The Art of Decluttering

Every kitchen I've ever been into has at least one (and usually many more) small appliance that they are no longer using that is taking up precious real estate in their kitchen cupboards. Todays challenge is simple - take out every small appliance in your kitchen, lay it out on your benchtop or table and make honest choices about whether you use it enough to keep it (and allowing the space for it) or if it's time to let it go. When you're putting back the items you're keeping, put the most used at the front and set an alarm in your phone for 6-12 months time and if you haven't used the items at the back in that time, you can declutter them too.To get you thinking, here are some ideas of what small appliances might be hiding in your kitchen cupboards:ToasterSandwich press / jaffle makerBlenderStick (immersion) blenderFood processorHand mixerStand mixer (e.g. KitchenAid)Coffee machine (pod, espresso, drip, plunger etc.)Coffee grinderKettleSlow cooker / crockpotRice cookerAir fryerDeep fryerBread makerIce cream makerWaffle makerJuicerElectric frypan / skilletMulti-cooker (e.g. Instant Pot, Thermomix, Ninja Foodi)Electric griddleDehydratorPopcorn makerMilk frotherYoghurt makerEgg cookerPie makerFood steamerJoin our community Leave a Google ReviewFollow me on InstagramFollow me on FacebookJoin my Facebook groupLeave a review on Apple PodcastThank you to my sound engineer, Jarred from Four4ty Studio. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

If you have any items in your home that you *thought* would be valuable but find out aren't then this episode is for you. It can be disappointing, frustrating or even devastating when you find out that items that you've kept because you were told they were valuable turn out to have very little monetary value.It might be coins, stamps, collections, antiques, vintage items or maybe just an appliance you paid a lot for and intended to sell. Sometimes they're not valuable anymore because too much time has passed and you missed the boat, and sometimes it's just how markets work and if there is no demand then your supply isn't valuable.My challenge today is to identify if there is a category or item that fits this in your home and take the next right step. Maybe it's getting an official valuation, maybe it's just checking ebay and seeing if other people have had success in selling the item... and maybe (probably?) it is making the decision to donate it or sell it for cheap so you can let go of the mental load and reclaim the freedom of the physical space, and brain space these items of lost value have been taking up.Join the Get Organized HQ Virtual ConferenceJoin our community Leave a Google ReviewFollow me on InstagramFollow me on FacebookJoin my Facebook groupLeave a review on Apple PodcastThank you to my sound engineer, Jarred from Four4ty Studio. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Has giving or receiving gifts been an area of tension for you? Do you find the kids get way too many toys for their birthday or Christmas? Do you get stressed at the time and money it takes to get the perfect gifts for friends and family?It can be a challenge to navigate keeping an organised home when it comes to gifts. Add in the desire for minimalism and frustrations can flare.Learn in this episode how to have helpful conversations that balance values and community.Join the Get Organized HQ Virtual ConferenceJoin our community Leave a Google ReviewFollow me on InstagramFollow me on FacebookJoin my Facebook groupLeave a review on Apple PodcastThank you to my sound engineer, Jarred from Four4ty Studio. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Thanks for the listeners who have asked what to do when life happens and you need to make exceptions to your minimalism? Living life as a minimalist is all about knowing your values and balancing that with your desire for minimalism, which sometimes means having items you need for a season or reason.Sometimes you need to have excess to cater for the season of life that you're in. More sheets, more toys, more clothes etc. When you're unsure what to keep or how much of something to keep, go back to your values and make intentional decisions that fit with your stage of life and current need.Join the Get Organized HQ Virtual ConferenceJoin our community Leave a Google ReviewFollow me on InstagramFollow me on FacebookJoin my Facebook groupLeave a review on Apple PodcastThank you to my sound engineer, Jarred from Four4ty Studio. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

My guest Jeannine has been helping seniors downsize (or rightsize as she calls it) for over 15 years and Jeannine shares her wisdom for how to prepare for and downsize well. Whether you are the older adult downsizing, or you are a family member supporting someone through this transition there is so much in this episode for you.Discover healthy ways to talk about keepsakes and memories, hint: it's not just about things that are expensive!Don't leave the decluttering until your house is sold and you're about to downsize - start today and you will find the process can be healing as well as giving you space to remember and document a life fully lived.Practical, caring, honest, and supportive, Jeannine is a great coach to have alongside you while you step confidently into the next season of downsizing your home.Follow Jeannine BryantWebsite: www.EasyRightsizing.comInstagram: https://www.instagram.com/EasyRightsizing Jeannine's Book: https://easyrightsizing.com/book/Jeannine's Online Course: https://jeanninebryant.podia.com/ready-to-rightsize?coupon=THEARTOFDECLUTTERING (use this link to receive 25% off just for our listeners!)Join our community Leave a Google ReviewFollow me on InstagramFollow me on FacebookJoin my Facebook groupLeave a review on Apple PodcastThank you to my sound engineer, Jarred from Four4ty Studio. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

