The Mental Health Impact of Clutter

May 16, 2024 by Heather Filed Under: Health, Organize, Organizing Projects, Productivity, Systems & Techniques, Tips & Resources, Wellness & Mindset Leave a Comment

Improve Your Mental Health – The Link Between Clutter, Stress, and Anxiety

Have you ever looked around your home and felt frustrated by the impact of clutter on your life? After all, stacks of paper on the counter, never-ending piles of laundry, and stuff covering every surface can feel overwhelming!

Certainly, you’re not alone. Clutter has become a major problem in our culture, and it’s even taking a toll on our emotional and mental health. You’ve felt it before, right? What impact can clutter around you have on your mind and well-being?

May is Mental Health Awareness Month, so I thought this would be the perfect time to discuss clutter’s impact on our mental health — and how organization can help!

“High stress prevents us from organizing our homes, but the clutter itself can also lead to stress.”

-NATALIE CHRISTINE DATTILO, PHD

The Impact of Clutter

It’s not just your friendly neighborhood organizer (Hi!🙋‍♀️) who says clutter has an impact on your mental health — research shows it, too. Studies have found that when someone perceives their home as cluttered, their cortisol levels increase. What’s cortisol? The stress hormone.

The key word, however, is ‘perceive’. Clutter weighs on people differently. To some, a stack of paper on the kitchen counter is organized. To others, it’s a taunting pile of agitation.

Understanding how you relate to clutter is the first step in identifying its impact on your mental health.

5-Step Solution to Clutter

Once you better understand your clutter’s impact on your well-being, it’s time to decide what to do about it. This varies for everyone, but there are a few universal steps I’d suggest you take.

Find Your Biggest Stressor

As we’re talking about mental health, I suggest pinpointing the space in your home that stresses you the most. Find the low-hanging fruit that will impact your daily life, like the entryway you go in and out of each day or the dining room table that’s always covered.
Start Small

Though you might find your overflowing garage or basement your most stressful space, those are huge projects. Instead, choose a smaller space that will allow you to see results immediately. Examples include a kitchen drawer, bedroom nightstand, or single shelf.
Set a Timer

You’d be amazed by how much better you feel after 15 minutes of decluttering. If you find you have more stamina, feel free to keep going. But remember that progress is better than perfect! (Because Perfect isn’t real:()
Sort Your Stuff

Starting in your small space, go through the items and decide what can be kept, tossed, donated, or recycled. Even in a small space, you’ll be amazed by how much you can go, and you’ll quickly feel a little lighter.
System Set-up

Systems sound big and complicated, but they can be simple, too! Hanging your keys on the same hook every single day is a system. Putting your shoes in the same spot when you get home is a system. Once you’ve sorted the items in your small space, put them back in a way that works for your habits. Think about how you use the space and decide whether items belong there. If they do, contain them in a way that can help you find them when you need them next.

Support and Resources

As with anything that feels overwhelming, it can help tremendously to have someone at your side along the way. I would love to support you through your organizing journey, but I understand there’s a time and place for everything. I’m here when you’re ready to declutter and organize. I’ve got other organizing posts about clutter and decluttering, so please also check those out.

Some professional organizers specialize in chronic disorganization, frequently related to neurodivergence. If you struggle with ADHD, hoarding, or other challenges, you may find the Institute for Challenging Disorganization (ICD) a helpful resource.

If you or a loved one needs additional mental health support or services, please visit the National Institute of Mental Health website for the resources listed.

A (not so) surprising examination the origins of ‘the pantry’

September 30, 2023 by Heather Filed Under: Organize, Tips & Resources 1 Comment

Are some pantries rooted in racist and sexist social structures? I recently considered the origins of the pantry after stumbling across articles examining ‘Pantry Porn.’ What a loaded question. Perhaps we’re wading into unexpected territory for a professional organizer.

I like to get theoretical. To look at things from a deeper, critical place. While slowly considering the history of spaces and the roles we “play” in the theater of our lives. This is especially important, considering the role of white women, since I am one.

Kitchens, generally, are steeped in gender-prescribed roles, as are other areas of domestic spaces. The objects and actions of kitchens are marketed towards women, who historically spent the most time in them. Therefore, it makes sense to me that;

Gender and race are hugely consequential in domestic spaces, whether we are conscious of it or not.

For some of you, this topic and the articles that prompted this writing might be too pithy, critical, or theoretical. I love topics that reach the heart of the spaces we live and work in! While in grad school, I did a LOT of reading on the history of space. Especially the structure of the Euro-American home as rooted in European history. The spaces we live (and work) in are manufactured, constructed, and forced, too formal, or downright uncomfortable for many of us.

