Another lie might be that there is no point in decluttering or organizing if the other people in your household aren't on board with organizing their stuff. Even one person doing it can make a huge difference and can inspire the others.
Agreed! Also, if you have kids, they are going to have had that modelled. My adult son was a slob at home, but in his own place is very organized, and can get rid of things; it was a huge surprise. If you are older, like me, you aren’t sticking your loved ones with a big job when you are gone. I’ve cleaned out houses of three family members; it was huge and horrible.
I had this issue in my home. My two housemates (best friend and his son) don’t handle clutter and cleaning up like I do. So I have my own apartment, which I call my she-shed. Of course, I go to the house several times a week (I still own it, and they’re now tenants), but, when the stress gets too much, I go to my sanctuary. Mind you, I still declutter and organize areas, like pantry and junk drawer over there, knowing full well they won’t stay that way. But I do it for myself, as it makes me feel productive.
Preach! What I'm going through & the other person like the look, but care less placing the item back where they got it from & put anywhere. Grr & LOL. Tired of re-doing!
I agree Deb I started decluttering our home like everyone during covid, not really mentioning to anyone in the family what I was doing. My husband and my son loved how the house was looking and we have continued our journey. The last area was the garage which I did hire a junk guy to just haul it all away. That was the only expense we had because there were heavy items in there my husband was so happy to get his garage back and has since organized his tools, yard items etc. My son has also let go kid items he was holding onto and he feels better in his room it even led to small weekend redo.
Absolutely, Deb. The pioneer leads the way. But I also love clutter bug’s idea that people organize differently from one another, on a matrix of four basic combinations of preferring things to be out versus hidden, and things to be grouped into broad categories versus narrow categories. I love how you can work with family members to decide the best way to organize things so that everyone Using a certain area can have it designed so that they can easily put things away also. And some things in the house just might be suited more for one type of organization than another.
"There's a thing called not buying stuff." Love it! Few channels really support this idea. I stopped shopping just for something to do and I feel so good about this choice. Thanks Kay.
Preach. Covid should've showed folk how much time & $$ been abused for shopping time w/ no real need but out of nothing else to do but shop to have an activity/something to do.
My neighbour has three times the "stuff" out on display than I do yet her house is immaculate because she is a tidy and organised person. I'm inherently messy so the only way I can keep my home looking decent is by having less stuff to control
True. Different personality types have different innate organizational talents, and different tolerances, etc. It's also very difficult for some of us to organize our own stuff, but we could organize someone else's home with no problems. There's a famous organizing guru in England, with his own tv show, who's a whizz at helping others organize, but his own house is a mess.
You're right to focus in on how much you can live with/see around you, Rose. We are all wired differently. Cass from Clutterbug has discovered 4 categories of people when it comes to storage. It's brilliant! I'm like yourself, I think, can't handle too much on view and what's hidden should be quick and handy to access. It's a brilliant insight. It is very reassuring. I can't even remember the 'bug name' but it's still great! Best regards. G Ire
LOL @ inherently messy. Nice sounding way of putting it. My experience w/ "inherently messy people" generally don't have interest or patience in putting stuff back wherever its home spot is immediately after use. It'll lay wherever last used until cleaning time or next use & item never really has a stable home until then. My pet peeve is looking for something - can't stand it. Grr & LOL So soon as I'm done w/ something I put it back in its home ASAP, cause I'll have a meltdown looking for it next time. ROTFL
I love the “Kay sits on a couch and tells it like it is” videos! I loved the editing omg I laughed when you had your video on the cell phone 😂 I think another lie is that an organized space always has to be aesthetic. Learning that it doesn’t have to look perfect to be organized was a game changer for me. And I mainly learned that from your channel so thanks!
Oh my goodness, essentialism. I love that so much! Now when people ask me if I'm a minimalist, I can say no, I'm an essentialist. Totally adopting that.
Love your term "essentialism"! It gives me mental freedom as I make decluttering/organizing decisions - I can determine what is essential for me and my family. We are a family of musicians, so music books, multiple instruments, and related items (harp strings, tuning equipment, etc) are essentials for us. However, I realized recently I haven't played my clarinet for 20+ years, so it is no longer an "essential" for me. Time to donate it to a student who can't afford one.
Sure thing, Susan. I am a believer and credit my Lord for bringing all the helps into my life. Decluttering has helped clear my path to discovering how I am wired and what I have a passion for, and has helped me have time for important things (including deepening my walk with the Lord). Very best regards. G Ire
Not finding happiness, but you feel better w/out clutter in your face. Junky/cluttered house = a junky/cluttered mind. Can't think as clearly w/ clutter in your face. True @ definitely NOT A PURPOSE/HAPPINESS ANSWER.
Absolutely true. But there is a certain unhappiness in NOT being able to find your stuff when you need it. 🤓 And a certain happiness when things are working as they ought to, Smoothly, without hiccups or obstacles, simply because you take the time to think it through and organize things in the way that helps you Accomplish your purpose. 😍
Warby Parker glasses come in really nice boxes, which make great organizers. Also, I help justify buying the good candles from my favorite local maker because she mails them in these great, thick black round containers that I use for office supplies. I tell her I consider them a gift with purchase. 😁
Kay, your video reference to RHOC made me laugh as that’s a classic of all the franchises! Good job in explaining the “lies” of home organizing. Clover Bean looked particularly cute in the video, too. 😀
Another lie to build on from what you said is thinking organization will be perfect all the time. #1 As an organizer I listen to from another country said, "We live in our homes!" so in living things get messy sometimes. #2 Life happens!!! Jobs have intense periods, have children, deaths, births and sicknesses and sometimes organization goes to 'pot'. It is the truth and I am not sure we tell each other that. When I went to school again, a mentor told me "just let the house go to h*ll because it will get intense" it was nice to have that permission! LOL! Great advice.
I was just praising "That Awkward Mom" because I noticed her drawer organizers, like mine, are random cardboard boxes. If you have something that works and its free, just USE it. Save your money for the items that are more visible.
I think it ok to take your time with decluttering. I practice PDS, perpetual decluttering system. I keep a bin or box in my dinning room and bedroom put stuff in there periodically that I find while cleaning or doing laundry that I do not need anymore. When the bin/box is full I take it to goodwill (about once a month or every other month) I also periodically do dedicated decluttering mini projects like a drawer or closet or section of closet. Depends when I am motivated to do so.
I do this too and also keep a box I mark 'Use it or Lose It' for the iffy stuff I'm not sure about. After a while that stuff goes into the donate box. I've actually used a couple things from this box but nearly most of it eventually gets moved to donation box. MinimalistMom calls hers the "Time will tell" box. That just doesn't motivate me the way my 'use this stuff or else get rid of it!' does!! 😉
P.S. I've been a subscriber of YOUR channel for a very long time but just noticed my settings weren't on ALL notifications, which I just fixed. Gonna binge watch tonight. Glad you are still around. 😊
@@briannab5296 Hi Brianna! I was on a year break for health reasons but I came back in November 2022. Then recently took a month break to do my taxes lol! I’m glad you found me again. Glad to see you here. 💜👍 Yep I’m still here!
I think you are right. After all, if we lived a lifestyle of decluttering, we would never get into really big trouble with hoarding. My mom must’ve done that, because our house was not huge for a family of seven, and yet everything Had a place and it was easy to get things out and put them away. she and dad designed the house and an architect built it, and they had plenty of pantry cabinets for all the things. They did get some fancy modern wall-mounted things for crystal and china, and we had a huge closet covered with a bamboo curtain that organized all those random things, vacuum cleaner, gift wrapping, the freezer, moms shell collection and sewing stuff, extra boxes for school projects, it was brilliant. And handy. But it was never overstuffed. Looking back, I feel sure that she operated exactly the way you are describing. There’s no other way she could have kept things so nice with so many people in the house!
Hello, first time viewer here. My pet peeve is the unspoken assumption that the getting plastic storage bins will help you downsize. All the empty space inside these bins will use up valuable cupboard space and have the reverse effect.
