Having a Clear Kitchen Counter - It's Possible!

Let’s be real, not everyone has the time every night to keep a cleat kitchen counter. Keeping kitchen counters clear can be a challenge, especially in a busy household. But, a clear countertop can help to create a sense of calm and organization in your kitchen. Here are some tips to help you keep your kitchen counters clutter-free:

1. Designate a home for everything: Make sure that everything in your kitchen has a designated place, and make sure that everyone in the household knows where items belong. This will help to keep counters clear and prevent clutter from building up.

2. Get rid of items you don't use: Take a good look at the items on your kitchen counters and get rid of anything you don't use regularly. This could be appliances, decor, or other items that are taking up valuable counter space.

3. Use storage solutions: There are many storage solutions that can help you keep your kitchen counters clear. Consider using a kitchen cart, under-cabinet organizers, or shelf risers to maximize storage and keep items off the counters.

4. Use a "one in, one out" rule: When you bring something new into your kitchen, make sure to get rid of something old to keep the counters clear. This will help to prevent clutter from building up over time.

5. Keep a clear surface for food preparation: Dedicate a portion of your countertop for food preparation, and make sure that it stays clear of any other items. This will help you work more efficiently in the kitchen and keep your counters clutter-free.

6. Put items away immediately: Make it a habit to put items away immediately after using them. This will help to prevent clutter from building up and will keep your counters clear and organized.

7. Make a daily habit of decluttering: Make a daily habit of decluttering your kitchen counters. This will help to prevent clutter from building up and will keep your kitchen looking tidy and organized.

Spend less time cleaning and organizing, and more time enjoying your kitchen!

Holiday Gifts for that the one who loves all things organized

It’s that time again when gift giving is on everyone’s mind. It’s hard to think of the perfect gift to give that friend or family member of yours who loves to live a minimalistic life style and could probably view gifts as clutter.

Not to worry! Here’s a list from a professional organizer to help you pick the perfect gift for that special person. Feel free to click through the items, I’ve included some links that point directly to purchase the item. (As an Amazon Associate I earn from qualifying purchases. I get a small percentage of the product price (with no extra cost to you!), so thank you for buying through me and supporting my business.)

1. If they don’t already have one - get them a label maker! What other way can you help your organized friend - stay organized!! Labels help maintain organization so all that hard work that went into creating those organization systems will continue to remain so.

2. These books by The Home Edit are just so….pretty! I can browse these pages for hours and admire all the symmetrical pantries and colour coded rainbow closets.

3. Turntables are so useful to contain items, especially in hard to reach places. Items look more intentionally placed when on a turntable - add some style with a marble turntable that not only is functional, but beautiful as well.

4. I’m all about stackable items. These jewelry trays save space as well as protect your jewelry. They can be stacked or kept individually in drawers.

5. For that jet setting friend - a set of packing cubes for their luggage. Use them to group category of clothes or even to sort complete outfits.

Why do you want to get Organized? Here are some Benefits.

So there are a lot of benefits to being more organized than just knowing where your items are kept.

Saves you money:

Being organized keeps you from buying items that you already have, but might have forgotten about or lost. Raise your hand if you’ve ever gone to the store and came back home with ingredients you already had unopened, hidden at the back of your pantry. 

Saves time:

No more running around, looking for that lost document you needed. Know where everything is kept, so you can find it when you need it.

Boost energy and productivity.

Productivity is all about efficiency -- doing more, faster and with less. When you are organized, you have your whole day somewhat mapped out. You know which tasks are high priority, and you can schedule them into your day.

Brings peace into your life

Outer order brings inner calm. Unfinished projects, pending to-do’s, cluttered environments can all add stress to our lives. When our area is cluttered, it is a lot of for our brain to process. We see clutter and are then reminded of all the things we need to do. Being organized can help cut out that noise and bring tranquility to our lives.

Helps you sleep better

A messy bedroom can lead to a poor night’s sleep and increased anxiety.

A study, conducted by St. Lawrence University showed that people who have clutter in their bedrooms take longer to fall asleep than those with neat and tidy rooms

Decrease overwhelm

When things are not in order, it can cause overwhelm. Clutter is just basically reminders of things you have yet to do. It’s the one word my clients come to me to express how they are feeling in their space.