I’ve also read a lot about domestic space. I recommend the following books if you want to learn more about how the modern-day Home has evolved. Home: A Short History of an Idea by Witold Rybczynski and AT HOME: A Short History of Private Life by Bill Bryson were both very enlightening.

A more recent Dilettant Army article, ‘Merchandising the Void,’ has me thinking about the space next to or in the kitchen, called the pantry. Social media influencers and celebrities have recently shared voyeuristic views. I find this strange. Who wants to be in competition for the best-looking pantry space? Apparently, influencers, professional organizers (their clients), and some celebrities. I might pay more attention if these spaces were more interesting, not just replicas of what we see on supermarket shelves. The SAMENESS of what is shared has grabbed my attention.

Austere modern whiteness is rooted in classism and racism.

During the 1930s, the era of stark architecture, a movement labeled by MOMA as “International Style,” was not meant to be lived in. Yet, we continue to conform ourselves to this uncomfortable aesthetic of clean, cold, and hard…aka “simple.”

Red Hex with text; “If creating a simple-looing lifestyle requires more labor, it’s not simple” -CreativelyOrganizedSpaces.com

I can’t deny that most of the organizers I follow are white women. Most of them are the ones repeating this stereotypical aesthetic. The performance of domestic spaces shared via social media to yield influence is twisted (and that’s the world we live in!). Check the tags and article linked here for more on this trend. Hello, #cleanToc Gen Z and Millennials using hashtags: #PantryOrganization & #FridgeRestock. What was once considered ‘minimalist’ is no longer about simplicity or living without excess. It has become its own aesthetic driven by brands and performance (ASMR/Music Mashups), with a not-so-subtle marker of status.

“I suggest the design and contents of Khloé’s pantry point to an evolution in the contemporary public role of the American kitchen and the role of the homemaker who labors and performs in this space. The ritualized stockpiling and organizing of goods, the oversized scale and format of the shelves and bins-this is a space where the performance of logistics is as important as the performance of domesticity.”1

If your home or pantry looks like a warehouse, you might want to dial it back and ask yourself why. If it feels like labor keep up with everything in your home, you might want to reconsider your priorities. Perhaps simplify? To simplify is not the same as to stage. Speaking of stages…

Pandemic hoarding had its time and place.

For now, and for most of us, that time is over. I’m not going to delve into the privilege of ‘prepping.’ Dare I say; this topic extends to our current topic, though.

“…organization is not just cleaning. It is design, a shift that allows the logistics and labor of contemporary homemaking to be revisioned as a hobby and a lifestyle.”2

Does homemaking feel like a hobby to you? Yeah, me neither. I’ll be examining this more in future posts.

I’m not attempting to perform domestic perfection for my clients or myself. I love it when I get calls to come to help someone set up their newly moved-into or remodeled kitchen/pantry. I cringe when they focus on buying new products to make everything look like a store (row-upon-row of products, decanted to perfection). This is NOT what organizing is (or should be) about. I am not in the business of creating the illusion of perfection. Nor do I want to create more work for my clients or myself via revisiting overly manicured high-maintenance spaces.

I am asking each of us to consider WHY we need to see perfectly decanted, row upon row of stockpiled household goods.

I appreciate an aesthetically pleasing environment. Yet, I do not strive for greige, gridded, decanted repetition and hoarded household goods. This is akin to filling every void like an empty spreadsheet! Is this kind of minimalism a matter of taste? Or is it more like a white cube-sterile, austere-institutional, and classist?

Can you see the irony here? Are empty spaces and white walls refilled with more consumable goods than we need? There is so much hypocrisy in the ‘staged minimalism’ of the luxuriously rich. The term minimalism has been co-opted from the art world, an aesthetic originally applied to art in institutional spaces that were never intended to be lived in.

‘minimalism presents the illusion of intellectual simplicity — morally good, anti-consumerist — while being just as complicit in the problems of capitalism as anything else. Empty interiors often end up only emphasizing what’s left over as more valuable, more desirable’.3

Ask yourself whose aesthetic you are striving for.

Here are some questions that might help you decide what your priorities are.

Does living within a sterile white space make you happy?
How does hoarding materials make your life feel more abundant or simple?
Can taking the time to remove things from one container and put them into another simplify your life or make routines easier?

Containers, grids, and sparse aesthetics are not the solutions to simplifying our lives or bringing more joy.

Here are my takeaways:

Cleaning isn’t organizing.

Organizing isn’t design.

Homemaking is labor.

Cleaning and organizing are labor.

If creating a simple-looking lifestyle requires more labor, it’s not simple.

Overly manicured spaces are high-maintenance spaces.

