Oklahome Blog

How not to be a Hoarder

Honestly, I’m not really sure why they call it “Spring Fever”. It’s always during this cold and blustery time of the year that I’m dying to reorganize, clean out and declutter. Maybe it’s cabin fever, maybe it’s the overload of new Christmas toys my daughter received that are now spilling out over the top of every toy chest, and maybe it’s just me wanting to simplify life a bit after the craziness of the holidays. During the winter, I spend more time indoors as the days are shorter and families crowd in for the holidays. I get sick of EVERYTHING in my house.
A good purging helps me feel less stressed, organized and ready to spring into a productive new year. These three tips have helped me get a jump on things this year:
Go neutral and brighten up: Flip on HGTV for 5 minutes and you’ll instantly see that light and bright tones are SO in right now. White kitchens, lighter wood floors and chrome or nickel fixtures give any home a clean, fresh look. I took one look at my living room and all the kid toys, Christmas decorations and random knick-knacks that I “had” to have made the space look like a crazy rainbow exploded. I stored away most of the colored pillows, took down the Christmas décor and bought a new light grey rug. I picked one color (yellow) to use as a very minimum pop of color. Instant sigh of relief.
Hire a professional: This fall I spent a few days cleaning out the closets in my house. I proudly thought I had purged well. Then I was introduced to Tiffany McFadden with Organized with Style service ([email protected]) and after surveying my progress, she told me I could probably use about 3 days worth of her service. “Sheesh!” I thought. Boy was she right. Tiffany came to my house from 9-2:00 each day and together we dug through old cans of chili in my pantry I hadn’t seen in at least 3 years, drawers of Tupperware in my kitchen cabinets that I’m pretty sure my mom received as wedding gifts and coats in my coat closet that still had the tags attached after 5 years of never being worn. She was right. She kept me on task (I could get distracted for hours pouring over old junior high school photos. I rocked the big bangs) and drove away with her car literally stuffed out the windows full of Goodwill donations. Second sigh of relief.
Investing in the right tools: One other miracle Tiffany introduced me to was the exciting world of organizational tools. She asked me to text her a few “problem areas” I had before she came to visit. I sent her an embarrassing picture of hundreds of pairs of boots piled up and ready to avalanche in my closet and a drawer full of cooking spices (covered with green food coloring and chocolate sprinkles) in my kitchen. She arrived with bags full of items I’d never thought to buy like a lazy susan to store the spices and risers to organize canned goods. We even found an old antique wine display case in my attic perfect for boot storage (Lord knows those aren’t going to be purged!). Final sigh of sheer relief.
While the meteorologists forecast more winter storms in the next few months (and we all know they’re NEVER wrong), winter is a great time to hunker down, stay indoors, pour a cup of hot chocolate and start purging. By spring, you’ll feel lighter, rejuvenated and free. Have fun!