Adelaide's Downsizing and Estate Clearance Specialists
Source: http://www.design-decor-staging.com
Back due to popular request is the Clear Space Christmas Countdown Planner. Download it here: Clear Space 2012 Christmas countdown calendar
It’s a simple “one task a day” planner that isn’t fancy or complicated. It doesn’t promote perfectionism, nor does it have unrealistic expectations of you.
It’s just a no-frills, get-it-done kind of thing!
Enjoy!
The Not Ours spot (or box, or basket…). If you don’t have a home for things that don’t belong to you, you need one of these!
Create a home (it needs to be fairly accessible if frequent-access things like library books will be stored there) and use a basket or tub to contain the items.
Every time you have a visitor, check your box to see if they have anything in there that belongs to them. Likewise if you visit someone – check the box first so you can return their items to them.
Report back when you have created your “home away from home” spot. Feel free to post pics of it so we can celebrate with you!
The most common question I get is “Where do I start?”.
For people with a clutter problem, it’s not a simple problem to solve. It can induce a lot of anxiety and many simply throw their hands up in despair and declare it an impossible task.
You have two ways to start:
1. The cull
2. The sort
If you have a highly cluttered space and no room to sort, you need to cull first. That means grabbing a few boxes or garbage bags and assigning them roles – “Rubbish” “Donations” “Give to friends” “Staying” and “Elsewhere in the house”. Then you start at the pile closest to the door and work your way around the room, putting things in their appropriate boxes. Don’t look at the whole space – focus on ONE ITEM AT A TIME ONLY. This will help prevent you getting overwhelmed. If you find it impossible not to ‘see’ the whole room and get anxious, engage a friend (or a Professional Organiser!) to help. You can be in the other room with the boxes, and they can bring you 1-3 items at a time to make decisions on.
If you have a moderately cluttered space, you can sort first. Sorting first helps you make better culling decisions because you can see where you have duplicated and the total volume of ‘stuff’. Keep the culling boxes as outlined above, but sort your items into “like” groups first, then cull. Once you’ve culled you can then find storage appropriate with the group of items and the space you have for them. Again, just start at the first pile you see and work on one item at a time to avoid getting overwhelmed.
Dedicate a small amount of time every day, one item at a time and you’ll get there.
As Lao-Tzu said (not literally, but this common translation and interpretation is the one most suited to this circumstance!) ”The journey of a thousand miles begins with a single step“.
Photo courtesy of Lookbook.nu
This is a guest post by Natalie Tucker. I needed help with my Fashion Embargo (it’s really tough!) so I have called in the expert!
We have enough clothes in our wardrobe right now to last us the next 3 years, but we see a model wearing something fabulous and of course she looks amazing (why wouldn’t she, this is what she is paid for) so we go out and buy that exact same item or even the entire outfit.
Okay, so do you now look amazing? Or rather, you feel completely depleted because somehow it just does not look the same on you?
STOP! Let’s not do it anymore!…it’s time to make a stand!
Why don’t we try only wearing what suits us by using clothes that are currently hanging in our wardrobe, you can do it…so come on.
First of all, take some time to make a date with yourself and your wardrobe, spend 3 hrs on a Sunday afternoon trying absolutely everything on. Below is a guide of items that will have you looking up to the moment, interesting and most of all effortlessly stylish, yes, EFFORTLESSLY STYLISH! Because we all know that really, this does actually take a great deal of effort.
If you would like to receive some more visual inspiration, just head on over to my Defined Image facebook page. I will give you a daily pic of what I am wearing and maybe, just maybe, you may have some of these items already hanging in your very own closet. I hope to see you there.
Source http://smallplacestyle.blogspot.com.au/
Do you dread going into your bedroom? Is it piled high with clutter? Do you wake each morning staring at a mountain of things to do?
A cluttered bedroom doesn’t encourage a loving relationship or healthy sleep!
Try this 6-step process to declutter your room so you can reclaim your haven.
I know many people will say “It’s not as easy as that”. But I do this every week with clients and it IS that easy – I know from experience. You just have to let go of the fear. You’re brave, I know you can do it!
3-tier trolley
I’ve decided to add product features to my blog, and I hope it helps you in your quest to get more organised. Many of my clients buy an organising product without thinking about its intended purpose so I thought if I help you do the thinking first, you won’t have to buy anything unnecessary!
The first product is rather exciting – I couldn’t wait to try it out!
The narrow trolley (pictured is the 3-tier version – it also comes in 4-tier) is a clever way to gain storage in an otherwise unusable spot. It’s on wheels, so it can be moved in and out of spaces easily – this means you can even put heavier items in it without having to strain to pull them out.
Some possible uses for it:
What I wouldn’t use it for (feel free to try anything though!)
