So I've always been an organized person... but after having four kids and seeing that I kind of let myself from an organizational and cleanliness standpoint.... I decided to make a commitment and get back on track. Much like when people commit to a new gym, a new diet, and start to eat healthier, I decided to push myself to clean and organize by starting an Instagram account to track my progress and visualize my results. I started following other like minded individuals and accounts that focused on organizing and cleaning to gain inspiration and ideas, and thus began my journey to get from "crappy2happy" (also the Instagram handle in case you fancy a whirl).
So it's been a little over a month and here are the three things I've learned from organizing and cleaning with a dedicated Instagram account.
1) Real Life Is Messy - Some gorgeous accounts show how all beautiful containers and perfectly placed items can be organized and look absolutely amazing. Most of these are professional accounts with the intention to book a client to pay for organizing, or someone selling organizational products. The others might be professional bloggers who have a fiscal opportunity to sell you what looks great. Don't be fooled by these. Instead, let them be a source of inspiration! If I tried to model my tiny pantry to look like the professional accounts I see, I would not only spend TOO MUCH, I wouldn't be able to keep up. One trip to Costco, and my organizational prowess would be wiped clean. So I try to think of ways I can model after the realistic organizational approaches, and which I decide are just nice to look at, because real life is messy. I mean, really really messy, and organization and cleanliness can help you get to a better place quicker, but it is still a process of constant maintenance and to do that, requires time and effort, which we don't always have the energy to focus on!
2) Less is More - Along the way in my short journey, I've begun following a lot of minimalist accounts. Though I in NO SHAPE OR FORM consider myself a minimalist, I am again inspired by these accounts. I can see why not having clutter is appealing. Why fewer clothes is easier to handle. Why less stuff on your kitchen counter is great! So far, I've donated about 4 boxes of clothes, 3 boxes of random household and office items, thrown away 2 bags full of old or expired toiletries, and 3 boxes of toys. It has been hard to let go. I have already had giver remorse (is that what it's called?) twice, once when I threw away some laser jet clear labels (because we don't own a laser jet printer and I can't just use my work printer anymore because I don't have a place of work to go to!) and velcro stickers. The former I could have used a permanent marker and made labels for my fridge bins, the latter I could have used one side to put onto a small toy cookie sheet for the kids to stick cookies onto! Ugh. But then, I reminded myself that it's only a small $10 cost. See, the problem with going from maximist to minimalist is when you're cheap, you can't fathom giving useful stuff away, even if the use is WAY DOWN THE LINE. But then, if you're already a minimalist, you can likely stay one if you're cheap, because you don't want to spend more money to buy stuff. If only I were already there.... Okay, I digress. So back in college, I always considered myself a "neat" person, but my roommate, she was beyond me. I couldn't figure out why her side of the room always looked so good, or why her desk was so immaculate. I asked her about it one day, and she took one look at my side, then hers, and said, I try to keep everything clear. I looked at her desk. One item on it, and I'm pretty sure it was not always there. Then, my own desk. Neatly arranged piles and placed items, along with my favorite photos or collages all over the wall. From her, I learned to contain my stuff and choose a few things to display. Less is more. I've learned this with styling my shelves, clearing my counters, and looking at the overflow of clothes in my closet. Right now, I'm leaving the closet for last because there's just so much I can't quite let go of just yet.
3) Organization Doesn't Have to Be Expensive - I have found so many ways to upcycle glass jars, plastic buckets, and Amazon boxes. Sure, it's not always the prettiest to have matching containers for everything, but that's expensive, and I'm cheap! You can find really cheap containers are the Dollar Tree, TJMaxx, and even Target and Walmart (on sale is even better at those last two places). Sticking to one color for an area helps to achieve a more cohesive and organized look, but within most areas, sticking to white or translucent is even better, because if you choose to later reorganize your containers, they will all match or look similar.
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