<![CDATA[Flourish Organizing - Blog]]>Wed, 05 Jul 2023 22:35:54 -0500Weebly<![CDATA[Do you have a Donation Box?]]>Mon, 01 May 2023 05:00:00 GMThttps://www.flourishorganizing.com/blog/do-you-have-a-donation-box
Here's a tip for keeping extra clutter from building up in your home: have a donation box.  Do you already have a designated spot for donations?  A "home" for donations in your home, so to speak.  This might be in your closet, by the exit door, in the garage, or even in your car... somewhere you can easily get to but that is out of the way.  It also doesn't have to be a box; it might be a bag, basket, or some other container of your choice.  All that truly matters is that you have a designated spot for donations.  
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Why is this helpful?  It means that whenever you come across an item that you no longer need in your home, you already know where it goes: directly into the donation box.   
Otherwise, these items might get put back where they used to belong, leaving it to sit for another day when you will likely have to re-decide whether or not to keep it.  Alternatively, you might put it on the floor or corner of a room until you can go out to drop off the donations, adding clutter to the room.  In any case, it usually is easiest and quickest to finalize the decision to discard it by putting it in the appropriate place right away.  Decision done.  Action completed.  

It makes it really easy if you have a "spot" for donations.  Simply add items as you decide you no longer want something.  Once it is full, take a trip to your favorite local donation spot.  If you're in Houston, you might consider one of these locations that Flourish Organizing supports.  (Click here)
As you think about where to donate items, keep in mind that some items may go to a particular place.  For example, towels are greatly appreciated by local animal shelters.  The Lion's Club collects used prescription eye glasses.  Specialty items may need to go to a specific drop off.  On the other hand, many general clothes and items can often be donated to the same location.  

Choosing a place that is meaningful to take your donations to can help ease the potential sting of letting go of items.  Sometimes, it is difficult to let go of "perfectly good items".  However, shifting the focus off of ourselves can help.  Consider a shirt you purchased but don't really wear; then consider how it might feel to give that to someone who would truly appreciate it and use it when you really aren't.  
Helping others by donating items I no longer need is a way that I can be a good steward of those items.  I can help others.  This generosity is an important part of my Christian faith.  It's also a great way to keep items we don't want from cluttering up our homes, and a good way to keep useable items out of the trash landfills.  
]]><![CDATA[Grief & Organizing: When should I go through my spouse's belongings?]]>Sat, 01 Apr 2023 15:00:00 GMThttps://www.flourishorganizing.com/blog/grief-organizing-when-should-i-go-through-my-spouses-belongings
Today we are going to talk a little bit about the intersection between grief and home organizing.  When a loved one passes away, we are often left to the task of not only grieving their absences but also facing the physical reality of their items left behind.  

When should I go through my spouse's belongings?  Notice the word "should".  This is not a math equation with one answer.  There is no one "right answer".  This is a very personal question that will vary.  Much like the grief process, each person will be ready to go through different categories of their spouse's belongings at different times.  
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More important than getting started at a prescribed "right time" is being in tune with yourself and how you're doing.  This is a sentimental category and an emotional category.  Even seemingly unimportant items like a toothbrush or handkerchief can be tough to get rid of.  It's hard losing one's spouse.  And our minds can make us anxious, thinking that keeping their physical items is the only way to remember the person.  It's important to give yourself so much grace during the process.  It may take a while and that's ok.  

When you do feel ready, set yourself up for success.  Get a good night's rest, drink plenty of water, eat a healthy meal.  Make sure that you are in a good place mentally and physically as you begin the process.  Enlisting the help of a friend, family member, or professional can also help give you the support and encouragement that you need.  Start with a category that you feel will be easier for you; use that success to help motivate you to continue.  

Some notes of caution.  As you go through the grief process, it is important to find a balance between honoring and cherishing memories of your loved one and continuing to live your life.  Leaving your home unchanged forever after your loved one has passed away can become a negative thing.  It's important to continue to live and have your home change with you over time.  It is natural for our homes to change over time as we move through different seasons of life, receive gifts, donate old items, and take up new hobbies.  Our homes and physical items are meant to support us in our lives and bring us joy.  

It is also important to move through this process within the context of community.  We need the encouragement, support, and wisdom of others.  Sometimes others are able to give us an outside perspective and gently help us along on our journey when we get stuck.  At the same time, always be wise and thoughtful about what advice to take; while advice is usually well-meaning, it may not always be the right choice for you.  Taking the advice to prayer is a good way to discern when it is right to follow through.  

If you are currently going through or thinking about going through your spouse's or a loved ones belongings, my heart goes out to you.  Know that you are not alone.  And continue to give yourself grace along the journey.  I pray that God's peace would surround and comfort you during this time.  
"Reorganizing Your Space and Finding the Right Time to go through your Spouse's Belongings"

An interview with Emily Jones of Brave Widow
I was recently interviewed for a program called Brave Widow, an online community for young widows. In the recording, I share about what I do as a professional organizer, tips for getting started decluttering your home, and how my faith fits in with my philosophy of organizing.  It can either be viewed as a Youtube video or listened to as a podcast.  


