De-clutter ahead for the Holidays
Fall is the busiest time of year for Beyond Clutter. This year, I am not only in my prime workshop season, I’ve been converting all my written books to Kindle books and I recently just finished revising my newest Kindle Book “De-Clutter, De-Stress the Holiday Season”. I’m sure you’re thinking “But it’s not even Halloween yet!”
This is true. I don’t agree with the commercialized holiday Christmas has evolved into the past decade or so. However, when it comes to De-cluttering and getting organized, there is never a time that’s too early. START NOW! As Albert Einstein once said,
“The significant problems we face cannot be solved on the same level of thinking that created them.”
This means that in order for us to begin the process, we must have a different attitude and change our thinking. Procrastination is a huge part of disorganization and leading a cluttered, stress-filled life. Taking baby steps is key when starting this process. If the sock drawer is the first place you have to start with… DO IT! Even the smallest action will make a large difference.
As you start to think about the holiday season, remember that the more prepared you are, the better you’ll feel and the more time you will get to enjoy with loved ones. Being de-cluttered is not just an action; It’s a way of life. Start living yours today!
Have a wonderful de-cluttered day!
Helen
Organize Your Clothes
Here’s a quick way to put the clothes in your clothes closet in order.
1. Organize your clothing items into these four broad categories:
Top Half of the Body;
Bottom Half of the Body;
Whole Body; and
Special Occasion Items.
2. Have a lot of clothing? Organize items in each category by type:
Top Half of the Body – sweaters, sweatshirt, blazers, blouses, shirts
Bottom half of the body – slacks, jeans, shorts, skirts
Whole Body – Dresses, robes and suits
3. Have a lot of items in one or two types?
If top of the body, organize by sleeve length (long, elbow, short, sleeve-less).
If bottom of the body, organize by length (long, knee, short).
4. Need yet more organization because you have lots of items in one type?
Organize by color, light to dark.
For more help, attend my Behind Clothes Doors seminar on October 20 in Albany, NY, or purchase my printed book or eBook at www.beyondclutter.com/books. While at my web site, sign up for my email newsletter to be alerted when my webinar will be available — some time this fall.
Happy De-Cluttering,
Helen
Behind Clothes Doors
Is your clothes closet a mess? Want a helping hand to guide you through the process of de-cluttering and organizing your clothes closet? My book, Behind Clothes Doors can be your companion. It’s a workbook which will help you:
Assess which items of clothing you wear most, least or not at all;
Get rid of clothing that is poor quality and inappropriate for your current lifestyle;
Create an organized wardrobe of well-fitting , comfortable, appropriate clothes, that you feel good wearing and look good on you, and
Create a personal “boutique” where you an mix and layer items in combination that celebrate your unique personal style.
For your own personal copy, printed or e-Book, go to www.beyondclutter.com/books While on my site, sign up for my email newsletter to be alerted when my webinar of the same name will be ready.
Happy De-cluttering!
Helen
De-Clutter Your Clothes Closet
How do you start the de-clutter process? Take these five steps, each as a separate complete project in itself. Don’t rush. You’ll toss some items, donate some items and/or move items to other planes in your house so your clothes closet has only the items of clothing you wear regularly. Play some upbeat peppy music!
1. Remove all non-clothing items. Over time we accumulate non-clothing items in our closet – skis, gifts we bought then forgot we had, golf clubs, cancelled checks or other papers we don’t know what to do with, etc. Toss them or put them where they belong.
2. Remove all outerwear items and accessories. Put them in your downstairs coat closet or, if no room, with #3.
3. Remove all off-season clothing and accessories. Designate a less-accessible space for them. They don’t belong in your closet until the appropriate season arrives.
4. Remove sentimental favorites – again, designate a less-accessible space for them. Don’t use your prime clothes closet to go down memory lane.
5. Remove any costume or theme outfits to store in a less -accessible space.
This is a great start in de-cluttering your clothes closet. You should have more space for the clothes you wear and space to organize them. Bravo!
There’s more to do. To purchase my book Behind Clothes Doors, go to www.beyondclutter.com/books. Sign up for my email newsletter to find out when my webinar will be held. it’s coming later this year!
