Articles

by Martha Tobin

At Declutter4Good we are always looking for ways to increase the organizing and decluttering services we give to our clients.  

With that in mind we want you to know that when we are on any job we will fill up our vehicles to take away your donations,  And on any job if you have any furniture donations and/or junk removal we can coordinate the pick up of these items too.

Services we offer:

-decluttering

-organizing

-donating of ‘stuff’

-storage solution recommendations and shopping for these items

-downsizing

-packing, unpacking and setting up

-coordination of furniture donations and junk removal

-resources for hoarding help

-virtual and live speaking presentations/workshops

We are committed to helping you become the best version of yourself and to helping you create a calm and organized environment in your home or office space to achieve this goal.  

“It always seems impossible until it’s done.”(Nelson Mandela)

By Martha Tobin

Regardless of our age, many of us remember kindergarten.  In that first year of schooling we learned many of life’s essential rules like sharing, fair play, treating others with respect, putting things back where we found them, and the importance of cleaning up after ourselves.   

Kindergarten classrooms are designed for action and independence with organizational systems set up to provide a calming environment where children can thrive.   As adults many of the same principles apply to any space you are organizing.

Check out my video for 5 Reasons kindergarten classrooms are the perfect organizing model.

Living a balanced life of work, play and learning happens in a calming environment with spaces set up that encourage us to thrive. 

“Walk into any kindergarten classroom in the world and you will behold the perfect model of organization.” (Julia Morgenstern, professional organizer)

By Martha Tobin

Kitchens have long been considered the hub and heart of a home.  These multifunctional spaces go beyond meal prep by doubling as makeshift home offices, homework and hobby stations, command centres and gathering areas when entertaining.  

And now with many home layouts integrating kitchens directly into the living and dining spaces, it is more important than ever to have a kitchen that works for you instead of against you.  

Here are 8 organizing items to help get your kitchen under control:

1. 3 tiered expandable shelf -great for pantries
2. Expandable shelf riser – great to make better use of vertical areas
3. Utensils drawer organizer -great for grouping like items together
4. Tea or package shelf organizer -great for tea/coffee cabinet
5. Drawer spice organizer -great for storing spices in drawers
6. Lazy Susan – great for easy accessibility of items
7. Junk Drawer organizer – great for calming the chaos of little items
8. Mop and broom organizer – great for freeing up floor space

With most days beginning and ending in your kitchen, getting this space organized and decluttered will make you feel tidier, less stressed and more grounded in your home.

“The kitchen really is the castle itself. This is where we find the joy of being a family.”(Mario Batali)

by Martha Tobin

Making a positive change in life often starts with your mindset. Maybe that’s deciding you want to lose 10 lbs or maybe that’s determining you want your home to be a place that you love instead of loathe.

We all have a degree of choice in our life. We can choose to stay the weight we are or we can choose to begin an exercise program; we can choose to live in a cluttered home or we can choose to declutter one small area a day.

Here are 6 questions to inspire you to move forwards:

1. With change comes fear. How about looking at your fear as a sign to push yourself towards the edge of something amazing instead of seeing it as a signal to pull back?
2. What small, repetitive action could you do daily that would take you towards your personal goal?
3. Ask yourself how you want to live and how you want to spend your time?
4. Are your daily actions aligning with your future vision of yourself?
5. Working towards a goal can be challenging. How about rewarding yourself often for continuing to move forwards?
6. Ask yourself about the ‘why’ related to your goals? (i.e. more peace, more productivity, more confidence)

Getting to a place where you have choice in your life and working to align that vision of yourself with your life is always going to be a bit uncomfortable but no one is worth the effort more than you. 

“You’re never too old to set a new goal or to dream a new dream”. (C.S. Lewis)

by Martha Tobin

Life can feel so busy that you never seem to achieve your vision for some of the rooms that you were hoping to transform in your home.  Maybe you had plans for a craft room after the kids moved out or maybe you want to turn your basement into an inviting TV room.

Creating spaces in your home that speak to your dream can seem daunting when those rooms are full of ‘stuff’.

Here are 6 decluttering tips to get your dream space started:

1. Map out what you want in that room that supports your dream (i.e. new sofa, craft table, etc)
2. Determine what will need to be removed from this room (i.e. unused items, e-waste, old textbooks, etc)
3. Set up a plan to sell, donate, trash/recycle those items that will not be staying in this room
4. Pack up any items in this room that belong elsewhere in the home (i.e. kids’ clothing, books, toys, etc)
5. For any items that will be staying in this room, find them a place to ‘live’ here (i.e. photos, decor, lamps, reading chair etc)
6. Determine if more storage is needed for these ‘keep’ items (ie. shelving, desk, storage ottoman, etc)

Falling in love with your home again is a gift that you give yourself.

