Clear Cluttered Drawers

We've all been there; cramming an item back in a drawer and slamming it shut before everything falls out. Typically, we only use the things on the top of our clutter because that's what we can see and that's what we have access to. We've all bought an item knowing we have one at home, we just can't find it. It's at the bottom of that cluttered drawer. We frustratingly paw through saying “I know I have one here”. Luckily for you, there is another way! It won't take nearly as long as you think it will and everyone can do it.

Dump the drawer on the floor. Yes, that's right. Dump the drawer upside down and get everything out on the floor. Now, remain calm. Spread everything out. Refrain from grabbing the item you've been looking for and throwing everything back in. Take everything that you know if trash and go put it in the trash. Next, check expiration dates and toss expired items. Now, take everything you want to keep in that drawer and place it on the counter. This is your opportunity to give it a good cleaning! Of your remaining items, decide if they should go somewhere else or if you'd like to sell, donate, or toss them. If you have a product you know doesn't work for you, don't hang on to it out of guilt for how much you paid, pass it along to a friend!

If the items you've decided to keep are scattered across categories, see if you can group them or maybe remove a category and put it in a different place. For example, if you have hair products, hair tools like blow-dryers and straighteners, skincare products, and makeup all together this can be too jumbled. See if you can relocate one or two of these categories so your drawer is more clearly defined. If youre able to further separate items into bins or boxes, great, and if not, that's fine too! Now when you get ready you'll be able to notice how much more relaxed you are and maybe even more punctual. Digging through drawers takes more time and energy than you think it does. Enjoy your clean and organized drawer!

Donation Options

So you decluttered; you've decided to part with your excess items and items that no longer suit your life. What now? Place all of your donation items in bags or boxes and put them straight in your car. Don't let them gather in the garage or by the door because that is where they will stay and linger at the back of your mind and add to your to-do list. Let's get this one done. Remember, the quicker you donate your items, the quicker someone else can benefit from them.

Make sure your donation items are not trash. Donation centers need to be able to give your items to those in need, not just fill up their dumpster. One stop donation options are donation centers that are already set up. Simply find one near you and drive your donations to their drop-off space and unload! Look for Goodwill, Salvation Army, habitat for humanity, or a local donation center sometimes run by a resale shop or church. You may have also seen a freestanding donation station in a parking lot. These are self-serve donation centers where you can unload your own items at any time so feel free to use them! If it is near the holidays, there may be a local donation drive for something specific like toys or bikes so if you would like to make a special trip, you'll be making a child very happy.

If you have items that are too large or too heavy for you to transport, take a photo of the item and post it on a site like Facebook marketplace or Craigslist. In the description of your item, be sure to specify that pickup is required. You can also search for companies like Thrive that will come pick up the item for you.

Once you've donated your items, take a moment to pay yourself on the back! Now you will be able to better appreciate the items you have chosen to keep in your home and you will be more aware of the items you bring into your home.

Make Space Intentional

All your things are in the room you want them in but now where do they go? The best way to get organized and stay organized is to make your space intentional. Start to think about what you will be doing in the room you are in and how things need to function for your benefit. For example, if you are putting your home office together to suit your needs, make sure your furniture pieces can store everything you need. Before you start putting things in drawers think about what you interact with most frequently and store those items in the easiest to reach places. If you notice that you leave the same thing out on our desk, like a pen, get a fun pen holder or cup to put it in so you can keep it on your desk where you prefer.

If you notice an area is cluttered, consider removing all related items and getting a new shelf or furniture piece specifically for those items. For example, if the area around your printer is cluttered or you find your printer is buried, find a small two drawer shelf that is the right size to put your printer on top. You can designate the top drawer to loose papers you aren't ready to toss and the bottom drawer to the copy paper and ink. In doing this, you've made your printing process more simple and made the space for it intentional.

Moving Out Check-List

So you’re moving; it’s exciting, stressful, and it can be intimidating! There are so many pieces to put into place but when you take it step by step, you’ll be in your new home with your sanity intact. As soon as you begin to consider moving, begin down-sizing and clearing out the clutter. You will be amazed at what you have accumulated. Start in drawers, cabinets, and closets- this is where the hidden things are that you won’t be anticipating. Start to look at your belongings through the lens of “do I want to take this with me into my new home and my new life?”

All those unwanted items likely fall into three categories: dump, donate, and sell. If you live in a house or a rental that does not have a dumpster, order a dumpster! You may think this seems over kill but you may have noticed junk accumulating since you’ve begun decluttering. Dumpsters can be delivered to your house and stay for a week. This will help you to focus on clearing the junk out. During this time you can also begin listing things for sale online or plan a garage sale. Designate a space to put all of your sale items so you have them all in the same spot, ready to go. For all the items you won’t be selling, donate them to a local charity organization or ask friends/family if they would like the items.

Now that your home only has the items you have chosen to keep, begin researching movers and start getting quotes. If you get the quotes while your house is full of things that will not be going with you, it will be harder to get an accurate quote. Professional movers will help you to plan the financial obligations that moving will have. It will also help bring up important questions that you may not have begun to consider. You are not obligated to use the movers, and you may choose to schedule a u-haul or enlist the help of friends and family. Set your move date and communicate how you will be moving either by choosing a moving company or telling friends and family.

Time for packing materials! Check online to see if anyone has posted free packing supplies or purchase them at your local hardware store. Start packing the things you use the least. When you pack a box, make sure there are no loose items-give it a shake and if you hear rattling, add packing paper. Always label your boxes and try to fill the boxes with like items or things from the same room. Take all of your pictures down and wrap up any rugs you want to take with you. As you begin clearing shelves, wipe them down to cut down cleaning time. Once you have cleared a cabinet or closet, place some painters tape on the front so you know this area is done.

Time to go! You should be down to your bare essentials now. Gather all the items you need to have with you in the same area so you don’t leave anything behind. Go around and do any cleaning that remains and as you complete a room, take any blue painters tape off of the cabinets and closets, close the door to the room and put them on the door. On your last night, begin putting those essentials in your suitcase or in a box as you use them. When you wake up in the morning you are ready to go! You can now remove all the painters tape, no need to double check anything since you’ve done all there is to do. Say your final goodbye and thank your space for housing you, walk out the door and on to your next chapter!

Let Go

The phrase “let go” strikes fear in the heart of many individuals but when reason and process is addressed, it becomes less scary, and eventually, very easy. Now that you have asked yourself who you want to be, the process of letting go is stitched in to the process of cultivating yourself to your ideal self.

Start wherever you want. Find something in your environment that reflects an old version of yourself, someone you don’t currently align with, something that does not hold a positive memory, and put it in a bag. Be active in your environment and actively choose the things you want to keep. We don’t need something passively hanging around for a random reason. We want things that we have chosen and said yes, I want this in my life. Many people have an article of clothing that they haven’t worn-it’s not ugly, it might fit if you put it on, but now you may look at it and realize you haven’t worn it because it doesn’t reflect you. It’s not who you are or who you want to be. Let it go.

As your bag of things from your environment begins to fill, look in it and reflect on any theme you see. What kind of person belongs with these items? Take the bag to a donation center. Come home, and notice is your closet brighter? darker? do you have space on a shelf or in a drawer? Take a moment to appreciate this. Appreciate the change or the space and then you may begin to consider what you would like in that space. Consider what you would like to display, what you would like to see regularly. If you found something that made you light up when you saw it, go back to it and set it on a shelf where you have space or hang it in the front of your closet. Display the things that most reflect who you are, who you are becoming, things that make you happy. Let the items you have chosen cheer you on. Letting go has gifted you this feeling and it is worth so much more than the items you were hanging on to.