I have found that to be particularly true in my refrigerator. So many videos show beautiful clear containers for the fridge (and they're expensive! I found some in a thrift store!) and it always looks so gorgeous, but when I try it I wind up with a lot less space. I narrowed it down to a lazy susan on the top shelf for small items that we use a lot & now my fridge is clean and spacious.
Thank you for confirming what I knew to be right! Also, when I plan to de-clutter/organize, I put any useful containers in 1 room as I go along. Then I can "shop" without leaving my house and everything is free! Last of all, your doggie is very cute. I love dogs even though I don't have one of my own. Be sure to tell the dog what you're doing so they don't worry about you.
@Karen Rich - I do the same thing! I do have to keep some boundaries when it comes to keeping useful containers, and being able to walk through my home with unimpeded ease is one of my highest values in terms of home organization. But I have containers I have re-purposed multiple times over the years. I was super excited this week When I repurposed a fabulous toiletry bag/weekend bag whose compartments for full size shampoo was no longer useful after 9/11. I was disappointed when it was not big enough for my portable sewing machine. But I just figured out I could put all of my nursing assessment tools and first aid kit into the different compartments and it’s a great fit! it has been waiting around in a closet for a long time, not taking up much space, but it would’ve cost a lot of money to find something that practical. And I have freed up some great modular stacking boxes to use in another project. Another small suitcase, conveniently with wheels, is perfect for taking my portable sewing machine and tools to work at the church sewing ministry. A repurposed travel toiletry bag is perfect for organizing the tools I want to bring with me. Back when I used to bake, I had canisters of flour and sugar. Now That those items are rarely used, I have really classy containers in the laundry room for borax and laundry powder instead of ugly garish boxes! plastic file boxes have been repurposed multiple ways for decades as papers that need to be stored come and go. Even the cardboard ones have been used multiple times for filing and for storing books, for moving from one house to another, and so forth. I have some sort of gadget that was originally marketed as a toilet paper holder but it’s perfect two stuff plastic bags into it, so I don’t need to buy trash bags very often. It has gone back-and-forth between those two purposes over the years. I keep a stock of padded mailing envelopes, and I save packing material… Made it a breeze to send nearly all of my remaining crystal and glass items to a sweet young relative embarking on grown-up life who was happy to receive it. it all arrived in perfect condition, I am told. I can refill the dedicated drawers at my leisure. I just can’t let it grow beyond certain boundaries, L O L! I have a filing cabinet dedicated to office supplies so I just keep reusing the same stuff, dividers, pockets, folders, except for my recent foray into the world of disc binders. but even that is becoming sustainable. I do love jotting things down whenever I have a new thought, and carry it around different sizes according to the size of the bag I’m carrying. The filler paper costs an arm and a leg so I have been repurposing One-sided junk mail, one-sided papers destined for recycling... orfor the shredder. I use a small paper cutter and a disk punch too easily refill many of my binders for free. TMI, 🤣, but I love shopping my house. every category of stuff has its own decluttering strategy. right now, I’m decluttering things that allow me to create a memorable event or two with my daughter, to do with jewelry making and candlemaking. And then I can pass on to someone else anything left over that they are interested in. She can show me how to do the hardware on a necklace, and I can supply the candles to melt down into new tea lights. and then the excess will leave the building. We will keep the memories.
Lots of great ideas. I just realized I can punch envelopes from mail and put on discs in a notebook for stray ideas. I used a small piece of luggage as my emergency bag for colostomy supplies. I use a tote bag from a convention for my planner supplies. And the list continues. . .
@@karenrich9092 - those poor envelopes! I’m more likely to write a note on an envelope, (Because I think of it right after I open a piece of mail),which is a Stupid place to put it, and then punch it and stick it into a notebook until it can be assimilated properly. But now I’m thinking… I probably have more of those envelopes in my supply cabinet then I will use for receipts… And I should probably use them exactly like you’re saying. Have some handy wherever I take notes, with some of them, and with the others I can Just punch them and put them into the notebook for those random notes that don’t deserve a bigger piece of paper. Thanks for sharing that!
I'not a minimalist. I like things. I love things. But when you love someone, you want them to be happy. So if you love your things, you must make them well-stored and easy to use so they can be happy and bring you joy every time. And those in piles and heaps, long forgotten and dirty, they're definitely not happy. So take care or say goodbye.
One thing I have learned while getting organized this past year in a half. Is dont buy a shelf or container to house more stuff you will never use. It gives me an excuse to keep like 80 pairs of scissors and keep buying more. So I have been avoiding cubby holes and such. One thing I struggle with is moving items out of one room to clean up and end up cluttering up another room. Its a back and forth battle.
I recommend checking out Dana K White here on RUclips. She has really good tips on how to declutter without making a bigger mess. She also has this thing called the Container Concept. Basically everything can be considered a container, like a shelf or even your whole house. Her advice is to not have more of one particular item than the container will hold. She used pens as an example in one video. Don’t go and buy another container, decide what you want to keep in that container and let the rest go. Hope this helps ❤
If I understand you correctly - Hope this helps! Stay in the same room you're cleaning out w/ the containers for other rooms in same room you're cleaning out. All the back & forth between rooms as you go is tiring & frustrating! LOL Once room cleaned out you're actually cleaning is complete pick up the other room containers and place as you wish.
Something that you said caught my attention and I would love to see a video on it: E-goods boxes! I have gotten things like speakers, phones etc that are packaged in boxes that are built at a higher quality than things I have purchased as actual containers for storage. I would love some ideas on how to repurpose those for practical up-cycling!
I use the term intentionalism, rather than minimalism or essentialism. For me, minimalism was a stepping stone to intentionalism, as the latter fits better with my values. Living my ideal life consciously is my end goal, and minimalism helped me get there by allowing me to reduce things that don’t contribute to my happiness in a way I’ve decided is important to me 😊
Excellent advice! I understand decluttering and organizing are ongoing. When I pull open a drawer or open a closet, and see maybe it’s getting a bit much, I’ll take five, ten, twenty mins, putting on music or whatever, and declutter/organize that one drawer, or that one shelf. Sometimes, if I have the energy and drive, I’ll keep going. Progress, not perfection.
I love how your advice is always REALISTIC and you remind us that everyone has a different organizing style-some people think their stuff “needs to look like IG or TicTok” 🙄🤦🏽♀️ I appreciate your “wake up call!” ❤️🥰😃😃
My desk . I have to be constantly vigilant to make sure temporary stuff doesn't pile up there. Bonus ; i once got silly internets blow back over my opinion of Maria Callis. The blow back made me laugh. Screaming woman ' it's my opinion" made me laugh.
I'd love to be a person with curated coffee table decor, but have 19 grandkids, the youngest of whom thinks anything on the coffee table needs to be swept onto the floor. Apparently, it is hilarious.. My husband and I would rather have her around than live in a photo op. It the season of life we are in, and it will be over far too soon.
Sorry, I don't find this funny at all. Another trick is teaching your grandaughter is she knock something on the floor, she has to pick it up & put it back where she found it. Baby girl doesn't know the difference btwn grandma's house & visiting someone else's house. Habit is habit will someone else she visits find it funny if she knocks something off the table, it breaks, and it's irreplaceable? . And better yet, teach her she's not to touch what doesn't belong to her. Ya gotta start them early! LOL
@@TheOrganizedSoprano when my cat was living with me, I was very careful about hazards, like blinds cords. Now that he’s at the (used to be non-custodial) parent’s house, when I go there, I find all sorts of stuff he can either push off counters/tables, little bits of rubber bands on the floor (I swear, he must have found a couple, months ago, and stashed them for future “play time”), you name it.
I saw a shoe bin that would work, I think. It looks like a bin or short cupboard, but opens up to show racks for shoes. You can see all of them, and they wouldn't be damaged by piling them all together in a big box.
