Lessons learned from our garage sale -- and a side benefit

This past holiday weekend, my hubby and I had a garage sale to help clear out clutter in the basement and his shop, and to earn some extra money for summer fun. Lately we've had renewed enthusiasm for streamlining our home. This quote (from Whole Living magazine) was part of our inspiration: Don't think of de-cluttering as emptying your home, you're filling it with possibility. Sounds nice, doesn't it?

We learned a few things this weekend that I wanted to share. First, a holiday weekend is not the best time for a garage sale! Both Saturday and Sunday were rather slow, although we did still make nearly $200 so that's nice. We're going to try again next weekend since we still have stuff we want/need to sell -- and we're going to add MORE stuff from our parents' homes.

And that's where our second lesson comes in: you need to have a balance of "nice" stuff and "cheap crap." We had many compliments on our items, but very few buyers. A lot of our items were "too nice" (in other words, more than $10)...and there wasn't enough low-end stuff for people to feel like they were really getting a deal. Many people came specifically for books, CDs, and DVDs of which we had little to none. We will make some changes this weekend and add more small, cheap stuff, and see how we do.

The third lesson I learned is to put on sunblock! :) Standing in the driveway talking to people I managed to get a nasty burn on my lower left leg...oops!

We also learned that having something large, eye-catching, and funny out by the road helps attract people. We had cars stop in the middle of the road to laugh at our drum-playing gorilla! Unfortunately no one purchased either item...or maybe that is fortunate, as we can use him as our mascot again this weekend.

And finally, the side benefit to garage sales: you really get to know your neighbors! It gives them an easy excuse to come over and chat, and often you find hobbies and interests in common as they look through your stuff. My husband and I talked about how we didn't know any neighbors names until our sale last year...and how if you're moving, while it's good to clear stuff out beforehand, having a garage sale a few months after you move to a new neighborhood is a great way to introduce yourself and get to know people. And hopefully make some money too!

Minimalist inspiration

Lately I've been drawn to reading blogs about minimalism and the spirituality of living simply. I wanted to share a few of my favorites with you for inspiration -- including this interview with Miss Minimalist on Castles in the Air. This is my first introduction to Miss Minimalist, aka Francine Jay, and I've already put her on my list of role models. I share some of her dreams and passions, like living in a foreign country, writing, and travel -- and it's always good to find others doing what you want to do so you can learn from them! I love the fact that she always leaves a weekend bag half-packed so that she's always ready to go traveling - in her own city or abroad - on a moment's notice. She is living proof that living minimally doesn't mean going without, it means only having the things you really need and make you happy.

Other fave blogs currently include the ever-popular Zen Habits (Leo recently did a thought-provoking post on why to not exchange Christmas presents) and The Middle Finger Project (with the best tagline: rejecting the status quo & rebelling against mediocrity). I've also been inspired by Danielle's advice at White Hot Truth. Where have you found inspiration lately?

Happy reading!
-amy

Going Digital

A friend of mine recently sent me this article on going digital to help with organizing/streamlining your life. There are great tips in here and I just love this pro organizer's company name: The OCD Experience -- OCD stands for "Organize & Create Discipline."

Our bills and finances are almost all electronic already, as is our music. But the photos? Oh my. Now to find the time (and motivation!) to actually scan them all...and my recipes...and all the tax documents...

Happy scanning,
-amy

Simplify Sale in Portland

I saw this posted on Facebook and wanted to share for all my Portland peeps. (And perhaps inspire those of you elsewhere to do a yard sale!)

Restoring Order, a local professional organizing business, is putting on the Simplify Sale this coming weekend in Sherwood. According to the site, "Featuring over 50 participant stations with tons of household goods for sale, live music, sizzling BBQ, and life-simplifying service providers."

Could be a great way to offload some of your excess stuff, and/ or a great place to find used household items for a deal.

We participated in a neighborhood-wide yard sale earlier this summer and it was a huge success. Having one on your own can be more difficult, but when you join with neighbors your combined sale becomes more of a destination and helps attract more people. We made nearly $500 in two days! And we have far less clutter in our home, extra bonus :)

Happy simplifying,
-amy

Inspiration for your closet

I regularly read other blogs about organizing and sometimes I get so inspired I just have to share. This tip from "The Organizing Junkie" is fantastic. She just did a major purge of her clothing as she switched from winter to summer and now I can't wait to tackle my own closet...again! I purge several times a year based on space issues and seasonal changes, but I like her statement that just because you have space doesn't mean you should fill it. If you haven't worn something in a year, consider parting with it -- donate to Goodwill or sell it at a consignment shop. (For my Portland peeps, a friend of mine owns a consignment shop you should check out sometime, for clothing, household items, furniture, etc. -- Reviva!)

With the money you make selling your clothes you rarely or never wear, you can purchase items you really love and fit you right! :) Any excuse to go shopping...

Happy purging,
-amy

Cut back on paper piles

In preparation for a client appointment later this week, I came across this great info on how long to keep certain paperwork, bills, receipts, etc. I found it very helpful! I know I'm guilty of keeping things much longer than I need to...

