Letting go can be difficult, so here are my top 3 strategies for editing your belongings.

#1 Pareto’s Principle.
While you might not be able to pronounce his name properly, this turn of the century Italian economist developed what we commonly refer to today as the 80:20 rule. Vilfredo Pareto determined that what we invest versus the return we get is unbalanced. Applied to our homes, it would appear that 80% of our things are used only 20% of the time. In simpler terms, this means that out of all of your t-shirts in your dresser drawers, over half of them (80%) are only worn less than half (20%) of the time. The flip side of that equation is that you’re wearing a very small percentage (20%) of your t-shirts the majority (80%) of the time. Sounds like it’s time to declutter some of those unworn shirts!
​
#2 One-In-One-Out Rule.
To avoid unnecessary overstock, you’ve got to have a plan to subtract whenever you add. We’re great with toilet paper – we buy lots, but we use lots, so the toilet paper supply never gets out of hand. However, when we’re buying things that aren’t consumable, those items tend to pile up. Consider purses. Although you might love purses (and bags of all sorts), it’s unnecessary to have ALL the bags. So, when buying a new bag, you must let go of an old one. Using the one-in-one-out principle helps us to establish healthy buying habits, which in turn reduces the potential for clutter. If you’ve got an excessive amount, then multiply this rule to read One-In-Three-Out until you can get your stash down to an appropriate level.

#3 Expiration Date.
As you continue on your decluttering journey, you’ll stumble upon items you think you might need one day. While this mindset has proven useful in past decades, it has followed Pareto’s Principle more than we’d like to admit: of the 80-100% of the things we keep for a delayed and unknown need, only 0-20% might ever get used. The replacement light bulbs that come with every strand of holiday lights, or extra buttons that come with your new cardigan. The dull hack saw you salvaged from a garage sale or the door knobs that came out of your renovated property. Maybe it’s the fancy table linens for the parties you never throw or extra sets of glass punch cups. You’re keeping these things because you THINK you’ll use them, but so far you haven’t. In fact, instead of using the old things, you actually just pick up what you need for less than $25 when you need it. Be honest with yourself. It’s time to let these things go. But if you don’t believe me, then place these items in a box with an expiration date clearly marked on the side. Once that date arrives, you’ll have no regrets donating those items because you KNOW you never actually needed them.
​
What are your favorite strategies for cutting the clutter? Share them below in the comments!

This post originally appeared on The Good Life.

When we edit and reorganize closets for our clients, we come across two kinds of people: ones that organize by type and ones that organize by outfit.

​The “typers” are SO much easier to organize for because the process of reloading the closet requires so little thought. Short sleeves with short sleeves, pants with pants, sweaters with sweaters. (I personally like to organize my closet by type because it helps me to get the clean laundry off my bed and back where it belongs!)

However, the “typers” always run into one major problem that the “outfitters” avoid — overstock. They’ve fallen into the trap of buying random pieces because they liked the feel, shape, pattern, you name it, but they rarely have plans to put their new found pieces into use beyond the full-length mirror. So the pieces sit. And collect dust. And our “typers” are burdened by the fact that although their closet is well-stocked with beautiful pieces, they’ve still got nothing to wear.

If you’re a “typer” (like me), don’t fret. There’s a proven solution for loving your wardrobe AND sorting it by type. You simply must define your outfit possibilities.

Start by snagging your favorite top and asking yourself a lot of questions. Which bottoms work best? Would it look better with a skirt or does it belong with trousers? Do you even own the trousers in the right color and cut to pull that top off? Asking questions means being brutally honest. Your pieces are guilty of not belonging until proven otherwise, so be merciless if you really want to create a closet you love.

Try on everything to ensure that each outfit works in reality, not just in theory. As you edit, you’ll naturally develop a pile of pieces that simply don’t match anything else in your closet. You could totally donate all of those right off the bat (…nobody is going to be mad about that brand new blouse with tags ending up on a rack at Goodwill for a FRACTION of the original cost). You could also take one more pass through the pile and decide if any of those pieces could be put to use if you invested in one more foundation piece. (A foundation piece is like the bottom brick of a tall building — it matches with everything else and is used frequently. Foundation pieces typically include the classic black pant or white collared shirt.)

Bottom line is the “outfitters” have a leg up on “typers” when it comes to getting dressed and feeling great. You don’t have to organize your closet like theirs, but you should always take the time to think like them to ensure a winning wardrobe.

Looking for fashion inspiration? Check out The Simply Becca Facebook page where Becca is constantly posting the greatest deals on fashionable pieces!

