I was listening on the radio yesterday to people talking about some of their crazy impulse buys, and it made me think about the many instances where we shop without thinking too much about what we’re doing. And I’m certainly not saying I’m immune, I mean, who doesn’t love shopping!

Be aware though of the penalties of endless shopping, and it’s not only the clutter it provides because the house is bursting at the seams and there’s no room to put the new stuff, but it also impacts us financially.

Here are some of the ways we shop, which can very easily become compulsive:

– Online buying: it’s so easy to plug in your card number and have access to outlets anywhere in the world, and have goods arrive on your doorstep without even having to leave the house. And what are some of the things we buy, that become clutter rather than something we gainfully use: exercise products, diet pills that come with amazing promises, household goods, and clothes and shoes to name just a few of the hundreds of items you can now buy online. But are you always satisfied with what you have bought when it arrives? [Read more…]

I was pondering yesterday what to write about in this month’s newsletter and asked a couple of friends what areas they struggled with in their homes. I was intrigued when Sue mentioned that she has “Monica’s Cupboard” and asked her what she meant by that. Those of you who were avid watchers of the TV show ‘Friends’ may have caught the episode where Monica talked about her cupboard, which as I understand it was a catch-all for that stuff that needs to go somewhere but doesn’t have a specific place.

I asked Sue what sort of things she stores in this cupboard and she said ‘everything’, by which I gathered she meant items that didn’t have a home elsewhere. Now my friend Sue is a very organised person and her home is fabulous, and definitely not cluttered. Next time I visit I am going to check out Monica’s Cupboard though as I’m intrigued.

Sue also said she has a ‘useful drawer’ and my other friend said she calls hers ‘the third drawer’. I don’t have such a cupboard or drawer because I live in a small space so I really do need to be very organised and tidy.

However I totally understand both concepts, being the cupboard and the useful drawer. In our busy lives there’s sometimes not the time or the wherewithal to work out where to put something so it’s good to be able to tuck it out of place in a cupboard or drawer until another day. It may also be that you know exactly what is kept in that cupboard and that ‘third drawer’ and they may be the perfect home for whatever you’ve put there.

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I’ve worked with many people over the last eleven years who have been motivated to declutter and organise their home, and felt confident enough to feel they could follow a DIY plan. Kiwis are masters of Do It Yourself and ‘number 8 fencing wire’ and we love to muck in, roll up our sleeves and work out how to do what needs to be done.

While I think we can be proud of our ‘can do’ attitude, we do sometimes need to consult an expert and get some guidance on exactly how to do it! Once the clutter becomes unmanageable all sorts of emotions can come into play such as overwhelm, shame, frustration, and sometimes desperation, all of which lead to unnecessary stress. At this stage you need a tailored step by step plan that is going to tell you exactly what you need to do next, and how to do it.

So how does it work?

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Linen cupboards can become hopelessly messy and some of the reasons for this are that they are often quite small spaces, sometimes awkward to organise, and contain often non-related objects which could potentially be stored elsewhere.

My linen cupboard is in the tiny and awkward category and has to contain not only everyday linen but also out of season blankets. And it’s awkward because it’s above my vanity unit so I have to get on a chair and actually lean into the cupboard to reach items such as sheets and duvet covers. So trust me, I totally empathise for those of you with problem linen cupboards.

Whether you have a nice roomy closet to store linen, or baskets in the spare room wardrobe, the following tips might be helpful in rendering the space more organised and less annoying. I passed on some of these to a good friend and she immediately went home and implemented them and was delighted with the result.

– When I am working with a client on their linen cupboard the first thing we do is take everything out and then work out what needs to go back in and what needs to be stored elsewhere. [Read more…]

I’ve talked before about ‘dumping grounds’ which we can all experience at some time or another when things get a bit busy. There may even be permanent dumping grounds in your home, perhaps a small area or corner of a living room or bedroom where items tend to accumulate.

However what I want to talk about here is a bit more than a dumping ground. As you can imagine, I have been in many homes over the 11 years I have been practising my decluttering business and on more than a few occasions I have come across an entire room which has become the ‘dumping room’.

Believe me I know what it is like to run out of space, and my tiny unit is a prime example of a home with very little storage capacity. I do think it’s a pity though when we lose a whole room to our stuff. So here are a few suggestions on how you can get your room back if this situation applies to you:

– First think about how you would like to use this room if it was completely cleared out. Maybe it could be a spare room for guests, a study place for your teenagers, a home office, or even a peaceful retreat with a comfy chair and side table where you can spend some much deserved time away from everything to read a good book. Once you’ve got this picture in your mind you can move to the next step. [Read more…]