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Clutter Challenge: How do I organise my collection of books – I have so many!

Kerri Rodley — Wed, 14 Mar 2012 07:35:09 +0000

So many books - so little time to read!

Do you have a book fetish?

Do you find yourself buying new books that you have absolutely no time to read because you think you will “one day” or that it will look good on your bookshelf? I do.

But I also have one golden rule – once I have read a book that I really love, I need to pass it on to someone else whose life will also be enriched by the story. Why have it sitting there unloved and cluttering up my bookshelf?

And remember the golden rule, letting go of the old will make room for the new! Here are some other golden rules when it comes to decluttering and organising your bookshelves:

Instead of starting to read new books, re-read some old favourites.
Let go of books you know you won’t re-read.
Put it in a “three months to re-read it” pile. Write in on your calendar and then pass it one if it isn’t re-read.
Donate your surplus of books to your local library or school.
Keep current reference books if they are as up-to-date and are more accurate or specific than what you might find online.
Keep at least one dictionary and thesaurus – especially for Scrabble!
Keep handy regularly accessed cookbooks – but if you use it less than once a month you might want to consider giving it away.
Only have a reasonable pile of books you plan to read and don’t over commit. Any more than that and your unread books may start to overwhelm the bookcase and it will stress you out that you don’t have time to read them.

Read the remaining tips here: http://www.atcbiz.com.au/ems/archives.php?n=edru7syrbw&c=3tgsczjemf

4 easy steps to an organised wardrobe

Kerri Rodley — Wed, 22 Feb 2012 22:25:11 +0000

A rainbow of colour may not work for you...

Yesterday I was with a client who despaired at ever finding something to wear – and it all came down to the fact her wardrobe was organised in a way that didn’t work with her organising style. The secret is you don’t have to have your clothes organised in colours and looking pretty – it is all about organising for your individual dressing system, whatever that is.

Kathryn Weber wrote an article recently in her column Living Space for Tribune Media Services which outlines exactly what I am talking about:

If you’ve ever wandered into the closet and couldn’t find something to wear, the problem might not be your wardrobe. When your closet is disorganized, it’s easy to lose clothes or have difficulty finding items that work together. Investing just a small amount of time in re-ordering your clothes and accessories will pay off every morning!

1. LIKE WITH LIKE
Tempting as it may be to organize by color, grouping like items by style and use is more efficient. While it might seem logical to hang all pants together, it’s best to group the pants you wear most, and move those you wear least to another part of the closet. Grouping clothing by the way its worn, such as casual or work, can also help you get dressed faster in the morning. This technique also makes putting clothes away faster. It’s especially useful for seasonal clothing; stashing all your big chunky sweaters together means the one you’re looking for won’t get pushed back out of sight.

2. SHELVE IT
Closet shelves are seldom used for clothing, but if you wear jeans and T-shirts a lot, why not take advantage of shelves to stack both in plain view? This will help you find a pair of jeans faster and put them away more easily, too. And if items of clothing keep getting lost in your dresser drawers, turn your closet shelves mini-drawers. Line them with baskets or clear bins so you can see everything easily. Another option is to install shallow drawers on closet shelves that pull all the way out.

Read the next 2 steps here: http://www.chicagotribune.com/classified/realestate/sns-201202140000–tms–livspacectnls-a20120214feb14,0,2792121.story

4 quick tips to make your wardrobe a feel-good zone

Kerri Rodley — Mon, 21 Nov 2011 23:14:58 +0000

This wardrobe set-up is guaranteed to make you feel good!

There was a great little piece in the Sunday Mail last weekend that I thought I would share with my readers:

How to make your wardrobe a feel-good zone.

If you have a favourite top, think about why it boost your confidence and try to buy clothes which ticks those boxes too.
You may have bought that jumper and worn it once, but if you aren’t going to wear it again because it reminds you of a blind date you’d rather forget, get rid of it.
Don’t feel bad about keeping any old clothes with which you associate good memories, it is like looking at a photograph and having those memories rush back. (I have a caveat on this: don’t store them in your main wardrobe taking up space, put them in a special memory box or plastic tub.)
When you dress like a dag you feel like a dag and you don’t perform as well. What you wear affects your self-esteem (and this applies if you work from home as well – get out of those jammies!)

How to organise your refrigerator – just in time for Christmas!

Kerri Rodley — Thu, 17 Nov 2011 23:12:54 +0000

If only it could stay like this...

I have written on this topic before – in fact I have been on the TV demonstrating how you can salvage your fridge after a flood – but let’s hope you don’t have to go that far!

Unclutterer.com recently wrote a post which I thought was very timely – cleaning out your fridge so there is plenty of room to pop in a turkey or ham or two! Here are some fab tips:

Gather supplies. Two large trash bags nested one inside the other (food is heavy and a broken bag makes a huge mess) is a must. You’ll also want a bucket with fresh, warm (not hot) water and mild dish detergent with a sponge. Also, a roll of paper towels or a few clean hand towels are good to have with you to dry the shelves when you’re finished wiping them down, especially for the freezer. Finally, I recommend having a notepad and pen handy so you can create a shopping list as you work.

