What would you make room for in your re-imagined space?

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I was at IKEA recently and saw an ad that stopped me in my tracks. Imploring me to consider how I might make my living space less cluttered and more organized, the tagline read, “Make Room to Grow, Cultivate Your Creativity & Watch It Bloom”. Seemed simple enough, but when I thought about it further (in the middle of one of those micro efficient spaces created by IKEA experts), I shifted from “cool ad” to “wow, these questions are at the core of any organizing or decluttering project!

Disclaimer: In no way am I promoting IKEA as the key to our organizational needs. However, there is something in the way the ad is phrased that makes one think…what will I do once I reshape/reconfigure/reshape my space? How will my life change?

Boxes of stuff everywhere? Imagine how sorting and decluttering them will feel? What will more space open up for you? Dealing with these aspects of your life allows us to focus on what’s important now. Life isn’t lived in boxes stored away!

When we hold onto too much stuff, not only does our physical space become cluttered, our minds do as well. There are physical, emotional and mental costs associated with having a disorganized space. Potentially, we can gain so much by reimagining our space and the activities that take place in it.

Will a decluttered desk make you more productive? Will your newly organized kitchen encourage you to host more dinner parties? Will your reconfigured home office inspire your next great project? Will a streamlined closet make you feel better about how you present yourself to the world? Will your newly ordered basement make your life more manageable? Clarifying why you want what you want to grow is vital if we are to bloom – as the IKEA ad says.

If we commit and take action towards decluttering, sorting, organizing, and reconfiguring, what are we making room for?

Back to IKEA. I would guess that most of us own an IKEA item…or two. While their items make our lives more comfortable, these items do not in of themselves create our to-do lists, prioritize our goals our make our dreams come true. That’s all us!

So whether you want to enjoy your space, live more simply, grow your business, complete a project, enrich your family life, or gain more control over your belongings, ask yourself – what am I making room for? And then go do it.

Time to Let Go of Your Grown Kid’s LEGO!

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Are you a de facto storage centre for your grown children’s belongings from long ago?

Are you downsizing and having to clear out your grown children’s belongings?

Whatever the reason, if your children are no longer, well, children, it may be time to declutter the basement, closet, garage, bedroom, or other household hiding spots of the toys, games, books and memorabilia from yesteryear.

Now, let’s be honest, this can get VERY emotional. Who doesn’t think their kid’s favourite figurines, kindergarten outfit, picture books, Barbies, LEGO, school projects, high school yearbooks, etc., are meaningful?

“Remember when they were young” we say…

Yes, nostalgia definitely factors in, so keeping a few key items makes sense. But you can decrease (or eliminate) the volume of your grown children’s items they no longer use.

Here’s What You Can Do:

  1. Contact your grown children and let them know you are going to declutter and won’t be able to store their items any longer. A ‘heads up’ is always helpful.
  2. Unpack and sort all your grown children’s items by category – create piles or put into marked boxes. All the better if they can help, but if not, just get it done!
  3. Give your children a deadline to come and decide what they want to keep. “Your items will be out for 2 weeks, please come and decide what you’d like to keep. I will be donating what is left after 2 weeks.”
  4. Go through the decision-making process with them if you can. The re-visiting of childhood can be a lovely bonding experience. Before letting go, enjoy the process and then, let them go. Life moves forward, new experiences abound.
  5. Consider keeping one box of memorabilia of meaningful items for you, and suggest that your grown child/ren do the same. Donate, sell, or recycle the rest.
  6. Feel great about the past, while focussing on the present and future.

Often, parents keep their grown children’s items for their grandkids (either real or imagined), which is very thoughtful. However, kids have access to so many things nowadays, and while a few select items may be great, don’t overload your children or grandchildren with too many items from the past. Be very selective!

As professional organizers, we know that this process can be emotional and daunting… and we can help at any stage along the way. With no more LEGO bins in the basement, we can lighten our load and focus more intently on our present and future.

Author Jessica Tudos:

Having caught the organizational bug early on as an elite gymnast, Jessica is blending her skills as an experiential educator, facilitator and author with her organizing skills to help people lead creative and organized lives.

A More Organized 2019 – 11 Months and Counting!

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This is going to be your year to be more organized right?  With the holidays officially a month behind us, now is the perfect time to seriously think about making this year your most organized and sane – whether you are downsizing, organizing, decluttering, or a combination of all of these. It’s time to regroup, refresh, renew, reinvent, rejig, re it all, and reach your 2019 organizational goals.

Here are 5 ways to strengthen and tone your organizing muscles this year:

1. Downsize & Minimize

Less stuff equals less stress, right? We all agree that this can be the case, but actually moving from idea to implementation takes some effort. Now is the time to create your own system for managing your stuff – going through items in your closets, drawers, plastic bins will help get you there. How a few “rules” – for every new item that comes in, three go out and for every weekend in the month you’ll donate one full bag of items to charity. Having a clear number to work toward helps to keep us motivated. Be ruthless, be clear, and keep your goals in mind.

2. Sort & Label

Once you have less to work with, you can now group according to function and then store it. No more searching and searching because you “know you have one somewhere”! All kitchen items should be in the kitchen, batteries all in one bag/box, all holiday ornaments in a bin (or 2!) in an accessible place, all bathroom items, you guessed it, in the bathroom. Spreading out = stressing out! If you like to look at pretty things, get yourself a label-maker too!

3. Systematize & Store

Having easy access to the things you need, in the places you use them most is a game changer. Thinking about how you use items, and where you use them, should inform where you store them. Paying bills? Have your in-tray, envelopes and stamps all in one place (unless you do this online!). Baking a cake? Have all your bowls, mixers and dry goods in one bin to make it easier. Keep things close by – saves time and stress! Making a map of where some of “used only sometimes” things are stored helps too – every bit helps.

4. Clean & Clear

Now that you’ve begun to get organized and downsize, keeping things clean and neat should be easier. When we have too much clutter, cleaning is so much harder, so often we just don’t bother. When we are disorganized, we spend so much time picking things up, and not enough time enjoying them. Having a schedule of what gets cleaned when helps – laundry on night A, kitchen on B, bathrooms on C, etc. This way we can focus on doing the job well, as opposed to little bits here and there, which doesn’t always lead to a satisfactory result.

5. Simplify & Savour

If your space is organized and clean, you feel better right? What about our physical bodies and mind? If they feel “organized and clean” we would be less stressed, right? It’s funny how we often talk about managing our stress, because isn’t it really about managing our calm? My guess is we’d all like to feel calmer, so let’s focus on that! And then enjoy it, taking time to slow down and savour your space, your sanity, and your time.

All of the above tips are intended to make organizing easier, which ultimately helps you feel calmer and less stressed.  This process is ongoing, and one that will pay off for you, and those around you, this year.

Whether you need to organize your own space, help a loved one move into a smaller home, or manage an estate clearing, our team of experienced professionals will guide you carefully and comfortably to your desired result. Contact us today to learn more about our services.

~ The Simply Home Team