The Home Hour Recap: Decluttering Our Lives & Our Closets

Last month I chatted with Kirsten and Graham from the The Home Hour podcast and I’m so excited to announce that it’s now up on iTunes! In the 45-minute segment we talked a lot about closet organization, decluttering tips for your home, and of course back to school (tis the season!).

I know I’ve said it many times before, but I really do work with people just like you on a daily basis and I think that this episode highlights some great areas that you are totally going to relate to. Kirsten and Graham brought really good questions and situations to the table and I loved that I got the opportunity to answer them on the podcast because I truly hear these types of questions on a regular basis from each one of my clients. I was an open book and shared my approach for organizing, which included answers to:

• How to introduce systems when you are hindered by lack of square footage

• When to justify keeping items that no longer fit

• Why being neat does not mean the same thing as being organized

• How to identify goals and create systems that will work for your family

• Why products are not always answer to getting organized

• How to (finally!) re-purpose the Kaboodle that has been sitting in your attic since 1990

I touch on everything from how to stop decision fatigue, the motherly instinct to be prepared for those “just in case” situations, and why I focus more on being a realist instead of a minimalist.

TIPS FOR BACK TO SCHOOL SEASON

For you parents out there make sure you tune in around minute 35 where I focus on back to school. Kirsten and Graham hit the nail on the head when they called back to school the  “New Years for parents” and I couldn’t agree more. Back to school season is such a good motivator to start off the school on the right foot and make resolutions to have an easier year than the one before. You remember the influx of papers and the chaotic morning routines and you are ready to make sure that doesn’t happen again. The good news is that I actually just created an online course to help you with this resolution. This is your opportunity to work with me (regardless of where you live!) and make positive change in your home and routine this school year.

My online course From Chaos to Calm: Taking Back Control of Your Back-to-School consists of six in-depth video modules that will transform how your family approaches the school year. We’ll cover everything from setting up a family command center to decluttering your kid’s closets. My tried and true methods come from years of helping clients establish organizing systems for their homes, not to mention my own experience raising twin girls!

Each module will include worksheets with product lists and step-by-step guidance on how to implement all the great organizing tips presented in the videos. You’re encouraged to practice implementing these systems in your own home to find what works best for your busy back-to-school routine. Rest assured – you won’t be alone in this journey! You’ll have the additional support of our private Facebook group to share your experiences and corroborate ideas.

I am so excited to kick off the course on September 11 and would love to see you there. So, from now through Labor Day I’m offering 30% off of the course registration! Just use the code LABORDAY during checkout to receive the savings. Join me for one-on-one professional organizing advice, easy-to-follow video modules and materials, and product lists for everything that I recommend and use in my own home. The class size is limited so I’m only sharing the discount code with my blog and newsletter followers because I want to make sure you grab your spot while there is space available!

I’d love to know if create new resolutions in September, what clothing you’re hiding in the back of your closet or attic, and what is one area you just can’t seem to get organized. So, leave a comment below and let me know your biggest back to school, closet, or organizing conundrum!

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Rachel and Company is a professional organizing firm based in Bethesda, MD, serving clients in the Washington, DC area including: Potomac, Maryland Georgetown, the Palisades, McLean, Arlington, and Alexandria, Virginia.