Laura Long Laura Long

Whiskers on Kittens and Community (favorite things…)

And as I’m typing today’s blog, sweet Elisa came to snuggle… across my arms… while I’m typing... heart melting

Every morning exactly 10 minutes before my alarm is set to ring, my sweet Elisa jumps on the bed and sits on me, my hip or my stomach depending on how I'm lying. She wants me to get up and put food in the (not all the way empty) bowl because apparently the cats might actually starve to death if they can see the bottom of the bowl (even if there is still plenty of kibbles in there).

Occurred to me this morning, as I was being held against my will, that she is causing me to do exactly the opposite of what she wants me to do. Her sweet furry self spurs no desire on my part to get out of the warm bed with a warm cat for a blanket. And yet, my thoughts start filling with the busyness and to-do lists for the day, so I have to push her off so I can roll out.

Makes me think about the passage in Romans where Paul says, "I decide to do good, but I don't really do it; I decide not to do bad, but then I do it anyway. My decisions, such as they are, don't result in actions."  Of course, Paul has deep thoughts about Law and Grace and all that good stuff, but that passage comes to mind whenever I want to do what I know I should do, but then I simply do the opposite.

Anyway, I know what I need to do today and I have a plan for getting it done. But that doesn't mean that I won't find myself doing a hundred other things to get in my own way.

Is it just me? Does anyone else struggle with getting re-routed? I feel like maybe it's not just me…

This is what I love about CoWorking and Community: where we accomplish more together than we can accomplish alone.

Hey, come join me for a workshop or a co-working time and let's accomplish something together.

December 2024 CoWorking

  • Mondays CoWorking: Home Manager Strategic Planning (incl Sunday Basket) 7-8:30am

  • Tuesdays CoWorking: Binders Maintenance 7-8:30am

  • Wednesdays CoWorking: Caregiving Strategic Planning 7-8:30am

  • Thursdays CoWorking: BYOB-4 *Basket *Binders *Boxes *Bags

  • Fridays HelloSunshine CoWorking: FREE! You can't put a price on accountability… so we don't. Just come join us on Friday morning and choose your own adventure in planning.

What’s happinging in 2025? All the CoWorking, PLUS:

**2025 PAPER ORGANIZING WORKSHOPS!!!***

Saturday Mornings: 8am - 12pm

  • January 18: In Person Workshop

  • February 1: Virtual/Online Workshop

  • February 16: In Person Workshop

And as always, please schedule a 15 minute call if you’d like to talk about how we can work together and start to organize your home and paper.

Read More
Laura Long Laura Long

Invisible Work and Black Friday Sales

INVISIBLE WORK is the theme of the Organize 365 Black Friday Sale.

Not a coincidence that I capped and bolded it. We are making that Invisible Work VISIBLE!

What is INVISIBLE WORK? Glad you asked.

Right now, as I'm typing this post it's 2:56am. Sounds like a personal problem? Yep. So personal.

I haven't been sleeping well… actually, I've been sleeping great, falling asleep - no problem. Problem starts when these really disturbing dreams wake me up … but now what. Great, now I gotta "go".

Anywho, this is where I am. So, after I pray for everyone I can think of, I get up to go.

One thing leads to another, and next thing I know, an hour later, I'm in the kitchen descaling my Keurig. Well, that certainly makes sense, doesn't it.

So, I've just watched Lisa's Instagram story, and I'm looking through the O365 Black Friday Sale Catalog, and it hits me… INVISIBLE WORK. 

  • Like descaling the Keurig.

  • Like starting the dishwasher.

  • Like restocking the TP in the bathrooms.

  • Like writing out follow-up notes from Mom's doc appointment today (yesterday at this point).

  • Like putting the pecan pies where I will remember them for Thanksgiving dinner.

  • Like setting up and texting out the Perfect Potluck link for our LifeGroup Christmas party.

Sorry, you did not ask to see my to-do list. Funny thing, these things are not even on a list. Just floating around in my head. And apparently need to be done at 2am.

