gifts, organize your family history, worth repeating
Lessons learned while decluttering
I love it when I find myself in situations that plant me squarely in my clients’ shoes. This past weekend, my friend Aby Garvey, who is an amazing organizer, offered to come to my house to help me organize my office. We swap services occasionally and it’s always fun and rewarding.
Tagged with: aby garvey, decluttering, home office, professional organizer
Worth repeating: Decluttering my keys
About ten months ago, I decluttered the copious keys in our house and posted a step-by-step explanation of the process. I’m happy to report that the key bin has not attracted more clutter and we’ve found having labeled keys for our friends’ and neighbors’ homes to be really useful! Here’s that post.
Tagged with: clutter, clutter clearing, declutter, decluttering, keys, worth repeating
A key to keeping surfaces clear
If you click on the clean bureau tag to left on this blog, you’ll see that pretty much every year one of my goals is to put my clothes away properly at night and keep the top of the bureau clear.
Tagged with: clean bureau, clean desk, decluttering, goals, habits, routines
Worth repeating: We all have fear
I wrote this post five years ago, but it still rings true. Recently, I purchased a greeting card whose front bears this quotation from George Addair: “Everything you want is on the other side of fear.” Distinguishing between when your fear is protecting you and when it’s limiting you can be a tricky thing._
Tagged with: declutter happy hour, decluttering, emotions, fear, self-care, shannon wilkinson, silvercreek glider club, worth repeating
Worth repeating: When worlds collide (in a good way)
I originally posted the blog post I’m reprinting below on September 8, 2011—with the title _When worlds collide (in a good way). I stumbled on it in my archives today and I thought I’d share it again. Incidentally, the client gave me that slip of paper and it’s been posted on my bulletin board ever since. It always makes me smile._
Tagged with: decluttering, desk, worth repeating
Decluttering is like exercising
I’ve had my struggles with getting myself to exercise over the years and I’ve detailed some of them on this blog. The bottom line for me is that I’m pretty fit and pretty slender without going to the gym, so getting myself to go has been challenging, since I don’t enjoy it that much.
Tagged with: decluttering, exercise, habits, take action
When is an organizer like a dentist?
I had my teeth cleaned today, something I don’t really enjoy. But I do it faithfully every six months. And that’s because I know the pain and fright of slacking off on going to the dentist and then having to go because something’s gone awry in my mouth. For a number of years, when I was younger, I let my fear of the dentist get in the way of my getting regular checkups. Then a tooth broke and I had to face the music. After a root canal and a nasty surgical procedure called “crown lengthening” (I don’t wish that on anyone), all was well again. And, believe me, I haven’t missed an appointment since.
Tagged with: decluttering, dentist, organizing
Make charity write-offs easy with iDonatedIt
If you itemize your taxes, taking a deduction for items you’ve donated to charities makes good financial sense. You reduce your tax burden and you don’t have to go through the trouble of trying to sell your unwanted stuff.
Tagged with: decluttering, donations, idonatedit, taxes
Decluttering Step #5: Put everything away
The fifth and final entry in my Declutter Your Home blog series. Each Monday since January 20, I’ve covered a different step of the decluttering process: Step #1, Create your vision, Step #2: Choose your space, Step #3: Gather your supplies and Step #4: Ask key questions .
Tagged with: declutter, decluttering, declutter your home series
Decluttering Step #4: Ask key questions
This is the fourth in a blog series I’m writing on Mondays that will take you step by step through the decluttering process. Each Monday for the last few weeks, I’ve covered Step #1, Create your vision and Step #2: Choose your space and Step #3: Gather your supplies. Today we actually getting started decluttering.
Tagged with: declutter, decluttering, declutter your home series
Decluttering Step #3: Gather your supplies
This is the third in a blog series I’m writing on Mondays that will take you step by step through the decluttering process. Each Monday for the next few weeks, I’ll offer a new step. So far, we’ve covered Step #1, Create your vision and Step #2: Choose your space. Today’s step is the last preparatory step before actually getting started decluttering.
Tagged with: declutter, decluttering, declutter your home series
Ten minutes to calm
Yesterday afternoon, I sat down at my cleared-off desk (I’d cleared it because the housecleaner was coming that morning), and proceeded to trash it. I don’t know what happened—I think I was looking for something I’d written down but couldn’t find. Plus I’d probably dumped some stuff on the desk when I cam home. (Yikes.)
Tagged with: 15 minutes, clean desk, decluttering
Decluttering Step #2: Choose your space
This is the second in a series of blog posts I’m writing on Mondays that will take you step by step through the decluttering process. Each Monday for the next few weeks, I’ll offer a new step. If you missed Step #1, Create your vision, be sure and check it out.
Tagged with: declutter, decluttering, declutter your home series
Decluttering Step #1: Create your vision
This is the first part in a series I’m writing that will take you step by step through the process of decluttering. Each Monday for the next few weeks, I’ll offer a new step. Today we start with the first step, creating your vision.
Tagged with: declutter, decluttering, declutter your home series, vision
My decluttering playlist
I often mention the power of setting a timer for a short period of time to gain focus and accomplish a lot. One fun way to set a timer is to create a playlist of songs that ends after a set period of time.
Tagged with: 15 minutes, decluttering, motivation, music
Got a clutter emergency?
It can be overwhelming when you know guests are coming and your home doesn’t feel quite up to snuff. (My brother’s visit has me scurrying around taking care of small decluttering projects.)
Tagged with: clutter, company, declutter happy hour, decluttering, quick clutter fix, shannon wilkinson
The value of house guests
My brother, Larry, is coming to visit later this month. It’ll be the first time he’s ever visited me. He lives in Australia, and his visits to the U.S. are fairly few and far between and usually restricted to Washington state, where we grew up and where our parents live. (When he visits Walla Walla, I go there too.) But this year I persuaded him to come to St. Louis before going to visit our parents.
