Creatively Organized Spaces
Some days I STRUGGLE with ideas to write about…SO I want to hear from you! What do you want me to blog about?
Or maybe NOT, I think I’m just stuck in my own head and don’t know what I know! The way I bring ideas together is just a bit different than someone else. How I say something might resonate with you in a way that it doesn’t with someone else. The same goes for how I work with clients to organize their spaces.
I find that a lot of people’s idea of list making is to just keep one big ongoing “To Do”. Do you think about every single thing on your list as a “problem”? This seems to be the normal mindset around items that need to be done. Lists are a way to keep track of all the Problems we need to solve, right?
That may be the case but trying to hold onto all that info in your head is just not a reasonable expectation to have. Your brain is not a storage device, or a warehouse to keep things in! Really! One way I help clients with their productivity is to break lists up by category, just like you would do when filing papers.
Within these categories you could list out the items you want or need to do. List making can be done on paper (post it notes are great because you can move them from place to place), in a notepad, a calendar-using color coding if you like (see photo above) or with a technology list tool like Evernote. However you make your lists, keep track of what you are doing by category and ask yourself if it’s important enough to put onto your calendar? If it’s not worth putting on your calendar is it worth doing?
This can be next to impossible with a mish-mash of hangers. When working to create an orderly closet, having only a few types of hangers will save space and time keep as well as keep your clothes more neat. I admit it, I’m a hanger snob! When I start a closet organizing project the first thing I do is try to eliminate broken or flimsy hangers (wire, warped plastic etc). All hangers are not created equally, some do a fine job for certain tasks.
Below are my six favorite types of hangers, with a little explanation of what I recommend each for and why.
Wood Hangers these are sturdy and easy to find, not to expensive and great for suits, jackets and outerwear. If you are using these you might want to get a few with clips for skirts and pants (if you prefer to hang them long).
Velvet Shirt Hangers you either love them or hate them! They’re great for keeping lightweight, loose garments on the hangers and they are super space saving! They can break easily (brittle) and some people with shoulder/arm disabilities find them difficult to work with. I don’t recommend them for pants, unless they are ultra light weight and I also don’t recommend the “gadgets” they sell to convert these into multi hangers or clip hangers, they tend to make them break more easily.
Non Slip U-Slide Hangers are a great alternative to the velvet hangers. These are more sturdy than velvet (see above) and have grippy sections to keep clothes in place. These are an upgrade to the standard “plastic tube” hangers that deform easily and stuff slides off. The U-shape opening on one side make them easy to put clothes on and take them off.
Space saving pants hangers these are a new favorite, slimline, sturdy metal coated with non-slip rubber and easy to use. Everything you need in a pants hanger unless you like to hang them lengthwise in which case you will want a clip style (either wood above or basic plastic below).
There are a couple other hangers worth mentioning (and loads more to choose from) but there’s a reason most retail stores use these basic plastic skirt hangers. They save space, are inexpensive and do a great job holding onto your skirts and pants. Not everyone loves them but they are study, slim and keep things in place. Finally the padded satin hanger, not just for your grandmom! Although I recommend folding knits, if you must hang some of them these lovely hangers keep the shoulders from looking funny!
The closet above has a jumble of different hangers making it difficult to get clothes in and out and hard to see what’s what. Below hangers and clothes have been streamlined into 2 basic types (wood and U-Slide) to save space and make clothes easier to find and hang back up!
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Many people liked The Life Changing Magic of Tidying Up (which I reviewed here) but there are some other wonderful new small Organizing Books and here are two, both excellent and quite different in their layout and approach of the same subject matter: Clutter Clearing!
