Monday, December 31, 2012
Happy New Year!
I wish you all a very Happy New Year! Hope that you find time in the new year to make your home more calming, cozy and beautiful.
Sunday, October 21, 2012
One man's trash is another man's treasure
So you embarked on the big organizing project and have sorted out a pile of things you no longer need. Now the question is what to do with all that stuff?
There are lot of options these days, as more and more companies and individuals are thinking innovatively of ways to use, reuse things and materials that we no longer want and need.
For those of you looking to make a few bucks from your old stuff, there are couple of options. If you live in a house, you can always organize a garage sale in spring or fall and take out just about anything and everything that you can think of, and put up for sale. If this is not an option, there are some sites that can be used for this purpose, to sell your unwanted items; few that come to mind: Craig's List, Kijiji, eBay etc.
Next option are various charitable organizations. It has become a trend amongst the charitable organizations to collect specific items, like furniture or clothes so this is something worth checking out. If you have a favourite charity, research to see if there is anything they collect or need that you can donate. If you are not particular which charity you can support, search for the specific items that you are donating and find one that is looking for those items and is doing something interesting with them. I remember one year I had this large collection of pencils and erasers, so I looked specifically for who would need that, maybe some local school or charity that supports schools etc. A little time spending researching these options certainly proves to be worthwhile.
Also, there are lot of drop off centers and boxes for variety of things where you can just deposit your stuff. It could be a local store that collects your old electronics or a deposit box for old clothes and kitchen items.
There are lot of options these days, as more and more companies and individuals are thinking innovatively of ways to use, reuse things and materials that we no longer want and need.
For those of you looking to make a few bucks from your old stuff, there are couple of options. If you live in a house, you can always organize a garage sale in spring or fall and take out just about anything and everything that you can think of, and put up for sale. If this is not an option, there are some sites that can be used for this purpose, to sell your unwanted items; few that come to mind: Craig's List, Kijiji, eBay etc.
Next option are various charitable organizations. It has become a trend amongst the charitable organizations to collect specific items, like furniture or clothes so this is something worth checking out. If you have a favourite charity, research to see if there is anything they collect or need that you can donate. If you are not particular which charity you can support, search for the specific items that you are donating and find one that is looking for those items and is doing something interesting with them. I remember one year I had this large collection of pencils and erasers, so I looked specifically for who would need that, maybe some local school or charity that supports schools etc. A little time spending researching these options certainly proves to be worthwhile.
Also, there are lot of drop off centers and boxes for variety of things where you can just deposit your stuff. It could be a local store that collects your old electronics or a deposit box for old clothes and kitchen items.
Saturday, October 20, 2012
Hide and then throw out
Some of us have no problem throwing things out, and decluttering usually does not represent an issue - we just need some time and we'll throw out things no problem.
For majority of people however, throwing out their possessions is a difficult proposition. We get attached to our things and clothes for variety of reasons. For travelers collecting artifacts from their travels, some things are reminders of their trips and they don't want to let go. For others it's a sentimental value attached to our possessions based on who gave it to us, or where it came from or what the occasion was etc.
Organizers are no different. By no means do we encourage you to simply get a garbage bag and just empty out your cluttered home in one afternoon. What we do recommend is a little more logical approach to it, one that detaches you from all the emotions that you have for your things.
One suggestion is putting things away in a box for couple of years. You let the time go by and then you rethink and ask yourself a question: "I didn't touch or even look at this box for 2 years now, will I ever need or want to look at it again?" And there is no guarantee that you will still be ready to let go, but most people are ... And memories are great, I am certainly not asking anyone to let go of their memories - just decide really which of the memories are worth keeping (in physical sense as you will always have your memories regardless if you have things that remind you of them or not).
Basements and storage lockers are great for this exercise. My storage locker is now half of its original size and I know there is more that still sits there that I no longer need or haven't used in years. I am now thinking of ways to either put some of these things in use or find them a better home somehow. When I first moved into my condo, I used to keep everything for the "day when I buy a house" ... but 6 years later, I am thinking that buying a house is probably not ever going to happen, so that no longer presents an excuse for keeping all this stuff. But it took me close to 6 years to really come to this conclusion and think logically rather than emotionally about this locker full of things that I really don't use. Another thing I did was to move things that I thought I couldn't throw out into my condo - because if I can't throw them out might as well use them, right? So now, when they are in plain sight, I can much easily decide, do I really need or use this, ever, or I can let go - with no regrets :)
For majority of people however, throwing out their possessions is a difficult proposition. We get attached to our things and clothes for variety of reasons. For travelers collecting artifacts from their travels, some things are reminders of their trips and they don't want to let go. For others it's a sentimental value attached to our possessions based on who gave it to us, or where it came from or what the occasion was etc.
Organizers are no different. By no means do we encourage you to simply get a garbage bag and just empty out your cluttered home in one afternoon. What we do recommend is a little more logical approach to it, one that detaches you from all the emotions that you have for your things.
