Happy 2024 Friends! I love soap and lotion sets and this one in particular by Cucina featured in high end kitchen stores tempts me to think that if I had it, I would cook real meals. But one thing I notice is no matter how expensive the soap and lotion combination is and as much as I love lotion, I don’t use the lotion. It took me awhile to realize I don’t like putting on lotion when my hands are at all wet and so I skip the step. I now keep my hand lotion by my bed and I use it every night before I go to sleep. That friends is a win.
In this season of goal setting, tweaks, cleaning and purging unwanted items, I encourage you to think though a few things to help you work smarter-not harder. Don’t skip asking yourself what isn’t working in your spaces. What areas always gather clutter? What things can you never find when you need them?
PLACEMENT: Is the item in question serving you in its current position? I keep a heavy Kitchen Aid mixer under my sink. I hate pulling it out but its infrequent that I use it and makes sense given my space constraints-so there it stays, but if it was an everyday item, I’d need another solution. I’m tall and like as much stuff high up so I don’t have to bend down to access it. I keep all the socks in the house with the shoes because it makes more sense for us. When things are complicated to get out or put away-notice that. You want a tidy space so make it easy on yourself to get that item to its home. Organizational catch all drawers are a big problem for this. If you have cubbies in your drawers for misc. items and they are packed to the gills with no room for new pens or batteries-its going to get disorganized quickly. Leave some space when you are purging or rearranging things. When they start over flowing it’s time to purge some items. Is the linen closet always spilling off the shelves because you have too many towels or mismatched sheets? Say goodbye to some and see if it’s easier to keep those shelves neater.
SMALL WINS: Trying to get started with organizing your home can feel overwhelming. Set a 10 minute timer and purge a drawer, use the momentum to wipe it out and put items back in an organized way. Use the momentum to surf your way through a whole cabinet painlessly over a few days.
TOO MUCH OF A GOOD THING: One of the most common barriers to a tidy space is too much stuff. With the ease of Amazon and kids constantly bringing in things from school or toys with lots of pieces, it can be hard to stay on top of the clutter. My clutter comes from things not having a place and a lot of those things are kid related. I get edgy when I see bookcases overflowing with books to the degree that newer books are jammed sideways on top of vertical books. I recommend delineating a shelf for regularly used books and a shelf or basket for library borrowed books. The ones you love that you cannot live without can then be arranged artfully without the traffic of moving books in and out constantly. A bookcase is one of those areas that needs room left for new books- so be honest about which books are life long friends and which have served their time.
USE NEW PURCHASES TO MOTIVATE YOU TO PURGE: New things come in at the holidays and they need room, so use the “new” to help you pass on the old. There is desire to have extra or back up but we have to be honest about the things we are never going to actually use again even if they are practical items. When I avoid certain clothes it’s time to give up their closet space. The opposite of stewarding your physical things wisely is that you end up serving them and not the other way around.
My favorite book on home organization is The Magical Art of Tidying up by Marie Kondo. I used her method in both homes we have lived in so what January looks like for me is tackling drawers, job supplies, some cabinets, the pantry and a quick clothing assessment. Its more maintenance than major over haul, so it’s not as time consuming. If you are stuck, check it out and if you need help I’m just a phone call away! SM