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2018, closet organization, closets, closet organization, kids rooms, DIY, getting organized, organize, organizing, organizing tips, simplify, simplifying life

The Benefits of Living with Less…and why you should purge your house right now!

September 25, 2019September 25, 2019by LumberInMyMiniVanLeave a Comment

RIGHT Now. Drop everything and PURGE YOUR HOME NOW! No, I’m kidding. Sort of.

I know you read a lot about purging your home on my blog. Some of you are probably fans of living with less already, while others of you are scratching your heads and wondering how much more stuff I can get rid of and blog about it. #istillhavetoomuchstuff

I am currently in the midst of a whole house purge, but we will talk more about that later.

The truth is, living with less has a lot of benefits. Some are health benefits, some are financial benefits, and some are so good they don’t fit into any category. I’d like to share a few of those with you today, as well as some great advice for purging your home that I’ve collected over the years.

1. Living with less can be beneficial to your mental and physical health

Living with too much causes your house to feel cluttered. A cluttered house feels chaotic, and makes it hard for you to relax and destress. Continued stress affects your mental state, as well as your physical health. An organized and clean home evokes a peaceful feeling, and who doesn’t want to feel at peace in their own home?
This one is especially true if you have kids. More stuff=fewer places to put things away. Stuff that is left out in the floor becomes a trip hazard. Show of hands: who else has fallen over items left in the floor, or stepped on some hard plastic toy with your bare feet? (Lego moms, can I get an “amen?” )

2. Living with less makes your home feel and appear cleaner

Living with too much makes it harder to find places to put things away. Having nowhere to put things causes your home to look and feel cluttered (see above).
A cluttered house also seems dirty even if it really isn’t. Having less stuff and less clutter makes your house look and feel cleaner.

3. Living with less saves time

How does living with less save time? It means that you spend less time looking for things. It’s been said that the average person spends four years of their life looking for things that they are missing. Not being able to find your missing items makes you stressed. Having less stuff means that you don’t have to sort through so much when you need something.

5. Living with less saves you money

How is this? Well, when you make a conscious effort to live with less, you are much more intentional with your spending. Additionally, who here has ever bought something, only to realize you already had that same item at home? Living with less makes it easier to distinguish what you need- therefore keeping you from spending money on something you already have.

There are many benefits to having an organized and simplified home, with less stuff. Start with one room at a time and keep only what you need- donate, recycle or throw away the rest. I know many people who wish their home was less cluttered, but I don’t know anyone who wishes their home was MORE cluttered. Start today and you’ll soon see the benefits.

Have a wonderful Wednesday!

Coming soon: Characteristics of an organized home

How to get organized without breaking the bank

June 4, 2019June 3, 2019by LumberInMyMiniVan4 Comments

Getting organized can be costly, but it doesn’t have to be. You certainly can spend a lot of money on organization if you want, but if you’re budget conscious like me, you don’t want to do that. Luckily, there are many ways to get organized without overspending.

1. Shop discount home stores like TJ Maxx or Home Goods, or use sales coupons.

I love the basket selections at my local big box craft store, but I don’t love the price. TJ Maxx and Homegoods have tons of cute baskets in a number of colors and materials, and they aren’t expensive.

2. Don’t forget the dollar stores

Dollar store bins and baskets aren’t the most durable, so they aren’t appropriate for organizing everything. They’ll do for organizing cabinets, holding bathroom toiletries and organizing your kids’ books,though.

3. Target has awesome baskets, and they’re frequently on sale

I have bought so many cute, durable baskets at Target over the years. They have so many different sizes and styles to choose from.

4. See if you can repurpose or DIY something

I have covered diaper boxes with fabric and used them for bins. I’ve wrapped old mailing boxes with twine so they’d look like a basket. I’ve used tin cans wrapped in scrapbook paper to store things. Before you buy, Look around to see what you already have that can be repurposed.

5. Shop your house

See that basket on my china hutch? It’s been everywhere. It’s been in my bathroom, my kitchen, my office, and now it landed in the dining room. Shop your house to see if you may already have something you can use before you buy anything new.

There are so many ways you can get organized by spending little to no money. All it takes is a little creativity. You’ll be glad you did it later.

Have a wonderful weekend.

2018, closet organization, closets, closets, closet organization, kids rooms, DIY, decorating kid spaces, getting organized, kid spaces, kids, kids rooms, organize, organizing, organizing tips

Closet Recharge: making your kids’ closet grow with them

March 28, 2019March 28, 2019by LumberInMyMiniVan1 Comment

My oldest daughter’s closet was kind of a hot mess.

Well, more than kind of. It WAS a hot mess. It started out great, but as her clothes got bigger (and she did, too), her needs began to change. I decided her closet needed a bit of an upgrade. Since her boxes and organizer shelf were still in great shape, it didn’t need to be a big upgrade.

The first thing I did was order her some new hangers. Now that she is older, her clothes were falling off the child sized plastic hangers. I’d flip through her closet and the clothes would slide right off.

I purchased a pack of fifty velvet hangers from Walmart.com, and also a ten-pack of the same hangers with pants clips for her jeans and skirts. For fun (and to make them match her boxes), I ordered them in hot pink.

Pink Velvet hangers

Now that her clothes were no longer falling off the hangers, and her hangers were all the same size and width, her closet already looked tons better.

I also removed anything that did not fit, or was out of season to give her more space. Afterward, I began to think about what she needed to store in her closet. She is a little fashionista, so there are plenty of scarves, hats and purses that needed a home.

She also doesn’t wear pantyhose or tights that often anymore, so we really didn’t need two baskets for those.

When I finished purging things, I put all like items together, and updated her basket labels. When I finished, I had this:

A closet that meets her needs and is pretty to look at as well.

Have a wonderful weekend!

2018, 21-day organizing challenge, closet organization, closets, getting organized, organize, organizing, organizing tips

How to organize your closet and keep it that way

January 25, 2019by LumberInMyMiniVan3 Comments

My closet, finally not looking like a hot mess

Does anyone else often find that their closet is a hot mess, despite their best efforts? Do you struggle to find things in your closet, even though you know they are there?

I have definitely been there, but at the moment, I’m in a much better place with my closet. Today, I’d like to share some tips for keeping your closet clean and organized.

1. Use matching hangers to free up space in your closet space

It sounds a little crazy, but did you know that by using hangers that are the same width and thickness, you can actually save yourself some space on the closet rod? In addition, it also gives your closet a more streamlined, more uniform appearance.

2. Attach labels to the baskets and bins

Labeling boxes and bins not only helps you to find things more quickly, it also ensures that everything has a proper place, and that you put everything into its proper place each day.

3. Hang pants at eye level because it looks nicer

Pants will always hang more neatly than shirts. For this reason, hanging pants on eye level will make your closet appear overall more neat and clean. A cleaner closet also feels more organized.

4. Twice a year, purge what you don’t wear anymore.

I like to turn my clothes hangers a certain direction, and after I wear the garment that season, I turn the hanger the opposite direction. At the end of the season, I turn the hanger the opposite direction. At the end of the season, anything that worn that no longer fits is donated, sold or given away.

I hope you have enjoyed these tips for organizing your closet! Stay tuned tomorrow for a summary of week two.