Spent yesterday at @taketwo_thrift with my tiny assistant organizing for their 2 pairs for $2 jeans sale today. We organized by size and section (baby, kid, plus-sized, etc) - how do you organize your jeans? Do you separate out classic denim from colored? Do you sort crop jeans separately? Hanging, on shelves, or in drawers? I’m a visual person so I like mine hanging - like 90% of my clothes 🙌🏻. I’ll be back at @taketwo_thrift today organizing books - see you there! 🤱🏼👶🏼👖👖
We all have that one room that serves as a dumping ground. A room we close the door on when company comes - or when we’re too anxious to even look at it. The one room with unfinished projects and items that seem to have no real home. For me lately it’s been the spare bedroom. The guest bedroom was always guest-only items but now its housing to-be-laid hardwood flooring we scored from @habitatrestorenl, a bajillion diapers, and my evicted office items since the office became a nursery. So which room is your secret clutter cave? #monicacloset #friends #clutter
Volunteer organizing at @taketwo_thrift - books on the docket today! Sorting by genre first with my little assistant’s help ❤️ How do you sort your books? #thrifting #thrift #thriftshop #empower #taketwo #organizing #bookstagram
While on maternity leave, I’ve been volunteer organizing at @taketwo_thrift on Ropewalk Lane! I’m a frequent donor to thrift stores both of my own decluttered items and client items. It can make it easier to let go when you know you’re supporting a good cause - Take Two is a social enterprise store; the proceeds go to Empower, the Disability Resource Centre, a consumer-controlled organization committed to providing supports, resources, and opportunities for empowerment, which enable persons with disabilities to make informed choices about their lives. More recently, I’ve become a thrifter. I love the treasure hunt and how thrifting cuts down on waste - and is budget friendly to boot! My afternoon tea baby shower featured thrifted silver service and antique china and books; our nursery features thrifted finds; and our new baby’s wardrobe is primarily thrifted since baby’s grow so fast! What’s your favourite thrifted find? What do you love about thrifting? #thriftstorefinds #thrift #thrifting #thriftshop #organizednl #empower #taketwo
Cleaning out your closet? @myneighbourhoodnl is seeking donations! #Repost @myneighbourhoodnl with @get_repost ・・・ Hi neighbours! We've been running low on men's shirts, both long and short sleeve so this is a call for donations of men's tops! Donations of any kind of clothes are always welcome and much appreciated, but if you have any men's shirts you're looking to get rid of, keep is in mind 😊 Thanks! #thriftstore #socialenterprise #donations #community #stjohns
My latest and greatest organizing project ❤️❤️❤️ #Repost @christykirklandphoto with @get_repost ・・・ Todays little Miriam.
Sometimes disorganization happens because...life. Life with full-time work, wrangling kids’, trying to put healthy meals on the table, and maybe even sleep in there somewhere. This small project used no organizing products (except a diaper box 😂), next to no decluttering, and took about 30 minutes start to finish. Everything was removed and categorized, a few items were re-homed to more appropriate places, and then things were put back with most frequently used items in the front. A more user-friendly space for this busy family!
People often ask me what I do with MY stuff. The truth is I often wear it out or use it up. I don’t buy new clothes just to have new clothes, I don’t jump on trends, and I force myself to use up products before buying more. I tend to buy stuff I love and am ok with paying more because I usually wear stuff till it literally falls apart 😂. I’d rather pay more for an item I’ll have for years than buy new shoes every year. In this case I had these @softinos.official and @coach shoes for at least 8 years each. That’s right - 8 years. I also extend the life of my shoes and clothes by having them repaired or tailored. If I looked at the cost per wear for these shoes, I probably paid about 10 cents per wear 🤑. Compare that to buying cute but uncomfortable shoes for $30 and wearing them once or twice. A lot of people say they can’t afford to buy certain brands or shop at certain stores. While the up front cost might be more, overall it can be more affordable to buy less but to buy quality. And side bonus - a more curated approach to shopping cuts down on closet clutter.
Another organizing task off the list - baby’s hospital bag! I grouped items by type, placed in labelled bags so helpers can easily help, and minimized to avoid overstuffing. Bag has been placed strategically so it’s not forgotten on the way out the door! 🤰🏼🙌🏻
I’ve been horizontal with back issues that last two days so I’m basking in the glow of my Sunday project to get my organizing fix 😜. We have baby clothes from newborn to 3T but (like my own closet), I didn’t want clothes in there that won’t fit. Having only clothes that fit reduces clutter and makes dressing easier. I folded all the clothes KonMarie-style, sorted by size, and stored in clear bins we’ll store until needed. The folding means the clothes take up much less space and containerizing allows us to limit clothes. What’s your favourite way to organize baby clothes? 🤰🏼
How does clutter impact your life? This brilliant info graphic from @makespace depicts the most common effects for my clients.
It can be hard to get the energy to take on organizing projects. But we often underestimate how draining it is to spend time looking for things, to live with clutter, to spend time looking for things, and to beat yourself up about what you “should” be doing or about not being able to tackle the problem areas. The next time you find yourself avoiding an organizing task, ask what will ultimately cost more energy? Avoiding or digging in? Where can you afford to spend the energy?
Sometimes organizing isn’t decluttering and sorting; my main organizing project lately has been all about bottling and freezing meals to prepare for the months ahead! How do you organize meals in your house?
Not all organizing before and afters are super pretty - but they can be super real. This client had an unpacked mountain from a move - in two short hours, we were able to unpack a ton of stuff, sorting and assigning homes as we went, so the living space is organized and functional. Sometimes organizing isn’t about the Instagram-worthy pantry. Sometimes it’s about progress - not perfection.
Happy International Women’s Day! Most of my clients are women, so I’m posting about a recent project for a female client - me! This space has evolved over time to meet my needs; click through the pics to see the progress. I can’t think of a better project to share on International Women’s Day ❤️