Tagged with: decluttering, family, guests
Need a reason to declutter? Do it for your pets
Many of my clients are animal lovers. I’m an animal lover too. I even made my living as a pet writer before becoming an organizer. Perhaps I attract animal lovers.
Tagged with: animals, clutter, decluttering
Worth repeating: My adventure with a professional organizer
Back in 2009, as a requirement for the CPO-CD® program, I hired a professional organizer to help me in my home. It was a great experience and I blogged about it at the time. The post is still true (and, I think, interesting). I really loved being in the client’s shoes, and, four years later, I still reflect on that experience when I’m working with clients.
Tagged with: decluttering, emotions, encouragement, karel worley, professional organizer, worth repeating
Decluttering my keys
I’m a big believer in having one place where the keys are placed when coming in the door. In our house, it’s been a coated-wire basket just inside the back door, where we enter from the garage. We now automatically drop our keys right in the basket.
Tagged with: clutter, clutter clearing, declutter, decluttering, keys
Worth repeating: Working with an organizing team
I wrote this blog post in February 2012, and it’s more true now than ever. I’ve renamed my team organizing OPERATION: PEACE OF MIND and these days I’m doing more team organizing than one-on-one organizing. The results are amazing!
Tagged with: decluttering, professional organizer, team organizing, worth repeating
Worth repeating: Closet issues
If you have trouble parting with clothes, you’re not alone. Even Oprah Winfrey has a tough time, as I explained in this 2010 blog post. Incidentally, I still adore the fact that the clothes in my closet are organized by color!
Tagged with: closets, decluttering, geralin thomas, oprah, worth repeating
Small change, big impact
My husband and I have lived in our home for 22 years. (Well, four of those 22 years we lived in New York City, so I guess it’s 18 years.)
One of the big frustrations in the house for all those years was the master-bedroom closet had sliding doors. These were oversize sliding doors—in other words, each one was more than half as wide as the closet.
Tagged with: change, closets, clutter clearing, declutter, decluttering
Dresser transformation
One of the habits I’ve tried to create over the years is to put away my clothes properly at night (either in the closet/drawer or down the laundry chute), rather than piling them on the top of my dresser, as I’m inclined to do.
Tagged with: clean bureau, declutter, decluttering
Worth repeating: Good intentions
On Wednesdays this summer, I’m dipping into my archives to highlight articles written in the past with messages that bear repeating. Here’s the latest, originally posted on October 14, 2010.
The other day I cleaned out my t-shirt drawer. One of the benefits of having a friend who runs a t-shirt company and creates fabulous new t-shirts designs on a regular basis is that I’m frequently given new t-shirts. I don’t want to say no to them, because they’re wonderful. But I wasn’t employing any kind of “one in/one out” policy.
Tagged with: decluttering, ease, knitting, perfectionism, sally brown, worth repeating
Worth repeating: Finding the best place to donate
I see so many clients get caught up in finding the perfect places to donate their items. I think this post, which I originally published in April 2012, bears repeating.
Tagged with: decluttering, disposal, donations, perfectionism, worth repeating
You can learn to be organized
Some people are born organized. I know a lot of folks like that, since I hang around with professional organizers. Other people weren’t born organized, but they’ve learned to be organized.
Tagged with: decluttering, get organized, organized, organizing systems, persistence
Where to start decluttering
Clutter overwhelms many people. Probably the most frequent thing I hear from clients who seek help decluttering is that they don’t know where to begin.
There are three things to look out for selecting when figuring out where to start deluttering:
Tagged with: clutter, declutter, decluttering
A little focused attention
Our old house has two full baths and there’s one that’s primarily my domain. I shower there and get ready for my day. My husband rarely steps foot in it.
So I have no one to blame but myself that the bathroom closet was a nightmare. For something like ten years, items went in and seldom came out.
Tagged with: bathrooms, closets, clutter, declutter, decluttering
Exercising your [decluttering] muscles
Since October, I’ve been trying to go to the fitness studio that I belong to, Take Action three times a week. Due to some circumstances I won’t go into here, I hadn’t been able to go for almost two weeks. But I managed to get there yesterday.
Tagged with: decluttering, exercise, take action
Worth repeating: Self-care
I’m passionate about asking people to be kind to themselves and not let guilt about clutter (or anything else) get in the way of living their lives. It’s been almost six years since I wrote this posted, called Self-Care, but it remains one of my very favorite posts. I thought I’d share it again today.
Tagged with: 15 minutes, decluttering, empowerment, self-care, shannon wilkinson, worth repeating
Regifting
I know from working with clients that people have a very difficult time parting with items that were a gift.
When this comes up with clients, I always urge them to ask themselves whether the gift giver would want them to keep an item that they don’t use or love. (Usually the answer is no.) Then I encourage them to give the item to someone else. That someone else could be a stranger (via a charity) or someone they know.
Tagged with: decluttering, disposal, gifts
Shifting your perspective by shifting your furniture
I’m not somebody who switches furniture around. I know there are people who consider that fun, but I’m not one of them. I typically agonize over the placement of furniture and once it’s done, that’s that.
Tagged with: clean desk, clutter clearing, declutter, decluttering, desk, furniture, home office, jennifer hofmann
Eliminating the extraneous
I recently signed up for the fabulous Workspace and Studio Redesign program offered by Jennifer Hofmann of Inspired Home Office.
Tagged with: clean desk, clutter clearing, declutter, decluttering, desk, home office, jennifer hofmann
Come see me live and in person (or on the phone)!
There must be something in the air. In the four weeks between February 28 and March 28 I have five speaking engagements. You can read all about them on the Events page of this website.
