Making the Minimalist Mindset Work for You
Minimalism?! Isn’t that when people randomly get rid of all of their stuff and promise to never buy anything again? Or where people completely deprive themselves of every possible indulgence and impulse? And don’t you need to have all-white walls, zero decorations, and only wear reclaimed clothing? Take a deep breath and suspend your skepticism for just a few short minutes! In this article, we are talking about the minimalist mindset—a way of thinking that can help you be more intentional about what you purchase, what you keep in your home, and how you spend your time and money. We are talking about intentionality, NOT deprivation! We are talking about one (very flexible) method of prioritizing your space, time, and money to elevate the things and people that matter the most to you. What is the minimalist mindset? One of the founders of the modern minimalism movement, Joshua Becker, describes minimalism as intentionally living with only the items that support your purpose. In other words, the minimalist mindset can help you focus on what’s most important to you rather than becoming distracted and bogged down by excess things, events, and obligations. The idea is to focus on finding joy and contentment with what you already have, rather than mindlessly pursuing the latest consumer trend on Instagram. The minimalist mindset encourages you to make purchases with purpose, rather than impulse. And instead of just living with the clutter around you, a minimalist mindset can help you see with more clarity what you can part with to make more room for what matters to you. What are the key benefits of minimalism? If you’ve been following Bee Organized for any length of time, you know that clearing away your clutter has numerous benefits, including: increasing your happiness and feelings of well-being while reducing your anxiety giving you more of your most precious resource—time—by reducing the amount of time you spend looking for lost objects, cleaning and dusting, and trying to be productive amidst the chaos improving your physical and mental health by removing hiding spaces for dust and allergens, reducing stress, improving sleep, and much more Adding a minimalist mindset to the mix can help you save precious financial resources by encouraging you to be more thoughtful before making purchases. Focus your purchasing power on those items and experiences that match up well with your life priorities—and save yourself from the headaches that come with impulse purchases. Practical steps to get started! There is no single correct method of bringing more of a minimalist mindset into your life. In this section, we’ve rounded up a few of our favorite pieces of advice for wrapping your brain around this new way of thinking: Take some time to assess your current lifestyle. Ask yourself what feels cluttered either physically or mentally. Is it your bedroom? Your social calendar? Your shopping habits? Whatever part of your life is causing the most angst is the best place to start. Then you can use that successful momentum to keep rolling into other parts of your life! Use our famous Power Purge to make instant headway on clearing the clutter out of a specific space. Remember to start small so that you don’t get overwhelmed! Practice mindful consumption in whatever way works best for you. Don’t just add things to your literal or virtual cart. Stop and consider whether you need this item, whether you have something already that would fit the bill, where you will keep it, whether you will still be glad you bought it a month or a year from now. Try a 30-day declutter challenge, where you conscientiously remove something from your home every day for a month. Or make a pact with yourself that every item you bring into the home must be matched by two items that you remove from the home. Get rid of your duplicates! In our experience working with clients, homes tend to accumulate multiple versions of the same things beyond any point of reason—think extension cords, vases, charging cords for obsolete technology, grocery bags, travel mugs, baseball caps, and more. Embrace quality over quantity. How many times have you bought multiple of something when you only need one because it seemed like a good deal? The goal isn’t to ban all incidents of buying multiples—it’s to normalize the idea of stopping and actually thinking about whether buying extra is a good use of your money and storage space. Does it match with your priorities for your life? What is standing in your way? We know that it can feel overwhelming to start the minimizing process. If you haven’t made any attempt thus far to organize or declutter your home, looking around at all that you’ve accumulated can stop people in their tracks before they even start. We hear this a lot, which is why we rounded up our best advice for getting started into a five-step process. We also know that it’s difficult for many folks to adopt a minimalist mindset because we are living in an age of consumption like no other! We are constantly bombarded on our various screens and in real life with social pressure to buy, buy, buy—whether we need the items or not! Find confidence in your own choices about how you want to spend your money, and what items you want to invite into (or out of) your home. As you get started, understand that decluttering can be a very emotional process. Even objects that only have negative feelings attached to them (like guilt or stress) can be difficult for people to dismiss from their home. This recalibration of your emotional relationship with things takes time and practice. Give yourself grace as you work toward prioritizing the things, people, and experiences that bring you the most joy. Remember that YOU have ownership over your life and your priorities, and therefore YOU get to have a major say in how objects and clutter and consumerism take up space in your mind and home. Make a plan to bring a more minimalist mindset into the new year—and if you need help simplifying your hive, you know you can call in the Bees!
Learn more
Reset, Recharge, Reuse!