One of our team members Bec shares with us today the adventure of building and living in a van for 6 months as she and her partner travelled Australia. Learn what it was like to live as a minimalist on the road, and how even when living in a van they found they had items they didn't need. Bec shares some of the life altering and career changing lessons she learnt while on the road that she now carries with her and shares with clients in her work as a Decluttering and Organising Expert. Maybe you'll be inspired to make the plunge to living with less and experiencing more too!Join our community Leave a Google ReviewFollow me on InstagramFollow me on FacebookJoin my Facebook groupLeave a review on Apple PodcastThank you to my sound engineer, Jarred from Four4ty Studio. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

I've been thinking a lot about the correlation between clutter and loneliness. I speak to so many clients who are suffering from loneliness and often one the significant factors contributing to their loneliness is the clutter in their house.Do you avoid having people over because you're ashamed of the state of your home?Do you avoid going out because you feel bad that you should instead be tidying up?Do you say no to invites to other people's homes because you know you can't reciprocate?Do your children not have play dates because you don't want the parents seeing your home?Although you might not instantly draw the line between clutter and loneliness, once you see it you realise the power it holds over so many people's lives. Loneliness is a silent killer and if by engaging in decluttering (or making peace with the clutter) you can reduce your social isolation then I think it's definitely a conversation we should be having. Listen NextDouble NemesisJoin our community Leave a Google ReviewFollow me on InstagramFollow me on FacebookJoin my Facebook groupLeave a review on Apple PodcastThank you to my sound engineer, Jarred from Four4ty Studio. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Two areas of every home that make a huge impact on if you're feeling like a boss and on top of things, or if you feel like you're drowning are LAUNDRY and DISHES.The reason they're probably your nemesis (and mine!) is because they are never-ending, multi step, impacted by clutter and have many steps and opportunities for procrastination. TIP #1 - HAVE LESSLess clothes, less towels, less sheets, less dishes, less containers, less cutlery, less utensils, less pans. When you have less, it's easier to put things away and stay on top of these nemesis chores.TIP #2 - DO THE NEXT STEP AS SOON AS POSSIBLEOnce you have less, it's so much easier to do the next step as soon as possible. Fill the dishwasher, put away the dry washing, hang out the wet washing. You don't have to wait until you have an hour to tackle these chores, instead use 5 minute moments you have to just do the next step rather than having to wait until you have a big chunk of time to focus for a long time. 5 minute moments can make a huge impact on your ability to stay on top of these nemesis chores.Listen NextBedding20 Outfit WardrobeMore... or Less?Might As WellJoin our community Leave a Google ReviewFollow me on InstagramFollow me on FacebookJoin my Facebook groupLeave a review on Apple PodcastThank you to my sound engineer, Jarred from Four4ty Studio. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Greeting cards, birthday cards, retirement cards, birth cards, christening cards, sympathy cards... why do you keep them? Or more truthfully... why do you keep so many of them?Cards can be really special and I'm not suggesting that you keep no cards at all, but based on what you as listeners and my clients tell me, keeping them all is overwhelming and creating unnecessary clutter.In the podcast today I address a specific listener dilemma (thanks Yvonne from Quebec, Canada) who is struggling with knowing what to do with her growing card collection.Join our community Leave a Google ReviewFollow me on InstagramFollow me on FacebookJoin my Facebook groupLeave a review on Apple PodcastThank you to my sound engineer, Jarred from Four4ty Studio. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

My guest Lisa is a minimalist and was married to someone who kept everything... and was a prepper. When her husband unexpectedly died she was not only left with grief… but rows of emergency rations, gear, tools, and mystery items that made decluttering both emotional and overwhelming.Hear Lisa's practical and insightful journey of decluttering her husbands things while honouring his memory.Lisa shares about: 💍 Marriage: A Minimalist and a Prepper💔 Grief + Clutter🧹 Practical Tips from a Widow’s Perspective📷 Kids + Shared Memories🏠 Minimalism + IdentityFollow Lisa WooleryWebsite: TheWidowsComeback.comInstagram: https://www.instagram.com/thewidowscomeback/Lisa's Book: https://www.amazon.com.au/Widows-Comeback-Lisa-Woolery-ebook/dp/B0F49K7MV5Join our community Leave a Google ReviewFollow me on InstagramFollow me on FacebookJoin my Facebook groupLeave a review on Apple PodcastThank you to my sound engineer, Jarred from Four4ty Studio. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