No wonder I’m having crazy dreams! There’s a lot of mental load!

Now, if only there were a way to compile all my thoughts and to-dos and sort them in a way to make an action plan to keep me on track during this busy season, and also during life.

Thankfully (seasonal pun intended), there sure is a way to take all of those papers and thoughts and tasks, and turn it all into a plan to accomplish the VISIBLE WORK. The actual getting out the door in the morning, the putting food on the table at dinner time, flipping the switch for the Christmas lights on the front of the house. Now that's some VISIBLE WORK that I'm loving right now.

Reach out to me and let's talk about a paper (and thoughts and tasks and all the things) management system you can live with.

Hey, the Organize365 Flack Friday Sale starts Thursday evening and runs through Sunday.

You can see her catalog here…

And hey, if you order something, would you consider using my affiliate link?

Here's where you can order from Organize365 using my link…

Can't wait to talk with you!

Hope you have a lovely Thanksgiving,

Laura

Read More
Laura Long Laura Long

November 2024 Newsletter

And just like that, it’s November!

Lately, I’ve been thinking that these highs and lows we have in life are not so much mountain top experiences and then valley experiences, but rather the highs and lows seem almost simultaneous.

I’m seeing this to be true this Fall: I’ve had moments of deep sorrow tangled up with moments of great joy. God sure does know when we need comfort in all the crying and when we need to just straight up laugh with our people.

On day that had more “valley” moments than “mountaintop” moments, I let Rob know that he might find me under the bed when he came home.

No, I did not end up under the bed, but I sure considered it for a minute. Also, dust bunnies.

As I take a quick review & reflect on October, it’s a blur.

Zoo outings, play dates, closet clean-outs, yard sale, cookouts & bonfires; sprinkle in caregiving and a number of doc appointments. The heaviness of losing a dear friend, and the blessing of singing a baby to sleep. And also the regular day to day stuff. Home. Family. Friends. Church. Life. Politics. (Oh my!)

It’s a lot.

It’s a lot on a good day when we have our stuff together and are ready to seize the day.

It’s downright overwhelming on a hard day when our ducks are not in the same pond, much less in a row.

Yep, here’s where I’m going:

Take some time when you have some time to get your stuff together. Because when you need your stuff, you don’t have time to get it together.

  • Sitting in the waiting room with mom is NOT the time to be pulling together her medications list and making sure it’s current. Ask me how I know this.

  • In the car on the way to the beach is not the best time to get the meal list together and sort out a grocery list. Ask me how I know this.

  • 4:00pm is NOT the best time to wonder what to make for dinner. Ask me how I know this.

Anyone been there? Is it just me?

Wouldn’t it be worth losing a little sleep to spend a little time planning so that you don’t have to lose a lot of sleep because you weren’t prepared?

Don’t get me wrong, I love me some sleep… but what I really love:

  • knowing that dinner is as easy as grabbing a prepped meal out of the freezer

  • walking into the doc office and handing them a list of current meds and questions

  • taking a nap on the way to vacay (obv I don’t do the driving) knowing that I have meal planned from my pantry store and have a list for what we need from the Piggly Wiggly when we arrive

Come hang out with me this month and let’s do a little planning.

Read More
Laura Long Laura Long

October 2024 Newsletter

How is it October??!! When your annual beach trip is in late September, the start of October hits you like a time warp.

(And the Costco Christmas displays on my last minute vacay run absolutely messed with my beach vibe.)

But there’s really nothing disappointing like arriving on Saturday, after that 11 hour drive, only to learn about a storm a-brewin’ in the gulf. And then on Tuesday, making that 11 hour drive back home after only 2 of 6 beach days.

Disappointed, yes. But mostly heartbroken for the residents who had to board up their homes, evacuate their families, and wait for Helene to decide when and where she would make landfall.

Our little island did not take the hit as hard as they thought she might. But Hurricane Helene sure did hit, and then kept on hitting for days and for hundreds of miles inland.