I'm a fan of using, constructing, or modifying cardboard organization aids. -It's inexpensive and often free. Even modification can be pennies or a fraction of a cent. -It allows you to 'test drive' storage & organization options. -It allows you to settle on what structure your circumstances need and the dimensional tolerances. Basically, once you've found exactly what form, size, and dimensions you need, you can take along to stores what you've used in cardboard. -If your needs change (resident-quantity, product type/dimensions, staples/backstock use, etc), it's easy to adjust the storage aids. -You can shop online while checking against the exact dimensions on what is working for you. -Renters especially benefit from DIY cardboard options, because what works in one apartment/house may not work in the next.
Yes! And if the container doesn't fit your needs and you can't or don't want to repurpose it, you can throw it out immediately without any sense of guilt.
I love that term: essentialism! I paraphrased a quote from Joshua Becker: “Minimalism is about identifying what’s important in our life, and removing the things that are distracting us from them.” You could replace minimalism with essentialism, and it would work just as well.
I loved hearing you on Cas’s podcast! I’m a professional musician also (flutist), and too have been on her podcast! I’m so glad to have found your channel!! Great tips, thank you for sharing!!!
I listened to the podcast with Cas while I was cleaning up my kitchen. It was entertaining. I'm not minimalist at all and like what you've said about having what I call collections. I also like to think about whether fantasy me is going to use something or reality me will. That's saved me a lot of money. Thanks for sharing. Nice to see little Clover, too.
Too me its about making the space Functional. How I organize my cooking area is dependent on how I cook, where the stove is, where the sink is. The end result works for an action not just to be organized.
We are using storage that we already have (mostly bins reused from decluttered items). I am a seasonal organizer that likes fewer items, especially on surfaces. My hubby likes see everything! So we work on organizing together, most of the time. I am currently working on one small area at a time. Starting with my more public areas. I agree that it is very unique to each of us. Thanks for your encouragement!
As I get older I try to really think out impulse purchases (mainly clothes😂) but definitely not a minimalist. I am guilty of getting caught up in thinking I need the latest organizing products . I do find a lot at Dollar Tree or Aldi . Oh Clover you are so adorable❤
Thanks for clearing up these minimalism lies, Kay! 😊 These points made perfect sense!👍🏻 Have a wonderful weekend! 🌸🌼🌸🌼🌸🌼 Clover was so cute! 🐶🩵 How has he been doing? How have you been doing?
Organizing may not be a one time job, but what we have done so far in the kitchen has remained almost perfectly intact for about a year and a half because we made it so easy to get things out and put them away! hubs purchasing things has screwed it up in the past, but he’s been pretty good about not adding things on impulse because “now we have space.“ The point is having the space, not stuffing as much stuff into the space as you possibly can. The first time I cleaned out and got rid of the massive collection of mugs to create a gorgeous, clean, balanced Display in the glass front cabinets… I came home a few days later and found a whole bunch of new mugs that he had purchased (along with hideously ugly practical coffee things in commercial boxes, in those glass front cabinets.He saw the space and wanted to fill it. He knows better, now, than to pull that again. 🤣🤣🤣 I have had to compromise on some of the practical things he put there. But now I’m thinking about a shelf inside the lower cabinet door… For the ugly things like fake commercial creamers, hideous pink yellowand blue packets of poisonous fake sugar, and the like. I don’t want that stuff in my house, and would Rather my guests do without, lol. Hubs isn’t that mean.
In my opinion, a common lie is that in order to declutter I have to donate and recycle to the maximum extend and that if I do not do it I am a bad person. I prefer to dispose of good things in the trash over keeping them with the hopes of get them to another place.
Minimalism is a range, from stark, all the way to cozy minimalism (that’s me!). I had to add stuff (throw pillows and blankets, and am getting into faux flower arranging), and painted the walls a soft pinky taupe, to warm things up in my apartment. But I’m still a minimalist. There’s no clutter, and everything I have out (or even hidden away) is deliberate.
Interesting you prefer your treasures in trash vs donating so someone else can use? Do you care to say why? I was raised 1 person's junk is another's treasure, so I'd appreciate your reasoning for trash over donate. I don't think you're a bad merson if you don't donate, & thinking you have a reason thinking as you do that I never thought of. Thanks in advance if you respond.
@@carbar3936 if something is in bad, irreparable condition, or something you know no one would use, or would take the time to get and haul away (like an old fridge or dryer), it’s perfectly fine to discard it (safely and correctly, of course). Anthony Ongaro, of Break the Twitch, has an excellent video on why NOT to donate stuff to thrift stores and the like (he’s specific about what CAN be donated).
@@HeronCoyote1234 Thx Progressive. I don't donate broken or overly worn items of any kind. However, if I had a broke frig or appliance period, I know a handy man who can fix anything, and he loves getting the remaining workable parts that are good despite why the item itself is broken. I definitely get what you're saying tho'. I don't donate anything I wouldn't buy used myself, and I'm a thrift-store junky. LOL However, I do have standards and have the nerve to be picky no matter the price. LOL Have a great evening!
@@carbar3936 I agree with you on thrift stores/consignment shops. It’s worth the treasure hunt to find real gems. We found a Stickley end table for $175. New, they go for about $800. We picked up a beautiful complete sterling silver flatware set, still in the original box and container, for $50. I got a brand new pair of Columbia boots for $25. My next hunt will be for a vase, for my new hobby, faux flower arrangements.
So true on the once and done! I added a Ninja Foodi to our kitchen and use it often. But the space it needs to be handy was an entire chain of rethinking how we put other counter top appliances away.
I am on the verge of making that decision, too, Christine! 'Preserving memories' seems to be an excuse to buy/store cute stuff - but I'm busy LIVING life vs documenting life! Besides - what will the kids & grands do with the albums? Probably 'declutter' them when I'm gone! 😂
I totally agree with both of ya'll. My Mom took a lot of photos and put them in photo & scrapbooks. When she died there are now at least two dozen of these books that my sister and I keep shuffling between us with no space for them. It was fun going thru them ONE TIME and pulling out parts of what we wanted to keep but now they are a burden. Our kids don't know anyone in these books and couldn't care less .. so eventually these things will be trashed, which is a shame. When I look thru my materials I've saved to go in a scrapbook I wonder why did I want to save THIS?? .. The feelings we have for an item in our scrapbooks might be deep & relevant when we place it in there but those feelings cool after some time and the item doesn't seem so relevant anymore. Maybe the word 'scrap' is what we should do with this stuff instead of making a book with it. 😂
I guess as I've grown older 'nostalgia' just doesn't appeal to me anymore. I'd rather be living in the here & now enjoying life one day at a time, instead of wistfully (and sadly) looking backwards at what used to be. I guess maybe that comes from all the losses I've had all my life .. my elders, some of the youngsters, my husbands, my sweet animals, all my beautiful things, my looks .. even watching others going thru their same losses. EVERYthing and everybody that comes INTO our lives will one day go out of it, one way or other. We have to keep that in the back of our hearts at all times and lovingly let them go. And yes, it's hard, it's damn hard when it happens. But that's the circle of life.
Sitting here "LOL" as I said "butt ton" this morning when my husband "discovered" ELFA ~ I suggested what to put in our Airstream closet and now he has taken over & is overthinking. Told him I am now out of the project. We need two drawer systems, 14 x 21 x 29 and that is all we need. Thank you for keeping it real Kay ! Hello Clover ! Wanda Kay ~
Agree with everything you said and I have watched almost all your videos and has given me a healthy relationship with my stuff and my expectations that it is something I have to keep doing
I have extras of things for when I drop the ball on household chores. That way if I forget to clean/do something I have spares and therefore time to pick myself back up without pressure.
For me home organization is a trial and error. Since I have a small and tight space so measuring is something very important to me. Also it needs to fit the aesthetic of the area as well.
I don't see how that could work for most people most of the time. I have nowhere to put a roomful of stuff except for the room that it's in! I also have no ability to haul my furniture out by myself. That's just nuts.
