Sanity for Spring?

My secret to sanity this Spring is to declutter and gain peace of mind.  This idea is huge for me, since I love to stay active and keep samples and items with character, then find time to refurbish.  I also keep things that I can transform into something else...DIY projects  are great.  My garage and office/guest room became cluttered to the point where I felt stressed. Can't have an extra guest room with containers of"keep it" stuff piled there.  So I embarked on a journey that not only gave me space, but peace of mind at having recycled, donated and provided useful materials that will help those in need.  Goodwill & Dell have a fabulous program for E-waste and I donated home improvement supplies to agencies that provide homes and apartments locally.  Even my clothes went to help someone who needs a work wardrobe. My top 5 tips that I hope help you:

1. Unworn clothes

If you’re like me, you're holding onto stuff in case it comes back in style one day.  Shoulder pad jackets that I loved for the fabric now begin to haunt me.  "I'll get them tailored" was my mantra.....for 5 years. If you haven’t worn something in the past 12 to 18 months, you likely never will. Donate or try selling it  online. Spring is a good time  to analyze your cold-weather wardrobe. If you haven't worn it during the last season chances are you won't wear it again.  There are women's shelters that need supplies and organizations that collect business attire to help women dress for success.

2. Office supplies

If your desk is filled with dried-out pens and White-Out bottles, you should acknowledge that those things are never ever coming back from the dead. For me, it was colored pencils and markers from design school.  Yep, they still work, but haven't used them in ten years,  Hook up with a local art teacher since they often buy supplies for their kids with their own funds.  The random boxes of paper clips, extra stationary and other goodies went to the animal shelter resale shop to raise money to save lives.

3. Expired kitchen items

This was a bit funny.  I divide and store pantry staples and things like pasta, rice and oatmeal since I buy in bulk and save, right?  Not if they go bad.  I found things in the pantry and even the freezer from 2008.  Not worth eating. Spices get clumpy and smell "off" and I actually found 2 of a few since they got 'lost' in the back cabinets and I bought duplicates.    I have a compost pile - albeit small - so quite a bit went there.  The rest I had to toss.  Lesson learned...don't buy too much or it's wasteful.  

4. Books

If you’ve made the swap and now do your reading on a Kindle or tablet, you may have tons of books you’d never even consider opening. Ironically my Kindle is now defunct since I use my iPad.   But even if you don't have a device, consider donating books you've already read. Sort through your favorite books then give the rest to your local library, charity or shelter.  I'll keep my Sue Grafton series for now, but the chance that I'll read those books again is slim.  All the others are likely to give someone else the pleasure of a good read. 

5. Garage clutter. 

From paints that I won't reuse to finish products that are older and toxic, to fertilizer or insect sprays that I've found safer alternatives for, my garage cabinets were purged for my health and the health if the environment.  There are safe ways to dispose of all of those things.  In San Diego - http://www.sandiego.gov/environmental-services/miramar/hhwtransfac.shtml  I've watched neighbors pour that stuff in the sewer. Don't.  Local paint stores are now required to accept old paint. They also charge a recycling fee when you buy new paint so take advantage and purge what you won't use again. After a few years that paint won't even look good when you try to touch up. Unless you do a lot of faux finishing it's just going to take up space and get old. Tools and yard equipment that I either upgraded  or don't use - love my new Dewalt cordless nail gun -  went to shelter resale shops and Goodwill. Someone will love my Craftsman corded power tools and have a blast doing DIY projects! Open paints and wood scraps did go to Refurbish San Diego.  Habitat for Humanity is great for hardware, nails and screws and building supplies. 

Lynn Morris, IIDA, Allied ASID, NKBA, USGBC

Past Director of Communications ASID

Design Principal | Touch of Tradition- Home

7313 Carroll Road | Suite D

San Diego | CA | 92121

619-669-8871 mobile

760-633-4474 studio

www.tot-home.com

De-clutter and Organize

It's a new year and a great time to purge, organize and make the whole year easier. Like everyone else, I have lots of 'stuff'. Some collected, some gifted, some purchased.  I think I have more than I need and certainly more than I want to take care of. My solution?  Make a New Year's Resolution that I WILL keep; organize and purge. Sure, I can create more storage. I can build my own cabinets, buy shelves and add a closet system in my guest room.  Is the cost to do that worth the items?  I think not. 

So..... what to do and how can it help you out?  Here are my ideas!

1. Clothes  Do you hold onto things in case it comes back in style one day? Don't. When it comes back you'll likely need new accessories, pieces to complete the look, and maybe even tailoring. Try starting with items you haven’t worn in the past year; I donate most everything but there are many places to sell designer items. While you're getting things in and out of the closet, reach for those things first and put them aside until you have a small collection....then away it goes.

2. Papers If you haven't read a newsletter or magazine before the next issue is out, you likely won't so give it away or recycle it.  Today, publications keep archived issues on line so you can refer back to and digitally save an article.  While you do need tax-related materials you likely don't need the monthly credit card statements. How about going paperless and get statements and receipts emailed to you?  

3. Electronics I have power cords and adapters for things I don't own anymore. You might too. Recycle them as E waste and clear out that drawer.  Do the same with old monitors, cell phones and other electronic gadgets. 

4. Unpaired items  My husband has socks that have lost their pairing partner.  They, along with plastic storage lids without their matching storage containers (and vice versa) and bed linens that don’t belong to a set are all candidates for removal!

5. Pantry Items. Believe it or not, cereal, cake mixes and pasta DO expire. I had vitamins and supplements with expired dates.  Same with cake mixes and canned goods.  One thing we rarely look at are herbs and spices which, like mine,  probably had time to go bad since you never really used them anyway.











6. Makeup Makeup does expire and mascara collects bacteria over time. Same with lipstick and eye pencils. Ditch colors you don't use. Its a good way to update too; I love to add one new color for every three I toss and it really does de-clutter my bathroom drawer. 

7. Kid stuff   As precious as your children's arts and crafts projects are, consider saving only the very special ones. When the art is whimsical and fun it can be framed and hung in a playroom or hallway; multiple boxes stored in closets aren't useful and visible.  A fabulous way to display drawings is to decoupage onto a dresser, stair riser,s or the back of a bookshelf. 










8. Books  If you’ve made the switch to a Kindle, Nook, tablet or Ipad, you may have books you won't read. Even if you don't have a device, consider eliminating books you've already read. Sort through your favorite ones, then donate the rest to your local library, charity or shelter,   The chance that you'll read those books again are slim to none, so give someone else the pleasure of a good read.

9. Holiday Decor  If you collect items for holidays, it's a good idea to sort through periodically to remove broken or damaged things, be sure you still love them, and pare down to what you really need.  Storing seasonal items is always a challenge.  I found that I don't do themed Christmas decor, so keep a clear glass and two colors to mix or to rotate.  It was such a pleasure to give away what I didn't really need as gift tags, to Goodwill, to the local Senior Center, or to young couples who are just starting out. 

10. Bedding and towels  Having switched to white towels so I don't have to worry about which bathroom they are for, I sometimes have to ditch a towel that simply doesn't come clean, is threadbare, or that no longer has hand towels or washcloths. There are many places to recycle them.  Even bed linens get worn over time. If you change your color scheme you really don't need the old ones hanging around. As I can afford, I switch to high thread count and all cotton - organic is soft and durable - that my older bedding gets donated

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