Conquering Clutter Archives - Page 2 of 3

How to Store, Display, and Enjoy Your Kids’ Art

Note: This post contains affiliate links. Read my policy here.

Is your home slowly transforming into a kiddie art museum?

I know mine is.

My son’s day care teachers entertain him with a steady stream of cute, Pinterest-worthy art projects. He happily brings home crayon scribbles, clay molds, flung-paint abstract art, glitter-covered drawings (aah!), and animal drawings built around his footprint . . . which answers the question of why his heel was ever-so-slightly-tinted blue recently.

If your kids are anything like mine, they mass produce kiddie art. They draw pictures at home, finger paint at school, create mosaics in art class . . . you name it. You want your kids to get creative and make art. But what do you do with the thousands of masterpieces your little artists crank out day after day?

Here are some fantastic ways to display, consolidate, store, organize, and enjoy your kids’ artistic creations. [Read more…]

How to Keep Your Paper & Digital Documents Secure

One thing that’s certain in life is its innate uncertainty. Everyday living can surprise you unpleasantly with burst pipes, health problems, financial upset, tax audits, and more.

But there are things you can do now that will protect your family and your financial interests against future unknowns. In particular, you can take steps to ensure that your most important records and documents are simultaneously preserved and accessible — to you and to anyone to whom you want to grant permission.

So we’re looking today at ways you can keep your precious papers safe and your digital documents secure. [Read more…]

Here’s How to Hack Your Way to an Organized Refrigerator

This post is part 3 in the series How to Organize It.

Note: This post contains affiliate links. Read my policy here.

Ahh, the fridge. That chilly black hole where perfectly good food vanishes until the stink leads you to it. Or where you mutter curses under your breath as you pull everything out in order to find that one thing you need.

As little more than a giant box with lots of oddly shaped foods, the refrigerator can be an organizing nightmare. Too often, you wind up with wasted food and even double purchases after you lose an item in the recesses of the fridge.

But getting your fridge organized — and keeping it organized — is surprisingly simple. With a few fundamental principles and the right tools, you can take your refrigerator from maddening to organized in a snap. [Read more…]

How to Organize Your Bathroom Cleaning Supplies

This post is part 4 in the series How to Organize It.

Note: This post contains affiliate links. Read my policy here.

I don’t know anyone who likes cleaning the bathroom.

You’re spraying, scrubbing, scouring, bending, and jumping . . . if you struggle to reach the top of the mirror like me. And then, before you know it, it’s time to do it all over again.

But there are ways you can make the process quicker, easier, and less stressful. Organizing your bathroom cleaning supplies is one of the best ways to increase your efficiency, move easily from bathroom to bathroom, and know that you have everything you need in one handy spot.

Plus — bonus! — it makes it that much easier for your husband or kid to clean the bathroom without asking you where every little thing is.

So here we go! Today I’m sharing my best tips for organizing your bathroom cleaning supplies and making this necessary chore a smoother project.

[Read more…]

How Micro-Actions Can Help You Conquer Your Goals

If you’re like most people, you’re probably a bit disappointed and frustrated right about now.

It’s a few months into the new year, and you’re already losing traction on at least one of your new year’s resolutions. You’re not where you hoped you’d be, or you’ve thrown in the towel already.

The problem for many of us is that we set ambitious goals that are nearly impossible to achieve. Think about it:

Are you a fast food junkie who’s now trying to eat 100% healthy foods?
Are you a compulsive spender who’s now trying to stick to a barebones budget?
Are you a clutter magnet who’s now trying to maintain a Martha Stewart home?

And once you mess up just one time, it’s tempting to get sucked into self-doubt that leads to even more mistakes.

But you can break this ugly new year’s resolutions pattern.

You can make big changes in your life. In fact, you can do it without any of the stress and self-flagellation. The trick is to realize that it’s rare that people successfully make those big changes overnight.

That’s where the magic of micro-actions comes in. [Read more…]

How Parkinson’s Law Will Make You Insanely Organized

This post is part 1 in the series Embracing Parkinson's Law.

