I recently had a discussion with a couple of clients that are environmentally aware, the discussion led us to possible options on how to dispose of certain items and the tons of clothes and packaging disposed of everyday. A scary thought! So I did a little research in my free time and I wanted to share with others what I found. There are great options for those that are ready to do their part in keeping our planet happy! One of those options is offered by Nordstrom, and I was pretty impressed with their website and their commitment to reuse and recycle. Nordstrom runs 2 programs: - BEAUTYCYCLE which aims to recycle tons of empty beauty packaging. - A CLOTHING DONATION program with 2 options, either visiting a drop-off donation site or mail-in option. According to their website the clothing collected in NYC are donated to Housing Works those collected in California and Washington are donated to Goodwill. This will give you the option of recycling both clothing, shoes and beauty products containers all in one location, and you can drop them off before you go shopping. NORDSTROM BEAUTYCYCLE This program aim to collect empty beauty products packaging that cannot be recycled otherwise and would end up in the landfill, like empty shampoo bottles, lipstick cases etc, items we usually discard in the trash. Think about the impact on the planet! This program is made easy by having collection bins in the Beauty Section of Nordstrom stores nationwide where you can drop off your empty containers before you shop, probably even if you don't plan on shopping. All you have to do is collect them at home and drop off when visiting a mall or store. Below you can see accepted and not accepted items, for detailed information visit the Beautycycle link above. Beautycycle is a program that partners with Terracycle, an organization that recycles all kinds of materials that are not recyclables by local entities. Here is their website https://www.terracycle.com/en-US You can visit Youtube for a video on how Beautycycle works: https://youtu.be/Dn07pPtMk6M CLOTHING DONATION BINS According to Nordstrom website there are collections bins in store in Washington, California, and New York state. All other states would have to use their mail-in program partnered with Give Back Box which allows you to ship boxes of donated clothing, shoes and accessories for free. All donated items in Washington and California will be sent to Goodwill, items collected in New York will be sent to Housing Works which is a non-profit that provides services and programs for people living with HIV/AIDS. This will not only save tons of usable clothing from ending up discarded in a landfill but it will be given new purpose by serving others in need. MAIL-IN PROGRAM
If you live in a state where Drop Off bins are not an option you can take advantage of Nordstrom Mail-In program in partnership with Give Back Box a non profit that focus on recycling unwanted goods by allowing people to use any box to ship their donations free of charge. Follow this link to Nordstrom Donation program to find store locations for drop off, details for Mail-in program, and answers to FAQ This link instead will bring you to Give Back Box website where you can learn more and print your free shipping label. I am still researching options and there is a lot of information to sift through so I will update this post with new info in the future. Spring is a time of renewal, a good time to freshen up and clean your home. According to Feng Shui clutter and dust trap negative energy and we don’t want any of that! Decluttering your home will give it a fresh, put together look and facilitate cleaning it afterwards, thus making that chore also much quicker afterwards. You will be more successful if you focus on one room at a time and complete it before starting the next. And don't forget to open the windows and let some fresh air in (good energy will flow) and some sun light (it is a natural sanitizer). Before you start gather 5 containers/bags you will use to categorize items. It could be laundry bins, cardboard boxes, trash bags, whatever you have on hand. The 5 categories will be: PUT AWAY RECYCLE TRASH REPAIR/CLEAN/MEND DONATE As you go from room to room pick up all stray items first in that room and deposit in related category, or where they belong in that particular room. Secondly open cabinets, closets, drawers or any other storage unit, empty it completely, wipe it clean if needed, check if any type of maintenance is needed (small repairs/new liners etc). Go through all the items you have taken out, check for expiration dates, damages, stains, age of item, current shape, and ask yourself if you use it and/or like it?? Depending on your assessment you will place items in 1 of the 5 categories above, or return it to its previous location if that is where it resides and