A New Beginning

The new year offers a new beginning and isn't it wonderful that it happens every 365 days? We get a chance to put the past behind us, archive it -- if you will, and start again with a clean slate and a new attitude.

I am grateful for the opportunity. The past few months have been extremely busy and challenging for me. I took an intentional break from writing and working with clients in order to concentrate full time on helping my father and his partner downsize their individual homes into a beautiful shared apartment in an independent senior living community. This transition has not been easy or quick. We have sifted through two lifetimes of belongings, every one connected to a moment, a passion, a joy, a disappointment, a sorrow or a purpose. We have laughed, we have cried, we have hollered, hugged and apologized. It has been physically and emotionally exhausting.

It has required my soon-to-be 86 year old dad to let go of things he has done everyday for the last 50+ years. It's really hard for him and it's hard to watch. He is trying to find new purpose and as he says "figure out how to reinvent himself". He is understandably apprehensive and afraid. Yet, and I admire this deeply, he is also eager for the change to happen and is embracing it the best he can.

He is like a hermit crab who must leave his shell (but in this case, it's the shell that has grown too big!) and he needs to find another. So he is scurrying around vulnerable and unprotected as I help him sort, purge, plan and organize.

His partner, whom I have known for 15+ years and love dearly, has undergone an amazing transformation throughout this process. She started out feeling very overwhelmed and not really sure what she wanted or needed to keep or even how to begin. Now, she has developed a real confidence in her tastes, can quickly identify and express her choices and see logical categories for sorting and simplifying. Seeing her life become organized and streamlined has liberated her and she radiates happiness and excitement.

The end of this phase is finally in sight as their apartment nears completion. Soon a moving date will be confirmed and my dad will get to try out his new shell and see how it fits. Undoubtedly, it will feel strange and unfamiliar at first. It will take a while to stretch it in all the right ways, but I am sure it will feel so much better. He is worried that he won't ever find all of his stuff. I assured him that he will have lots of labels to guide him, as well a personalized tour! :) Stay tuned for updates as things progress!

Thank you to all of my clients who have patiently waited for me.

I promise to call as soon as I can.

I wish all of my family, friends and clients

a very, very Happy New Year.

May your New Beginning bring opportunities

to simplify and enjoy your lives.

Warmly,

Linda ~

Ask Linda: Any Ideas for Garage Organization?

Last week, a friend posed this Question: 

"Linda, I just emptied out my disaster of a garage, epoxied the floor and painted the walls. Any ideas for garage organization?"

The garage is a tough project, similar to the basement. It is thankless and dirty, but "Oh So Rewarding" when finished.

Nothing will make it easy, but if you follow these tips, it will likely ensure satisfaction at the end of it all.

Be ruthless: Keep only 2/3 or less of what you currently have. That means for every two items you keep, get rid of one! Toss/recycle anything that is beyond repair, or not worthy of donation. Think about how often you have used that item in the last five years. Be honest. If you are afraid to get rid of it, ask yourself if you could easily replace it, or if you would buy it today if you saw it on sale at the store. Most things we keep are from guilt, or because we "might" need it some day. Someone else may be able to use what you don't need. Consider my post on Freecyle and my WNY Resources Donation Page.

Choose the right storage to keep the stuff that's left: We use these storage units, in our basement and garage and they work really well. They come in two depths, 18" and 24". I recommend purchasing at least two if you have the room, as they look nicer when they are placed next to each other in a uniform way, and it makes it easier to store things if you have a little wiggle room on the shelves. They are sturdy and durable and no maintenance. I recommend them for utility storage as well as in a basement playroom.

Getting organized is a process, not an event: I say this all the time to myself, my clients, my family. There will not come a moment where a rainbow comes out and you are Finally Organized. Instead, there will be a transition period where you begin to see the order of things and visualize the possibilities and pleasures of living more simply. This will feel wonderful! Of course, it will slowly clutter up again, and as things change, you age, have other people living with you, change your interests, ideas and capacities, you will need to continue to organize and declutter. But once you do the big job, as my friend did when she painted and epoxied the floor, you create a new canvas where you can design a more functional, organized and beautiful space. You will feel So Much Better.

