Your home is a reflection of your success, the love you have for your family, and the care you invest in creating a harmonious living environment.
When the mess starts to accumulate, attitudes shift, arguments arise, and the sense of tranquility that your home provides may be compromised.
Taking the time to organize and declutter not only restores order but also nurtures a peaceful atmosphere that fosters positivity and enhances your overall well-being.
You don't need more stress in your already busy life, and a cluttered or disorganized home can add unnecessary strain to your daily routine.
By implementing effective home organizing strategies, such as decluttering and creating intentional systems, you can alleviate stress, regain control over your living spaces, and enjoy a more serene and functional environment that supports your busy lifestyle.
Allow me to clarify my point: tidying is an essential aspect of a harmonious home.
Tidying is removing packaging, wrappers, and rubbish that accumulates over time.
Tidying is also grouping items by category, or putting it back in the room where it is used.
Tidying does not solve the issue of: "where does it all go?! " Organization does.
You know the difference between a tidy pantry and an organized pantry- it is the feeling of satisfaction we get when grabbing for an item without having to look!
See, you may stay busy all day long picking-up toys, putting away snacks, and never feel satisfied with the way your home flows. Because without the foundation of a system - your efforts will not get the results you want.
To get your home looking and feeling the way you wish it would, use these 3 pro organizing tips I've learned as a Professional Organizer.
1) Contain
Basically, the best way to reign in the chaos is to designate a contained space for everything in your home. We LOVE bins and baskets for this purpose.
Bins, baskets, and containers are excellent companions for large drawers, cabinets, and otherwise larger storage spaces.
Adding smaller receptacles allows you to define smaller categories and eliminates rummaging through random cabinets.
What we are doing when we add containers, is actually removing the frustration of "it might be there somewhere" and become more precise "it's in the bottom left drawer, in a bin labeled "arts and crafts".
2) Decant
Transferring your bulk items from their packaging to a container may seem excessive, but a lot of the time it is NECESSARY.
Even the most classy homes on Maui are subject to the elements, because indoor/outdoor living is the beauty of island life.
The problem is, all of our food stuff is spoiling, and everything looks messy.
Decant my friends, put your rice in an airtight container, store your dried goods properly.
Picture this: It's like giving those bulk items a fancy makeover! Decanting is the superhero transformation that turns a jumble of bagged goods into sleek, airtight containers, sealing in freshness with a satisfying "pop."
It's an upgrade from a chaotic ensemble to a stylish and organized ensemble, where every ingredient stands ready to make a culinary statement!
3) Label
If you have a busy house, labels are a must! When there are several people utilizing and enjoying your home, one way to reduce the factor of "I don't know where it goes" that you may frequently hear as an excuse- is to label everything. This way, every one in your home can help you keep it looking and feeling the way you desire.
I love reduced visual clutter, so I didn't always love the idea of labels. Since working with families who have support staff, I now understand the necessity of labels and keeping a tidy home. Labels are like a house manager: they remind you what to refill and keep everyone on track.
Labeling literally takes the guess work out of the equation, making your life more simple and available for new joys.
Am I making sense? Let me give you an example of something that our clients face: the home is managed and cleaned by professionals, yet the clutter is still obvious. --->
This is not happening because your maid service is bad at their job, on the contrary- they are focused entirely on cleaning which is much more like tidying.
It would help to have a professional organizer to create a system that your service providers will happily stick to.
Labels, bins, and decanting are the curriculum that your household follows.
That's all organizing is: a structure to guide the energy of your home to the common goal of peace and tranquility.
...
I was watching Martha Stewart reruns and I noticed she labels EVERYTHING, especially when she is cooking with someone else.
She does this to make it seem like the guests on her show know what's going on; in fact what is happening is, they are responding to her well thought out and planned system of labels. She says "now pour the white sugar in the bowl" and the guest on her show grabs the correct bowl...how? because Martha labeled it!
That's what you're doing as the woman of the house when you designate bins, assign zones for categories, label everything, and finally organize your home.
The take-away is this: tidying becomes a pathway to peace once you've allowed the structure of organization, complete with labels and bins, to support you. The weight of clutter melts away, and you can finally breathe a sigh of relief as you sink into a state of blissful relaxation.
Your home becomes an oasis of calm, where you can unwind and rejuvenate, knowing that everything is in its rightful place.
I should mention that a sure fire way to get discouraged on an organizing journey is to buy your bins, containers, and labels before you've done the editing process and taken measurements. Perhaps, this is a pro-level thing: always, always measure your shelves and drawers BEFORE buying bins or containers; always categorize BEFORE labeling.
If the task seems overwhelming, I am happy to help you along. I do offer consultations and affordable decluttering sessions to get you kick started.
Be sure to mention this blog post when you schedule a session with us to receive our bespoke, complimentary gift - ZenSmith "Harmonious Home" Eco-Friendly Dish Soap Re-Fillable Dispenser. {Free when you book one three hour session}
In harmony,
Brittany ZenSmith