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.

If you’re struggling with clutter, I recommend you read The Hoarder in You: How to Live a Happier, Healthier, Uncluttered Life by Dr. Robin Zasio. Don’t be scared off by the title, this book is not just for hoarders but for all clutterers great and small.

I just finished the audiobook version – a great way to learn while on the go! Because the author is a doctor of psychology, the book provides great insight into the motivations behind why we hold onto things and get into trouble with clutter.

One part that I found particularly helpful details the difference between a collection and a stockpile. As I see it, a collection is an intentionally curated (and routinely culled) group of like items of value to you. A stockpile, on the other hand, is an accumulated mass of vaguely similar items. The distinction lies both in motivation and in method.

Here’s my synthesis of Dr. Zasio’s distinctions:
with clutter I urge y

Check out Dr. Zasio’s full list on my Pinterest page, “Clutterer Resources.”

Did you discover that you have a stockpile instead of a collection? Multiple stockpiles? If you're ready to start overcoming the clutter that's overtaking your life, drop me a line. I have strategies to help you work through the piles!

Happy New Year!

​This year, if you want to resolve to be more organized, you’ll need to start by resolving to get rid of the clutter. Stuff has no hope of staying organized and in its place when there’s just too much of it.
 
My favorite de-cluttering tool is the 2017 in 2017 Challenge Chart by Rachel Jones of Nourishing Minimalism.
http://nourishingminimalism.com/2016/12/decluttering-challenge-2017-2017.html

It’s a great visual motivator to help you pare down. Even if you don’t achieve the 2017-item challenge, it’s fun to try and you’ll be amazed to see how much you can de-clutter. If you have kids, let them have fun with it by using different colors to fill in the boxes.
 
The other tool you’ll need: a disposable box or bag placed near the door of your home that is designated for outgoing items.
 
Mark it “donate” and whenever you come across something you no longer need, want, or love, toss it into the bag (or into the trash, if it’s not worth donating).
 
When the bag is full, don’t delay! Put it right into your car and bring it to a donation center, preferably one that’s near your home or on your usual route so you’ll actually go there. Can’t make it to a donation center? Call any one of a number of charities that will schedule a pick up of donations (Salvation Army, Goodwill, Savers, etc.).
 
Resolve to tame the clutter chaos!

Here’s a fun verse I wrote as a Christmas present to you. Just hum it to the tune of Mariah Carey’s “All I Want for Christmas Is You.” And, yes, for the record I sound exactly like Mariah when I’m singing this in my car. ;)
 
I don’t want a lot for Christmas
This is all I’m asking for
I just want to see this clutter
Make its way out through your door.
 
I’ll put everything in its place,
Make your home a comfy space.
 
Make my wish come true,
Let’s organize this Christmas for you!
 

Even though you probably have a lot to do this week to get ready for Christmas, Hanukkah, or just having the kids home for vacation, please remember to plan some down time into your week. Read a book, have a cup of tea, take a bath, play a game with your family, or get together with friends. Enjoy the time!

Yes, you read that right. I'm not telling you to reach for the stars or aim for the highest peak, I'm saying your goal is to be average…at least when it comes to your housekeeping, and probably more than a few other things too.

Are you struggling with clutter and disorganization? Do you feel as if dealing with your stuff rules your life? You might think that, as an organizer, the goal I would set for you would be to get rid of it all and be a minimalist. Absolutely not!

Think of it this way, would a doctor tell an obese patient that her goal is to become anorexic? No way! Being excessively underweight is just as unhealthy as being overweight. The goal is to attain and maintain an average, healthy weight.

This is the same with your housekeeping and decluttering. While a few people today are embracing a minimalist lifestyle, that's not for everyone and can be just as burdensome as having too much. For example, some minimalists keep a list of their possessions and restrict them to a specific number. Doesn't that seem a bit obsessive? Isn't stuff still ruling their lives?

The goal for your home should be to create a comfortable, livable space that contains the things you need and love, expresses your (or your family's) unique personality, and is easy to maintain.

In other words, an average home.

Sounds like home sweet home to me.