Don’t believe the hype.

Beware of the aesthetics you are consuming.

Clearly, I am NOT an organizing influencer!

1 Kelly Pendergrast, Merchandizing the Void. https://dilettantearmy.com/articles/merchandizing-the-void

2 Kelly Pendergrast

3 Kyle Chayka, Why Does Kim Kardashian’s House Look Like…That?https://www.elle.com/culture/celebrities/a30797108/kim-kardashian-house-minimalism/

*This post was first published on 8-3-23 on my Substack. Please join me there if that is your preferred reading app!

Moving, Lists and Inventory

July 17, 2023 by Heather Filed Under: Move Management, Organize, Organizing Projects, Systems & Techniques, Tips & Resources 2 Comments

When it comes to moving, lists and inventory are essential tools. After over ten years of helping clients with move management and moving several times over the last ten years, I have included some helpful tips to keep your move progressing while minimizing your being overwhelmed.

No matter your circumstances, you are likely to pack a few things on your own, and a good moving company can help you calculate the number of boxes you will have based on your home, number of rooms, and household members. For example, when we moved locally to SC two years ago, we had approximately ninety boxes for two people.

Create a move strategy:

My move management strategy includes breaking up packing into categories.
This is a great strategy for DIY moves or if you are selling your home and must declutter for staging.
Pack photographs, home accessories, linens, fine china, unnecessary kitchen items, and some clothing (out of season).
Purge, donate, sell….repeat:)
Pack a little bit at a time rather than try to cram it all into the last week or so. This will vary based on your schedule and circumstances.
Create a dedicated packing area (keep supplies here). This can be a corner of a room, the garage, or a storage unit.
Pace yourself and try tp pack 2-4 boxes a day (5 days a week). Doing this lets you at least partially calculate how long it will take to fully pack.
A moving company will have you packed in a day or two.

Create a comprehensive move portfolio:

Have a dedicated spot for all your moving-related paperwork (contracts, inventory, notes, etc).
As you pack, keep track of more details, and don’t try to remember everything.
Your list can be digital or on paper.
No detail is too small. For example, if you are temporarily storing things, note where the key or combination code is.
Note where your very important papers are. Keep track of these during your move, especially if you have any temporary housing between locations. This is often the case for remodels, new construction, or long-distance moves.

Create a moving inventory:

Number each box and add it to the list
A short description of the contents of each box, making special notes of valuable (sentimental or monetary) items or general contents by Category ex. Lampshades, pillows, linens, china, clothes etc.
Label the box with the DESTINATION room location
Work alongside packers (if you’ve hired a moving company) to be sure boxes are labeled accurately (even if they don’t have a description, you can add a number and room)

With this system, you will have a very good idea of what’s in each box and where it goes. As a bonus, this inventory can serve insurance purposes if needed.

Moving Monday::Where to Begin with Packing (hkpowerstudio.wordpress.com)

Tried & True, Travel Planning Tools

June 30, 2023 by Heather Filed Under: Organize, Organizing Projects, Systems & Techniques, Tips & Resources

Having missed traveling over the past year? This year, I’ve gotten to hone my travel organizing skills again with a lot of travel for work and pleasure.

Some things get easier when you do them more often and a little rusty when you get out of your routine. I’ve noticed a lot of people who haven’t traveled as much since the pandemic are jumping back in with both feet!

I’ve been on the road a lot with things opening back up, visiting friends and family, and traveling regularly for business (at least 1 week a month), so I’m sharing a few of my favorite, tried, true, and new products, tips, and tools for day to day travels and longer trips.

Luggage Select pieces appropriately sized to your travel time and needs and what type able to physically manage. If you don’t want to mess with checking luggage during air travel, make sure it will fit in the overhead bins (20″). If you check a (larger) bag, keep it underweight and ship stuff home (or be prepared to pay the hefty fees)! 4-way wheels make any luggage more manageable and some even come with portable batteries that can be used to recharge phones etc. Be sure your carry-on luggage is comfortable to lift and maneuver if you are traveling alone. Pack a spare shirt, undergarments, and essentials in my carry-on for any trip you check luggage! I evenly spent a night without my luggage because of a flight cancelation. Most of the time, you will not be able to get checked bags back if your flight is rerouted. A cross-body bag, like a messenger or long-handled purse, can leave your hands free and distribute weight more evenly while keeping important things more secure (there is some debate about this, use your personal discretion).