Increase time with family

Disorganization distracts us by drawing our attention away from what our focus should be on. 

Who wants to spend every weekend tidying and putting things back using a system that won’t maintain the organization long term? No one. It’s a waste of time and you could be doing so much more. By finding the perfect system, tidying won’t take as long and you can do more with your time.

Simplify: To Regain some Sanity in our Lives

And just like that the month is done. Between packed schedules and getting back to our routine it’s no wonder we may start feeling some overwhelm.

When in doubt, Simplify.

Simplifying is the most easiest and quickest way to regain some sanity in our hectic lives. Let’s start by simplifying your:

Your Belongings: Everything we own takes up physical space in your home and mental space in our mind. Start small. Decluttering is like building muscle. The more you do it, the easier it will be.Less things, more freedom.

Your Schedule: Every night I take a look at my list, and choose 3 priority items for the next day, depending on my schedule. These would be the most time sensitive and urgent items or the ones that I am stressing over the most. Get into the habit of checking your to do list daily. Schedule in a time to complete those tasks. I don’t think it’s ever possible to have your to do list down to zero, but at least in this way you are continuously getting those urgent, time sensitive tasks taken care of and nothing slips through the cracks.

Your Social Media accounts: Even for a day, try it out! Let’s mute those apps that constantly cry for our attention Reduce the “noise” in your life.

Mudrooms can be both Stylish & Functional

Did you happen to catch the Gazette last week? I was featured, along with another organizer! So exciting. Here is the link to read the full article.

New Month: Time to Reset

ts no secret that I love the beginning of the month.

There are a few tasks I like to do at the end of the month, which helps me reset for the new month.

Let’s dive in:

1. Brain dump and write down your goals/to-do's for the next month.

   • Whether professional or personal, it’s a great time to plan out your goals for the coming month. Break down each task with easy, actionable steps that will help you achieve those goals.

2. Review the new month’s Calendar

   • We use a dry erase calendar at home. At the end of the month, I wipe it clean and write out all the events for the new month. I take note of birthdays and other events that may require me to purchase gifts so I can plan ahead.
     

3. Photo Backup

   • Because of my work, my phone fills up very quickly with photos and videos of my clients spaces. I copy (and delete) all photos off my phone and backup on my hard drive.

4. Deep Clean your Home

   • Clean out spaces you typically don’t get around to on a weekly space.These include areas that I usually don’t do during my weekly cleanings. (Inside the dishwasher, washing machine, vacuum etc)

5. Clean out your handbag.

   • We often forget to go through our bags. Mine are often filled with receipts of organizing items for clients! At the end of the month I dump everything out and file whatever needs to be filed, and throw out the rest.

Not all Organized spaces look the same

Organizing is not just pretty bins and containers. Decluttering can be hard for some people.

Last week I helped my client with a decluttering session. She has a tough time letting go of her personal items, but she did the best she could.

She wanted a better flow for her space. She wanted to easily access her closet without all the clutter blocking her path. That was her motivation.

We took it one step at a time, removing all her items and categorizing them. She then let go the best she could, we found homes for the rest of the items.

She now has a clear path to her closet and she couldn’t be happier.

An organized space doesn’t have to look perfect, or straight out of Pinterest. Each person has a level of organization that they feel comfortable with. My job as an organizer, is to help coach my clients to do the best they can.

See below for what we accomplished last week.

How To Refresh Your Home for Spring

Spring is in the air! Spring is such a wonderful time. It is the season for new beginnings. Temperature is getting better, we’re getting more hours of sunlight, everyone just seems to be in a better mood. The change in seasons is also a great time to make changes in your home.

Here are some things you can do during this season to refresh your home for Spring.

Spring Cleaning
There’s something about opening up the windows, letting the fresh air in that feels so refreshing. I get so motivated to deep clean my home. I did create a printable on spring cleaning, areas we often forget so don’t forget to check that out.

Switching out your Wardrobe
Time to put back those dark, thick winter clothes and bring out the lighter, spring outfits. It’s a great time to assess what you didn’t wear during the winter and consider donating them. If a whole season went by and you didn’t wear it, chances are you won’t wear it next year either. I also do a deep clean of my winter boots and coats and tuck those away as well for next year.