I don't do that lol. I just look where I naturally leave my clutter and then put a container there. Like for me I always had pens and ointment tubes sitting on my bedside table so I just got a cheap makeup bag to put them in . (Pens in top section, ointments in bottom). It's actually more convenient than having them loose. I tend to snack in bed and never got around to moving the wrappers to the trash. So I just put a small trash can beside my bed. I used to sit all my clothes on top of my dresser even when the drawers were empty. So I just got rid of the dresser and use a blanket box for things that can't go on hangers. You definitely don't need to take everything out - personally I like to look where the piles of stuff are and use them as a starting point for troubleshooting, Makes it easier to put stuff away since that's the area I naturally chose to put them in without thinking
When I reorganized my pantry, I did it by shelf. If I had done the entire pantry at once, I would have taken up too much space in my kitchen and hallway. And I wouldn't have been able to cook meals still. I think it's useful to shrink your organizing "zones". The REAL reason you take it all out is to CLEAN that area; dust, vacuum, wash, disinfect. It's good to clean out your cupboards and shelves every now and then 🤷♀️.
@@Noreenlee1 .. Dana's method doesn't work for me much. With mobility & stamina issues plus A.D.D. all that moving around with each & every item just doesn't cut it. If I'm already going into the area where an item needs to go I'll take it with me, but hopscotching all over the place with every single item .. nope!
Five feet tall and not willing to get on a stepladder unless it's for something I rarely, rarely use. Holiday decorations are so far the only thing I'm okay reaching for.
I can't stand shoes jumbled in a bin, even though bins are fine for other things. You have to experiment to know what systems work for you, for certain items.
I so agree. Not only is it harder to find the ones you need but it's just so disrespectful of the shoes, jumbling the bottoms of some shoes with the tops of other shoes is damaging to them and just plain nasty.
I totally identify with the idea that you don't have to buy organizing products. There is only one product that I would recommend: a label maker. It's invaluable not only for keeping yourself organized, but for helping others who may have to use something. (Think both of family members and outside caregivers).
Label makers are great, but they run from around 30 dollars (and you get what you pay for) to 130 dollars & up for the Cricut version that so many youtubers recommend. Dollar Tree has both permanent label stickers and easy-to-remove label stickers, also thin wood shapes for crafting that make great labels when you stick them onto containers or shelves with little sticky velcro dots--that they also sell. The only downside is you have to write on them yourself...or you can get pre-printed labels, both white & clear. All of these options are 1 dollar and 25 cents. (for poor folks like me) Kay is right. You really don't have to spend money to be organized. 😉 (Edit: You don't have to spend a lot of money. Most of us can afford a couple dollars.)
I have 2 problems with stick on labels. One is my poor handwriting. The other is removing them. The alternatives you mentioned seem great, but I have not seen them available in Israel.
Cas is a Ladybug (macro organizer) so a large shoe bin works well for her because the shoes are so easy to put away, which is what she values over ease of finding the right pair when needed. It would be a nightmare for me to have my shoes touching other family members' shoes and dirt from their shoes getting inside/all over my shoes and, like you said, having shoes buried at the bottom with no chance of airing out and being much harder to find than if using something like a shoe rack.
A big lie is that everything needs to be labeled. I don't need to label my jar of pecans because I know they are pecans just by looking at them. I do need to label the flour/baking powder/cornstarch because no one can tell what it is otherwise. I live by myself, so I don't need to label the puzzle shelf "puzzles" to know where the puzzles go, etc.
You mentioned having done a video chat with Cas of Clutterbug & said you would link it below-but I can't find it. Checked your channel & hers, but still couldn't figure out which video it was-can you provide a link for that ? Thanks :)
The only reason I (kind of) bought into minimalism was because the definition I read talked about YOU being the arbiter of how minimalism works for you. It is a tragedy that the term has been distorted and policed so much that we need a new one for what is essentially the same philosophy. Anyways, another lie I keep hearing about organization is that decluttering needs to be a major event that you separate time for (no wonder people want it to be a one and done thing). Maybe it's because I'm not a Mom™️ drowning under stuff so I have some more leeway that they don't have, but I've just got in the habit of decluttering as I go. When, in the course of my daily life, I encounter something that I can't tell for sure why I still have it, I make a quick assessment of it and if it has to go, it goes. Alternatively, sometimes the contents of a box or drawer or whatever will start to bother me and I tackle just that space in a little bit of time, maybe half an hour max (certainly not the same as an entire afternoon). I am also constantly reorganizing stuff if my current system doesn't click (point of performance ha!). It's definitely a slow process, but I feel like I have made kind of a 180° shift over the course of the last 15 months or so, I'm so much more organized now and fingers crossed it stays that way. Another lie: that decluttering is an end in and of itself. That's just the minimalism police trying to sell you more stuff. Oh and another lie: that you need to label everything. You will never be able to convince me that that shit is elegant, and I say this as a Ladybug with ADHD.
NO OFFENSE BUT IS IT JUST ME OR DID YOUR VOICE JUST DRASTICALLY CHANGE FROM THE LAST TIME VIDEO I JUST WATCHED ON KITCHEN ORGANIZATION YOU SOUND LIKE CASS FROM CLUTTER. I'M NOT SURE IF IT'S HER ADHD THAT EXTRA SOUND LIKE SHE'S TALKING ABOUT A MINUTE BUT SO MUCH BREATH IS SHE JUST UNIQUE AND THE WAY SHE SPEAKS WHAT YOU SOUND JUST LIKE RIGHT NOW IN THIS VIDEO
![Why I Stopped Signing In My Videos... // FAQs [CC]](http://i.ytimg.com/vi/A5KzgfRPfas/mqdefault.jpg)
![Why I Stopped Signing In My Videos... // FAQs [CC]](/img/tr.png)
Another lie might be that there is no point in decluttering or organizing if the other people in your household aren't on board with organizing their stuff. Even one person doing it can make a huge difference and can inspire the others.
Agreed! Also, if you have kids, they are going to have had that modelled. My adult son was a slob at home, but in his own place is very organized, and can get rid of things; it was a huge surprise.
If you are older, like me, you aren’t sticking your loved ones with a big job when you are gone. I’ve cleaned out houses of three family members; it was huge and horrible.
I had this issue in my home. My two housemates (best friend and his son) don’t handle clutter and cleaning up like I do. So I have my own apartment, which I call my she-shed. Of course, I go to the house several times a week (I still own it, and they’re now tenants), but, when the stress gets too much, I go to my sanctuary. Mind you, I still declutter and organize areas, like pantry and junk drawer over there, knowing full well they won’t stay that way. But I do it for myself, as it makes me feel productive.
Preach! What I'm going through & the other person like the look, but care less placing the item back where they got it from & put anywhere. Grr & LOL. Tired of re-doing!
I agree Deb I started decluttering our home like everyone during covid, not really mentioning to anyone in the family what I was doing. My husband and my son loved how the house was looking and we have continued our journey. The last area was the garage which I did hire a junk guy to just haul it all away. That was the only expense we had because there were heavy items in there my husband was so happy to get his garage back and has since organized his tools, yard items etc. My son has also let go kid items he was holding onto and he feels better in his room it even led to small weekend redo.
Absolutely, Deb. The pioneer leads the way. But I also love clutter bug’s idea that people organize differently from one another, on a matrix of four basic combinations of preferring things to be out versus hidden, and things to be grouped into broad categories versus narrow categories. I love how you can work with family members to decide the best way to organize things so that everyone Using a certain area can have it designed so that they can easily put things away also. And some things in the house just might be suited more for one type of organization than another.
"There's a thing called not buying stuff." Love it! Few channels really support this idea. I stopped shopping just for something to do and I feel so good about this choice. Thanks Kay.
Preach. Covid should've showed folk how much time & $$ been abused for shopping time w/ no real need but out of nothing else to do but shop to have an activity/something to do.
