Which Stuff is Important?

One way to answer this is to consider what you would take with you in an emergency. After a natural disaster or devastating loss of homes, we have all heard the voices repeat that all that matters is that the family was safe. But as we see images of them sifting through ruined belongings, we know their loss is great.


Things are important to us; however, we should be able to prioritize our things and make choices when spaces become cluttered.

I challenge you to look around and make a list of what you should absolutely grab if you only had 15 minutes to get your belongings out of the house (furniture would not be listed). Of course, you should already have the emergency box with important papers ready to go.


Some stuff is just stuff and living without it makes cleaning easier and accentuates the importance of the items that are left.

How Much Stuff is Clutter?

Those attending my presentations often want to know how much stuff they can have and when does it become clutter.  And my politically correct answer is always, “That depends”. In fact it depends on lots of variables such as:   how much space do you have, are you happy with the way it looks, can you use what you have efficiently, can you move around safely in your spaces, can you find anything in one minute? 

It is obvious that someone with a 3000 sq. ft. house can have more stuff than someone living in a 1000 sq. ft. But all of us want to make the space that we have attractive,  functional and safe.

I suggest you take pictures of all of your spaces as they are now. You will be very surprised at what you see. We often cannot look at our things objectively because they have become common place or normal to us. Clutter can be disguised that way.  Pictures are a much more objective way to see things as they really appear.

Print the pictures if you can so you can spend time evaluating them. Then circle the areas in the prints that do not look good to you and make a plan to change them. You will be surprised at the feeling of accomplishment and satisfaction you will have when it is done.

Organizing Thanksgiving Week

Here are two good tips to keep Thanksgiving Week an orderly and peaceful event.
1) Use a detailed schedule to plan the activities for the week. Work backwards from the time of the big event (Thanksgiving Dinner is usually it)and schedule the activities in minutes and hours. Be flexible with the amount of time you allow for meal preparation, decorations, clean up, etc. You should do as much ahead of the big day as possible.

2) Do not leave home for Black Friday sales unless you are prepared. Use whatever media you have to decide where you should go, when you should get there and what you will buy. Make a list and stick to it. Being surrounded by great deals on so many items will tempt you to buy items you really don’t need but hate to pass up. This can be a great budget buster as well as a clutter creator. Retailers are counting on getting you in with the super sale only to have you lured into buying the other wonderful items not on your list.

Consider staying home for a peaceful end to the week and shop online if you must make purchases. Many outlets have the same sales online with free shipping this time of the year. With no parking problems, traffic jams or lines at checkout, you can have even more to be thankful for this week.

Declutter for Your Health and Safety

We all can recognize that crowded hallways and other traffic lanes in a home can be hazardous.  Keeping those pathways clear prevents falls and allows us a way to exit in case of emergencies.  It is important to keep clutter from forming in these areas for safety reasons.

Another health hazard concerns the way mold and mildew can form under and around clutter. When bags of items are left on the floor for extended periods, moisture can build and create the conditions for those to appear and grow.  Make a point of putting items away as soon as possible so you don't forget and leave them where they will be neglected and become an eventual health problem.

It is not only important to keep pathways in the home clear for safety reasons, but putting items where they belong can promote a healthier environment.

Organizing After Halloween

Are you wondering what to do with all the Halloween stuff?  The candy is easy.  Send what no one likes off to work, put the chocolates in the refrigerator and place the remaining in a bowl to be available for anyone wanting to take one.  This can be at home or work.

The remaining items are not so easy.  To eliminate clutter, see if any of the costume pieces and decorations can be recycled for the remaining fall decor.  If not, save only those things that will be in great shape next year.  Place those in a labeled container and store out of site.  A garage shelf, attic or basement area is the best place. 

The best organizing recommendation is to avoid owning too many decorative things that can become clutter.  Avoid purchasing items that cannot be transformed into a suitable use throughout many seasons.  Recycling is good for the environment, the pocketbook and effective organizing.

Where Do You Start?

If you are overwhelmed at disorganization around you, the best advice is to start in a small area first.  It may be a kitchen drawer or one shelf in a bookcase, but making it organized  will give you a sense of accomplishment and the motivation to move on to other areas.

Another approach may be to tackle the area that irritates you most.  If it is stack of papers on the kitchen counter, getting those sorted and off that surface will give you added counter space as well as peace of mind.

Regardless of the approach, doing something will start you on your way.

Picture Perfect Places

Have you ever thought, where do I begin to organize this room? If so, you might want to consider taking pictures of that space.

Using your camera, take shots from several views so that none of the details in the room are missed. Depending on the type of camera you use, print the pictures so you can study the elements in the room. I think you will be amazed at the items you see on paper.

Many of the things in the room that you hardly noticed before will now appear to have more significance. This is because we get so used to seeing some things that they become like background wallpaper. We hardly notice them.

This is particularly true of clutter or extra "stuff" that takes away from the attractiveness of the space. The picture reveals this in a way our eyes will miss or take for granted.

To organize the space, begin removing those clutter items. Pay close attention to things that are on the floor, the items stacked on tables or other surfaces, and the amount of space around the furnishings. To create a room that appears organized and spacious, you may need to rearrange some of the furniture or eliminate a few pieces.

After your initial organizing session, take more pictures from the same views and compare the before and after shots. You may be pleasantly surprised. If not, keep trying until the room is picture perfect. And let me know if I can help you with it.