I recently stumbled upon a great website called Live Life Happy.  They post pictures and sayings and articles aimed at helping people live life, well….happy!  My kind of site. 

This week I did a guest post for them!  Click on the link below and hop on over and read what I share about how being organized can help you live life happy.

Live Organized. Live Happy!

As I drove around town this weekend I saw 2 things that quickly reminded me of the time of year — beautiful, blossoming azaleas and Yard Sale signs — everywhere!

Ah, a yard sale.  What a perfect way to get rid of the not-liked and not-used items in your house – and make a little money to boot, perhaps to go and buy something you do like, need and will use in your house.  No matter how big or small, yard sales rock. Period. They don’t have to be “Clean House” kind of sales, just clean-your-house kind of sales.

Time doesn’t have to be on your side to do a quick yard sale.  Doing it is what is important.

Here are a few quick steps to take to help you lighten your load and make some dough in the process.

1. Anyone can do a yard sale – anytime – with any thing from their house they no longer want, need, or like.  Take 1 hour this week to go through you basement, kitchen cabinets, and closets and pull out those items you don’t like, need, use.  And put them in one spot — perhaps the garage or an area of the basement.

2. Tag them but be reasonable.  People go to a yard sale looking for a deal. The vase you bought for $25 is likely worth closer to $5 at your yard sale.  If you are the talking-turkey type, feel free to price things close to their “worth” — knowing people will play the bartering-game and ask for less.  You do want to make some cash but really your goal is to get rid of things so don’t be too tough on the customer!

3. Pick your day.  You don’t have to plan this for a month out.  If you do the work this week, you can have a sale as soon as 2 weeks.

4. Get the word out by putting a small ad in your local paper or free advertiser; send a note to your friends on Facebook, and make signs galore.  Signage on the day of your sale – and a lot of them – is the key to drawing people to your sale.  Choose the same color poster board for all of your signs (make it colorful/memorable) and be sure to add the date, place and time — and a few arrows pointing them in the right direction.  Leave them a good road map to your treasure-filled place.

5. Day of the sale, pack a lunch for you, have plenty of water so you are ready to work your sale. Have a cash box with change to break a $20 (a few times), and some plastic or paper bags for people to carry out their goods.

6. Anything that doesn’t go, doesn’t go back in.  Load your car and bring it to a local shelter or a Good Will stop.  And then just relish in how good you feel.

Repeat step 1 often.  Whether you have a sale or not (you can see how easy it is to do one), remember to look at your “things” often and assess their value in your space and your life.

Stay on top of it and you’ll find less clutter in your life, plenty more joy, and perhaps even more cash in your pocket. 

Have you had a yard sale?  I’d love to know what different things you did to make it successful.  Come on, don’t be shy.  Share-away!

Clutter — you can’t live [in my opinion] happily with it.  You can live quite well without it.  Not a job goes by without a client saying to me, “There is just so much clutter”, or “I feel so cluttered.”  Clutter is a real thing that has the ability to stifle, overwhelm, even depress you.

So let’s get rid of it – for good!

To really make sense of how you can rid your life of it, it’s probably best to define – clearly. Clutter is defined by good ole Webster as “confused or disordered collection”.  I’ll take it step further to say it’s confused collection because you haven’t given it the proper a home or, perhaps, it doesn’t have a real purpose (or both).  In some cases, the home is the trash or another part of the house or someone else’s house.  In every case, when we don’t have a clearly identified home for what you let into your space, things pile up, get stuffed in any open space, and clutter becomes what you see, and feel, in that space.  Not pretty.

Let’s get on the road to Clutter-free.  Try these sure-fire steps to get you started and these practically scientific ways to keep you clutter-free for a long, long time.

To get clutter free:

1. Make the time! Clearing clutter won’t get done by itself. You need to carve out time to do it.  And because no one ever really gets excited about clearing clutter, we tend to schedule over the time we have carved out. Put it on your calendar, leave yourself a reminder note — do whatever it takes to hold yourself to the task.  Just 20 minutes a day will help you reduce your clutter. Do that for a week and you’ll notice a huge difference.

