Venting = Organising

Do you know how some people have music or food or tv shows to turn to when they get stressed or overwhelmed?  I (Rachel) turn to organizing and cleaning.  Even if there is a situation that arises that I feel is out of my control, I tend to go home and “vent” my way thru my pantry or a cupboard or drawer. 

And look out if I get angry!  Some poor unsuspecting pile of clutter is going to pay a heavy price!  I have never in my life cleaned a room faster than when I am angry or upset. 

I never thought I was a person that struggled with anger…that is until I got married. 

And after a year or two I thought I got a better understanding and handle on it…that is until I had children! 

Kids = Mess

Those of you reading this that have kids probably are nodding your head in agreement with me at this point.  Kids are messy and chaotic and noisy at the best of times.  And then in our amazing wisdom we decided to have four beautiful children.  And just for extra fun they are all boys!

If my boys are not fighting, eating, or making a mess I usually end up suspicious of their activities.  Sometimes I am pleasantly surprised that they are playing together nicely.  But often they are making even a bigger mess or destroying something.  Because of their constant need to “redecorate” our house and yard I have lots of chances to reevaluate what is and is not working for our family in terms of organizing. 

Toys = Headaches

Also, their messes have helped me to figure out what toys are a necessary part of our household and which ones are just clutter and just take that much longer to clean up.  Granted one of my real pet peeves is with Lego pieces but see my other blog about LEGO  to see how I better have dealt with this issue.   However, I realized my kids do not need 15 puzzles accessible to them to dump out together.  They appreciate them again as if they are new after they have been out of reach for a while and then I can pull out only a couple at time. 

Kitchen = Decluttering

I also find the kitchen to be a huge area that has been impacted by my love of organizing.  I am a firm believer that if something does not get used a least once a month it either needs to go to a harder to reach spot in the cupboard or pantry or it needs to be donated to an op shop.  That way when I open a drawer or cupboard, I can find exactly what a want in seconds.  It has taken so much stress and frustration out of cooking to know and use all the things at my fingertips. 

Pantry = Organising

Now the pantry is an area that if you do not keep a close eye on things there will be survivors that can last for decades in the dark recesses of the shelves.  Having a larger family means that we cycle thru quite a bit of food every week.  However, often still there are things that sound good at the grocery store that never seem to make it to the weekly menu plan.  In my highly efficient way, every couple of months I try to see if we can go a few extra days between shops to try and be creative in using up some of those “survivors.”  And, if they still don’t make it out of the back of the pantry, they just need to be tossed or given away to someone that will use them.  Do not let food or the guilt of getting rid of unopened food that has lost its appeal get in the way of a lovely user-friendly pantry!

Closets = Sanity

And lastly, I will mention my closet.  I know some people might shudder when they open the door to their wardrobes, but it doesn’t have to be that way.  For me I started with a clean out of clothes that I honestly don’t like, don’t fit (with exceptions) or just don’t look flattering on me.  This is actually a hard step because the shirt that looks amazing on my friend might look terrible on me.  I had to really be critical so I could only be left with the gems that made me happy instead of the dread of choosing what to wear in the morning.  

Then after deciding what to keep and what to toss or donate, I tend to try and divide my clothes to more of the “summer” ones and “winter” ones.  The current season gets center stage in my closet, while the opposite season’s wardrobe gets put into another area.  This also gives me a chance to review my selections when I swap out the season’s every six months or so. 

Being Organised = Changed Life

Being organized does not mean I have to be a minimalist and get rid of everything.  Once I figured out systems that worked for us, I could evaluate how much “stuff” we could have in a space.  After that space was full, something had to be gotten rid of before more could come in. 

I have found organising has changed my life by giving me more time to focus on more important things that searching for a long-lost kitchen utensil.  And when I walk into my closet, I have confidence that I will find something that I love to wear. 

Organising is more than a one-time adventure.  Systems must continue being changed and reevaluated as seasons of life change.  Just because something has always been done this way or the chair has always sat in the same spot does not mean it’s the best place for it.  I challenge you to move furniture around to get a new perspective or sit down and weed out the unused utensils out of your miscellaneous drawer.  Start small but be encouraged by the improvements!  It is such a freeing experience to have a newly organized space.  It will change your life, like it has done mine!

Thanks for reading and look out for my next blog on what a professional organizer is NOT!