There’s a razor-thin line between pushing yourself to learn new things and, you know, challenging yourself in a good way. It’s important to recognize when to ask for outside help. This has been a year of tackling home projects – and a year to recognize that sometimes a DIY cleanout just isn’t worth it.
The paint fiasco? Honestly, we didn’t even need to paint anything! I was lured by a paint color selection service. You know how it goes. Before I knew it, I was scheduling a free consultation. Fast forward to two walls covered in murky and depressing test swatches, three trips to the paint store, and more than $100 spent in paint. And, I’m still not finished. Our living room is a messy mural of tape up and partial paint. Turns out, edging isn’t my thing, and now I’m waiting for a pro to help finish the job…ideally before the holidays. No pressure.
Closet/pantry organization was another DIY Don’t. This time, yeah, it was a needed project. And, I dutifully followed my Instagram inspirations. Still can’t figure out why my containers and systems didn’t quite mirror their Zen and gorgeous versions online! It was time to call in the pros again. Which is how I met Kim Bruce, Founder of Organizing Spaces by Kim. Kim lives in Heath, Texas, and was born to organize. She makes it look effortless. When we caught up she had no problem sharing some of her organizing essentials tailored to the holiday season.
Closet Cleanout after the Holidays
Kids Toys: Now is the time to purge. Toss any broken toys. With your child’s help, set up a pile for donation. Remember, less is more. If your child is reluctant to donate toys, put them in a bin and keep them out of sight. If after 6 months or so no one is fretting over a missing toy, it’s time to donate the entire bin. After the holidays, you’ll feel relieved to find spaces to store new toys because you took the time to organize and declutter beforehand.
{Where to take the baby stuff}
Holiday Decor: Inventory comes first. Take out all the bins and boxes of holiday décor and do an honest assessment of what you aren’t using. Consider why you are holding on to it, and if possible, let it go or find a place for it. Give yourself the gift of new matching or color-coded bins. When the holidays are over, label containers with what’s what so you have a cohesive look that is organized and eliminates the guesswork next year.
Kim cannot stress how important having a plan is for any organizing project. She meets with a potential client, goes over the issues, budgets, takes measurements, and creates a plan.
More local home organizers:
- Contained Home from The Container Store
- Organized Calm
- Dallas Organizer
- Get Organized
When you attempt the cleanout with help, you’ll soon see that was easier to delegate the hassle to someone else to have a beautiful, Insta-worthy, functional, space- and sanity-saving organizational system.
