Tidy Talk Blog
Jan 1st Reflections
Thoughts & Reflections as one year ends and another begins.
2024 marked Year 1 of being in business as a professional organizer!
Working with clients has been an incredible privilege. I’ve had the chance to get to know so many wonderful humans and hear hundreds of stories about their lives, their passions & the belongings that move through this world with them.
It feels like another piece of myself, my “purpose” you might say, has clicked into place.
With the support of my incredible husband, I feel so excited for what the next year of life and business may bring.
•••
My work calendar has been booked every weekday that I’ve had available for months on end. For that, I am deeply grateful.
It just so happened that December 31st and January 1st were wide open on my calendar. No one booked those dates.
No work, no plans, no appointments.
I don’t take for granted that it worked out exactly as it was meant to..
This space in my schedule allowed me to have Dec 31st to reset and reflect and it allowed me to start the new year slowly and intentionally.
•••
I’m not a morning person, I’m just not, I’ve tried.. and I find that being rushed for time is an extremely uncomfortable sensation for me. So.. free time / down time is always welcome.
I woke up this morning slowly, gently, and intentionally.
I am reminded that rest is a necessity to my wellbeing and to my success.
I will carry that into my new year.
Happy New Year friends!!
May you be well rested, well loved and ready to take on whatever comes next!
Declutter • Organize • Breathe
Difficult Tidy Conversations
I’ve been thinking a lot lately about how starting an organizing journey not only affects the person facilitating the decision, it can also affect the family and friends of the participant.
There are well-intentioned people in our lives who show their love by giving us things, and stuff.. and dare I say.. clutter.
Those folks find items that make them think of you and they must give that thing to you!
Of course you want to seem gracious of their generosity. Of course you want them to know you’re grateful that they are thinking about you. Of course you don’t want to offend their kindness. Of course you don’t want to reject their love…
Okay, deep breath.
Most likely you were thinking of someone specific after reading those last few sentences.
I am here to tell you that you do NOT have to accept items that you do not want or need.
You are NOT being ungrateful. You are NOT rejecting their love.
You are setting a boundary that you are claiming ownership over your possessions instead of allowing your possessions to consume you.
It all starts with a gentle conversation ~
Friend: I brought you these things, I know how much you love them.
You: Thank you for thinking of me. You are such a generous friend... I am working on organizing my home because it’s been overwhelming managing everything in it. I would love to continue spending time together, but I do not need any more things. I’m at capacity emotionally and physically. Thank you for being a part of this process with me.
There’s no way to really know how someone will respond but approach them with gentleness and appreciation of all that they bring to your life. Suggest other ways to connect: going for a walk, getting a coffee together, taking the kids to the park one afternoon.
It doesn't have to be complicated. If someone isn’t willing to adjust their behavior to support your positive growth, then you can give them time or space or whatever feels right to you, but do not continue to allow them to clutter your space with their gifts.
Their gifts have been well-intentioned up to this point, and now you’ve set a clear boundary, so your friend should want to respect that boundary and support you.
~
I am working on numerous resources to support difficult conversations with family and friends who continually want to give when you’re trying to declutter and reset your life and your space.
Aesthetics vs Function
When organizing and designing a space, there are a few crucial components to keep in mind throughout the process ~ who will be using the space, the intended function of the space, and how you want the space to look and feel when you’re done with the project
An aesthetic space is one that has a specific curated style that typically flows
uninterrupted from one side of the room to the other.
There is not a “correct way” to create an aesthetic space.
Sure, there are popular aesthetic styles that you may see on social media, but the most important part of designing any space, in my opinion, is that it resonates with the owner of that space.
As a professional organizer and declutter consultant, my philosophy will always be
FUNCTION first
AESTHETICS second
A functional space is one that serves a specific and useful purpose to its inhabitants,
focusing on personalized practicality and accessibility.
An example of a common space that should be functional is a kitchen.
The primary goal of your kitchen is to store your food, tableware, and cooking appliances to support your basic need to eat. You must eat to survive.
If your kitchen does not allow you enough space to store and cook your food, it is not fulfilling its role as a functional space.
If your kitchen is serving your basic need to store and cook food, but it isn’t accessible or safe to enter the room without moving items, it is not fulfilling its role as a functional space.
If your kitchen stores your food, provides space for you to prep and cook, and is accessible to everyone in your household, then it is classified as a basic functional space.