In the anticipating the arrival of a literal storm, and especially in the aftermath, I cannot help but think about the life-storms that we also should anticipate.

Do we anticipate life’s storms well? I’m not talking about fretting or worrying. I’m talking about anticipating and preparing, in our right and rational minds. How can we prepare for the life-storms that may come and the life-storms that are certain to come.

November and December have their own way of filling up our thoughts and our days with preparations for holidays.

So, this October feels like the right time to take a close look at how well we may or may not be anticipating the next storm.

Stick with me for the next few weeks, and let’s talk through and take action on some of the ways that together, we can be ready.

Read More
Laura Long Laura Long

When the storm comes…

“What happens if we need to evacuate?”

It feels a bit opportunistic (in light of recent events - lookin at you, Helene), but there are somethings that need to be said out loud.

If you live on the Gulf Coast, it’s more accurate to ask, “What happens WHEN we need to evacuate?” Because at some point you WILL.

We have been vacationing on the same island for 17 years. Hurricane Helene was the first time we were sent packing. We knew there was a storm brewing, but she didn’t show up on our radar until late Sunday. By Monday afternoon, it was called “#2 Potential Tropical Cyclone.”

We, as vacationers, were told on Tuesday at 9 am we were expected leave by noon…on Tuesday. And while we were terribly inconvenienced and tremendously disappointed by our 6 days at the beach being reduced to 2, by the time the storm arrived on land on Thursday evening, we were safely home. But we continued to watch the news and pray for so many who were evacuated from their homes and many who remained in their homes to ride out the storm.

And while the weather news coverage continued to show live footage from the coast of Florida, inland there were so many who were yet to encounter the terrible storms and flooding all across the southeast.

“What happens if…”

Being told to leave a vacation rental is certainly an inconvenience, but what about being told that your home is in the path of a devastating storm? They called the tidal surge “unsurvivable.” Not a whole lot of wiggle room for “what if” in that description.

As if being in the path and being given 48 hours to pack up and leave isn’t scary enough, what about tornados, flooding, or fire where you have little or no warning or time to evacuate?

It’s a grab and go situation!

There’s no easy way to be “grab and go” ready, but it is simple. It will take time and some intentional work, but it’s doable and what a relief when it’s done!

Are you ready to get your photos and important papers “grab and go” ready?

I’m looking forward to hearing from you!

Read More
Laura Long Laura Long

Declutter Day 30

Piles & Hot Spots

Shameless self-promotion (you knew it was coming):

Do you have piles and hot spots that you dread dealing with?

Are those piles and hot spots are judging you every time you look at them.

Let’s work together, completely judgment free, to sort and declutter.

Closets, kitchen counters, dining room table, anywhere clutter happens.

I’m so excited to hear from you!

Laura@HelloOrganize.org

Read More
Laura Long Laura Long

Declutter Day 29

Books & Knick Knacks

(**If you’re stuggling with a certain room or item like I was, skip to the end…)

Every morning, I sit in the “tween” room and sip my coffee while I read and study and plan.

I think I’ve gone mostly clutter-blind to the busy shelves stuffed full of books and toys.

Don’t have much time to spend on each shelf today. And to really declutter, I need Sissy and Sassy to confirm what toys and books are and are not sentimental for them.

Note: several shelves are homeschool books. We weren’t anti-textbook, but we took the “real” book route whenever possible. Thank you Sonlight Homeschool Curriculum for offering great resources.

Ok, setting a timer and seeing what can go…

Well, that was a bust. I looked at every shelf and toy. And only a few random things were pulled down.

When I built these shelves during the shutdown, I ruthlessly decluttered, and there was a huge donation box. So, I’m struggling today to declutter much. That’s just going to have to be that for today.

Maybe it’s all part of my evil plan to get my girls to spend an afternoon with me in our reading room. Yes, that sounds like something I would do.

**Addendum: if you’ve given it your best effort, and you’re done some thought work about your “why,” and you’ve determined that you’re just not ready to let go of a certain thing or collection of things, that’s okay.

