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Day 7 of the 7 Day Organising Challenge

Leave a Comment / Events, National Organising Week / By littlemisssorted

Welcome to Day 7 of the 7 Day Organising Challenge.

If you’re just joining us… you’re my kind of person. You heard the champagne corks popping yesterday and came running! Please feel free to join us in a glass, although it may taste better if you keep scrolling and complete Days 1-6 of our Challenge. Plus, you’ll have MORE room for champagne somewhere in your house. Winning!

If you’ve been with me since the start, you’re my hero. So far you’ve completed the following to transform an area of your home:

Day 1 – Chosen one area to declutter & organise

Day 2 – Created a vision for the space

Day 3 – Decluttered

Day 4 – Organised

Day 5 – Contained & Styled

Day 6 – Labelled

And now,

Step 7.

Maintain. I can almost hear the audible groans from here. Yes, it’s true. Organising is not a once in a life time event. Sorry folks. But the good news is, you now have the structure in place that should make maintaining the space much easier.

Before we move on too quickly, I want to remind you of the pile of stuff you said you were going to sell back on Day 3. Now is the day to make a start on this or admit you’re kidding yourself, as well as actually carrying out the delivery of items you bagged up to be donated.

Top Tip: Depending on what you have to donate and where you live, you may be able to call a local charity and arrange for a free collection. Check out the Resources page on my website for lots of sustainable ways to move on your unwanted stuff.

Now, when it comes to maintaining your space more generally, you need to allow time to maintain your home and keep it organised. Sounds basic but BASICALLY NO ONE DOES IT. You don’t necessarily need huge blocks of time but you will if you neglect if for too long.

For the smaller, day to day tasks, a little done frequently is best. Just like it takes time to maintain a garden, or do the housework, so too for staying organised
Consider scheduling the bigger tasks. How often do they need to be done to stay manageable & how long will it take? Then make an appointment with yourself in the calendar to get it done. If you use an electronic calendar, make it a recurring appointment
Enlist the people you live with to help you. At the very least, show them what the purpose of the area is, and tell them what does and doesn’t go there

Some organising principles that you might find helpful for maintaining your home include:

Don’t put it down, put it away
Never leave a room empty handed. Always take something with you and put it away
Establish a permanent “out” box where you can place items you no longer want. Drop it off to your local charity store when it gets full
Remember the One In, One Out rule. If you come home with a new shopping haul, what can you let go of to make space?
Say “no thanks” to freebies
Put a No Junk Mail sign on your letterbox
Stop shopping for stuff you don’t need
Go paperless wherever possible
Create destinations for everything that is staying

So that’s it! Congratulations on getting sorted. Are you off to tackle a new area or will you take a break for now?

Whatever you decide, enjoy your new found space and time.

A label maker, a bottle of Champagne and one of those annoyingly organised people walk into a bar…

Leave a Comment / Events, National Organising Week / By littlemisssorted

Have you heard that one? Welcome to Day 6 of my 7 Day Organising Challenge. You gonna LUVVVVE today’s step(s).

If you’re just joining us… hooray! We’re so glad you made it. Keep scrolling to read the tasks for the previous Challenge Days in the posts below which outline the path we’ve followed to get here:

Day 1 – Choose one area to declutter & organise over the next 7 days

Day 2 – Create a vision for how you want that space to be

Day 3 – Declutter

Day 4 – Organise

Day 5 – Containerise & Style

Today we’re up to

Step 6.

Labelling. Depending on the area you’ve been working in, you may or may not require labels. The reason I’ve given this process a whole day to itself is because very few people I work with get to this point on their own and some areas REALLY need it. So if that’s true for you, read on! If not, you may want to read on anyway because… CHAMPAGNE.

But let’s not get ahead of ourselves.

So, if for instance, if you’ve been working on your underwear drawer this week, you’re probably good to go. But if you’ve been dealing with paperwork, your pantry, digital files or a myriad of other areas, it really is worth taking the time to label things properly.

First, decide whether you need to label.

Second, decide the best way to label. Would a printed label on the top edge of a drawer work for discreet labelling? Or would you prefer hand written labels that are quick and easy to add to moving forward? Or maybe your pantry would look fabulous with customised labels from that online Etsy shop you’ve been stalking?

There are lots of options, none of them wrong. The main thing is you do the labelling.

Top Tip: When sorting offices, I find it helpful to use a pencil and paper to give my proposed categories and labels a trial run. You can play around until you’ve gotten it working like a well-oiled machine, and then switch to more permanent, robust or designer labels.

Try to keep things simple. Don’t overthink, oversort or overcategorise your stuff… you just create more work for yourself and ain’t no-one got time for that! When it comes to categorising and labelling, it’s best to channel your inner Goldilocks and settle on a label that is just right.