“All our dreams come true if we have the courage to pursue them.” (Walt Disney)

Martha Tobin

Decluttering isn’t an innate gift that we are born with.  Instead it’s a learned skill that focuses on small actions done repeatedly and consistently.  And over time these repeated actions contribute to a home that is calm, manageable and enjoyable.

The opposite holds true as well – when decluttering doesn’t happen, small things turn into piles and these piles continue to build up in corners, closets and surfaces.

Here are 5 tricks for reducing clutter in your home:

1. Designate places to ‘live’ for all items in your home 
2. Put items back in these designated areas as soon as you are done with them
3. Before you purchase an item, consider where it is going to ‘live’ in your home
4. Set up an easy-to-access donation bin in your home 
5. Do a 15 minute reset everyday (by putting items back into their designated areas)

The goal is not perfection but rather setting up consistent decluttering habits so that you can create a more supportive, calm environment that is easier to maintain.

“Outer order contributes to inner calm.”(Gretchen Rubin)

by Martha Tobin

Many people have more stuff than they have space for so by decluttering before you organize, you are not only letting go of items you no longer need, use, love or want but as well you are getting clear on the volume of items you are keeping.

Here are 5 reasons to declutter BEFORE you organize:

1. Knowing the volume of items you are keeping – once you know the volume of the items you are keeping, you can more effectively determine where those items will ‘live’ in your home
2. Opens up space in any room – by decluttering first you will have more room to determine how to organize an area
3. Best organizational systems – knowing your volume of items will allow you to choose the right size containers to organize them (i.e small or medium bin, basket etc)
4. Do a second purge – if you find you still have too many items for the organization systems you have in mind, you can do a second purge or store less-used items elsewhere
5. Clean the spaces effectively – decluttering gives you the opportunity to pull items out of their current locations and give those areas a good clean

Decluttering and organizing go hand-in-hand and when done right, it ensures that those spaces stay organized and maintainable.

“Owning less is better than organizing more.” (Joshua Becker)

by Martha Tobin

Everyday we have clients reach out to us to help them kickstart the organizing and decluttering they want to do.

There is no shame in this as there is often a great deal of overwhelm and anxiety that has built up alongside their volume of ‘stuff’.

Here are 7 benefits of us doing an organizing and decluttering kickstart:

1. We know where to start – there is a definite strategy to organizing and decluttering and when you work with us we map that out for you
2. Reduce procrastination – with a manageable plan in place we can reduce your feelings of overwhelm and get the job moving forward
3. We do all the work – we get your ‘stuff’ sorted and categoriized so all you have to do is make decisions about what to keep or purge
4. Questions to help you decide – we have an easy process to help you determine what to keep and what to let go of
5. No judgement policy – we have a respectful, no judgement and no pressure policy.  Your ‘stuff’, your decision….always
6. Once decluttered, we organize – when you have decided what you want to keep, we’ll organize these items into maintainable systems
7. Donations away with us – we know organizations and the items they need and we’ll take them with us at the end of any session

Organizing and decluttering can seem daunting so we make it easy for you. Reach out to us if you’d like some assistance getting started.  

We’ll do a FREE consultation and set up a manageable plan so that you can fall in love with your home again.  

“A journey of a thousand miles begins with a first step.”(Confucius)

By Martha Tobin

In this chaotic, technology-driven world there is much to be said about cultivating a hobby that allows you to get off the ‘hamster wheel of life’.  In addition to relaxation, hobbies offer creativity, sensory engagement, self-expression and cognitive stimulation. 

But hobbies can also create a lot of physical clutter with collected supplies, crafting tools and ‘what if I need this someday’ materials.  As well, too many unfinished projects can also create mental clutter.

​Check out my video to find out the 5 Benefits of doing a decluttering ‘hobby reset’.

​Decluttering old hobbies and supplies is about making room for what really brings you joy now and allows you to embrace new creative passions with intention, time and space. 

“The primary benefit of practicing any art is that it enable one’s soul to grow.”(Kurt Vonnegut Jr.)

By Martha Tobin

Often our clients find it easier to let go of items they no longer want when they know those items will be donated to others in need in the community.

To date Declutter4Good has donated over 2100 carloads of donations.  We have also be instrumental in donating many, many, many furniture donations.  

Whether we’re giving these items to refugees, women and their children coming out of shelters, families that are struggling economically or those who have fallen on hard times, our donations are always very appreciated.

At Declutter4Good we see this as a WIN-WIN-WIN:  

–our clients now have more physical space in their homes and more mental clarity

—these donations have a great second life with others in need in our community.

—these repurposed items are kept out of landfill

If you are looking to truly enjoy your life and your home again but are not sure where to start or how to get through all the ‘stuff’ that is holding you back from the life you imagined, reach out to us.  We can make it better.

“We make a living by what we get, we make a life by what we give.” (Winston Churchill)