What are the time limits for keeping old paperwork and files?

Here are some broad and fairly conservative guidelines that you may find helpful in managing your bills and financial records. Before making any decision on paperwork, however, you should definitely check with an accountant or financial advisor in your state to verify that this information is accurate, as sometimes legislation varies from state to state.

Toss out EACH MONTH:

• ATM, bank-deposit slips and credit card receipts after you have checked them against your bank or credit card statements.
• Receipts for minor purchases - unless there is a warranty or refund involved.

Toss out after ONE YEAR:

• Your monthly bank and credit-card statements (unless you require proof of deductions for taxation purposes).
• Monthly mortgage statements provided you receive a year-end summary of your account.
• Pay stubs after they are checked against your W-2 or 1099.
  

Toss out after SEVEN YEARS:

• Your W-2 and 1099 forms
• Cancelled checks and receipts or statements for mortgage interest, property taxes, deductible business expenses or other tax-deductible expenses.
  

Keep indefinitely:

• Annual tax returns
• Year-end summary statements from financial institutions.
• Receipts for the purchase of any investments you own.
• Receipts for home-improvement costs or major purchases that may be needed for insurance claims or similar.

It may be helpful to download one of the publications of the IRS about what paperwork to keep. Go to www.irs.gov and search for Publication No. 552 - that has much of the information you are seeking.

Good luck taming your piles and files!
-amy

A Place for Everything...

And everything in its place! That is one of my favorite organizing-related cliches. It has a nice ring to it, and serves as a great reminder every time I set something down where it doesn't belong. (Apparently the voices in my head are also obsessed with organizing!)

But we all have those things that don't have "a place" -- look around at your clutter and you will find that this is the majority of the problem. A magazine someone gave you to read, the cap to a pen you can't find, a screw you found while vacuuming...and the list goes on.

What do you do with this random stuff? This stuff is the inspiration of the "junk drawer" which can certainly serve it's purpose. But beyond that, I encourage you to look at your random clutter and group it by similar items. You may just find a new category and a new "place" you need to create to house these items.

For example, I am always admiring pictures in magazines for ideas. And then the magazine and/or ripped out pages would clutter my desk, the dining table, the kitchen counter, the coffee table... To remedy my paper explosion, I have set up a file folder on my desk labeled "Home Renovation Ideas." Every time I see something inspirational, I rip it out and put it in the folder. The magazine then gets recycled (or filed; I do have back issues of certain ones in date order on my bookshelves) and I can quickly and easily find the inspiration photo/article by opening my folder. And I have now set up additional folders for my design and organizing business, and for our rental houses. It's working great so far!

Do you have a fun or unique way you handle the random clutter in your house?

A few short hours

We all have them. The project that needs to be tackled, but is so large (at least, in your head it is!) that you can't bring yourself to start!.I have several of them right now in fact - a basement utility room overflowing with holiday stuff and recently acquired items from my dearly departed grandma; my office that appears to be exploding with school-related stuff. And in these situations I have to remind myself to START SMALL.

It's amazing how much you can accomplish in just a few short hours. And often by chipping away at a project, you do a better job because you don't wear yourself out.





Here's an example of an office/closet area that got out of control for a friend/client of mine. She was overwhelmed, so I came over one afternoon and we tackled it together, in a matter of 3 hours. We made a goal of just getting everything sorted into "like with like" piles. By the time the trash and donate piles were removed, we were both amazed at how much extra space there was! We used the bins and boxes she already had to get things in better order for the time being. And at her own pace, at later dates, she sorted through boxes we'd labeled, "Photos for sorting later," "Toys for my niece," "Old computer software," etc.

So remember, sometimes a few short hours can make all the difference. Don't be afraid to tackle a project in stages. Better that then not at all!

Happy sorting,
-amy

Think More Storage, Not More Space

Long before I became a student of interior design, I've been an admirer and enthusiast of great design and architecture. I've always been drawn to places that were well laid out (otherwise known as good "space planning"), streamlined, warm, interesting, and cozy.

I have a collection of books and magazines I regularly pick up and reference that I call "design porn." :) As I started researching today for a school paper, I accessed my library for one of my favorite reads: The Not So Big House by Sarah Susanka. And couldn't find it! No, I'm not unorganized (wink) - I forgot that this was a book I'd borrowed from someone and don't actually own. Off to Amazon I go...this is a must-have book, in my opinion!

Ms. Susanka's books all focus on the topic of doing more with less. Most of us don't really need 2000+ square feet to live our lives; what we really need are better designed spaces that truly accommodate our lifestyles and our belongings. I'm a strong proponent of this philosophy. The hardest part for me being in design school is the idea that new is always better. It's not! Reuse what you have. Not only is it the "green" option, but it's also the more affordable way to go. And if/when you design or shop for a home or remodel your current place, think about storage, storage, storage. This is what most homes lack, even (and especially) the gigantic ones. And this is where Sarah Susanka excels: she uses concepts from boat and RV design to work storage into every place in a home, in a stylish and functional way. It's so cool! Check out her website if you have a chance and get inspired to streamline your home :)

Happy New Year!
-amy