Wednesday, October 11, 2023
Writing a personal style statement or manifesto is a powerful step in deciding how you want to present yourself to the world with your clothes, but sometimes the quickest way to make big change in our wardrobe is by figuring out what we are NOT, which we can often feel viscerally. And yet, somehow those items that just don't get us at all love to loiter in our closets.
Here is a list of 5 categories to let go of immediately as you begin to reveal the current masterpiece that is you.
"Not Now" Clothes: These are the ones you're saving for “when your body is different”--smaller, fitter, surgically augmented, pregnant, etc. One of my mentors, Karen Kingston, said in her book Clear Your Clutter with Feng Shui that "what resists, persists." Love your now--the size and shape of the body you have, which does so much good work for you every day. Lavish some high quality fabrics that fit you beautifully on that perfectly wonderful body of yours and trust that if you need something in that "Not Now" category someday, you will be able to get it easily. IF you are still in child-bearing years and have reasonably short-term plans to need maternity clothes (or similar), choose your favorites and store them together in one, clear bin in your closet.
Imaginary Life Clothes Do you have clothes (and accessories!) for a special activity or hobby (skiing, painting, Marching Band, dinner with heads of state, Pickleball) that you have either never done, don't do now or haven't in a REALLY long time? Maybe some of these items still have the price tags on them. Create some space to grow into and be who you really want by letting go of these items. I promise you that when you get an invitation to a State dinner, you will be so excited to shop for the perfect outfit right then.
The SWAG Don't be like Michael Scott on this one. Unless you genuinely like and use/wear an item such as a race t-shirt, a hat, a frisbee, or any other freebie, don't let others' message create noise in the sanctity of your style lounge! Now I have some free chip clips I love and use, but now I have purged my free stuff, I have a policy of "just say no," when it comes to accepting them in the first place. Because purging is a LOT more work than not bringing it home at all.
"Expensive" Mistakes I get it. You spent what feels like a lot of money on something and now, although you don't really want to use or wear it, you get to use it as a talisman for making yourself feel tremendous amounts of guilt and disappointment every time you look at it. I mean why WOULDN'T you keep it? 😆 The thing is, despite your attachment to your story about how terrible and wasteful you are for having bought it...the money spent is in the past and is gone--. Isn't that a relief? Great! I bet someone else could enjoy this brand new item (or make it their own terrible mistake!). New things and energy--money! better-suited clothes!-- are always on the way to you, so you better make room. Donate that pricey wardrobe fail and move on with no regrets!
Gifts from Susie So-and-So You love Susie So-and-So and she loves you, but that chartreuse onesie she very lovingly got you for your birthday is just not your style. That does not negate the love you and Susie So-and-So share or her kindness in giving it to you. I mean, YOU have even made some expensive mistakes (see above) about yourself, but you are still a good person. Susie is still a good person. The value in the gift was sent and received the moment of the exchange; the burden of keeping it is not the gift. Someone else out there is just waiting for a chartreuse onesie; let them live into their dreams, too!
Wednesday, September 27, 2023
Probably the question(s) I get asked the most about clutter-clearing basically boil down to "How can I get everyone I live with to be different so I can feel better?" But that's me boiling it down. When it's your life, it's hard to see that getting your husband to "just get rid of all his stuff already!" or getting your kids to "stop hoarding and bringing home every piece of glitter!" is about you trying to create a circumstance in which you can FINALLY feel at ease. Believe me, I get it. I have been there. A lot. A LOT. And sometimes I still go there before I remember that: this is a me problem. "Duh, Mary. I want them to know it's a them problem." The thing is: your husband (or child or grandmother or mother-in-law) probably feels a lot more okay with the situation than you do or they would be doing something different. "Duh, Mary. I want them to be different..."
Ah yes, if you could just control everyone and make them be different than they are.
When your emotional well-being is dependent upon how others act and show up, you're not only giving all your power away to them, you're also in for quite the roller coaster because the only thing other people are very predictable about is: being themselves, which is to say they're not good at being you or following the manual you have written in your head (but most likely have not told them about) about how they should think, act, and feel. And when you argue with the reality of who they are: it's you who suffers. Again. Still. More.
