Make organising a thing of the past

~ Megan

From someone who advocates simplicity and a minimalist lifestyle, it may sound strange that I would write a post encouraging others to stop organising! Here me out!:)

There has been a lot of hype and money spent surrounding organisation of the home. From storage bins to complicated organisation systems, another new product that promises to put an end to the chaos. And yet here we are, still frustrated and shuffling around the never ending clutter.

What if the solution does not lie in more systems, more products and empty promises? What if the answer is as simple as to get rid of the excess and stop the organising once and for all?

It is that Simple.

Forget trying to figure out where to put this or that item and ask yourself if you could live without it? Chances are the item has no home because it doesn’t have a specific purpose or place and just ends up floating around the house looking for a resting place. Let it go…

Organising-a thing of the past

Lets make organising a thing of the past.

I’m not saying that you should never organise your stuff again and the truth is I actually enjoy organising. Just not when things are out of control and overwhelming. Organising should be as simple as putting like with like and in a place that makes sense for you.

For example; I have a number of coats and jackets that tend to get spread out throughout the house. One draped over a chair at the table, another on my clothing rack in my room others in my closet and a few more in our shared closet. I had also considered storing some in vacuum bags for storage.

Because they were spread out I had forgotten how many coats I actually owned. Since I had accumulated more than I actually need/wear, they didn’t all have a home. When I finally decided to put them all away, they didn’t fit in my closet without pushing out my essential clothing. Finally by cutting down my coats and jackets to the few favourites that I wore regularly I no longer needed to try and organise them and try to make it work. The organising and struggle was over. Those 3 coats go straight back in the closet with no fuss.

This can be said for all other categories of items around our home. Think of how much time and thought we put into trying to make our stuff fit and work in our spaces. There is no need to keep going through the cycle of organising. Instead, reduce, reduce, reduce.

Once you have whittled your items down to few, it is pure joy to organise.

Join me in my goal of the new year to make organising a thing of the past.

Until next time…

Define what matters-declutter what doesn’t

~ Megan

There’s nothing like a major life change or crisis situation to really put things into perspective. At this time of lock-down and a world full of uncertainty, it may be the perfect time to take stock of our home and lifestyle and ask ourselves what is really important, essential and supportive of what truly matters to us.

For each person the answer will be varied. However once we have established what truly matters to us personally, we can then look at what ‘stuff’ we actually need to support those things. E.g, if eating healthy is a top priority then what do I need in order to make that happen? If spending quality time with family is my goal, then what items or activities support that?

Write a list

Some years ago as a sort of New Years Resolution I made a list of what I wanted to focus on for that year. I wrote down about 7 things. On that list were things like, read my bible and pray more, make more healthy meals, write. When I looked at my list, I realised that in order to have the time to invest on my priorities, I needed to cut out those things that were time-wasters and distractions. The first thing to go was T.V. and pointless surfing of the net. That not only freed up time but also mental clutter. I felt more focused.

Define what matters-declutter what doesn’t

During this time of lock-down I am really working on organising and refining our home. Especially as we have a baby on the way! My goal is to remove those things that don’t support my goals and priorities and to make my home more manageable when baby arrives.

The positive thing about this time is that we are most likely much more aware of what’s essential to our daily lives. Here are some tips to evaluate and declutter while on lockdown.

1. As you go through your day take note of what you are using. E.g as you make meals from scratch think about the utensils and appliances you regularly use and those you don’t. Same with other daily routines, which beauty products do you use while getting ready, which clothes do you reach for when looking in your closet? Get rid of all those you don’t need.

2. Make money from un-used items. As you look around your home, are there items of value that you don’t need or use that others would happily buy right now? Recently we sold some ‘stagnant’ items such as a wii fit game, musical keyboard, kids sewing machine. They were like new but not being used so this was a great time to put them into the hands of someone who would use and enjoy them right now.

3. Get rid of duplicates. You may use towels on a daily basis but do you need a multitude sitting in your linen cupboard taking up space? Same with mugs/cups and the like. How many do we realistically need of each item? This may be hard if you like to know that you have backup and don’t like to waste, but think of items being used now instead of later. I also like to remind myself that it is kind of greedy to hoard items when someone else may actually need them NOW.

4. Use up items you have naturally. You may not be able to drop off items at donation centers or you may have items that aren’t ideal to donate that you could be using up naturally. Eating through items that have been sitting at the back of the pantry for awhile and finding recipes to use up the ingredients you have is a good way to declutter and save money! Maybe you have a stash of fabric that you could turn into projects or old clothes that could be cut up to make into cleaning rags. I’m going to put some of my writing paper to good use during this more quiet time. This waste not strategy will help declutter your home in a natural way.

