The Clutter Fairy Weekly

In Goodbye, Things , author Fumio Sasaki shares his personal story of becoming a minimalist. The book also offers lots of tips for saying goodbye to stuff and explores the results of Sasaki’s profound change in lifestyle. In episode #248 of The Clutter Fairy Weekly, Gayle Goddard, professional organizer and owner of The Clutter Fairy in Houston, Texas, reviews Goodbye, Things and discusses the les...

It’s time once again to parse the particular problems that paper poses. We’ll examine the habits and beliefs that lead to heaps, folders, boxes, bags, bins, and drawers full of bills, receipts, records, recipes, clippings, statements, magazines, and more. In episode #247 of The Clutter Fairy Weekly, Gayle Goddard, professional organizer and owner of The Clutter Fairy in Houston, Texas, discusses t...

Her co-host was out sick, so Gayle bravely wrangled the show all by herself with only her native wit and magic wand for support! In this special episode of The Clutter Fairy Weekly , Gayle Goddard, professional organizer and owner of The Clutter Fairy in Houston, Texas, answers audience questions about the nature of “need,” shopping, keepsakes, estate and auction sales, breaking down large project...

The desire to open our homes to family and friends is a fundamental human need. But clutter-impaired people often let shame, fear of judgment, and the physical condition of their homes stand in the way of the fun and fulfillment of entertaining. In episode #246 of The Clutter Fairy Weekly, Gayle Goddard, professional organizer and owner of The Clutter Fairy in Houston, Texas, talks about what gues...

Do the people with whom you share your space complicate your decluttering process? Living companions with conflicting household habits and routines can sabotage our efforts to get organized. And sometimes even those who live alone aren’t free from outside interference with our stuff. In episode #245 of The Clutter Fairy Weekly, Gayle Goddard, professional organizer and owner of The Clutter Fairy i...

Big life changes can derail our productive routines, introduce new sources of clutter, and complicate the work of decluttering and organizing in frustrating and unexpected ways. In episode #244 of The Clutter Fairy Weekly, Gayle Goddard, professional organizer and owner of The Clutter Fairy in Houston, Texas, explains how major events confound our efforts to organize and suggests strategies for ke...

Do Clutter Fairy clients experience “re-cluttering anxiety”? What do Gayle and Ed look for in thrift shops? How have our lives changed as a result of our own decluttering efforts? In episode #243 of The Clutter Fairy Weekly, Gayle Goddard, professional organizer and owner of The Clutter Fairy in Houston, Texas, answers viewer and listener questions and discusses short topics suggested by our audie...

The mindset with which we approach organizing challenges can have a huge impact on the results we achieve. An unproductive or negative mindset can halt our progress when we’ve barely gotten into motion. In episode #242 of The Clutter Fairy Weekly, Gayle Goddard, professional organizer and owner of The Clutter Fairy in Houston, Texas, examines the impact of mindset on decluttering and suggests stra...

In most homes, the kitchen is a hive of activity, but all that traffic can lead to confusion and disagreement about how it should be used and what belongs in this mission-critical space. In episode #241 of The Clutter Fairy Weekly, Gayle Goddard, professional organizer and owner of The Clutter Fairy in Houston, Texas, slices and dices the problem of kitchen clutter and suggests recipes for streaml...

Getting organized is simple, but it’s not always easy. For your project to achieve its best results, you need a realistic plan and a clear, consistent process. In episode #240 of The Clutter Fairy Weekly, Gayle Goddard, professional organizer and owner of The Clutter Fairy in Houston, Texas, reviews the basic process you can follow to succeed with any decluttering and organizing project. Show note...

How can we energize and inspire ourselves to make 2025 our best organizing and decluttering year yet? We asked our audience, then gathered our favorite responses. In special episode #239 of The Clutter Fairy Weekly, Gayle Goddard, professional organizer and owner of The Clutter Fairy in Houston, Texas, shares our audience’s favorite inspirational sayings and affirmations—and where we find our moti...

Happy holidays from The Clutter Fairy family to you and yours! In special episode #238 of The Clutter Fairy Weekly , Gayle Goddard, professional organizer and owner of The Clutter Fairy in Houston, Texas, expresses our holiday wish that you’ll set aside a moment for self-care during this season. We hope a peaceful pause will leave you in better health and spirits and more ready to enjoy time with...