Have a variety of bags and pouches in sizes for all sorts of things from accessories, cables, cords, my camera, toiletries, etc. Consider packing all clothes in a series of Eagle Creek expandable pouches sorted by type of clothing; undergarments, tops, bottoms, etc. I also like Ikea family bags. Hanging toiletry bag with clear pockets on the interior allow you to see things easily and preventyou having to unpack everythingonto bathroom counters. I also like to use a variety of smaller zip pouches, like this zippered mesh pouch one I take everywhere for anything I want to keep dry and undamaged, including papers, magazines, files, etc! What are your favorite small bags?

To keep technology in order I use a combination of bags (above), cord wrap accessories, and a favorite, the Grid-It by Cocoon!

Wardrobe Pack captsule style in a single color theme (think Black, white and purple or brown, orange and tan, etc). Keep it simple and add a few easy accents you can layer Build your travel wardrobe around a couple of comfortable and favorite pieces and you can’t go wrong.

Layout your outfits and add accessories and undergarments before packing or hang on a hanging rack if available. Add mix and match separates if needed once your basic outfits have been planned. I usually try to bring no more than 3 shoes, 3-4 bottoms, and more tops depending on the amount of time I’ll be away and the climate I’m visiting. This combination gives me almost endless varieties of outfits without the bulk of separate pants and shoes for every outfit.

At Home Be sure you have backup documents of all necessary and important paperwork (vaccination proof, itinerary, passport, ID, financial doc’s, etc) somewhere that someone you trust can access if you need them and bring along copies (bring a photo via your smartphone if you’re comfortable) of important numbers (accounts, phone #’s for financial institutions and emergency contacts, etc) for easy access.

Some people never have to check a bag…I’m not one of these people, are you? I envy them:) I bring too much stuff wherever I go, but it’s organized and I’m prepared!

For more ideas check out my Pinterest board Ideas for [Travel] and here are a couple of my new favorite travel pins…

I’m sure you have your own favorite travel tips and tools and hopefully, I’ve shared a few new things to consider for your next trip. What are your favorite Travel Tips and Tools?

The perceived value of your life

February 7, 2023 by Heather Filed Under: Estate Planning, Organize, Senior Organizing, Systems & Techniques, Tips & Resources, Uncategorized, Wellness & Mindset 4 Comments

This post is not about contraception or family planning. It is about reflecting upon your life’s values. We value our lives and those of others, including family members, especially as they age. Anyone at a crossroads in life facing the prospect of estate planning knows how stressful it can be. It can be emotionally and physically exhausting to face your legacy and the perceived value of your life.

Maybe you’ve been a collector or have family heirlooms that have been passed down to you. Legacy planning can trigger loads of personal and family distress. I encourage you and my clients to take on the task of legacy and estate planning a little at a time. The sooner, the better.

Generally, it’s never too early to consider personal and family legacy planning. Whether the time to downsize comes when family members are alive or after a death, please start talking about this subject.

Unquestionably, this topic is culturally taboo, but the fact is that we will all die.

You’ve probably grown attached to what you will leave behind, or you wouldn’t have kept it around. We often keep things for sentimental, practical reasons or because having them around is a habit. For some people, legacy may include a lot of physical stuff, while for others, that isn’t what matters. Either way, the process becomes less overwhelming if we start thinking about what is important for us to leave behind.

The Gentle Art of Swedish Death Cleaning is an excellent resource for anyone downsizing. It’s become a popular book, partially because of its darkly humorous title but mainly because there is currently a large generation of people in the process of downsizing (baby boomers). The author, Margareta Magnusson, recently published a new book, The Swedish Art of Aging Exuberantly: Life Wisdom from Someone Who Will (Probably) Die Before You, which I haven’t read yet. This book addresses the aging process from the author’s perspective. Since I’m aging (and we all are), I appreciate her perspective (both culturally and experientially).

One of the big challenges facing us when legacy planning is what to do with our stuff.

We can’t take our stuff with us…what we leave behind is part of our legacy.

Have you ever considered your legacy? What have you enjoyed or done that others might remember about you? You might want to sit down and take notes on this. Quickly journaling or taking a mental inventory of your life journey might include memorable moments, special people, collections and objects, and more. Here are some questions that will help you consider the stuff and what’s been most valuable to you over your lifetime.

Did you write, keep scrapbooks or take photos?

Do you collect something special (I collect things with a “Bee theme” but try not to overdo it)?

Are you a maker or artist (quilt, knit, or paint)?

Have you been a Gardener or Cook with records of these hobbies?

My Grandfathers Scottish accessories

Were you recognized for significant accomplishments in your career?

Did you invent something?

Do you love to read?

You might ask yourself and your family members some of these questions before it comes time to decide what to keep or get rid of. It may not be an easy conversation. Not talking about it could cause more pain in the long run. Keep it lighthearted and take it a little bit at a time.