Agreed. I find too much focus on decluttering and not enough on avoiding consumption
My neighbour has three times the "stuff" out on display than I do yet her house is immaculate because she is a tidy and organised person. I'm inherently messy so the only way I can keep my home looking decent is by having less stuff to control
True. Different personality types have different innate organizational talents, and different tolerances, etc. It's also very difficult for some of us to organize our own stuff, but we could organize someone else's home with no problems. There's a famous organizing guru in England, with his own tv show, who's a whizz at helping others organize, but his own house is a mess.
@@edennis8578 ooh! Who is this?
@@edennis8578 I'd prefer to be the kind of person whose own house represents the reality of what I say/teach. G Ire
You're right to focus in on how much you can live with/see around you, Rose. We are all wired differently. Cass from Clutterbug has discovered 4 categories of people when it comes to storage. It's brilliant! I'm like yourself, I think, can't handle too much on view and what's hidden should be quick and handy to access. It's a brilliant insight. It is very reassuring. I can't even remember the 'bug name' but it's still great! Best regards. G Ire
LOL @ inherently messy. Nice sounding way of putting it. My experience w/ "inherently messy people" generally don't have interest or patience in putting stuff back wherever its home spot is immediately after use. It'll lay wherever last used until cleaning time or next use & item never really has a stable home until then. My pet peeve is looking for something - can't stand it. Grr & LOL So soon as I'm done w/ something I put it back in its home ASAP, cause I'll have a meltdown looking for it next time. ROTFL
I love the idea of essentialism because it takes the pressure of me having to get rid of everything!
I love the “Kay sits on a couch and tells it like it is” videos! I loved the editing omg I laughed when you had your video on the cell phone 😂 I think another lie is that an organized space always has to be aesthetic. Learning that it doesn’t have to look perfect to be organized was a game changer for me. And I mainly learned that from your channel so thanks!
Oh my goodness, essentialism. I love that so much! Now when people ask me if I'm a minimalist, I can say no, I'm an essentialist. Totally adopting that.
Love your term "essentialism"! It gives me mental freedom as I make decluttering/organizing decisions - I can determine what is essential for me and my family. We are a family of musicians, so music books, multiple instruments, and related items (harp strings, tuning equipment, etc) are essentials for us. However, I realized recently I haven't played my clarinet for 20+ years, so it is no longer an "essential" for me. Time to donate it to a student who can't afford one.
I think one of the lies is that decluttering will be key to happiness and finding your purpose. It may be very helpful, but it is not *THE* answer
Sure thing, Susan. I am a believer and credit my Lord for bringing all the helps into my life. Decluttering has helped clear my path to discovering how I am wired and what I have a passion for, and has helped me have time for important things (including deepening my walk with the Lord). Very best regards. G Ire
Not finding happiness, but you feel better w/out clutter in your face. Junky/cluttered house = a junky/cluttered mind. Can't think as clearly w/ clutter in your face. True @ definitely NOT A PURPOSE/HAPPINESS ANSWER.
Absolutely true. But there is a certain unhappiness in NOT being able to find your stuff when you need it. 🤓 And a certain happiness when things are working as they ought to, Smoothly, without hiccups or obstacles, simply because you take the time to think it through and organize things in the way that helps you Accomplish your purpose. 😍
Agreed. You can have a mess even with very little stuff
I love that Clover thought "did she say cookies?" 😂
Warby Parker glasses come in really nice boxes, which make great organizers. Also, I help justify buying the good candles from my favorite local maker because she mails them in these great, thick black round containers that I use for office supplies. I tell her I consider them a gift with purchase. 😁
Kay, your video reference to RHOC made me laugh as that’s a classic of all the franchises! Good job in explaining the “lies” of home organizing. Clover Bean looked particularly cute in the video, too. 😀
Another lie to build on from what you said is thinking organization will be perfect all the time. #1 As an organizer I listen to from another country said, "We live in our homes!" so in living things get messy sometimes. #2 Life happens!!! Jobs have intense periods, have children, deaths, births and sicknesses and sometimes organization goes to 'pot'. It is the truth and I am not sure we tell each other that. When I went to school again, a mentor told me "just let the house go to h*ll because it will get intense" it was nice to have that permission! LOL! Great advice.
I was just praising "That Awkward Mom" because I noticed her drawer organizers, like mine, are random cardboard boxes. If you have something that works and its free, just USE it. Save your money for the items that are more visible.
I think it ok to take your time with decluttering. I practice PDS, perpetual decluttering system. I keep a bin or box in my dinning room and bedroom put stuff in there periodically that I find while cleaning or doing laundry that I do not need anymore. When the bin/box is full I take it to goodwill (about once a month or every other month) I also periodically do dedicated decluttering mini projects like a drawer or closet or section of closet. Depends when I am motivated to do so.
I do this too and also keep a box I mark 'Use it or Lose It' for the iffy stuff I'm not sure about. After a while that stuff goes into the donate box. I've actually used a couple things from this box but nearly most of it eventually gets moved to donation box.
MinimalistMom calls hers the "Time will tell" box. That just doesn't motivate me the way my 'use this stuff or else get rid of it!' does!! 😉
P.S. I've been a subscriber of YOUR channel for a very long time but just noticed my settings weren't on ALL notifications, which I just fixed. Gonna binge watch tonight. Glad you are still around. 😊
@@briannab5296 Hi Brianna! I was on a year break for health reasons but I came back in November 2022. Then recently took a month break to do my taxes lol! I’m glad you found me again. Glad to see you here. 💜👍 Yep I’m still here!
@@Myeverydaywifelife ... cool! Glad you're feeling better. ... a month for doing taxes OUCH. 😵💫
I think you are right. After all, if we lived a lifestyle of decluttering, we would never get into really big trouble with hoarding. My mom must’ve done that, because our house was not huge for a family of seven, and yet everything Had a place and it was easy to get things out and put them away. she and dad designed the house and an architect built it, and they had plenty of pantry cabinets for all the things. They did get some fancy modern wall-mounted things for crystal and china, and we had a huge closet covered with a bamboo curtain that organized all those random things, vacuum cleaner, gift wrapping, the freezer, moms shell collection and sewing stuff, extra boxes for school projects, it was brilliant. And handy. But it was never overstuffed. Looking back, I feel sure that she operated exactly the way you are describing. There’s no other way she could have kept things so nice with so many people in the house!
Hello, first time viewer here. My pet peeve is the unspoken assumption that the getting plastic storage bins will help you downsize. All the empty space inside these bins will use up valuable cupboard space and have the reverse effect.
I have found that to be particularly true in my refrigerator. So many videos show beautiful clear containers for the fridge (and they're expensive! I found some in a thrift store!) and it always looks so gorgeous, but when I try it I wind up with a lot less space. I narrowed it down to a lazy susan on the top shelf for small items that we use a lot & now my fridge is clean and spacious.
Thank you for confirming what I knew to be right! Also, when I plan to de-clutter/organize, I put any useful containers in 1 room as I go along. Then I can "shop" without leaving my house and everything is free!
Last of all, your doggie is very cute. I love dogs even though I don't have one of my own. Be sure to tell the dog what you're doing so they don't worry about you.