Want to feel better? Start by asking yourself: how do I want to think, act, and feel?
Even if no one in your life ever changes, YOU are the only star in the movie of your life and you are under your own direction. You can decide how you will show up, act, and react in every scene of it. Yes, I'll say it again: even if no one else ever changes. Here are a couple of ideas for getting started...
1. Do your own work first.
If you are asking someone to do something you're unwilling to do yourself, why on earth would they believe it's a solid choice? Though you may have already cleared your physical clutter, your thoughts about others' clutter is a good indication that you have some beliefs that need some work. Why are you feeling disgusted? Frustrated? Angry? Abandoned? What thought is creating this feeling?
Oh, have you not already cleared your own clutter? Well then...
2. Lead by example!
It could be that others are just waiting for you to show them how it's done, that it can be done, and how beautiful it all looks when it is done. Be the change!
Three more ideas for reclaiming your power when working with other people are in my Friday newsletter coming out in two days. If you're not signed up...be sure to subscribe now!
Thursday, July 6, 2023
The "5 Kind of Things" clutter-clearing strategy, as presented in author KC Davis's book How To Keep House While Drowning is one of my favorite methods for taking action in a space because it removes anxiety about what to do next by providing clear direction for staying in flow, virtually eliminating decision fatigue. My 5 Things Method for Travel will keep your journey-weary brain and body systematically moving until the hot shower and Netflix-binge at the end, which you can enjoy without having to step over your suitcase!
Ideally, you will utilize the 5 Things Method to completely unpack and settle in immediately upon arriving home. However, the beauty of this method is that it smartly prioritizes your must-do tasks so that even if you just tackle one category right away, you've taken care of the most pressing/bulkiest tasks before taking on anything else. Just follow the yellow brick road! (Indulge me; I've been overusing the Wizard of Oz metaphors since my high school graduation speech.)
Take everything out of your car, then each bag and suitcase and sort into these categories:
Perishables and Trash: Empty that pic-a-nic basket, BooBoo! Get your souvenir pralines (and anything that melts) out of the sun and away from your “Beach Life” tee. Receipts, lint, bag tags, boiling hot slushies
Clothing and Personal Care Items: Dirty clothes to the laundry room (and start a load, if possible) Put away everyday use items: medications, glasses, hair brush, make-up, shoes, accessories, chargers/tech, and any clean clothes next. Traveling with multiple people? Do this at the same time for max laundry efficiency
Non-Travel Items: These are the items that do not need to live in your suitcase beyond this trip. This could include souvenirs, work business, and anything else that came home with you. If you know where it goes, put it away. If it’s new, find it a permanent home. If this part feels interminable and slows you down, designate one HIGHLY-VISIBLE space of a counter, preferably in a contained bin to put anything you don’t have a place for yet. If you don’t clear it within a specific time (one day? 72 hours? A week?), resolve to discard it appropriately at that time. Move on to number 5.
Travel Items: Refill any empty travel bottles and creams and replace razors so you can re-pack them and be ready quickly for the next trip. Out of something? Add it to your online grocery or amazon cart for the next order. Repack your replenished travel toiletries. Put your packing cubes, garment bags, and any other travel-specific items back into your suitcase. Wipe down your suitcase and inspect for any damage before putting it away. Bonus: Re-stock your car with travel essentials—wipes or napkins, utensils, band-aids, hair ties, dental floss, etc. Super mega bonus: vacuum and wash your car.
This 5 Things for Travel method was recently featured in my Help Yourself! weekly newsletter, along with other simple tips for easily re-integrating into your life and home after a trip. Subscribe here to get that great content delivered straight to your inbox.
If you want to learn more about the original "5 Things" method, check out my FBWatch video where I explain what it is and how to use it to clear any space of clutter:
Do you want to go beyond unpacking, reorganize the universe in your favor, and get personalized understanding and ideas of how to create the most intentional environments to live and work in? I can help you! Book a free consult call with me.
Wednesday, May 31, 2023
Okay, so you've decided to join in the 7 Day Clutter Clear Challenge (Cue the imaginary, biodegradable, non-mess-making confetti!) but you're still thinking: how do I get started? (and all the other thoughts: This is overwhelming. Can I doom scroll social media instead? I'm sleepy. My head hurts. I think I might be dying of mumps. I wonder what deals I can find on Amazon! Today would be a good day to learn how to can my own vegetables...)