YouTube:
https://youtu.be/EGE70jajHHc

Podcast:
https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/brave-widow-show/id1654819220?i=1000604105011

Transcript of the recording/ Brave Widow Website:  
https://www.bravewidow.com/podcasts/brave-widow-show/episodes/2147892844
It was such a pleasure working with Emily to put together the podcast.  We had a lot of fun!  We hope that you will enjoy it too.  

Read more on the blog...

Green square with Flourish Organizing green leaf logo. Text - Your home is not a storage unit... are you using it as one?
Blog: Are you Storing Other People's Things in your Home?
Branch of a tree covered with small pink flowers in the spring. Text - The Best way to get something done is to begin.
Blog: How to get started organizing!
Headshot of Laura Sinclair of Flourish Organizing
Blog: How do you Organize a Whole Home?
]]><![CDATA[Organizing Scarves Vertically]]>Wed, 01 Mar 2023 15:30:00 GMThttps://www.flourishorganizing.com/blog/organizing-scarves-vertically
Have you tried storing your scarves vertically?  The idea is to fold and 'file' them vertically so that you can see them all at a glance.  

It can make it easier to get dressed if you can easily see which ones match your outfit.  It also helps prevent 'losing' scarves that get buried in a pile or under others on a hanger.  It's easy to take one out and put one away.  If all of that sounds great to you, then this might be the way you consider organizing your own scarves!  

Of course, one important part of organizing is to know yourself - what you are likely to do and not do.  The potential downside with this method is if you know you won't fold them and put them back.  In that case, this is the wrong method for you!  
There are various ways you might store the scarves when folded in this manner.  A drawer works nicely, as does a plastic bin.  The key is to fold fold them in a way that they fit in the 'container' and that they hold each other up.  You might add dividers to help them stay upright.  
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Happy Here is a one minute video about it:  
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"How to Organize your Scarf Collection with Marie Kondo"
(posted by Martha Stewart.com)

https://www.facebook.com/watch/?v=271190773719613



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Happy Organizing!!
-Laura

Read more on the blog:

Open drawer in a dresser with four rows of folded socks of various colors
Blog: How my sock drawer helps me pray
White image with green border, green leaf logo, and the words Flourish Organizing in green. Text: Your home is not a storage unit... are you using it as one?
Blog: Your home is not a storage unit
Open draw in wooden dresser with three rows of neatly organized bras, bra pads, and baby wipes.
Blog: Organizing Maternity Clothes
]]><![CDATA[What is the KonMari Method®?]]>Wed, 01 Feb 2023 16:00:00 GMThttps://www.flourishorganizing.com/blog/what-is-the-konmari-methodr"The question of what you want to own is actually the question of how you want to live your life." 
-The Life-Changing Magic of Tidying Up, Marie Kondo
Japanese organizer, author of "Joy at Work" & "Spark Joy", and & star of "Tidying Up" on Netflix

Marie Kondo's method is based on the philosophy that we, as a society, own more things than we want or need, often accumulated over many years.  Scientific research shows that clutter causes us both mental and physical stress. 

Clark, M. (2018). How decluttering your space could make you healthier and happier. [online] Mayo Clinic. ​
The method KonMari Method® is a step-by-step process for decluttering by asking the simple question: Does it "Spark Joy®"?  In essence, this involves going back to your goals in life - what physical items either are necessary, help you in the life you are currently living, or make you happy.  Then, instead of organizing room by room, she encourages people to organize by category:  
1. Clothes
2. Books
3. Papers
4. Miscellaneous
5. Sentimental

When starting a daunting task like organizing your home, it helps to have some steps to follow!  And it makes perfect sense to start with the end goal in mind and to consider what motivates you.  

Recent news articles have been in an uproar and quote Marie as saying she has "given up" on having a tidy home.  She now has 3 kids, and the reporters love a good story.  When it comes down to it, though, her meaning actually fits right in line with what she has been saying all along.  The KonMari Method is actually about prioritizing: thinking about your life and what is most important to you.  Then, the decluttering and reorganizing process is done in a thoughtful way so that your belongings support those things that you are prioritizing.  For Marie, her current priority is spending time with her kids, even if that means things are little less than perfectly arranged in her home right now.  
I encourage you to spend some time prioritizing. 
  • What is most important to you right now?  
  • Do your belongings and organizational system help support you in that?  
  • Do the ways you spend your time and energy support that?  

You can find out more about Marie Kondo on her website:  https://konmari.com/

​You can order her book on Amazon.  

​Read more on the blog:
Professional organizer Laura Sinclair holding the Marie Kondo kids book Kiki and Jax
Blog: Book Recommendations for Kids about Tidying & Organizing
Edge of white arm chair, side table with journal and pen, coffee mug with sailboats, and lamp
Blog: Marie Kondo's Method is not about Minimalism
Open drawer with folded bathing suits of various colors, folded and organized vertically
Blog: Keeping Seasonal Clothes in your Closet using the KonMari Method®
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