If you need to hear yourself say or reason through this out loud, I would love to talk through your situation with you. I always have questions.

And if you have decided that now is not the time to radically declutter or even minimally declutter, then we can talk through how you would like to see your space and how we can functionally organize it to work for you.

Laura@HelloOrganize.org

Our "tween" room is where we read and watch tv and nap.  

Today, two of my grandcats are hanging out with LaLea,  enjoying the bird-watching channel.

Read More
Laura Long Laura Long

Declutter Day 28

Kids Toys & Games

Kids toys and games… first instinct: empty nesters over here, this category doesn’t apply.

So not my reality.

Sweet baby grand is only 5 months old and already we have set aside several things he has outgrown or simply isn’t using. How is he already almost sitting up? He is growing so fast!

Also, there are things that are waiting for him to get a bit bigger… legos, magnet building blocks, books, etc.

Going to relocate all of the waiting on things to the upstairs “tween” room.

Buckets are the best for relocating and storing stuff.

The ever growing yard sale pile.

Read More
Laura Long Laura Long

Declutter Day 27

Kids Clothing & Bedroom

Organizing kids bedrooms is a never finished, ongoing process while they are living in your house. Depending on their maturity, clothing size, and interests, it’s a revolving door of stuff in and out of their bedrooms. Lisa Woodruff calls their bedroom their mini-apartment. Brilliant for giving them a sense of ownership of their rooms and their stuff.

The way that you set up their room lays the foundation for them to keep it maintained. To really set up your kid’s room in the best way for them to maintain, Cas’s Clutterbug organizing styles are an excellent start.

I would love to come along side you to determine your Clutterbug organizing style or your kid’s Clutterbug organizing style, and help you lay the organizing foundation they can maintain.

Regardless of their style, an excellent place to start is with cube shelves and hooks. Regardless of organizing style, any kid will prefer hooks over hangers and cubes over drawers.

Now, what does this look like if you’re an empty nester?

This I can relate to!

Sissy’s clothes are all out of her closet (I mean, she’s had her own place for like 5 years.) So, her closet is home to some seasonal clothing, choir outfits, her wedding dress, and several other extras like linens for the sofa bed, and the iron and ironing board.

Sassy’s closet is still holding a lot of Sassy’s clothes. She has promised to help me empty it and declutter in October when she has some free days before the garage sale. 

No pics today, but I will post when we sort, declutter, and paint closets and upstairs bathroom.

Read More
Laura Long Laura Long

Declutter Day 26

Paperwork & Junk Mail

Back inside today: paperwork! I love to declutter and organize paperwork. I know, I’m weird like that.

Organization and Productivity specialists actually differ on the junk mail topic. Some say toss it ALL into your basket to go through once a week, some say don’t even let it into the house when you grab it out of the mailbox.

My preference is kind of a hybrid: there are 2 trash cans before I even get to the back door. And yet, it’s amazing how much makes it into the house.

On the days when the junk is tossed, the rest is set with my Sunday Basket or set with Rob’s laptop (his home office is mobile).

”What’s a Sunday Basket?” I’m so glad you asked!

Lisa Woodruff from Organize 365 has developed The Paper Solution system, including the Sunday Basket and 4 Binders.

A Sunday Basket (the official Sunday Basket is actually a box) holds all of the thoughts, mail, schedules, and “Mom, we need to get ___!”

And it’s so much more: 1) it’s a method of setting aside time to process all of your to-dos and plan your errands and appointments, and 2) it’s a place to keep all of the short-term thoughts, ideas, and projects for yourself, your family, your home, your travels, your finances.

“So what would I use to hold all of the long-term papers?” You ask the best questions!

Let me introduce you to 4 binders:

Financial binder (everything you need to know to settle an estate)

Medical binder (history and current medical information - only portable and accessible)

Household Operations binder (everything someone would need to know to run your home if you had to step away)

Household Reference binder (all the information you would want when you buy a home, or pass off to the new owner when you sell)

Yes, I have a lot to say about paper organization.