you decided to keep it. Sometimes items stray away from the room in which they are used and belong, as you go from room to room try to identify if the items you find really belong there, are there empty plastic bottles, food leftovers, old receipts, items that need to be returned, etc, In your bedroom? Clearly they don’t belong, so sort them out accordingly. PUT AWAY Here you will place items that have strayed from their home and need to be returned to other rooms. As you travel from room to room pick up what does not belong and return what does. This is something you can do on a weekly basis to keep it from accumulating. I call it the Lost and Found basket :-) So if you find a pair of socks in the living room, return them to either the laundry room or wherever you keep your socks. TRASH You can use a trash bag for this category as it will be discarded in the end. This category is for items that cannot be salvaged, and are obvious trash. Broken, badly stained, food leftovers and wrappers and other obvious garbage. RECYCLE Also part of trash in a way but if it can be recycled it should! Any plastic/paper (old mail/magazines/school papers) items you find and that are no longer needed/wanted will go into this category to be recycled. DONATE These are also items you no longer want/need but they still have life left in them, someone else could use them and by donating them you will do your part in keeping our planet a little cleaner. Depending on your area there are multiple options for donations, or you can try posting online in Free for Pickup groups. REPAIR/CLEAN/MEND/RETURN This is a wide category but they are all items going out so make sense to group them together. It is helpful if you can keep them close to the door to make it easy to pick them up on your way out, and as a visual reminder. What goes in this categories are items you purchased online, and need to be returned but for some reason you keep delaying, shoes that need repairs, clothes that need alterations, garments that need to be dry cleaned, or even that garden shears you need to return to your neighbor but you could not find...lol.. In short all those little tasks you have delayed forever for a reason or another. Get them out and be done with it. :-) What you will be left with is a home where everything is where it belongs and there are no stray items laying around, or uncompleted tasks in the back of your mind… even if they are in the further recesses of it...lol... And if you find the process too much for you, you can always call on a Professional Organizer that will assist you. If you are in NYC feel free to reach out and I will be there by your side, if you are somewhere other than New York City and want some support during this process in virtual form please reach out and we can discuss. Happy Spring Cleaning!! This is not something I wrote or came up with…. I wish! I am not talented in the writing department but I have very good logic and spacial skills, I am good at organizing and clutter comes with the territory. A large majority of my clients have organization challenges and issues for different reasons, but most often one of them is CLUTTER. What can be considered clutter is different in every home, and many people have a hard time recognizing it and letting it go. I found this documentary intriguing and revealing, and I believe it is helpful in understanding some truths about clutter. This documentary (3 parts) series by a group of archeologists and anthropologists at UCLA University is a study of people’s habits, consumerism and overabundance in the U.S. which along with other factors contributes to a large majority of U.S. households to live with clutter, the way it affects families, and stress levels. It analyzes how clutter accumulates over time and why it is so hard to reverse the process. It is a condensed version, there is also a book titled: “Life at Home in the 21st Century: 32 families open their doors” by Jeanne E. Arnold, it is available online at multiple stores or look if it’s available at your local library. Here you can read a blurb about the book: https://ioa.ucla.edu/press/life-at-home "U.S. households have more possessions per household then any society in global history and hyper consumerism is evident in many spaces." by lead author Jeanne E. ArnoldSTUFF - A cluttered life part 1 FOOD - A cluttered life part 2 SPACE - A cluttered life part 3 " The U.S. has 3.1% of the world children but consumes 40% of the world's toys" lead author Jeanne E. ArnoldThis study was not done to shame anyone rather to shine a light on how consuming affects us, the planet and the future of our children. It is a good watch and makes for a good read not only for those dealing with the problem of CLUTTER but for those that are curious to understand how this comes to happen and where to start to address it.
