The Clutter Fairy Weekly

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...

How do you push back on procrastination? What’s the best way to organize a move so that others can help? What tips can we offer for organizing Lego pieces and projects? In episode #224 of The Clutter Fairy Weekly, Gayle Goddard, professional organizer and owner of The Clutter Fairy in Houston, Texas, answers your questions about Legos, organizing moving help, and procrastination and covers other s...

Do your decluttered spaces seem to collect even more clutter after you organize than they contained before? It can be a challenge to modify your thinking and habits to maintain clear space. In episode #223 of The Clutter Fairy Weekly, Gayle Goddard, professional organizer and owner of The Clutter Fairy in Houston, Texas, examines habitual behaviors of “clutter recidivists” and suggests strategies...

Nothing challenges an organizer’s professional skills and expertise quite like putting principles into real-world action to move her own household! In episode #222 of The Clutter Fairy Weekly, Gayle Goddard, professional organizer and owner of The Clutter Fairy in Houston, Texas, discusses best practices of move planning, packing, moving, and unpacking from the fresh perspective of having just mov...

Sometimes our emotions about certain stuff get muddled up with our sense of who we used to be, who we are, or who we hope to be someday. This “identity clutter” can be anything we’re hanging onto that no longer supports the life we really want to be living. In episode #221 of The Clutter Fairy Weekly , Gayle Goddard, professional organizer and owner of The Clutter Fairy in Houston, Texas, discusse...

How do you handle other people’s opinions about your clutter? How do you make environmentally conscious decisions while downsizing? Is there a difference between “just in case” items and clutter? In episode #220 of The Clutter Fairy Weekly, Gayle Goddard, professional organizer and owner of The Clutter Fairy in Houston, Texas, answers your questions about unsolicited opinions, green decluttering,...

An audience member recently asked, “Is it time to let the Rolodex roll away?” Good question! Why do we keep so many things in our spaces long after they’ve outlived their usefulness or relevance? In episode #219 of The Clutter Fairy Weekly, Gayle Goddard, professional organizer and owner of The Clutter Fairy in Houston, Texas, explores the sources and causes of “outdated clutter”—stuff that’s over...

Living the lives we dream of starts with making the most of every day . But cluttered spaces and unproductive habits can waste valuable time, sap our strength and stamina, and keep us from making each day count toward our long-term goals. In episode #218 of The Clutter Fairy Weekly , Gayle Goddard, professional organizer and owner of The Clutter Fairy in Houston, Texas, continues our discussion ab...

Living the lives we dream of starts with making the most of every day . But cluttered spaces and unproductive habits can waste valuable time, sap our strength and stamina, and keep us from making each day count toward our long-term goals. In episode #217 of The Clutter Fairy Weekly , Gayle Goddard, professional organizer and owner of The Clutter Fairy in Houston, Texas, explores ways to streamline...

Leisure travel seems to be booming again—industry forecasts indicate that vacation travel is likely to return to pre-pandemic levels by the end of 2024. But if you’re not careful, the effort and inconveniences of travel can detract from your hard-earned fun. In episode #216 of The Clutter Fairy Weekly , Gayle Goddard, professional organizer and owner of The Clutter Fairy in Houston, Texas, offers...

Many of us experience a feedback loop between clutter and negative emotions—we feel bad, so we ignore or exacerbate our clutter, which makes us feel worse. Living with clutter can reinforce unproductive patterns such as self-distraction, resistance, and avoidance of pain. In episode #215 of The Clutter Fairy Weekly , Gayle Goddard, professional organizer and owner of The Clutter Fairy in Houston,...

An impending move sharpens the urgency of eliminating stuff you no longer use, want, or need. Would you rather purge through careful, calm decisions, or in a panicked state because you’ve run out of time and energy to pack? In episode #214 of The Clutter Fairy Weekly , Gayle Goddard, professional organizer and owner of The Clutter Fairy in Houston, Texas, offers tips to optimize planning, packing,...

Sometimes we make our lives harder by tying ourselves up in knots—confusing the problems we need to solve with our thoughts and feelings about them. In episode #213 of The Clutter Fairy Weekly , Gayle Goddard, professional organizer and owner of The Clutter Fairy in Houston, Texas, offers fresh perspectives and bold approaches for cutting through emotional tangles to arrive at creative, practical...

Shopping is a source of entertainment, fun, and relaxation for many people. But “retail therapy” becomes a problem if it contributes to the clutter in our homes. In episode #212 of The Clutter Fairy Weekly , Gayle Goddard, professional organizer and owner of The Clutter Fairy in Houston, Texas, explores the perils of “retail therapy” and offers strategies for bringing mindfulness, balance, and car...

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 age in place. In episode #211 of The Clutter Fairy Weekly, Gayle Goddard, professional organizer and owner of The Clutter Fairy in Houston, Texas, explores the challenges of shifting t...

Did the pandemic change the rules for keeping clothes? What’s a practical storage solution for a journal collection? And how does Ed’s (kitchen) garden grow? In episode #210 of The Clutter Fairy Weekly , Gayle Goddard, professional organizer and owner of The Clutter Fairy in Houston, Texas, answers your questions about culinary plants, journal collections, and old clothes and covers other short to...