2. Pick one area! Clutter can suffocate you and completely overwhelm you so when it comes time to tackle it you want to pick one area of your house — perhaps the one where you spend most of your time — and start there. Don’t take on the full scope of your clutter problem at once; it won’t get you anywhere fast. Pick one room and one area of that room to get started.

3. Have a vision!  Every room should have a function and you should have a clear understanding of what you want the function of each room to be. When you begin to clear clutter, with your vision close at hand, get rid of what doesn’t inform your vision for your space positively.

4. Start with the obvious! Make some quick decisions on things you know are trash/recycle, remove them from the space and dispose of them properly and immediately. Sometimes just doing this makes a big dent in a space and that can offer great motivation to do more.

5. Question the tough stuff! As you progress with your clutter, you’ll run into things that are harder to let go of or difficult to make decisions on. Ask yourself, “Do I like it?”, “Do I need it?”, “Do I use it?”.  The things you keep should make you feel good, should fit; they should have a purpose, and be used, even if used infrequently. And they should have a proper “home”.

6. Don’t wait! Don’t put off for tomorrow what you can certainly start today. Make becoming clutter free a priority! The longer you wait, the bigger the task becomes.  Not only will the clutter grow but as it grows so will your apprehension.

7. Get help!  Consider working with a professional to help you get unburied from clutter. Sometimes, working with a non-judgement (and unbiased) person who can work with you to tackle the clutter is all you need to get you on the right track.

8. Remind yourself you deserve it! You deserve a clutter-free space that allows you to live stress-free, find what you need without frustration, and have a calm home. Don’t focus on how you got buried; focus on taking the steps to freeing yourself from it.

To stay clutter free:

9. Do the math! The secret to keeping your space cleared of clutter is simple math: If you let in more than you let our, you will eventually bury yourself with stuff.

10. Make it a habit! Clearing clutter isn’t something you do once. You have to make it a habit to tidy things up, put things in their proper home, keep flat services clear, throw away/recycle the obvious – often. Life is fluid and things flow into our life all the time. Don’t let things pile up; make decisions – daily – on things as they come in.

11. Ask away! Question what comes into your life and into your space — from the smallest piece of paper to the largest piece of heirloom furniture. Questioning and being honest with the answers keeps your clutter levels down.

You can live without clutter. You have the ability to get rid of clutter.  And life does feel much lighter when you make the commitment to live a life free of it.

What is the most cluttered area of your house? Use the steps above and start to lighten it up.  Let me know how you do!

Spring is my favorite season!  I love the anticipation of longer days and warmer nights.  I love looking forward to the carefree feel that summer brings and love experiencing, daily, the awakening of all things in nature – daffodils in bloom {yes, quite early but that is what a warm March will do!}, magnolia buds about to burst, birds chirping in the early morning sun.  It’s a great time of year.  Everything feels new, fresh, even organized and, well… clean.

Clean really does invoke a wonderful feeling of order. 

That is not to say if you aren’t organized you aren’t clean. I hate that misconception.  It is how you feel when a space is clean that gives you a spring (excuse the pun) in your step and often times compels you to do more — clean more, tidy up here and there, get things in order — and want things to stay that way.  Just like a “dirty” or unkempt space feels chaotic and crowded and can make you feel lethargic and unproductive, it is true that a clean space evokes happy feelings, a sense of lightness and calm.  You think more clearly, have a better perception of time, and live more intentionally.

{It’s amazing what a little glass cleaner and a vacuum can do for the psyche!}

April is the perfect excuse to clean.  To me, it says “time to awaken everything” – including the dust sitting on your furniture and rugs and the film gently resting on your windows.  It’s time to revitalize your home, and give you a boost of happy in the process. A clean home is a wonderful thing to accomplish.

And it doesn’t have to be overwhelming or done all at once!  Like organizing, doing small, concrete tasks daily  makes a difference. Choose one room a week.  Spend a 1/2 hour each day in there until it’s complete.

