Last weekend, while in Manchester, NH, for my daughter's robotics tournament, I took some time in the middle of the day to visit the Currier Museum of Art.
When I walked through the glass doors into their special exhibit by artist Ethan Murrow, I gasped and stoped in my tracks. In front of me, larger than life, was this incredible, mural sized Sharpie drawing.

"That's how my clients feel before they call me,"
I said to my husband.

They feel overwhelmed, overloaded with stuff (physical things, paperwork, digital stuff, or even memories), and they just don't know where to begin unraveling it. When we feel that way, it can seem as if we're hauling the full weight our possessions on our shoulders, and even then we can't fit it all and have to drag the rest behind us!

Does the poor woman get any help? The child looks less like he's trying to prop up the ball of stuff and more like he's just trying to avoid having it fall on him. The full burden is on her!

And yet, there's beauty in this work of art. I admire the exquisite detail in the variety of items, the flowing quality of the Sharpie-drawn lines, and the woman's strong, even elegant, pose.

We can find beauty in confronting our possessions. Do we need to labor under such a heavy burden? No! We can enlist the help of our family (That child is definitely old enough to help!), our friends, and professional organizers (This is what we love to do!). Take a look at that ball of things and discover the legacy of your life that it contains.

We can begin, piece by piece, to untangle the blob of accumulated possessions.

• What does this piece say to you?
• If this is what your "before" picture feels like, what would your "after" feel like?
• How amazing would it feel to untangle your blob of stuff?

Here's a fun idea to help you part with some of your excess stuff:
​a good old-fashioned swap.

The general idea is that you get together with a bunch of friends and/or neighbors and everyone brings things they don't want anymore but that are in good, usable condition. Then you all go "shopping" for each other's stuff!.

You can host your own -- make it a party! -- or sign up for the August 18th event at East Providence's wonderful Fuller Creative Learning Center.

If you decide to host a swap party, you can do it indoors or out, setting up tables or picnic blankets to display the wares.

It can be a pure swap ("I'll give you this coat for two of your books.") or you can assign items a value or rating. Give each item a star rating and trade based on how many stars items "cost." For example, you could trade three one-star items for one 3-star piece.

Your goal should be to end up going home with less than you brought, so choose to swap for smaller items or swap multiple items for one of something else.

At the end of the swap, offer to load up your car and drive ALL the leftovers to a donation center. Bring items to the closest one (Search for "donation center near me.") or your favorite charity.

Whatever you do, don't let that stuff back into your house! If you already decided you were ready to part with it, trust your instincts and stick with your decision.

​Many of you may know Gretchen Rubin who gave a “bonus keynote” address at the conference. She has some interesting ideas about personality types, but my favorite takeaway from her talk was about how we can declutter our clothes. 

If you have trouble deciding whether or not to keep an article of clothing, see if it passes the “Ex-Factor” test. Imagine you are wearing that faded, tattered sweatshirt and you run into your ex. Would you be happy to be wearing that?

Gretchen’s other insight about paring down clothes is that she noticed that people actually feel they have more to wear after getting rid of excess clothes. It sounds counterintuitive, but I experience this with my clients all the time. Once you weed out the excess, you feel more satisfied with what you have and experience a feeling of increased abundance.

This month, I'm partnering with the Gloria Gemma Breast Cancer Research Foundation's Knowledge is Power campaign to help people get organized and reduce stress.

​The short month of February is more than half over, but there’s still time to clear the clutter and get more organized.
 
According to an article in Psychology Today, “Messy homes and work spaces leave us feeling anxious, helpless, and overwhelmed.” So true!
 
But where do you start? This quick 1-2-3 will make your space more serene.
 
1. Grab a laundry basket, tote bag, or trash bag and zoom around your house picking up all the “strays” – things that belong elsewhere. This will fill more than just one bag, you say? Then start with your most-visible or most-used room (maybe your kitchen, living room, or bedroom). For a fun challenge, play your favorite upbeat music and see how many songs it takes you to gather everything.
 
2. Find homes for all those strays. If the item doesn’t already have a designated place in your house consider the following.

• Do you really need it anymore? Is it excess? Is it trash? If it’s trash, throw it out! If you don’t need it and someone else could get some use out of it, put it in a bag and hang the bag on your doorknob so you remember to bring it with you and stop by a donation center on your next outing.
• Is it routinely coming in and out of your house because you need to bring it with you when you go somewhere? Maybe its home should be in your car (e.g. coupons, gym gear, a spare umbrella). Again, a bag by the door can corral these items until you bring them to the car.
• Think about the flow of the item through your house. How did it end up in the wrong place and how could you find it a more convenient home so it’s easier to put away the next time you use it? Things should have homes close to where they are used. For example, keep cookbooks in the kitchen.

