Organize Your Home Day is Today!

In total self disclosure I was a crazy lady on a mission yesterday! Well that is probably true of many days, but yesterday I was particularly crazed. If you happened to read my previous blogs like this one on hosting guests, you have probably already surmised I'm a little over the top when it comes to organizing. I realized long ago that my consistently inconsistent tendencies were cause to compensate, thus adapting OCD behaviors.

It's true, all those personality assessments I've done over the years prove it. I've learned to accept and LOVE that I have gained a talent for and a love of the saying "A place for everything and everything in it's place." 

It's why Dave and I have made it our goal to create the biggest, bad ass pantries and closets in every one of our home renovations so homeowners can organize til their little hearts desire. 
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 There....I'm glad I got that out on the table! Now.....back to the story.

So yesterday was Sunday. Our goal was to do NOTHING! For us that might mean staying in our PJ's all day, watching football, a good movie, maybe binge watch something on Hulu or Netflix---like, maybe Tidying Up with Marie Kondo---more on Marie later...

But for reasons I can not explain, once I hit the ground running and got that organizing project in my mind I could not be stopped.  I cleaned out every closet,  drawer, cabinet,  locker, and mudroom basket on the first floor. I then decided to tackle the totes in the basement and the kids loft (bad idea). I finally got a hold of myself at about 5:30pm when I was satisfied that my main floor was just about PERFECT.....and knowing that I wanted to spread out the joy of organizing throughout the week I stopped. (YEP, there is seriously something wrong with me. I own it!)

Now, It was definitely time for a delicious glass of Pinot Noir as a reward. As I sat down with Dave I joked that it must be a full moon. Dave suggested medication..LOL. And then it dawned on me...it totally must have been me subliminally preparing for #OrganizeYourHomeDay which is today, Jan 14!  Perhaps that coupled with my binge watching of Tidying Up earlier in the week. Hey, I'll grasp at anything to validate my behavior. But the thing is it felt GOOD! 

Just look at how pretty this closet looks. And, WOW to purge and carry out 5--yes 5 huge garbage bags of clothes just from this ONE closet felt great. Just to give you an idea, (and mind you I do a walk thru of closets every 3-6 months discarding items that don't fit or that we don't need, or that should be mended but I know I never will) Here is a little tally I started after I purged the clothing just to see how well I was doing...
42 hats down to 25
138 pr of shoes = 97
68 scarves = 29 (don't judge! During my corporate days that was kinda my signature)
55 tank tops = 51 (Hey, I wear them!)
82 pieces of exercise gear = 30
31 swimsuits = 11
19 purses/bags = 16

It is amazing just how much excess we all have in our lives.  Now I can truly shop my closet. And that saves me money and time. Again, it felt good!

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What I learned from binge watching...

Back to Marie Kondo. Marie is an expert organizer best known for her book, "The Life Changing Magic of Tidying Up". I've included the link below as I'm 99.9% positive it will change your life if you are open to taking the bull by the horns and practice her methods. Marie also has a Netflix Original series, titled Tidying Up that is entertaining, endearing and educational. Just watch it, I can't do Marie justice in just one short blog! But be warned, it may cause you to get up and start emptying cabinets. No Joke!

 I consider myself fairly reliable in helping others organize, purge, plan, and pretty their homes but I must say Marie gave me a new perspective. I have now tweaked my way of organizing......see I still think that is why I went on my Sunday crusade of organizing, without blood shed I might add, unless you ask my kids who may think otherwise. (insert shoulder shrug) ....anyway the biggest change, and HOLY WOW did it save time was to organize by item NOT ROOM. Really, this could be the life saver  to getting back your home and winning the war on clutter. I can't tell you the time I spent organizing one room only to find that after moving, say ,all the books to one location that the next room had just as many books and I was shuffling all over again. It's not only exhausting but a waste of time. 

In light of what I learned and my passion for sharing ways to simplify your life I decided I'd give you just a few parting gifts to help you jump start your home organization on this Jan 14--National Organize your home day!

​Tip #1: Some of you may have seen my pantry project on Facebook recently. I've fallen in love with dry erase labels and the fact that there are NO boxes of any kind in my pantry. It works for us. Mostly, it makes me happy when I'm trying out my latest favorite Pinterest recipe I can find things quickly and efficiently. Who doesn't want that right? And, it really makes creating a grocery list easy peasy. My favorite labels are those below I found on Amazon. 

As an aside, after my cleaning frenzy yesterday I literally found 15 plus dry erase markers that had been hiding away in kids craft drawers and in a tote that they shoved in the basement with random school supplies and junk so now I shouldn't have to buy any for the next 10 years.) They are now housed in my craft studio in these awesome DIY bins Dave and I made. 
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​Which brings me to Tip 2: Create a TBO (to be organized) bin somewhere convenient. Place items where they belong  once a week. 

Tip 3:  Create a space for your hobbies, even if it is just a small closet or inexpensive book shelves. . Designing a space similar to the one below doesn't have to break the bank.
I love my art and my crafts and all the supplies and tools that go with it. I have a LOT. Dave and I planned out the craft studio with functionality and storage that was hidden and exposed to make working in the space easy.  He did the work himself...he's a saint!

​ We used box store cabinetry vs. custom to save a TON. This is meant for art, it's going to get messy so laminate at a fraction of the cost is a great solution and if something horrible ruins it a whole lot less expensive than quartz or granite to replace. Think function and affordability..and most import whether the space brings you joy and happiness!

To wrap up #OrganizeYourHomeDay I want to share what I think is the best gift Marie provides readers and guests on her show. I preface this by saying that some of you may find it silly, but I'm a believer. Please just hear me out.  

I've studied and taught the art of happiness and the neuroscience behind it for many years and I'm here to tell you, Marie NAILED it. Happiness isn't about how many Prada bags you have,  or how much money you have to buy all the "things" in your home that eventually create the clutter. Happiness is the zeal or "joy" (in Marie's words) that  you gain from aspiring to your potential or your goal. So, while purging that closet, if something doesn't bring joy, you probably don't need it, unless of course it serves a valid and important purpose then by all means find a place for it. ​

Happy Organizing and Happy You. Until next time! 
~Angela

P.S. If you want to learn more about the neuroscience behind Happiness check out my very favorite author and expert on the subject, Shawn Achors and his book the Happiness Advantage.

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