Never Too Busy to Cure Clutter (More than 365 Tips to Maker Room for What’s Truly Important) by Erin Rooney Doland
I kind of feel that if I were to write a book on organizing it would be similar to this in many ways. Erin’s tone here is not one of preaching or stating that in order to successfully banish clutter you must do things in A—>B—>C order. Erin explains for some people priorities may be different, with a different emphasis on areas of the, some being more or less critical depending on your lifestyle. I love that this book is broken down by area of the home, identifying the ‘everyone’s use’ spaces and those that are more ‘private’. This brings me back to my days of doing hospitality work and maybe it would be helpful for you to also think of your home in terms of ‘Public’ and ‘Private’ spaces. Public or everyone spaces such as Entry, Living Room, Dining Room Kitchen and Bath are addressed first and more private areas in the second section. Each section (chapter) is broken down into tasks you can do in 30 seconds, 1 minute, 5 minutes or 15 minutes. In this manner she successfully makes it clear that living clutter free means always maintaining your home by doing small tasks with regularity. She reminds us that tasks will take each of us a different amount of time so to be aware of what task you choose and record it right in the book if it takes you more or less time. What I think works well about this book is that by repeating the same format of steps throughout the house but with tasks specific to those areas of the home she illustrates that there is a certain mindset behind living clutter free and she helps you to begin to identify what steps you need to take in each room on a regular basis to make lasting changes in your habits. In breakout sections through out the book she gives hints and tips on resources and tools (techniques, storage, apps, programs). Finally she concludes with some great examples of sample habits and routines including tasks and estimated time that can help us identify what we need to do on a regular basis. Maybe it helps to think of routines as rituals…like our morning ritual, house cleaning ritual, travel rituals etc. I’ve read quite a few small organizing “resource” books and find this one to be jam packed full of excellent practical advice and useful information.
Clear the Clutter, Find Happiness (One-Minute Tips for Decluttering and Refreshing Your Home and Your Life) by Donna Smallin
This book is almost what I would call a “Pocket Guide” to clutter clearing. Open it to the front and you won’t find a chapter index…she dives right into small tips and motivational words to get you clutter busting any time you are in the mood. The book has a warm and cheery energy with orange and gold hues throughout …(I love a books that have creative layout’s that are different!) The whole book is loosely organized by certain areas of the home but open to any given page and on each page you will find a motivational tip, quote or thought provoking mindset topic. In a very lighthearted way she probes into the “why” behind our clutter habits. Along with mantra’s and time savers like “Don’t Just Put it Down, Put it Away” there are a variety of organizing tasks to do within one minute (aprox). By the end she is really helping you to develop new healthy habits that will keep the clutter clear for good. In summary she ends by sharing that clutter comes from our bad habits, setting things down where they don’t belong, not having permanent homes for certain items, not making decisions that will keep us clear of clutter. It really comes down to two things…Commitment to Change and repeatedly following through by acting on these clutter clearing tasks. This is a great book for anyone who struggles with small day to day clutter tasks and keeping in the mindset of changing bad habits.
What Clutter Clearing books have you read or found helpful?
I try to keep a balance in the decision making process between sentiment and objectivity, which is not always easily when it comes to family sentiment. This past week though I wore both personal organizing and “client” hats. My grandparents have been in an assisted living facility for almost 20 years , great planning on their part! But the time finally came for them to be moved into more skilled nursing and personalized assistance. I joined my family in helping make this transition more comfortable for them by lending my organizing expertise. My mother is an interior designer and my two aunts are nurses so together we were quite a team!
I took my basic personal organizing kit along, which includes a tape measure, label maker, inventory sheets (or tablet for creating one digitally), camera, post it notes, permanent marker etc. We went through contents of their apartment determining what they would need in their room and what could go to storage. The nurses in the family knew what practical requirements were needed and my mother lent her design expertise. I learned a few things beyond the basic organizing skills I already posses to add to my knowledge base.
Many of these tips could be used in a home healthcare setting as well.
Create personal organizing and creative touches by hanging favorite art, photographs and a few accessories. Your goal in organizing the contents is to make it easier for staff or family to care for your loved one, while keeping the space neat, uncluttered, calm, safe and comforting. By the time we completed setting up their room the nurses and staff were ecstatic about how thorough and clearly everything was laid out. Hopefully this translates to more time and attention being spent on your loved ones!