7 Simple Tips to Help You Declutter

With the onset of spring, you’re not the only one feeling the itch to clear out and make room. Whether you’re dragging out the old “summer box”, refreshing the mantle with some new blooms, or deciding all your clothes are in serious need of an overhaul, first thing’s first. Declutter and get rid of what isn’t serving you with these 7 quick tips:

1. If you haven’t worn it in 12 months, let it go.

2. If you forget you had it and haven’t missed it, let it go.

3. If it’s broken, let it go.

4. If you haven’t altered it in 12 months, let it go.

5. If it has stains, let it go.

6. If you forgot how it works (then you haven’t used it), let it go.

7. If it’s out of style, let it go.

When in doubt, LET IT GO! The amount of space (mental and physical) it’s taking up in your life isn’t worth it.

The Room Reset Experience

What do you get when you book our services?

From our free consultation, Julie and I will gain a sense of what are your goals, resources, and pain points. For many clients, we know that it’s already a herculean step to make that initial contact, so we make it a point to be both respectful of your insecurities (whatever they may be), and encouraging of your efforts thus far, even if that’s just been the act of giving us a call.

Here’s how we work:

Identify your budget - While our hourly rates our openly explained on our website, product costs are variable. We’ll glean if you want high-end, mid-tier, a hybrid of both, or make do with what you’ve got. We pride ourselves in making the ordinary extraordinary, so regardless of champagne or shoestring resources, we’ll make it functional and beautiful!

Assess your needs - Are you moving? Are the kids’ things taking over? Are the kids aging out of what once worked? Are you going back to work? Are you just overwhelmed by “all the things”? We’re listening to understand what’s most frustrating, most important, most used.

Measure and plan - We’ll measure your spaces, and then source and purchase the products needed to optimize them.  We take care of all the buying and returning (if need be), so you can just sit back and relax…er, do the childcare, cooking, working, cleaning — living.

Execute - We’ll stage your areas for an easy purge (we swear, it’s doable!), and this is really the only time we need your help. Then, we’ll layout the space to bring in your approved products, and put it all together.

We’re flexible to your needs changing as you see the project coming together (ex. “Oh, hey, I actually do the kids’ hair in the kitchen, so I can’t have all their supplies in their bathroom”); sensitive to your insecurities (ex. “Oh God, please don’t look [BUT LOOK] at the disaster that is this closet); and understanding of your anxiety (ex. “I know it doesn’t make logical sense, but I just need to have the kids’ school work on the dining room table). At the end of the day, we’re ALL different, and operate in our way. Room Reset strives to make whatever that way is, work!

Toss the Crusty Mascara, No Really!

To everything there is a season, and so too it goes with makeup. We know these products aren’t cheap and the idea of purging any of it doesn’t feel good, but it might feel better than an eye infection from aged mascara or an acne breakout from dated foundation.

We’ve put together a guide to help you keep track of what products are worth holding onto, and when it’s time to [bedgrudingly] toss and replenish.

A general rule of thumb: If it comes in a pot or a tube, it’s going to have a shorter shelf-life than a pencil or powder. The former is a breeding ground for bacteria, and if you’re not always on top of cleaning your application brushes (cough, cough, what??), then you’re constantly “poisoning the well”.

• Powders: 2 years

• Mascara: 3-6 months. This is likely our most coveted product, but also the most likely to need replacing. If our eyes are windows to our soul, they’re also easy places to get contaminated.

• Eyeliner: 6 months (liquid and gel) -1 year (pencils).

• Primer and Foundation: 6 months - 2 years depending on the packaging, but again, pots will go to pot quickest.

• Lipstick: Up to 2 years, but toss if the color, consistency or smell changes.

What's So Great About File Folding?

Let us tell you…

I’ll be honest, I didn’t always used to be a file folder. I used to be a “stacker” — neatly folded clothes, stacked on top of one another in the drawer. The problem with that is you can’t see what you have without lifting/moving/tossing what’s on top to see what’s below. It very quickly becomes a big mess and defeats the whole point of folding to begin with.

With file folding, you never have to wonder what’s clean or what’s actually in the drawer, because you can see it all in one glance.

Another benefit to file folding is it takes up considerably less space. Your drawers and baskets will be much better optimized, and don’t even get us started on the optimization of suitcase space (stay tuned for our upcoming spring break packing post)!

File folding can be done almost anywhere — dresser drawers, linen closets, kitchen linen drawers, suitcases, the list goes on. And if you don’t have drawers, baskets and bins can still make great showcases for all that fabulous file folding you’re about to embark upon.

Still not convinced? Head over to @roomreset to see some of our tutorials!