Recognize that you cannot force people to get rid of things: If you live alone, this won't apply. But many of us don't and we have other people's stuff sharing our space. This can be difficult. This year my son was willing to part with some very outgrown golf clubs, but I couldn't convince my husband to pass along the snowshoes that hadn't been used since (possibly) the Storm of 2001 (if even then). Be flexible if you are organizing others (as in the case of older parents-- see post Helping Older People Get Organized), don't push beyond the limit. You can use the Paper Towel Technique described by Judith Kohlberg (see post How Do I Get Started) to break things down into manageable pieces. Once people get used to the idea of parting with things, they often can let go of more because it falls into the same category as what they have already decided they can live without. This is when the most progress will be made.

Good luck to my friend, with your garage project and kudos to you for beginning and following through and thanks for asking the question!

For help with any organizing project

simply call Linda, 716-631-5619.

Comments Welcome!
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'Tis the Season to Clean Out, Be Generous & Help Others in Need

I recently had the pleasure of being interviewed by Ben Kirst, representing Uncle Bob's Storage, regarding donating gently used items to charity.  Thanks, Ben, for a great summary of the benefits to be found from Decluttering for the Holidays!

Here is the link to the article. 

 Charitable Donations Make Decluttering a Good Deed

For a list of potential charitable organizations that would be happy to receive your stuff, check out the listing in the left hand sidebar. Click any link for more info on that organization.

 For help with decluttering or any organizing project,

simply call Linda, 716-631-5619.

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Taming the Toys, Parts 2 & 3

Back in June 2012, I wrote the post Taming the Toys, Part 1, admittedly, a very tedious project of sorting out our sizeable Lego collection, in an effort to make them accessible and useable to my youngest two children. I realized that I never posted the final outcome of that project, as I was in the middle of the process when I shared it on the blog.

Pictured above is the result of all of my sorting. Three sets of K'nex, fifteen sets of Legos, plus a bin of leftover miscellaneous Legos that can be used for free building or extra parts. The sets are a variety of houses, fire equipment, motorcycles & vehicles, airplanes, etc. Very overwhelming when mixed together, but very useable when separated.

So... when my son came home on a break from college, he was able to go down to the basement and make this airplane with his little sister and all the parts were there.



This is what I have out for the girls to use on a regular basis. A small complete collection, with instructions that they can take to the tabletop and complete, some with, some without assistance. Just right for their level now, and I can easily switch out a new set whenever they want.

 This is how I store the extra sets, in a clear bin on the bottom of the closet, with some other building supplies such as Duplo blocks, Magnetix, Thomas the Train and wooden blocks. The top shelf is off limits as it is games for older kids and baby toys. The second shelf is also off limits as it is my party/entertaining supplies.

 Taming the Toys, Part 3

So the last few weekends, I had been feeling frustrated with my girls for not keeping the basement clean. I talked with them about it and found out that it was hard for them and their friends to put things away after they used them. It became clear during the conversation that they were overwhelmed with the amount of toys in the basement. We do clean out on a regular basis, but I realized that they were right. They had changed significantly since the last purge about 2 years ago, and many of the toys had remained, while older aged toys had come out and there was too much. So we set to work. I asked them what they liked to play the most. This was easy for them to answer, as make believe/doll play was at the top of their list. I also wanted them to have a space to watch a regular and yoga videos. Another important factor was that I wanted to have a space where I could exercise alone or with the girls.

 When the girls were younger (and shorter) I had purchased two plastic 5 shelf units and split them into 4 sections of shorter shelves (2, 2, 3 and 3), as seen in this older photo, below. Shanna is blocking the TV, but it is sitting on a shelf, behind her.

 
The first thing I did was to buy this TV table ($29 Sauder, on sale at Valu- no link available) and take my two existing shelving units (~$40 HDX @ Home Depot) and put them into a configuration of two 3 shelf units (and one two shelf unit- used in the exercise area), freeing up much needed floor space. We went through the toys and purged anything broken or missing, and anything they no longer played with. I decided if it was something I wanted to keep for my potential grandkids, and if not, we donated it. This step was not too difficult because of our regular purging. We were really down to mostly basics and keepers. Here is the result.

