Essential Fall Reading | Blog Post Roundup

If you are anything like us, September always seems to catch us off guard. Perhaps it's our adamant refusal to accept that summer is nearing an end, but it definitely feels like overnight the air has turned crisper, the days are noticeably shorter, and we have forcefully been shoved back into routines, schedules, and a million things on the go.

It's definitely a month of adjustment and transition, but with a little planning and a good dose of gentle patience, we will find our autumn groove once again.

Below are three blog posts from passed fall seasons to help get the cogs in motion. We suggest picking one single project to focus on this week to help gently ease back into things. Perhaps it's meal planning for the coming week, maybe it's tackling your front hall closet to rotate out summer things making space for backpacks, lunch kits, and jackets, or perhaps it's overhauling your kitchen pantry- stocking up with after school snacks and cold weather essentials.

Or maybe it's simply making yourself a cup of tea and reading through the posts to plant a few seeds for another time. Wherever you are at in this busy season of life, know that it is enough.

The Essential Back to School Organizing List
Tips to help get your home and life organized, ensuring your back to school/ fall transition runs smoothly.

Three Easy-Win Projects to Tackle This Weekend!
3 bite-sized, easy-win projects that will replace feelings of stress and overwhelm with ones of pride, accomplishment, and overall lightness.

Make the Perfect Homework Station 
Learn to create the perfect homework station so after school is stress-free, streamlined, and easy to keep tidy.

Need a helping hand bringing your organizational vision to reality? Contact Room to Breathe today to schedule a FREE in home consultation - We LOVE to help!

Room to Breathe Calgary | 587-228-6359 | indianna@roomtobreathecalgary.com

This blog post was written by Jessica Thorburn - Our Vancouver-based Marketing and Administration Superstar.

Ask an Organizer || Where do I start?

What is one area of your home that you simply can't keep organized? What clutter, no matter how hard you try, can you never seem to curb? What is that one burning question you would ask a professional organizer if you had the chance?

Well, now is the time to ask away!! Today we are launching a a new feature on our blog, dedicated entirely to answering your most troublesome organizing questions! Ask an Organizer! 

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QUESTION:
I would love to get organized, but I don’t have the slightest idea where to begin. I’m paralyzed and completely overwhelmed when I look around my house, so I don't even start. Where would you say is the easiest or most motivating place to begin?

ANSWER:
First off- please know you are not alone! We hear this question ALL THE TIME! For some of us, when we look around a disorganized space, our brains aren't immediately able to break the mess down into individual pieces. We don’t see the parts that make up the whole, we just see EVERYTHING at ONCE. So of course that feels incapacitating.

The second part to this is that the things in our homes hold memories- good or bad, it's the sentimental attachment to stuff that makes letting go so challenging. Because of this, it's important to put extra thought into where we begin. Being strategic and picking a few easy win projects to tackle in the beginning allows you to practice and perfect your organizing skills, sharpens your decision making abilities as you go on, and floods your brain with feel-good endorphins to keep you motivated. In short - doing the easy lifting in the beginning readies you to tackle the heavy, more sentimental stuff later on.

Clothes and shoes are generally a pretty safe jumping off point.

A good rule of thumb to keep in mind with clothes is the three month rule - If you haven't worn it in the last three months, it's ready to be donated. We suggest taking your time - pulling EVERYTHING out of your close and drawers, trying on every single item, and ruthlessly asking yourself:

• Is the garment still your taste and style? Our preferences change and evolve over time. There is no sense holding on to items that no longer go with the esthetic we currently enjoy.
• Does it fit? We are giving you permission to release any piece of clothing that no longer fits. We are all guilty of this, but holding onto clothes for a body we no longer have only leaves us feeling disappointed.
• Is it in good repair? Check for holes, snags, piling, or stains, and discard accordingly.
• Is it something you want to continue wearing? Similar to point number one- there is no sense in keeping things you don't genuinely love or don't feel good wearing.

If the answer to any of the questions above is 'no', then let it go.

Another good place to hone your organizing skills is your bookshelf. Most of us have a lot of books- often they are scattered all over the house, so it's not until we consciously begin to gather them all that we see the sheer volume of what we have.

