We all know organized spaces feel GOOD! But it’s easy to let things get away on us, collect more things than we need and ultimately end up in a bit of chaos. We recently had our closet redone but, to be honest, it was still a bit of a hot mess. So I brought in my friend and professional home organizer Lizzy Kline! She helped me ‘edit’ and clean up our closest and it was amazing! I feel like a weight has been lifted off of me! Is there any better feeling than detoxing a bunch of “junk” or unused items out of your spaces, home, and life?!
In this blog Lizzy shares her amazing tips so you can DIY your organization at home! Or if DIY isn’t for you and you’re in the STL area give her a call. Here’s what Lizzy had to say!
Where to Begin With Home Organization
It can be overwhelming to think of all the extra clothes, old stuff and junk drawers you have to go through so just start with the room or area that causes you the most anxiety.. can even be your car 😉!
How do I get started?
Step 1: Editing
The best way to get the party started is by emptying out the space. Yes… the whole space. You’ll be making more of a mess before things get tidy, that’s okay. Next, EDIT. Editing refers to the process of deciding what needs to go in which pile. This is the hard part.
Make 3 Editing Piles
• Donate or sell
• Garbage
• Keep
Donate or Sell: Decide what can be given away because there is no shame in the editing game!! But there is no going back, once it’s in this pile so give it a new home right away! If you can sell higher-end or good-quality items… go for it! There are many great ways to do this! But remember.. time value. Sometimes it’s takes as much time to sell something for $10 as it does for $100. So make sure it worth your time. Otherwise donating is a great option.
Trash: “When in doubt throw it out.” I know it’s hard to say goodbye, and it might feel wasteful, but if you haven’t used something in years and no one else would want it it probably means it is garbage. Broken, mismatched, or parts missing? Throw it away. This kind of clutter causes lots of stress while not contributing any value in your life. Get rid of it!
Keep: This pile is for the things you use often, things you love and things that bring value to your life.
Step 2: Organizing
After you decide what to keep in the space then organizing these items into their new homes is actually the easy part. Now you can have fun buying great containers, switching out hangers, and use other organizational essentials. But before you do make sure you measure, and then sort items into categories and store keepsakes in clear labeled bins.
Ok now that we are edited and organized…
How Do I Keep it Organized?
3 Rules
- Quality over Quantity when Purchases New Things
- Practice the One in One Out Rule
- Less is More
If you are anything like me…you love to shop and there is no end in sight with those Amazon deliveries!!! But it’s important to keep in mind…quality over quantity. When it comes to clothing for example my rule of thumb is if you can’t stop thinking about it after 24 hours go for it. Obviously within your budget. But imagine if instead of impulsively buying a top “because it was on sale” or those shoes because they were a “deal of a lifetime” we held off for 24 hours? We’d probably buy at least 50% less!
When it comes to skincare stop buying 500 sephora products and instead invest in 2-3 medical grade skincare products that are going to change your skin! This is where Racquel comes in! I use a few products and replace as they start to run out. Our instinct is to stockpile, forget, and switch to another routine. Sorry friends! That takes up real estate in our bathroom and costs a lot of extra money!!
In our pantries the reality is we are going to eat what we want to eat and we are also going to keep grocery shopping. The days of stockpiling (unless there is an unbelievable sale…) can be over! We have so much access to grocery stores and especially now with delivery companies and online ordering there’s no need to overstock and keep 15 cans of tuna in the pantry.
I hope these tips are helpful and inspire you to edit and organize your space, maybe as early as this weekend 😉 . If you’re in the STL area and would like to get in contact I’ll leave my information below.
– Lizzy Kline
Lizzy is a St. Louis based professional Organizer. Lizzy is a firm believer that organization is a skill that everyone can learn. She brings a nonjudgemental lightheared approach to decluttering with her clients.
Lizzy discovered her passion for organization and decluttering while being a fulltime mom of four. Keeping a tidy and functionally organized home was her secret to keeping schedules and a consistant routine for all four. Now that all four of her children are in school she has decided to share the love of reimagining and home organization with the community.
Lizzy helps families dive in to their closets, panteries, storage spaces, offices and much more to help them rekindle their appreation for the space they have. Less Is More is the concept Lizzy helps teach her clients so they can maintain a decluttered lifestyle.
You can reach Lizzy at
314-570-8942
Happyspacesbylizzy@gmail.com
Follow her @happyspacesbylizzy on Instagram for lots of helpful tips and tricks to help avoid and maintain clutter.
