The Process…

I offer a highly personalized approach, tailored to your individual needs, to help you attain the harmony, simplicity, and balance you seek.

I meet you at your home or office for an initial “no obligation” consultation. We’ll decide together what can be done and what will be involved when you declutter, sort, and organize your stuff.

Getting Ready for the 1^st Mini-Decluttering session –

SORT:

You’ll have some decisions to make – What to keep? To donate? To sell?   To recycle? To trash?

To help with this process, you’ll need to have some containers – boxes, bags, etc.  They can be cardboard or plastic, large garbage bags and smaller paper or plastic bags.  Just have lots of containers for this part!  It will be helpful to also have some pens, markers, post-its, blank paper, tape, paper clips, elastic bands, stapler, etc. to mark and label things.

Make up some Signs!   Essentially, the categories will be the following:

• Keep   May be several categories –  Consider a “fix/repair” pile.

• Not Sure   When you don’t know what to do with something, place it in a “Not Sure” pile.

• Donate/Give Away 

• Sell  May be subdivided for “Auction”, “Consignment & Collectibles”, “Posting Online” (Used Victoria, eBay, Craig’s List, etc.)

• Recycle will be in several categories:    

• Blue Box stuff
• Hard & Soft Plastic, Styrofoam, electronics
• Other – Hazardous waste, batteries, metal, paint, etc.
• Shredding – Use the large brown “grocery” bags from your grocery store. Staple the bag when full & drop it off at a shredding centre.

• Landfill  –   Unfortunately, that’s where things go that are left over (but this, hopefully, won’t be a big pile!)

CLEAN:

Have (healthy) cleaning products ready.  You don’t want to put away dirty or dusty items in dirty or dusty spaces!  Everything should shine and smell & feel clean.  Have a bucket, rags, rubber gloves, cleaning products (like soap), micro-fibre cloths for polishing, dusters, and broom, etc.

DOING THE WORK OF MINI-DECLUTTERING

OK, now we have the “working sessions” where we “roll up our sleeves” together to declutter your stuff, then clean and sort what you want to keep.

HOW TO ORGANIZE:

Here’s where the decorative, beautiful and functional containers come in.  You’ll need attractive and useful storage containers for a number of items so you can “tidy up fast” and keep things sorted and organized.

Containers will be useful for storing Photographs; Keepsakes and Souvenirs; Small Gadgets and Electronics; CD/DVD Collections; Paperwork of various sorts (taxes, business material, bills, etc.); Office Supplies: Artwork; Crafts; etc.

Containers can be made of plastic, glass, wicker, cloth, metal…  You’ll possibly need trays, dividers, bins, baskets, jars, closet organizers… And file folders, office organizers, etc. for office organizing.

You’ll find lots of storage options at stores like the following: [BTW – This is not a definitive list and I’m always adding to it.]

• Michael’s Arts and Crafts 
• HomeSense 
• London Drugs
• Canadian Tire
• Value Village on Wharf Street
• Winners 
• bedding & linen stores like Home Outfitters 
• office supply stores like Staples and Monks
• hardware stores
• the Lee Valley catalogue (and store in Colwood)
• import stores like Best of Both Worlds Imports (Fan Tan Alley)

Be sure that your storage containers not only suit and fit the items to be stored but also bring a smile to your face – they can be functional and attractive.

You may want large, stackable plastic bins, in a variety of sizes, for items going into “deep” storage – in the basement, under the stairs, under the bed, in the attic, etc.

This is also the time to develop systems – How are you going to keep your newly tidy and functional areas that way?  Plan on developing a system to maintain the “old” stuff and to take care of “new” stuff!

ENJOY!  Once you finish this initial round of decluttering, sorting and organizing…

Consider repainting walls or refinishing furniture to give uncluttered areas a “lift” – and your spirits, too.  Renew linens and bedding, if necessary.

Love your new, functional, tidy spaces.

Use them.

Deeply appreciate them.

Maintain them!  Keep them clean and uncluttered.

Make a habit of living simply.  Don’t let anything into your life that you don’t love and value and actually need.  Buy quality.  Cherish what you are stewarding.  Try to leave things better than when they came into your life.

 

Remember:

Use it up           Wear it out           Make it do         Or do without!