Try working together rather than battling each other!
I am often called a marriage therapist by the couples I work with. I am in their home, I see the clutter and chaos, I hear the overwhelm and frustration. It can feel hopeless to create a home that is peaceful and inviting. Use these practical tips to help make organizing easier and get closer as a couple. Your partnership is the most important relationship in your life.
TIP 1: Let the bedroom be all about rest, intimacy and connection.
Remove all clutter, laundry, paper piles or projects.
After clearing the bedside tables, place items like candles, books or music that help you relax and enjoy each other.
Choose the furniture and items that you both love.
Keep the TV out of the bedroom.
TIP 2: Just like a weekly date night, schedule a weekly planning session together. Make this time meaningful and fun!
Choose a comfortable place, in or out of your home, where you enjoy being with each other.
Share your wins and disappointments from the week before. Genuine attention is the most precious gift you can give each other.
Have a shared calendar to track all the needed activities on.Look at the week ahead and share with each other what is happening and what kind of support you need. You can also handle meal planning and budgets during this time. Then it won’t be hanging over you.
TIP 3: Honor each other’s organizing styles. Each of you gets your “own space” to keep the way you want.
We tend to be attracted to and partner with our opposites. Each person needs their own space, their own hobbies and their own time to do their stuff. This will relieve stress and make time together more meaningful.
TIP 4: Share the load and/or delegate the keep it up tasks.
Our days are full of the keep it up tasks – cleaning, fixing, errands, calls, etc. Yet, we have really full lives and there just isn’t time to do everything. So, choose what maintenance things each person enjoys doing (you might love doing laundry or yard work). Then hire out the tasks that neither of you has the time, energy or skill set to do. Examples of this would be to pay a housecleaner, professional organizer, yard keeper or meal manager.
I invite you to sit down this week with your partner and choose your time of the week for Tip 2. Make this fun and get to know each other in a whole new way. Please share your success with me at info@clearsimple.com or
Do you even care about being organized? Why or Why not?
Earlier we explored where to start getting organized. Now let’s go further and talk about why organizing matters. Does getting organized really matter to you? if so, have you asked yourself why? If not, why? Your reasons can be completely different than your partner, family, friends or co-workers. Getting clear on why you care and how it can help you personally will inspire you to make time for it.
Organizing has been given a bad rap in these times of overconsumption and minimalizing. Somehow, organizing has been reduced to putting stuff in pretty containers. Yet it is so much more than that. Here are a few reasons why getting organized in your space and life matter.
Organizing your space helps you:
Consciously choose what you will keep and what you will let go
Create systems for how to maintain your space
Create a space that reflects and supports you
Get your space working when there are multiple people with multiple needs
Have peace and serenity in your space
The Organizing skill & systems help you:
Manage all the daily activities in your life
Manage your time and energy each day
Plan events for all the roles in your life
Grow personally and produce in the world
Reduce stress by making decisions easier
I hope you can see how organizing is an essential part of your everyday life. I invite you again to write down the project or area you want to start organizing this year and why it matters to you. Then, if you want to go further, explore why getting more organized this year will make your life easier and better.
It’s no secret that clutter and disorganization contribute to stress, anxiety, further over-consumption and exhaustion. My purpose is setting you free of this stress.
Knowing your personal WHY for clearing your clutter will keep you going when things get tough.
Clutter is everywhere. It comes in constantly, it builds up in your car, on your kitchen counter, and on your desk. It can bury your bedroom, your basement or your whole home. If letting go of the clutter was easy, it wouldn’t be there. Yes, it can sound simple to pick up that item and ask if you are gong to keep it or let it go. But that query can lead to as many stories as there are people. Clutter clearing just isn’t that simple!
This month we are addressing how to get started. Last week, I asked you where you wanted to start? Now I am asking you why you care about that project? What is the meaning to you? This is what will keep you going. I am asking you to write it out or find a picture or create it any way you want. Then place your why statement where you can see it throughout the project.
Throughout my 20 years as a professional organizer, I have witnessed the power of knowing your WHY. So trust me when I say this will make a difference.
Here are some of my favorites –
I want to clear my dining room and kitchen so my family can start coming over for Sunday dinner every week.
I am ready to free my bedroom and closet. I want it to be a romantic space that I love going to every night.
This clutter has kept me stuck for years and now I want to travel. I am ready to downsize and let go of the last 30 years of stuff.
POWER NOTE: If you want to make this stronger turn your why into an I am statement.