 

Doll clothes and accessories are in the two large bins on the right shelf. Kitchen and food are in the large bins on the left shelf. They like to play shopping and store a lot, so they take various empty boxes and bottles from our kitchen to use in play. Small toys, such as the doctor kit, Legos, small blocks and play phones live in the small bins on the left shelf. Musical instruments and a small camping set are on the top left and on the top right are empty boxes that the girls constantly use for doll beds, couches, lockers etc. On the bottom left are doll/people blankets and sleeping bags and on the bottom right are foam floor pads that are constantly being built into houses and cribs for the dolls. The stuffed animals live in the yellow duck laundry hamper. Backpacks and small purses live in a round laundry basket underneath the pinball machine (shown in picture of full room, below).

Almost everything can be used interchangeably and can be left out for a period of days, and then easily put back as everything is clearly labeled and fits into its container.

 Another essential piece was the creation of a school area. I had all the components scattered throughout the basement, and simply brought them all to a corner behind the pinball game. This created a little "room" which the girls are very excited about. They insisted they wanted "a locker" so I swapped spaces with them and put my entertaining supplies in the bigger closet and gave them the cabinet for their games and school supplies.



The final piece was the creation of the exercise area. This worked out really well. The balls were rolling all over the place, so I used some step stools that I had (upside down) to corral them. The square mirror was one I had stashed away in the attic and the full length will soon be hung on the wall. On the shelves (leftover from the reconfiguration of the 5 shelf units) in the bins are exercise clothing and gear, like resistance bands and workout routines. The weight rack was something I have had for a long time and is really useful. Here is a link to a similar rack on Amazon and another, slightly different.

 So here is the overall view of the basement. A manageable, inviting space where everything has it's place. The girls can take things out, combine things together and really enjoy their play.

 
 And the view from the other way. 

 For help with your playroom or any organizing project,

simply call Linda, 716-631-5619.

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please share by clicking on the "(No) Comments" link
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Ask Linda: How DO I Get Started?

Dear Linda,

I've had the pleasure of enjoying your helpful tips via email. Presently, I'm semi-retired; a substitute teacher, HOWEVER, after 32+ years as an educator enjoying my own organized classroom/office space; I continue in my home trying to declutter and organize that space. My husband and adult daughter also contribute to the clutter here; but tend to always address their own priorities which do not include helping me declutter our home. So, as a new school year begins, my emotions seem to be tested and I'm looking for tips on how to prioritize the decluttering task and let go of much STUFF! Looking forward to your email reply.


Dear Reader:

Thank you so much for contacting me. I totally sympathize with you. One of the hardest things to do is to conquer your own space, especially when you have to work with others who do not have the same need that you have for clearing out the clutter. Believe it or not, I struggle with this as well. The sheer thought of starting can be immobilizing and lead to even further procrastination. Adding to that, the need to motivate what I call "disbelievers" (that clutter is a problem) may seem insurmountable.

Well, having said that, I do have some encouragement and practical suggestions.

1. Start somewhere. It really doesn't much matter where, but I highly recommend picking a place that will make a great impact for you; and one that you deal with on a daily basis. For example, your kitchen, your "service" entryway, your desk, or even just your incoming paperwork. Whatever you pick, choose something that will make you happy once it is organized.


2. Use the Paper Towel Tube technique. Originally described by Judith Kolberg in Conquering Chronic Disorganization, looking through your rooms with a paper towel tube narrows your visual field of vision so that you can easily focus on a tiny area and begin to make an impact there. I recommend doing this through your home and when you alight on something that makes your heart skip a beat, consider starting there.


3.  After you have been working on your areas for a while, try to begin a conversation with your husband and daughter about how their clutter choices are affecting you. Try to come up with some mutually agreeable spaces that can remain clutter free, and some that they can keep the way they want. This may mean renegotiating how the spaces are currently divided up. Here is another post about helping my dad clear out his attic, which may be of interest.