A label that is too general is meaningless. A label that is so specific that you need thousands of them is equally pointless. For example, a tab inside a folder labelled “Miscellaneous” might as well be no tab at all. Likewise, having labels so specific (e.g. Jane’s Birth Certificate) that you need 1,783 of them in a folder to cover the variety of items you’re storing there is also not advised.

Once the last label is applied, I want you to take a moment. Step back and take in your handy work. Celebrate your newly tamed and beautified space and don’t forget to take the AFTER photo and compare it with the BEFORE photos you took on Day 1. (This is where the champagne comes in, if you’re wondering).

So, if you were able to skip this step, lucky you. If you weren’t, let me know how you get on. When people call me, it’s often at this point where they get in over their heads and simply can’t decide on what system they need to organise things most efficiently. Having a Professional Organiser to help set this up in the first place and show you how to do it in the process is something they have found to be often life changing, and money well spent. And I offer both virtual and in-person appointments, so it doesn’t matter where you live.

Now you may also be wondering what Step 7 could be if we’ve already celebrated on Day 6. Make sure you come back tomorrow to discover what our last Day of the Challenge entails.

Enjoy your glass of bubbles!

Day 5 – Unleash your creative beast!

Leave a Comment / Events, National Organising Week / By littlemisssorted

Boy am I glad to see you. Today is a good, fun day. You’ll see why soon.

But first, if you’re just starting your challenge today, no problem! Keep scrolling to read the tasks for the previous Challenge Days in the posts below which outline the path we’ve followed to get here:

Day 1 – Choose one area to declutter & organise over the next 7 days

Day 2 – Create a vision for how you want that space to be

Day 3 – Declutter

Day 4 – Organise

Today though, we’re up to

Step 5.

Contain & style.

Yesterday the aim was to make the space practical and functional using whatever you already had around the house. Today is about taking your space to the next level; to make the most of your space, make it sparkle and inject your personality. Afterall, a space you love and are proud of is way more motivating to maintain than your secret (or not so secret) dumping ground.

So, whilst it’s completely fine to skip this step, it’s no fun if you do. I encourage you to be as creative as possible and utilise what you already have in the house. You may need or want to hit the shops and that’s fine, but this step doesn’t have to cost you a fortune. It’s AMAZING what you already have that can be used in new, different and unexpected ways to solve a storage problem.

Some of the things you may want to tackle today include:

Ensuring you are utilising the space well. A classic example is wasted space in cupboards when there aren’t enough shelves. In this situation, you might ask yourself:
- Can you put in more shelves?
- Can you put items in stackable boxes to make the most of the height?
- Can the cupboards be easily remodelled?
- Would the space actually be better off storing something else altogether?
- Could some portable shelf inserts or steps help?
- What about hooks?
Ensuring the items you are storing are needed, easy to access and more importantly, easy to put away by everyone, not just you
Considering what organising tools might help you to maintain this space more easily. Perhaps smaller boxes inside a drawer to create separate sections, for example. Or open boxes or trays that can be used to store a group of items that can be pulled out when in use, and quickly put away again when you’re done. Hooks, racks, folders… I’m sure I don’t have to tell any of you where to go for organising inspiration!
Remembering how you wanted the space to look way back on Day 2, when you were creating your vision and making sure you’re on brief. Would some matching storage help to elevate the space? Probably doesn’t matter so much inside a drawer but makes the world of difference on an open shelf.
Have fun with it! A splash of colour or well-chosen design can really change the feel of a space and add to the vibe you’re trying to create, often in a much cheaper way than, say, furniture or art. Investing in matching storage can take a space from practical to practically perfect whilst also helping to streamline sizes, making a space more flexible and easier to maintain.

An important thing to remember as you go through this process is that it often takes a couple of goes to find the best solution for a space. Be ok with trying something for a while and changing it up again if it’s not working well.

Enjoy the creative process!

7 rules for organising your stuff

Leave a Comment / Events, National Organising Week / By littlemisssorted

Well look at you… you’re nearly half way there!

If you’re just starting the 7 Day Organising Challenge today, no problem. Keep scrolling to read the previous days’ posts in full below.

Day 1 – Choose one area to declutter & organise over the next 7 days

Day 2 – Create a vision for how you want that space to be

Day 3 – Declutter

For the rest of us, it’s time for…

Step 4.

Organise.

Top Tip: Hold off on any urge you may have to go out and buy storage solutions at this stage. In most cases, you’re much better to start the organising process using what you already have. Trust me! By the end of the process, you’ll be able to see exactly what you need, how many and in what colour. At the moment, it’s really just a guessing game.