Tagged with: closets, decluttering, habits, routines, speaking
Less really is more
I just spent some time as a houseguest of my friend, Shannon Wilkinson, who moved into her lovely home in Portland just six months ago.
Tagged with: clutter, clutter clearing, declutter, decluttering, order, shannon wilkinson
Next week: I'm giving a talk on clutter
If you live in the St. Louis area, I’d love to see you at a talk I’m giving next week called Get Rid of Clutter. It’ll be on October 19 from 10 to 11:30 a.m. at the Thomas Dunn Memorials Adult Education Program in south St. Louis city. The fee is just $10.
Tagged with: decluttering, speaking
Great (knitting) discoveries while decluttering
One of the most fun parts of helping clients declutter is finding great stuff. My favorite thing to hear is, “I’ve been looking for that!” I also love finding money, which happens with surprising frequency.
Tagged with: aby garvey, decluttering, knitting, storage, wips, yarn
How working with an organizer jump starts things
As I’ve written here before, I love swapping services with professional organizers. In theory, I shouldn’t need organizing help in my home, since I know what I’m doing. But in fact, bringing in a PO yields amazing results. And it’s loads of fun!
Tagged with: aby garvey, decluttering, home office, professional organizer
Focus on what you've accomplished, not what's yet to be done
I did the first of what will be a number of team organizing jobs for a client recently. In that first session, my five-person team made some amazing progress. It seemed like life-changing progress. I was thrilled.
Tagged with: decluttering, emotions, empowerment, encouragement, photographs
Go through those computer manuals
One of the benefits of having a blog for six years is that you can see how often you do stuff. Back in March of 2009, I blogged about decluttering the ancient computer documentation I had in my office closet.
Tagged with: clutter, computer, decluttering, disorder
Worth repeating: Working with a professional organizer
A year ago (almost to the day), I posted a blog post aimed at helping those of you interested in working with a professional organizer make the most out of the experience. I asked other professional organizers to comment, which made the post even more valuable. I wanted to make sure those who might benefit from it will see it, so I’m posting it again. To get the maximum benefit, go back to the original post and read those comments.
Tagged with: decluttering, professional organizer, worth repeating
Come learn how to Get Rid of Clutter
I’ll be giving a low-cost talk called Get Rid of Clutter on October 19 from 10 to 11:30 a.m. at the Thomas Dunn Memorials Adult Education Program in south St. Louis city.
Tagged with: decluttering, speaking
App of the week: Paper Karma
My friend, social media expert Jacquelyn Kittredge, told me about Paper Karma, a free app that helps you stop junk mail and unwanted catalogs.
Tagged with: decluttering, jacquelyn kittredge, junk mail, paper karma, paper management, paper piles
An easy (and touching) way to help those in need
At the 2011 NAPO conference, I was among the many who shed tears watching the video about Soles4Souls a non-profit group that collects shoes to deliver to shoeless people in Haiti and elsewhere. That year, NAPO honored Soles4Souls with its Organizing Excellence Award, for the incredible organizational effort behind the shoe collection and distribution.
Tagged with: charity, decluttering, napo, napo st. louis
Clutter support group in St. Louis
I was recently contacted by Catherine, a member of a small clutter support group that meets in person on Monday evenings from 7 to 9 at Hartford Coffee, near Tower Grove Park, in the city of St. Louis. I was delighted to hear from her, since I’m occasionally asked about local clutter support groups and didn’t know of any.
Tagged with: clutter, decluttering, support, support groups
Finding the best place to donate
It can be easier to let go of items if you think they’re going to just the right charity. If you feel like the item wlll used, even loved, you can release it with fewer twinges of regret.
Tagged with: decluttering, disposal, donations, perfectionism
Working with an organizing team
When I started my organizing business in 2005, I exclusively worked one-on-one with clients. It’s intimate, fulfilling, valuable work. But it can be really slow. And that means progress is harder to see and it can become discouraging for the client.
Tagged with: decluttering, professional organizer, team organizing
Low-cost ways to tap into my expertise
I love working one-on-one with clients (or supervising a team of organizers to help a client) and we get great results. But sometimes budgetary or geographic constraints make that impossible.
That’s why I’m glad to bring up some opportunities for ways you can tap into my expertise even if you’re on a budget or you don’t live in St. Louis.
Tagged with: allison collinger, declutter happy hour, decluttering, events, jill farmer, mail, organizing products, organizing resources, shannon wilkinson
The hotel room theory of decluttering
I’m writing this from my room at a Comfort Suites. It’s not exactly a luxurious room. But as I was sitting here on the little couch that makes this room a “suite” (that and the half wall that separates the couch from the bed), I started thinking about why I love hotel rooms.
Tagged with: decluttering, order
When worlds collide (in a good way)
I was helping a client clear off the top of the desk in her home office. It was one of those desks where stuff gets added over the years but very little gets subtracted. I love those jobs because it’s kind of a time capsule. And, often, we find fun stuff.
Tagged with: decluttering, desk
Working with a professional organizer
If you’re reading an organizing blog, chances are pretty good that you fall into one of three camps:
- You’re a professional organizer
- You’d like to work with a professional organizer
- You’re a fairly organized DIYer looking for ideas
Tagged with: decluttering, professional organizer
One of my favorite organizing tools
Today at the monthly meeting of the St. Louis chapter of NAPO organizers shared their favorite organizing tools. Those of us who attended the conference shared our favorite conference session. But it got to me thinking what I would have shared, had I not gone to the conference.
Tagged with: decluttering, organizing resources
One year later: drawer still organized
Yesterday, I was discussing a kitchen drawer with a client. Wanting to show her a photo of the Rubbermaid interlocking drawer organizers I pulled out my iPad and showed her a blog post I’d written last year about organizing my kitchen utensil drawer.