@Karen Rich - I do the same thing! I do have to keep some boundaries when it comes to keeping useful containers, and being able to walk through my home with unimpeded ease is one of my highest values in terms of home organization. But I have containers I have re-purposed multiple times over the years. I was super excited this week When I repurposed a fabulous toiletry bag/weekend bag whose compartments for full size shampoo was no longer useful after 9/11. I was disappointed when it was not big enough for my portable sewing machine. But I just figured out I could put all of my nursing assessment tools and first aid kit into the different compartments and it’s a great fit! it has been waiting around in a closet for a long time, not taking up much space, but it would’ve cost a lot of money to find something that practical. And I have freed up some great modular stacking boxes to use in another project. Another small suitcase, conveniently with wheels, is perfect for taking my portable sewing machine and tools to work at the church sewing ministry. A repurposed travel toiletry bag is perfect for organizing the tools I want to bring with me. Back when I used to bake, I had canisters of flour and sugar. Now That those items are rarely used, I have really classy containers in the laundry room for borax and laundry powder instead of ugly garish boxes! plastic file boxes have been repurposed multiple ways for decades as papers that need to be stored come and go. Even the cardboard ones have been used multiple times for filing and for storing books, for moving from one house to another, and so forth. I have some sort of gadget that was originally marketed as a toilet paper holder but it’s perfect two stuff plastic bags into it, so I don’t need to buy trash bags very often. It has gone back-and-forth between those two purposes over the years. I keep a stock of padded mailing envelopes, and I save packing material… Made it a breeze to send nearly all of my remaining crystal and glass items to a sweet young relative embarking on grown-up life who was happy to receive it. it all arrived in perfect condition, I am told. I can refill the dedicated drawers at my leisure. I just can’t let it grow beyond certain boundaries, L O L! I have a filing cabinet dedicated to office supplies so I just keep reusing the same stuff, dividers, pockets, folders, except for my recent foray into the world of disc binders. but even that is becoming sustainable. I do love jotting things down whenever I have a new thought, and carry it around different sizes according to the size of the bag I’m carrying. The filler paper costs an arm and a leg so I have been repurposing One-sided junk mail, one-sided papers destined for recycling... orfor the shredder. I use a small paper cutter and a disk punch too easily refill many of my binders for free. TMI, 🤣, but I love shopping my house. every category of stuff has its own decluttering strategy. right now, I’m decluttering things that allow me to create a memorable event or two with my daughter, to do with jewelry making and candlemaking. And then I can pass on to someone else anything left over that they are interested in. She can show me how to do the hardware on a necklace, and I can supply the candles to melt down into new tea lights. and then the excess will leave the building. We will keep the memories.
Lots of great ideas. I just realized I can punch envelopes from mail and put on discs in a notebook for stray ideas. I used a small piece of luggage as my emergency bag for colostomy supplies. I use a tote bag from a convention for my planner supplies. And the list continues. . .
@@karenrich9092 - those poor envelopes! I’m more likely to write a note on an envelope, (Because I think of it right after I open a piece of mail),which is a Stupid place to put it, and then punch it and stick it into a notebook until it can be assimilated properly. But now I’m thinking… I probably have more of those envelopes in my supply cabinet then I will use for receipts… And I should probably use them exactly like you’re saying. Have some handy wherever I take notes, with some of them, and with the others I can Just punch them and put them into the notebook for those random notes that don’t deserve a bigger piece of paper. Thanks for sharing that!
What a great idea!
Essentialism is where I aimed.
Right now I agree to get rid of paper bag and empty boxes. 😊
I'not a minimalist. I like things. I love things. But when you love someone, you want them to be happy. So if you love your things, you must make them well-stored and easy to use so they can be happy and bring you joy every time. And those in piles and heaps, long forgotten and dirty, they're definitely not happy. So take care or say goodbye.
Love Clover's side eye that he gives you right at the end. He is so precious!
One thing I have learned while getting organized this past year in a half. Is dont buy a shelf or container to house more stuff you will never use. It gives me an excuse to keep like 80 pairs of scissors and keep buying more. So I have been avoiding cubby holes and such. One thing I struggle with is moving items out of one room to clean up and end up cluttering up another room. Its a back and forth battle.
I recommend checking out Dana K White here on RUclips. She has really good tips on how to declutter without making a bigger mess. She also has this thing called the Container Concept. Basically everything can be considered a container, like a shelf or even your whole house. Her advice is to not have more of one particular item than the container will hold. She used pens as an example in one video. Don’t go and buy another container, decide what you want to keep in that container and let the rest go. Hope this helps ❤
Ashley, i hear ya gurl .. the "back & forth" struggle is for real!
If I understand you correctly - Hope this helps! Stay in the same room you're cleaning out w/ the containers for other rooms in same room you're cleaning out. All the back & forth between rooms as you go is tiring & frustrating! LOL Once room cleaned out you're actually cleaning is complete pick up the other room containers and place as you wish.
Something that you said caught my attention and I would love to see a video on it: E-goods boxes! I have gotten things like speakers, phones etc that are packaged in boxes that are built at a higher quality than things I have purchased as actual containers for storage. I would love some ideas on how to repurpose those for practical up-cycling!
I use the term intentionalism, rather than minimalism or essentialism. For me, minimalism was a stepping stone to intentionalism, as the latter fits better with my values. Living my ideal life consciously is my end goal, and minimalism helped me get there by allowing me to reduce things that don’t contribute to my happiness in a way I’ve decided is important to me 😊
I like it, "Essentialism". It feels less demanding, more realistic. 😊
Commenting so I see you on my feed more. Missed a couple videos 😫
Excellent advice! I understand decluttering and organizing are ongoing. When I pull open a drawer or open a closet, and see maybe it’s getting a bit much, I’ll take five, ten, twenty mins, putting on music or whatever, and declutter/organize that one drawer, or that one shelf. Sometimes, if I have the energy and drive, I’ll keep going. Progress, not perfection.
So nice that you have posted a new video! Yay! I love your opinion 😁 and your advice is smart. And Clover is just too cute!
I love how your advice is always REALISTIC and you remind us that everyone has a different organizing style-some people think their stuff “needs to look like IG or TicTok” 🙄🤦🏽♀️ I appreciate your “wake up call!” ❤️🥰😃😃
My desk . I have to be constantly vigilant to make sure temporary stuff doesn't pile up there. Bonus ; i once got silly internets blow back over my opinion of Maria Callis. The blow back made me laugh. Screaming woman ' it's my opinion" made me laugh.
I'd love to be a person with curated coffee table decor, but have 19 grandkids, the youngest of whom thinks anything on the coffee table needs to be swept onto the floor. Apparently, it is hilarious.. My husband and I would rather have her around than live in a photo op. It the season of life we are in, and it will be over far too soon.
Was your youngest grandchild a cat in her former life?😊
Sorry, I don't find this funny at all. Another trick is teaching your grandaughter is she knock something on the floor, she has to pick it up & put it back where she found it. Baby girl doesn't know the difference btwn grandma's house & visiting someone else's house. Habit is habit will someone else she visits find it funny if she knocks something off the table, it breaks, and it's irreplaceable? . And better yet, teach her she's not to touch what doesn't belong to her. Ya gotta start them early! LOL
That does sound very cat like, doesn’t it? I had so many broken glasses and things from feline mischief! 🐱
@@TheOrganizedSoprano when my cat was living with me, I was very careful about hazards, like blinds cords. Now that he’s at the (used to be non-custodial) parent’s house, when I go there, I find all sorts of stuff he can either push off counters/tables, little bits of rubber bands on the floor (I swear, he must have found a couple, months ago, and stashed them for future “play time”), you name it.
@@HeronCoyote1234 cats are so weird! 😂
I saw a shoe bin that would work, I think. It looks like a bin or short cupboard, but opens up to show racks for shoes. You can see all of them, and they wouldn't be damaged by piling them all together in a big box.
I'm a fan of using, constructing, or modifying cardboard organization aids.
-It's inexpensive and often free. Even modification can be pennies or a fraction of a cent.
-It allows you to 'test drive' storage & organization options.
-It allows you to settle on what structure your circumstances need and the dimensional tolerances. Basically, once you've found exactly what form, size, and dimensions you need, you can take along to stores what you've used in cardboard.
-If your needs change (resident-quantity, product type/dimensions, staples/backstock use, etc), it's easy to adjust the storage aids.
-You can shop online while checking against the exact dimensions on what is working for you.
-Renters especially benefit from DIY cardboard options, because what works in one apartment/house may not work in the next.
Yes! And if the container doesn't fit your needs and you can't or don't want to repurpose it, you can throw it out immediately without any sense of guilt.
Love this! 🙌🏾
Love the Clover word bubble!
OH MY GOSH! Thank you, Kay!!!! I am SOOOO glad you made this video!!!!! These are things I say all of the time! Thanks for todays video. xoxox
I love that term: essentialism! I paraphrased a quote from Joshua Becker:
“Minimalism is about identifying what’s important in our life, and removing the things that are distracting us from them.”
