Believe to or not, I had a really fun day helping family with a project to get a condo ready to sell…
Ready or not she is headed south y'all!

Life: Organized is in print for the August issue of Brava, a Madison based magazine.    
Brava = women+substance+style.  
You can read the full publication at http://read.dmtmag.com/i/354830

While working with a client, she identified an item as a UFO.  After my bewildered reaction, she explained that in the crafting world this meant "UnFinished Object."  

That term resonates with so many of my other clients, and let's be honest…myself.  I am not going to act like I do not have a few projects of my own laying around that have been neglected!  So what do we do about it?

Be honest with yourself: 

• Do you still like the idea of the project or the finished piece?
• Is it a project that you still have an aspiration to finish?  
• Do you still have a use for it?  
• Would the intended recipient still have a use for it or are they still interested in the project?
  

If your answer is yes to the first set of questions then: Make it a priority!
Dedicate the time, like any other activity that is important to you to do it.  If you can not make the time then re-evaluate how important it really is.  If it is just a really busy time for you then take it off the current to-do list and pack it away for another time.  Choose a time and put a reminder for yourself on the calendar.  Maybe 3 or 6 months.  If the timer goes off and you are still too busy re-evaluate if it is realistic or a dream.


If your answer is no to the first set of questions then: LET IT GO!
Life is far too short to be stepping over projects that you "might" get to someday, or that you really do not have a passion for.  Maybe you know someone who would enjoy it who you could pass it on to, donate it, or sell it.  One thing is for sure, it will not make you feel good to continue stepping over it.  I often run into resistance from clients because of how much they paid for the supplies for a project.  Please do not let this be the only reason that you decide to keep it!

OK, I cheated.  I grouped the last two weeks together…  I have found great joy in searching my home for randomness that the family no longer uses, but honestly, I am done blogging about it.  Just because I am tired of showing pictures of all my cast-offs, does not mean that I have any intention of stopping.  Just the contrary!  I have never been so motivated!  I have had this feeling before, but usually when preparing for a move.  I am now wondering if minimalism is my path…  No, probably not, but in the mean time I will keep a box upstairs and a box in the garage to catch any of those items that I catch myself or the family not using and get rid of them.  

So what made the box these past weeks?  More kids stuff was donated: clothes, and a few small toys, two changing pads.  More kids stuff thrown out: personal hygiene items, as well as several pairs of socks well past their prime.  And some donations: costume jewelry.

All in all, this has been very therapeutic and I hope motivating for my followers to see that even I, the Home Organizer, can find some useless items around my house to purge.  I will do the project again.  I am thinking instead of two months in a row (December and January), that I will pick January and July?  We will see.  In the mean time, I would love to hear what you are working on organizing and what you need help organizing.

Happy decluttering to my faithfully organized followers <3 

[Book Review]

The Step-by-Step Guide to 
Getting Rid of It 
Eliminate the Clutter in Your Life

by Betsy & Warren Talbot

Platform: Kindle Fire

There are a lot of big name organizing professionals out there who have really great print, audio and visual materials.  Some of them I have read, watched or listened to.  Often, these professionals are basing their materials on personal experience, client experience, and their past trials and errors in the or gaining field and the life before organizing.  This book is not one of those.  

This book is written by a couple who decides to downsize from a 3,000+ square foot house, to a townhouse, and finally to carrying a 26 pound pack each.  They discuss some of the reasons why we keep things and the liberating feeling of purging the things that keep weighing us down.  

This is a good read for someone who may be intimidated by some of the more academic literature out there on organizing.  It is really written from the view of an ordinary person who is sharing their journey and what worked for them. Out of their experience, they share lots of best practices that myself and most other organizers in the industry actually use.  

Added bonus=

When you start looking… weird stuff starts showing up.  Maybe that is why horses wear blinders!  

What got the boot this week?  Well, three batches of books (one is not pictured), pj's, ankle brace, long sleeve fleece, bottle brush, and a work bag.  Common theme among these items?  All except for the work bag have gone unused for over a year!  Can you believe it?  An entire year!  OK, maybe it is just me shocked by my own abundance or maybe the reflection of this fact is startling for me.  It really makes me wonder what else I have been holding on to and walking past every day that serves no useful purpose in my daily life, brings me no joy, and could possibly be bringing me stress.  I do not want to make any irrational decisions too late at night, but I am thinking about continuing this project into January. 