Tagged with: decluttering, organizing products, rubbermaid
Q&A with author Leah Ingram
I’ve been acquainted with Leah Ingram, author of the new book,Toss, Keep, Sell!: The Suddenly Frugal Guide to Cleaning Out the Clutter and Cashing In
Tagged with: decluttering, disposal, leah ingram, money
Creative disposal
A lot of my clients are perfectionists, and one of the things that keeps them from parting with an item is that they want to identify the perfect person or charity to receive it. They don’t want to clutter the landfill, so they let items clutter their homes instead.
Tagged with: blogs, decluttering, disposal, perfectionism, recycling, repurposing, think outside the bin, trophies
Stressed out by meals? SimpliFried can help
I love the blog Unclutterer. It is full of sound advice about getting rid of clutter and living simply, written by and for intelligent people.
Tagged with: blogs, decluttering, meal planning, simplifried, unclutterer
Help for catching up on your shredding
One of the things I did during that glorious week between Christmas and New Year’s was clean out my files. My recycling box is full but I also have a large pile on top of my shredder.
Tagged with: decluttering, identity theft, napo st. louis, paper management, shred and protect, shredders
Starting the year with a clean inbox
Last night, I reached the elusive Inbox Zero. That’s right, I emptied my email inbox. This isn’t to say I don’t have any email messages. It’s just that they’re filed away in folders (or “mailboxes” in Mac Mail parlance).
Tagged with: aby garvey, accountability, decluttering, email
Declutter your inbox
Lately, I’ve been taking a moment to unsubscribe from promotional emails I receive on a regular basis that I usually delete. Just a moment ago, I unsubscribed from promo emails from a major electronics retailer. When I thought about the last couple of times I shopped there, it was when I had something specific in mind. It had nothing to do with these promotional emails, which come almost on a daily basis.
Tagged with: decluttering, email, mail
Good intentions
The other day I cleaned out my t-shirt drawer. One of the benefits of having a friend who runs a t-shirt company and creates fabulous new t-shirts designs on a regular basis is that I’m frequently given new t-shirts. I don’t want to say no to them, because they’re wonderful. But I wasn’t employing any kind of “one in/one out” policy.
Tagged with: decluttering, ease, knitting, perfectionism, sally brown
Take five
I love to extol the virtues of grabbing pockets of time and creating order on a small scale. This is something I tell my clients and my Declutter Happy Hour participants.
Tagged with: decluttering, ellen delap, pockets of time
The cost of keeping stuff
I gave a talk this week called Letting Go of the Tough Stuff. One of the points I made in that talk is something I’ve been thinking about a lot lately. Many clients don’t like to part with items they don’t use or love because those items cost a lot to buy. Or they feel the item is worth something and they can’t just give it away, but selling it feels too complicated or labor-intenstive, so it gets put off.
Tagged with: clutter, clutter clearing, decisions, decluttering
Letting Go of the Tough Stuff class
I’ll be giving a low-cost class called Letting Go of the Touch Stuff on September 8 from 10 to 11:30 a.m. at the Thomas Dunn Memorials Adult Education Program in south St. Louis city.
Tagged with: decluttering, speaking
Last June on the blog
Inspired by my friend, Margaret Lukens, I’ve decided to point out some of my favorite from this blog from Junes gone by. June is usually a pretty busy blogging month for me (though not so much this year). I had so many posts to choose from that I’m going to split the recap into two posts.
Tagged with: 15 minutes, accountability, clutter clearing, decluttering, email
Friends and families in the organizing process
Last night, after several months of repeats, A&E aired a new episode of its hit documentary TV series, Hoarders.
Tagged with: decluttering, geralin thomas, hoarders
Closet issues
Cleaning out the clothes closet is difficult for many people. Clothes can represent so much — like music, they can do a great job of capturing a feeling about an occasion or part of life. They also can represent hopes. You hope to wear that size again. Or you hope to have an occasion to wear that evening gown.
Tagged with: closets, decluttering, geralin thomas, oprah
Three quick projects: great advice from Unclutterer
One of the themes of Declutter Happy Hour, the e-course I offer with life coach Shannon Wilkinson, is to capture small blocks of time to work on decluttering.
Tagged with: 15 minutes, decluttering, erin doland, unclutterer
You don't have to do it alone
Having just spent four days with professional organizers, who are among the most supportive and helpful groups of people I can think of, I’m pausing to think about how important support is.
Tagged with: declutter happy hour, decluttering, felder rushing, napo, professional organizer, shannon wilkinson, support
When is clutter a problem?
I gave a decluttering talk the other day and of the audience members asked, “But what if I get comfort from having all my stuff around me?” I told her it’s not a problem to be surrounded by her stuff — unless it is a problem. I asked her whether being surrounded by her stuff was affecting her ability to function. She said yes. So we talked a little about what happens when the cost of keeping stuff is higher than the cost of letting go of it.
Tagged with: clutter, declutter happy hour, decluttering, disorder, guest post, quick clutter fix, rubbermaid, shannon wilkinson
Spring decluttering
Spring has hit St. Louis. It’s been in the 80s this week. The fruit trees and redbuds are starting to flower. Daffodils are out. It’s fabulous.
Tagged with: closets, declutter happy hour, decluttering, order
Taming the messy drawer (and a giveaway!)
In our kitchen we have lots of drawers. One of them is a drawer full of miscellaneous cooking utensils and gadgets that we don’t use much. The things we use with any regularity are usually on top, but that’s the extent of the organization of the drawer. And that’s not really organization at all. That’s just physics.
Tagged with: decluttering, giveaway, organizing products, rubbermaid
Get Rid of Clutter talk
I’ll be giving a free talk called Get Rid of Clutter on April 6 from ten to noon at the Thomas Dunn Memorials Adult Education Program in south St. Louis city.
