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Week 1 | 52 Weeks to Downsize and Minimalize | What and Why

Welcome to the New Year! It’s a time well-known for getting started on new goals in our resolve for positive change. For those striving to get organized, working to downsize and minimalize that which fills life with unwanted clutter is an important step in the right direction.

Clutter can be physical, mental, emotional, digital, or anything else you feel is taking up your time, space, and energy.

Physical Clutter

Clothing, shoes, books, paperwork, toys, the dishes in the sink… it’s all part of the physical clutter that builds up when we don’t keep things at bay. Too much of it can literally hinder physical movement, and disrupt thoughts and emotions.

Digital Clutter

The email that fills your inbox, photos on your smartphone, a cluttered computer desktop screen with tons of shortcut icons and no filing system in sight, the amount of time you spend online shopping, time wasted on unproductive social media, and other things filling your digital space.

Mental and Emotional Clutter

Along with physical and digital clutter comes mental and emotional clutter. Thoughts, worries, frustrations about past, present, or future work, love, school, friendships, how much paperwork there is to sort through and organize, can be overwhelming and hinder progress in life. Therapy session aside, we’re here to tackle all these things which work hand in hand to clutter up our time, space, and energy.

Let’s get to writing and expressing thoughts and emotions

Grab a journal and pen, piece of paper, or open a Word document and save it to your laptop or desktop computer. This week we focus on expressing what’s on our mind and discover what and why we want to downsize and minimalize, so that we set a solid foundation for this exciting journey we are on together.

Bullet points keep thoughts succinct and organized

Write down all the WHATs and WHYs you want to downsize and minimalize in your life. With each bullet point, allow yourself a deeper answer to the question WHY? until you’re ready to move on to the next item. The following are examples:

What and Why to Downsize

I want to downsize the amount of unhealthy food in the refrigerator and pantry. Why?

  • It takes up space and is a waste of money when I do not eat it all.
  • I want to save money to spend  on other things.
  • The more unhealthy food around me, the more of it I eat.
  • The more I eat, the more weight I gain. I don’t want to gain weight.
  • I feel better about myself when not overweight, and my clothes fit better.
  • I am concerned about preventing diabetes and heart disease, especially since they run in my family.

I want to downsize the amount of toys cluttering the house. Why?

  • The house is always a mess at the end of the day.
  • I don’t want to pick up after my children.
  • I want a clean and comfortable home when I get off work, so I can relax.
  • I need more time for myself. I am happier when I have more time for myself.

What and Why to Minimalize

I want to minimalize the amount of stress in my life. Why?

  • because I don’t feel good when I’m stressed. I get angry or depressed, and am not happy.
  • it causes communication problems with colleagues, and with my spouse when I get home from work.
  • it doesn’t make me feel good about who I am and what my life is.

I want to minimalize the amount of money I spend online. Why?

  • I’m going into debt.
  • I buy stuff I don’t use, and it’s cluttering the house.
  • I want to save money and pay off bills, because I want to save for a downpayment on a home.

I want to minimalize the amount of clothing and shoes in the closet. Why?

  • There’s no room in the closet for everything I own
  • It becomes a jumbled mess because there’s too much stuff
  • I hate cleaning and organizing, and just want everything to be neat and easy to find
  • If things are neat and easy to find, I’ll have more time for other things, and maybe get to work on time

Over the course of the week, add more to the list. During the work commute talk to yourself, with a trusted friend, or a stranger you’ll never see again about the things you want to Downsize and Minimalize in your life, and then write them down. It’s important to have your own words, thoughts, and emotions to look back on and mark progress. I will be checking in on this Facebook event throughout the week to answer questions and post next steps.

For those interested in reading two of my personal What and Whys…

I’m sharing the “What” and “Why” of two things I want to Downsize and Minimalize in my own life this year, which have to do with PHYSICAL and DIGITAL clutter. I have more than two items, but won’t bother you with them here. I will work on them on my own along the way. 

