The Clutter Fairy Weekly

Decluttering isn’t just a process—it can be a philosophy, a way of life. Our ongoing series, “A Decluttering Philosophy: Changing Our Relationship to Stuff,” examines the relationship with stuff from several angles. In episode #37 of The Clutter Fairy Weekly, Gayle Goddard, professional organizer and owner of The Clutter Fairy in Houston, Texas, discusses habits—the routines or patterns of behavio...

Decluttering isn’t just a process—it can be a philosophy, a way of life. Our ongoing series, “A Decluttering Philosophy: Changing Our Relationship to Stuff,” examines the relationship with stuff from several angles. In episode #36 of The Clutter Fairy Weekly, Gayle Goddard, professional organizer and owner of The Clutter Fairy in Houston, Texas, talks about emotions—the positive ones that can supp...

Decluttering isn’t just a process—it can be a philosophy, a way of life. Our webcast series, “A Decluttering Philosophy: Changing Our Relationship to Stuff,” examines the relationship with stuff from several different angles, including positive and negative emotions, habits and behaviors, ethical and social questions, and practical approaches to change. In episode #35 of The Clutter Fairy Weekly,...

Do you dream of a world without paper? The idea of “going paperless” has been around for years, but many of us still struggle to avoid drowning in paper. There’s not a simple route to paperlessness. Paper comes from many sources, so it requires a multi-pronged solution. In episode #34 of The Clutter Fairy Weekly, Gayle Goddard, professional organizer and owner of The Clutter Fairy in Houston, Texa...

Serious readers often collect books much faster than they can read them, and buying more books than you can read is not too different from accumulating any other kind of clutter. In episode #33 of The Clutter Fairy Weekly, Gayle Goddard, professional organizer and owner of The Clutter Fairy in Houston, Texas, talks about bringing the buying impulse into line with how much you actually read and exp...

Sooner or later, we lose interest in our recreational pursuits or we no longer have the time, energy, or physical capacity to pursue and enjoy them. After the thrill is gone, what was once essential equipment becomes nothing but clutter. In episode #32 of The Clutter Fairy Weekly, Gayle Goddard, professional organizer and owner of The Clutter Fairy in Houston, Texas, talks about how to think about...

The ever-changing definition of style constantly compels its devotees to buy the latest and greatest, and yesterday’s fashions get pushed aside. Unchecked, the compulsion inevitably leads to cluttered closets and overflowing drawers. In episode #31 of The Clutter Fairy Weekly, Gayle Goddard, professional organizer and owner of The Clutter Fairy in Houston, Texas, talks about how to take control of...

Are you a bargain-hunter? Do you keep your eyes open for coupons, Groupons, rebates, and specials? Here’s some shocking news: a bargain is only a bargain if you need what you’re buying. In episode #30 of The Clutter Fairy Weekly, Gayle Goddard, professional organizer and owner of The Clutter Fairy in Houston, Texas, talks about how to shift your thinking to become a more conscious shopper and resi...

Collecting can be a fun and satisfying hobby. But the passionate pursuit of the “complete” collection can become a monster, gobbling up our time, money, and space. And collecting behavior extends beyond “collectibles” into excess accumulations of other kinds. In episode #29 of The Clutter Fairy Weekly, Gayle Goddard, professional organizer and owner of The Clutter Fairy in Houston, Texas, talks ab...

How do you make sure that your project is moving forward? An important key to sustaining your momentum on organizing projects is maintaining awareness of how far you've already come. In episode #28 of The Clutter Fairy Weekly, Gayle Goddard, professional organizer and owner of The Clutter Fairy in Houston, Texas, offers suggestions on ways to measure, track, and report your decluttering progr...

It’s a part of the human condition that our stuff tends to become an extension of ourselves. Just like our experiences and actions, our things feel like a part of us. When stuff gets tangled up in our self-image, it’s hard to let go. In episode #27 of The Clutter Fairy Weekly, Gayle Goddard, professional organizer and owner of The Clutter Fairy in Houston, Texas, talks about how the lines between...

Do you find yourself living in a very small space? Efficiency apartments, dorm rooms, mobile homes, the wildly popular “tiny houses,” and other compact living spaces create special organizing issues. In episode #26 of The Clutter Fairy Weekly, Gayle Goddard, professional organizer and owner of The Clutter Fairy in Houston, Texas, offers strategies for solving the problems that come with living in...

In episode #25 of The Clutter Fairy Weekly, Gayle Goddard, professional organizer and owner of The Clutter Fairy in Houston, Texas, offers tips for finding motivation and creating momentum on a long-term organizing project when the progress feels slow in coming. The Clutter Fairy Weekly is a live webcast and podcast designed to help you clear your clutter and make space in your home and your life...