1. Pick a Project
It doesn't matter what, but for maximum impact, pick something that you see/interact with a lot. You certainly could pick 3 square feet in the back left corner of an off-site storage unit, because you're the boss of you, but if you're not going there and living around that every day, the emotional impact from the satisfaction of completing it and now using it will be basically nothing.
Have you heard of Dave Ramsey's debt snowball where you pay off the tiniest debts first and then you gather so much momentum that you're a financial wizard before you know it? Same concept.
"So if I'm not organizing deep space...what are some ideas"? If you give yourself two clear minutes to think, you will either see or remember something that is not working optimally that would feel so good if it was just tidied or cleared. It could be a bathroom drawer that you can never find what you need in. It could be a pile of mail from yesterday or the last 10 years taking over your kitchen table. It could be your sock drawer, which seems to contain everything but socks. It could be your medicine cabinet or your roller skate collection. It could be even be "stuff within 10 feet of sofa." And if something doesn't come up that "feels right," just pick the first untidy pile you see and that's the one.
Pro tip: Take a before picture. Snap it quickly. You don't have to pour over it.
2. Fortify + Pump Yourself Up
Go to the bathroom, have a drink of water and/or a small snack on hand. Don't make this into a huge thing. You're only leaving Earth for 15 minutes or so, but tending to all these things ahead of time will calm your central nervous system and minimize your own need to talk yourself out of it. It reminds you that you're safe and your needs are being met. In addition to basic needs, consider also what else might make the task more enjoyable: is it listening to your feel-good music or a podcast or a book? What about working with a partner or a friend? Is it knowing that a hot bubble bath or a night out with friends awaits you after? Whatever will better doing this work, add it in. It's almost time to start, but speaking of time...
Now is a good time to decide how long you will spend on your clutter clear today. I recommend starting with 15 minutes, especially if you're just getting started. If you're just really in the groove after 15, you can always keep going. Just be careful not to exhaust yourself or burn yourself out to the point that you will excuse yourself from showing up tomorrow. Consistency is the goal and consistency just requires you repeatedly showing up for any amount of time. 30 minutes today is not the same as 15 minutes today and 15 minutes tomorrow. Tomorrow, you have fresh eyes that have been enjoying the fruits of today's labors. You are not the same you tomorrow as today. So set your timer for the amount of time you can easily, breezily do on your phone or your watch or your in-home robotic assistant, and it's go-time, baby!
3. Do the Thing + Have Feelings
Start sorting like with like or picking out the trash or items that don't belong (more on sorting order tomorrow). Just GO! If the task you've chosen is mail, you may spend the entire time chucking things into your recycling bin and trash (wheeee!) or maybe you're taking dishes back to the kitchen, or you're unearthing your sofa under clothes. Every step, every bit matters. Keep going. Thoughts will come up: fear and scarcity, tiredness and overwhelm. Acknowledge the thoughts and remind yourself you are safe and your needs are met and keep gooooooooing until your timer goes off. If you feel like 15 minutes was basically all you could live through, you're golden. You made it! You didn't die. (If you're really on a roll or almost finished and just want to get your last pair of socks beautifully jellyrolled, by all means go for it. Neither I nor your timer are the boss of you and I love a good clutter-clearing bender myself. Just remember to come back tomorrow!)
4. Celebrate!
Give yourself a big hug and a high five and thank yourself for doing
this kindness and act of service for future you. You're the best! Did you pick out a reward like a hot bath or a walk with a friend or your favorite show on Netflix? Please enjoy! And come back tomorrow to do it again. You're so great!
Pro Tip: Take a picture! Even if you didn't finish a space, you will be amazed when you compare your before with the after picture and knowing what took place in only 15 minutes.
.png)
Tuesday, May 30, 2023
.png)
The most important part of forming any habit is not having total mastery or dedicating your whole life and all your time to it, but consistency. A little bit, over and over. If you're ready to become a clutter-clearing ninja who keeps your space tidy and maintained with ease, making it a low-pressure part of your every day is going to be a game changer.