Downsize & Minimalize – What and Why

I want to downsize the amount of shoes I own. Why?
• Despite regular purging, I still find I don’t wear most of what I have.
• I have a few pairs of shoes that cannot look any better when cleaned, and I don’t feel good when I wear them because of it (except for hiking or workout shoes, which are naturally worn-looking but still in good working condition.)
• They take up too much space in my closet (especially the boots) that I prefer to have clear.
• The housecleaner would be able to reach and clean that empty space.
• If I have fewer shoes, I would be forced to wear my best shoes more often.
• I want to look my best wherever I go, and if I’m always wearing good-looking shoes, I feel better about myself. And I always get compliments when I wear my best shoes!

I want to minimalize the amount of time I spend on my personal Facebook page. Why?
• It takes time away from being productive in lots of things. It’s a HUGE time waster. The biggest one I have. One time I spent two hours scrolling and came out of it with no new important knowledge or information!
• Although I enjoy communicating with long distance friends and family this way, need to use it for my business, and through it stay current on important world news and events, I’m tired of reading feed about awful things happening to people I don’t know, sinkholes, fatal car accidents, and other things not in my control that make me sad.
• I feel like I’m getting addicted to Facebook. I don’t like the feeling of addiction.
• It’s time I can better spend on my business or other work that needs to get done.
• I need to exercise my brain in better ways in preparation for getting older.
• I’d rather read a book in that amount of time and exercise my brain.
• My vocabulary improves the more I read a book or magazine article.
• The conversation has more substance when I talk with people about what I read in a book compared to what I read on Facebook.
• I’d rather spend that time having lunch or tea with a friend, calling someone on the phone, hiking with my dogs, or doing sit-ups in the living room.
• I notice that my wrist and hands feel pain and very warm in an unhealthy way the more I hold my phone in my hands when on Facebook (and the cell phone in general).

Bella_Organizing_Best_Professional_Organizers_San_Francisco_Oakland_Berkeley_silicon_valley_montereyIsabella Guajardo, founder and owner of Bella Organizing, is a San Francisco Bay Area professional organizer offering home organizing, interior redesign, and residential move management services throughout the Greater San Francisco Bay Area. Call (510) 229-7321 or email info@bellaorganizing.com for more information. Gift certificates are available.

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How To Let Go of Clothes That Clutter Your Closet & Your Life

When I acquire new clothing, I have a rule to let go of as many as I bring in to make room for the new and stay uncluttered. I reinforce this rule by only owning a certain amount of hangers (I hang up EVERYTHING.) How to decide what to let go? Here are tips I use myself.

I let go of clothing when:

  1. I’ve worn it to the point that it is fading, pilling, stretching, or tearing.
  2. I have not worn it for an entire year.
  3. It is no longer my color, size, or style.

 

skirts on hangers
Two of these five skirts have recently gone bye bye because they are no longer my style.

To elaborate…

I let go of clothing when:

  1. I’ve worn it to the point that it is fading, pilling, stretching, or tearing. Why stroll around in public with a shirt that’s old and raggedy? The only old T to own should be for events such as gardening or changing the oil. And if there’s something waiting to be mended and it’s been waiting a LONG time, I need to either GET IT DONE or GET RID OF IT.
  2. I have not worn it for an entire year. If I have not bedazzled my body with a certain piece of clothing during the last winter, spring, summer, nor fall, I likely never will. This includes my “skinny” clothes…the things I keep telling myself one day I will fit into.
  3. It is no longer my color, size, or style. Why wear something I get annoyed with every time I put it on? Not my color? Not tailored for my body? Just a little too tight or baggy? If it doesn’t make me feel fabulous nor fit just right, I get rid of it.

 

Common Questions from Clients

I cannot throw away things that mean a lot to me. What should I do about sentimental clothes I don’t wear?

Take a picture to preserve the memory or limit yourself to one or two pieces for the memorabilia box.

All my clothes look great and I’ve paid a lot for them. Why should I get rid of them?

Try everything on. Do not look at something and keep it because it’s cute. It must be cute on YOU, not the hanger. You also should be absolutely comfortable in it…which means you should be wearing it often enough to make it worth what you paid.

We’re thinking about having another baby and want to hold onto our child’s old clothes until we do. Should we just get rid of them?

Good for you for thinking about reusing and recycling! Go ahead and hold onto the best of it for now (be sure to box and label) and donate the rest to charity.