January falls at such a complicated time. It’s a time of hope and excitement for the new year and all of the events and opportunities that will unfold. And for many of us, it’s a time for a bit of belt-tightening as we tally up the expenses and extravagances of the last few festive weeks. January is the perfect time to reset your home for the new year, recharge your social battery (and bank account), and find ways to reuse what you already have. Reset! Now that the excitement of the holiday season has come to a close, it’s time to reset your spaces to prepare for the months ahead. You’ll need to find new homes for the gifts you received, pack up your holiday decorations, and attempt to get back some semblance of order in your home after the gauntlet of travel, celebrations, and house guests. If you need a reminder about our reset philosophy, take a peek at our recent blog post on the subject! As you are resetting your home, it’s also time to reset your budget. You are not alone if you spent a bit more than you intended this holiday season—in fact, 70% of Americans report that they go over their holiday shopping budget. This is the sign you are looking for to get back to your regular spending patterns! As you restore order to your budget, remember that getting and staying organized is a fabulous way to keep your budget in check. Recharge! While the holiday season brings joy and connection, it can also bring loads of stress. According to research by the American Psychological Association, nearly 90% of Americans feel stressed during the holidays. Be mindful of saying yes to social engagements in January—many of us have overtaxed our social battery with travel, houseguests, and holiday celebrations. In addition to recharging your social battery, look for ways to recharge your bank account! Some of our clients swear by a No Spend January, while others look for different methods of righting their financial ship. One simple way is by challenging yourself to eat primarily from your freezer and pantry for the next month. Itemize what you have and build your meal plan each week accordingly—now is the time to find a recipe that uses up a few cans of those garbanzo beans you’ve been hoarding or that flank steak that’s just chillin’ in the deep freeze. You can even experiment with plugging your ingredients into a recipe match maker to help you use what you have without running to the grocery store. Reuse! We know we say this a lot but it’s worth repeating: You don’t need to buy a bunch of gimmicky items to get yourself organized. Most of the products out there are going to just add more clutter rather than help you remove clutter from your homes! Reuse what you already have and don’t forget to take advantage of neighborhood free groups on Facebook (just search for your city’s name and the words “Buy Nothing” to find your local group). There are so many ways to extend the life of items that have already been purchased. What if this is the month you actually collect the various clothing items that need to be mended (a stuck zipper or a fraying hole or a fallen hem), googled the closest alterations shop, and expanded your closet without adding new items? Or what if you and a few friends sorted through your closets and got together to swap clothing (or decorations or dishes!)? Not only do you get a few new-to-you items, but you also make progress in ushering excess clutter out of your home. We hope the patterns you establish at the beginning of this new year help you make room for the people and activities you love in the coming months. And, as always, if you’d like that expert touch in helping you streamline your home, you know you can call in the Bees!
Learn more
Saying NO to Holiday Perfection Means Saying YES to What Matters!
A central part of the Bee Organized mission is to help you simplify your life so that you can carve out time and space for the people and activities that mean the most to you. No month is more fully jam-packed than December with its infinite activities, shopping, chaos, and pressure for perfection. As you think about the dozens (hundreds?) of tasks before you this holiday season, we want you to consider whether you really have to do it ALL! In fact, we’ve brainstormed the following list to help give you permission to let go of some of the holiday chaos. Nine Things You Have Permission to Say NO to this Holiday Season Giving ALL the Gifts. For many people, this is the first place to look when you are trying to streamline your holiday season. Think about ways to cut back or simplify your shopping and giving. Maybe this is the year to focus on giving experiences (think tickets and memberships) instead of objects. Perhaps this year you can give group gifts to couples and families on your list instead of multiple smaller items. Maybe instead of finding unique gifts for every teacher and party host, you buy several copies of one great gift (assorted teas? a fancy cookie tin? a seasonal candle?) that would work for a variety of folks. You have permission to simplify gift-giving in whatever way makes the most sense for you this year! For more simple gift giving inspiration, check out Feel Good Holiday Tips. Every Single Social Invitation. Some holiday get-togethers fill you with joy and connection … and some are utterly exhausting and bring nothing but stress about what to wear and what to bring as a gift for the host. But you don’t have to go to everything you are invited to this holiday season. You have permission to only go to the events that feel right to you—and send your regrets to the rest. Holiday Cards. Some of us relish the tradition of picking the perfect card design, writing out addresses, sticking on dozens of stamps, and depositing a large stack of holiday cards in the mail. If this is you, keep sending the cards! But if it’s just one more thing taking precious hours when you are already short on time, skip it this year. Send an email instead or just post your cute family photo on social media. You have permission to let it go (and spend that $0.73 per stamp on something else!). Outdoor Lights. Elaborate lighting displays can add excitement to your street—but for some of us, they are just one more thing to buy, manage, maintain, and store. What if you didn’t precariously stand on a ladder to clip your lights onto your gutters? What if you didn’t spend precious time trying to untangle lights and replace broken bulbs? For less than $10, you can get a string of battery-powered LED lights—you have permission to wind them around a wreath for your front door and call your outdoor decorating complete! The Traditional Tree. There is no rule that you have to buy a live Christmas tree OR drag your artificial tree up from the basement every single year. The internet is jam-packed with ideas for untraditional and simple Christmas trees—whether you simply decorate a houseplant you already have, use a strand of lights and ornaments to create a 2D tree on a wall, or come up with something uniquely suited to your home and personality. If you do opt for a traditional tree, you have permission to leave some—or most—of your ornaments in their storage container. All of the Decorations. If you’ve managed your own home for more than a few years, odds are that you’ve collected more decorations than you have the time and energy to deal with. You don’t have to adorn every vertical and horizontal surface of your home with decorations! You hereby have permission to just choose a handful of your favorite—or most meaningful—decorations to display this year. Elf on the Shelf. More power to you if you have the time and mental space to creatively position the elf each night after your children go to bed. But you don’t have to! If you love this holiday tradition, then carry on. But if you haven’t started it yet—or you are wishing you never had—you have permission to tell your kids that there is an elf shortage this year and that you are lucky to have such good kids year round so the shortage won’t affect you! All the Baking. If you have big plans for baking this holiday season, make sure you revisit our blog about getting your kitchen ready for the holidays. But do remember that just because one of your parents or grandparents baked 24 different types of cookies each holiday season doesn’t mean that you have to. You have permission to pick your favorites (either to eat or to make) and save the rest for another year. Homemade Everything. Of course people love and appreciate homemade gifts, whether you’ve crocheted a scarf or poured a candle. And they love homemade food, too—from a jar of jam to an elaborate meal for your entire extended family. But not everything that you can make is worth your precious time. You have our permission to make just those things that bring you the most joy to give to the people who would most appreciate your labor of love. This holiday season, give yourself permission to let go. And if that doesn’t work, listen to us! You have OUR permission to set aside some of the holiday pressure this year … and every year. And, as always, if you find yourself in over your head, you know you can call in the Bees!
