The Clutter Fairy Weekly

Clearing clutter is really two jobs: reducing the backlog of accumulated stuff and cultivating habits to keep the mess from getting worse. The more effectively you handle ongoing maintenance, the more energy you’ll have to devote to the backlog project. In episode #273 of The Clutter Fairy Weekly, Gayle Goddard, professional organizer and owner of The Clutter Fairy in Houston, Texas, suggests a do...

What are we supposed to do with art and craft projects after we’ve finished them? How can chronically cluttered people learn to be comfortable in a decluttered space? It’s time for another “Ask Us Anything” episode! In episode #272 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...

We often endow items we receive as gifts with a special status in our decluttering decision-making. But even gifts become clutter if we don’t love, need, or use them! In episode #271 of The Clutter Fairy Weekly, Gayle Goddard, professional organizer and owner of The Clutter Fairy in Houston, Texas, explores the complex issues of decluttering gifts and offers clutter-conscious approaches to giving,...

Do your efforts to declutter conflict with your calling to live a brilliant, original, and creative life? For artists, craftspeople, and hobbyists, the stuff in our homes can stimulate our imaginations at the same time it stands in the way of our freedom to create. In episode #270 of The Clutter Fairy Weekly, Gayle Goddard, professional organizer and owner of The Clutter Fairy in Houston, Texas, e...

Other people can be valuable companions in our decluttering and organizing journeys, or they can interfere with our best efforts. We have to be careful and mindful about who gets a say in our decision-making. In episode #269 of The Clutter Fairy Weekly, Gayle Goddard, professional organizer and owner of The Clutter Fairy in Houston, Texas, discusses people who influence our organizing process and...

The effects of aging can add significant challenges to the work of managing our clutter. But decluttering and organizing our spaces yields lots of benefits for older people, such as greater ease of movement, improved safety, and increased mental clarity. In episode #268 of The Clutter Fairy Weekly, Gayle Goddard, professional organizer and owner of The Clutter Fairy in Houston, Texas, continues ou...

The effects of aging can add significant challenges to the work of managing our clutter. But decluttering and organizing our spaces yields lots of benefits for older people, such as greater ease of movement, improved safety, and increased mental clarity. In episode #267 of The Clutter Fairy Weekly, Gayle Goddard, professional organizer and owner of The Clutter Fairy in Houston, Texas, explores way...

You’ve done the tough work of decluttering, and now it’s time to organize the treasures you’ve decided to keep. If putting stuff away is the part of the project that trips you up, this week’s show is for you! In episode #266 of The Clutter Fairy Weekly, Gayle Goddard, professional organizer and owner of The Clutter Fairy in Houston, Texas, discusses how to corral your collections with a few of our...

A viewer asked, “Can you define the term ‘organized’?” The dictionary definition leaves us a little cold, so we’ll suggest one that works better for our audience! We’ll also talk about how to respond to people who pooh-pooh your decluttering efforts. In episode #265 of The Clutter Fairy Weekly, Gayle Goddard, professional organizer and owner of The Clutter Fairy in Houston, Texas, answers viewer a...

Have you struggled with clutter for years, but keep feeling like you’re right back at square one? Maybe it’s time to take a critical look at the beliefs, assumptions, and routines that aren’t getting the job done. In episode #264 of The Clutter Fairy Weekly, Gayle Goddard, professional organizer and owner of The Clutter Fairy in Houston, Texas, examines habits of thought and practice that keep us...

New technologies and trends have transformed the way many of us work, but our home workspaces haven’t always kept up with the changes. One consequence is clutter that cuts into productivity and diminishes enjoyment of our homes. In episode #263 of The Clutter Fairy Weekly, Gayle Goddard, professional organizer and owner of The Clutter Fairy in Houston, Texas, discusses factors that contribute to h...

The decluttering and organizing process is a journey of self-discovery. As we peel back the layers of our lives, we learn valuable lessons about who we are in relation to our stuff. In episode #262 of The Clutter Fairy Weekly, Gayle Goddard, professional organizer and owner of The Clutter Fairy in Houston, Texas, shares the reality checks and “Aha!” moments our clients and audience members have ex...

