Look at this all my crafty blog readers. I bet every one of you have a muffin tin in your kitchen. What a creative way to avoid clutter all over your creative space. It is not only good for adults it would be great for kids too.
Some of the best products we use are items we have in our own homes and don’t have to spend a penny on—isn’t that great?
Happy Friday to you all!!
In the Middle Ages, young men and women drew names from a bowl to see who would be their Valentine. They would wear this name pinned onto their sleeves for one week for everyone to see. This was the origin of the expression “to wear your heart on your sleeve.”
Do you have clutter “pinned to your sleeve?” I do sometimes—my desk becomes such a mess that I shy away from coming into my office and creating blogs and doing other things I need to get done. Why is it so hard to get rid of clutter when it is such an easy thing to do?
By the way I just found out that is the name of my new book: “Easy Organizing” 365 tips. It is a fantastic reference book on how to organize everything in your home. This is a little surprise—it actually has a bonus of 20 more tips so there are really 385 tips. Ta-Da!!! I will be talking more about this later.
I want you to know I came into my office at 5:30 a.m. last week and spent 1 ½ hours getting my desk free of clutter. Boy-oh-boy-oh boy does it feel and look good!
Do you have a place you need to work on to get rid of clutter? Or am I the only one?
Show ‘N Share Clearing Clutter Tuesday:
I just don’t get it! Clearing clutter in this closet is a constant battle. About ever six months it is overflowing—as you can see. It is my closet that holds my bags (actually I have gotten rid of 18 at least in the last year). I also use it as my gift closet and wrapping paper closet.
Last week I decided yet again to clear clutter so I can open the door and find what I need. It took me almost 3 hours to get it organized like I wanted it a-g-a-i-n. 30 minutes of that time was spent deciding what to do with all the stuff. And I took a lot of breaks and I had a lovely lunch.
Three of the drawers were full of wrapping supplies. I evaluated if I really needed this much space. The answer was no so I put the supplies I use most often in one drawer only. I put the extra in short term storage in a drawer in another room and I recycled bags I know I will never use.
I corralled all the gifts into bags and in the drawers. I think maybe I need to place a container on top to hold gifts—I will experiment with that idea soon. I used my purse/bag holder for my bags. I kept the ones I use most often on side hooks to make them easy to grab.
What do you think? Do any of these ideas help you with clearing clutter in one of your closets or other space in your home?
We were foster parents of a little orange kitty for a few days and we quickly grew to love him. They didn’t have toys for him so I rolled up little balls of newspaper and he loved chasing and batting them around. He would put them in his mouth and carry them to the room he wanted to play in. We were sad when his real parents came and took him back to their home.
We have one kitty of our own who is a princess. She was very upset to have another kitty in her space. Now that she is the only kitty getting all the attention she is back to her happy contented self.
Are you upset by clutter in your closet or somewhere else in your home and as soon as you clear it out you are again your happy contented self? On Tuesday one of my students said the reason she wanted to be organized was to be happy. For some reason clutter just makes us upset, jittery and sometimes out of sorts don’t you think?
What do you do when you start feeling this way about clutter in your home? Wouldn’t it be nice if someone could just come in and take it all away—or would that be nice?
When I say Wizard of Oz what comes to your mind? I think of Dorothy’s ruby red shoes. Judy Garland wore 6 different ruby red shoes during the filming and one pair is on display at the Modern History Museum in Washington D.C. I get a little thrill every time I see them.
As a professional organizer women say to me “I wish I loved to organize clutter”. Just like Dorothy who longed for a place where there isn’t any trouble we can have homes where there isn’t clutter. Let’s start with our shoes.
Let’s organize the clutter in our closets by considering these options:
1. In the bottom of your closet if you have floor space a wooden, moveable rack is a great organizer. IKEA has a two shelf rack that is ideal.
2. Hang a multi-pocket shoe organizer over the back of a closet door.
3. If you have room on your closet rod use a vertical shoe organizer. It hooks over the rod, it doesn’t work on the back of a door.
4. When you absolutely have no closet space a rolling under-the-bed organizer could be used. I don’t recommend this as it is cumbersome to get to and the more inconvenient something is to use the more likely it won’t be used and shoes won’t be put away but will be left scattered on the floor.
5. Stacking racks sit on the floor and some hold up to 30 pairs of shoes. Shoes are easy to reach and to put back on the rack.
Organizing shoe clutter is almost as easy as it was for Dorothy who clicked the heels of her ruby red shoes to make her wish come true. If your wish is to organize clutter in your closet as a professional organizer I recommend starting with the floor first where your shoes rest at the end of the day.
What’s your favorite way to organize clutter in your shoe closet? I have used both of the organizers show here and they both work great! they are sturdy and fit the space just right.
