Marie Kondo’s bestselling how-to The Life-Changing Magic of Tidying Up can offer advice for dwellers of small spaces such as condominiums and apartments. To KonMari a 215-sq.-ft. apartment, one of The Kissters bloggers discarded everything she didn’t need and #decluttered entire categories (i.e., clothing, books) of stuff instead of areas (i.e., hall closet, dresser drawer). Figure out what still “sparks joy” and thank the rest for their contributions, she says. And finally, learn to look at your home as a sanctuary in order to keep things #neat and #tidy long after the initial #purge and #oganization is done.
Tag: decluttering
Super Bowl Ads Won’t Tell You Not to Shop
On the pro-consumerism side of the Super Bowl ads was Squarespace’s ode to small business, starring Zendaya as Sally, who went from selling seashells by the seashore to being a seashell-themed lifestyle brand thanks to online sales. Equally #stuff-friendly is the ad for cash-back shopping app Rakuten, which depicts a poker player betting personal belongings such as a vacuum cleaner and TV instead of poker chips. Nobody should buy more #stuff than they need just to get cash back, of course, so even if you like to shop, spend wisely and use the #declutterer’s rule of thumb: Eliminate two items for every new thing you bring in.
Make an Investment in Decluttering
Cryptocurrency came of age during Super Bowl LVI, with no less than four different trading platforms vying for investment dollars with some of the most expensive television airtime available. While crypto isn’t exactly #ecofriendly, its virtual nature means that it will never #clutter up the house like an extra pair of shoes or kitchen gadget. Advertising Age rated a spot starring irascible cynic Larry David for FTX the best of the category, and while The Organizing Blog will never offer investment advice, we will say that we’re never wrong about the importance of #decluttering.
Show Your Valentine You Care by Decluttering
You and your romantic partner probably have different #organizational styles and skills. And that’s OK — relationships demand compromise. But what can you do to meet in the middle this #Valentine’s Day?
Whether you consider yourself more the #hoarder or the #neat freak in the relationship, you must learn to respect their stuff, their attachments to it, and the ways in which they #sort and #organize it (or don’t).
“It’s rare that my clients have the same thought process, emotions and vision about the things that they own,” professional organizer Tanisha Lyons-Porter told The Washington Post magazine last year.
COVID-19 has only exacerbated these differences. The neat freak may have used their extra lockdown time to scrub down and organize every nook and cranny, while the #clutterer may have stockpiled canned goods and toilet paper.
Assuming that your differences are within the normal spectrum of neat vs. messy and not the indicator of a genuine psychiatric disorder, Valentine’s Day presents the perfect opportunity to join your partner in an effort to get more #organized.
Frustrated with your partner’s clutter? Have an honest discussion about the situation and dedicate a few hours of your time to help them get things sorted. If you are the #clutterer, ask for their help or make an attempt to rein in the #junk in an area you both use.
You can also hire a professional organizer to give you both a crash course in #decluttering — or if getting things #clean and #sanitized is the challenge, hire a maid service. Either service makes a great #Valentine’s Day gift that shows you care.
ClothingDonations.org is here to help! Once you declutter, we’ll pick up any lightly used items you decide not to keep with a free #donation pickup — and leave you to celebrate #Valentine’s Day in a more organized, clean home.
Start Small With a Winter Deep-Clean
With a winter storm blanketing much of the United States with snow, it’s unlikely that legendary groundhog Punxsutawney Phil will see his shadow tomorrow morning. To cope with another six weeks of winter gloom, try doing a thorough #deep-cleaning of your home. Start small, says My Creative Days. Pick a single drawer, closet or room, and #purge it of accumulated #junk. Keep an empty box nearby for anything you find to #donate to ClothingDonations.org, and call for a #donation #pickup as soon as you fill a few boxes or bags. Then #deep-clean the area and #organize the stuff that goes back in it.