To kickstart your clutter-clearing habit and supercharge your summer, I'm hosting a 7-Day Clutter Clearing Challenge through my Facebook and Instagram channels (@marytallencoaching) starting on Saturday, June 3. The mission: show up for yourself by clearing a little bit of clutter (~15 minutes) every day for 7 days. That's it! You can work on small spaces or big spaces, your night stand or your closet or your car (or anywhere else). You can do more or not. You can document or not. Just show up for you, honor your commitment to yourself every single day for 7 days, and just get going!
If you would like to share your before/after photos, your triumphs, and your obstacles and get help where you're getting stuck, you can join my private Facebook group OR hashtag your public posts (Otherwise, I can't see them) with #june7dayclutterclear. I'll be checking posts, giving support and offering helpful tips every day June 3-9, 2023. Let's do this!
Clutter Clearing Challenge Explained!
Friday, May 26, 2023
It’s summertime (maybe not technically, but in Texas: it's heeeeere! And cooler climates--it soon will be) and to keep the living easy, here are a few simple, 15-ish minute projects to get you organized and ready to live your best life by the pool or in the hammock with essentials nearby.
Project 1: End-of-School Paper and Garbage
Dump
It happens every last day of school and yet it’s a stunning surprise every time. Your little darling arrives home for summer with enough worksheets and art work to paper the Great Wall of China. And gnawed pencils and Hot Cheetos-dusted pencil pouches. You vow to carefully scrutinize these items for anything valuable and salvage priceless quotables from free-writing exercises…when you have time. Soon, school is starting again and you either 1) push it all aside into a storage area to further clutter your space or 2) get so frustrated you throw it all away anyway. Take back your power and your summer and instead, do it now.
Step 1: Prep and Setting Limits
Before you get started, determine how much, if any, of your kids’ school and/or artwork you’re willing to keep. You can choose a specific number (5-10) or designate a small folder and that’s your limit. Put on something enjoyable to listen to: music or a podcast or an audiobook, get a small snack or drink to keep you energized, and set a timer for 15-20 minutes. Acknowledge that when the timer goes off, you are out of time for this project and will honor the commitment to yourself and your space to let go of anything still "unprocessed."
Step 2: Do the thing!
Go through the schoolwork quickly and decisively, remembering your commitment to yourself, and do not keep more than you decided ahead of time (folder full or quantity reached? One must go out before another comes in). When the timer goes off, let go of anything you have not gone through yet. Recycle paper and trash the trash and move on with your life.
Step 3: Speaking to Your Exceptions
“But, but, but…” Imagine I am looking you lovingly in the eyes and holding your hands as I say this: it’s okay to put it in the trash. I used to be the mom to agonize over the art work and the worksheets, wondering if not examining every piece of preciousness from the hand of my children meant I didn’t love them or was not a good mom. “And I have to salvage the $0.47 crayons that will join the pile of 12,427 more in the bin!” We have got to stop this, okay? School papers are neutral and have nothing to do with your parenting. They just exist and yesterday, you didn’t even know or remember that they did. Now you do and you’re having thoughts that make them mean something about your value as a person. A magnificent mom might throw every single paper away or might be stockpiling them for the apocalypse—it could really go either way. Agonizing over this question of your value as a parent is not useful here. Maybe this (or similar) thoughts, which are probably well within your reach, will feel better to you. “If I take care of this pile of papers now, I have more time (and space) to spend doing things I actually care about, including time with my kids.” Isn’t that actually true? Now do it and be free!
Project 2: Summer Beach Bag Prep and/or Detox
I love to be able to go to the lake or pool or
on an outdoor adventure at a moment’s notice, so I keep my summer “beach” bag
stockpiled with essentials like: sun screen, bug spray, pool or waterpark
season passes, a small pouch for change or money, a wet bag for wet things, and
a dry bag to keep things like my phone dry and within reach. Then I can just
grab a few beach towels and we’re off! (I keep my picnic blanket in my car's trunk.) The thing is, beach bags get janky like
all things get janky. While I am a stickler about immediately unpacking wet
swimsuits, extra clothes, or used towels, and most especially any food
immediately upon arriving home, sand happens. Use-by dates happen. All the seasons happen. Life
happens. And before I know it, I go to apply sunscreen only to wonder why I am
slathering cottage cheese on my tender little feet. No thank you. Whether you
keep these items in a beach or pool bag or elsewhere in your home, let’s do a
summer gear round-up!