You could replace minimalism with essentialism, and it would work just as well.
Wow. I just wrote that quote down. Thanks!!
@@jackiedent3923 you’re welcome. I’ve learned so much on the philosophy of decluttering and minimalism from Joshua Becker.
I loved hearing you on Cas’s podcast! I’m a professional musician also (flutist), and too have been on her podcast! I’m so glad to have found your channel!! Great tips, thank you for sharing!!!
You make me smile! I love your videos.🙌❤️
I listened to the podcast with Cas while I was cleaning up my kitchen. It was entertaining. I'm not minimalist at all and like what you've said about having what I call collections. I also like to think about whether fantasy me is going to use something or reality me will. That's saved me a lot of money. Thanks for sharing. Nice to see little Clover, too.
Essentialism I like it! Tfs
Too me its about making the space Functional. How I organize my cooking area is dependent on how I cook, where the stove is, where the sink is. The end result works for an action not just to be organized.
I love "essentialism!" You're brilliant, Kay!
Also...ermagerd, Clover bean!!❤❤❤
I literally just gasped. You chatted with Cas? MY TWO FAVORITE ORGANIZERS. Swoon. Ok. Now on to the rest of the video as a tidy my work space.
We are using storage that we already have (mostly bins reused from decluttered items). I am a seasonal organizer that likes fewer items, especially on surfaces. My hubby likes see everything! So we work on organizing together, most of the time. I am currently working on one small area at a time. Starting with my more public areas. I agree that it is very unique to each of us. Thanks for your encouragement!
I am not the quantity police. Hehe 😊
As I get older I try to really think out impulse purchases (mainly clothes😂) but definitely not a minimalist. I am guilty of getting caught up in thinking I need the latest organizing products . I do find a lot at Dollar Tree or Aldi . Oh Clover you are so adorable❤
Thanks for clearing up these minimalism lies, Kay! 😊 These points made perfect sense!👍🏻
Have a wonderful weekend! 🌸🌼🌸🌼🌸🌼
Clover was so cute! 🐶🩵
How has he been doing?
How have you been doing?
True to everything you said. I have been decluttering and organizing for several years now as I feel more and more able to let stuff go.
A woman after my own heart! Organizing and opera!! :) so glad I found you. Love your pup, too.
Why is it so exciting when your favorite YT’ers collaborate 🤗 excited to see💕
Organizing may not be a one time job, but what we have done so far in the kitchen has remained almost perfectly intact for about a year and a half because we made it so easy to get things out and put them away! hubs purchasing things has screwed it up in the past, but he’s been pretty good about not adding things on impulse because “now we have space.“ The point is having the space, not stuffing as much stuff into the space as you possibly can. The first time I cleaned out and got rid of the massive collection of mugs to create a gorgeous, clean, balanced Display in the glass front cabinets… I came home a few days later and found a whole bunch of new mugs that he had purchased (along with hideously ugly practical coffee things in commercial boxes, in those glass front cabinets.He saw the space and wanted to fill it. He knows better, now, than to pull that again. 🤣🤣🤣 I have had to compromise on some of the practical things he put there. But now I’m thinking about a shelf inside the lower cabinet door… For the ugly things like fake commercial creamers, hideous pink yellowand blue packets of poisonous fake sugar, and the like. I don’t want that stuff in my house, and would Rather my guests do without, lol. Hubs isn’t that mean.
In my opinion, a common lie is that in order to declutter I have to donate and recycle to the maximum extend and that if I do not do it I am a bad person. I prefer to dispose of good things in the trash over keeping them with the hopes of get them to another place.
Minimalism is a range, from stark, all the way to cozy minimalism (that’s me!). I had to add stuff (throw pillows and blankets, and am getting into faux flower arranging), and painted the walls a soft pinky taupe, to warm things up in my apartment. But I’m still a minimalist. There’s no clutter, and everything I have out (or even hidden away) is deliberate.
Interesting you prefer your treasures in trash vs donating so someone else can use? Do you care to say why? I was raised 1 person's junk is another's treasure, so I'd appreciate your reasoning for trash over donate. I don't think you're a bad merson if you don't donate, & thinking you have a reason thinking as you do that I never thought of. Thanks in advance if you respond.
@@carbar3936 if something is in bad, irreparable condition, or something you know no one would use, or would take the time to get and haul away (like an old fridge or dryer), it’s perfectly fine to discard it (safely and correctly, of course). Anthony Ongaro, of Break the Twitch, has an excellent video on why NOT to donate stuff to thrift stores and the like (he’s specific about what CAN be donated).
@@HeronCoyote1234 Thx Progressive. I don't donate broken or overly worn items of any kind. However, if I had a broke frig or appliance period, I know a handy man who can fix anything, and he loves getting the remaining workable parts that are good despite why the item itself is broken. I definitely get what you're saying tho'. I don't donate anything I wouldn't buy used myself, and I'm a thrift-store junky. LOL However, I do have standards and have the nerve to be picky no matter the price. LOL Have a great evening!
@@carbar3936 I agree with you on thrift stores/consignment shops. It’s worth the treasure hunt to find real gems. We found a Stickley end table for $175. New, they go for about $800. We picked up a beautiful complete sterling silver flatware set, still in the original box and container, for $50. I got a brand new pair of Columbia boots for $25. My next hunt will be for a vase, for my new hobby, faux flower arrangements.
So true on the once and done! I added a Ninja Foodi to our kitchen and use it often. But the space it needs to be handy was an entire chain of rethinking how we put other counter top appliances away.
Kay, I just got rid of a lot of scrapbooking supplies as I finally accepted I wasn't going to scrap book again.
I am on the verge of making that decision, too, Christine! 'Preserving memories' seems to be an excuse to buy/store cute stuff - but I'm busy LIVING life vs documenting life! Besides - what will the kids & grands do with the albums? Probably 'declutter' them when I'm gone! 😂
I totally agree with both of ya'll. My Mom took a lot of photos and put them in photo & scrapbooks. When she died there are now at least two dozen of these books that my sister and I keep shuffling between us with no space for them. It was fun going thru them ONE TIME and pulling out parts of what we wanted to keep but now they are a burden. Our kids don't know anyone in these books and couldn't care less .. so eventually these things will be trashed, which is a shame.
When I look thru my materials I've saved to go in a scrapbook I wonder why did I want to save THIS?? .. The feelings we have for an item in our scrapbooks might be deep & relevant when we place it in there but those feelings cool after some time and the item doesn't seem so relevant anymore.
Maybe the word 'scrap' is what we should do with this stuff instead of making a book with it. 😂
I guess as I've grown older 'nostalgia' just doesn't appeal to me anymore. I'd rather be living in the here & now enjoying life one day at a time, instead of wistfully (and sadly) looking backwards at what used to be.
I guess maybe that comes from all the losses I've had all my life .. my elders, some of the youngsters, my husbands, my sweet animals, all my beautiful things, my looks .. even watching others going thru their same losses. EVERYthing and everybody that comes INTO our lives will one day go out of it, one way or other. We have to keep that in the back of our hearts at all times and lovingly let them go.
And yes, it's hard, it's damn hard when it happens. But that's the circle of life.
I love the term Essentialism. ❤
I love the therm Essentialism!
Great video. Love the side-eye Clover gives you at the end. :)
so good, and so much cute clover action
Mahalo for sharing these lies, especially #3!
Love Cas!!! Y’all are great and realistic!! ☺️☺️
Sitting here "LOL" as I said "butt ton" this morning when my husband "discovered" ELFA ~ I suggested what to put in our Airstream closet and now he has taken over & is overthinking. Told him I am now out of the project. We need two drawer systems, 14 x 21 x 29 and that is all we need. Thank you for keeping it real Kay ! Hello Clover ! Wanda Kay ~
Clover is soooo gorgeous ❤
It took me awhile to get to this video but it is so spot on. Thank you
Thanks Kay!❤
Kaye, if you made an album of 6 or 8 of your favorite art songs and/or arias, you would have a built-in market for it here, among your viewers.💕
Such a good list for keeping things in perspective - thanks!
