Tag Archive for: simple organizing

Do you own stagnant things?

Stagnant means lifeless, inactive. Do you have stagnant things in your home? Do you have things that have outlived their usefulness? I think we all do. The longer we live in our spaces the more comfortable we get with our surroundings. It becomes easy to ignore papers that don’t require action, gadgets we tried once, and random things that have become part of our decor.  After a while we don’t see these things any longer. They morph into the background of our homes.

After attending a conference session on Feng Shui I decided to get rid of stagnant things in my home. I’ll list 10 stagnant things I removed my home to help you get motivated to do the same.

  1. An old cardboard display that I had used for a few business presentation more than 5 years ago was recycled with my weekly town recycle.
  2. An open, partially used bottle of carbon, that is used in fish tank filters, was given away by listing it on FreeCycle.
  3. A bag of craft supplies that I hadn’t used in more than 5 years was passed along to other creative people I know.
  4. Unused food in my pantry was donated to my local food bank and Operation Shoebox.
  5. Gardening gloves that I wore only once because they turned my hands orange were tossed.
  6. Our ice maker broke 2 years ago. So I finally donated (to Savers) the scoop we had used for that purpose, but hadn’t used since.
  7. Old makeup was tossed. I haven’t worn make up in years.
  8. A soup ladle that came with a soup delivery when I was sick, but never used, was donated to Savers.
  9. Two spare, never been used, hand-me-down light timers were donated to Habitat for Humanities ReStore.
  10. An open container of Armor All wipes that were given to me a year ago, finally got used up.

These 10 stagnant things may not seem like much, but they have a way of piling up and cluttering our homes. I encourage you to take a good look at your home and reevaluate what’s in your space. If you find stagnant things, get rid of them. You’ll improve the energy of your home (Feng Shui) which will have a positive impact on you.

©June 2021  Janine Cavanaugh, Certified Professional Organizer®  All Rights Reserved

organized utensils

Empty space

Organizing tipEmpty space does not equal available space. Allow yourself some breathing room and wiggle room. Spaces will function more efficiently if they are not over stuffed. Allow yourself empty space in closets, file cabinets, kitchen cupboards, dresser drawers, and book shelves. This will make organizing and maintaining those spaces much easier.

Container Store

Before your trip to the Container Store

Organizing tipI like the Container Store as much as you, but before making a trip I ask myself these questions.

 

  1. Is reducing a better option? Would the space function more efficiently if I get rid of stuff so I don’t need to purchase a new container?
  2. What are my best container options? Do I have something here at home that will serve my purpose?
  3. Where will the container go? Do I have a specific spot for the container? Do I need to take measurements before my C.S. visit?

A Space for Everything

Organizing tipThings without a place don’t belong in your space. I liked this catchy little phrase as soon as I heard it. It makes me think of Dr. Seuss and all the wonderful rhymes in his books. (His birthday is March 2nd, by the way.) However it’s not only catchy, it’s good, practical organizing advice. Establish a place for things, especially those things you use (and loose) all the time.

Get Organized Month

Donate & Recycle

Happy New Year!

Welcome to 2021! I hope you are healthy and keeping a positive mindset. That’s my objective this year, especially since I was sick with…