Did you see the lines coming out of The Container Store after the release of Get Organized with The Home Edit on Netflix?
After the show premiered, there were lines around the block at The Container Store. Viewers wanted to recreate the carefully curated, color-coordinated, and contained spaces they saw in the room reveals. And who doesn’t love a good “after” picture?
We are here to give you 3 important to-dos before you buy those containers, on sale or not! (Hint: It may even turn out that you don’t need those container after all.)
You can subscribe in iTunes, Stitcher, Google Play, Spotify AND now on iHeartRadio. *This post may contain affiliate links — the cost is the same to you, but we might get a small referral fee. Thank you for your support!
If you haven’t already, please take a moment to subscribe and leave a review.
10 Minute Organizing Challenge
We love 10 minute organizing around here! It is an easy way to clear clutter, one small step at a time. To join our Free 10 Day Challenge that we described in Ep 85, click here. We can always join the challenge for a 2nd or 3rd time too!
Read this before container shopping
Do you have a weakness when it comes to containers? Hand raised, me too! Are you always grabbing more fancy file folders with the hope that you will finally get all your paper in order. Desk organizers anyone?
Or maybe those shiny Tupperware containers and drawer dividers are what get you daydreaming?
Believe me, we all fall prey to those pretty containers offering the hope of a more organized tomorrow. And buying containers may feel like an easy step to move you towards your goal of getting organized. But containers are not the first step!
Before you head to the store, here are 3 things to do instead of (or at least before) buying containers. These tips are guaranteed to help you avoid containing clutter!
1. Pause, What is the vision you have for your space?
We have all been there, you are pursuing the store and there are containers on sale, really cute ones too! You have been meaning to get organized so this is perfect. These containers may be just the push needed to motivate you into epic organizing mode!
But, wait!! The last thing you want to do is buy containers to organize your clutter. Pause, don’t let a sale convince you to buy impulsively.
Take a minute, before you head to the store to think about what you want the final space to look and feel like. Peter Walsh convinced us, in Ep 26, that this often overlooked step is so important! When you are intentional with what you want your space to be, decluttering will come naturally out of your newly decided vision for the space.
With that initial pause, it will become clearer what containers you actually need, if any at all. Plus we all know, we don’t save any money if buy stuff we don’t need, even if it is on sale.
2a. Identify the problem area
Tip 2 is a two parter. First, what are your problem areas?
- Is there are a drawer or cabinet that bothers you everytime you open it?
- Is there a spot on your counters that has become a catch-all and a pile of stuff is always living there?
- Which space makes you think, ugh, I need to get organized?
This may be easy for you if those problem areas are always on your mind!
2b. Then Focus for 10 minutes at a time
So for the next part, spend 10 minutes focused on one problem area. Set the timer and starting sorting!
As you are sorting items, pay close attention to the type of items that are causing the problem and why they are being left there. Why has it become a problem area? Ask yourself:
- Am I dropping these items here because they don’t have a home?
- Am I being lazy?
- Is this item hard to put away? Is it’s home unnecessarily hard to access?
- Does this item have a task to follow through on so I left it here to remind me?
When asking yourself these questions, it will become clearer what the real problem is.
Often times containers aren’t the answer to the clutter piles in our home! It is establishing new systems which may or may not involve containers.
In past episodes, we have discussed setting up systems to conquer the clutter before it starts. A few good ones to check out are
- Ep 27 Stopping the Mail Clutter and Ep 28 about Managing Paper Clutter
- Ep 5 Kid’s Paper Clutter
- Ep 32 Kid’s Toy Clutter
- Ep 19 Clutter’s Way Station
- I also have a blog series on getting ALL your household papers organized.
I love conquering problem areas 10 minutes at a time, in fact, it’s how I’ve organized most of my home. You can join our Free 10 Day Challenge that we described in Ep 85, by clicking here.
Here is a list of spaces I have tackled in 10 Minute Organizing sessions. (Be forewarned, some of these projects are from 5 plus years ago, so they are not always the prettiest pictures.)
If you get stuck and have any specific questions, ask away! We have a voicemail line (858) 480-7722 or send us an email Hello @ AtoBpodcast.com.
3. Get Specific
Once you have decided your vision for the space and spent 10 minutes really figuring out what the problems are, it’s time to get specific!
Keep the specificity of a silverware drawer tray in your mind as a guide when deciding if you need a container. For instance, when you buy a silverware organizer you:
- know what will go in the container and more specifically, each section
- know where it will go in your home
- know the dimensions and if it will fit in the designated space
- have decided on the material, how easy it is to clean, lid or no lid, and how you will label if necessary
Since organizing our silverware seems almost second nature to us, it clearly shows how specific to be when shopping for containers.
If your space doesn’t feel as clear cut as organizing silverware, use a temporary container. Use a shoebox or a repurposed container from another area.
Give the temporary container a trial run of a week or two. Then if it helps solve your problem, you can invest in a more permanent or prettier container. Shoebox lids, checkboxes, cell phone boxes all make great temporary dividers.
Let’s Connect
I hope this gets you motivated to get organized (and save the shopping for later). Remember buying the container doesn’t make you more organized but taking action does!
Share your progress with us below in the comments or on social media. Use the hashtags #AtoBpodcast #10minuteorganizing. What are you going to conquer today?
As promised, here is our beloved picture from An Evening with Peter Walsh! host by NAPOLA.org. You can check out our interview with Peter Walsh on Ep 26.
You can also find us hanging out on Instagram @AtoBpodcast |Facebook
Happy you found us? Help others to find our podcast too! We would love your feedback! Please leave us a review in Apple Podcast.
New to podcasts? Follow this guide to get you started and subscribe in iTunes, Stitcher, or Google Play.
