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Newsletter Archives
December 2009
Wrapping It Up
November 2009
Prepare the Pantry
October 2009
Costumes & Decorations
September 2009
Enough
August 2009
Help for the Home Office
July 2009
Getting Crafty
June 2009
A Better Bedroom
May 2009
Eco Organizing
April 2009
Getting Ready to Garden
March 2009
The Path To Clutter
February 2009
Easing Into Downsizing
January 2009
Organizing For Renovation
December 2008
Organizing For Next Year
November 2008
More Of My Favorite Organizing Tools
October 2008
Making Life Easier
September 2008
Clearing The Closet
August 2008
How To Let Go Of Stuff
July 2008
Managing Medical Records
June 2008
Road Trip Organizing
May 2008
Collections Instead of Clutter
April 2008
Getting Ready for Tax Time
March 2008
Where to Begin
February 2008
When You Want to Help
January 2008
Top Ten Causes of Disorganization
December 2007
Organize for Air Travel
November 2007
Organize for Small Spaces
October 2007
When Life Happens, Reorganize
September 2007
Bathroom Organizing
August 2007
Paper Organizing
July 2007
Uncluttered Kids' Rooms
June 2007
Top Ten Organizing Tools
May 2007
Grapple The Garage
April 2007
Managing Your Time
March 2007
Spring Organizing
February 2007
Help for Caregivers of Aging Parents
January 2007
National Get Organized Month
December 2006
Year End Organizing
November 2006
Give Thanks for Being Organized
October 2006
Holiday Kitchen Organization
September 2006
In Case of a Weather Emergency - Organize!
August 2006
Back to School Organizing
July 2006
Declare your Independence from Summer Clutter
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ORGANIZING TIPS OF THE MONTH: JANUARY 2009
The Path to Clutter
Last New Year’s organizing tips, “Top 10 Causes of Disorganization,” received a lot of response. This year I highlight ways you may be inviting clutter into your home. Some ways are subtle. All can cause clutter if you are not diligent. How do I know? I have fallen victim to all these traps. Need ideas on how to reduce clutter? Send your questions to me.
- Letting Others Store Their Stuff in your Home: Others’ extras take up your space and cost you personal energy to maintain. Call whoever is using your home as a storage unit. Set a retrieval date for their stuff and ask where they want to donate things if they choose not to get the items out of your house by that date.
- Retrieving Finds from Neighbors’ Trash Piles: We have all seen the decorating shows where the designers find junk items and turn them into something fabulous. People toss things for a reason. Unless you are a carpenter or an artist, leave the junk piles alone.
- Attending Home Parties where You Feel Obligated to Buy Something: There is lovely, useful merchandise sold at home parties, but if you feel awkward leaving gatherings empty-handed, you may buy things you really do not want. If you need something sold at a home party, then attend. If not, it is best to decline the invitation. Stick to gatherings where the emphasis is on being a taught a skill rather than purchasing.
- Picking Up Free Samples You Know You Will Never Use: It is exciting to see the word “Free” on anything. If it is something you do not use, pass it by. And skip the temptation to take samples just because you think someone else might use them.
- Buying in Bulk because It Is a Good Deal: Ah...the lure of the discount warehouse. Be realistic about your needs and your storage space. A huge box of cereal that goes stale before you finish it is no bargain. And if you buy a gallon of liquid hand soap only to find you do not like the scent, you then own a jug of clutter.
- Purchasing a Bunch of Supplies for a New Hobby when You Are Not Sure It Is a Hobby You Will Absolutely Love: It is easy to get excited about projects you see on a TV show or demonstrated in a craft class. Refrain from buying all the bells and whistles for a new hobby. Instead borrow products and purchase enough supplies to complete a single project. See if it is something you truly enjoy doing.
- Buying Makeup You Do Not Need Just to Get the Free Gift: It is difficult to resist the full page ads picturing a travel bag filled with sample size beauty products that can be yours free with a minimum purchase. The trouble is the minimum purchase is rarely reached by buying a single lipstick or mascara so you end up buying something you don’t need just to get a sample bag. Often the free gift includes items you do not like. More clutter.
- Continuing to Subscribe to Magazines You Do Not Really Care About but You Cannot Resist the Good Deals on Re-subscribing: Need I say more?
- Signing Up for Clubs that Automatically Send Merchandise unless You Return the Refusal Card by the Due Date: It is easy to lose the cards or miss the deadline. The next thing you know, unwanted merchandise arrives at your door and you have the burden and expense of returning it. Many people do not want to bother, so the deliveries become clutter.
- Accepting Other People’s Castoffs: This clutter maker bears repeating because so many of us are victims. When someone asks if you want their old curtains, bread maker, or National Geographic collection, tell them you will get back to them. Think long and hard—is what they are offering something you will love and use or is it really just clutter? Be strong in the face of freebies.
- Participating in a White Elephant Gift Exchange: Face it—if someone is giving a gift they wouldn’t want in their own home, what are the chances it would be something you would want? A few chuckles at a party are not worth adding clutter to your house.
©All Sorted Out, 2009 All Rights Reserved
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