Gosh. When I get on Pinterest… or Facebook… or Instagram, I can feel overwhelmed by the amount of together that some people seem to have their shit. Just this last week, I did a tour of the floor post-morning-school-chaos and it included the following: A Super Bowl plastic drinking cup, a hookless hanger, a dodge ball, two socks that seemed to have fallen right off of fresh feet, a heart sticker. And that was just about 25 feet of coverage.
My house. With three boys under 9, my house is lived-in. I think that is the nice way of saying my house looks as if burglars have ransacked it and left no stone unturned. That a tornado tore through and whisked up all the things and landed them all in a totally different place. That three children have tromped, stomped, lived in every single inch of the space.
And yes. I know what you may be thinking: “You’re gonna miss this.”
I know, Doris. Settle down. I know that I will miss this messterpiece of life and motherhood. But I also know that mama’s gotta get a grip in order to gain some sanity. There is surely a happy medium between OCD and dumpster fire and that’s all I’m trying to get to.
If you have a lived in space like we do, maybe you feel me on this? Like, I actually prefer a little bit of lived-in. What I don’t prefer is homeless squatter. And when I see other people’s highlight reels OR worse yet, when I go into my friend’s home and see just how spic and span she runs her ship, I think, “What the freak is my problem?” We see people’s organized spaces and we think that they are just wired differently than us. Or that they must have more dedication than us.
But the fact of the matter is, it is what it is. And what my reality is… I have THREE boys who explore, create, independently play, make a mess. That’s my current life. And I like my current life. HOWEVER. There are 742 socks worn in one week. There are 6784 pieces of paper shredded up and strewn about the house in any given day. There is life taking place here.
So how do we mamas navigate a balance in this?
I decided to pair up with a pro to tackle this topic and a space in my house. And today, I’m sharing what I learned from going through my closet.
Professional Organizer. Sounds kinda fluffly and pretentious, right? Sounds kinda like something people who have time and money to waste spend on. Notsofast. Because in working with Get Organized Omaha, I discovered some cold hard facts about stuff, space, and excess.
…
Kacie Ferrazzo is the brains and beauty behind Get Organized Omaha. Kacie works with clients to declutter, organize, and {my words, not hers} counsel people through the process of parting with stuff that has become so much more than stuff to the individual.
Kacie and I talked about what might be areas of my life and my home that could use organizing. Ummmm. All of it. The area though, that I have the most control over? That I really can’t blame on anyone else? My closet. And how have I been behaving with my closet? Like a 15-year-old girl. No offense to 15-year-old girls. Just speaking my truth.
Here is the before picture of my closet.
No. That is not staged. That is REALLY what had become of my closet as Kacie and I were planning our intervention {and yes. My closet is green. No. I didn’t paint it that color}.
So. We got a date on the books for owner, Kacie Ferrazzo, to bring Get Organized Omaha into my home. Kacie figured it would take about 4 hours to complete the process of the project.
…
First, we took allllll the clothes out of the closet. Then, we looked at each piece of clothing and I made the call to keep or donate. This was actually pretty easy for me. Stuff is not of all that much importance to me. Kacie does a great job of simply holding up each item and saying, “Keep or donate?” And she was completely mum, never offering her opinion on my keeps or donates.
The great thing about working with someone who doesn’t know your space or your things is that they can be very impartial to the belongings. This is good for me because I’m not really all that into stuff to just have stuff. My space has just become run over as a result of being busy, lazy, and not taking little bits of time every day to take care of the space. And, of course, once it had gotten kind of messy, that was just the perfect environment for an all out M E S S.
After we went through EVERY single item, Kacie found a home for them {with my input}, and then, before I knew it, we completed the goal! A clutter-free space that focuses on the items that I will actually use rather than a mess of stuff that I’m just holding onto for a rainy day.
…
Five things I learned while working with a Professional Organizer
- Organizing is not really about making things look pretty. That just happens to be a trickle down benefit. What organizing a space like your closet is really for is to make your mind and your life feel more in order. This ultimately allows for less stress from day-to-day.
- Kacie didn’t care if my hangers were mismatched. She focused more on the function than the form. She faced all of the hangers and clothing items the same way. This has been so much more functional for me in looking through my clothes than it would have been to simply have all matching hangers.
- Buying things to get organized is not only NOT necessary but sort of contradictory to your goals. The number one idea behind organizing is to get rid of the crap that is bogging you down. This might be a sweater you haven’t worn for 6 years, 23 socks who have lost their mates, or a receipt from Starbucks with a coupon code that you just know you’ll do some day. Going out to buy a bunch of matchy matchy things when you are just getting going on organizing a space is really just smoke and mirrors. It makes you excited because everything looks shiny and new while just masking the root of the problem — alllllll the excess stuff.