1 - PUT THINGS AWAY
2 - CREATE ROUTINES Linking to first tip, establishing routines and implementing them is one of the Pillars of an organized home. Once you get used to it you will follow them without a thought nor effort. NOTE: It will take about 20 consecutive days for a routine (repeated task) to take root. 3 - PERMANENT HOMES Everything you own should have a "set place" where it belongs, according to your living space, and where it makes sense to YOU! It must fit your way of thinking, and your lifestyle. Make a home for things where YOU would logically think you will find it. Where you use them if possible. Example: would you look for your cooking pots in the bedroom? No? why? Logically they don't belong there, since you don't use them there. Use these parameters for your other belongings as well. 4 - FLAT SURFACES Flat surfaces are NOT storage areas, they are WORKING ones. It is extremely important to understand this concept early in your organizing efforts, DO NOT use tables, counters, bedside tables etc. to store things ON, use them for their intended purpose like eating, cooking, working. Use storage options to store your belongings. 5 - DECORATION To keep flat surfaces clutter free and pretty use 1 decorative item as a centerpiece, like this one from Crate and Barrel , other options could be, candles, pretty soaps, flowers, bowl of fruit or a family picture. Tell yourself that this is the ONLY item "allowed" to live on that surface, anything else that you may occasionally find there has to be re-homed. 6 - 5 MINUTES RULE Use this rule when you get home everyday, DO NOT POSTPONE putting away what you are carrying with you. Coat, hat, umbrella, phone, keys, groceries, mail, take out, Take 5 minutes and put them all away where they belong, NOW. Don't allow yourself to leave for later, clean your slate now and when you are done you will be able to fully relax with nothing to do on your list. An added bonus, you will be able to find everything tomorrow :-) 7 - FAMILY MEMBERS Teach whoever lives with you to follow the rules and routines as well, after all it has to be a team effort if it needs to work. They should participate as much as possible. If it's a child a small reward might help, positive encouragement might work better than punishment. It might work for adults as well ;-) 8 - PROCRASTINATION Don't procrastinate, it might seem hard at first but it will only grow bigger every time you postpone it, and it will not magically become any easier. If the task seems too much for you to handle HIRE an organizer to get it in motion, work with her until you feel comfortable to continue on your own or until it's all done. All you will have to do after is maintain it. 9 - SMALL STEPS Plan in small increments, 15 minutes a day if you have to. You can clear a small area or pile in that amount of time, like that pile of mail on your desk, that is hiding your electric bill which is past due but you can't find. Fifteen minutes might be enough to clear your junk drawer, or under your bathroom sink. Whatever you can do in small doses, try it every day. Put it on your calendar if you have to. You can listen to music while working or take care of that phone call to grandma if you can multitask. 10 - SALES, BARGAINS, FREEBIES Avoid them, they are your worst enemy. If you want to STOP CLUTTER from entering your home, stay away from thrift stores, garage sales, freebies and bargains. They are an endless source of clutter others DO NOT WANT. Shop only when you actually NEED something, not out of boredom. If you are replacing something, get rid of the old one. If it is still in working condition donate, otherwise toss it. Do not keep just in case, if it was something you wanted you would not have purchased a NEW one. 11 - ONLINE SHOPPING Research has shown that most online shopping is due to impulse and enticement not a real need. So if you are shopping online and get tempted, place items in your virtual cart and allow yourself time to think. Give it a day or two and ask yourself: DO I HAVE A PLACE TO STORE IT? DO I NEED IT? WILL I USE IT? WHY DO I WANT IT? If you can find a valid reason why you should buy it, then make place for it by discarding something else. Often times if you allow yourself to ponder you will realize you don't really want it. 12 - ORGANIZERS In drawers or shelves use organizers, bins, or anything on hand that will help you keep items separated and together at the same time. Loose stuff is hard to keep organized, while if you create compartments and categories it will help to keep them together. Group similar things and find ways to keep them together, you can use ziplock bags, small tupperware, phones boxes, or purchase organizers like this one from Container Store . On shelves you can use bins, if they are stackable it will help you use vertical space optimally. 13 - SENTIMENTAL ITEMS These are the ones that are hard to let go. If it's just the memory your are preserving, try taking pictures and save them online in an album, such as "Memory Lane", but discard the items. You can jog memories by looking at the pictures as much as the item itself. If you are keeping items because they belonged to a dear one, try to repurpose them, there are businesses using grampa favorite shirt or ties to make new items like pillows, quilts etc. things you can enjoy, rather than keeping the items hidden in a trunk in the attic. Lots of people keep card as mementos, and these can become quite large collections, photograph them and save them as pictures including the message part. For other special items that can't be photographed or repurposed, have a box or container to store and allow only as many as there is space. As you collect NEW items you may be ready to part with older ones. Revisit occasionally. 