Thinking about letting go of clothes that are still in new or near new condition? It’s possible to make money back by consigning. Read up on some of my favorite north and east bay furniture and clothing consignment shops in the San Francisco Bay Area. Are your clothes being rejected by consignors? Simply Google “Places to donate clothes in [your city]” and plenty will pop up.  My recent favorite online clothing, shoes, and accessory consignment resources are Thredup.com (low to medium-end) and TheRealReal.com (high-end).

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Ready for more? Call (510) 229-7321 today to schedule a complimentary estimate for your wardrobe and closet downsize & organize goals. Gift certificates are available.

Keep up with Bella Organizing on Facebook and Instagram.

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Getting Ready for Winter: Wardrobe Organizing Tips for Cold Weather

scarves_declutter_decluttering_organize_bella
Roll scarves and place them in a hanging bin, basket, or drawer for easy access.

When it’s time to get organized for the changing season…

scarves_declutter_decluttering_organize_bella
Roll scarves and place them in a hanging bin, basket, or drawer for easy access.

If you’re like most of us and have limited closet space, you may need to store seasonal clothing. In preparation for cold weather, you might consider storing away the summery things and bringing out what you’ll need to stay warm and comfortable. It’s also a good time to purge.

Purging Tips

Say “goodbye” to clothing, shoes, and accessories when:

  • You have worn or used it to the point of fading, pilling, stains, stretching, or tearing
  • You have not worn or used it for an entire year or two
  • It is no longer your color, size, or style

 How to store off-season items.

  • Use containers with lids or large storage bags; cover to protect from dust, dirt, fluctuating temperatures, and little critters.
  • Treat them well. Clean, de-wrinkle, and fold or nicely hang before storing. Cared for clothing lasts longer, takes up less space, and can be worn immediately when it’s time.
  • Store items in a temperature-controlled environment, particularly natural materials such as leather, wool, and silk. Never store clothing in damp places that tend to breed mold or mildew, nor in extreme hot or cold temperatures.
  • Label bins or bags with a description of contents and store under the bed, high on a top shelf, in the guest room closet, on a garage shelf, or on a covered rolling rack.

Keep sweaters, jackets, scarves, warm hats & socks, cozy boots, gloves, and an umbrella within reach.

  • Sweaters keep their shape best when folded and stacked in dresser drawers or on reachable shelves. Lightweight sweaters do well hung as long as you wear often enough to retain their shape.
  • Roll winter scarves and place in a slim hanging canvas organizer  in the entry closet (which I also like for small purses, hats & beanies, gloves, compact umbrellas, and other accessories,) or stack them in a dresser drawer or bin on a shelf.
  • Keep gloves close to scarves or within coat pockets. I buy several sets of $1 gloves at CVS or Target and store a pair in the pocket of each jacket. They’re always there when I need them.
  • Keep long socks, thermal underwear, and cold-weather leggings together. More tips to organize tights, leggings, and long socks here.

Take the time to organize your closet and wardrobe for the changing season, and you’ll have what you need in a cold-weather flash.

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Ready for more? Call (510) 229-7321 today to schedule a complimentary estimate for your wardrobe and closet organizing goals. Gift certificates are available.

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Fabulous Thrift Store Finds

Welcome to my new Thrift Store Finds page!

You can always find me dropping and shopping at thrift stores. Rarely do I buy new clothes at full price…there are too many good deals to be found at second hand, resale, consignment shops, yard and estate sales. It makes for fun and guilt-less retail therapy! No shopping remorse here when I only paid a few bucks for my latest find. I’m being green, and find unique things all the time.

During one of my recent donation drop-offs for a client, I scored this size medium Kenneth Cole skirt at Goodwill for only $3.25! Here I am wearing my thrift store find on our road trip to Big Basin this weekend.

I scored this size medium Kenneth Cole skirt at Goodwill for only $3.25!
I scored this size medium Kenneth Cole skirt at Goodwill for only $3.25!

 

Love this design!
Love this retro design.

 

Just my size!
Just my size. It’s made of 100% polyester but looks and feels like suede. No need for dry cleaning; it goes right into the washer on the cold gentle cycle and hangs to dry.