To level up your basic kitchen, it would be beneficial to declutter (!!!) and create intentional organizing systems that will provide the ultimate level of functionality!
Once you’ve achieved the maximum functionality of your space, you will begin to feel overwhelming peace. You may feel inclined to take it a step further with an aesthetic design.
I say go for it!
The only caveat to aesthetic design is that it must not hinder the functionality you’ve put so much energy into creating. Your aesthetic should add (not detract) from the efficacy of the amazing space you’ve created.
If you’re looking to create functional & aesthetic spaces in your home or business, let’s connect!
I am a professional organizer here to support your journey to a more organized life!
Fill out the consultation form now to get started!
Go check out my Instagram for before and after aesthetic room makeovers!
Tidy Terminology
Organizing your space can be an overwhelming process if you’ve never done it before.
However, home organizing and business organizing are completely manageable endeavors when you learn the basics.
Using my method, you can successfully organize any space, from a single bathroom drawer to an entire kitchen.
Discover the detailed steps I take to create beautiful, functional organized spaces for my clients!
The First Step … Choose the zone you want to organize, then follow the process below.
DECLUTTER ↓
Take all items from the zone you want to organize and place them on the floor or a clean surface
Take a moment to look at the items and to look at the empty space where everything once was
Discard all trash and unusable items
Re-home items that don’t belong in the space you’re working on (dishes in the kitchen, clothes in the bedroom, etc)
SORT ↓
Put items into categorized piles (Example: notebooks together, pencils together, stamps together, etc.)
Create a Donation Pile for items that you no longer want or need
REMINDER: You are not obligated to keep items that were gifted to you or that have a negative emotion attached. Whether you’ve had an item for 6 months or 20 years: You are not OBLIGATED to keep things. If the items no longer serve you, let them go. Have gratitude for the purpose the items did serve in your life, take a deep breath in, and with your breath out - release the obligation 🍃
ORGANIZE ↓
Once you’ve decided what items you’re keeping in the zone - an organizing system can be created!
Creating organizational systems is unique to each person, space and situation: Think about the purpose and desired function of your space, your lifestyle, your routine and your current habits.
I guide my clients through this process to create organized zones that support their needs Explore My Services
DESIGN ↓
I always include this step in the process because in many situations my clients not only want to have an organized space - they also want the space to look aesthetically pleasing in their home or office!
I provide customized spatial planning and room design for my clients. Whether you’re looking to create an aesthetic kitchen pantry or a zen zone in your office, I can make your organizing goals a reality Get Started Now!
The Final Step …
TIDYING / MAINTENANCE ↓
Tidying is what happens AFTER the organizing process is complete
This is the daily or weekly maintenance that your space requires
How much time you put into this step is entirely up to you: Decide how much time in your day can be allotted to maintaining your already organized space. My recommendation is to start with 10 minutes/day.
Tidying Maintenance will become a habit like anything else. Practice tidying regularly and eventually it will naturally function as part of your daily routine.
If 5 minutes/day is what you can manage, then that’s the perfect amount. If 30 minutes/day works for you, that’s great! It is not necessary to spend more than 30 minutes a day tidying. Tidying is intended to be a quick process of putting items back where they live in their organized spaces around your home or office to maintain tidiness over time.
REMINDER: The organizing process is not about perfection. It’s about building positive habits that make your life more functional, less stressful and more joyful overall ♡
Let’s tackle your next organizing project together: fill out the form on my homepage to get started!
Welcome
I’m Kaleigh, your Professional Organizer! I started this business almost a year ago and I’m SO proud of how it’s turning out. My clients are incredibly determined folks choosing to better their lives by letting go of belongings that are no longer serving them AND learning an incredibly valuable life skill: ORGANIZATION!
If you’re just beginning your organizing journey, give yourself plenty of time to build positive tidying habits. Lifestyle changes don’t happen overnight. Start simple - 10 minutes a day.
Follow along as I cultivate this blog! Learn More About Me
I am a Credentialed Educator with a BA in Creative Writing so I’m excited to write everything down for you in one place! I will share tidy tips, decluttering strategies, organizing products, teaching methods, misconceptions, minimalism ideologies, psychology behind our desire to over-consume and collect belongings & more!
If you’re interested in my services, fill out the form on the homepage of my website. I love connecting with people who want to start their organizing journey and who want to learn life-changing organizing skills! Organization is so much more than just “organizing.” Stay tuned and thanks for reading! 🤩