Learn more
Organizing Your Kitchen Will Help You BEE Ready for the Holidays
The holiday season is getting close—and with it will come the whirlwind of cooking, baking, cleaning, decorating, hosting, and more! For most of us, the kitchen is the center of our busy Hive, and it’s a place that takes on extra responsibility during the holiday season. As you count the days until your first holiday festivities, you can help your future self by purging, restocking, and organizing three prime areas of your kitchen. Recipes and Cookbooks If you are like us, you have recipes in every conceivable form—emails, bookmarks in browsers, handwritten recipe cards, print-outs of aspirational recipes, and cookbooks upon cookbooks. Before holiday cooking and baking begin in earnest, think about finally getting a handle on your recipe situation. As you tackle your recipe collection, the first place to start is by taking a hard look at your cookbooks. The most optimistic version of yourself might have bought most of your cookbooks—or perhaps you’ve received cookbooks over the years as gifts or family heirlooms. The first step, as always, is to use our famous Power Purge to sort through the cookbooks and recipes that are just taking up space. Look through your cookbooks and take photos of any promising recipes before clearing the books out of your kitchen. Consider moving to a completely digital recipe organization system. Some of us have had excellent luck using Google Drive to keep our recipes organized—whether it’s a spreadsheet of links to recipes from all over the internet or a series of folders where you keep photos and PDFs of recipes sorted by category. We know of some folks who make it a policy to always email themselves recipes with very clear (and searchable!) subject lines. If you have a variety of recipes on paper and don’t feel compelled to scan them into the digital world, think about using a binder to organize and preserve your recipes. You can use clear plastic sleeves with pockets to protect handwritten recipe cards from drips and splashes. Use a three-hole punch on your recipe printouts and a few tabs to divide your recipes into appetizers, desserts, holiday favorites, and more. There is no one right way to organize your recipes, so feel empowered to adapt our strategies to fit your needs, usage patterns, and emotional connections. Spices and Seasonings When was the last time you spent some quality time tending to your spices? How many of them have long expired, never been used, or have lost their aroma? Before the holiday cooking begins, get your fragrant seasonings organized! Before you start organizing anything, you need to discard those spices and seasonings that are too old to be useful. While most experts agree that it’s safe to use expired seasonings and spices, you should toss anything that is clumping or just smells off. Pinch a bit of the spice between your fingers and rub them together—if there is little or no fragrance, it’s probably time to replace that container. Once you are down to those containers of spices and seasonings that are still in good shape, be honest with yourself about which ones you will foreseeably use in your cooking. If you are an adventurous chef who regularly experiments with new types of cuisine, your spices and seasoning needs will be much broader than someone who limits their cooking to tried and true recipes and styles. Think about what organizational style will streamline your cooking. If you use a wide variety of spices, alphabetizing the containers could save you time searching when you are whipping up a new dish. Some folks have better luck with keeping their top 5 or 10 spices in easy reach, while they store the remainder in a container or cabinet. Spice racks, drawer inserts, or spinning trays can all help you make the most of your space. Whatever way you decide to organize your spices, make sure they are clearly labeled and in a cool, dark place when possible. Finally, think about those recipes that you make during every holiday season—whether it’s cranberry sauce for Thanksgiving or black-eyed peas on New Year’s—and make a list of herbs and spices to have on hand before the cooking commences! Baking Ingredients and Tools The final area to give yourself a holiday head start is with your baking ingredients and supplies. Essentially, you need to take inventory of the supplies you will need for your upcoming baking, whether you are making cornbread for Thanksgiving stuffing, pumpkin pies, or the whole range of Christmas cookies, candies, and other sweets. To begin, take EVERYTHING out of the baking section of your kitchen so that you can see what you have, what is expired, what tools need to be refreshed, and which ingredients need a re-stock. Check through our list to help prompt your memory about what you might need in the next few weeks of festivities: Flour: All-purpose flour, cake flour, bread flour, gluten-free flour if needed Sugars: Granulated sugar, powdered sugar, brown sugar (dark and light), other natural sweeteners like honey or maple syrup Dairy: Butter, eggs, milk, buttermilk, heavy cream Flavorings: Vanilla extract, almond extract, cocoa powder or chocolate chips, ginger, cloves, nutmeg, cinnamon Other key ingredients: Shortening, vegetable oil, baking powder, baking soda, yeast, cornstarch Supplies: Parchment paper, food coloring, sprinkles, cookie cutters, muffin/cupcake liners Take a close look at your baking equipment too. If your favorite spatula has taken a beating or you notice your loaf pans are too scraped up to release properly, think about ditching and replacing them before you are up to your elbows in flour! We hope getting your kitchen whipped into shape now will give you more time to do the things that bring you joy during the holidays! And if you get stuck somewhere in the process, you know you can always call in the Bees to get you back on track!