I've been doing some decluttering in my own house due to us doing a bedroom renovation and it really made me realise how much we tend to ignore our up high and down low storage spaces in our homes. I hadn't FULLY been through what was up the top of my wardrobe for about 2 years, and although under my bed had been gone through weeks earlier, it did make me think that we often ignore the up high or down low spaces in our home.Up High places you might like to declutter include attics, loft, top of the wardrobe, pantry or high garage storage. Sometimes it's just too hard to go through them as you need a ladder and a second person to help you. So set aside some time to pull it all down and ask yourself "When did I last need this" and "Do I have a plan to use this in the future" and declutter to your hearts content.Low Down places you might like to declutter are places like basements, under beds, very bottom and hard to reach kitchen cupboards. Pull everything out and ask the same questions before creating a storage system that works for the space and putting essential items back.Listen NextStocktakeTime Will TellJoin our community Leave a Google ReviewFollow me on InstagramFollow me on FacebookJoin my Facebook groupLeave a review on Apple PodcastThank you to my sound engineer, Jarred from Four4ty Studio. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Boy I love BIN NIGHT! It's a weekly (or regular at least) opportunity to declutter rubbish from around the house. However your rubbish is removed, whether it's a communal apartment bins, curbside pickup or tip drop off, what a gift it is!! I encourage you to take full advantage of your rubbish removal - walk around your house with a rubbish bag and collect as much rubbish as you can. Aim to full the rubbish bins before each pick up - whatever you can remove from your house is automatic decluttering.And in this episode I explore the idea of having rubbish bins located in many places throughout your house - in your home office, in the bathroom and even in the lounge room if you need. If there are places where rubbish tends to accumulate in your home, pop a rubbish bin in that space and reduce the clutter of displaced rubbish.Listen NextRecycling Holding ZoneJoin our community Leave a Google ReviewFollow me on InstagramFollow me on FacebookJoin my Facebook groupLeave a review on Apple PodcastThank you to my sound engineer, Jarred from Four4ty Studio. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

My guest Elizabeth is a life and health coach and works with women to remove barriers to them succeeding in their health goals. Elizabeth and I connected over our shared understanding that a cluttered environment can sabotage your health.A cluttered bedroom can disrupt your sleepA cluttered fridge can make you order take out because it’s too overwhelming to cookA cluttered dining table might encourage you to eat in front of the TV and not be conscious of how much you’re eatingA cluttered garage stops you having easy access to your bike so you drive insteadA cluttered lounge means you’ve stopped doing Pilates in the morningIdentifying where clutter might be blocking your health goal and dealing with the clutter can have long-term health benefits!Follow Elizabeth ShermanWebsite: https://elizabethsherman.com/Podcast: https://elizabethsherman.com/category/podcast/Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/elizabeth.sherman.coach/Join our community Leave a Google ReviewFollow me on InstagramFollow me on FacebookJoin my Facebook groupLeave a review on Apple PodcastThank you to my sound engineer, Jarred from Four4ty Studio. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Reverse Decluttering is making decisions about what you keep rather than what you want to let go of. By process of elimination, whatever you don't keep you declutter.This can be helpful if you're overwhelmed by a huge collection and know you can only keep a small amount. It can also be really useful if you have limited space and have to curate your possessions to fit, picking your favourite until the space is full rather than facing the daunting task of reducing and reducing.If you're decluttering with a child it can also be helpful to have them pick their favourites rather than what they don't like as they may like everything!Read the Article in Stylisthttps://www.stylist.co.uk/life/reverse-decluttering-method/990561Join our community Leave a Google ReviewFollow me on InstagramFollow me on FacebookJoin my Facebook groupLeave a review on Apple PodcastThank you to my sound engineer, Jarred from Four4ty Studio. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