Tagged with: decluttering, speaking
Peter Walsh's "It's All Too Much" DVD: A review and giveaway
I really like Peter Walsh. I love that he provides straight-forward, common-sense advice on decluttering and organizing. I also like his innovative storage solutions. You’ve had the opportunity to see him on Clean Sweep, and Oprah. You may have read his books, including It’s All Too Much: An Easy Plan for Living a Richer Life with Less Stuff
Tagged with: decluttering, giveaway, organizing principles, organizing products, peter walsh
My favorite blog posts of 2009
I wrote just over 150 blog posts in 2009. Last week, I clicked through them and picked out some of my favorites to share with you in this post. The first go-around, I selected 24. But I figure that’s more than you care to see in one post. So I’ve cut that number in half.
Tagged with: blogging, declutter happy hour, decluttering, emotions, fear, hiring a po, nanowrimo
St. Louisans: A chance to turn your unwanted items into art!
This weekend is the Big Ass Indie Art and Craft Show a big craft show in St. Louis being held at Mad Art Gallery on 2727 South 12th Street. It starts Friday evening and runs all day Saturday and ends Sunday at 3 pm. Personally, I love craft shows. I so admire the craftiness, artistry, and enterprise of the people who sell things there.
Tagged with: crafts, creative people, decluttering, donations, recycling
New packages!
I’ve changed the way I offer my pricing for my organizing services and I’m really excited about it. Starting today, I’m offering packages that are geared to different situations and include helpful additional products. In the past, I’ve charged a flat fee for my initial assessment and charged by the hour for everything else.
Tagged with: decluttering, packages, pricing, products, services
Help for the holidays
As I’ve mentioned before, I’m really lucky because we never host Thanksgiving dinner, so Thanksgiving isn’t a holiday I have to get ready for. My husband even does the cooking for our contribution to dinner. But I know I’m unusual. Many people are looking around their houses this week, thinking of what they have to do to whip it into shape for guests.
Tagged with: declutter happy hour, decluttering, holidays, quick clutter fix, shannon wilkinson
Thumbs up for new book: Unclutter Your Life in One Week
Erin Doland, the editor-in-chief of the great blog Unclutterer has come out with a new book, Unclutter Your Life in One Week
Tagged with: decluttering, erin doland, unclutterer
The novel writing proceeds...
…which explains why the blog writing has dropped off a little. I’m very excited that I’ve been able to work on my novel-in-a-month piece of fiction each day since November 1.
Tagged with: deadlines, declutter happy hour, decluttering, goals, nanowrimo, shannon wilkinson, writing
An easy way to sell books
In my life, books can be a big source of clutter. For a number of years, I was the book review columnist for Dog World magazine, and books would come pouring into my home on a regular basis. I’ve been decluttering my bookshelves for a couple of years now.
Tagged with: books, decluttering, powell's books
Declutter Happy Hour Thanksgiving special!
I can’t believe Thanksgiving is just around the corner. I love Thanksgiving. And I’m really lucky because Thanksgiving doesn’t mean work for me. We’ve had turkey on the fourth Thursday of November every year since 1988 at the home of dear friends. My husband cooks our contribution. All I have to do is show up and eat. (And contribute to conversation.)
Tagged with: clutter, company, declutter happy hour, decluttering, holidays, shannon wilkinson
Stop the stashing
If clutter is an issue in your life, the prospect of having a dinner guest or houseguest can be panic-inducing. (Flylady calls it living in CHAOS, or Can’t Have Anyone Over Syndrome.)
Tagged with: clutter, company, declutter happy hour, decluttering, quick clutter fix, shannon wilkinson
Baby Steps: The Best-Kept Secret to Accomplishing Anything
The true secret to getting anything done — particularly something that can feel overwhelming like decluttering — is to break it down into small bites and to keep working on it. When I received this article from performer, songwriter, and creativity consultant Christine Kane in my email yesterday, I knew I had to share it with you. It comes from her newsletter, Live Creative, and I’m reprinting it with permission.
Tagged with: christine kane, decluttering, productivity
New organizing resource: Videos from Organizing Connection
There are so many ways to learn. Personally, I’m an auditory learner so I love audio. To me, the perfect info product comes in the form of downloadable calls or teleclasses I can listen to on my iPod Touch.
But many people are visual learners and seeing what is being taught is very helpful to them. That’s why I’m so excited about the new video learning opportunities being offered by my friends at Organizing Connection.
Tagged with: closets, decluttering, organizing connection, organizing products, organizing resources
Facing down the fears lurking in the clutter
As Shannon and I discuss in Declutter Happy Hour, sometimes people don’t want to work on clutter because it’s just plain scary.
Tagged with: clutter, declutter happy hour, decluttering, emotions, empowerment, fear, procrastination, shannon wilkinson
We all have fear
Recently my husband and I went to a family reunion held at a ski resort in Pennsylvania (it was the end of June and there was no snow). He and I rode a chair lift up to the top of the mountain to enjoy the view. I don’t ski and I’ve only been on a ski lift a handful of times. Neither of us heard the mumbling attendant’s instructions to pull the restraining bar over our heads and lock it in place in front of us. So we were riding up the mountain with nothing preventing us from falling out of the moving chair.
Tagged with: declutter happy hour, decluttering, emotions, fear, self-care, shannon wilkinson, silvercreek glider club
Got any extra scrapbooking materials?
If the clutter in your home includes scrapbooking albums and other supplies that you no longer love or will use, I have a fabulous way for you to pass them on.
