Ye Olde Junk Mail

Unless you move a lot, junk mail seems to gain a power of its own. Stop the insanity before it gets inside! I found this tidbit to be help in managing the clutter proactively.

From OnlineOrganizing: Are you tired of the barrage of JUNK mail you receive? Catalogs, pre-approved credit cards, advertisements, unsolicited offers -- how many trees do we kill each day in the name of marketing?! While you can't prevent all junk mail, you can do your part to get off of the mailing LISTS that generate much of this excess paper.

Here's the link of helpful ways to get off the lists: END THE JUNK MAIL

And fellow organizer and friend Janine Godwin of Nooks and Crannies Professional Organizing did a blog entry on junk mail too: READ HER BLOG POSTING

Comments about Furniture Placement

I've worked on organizing every room in a house, but I find time and time again the following, mostly in living areas: 1) placing furniture around the edges, 2) hanging art too high, out of proportion, and/or separate, and 3) surrendering to what's been done/they've gotten used to instead of aiming higher towards what they'd ideally like.

Try to organize by function, and place furniture and accessories accordingly. Here's an observation followed by a suggestion: people tend to furnish around the perimeter of the room, leaving lots of floor space. Unless you are hosting aerobic classes, do you need all that empty floor? You need walking space and get-around space and possibly space-for-kids-to-play space, but try to think a different way.

Put furniture based on zones or into sections in large rooms so that it becomes obvious what the purpose of the items is. For ex., a couch, chair and TV form one area; a bookcase, reading chair and lamp form a sitting area; a storage unit of toys and some kids' furniture form a children's play area -- all within ONE living room. It can be done, and is done all the time in new, large homes as well as older, smaller homes (mine!).

Interior designing your artwork: large stuff can stand alone; smaller stuff can get grouped with other pieces giving the appearance of a larger impact. Hang artwork around eye-level and try to have it connect to (or be centered with) other furniture or items in the room. If you are re-organizing a room, do the artwork and decorative pieces LAST after everything is set with the foundation of furniture and lighting.

Try new placement options: a sofa or cabinet at an angle; using the backside of a couch or desk to create a virtual wall or room divider; shifting around furniture to see if a new layout would work. Start with what you'd love it to be, then work backwards in what realistically you can do. Have fun!

Cleanliness is next to...orderliness

Sometimes people figure if they clean up, they’ll get rid of the clutter. But there’s a difference between cleaning/staying neat and organizing. Cleanliness/neatness means your space looks good short-term but can get messy again. Organization refers to keeping things in predictable places or arranging things in an orderly manner for the long term.

So you can be organized and clean or organized and messy, but I truly believe you can't be entirely clean without being organized. Confusing, yes, and a bit extreme, possibly. But here's my rationale.

In general, I try for organized and clean. My house and personal life have a ton of organizing systems, but at times there are toys to put away, surfaces to be wiped, a bathtub needing scrubbing, etc. These, however, are things that can be fixed quickly and are routine tasks that will have to be done over and over again in the future. Clean is a short-term status; as soon as you're done cleaning, time and people make the space less clean afterwards.

Still with me? Ok. I've also had lots of clients who eventually become organized but still are a bit messy. The systems are in place, objects are in order, and time is managed but basically tidying up isn't a big priority. The most important thing is that the harder part, organization, is set. It forms the foundation, and allows a person to focus on the pure short-term maintenance tasks like cleaning the toilet or doing laundry.

You can not clean everything if you can't find it, if it is not filed, if there are piles or random items pushed in closets or are avoiding overstuffed drawers. Your house will never be totally clean if you don't remove boxes of stuff, throw away unwanted objects or empty out your junk drawer. Think of it this way: the clean house may look clean from all internal appearances, but the closets might be filled to the brim, the shelves have an assortment of objects, and residents can't find what they need when they want it.

Decluttering reduces the inventory you have to work with, work around, and clean. So think long-term!

"AACK! This is so frustrating!!!!!"

One of the challenges to getting and keeping a household organized is getting and keeping everyone else to comply with the organization. In other words, you've decluttered, organized and set up systems but no one else seems to be keeping things organized! Argh -- it can be frustrating because you end up doing it all yourself and feel as if it doesn't matter if no one else is going to help.

I'll admit, there have been a few times myself, where I, too, have muttered under my breath about family members not assisting in keeping things orderly. (Although imagine having a Professional Organizer for a wife or mother -- can't be that fun all the time). You end up sounding like a crazy person mumbling to yourself as you ask "why can't they just (fill in the blank) like they're supposed to? Why am I always refilling this (fill in the blank)" and possibly adding a few curse words.

It can be hard to get others excited and compliant with organizing systems you set up. It is often easier if you get their input and their help in setting them up so there is a sense of ownership and personal involvement. Explain that by helping keep their designated areas tidy, and junk free, you will all benefit.

For the kids, explain that this may mean you will be more likely to let them have their friend over to play, go to the movies, have their favorite dinner, etc. -- if they do their bit. For hubby, it may be to explain, that with a little more input from him and lessening the load of those boring mundane jobs we all hate, you will have a healthier relationship as a result of feeling more appreciated. Perhaps you can convince them that you are more happy when things are organized, and gee, hubby/kids, don't you want that?!??!

Remember that the habits your family has formed didn’t happen overnight and you won’t be able to change them overnight. But if you can make your expectations clear and the systems easy to follow, you'll hopefully reduce your frustrations.

To Yard Sale or Not to Yard Sale?

So what do you do with the stuff you don’t want to keep, that you don’t want to throw, but would like to try selling or donating. What are your options?

• Yard Sale – Pros: set up is right at your house; you could make some cash while getting rid of items. Cons: no guarantee of selling anything; your time sitting outside with your stuff on a weekend; costs of promoting the sale (via posters or ad in paper); whatever doesn’t sell, you still have to deal with.


• eBay – Pros: can do from your house; you could make some money (a lot depending on item). Cons: no guarantee of selling anything; your time to take digital photos, write listing, and monitor listing; cost of listing plus final value to eBay for whatever sells; if items don’t sell, you still have to deal with. In my opinion, the things that sell best on eBay are items of brand names and unique/antique or collectible status.


• Freecycle – Pros: you don’t have to go anywhere; just list the item(s) and if someone wants, they’ll come and pick up. Cons: no guarantee that someone will want; your time to list, monitor email responses and coordinate with person you’re giving item(s) for pick-up; sometimes Freecyclers don’t show, and then you can re-post or decide what to do with item(s); not all towns have a Freecycle group; no money is exchanged.
  
• Local Charities (i.e. Goodwill or Big Brother Big Sister) – Pros: your stuff goes to a charity; you feel good about donating; you receive a tax deduction receipt; your item(s) leave your house. Cons: you may have to bring the items to the charity; not all charities accept all kinds of things or all the time; no money is exchanged; for whatever they don’t accept, you have to deal with.


• Give to Friend/Family/Other – Pros: you get rid of usable items; people that you know receive the benefit of your donation; free exchange. Cons: might be hard to find someone who wants stuff; may be time-consuming to coordinate & make exchange; you may plan to give to friend or family but never get around to it, so stuff sits around at your house; no money is exchanged and no receipt for your donation is gained.

Obviously there are advantages and disadvantages of each option, this list certainly isn't exhaustive, and you have to do what is right for you. I strongly suggest, however, that you consider each of the pros and cons before you start decluttering, and limit the number of outlets for your stuff. Don't have 5 categories -- "I'll sell this, donate that, give that to Aunt Jane, save those for my neighbor Sue, and do a yard sale for the rest". It's unrealistic and slows down your process for reducing the inventory in your house.