There’s a bit more detail if you flip back to Paper Organization on my website.

And there’s so much more that I would love to share with you in person or on GoogleMeet.

Please reach out to me if you would like to chat about organizing your paper!

Laura@HelloOrganize.org

My Sunday Basket sits on a table in the kitchen where it can hold all of the mail and thoughts (written on cards) until I have a few minutes to sit down to process and make a plan for the week ahead.

This table rarely looks the same for more than a few minutes at a time. It’s functionally organized… it’s an active work zone.

This pretty cabinet holds my binders and my fav organizing books. Also contains a Sunday Basket each for Sissy and Sassy - for this not being where they actually reside, there is very often something to add to their baskets. 

Read More
Laura Long Laura Long

Declutter Day 25

Automobile

Amazing and ridiculous what can collect in a vehicle after only a year!

Otto, my Honda Pilot (get it, Otto-Pilot! We purchased shortly after we saw the Tom Hanks movie “A Man Called Otto”), is well loved and driven often, so I keep all the stuff in it that I might need. Oh my, this could be a whole other blog series, so I’ll try to keep it quick.

What must-have items do you keep in your vehicle?

In addition to all of the insurance and registration paperwork, my must-haves are:

pen and notebook

all the sunglasses: prescription, non-prescription, non-prescription readers (my eyes are complicated)

scissors

bandaids

coin purse (because Aldi)

straws & napkins & utensils (for when you’ve ordered a salad at ChickFilA to eat in the car on your way to choir and they forget to give you a fork)

door handle (helps grandma into the seat and doubles as a glass breaker)

hand sanitizer & lotion

Good grief… Yes, I DO feel like I live in my vehicle. Might as well be comfortable and have what I might need.

Taking this opportunity to grab all the trash... oh yeah, that's where I dropped my airpods

...and ponytail bands...

...and a hair clip...

(and since i took this pic, these crumbs have been vacuumed out - it's taking all of my self-control to not go take another pic. Keeping it real.)

...and glasses cleaner, and phone chargers, and multi-purpose tool, and playing cards...

...and seabands...and nail trimmers

Read More
Laura Long Laura Long

Declutter Day 24

Garage and/or Shed

The garage is my Fall MEATY project. Prepping for a Fall garage sale.

I don’t love garage sales, so much work, so little payoff.

But, right now, the Fall neighborhood yard sale is my motivation to get thru this 30-day whole house declutter.

What’s a MEATY project? Glad you asked…

Besides Cass at Clutterbug, my favorite organization/productivity guru is Lisa Woodruff.

Lisa explains a MEATY project here:

See Organize 365 episode 595

Despite my dislike of garage sales I’m looking forward to our neighborhood yard sale.

(BTW, whatever is leftover goes directly to donation, NOT back into the house or garage.)

So, for today, I’m going to do a 5 minute rearrange and declutter and see what needs to go.

It doesn’t look like a big difference, but oh my goodness, there are actually empty bins! And several things came out of my kitchen and now have a home on a shelf.

This side of the garage is OBR... organized by Rob. I cannot compete with him.

He's also the tetris master when it comes to packing our vehicle for a road trip. I just stand back and admire his art. 

Read More
Laura Long Laura Long

Declutter Day 23

Storage spaces: Basement and/or Attic

On Day 22, I re-homed the wrapping bin from the closet that leads to the walk in attic to now live under the table in the craft loft leaving so much more room in this closet.

One quick vacuum run over the carpet marks where that giftwrap bin used to live, and it'll be like new.

Those red boxes on the top shelf are my version of scrapbooking - wall calendars with photos for Sissy & Sassy through college (maybe into college, but definitely through high school).

That angled ceiling makes that stack somewhat precarious. Need to relocate these somewhere. Craft loft? Maybe. Need to give it a bit more thought. 