- I asked Kacie if I should purchase matching hangers {as mentioned above}. She reiterated that perhaps, after knowing that the way you function with your organized area after a bit of time, you might identify that you would prefer matching hangers or that you require some sort of boxes or containers for certain items. But, she noted, this should not be done until you live in the organized space for a bit, actually stick with it, and then, figure out the one thing that might be helpful.
- Less is more. Once you have less to sort through, you will feel like you have just what you need. Getting rid of the items that I grab onto, stare at, and then never actually wear, has made getting ready so much easier. I feel like we feel like we need endless amounts of clothing items for every occasion but truly, I believe that less — the things you like and the things you actually wear — becomes more of what you can use.
- Kacie facilitated me sorting through every single item in my closet and dresser. Going through each item with another person to help made it an easy process and far less overwhelming than it might be on my own.
- Be realistic and do what suits you, your personality, and your lifestyle. You might look on Pinterest and see a magical closet but you may not have the space, the budget, or the lifestyle. The real focus of getting organized is figuring out ways and processes to help take the stress of clutter out of your world and your life. Don’t just do what Suzy does because you like Suzy and you want to be like Suzy. Be realistic about what you’ll actually follow-through with and take time out of your life to make happen.
- Kacie and I decided to organize my shirts and exercise pants, all foldable items, using the KonMari Method designed by Marie Kondo, the well-known author of “The Life-Changing Magic of Tidying Up.” This is different for me. It’s something I don’t usually do. But I’ve now been at it for 2 weeks and it honestly makes so much more sense for me than stacks of clothes in drawers. Additionally, unlike what Marie Kondo recommends, Kacie chose to hang my jeans. Because I have a walk-in closet and often change in there, it makes SO much sense for my life to have my jeans IN my closet. And having them on hangers keeps them uncrumpled.
The end result:
The very best part? It is still like this 2 weeks after completion of working with Kacie. Truly truly truly, a place for everything and everything in its place.
The second best part? Outside of her hourly fee, the only expense of this product was my choice of adding a jewelry rack to the wall. No. Other. Money. And less stress, clutter, and heaviness of unneeded stuff just lurking around and making me feel like a slobberoni.
Another amazing benefit has been the way that one little space and that one bit of busting through clutter has helped me carry those methods and school of thought around the whole house. Since, I have slowly and steadily worked my way through additional spaces in our home. I’ve even enlisted the kids elbow grease and buy-in. AND IT’S WORKING?!?! Just in time for a little bit of sunshine to bust up the winter greys. So while I only had 4 hours of hands-on time with Get Organized Omaha, the lessons and techniques have been applicable throughout my home.
Who should use Get Organized Omaha Professional Organization? HONESTLY. If you feel like there is a space in your house or life that is overwhelming you, I believe, after having Kacie in my home, that her fee is worth its weight in gold and she is perfect for any person who feels confounded by stuff or just overwhelmed without knowing how to dig in.
Kacie is trustworthy and real. And she has a process. From the start to finish, she made it feel easy and manageable to go through items. She was non-emotional about the things and made no comments like I would like, “SHHHHHHEEEEEESH! Why do you live like a teenager?!”. Instead, she was a nice level-headed presence and worked efficiently and professionally. When I would pause on an item wondering if I should keep or donate, she would offer, “Here. Touch it.” Without even suggesting or telling me I needed to move my chemo wigs, I found myself ready to part with them… something I think I’ve been holding onto simply because I didn’t know how to let them go. And, in the end, Kacie hauls all the items away to donate and presents her client with the receipt.
After this project, I found myself seeing organization as a little bit of therapy and mental wellness rolled into one and encourage you to check out Get Organized Omaha for your spaces and places. I am currently on a well-being adventure and can vouch for the clarity and joy that comes from having a little piece of my world in order.
You can follow Get Organized Omaha on Facebook and Instagram. You can check out the current rates on the company website. And you can email Kacie directly at getorganizedomaha@gmail.com. From storage rooms to garages, closets to kitchens, vehicles to vacation homes, and beyond, Get Organized Omaha will give you the push you need to press through the clutter.
…
Do you have questions for me about the process? Curious about how I chose what to oust? Wondering why my closet walls are green (wait. I already answered that…)? Leave your questions here or on my Facebook thread and I would love to share more about this fun blog collaboration.
