We know the feeling. It's been a long day. You've been stuck in your house, working on some frustrating combination of Slack and Google Drive, trying to get your projects done. On one hand, you're sick of your living room. But on the other hand, how does it get so messy when you literally don't move off the couch in WFH life? You still want it to look like the Pinterest-inspired interior of your dreams.
As organizers, we can help.
Here's your guiding force: if you can do it in ten minutes or less, go ahead and do it. It'll make a HUGE difference in both your productivity and your morale. The less cluttered your house is, the less cluttered your head is. And despite popular belief, it doesn't need to take up all your time. (And if it's too overwhelming for you, call us and we'll do it for you!)
Here are some quick fixes that will immediately perk you up (more so than your eighth cup of coffee by 1 P.M.) and invigorate your surroundings.
Discard your spices.
Need we say more? It's an easy, productive fix.
Discard makeup and skin care products that are expired.
You know the feeling: you get a new mascara, and just never bother to throw the old tube away. Or maybe that eyeshadow is still good! What really happens when makeup expires? If you find yourself thinking that way, danger! Do not hold onto expired products. Those samples you've held onto for eight years? If you haven't used that hair mask yet, you never will. Let them go.
Change out your hangers.
We recommend the velvet hangers linked on our Instagram. They'll save you a ton of space and sanity. Plus, having your hangers match is the first step to a beautiful closet.
Insert drawer organizers.
Drawers can get overwhelming so quickly. These inserts allow you to easily maintain organization of your undergarments, socks, t-shirts, pajamas, and activewear.
Clean out your fridge!
Take out everything, throw away anything that's expired (and that leftover takeout that you haven't touched), give all surfaces a deep clean, and reintroduce items by category.
Introduce acrylic organizing trays to your medicine cabinet and bathroom drawers.
These are a lifesaver! They're easy to clean, aesthetically pleasing, and make the most of those crammed drawers.
Audit your junk drawer. If you insist on having one, make it actually useful to you.
Although the concept of a junk drawer makes our founder, Ashley, shudder, we get it. It's a security blanket. And it's actually useful! One time, you found a pair of scissors when you needed it! But all those ticket stubs and pieces of junk that you may or may not be able to identify? Consider what's useful junk and actual junk.
Review your books!
Your bookshelf is starting to overflow. Some are read and loved, while others have been hanging around for too long, ambitious but not functional. Taking a few minutes to determine what you'll actually read -- and what you might be able to donate to a local place in need like a school or facility -- will make you feel so much better.
Edit your linen closet.
You have a plethora of towels but only ever use those creamy, fluffy white ones all your guests croon over. Maybe it's time to give that pile stuffed in the bottom shelf away. For one, they're a hideous shade of green that you briefly considered making trendy accent colors in 2010. For another, they're probably just collecting dust.
Kids' toys.
Although there's some nostalgia involved, sorting your kids' toys is an easier way to make the house feel a lot more together. For one, seriously consider their ages in determining what to keep. Do they actually play with them? Could you donate them instead of letting them pile up in the corner of the play room?
You'll notice that a lot of these fixes involve purging. You'll feel so much lighter, and taking a few minutes to audit what you actually use will make a huge difference in the organization and presentation of your space.