Learn more
Simple Steps for a Clutter-Free Garage
For some people, the garage is an afterthought—just a place to toss anything you don’t want in the house or to precariously stack every bike helmet and soccer cleat the kids have outgrown. But what if, instead, your garage worked for you? Giving some time and thought to what you store in your garage—and how and where it’s stored—can help make your home safer, more livable, and more functional! Step One: The Power Purge Did you know that 25% of homeowners have so much clutter that they can’t fit a car in their garage? Don’t waste your time organizing things that shouldn’t even be taking up space. Your first step—and it’s a BIG one—is to part with your excess items. We know this can feel overwhelming, which is why we have spelled out exactly how to tackle this project in our Power Purge blog post. Remove items from your garage that you no longer need, are broken, or are remnants of some forgotten project you don’t intend to come back to. Once you’ve cleared out the excess, you will have a much easier time organizing the rest. Step Two: Sort into Zones The most efficient way to organize your garage is to group similar items together into zones that make sense to you. Not only will this help you find items when you need them, but using zones can also help every household member know at least the general area of where to put things away. You’ll need to tailor your zones based on your needs and climate, but here are a few common zones to get your wheels turning: Sports equipment Pool/Beach toys Gardening supplies Tools and hardware Seasonal decorations Auto maintenance Camping gear Cleaning supplies Recycling and trash Snow removal Step Three: Go Vertical Once everything has been sorted into logical groups, you can figure out which storage areas in your garage make the most sense for each category of items. The one piece of advice we cannot say enough is to KEEP THE FLOOR CLEAR! Invest in shelving, hooks, wall-mounted baskets, and even overhead storage racks to maximize your vertical space. If you are like most homeowners, your garage troubles began with a ring of clutter stacked around each wall. Getting everything off the floor and onto walls and shelves will do more than anything else to make your garage more efficient. Step Four: Safety Check The garage is home to so many tools, liquids, and other substances that need to be stored safely. As you finalize your amazing work of organizing your garage, take a few minutes to double-check for potential hazards. Start with these main categories, but also keep an eye out for other hazards that are unique to your situation: Blades—Make sure anything with a blade (whether a large chop saw or a box cutter) is securely stored and out of reach of kids. Liquids—Lighter fluid, antifreeze, pesticides, paint thinner and other potentially hazardous—or just messy!—liquids need special attention to make sure they aren’t at risk of being knocked over or grabbed by little hands. Tipping—If you are lining your walls with shelves full of heavy things, ensure those shelves are firmly secured to the walls to prevent tipping. Triple-check the security of any heavy items stored or suspended above your head. Tripping—Walk the perimeter of your garage and look for potential tripping hazards. Make sure all exits from the garage are accessible. Fire extinguisher—Every garage needs a fire extinguisher. Make sure yours is current and easily accessible—not on a high shelf behind a hundred other things! Cleaning out and organizing your garage definitely isn’t easy, but it’s oh-so-worth-it in the end. And if you get stuck somewhere in the process, you know you can always call in the Bees to get you back on track!
Learn more
The Wonders of a Weekly Reset
Imagine it’s Monday morning. You’ve got a jam-packed week ahead of you with a million different events and obligations. What if you look around your house and see that everything is in its place? And what if your fridge and pantry are fully stocked with a meal plan at the ready? And what if you glance at your calendar and see every single opportunity and potential conflict listed so you have a full picture of who needs to be where and when? You are starting to get the picture! One of the best things you can do to manage the chaos each week is to let the magic of a Weekly Reset work for you. Dedicating a couple of hours each week to systematically restoring order to your home can save you stress throughout the week—and can help you set aside some of the mental load that goes with keeping your busy life buzzing along. As you think about what you should include in a Weekly Reset and when to get it done, consider the ebbs and flows of your week. For many of us, it makes the most sense to work through our Weekly Reset on Sundays, but do what feels right to you. Read on for a few of the key areas we like to include in a Weekly Reset, but feel free to ignore the sections that don’t make sense for your unique life or to add in areas that will set you up for success each week! Whatever your Weekly Reset looks like to you, make sure you have a checklist for each area so that you don’t have to reinvent the wheel each week. Kitchen Reset The kitchen is arguably the most important space in the home, and taking the time to reset it each week will save you time, money, and frustration. Here are a few tasks we put at the top of our Weekly Reset list: Fridge, Pantry, and Freezer—Take a few minutes to scan each shelf for spoiled food, items that need to be used sooner rather than later, and inspiration for your meal planning this week. Toss out anything that needs to go, put anything that’s out of place back where it belongs, and add missing staples to your shopping list. We recommend keeping a running shopping list that your whole household can access so that as things run low, they can be added to the list. Countertops—Return appliances, food packages, and other items to their storage places, sort through mail and other paperwork, and deal with those items that tend to stack up near the sink, like water bottles and travel mugs. Meal Planning and Prepping—Meal planning is the key to eating well on a budget, with minimal waste, and without the daily drama of figuring out what’s for dinner. Once you’ve finished your Calendar Reset (below), you will have a much better idea of how many meals will need to be prepared this week, how many people will be eating, or whether any of the meals need to be super quick or eaten on the road. Some of you might also find that meal prepping, in addition to meal planning, will help your household have the best possible week. Prepare individual servings of grab-and-go healthy snacks, layer salads in mason jars, create homemade Lunchables, and divvy up leftovers into microwave-safe containers for quick work lunches. Calendar Reset We sometimes wonder how we would get anything done without a shared Google calendar. Between work and school, social gatherings, quality time with the extended family, rehearsals and practices, volunteer activities, and community events and opportunities, we are guessing your lives are as full as ours are! It’s a blessing, to be sure, but it’s also a lot to manage. That’s why you need to include your calendar in your Weekly Reset tasks. Make sure you chat with every member of the family so that everyone’s activities are accounted for, including: Regular work shifts as well as irregular work events School days, field trips, tutoring, dress up days Extra-curricular practices, games, rehearsals, performances, lessons Family and social events, birthdays, get-togethers with extended family Infrequent obligations like oil changes and dentist appointments As you are filling up your calendar, don’t forget to block out time for things that are important to your wellbeing but tend to get left behind, like scheduling in time for exercise or a date night with your sweetie. Laundry Reset As you prepare for the week ahead, you not only need to be sure that you have the regular clothing and linens for the week, but you also need to be ready for any special clothing needs. After you’ve updated your calendar, you will have a better handle on whether and when you need specific uniforms, dress clothing, costumes, or favorite outfits for the week. The goal is to avoid those last-minute searches for a missing jersey, spirit day outfit, or the need to do a midnight load of laundry to wash that irreplaceable clothing item for the next morning! Household Reset Just because YOU are the one reading this blog doesn’t mean that YOU are the one who has to reset the whole house! Get everyone involved in figuring out how they can set themselves up for success each week. This will look different for every home, but here are a few ideas to get your started: Reset your own bedroom, closet, dresser, and nightstand Make sure bathrooms are stocked with whatever they need: shampoo, toothpaste, toilet paper, and other items Clean out your email inbox and other places where you receive messages Do a quick cleanout of your purse, briefcase, or backpack The Weekly Reset is key to restoring order to your home and life before the next week begins. Taking the time to prepare for the week ahead can help clear your mind as well as your home. And, as always, if you need help developing a Weekly Reset routine that works for you, call in the Bees!