Wash all the windows.

Dust all the furniture.

Purge all flat services, (counters, beds, desks, the floor!) leaving them clear, neat and functional.

Pull out the content of closets and put back ONLY what you like, use and need.

Put things away.

Purge the pantry — and the refrigerator, too.  {Old, dated food has got to go!}

Vacuum.

{And don’t forget to make your bed – every day}.

You’ll feel an instant reward.  You’ll feel more alive and refreshed, ready to enjoy your space even more.

You might even feel the need to shop.  Sometimes, when things are clean and in order you see the space differently.  Hey, it’s clean as a whistle and that couch might just need a few new pillows to celebrate it’s awakening. {Psst – for help, connect with Anna Wallace of AW Interior Design.  She’s got a knack for putting life into any room!  Tell her I sent you!}

Just like organizing isn’t something you do once, cleaning is something you want to keep up with so it doesn’t pile up, cause you angst, make you feel frustrated and stressed, cloud your judgment.

You should look at clean as that – something – you can do to get you organized.

So if you are stuck with where to start in organizing anything, think clean. Pick up a mop, a rag or a trash bag, and remove the old, worn and dirty.  You’ll never regret the results.

Happy Spring [cleaning] to you!

It’s spring so I am thinking of all the spring projects that can be done to help me start this season off on an organized foot.  And I gotta say, starting in the closet is one perfect place to start.

I just recently posted about the steps to take to start getting your closet organized.  And now I want to follow up on it. It doesn’t matter what closet you want organized. {Most of us have more than one that drives us nuts}.  The steps for starting to get it organized are the same. You have to have a vision, an idea of how you want the space to look and how you want it to function; and you have to do the work of letting go of what doesn’t inform that vision.   The work of purging can be overwhelming and frightening.

It can also be freeing!

And for sure it is necessary.  Any part of the home that stores “stuff”, behind a closed door, has the potential to gather clutter and things we don’t need or use, or don’t like or wear – anymore.  And when that happens we lose sight of what we have, what we really like, and that understanding and feeling that perhaps we do have enough.

How many duplicates or triplicates do you have – in the same color?  How many jeans do you have – that don’t fit?  How many items are you keeping not because you like them – even remotely – but rather because you spent money on them or someone special gave them to you? Do you really know what you have? Your closet can help you hide a lot… but it will catch up to you.

I just organized my closet.  It was giving me a headache every time I opened it! My systems were looking a bit messy and haggard and because of it I wasn’t using them well. I did what most people end up doing when a system (good or otherwise) gets off kilter: I started to stuff things on shelves that should have been hung or shouldn’t have been in the closet in the first place. And I started to feel unsure about what I had.

I was basically getting lazy because my systems needed a tweak.

And my closet needed the purge!  I donated 2 bags to Savers! And once cleared of the things that weren’t informing my closet well I was ready to look at the systems and supplies I had and change things up a bit. And what a difference it made for me.

I bought all new hangers — the thin ones with the velvet feel. You can get 35 of them at Costco for $10 – bargain! Having hangers that look alike gives the space a cleaner, uniform look, and give me an easier time seeing what I have.

{And you want to know what you have so you can shop more effectively!}

I purged my hanging sweater rack – a necessary supply if you are short on dresser space or want to separate certain clothes.  {I use it for all of my workout clothes and socks}. And I made big decisions on shoes – I purged my hanging shoe racks and the top shelf of my closet. I use that space for all of my special-occasion shoes – the ones I need but only infrequently.  But because they were in shoe boxes I couldn’t see what I had and therefore hadn’t used what I had in a very long time.  {There were some old shoes hanging out in those boxes}. I cleaned up the system by getting clear shoe box bins at Target.  Now, I can see what I have and the clear bins provide a clean, uniform look.

Every closet is different so you want to find supplies that work best for what you want to store, see, put your hands on more easily.  Remember, for best results – purge first so you don’t end up buying more supplies than you need or storing things you don’t use.