Step 1: Locate every bug spray and sunscreen and related item in your house.
Check dates on them. Sun screen actually has pretty good shelf life (considering that if you’re applying it as directed--about 1 oz, you might well use ¼ a bottle in a single go). Sunscreens are required by the FDA to be effective at their original strength for at least three (3) years. Don’t have any idea when you bought it? Check for discoloration or inconsistency in texture and dispose of any that are off. In future, consider writing the date of purchase on the container if you tend to keep them awhile (I know; will any of us really do this? Still though, I’m putting it out there optimistically! Maybe you're a 1%er!). The shelf life for bug sprays is about the same amount of time and while they do not become harmful after 3 years, they do become less effective at repelling, so keeping them indefinitely is pointless and potentially itchy. After tossing any empty or expired items, consider replacing with only a single, high-quality favorite of each thing. I highly recommend checking the EWG’s Sunscreen Site and the EWG Bug Repellent Guide to find the best non-toxic products that will be effective for your family.
Note about EWG (Environmental Working Group) research and non-toxic products: I am ultra-selective when it comes to sunscreens also and have tried many alternatives, but ultimately use a commercial one because sunburn is a real bummer. I also make my own bug repellent from DoTerra's TerraShield essential oils, a
carrier oil, and purified water. You can google a recipe--or 1000-- for
it if you want to try right now. Non-toxicity is something I take veeeery seriously because of my own
experiences and misadventures with my health. While I think non-toxic is
better for everyone and the Earth and therefore recommend at least some casual research and awareness, I know the extreme level of
importance I place on it is not necessarily everyone's journey. Don't let perfect be the enemy of good and better! You do you!
Step 2: Clean Out Your Summer Stuff’s Home
If your summer items don’t have a designated “home,” like your beach bag or a bin in the entry way or medicine cabinet, establish one now. You will always know where to find (and put back!) your sunscreen, bug spray, and lip balm (and related items). Ahh, home.
If your items already have a designated home (or once you establish one), give it a good wipe down. Shake out sand and wipe down surfaces (or launder, if applicable). Get it really clean! I like to put my liquid items in a gallon-sized plastic zipper bag to catch any leaks on the go, but a washable, lined wet-bag would work great, too. Any other items that need laundering? Coin pouches, beach towels, etc—run them through the wash, too. Throw in your pool or park passes or other regular use pool items and you’re set.
Step 3: Stay Gold (Maintenance)
To maintain your new, breezy summer bag, simply unpack and clean out right away after every trip. It takes two minutes and you’ll be golden all summer long! In the words of Will Smith “If you stay ready, you ain’t gotta get ready.”
Project 3+: Bonus Round Summer Edit Honor Roll
On a roll and want to keep going? Don’t forget these other seasonal items that could probably use a little attention, editing and love. Do them all this way:
Gather all the items in a single category together from wherever they may be.
Designate a “home” for them and establish limits for the items and set a timer to limit the time you spend on the decisions.
Choose your favorites and best first, then discard any items that are simply not useful or loved by you/don’t fit the space (donation) or that are beyond repair or no longer function (trash).
Carefully clean and mend all the favorites that remain and put them in their space.
Suggested Seasonal Categories
You can do each line all at once or break them up into separate 15 minute categories. Only you make the rules!
Sunglasses, sun hats, swim suits, cover-ups
Folding chairs, coolers, picnic blankets, and beach umbrellas
Pool floats and toys, including goggles
Outdoor furniture and rugs
Pots and planters
Gardening tools, watering cans, pitchers
Wednesday, May 17, 2023
Quiz Time!
How do you feel when you think about the cords and electronics in your house?
