Conquer Your Clutter

Even Organisers can feel overwhelmed!! The festive season & summer break has been great, but we have had x3 teens in our living space every day. The kitchen bench constantly had "stuff" on it, always dishes to be done or put away.
I haven't pushed as hard to keep everything tidy, everyone deserves downtime.
I also started a paperwork sort/ file a few weeks ago on our dining table which kept getting interrupted/ moved for meals. The last few days has seen a flurry of ditching old stationary, notebooks & things they've grown out of - the dining table being the dumping ground. Every surface seems to have things on them - to sort, to donate, to store. I'm out of sync.
Extra challenge is that our washing machine isn't working, so I'm lugging washing to/ from friends 🙃
Below are real photos: I have to deal with this, in addition to my regular school term Clients. I'm feeling overwhelmed!
And that's OK. I'm looking forward to getting back into a routine for the year & I'll be able to deal with this bit by bit over the next few weeks as we do have systems in place 🎯
Reach out if I can help you feel less overwhelmed & more in control:
[email protected]

It seems easy to just chuck everything you don't want in a box & drop it off at your local Op Shop: someone else can deal with it, I feel "good".
Take a moment to think about how the Op Shop actually deal with it:
🎯 how long does it take for Volunteers to sort through the good stuff from the rubbish?
🎯 do they have sufficient storage space or does it all end up in landfill anyway?
🎯 due to the volume, do they have to spend money on skip bins which increases operating costs?
Our Op Shops are already inundated with low cost, seasonal items & unwanted gifts - add damaged or dirty items & they become overwhelmed.
This is why I offer to take things away for my Clients - not only does it finish the decluttering process for them; I am detached & can quickly sort items to be donated, gifted, recycled or disposed of responsibly.
Reach out if I can help you: [email protected]
https://www.facebook.com/share/p/1FrsZ4vJ8D/

When donating, remember: only clean, washed, and working items are good enough to give. If you wouldn’t gift it to a friend, it’s not fit for charity. 🎁 Keep your donations kind, thoughtful, and respectful of the valuable work charities do. 💙

✨ Gift only the good stuff, not rubbish! ✨

For helpful resources like bin stickers, posters, and social tiles, visit https://lga.wastesorted.wa.gov.au/charity-dumping-reduction.

1990 IKEA Catalogue - recently found in a deceased estate declutter!
I personally didn't know IKEA even existed till at least 2000. Always fun to take a walk down memory lane ... 35 years ago! Enjoy ♥️

One of the common mistakes people make when trying to get organised is buying containers BEFORE decluttering or sorting.

The lure of social media photos of matchy matchy is strong & with so many cheap storage options available, it is easy to purchase items you think will solve all your storage issues.

News flash: you end up getting overwhelmed trying to "retrofit" items into containers or the space available at YOUR house or you put things in the newly acquired baskets only to find you prefer clear containers or your family simply can't maintain the system!

Becoming organised is a step by step process - it's not tricky per se, it just takes time:
🎯 break down your home into areas or spaces
🎯 what do you have: assess everything, bring it ALL together into one place
🎯 sort into categories: like with like
🎯 decide what stays & what you can let go off: declutter
🎯 determine it's logical home: a place for everything
🎯 identify your storage preferences & what works for YOU: easily accessible; fold vs chuck; clear containers vs baskets; dispense & have an overflow area; etc
🎯 THEN go shopping for suitable containers & products to match your preferences, suit your decor/ lifestyle & help maximise available space eg shelf inserts
🎯 put it all together

Images: courtesy of marketplace - there are always lots of adverts for storage products!

Need help? Please reach out:
[email protected]