De-Clutter Your Clothes Closet
Is de-cluttering your clothes closet worth the effort? YES! Here are a few benefits to having a de-cluttered clothes closet:
You’ll save time everyday by not looking through useless clothes for outfits you want to wear.
You’ll save money by avoiding costly repairs and unnecessary spending.
You’ll feel and be more in control of your time, money and energy.
You’ll look and feel fabulous.
You know you look good, so you’ll life your spirits and feel as if you can conquer the world.
The effort is worth it. In de-cluttering, you toss some items, donate some items and/or move some to other places in your house to make room in your clothes closet for the items you use regularly.
Need more help? Come to my October 20 Behind Clothes Doors workshop in Albany, NY or purchase my printed book or eBook at www.beyondclutter.com/books. Watch for my Behind Clothes Doors webinar coming soon! Sign up for my email newsletter for more details.
Organizing Your clothes closet
It’s that time of year in the great northeast when we change the contents of our clothes closets from summer to fall/winter. The great weather we’re having means reorganizing over time. I’ve put away the obvious items I wont be wearing the rest of the year, like white/beige sandals, shorts and capris and taken out darker colors of t-shirts and all of my long sleeved shirts which have been away since March. How are you doing with your transition? Need help? Save the date for my Behind Clothes Doors workshop on October 20 in Albany. Go to the calendar on my web site for more info!
De-Clutter or Organize Your Clothes Closet?
Are your clothes so jammed together that you don’t have space to organize them? That’s because de-cluttering comes before organizing our clothing. It’s hard to organize a clothes closet if we can’t even see the closet, right? De-cluttering comes first.
The 80/20 rule says we wear 20% of our wardrobe 80% of the time. That’s right! We wear our favorites over and over again, while 80% just takes up closet space. You can’t organize your clothes if you don’t have room. De-Cluttering provides the needed space. You toss some items, donate some and/or move some items to other places in your house.
Come to my October 20 Behind Clothes Doors workshop in Albany, NY or purchase the printed book or eBook to help you de-clutter then organize your clothes closet. www.beyondclutter.com/book
New Changes for Beyond Clutter
Today I was thinking about all of the new things that have been happening here at Beyond Clutter. I started with re-creating my website, making it less complicated and “cluttered”, if you will. I’ve also been working on my new books for Kindle so that my customers, fans and clients with Kindles or tablets can access my books on Kindle. The books are more simplified than my normal books because there are no worksheets, but they’re great for people who like to read on the go and don’t have time to do so otherwise. Additionally, I am offering a program at Eastwyck Village in East Greenbush, NY on Downsizing for Seniors on August 28th. Life is about simplification and organization. My business is part of my life, and by making changes to become even more organized, I am essentially making my life more organized. There is no better feeling of peace and relief after de-cluttering possessions, or even our lives!
August De-Cluttering
To me, August is a transition month. We’re preparing for back to school, and for cooler months when the “lazy days” of summer are over. It’s a great time to de-clutter, de-stress as part of that preparation. I’m practicing what I preach and am cleaning out my clothes closet (summer and fall) and purging some dishes. I don’t know why I’m in the mood to de-clutter right now, but “why” isn’t as important as doing the de-cluttering. Living beyond clutter requires regular de-cluttering, letting go.
I’m lucky to have contacts in the non-profit community so I can de-clutter to help others and “pass it on” to those who are less fortunate than I am. Go to the PassItOn page of my web site for a list of non-profits and their wish lists. And check out my fall class schedule on the Calendar page for my De-Clutter, De-Stress® Your Life classes which start just after Labor Day.
Happy De-Cluttering!
Helen
Welcome to my blog!
Here you’ll find tips, how-to’s, motivation and experiences of others to help you let go of the clutter in your life.
Those of you who know me know I used a lot of motivational sayings in my speeches and books. Let’s start with this one:
“It doesn’t matter when you start so long as you start now.” (W. Edward Deming).
There’s no benefit in waiting to de-clutter. The longer you wait, the more clutter to purge, the more time to spend de-cluttering. Start now doing little things such as finding just one more thing to toss/recycle each day. Those little things not only add up, but usually, once you get started, you keep going.
You know that television commercial that says “a body at rest tends to stay at rest but a body in motion tends to stay in motion”? That’s true with de-cluttering. Once you get started, it’s easy to keep going.
It feels so good to let go.