Honor your loved one’s legacy by talking with your family members about what they are passionate about and how they want to be remembered.

Record your family stories to share with future generations. These conversations will help with future decision-making.

We all want our loved ones to remember us. Certainly, for some people, things are beautiful tributes. Keeping a handful of meaningful items can help you remember and honor their legacy.

Of course, there will be family and friends who will choose to honor and remember their loved ones without the stuff! Maybe they have vivid or photographic memories of events and connect to that person through other means (spiritual, oral, or written history). Sharing your story (via a letter, video, voice recording, or conversation) may be enough!

Don’t feel hurt if your loved ones don’t want your things!

Locate groups or organizations with similar interests where you can donate part of your estate. Be prepared to release your attachment to the outcome. Your family and some organizations will not want everything you’re leaving behind. That’s not a reflection of how they feel about you or the value of your life.

Others cannot fully understand the perceived value of your life; it’s your unique human experience, after all! How you communicate your life experiences is inherent in what you leave behind through the people you touch, the lessons you’ve shared, your human connections, and your creations. Coming to peace with your legacy is an inside job. Your inner peace can help you adjust your expectations about how others will pay tribute to your life.

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Simple paper sorting

January 9, 2023 by Heather Filed Under: Organize, Paper management, Productivity, Systems & Techniques, Tips & Resources 1 Comment

Is your desktop often covered in piles of paper? After the holiday hiatus, many people return to work with new enthusiasm, but possibly also to a desktop covered in papers and projects that have been lingering. In another post, we identified three steps to get paper piles under control, but today, my focus is on helping you create a simple paper sorting system to get your desktop clutter under control! If you missed that post, please go back and spend about 30 min’s preparing for these next steps.

Here is how we will create a simple and successful paper sorting system.

First, we will identify what overwhelms us about paper piles (the how or why things are feeling out of control). In accounting for our mental state, it might be helpful to journal about what comes up for you! Next, we list the categories of files and papers we need to keep. Finally, we create a working space or staging area to spread our supplies and create a new system.

Many people suggest the first step to paper sorting is to gather all your papers in one place. I don’t start with this because I believe before we dive into paper sorting, we need to identify how we got here and where we want to be! I’ve written about setting intentions in several past posts. and I believe this is one of the most important steps to creating lasting changes. This step can be easy to overlook and seem unimportant, but it can make all the difference.

Setting our intention is a valuable part of creating successful and lasting change.

After we identify what is holding us back and intend to change things, we are ready to gather all our papers in our work area. This might be just your desktop to start with (baby steps are BIG steps).

Before you begin, consider how you want to organize your newly sorted papers. In a prior post, I go through several filing systems, including the Tickler, binders, and color coding. Before you commit to one filing system, take a look at some alternatives. This paper sorting process will work for any type of filing system! It also helps to think about how you store your digital files, mirroring systems can save you time when retrieving (or trying to remember) things.

*A quick note about shredding and sensitive papers. If you have a lot of papers to process at once, hold off on shredding and put papers to be shredded into a LABELED bag or box. If a piece of paper only has your name and address, you might want one of these excellent ID Blocker stamps to mark out your info and recycle it.

With all your supplies and your staging area set up, let’s begin sorting!

Gathering papers is like a treasure hunt. Don’t forget to look in the kitchen, bedroom (nightstand drawers or surfaces), dining room, office or den, and car!
Before sorting stacks (files or bags) into categories, list the categories you know you need. Your categories might be different than mine. The most important thing is to create a system that is easy to remember. Common filing mistakes I see are overly complicated or very vague systems. See this post to review your categories.
With your list of categories nearby, put each of your categories on a sticky note. If you come across a category you don’t have, just add another sticky note! If you come across papers and are unsure if they need a separate category, set them into an “undecided” area to review later. Don’t forget an “Action or To-Do” category and a “Delegate or refer to someone else” category if those will be helpful.
Pick up your first stack and sort it into recycle, shred, or one of your categories. If you have a lot of categories, set up hanging folders in an empty box or file drawer. I prefer to start with a blank slate and sort everything into a new filing system.

Sort for a set amount of time, and use time-blocking and an alarm. Remember to take breaks every 30-60 mins. Though I can’t advise on what specific papers you need to keep, a helpful retention guide is available on the IRS website. For anything related to taxes and finances, check with your accountant.

Consider going digital for information you can access online. If you’re not comfortable but want to try it out, pick one category like “Utilities” and convert each account to paperless and see how that goes! If you like it, convert additional categories, such as banking, investments, and insurance.

