Spring is here, which means it is time for Spring Cleaning!

To have a successful cleaning day (or weekend), it is essential to start with decluttering. We always recommend going through at least your clothing and papers. Clothing material can wear over time and clothing preferences can change. Papers can quickly accumulate and create mountains of unneeded things better known as trash. If you are ready to start the first step, it is not too late to join us in our #40days40things declutter-thon. Check out the previous blog, if you are interested in decluttering.

A big part of cleaning includes tools and products. We recommend keeping cleaning tools and products all located in one spot. Our preference for location is the laundry room, especially if you have children and/or pets. Not only is the location key regarding cleaning and organization, but the particular tools and products used are important to bring balance to your life. We advise creating your own cleaning products. Pinterest has loads of recipes. We have just begun experimenting on non-toxic products. We suggest for a toilet bowl cleaner to make this recipe: 1/2 c baking soda, 1 c distilled white vinegar, and 1/2 tsp essential oil. We will continue to update as we try additional DIY cleaning product recipes. Not only with these recipes are you able to properly clean your home without toxics, but you are also able to save money. 

Other than the basics for cleaning each room, there are a few other steps to be included in your yearly Spring Cleaning routine. If you have children, this is a great opportunity to not only declutter their toys, but also to set aside some toys and routinely swap out the toys. Too often, children have many toys that they may not play with because of the big selection. Keeping some toys out and some toys stored away and swapping the piles out each season or so will allow your children to truly enjoy all of their toys. Another terrific idea in regards to families with kids is to take this time to declutter and organize their school work you have collected over this past school year. This product or something similar as well as hanging files and file folders and you have the perfect organizer for each child's school work that you want to keep as they go through their education. Even if you do not have children, this is also a great time to swap out fall/winter scented candles for spring/summer scented candles, as well as restock the fridge/freezer and the pantry. Make sure to swap out your winter clothing for spring clothing as the weather begins to change.  We also recommend having your go-to shoes either in your entrance way closet or organized somewhere near your entrance way. For example, I have my favorite go-to sandals in a shoe organizer in my entrance way closet. As for my other sandals for springtime, I placed them in a cubby near my front door. 

Do you have any Spring Cleaning tips to share? Maybe your favorite cleaning tool or your favorite DIY cleaning product. We would love to hear from you.

Happy Spring everyone!!

As mentioned before, I have decided to participate in the season of Lent this year in decluttering things from my life. The season of Lent is 40 days long, but Sundays are not included. Over the first 7 days, I have let go of an assortment of things. Below, you will see the first seven things.

As you can see, in a week's time I have let go of much more than 7 things. But it is not the amount of things that matter. I had been holding onto clothing, shoes, and outwear that no longer served a purpose in my life. Weeks prior, I had began to post many of the items for sale on Facebook...allowing me to finally let go of unneeded items, as well as allow those items to serve a purpose for an actual priority in my life by using the money earned to save towards my hopefully sooner rather than later adoption plan. Weeks had passed though and I could clearly see items that were just not selling;  therefore, not serving a purpose in my life anymore and I felt led to finally let go of the items so those items could truly serve a purpose in the life of others. And, what PERFECT timing! My church just happened to be collecting clothing/shoes/outwears for this season to provide to our local, The Street Store. THIS is exactly where those items needed to go. 

As far as the other days, I found that I had lots of unused tupperware just taking up space, a cat toy that had been loved VERY well, 2 Vera Bradley bags that I had not used in YEARS, and my childhood collection of VHS tapes that were collecting dust since I no longer planned on buying another VHS player. In just a week's time, I have let go of things in different ways. I have donated to not only a local store providing for the homeless, but also donated to the local library, as well as I have let go through the use of trash and selling. 

Even as a professional organizer, I know it is not always easy to let go of things. I had 2 hard moments. Those clothing/shoes/outwear I mentioned...most of them I had already planned on letting go of, but the method of how I was to let go changed. I had known beforehand that I needed to have a set time to finally donate those items that were not selling, but I kept putting it off. I was so focused on selling the items to save money for adoption in the hopefully near future that I missed out on 2 BIG things. Though it was great I was being intentional in planning ahead for adoption by saving money, I began to take the focus off trusting God in the process and put my focus on trusting the process. Also, I was so focused on the future that I was ignoring how God could use me in the current time too. My second hard moment included my childhood VHS tape collection. Though I had decided awhile back that it was time to let go of them, regardless if I received any money for them, I had originally held onto 2 of the tapes purely for sentimental reasons. Last minute, I recalled I had separated those 2 from the collection, but instantly knew the hard choice was the right choice. It was time to let go of all my childhood VHS tapes. Though it is not always easy to let go of things - for whatever reason - I can personally say I have gained so much more valuable "things" through this past week of letting go of material things. 

What about you? Are you participating in #40days40things? What have you let go of? Are you having any hard moments? Feel free to share below in our blog or our Facebook or Instagram page. Would love to follow along your journey!
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The 40 day journey continued...

If you personally know me, you know I am a Christian and my walk with Christ is top priority. Though I consider myself a non-denominational Christian, I do participate in the season of Lent. I will not go into detail about Lent; however, I will briefly discuss one part: fasting. 

Wikipedia defines fasting as, "a willing abstinence or reduction from some or all food, drink, or both, for a period of time."  To be more specific, as a Christian, fasting is when we abstain from some thing (whether it be food or drink or anything else), so we may focus on gaining a deeper fellowship with God. The ultimate purpose is to take our eyes off the world and place them on God. 

Today, Wednesday, March 1st, just happens to be the first day of Lent. I do not know where you are at:

• whether you believe in God and you have a personal relationship with Him
• whether you know God, but you have drifted away
• whether you maybe believe in God, but you do not know Him
• or whether maybe simply you just do not believe in God at all. 

Wherever you may be, might I suggest you join me these 40 days? Each day, from today thru Thursday, April 13th, let go of one thing in your home and find it a new home whether you donate, give to someone in need, sell, recycle, or trash. Though each season of Lent, I have given up things, they always enter back into my life shortly before Easter. As for my personal organizing journey, I truly have given up things permanently and I have gained So Much. As you will see in the "About" section of the business' website, I have mentioned I gained freedom, joy, peace and harmony, order, time that could have been lost, and more into my life. You know what the "more" is? The "more" is the best❤️ The "more" I gained in bringing balance by organizing my life is the much deeper fellowship I have gained with the Creator of all. My life made a drastic turn where I truly began to daily live out my top priority and then began to walk out my purpose in life.

If you are a Christian, I would encourage you to pray and allow God to guide you these 40 days. You just may have something you have not realized you have been idolizing or something that might be distracting your relationship with Him that you need to give up. You just may be holding onto something you could might use "one day," when someone else may just very well could need that item at this moment.

If you are not a Christian, whether you are someone who has wondered about God but does not know Him or you are someone who does not believe He exists, I still encourage you to pray and join me these 40 days. Be honest with God. Tell Him how you feel. Tell Him you want to know Him and see Him in your life. Look around your home for some thing that does not serve a positive influence in your life. Ask Him to point you to some thing to give up.

To anyone joining me these 40 days, please let me know. I would love to pray for you throughout this time. I hope and pray God will use this to bring balance to your life and that He will use this time to allow your walk with Him to grow closer or God will use this time to reveal to you the good, good Father He is and how much He loves you. I would also love to see what you are letting go and reducing from your life. It just may spark the realization for me or someone else on something we need to let go of too. I will be sure to share my experience through this time, as well. Have a blessed season of Lent, everyone.