Six Kitchen Organizing Mistakes and Easy Ways to Fix Them - Part 2
Part 2: Everyone likes a good tip to organize kitchen cabinets and countertops. And, especially pantries. This two part blog discusses ways to make your kitchen more efficient and cut down on clutter and waste. Each tip or trick is easy to do, and makes a big difference in the way your kitchen functions.
Donation Ideas and Decluttering
Where to donate items is a concern for many people. They often get paralyzed by making the decision. We believe it is important to do your homework about donation sites, and then find the one or two that work for you. Finding the perfect place for each item can be as fatiguing as decluttering.
What Is the Best Decluttering Method?
Decluttering is a very rewarding experience. Purchasing less and experiencing more have shown to have health benefits and make us feel emotionally fulfilled. Purchasing less also impacts the environment as we move away from consumerism. There are many methods for decluttering. Let’s look at a few of them.
How to Donate
In my home, if an item does not serve a purpose or serve me for a personal reason, I let it go. I feel that when I let go of things, it clears my energy and reduces distractions and visual clutter. Donating to others also changes their lives in positive ways. For example, if I have too much of one thing, I can get by with less and donate excess.
What Should I Remove First When Decluttering?
Clothing is worn close to our bodies and, therefore, close to our hearts. By decluttering clothing first, we get in touch with our heart center. Digging deeper, it is most important to start decluttering with the clothing worn on the upper body. This is where we get in touch with ourselves. Based on the KonMari Method® by Marie Kondo.
Declutter Deck®
Our Declutter Deck® is a great way to declutter your home in bite-sized pieces that can seamlessly fit into your daily routine. Get your home organized with the help of 52 prompt cards. Each card provides a prompt that digs into the spaces in your home that need organizing attention. Helps keep you on track. Just pull a card to start!
What is the 20/20 Rule for Decluttering?
The 20/20 rule for decluttering is different from the 80/20 rule for decluttering. The 20/20 rule states that when struggling to decide whether to let go of an item, you should consider letting it go if you can replace it for less than $20.00, and you can replace it in less than 20 minutes.
What is the 80/20 Rule for Decluttering?
Known as Pareto’s Principle, the 80/20 rule was developed by the Italian economist Vilfredo Pareto. in 1906, he noticed that eighty percent of Italian land was owned by twenty percent of the people. As an economic principle, it’s all about identifying the best assets of something and using them efficiently to recap the maximum benefit.
Swedish Death Cleaning
Any time you drop into my house, it’s visitor ready. Most people want to stop reading right here, and say that I’m crazy or abnormal. I get it. But, I also have learned a few tips and tricks over the years, and if you read further, you’ll see it’s not as hard as it looks. It makes it easy to invite guests in for a cup of coffee on the spur of the moment.
Let’s Talk About Downsizing
While most people wait for this life change to occur before deciding what to declutter, I have been donating and discarding items for years. I have planned in advance so that when it is time to downsize, I’m ready. It is, however, not a common way to approach downsizing. Let me take you through some simple steps to get acquainted.
How to Get Your Energy Back by Decluttering
Energy and clutter are inextricably linked. When my home environment is dirty or needs decluttering, I feel exhausted. When my home is clean and tidy, I have abundant energy. By following some of our tips and tricks, you can keep your house in order and your energy high. It also keeps your mind clear for other things you need to do.
How Clutter Impacts Mental Health
When you become aware of the impact clutter has on your mental health, such as increasing your stress level, you see that clutter isn’t just clutter. It’s actually something that can cause you to engage in other unhealthy behaviors, one of which is impulse control. We show you the impact of clutter and why it’s important to contain it.
Declutter Like You’re Paying Someone To Move Your Stuff
People pay their hard-earned money every day to store things they no longer need. Think about it. You buy extra hangers because you have so many clothes, half of which you never wear. You keep old toys in a playroom when what you really need is an office. I say: Get rid of everything you don’t need like you were paying to move it.
Hanger Hack - Zero Effort Decluttering
Most likely, if you haven’t worn something in the past six months, you won’t wear it again. It’s time to let it go: donate. And, donate with joy. A quick, easy hanger hack is to turn all your hangers backwards. As you wear an item, turn it forward. After six months, you’ll be able to see what you wear and what you don’t. A simple and effective hack.
Paper and Piles: Oh My! How to Declutter Paper
A single sheet of paper takes up little room, which makes it very easy to accumulate far too many papers before you realize it. If you don’t approach the paper selection process with a commitment to getting rid of almost everything, you will barely make a dent in the volume. Keep a pending box for those items that need immediate attention.
Toss Box - How to Declutter Your Closet In No Time
Each time you touch an article of clothing, and the clothing doesn’t look right, you know you’ll never wear it again. The same is true if it’s too big or small, or it has a stain that bugs you. Put these in the “toss box.” Then, when you are ready to make the pilgrimage to the donation store, or a collection box, you’ll have things to donate.
Gifts and Guilt - Let It Go!
There are always questions that go with deciding whether or not to return a gift. Will I hurt someone’s feelings? Will they notice that I don’t own the gift anymore? Should I regift it? (I’ve seen horror stories around this one!) Should I try to take it back? What happens if the return shows up on the giver’s credit card statement? Nightmare.
Our Hybrid Re: Method®- Marie Kondo Meets The Uncluttered Life®
At The Uncluttered Life, we worked with efficiency engineers to design the Re:Method. The Re:Method is based on engineering principles of lean manufacturing. This, in a nutshell, saves you money and waste. We help you organize and declutter, create a home where you actually know what you own, and why you own it.
The KonMari Method® - Abbreviated
The KonMari Method® (by Marie Kondo) is a very cool process. It actually works. I’ve been trained in the method, and have achieved the Master Organizer distinction. It’s 1500 hours of work, lots of clients, and multiple reporting sessions. I find that each organizing opportunity gives me insight into the way people think about clutter.
Feng Shui
When we have too many things occupying one space, or things that aren’t being utilized, this creates a blockage of energy flow. Feng Shui practitioners refer to this as clutter. A simple technique in this tradition is referred to as clutter clearing. Clutter clearing is a way to look at how to let go of things to clear energy and clutter.