Other stuff to know about it:
You can get this particular one online at Lifespace – no need to even leave your comfy chair!
Here is ours in use:
Hidden away in the laundry ...
... and voila! There's all our stuff when we need it.
Going back to school after the summer holidays brings mixed feelings. Personally, I’m sad to see the holiday feeling leave us – I love the holidays. However, many kids are ready to get back into routine, and quite often their parents are more than keen for that, too!
Here are some tips for kicking off the year in an organised manner.
What are your own tips for making Back-to-school time organised and stress-free?
Source: http://www.design-decor-staging.com
The decorations have been in the stores a while now (it won’t be long before they’re in before July, I’m sure!) and we can sense impending festivities. Are you excited? Or terrified? Or a bit of both?
Download the 2011 Clear Space Christmas Countdown Calendar and you’ll be able to approach the holiday season without freaking out too much. It gives you one task a day to focus on in order to get organised well ahead of time so that Christmas is relaxing. You won’t feel rushed, and you will be able to enjoy the fun things about Christmas instead of all the stress that it usually brings!
Enjoy!
One of the biggest causes of clutter is one technical error we all make – some things just never get a home. Even fairly organised homes have some areas that continue to trip them up. They are:
Once you’ve identified these items, create a home for them, and make some rules around what fits into each category. A home for things that belong to others can be a shelf in a living room cabinet, or a clearly labelled box in the spare room. A special spot in the bookcase or bedside table is perfect for borrowed books. A box near the back or front door would also be good for things that need repair, or drawers if you have a lot (note: if you have a lot, consider throwing some of them out – especially if they’ve been damaged a long time and you haven’t needed them).
Things that need a decision to be made should also be grouped together. This one needs to be more obvious, because it will probably be the largest category. An inability, or a delay, in making decisions is a key cause of clutter. I’d use an open shelf with everything on display (paperwork should be stored vertically – in manila folders or magazine files). Then they’re reminding you of the decision that needs to be made. Create a boundary – decide just how much space you’re prepared to sacrifice for these items, then stick to it. If you exceed those boundaries, it’s decision time!
There are many reasons why people keep too many things; I hear them every day. Some are valid (ie, they need, use or love the item) but other excuses need to be challenged if people want to move forward with a simpler, less cluttered life.
Here are some of my favourite counter-arguments and challenges in response to some common excuses:
1. I might use it one day
This is the most common. I always remind people that for every item you keep for this reason, you are adding to your ‘To Do’ list. After all, if you do actually use it, it’s something to do, isn’t it? Do you really need MORE stuff to do? And if you’re keeping it out of obligation (“I really should finish that project”) then it’s not even going to be an enjoyable activity! Why do that to yourself?
When exactly WILL you use it? How long have you been ‘meaning to’ use it? How is it affecting your life right now? If you’re pretty sure you will use it, give yourself a deadline. If it’s not used by then, it is a negative effect on your life and it needs to go.
I also ask clients to ask themselves “What’s the worst that could happen if I get rid of this item?”. In most cases, you’ll just need to borrow one off someone else, or buy it again. And that’s the worst case! You can live with that, can’t you? You’ve certainly been through worse. Most likely, you’ll forget it existed and be grateful for the peace of mind.
2. I plan to fit into it again
Okay, so you have a few items of clothing that you love that don’t quite fit – fair enough. However, you need limits on how many you keep. After all, you will most likely want to go shopping again if you lose weight, won’t you?
And the tough question – how likely are you to actually lose weight? How long have you been that size? It does get less likely as time goes on. I always encourage my clients to focus efforts and space in their wardrobe on clothes that they can use, and that make them feel fabulous in the size they are, instead of resenting their size. If skinny clothes could talk, all they would do is call you fat anyway. You wouldn’t keep a friend that called you fat!
3. I spent a lot of money on it
The money is gone – it’s not coming back. If you wasted the money, it’s already wasted; what you do with the item will make little difference to that. Accept the loss and move on. If you don’t use it, you’re wasting both money, space AND sanity. Why not consider selling it or donating it to someone who will get a lot of use out of it?
4. Someone gave it to me
Your affection for someone should not be directed towards items, it should be directed towards the person. Love the person; get rid of the monstrosity that stresses you.
5. It’s a waste if I get rid of it
It’s far more of a waste to keep it and not use it! Donate it to someone who will appreciate it and get use out of it.
6. We’ve always kept that type of paperwork
Just because you’ve always done it does not mean it’s appropriate anymore. Challenge your habits and rationalise your decisions with some logic. Do you need it? Can you reproduce it if you really do find you need it one day? If it’s available anywhere else, get rid of it and simplify your life. Less paperwork = more smiles!
What excuses do you think you need to remove from your decluttering experience?