5. Spring clean-even if it isn’t Spring where you are:) There is something about completely cleaning out a cupboard or sweeping out the cobwebs that makes us want to clear out clutter. Once you have washed and cleaned an area or room you could take the opportunity to only put back the items you truly need or love. Give away or sell the remaining. Remember that simplifying the home also means less to clean in the long run!

Declutter like you’re moving

declutter like you're moving
~ Megan

As I stood in my kitchen looking around at all the clutter littering my bench top, I felt fed up and frustrated. How did my house get so out of hand? After all, it was almost a decade ago that I had started on my minimalist journey. Yet here I was going from room to room cramming stuff in every drawer and cupboard, trying to keep my house in simple order.

It was clear, I needed a new strategy, a more drastic approach!

Declutter like you’re moving!

I decided I needed to declutter like I was moving. More like, our whole family was moving! We have lived in our current home for over 8 years now but we have definitely toyed with the idea of moving out of our city many a time. This was an opportunity to declutter as though we were moving.

Filled with a new found enthusiasm I began to assess my items in a new light, asking the questions;

  • When was the last time I used this?
  • Would I want to pack and unpack this if I were moving? -Or would I want to pay movers to pack this for me?
  • Does this item add value to my life now?
  • Could someone else find this item more useful than I do?
  • Do I want this item to take up space in my new home? (If not then why do i let it take up space now?).
  • If I had a limited number of boxes to fill per room, would this item make the cut?
  • Would I miss this if it were to get lost while moving?
  • Is it worth my time handling this item again?

I use this method one room at a time and imagine I am packing up that room as I handle each item. I decide then and there if I want to keep, donate or sell. To make this decluttering experience seem more real then you could actually pack up your stuff and only take out what you need. This is what ‘the minimalists’ call a packing party. You can read about it here:

https://www.theminimalists.com/packing/

Personally the packing party method is just too much time and effort for me, (plus my hubby may become a little concerned;) But it may be something for you to consider if you need that extra push.

Find inspiration for your new space

Visualising my new uncluttered home and imagining going through the tortuous moving process really helps me to remove all of the unnecessary stuff cluttering up my home. It helps put things into perspective of what I really need and love. There are no more maybes with this approach.

For added inspiration and motivation I save some pinterest pics of minimalist interiors of what I prefer my home to be.

This is a great opportunity to remove all of those pesky little items like excess jars, paper napkins, shampoo samples, broken pens as well as duplicates.

Once I have decluttered all of the small stuff, I then evaluate the large items, particularly furniture and storage. In our last move I had decluttered a very large timber bookshelf and found that I actually did not need this shelf any more so I sold it. It was great not having to haul this large item to the next house. Downsizing furniture you no longer need instantly creates a more open space.

The great outcome of all of this is that once you have gone through your home decluttering like youre moving, you will be left with a new home!

Let me know if you have tried this approach and how it went for you. Until next time.:)

Housekeeping, the Old fashioned way

Old fashioned housekeeping
~ Megan

Today, I am taking out a leaf of an old-fashioned book that I have, titled ‘A Book for Every Woman’ from 1926! It has numerous ideas and tips for home-making that I feel like sharing with you all! In my blog, I have revised some paragraphs from the book’s chapter titled ‘Do you make work for yourself?’ I hope you enjoy reading the blog!

If you feel that you are overworked, look around your house and see how you can make things easier for yourself. Easier – without sacrificing the essentials of a wholesome living, namely, cleanliness and nutritious food.

Too much clutter

Maybe you do a lot of unnecessary work every day as your house is over-furnished. Is the mantel of your house loaded with ornaments? Is the top of the bureau filled with fripperies? Are the walls overloaded with pictures? Putting away some of these things can help! Now, notice how much more restful and neat your home looks and how much work this saves.

One morning, I suddenly woke up to the fact that I was doing a lot of unnecessary work. I can never forget the length of time it used to take me to dust and clean my bedroom. I always used to go to my writing desk first of all. It looked like a fancy table at some fair, I would rub my eyes in astonishment and would feel pity about the things that my little duster always passed over, but they were never used.

Order restored!

My room offered a great deal of elegance and cleanliness without those things. What mattered for me was that the things I want or use regularly are right in front of my eyes.  They could not show up when they were closely elbowed by the things I did not care about. I sorted out my stuff and it helped me in creating an atmosphere of accessibility and cleanliness in my room that I never had. I was proud of myself when I calculated the lesser time it would take me to set it to rights in the mornings.