In Marie Kondo's book The Life-Changing Magic of Tidying Up, there is a great section on organizing books. Kondo explains that we read for the experience of reading. The books we have read have already been experienced and their content is inside us whether we remember it or not. So when deciding which books to keep, forget about whether you think you will read it again or whether you’ve mastered what’s inside. Instead, keep only what truly, deeply moves you.

Similar to clothing, it is important to physically take ALL your books off the shelf before organizing them- spending a moment holding each one with the aim of creating a small, well curated collection of only your most treasured tales.

Finally, if you still feel like you don't know where to begin, you might benefit from the services of a professional organizer. We thrive working in difficult or complex organizing situations, so please don’t be afraid to reach out for help. We offer FREE in-home consultations to give you a clearer idea of how things work. Feel free to get in touch and book your time with us today!

*** Have a question about home organizing? Send us an email and will try our best to answer it in our “Ask an Organizer” feature here on our blog. ***

We Can Help Make Your Next Move a Breeze!

Most people will agree - moving is the WORST! Even if the move is an exciting or welcome one, the disruption to our regular routine is something felt by every member of our household. The stress of moving has even landed it on the list of top 5 most stressful life events - right up there with losing a job or divorce. Yikes!

But there is some good news if moving is on your horizon - Room to Breathe LOVES to help people move! One of our favourite projects is helping clients unpack after moving into a new home. We can set up functioning organizational systems right from the start, and you can breathe easier knowing that by the time we are done, everything in your home will have a place and the stress and time it takes to unpack will be dramatically reduced with our helping, expert hands.

If you would like to explore more about what this service could look like for your next move, please get in touch! We offer a FREE in home consultation to go over your needs and give you a better idea of how we can help. If you are looking for even more reasons to hire a professional organizer for your next move, check out this blog post detailing the benefits of what the Room to Breathe team can do to help you prepare.

And if you aren't moving any time soon, but still want to give your home a little love to make it feel like new again, we can help you with that too! Have a peek at our 'Tips for Downsizing' post or give us a shout - we would love to connect and see how we can simplify your everyday life.
 

Call Indianna at 587-228-6359
Email: indianna@roomtobreathecalgary.com

The Essential Back to School Organizing List

Despite the marketing worlds best efforts to convince us otherwise, it is still OFFICIALLY summer until September 22nd, and the Room to Breathe team is doing everything we can to soak up these last few sunny weeks before we inevitably embrace crunchy leaves, sweater weather, and all things pumpkin spice.

That said, the transition from August to September can be a big one, particularly if you have people in your household heading back to school. So even though we will be diligently barbecuing and sun soaking until the first signs of frost tell us to pack it in, we also wanted to share some tips to help get your home and life organized, ensuring your back to school transition runs smoothly.

CALENDARS ARE KEY! Whether your preference is an online calendar, a hand-written agenda, or a family bulletin board, having one centralized place to track appointments, lessons, field trips, birthday parties... even meal planning, is definitely a good idea!

Looking for a little inspiration to setup or overhaul your schedule tracking? We've got you covered!

MAKE HOMEWORK FUN. In a perfect world, kids would quietly do their homework in their bedroom- not getting distracted by toys or technology, not making a mess, and without being nagged. But the reality is, they want to be near us and near where the action is- which, in most homes, is the kitchen or living room. So why not embrace that and set up a homework station in the area they want to be in? Designate a space where the kids can sit down and focus to get it all done, and where you can observe and offer a helping hand when needed. 

(We shared some great links for homework station inspiration in an archived blog post HERE.)

MAKE PINTEREST YOUR NEW BFF. Social media gets a lot of flack, but Pinterest is a site that has the potential to help save you time and get organized. It is loaded with incredible recipes (have a quick search of 'best slow cooker meals' - you wont be disappointed!) and is the perfect spot to spark your inspiration for everything from creative teachers gifts to inexpensive party planning.