This post originally appeared on The Good Life.

Over-the-door, clear shoe organizers have about 24 pockets. Their intended purpose is to corral pairs of shoes so that you’re not looking all over the house or under the laundry for that one mischievous flip-flop. But these organizers can do so much more! Below are my top ten uses for these inexpensive, lightweight, slim-line storage solutions.​

Number 10: Direct Sales Stock + Marketing
Direct sales companies are famous for samples and branded marketing. They send no shortage of tiny things to pass on to potential customers. Your business cards, postcards, brochures, samples, and stock must be organized so that you’re always aware of your inventory levels and have the ability to quickly assemble a hostess gift at a moment’s notice.

Number 9: Action Figure + Barbie Heaven
Some toys are just a pain to keep track of…..but you need to in order to avoid the classic kid-meltdown. If your kiddos are like mine, the Barbies, action figures, and all their accessories easily get mixed in with Legos and Lincoln Logs during epic story tales. In order to set the scene for tomorrow’s imaginative play, return the action figures and their accessories to a central location. Clear shoe organizers allow kids to spot the items they need and easily access them. They also help with quick cleanup so that Malibu Barbie’s sunglasses don’t go missing!

Number 8: Cleaning Supplies
Store your supplies in easy to see sections on your shoe organizer. Keep dusting products next to the dusting rags or Swiffer refills. Keep your laundry stain remover near your dryer sheets. You’ll always know what you have and what you need to buy more of.
​
Number 7: Make-Up + Toiletries
The back of your bathroom door is a great place to keep stock of all the make-up and toiletry items you use on a daily basis. Never lose track of your eyeliner, tweezers, or deodorant again! This space is ideal for toothpaste, cleansers, moisturizers, foundation, eye shadows, lipsticks, glosses, as well as hair brushes, gel, shears (for that quick trim), and curling irons (….but wait until those are cool before putting them back).

Number 6: Sewing + Crafts
Keeping track of your sewing notions is infinitely easier when they each have their own home. Threads, needles, thimbles, and buttons can find their permanent place in a shoe organizer. Stash your different types of glues and craft scissors in the next set of pockets. Make room for scrap fabrics, paint brushes, paint bottles, crayons, colored pencils, and scrap paper too.

Number 5: Seasonal Accessories
Got a coat closet? Keep your seasonal accessories just as easy to grab in a shoe organizer. Assign one row to each person in the home. Keep track of your sunglasses, hats, chapstick, gloves, scarves, sunscreen, and bug spray to avoid the last minute run-around. Pet items like leashes and waste bags are a great addition.

Number 4: Snacks + Lunch Items
Can we all agree that shaving a few minutes off lunch prep is genius?! Particularly if you wait until the morning-of to pack! Juice boxes, granola bars, chips you portioned out into Ziploc baggies, fruit cups, plasticware, and napkins can all be stored on the inside of your pantry door, next to your hanging lunch boxes.

Number 3: Tools + Utility Items
No room for pegboard? Try a shoe organizer to keep your batteries, lightbulbs, screw drivers, hammers, and measuring tools sorted for easy access. You’ll thank yourself every time you reach for a AA battery!

Number 2: Gardening Supplies
From seed packets to gloves, these shoe organizers can save your sanity when you need to put a few plants in the ground. Hang the organizer on a shed door OR mount it to an interior wall. Those 24 pockets will easy accommodate your hand shovels, trowels, rulers (to measure depth), twine (to tie up those tomatoes), bag buckets (to transport extra dirt), seed markers, trimming shears, nailbrush, and kneepads.

Number 1: Infant Needs
If you’ve ever had a newborn in the house, you know you’ve got a lot of things that you need quick access to in order to preserve your sanity. Pacifiers, bibs, hair bows, blankets, onesies, diapers, ointments, creams, thermometers, medications, ball syringes, and socks are just a few of them!
As a bonus, clear shoe organizers are the go-to storage solution for individuals with ADD/ADHD. These organizers keep everything front and center so that no items are out-of-sight, out-of-mind. Take your organization to the next level by labeling each pocket so that it’s easy to remember where to return things when you’re done with them!

How do you use shoe organizers in your home? Comment below!


This post originally appeared on The Good Life. 

This is such a busy time of the year, especially for parents of complex kids. It’s hard to help your kids manage their time effectively, and there always seems to be more to do than there is time for you to do it!
 
But, in the words of my five year old, “Guess what?!”
 