Let me know where and why you are clutter clearing this year! Your Guide – Marla Dee
Creator of the Clear & SIMPLE Way to get free of clutter and get organized
At the beginning of a new year, the inner urge to finally get FREE of clutter and disorganization can hit hard. Yet it feels impossible and overwhelming. We don’t even know where to even start. Let me make this simpler for you.
I want to start with where “getting organized” began for me. 20 years ago I read a line that changed my life. It was from Karen Kingston‘s book Clear Your Clutter with Feng Shui. She said, “Imagine how it would it feel like to be surrounded only by the things that you use and that you love”? When I read this, I was struck with lightening. I wanted to know what this would feel like. But I didn’t know where to start. So, I decided to just do a drawer, which led to a closet, then my kitchen and within a year my life was radically different.I got hooked. It was so freeing. This led to my business being born because I wanted so much to share this feeling of freedom with others.
So let me ask you….WHERE? If you could start anywhere with your organizing, where would it be? If you could do one area, one layer or one project this year what would it be. I want you to be clear on this. Is it your bedroom, your kitchen, your paper? Maybe it’s your calendar? By knowing where you want to start, everything gets easier because you can let go of the others. Honestly if you get one project done each year, that is good enough.
Then I want to ask you… WHY? Why do you want to start with this area? What is the meaning for you? This whole month we will be exploring your why. Why do you want to get free of the clutter in this area? Why do you want to get organized in this space? When you are clear on the personal meaning you will be motivated to make the change.
And now, at the beginning of 2019, I can honestly say that I know what it feels like to be surrounded only by the things that I use and love. I am deeply grateful to be living in a quiet country town surrounded by nature and open space. I joyfully get to fill my days only what I most want to do. I want to be a messenger of hope. I want to help you get free of the clutter or chaos that is keeping you stuck. I would love to have you share your where and why with me. This will help me support you throughout this month and this year.
Please know that I am here for you. Let me know if you want to talk or if you want help in any way. I want to be your guide and witness your success.
The season of warm company and home cooked meals is here! No matter how much comfort the holidays bring, they are often accompanied with a moderate load of stress, especially if you’re hosting a gathering for all your family and friends. Although your list may seem daunting, take a deep breath and use this preparation guide to leave the stress behind!
Eliminate Clutter
Regardless of the size of your home, you’ll want to start with clearing the space to plan for the increase in foot traffic – especially if you live in a small apartment. Walk through each room that your guests will be spending the most time in and rid it of accumulated clutter. It’s easy for guests to feel crowded and uncomfortable with a lot of people in one space, opening up space will not only put your guests at ease but also make a much safer space.
In each room, have three bags or baskets on hand. Place any clutter into one of the following piles, “Move Elsewhere”, “Donate”, or “Throw Out”. Everything stored elsewhere should be in a location that your guests don’t have access to, such as the garage or a storage room. If you’re in a crunch, use a service that will sort and pick up your clutter for you. We highly recommend 1-800-Got-Junk.
For those that have no idea where to start, hiring a professional organizer to ease your stress might be worth it. Lucky you, we can help!
Rearrange Furniture
Exposed chords or wires are a disaster waiting to happen. Either rearrange the furniture or temporarily cover them with a rug or duct tape. Move any coffee tables or centerpiece furniture away from the couches so guests have an easier time getting to a seat.
Clean the Place
Once the clutter is cleared and the furniture is in its place, the process of cleaning will be much easier! Similar to decluttering, start in the rooms where your guests will be. This way, if you run out of time, the extra rooms that weren’t able to be cleaned aren’t such a big deal.
Begin with dusting and surfaces in all of the main areas of the house, such as the kitchen and the living room. Vacuum or mop the floors, depending on your flooring style. The day before your guests arrive, make sure to give the house a second sweep. Clean the bathroom toilets and mirrors the day before so everything is fresh and shiny!
Add a Taste of the Holidays
After the place is tidy, add a few tasteful decorations in each room. You don’t need an abundance of fancy decorations to impress your company. Your guests understand that you aren’t the Hilton.
Hang a simple wreath to your front door and welcome your guests with a small chalkboard sign in the walkway. Drape holiday-themed tablecloths over your tables and add a small DIY centerpiece. Really get your guests in the holiday spirit with a few holiday scented candles or air fresheners.
The day of the party should be dedicated to cooking and greeting guests. After all, the beauty behind the holiday season is the time spent with the people you love most. If you find yourself stressed, don’t be afraid to ask for a helping hand.
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