A cool idea we recently came across is to set up two recipe boards- the first is where you pin any and all recipes you find that sound delicious and you want to try out. The second board is called 'tried, tested, and true' - a place where you can re-pin the recipes you have tried and loved and you will want to make again. You can even invite other friends on pinterest to collaborate, adding their best tried recipes to this shared board.

A 'BORROWED BASKET' TO KEEP YOU SANE. Keeping a basket near the frontdoor for things that need to be returned - items borrowed from friends, library books, thing to be exchanged at the store... is a game changer! Having one central place to collect all the things that don't otherwise have a home will immediately lower the hecticness level in even the most organized home.

NO NEED TO BECOME AN ART CRITIC. YET. Keep a few art projects on display and fill a bin with all the rest. Don’t decide which ones to toss or keep yet, accumulate them all throughout the year and over the summer you can sort back through and decide. If you are feeling really advantageous, take photos of all the completed art and make a photo collage to hangup or add to a keepsake box or family scrapbook. 

A PLACE FOR EVERYTHING (AND EVERYTHING IN IT'S PLACE). Making a habit or routine of keeping items in the exact same place everyday will save you much mental anguish. Everyone in our house knows- water bottles, indoor shoes, and any other items that need to go to school daily are to be stored IN backpacks. We also keep a small zipper pouch inside that serves as a designated spot for things like pizza day money or forms that need to be returned to teachers.

DARE WE SAY PAIN-FREE LUNCH PACKING? The newest lunch trend over the last couple of years seems to be bento-style lunch boxes. I will admit, I was a bit of skeptic at first, but after two full school years of packing lunches this way, I will wholeheartedly attest they are worth every bit of hype! Having small compartments makes it easy to designate which item should go in which spot, taking all the guess work out of what to grab from the fridge. A spot for fruit, a spot for veg, a sandwich and a little treat, and you are done. Plus, they are better for the enviroment and our health- no waste and no need for overpriced, prepackaged food!

Be sure to check out Pinterest for endless bento box lunch inspiration!

A FILE FOR REPORT CARDS AND SCHOOL PHOTOS. Create a file folder in your filing cabinet for school photos and report cards. Each year, keep adding to the file, and soon you have a really neat time capsule of year after year photos and progress reports. Feel free to use this folder for team photos and swimming report cards too.

DON'T FORGET THE SNACKS! Set up an easy access station full of nutritious and healthy snacks that all members of your home can easily access. It fills the void after school, and allows for a quick grab-and-go on the way out the door to hockey practice or meetings. Plus we promise you wont miss the constant 'I'm still hungry!' requests between the hours of 3 and 6.

This blog post was written by Jessica Thorburn - Our Vancouver-based Marketing and Administration Superstar.

What NOT to do When Decluttering the Clutter - 5 Great Tips!

For many of us, it seems to happen at least a few times throughout the year- we get bitten by the organizing bug! Whether you crave a deep spring clean or a full-on minimalist get-rid-of-everything-purge, today, we have some tips on what NOT to do when that bug bite itches.

DON'T BITE OFF MORE THAN YOU CAN CHEW. Do not set aside an entire day to organize your whole house. Very few people have the energy or stamina to spend 8 straight hours organizing. You'll likely become frustrated and less efficient as the day progresses, and it's much better to spend a few hours — 2 or 3 — on one project or space. In the end, you'll feel motivated to do more, not burned out or overwhelmed by the process.

DON'T PROLONG THE INEVITABLE. There are no shortage of gimmicky 'get organized one bag at a time' tricks floating around the internet - the 40 bag challenge (committing to getting rid of a single bag of 'stuff' every day for 40 days), the 12x12x12 challenge (locating 12 items to throw away, 12 items to donate, and 12 items to be returned to their proper home), the 365 Less things challenge (giving away 1 item every day for an entire year)...

Although these challenges sounds simple and even a little fun in theory, the reality is they draw out a process that is best handled quickly. No one wants to be thinking about organizing or dealing with their clutter for an entire year, and seeing the amazing transformation of an entire room over the span of a few hours is much more impactful (and thus, more motivating) than watching items slowly disappear 1 at a time. So do the hard work and commit to powering through - the end result will be much more enjoyable.

