Videos:
Because we aim to help,
however we can.
Today’s the day you resolve to tackle that project yourself.
You are finally motivated and decide to tackle your mounds of papers. You’re pumped from the organizing shows you’ve seen on Netflix, and run the Google search: “how to organize papers,” eager for the results. But as the pages load, you quickly find yourself overwhelmed by the vast amount of results- blogs, websites, businesses, how-to videos, all of them claiming to be the final solution! You take a breath, scroll a bit, and contemplate the headlines… one of them is on Facebook. Hm. You wanted to see your sister’s new puppy on Facebook anyway, and find yourself quickly clicking there, escaping the thought of assessing all those results.
Soon, papers... Very soon.
Why do we share other producers’ videos?
There is so much content out there, it can be tricky know which “Organizing Solutions” or “Tips & Tricks” video will even apply to you. We’d love to help filter. Instead of adding to the libraries of redundancies with our own content, we would prefer to share some of the existing bits we’ve found practical.
Are these worth your time?
To help determine individual value to you, there are listed “Helpful if,” and “Not helpful if” qualifiers, and then points/paraphrases of the general content. Some videos have times noted if it is pertinent to locating the content or explanations.
What you will find: Paper management, affordable The Home Edit storage alternatives, varying decluttering and organizing tips, mess free decluttering, and more.
Notes: 1. These are videos with content we feel is generally helpful and worth sharing, we do not endorse every view expressed. 2. We are not affiliated with any of these producers and receive no compensation for views through this site. 3. While we do point out some scenarios that these videos will be “helpful” for, these lists are not all inclusive.
The trick to powering through piles of paper, The Minimal Mom, 14:44
Helpful if:
-You have stacks of paper (new or old) and need a flexible place to start, this gives you 5 basic categories for sorting.
-You may not tackle all of your paper at once, (see Note).
Not helpful if:
-You are looking for daily paper management or a detailed filing system.
My fave bit:
-Dawn’s "Time will tell" bin. This holds stuff you don't have to do, but may need at some point. Quotes for repairs, paint samples, seasonal catalogs, info for "someday" projects, etc. Personally, I have had "waiting," "reference," and "temporary holding,” but this covers it all. I love that it doesn't matter how full the bin gets, because it can all eventually go and none of it requires any action. So mentally, there's no stress associated with it, and I can find any paper if I need it.
Note: Dawn is a minimalist and handles all her sorted piles immediately, but this will also work very well as an ongoing project. Simply create your categories in bins with lids and you can close and relocate them as needed, and then return any time.
Content:
Not ALL the paper is bad. Don't overgeneralize your own stuff and get overwhelmed by it. The majority of it doesn't need much action.
6.02: You can begin with any size stack of papers.
Create 5 categories:
Action/To do: bills, forms, add to calendar. This goes into whatever file/bin you have for active papers, hers is a Sunday Basket.
File/Archive: taxes, medical, legal
Reference/"Time will tell": papers not filed or requiring action- catalogs you might order from, menus, quotes for repairs, local event flyers, etc
Memories: photos, kids artwork, greeting cards. For putting that pile away, she recommend one bin per family member.
Toss: recycle/shred/toss: this may be 3 bins
Start sorting!
If later you need to locate a paper you've touched, just check that category.
If you come across an item that belongs somewhere else, it could go with File, as that is stuff to put away, or it could be its own category.
How to declutter without making a mess! The Minimal Mom, 20:14
Helpful if:
-You need to declutter, but don't have large or predictable amounts of time to dedicate to it.
-You have little ones that like to get into your piles and disrupt them as you go.
-You have a habit of leaving piles around, or leaving tasks unfinished.
-You can't stand the typical piles of stuff and additional mess that decluttering generates. (Note: messes are not always avoidable, but in many scenarios this method will be effective.
Not helpful if:
-Physically, it is difficult/not good for you to walk from place to place and exert the physical effort needed for this repetition. Ie: walking stairs if you have knee trouble.
-You need to plow through your task, and you do, in fact, clean up all piles.
My fave bit:
-The lack of piles! And the black trash bag- cuz someone is always eyeing something I've pulled out.
Note: this method is more time consuming, but many times, cleaning the piles after is just not an option.
Content:
Method comes from Dana K. White from A Slob Comes Clean, her book is, "Decluttering at the Speed of Life".
https://www.amazon.com/Decluttering-Speed-Life-Winning-Never-Ending-ebook/dp/B072TMNCBH
What you need:
Black trash bags - so no one else can see something they want and pull it back out.
Donatable donate box - so the whole thing can go easily.
Your feet - so you can put everything away immediately.
Concept is:
Everything goes where it belongs right away, instead of making piles and putting away at the end.
If you need to stop at any time, all you have to do is toss garbage and put your donate box wherever it belongs (car/garage). Then your space is as tidy as when you began.
Tips:
Start with the easy stuff.
When you find an item to go elsewhere (the garage) take a quick look and grab anything else that goes there too. Put all items away and then return to the space you are decluttering.