Setting up your outdoor patio.
The first bbq of spring is always a big deal for us. We sweep our deck, clean and bring out our patio set, and deep clean the bbq.

Change up your decor for Spring
Wake up those tired interiors. A simple swap of cushions, throws can really change the way a home looks and feels. Put away some of the thicker textiles, and opt for light ones that will help make the home feel airy.

Flowers and Greenery.
A simple vase full of fresh flowers and indoor plants can really freshen up the home and be the perfect pick-me-up. For those who can’t keep plants alive (me!) you can always opt for artificial.

Lighten the Load
If you want that light and airy vibe, then a good declutter is needed to ensure you only have what you need, use, and love. Go through your belongings, room by room, space by space and let go of the things that no longer serve you. Welcome that white space.

Are you feeling energized? What a difference these small changes can make! Do you have anything else you like to do in Spring? Leave me a comment below.

Week 10: Maintenance & Routines

We come to the end of our 2021 Home Organizing Challenge. It has been a wonderful 10 weeks and I hope you have all made progress in your spaces.

This week we won’t be focusing on a specific area in our home, but I want to talk about Maintenance and Routines.

Being organized is not a one-size-fits-all. If you’ve set up a new organization system in your home, give it a few weeks to get used to. After, take a step back and assess. What is working, what isn’t? If it didn’t work for you, try something new. Think of spaces in your home that are working and try to recreate that in your other space.

Maintenance is the key to keeping things organized. To set yourself up for success, properly label your newly organized spaces. This will not only help you remember, but it can help the rest of the household stay on track as well.

Start your day with Intention:

Pick 2-3 top priorities for the day by urgency, and start with the task you’re dreading the most.

Further break down the tasks into manageable steps. Set up short uninterrupted time blocks to complete those tasks. During this time switch off all distractions and focus on the task at hand.

If anytime you are starting to feel overwhelmed, take a break. Walk around, get a glass of water and take a deep breath to clear your mind. When you’re feeling better, come back to it and continue on.

Before you start preparing for bed, take 10 minutes to do a final tidy. Put anything out of place, back to its home. 

Week 9: Playroom Organization

Spring break just ended here in Montreal and I spent the weekend doing a reset of the house. So what perfect time than to discuss kids toys organization!

Kids have a lot of ‘stuff’ and it’s always all over the place unless you have a proper organizing system but let’s face it, it might still be all over the place!

Years ago, I set up the playroom in our basement because it has the most open space. I did not realize that their idea of a playroom is being in the room that I am in, and not where the toys are! They started dragging their toys to the living room because it’s right next to the kitchen and that’s where they were happy playing. This made me rethink my space, and create a corner in the living room to hold some of their toys (without it being an eye sore)

Organizing kids toys can be tricky.

It has to be easy for them to access.
Easy for them to tidy up afterwards.
Have clearly labeled bins for the different categories (pictograms work great for those non readers!)
Whether you are a fan or not but ROYGBIV (rainbow) organization just works so well in a playroom.

Within a playroom, I like setting up zones.

• A space for creative play

• Imaginative play

• Educational toys

• Reading nook

Kids often don’t need as many toys as we think. In fact studies have shown that Fewer toys at once may help toddlers to focus better and play more creatively. I remember when my kids were younger, I would rotate the toys so they didn’t get overwhelmed by all their choices.

To start decluttering kids’ toys, start by removing everything and grouping into similar categories, All the barbie dolls separate, their accessories together, lego sets together, playmobil together etc. Find appropriate containers to hold the items together.

Evaluate their toys, in fact, get the kids involved. Ask them if they still enjoy playing with them. Every few months we do a walkthrough of our playroom and the kids pick out the toys that are no longer bringing them joy but might make another child happy. We go through those toys and keep aside for donation. Not only does this teach kids to be considerate, but it teaches them to be mindful of their belongings.

Here are some of my go to playroom organization items:

*As an Amazon Associate I earn from qualifying purchases off Amazon. I get a small percentage of the product price (with no extra cost to you!), so thank you for buying through me and supporting my business.

Labels for Toy Storage

The ever versatile Kallax from ikea is my go to unit for organizing a playroom. a kallax on its side allows kids to still access the top surface. Use it for toys and books!

Ikea Trofast is great for some of the bulkier items.