Now, the organising process will be different for each of us depending on what we’re organising. But regardless of whether you’re working in your garage or in a wardrobe, a cupboard or your digital files, there are a few organising principles that will steer you in the right direction. Here are 7 of the best:

Everything needs a home, or it will become clutter
Store like items together rather than having them dotted around in various locations
Keep things as close as possible to where they are used, wherever practical
Put your most frequently used items front and centre, with lesser used items up higher, down lower or towards the harder-to-reach backs of cupboards
It’s usually best to store items wherever your first instinct is to put them, because that’s inevitably the place you’ll look for it later
Utilise vertical space wherever possible, be that walls, peg boards or simply a magazine box to reduce horizontal piles on a flat surface
Set limits. It’s often when you’re putting the items you want to keep away, that you realise you’ve still got way more stuff that you need, want or can maintain. A lot of the people I work with find it helpful to look at the space available and decide how much of it is worth dedicating to a particular category of item. Because at the end of the day, the hard truth is, you can either have the stuff or the space, not both

Remember to refer back to the answers you came up with on Day 2 as you go about reorganising the space. There’s no point creating a system that you’ve tried before and you already know doesn’t work for you.

Likewise, you need to organise the space in a way that anyone who is likely to be using it is going to be able to both find what they need and put it away again without needing to bug you about it each time.

Once you finish organising the space, you’ve done the hard yards. The next few days will be much easier, I promise! Having said that, it’s often about this stage in the process when people realise they need help, so if that’s you, send me a message or your questions and let’s chat.

You can totally do this! See you tomorrow.

Confessions of a Professional Organiser

Leave a Comment / Uncategorized / By littlemisssorted

Don’t let the shiny red capsicum as big as a tin of milo deceive you. I am no gardener. As evidence of this, I must confess that I once killed an air plant, which as the name suggests, really only needs *air to live. I wish I was a gardener though. The gardeners I know seem so happy, relaxed and rightfully proud of the peaceful sanctuaries they’ve created. I want my garden to be like that too, I really do. I imagine it would be an inspiring and joyful place to spend time and who doesn’t need more of that in their life, am I right?

I have moments of inspiration when I really try to get my garden on track and sometimes my efforts pay off. But it never seems to last and more often than not, it doesn’t work at all. No matter how hard I try, the plants fail to thrive, or worse, die with no regard to the huge effort (I think) I put in. I find it hard to get motivated to garden at the best of times but when plants die despite my efforts, it’s nearly impossible to find and maintain the motivation required to grow an inspiring and joyful garden. And then my garden is trapped in a downward spiral of my own making (or lack of making much effort more likely). My garden gets neglected and it feels harder, more time-consuming and just too overwhelming to even contemplate how I will get it back in order, let alone try and do it.

Sometimes, when things get desperate, I spend a whole weekend ‘blitzing’ the garden just to get it back to some kind of starting point. But then I am so burnt-out I don’t want to garden again for a month (or six) and I end up back at square one.

I have had to admit to myself that gardening just doesn’t come naturally to me. I have trouble visualising what I really want and how best to use the space. Even if I did know clearly what my ideal outcome was, I wouldn’t have the first clue where to start in order to make it happen.

The funny thing is, knowing this doesn’t stop me wishing I was a better gardener and hoping that I will be one day. It doesn’t stop me reading the books and articles, or pinning the photos of all the beautiful gardens I aspire to have even just a slice of in my own backyard. Occasionally I get a bit green-eyed at the people who seem to have it all together in the garden department but more often than not, it just confirms to me that this is something I really want for myself because I know how much better my life would be if I could just conquer this struggle once and for all. But I know deep down that wishing, hoping and feeling inspired isn’t the same as GETTING IT DONE!

When I think about it, the only time I have any real success in the garden is when I have help. My mum is an excellent (and very patient) gardener and I love gardening when I am doing it with her. It’s just more fun with someone else there encouraging me and showing me how easy it can be. Plus, she has the vision and I like it. She knows what tools I need and what plants would be best. I mean, she knows about plants I’ve never even heard of! It’s just fun to garden with her and I always make progress with her help.

So I guess I will continue to garden in the best way I know how… with mum (or any other willing participants) by my side. And, I’ve recently had a professional gardener and landscaper come in to help me clarify my vision and give me ideas I never would have come up with on my own. I know it is going to take a combination of strategies to get my garden growing but I also know the effort will be worth it. And where I can’t do it myself, I am ready to call in the experts!

And so it is with organising. My struggles as a gardener have given me invaluable insight into the struggles of those who find it difficult to get organised. I realise that all the feelings I have about gardening, they have about organising. And so I feel blessed to be asked to help every single courageous client that chooses me to guide them in finding their organised sweet spot. I say courageous even though there is no shame in asking for help. Just as there is no shame in hiring a gardener, a personal trainer or a caterer. But that doesn’t mean it’s easy. To me, it demonstrates their true dedication and determination despite the challenges. And so, it is my privilege to witness their life-changing transformations and these everyday heroes are my daily inspiration.