The Home Edit organizing dupes!! Cheap storage alternatives!! Marissa Explains It All, 22:53
Helpful if:
-You are in love with The Home Edit style, but Container Store storage items are out of your budget/access
Not helpful if:
-You are looking for details on how to organize like The Home Edit
-You are looking for details on how to use these products
My fave bit:
-We’re in love with a clear lazy susan... who isn't? We found one at Home Goods for $7 instead of $18. These are great for items on shelves where you have limited space, but still need access to everything without pulling out a basket. (Think daily vitamins/drink mixes.) Tip: Consider the height of your shelf and the container walls- a shallow lip lazy susan is better for tall items within a short shelf.
What this is:
For all The Home Edit fans out there wanting an affordable alternative to get the look: here's your golden ticket. Marissa is amazing for taking the time to not only research all of this, but to share it so accessibly with everyone.
Listed in the details of her video is the price and link for each item from the Container Store and it's equivalent from Amazon. She even grouped them by location, so the contents I list here will simply be the time for each category.
Notes: 1. Not everything is an exact duplicate; they are similar items. Please always double check measurements and consider the quality/features you need for your purposes. 2. mDesign at Amazon is the online brand of iDesign carried at the Container Store, so their products will be similar.
Content:
6:55 Pantry Storage
10:34 Closet/Bedroom Storage
13:19 Jewelry & Makeup Storage
14.19 Toy Storage
16:10 Garage Storage
17:50 Comparable items found at other stores like TJ Maxx, Dollar Tree, Walmart
19:59 Her own creative solutions
8 Organization hacks from professional organizers that really work, But First, Coffee, 12:13
Helpful if:
-You wanted our general organizing advice, we would say most of this
-You are looking for the mindset that helps to stay decluttered
-You are looking for general organizing/decluttering tips
Not helpful if:
-You are looking for tips and tricks for storage solutions
-You are looking for what kind of items to purge/declutter
My fave bit:
-Seek functionality over visual appeal. This is how I organize my own house; I prefer simple with general categories. Less is done for visual appeal because I want a system I will actually use, and I don't have the patience to maintain pretty little bins with many categories. It's so easy to get sold on a certain look, that we can miss accounting for the way we actually operate. (She gives different examples for this tip.)
-Don't purchase new stuff until you know where it will go. Ok, ok, that's 2. But this is huge for me and helps me avoid purchases of items "I just love," and simply want to have in my house.
Note: I would not call these "hacks," these are approaches to general decluttered living.
Content:
Let your space dictate how much you own. Be it a basket, bin, shelf, or closet.
Seek functionality over visual appeal. Don't just move stuff, find a solution for your problem/piling areas; give everything a home.
Prevent clutter by having an awareness of what you're doing. If you create clutter when you walk in the door, find a solution for it and create the matching habit.
Everything has a place and everything goes in its place. Use labels if needed. Don't purchase new stuff until you know where it will go.
Practice purging often. During general cleaning and handle things immediately.
Take a photo of your space. This helps when you are "clutter blind" and clutter has become part of your scenery.
Put it away now, rather than later. If it takes less than 60 seconds- do it. Never leave a room empty handed.
Label, label, label.
13 Life-changing decluttering hacks to make 2021 your most organized year ever, But First, Coffee, 17:14
Helpful if:
-You are looking for motivation to start decluttering and/or are feeling overwhelmed
-You are looking for general helpful decluttering tips
Not helpful if:
-You are looking for tips and tricks for storage solutions
My fave bit:
-Create your "To Organize" list with small specific tasks like, "utensil drawer," instead of, "whole kitchen." It's so easy to look at a huge project and get immobilized. If the entire category of glassware is too much, you can even do one shelf of a cupboard at a time. Progress is progress.
Note: I would not consider these “hacks,” these are helpful tips for handling clutter.
Content:
-Clutter leads to stress, which leads to lack of motivation needed to handle said clutter.
-Clutter often feels like a huge mountain we have to climb, so break it down to smaller and more manageable tasks.
-It's not going to take as long as you think it is.
-Be specific: make lists with small tasks- like a utensil drawer or tupperware cabinet, instead of the whole kitchen. Just do one task a day or a few per week.
-Aim for a constant state of decluttering, instead of waiting for it as one huge project. Ex: take 5 minutes to purge/sort the utensil drawer while putting away dishes.
-Your clothing should be Grab & Go, reflecting how you spend your time. If you are home 80% of the time, your wardrobe should be 80% casual wear.
-Paper tips:
Receipts- toss unneeded and have dedicated space for the rest
Mail- toss/sort immediately
Lists/Schedules- recommends Rocketbook to reduce paper (reusable notebook w/ app that can store images/data from it)
-Declutter tips:
It's ok to feel guilty getting rid of something; It's not ok to keep something out of guilt.
Sentimental: If you don't touch it, you are more likely to let it go. Have a friend help you.
Begin at the source: Make a conscious effort to acquire less stuff. Do you really need to purchase it?
-Let your space work for you, not against you.
Let organizational challenges inspire you to come up with creative solutions.
Don't make excuses, reduce if needed, and think outside the box.
Solution could be add hooks/shelves; or it could be changing your habits. Ex: sorting mail as it comes in to prevent piles, instead of creating a home for them when unsorted.
-Use the 15 minute hack: set a timer and do as much as you can for 15 minutes. You might be amazed at what you get done.
-Flat surface rule: do your best to keep them clear of clutter. Always taking something with you keeps you actively decluttering and keeps surfaces more manageable.
Rocketbook link: