Once you’ve done your decluttering, and everything is how you want it to be in your home (or office), then it is just a matter of creating good habits so that the clutter doesn’t creep back in. We will always have stuff that comes in and it’s useful to know how to handle this before it builds up into overwhelming proportions. I’m not exaggerating here, we do not have a ‘paperless society’ as was promised a few decades ago… and we do still shop, often on a regular basis.

Here are my good habits for staying on top of it all and keeping my small home as clutter free as possible:

– Mail: I sort my mail and either file it or bin it immediately. If you’re really busy and don’t have time to sort it on the spot, then one method is to use clear plastic folders for different categories i.e. bills to pay, bills paid (by direct debit etc) to be filed, kids activities, personal. Put junk mail immediately into your recycling. You will need to process what you’ve put in the plastic folders, either filing items or paying bills, however this system will contain them, and you can then process them say once a week. [Read more…]

I don’t know anyone that doesn’t have problems with storage, not enough storage space, how to store items well, what to store where etc. I talk about storage and storage containers regularly in my newsletters, as you may have noticed, but it’s a while since I’ve made it the focus of a newsletter.

Here’s my list of what you can store in what type of container:

– Storage bin units such as fun multi coloured ones are great for kids toys and each bin [drawer] can be labeled by type of toys ie lego, soft toys, etc

– Decorative storage boxes come in all sizes and can be used for CDs, DVDs, makeup and hair products, personal stationery, memorabilia items etc – the list is endless

– Magazine containers which may be the type that sits alongside your sofa, or the vertical ones that can sit on a corner of your desk, can readily store magazines and periodicals at home or work, and the vertical containers are perfect for files and papers in your home office [Read more…]

I have worked with many clients over the last 10 years who have called me in to help with their overflowing wardrobe. In most cases the clothes have been restricted to the wardrobe, or maybe a couple of wardrobes in the home, so the space we’ve worked on has been confined to the actual wardrobe area.

However, there have also been those clients whose wardrobe has become totally out of control and the entire bedroom has become inundated with huge stacks of clothes on every surface, and that includes the floor. These clients are not necessarily hoarders; rather they have become overwhelmed with the amount of clothes they have which no longer fit in the drawers or wardrobe, so they end up dumping them onto the bed, on top of drawers and cupboards, and into corners.

So I’m addressing those clients as well as those of us who have cluttered wardrobe areas which become challenging when we’re searching for just the right thing to wear for that special occasion, or even trying to find something to wear to work.

I don’t usually include do’s and don’ts in this newsletter, so on this occasion I want you to indulge me as I think it’s important and really want to get my point across.

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One of my clients recently emailed me to say she had spent the good part of a day sorting through her makeup and hair products. She found brand new stuff not opened that had been sitting in the drawers for years, and realised that she didn’t even want to risk putting out of date stuff on her face. As she said, “I wouldn’t eat stale food would I?” She determinedly threw it all in the rubbish bin, and said she felt wonderful. Her new rule: don’t buy any new products until she’s used up the ones she still has at home.

She finished her email saying: “… having space in my home feels wonderful. Lastly, I congratulate you for your newsletters – they are always helpful. But more importantly, it reminds me to keep up the effort of living ‘light’.” I love this comment about ‘living light’, I enjoy this feeling too in my own home, and I regularly declutter to maintain this.

Coming back though to the beauty products, we all know our food comes with ‘use by’ dates, but often don’t think about our cosmetics and skin care creams expiring. I would say most of us have makeup in our bathroom cupboards that has probably been there for a very long time. As my client said, do we really want to put old products on our skin? I think we all want our skin to look radiant and fresh no matter what age we are, and that means taking care of it and not using products which are long past their use by date.

Here’s where I suggest you get really focused, with that thought in mind. Keep a rubbish bag beside you and take everything out of your bathroom vanity and anywhere else that you keep cosmetics and creams.

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I have loved books all my life and have always been an avid reader. If there is any one thing in my home which may have taken over a few areas, it would be my collection of books and magazines. I know I’m not alone in this, and even in an age where so many choose to use a tablet such as Kindle for their reading pleasure, I still see many homes with overstuffed bookshelves and piles of magazines taking up space on shelves and even on the floor.

As I pondered this morning what to talk about in this month’s newsletter, I found myself looking at my own overstuffed bookshelves; they are nice deep shelves so there’s room for two layers of books, and I use all of that space. Decision made – this is what I’m going to work on next weekend. The great majority of my books are non-fiction and therefore re-readable and able to be delved into for inspiration, which is why I hold onto them. I love fiction but I choose to get those books from the library rather than buying them. I’ve never read a novel a second time.

Here’s my plan: [Read more…]