I’ve found a some help that's available to you at no cost, and is definitely worth your time. Elaine and Diane at ImpactADHD knock themselves out for parents of complex kids, and this year they’ve put together a truly special event. When you Register for Back to School SURVIVAL -- for PARENTS, you’ll get a free mini-course parent training, a ton of support with gifts, trainings, videos, and a live event – all from two moms who have been there and know what parents really need to make this school year a success for the whole family. Content will be provided in SHORT bursts to help you start the school year off right! With Elaine & Diane as your guides, you will see immediate results – it will be an efficient and effective use of your time!

How does ADD/ADHD affect organization? Well, if you’re a parent, sibling, co-worker, employee, spouse, child, or teacher of someone with ADD, ADHD, or tendencies towards those, you already know the answer.

Children and adults with ADD, ADHD, or tendencies towards those diagnoses can struggle to:

• Begin a task.
• Attend to the task long enough to make headway.
• Complete the task.
• Maintain the result once the task is finished.

​At home, this is the bedroom that is NEVER picked up no matter how many times you insist on it. The child works for hours, but little progress is made. At work, this is the cubicle that you purposely avoid. Because you’ve nicknamed it the “black hole”, you often make copies of your paperwork before submitting it to the owner of the cubicle out of fear your documents may never come back.

However, there is organizational hope!

Clients with ADD, ADHD, or tendencies towards those require special, individualized methods for every step of the way. These methods take into consideration the impulsivity, distractibility, hyper-focus, and perfectionism that often derail attempts to get (and stay) organized.

Here are 5 tips to help you, or someone you know, get started:

1. Manage Your Time Better with a Calendar. Task analyze each project on a calendar by working backwards. Start with the due date and then identify the key pieces that must be completed for that project. Space those out into mini-deadlines working back all the way to TODAY. It may seem tedious, but breaking your project, even if it’s rather small, into smaller parts will make the job easier to complete over time. No more frustration over imperfect results because, this time, you’ve allowed time for revisions.
2. Have One Place to Record Random Ideas. Select a notebook or notepad to jot down random thoughts and to-do’s. Although some might find multiple notebooks or notepads more helpful, the ADD/ADHD client is better off trying to keep track of just ONE pad that’s always kept in the same location. Using this method will help you keep track of your notes because less is more in the ADD/ADHD world. To organize your notes within your notebook, select no more than 4 classifications and use corresponding highlighters. For example, to-do’s are pink and fun facts are green, gift ideas are blue and favorite restaurants are yellow. Finally, keep this ONE notepad in ONE location.
3. Store Items at Their Point Of Use. It may not be glamorous, but your bathroom’s storage might need to transition to sparsely decorated open shelving. It’s easy to get distracted when opening up the cabinet under the sink. Instead of fetching the toilet paper, you’re thinking about the dangerously low supply of cotton balls and wondering how that hairspray got all the way back there. Avoid that scenario entirely by keeping your supplies where they are easily seen. It won’t look like Pottery Barn, but it will help you find what you need when you need it without the distractions and time loss.
4. Do Smaller Jobs More Often. Retailers have sold us the lie that if we have more clothes, we’ll have to do less laundry. This is a brazen twist of truth, but our minds seem to go with it because it sounds nice to have to do less work. In reality, more clothing means more laundry that you’ll do less frequently. Closing the loop and completing tasks is already hard enough. When you have LARGE loads of laundry, you’re even more likely to abandon the job. The result? Your closet spills out over the floor, laundry permeates the hallways, and you feel as if you have nothing to wear despite the abundance. Do yourself a favor and purge the excess clothing. Keep 7-15 of your favorite tops, and launder them as necessary. You only need one pair of painting clothes, and those pants you never hemmed need to go. You’ll do laundry more frequently, but it will be MUCH easier to get it loaded, laundered, folded, and put away!
5. Use A Spyglass to Help You Focus. Now, I’m not talking about a real spyglass from Captain Hook’s ship, but rolling a piece of paper or using your hands will do just as well. When you’re overwhelmed by the variety of tasks at hand, help yourself identify a small area to work in by “spying” around the room. Whatever you spy, work there and only there. This is incredibly helpful when tackling piles or collections of items.

I love partnering with parents and children as they learn to use these organizational skills in their own homes. The kids feel empowered to make changes and the parents are grateful for the changes. It's amazing how much better a teen will listen to an outside source versus their own flesh and blood, but that's real life. I've found the same to be true with spouses, siblings, and coworkers. Sometimes it's the words of an expert that make all the difference.