I will post my finds here regularly, so check back now and again to be inspired to shop green with me. Read about some of my favorite consignment shops in the San Francisco Bay Area and beyond HERE.

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READ MORE BELLA ORGANIZING TIPS, IDEAS & TRAVELS HERE.

Isabella Guajardo, also known as Girl With A Truck™, is a professional home organizer and a member of the National Association of Professional Organizers (NAPO). Living in Oakland and Monterey, she travels in her truck to work with clients throughout the SF Bay Area, East Bay, South Bay, Silicon Valley, Santa Cruz and Monterey Peninsula. She shares simple and creative ways to stay organized and stylish while reducing, recycling and re-purposing. Join Bella Organizing on Facebook. Gift certificates are available.

Call (510) 229-7321 to schedule a complimentary telephone consultation.

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Basement Declutter and A Mohawk

This Oakland, CA client initially planned for us to tackle her basement exactly one year ago this month, right after we finished organizing her garage. I didn’t hear back from her, and thought that perhaps she was unhappy with my services! It turned out (as it usually does) that personal life stuff happened and so she didn’t get a chance to move forward until now. I think I’ve finally come to terms with the fact that people sometimes have more important things to do than organize their homes.

When we first looked at the basement a year ago, it looked more like an extended storage closet. Things were too piled high to walk through and around the back to where more stuff was…things my client had long forgotten. What she did know was that all her precious Christmas ornaments were scattered, she wanted to find and organize them, and that there might be something dead back there…

basement declutter - before 1

This client lives on a hillside, with the garage at street level, the main floor of the house down a long set of stairs a level below, and the lower part of the house and basement a level below that. There was a lot of things to remove from the basement, all of which needed to be thoroughly sorted and assessed as to whether it stays or goes. Some needed to be stored in the street level garage, other things carried up to my truck and hauled away to be donated, the rest placed into the recycle bin on the street. Lots of stuff and lots of stairs meant lots of exercise today!

While digging through boxes and pulling things out, I had in the back of my mind to keep an eye out for critters, live or dead. I came across boxes of poison that had been there a while, the pellets eaten away and cardboard containers obviously attacked by rodents. Then I came across droppings…I was sure I’d find a furry skeleton soon! But there was no foul smell so I thought whatever was here must be long gone…until I saw this on the floor and squealed…

basement declutter cat toy

A mouse with a purple mohawk and studded collar. Obviously a toy belonging to the cat of the house. An incredible adrenaline rush, a burst of laughter, and I was pumped to keep moving with this basement closet project. Luckily I didn’t have any more surprises.

What I did find was lots of holiday ornaments, clothing, boxes of salvaged childhood memorabilia, and house rebuilding papers documenting the Oakland Hills Firestorm of 1991, a fire that killed 25 people and injured 150 others. The fire destroyed 1,520 acres in the Oakland hills and southeastern Berkeley, including 3,354 single-family dwellings and 437 apartment and condominium units. [1] My clients house was one of them.

[1] http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Oakland_firestorm_of_1991

We sorted through and dusted off everything in the basement, removed cobwebs, swept the floor, properly packed and labeled treasured ornaments, placing those she uses more often close to the front of the stack.

basement declutter- after 2

During the consolidation and repacking process we got rid of several empty containers that took up space. After a few boxes to be stored in the garage and items for haul-away sorted out, we ended up with a clean and clear basement. And the cat had her toy back.

basement declutter- after 3

 

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READ MORE BELLA ORGANIZING TIPS, IDEAS & TRAVELS HERE.

Isabella Guajardo, also known as Girl With A Truck™, is a professional home organizer and a member of the National Association of Professional Organizers (NAPO). Living in Oakland and Monterey, she travels in her truck to work with clients throughout the SF Bay Area, East Bay, South Bay, Silicon Valley, Santa Cruz and Monterey Peninsula. She shares simple and creative ways to stay organized and stylish while reducing, recycling and re-purposing. Join Bella Organizing on Facebook. Gift certificates are available.

Call (510) 229-7321 to schedule a complimentary telephone consultation.