So to all my clients, past, present and still to come, I thank you for trusting me and I salute you with my gardening brown thumb. I can hand on heart say, I understand your struggles and I promise, we can do this together.

*I know that air plants also require water and I suspect I may have actually over-watered mine, much to my dismay considering my problem is usually not watering enough. So no need to email me with your gardening tips for air plants… I feel so bad about it I promise to never take one into my custody again. At least not until I have a full time gardener on staff 😉

Tiny capsicum — Actual size of the one and only capsicum I grew this summer. Credit: Coles for the mini tin of milo that my son lent to me to help me feel accomplished.

Can you take a hint? Ready, Set…

2 Comments / Events, National Organising Week / By littlemisssorted

Today is Clean Up Australia Day. Tomorrow is the start of National Organising Week.

I think the Universe is trying to tell us something.

And when she talks, we should listen. So here’s what’s happening… Each day for the next 7 days I’ll be popping up at a different location somewhere in the South-Eastern suburbs of Melbourne to take your unwanted clutter* off your hands and sustainably dispose of it on your behalf at absolutely no cost to you. That’s right, totally FREE.

Don’t live in Melbourne or can’t get to me? Don’t worry. I’ll also be providing lots of resources for future reference of organisations locally, nationally and sometimes even globally that will accept your excess clutter and keep it out of landfill.

Not sure where to start? No problem, I’ve got it sorted. Each day I’ll be posting some helpful tips on how to declutter a different zone of your home so we can work through it methodically and without getting overwhelmed. It’s just for 1 week… I know you can do it!

So really, what have you got to lose, except some clutter? I’m making myself available all week to answer your organising questions, help you get sorted and encourage you to find your Organised Sweet Spot and live life there. So please join in the daily challenges and help others you know who might also benefit from some free Professional Organising advice by sharing this post and the upcoming daily blogs with them.

I’d love to hear about your progress, see your before and after photos and meet you (and your clutter) at the various locations listed below. (Click here to see who you’re looking for!) If you do join in, by the end of the week I promise you will have more space and a clean conscience to boot.

*Items I will be accepting are:

Expired medicines

Unopened toiletries including hotel-sizes

Clean towels and blankets

Household batteries

Plastic shopping bags

Unused nappies (opened packets & no packets are also acceptable)

Unwanted craft items

Kids’ books in good condition

Non-perishable pantry items (in date)

Magazines

Old reading glasses

Used stamps

Old mobile phones & their accessories

Ink cartridges

Bras

Women’s corporate clothing & accessories

Handbags

So have a think about the space invaders in your house and start gathering them in an “OUT” bag near the door. And yes, that includes all the stuff you’ve been meaning to sell for the last 3 years and haven’t.

Take a look at my schedule below and decide where you can meet me and stay tuned throughout this week to find out where your items will be going!

Please note – I can only accept normal household quantities & any sorting you can do to keep categories of items separate & contained would be much appreciated.
I will provide additional resources and information on my website on how you can dispose of items not listed above.

Where to find me – this week only:

Mon 5th March

(Outside) Seaford Kindergym

3/10 Rutherford Rd, Seaford

11:45-12:30pm

Tue 6th March

Pinewood Nursery (Carpark)

478 Blackburn Rd, Glen Waverley

3:15-3:45pm

Wed 7th March

Doncaster Officeworks (Carpark)

602-630 Doncaster Rd, Doncaster

1:30-2pm

Thu 8th March

Mums Supporting Families In Need (Warehouse)

2/7 Sir Laurence Drive, Seaford

12-1pm

Fri 9th March

The Garden – Frankston (Reception)

4 Ross Smith Ave W, Frankston

11-11:30am

~~Sat 10th March~~

~~IKEA Springvale (Near Entrance)~~

~~917 Princes Hwy, Springvale~~

CANCELLED

Sun 11th March

Sandbox Café – Sandhurst Golf Club

75 Sandhurst Blvd, Sandhurst

10-11am

Please note: Sometimes unexpected things happen. Keep an eye on my website & Facebook page in the unlikely event I need to make a last minute update to times and locations.

View the above locations on Google Maps

In the meantime, if you’re ready to get started N.O.W. why don’t you head on over to the Clean Up Australia Day website and find a site near you where you can pitch in to help clean up. Or if you can’t attend, perhaps you’d consider making a donation here. I was surprised to learn that Clean Up Australia does not receive government funding and relies on private and corporate donations to keep their campaigns running and to provide supplies like gloves, tools and rubbish bags for volunteers. All donations above $2 are tax deductible for Australian taxpayers.

Enjoy your Sunday and I’ll see you tomorrow for our first N.O.W. organising challenge!