Agree with everything you said and I have watched almost all your videos and has given me a healthy relationship with my stuff and my expectations that it is something I have to keep doing
Love that .. "healthy relationship with my stuff" .. VERY well said
👍😊
I have extras of things for when I drop the ball on household chores. That way if I forget to clean/do something I have spares and therefore time to pick myself back up without pressure.
I put up a 72" shelf system for organizing. Whoop Whoop!
For me home organization is a trial and error. Since I have a small and tight space so measuring is something very important to me. Also it needs to fit the aesthetic of the area as well.
Cas and Dana K White collaborate together in their "Take Your House Back" course. I think you would find Dana interesting.
3:48 considering I was watching on my phone and holding it exactly like that, this got too real 😂
I listened to the podcast and it was great thank you
Thank you!!!
Hi Kay I live your style and content! I'd love to see a video about how you realise your business as part of your musical life. Best regards. G Ire
The only thing I dislike about organizing is the need to take EVERYTHING out of the area.
I don't see how that could work for most people most of the time. I have nowhere to put a roomful of stuff except for the room that it's in! I also have no ability to haul my furniture out by myself. That's just nuts.
I don't do that lol. I just look where I naturally leave my clutter and then put a container there.
Like for me I always had pens and ointment tubes sitting on my bedside table so I just got a cheap makeup bag to put them in . (Pens in top section, ointments in bottom).
It's actually more convenient than having them loose.
I tend to snack in bed and never got around to moving the wrappers to the trash. So I just put a small trash can beside my bed.
I used to sit all my clothes on top of my dresser even when the drawers were empty. So I just got rid of the dresser and use a blanket box for things that can't go on hangers.
You definitely don't need to take everything out - personally I like to look where the piles of stuff are and use them as a starting point for troubleshooting,
Makes it easier to put stuff away since that's the area I naturally chose to put them in without thinking
Take a look at Dana K. White's method.
When I reorganized my pantry, I did it by shelf. If I had done the entire pantry at once, I would have taken up too much space in my kitchen and hallway. And I wouldn't have been able to cook meals still. I think it's useful to shrink your organizing "zones". The REAL reason you take it all out is to CLEAN that area; dust, vacuum, wash, disinfect. It's good to clean out your cupboards and shelves every now and then 🤷♀️.
@@Noreenlee1 .. Dana's method doesn't work for me much. With mobility & stamina issues plus A.D.D. all that moving around with each & every item just doesn't cut it. If I'm already going into the area where an item needs to go I'll take it with me, but hopscotching all over the place with every single item .. nope!
The dog is so cute.
Five feet tall and not willing to get on a stepladder unless it's for something I rarely, rarely use. Holiday decorations are so far the only thing I'm okay reaching for.
The tamra clip looool 🙌🏼
Minimalism is minimal-ism, not nothing--ism. It's subjective and different for all.
I love u. U truly motivate me❤❤❤❤❤❤
I can't stand shoes jumbled in a bin, even though bins are fine for other things. You have to experiment to know what systems work for you, for certain items.
I so agree. Not only is it harder to find the ones you need but it's just so disrespectful of the shoes, jumbling the bottoms of some shoes with the tops of other shoes is damaging to them and just plain nasty.
I totally identify with the idea that you don't have to buy organizing products. There is only one product that I would recommend: a label maker. It's invaluable not only for keeping yourself organized, but for helping others who may have to use something. (Think both of family members and outside caregivers).
I love a label maker 🙌🏾 especially in homes with little ones. It REALLY helps
Label makers are great, but they run from around 30 dollars (and you get what you pay for) to 130 dollars & up for the Cricut version that so many youtubers recommend. Dollar Tree has both permanent label stickers and easy-to-remove label stickers, also thin wood shapes for crafting that make great labels when you stick them onto containers or shelves with little sticky velcro dots--that they also sell. The only downside is you have to write on them yourself...or you can get pre-printed labels, both white & clear. All of these options are 1 dollar and 25 cents.
(for poor folks like me)
Kay is right. You really don't have to spend money to be organized. 😉
(Edit: You don't have to spend a lot of money. Most of us can afford a couple dollars.)
I have 2 problems with stick on labels. One is my poor handwriting. The other is removing them. The alternatives you mentioned seem great, but I have not seen them available in Israel.
@@hanaandjerryforbes8878 Oh wow you're in Israel! I had no idea! **waves from the US**
Cas is a Ladybug (macro organizer) so a large shoe bin works well for her because the shoes are so easy to put away, which is what she values over ease of finding the right pair when needed. It would be a nightmare for me to have my shoes touching other family members' shoes and dirt from their shoes getting inside/all over my shoes and, like you said, having shoes buried at the bottom with no chance of airing out and being much harder to find than if using something like a shoe rack.
Great list! I love how you broke those down! 😃
I kinda wish we could have heard you singing in that clip but I guess we need to be wary of taunting EMI. :)
😉
I never want to taunt the copyright bots lol. I think Florence Price might still be under copyright 😅
A big lie is that everything needs to be labeled. I don't need to label my jar of pecans because I know they are pecans just by looking at them. I do need to label the flour/baking powder/cornstarch because no one can tell what it is otherwise. I live by myself, so I don't need to label the puzzle shelf "puzzles" to know where the puzzles go, etc.
Not to mention having someone to organize things for you can be so confusing that you go bananas 💯 but you might not remember where your stuff is
RIGHT? I...the control freak couldn't handle this 😂
The Bean wants doggo cookies 🐶
You mentioned having done a video chat with Cas of Clutterbug & said you would link it below-but I can't find it. Checked your channel & hers, but still couldn't figure out which video it was-can you provide a link for that ? Thanks :)
It is on the Clutterbug Podcast channel.
Dang it! I always forget!!! 😂 ruclips.net/video/XL2S7zZFE5s/видео.html
@@molee8863 thank you, I wasn't aware that it was a separate channel so that's why I couldn't see it. Much appreciated :)
💕
❤❤
Did you say cookies? Haha
Doggy so qt 🥺🥹
The only reason I (kind of) bought into minimalism was because the definition I read talked about YOU being the arbiter of how minimalism works for you. It is a tragedy that the term has been distorted and policed so much that we need a new one for what is essentially the same philosophy.
Anyways, another lie I keep hearing about organization is that decluttering needs to be a major event that you separate time for (no wonder people want it to be a one and done thing). Maybe it's because I'm not a Mom™️ drowning under stuff so I have some more leeway that they don't have, but I've just got in the habit of decluttering as I go. When, in the course of my daily life, I encounter something that I can't tell for sure why I still have it, I make a quick assessment of it and if it has to go, it goes. Alternatively, sometimes the contents of a box or drawer or whatever will start to bother me and I tackle just that space in a little bit of time, maybe half an hour max (certainly not the same as an entire afternoon).
I am also constantly reorganizing stuff if my current system doesn't click (point of performance ha!). It's definitely a slow process, but I feel like I have made kind of a 180° shift over the course of the last 15 months or so, I'm so much more organized now and fingers crossed it stays that way.
Another lie: that decluttering is an end in and of itself. That's just the minimalism police trying to sell you more stuff.
Oh and another lie: that you need to label everything. You will never be able to convince me that that shit is elegant, and I say this as a Ladybug with ADHD.
NO OFFENSE BUT IS IT JUST ME OR DID YOUR VOICE JUST DRASTICALLY CHANGE FROM THE LAST TIME VIDEO I JUST WATCHED ON KITCHEN ORGANIZATION YOU SOUND LIKE CASS FROM CLUTTER. I'M NOT SURE IF IT'S HER ADHD THAT EXTRA SOUND LIKE SHE'S TALKING ABOUT A MINUTE BUT SO MUCH BREATH IS SHE JUST UNIQUE AND THE WAY SHE SPEAKS WHAT YOU SOUND JUST LIKE RIGHT NOW IN THIS VIDEO
?????????????
I wish you would wear your pretty lipstick. ❤