Who is with me??? 

So, I committed to a December purge, and wanted to share with you my personal progress after only a week. My goal was to find one item a day that I could donate, throw away, or sell.  Below you will find a photo journal of my first week's purge that includes: a child's Halloween costume, swim suit, athletic pants, plastic containers, seasonal decorations, child safety tools, and potty chair…  Now, I should point out that some of the photos include more than one item, but I counted them as one "collection."

I wanted to do this in December for a couple of reasons:

• January is typically a very common time for New Year's Resolutions to purge.  I wanted to show people that you can do it any time of year and make a big difference!  
• Also, I thought with many of my followers and clients considering some resolutions as the new year approaches, that this might inspire them!
• Finally, I wanted to make sure to make room for the new treasures under the christmas tree!  

So you want to get started, but are not sure how?  

• Start by dedicating a box someplace easily accessible.
  
• Invite everyone in the house to participate (partner, kids, room mates.)
• You do not have to go looking for something to purge.  As you go through your daily routines, just be aware of the things around you.  For example, you might be making breakfast and open the utensil drawer for a tool.  You look inside only to dig through a seemingly bottomless drawer full of tools you never or rarely use.  Pull a couple out and throw them in your box!  Viola, you completed your first purge!  Another example might be while you are doing laundry, you notice that a shirt had a tear, stain, or shrunk.  Send it to the box!
• Maybe you have spaces that you know need work and want to purge.  Book shelf, costume jewelry, SOCKS?!?  Put on your favorite CD and get sorting!  Before you know it, you might just have that box filled up!

You will be so surprised at the end of the day, week, and month that you might be inspired to keep going.  If you are having trouble getting started, then give me a call ;-)

As always, I would love to see and hear about your personal progress.  Feel free to share here or email me and I am happy to give feedback as well as share for others!

Happy Holidays!

So many books out there about organizing, so how can you choose which ones to read and which ones are not worth your time? Well, I am going to try to keep you up to date with what I am reading in the world of Home Organizing. I will let you know if I would suggest the book and then give a few tips that I found in the book to be well stated, cutting edge, or just plain awesome!




Book Review:
Miss Minimalist: Inspiration to Downsize, Declutter, and Simplify
By Francine Jay
Platform: Kindle Fire

This book was a quick read...I will give it that. While Francine had some great ideas and the book reads well, I was irritated by the constant plugs for her other books. I wouldn't suggest picking this one up because I think your time can be better spent (perhaps on some of her other books?!?), but I will share with you a couple of the ideas that I enjoyed:

• The idea of selling your castoffs was brought up (8. Ebay Reality Check- The True Value of Your Treasures). She states “...in my opinion, any item unlikely to sell for more than $10 is hardly worth the time and effort to photograph it, list it, and ship it. But that doesn't mean you have to hold on to it...Feel free to let it go! If you ever have the need for such an item in the future, look how inexpensively you can acquire it.” (Loc241/1514) Well, this hits the nail on the head. We have such attachment to our stuff because of it's “perceived” value.
  
• “Each unnecessary thing we purge (or chose not to buy) is one less thing to fuss over, clean, repair, maintain, and pay for. Each unfulfilling task we toss from our schedules is one less hassle in the course of our day. In paring down to the essentials, a myriad of worries fall to the wayside. And what we are left with? More space, more minutes, more attention for what's important.” (Loc1174/1514)
  
• “Decide what to keep, rather than what to toss.” (Loc1236/1514)
  
• “What is minimalism then? It's eliminating excess. It's asking “why” before you buy. It's embracing the concept of enough. It's living lightly and gracefully on earth. It's uncovering who you are when all of the logos, brand names, and clutter are stripped away. It's simple, it's ordinary, and it's accessible to everyone-from singles to families, teenagers and retirees.” (loc
  
  

Again, none of these ideas are new, but she does a great job restating them. I will probably pick up another one of her books in the future, but for now there are a couple others on the burner!