My space feels ultra-functional, organized, light.  My systems work.  I know what I have, and that I have enough.

How does your closet make you feel? What systems to you have in place to make it a serene part of your home?

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If you like what you are reading, please don’t keep me a secret!  Feel free to share Verri Organized! to those you know. 

I think the question I have been asked the most in my 10 years as an organizer is this:

“Do you do closets?”

Yes, I do closets because when it comes to getting organized I find closets are that out-of-sight-out-of-mind place where people tend to stuff and shove and pack things in – perhaps hoping that when the door closes they won’t have to deal with why they are keeping things that are dated or worn, don’t fit or aren’t liked. But…it’ll catch up to you!

The closet is a perfect place to start in getting organized and sometimes the most daunting because the clutter they have the capacity to hold can be overwhelming and the decisions you know will need to be made can leave you feeling a little afraid, perhaps.

But I think tackling a closet can give you so much satisfaction.  Purging and uncovering what might have been in there for years is so freeing.  And setting up systems so your mind doesn’t go crazy every time you open the door to try to find something to wear is refreshing.

I know some people ask if I “do” closets because they want to know if I design closets – like The Container Store does.  And I highly recommend the work they do.  But before I recommend closet designs or point clients in the right direction to get the work done, or before anyone decides to break down walls (an often unnecessary means to gain more space), I suggest 2 things happen first:  determine your vision for your space and purge!

I’ve given more detail about these steps in the video link below.  Check it out and if the spirit moves you, tackle a closet this weekend and let me know how you do!

What\’s in Your Closet?

Giulia is just shy of 3 and it makes sense that life would be easy because being 3-years-old is…well…not difficult, for sure.  Yes, it is easier. But watching her – how she seems to listen to every sound around her, how she questions with incredible intellect even the smallest happenings in her space, how nothing – no laughter, no excitement, no joy – gets by her without some reaction or appreciation – feels like a lesson – a reminder that we move too fast, and miss too many opportunities to find joy because of it.  And, perhaps, as a result see things as difficult, taxing, stressful.

A far cry from easy.

I’ve watched Giulia find utter amazement in the sound of an owl hooting, or a school bus driving by.  I’ve watched her stop and smell the flowers and gaze in wonder out the car window at the colors of the landscape and the brightness of the full moon.

I am warmed by the excitement she feels when we take a short walk and drop rocks in a pond – listening for their melodic voice as they hit the cool water.  Ker-plunk.

When you are around Giulia, you can’t help but be happy as well. You are encouraged to see life through her eyes – pure, honest, beautiful life – and believe you can experience the same lightness in life she feels — by finding joy, happiness, and wonder in almost anything.

And it’s all there for us to find.

Why does it seem we make it harder on ourselves to see what life is really about?  We allow “crazy” and “hectic” in and let them take control, causing us to lose balance, not allowing us to slow down – enough.  Enough to appreciate the smallest sounds, the tiniest gestures. Enough to take stock in what we have – our abilities, relationships, talents – and be grateful, and happy.

Crazy and hectic cloud our mind, make a mountain out of mole hill, and prevent us too often from living life lighter and living it well. When we stop long enough to be grateful for what is around us – however small – we ground ourselves in the present and allow for worry and stress to evaporate.

To find balance it’s important to recognize the wonder around you. 

Imagine how easily we might forget the stress of the day if we stopped when we heard the hoot of an owl and listened intently on his next sound, or took the time to gaze out the window and let the landscape envelop us. 

Imagine how easily we might find more lightness in our life if we reminded ourselves how much fun a rainy day can be with an umbrella and rain boots, and how utterly serene and calming a clear, starlit night is in the middle of spring.

Imagine how much happier we all might be if we took a page out of Giulia’s book, went for a short walk and dropped a few rocks in a pond – just to hear the sound. 

Ker-plunk.

Ahhh…. the sweet, simple, pure sound of joy.

What are some things you do to slow down, take in, and be well?