Product Review today is a simple citrus peeler. Does it clear clutteror create clutter?
Now, I haven’t used this but I have a few things to say. Can we get so many little gadgets that are so cute but we never use? (hint: the answer starts with a Y). These types of things can create clutter, unless we use them.
Good things about it:
•It says that it is quick and easy to use
•Looks like it would be a cinch to wash
•Takes up little space
I wonder would it be just as easy to use a knife. Do you have little clutter gadgets at your home? Take a look and share with us what type of gadgets that clear clutter.
My friend Chris sent me an interesting article from RealAge. I think they have been reading my blogs or my book because the suggestions for clearing clutter is what I chat about every day and what I wrote about and show how to do my book.
I didn’t know this: “Not completing nagging unfinished tasks can make your RealAge 8 years older”. I’m not so sure my taking care of 6 tasks yesterday I have had on my to do list for awhile has made me 48 years younger. I do know that getting rid of clutter (in that little drawer I showed last week and a couple more I will show you later) does make me feel lighter and certainly happier.
I was just saying to my neighbor I am on a roll getting clutter out of my drawers. I finished a quilt my daughter had mostly made (that was in a sack in a drawer in the armoire) and I am sewing on the binding to finish it. It is a great feeling knowing I have space in that drawer now and she has a beautiful quilt. I have been going around shouting Hurrah.
Getting rid of clutter can make us younger—or at least not older according to RealAge and I want to believe that. What do you believe?
A neighbor friend asked me this last week if I had any clutter in my home. He laughed as he knows I am a professional organizer so he imagines that my home is completely clutter free. And pretty much it is. But as you know, life happens and sometimes we can close a drawer and just ignore the clutter living there. I doubt you ever do that but I do sometimes.
I have had a drawer like that for several years— actually too many to remember. But last Saturday I decided to organize it and get rid of clutter so I would have something to show for Show ‘N Share Tuesday. Which actually is Wednesday this week because I had to announce (I mean I got to announce) the free give away of the Purse Pleaser. We love this organizer.
So, here are the before (top of page) and after photos of that little drawer. I cleared clutter by giving the Thangles I no longer use away to quilting friends. I folded in a tidy stack the cloth bags that I will someday put things in and give away. I like going back and just peeking in the drawer it looks so organized now.
P.S. do you have a drawer that you mean to get to someday and get rid of the clutter—we’d love to hear about it.
P.S. S. Remember to sign up for the giveaway that will help you with clutter control if you want a chance to win the purse organizer. Ask an organizing question in the comments.
Our Kitty Menina’s second Super Power is her GPS system. She will come up to us and lay down just barely out of our reach so we have to stretch far or move closer to her to pet her. Such a silly kitty.
Let’s turn on our GPS when we want to reduce clutter. A GPS system guides us where we want to go. Some things we can do to reduce clutter by using our internal GPS:
•Pay attention to what we buy. While at the store consider if we have a place for it if we buy it, do we need it, will it just be clutter or will it light up our home?
•Just as a GPS guides us, evaluate what you want your home to look like and feel like and then organize each room to reflect what you want.
•Don’t let others persuade you to keep things you don’t want. These could be gifts you have been given but want to regift or donate; but someone tries to talk you into keeping the item. Or do you have a kitchen appliance you want to sell but someone is trying to convince you to keep it even though you never use it?
•Listen to your GPS—you are the best person to know what is best for you as you reduce clutter in your home.
Have you had an experience where you have wanted to get rid of something and someone has talked you into keeping it and you have regretted it?
What do you use your living room for? For some it is a family room, a den, or a rec room. It could be the space where you entertain, read, and watch TV or even plan your next vacation. You’ve probably decorated it with things you love.
However you use this room either as a place to relax or a hub of activity this week I will give you ideas to help you create an even more “livable” living room. Make it a goal to clear clutter in your living room during the month of February.
•Is your furniture comfortable but sturdy?
•Treat all fabrics with a stain resistant coating. This will help the fabrics stay bright and clean longer. Patterned fabrics will help camouflage spills. (Who says we spill?)
•Reduce clutter by using baskets for magazines, newspapers, children’s toys and catalogs.
What do you do to clear clutter in your living room?
Clutter control is what you will have once you begin using FreedomFiler, you will never again have to take time out of your life to clean out or reorganize files! Click here to learn more.
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If you are looking for a professional organizer who is excellent, honest and caring, I highly recommend Marilyn Bohn to get the job done for you.
Julie Penn
Clearfield, UT
"Marilyn is thorough, pleasant to work with, has a positive attitude and is completely non-judgmental.
I enjoy working with her and highly recommend her to anyone and everyone. She has alleviated frustration and anxiety for me." -Emily Douglas Salt Lake City, UT |
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Containers for drawers, closets, cosmetics, bath and bedroom