4. If you want to get a jump start on your project, consider booking a 4 hour session with me. The first part of my initial session is an assessment phase, where I would help you define your mission and goals. I can also help you and your family work together as a team.

Thank you for your awesome question and for allowing me to share it with others!

**************************************************

Can you relate to my reader? What is your experience with starting? Motivating others?

Please share by clicking on the "(No) Comments" link
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For help with getting started,
Simply call Linda, 716-631-5619.

The Ripening Box

Last week, I wrote about Broken Links. I described how we all have systems and things that stop working, we no longer use them, but we never actually take the final steps to dismantle or dispose of them.

I now have another example: A physics project made by my son; a trebuchet (see example below), which is now sitting on my front step, where it was removed from the van, after the presentation at school. It will take some work to dismantle, and I get that.... I just hope it happens before the graduation party!!

Source

Anyway, although I cannot offer a quick solution for trebuchet management, I can suggest a tool for dealing with smaller items;

The Ripening Box

This is a container (mine is an open cardboard box) that lives in a convenient location, hidden from plain view, and hopefully up out of the reach of peering eyes. Into this box I put things that have been lying around, that no one has claimed, or that seem to be no longer the priority. Tiny little toys and stickers, paper airplanes, things I am not sure I am done with, but no longer want to look at, older but still beautiful art projects, etc. All of these go into the ripening box. If by chance someone says to me "Did you see my xxxx?" I can easily dig in there and find it. If not, when the box is full, I empty it. Some things I may return to the owner, or save in the box for the next cycle, but most I either discard or donate. The box isn't very big, and I empty it every three months or so. Right now, a toaster is in my box, waiting to see if there is a need for it in my son's college dorm room.

Lest you think I am a callous person, let me tell you that I can probably count on one hand the number of times that I have had to dig into the ripening box. What I have found is that we have a plethora of stuff at any given time and much of it is not needed or missed.

What do you have laying around that you could put in The Ripening Box?

Share in the comments. I would love to hear.

For help with any organizing project,
Simply call Linda, 716-631-5619.

Clean House and SHRED!

A Community Event sponsored by L & M Financial Services, Amherst, NY is being held on Saturday, May 12, 2012.

Shred-it and Goodwill will be onsite in the back lot at their location. Follow this link for more info.

3820 Sheridan Drive
Amherst NY, 14226

If, you need help conquering the piles before you go, Simply Call Linda, 716-631-5619.

Helping Older People Get Organized

Recently, I offered to help my dad clear out his attic, which had housed treasures and stash for almost 50 years. He agreed, although I am sure he was ambivalent about it. I had offered help on previous occasions and he wasn't ready, yet.

In my mind, I established 3 goals of the project. The first was to begin. Yes, I said, simply to begin. I knew that it was an overwhelming task and one that was sure to bring up many memories and feelings. If he could simply begin the task of clearing out, that would be huge. The second goal was for Dad to feel good while he was doing it. I wanted this to be as positive as possible. I did not want to race through and force him to purge. I had waited a long time for him to be open to the idea and I wanted him to feel good about it so he would want to keep going. The third goal was for it to be a family effort (kids and grandkids) so Dad would feel supported and we would all be connected through the experience. I shared these goals with the family at the beginning of the project.

I am happy to say, that after about 4 hours, we met all three goals. We emptied nearly 2/3 of the attic; an awesome start. Dad's energy level and enthusiasm amazed me. Several times I asked him if he wanted to stop and he didn't even though I warned him that his muscles were going to hurt the next day (and I was right-- they did!). My third goal of family involvement was also met. It gave me great satisfaction to see my older daughter taking care of the younger two so we could work and to see my 16 year old son and 80ish Dad working side by side up in the attic. An huge airplane that my Dad had made around Matthew's age was uncovered, badly in need of repairs and lovingly passed on to Matthew for the job.

The airplane Dad made as a young man.

My approach when working with clients is basically the same.

1. Help them to begin.
2. Help them to feel good about the process.
3. Engage them in the process and support them along the way.

Of course, I apply organizing skills and principles during each session and if the three above goals are met, the whole project goes smoothly.


For help with any organizing project, Simply E-mail or Call Linda! 716-631-5619