In episode #24 of The Clutter Fairy Weekly, Gayle Goddard, professional organizer and owner of The Clutter Fairy in Houston, Texas, offers a strategy for balancing the role of the guest room as a place to host visitors with all the other ways we (and our cats) use our multipurpose spaces. The Clutter Fairy Weekly is a live webcast and podcast designed to help you clear your clutter and make space...

In episode #23 of The Clutter Fairy Weekly, Gayle Goddard, professional organizer and owner of The Clutter Fairy in Houston, Texas, unpacks the clutter issues of deep storage—backyard sheds, storage units, parents’ houses, second homes, attics, and basements. She also answers a viewer question about creativity in the kitchen. The Clutter Fairy Weekly is a live webcast and podcast designed to help...

In episode #22 of The Clutter Fairy Weekly, Gayle Goddard, professional organizer and owner of The Clutter Fairy in Houston, Texas, discusses sources of kitchen clutter and offers ideas for planning or reclaiming your organized kitchen. She also talks cookbooks and suggests strategies for long-term food storage. The Clutter Fairy Weekly is a live webcast and podcast designed to help you clear your...

In episode #21 of The Clutter Fairy Weekly, Gayle Goddard, professional organizer and owner of The Clutter Fairy in Houston, Texas, breaks down the causes of restroom clutter and offers a step-by-step strategy for reclaiming bathroom space. She also revisits tricks for managing cast-off clothing. Take Back Day link mentioned in this episode: https://takebackday.dea.gov/ The Clutter Fairy Weekly is...

In episode #20 of The Clutter Fairy Weekly, Gayle Goddard, professional organizer and owner of The Clutter Fairy in Houston, Texas, suggests strategies for transforming your master bedroom from a stress-inducing mess into a peaceful sanctuary. Viewers introduce her to the buzzwords “floordrobe,” “floorage,” and “fledroom.” The Clutter Fairy Weekly is a live webcast and podcast designed to help you...

In episode #19 of The Clutter Fairy Weekly, Gayle Goddard, professional organizer and owner of The Clutter Fairy in Houston, Texas, offers a step-by-step strategy for reclaiming the usable space in your garage—or other storage space of last resort. She also talks about examining the rationalizations we use for keeping too much stuff, such as “I’m keeping this for my family.” Bagster® link mentione...

In episode #18 of The Clutter Fairy Weekly, Gayle Goddard, professional organizer and owner of The Clutter Fairy in Houston, Texas, offers a step-by-step strategy for organizing your home office space. She also answers viewer and listener questions. The Clutter Fairy Weekly is a live webcast and podcast designed to help you clear your clutter and make space in your home and your life for more of w...

In episode #17 of The Clutter Fairy Weekly, Gayle Goddard, professional organizer and owner of The Clutter Fairy in Houston, Texas, reflects on ways people are making the best of the COVID-19 lockdown. She also answers viewer and listener questions. The Clutter Fairy Weekly is a live webcast and podcast designed to help you clear your clutter and make space in your home and your life for more of w...

In episode #16 of The Clutter Fairy Weekly, Gayle Goddard, professional organizer and owner of The Clutter Fairy in Houston, Texas, describes potential life-changing effects of decluttering—small (and large) ways in which your life might be different after organizing. She also discusses the delicate balance between stuff from your past and the needs of your present life. The Clutter Fairy Weekly i...

In episode #15 of The Clutter Fairy Weekly, Gayle Goddard, professional organizer and owner of The Clutter Fairy in Houston, Texas, offers strategies for expediting your sorting and packing project when you’re under pressure to move house in a short timeframe. She also revisits self-talk for an uncluttered lifestyle. The Clutter Fairy Weekly is a live webcast and podcast designed to help you clear...

In episode #14 of The Clutter Fairy Weekly, Gayle Goddard, professional organizer and owner of The Clutter Fairy in Houston, Texas, tackles the question, “Why, when I have so much time on my hands, am I still not motivated to organize?” She identifies sources of our resistance to organizing and ways to overcome it. The Clutter Fairy Weekly is a live webcast and podcast designed to help you clear y...

In episode #13 of The Clutter Fairy Weekly, Gayle Goddard, professional organizer and owner of The Clutter Fairy in Houston, Texas, discusses strategies for keeping your organizing projects on track in challenging times. She offers advice for minimizing stress and increasing cooperation for all of us who’ve found ourselves suddenly homebound. The Clutter Fairy Weekly is a live webcast and podcast...