How many cleaning supplies do we really need? How much is too much? And what’s the best way to organize and store cleaning products? In episode #261 of The Clutter Fairy Weekly, Gayle Goddard, professional organizer and owner of The Clutter Fairy in Houston, Texas, offers strategies and best practices for organizing and storing cleaning products—plus other short topics suggested by our audience. S...

Does your wardrobe include clothes you’ve never even gotten around to wearing? The convenience of online shopping, the proliferation of fast fashion, and the temptation of “retail therapy” have helped us stuff our dressers and closets to overflowing. In episode #260 of The Clutter Fairy Weekly, Gayle Goddard, professional organizer and owner of The Clutter Fairy in Houston, Texas, discusses how to...

Collections become clutter as soon as they outgrow our systems of organization, the space allotted to them, or our capacity to enjoy them. It takes a careful, thoughtful approach to store and display collections and to recognize when it’s time to cut back. In episode #259 of The Clutter Fairy Weekly, Gayle Goddard, professional organizer and owner of The Clutter Fairy in Houston, Texas, discusses...

Dana K. White’s Decluttering at the Speed of Life is a real-world guide to making steady progress in decluttering your home. The book features a container-based approach to decision-making and a five-step process for reducing clutter in any area of the home. In episode #258 of The Clutter Fairy Weekly, Gayle Goddard, professional organizer and owner of The Clutter Fairy in Houston, Texas, reviews...

Clutter can interfere with our relationships, and complex relationships can make it harder to face our clutter. Managing our own stuff while navigating other people’s attitudes about our stuff—and theirs—requires patience, compassion, and understanding on all sides. In episode #257 of The Clutter Fairy Weekly, Gayle Goddard, professional organizer and owner of The Clutter Fairy in Houston, Texas,...

Renovating a cluttered space is like trying to cook in a messy kitchen. You might be able to make it work, but you’ll spend more time, money, and effort to get the results you want. In episode #256 of The Clutter Fairy Weekly, Gayle Goddard, professional organizer and owner of The Clutter Fairy in Houston, Texas, explores how clutter complicates home renovation and DIY projects and offers strategi...

Moving is a big hassle, but are there also good parts? How do we deal with regret over things that we've discarded? How can we make spaces in our homes that we tend to avoid more inviting? In episode #255 of T he 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 suggest...

Decluttering can yield many psychological benefits, such as reduced stress and anxiety and a greater sense of calm. These gains can in turn make the work of decluttering and organizing more effective and rewarding. In episode #254 of The Clutter Fairy Weekly, Gayle Goddard, professional organizer and owner of The Clutter Fairy in Houston, Texas, suggests ways to apply principles of positive psycho...

Contemporary home design has moved away from dining rooms in favor of open plans, great rooms, breakfast nooks, and other concepts. But some of us still live with formal dining rooms—or at least the furniture that went with them. In episode #253 of The Clutter Fairy Weekly, Gayle Goddard, professional organizer and owner of The Clutter Fairy in Houston, Texas, explores the changing role of dining...

Working with a professional organizer can help you take the fast lane to functional, clutter-free spaces. But even if you can’t hire an organizer, you can handle your decluttering and organizing projects with a professional’s care, creativity, and attention to detail. In episode #252 of The Clutter Fairy Weekly, Gayle Goddard, professional organizer and owner of The Clutter Fairy in Houston, Texas...

Not all decluttering and organizing tasks are created equal. Some projects give us a fresh look at our cherished belongings; others are just plain chores. But they all need to get done. In episode #251 of The Clutter Fairy Weekly, Gayle Goddard, professional organizer and owner of The Clutter Fairy in Houston, Texas, suggests ways to leverage your strengths and minimize negative feelings as you st...

Children’s artwork—how much is too much to keep? Can you help with more appealing decorative storage solutions? Do I have to worry about turning into my mother? In episode #250 of The Clutter Fairy Weekly, Gayle Goddard, professional organizer and owner of The Clutter Fairy in Houston, Texas, offers guidance on how much kids’ artwork to keep and answers more questions from our viewers and listener...

We’ve talked a lot about the usual donation destinations—charity stores, creative-reuse centers, the curb, etc.—but what about unusual ideas for donation? We want to hear our audience’s favorite suggestions and share a few of our own. In episode #249 of The Clutter Fairy Weekly, Gayle Goddard, professional organizer and owner of The Clutter Fairy in Houston, Texas, discusses unconventional places...