Extra Organized

Today's organizing bliss

Airing the house.

It's such a great way to cleanse and refresh a home. One of the first things I like to do on a day I'm at home is to open the windows in the bedrooms, bathrooms, and living areas and let the breeze in.

Research shows that ventilating a house helps to keep dust mite numbers down, particularly by reducing humidity levels, and clearing the air after vacuuming.

Of course, it does depend on the weather, and security considerations.

This time of year—late Summer in Australia—provides perfect airing conditions!

Today's organizing bliss

Sleeping bags. Not only are they great for camping, but they’re a fast bedding alternative at home. One of our children’s bedrooms has bunk beds. When we have guests to stay, either our kids share the bunks, or visiting children like to sleep there. Instead of making the top bunk with sheets and covers, which is tricky, I toss up a sleeping bag and pillow. The kids love it, and will sometimes ask to sleep in the top bunk with a sleeping bag just for fun.

Today's organizing bliss

Using coathangers to store handbags. I find this an easy way to keep them together, in shape, and part of my regular wardrobe.

And just a comment on the silver one. It belonged to my Nan, and is about 40 years old. I love the idea of inter-generational style, and using and enjoying something beautiful for decades. Whenever there's a wedding or event to attend, if I'm not using it, one of my sisters might borrow it.

Do you have any possessions that have been used by generations of your family, or that you share the use of with family or friends?

Today's organizing bliss

I enjoy repurposing pieces in unexpected ways. I particularly like using vases to display a variety of objects other than flowers. Here are a few of my current favourites.

A vase holds bookmarks.

 

Seed pods add interest to shelves holding clear glass pieces.

 

Another vase showcases shells from an adventure to Cape York in Queensland, Australia.

Do you have an unusual use for an everyday object in your home?

Today's organizing bliss

 

Regardless of whether I feel like cooking or not, there is one thing that always inspires and motivates me: a cookbook displayed on a stand in the kitchen.

When I do feel like cooking, I usually have a book opened to a particular recipe (invariably something Nigella).

When I'm not in the mood, I sit a beautiful, unopened recipe book in the stand so that whenever I walk past the kitchen, it catches my eye and tempts my cooking creativity.

Today's organizing bliss

Today’s organizing bliss is toys from nature, and made from natural materials. When my children were really young, I went all out with plastic toys, trying to keep up with what I thought kids needed to have. However, the quality wasn’t always great, many of the toys could only be used in one way and thus didn’t get played with often, and they tended to be flashy and noisy.

My epiphany came after reading about Montessori and Steiner education which both advocate multipurpose, naturally-textured items for children to play and create with. My parents are into carpentry, so I began by asking them for timber offcuts to use as blocks. These have lasted for years, and are played with in countless ways—to construct sheds, bridges, motorbike jumps and tracks, and animal enclosures.

I also noticed that any plastic toys kept outside, especially in the sandpit, quickly faded and cracked. Shells, rocks, and pine cones in timber bowls are attractive and long-lasting, feel good to play with, and again can be used in a variety of ways.

At the same time, I have worked with the kids to gradually reduce the quantity of toys. As they are aged 6 and 8, I can no longer declutter toys on their behalf—they insist on having a say ;) They still have a lot, but are beginning to understand that less is easier to manage, especially when it's time to pick up! Fewer choices also mean that toys are favourites and get played with often.

If you have young children, how do you manage toys in your household? If you don't have children, or yours are all grown up, what is your opinion on the range and quality of toys available today?

Today's organizing bliss

Creating enough space in the kitchen so that I can have my own "tea cupboard" :)

The crockery is a family heirloom which reminds me of a very special grandmother-in-law. The box and baskets at the top store a variety of teabags, and the airtight canisters on the middle shelf hold tea leaves (at the moment, a Madura Earl Grey, and an Adore Tea Chai Chunky spice blend).

To me this cupboard represents the essence of minimalism. Instead of filling my kitchen with gadgets, I have gotten rid of all but the basics, and instead made space for what I love and use—in this case, a tea cupboard!

What indulgences have you made room for in your home?

Today's organizing bliss

An undecided container is a great way to transition items out of your home that you are unsure or ambivalent about. It’s a decluttering trial run: the items are out of your living space, but still there if you change your mind and decide to keep them. Limit yourself to the size of the container, and purge it regularly so it doesn't become an indefinite storage option.

Today's organizing bliss

Achieving a minimalist ideal—a clear surface—even if only briefly. We use our table for dinners, homework, playing games (from board games to Lego to car racing tracks!), creating projects, and folding washing. It's also my spot on a sunny weekend morning to enjoy a pot of tea, some dark chocolate, and a magazine. To achieve any of this, the table surface needs to be clear, and I try to get it this way by the end of each day.

Surfaces with little on them can look a bit spartan (which I actually like), but remember that a lot of living can happen in these spaces. On the other hand, cluttered areas can restrict the activities we do in our homes.

Today's organizing bliss

Functional decoration: a statement soap dispenser is both practical and beautiful, thus saving space in the laundry.

When you're choosing useful items for your home, go for something that is also absolutely lovely, so you can reduce the number of decorative-only pieces you display.