My guest Ingrid is part of the dynamic duo from The Declutter Hub podcast and she shares how thinking through the emotions and potential pitfalls can be super helpful to prepare you well for the task of the doing when it comes to decluttering.For instance, if you have a quantity problem, it requires more than just decluttering a cupboard... you actually need to do some thinking about why you have a clutter problem, what causes the problem, what feeds the problem, how to tackle the clutter itself, what do you need in order to have success... and once you've done the thinking... then you can be strategic in the doing.Follow The Declutter HubWebsitePodcastYouTubeBookJoin our community Leave a Google ReviewFollow me on InstagramFollow me on FacebookJoin my Facebook groupLeave a review on Apple PodcastThank you to my sound engineer, Jarred from Four4ty Studio. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Spoon theory - what a gift to those of us with chronic illness, disability or mental health challenges! Spoon theory is a theory anyone can use - it's simply a theory to articulate personal energy levels and capacity on any given day. Energy is consumed by daily activity, decision making, socialising, talking, listening, thinking, emotions - all your activities require spoons! For some people having a shower requires just one spoon, for someone else it requires 4 spoons - and getting to know your own energy levels is a great tool for self empathy, self actualisation and self advocacy.Having a cluttered home and trying to manage an excess of possessions, or constantly feeling like you're tidying up uses a lot of spoons. So the habit and activity of decluttering and organising is a great gift to your future self. Less clutter means your daily tidying requires less spoons. And if you're someone who finds that doing the activity of decluttering requires SO MANY SPOONS, you'll find some great tips in this episode for how to conserve spoons while also moving forward. Join our community Leave a Google ReviewFollow me on InstagramFollow me on FacebookJoin my Facebook groupLeave a review on Apple PodcastThank you to my sound engineer, Jarred from Four4ty Studio. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

If you're stuck on what to declutter next - why not go with some easy decisions and just declutter items which have gone out of date!This week in the podcast I give you some simple (and maybe not obvious) categories of items that go out of date that you can grab and do a quick declutter of.Out of date foodOut of date make up/ beauty productsOut of date technologyOut of date prescriptionsOut of date user manualsJoin our community Leave a Google ReviewFollow me on InstagramFollow me on FacebookJoin my Facebook groupLeave a review on Apple PodcastThank you to my sound engineer, Jarred from Four4ty Studio. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

If you ever get stuck when you're organising wondering where something should be kept, have a think about an items sisters and cousins. Sisters: same same Cousins: same same but different Do you keep all your scissors together in one location (with their sisters), or do you keep a pair with the gift wrap, a pair in the office, a pair with the craft and a pair in the kitchen (with their cousins)It's a really helpful way to decide where you're going to keep items when you're organising as it helps you create systems that make items easy to find, use and put away when you're finished.Join our community Leave a Google ReviewFollow me on InstagramFollow me on FacebookJoin my Facebook groupLeave a review on Apple PodcastThank you to my sound engineer, Jarred from Four4ty Studio. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Do you have items that you've purchased that you really need to return to store? You changed your mind, the item doesn't fit, you purchased too many, or simply the wrong colour!? And be honest, how long have you been procrastinating returning those items? I see it all the time - clients have clothes, toys, household items that they've bought (usually online) and they need to return them for whatever reason, but instead of doing the admin of the return, they sit in boxes and bags in our loungerooms, spare rooms and studies.I've recently experienced this with left over supplies from our renovation. We finished the reno and then I gathered all the things that we had over purchased, or not needed ready to return. But it's such a hard task to get excited about. you've got to find the receipt, put everything back in the car, then when you get to the shop you have to get everything out, explain etc and go through the process.But... please hear me - IT'S WORTH IT!!Your returns and refunds are a tab open in your brain, the stuff you're waiting to return is clutter in your house.ACCC Warranties and Refunds Join our community Leave a Google ReviewFollow me on InstagramFollow me on FacebookJoin my Facebook groupLeave a review on Apple PodcastThank you to my sound engineer, Jarred from Four4ty Studio. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Injury happens to all of us, and the frustration is real. Some quick tips today on how to stay organised while you have an injury.Firstly, remember to rest - the decluttering and organising can wait, and it's not worth making an injury worse to achieve a tidy home.Next, ask for help - to accommodate your needs right now, or to help tidy so it's not bothering you so much. Maybe write yourself a list on your phone of areas you'd like to declutter when you're able.And think of ways you can organise to make life easier with your injury. Bring high use items down to easy to reach spaces or repurpose your bedside table or coffee table - get creative so you can rest and recuperate or reduce the frustration at least with your reduced capacity.Join our community Leave a Google ReviewFollow me on InstagramFollow me on FacebookJoin my Facebook groupLeave a review on Apple PodcastThank you to my sound engineer, Jarred from Four4ty Studio Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.