Learn more
Better Book Organization: How to Declutter and Organize Your Book Collection
If you’re a book lover, you know how quickly a few favorite reads can turn into overflowing shelves, stacked nightstands, and books you forgot you even owned. Building a book collection is easy. Keeping it functional is the challenge. Better book organization doesn’t mean getting rid of books you love or organizing your shelves according to someone else’s rules. It means creating a collection that fits your current life—deciding which books to keep, how to declutter books without regret, and how to organize books at home in a way that feels both beautiful and practical. Whether you’re organizing a small bookshelf or managing a growing home library, a few thoughtful decisions can help your collection feel less cluttered and more enjoyable to use. Read on for Bee Organized’s best strategies for decluttering books, organizing bookshelves, and creating a book collection you truly love. There Are No Rules For Organizing Books The most important rule of book organizing is that there are no rules. You don’t need to organize your books like the library does, like your local bookstore does, or like your mom does. Organizing your books is deeply personal, and what works beautifully for one reader may feel frustrating for another. Every book in your home arrived for a reason. Maybe 20 years ago, you loved the author. Maybe you inherited a collection from someone special. Maybe you bought a stack of parenting books or cookbooks that you swear you’ll get to eventually. Books carry stories beyond the pages themselves—and that emotional connection matters. Deciding Between Value, Function, and Display Before organizing your bookshelves, ask yourself one simple question: What do you want your collection to do? If you frequently revisit books or need to find specific titles quickly, functionality may matter most. If your books mostly serve as décor and inspiration, aesthetics may lead your decisions. Many people land somewhere in the middle. There’s no wrong answer—only the answer that supports your space and habits. Let Your Collection Reflect Your Current Life Sometimes we hold onto books because of who we used to be. Books connected to old hobbies. Aspirational reading lists. Topics we thought we’d eventually explore. Give yourself permission to organize for your life now. That doesn’t mean letting go of every unread book—but it does mean asking whether your shelves reflect your current interests, values, and routines. Once you know what role your collection plays, you can decide which books deserve shelf space. How to Declutter Books Without Regret If you realize you have more books than you want or need, it’s officially time to let some of them go. Decluttering books doesn’t mean rejecting reading or minimizing your collection—it means making room for the books and spaces that serve you best. If sorting feels overwhelming, remember that our professional organizers have a tried-and-true process for making decisions like these: The Power Purge. Decide Which Books Earn a Place in Your Collection As you sort through your shelves, consider: Is this a favorite I return to? Is this a reference book I actually use? Does this book hold meaningful memories? Will I realistically read this? You do not need to keep books because you spent money on them or because you think you should read them someday. Books that make you feel guilty deserve another chance somewhere else. Give Books a Second Life Instead of Throwing Them Away For many book lovers, throwing away books feels impossible—and thankfully, there are better options. Some of our favorite alternatives: Little Free Libraries: Drop off books and discover new ones while sharing with your community. Find the closest location to you using the library locator map. Public Libraries: Many libraries accept gently used donations or hold book sales to support programming. Book Drives and Nonprofits: Schools, charities, and literacy organizations often welcome donated books. Friends and Family: Sometimes the perfect home for a book is someone you already know. Giving books a second life can feel just as rewarding as bringing them home in the first place. Now that you’ve edited your collection, it’s time for the fun part: organizing. How to Organize Your Books: Organization Styles for Every Reader There’s no universal book organization system. Choose the method that supports how you use and enjoy your books. Organize Books by Topic or Genre If you like browsing and rediscovering books, organizing by category may work best. Try sections for: Fiction Nonfiction Travel Gardening Memoirs Cookbooks This method makes collections feel approachable and easy to navigate. Organize Books Alphabetically Large collections often benefit from alphabetical organization. You can organize by author's last name or by book title, depending on which system feels easier to maintain. This approach makes locating specific books much faster. Organize Books by Color If visual impact matters most, organizing by color can create beautiful shelves. Arrange books in: Rainbow style Tone-on-tone Grouped color blocks This method prioritizes display over retrieval, making it a great choice if you want your shelves to feel decorative, curated, and visually striking rather than strictly functional. Organize Books by Size Sometimes your shelves determine the system. If you’re working with built-in bookcases, narrow shelves, or a mix of oversized and small books, your space may naturally guide how you organize your collection. In that case, choose a method that fits the shape and size of your shelves first, then adjust your categories from there. Separating books by height or format can: Maximize storage Create visual balance Reduce awkward spacing Choose the method that feels easiest to maintain, because once your books are organized, small styling decisions can elevate the entire shelf. 4 Simple Book Organization Ideas To Spice Up Your Shelves Beautiful bookshelves aren’t about perfection—they’re about balance. 1. Use Vertical Space Creatively When most people picture bookshelves, they imagine one long horizontal row of books—and there’s nothing wrong with that. But if shelf space is limited, try changing the rhythm. Mix traditional upright rows with small horizontal stacks to break up visual heaviness and create more usable space. Horizontal stacks can also act as natural bookends or platforms for displaying smaller decorative items. 2. Leave Breathing Room You do not need to fill every inch of shelf space. One of the easiest ways to make a bookshelf feel calmer and more curated is to intentionally leave a little space between sections. Use bookends, create small gaps, or stagger stacks so your eyes have places to rest. If your shelves feel crowded or chaotic, removing just a few books can sometimes make a bigger impact than reorganizing the entire collection. 3. Mix Books With Personal Objects Bookshelves can become some of the most personal spaces in your home. Instead of treating your shelves as pure storage, weave in objects that make you smile: Framed photos Small plants Artwork Travel souvenirs Meaningful keepsakes Decorative bowls or boxes The goal isn’t to create a showroom—it’s to create shelves that feel collected, lived in, and reflective of the people who live there. 4. Rotate Your Collection Over Time One of our favorite reminders: you do not have to display every book you own all at once. If shelf space is limited, consider creating seasonal rotations. Store books you rarely revisit and swap them out throughout the year. You might display cozy reads in winter, travel books in summer, or rotate based on current interests. This approach keeps your shelves feeling fresh without requiring you to part with books you still enjoy owning. Your books should support your everyday life, not overwhelm it. Build a Book Collection That Works for You At the end of the day, your books should feel like a source of joy—not pressure. There’s no perfect number of books to own and no universally correct way to organize them. You can edit your collection, adjust your systems, and create shelves that reflect the life you live today. And if you need help organizing your books—or any other space— reach out to your closest Bee Organized location. Bee Organized is here to help you create systems that feel peaceful, functional, and sustainable for years to come.