DON'T BUY STORAGE CONTAINERS BEFORE YOU ACTUALLY ORGANIZE. We get it. Buying cute storage baskets and containers to house your things is definitely the most exciting part of organizing, but containerizing is one of the LAST step on your organizing journey.

The Room to Breathe team organizes using the Julie Morgensten's SPACE method:

• Sort || Going through everything and grouping like with like according to categories that make sense to you.
• Purge || Get rid of items that are broken, useless, superseded or otherwise irrelevant. Morgenstern and RTB are a firm advocates of the notion "if you haven't used recently, ditch it!"
• Assign || Assign a permanent home. Think outside the box (or room you are in) and pick a location that makes use of your own preferences and existing habits. Doing this ensures you always know exactly where everything is at any given moment, and saves you from searching endlessly for items you tucked away somewhere.
• Containerize || Now (and only now) is the time to evaluate whether you need to bring in any containers- whether that's a new bookshelf or a little box to keep toiletries in, evaluate what you already have and can repurpose, and what might be most useful to keep your belongings neatly secured in their new home.
• Equalize || The final key step is dedicating time every day (or every week for less frequently used rooms) to equalize: returning every item to its proper home. If you've been diligent with the previous steps, this shouldn't be time consuming.

Ultimately, you can't buy storage containers without knowing what and where you are storing things, so resist the urge to shop for pretty containers and only purchase items after you have sorted, purged, and assigned a home to your belongings.

DON'T LEAVE THE JOB UNFINISHED. This is the most important part: Once you have decided to part with something, take it there! Never keep bags for donation or boxes for friends in your home to deliver later, or you will absolutely start to second guess your decisions. Finish the process- take the bags and boxes out immediately. You've done so much work getting to this point, seal the deal!

DON'T DO IT ALONE IF YOU FEEL LIKE YOU NEED HELP. We all have different strengths in life, and for some us, organizing may not one of them. So if you find yourself feeling overwhelmed, burdened, or nervous about tackling a project on your own, give Room to Breathe a shout. We will guide you through the process step by step, teaching you along the way, and leaving you with an individualized organizational system that actually works! And in less time than you probably thought. 


Blog post written by Jessica Thorburn - Our Vancouver-based Marketing and Administration Superstar.

3 Easy-Win Projects to Tackle This Weekend!

For a lot of us, the word 'organize' can be a paralyzing one - instantly bringing up feelings of overwhelm and stress, leaving us unsure of where to even start (so often, we don't). We know that excess stuff in our homes contributes to our overall stress - when we have a lot of clutter, it distracts us and steals our attention.

The problem is, clutter typically accumulates over time. We don’t notice how much stuff we have until we hit some kind of breaking point. Sometimes it’s a major life event - a move, death, marriage or divorce, or significant change in our daily routine. Or sometimes it's more subtle - a desire to live more simply or wanting to feel less weighed down by possessions. Whatever the reason, we can move on free from the weight of objects that have outlived their usefulness.

The good news is we have 3 bite-sized projects to share that will get your organizing juices flowing, and perhaps even leave you feeling inspired to do more. Easy wins that will replace feelings of stress and overwhelm with ones of pride, accomplishment and overall lightness.

And the even better news? Our team here at Room to Breathe is ready to jump in should you find yourself with a bit more than you can handle on your own. Please reach out if there is anything we can help with!

Before we start, the one thing we like to emphasize with any organizing project is to try and focus on what you want to keep rather than what you want to get rid of. It's a simple switch in the way you approach your project, but coming from a place of excitement rather than dislike can have a huge impact on your end result.

 

TACKLE YOUR CLOSET

Perhaps an obvious starting point, but spending some time focused on your closet can be the catalyst for many other projects. Not only does it feel good to lighten the load, it's a relatively straight forward project that most people can manage on their own. It also helps you hone your organizing skills, so when you move on to future projects, they become easier and quicker to work through.

Our suggestion is to pull everything (EVERYTHING!) out of your closet and drawers - anything that is clothing goes into one big pile. This perhaps sounds counter-intuitive as you are making a bigger mess than what you started with, but trust us, there is a reason.