Tagged with: camp sunrise, creative memories, decluttering, donations, scrapbooking
Another 30-minute miracle
Okay, “miracle” is completely overstating it. But I was amazed at my office’s transformation the other day when I set my timer and got to work for 30 minutes
Tagged with: declutter happy hour, decluttering, productivity
Music to declutter by
In my newsletter, which goes out today, I mention the power of focus and how by setting a timer for a short period of time, I can get a lot done. (This is a refrain here on the blog too). I also mentioned that sometimes instead of (or in addition to) a timer, I’ll play a playlist of songs that ends after a set period of time.
Tagged with: 15 minutes, declutter happy hour, decluttering, motivation, music
My adventure with a professional organizer
As I blogged about the other day, I hired professional organizer Karel Worley, of Clearing Your Path, to come to my house and help my husband, Barry, and me declutter our basement.
Tagged with: decluttering, emotions, encouragement, karel worley, professional organizer
Have a Declutter Happy Hour any time you want
At the end of March, life coach Shannon Wilkinson and I started offering a four-week telecourse called Declutter Happy Hour.
Tagged with: clutter, declutter happy hour, decluttering, emotions, empowerment, encouragement, shannon wilkinson, telephone coaching
Why does decluttering feel so hard?
When it comes decluttering, which is usually the the first step of getting organized, getting started is often the hardest part.
Tagged with: chronically disorganized, decluttering, emotions, karel worley, professional organizer
Email liberation
Two months and a week ago, I blogged about how I was experimenting with inbox zero, that is keeping my email inbox pared down to just a few messages that required action. This represented a major changing in thinking for me. For more than a decade I typically had thousands of uncategorized emails in my inbox (and many more thousand filed in folders). I never found that to be a problem.
Tagged with: aby garvey, accountability, decluttering, email
Seven ways to get organized while staying green
So much of decluttering is about letting go. Disposing of things. Getting rid of excess.
But when you care about the environment, it can be difficult to let stuff go if it’s going to clutter up the environment. Sure, it’s easy to rent a dumpster and fill it up. Okay, not easy, but easier than caring where the stuff ends up. But if you’re committed to being kind to Mother Earth, then decluttering often involves extra steps.
Tagged with: charles peper, craigslist, decluttering, environment, gazelle, recycling, repurposing, speaking, workshops
It's amazing what you can do in a half hour (or less)
As part of the preparations for Declutter Happy Hour, the four-week teleclass I started offering with Shannon Wilkinson last month, I’ve been doing a lot of small decluttering projects around the house.
Tagged with: 15 minutes, clutter, declutter happy hour, decluttering, shannon wilkinson
Why not lighten the load?
Over at the wonderful blog, Unclutterer last week, guest blogger Gregory Go offered up a guest post on the Seven Benefits of Decluttering. If you had any doubt of the benefits of lightening the load and letting go of excess (and they include financial benefits!), hurry on over there and check it out.
Tagged with: declutter happy hour, decluttering, shannon wilkinson, unclutterer, zen habits
Can decluttering lead to happiness?
Gretchen Rubin who writes the blog (and upcoming book) The Happiness Project also blogs for Real Simple (and for Slate).
Tagged with: declutter happy hour, decluttering, gretchen rubin, happiness
Declutter Happy Hour starts tomorrow!
Our first “Declutter Happy Hour” session begins tomorrow, March 31, at 2 p.m. central. If you haven’t signed up yet but are intrigued, head on over to the Declutter Happy Hour website and check it out.
Tagged with: clutter, declutter happy hour, decluttering, emotions, empowerment, encouragement, shannon wilkinson
Cash for your unwanted gadgets
What’s that old saying? One person’s trash is another person’s treasure? That’s how those of us who are decluttering our lives can actually make some money. Your old digital camera may not be valuable to you after you upgrade to a snazzier one, but someone else may find it perfect.
Tagged with: decluttering, gazelle, websites
Facing down my email inbox
I freely admit that I’m an email packrat. Since my hard drive is large, I have no problem hanging on to emails I think might come in handy some day. This is a habit I’ve had since I started with email in the 90s. And I don’t intend to change.
Tagged with: aby garvey, decluttering, email
The power of 15 minutes
A decade ago, Flylady told me to set my timer for 15 minutes and declutter. She told all of her followers, “You can do anything for 15 minutes.” I’ve put that into use over and over again through the years. And I blog about it a lot because it’s so true.
Tagged with: 15 minutes, clutter, declutter happy hour, decluttering, flylady, shannon wilkinson, time timer
Announcing Declutter Happy Hour!
Recently, I’ve been blogging quite a bit about how hard it can be to get rid of clutter, not just because it’s hard work that’s difficult to find the time to do, but because of emotional barriers to the work, or unhelpful beliefs that get in the way.
Tagged with: clutter, declutter happy hour, decluttering, emotions, empowerment, shannon wilkinson, telephone coaching
Take the poll: Emotional barriers to decluttering
On Friday, I posted about emotional barriers to getting organized. Jim Dietzel from Rubbermaid’s blog suggested in a comment that I do a poll on the various emotional blocks folks have when it comes to decluttering.
Tagged with: chronic disorganization, clutter, decluttering, emotions, fear, obstacles
Emotional barriers to getting organized
Earlier this week, I wrote about unhelpful beliefs that can stop you from being able to let go of stuff. Today I want to talk about emotional barriers that can come up when you’re trying to get organized (or even just thinking about it).
Tagged with: chronic disorganization, clutter, decluttering, emotions, fear, obstacles
Question your beliefs
Most of the people I work with are dealing with clutter. As we work through the stuff and I help the client make decisions about whether to keep items, I’m often amazed at the different ways people feel about letting stuff go.
Tagged with: chronic disorganization, clutter, david tolin, decluttering, disorganization resources, hoarders, hoarding, obstacles, perfectionism
Hello, computer-related clutter!