The weather is finally trending cooler here in the deep south, and it’s bearable to get into the attic in the early morning. I’ll dig a little deeper when we pull the Christmas décor out, but for now, I’m going to have a 5 minute (maybe less) look around and see what can go.

Lisa Woodruff from Organize 365 says to organize your storage areas like you would a prepaid store. That’s a smart perspective.

With some inexpensive, but sturdy plastic shelving from the home improvement store, some planning, and rearranging, it would be so lovely to walk into the attic and grab what I’m looking for.

February sounds like a good time for this project.

Read More
Laura Long Laura Long

Declutter Day 22

Craft Space

Up until this summer, my craft space was whatever room had the best place to spread out; usually the dining room table (which we use fairly regularly). It’s been coming together for awhile now in the loft, but this summer we finally pulled the trigger on cube shelves and peg board. And I love how it turned out.

Currently, everything is in its place (not in the middle of a project, obviously) so, unlike day 21, 5 minutes will be wasted.

And also, when you are crafting, everything has potential - even to a not-naturally-crafty person like me.

Set timer, and go!

All of the Christmas wrapping paper and gift bags have lived in the closet that leads into the attic for as long as we have lived in this house (15 years). It’s time to move that wrapping bin to a new home under the craft table in the loft. Wow, that opens up that closet quite nicely. There’s plenty of room on the floor and on the table to wrap.

I’d love to help you give you give your craft room a refresh!

Reach out and we can find a time to get together: Laura@HelloOrganize.org

Read More
Laura Long Laura Long

Declutter Day 21

Office & Desk

Oh man, now we’re getting into some spaces that are going to be a major challenge to declutter for ONLY 5 minutes!

I still call this Sissy’s room, but it’s been a full-fledged office since she moved out and took her furniture and left this room mostly empty. One of my pandemic projects was to hang pics of our fam all over two walls.

It is still home to a bunch of her college textbooks, but 90% is office and Zoom call central.

It’s going to be a challenge to declutter for only 5 minutes… but here we go…

I was feeling pretty good about this room until I'm posting this pic seeing what a hot mess the cords are over there. Okay, I'll set aside some time this weekend to figure out a solution for that. Perspective. 

My Sunday Basket shelf: boxes and binders are constantly on and off of this shelf, so it is always evolving depending on what box or binder or project I'm working on. 

Did you find a few things that could go? Some days my desk is a hot mess, but I know where everything is and I’m managing it. And some days it feels like I’m never going to dig out of that mountain of papers.

If you need an extra hand digging your way out and giving your home office a refresh, reach out to me and let’s find a time to work together!

Laura@HelloOrganize.org

Read More
Laura Long Laura Long

Declutter Day 20

Kitchen Cabinets

Open up those cabinet doors and set a timer for 5 minutes!

When you’re finished, take a step back and get a bigger picture focus of where your items are stored in your kitchen zones.

Kitchen zones? Yep!

Think about how you use your kitchen in zones: food prep zone, clean up zone, cooking zone.

How could you be more efficient if you rearranged the cabinets or drawers to be closer to their zones?

Sometimes, you’re limited in using a certain cabinet because of the size - because of their width, my plates only fit in ONE certain cabinet. Thankfully, that cabinet is close to the kitchen table!

One simple switch for me was the drawers on the left and right of the sink. Now the towels and dishcloths are between the sink and dishwasher and the gadget drawer is to the right of the sink under the prep zone. Seems like an obvious place for these to live, but it took my thinking through my zones to have that ah-ha moment.

Kitchen Zones Concept credit to Lisa Woodruff @ Organize365.

Here are a couple of those tricky cabinets…

For a long time these trays and baking sheets all just tilted up against the side. Game changer to set racks inside and stand up the trays and pans to grab one without causing an avalanche. And also, there are only so many slots, so it self-regulates the clutter. 

I use these risers in several cabinets, and I love how they double your surface area.

For a long time, I kept the measuring cups stacked in a lower cupboard. Now, I can grab and go without having to de-stack and re-stack every time I need one.