Once you’re through sorting paper piles, don’t forget to label your categories. You can get fancy with printed labels, use erasable labels, or just a sharpie. If your new files don’t fit into your existing drawers, you may want to set up additional file boxes for items you don’t need regularly (such as tax or other archive papers). There are some downright gorgeous file cabinets in various styles; check out my previous round-up here. Now that you have a fantastic system in place, maintain it daily or weekly so you don’t end up with a backload of piles again!

Discovering Delight

January 3, 2023 by Heather Filed Under: Creative process, Inspiration & Education, Planning & Goals, Productivity, Uncategorized, Wellness & Mindset 4 Comments

Happy 2023! These days, when greeting people right after New Year, I find it’s not uncommon to exchange “words.” Selecting a word for the year (WOTY) has become common practice! It was a year that began with a lot of uncertainty. I had left my long-term corporate career as a textile designer, and though I was finding my way, I was still far from confident in my future. I began setting an intention for my year by selecting a word; that year, I needed clarity. By the end of the year, I had launched my business, firmly stepped away from my corporate career, and permitted myself to be with unknowing as things came into focus. The results of selecting a word was powerful, and the practice has stayed with me.

In 2022, I began the year needing HOPE. Strangely, I selected the word before things started to get crazy in our lives. I just figured that after two years of being worn down by the pandemic and grad school, I needed hope.

I needed to be in a mind state of hope.

I needed to act in hope.

I learned to live in a state of hope, to remember to be hopeful, and to take actions that lead to hopeful outcomes!

HOPE became a practice.

As I reflected on my capacity to carry hope with me, I realized that I wanted more. I wanted something more expansive, light, and inspiring. I thought about the word inspiration and realized that I was trying to get deeper to our source of inspiration and oftentimes, that is what delights us.

I want to live in Delight!

Having my 4-year-old nephew with me over the holidays was a wonderful reminder that the delight children live with (much of the time). I asked myself if I could just recapture some of that every day.

Yes, I believe I can live in delight! It’s a practice and my intention for 2023. I will spend the next year playing with, noticing, cultivating, discovering, and pursuing what is a delight.

Delight is everywhere! It’s a matter of noticing and finding gratitude for what is delightful.

Reflecting on the past DECADE of my practice of selecting a WOTY, here are some of my previous words. I love how they connect and flow into one another.

2011: CLARITY
2012: SOAR
2013: RADIANT
2014: PLAY
2015: CHOICE
2016: HARMONY
2017: ACCEPTANCE
2018: FEARLESS
2019: INTENTION
2020: INTEGRATION
2021: POSSIBILITY
2022: HOPE
2023: DELIGHT

Word Cloud Created with Thinkmap: https://www.visualthesaurus.com/

I would love to hear your thoughts on the word of the year process (WOTY). Hit reply and let me know your word (s).

Sanity Saving Holiday Organizing Tips

December 8, 2022 by Heather Filed Under: Inspiration & Education, Organize, Wellness & Mindset Leave a Comment

Each of these holiday organizing tips will help get you through the season with a bit more sanity & JOY!

After receiving new holiday gifts, donate used items you no longer need to charity (One in One out Rule).
Ditch the photo holiday cards…generally, they end up in the trash (recycled, hopefully), especially since people can see you more frequently via social media. How about a digital holiday card? I compromised and began sending recycled content postcards a few years ago.
As you pull holiday items out, please consider donating old ornaments and out-of-date decorations. Many thrift shops set up great holiday display areas! Consider picking up new/vintage items from thrift locations also.
Begin memento boxes for your kid’s holiday traditions, and keep these separate so they can be given to your older kids when they leave home.
Clean out your attic, garage, or basement space before you return your holiday decoration bins (vacuum, wipe down shelves if needed, etc.).
Have a Grab-A-Gift bag or bin with an assortment of “anyone” appropriate gifts (for last min hostess or holiday gift exchange items).
Clean out your spices as your cook and bake. Toss the old and make note of anything needed (put the date of purchase on the bottom).
Spruce up your kitchen whenever you have 10-30 mins. by tackling small areas or appliances (fridge, stove, toaster, sink, etc.) a little at a time. You’ll feel healthier & I bet you’ll eat healthier! See this kitchen organizing post.
Get your gift & wrap organized. Use a gift tracking list & invest or DIY a great wrapping station—see Pinterest for ideas

How to take care of yourself with purpose this season.