A. We don't talk about Bruno.
B. No. No. No.
C. We don't talk about Bruno!
D. Never should have brought up Bruno!
E. Neutral
F. Energized
G. Peaceful
Most of us mortals fall somewhere between A and D (or A through D). As technology becomes obsolete ever more quickly and we adapt our lives to "how things are now," setting time aside to organize and untangle our electronic lives can feel hard, overwhelming, confusing, and therefore at the bottom of our priority list. But I want to tell you why that it's exactly BECAUSE you feel these ways that you want to move such activities to the top of your list, at least the top of your non-life threatening list. Sorry Future-Me, that's going to be your problem.
Our homes are constantly reinforcing our beliefs about ourselves, even (especially) subconsciously when we're trying not to look. Every time we see (even without looking) the tangled cord mess, our energy dips a little and dips like that throughout your home add up to a whole lot of tired (and overwhelm). That sounds like a Now-Me Problem. And since I love both Now-Me and Future-Me (and Past-Me, too. XOXO.) and I am totally in charge of how I feel, I want to make both of our lives better. And Future-Me is going to slay because of how much I am hooking her up right now, amirite?!
I'm not going to spend too much time trying to convince you to slay the dragon though because you will when you're ready (I can coach you if you think you'll never be ready! You're already here, aren't you?!). I want to talk about HOW to slay the dragon. Until you are ready and your thoughts align, the How is kind of irrelevant, BUT I want you to know how easy it is. So let's go!
First, decide on the space you want to work on.
I love and appreciate that the KonMari method says bring it all out of every nook and cranny at once and have done with it, but some of us have to go to the dentist or pick our kid up from school or do anything except devote the next however endlessly long to clear all electronic and cord clutter in our house. You know your space and time best, so set your project parameters: e.g. "TV Cabinet area," or "Home office," or even more specific "Home office computer area."
Set Your Intention.
You don't have to bring in divine guidance for this task (unless you want to, in which case: great idea!), but take a minute to determine your goal for the area beyond "Please God, not this." One helpful way to do this is to take pictures of your cord situation. This is especially helpful if it's semi-hidden or difficult to get to. It will give you a better idea of your space and what will help the most.
For example, do you have white walls and black cords going in every direction you don't want to see anymore? Do you have things plugged in to inconveniently located outlets that could be moved? Do you have overloaded outlets? Is everything tangled? Do you even know what everything is and you'd like to know at a glance what you're unplugging? Consider where your pain points are. If all of them, don't worry; it will become more clear as you go. If it's obvious and you want to order some cord management products (cord labels, cord hiding wall kit to match paint, cable sleeves, velcro ties, etc.) ahead of time, go ahead. But be careful to order just what you need so the returns don't become another hassle. If you don't know, just wait, little chickadee. That is coming.
I also recommend taking pictures of the backs of devices where everything is connected so that you know for sure which cord plugs into what once everything is ready to go back in place. Take it from me; it's a bummer to realize you have no idea once everything is disconnected.
Editing, then Organizing (Fun part?)
Do not organize before you edit, unless you love wasting your time. Why neatly coil and label a cable you don't want or need? Just sayin'.
Take everything out.
Unplug cords from outlets, pull all devices and cords out (be safe! you may need help if you are moving something large like a tv). Detangle and separate cords from one another. Group into piles of similar items. This will help you identify when you have multiples, as well as knowing what everything is.Weed out the duds.
Did you, as I did, have a cord plugged into the outlet and absolutely nothing else? Were there miles of coaxial cables for days with no apparent destination? Are some of the cables broken, frayed, or known to be useless? Put all these in a big satisfying pile to toss. Is anything completely random (that belongs in another space) up there--no judgment here; note the karaoke microphone in my before pics above. Make a pile of items to rehome or take them to their place as you go.Wipe everything down
(can be as you go): the devices, the cords, the space with a microfiber cloth to catch dust and follow with a magic eraser, or spray cleaner, as needed to remove additional gunk and goo. Ahhh, doesn't that feel better.Stage and Set-Up Your Space
It may be helpful to have some additional muscle on hand once again to help you re-arrange as you work. Put all the major devices back where they go (or you now want them to) nearest the outlet that makes the most sense. Are your cords too long (most likely) or too short? Do you have enough outlets? Do you need a power strip or a cord cover to make your dreams come true? If you have the organizing products you need (could be as simple as twist ties or rubber bands to bundle too-long cords)?
