15-a-day

One of our Hopeful Journey lifestyle 'goals' is finding more free time.  Don't get me wrong,  I love saving money, living without harsh chemicals and being all-around less stressed BUT having that free time to just be with the people I love.... that's the happy self ticket for me. 

In our Organizing 101 Class we talk about finding your 15-a-day.   This simple start can come one of two ways-  decluttering or organizing.  Just starting out?  Start in a space of stress that's not very sentimental.  (Kitchen, bathrooms or closets are usually my go-to starting spaces).  In that space you'll get rid of 15 items. Not move it to another place in the house but actual items that we're saying goodbye to.  Whether that is trash, expired items, stuff you don't wear regularly or items to donate....just find at least 15.  

Let's take the kitchen for example.....condiments and spices can build up clutter quickly,  Get rid of those half used bottles in the refrigerator door.  How about that spice you used a couple of years ago for that one recipe you wanted to try....it can go too.  Gadgets and appliances are other 'hot spots' in the kitchen. These are usually good to supply us with a few donate items. Do you have an appliance that you thought would be great but you just grab something more convenient to get the job done?  Perhaps a couple of food graters or multiple blender/processers.  How about the multitude of stirrers or spoons in the drawer but you grab your favorite one every time ?  Another good place to find donate options is in the pots and pans. Maybe you merged houses or got someone's hand me downs,  great BUT don't keep both sets.  If there are 4 burners,  it's unlikely you need 5 pots of similar sizes.  You can't use them all at the same time and probably don't want to do that many dishes after cooking either. So,  keep what you use!  In our Hopeful Headquarters kitchen we have a large skillet,  small skillet, big pot, and two smaller pots.  Just enough to make all the Thanksgiving sides and keep one on the warming burner spot.  

The second side of our 15-a-day process is minutes. Once we've purged a space it's time to setup your organizing system.  Be sure to measure before buying any containers!  Other factors to keep in mind when organizing the space is to organize it for the simplest persons style.  In a solo area,  be as detailed as you like but common ground needs to be simple for success. 

Many of you know I'm a big user of a self-cleansing organizing system.  In all honesty, it's how I keep my shoe shopping under control. Once spaces are purged and successful organization is in place....this is where you'll find those treasured 15 minutes of free time.