 
3. Going forward, find a mantra that works for you so you don’t end up with so many strays again. Repeating a saying such as “put it away right away” or “don’t put it down, put it away” can help break the habit of not putting things back, dramatically reducing future clutter.
 
Now, sit down with a good book and a cup of tea and enjoy a few minutes of peace in your newly-cleared space.

Do you love browsing through magazines but hate having old magazines cluttering up your house?

​Consider subscribing to Apple News+

Called "the Netflix of magazines," Texture is an app that gives you access to hundreds of magazines on your smartphone or tablet for one monthly subscription price. It also allows you to put the magazines on up to 5 devices, so you can share with your whole family.

Enjoy your favorite magazines while cutting the clutter!

As we transition into warmer weather, now is a good time to lighten up not only our wardrobes but also our makeup kits. Go through your makeup and nail polish and toss out anything that shows clear signs of being too old: oil separation, discoloration, cracking, or an odor that’s just not right.

If you can’t remember when you bought it (last year? last decade?), maybe that’s a sign you should toss it!
 
Next time you buy new makeup, use a permanent marker to write the month and year of purchase on the bottom of the container (If it’s a black container, use a sticker or masking tape, then write on that.)
 
Technically, makeup doesn’t have expiration dates like food does, but products become contaminated with bacteria over time, so it’s best for your skin’s health to keep things fresh. While time recommendations vary, you can use this simple list as a jumping off point and use your best judgment based on your own products.

• Powders: 2 years
• Cream or liquid foundation and concealer: 12-18 months
• Mascara and liquid eyeliner: 3-6 months (I like to order mascara via Amazon’s Subscribe and Save service so a fresh tube comes every 3 months without my having to remember when to get a new one.)
• Eyeliner pencil: 2 years
• Lip products: 1-2 years
• Nail polish: 1-2 years

Last week, I posted about my love of reading. Based on that post, you might think my bookshelves would be overflowing, but I have some strategies that keep the books from taking over my space.

• Read on a Kindle or other device.

            This is the easiest way to cut down on physical book clutter. (Bonus: you can borrow
            e-books from the library!)

• Use the library.

            The only caveat with this is that you need to stay on top of due dates and make sure
            to return all the books. Designate a special tote bag for library books so you’ll have a
            handy way to carry them back and forth as well as a physical reminder to return the
            books. Nowadays, libraries give you a printed receipt of the books you’ve checked
            out. Keep that in the bag so you can check the list and make sure you’re returning
            all the books you borrowed.

• Have an exit plan.

            Only a select few books should remain in your permanent collection. These should
            be books that you truly love, books that you’ll read again, books that you want to
            pass down to your children (be selective!), books that are particularly beautiful
            (beloved art books), and books that you use (reference books such as cookbooks
            that you actually cook from). Other books, once read, should be considered
            consumed and ready to pass along to another reader. Stash books to be donated in
            a paper bag by your door and make a note of a handy donation center (like Savers,
            Salvation Army, Goodwill, or your local library) that is on your daily route. When the
            bag is full, bring it out to your car and to the donation center. If you prefer sharing
            books with friends, pass the book along as soon as you have finished it. Another fun
            way to redistribute books is through a Little Free Library. Find one in your
            neighborhood or start your own.

Shelves of books can look warm and inviting in a home, but over-filled shelves and piles and stacks of books all over the place are just clutter. Books only have value when they are read*, so keep them circulating by passing them along to others who will read them!
 
*Pick up Roger Duvoisin’s wonderful children’s book Petunia for a gloriously silly way to learn this lesson!

Following up last week’s blog entry, here’s a second vintage image that I found in London that I thought would interest my readers. Of course, as a Professional Organizer, it got my attention because it’s a question I frequently ask my clients to consider.
 
Can I do without it?
 
There are always tempting things we can buy and there are always tons of reasons to keep excess things we already have. This simple question is a good one for figuring out how valuable an item is to you and whether or not you really want to make a place for it in your home. After all, bringing something home from a store and giving it a place in your house means that you are committed to caring for it, cleaning it, using it, storing it, and looking at it for quite a long time.
 
Is it worth it?
 
Can you do with out it?
 
For one month, try asking yourself this question (when you’re in a store and when you’re looking around your house) and see how many times you can say, “Yes, I can do without it.” At the end of the month, maybe you’ll find yourself with a smaller credit card bill from things you didn’t buy and a big bag of things you now can do without and want to donate.