Learn more
Road Trip Ready: Organization Strategies for Smooth Travels
There’s something special about the Great American road trip. Miles of open highway stretching out ahead. Roadside attractions of all shapes and sizes. Infinite opportunities to learn, bond, explore, and maybe even bicker with a sibling. There’s truly something for everyone! But before the adventure begins, don’t overlook one of the easiest ways to make travel smoother: road trip organization. Whether you're planning a weekend getaway or a cross-country drive, taking time to organize your car for a road trip can save time, reduce stress, maximize space, and make the entire experience more enjoyable. Smart road trip packing and simple car organization systems before departure can help you spend less time searching for chargers, cleaning up snack wrappers, and making unnecessary stops—and more time making memories. Read on for Bee Organized’s favorite road trip organization strategies to help your next trip run smoothly. Why Organizing Before a Road Trip Makes Travel Easier You’ve picked your destination. You’ve mapped your route. Now it’s time to wedge everything into wherever it fits and hit the road, right? Wrong! Taking extra time to organize your vehicle before a road trip can make a surprisingly big difference once the miles start adding up. Organizing isn’t about perfection—it’s about making your travel experience easier, more comfortable, and more functional. Reduce Stress and Stay More Comfortable Small frustrations can pile up quickly during long travel days. Digging around for sunglasses while everyone is napping. Untangling charging cords. Snack wrappers accumulating in cup holders. Activities scattered across the backseat. When everything has a designated place, daily travel feels calmer and more manageable. Save Time and Avoid Unnecessary Stops The more organized your car is before departure, the less time you’ll spend unpacking, reshuffling, or replacing forgotten items. Thoughtfully organizing your road trip essentials can help you: Access what you need faster Avoid duplicate purchases Spend less time digging through cargo space Keep travel days moving efficiently Keep Food, Entertainment, and Essentials Accessible Anyone who has traveled with kids—or adults—knows that boredom and hunger can quickly derail the mood. Creating organized systems for food and snacks, activities, and frequently used items helps everyone stay comfortable and engaged while reducing unnecessary stops and expenses. Once you know what you’re bringing, the next step is deciding where everything belongs. How to Organize Your Car for a Road Trip Before loading your car for your road trip, start the same way you would with any home organizing project: remove everything from the space, evaluate what actually needs to come, and only organize what’s left. If you need a refresher on simplifying before organizing, revisit our guide to decluttering any space. Each area of your vehicle serves a different purpose, so your organization strategy should reflect how the space will actually be used. Set Up the Center Console for the Driver The center console is valuable real estate because it’s the one area the driver can safely access. Keep only essentials nearby: Sunglasses Phone charger Lip balm Water bottle Gum or mints Audio controls Resist the temptation to turn this space into catch-all storage. Turn the Glove Box Into a Co-Pilot Command Center The co-pilot deserves organized tools, too. Your glove box can support navigation, problem solving, and quick access during the trip. Try organizing items into small pouches by category: Documents (registration, insurance) Health supplies (bandages, medications, sanitizer) Tech supplies (chargers, extra cords) Comfort supplies (eye masks, ear plugs) Miscellaneous items (pen and paper) Grouping categories keeps small items from becoming clutter. Create Functional Backseat Storage Accessibility is everything in the backseat. Passengers should be able to reach activities, snacks, and comfort items without constant unpacking. Try: Back-of-seat organizers Small passenger bins Repurposed shoe organizers Cup holders for crayons, cords, or snacks A narrow crate to contain shared items The easier things are to reach, the less chaos spreads through the vehicle. Pack the Cargo Area With Accessibility In Mind If you love Tetris, now’s your moment. Before packing anything, think strategically about when you’ll need each item. Pack: Frequently used items closest to the bumper Heavy items low and stable Overnight essentials within reach Travel safety supplies in accessible locations The goal is to avoid unloading half the car every time you stop. Once everything has a home, a few simple habits can help keep your vehicle organized throughout the trip. Road Trip Organization Strategies That Keep Travel Running Smoothly The best travel systems aren’t complicated—and they don’t require buying a dozen organizers. Focus on practical habits that make your vehicle easier to maintain before departure, during your trip, and after you get home. 1. Build a Quick Daily Reset Routine Spend 10 to 15 minutes each day resetting your vehicle. Focus on: Throwing away trash Refilling snacks and supplies Returning items to their designated spaces Wiping surfaces as needed A quick reset prevents small messes from turning into road trip chaos. 2. Repurpose Household Items Before Buying Organizers We rarely recommend buying more products to solve clutter problems. Before purchasing organizers, look around your house. Try using: Shower caddies for activities Adhesive hooks for trash bags Coffee filters for portioning snacks Small baskets and bins you already own Simple solutions often work best. 3. Create a Smarter Snack and Drink System Snacks can either save your road trip or completely take over your vehicle. Pre-portion snacks before leaving and group them in one dedicated snack bag. And don’t forget one of our favorite tricks: freeze a few water bottles before departure. They act as ice packs early in the trip and become cold drinks later. 4. Plan Entertainment Before You Leave Fresh entertainment makes a huge difference. Consider: Downloading podcasts Borrowing magazines Printing card game instructions Bringing forgotten toys back into rotation Packing reusable window clings Novelty goes a long way when it comes to keeping weary travellers entertained. 5. Use Flexible Storage Solutions One exception to our “buy less” philosophy: lightweight mesh zipper bags. These bags make it easy to categorize supplies without adding extra bulk, and help keep small items visible and contained. Small systems can make a big difference once the miles start adding up. Enjoy the Journey, Not the Chaos Road trips should create memories—not unnecessary stress. A little preparation before departure can help you spend less time searching for missing items and more time enjoying the people and places around you. And remember: you don’t need a perfect system to have a smoother trip. Start small, stay flexible, and create organization strategies that work for your family. If you need help creating systems that make everyday life—and vacation—feel easier, reach out to your closest Bee Organized location. Our Bees are ready to provide the compassionate, confidential, and judgment-free support we’re known for.
