Time & Space

Another decluttering presentation complete thanks to Mundy Township Community Center and my dad, who made sure the PowerPoint was working and got me where I needed to be with a keys dilemma. I absolutely love talking about decluttering! 🥰

I'm excited to announce that I'm officially certified as a decluttering professional!

Visual Clutter -

You can put larger items in the front to hide the visual clutter that lies behind it. 🎉 Your eyes need less coming its way moment after moment and this is one of the easiest fixes!

Today we worked on kitchen counters! Do you find your flat surfaces turning into a catch all?

It happens to all of us at some point or another. When we get these spaces clearer it creates a more peaceful place because our mind NEEDS some blank space, literal visual “rest”. Three things that can help get a clearer space are:

1. Create a home for these items if they are still of use. Our things can often be homeless. My first question is , “Where do I use this the most?” I will find a way to give it a home in that particular zone.

2. Declutter blindness can set in because we just get used to seeing it all there, so pretend like you are walking in a space as a stranger (a new set of eyes). It will surprise you what your eye will pick up!

3. Take 5 minutes on a very small portion of your home and make decisions only there. Decluttering can be overwhelming, but 5 minutes can truly make a difference. 🤩

Fridge Session 🥶

1️⃣ Expired goes

2️⃣ Put items where you use them if you’re able. If they end up on the fridge, it may end up going unused. Cue out of sight out of mind 🫣

3️⃣ “Silence” the art and photos and magnets by taking them all off. Only put back a few so that you can really see them and enjoy them. It’s ok to cycle through art throughout the year if you want to make sure you get a chance to admire them!

#3 may be my favorite tip because making everything special ends up making nothing special. We can elevate things by letting them be few. This fridge still has treasures on it, but they’re in a spot she can see when she sits at her dining room table, exactly where she’ll see and enjoy them most. 😄

I LOVE hearing a client say words like light and free!

Today was a win in so many ways:

1. She was willing to let go of expired food
2. She was willing to let go of receipts that were no longer needed
3. She said yes to putting things where they would be of use
4. She said yes to keeping her floor free and clear for safe maneuvering every day

She was a blast to work with and I can’t wait to continue with the rest of her beautiful home!

I am blown away by my client today! She worked like a BOSS before I had even arrived creating categories of all of her clothes by type. It made it so much easier to get to the harder part of decision making. I was impressed by her ability to hone in on her style and know what she didn’t like, 2 things that can be so so hard to decipher.

1. Go by category
2. Determine the space available for your clothes
3. If you’re able, purchase slim velvet hangers to provide you more space
4. Lean into systems that work for you. She is a visual person like I am, so she already had a fantastic system of visual bins
5. Know that you are decluttering for you AND for the people blessed to receive the clothes you chose to say no to.
6. Give yourself rest after big declutters…the decision fatigue is REAL!

Another 2 loads gone from this decluttering session! Extra thanks to my Dad for jumping in. 🎉

1. Divide the items in the car based on where they’re being dropped off. This way you don’t have to unload everything just to put it all back in.
2. Do bigger jobs like this on the day that you know stores are taking donations. I take items to Habitat for Humanity, Humane Society, Crossover, and local consignment shops.
3. For consignment especially, research when they take specific items. Holiday items including general glassware is usually not accepted until November 1st. I put it right on my calendar to ensure I remember when to send these items to consignment.

Vendor day at the Mundy Township Senior Center - I had a great time with the crew in their beautiful new space!

Today was a team effort! Nat was absolutely phenomenal at choosing what she wanted to say yes to. We focused on making her garage a functional space with room for the creative outlets that she is so talented at. This meant my husband and a friend of ours joined in to help install hooks so that her tools didn't take up precious space on the floor.

Decluttering isn't just about what you are letting go. It is about the YES! It's about what you feel deserves to stay in your space. Ultimately, it's saying yes to the person you are and the person you want to be. And I love being a part of it!

Today’s before and after!

Here’s a quick play by play if you’d like a shed refresh:

1. Gather friends or family. We had 4 of us total working on this and it made the process so much quicker!
2. Take items out of the shed and create zones in the yard. We had tools, seasonal, sports, camping, antiques, etc.
3. Create piles for items that aren’t staying. We had a donation pile, scrap for metal pile, and trash pile.
4. Do this work the day before or on recycling and trash day. We did the morning of and were so lucky to be able to have the piles gone day of.
5. Only put back in the shed what is staying.
6. Create zones for those items, keeping what is used often easily accessible.
7. Take items to donation right away!

Overall, prepare to bless others with items you no longer need to make time and space for what you already have and can enjoy even more than you do now. So psyched for this fam to have a refreshed space!

The 2 day rule is a concept created by Matt D’Avella. When it comes to creating routines whether it’s a fitness routine or decluttering for 5 minutes a day, the goal can feel pretty daunting. Instead of expecting perfection, know that you may end up missing a day. The rule he created for himself was to commit to never missing 2 in a row. It has been a huge help to me as I create my own goals. What’s your never skip 2 days goal?