Plug everything in where it goes and add cord management solutions as you go keeping cords taut, smooth, and bound together or coiled, as needed. Every situation requires a little something different, but I have made an Amazon list of some basic cord management products I have personally used with comments about their uses to assist you. Need more ideas, visit TheContainerStore.com and search "cord management."
Elevate and Celebrate!
Want to add that little something extra to your space? What about some cute baskets to hold your video games and remotes? Or maybe a cute little potted plant? Add 1-3 special items that make the space feel extra personal and homey. Take an after picture. Send it to your bestie or post it on social media (or send it to me! I am so proud of you!). Do a little victory dance. I bet it feels good.
Thursday, February 16, 2023
.png)
Wednesday, December 7, 2022
.png)
Tis the season for catalogs from every retailer you've ever interacted with filling your mailbox! If you're snowed in under all the junk mail, the web site CatalogChoice.Org may be a game changer. It's essentially a "Do Not Call" list for your mailbox and you can directly unsubscribe from hundreds of catalogs or receive assistance in communicating a cease-mail succinctly and quickly with businesses that are not listed.
.png)
Thursday, December 1, 2022
Seasonal items often never get a good purge and going-through since, unless you're the neighbor who leaves the lights up through April (and it's totally fine if you are), these decorations typically spend 10-11 months/year out of sight. Tastes change over the years, but we tend to be sentimental about our holiday items, even ones we no longer like or need, gilding them with nostalgia for their presence at and in our family traditions, but not valuing them enough to bring out of storage for their spotlight month. In some instances, their year-round existence in attics, basements, garages, or storage buildings have made them easy prey for pests and rodents, or left them at the whim of humidity and other climate-related damage.
- Get All your Seasonal Items Out Every Year at the Beginning of the Season
- Discard Any Trash, Obvious Dislikes, or Items You Don't Use and Enjoy the Rest!
- Do A Space and Container Audit
- Clean, Repack, and Re-Label
- Discard Any Items that Didn't Make the Cut
- Get out ALL your seasonal items every year at the beginning of the season. Did I already lose you? If you have such a huge amount that this would just send you running for the hills, break them down into categories and get every item for a given category out. These are some I came up with for Christmas decorations, but you could adapt them to fit any holiday/season for which you have a lot of specific items. If you wait until the end of the season to do this, you will only use what you readily access and not have the full awareness of all you have when you choose what you want to use.
- Outdoor- inflatables, furniture, large decorations
- Lights and Electrical- includes all lights and lighting fixtures, extension cords, timers, devices used to install lights
- Trees and wreaths--tree stand, tree skirt, artificial trees, all wreaths including advent
- Tabletop and Entertaining--dishes and servewear that you only use during this time
- General Ornaments (can be further broken down by theme such as "all white" or "circus" or whatever you have)--includes any and all tree decorations or small items you keep with ornaments
- Home Decor and Free-Standing decorations- Seasonal pillows, blankets, towels, stockings, stocking hangers, menorah, nativity sets, candles
- Cards and Paper Anything-- holiday books (including cookbooks), your saved holiday cards from friends for the past 40 years or any other paper mementos
- Sentimental- Got any popsicle stick crafts or salt dough ornaments your kids made in nursery school? Great grandmother's gravy boat? These deserve special treatment, so we save them for last.
- See anything you just don't like even if it still works? Why keep paying--in physical and mental storage--for it year after year? If it is useful and in good condition, donating it at the beginning of the season can allow someone else to enjoy it right away! If it is trash or in disrepair, let it go with thanks for helping you better understand yourself!
- Plug all lights into an outlet to see if they still work! Many local Keep America Beautiful programs (in my community, it is called Keep Nacogdoches Beautiful, for example) accept some lights for recycling, but putting them in the trash is just fine. Do not put them back in the box if they don't work!
- Discard all newspaper and tissue used to wrap fragile items and refresh it annually. Plenty of fresh newspaper is available for free at local recycling locations or yours for the asking via social media. This not only staves off mold and pests, it forces you to look at every single item every year as you unwrap it.
- Shake empty containers out over the trash to discard glitter and dust and loose pieces (holly berries anyone?) before re-use. There may be pest excrement, too. (I don't know about other places, but here in Texas, roaches love to poop on seasonal decor.) Yuck! But wouldn't you rather know and be rid of it?