Sorry if you're under a certain height... we can come up with a different storage solution for your over the microwave space. 

Read More
Laura Long Laura Long

Declutter Day 19

Serving & Baking Dishes

Do you have a favorite serving or baking dish? Maybe a generational hand-me-down? Or a unique find at a flee market or antique store? Send a pic, I’d love to see it and hear it’s story!

I have a couple of brown pottery bowls: one from my mom (a wedding gift to her), and a matching covered bowl that I found at a resale shop in Arkansas.

Today, we are giving our serving and baking dishes the declutter eye, and letting go of what we never used, or what may be redundant.

I'm quite fond of pottery, but I think I'll let the darker bowl go. Currently only using the light bowl with the lid (full of pistachio nuts).

Read More
Laura Long Laura Long

Declutter Day 18

Kitchen Gadgets

Let’s add kitchen towels to our kitchen gadget day.

So, I’m going to open (but not empty) all of my kitchen drawers and take a look at every item.

What have I not touched in awhile… or ever… ?

Kitchen towels are tricky for me because a tea towel is my go-to travel souvenir. And these days I keep a stack of these towels handy at the changing table for our new little grand.

I cannot imagine a world where I mix a fresh salad when there are delicious salads already chopped and prepped at the ready. 

Read More
Laura Long Laura Long

Declutter Day 17

Food Storage

What is that instinct that compels us to keep all of the spaghetti jars and cool whip containers?

“They’re perfectly good containers.”

We’ve all said that.

One of my Hello Organize jobs was to help a lady who came in from out of town to clean out her relative’s house after they passed - time was limited and we were on a mission. After going through kitchen/pantry/laundry room with so, so, so many jars and take-out containers that were “perfectly good,” I came home motivated to toss them all out of my own kitchen & pantry. Hey, cabinets are limited, valuable kitchen real estate.

It’s the container concept for your cabinets (and your closets, and your house): there’s ony so much room in a container, so when it’s full, nothing else can go in. Your cabinets (and closets, and house) are a container: there’s only so much room, so when it’s full, nothing else can go in. it’s not negotiable. (Container concept from Dana at A Slob Comes Clean.)

And yet, it will inevitably collect again because (say it with me), “they are perfectly good containers!”

So here we go to reclaim that cabinet real estate!

The only perfectly good containers we keep are the lunch meat containers. Perfect for carrying a sandwich to work.

And I keep a stash of Glad containers for holidays and family dinners to divvy up the leftovers to send home with the kiddos. Especially when there's Mac & Cheese.

And they fit in a bin in the cupboard and don't get lost in the way back. 

Awhile back we got rid of all the mismatched plastic tupperware and rubbermaid and invested in some pyrex glass dishes. As long as it fits in this section and the lids can fit in this tub, they can stay. 

Here's the stainless cup and tervis cup rule: if it can fit in here, it can stay. If one comes home from somewhere, something has to go. There's a lazy susan in there so I can find the lids and coffee cup tops. 

Hey, remember on Day 11 when we got rid of medicine bottles? Check it out: this cabinet is still mostly empty! 

Read More
Laura Long Laura Long

Declutter Day 16

Junk Drawer

I bristle to call it a JUNK drawer, because, why would you keep JUNK? I mean, stuff is one thing, junk is completely another thing.

Today, I’m looking through the drawers of the secretary that houses some of the random things that don’t have another/better home.

Here’s the trick to know what random things to keep, and where to keep these random, one-off things. Ask yourself these two questions:

“Would I even know that I had this item?”

“If I knew I had this item, where would I look for it?”

(Question creds to Dana K White, A Slob Comes Clean.)

So, I’m setting the timer and taking Dana’s questions to the secretary.

5-minute timer… go!

Very recently I relocated this beauty from one wall to another... Oh wow! does this secretary hold a lot of stuff!!

It doesn't look like that much stuff, but there's a good bit of trash and a good bit to put in the garage sale stash.

Oh. My Goodness!! 20 years ago!! Wowie wow wow!

Read More