Navigating Times Of Uncertainty
Cleaning and Organizing as Methods of Coping
As our world experiences a new normal, we place so much importance on the spaces that have us spending more time in our homes than ever before. When we spoke to professional organizer, Becky Marple at BeeNeat earlier this year, life was very different from what we now know it to be. But these tips couldn’t be applicable at a better time. Kitchen, pantry, and home organization can really help our new routines during these unprecedented times. Clutter free homes can give us a sense of calm, order, and peace. Cleaning and organizing can be coping mechanisms providing therapeutic benefits. Becky’s approach to attune your space, including what she calls, launching pads, home binders, and donation tubs, not only help direct our focus right now, but actually help create aesthetically pleasing and functional spaces that are essential to a harmonious home, invariably. Below are some tips Becky shared with us about getting and staying organized!
What are some of the key components to have in a home that would help keep us more efficient?
Oh man, ok, so many but here are probably my top ones....
A "launching pad" this is a location in the house where things go that need to leave the house with you; Amazon returns, lunch bags, library books, something you need to take to a friend etc. I always like to set up a "launch pad" closest to the door where the homeowner leaves their home so you almost bump into it as you're leaving and less likely to forget it.
I always suggest in every home and almost every closet + the garage there is a small/medium sized box for donations. Over that "meh" shirt or something too small now for your kiddo? Toss it in the bin, when the bin gets too full, it's time to call or a donation pick up or load it up in the car and drop off yourself (be sure to keep that box in the front seat where you will see it and remember to drop it off or you may give it a ride in the trunk for three months before you finally remember).
In every home there are three essential binders I suggest. Simply buy the largest binders you can find and insert page protectors.
FAMILY binder - where all vital personal documents go.....Think passports, birth certificates, marriage license, banking info, car titles, investments, wills, mineral rights etc.
HOME binder - Everything pertaining to the home. Roof replacement docs, paint colors, appliance receipts and warranties, basically the history of the home. This bodes well if you have this binder sitting on the kitchen island when you go to sell your home. This is a positive selling point for potential home buyers, they can see how well you've taken care of the home.
RECEIPTS binder - This is where you keep all receipts for small appliances, jewelry, basically anything that if it breaks down you'd want to have the receipt and warranty to grab. Be sure to highlight the item on the receipt so it doesn't get lost among a long list of items and then keep in a white envelope with a black sharpie marker indicating what receipt is enclosed. This helps when flipping through the page protectors so that you can quickly find what item you are looking for.
What are your time saving tips for the kitchen and pantry?
In the pantry, create baskets and keep down low (below the waist) so you can see down in. Baskets for things like "Nuts, snacks, pasta, rice, bread bin, baking bin" are good basic bins to have on hand. Don't over complicate it, this keeps it kind of simple for the kids or other family members to help put away without being too tasked with putting away "perfectly".
We understand that organization is a continuous habit that we should keep all year in order to stay clutter free (easier said than done at times!), what are your tips on maintaining this level of organization?
I encourage families to tackle one area at a time top to bottom and then maintenance is fairly easy. At least twice a year (as the seasons change) we should edit our kids & our own closets ruthlessly. For fridge and pantry, it's almost weekly. I like to take a glance before I grocery shop, kind of shuffle and "reset" everything. Toss anything expired, make sure everything is pulled forward so when new items come in they get placed behind the old stuff.
What do you do to stay organized?
Where some others may be gifted & love to craft, sew, paint, host parties or whatever their thing is......organizing is my "thing". It bothers me when things are "out of whack" or too unruly so I just make it a priority. When I'm getting gas, I'll tidy my car, empty my little trash bin. I try to do at least one load of laundry each day to stay on top of it and so it doesn't become overwhelming all in one day. I prep at night, making sure backpacks and all my next day appts are ready and loaded up in the car to make mornings a little easier. We make smoothies each morning, so I throw the ingredients in the canister and place in fridge so it's ready to blend and go. I even prep for my morning coffee. My biggest pet peeve is dirty dishes in the sink, so I try to get the dishwasher loaded and running each night before bedtime too.
Here at Roop Living, we thrive on six key fundamentals: Aesthetics, Functionality, Efficiency, Impact, Wellness and Sustainability. How do you incorporate these in each area of the home?
Hmmmm, such a great question...So for clients, we come up with their budget & I get an idea of what their style is like and then I simply shop for the most beautiful, best quality items that match their aesthetics but also within their budget. I like my counters to be clear and clean, however, many of my clients are super visual individuals or perhaps ADHD/ADD and their brains thrive on SEEING stuff or they forget it so I have to be conscious of that and I organize with their items out where they can see it but perhaps with a bamboo or a pretty marble tray that helps eliminate the "cluttery" look.