Don’t overbook your holiday calendar. If you’ve been invited to a million parties and events, occasionally, say no to a few and leave yourself some evenings at home, either alone or with your family and relax!
Schedule a date with your honey or yourself for a little holiday pampering. Dinner and a movie, a bubble bath and champagne, your pick, but keep it easy and fun.
Plan for the next year! Get a planner or calendar to map out large events such as vacation and business travel, important family occasions, and setting personal and professional goals for at least the first 1-2 quarters of the year.
Create a vision board to see what you want to create…it’s a beautiful thing! Learn more about my upcoming 2023 IN-Person workshop in Charleston (it’s been years, I’m excited!)
Pick a Word of the Year-AKA-#WOTY
Take a thorough home inventory this year-don’t wait for a disaster! Subscribe to my mailing list or “like” my Facebook or Instagram for more frequent tips and inspiration!
Keep your body moving, dance, hit the gym, take a walk…whatever your thing is, this is a great way to get out of your head and feel your way through the season.

Finally and most importantly, take time to Celebrate what is truly Sacred to you.

Is that a tradition, time with family, or a treat that you honor yourself with?

Whatever it is, this is the season to celebrate the sacred!

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Indoor Gardening for a Healthy Home

October 21, 2022 by Heather Filed Under: Home, Inspiration & Education, Wellness & Mindset

I love to garden for the joy that it brings me and to maintain my well-being. As we move towards winter, my craving for the garden also moves indoors. This week, the temps dropped into the 30’s at night, signaling TIME to bring my houseplants indoors. It snuck up on us here this year and I have a feeling it will warm back up. My plants might just get a little outdoor day visit here and there over the coming weeks.

In today’s post, I’m sharing simple tips for indoor gardening for a healthy home. Fresh air, lush greenery, colorful flowers, and sensory interaction (check out the sound of plants!) are a few reasons I love to garden. All of this can also be done indoors.

Many people don’t think they have a green thumb but with a little practice, anyone can grow at least one or two plants indoors. There is no mistaking how popular indoor gardening is. This is especially true over the last couple of years while our homes have become our everything!

Each fall, I spend a bit of time tending to my indoor garden, before bringing plants indoors. Some of my favorite ‘house’ plants are a 20-year-old philodendron, orchids, ZZ palms, pass-along ‘Christmas’ cactus, and an assortment of terrarium plants. If you have ever been to tropical climates, you might have recognized some of your favorite houseplants growing as outdoor tropicals. This trend began in the victorian era when lush tropicals filled parlors and conservatories. Some of us still can’t get enough!

Seasonal plant tips

To freshen up indoor plants seasonally (Fall & Spring), prune, fertilize, repot or replace leggy or unwell plants. For your terrariums, do the same as above but start by cleaning terrarium glass (with H2O only on the inside). The best time to move plants in/out is when temperatures indoors and out are about the same. Be sure all chance of frost has passed-or as it dips below the 50s in the fall.

I hope these indoor gardening tips will encourage you to try (or expand) what you grow indoors. It can take a little practice to find and maintain indoor plants in the ‘right spots’ but keep trying. My friends over a The Botanary do a great job of sharing the right plants for the right spots and ‘paring plants with people!

Good reasons to garden indoors

Plants are natural air filters! They clean toxins like formaldehyde, benzene, xylene, toluene, and trichloroethylene from the air. Certain plants do a great job with certain chemicals. About 1 plant per 100 sq’ has been proven to significantly purify the air.
Express personal style through plants and indoor gardening to add beauty and round out your interiors.
The act of caring for and nurturing a plant can be a meditative and calming practice.
You are bringing a piece of nature’s beauty inside where you can appreciate it more often.

What grows successfully inside?

Start by observing your surrounding, especially the quality of light and the location of airflow/vents. Also, be honest about your lifestyle and how much time you want to spend with your plant babies. These are the two most important factors for plant selection. Determine which direction your house and windows face. Have this information available when you go to select plants. You are sure to be more successful by selecting the correct plant for your conditions.

Factors in plant selection

light/exposure (N, S, E, or W)
humidity (run a humidifier if needed)
maintenance time (watering, pruning, fertilizing, re-potting, etc),
design style and colors in your home
pets, check out the ASPCA list of pet-safe plants here

With this, you will be able to make the best selections for your space. Do your research before you head out to buy anything, check out a variety of reputable local garden centers or floral shops, and talk to the staff. They can usually make excellent suggestions if you know the direction your windows face and the size and space and will tell you the common and botanical names, and maintenance requirements.

The maidenhair fern above will dry out quickly and make you feel like a failure if you can’t give it daily attention. Alternately, the ZZ Palm or Snake plant below both require low light and maintenance to thrive.

