All Sorted Out - Professional Home Organizing Services in the Atlanta Metro area.

Newsletter Archives

September 2008
Clearing The Closet

August 2008
How To Let Go Of Stuff

July 2008
Managing Medical Records

June 2008
Road Trip Organizing

May 2008
Collections Instead of Clutter

April 2008
Getting Ready for Tax Time

March 2008
Where to Begin

February 2008
When You Want to Help

January 2008
Top Ten Causes of Disorganization

December 2007
Organize for Air Travel

November 2007
Organize for Small Spaces

October 2007
When Life Happens, Reorganize

September 2007
Bathroom Organizing

August 2007
Paper Organizing

July 2007
Uncluttered Kids' Rooms

June 2007
Top Ten Organizing Tools

May 2007
Grapple The Garage

April 2007
Managing Your Time

March 2007
Spring Organizing

February 2007
Help for Caregivers of Aging Parents

January 2007
National Get Organized Month

December 2006
Year End Organizing

November 2006
Give Thanks for Being Organized

October 2006
Holiday Kitchen Organization

September 2006
In Case of a Weather Emergency - Organize!

August 2006
Back to School Organizing

July 2006
Declare your Independence from Summer Clutter

ORGANIZING TIPS OF THE MONTH: AUGUST 2008
How to Let Go Of Stuff

One of the biggest obstacles to organizing is reluctance to let go of things. As long as there is space, you keep adding to your possessions. Then one day you look around at a sea of clutter. This month’s tips include a number of common dilemmas. If you are ready for change, I can help speed the process.

You have an item you think you may use someday, even though it is still in the box from 7 years ago. Go ahead and write “Someday” on a day on your calendar in big letters. Attach a “Someday” sticker to everything you have said you are going to use someday and group the items together. When “Someday” comes around, donate all the “Someday” things you have not used.
A friend or relative gives you a gift you do not like or will not use. You do not want to hurt their feelings, so the unwanted gifts clutter your home and bother you every time you see them. Realize that a gift is yours and you can do what you want with it. A charity can raise funds from your donation of unwanted gifts. You are doing something positive for others while clearing your home of clutter. You can also let friends and relatives know you are trying to reduce your number of possessions, and agree to alternative gifts such as a meal together or donations to favorite organizations.
Children’s artwork and crafts quickly multiply into large unmanageable piles. Keep only the best, most creative or amusing work. Do not keep anything made with food items since it will attract insects and rodents. Have a memorabilia box or bin for each child. When the bin is full, purge it. Keep in mind what your child will realistically be able to store in their own home someday.
You are storing things for other people. Their things sap your energy. Politely let people know your have set a date for them to find an alternate place to store their stuff or you will give it to charity. If the things have been sitting in your home for months or years, chances are the stuff does not have value to the owner. You will be surprised how much they get rid of. Be ready to follow through with a charity pick up.
You have clothes that are too big/too small or are still good but are 10 years old. If the ill-fitting clothes have been hanging in the closet for a year or more, donate them to someone who needs them. Old clothes look like old clothes even if they still fit. Color trends, shoulder shapes, trims, prints all look dated after a few years. Even if a style is coming back, it will not be the same as the original. You look your best and most confident in clothes that fit and are current.
Toys are out of control. To get a grasp of what you have, sort the toys into categories—building blocks, games, dolls, cars, dress up, crafts. Then purge toys that are broken, outgrown, or no longer used. Go quickly—your first impression is most true. You may get stuck on keeping toys which you view as sentimental, collectible, or may be handed down to another child. Be honest about the sentimental toys. Take photos of the large ones, then pass them on to someone who wants them. Be selective about the small ones; again keep in mind the amount of storage space your child will have in their own home. Check an auction site to see if your collectible is really worth keeping. If a toy can be handed down, make sure it is clean, in good condition, and has play value.
Sports equipment is piled up. Again start by sorting. If you have duplicates or something is in poor condition, get rid of it. Does anyone in the household use the equipment? If your son has not played soccer in 3 years, pass the balls and shin guards onto someone who will use them.
Your kitchen is overflowing with cooking and baking equipment. Do you cook or bake? If not, relieve your cabinets of things you do not use. Examine your pots, pans, and baking dishes. If they are rusted, chipped or the non-stick coating has deteriorated, get rid of the pieces. If you have duplicates in good condition, see if a relative or friend would like to have the items.
Paper is everywhere. Do tough love on yourself. See how quickly and how much paper you can go through 30 minutes at a time. Toss/recycle/shred obvious trash. Recycle the newspapers even if you have not read them. Do the same for any magazines that are over 2 months old. Recycle all the catalogs—more will come next month or you can shop online. Toss the solicitations for money—you already know what your favorite organizations are and you can donate online. Recycle the ads and coupon flyers; you will shop for only what you need. These steps alone will greatly reduce your paper overwhelm so you can find and process the important papers that have been hidden in the piles.
The stuff is still good/was expensive but you do not like it anymore. Just like the old saying about “Don’t cry over spilled milk,” you cannot bring back the money you spent for the things you bought. See if a relative or friend would treasure the items. If you want to recoup some of your money, you can try to sell things at a consignment store, online auction site, or in a garage sale. An organization you support may appreciate donations for its own annual garage sale. If a possession no longer gives you pleasure, let someone else benefit from your generous gift.