Learn more
Better Sleep Starts With a Better Bedroom: 5 Organization Tips That Work
More than one third of Americans report regularly having difficulty falling or staying asleep. Because sleep struggles are so common, many people assume poor sleep is inevitable. When most people want to improve their sleep, they focus on supplements, sleep aids, or changing their bedtime routine. But one important factor often gets overlooked: bedroom organization. The way you organize your bedroom can influence your ability to relax and unwind at the end of the day. A cluttered bedroom can feel overstimulating, while an organized bedroom supports a calmer sleep environment and healthier sleep habits. The good news? You don’t need a perfect bedroom or a complete makeover to see results. Small changes—like reducing visual clutter and creating simple systems—can help make your space feel more restful. Before trying another sleep trend, start with the space where sleep happens. Organizing your bedroom for better sleep is one of the simplest ways to support better rest. Why Your Bedroom Environment Matters Sleep is one of the most important pillars of overall health, right alongside healthy eating and regular movement. But healthy sleep habits don’t start and end with bedtime routines. Your sleep environment matters, too. Research consistently shows that quality sleep supports recovery, energy levels, cognitive function, and overall wellbeing. Creating a bedroom environment that supports sleep can make it easier to relax and maintain healthy sleep habits over time. Sleep Is Essential for Health & Wellbeing Good sleep helps your body and brain restore and recharge. When you sleep well, you’re more likely to feel focused, energized, and ready to handle everyday stress. Because we spend roughly a third of our lives sleeping, organizing your bedroom isn’t just about aesthetics; it’s about creating a space that supports your health and wellbeing. Clutter Can Make It Harder to Relax People sleep better in spaces designed for rest. Research suggests that clutter and disorganization can do more than make a room feel messy; they may also affect how well you sleep. A cluttered bedroom can create visual overstimulation and make it harder for your brain to settle down at the end of the day. Here’s what researchers have found: People who sleep in cluttered bedrooms may be more likely to experience sleep problems. Dr. Pamela Thacher, a psychologist at St. Lawrence University, found in her research that people who slept in cluttered bedrooms were more likely to experience a sleep disorder. Clutter increases anxiety and leads to lower sleep quality. Research published in the journal Sleep noted that people sleeping in cluttered rooms can experience lower-quality sleep because clutter contributes to feelings of stress and anxiety. Your brain may begin associating your bedroom with stress instead of rest. Messy environments may overstimulate the brain and make it more difficult to fall asleep. environment. Thoughtful bedroom organization, decluttering, and simple systems can help create a calmer space that supports better sleep. The good news? You don’t need a complete bedroom makeover to improve your sleep 5 Bedroom Organization Tips That Help You Sleep Better If you’re like many of our clients, your bedroom is often the last room in the house to receive attention. It becomes home to extra storage, unfinished projects, and the everyday items that don’t have another place to go. But your bedroom should support one of the most important things you do every day: sleep. Start with small changes and build from there. 1. Build an Evening Routine That Helps You Wind Down You’ve heard a million times that little kids need routines—but adults benefit from routines too. Creating a consistent bedtime routine helps organize your brain and prepare your body for sleep. Try: Going to bed and waking up at similar times each day Doing a quick five-minute bedroom reset before bed Putting away any laundry or day-to-day clutter Replacing scrolling with reading, stretching, or journaling Your routine doesn’t need to be elaborate. The goal is simply to create cues that tell your body it’s time to rest. 2. Make Your Nightstand Work for You, Not Against You The space closest to your bed is valuable real estate. Instead of allowing your nightstand to collect random clutter, think intentionally about what actually supports your sleep routine. Consider keeping: Phone and other tech chargers Books or journals Sleep mask Lip balm Ear plugs Retainer Water Use a tray, small container, or drawer organizer to give every item a home—and leave some open surface space to reduce visual clutter. 3. Declutter the Areas You See From Bed When you lie down, what’s directly in your line of sight? If the answer is laundry piles, stacked boxes, overflowing surfaces, or unfinished projects, start there. Focus on: Clearing dresser tops Putting away clothing Relocating overflow storage Keeping floors visible Removing items that belong elsewhere Reducing visual clutter can make your room—and your brain—feel calmer almost immediately. 4. Create Bedroom Zones That Support Rest Bedrooms often become multipurpose spaces. But, whenever possible, separate rest from everything else. Create simple zones: Sleep Zone: Bed and sleep essentials Dressing Zone: Clothing and accessories Storage Zone: Contained storage only If you work from home, close your laptop and minimize work materials before bed. If you don’t, keep bills, school papers, and other everyday clutter out of the bedroom so the space stays restful. Your bedroom should feel restorative—not like an extension of your to-do list. 5. Start Small and Build Sustainable Systems You don’t need to organize your entire bedroom in one weekend. Choose one drawer, one nightstand, or one category at a time and build momentum. If your room feels overloaded, begin with Bee Organized’s Power Purge to help decide what stays and what can move on. Focus on progress over perfection. The more you do it, the easier it becomes—and the better your bedroom can support healthier sleep habits. Better Sleep Starts With Small Changes You deserve a bedroom that helps you rest—not one that adds stress to your day. Better sleep doesn’t require expensive upgrades or a complete bedroom makeover. Often, it starts with creating simple bedroom organization systems and removing the clutter that no longer serves you. If you need a helping hand getting started with your home organization project, reach out to a Bee Organized location near you. Our Bees are ready to provide compassionate, confidential, and judgment-free support so you can create a bedroom that truly supports rest.