​The weather here in New England is finally warmer, which means it’s time for the winter-to-summer wardrobe switch! Even if you took my advice (see my 9/23/16 post) and set yourself up with a year-round closet that doesn’t require the semi-annual switch, it’s still a good idea to check your wardrobe a couple of times a year to weed out old items and keep your clothes in good condition.
 
This year, find some inspiration and motivation from this vintage WWII postcard that I found at the Churchill War Rooms on a recent trip to London.
 
In those days, people were trying to conserve all the resources they could for the war effort. Today, we have an interest in being thrifty and conserving for financial and environmental reasons.
 

As you go through your wardrobe, look at each item and consider:

• Do you still wear and love it? If so, does it need to be mended? If so, fix it or bring it to a seamstress, tailor, or dry cleaner right away!
• If you don’t wear or love it anymore, why not donate it so someone else can love it and wear it? It’s not doing anyone any good just sitting in your closet.
• If you wear it but you don’t love it, do you really need it or could you make do without it or replace it with something you prefer?
• If you love it but don’t wear it, is it still worth the space it’s taking up in your closet? Maybe it should be stored away for posterity or given to someone who can wear it now.
• If it’s made of wool and you’re concerned about clothes moths, put the DRY item in the dryer on high heat for at least 30 minutes to kill any larvae or moths that might be hiding in the clothes. Warning: Do not put wet wool in the dryer or it will shrink like crazy!
• Is it clean? It’s important to make sure clothes are clean before you put them away for the season both because clothes moths love food and perspiration stains and because stains can set if left for too long. Wash it or bring it to the dry cleaner right away.

 
Although this sounds time consuming, make it a game to see how quickly you can accomplish this wardrobe pruning. If you’re having too much trouble deciding on an item, it’s OK to keep it for now and see if you wear it this season. Try the trick of putting the hanger backwards on the rod or putting a folded item backwards in the drawer or shelf. In the fall, when you go through your items again, you’ll know if you haven’t used it because it will still be backwards. It might be easier to part with it then.

Here are three options for what to do with the clothes you edit out of your wardrobe:
1. Consign them: This option is only for in-season designer clothes in excellent condition. Resale shops are picky!
2. Donate them: Find your favorite spot (donation box or thrift store drop-off) near you and take the clothes there right away.
3. Recycle them: This comes from my very first Tip of the Week back on 9/12. For those really tattered or stained items, H&M stores offer fiber recycling drop-off bins and they even give you a coupon for a percentage off your next purchase.

Finally, focus on the clothes you really enjoy wearing. If you “make do and mend” these beloved clothes, they’ll serve you for a long time.

This week, I have another post for you inspired by what I learned from reading The Hoarder in You: How to Live a Happier, Healthier, Uncluttered Life by Dr. Robin Zasio. In a similar fashion to Dr. Zasio’s clarification of the distinctions between a collection and a stockpile, she also outlines the differences between “savers” and “pack rats.”
 
Of course, anyone who tends to have lots of stuff wants to imagine him/herself a prudent saver, but check out my outline of Dr. Zasio’s ideas to see if you might, in fact, be a pack rat.
 
You’re a SAVER if…

• You save an item because you have a definite, planned use for it in the future.
• You stop acquiring more of a certain item when you have enough (e.g. 2 boxes of bandages are enough) and more will not fit in the allotted space (e.g. more than 2 boxes of bandages will not fit in the bathroom cabinet).
• You will get rid of an item if it’s no longer useful (e.g. a cord that only fit an old camera that you no longer own).
• You will get rid of an item once you realize you’ll never use it.
• You will get rid of an item if you haven’t used it for a long time (e.g. a VHS tape) or if it is too old to be used (e.g. expired food).
• You will get rid of an item if you own another just like it that is newer or in better condition.

 
You might be a PACK RAT if…

• You keep anything you think you might use in the future or that could potentially be used by you or someone you know (especially a potential, unidentified someone).
• You keep acquiring more of an item just because you can (“It’s a bargain!” “One more can’t hurt.”), even if you’re running out of space for these things.
• You keep items that are no longer useful “because you never know” (e.g. broken items, single socks, expired medicine).
• You keep multiples or extras of the same item “just in case” even though you already have as many of these items as you use and need.

 
Notice that the Pack Rat has lots of vague rationales for keeping things: just in case, it’s a bargain, you never know, can’t hurt, maybe, someday…
 
The Saver, on the other hand, has plans for the items being kept and rules about when to get rid of items so as not to create a messy space.
 
Challenge yourself: If you realize you are a Pack Rat, maybe even when it comes to certain types of things or areas of your home, see if you can become a Saver instead.