Purge all food past its prime. Working from top to bottom, clear out all food from your refrigerator that is expired, rotten, and not good for eating. If you don’t know if something is edible, checkStillTasty.com. If a food is in a jar or bottle and you can’t find its expiration date, visit the company’s website. Many websites have sections where you can enter the item’s bar code and learn its shelf life information.

Wipe it down. Give all the walls and shelves of your refrigerator a firm but gentle scrubbing. Clean up all spills, leaks, and general yuckiness that can dirty up the inside of your refrigerator.

Organise. In addition to putting like items with like items (making it easier to retrieve foods, as well as remembering what items you have), consider employing some advanced organising techniques. Add stackable, removable shelves or under shelf baskets to better separate items. Use shelf liners to make it easier to clean up future messes and to keep round foods from rolling. If your crisper is where foods go to mold, try removing your drawers so you won’t forget about your produce (if you’re a visual processor, this may really help you). Also, learn what the recommended cooling temperatures for your food are so you know where the best place is inside your refrigerator to store each item.

To read the entire article click here: http://unclutterer.com/2011/11/14/clean-and-organize-your-refrigerator/

How to Organise Mementos and their Memories

Kerri Rodley — Thu, 03 Nov 2011 04:20:16 +0000

6 methods of purging, storing and organising your memorabilia

A box of memories...

We all have them – bits and pieces of memorabilia piled high in corners or hidden in plastic bags. The thought of organising them seems completely overwhelming.

Here are six steps that will help you through the different methods of storing and organising your memorabilia to properly preserve them for years to come.

1. The Quick Sort
Gather your keepsakes in one place, preferably a table or other large, comfortable workspace. Next, group similar items together (like with like) using baskets or boxes you’ve labelled with the types of mementos you have. Some common categories include: photos, kid’s artwork, cards, certificates & other documents, crafts and projects.

2. The Purge
Letting go of personal memorabilia tends to be hard, especially if you are a sentimental soul. Yet, when you pare down your keepsakes, you will feel a sense of lightness, as though you’ve been released from a heavy burden.

The goal is to make room for what matters most. Let go of items that you no longer find meaningful or remind you of a time you’d rather forget. Keep only the things that stir your heart or capture important events. Save only what you have space for and keep in mind that things are always coming in so leave some room to grow.

Photos are probably the hardest item to throw away because of the sentimental value we attach to them. Weed out bad shots to make it easier to enjoy the good ones. Tossing doesn’t mean you’re throwing away the person in it. It’s okay to give away duplicates or toss photos that are blurry, bad angles or unbecoming. Save the best – toss the rest.

Kids Artwork: Work together with your child to choose a few of his favourite pieces of artwork each year. If you keep every single piece of artwork your child brings home for the next 15 years it will crowd you out of your home.

Take photos of large artwork, crafts or school project. Keep the photo – toss the bulk.

3. Safe Storage
When storing your items, use archival quality, acid free products. Acid is a chemical substance that can weaken paper and cloth, causing it to brown and become brittle. Never store photographs and other treasured items with newspaper, which contains acid that will eventually damage your mementos. Use tissue paper instead.

Continue to read the next 3 steps here:

http://domesticdownsizing.com/organise-mementos-and-their-memories

10 Step Wardrobe Detox

Kerri Rodley — Mon, 10 Oct 2011 01:01:36 +0000

http://www.facebook.com/Help.Rescue.The.Bears

From cluttered to clear - and ready for more clothes!

Isn’t it amazing the way the Universe works. No sooner has I organised an event to declutter your wardrobe and sell the proceeds to my China Moon Bear Challenge but there was an article in the Sunday Mail here in Brisbane QLD yesterday talking about this very thing!

It was called “Out of the Closet” and listed 10 steps for a wardrobe detox:

Ban wire hangers. They rust onto the clothes and stretch out of shape.
Bin dry-cleaning plastic. It encourages mould and cloth deterioration.
Store out of season items in enclosed breathable fabric bags.
Avoid mites and stains by cleaning clothes before returning to the closet or storage.
Be ruthless. Purge clothes you haven’t worn all year and put them in the giveaway/donate pile.
Create a capsule closet. A rotatable collection of mix n match basics.
Invest in quality. A great suit, a perfect pencil skirt, a sharply tailored jacket and a flattering little black dress.
Use padded, wooden or side plastic hangers and sealed clear shoe boxed to keep the dust out.
Donate or store last season’s trends they won’t be back for a while.
Update to this season – but do so wisely. Buy accessories in trends rather than a whole new wardrobe.

To learn more about my China Moon Bear Rescue Challenge visit my Facebook page here: http://www.facebook.com/Help.Rescue.The.Bears

The perfect solution for camping cookware!

Kerri Rodley — Thu, 28 Apr 2011 02:55:44 +0000

Just like a set of babushka dolls!

Having just returned from an Easter camping trip (on a motor cycle!), I can truly appreciate this fantastic set of cooking pots that all fit inside each other for perfect storage.

My husband and I can only manage a small saucepan and a frying pan – hence our meals are usually boring pasta, rice or sausages! Think of the feasts we could make in these. Now all we need is someone to invent a 5 burner fold up stove!

Available from Amazon (a bargain with the Aussie dollar being so high) they can be found here: http://www.amazon.com/MSR-Flex-4-System-Cookset/dp/B001QWFAE2/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&s=sporting-goods&qid=1303959077&sr=1-1