- If something is so badly obscured by mold or rat-chewed as to be unrecognizable, it is no longer serving you and may be a health hazard to keep it no matter what it is.
- Enjoy your stuff! Holiday decorations are there to make your heart lighter and your soul feel its worth by connecting and sharing with others. You paid for this stuff and claim to love it. If you have and want 75 Santa Claus mugs, get them out and bring on the hot chocolate!
- How much space do you have to store seasonal items? Be honest with yourself about how much space you truly have and want to give to items used for just a portion of the year. (Are you dedicating half of your garage to 1/12 of the year items? We'll do storage math in another post, but believe me that that one just doesn't work out!) Consider upcoming moves or even right-sizing for your existing home. When your space designated for those items is full of containers and each smaller container is also full, that's all you can have.
- What shape are your containers in? Are you using cardboard boxes to store your seasonal items? These are the favorite food of roaches and silverfish and easily destroyed by rodents. (If you followed the above steps to shake loose debris out of empty containers and came up with poop, you already know this for sure!) Quality, durable containers are pricier than cardboard boxes and flimsier plastic ones, so I therefore only want to buy them for what I really cherish and use. (If the items are not cherished, do you really want to keep them around?) If you have bins and containers that fit your space already, even if not ideal in color or quality and it does not make sense to replace, wipe them out before re-use each year and thank them for serving you until you can. When I buy new containers, I invest in quality, acid-free, clear storage bins so I can easily see what's in them. These "Our Clear Storage Boxes" are my favorites and beloved by many professional organizers. I know they are more expensive and because I don't have unlimited money to spend on them, I am more careful about the items that I decide to keep. That said, most of my seasonal items live in a mish-mosh of plastic bins that I purchased at various stores over the years and I gratefully keep them as long as they are in good repair and protect my items.
- Wipe Down and Completely Empty All Bins Did you leave some stuff in there you're still not using? Out it comes! Wipe the interior and exterior of all bins to remove dust, mold....etc. before refilling with your cherished items.
- Box by category/ item type. You may have learned very clearly in step 1 that you could not quickly find a specific thing in a specific bin to save your life. Keeping like items together is not only helpful for keeping track of what you actually have, it makes decorating a whole lot easier when you only have to haul "the lights bin" (or two or three) to the front yard and not 17 different ones you have to dig through first. Use the categories I suggested above in step 1 or whatever ones make sense for what you want to keep. (Maybe you need an entire dishes bin?) As I go through my home taking things down, I gather it into piles--ornaments here, stockings and tree skirt there, before I box anything at all. Then I carefully wrap in tissue paper, bubble wrap, etc each thing, packing my most favorites FIRST. Any items that didn't get used this year? Back of the line, Buster! When a designated container ("ornaments bin") is full, those are all the items I can keep. Move leftover items to a discard pile for post-season processing.
- Label Time! When each box is closed, I use a sharpie to write every unique category in the bin on the lid (e.g. shatter-resistant ornaments, ornament hooks, stocking hangers, stockings, tree skirt) or if I am re-using a bin I labeled in a previous year, I check that all the contents still match the old labels and add or cross-off, as needed. If you do not want to write directly on the lid, try a label maker or tape an index card where it can clearly be read without opening the bin. There are a million fancy and simple ways to label bins. You do you! But don't skip this step. It is SO helpful!
- You are not throwing away memories. Those live inside you as long as you want to keep them.
- You are not throwing away a person, even if the item was a gift. A gift's purpose is immediately fulfilled the moment it is received and the love it was given with is never lost. A true gift should not burden you or your relationship with the person who gave it.
- Throwing something in the trash is not disrespectful. It is honorable to the item and empowering to you to make a clear choice about your relationship to that item instead of leaving it to languish and fester in a rat-chewed box. If someone were breaking up with you, would you prefer to be told with finality the truth with love and gratitude for your time together or moth-balled and strung along indefinitely?
- Donating or rehoming an item is wonderful and good in some circumstances, but not when it is used as a method to avoid processing your feelings and not because the item still has a useful life with someone else.
Social Media
Search