Pursuing Simple Living: The Blog

by Shannon Smith That pesky corner kitchen cabinet – you know the one – the wide, angled sides, the too deep center space, and the narrow front opening, and it seems these are everywhere. I decided to tackle the one in our apartment, and I wanted to share my methodology. As with many organizing projects, it is important to clean out first, so get ready and pull everything out of that cabinet, and wipe the shelves down once emptied. Once every single thing from eve

By Shannon Smith If you had to leave your home and only take one small U-Haul truck with all your belongings, what things would make it onto the truck? If you can answer this question, you have a perfect starting point for decluttering. Let’s explore this thought. First, let’s do a fun little trip around your home. Take a notepad and write which room you are in, then make three columns across the top- “definitely column,” a “maybe” column, and a “no” column. Then

By Shannon Smith When I first began writing blog articles about simplifying and decluttering personal spaces, an advisor told me to write quick “tips” articles such as “Five Quick Tips to Declutter Your Home,” and similarly titled articles, and while I can definitely provide advice for decluttering with minimal daily time commitments, the truth is that it takes longer periods of time and focused effort to achieve true, meaningful, long-lasting goals. There are, howeve

My interest in professional organizing for other people came during a career moment when I professionally worked in libraries and museums. Friends and family began asking me for help organizing and decorating their homes. Transition was driving their need for my help, and usually, the transitions were mentally and emotionally draining. My first two “clients” were having to move due to divorces. As with many divorces, the physical homes showed scars from the conflicts of t