Kick the Chaos

Even for us adults, September evokes that old ‘back to school’ feeling. It’s just that the pink plastic Barbie lunchbox of yesteryear is now replaced with an adult zeal for self-improvement.

This is the season our weight will get back in control. Our homes will be shinier. Our dinners will be healthier and our kids will be polite and neat. Right? So where do we get started? By tackling the bulging wardrobe of outgrown clothes, the junk around the telephone, the kids’ toys or whipping up a quick meal plan for the week. Pretty soon your eyes glaze over and before you know it you’ve fled the house for a latte.

Fortunately there are people out there to help get you on track with that new to-do list. One of them is Rowena List (no pun there) of Getting It Together, who says if we want to avoid clutter chaos, the first step is to refuse to buy things we don’t need (like that mega-pack of 50 pens when you only needed 2).

But what about the stuff that’s already overflowing on our shelves? For $85 an hour, Rowena will visit your home and help you de-clutter your way through your house without losing focus. “Live with faith, not fear,” she counsels. Don’t hoard things because you’re worried you might need them ‘one day’.

Once your abode is streamlined, she’ll help keep things that way by offering organizational tips, even hosting a family meeting at which chores are divvied up and homework time scheduled. (Click here for her tips on getting your kids organized too.) If desired, she’ll also get you up and running with the binder system that she developed and has used for over two decades. Called The 1 to 31 Organizing System, it’s a place to write menu plans, store school notices and invitations, log telephone calls and more.

Another novel idea in home improvement is offered up by Urban Remix, a mom-and-daughter company that not only helps you with the decluttering process, but then sends you off for the day while they rearrange your furniture and accessories to give your abode a fresh look that’s functional and appealing by “shopping in your home”, selecting items from a fresh perspective.

For $100/hour, the duo help clients identify the practical function of their space with a focus on allowing “room to think”. They also offer workshops on creating a sanctuary in your home so you can find it a place of peace, not panic.

Doing more with less is a savvy mantra that’s worth repeating all year long, not just in September. And here’s the icing on the cake: it takes 40 percent less time to clean an organized home.

Now who’s got time for that latte?

Getting It Together
www.gettingittogether.ca
(604) 436-6008

Urban Remix
www.urbanremix.ca
(604) 984-7178

Comments