14 - PAPERS Lots of people are going paperless but if you are not there yet, get started on reducing those piles of papers you know are hiding somewhere in your home. Papers are one of the categories people avoid the most, I have never encountered a client eager to start that task, on the contrary, they try to run from it as much as possible. BAD NEWS is, it will just grow and grow. Enlist the help of a Professional Organizer to attack the bulk, make some sense of it, and organize it. Once it's done all you have to do is follow the system in place, and set 1 day a week to go through whatever papers have accumulated, do It WEEKLY. Decide on one spot where you will save all the incoming paper and will go through on the designated day and time. It may be a basket in the kitchen or a drawer in your desk, wherever it works for you as long as it is 1 location and you will check it weekly. 15 - CLOTHES The majority of people have an overflow of clothes, even children. While it is true that we use 20% of our clothes 80% of the time, we are still buying new ones. One way to keep your closet free of clutter is to EDIT your wardrobe every change of Season. Remove what is stained, damaged, faded/discolored, or out of shape. Focus and keep what you feel comfortable in, what you love and wear often, what makes you feel confident and happy. If you have clothing that you haven't worn in a long time chance is none of the above statements apply to this garment. When you buy NEW clothes chose high quality ones that will last for a while, try to create a basic wardrobe of classic pieces you can use multiple ways in combination with accent pieces. Stay away from "fast fashion" items, these are low-quality clothing designed and made specifically for short-term ownership and premature disposal.Our landfills will be thankful. It is everywhere, on Pinterest, Blogs, TV shows, Books, everyone is talking about decluttering and organizing, tidying up like the Japanese guru but a lot of people are confused on what exactly these words mean, or they mistake one for the other. As a Professional Organizer I get people contacting me to help them declutter and organize, which can be intense experiences but very rewarding in the end, but sometimes during our phone call consultations I realize what they mean is TIDYING UP. I hear things like “I have piles of laundry to put away” or “my living room is overrun with toys that no one puts away” these are TIDYING UP tasks. If you already have a place to put them in but lack the time to do so, and you don’t intend to get rid of anything, there is no decision making process needed, and TIDYING UP is all that is required. As a Professional Organizer I sometimes do that, these sessions are called Maintenance or Reset sessions. Many clients with busy work and family schedules, after the initial Decluttering and Organizing use my services to Maintain the organization systems we put in place. So here is a brief explanations of what these terms mean. TIDYING UP: to make a place or a collections of things tidy. When you tidy up you put things back in their proper places so that everything is neat. SYNONYMS: clean up, neaten, straighten out. Tidying up is not ORGANIZING. Your belongings already have a home, and there is no need to rehome them or find the right place for them. They just need to be put back where they BELONG. Tidying is what you do at night after dinner and before you head to bed. You straighten up the pillows on the couch, remove drinkware from the coffee table, pick up toys and put them away etc. so that your living room looks TIDY, and everything that does not belong there is put back in it’s proper place. In short it is a RESET, where everything returns home ready to be used the next day. Some professional Organizers offer this service, some call it Maintenance session, some call it a Reset and that is basically what it does it resets the area/room back to an organized state. This assuming you have worked with the Organizer in creating the systems that will keep you organized, in the first place. DECLUTTERING: to remove unnecessary items from an overcrowded place/area, in order to make it more pleasant and more useful. SYNONYMS: dejunk Decluttering is not ORGANIZING or TIDYING UP. Decluttering involves decisions making, when you declutter you “remove” things that you no longer want/like or use from an area or room. You will have to decide if you will trash (what is broken) keep (what you are still using or like) or recycle/donate (you no longer want it but it is still works). In some cases the items you will keep will be re-homed somewhere else where they are more accessible or will make life easier for you. ORGANIZING: to arrange something according to a particular system, to form into a cohesive unity or functioning whole, to set up a structure. SYNONYMS: systematize, methodize We are not all organized by nature, some will struggle with this more than others but we can all benefit from an organized environment, be it home or work. Organizing is NOT DECLUTTERING or TIDYING UP, organizing involves setting up systems and creating routines and habits that will be the base for becoming and staying organized. The scope of organizing is to make things functional, eye pleasing and make your life easier. Once you are organized and have your systems and routines in place, you will be able to TIDY UP at the end of the day in a matter of minutes. Now that you have a clearer idea of what each word means, and what it can do for you, how will you put it to work? Let me know if there is anything else I did not cover and that you would like me to add. |
AuthorHello, my name is Vicky and I am a Professional Organizer in NYC. I am passionate about anything related to organizing and most of all I fully believe in the benefits of it. Archives
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