The ZZ Palm: above great for low light: image via James Saper

Sansevieria or snake plant image via Gardenista

Plant maintenance and troubleshooting

The biggest mistake people make with houseplants is overwatering (I worked in the tropical greenhouse of a local garden center). Generally speaking, let plants dry out completely before watering again deeply (some exceptions, like ferns). Potted plants are more quickly depleted of nutrients, so re-pot every 2 years using an appropriate potting mix with a slow-release fertilizer in it or sprinkle a little slow-release once or twice a year (see package for the rate of use). Otherwise, fertilize according to a regular schedule when you water, prune out dead leaves and sections and keep an eye out for pests. If you spot something moving, take a good picture and look up pests online or take the plant/photo back to your local garden center for help.

There literally is an indoor plant for just about every situation. Ask questions and do your homework before you head out shopping so you can make the best choice for yourself. Your indoor plants can bring you joy, a sense of calm and beauty, and cleaner indoor air.

Do you have an indoor garden? If so, drop a comment about what your favorite or oldest plants are, or who you got them from. Are you trying something new or have you had some complete failures (we all have!)? I’d love to hear about your indoor gardening experiences.

Piles of Paper and no system in sight?

January 27, 2022 by Heather Filed Under: Organize, Organizing Projects, Paper management, Systems & Techniques, Tips & Resources, Uncategorized Leave a Comment

Does paperwork pile around you at home and office? Piles of Paper might mean unopened mail, and papers can lead to cluttered horizontal surfaces. There are many reasons for paperwork to pile up. Getting to the cause can help you create a functional solution. Conquoring these piles can be overwhelming or totally rewarding! In this post, I share an easy first step to Purge the Paper Piles.

Piles of Paper might feel beyond our control but they don’t have to

Many organizers, including Marie Kondo, recommend gathering everything by category. In this case papers. Instead, we are going to start differently. Before you gather all your paper piles its helpful to consider and identify how you got to into this situation. I don’t have those answers for you. I can share what I’ve learned from my working observations with clients, friends and family.

A “Trigger Event” such as an injury, death, move or birth put you off course. This event caused you to go totally off track and loose your system or maintenance of it.
Maybe you had a system started, but that system wasn’t a good fit and you were unable to maintain it. This is often the case when people feel they “should do” something a certain way or learned a system on the job, from a family member or friend. This can be incredibly frustrating and lead to feelings of shame.
Or maybe you never learned how to create or maintain a paperwork system, it’s certainly not taught in school or even at home (in most cases)!

We all have our breaking points. There are more urgent, fun and important things than dealing with a paper piles that seem so unimportant. We push them aside and make a lot of excuses for not getting around to them. Day after day, week after week and sometimes for years. When you get to this point, it’s easy to see how overwhelm creeps in and we don’t where to begin.

When we fall behind we tend to ignore what is present because we are worried about what is past.

Instead of going back through everything in the past, start where you are. In my experience if you lost every single paper in your house, there is very little that can’t be fairly easily replaced. Just ask almost any millennial, they live with very few papers. Most of what we need to keep can be replaced with a few phone calls and emails.

Before gathering everything in your home/office, sit down and open your most current paper pile of mail, receipts etc. Consider what mail and papers you have coming in. What categories do they fit in? Here are some general and sub categories.

Household-Utilities, improvements, reciepts, insurance etc
Medical-You & your family members
Vehicles-loans, DMV/MVA info, insurance
Financial-Banking, credit cards, investments, taxes
Professional-continuing education, employment, resume etc

Make a list of YOUR categories. Don’t think about what you had in the past or what you “should have,” start simple. As you sort, consider going paperless with utilities, insurance, bank statements or anything you can easily access online. Consolodate sub categories into one general category. For example, one file for all utilities (to keep track of account numbers etc). Simplifying your incoming mail and filing will help create a system that’s easier to maintain.

Simple systems work best. Over-organized systems are cumbersome to maintain.

Before you purg past paperwork, create a “staging” area and gather your supplies:

A file box or two depending on how much you have. I prefer any that hold hanging folders and still close, like these. Bankers boxes will work, just don’t use the hanging files
File folders-new or used, different colors or one color. Don’t buy them unless you need to.
Hanging folders are optional but they do make the job easier (recycled is fine)
Sticky notes for temporarily labeling categories
Pens or pencils (pencils for starting, sharpies or labels for permanent labels)
Labels or a Label maker

Now pick up and begin to sort through a pile to see how it fits into your new simple system. Depending on how long this first step took, you can estimate how much time you will need to sort and purge all your Paper Piles! If you don’t have a good system for your mail when it comes in the house, check out this post on Creating a Practical Command Center. Looking for a stylish, yet practical file cabinet or container? Check out my inspiring round up here.

*Some people may prefer a flat filing system like the drawers below or binders, but for the purpose of purging I will focus on file boxes of some sort.