The other day I decided to sell my Palm T|X handheld on Gazelle. It’s a website that buys used electronics. (I’ll write a post after the transaction is complete to let you know how the experience is.) I’d replaced the Palm with my beloved iPod Touch, so thought I’d divest myself of it.
Tagged with: clutter, computer, decluttering, disorder, gazelle
The impact of touch
A study from Ohio State University suggests that the longer people touch something they’re considering purchasing, the more money they’re willing to spend on it. Researchers asked study participants to hold an ordinary coffee mug for either 10 or 30 seconds. Then the participants were allowed to bid on the mug in either an open or closed auction. The folks who had held the mug for 30 seconds bid more for it. Four out of seven even bid more than the retail value (which they were aware of).
Tagged with: chronically disorganized, decluttering, shopping, speaking
Come to my free organizing workshop!
I’ll be giving a workshop here in St. Louis on decluttering. It’s free and open to the public. If you’re in St. Louis, I’d love to see you there!
Tagged with: decluttering, speaking, workshops
Spa Day report: Simultaneously calming and energizing
As I mentioned on Friday, I eagerly anticipated the Extra Special Holiday Spa Day at Inspired Home Office, which I participated in on Saturday. I thought I’d report on this very cool experience.
Tagged with: decluttering, havi brooks, jennifer hofmann, motivation, spa day
Spa Day in my home
Tomorrow, I’m participating in an intriguing activity. I’ve signed up for the Extra Special Holiday Spa Day offered through Inspired Home Office.
Tagged with: decluttering, havi brooks, jennifer hofmann, spa day
Oprah to the rescue
In case you missed it, yesterday’s Oprah show was the debut of Oprah’s Clean Up Your Messy House Tour. Oprah is sending organizer Peter Walsh, of whom I’m an unabashed fan, around the country with a “clutter crew” of helpers (in VW Bugs) to help people get rid of clutter. (In this first episode, they were in New York City, knocking on doors of unsuspecting people.) Designer Candice Olson of Divine Design is also on hand to help with beautiful storage and design solutions.
Tagged with: clutter, container store, decluttering, oprah, order, peter walsh, snapfish
Powerful decluttering
This morning I received the e-newsletter of Christine Kane, the blogger, musician, and creativity consultant whose blog was my Blog of the Week a few months ago.
Tagged with: christine kane, decluttering, encouragement, gratitude, self-care, workspace
A pocket of order
This week, as part of my Level III certification program through the National Study Group on Chronic Disorganization, I analyzed the book Making Peace with the Things in Your Life, by Cindy Glovinsky (link at right).
Tagged with: cindy glovinsky, clutter, decluttering, disorder, motivation
I'm quoted in a national magazine
The current issue of Arthritis Today, the consumer health publication (available on newsstands) that’s published by the Arthritis Foundation, includes an article by Sharon Ann Waldrop, on six tips to control clutter. In addition to two from me, it features tips by several professional organizers, including Jill Graham of Operation Organize! in Arizona and Rosemary Chieppo of Born to Organize in Connecticut.
Tagged with: arthritis today, decluttering, press
A must-listen interview with Julie Morgenstern
Organizing guru Julie Morgenstern is all over the place promoting her new book When Organizing Isn’t Enough: SHED Your Stuff, Change Your Life . I haven’t read it yet, though I’ve read some interviews, including one here at Unclutterer . After I read the Unclutterer interview, I went to my library’s website and asked for the book to be sent to my branch when it’s available, so I can check it out
Tagged with: aby garvey, books, decluttering, julie morgenstern, unclutterer
Lace knitting: Not unlike organizing
Last night, as I worked on the Estonian Garden Wrap, a seemingly complicated and sort of overwhelming (for this novice lace knitter) knitting pattern, I realized that broken down to its simplest elements, it’s really pretty easy. And that’s not unlike any overwhelming project, like getting organized. Let me explain.
Tagged with: decluttering, empowerment, knitting, lace, motivation, perfectionism, productivity
Flylady: Blog of the Week
This week’s Blog of the Week is an oldie but goodie. I first became aware of Flylady back in the late nineties, before I ever dreamt of becoming a professional organizer. Technically, it’s not a blog. (It predates blogs.) But it’s frequently updated and full of treasures.
Tagged with: 15 minutes, blog of the week, decluttering, flylady, routines
The uncluttered car
I have to admit that my car usually looks pretty messy. That’s not surprising, since I’m a messy person, in general. But I did clean it out prior to my big trip to IKEA and it was very nice to have the clutter removed. Unfortunately, it’s encroaching again.
Tagged with: car, decluttering, unclutterer
Crazy Aunt Purl: Blog of the Week
One of my favorite knitting blogs, Crazy Aunt Purl, justified its permanent status on the Links section of this organizing blog (where it’s been since Day One), with yesterday’s post.
Tagged with: blog of the week, blogs, crazy aunt purl, decluttering, knitting, laurie perry
The Clutter Diet Blog: Blog of the Week
This week’s BOTW is Lorie Marrero’s The Clutter Diet Blog.
Tagged with: blog of the week, blogs, clutter, clutter diet, decluttering, lori marrero
Self-care
I’m always struck how clutter gets in the way of life. I have many clients who constantly feel an obligation to deal with their clutter. They plan to devote a weekend to decluttering, then they start to feel overwhelmed, so they don’t actually deal with it. (Until they call me.)
Tagged with: 15 minutes, decluttering, empowerment, self-care, shannon wilkinson
Creating a vision
Whenever I start working with a client, we talk about the vision they have for the space. I’m not talking about specifics like furniture placement. I want to know what the client is hoping to experience in the room, the feeling that she wants to get from the space. I ask the client to close her eyes and really feel it.