Learn more
The Power Purge: 3 Questions to Help You Declutter
When people begin a decluttering project, they usually go in with the best of intentions. They imagine that a little motivation, some bins, and a handful of labels will solve almost any organizational challenge. But all too often, aspiring organizers skip one of the most important parts of the process: decluttering before organizing. Reorganizing objects without addressing the root issue—that most of us simply have too much stuff—is often just a temporary fix. It’s more like a Band-Aid than true healing for a cluttered home. If you don’t take time to thoughtfully decide what stays and what goes, you may end up moving items around without getting any closer to the peaceful, clutter-free space you’re working toward. Unless you’ve recently organized a space and are simply maintaining it, most home organization projects benefit from reducing clutter first. The question is: how do you actually decide what deserves to stay? What Is the Power Purge? That’s where Bee Organized’s Power Purge comes in. As professional organizers, we’ve developed this simple decluttering method to help bring clarity to what can otherwise feel like an overwhelming series of decisions. Instead of focusing on getting rid of things that are important to you, think of this process as an opportunity to make room for the people, activities, and items you truly love. The Power Purge is built around three questions designed to help you confidently decide what to keep, what to donate, and what to let go of. As you touch each item in the space you’re organizing, ask yourself these three key questions. The more honest you are with your answers, the easier it becomes to create organized spaces that actually last. Question #1: Does This Item Make Me Happy? Decluttering doesn’t mean removing everything from your home. It means becoming intentional about what you keep and creating space for the things that matter most. Keep the Items That Bring You Joy If the item you’re focusing on makes you smile or brings back a wonderful memory of someone you love or an adventure you had, keep it. Don’t feel pressured to throw away things that are meaningful to you. Some items have obvious emotional value: family photos, precious gifts, or that perfect sweater. Other items bring joy for reasons that are harder to explain—and that’s okay too. You don’t need to justify why something makes you happy. If it adds value to your life, keep it. Give Yourself Permission to Let Things Go Not everything you think should make you happy actually will. One of the most powerful parts of the Power Purge is that it gives you permission to let go of items that you or others think should matter but don’t. Memorabilia, old collections, purchases you regret—you don’t need to hold onto things simply because you feel like you should. This is your home. You get to decide what lifts you up and what weighs you down. At the same time, just because something doesn’t make you happy doesn’t automatically mean you should get rid of it. There’s often a middle ground. For example, instead of keeping your grandmother’s entire 64-piece china set, keep a favorite teacup to display or use as a reminder of her. Many of the items we keep don’t make us happy—they serve a purpose. Which brings us to question two. Question #2: Is This Item Useful Now or in the Near Future? The key is being realistic about what you actually use—not the version of yourself you imagine someday using it. Not every item in your home needs to spark joy. Practical items earn their place too. Decide What “Useful” Means for Your Life If the answer is YES—you use the item regularly or expect to in the near future—it’s likely worth keeping. Only you can define what “regularly” means, but our Bees often suggest that if you use something at least annually, that may justify keeping it. So if you’ve been holding onto that fondue pot for a someday fondue party for the last five years… either schedule the party or let the fondue pot go and borrow one later. As you simplify, remember the 80/20 Rule: we often use 20% of our items 80% of the time. Let Go Without Judging Yourself Things get more complicated when the answer is NO—you don’t use the item regularly or at all. Closets are especially good at revealing clothing we haven’t worn in years—or even decades. If an item doesn’t make you happy (especially if it creates guilt or regret), and you aren’t using it, now may be the right time to let it go. That can feel emotional. Sometimes letting go means admitting something was an unnecessary purchase. Sometimes it means acknowledging that a hobby didn’t stick or that a dress you saved for the perfect occasion no longer fits your life. Give yourself permission to feel those emotions without judgment, and be sure to offer yourself self-compassion as you simplify. Purging what is no longer useful or meaningful creates more room for clarity and joy. Question #3: Is This Item Valuable or Irreplaceable? If you’ve reached question three, you’ve already determined that the item doesn’t make you happy and isn’t useful right now. This final question helps you decide what comes next. Valuable Doesn’t Always Mean Worth Keeping If the item is valuable, it may require more thought before parting with it. Valuable might mean expensive when purchased—or valuable today. That definition is yours to make. But remember: value alone doesn’t automatically earn a permanent place in your home. If the item isn’t useful and doesn’t bring happiness, consider selling it, gifting it, or donating it. Local Buy Nothing groups, Facebook Marketplace, eBay, and similar platforms can help give your items a second life. How to Handle Sentimental and Irreplaceable Items Sentimental decluttering can be tricky. Irreplaceable items deserve extra thought—not automatic storage. There’s a chance certain one-of-a-kind items matter more to someone else than they do to you. For example, if you have a crate of your now-grown child’s Kindergarten artwork taking up space, keep what matters to you and consider sharing the rest before letting it go. The same logic applies to photos. Give yourself permission to part with poor-quality photos, duplicates, or images that no longer hold meaning. For large framed photos, consider taking a picture before letting them go. Digitizing photos and albums can preserve memories while reducing physical clutter. Remember: irreplaceable doesn’t automatically mean permanent. Ready to Start Your Decluttering Journey? You’ve done it. You’ve thoughtfully considered each item and, hopefully, released some of the things that were weighing you down. Removing extra items makes organizing what remains dramatically easier—and more sustainable. Let happiness and usefulness BEE your guide, and savor the sweet nectar of a decluttered life. If you need a helping hand getting started, reach out to your nearest Bee Organized location. Our Bees are ready to provide compassionate, confidential, and judgment-free support so you can create organized spaces that truly work for your life.
Learn more