This week, we’re wrapping up our series on improving your everyday life with Parkinson’s Law!

So far, we’ve looked at this important idea in its original format: “Work expands so as to fill the time available for its completion.”

And we’ve looked at a twist in relation to your money: “Your lifestyle expenses increase so as to use up the income available.”

Today, we’ll tackle one more twist on Parkinson’s Law as it relates to getting organized: “Your stuff expands so as to use up the space available.”

Yeah, this one is so true!

When I moved out of my tiny graduate school apartment, I loaded up all of my belongings into my little sedan. Seven years later, it was a whole different story! When my husband and I moved from our townhouse rental into our current home, it took a medium-sized U-Haul and a truck with movers to wrangle the big stuff.

Our stuff had expanded.

So how can you keep your belongings from multiplying like Tribbles? Growing into piles, seeping into tidy areas, and taking over your home? [Read more…]

Reclaim Your Space & Ditch Those Crazy Christmas Gifts

It’s been a few weeks since Christmas has passed.

One by one, your neighbors have taken down their lights and chucked their trees to their curb. Inside your home, the shiny glow of the holiday season has worn off, and you’re looking at your pile of presents with sober eyes.

You’ve tried on new clothes, flipped through new books, tinkered with new gadgets, and played with new toys. And — in the midst of enjoying your Christmas haul — you’ve found a few duds. Gifts that just aren’t you or don’t fit in with your life.

It’s not that you don’t love the people who gave you those gifts or the thought they’ve put into them. Maybe your friends missed the mark with your tastes, or the gifts would have been perfect for you at a different time in your life.

It’s hard to think about getting rid of any gift. Besides, isn’t that horribly rude?

No.

You’re not throwing the gift back at the giftee or telling her that it’s not what you want. You’ve offered that person a heartfelt “Thank you!” for generously giving you something that she thought you’d love. Now that gift is 100% yours, and you’ve got the freedom to manage your worldly goods how you see fit.

Need more convincing? [Read more…]

My Obsession with Storage Bins (and Why You’ll Love Them Too)

Photo courtesy of Home Depot

Note: This post contains affiliate links. Read my policy here.

Some women obsess over shoes. I love storage bins.

I don’t know how many we have, but we’ve got those suckers everywhere. They’re in the basement, the garage, the play area, and our closets.

They’re a beautiful thing, but bins can provide only the illusion of organization if you’re not careful. After all, you accomplish nothing if you lob piles of garbage into bins, slap the lids on, and hide them away until you have your own personal landfill. Used as an organizing tool instead of a dumping ground, however, sturdy bins give you clean-looking, element-proof storage of the items that matter to you. [Read more…]

You HAVE to Do It . . . or Do You?

There’s just so much stuff you HAVE to do in life. You have to go to work. You have to make dinner and clean yours house. You absolutely have to do your taxes each year.

But do you really?

Are you a victim of a massive list of must-do items . . . or are you unconsciously choosing to do those things? Your to-do list may actually be a reflection of your priorities and goals. If you look at each item on your list as something moving you one step closer to your goals — financial health, family relationships, a welcoming home, pursuit of your career dreams — you’re no longer a slave to your list.

You’re the master.

But what if your must-do list is out-of-whack with your goals? Then it’s time to consider some alternatives! Realign your life with your priorities. What’s right for someone else may be totally wrong for you. Reserve judgment, and ask yourself whether these common have-to tasks are activities you want to do or activities you’re prepared to change. [Read more…]

Reviewing an Organizing Bestseller: The Life-Changing Magic of Tidying Up (Part 2)

This post is part 2 in the series The Life-Changing Magic of Tidying Up.

Note: This post contains affiliate links. Read my policy here.

Just recently, I shared some of the highlights of Marie Kondo’s acclaimed organizing book, The Life-Changing Magic of Tidying Up: The Japanese Art of Decluttering and Organizing. Today, let’s look into some of the wacky ideas and organization no-no’s that Marie is pitching as the way to go. [Read more…]