We’re counting down the remaining days until the new year. This is a great time to celebrate the decluttering and organizing progress you’ve made in 2024 and to make plans for a successful 2025. In episode #237 of The Clutter Fairy Weekly, Gayle Goddard, professional organizer and owner of The Clutter Fairy in Houston, Texas, explores how to choose, plan, and strategize your next big—or small—orga...

An audience member asked, “How many items in each category is healthy? Excessive but okay? Way too much?” To arrive at an answer, we need to consider the category, the context, and the limits of your space, money, time, and energy. In episode #236 of The Clutter Fairy Weekly, Gayle Goddard, professional organizer and owner of The Clutter Fairy in Houston, Texas, contemplates the question “How many...

Is your home a monument to the past, a stockpile for future needs, or a place dedicated to living your best life right now? Finding balance among these roles can help clarify your toughest clutter challenges. In episode #235 of The Clutter Fairy Weekly, Gayle Goddard, professional organizer and owner of The Clutter Fairy in Houston, Texas, examines how nostalgia for the past and plans for every po...

We learn a lot when we consider the emotions and feelings associated with our possessions. The U.S. Thanksgiving holiday is coming up, so let’s examine feelings of gratitude and how they intersect with the accumulation, management, and disposition of our stuff. In episode #234 of The Clutter Fairy Weekly, Gayle Goddard, professional organizer and owner of The Clutter Fairy in Houston, Texas, explo...

Many of us love to shop, and stores and online retailers with stuff to sell know how to push our buttons to make the sale. But our spaces get out of balance when we bring home more than we’re using up, giving away, or discarding. In episode #233 of The Clutter Fairy Weekly, Gayle Goddard, professional organizer and owner of The Clutter Fairy in Houston, Texas, discusses the effects of consumerism...

In this week’s episode, we’ll continue answering the questions you’ve asked in our surveys, live chat, email, social media, and web site. We’re always ready to listen, and we’re eager to tackle the tough questions and issues that are giving you fits. In episode #232 of The Clutter Fairy Weekly, Gayle Goddard, professional organizer and owner of The Clutter Fairy in Houston, Texas, answers viewer a...

It’s time once again for us to devote an episode to answering the questions you ask in our surveys, live chat, email, social media, and web site. We’re always ready to listen, and we’re eager to tackle the tough questions and issues that are giving you fits. In episode #231 of The Clutter Fairy Weekly , Gayle Goddard, professional organizer and owner of The Clutter Fairy in Houston, Texas, answers...

Clutter is anything that stands between you and the life that you want to be living. What new things and experiences could you make room for in your home and your life if all the clutter was out of your way? In episode #230 of The Clutter Fairy Weekly , Gayle Goddard, professional organizer and owner of The Clutter Fairy in Houston, Texas, explores how clutter interferes with our “best lives” and...

Many of us approach organizing projects with our heads full of myths, legends, and flat-out lies we’ve accumulated from popular TV shows, mass-market books, nagging parents, and other people’s limiting beliefs. In episode #229 of The Clutter Fairy Weekly, Gayle Goddard, professional organizer and owner of The Clutter Fairy in Houston, Texas, uncovers the realities hiding behind popular myths, misc...

Moving to a smaller home is a complex process that requires careful planning and tough decisions. But sooner or later, we all need to reduce our possessions, either to fit in a smaller space or so we can comfortably and safely age in place. In episode #228 of The Clutter Fairy Weekly, Gayle Goddard, professional organizer and owner of The Clutter Fairy in Houston, Texas, explains how to plan for a...

It's October, so we’re about to embark on the season of food, shopping, celebration, and chaos that runs from now until the new year. This year, why not plan your holiday season to include only your most beloved treats and traditions? In episode #227 of The Clutter Fairy Weekly, Gayle Goddard, professional organizer and owner of The Clutter Fairy in Houston, Texas, offers tips to streamline t...

How can I help my cluttered friend with her excess stuff? What goes into a capsule wardrobe? What’s the best way to display digital photos? In episode #226 of The Clutter Fairy Weekly, Gayle Goddard, professional organizer and owner of The Clutter Fairy in Houston, Texas, answers your questions about capsule wardrobe contents, sharing digital photos, and offering organizing help and covers other s...

Airplanes, ships, trains, hotel rooms, and other specialized spaces are designed to get the most efficient use out of limited space. Can we apply design elements of these tiny areas as we organize our own small spaces? In episode #225 of The Clutter Fairy Weekly, Gayle Goddard, professional organizer and owner of The Clutter Fairy in Houston, Texas, offers tips and techniques for getting the most...