Pulling everything out serves two purposes. First, it lets you see the volume of what you are actually dealing with. For some people, seeing a massive mound of textiles is enough to catapult them into being truly ruthless while they purge. The second benefit is it really forces you to go through each piece individually, one by one, and take a moment to ask yourself some questions:

• Is the item in good repair? Meaning there are no holes, pilling or stains that might prevent you from wanting to wear it. If its in bad shape, toss it.
• Does the item fit? Take a moment to actually try it on if you aren't sure. If it doesn't, please pass it along. Nothing makes you feel worse then opening your closet and seeing clothes that don't fit, but that you hope someday might. (And that's no way to start any day.) 
• Have you worn the item in the last 6-12 months? If the answer is no, a good rule of thumb is that it's time to part ways.
• Is the item your style? Think about your go-to outfits- the things that make you feel most comfortable and confident and that you come back to day after day. Does this item fall within that same look and feel? If not, consider passing it along.
• Does this item make you feel good when you wear it? Try to put sentimental meaning aside for a moment and think- if you were going out right this minute and had to wear the item in your hand, would you feel good about it? If the answer is 'no' or 'ummm, maybe?' then again, time to pass it along. 

Once you have gone through each and every item, put back only what leaves you feeling truly happy. Try grouping like with like (IE: short sleeved shirts, long sleeved shirts, sweaters, cardigans, pants....) and find an order that makes sense for your life (if you wear a cardigan every day, perhaps that should be the first grouping in your closet).

SO MANY BOOKS!

Your closet is done, you are feeling good, and your decluttering skills are getting stronger with each passing moment. Onto books!

Despite maybe having a bookshelf or one central book storage location, most of us have books scattered all over the house- bedside tables, desks, on top of a dressers, forgotten about in book bags. Do a thorough walk through of your home and collect ALL the books from all over. Take each book off you book shelf and (again) make a big pile in the middle of your room. Go through each book one at a time and again, ask yourself a couple quick questions:

• Have you actually read it? If not, do you truly believe you will read it? And if so, will you read it again?
• Do you really LOVE it?

If the answer to any of these was no, then consider passing it along. And again, only keep what you truly love and has meaning for you.

THE ENDLESS COLLECTION IN YOUR BATHROOM

Over the winter holidays, I did a little experiment. I got a big IKEA shopping bag and did an arm sweep of EVERYTHING under my bathroom sink. I placed the bag in my storage room, and any time I needed something from it, I went in to retrieve it. The bag is still in storage, and the thing that surprised me (or maybe it didn't) was that I only retrieved about a handful of things over the last couple of months.

All this to say, the storage spaces in our bathrooms become a dumping ground of samples, unused shampoos, lotions, soaps, travel things, and drugstore finds that seemed awesome at the time, but we have since moved on to something new.

Challenge yourself to really evaluate what you use day in and day out. Feel free to try my IKEA bag experiment, or take the time to do as we have above- pull EVERYTHING out, group like with like, and go through each item one by one. This time asking:

• Do you love this product?
• Do you use it regularly?
• Is it expired?

Again, pairing down and donating/ tossing what no longer serves you. 

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A couple final tips - make sure you take any items for donation, recycling or disposing of out of the house immediately after you have finished collecting them. Letting these items sit around or seeing them out of the corner of your eye is distracting and recipe for disaster. (We have all found ourselves second guessing the sweater we committed to parting ways with the day before...)

Also, remember that things that no longer fit or serve you, can be a real gift to someone else. Whether that's through donating items to a charity or thrift stores, or selling your items online or through consignment- sometimes realizing the joy your item can bring to someone else's life is an important part of letting go.

Lastly, be gentle with yourself. Being sentimentally attached to things is human nature (and really, a great gift in this human experience). Though it can make ruthlessly purging a challenge, working in stages is a good strategy to counter this. If you got rid of 2 big bags of stuff, but couldn't quite let go of that impractical shirt that never gets worn, but means something to you, that's OK! Don't fret the small stuff, and focus on how far you have come.


Blog post written by Jessica Thorburn - Our Vancouver-based Marketing and Administration Superstar.