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Newsletter Archives
December 2011
Fresh Start
November 2011
Organizing for a Flight
October 2011
Closet Organizing
September 2011
Organizing for Retirement
August 2011
Warning Signs of Disorganization
July 2011
Essential Organizing Tools
June 2011
Where Do I Start?
May 2011
Reclaim the Garage
April 2011
In Case of Emergency
March 2011
Organizing for Dementia
February 2011
Organizing for Guests
January 2011
Paper Overwhelm
December 2010
Top Ten Causes of Disorganization Revisited
November 2010
Just in Case…Organizing for Death
October 2010
Kitchen Organizing
September 2010
Photo Organizing
August 2010
It’s the Small Things
July 2010
Procrastination
June 2010
Expert Organizing Tips
May 2010
Tips from my Clients
April 2010
Tips for Setting Up a Garage Sale
March 2010
Unusual Ways to Organize
February 2010
Staging your Home for Sale
January 2010
Favorite Places to Buy Organizing Products
December 2009
Wrapping It Up
November 2009
Prepare the Pantry
October 2009
Costumes & Decorations
September 2009
Enough
August 2009
Help for the Home Office
July 2009
Getting Crafty
June 2009
A Better Bedroom
May 2009
Eco Organizing
April 2009
Getting Ready to Garden
March 2009
The Path To Clutter
February 2009
Easing Into Downsizing
January 2009
Organizing For Renovation
December 2008
Organizing For Next Year
November 2008
More Of My Favorite Organizing Tools
October 2008
Making Life Easier
September 2008
Clearing The Closet
August 2008
How To Let Go Of Stuff
July 2008
Managing Medical Records
June 2008
Road Trip Organizing
May 2008
Collections Instead of Clutter
April 2008
Getting Ready for Tax Time
March 2008
Where to Begin
February 2008
When You Want to Help
January 2008
Top Ten Causes of Disorganization
December 2007
Organize for Air Travel
November 2007
Organize for Small Spaces
October 2007
When Life Happens, Reorganize
September 2007
Bathroom Organizing
August 2007
Paper Organizing
July 2007
Uncluttered Kids' Rooms
June 2007
Top Ten Organizing Tools
May 2007
Grapple The Garage
April 2007
Managing Your Time
March 2007
Spring Organizing
February 2007
Help for Caregivers of Aging Parents
January 2007
National Get Organized Month
December 2006
Year End Organizing
November 2006
Give Thanks for Being Organized
October 2006
Holiday Kitchen Organization
September 2006
In Case of a Weather Emergency - Organize!
August 2006
Back to School Organizing
July 2006
Declare your Independence from Summer Clutter
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ORGANIZING TIPS OF THE MONTH: MAY 2008
Collections Instead of Clutter
Nearly everyone has at least one collection—photos, salt and pepper shakers, baskets, dolls, books, pinecones. Sometimes collections get out of control and become clutter. Give me a call if you need guidance on displaying your collections so they bring you joy.
- Take stock of your collections. Separate pieces into categories. Now...be honest. Ask yourself if the collections are a joy or a burden. It may be time to let one or more of them go by selling them or giving them to someone who will love them.
- Purge your collectibles. Keep only those pieces with special meaning or value. The pieces you love get lost among items which are duplicates or are not absolutely wonderful.
- Just because someone gives you something to add to your collection, does not mean you need to keep it. If the gift does not suit you, pass it onto a charity that can profit from its resale.
- Group your collectibles, a classic rule of thumb in home decorating. It is an effective technique, especially with small items which would otherwise be lost among larger things on a shelf.
- Only display what you have space for. If you have more items than will fit on your shelf or in your display cabinet, put the excess away. Rotate items periodically. Again, honest and careful purging will keep your collections under control.
- If you lack shelf and table space, consider using your walls to display your collections. Baskets hung on the walls make a lovely display of shape and texture. Framed photos on ledges along a hallway take up little depth but offer a large ever-changing focal point. A plate collection grouped on a wall makes an effective decorative statement.
- Consider ease of maintenance when displaying your treasures. Place your most valuable books behind glass doors to keep dust off. Group photos in labeled archival safe storage boxes. Invest in a coffee table with a hinged glass top. You can display and protect even the tiniest collectible without doing tedious dusting around each object.
- Repurpose a buffet hutch in the dining room. Instead of displaying china and glassware you rarely use, fill the shelves with one or more collections you love. For interest, vary the heights of items by setting them on plate stands, books, and wooden blocks. Put the china and glassware in protective fabric cases for safe storage elsewhere.
- Rotate collections with the seasons to give your home decor a fresh look and to keep from overwhelming your home with stuff. Put out your pottery in winter, stuffed animals in spring, seashells in summer, baskets in fall.
- A bunch of stuff is not a collection. If you have two of one thing, three of another, and buy with little thought or purpose behind your purchases, you are setting yourself up for a houseful of clutter. A collection is a group of like items with special meaning or value to you. Limit the number of collections you have so you and your house will not be overwhelmed.
- If you have stopped collecting, put the word out to friends and family. They will appreciate the information and may even offer to take over collections you no longer want. You will lift a burden from yourself and see someone else enjoy the collection.
©All Sorted Out, 2008 All Rights Reserved
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