Kitchen and Dining de-clutter

Then I diverted my attention to the sitting-room and the dining room and even the kitchen came in for its share of this weeding out process. I found out that one cupboard was full of utensils, both household and kitchen, that we never used. They were either too big or too small, which made them unserviceable. For example, there was an ice-chest that was too big for our family and then a preserving kettle that was not satisfactory in the functioning and many other utensils. The things were all good in themselves so I had kept them. I decided to sell the contents of this cupboard. This greatly helped me in managing the mess!

In short, this cleaning process ensured that I pay attention to everything, regardless of its size. The things I was saving with a view of being possible for use someday, weren’t used till date. I asked myself what will be useful in the near future. It turned out that no matter if you will be using these utensils in the future or not, this cleaning process will help you in managing your mess and time.

So you see, the woman of the past were decluttering their homes long before we were!

Simplify your home in the New Year

simplify your home
~ Megan

As the new year approaches, I have been pondering some of the changes that we as a family have gone through in 2019 and what my personal plans and goals will be for 2020. One of those goals will be to create a new home in the new year. A much more organized, paired down home. A simple home.

My minimalist journey began 9yrs ago however life changes and things accumulate, then before you know it your home is not so simple anymore. Maybe you feel the same way? If so, it’s time to hit the reset button and simplify your home in the New Year.

Re-evaluate where you are at and where you want to be

Wherever you are at in your simplifying journey, whether contemplating living more simply or an experienced declutterer?! It is always good to re-evaluate where you are at and where you want to be. For me, as a stay at home mum, home is the center of my world. It’s the hub for most other things in my life, where I homeschool, work on my buisness, eat my meals and of course sleep!

I know that when my home is in order I am less stressed, more energized, more productive.

Simplifying the home is life-changing

Whether you work outside of the home or work from home, home will affect how you function on a day to day basis. That is why it is life-changing when we simplify, organize and prioritize our home and schedule. It will have a ripple effect in whatever else we are doing. I know that when my home is in order I am less stressed, more energized, more productive. A better wife and mother! Just happier overall.

So if you have been feeling the desire to simplify the home, the New Year is the perfect time to start or to re-set. Start off small, one drawer, one bag, one shelf. Let’s get started!

3 ways to help you simplify your home in the New Year

  • 1.Choose a word, verse or phrase to help keep you motivated

It’s a good idea to have a simple word, verse or phrase to remind you of your goals in regards to simplifying. This could be a family motto or a personal one. Something that reflects what you would like your home to feel like such as ‘clean & minimal’ or ‘serene’. Or “I want my home to be ordered with everything having a place.” A relative of mine wanted her home to be “guest ready”. As per my blog, I’ve chosen the words calm and orderly for the year and I am aiming for more organized and less effort maintaining.

What is it that you wish your home would be but isn’t due to clutter?

What is it that you wish your home would be but isn’t due to clutter? Adding a picture of how you would like it to look is also helpful if you are more visual. The point is not to have a show home but a home that serves you and your family. It helps when you get stuck on an item to ask “does this item fit with my ideal home”? You can then refer back to your picutre or motto.

  • 2. Decide where to start and focus only on that first

Deciding to get your whole house in order can be overwhelming, even if you have been decluttering for some time. The best way is to chose one spot to focus on only and stick with that until it’s done. As above, just start off with one drawer, one bag or one shelf. If you are feeling braver or have less stuff to purge then you could start off with a room. The Kon mari method works on categories, books, clothing etc. Do what appeals to you.

Sell, donate, trash

 Once that is done you will likely have momentum to go to the next spot. The 3 box method seems to work well. Sell, donate, trash or something similar. Putting items in these marked boxes as you go means you will clearly know where everything is going. Some people find selling stuff and making some extra money is a great motivator and others love to give away items. Do what works best for you and don’t keep that stuff hanging around! Remember your goal.

  • 3. Celebrate your new home as you go

You won’t have a new home overnight but you can celebrate and enjoy your progress as you go along. So if you have simplified your living or dining room and your goal has been to entertain more this year, then start inviting people over now. Don’t wait until your whole house is done. If you have worked with your children to downsize the toys then reward them and yourself with a fun outing or family activity. This will reinforce the value of living with less stuff.

Once you start you will gain momentum and your New home will begin to shine through from all that clutter.  

HAPPY NEW YEAR!

Need more help to get started? Check out this great post from ‘Apartment Therapy’

https://www.apartmenttherapy.com/11-things-you-should-declutter-and-donate-after-christmas-238807