Tagged with: decluttering, focus, motivation, productivity
Decisions
Many of my clients have a difficult time making decisions. That’s not too surprising, since most of my clients are dealing with clutter issues and clutter is all about delayed decisions.
Tagged with: decisions, decluttering, ikea, sally brown
You know it's time to focus on organizing...
...when you can’t find stuff. The universe is putting me squarely in the shoes of my clients today. I’ve spend much of the day trying to find things. And so far, I’m having no luck!
Tagged with: clutter, decluttering, productivity
Weekend update
On Friday I blogged about how I hoped to focus on decluttering in the coming weekend and that I was experiencing the rare and delightful confluence of having time for this kind of work and feeling motivated to do it.
I have to say, it went well. In Friday’s post, I listed the projects I hoped to accomplish:
Tagged with: accountability, decluttering, disorder, storage
Focus
If you’ve ever worked with a professional organizer, you know that one of the things we bring to the table is focus. When you make the financial and time commitment to have a professional help you get organized, you tend to stay focused on the job during your session. And if your attention strays, the organizer draws it back to the project at hand.
Tagged with: accountability, decluttering, disorder, storage
Great publicity for the organizing profession!
Last night on the St. Louis NBC affiliate’s news broadcast there was a “cover story” called Decluttering Your Surroundings Could Help You Live a Better Life.
Tagged with: decluttering, napo st. louis, peter walsh, press
How do you eat an elephant?
I’m going through one of those periods again where I completely empathize with my clients. I had a very busy March and April (I was out of town half the month of April) and now that I have a little time to breathe, I look around my house and think, “I need a professional organizer!” There are no shortage of wonderful organizers here in St. Louis I could hire for help, but I’m going to try to economize and do the work myself.
Tagged with: 15 minutes, accountability, backsliding, decluttering, productivity, time management
When good things happen to great clients
I mentioned last week that I was leaving for Hawaii to help a client get settled in there. We’re working hard, having some fun, and accomplishing a lot.
I’ve been working with this client since September 2006 and she serves as a fabulous example of the benefits of getting organized.
Tagged with: balance, decluttering, empowerment, order, organized, priorities
Update on my email taming
Just a few days ago, I wrote a blog post about taming my email box. I vowed to use the trusted-three method, which I read about on Lifehacker, to empty my email inbox. I said I’d try it out and report back.
Tagged with: decluttering, email
Taming the email inbox
I have to admit that I’m a bit of an email packrat. It seems fairly harmless to me, as long as my hard drive is large enough, and somehow having the history of many of my email interactions gives me comfort.
Tagged with: decluttering, email
Things Flylady has taught me
Chances are you’re familiar with Flylady. Flylady, who’s real name is Marla Cilley, has a wildly popular website which helps readers dig out from clutter, establish routines, and stay organized.
Tagged with: 15 minutes, decluttering, flylady, habits, routines
A peek inside the client's mind
When I visit the home of a client for the first time, I’m often struck by the trust that’s been placed in me. For some of my clients, I’m the first visitor they’ve welcomed into their homes in some time.
Tagged with: clutter, control, decluttering, kitchen, trust
Ready to declutter your stash?
I’ve somehow ended up with some yarn that I can’t imagine I’ll ever knit with. Some acrylic, some fun fur, some other novelty yarns. On a larger scale, I ended up with an embarrassingly large collection of straight and circular needles I’ll never use. Those were purchased on ebay and didn’t turn out to be to my liking.
Tagged with: decluttering, donations, stash
The amazing power of a clean desktop
The habit I’ve been trying to instill with the Don’t Break the Chain method that I wrote about in a recent post is clearing my desktop at the end of the workday.
Tagged with: accountability, clean desk, decluttering, desk, don't break the chain, goals, habits, motivation, productivity, time management, workspace
Workspace order
I was interviewed recently for an article at AuditNet, a website for auditors, about clearing your workspace and keeping it in order. Check out my tips at the Q&A here: Taming Office Clutter
Tagged with: decluttering, desk, press, workspace
Happy new year!
But here it is the first day of the year and I find myself wanting to write down goals, figure out systems for making life easier, and (still) cleaning out/cleaning up.
Tagged with: balance, decluttering, new year, ravelry, time management
Clean desktop challenge results
Ten days and two posts ago (on a Monday), I wrote this: I hope and trust that on Friday I’ll post that I had a clean desk-top every day for five days running. You’ll just have to take my word for it.
Tagged with: clutter, decluttering, desk
A little Internet press
I’m quoted in a couple of articles published on the Internet recently.
Today’s edition of Gimundo.com has an article by Kathy Hawkins entitled, “How to Kick the Clutter Habit.” I’m the main source for the article.
Tagged with: clutter, decluttering, press
Clutter and stress
I just discovered something about myself. I’ve always known that, for me, clutter causes stress. And stress tends to cause clutter. Typically, my stress starts because I’m too busy. When I’m busy I have no time to put anything away. The clutter grows and grows and looking at it stresses me out. It’s a vicious cycle.
Tagged with: clutter, decluttering, desk, stress
Clutter can be such a barrier
It’s amazing to me what a barrier to productivity, to progress, to peace of mind clutter can be. I see it in my clients all the time. And I know from personal experience.
Tagged with: clutter, decluttering, empowerment, feng shui, focus, priorities, procrastination, productivity
For me, this is what it is all about
I just got back from an intense five days working with a client in another state. I know from her feedback and from what we accomplished that I really made a difference in her life. That’s what I love about this work!
Tagged with: clutter, coaching, decluttering, hoarding, synergy
Snow day!
A winter storm hit St. Louis yesterday. It wasn’t as big as the media hype warned us it would be, naturally. There’s maybe an inch or two of snow at my house. But under that snow is freezing rain and beneath that is sleet. So it’s slick. And pretty:
Tagged with: decluttering, nesting, weather