Decluttering Archives - SOS: Simple Organized Solutions LLC

Those Mysterious Keys – Where do They All Belong?

By SOS Simple Organized Solutions|2020-11-17T13:41:09-06:00October 21st, 2020|Categories: Decluttering|Tags: distractions, downsize, purging, recycling|

We all have mysterious keys that we find in our homes that we don’t know what lock they belong to. This happens a lot while we are purging. Perhaps we decide to downsize for whatever reason, or we are clearing out the home of a loved one that passed away. Finding mysterious keys tucked away in drawers all over the house derails us from our purging to contemplate which locks they belong to, it’s a distraction. We can’t get rid of them if we don’t know what they unlock, or we may never be able to unlock, or start something [...]

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Medications Disposal & Medical Supplies Donation Options

By SOS Simple Organized Solutions|2020-11-17T13:41:10-06:00September 23rd, 2020|Categories: Decluttering|Tags: disposal, donation, expired medications, options, supplies|

There may be times when you end up with expired or unwanted medications for various reasons. Likewise, with medical supplies and equipment. Perhaps someone you’re caring for no longer needs these items. Or maybe you are clearing out a loved one’s home after they have passed away. In any scenario, you need options for medications and medical supplies disposal. There are ongoing discussions about the environmentally safe way to dispose of items to keep them out of landfills. The terms reuse, recycle & reduce pertains to disposal items. Obviously, we can’t reuse medications or supplies, but we can do that [...]

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Creating a Staging Area to Downsize For a Move

By SOS Simple Organized Solutions|2020-11-17T13:41:11-06:00September 2nd, 2020|Categories: Decluttering, Downsizing|Tags: donation, downsize, move, recycling, stored|

So just what exactly is a staging area? Here is the definition according to the Merriam Webster dictionary – ‘an area in which participants in a new especially military operation or mission are assembled and readied’. Of course, downsizing for a move is not a military operation, however, some similarities can be drawn. A staging area is a designated area, and the participants are actually items that are stored until they can be removed from a home. The first step in the downsizing process is to designate space for a staging area. As mentioned above, this area is where [...]

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How Cardboard Boxes Easily Become Clutter

By SOS Simple Organized Solutions|2020-11-17T13:41:11-06:00August 27th, 2020|Categories: Decluttering, Storage|Tags: clutter, downsize, move, organization, storage|

Cardboard boxes are great tools for temporary storage. Notice how I used the word ‘temporary’? They are not designed for long-term storage for obvious reasons. At some point over time, their stability comes into question due to the environment in which they live. Cardboard boxes have other temporary uses as well. They work great for moving your things from one home to another, or when you are downsizing to take donations of home goods to a local charity. Most don’t really like to buy cardboard boxes for the temporary uses as described above. That’s understandable, so when the need arises, [...]

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Just In Case I May Need it Someday

By SOS Simple Organized Solutions|2020-11-17T13:41:19-06:00September 4th, 2019|Categories: Decluttering, Organizing Tips|Tags: decluttering, keep or discard, mindset, someday, storage|

“I’m keeping this just in case I may need it someday”. I hear this a lot from clients as we are decluttering. We run across an item that they forgot they had. They will actually tell me that they forgot they had this thing, but seem happy that they found it. It may be something that they don’t need now, but they may need it someday. In my experience, most of the time someday never comes. It’s living in fear, the fear that you may need this thing after you let it go. This mindset may be more prevalent in [...]

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Shifting Things Around is Not Organizing

By SOS Simple Organized Solutions|2020-11-17T13:41:19-06:00August 14th, 2019|Categories: Decluttering|Tags: clutter, decisions, organizing|

There have been times while working with a client, that they want me to put something someplace just for now. We will be working in a room and find an item that belongs elsewhere but doesn’t have an assigned home. That’s when I’m asked to put something someplace just for now. What they would have me do is actually shifting things around. When this happens, I take the opportunity to discuss the item with the client. The act of shifting things around is not organizing, it’s postponing making decisions. It may free up space in the room or area where [...]

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Ways That Clutter Steals Your Peace

By SOS Simple Organized Solutions|2020-11-17T13:41:19-06:00August 1st, 2019|Categories: Decluttering|Tags: clutter, motivation, organized, peace|

Clutter is invasive and steals your peace. Much like weeds in your garden that grow over and around the plants that you love. Those weeds can strangle and kill your beloved plants. Clutter accumulates on top and around things like the weeds in your garden. It will cover all the open space if you allow it which causes stagnant energy. Stagnant energy causes stress, and stress steals your peace. Think about your house when it’s closed up for a period of time, how it feels when you walk in the door. There’s no energy, or air moving around so it [...]

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Use It or Remove It

By SOS Simple Organized Solutions|2020-11-17T13:41:20-06:00July 10th, 2019|Categories: Decluttering, Downsizing|Tags: clutter, decisions, inherited items, memories, sentimental attachments|

How many things do you have that you don’t use? I’m guessing the answer to that question is, a lot. Here’s a new mantra for you – ‘use it or remove it’. Inherited items come to mind. Most of us have things we don’t use that were inherited from a family member or multiple family members. We keep them whether we want them or not just because they were Grandma’s or Uncle Ed’s. We associate these things with memories of the person they belonged to. These items fill up our storage areas and then we don’t have room for our [...]

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What’s Hiding in Your Closet?

By SOS Simple Organized Solutions|2020-11-17T13:41:21-06:00July 3rd, 2019|Categories: Decluttering, Home Organization|Tags: clutter, maintenance, organize, storage|

A closet is a great way to store, well, anything actually. Before they were designed in the build of a home, an armoire was used to store clothing. In modern times closets are designed and built into rooms in every house. Typically, a bedroom includes a closet to store clothing to replace an armoire of days gone by. A living room, or foyer may have one to store coats. It’s basically a confined space with a door intended for storage for that room or space. If space is an issue, a closet may be used as storage for multiple categories [...]

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Recycling Locations Around St. Louis MO

By SOS Simple Organized Solutions|2020-11-17T13:41:21-06:00May 29th, 2019|Categories: Decluttering, Recycle|Tags: discard, donation, MO, recycle, St. Louis|

Whether you have curbside recycling or take your recyclables to a facility, some items are not allowed in the bins. Your service provider typically provides a list of items that they will accept. Some bins have stickers on them to show the acceptable items. There are items however, that need to be discarded but are not on the list of accepted items. Donation to a favorite charity is always an option for recycling for gently used items. You want to be a good steward of the earth and keep as much out of the landfill as possible, but may not [...]

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