One suggestion is putting things away in a box for couple of years. You let the time go by and then you rethink and ask yourself a question: "I didn't touch or even look at this box for 2 years now, will I ever need or want to look at it again?" And there is no guarantee that you will still be ready to let go, but most people are ... And memories are great, I am certainly not asking anyone to let go of their memories - just decide really which of the memories are worth keeping (in physical sense as you will always have your memories regardless if you have things that remind you of them or not).
Basements and storage lockers are great for this exercise. My storage locker is now half of its original size and I know there is more that still sits there that I no longer need or haven't used in years. I am now thinking of ways to either put some of these things in use or find them a better home somehow. When I first moved into my condo, I used to keep everything for the "day when I buy a house" ... but 6 years later, I am thinking that buying a house is probably not ever going to happen, so that no longer presents an excuse for keeping all this stuff. But it took me close to 6 years to really come to this conclusion and think logically rather than emotionally about this locker full of things that I really don't use. Another thing I did was to move things that I thought I couldn't throw out into my condo - because if I can't throw them out might as well use them, right? So now, when they are in plain sight, I can much easily decide, do I really need or use this, ever, or I can let go - with no regrets :)
Monday, October 8, 2012
Going digital
More and more we are surrounded by things "going digital" these days. It's good for the environment and it's great for keeping our lives and things orderly and clutter free.
Even those of us who resist all things digital, we are slowly, but surely relying on our computers to hold our information, to do our shopping, our banking, to view our pictures, store information etc. Even the strongest of opposers like my parents' baby boomer generation is including using technology to some extent to simplify their daily routines and lives in general.
As a computer science major, I of course embrace this digital revolution. I still love to buy a planner at the beginning of every year and write down my appointments and important dates. But, some things I prefer to rely on the computer to do for me. I love taking photos and sharing them with my friends and family. With SkyDrives I no longer have to travel with the USB stick to keep copying pictures, I just keep them "in the sky" and access them and share them any time I want. Same with documents that I need to have access to at any time anywhere, what a great concept. With SkyDrives now available on the smart phones, I can access my documents literally at any time and anywhere while on the go. Instead of printing files and carrying copies around, I can just view what I need from my phone when I need to. I have started to really appreciate these tools and the simplicity it represents. And not to mention the paper and trees we save along the way by using technology to our advantage.
Even those of us who resist all things digital, we are slowly, but surely relying on our computers to hold our information, to do our shopping, our banking, to view our pictures, store information etc. Even the strongest of opposers like my parents' baby boomer generation is including using technology to some extent to simplify their daily routines and lives in general.
As a computer science major, I of course embrace this digital revolution. I still love to buy a planner at the beginning of every year and write down my appointments and important dates. But, some things I prefer to rely on the computer to do for me. I love taking photos and sharing them with my friends and family. With SkyDrives I no longer have to travel with the USB stick to keep copying pictures, I just keep them "in the sky" and access them and share them any time I want. Same with documents that I need to have access to at any time anywhere, what a great concept. With SkyDrives now available on the smart phones, I can access my documents literally at any time and anywhere while on the go. Instead of printing files and carrying copies around, I can just view what I need from my phone when I need to. I have started to really appreciate these tools and the simplicity it represents. And not to mention the paper and trees we save along the way by using technology to our advantage.
Wednesday, May 23, 2012
Travel Light
Traveling light is key to ensuring your trip is clutter and stress free. Just like the clutter in our homes is very stressful, the same is true for the clutter in our travel bags. So stop for a moment and go through what you might do on your trip before you decide what you need to bring. With so many restrictions on baggage weight and what we can and cannot carry, the endless security lines at the airports - all of these can be made easier if we are only bringing essentials with us on our trips. After all, we are off on vacation, it's time to enjoy our time and relax and not stress over our luggage :)
Sunday, February 26, 2012
Organizing to a healthier you
Some things should be organized because it could be harmful for your health not to.
Here are some examples:
Medication: You should go through your medicine cabinet at minimum twice a year. Most medications, whether bought over the counter or not, do come with expiry dates. We all buy medications when we need them, and more often than not, we don't use the full dosage of the medication. That's why it's important to get rid of all the expired tablets and cremes lying around on regular basis.
Food supplies / fridge: Dry foods, cans and pastas and food in our fridge expires if we don't use it in a timely manner. Cooking with old food items can be harmful. Same rule of thumb, do a cleanup of your food storage and fridge at least couple of times per year. Look through those hard to reach places, what is still stashed in those and throw out anything that has reached and passed its expiry date.
Here are some examples:
Medication: You should go through your medicine cabinet at minimum twice a year. Most medications, whether bought over the counter or not, do come with expiry dates. We all buy medications when we need them, and more often than not, we don't use the full dosage of the medication. That's why it's important to get rid of all the expired tablets and cremes lying around on regular basis.
Food supplies / fridge: Dry foods, cans and pastas and food in our fridge expires if we don't use it in a timely manner. Cooking with old food items can be harmful. Same rule of thumb, do a cleanup of your food storage and fridge at least couple of times per year. Look through those hard to reach places, what is still stashed in those and throw out anything that has reached and passed its expiry date.
Thank You!
Thank you for your kind comments!
You have inspired me to continue to blog about organizing and home decor and share with you what I have learned and used in my own life when it comes to all things homey, organized and beautiful :)
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