S2 E5 - Clear the Clutter, Love Your Home: Home Organization Tips with Claire Crawford

Have you ever looked around your house and thought, "Where do I even start?" If so, you're definitely not alone because so have I!

In this episode, I sat down with Claire Crawford of Clarified Spaces to talk all things home organization. We discuss practical tips for tackling clutter, creating systems that work for real life, and making your home feel less overwhelming and more functional.

One of my favorite parts of this conversation is that Claire doesn't believe organization has to be perfect. Instead, she shares simple strategies that can help busy families create spaces that support their everyday lives.

Whether you're feeling buried by clutter, getting your home ready to sell, or just wanting to enjoy your space a little more, this episode is full of helpful ideas you can start using right away.

Because at the end of the day, your home should be a place you love living in and not a source of stress.

I hope you enjoy this conversation as much as I did!

Link to Cas the Clutterbug quiz - Take the Quiz - What Clutterbug are you? - Clutterbug

Do you know of someone that may need Claire's home organizing help? Reach out to her today to schedule a consultation!
Phone - (936) 443-8764
Website - Clarified Spaces

Transcript

SPEAKER_01 0:00

Just we're just real here. Hi, it's been a minute. Welcome to the Home Sweet Home podcast with Marissa. Today I have Claire with me. Claire Crawford. So um I have Claire today with me, and I'm so excited she's here. I'm gonna talk with her about her business, about home organization, how she got started, all of the things. Let's just get to know you. So what? Tell me about your business.

SPEAKER_02 0:25

My business is called Clarified Spaces, and I go in and I work with clients. Usually it's a trouble spot in their home, like a room that they really is causing a lot of friction in their life. And I help to make decisions about what items say, what items go, and then we help I get it organized. I go in and organize the space.

SPEAKER_01 0:43

That is like a huge job, and I'm really glad that we're not at my house today because you could be excited or terrified, depending on how those space you'd be excited. She likes it, guys. No matter what. If you need home organization, I feel like something, and I'm going off the questions in a minute, but I feel like maybe the hardest step someone would have in reaching out to you would be maybe a little bit of that shame that they feel about their space. Because me personally, that's how I feel. I've like, I like Claire, and she seems really pretty and nice, and I don't want her to see my mess. So, what would you say to that person?

SPEAKER_02 1:18

Okay, I would say, first of all, I'm not shy about this, that I am not naturally an organized person. This has been a hard-fought battle for me to get to a point where I can help people. So I feel like I've been through the trenches in a sense as far as learning how to become organized and stay organized. And I'll talk about that more in the podcast. But so I I never want anyone to feel any shame or judgment whatsoever. We are all on a journey in our lives, and I think we're all gonna struggle with this at different levels throughout our life. You know, different seasons. You have a small child, right? So that's not an easy time to keep your house perfectly tidy. I mean, when we're in our 50s and 60s, maybe that will change, right? But I don't know. Um, so I'm all about setting up systems for to help people maintain though in those busy seasons, right? Because I think that even in the busy seasons, we can keep our homes maintained, we just don't have easy systems.

SPEAKER_01 2:20

So I love that. So I can see why people hire you to help them do this vulnerable spot with them. Yes, um, because it's a big deal.

SPEAKER_02 2:29

It is, and that's a really great point, is people are allowing me into their life and they're trusting me to see things that they don't show everyone, and I I do not take that lightly. And I'm honored, I'm honestly honored to be able to step into someone's life and to to rearrange things just to make things a bit easier. And I do appreciate the vulnerability. So uh what inspired you to become a professional home organizer? Um well, I've always loved organizing. Like my mom jokes that like when we would go into the stores, if things were out of out of order, I would straighten up the stuff. You would start straightening up, yes. And so I'm like, it's it's always kind of been there, but I think, and I I was gonna share about her, you know, at some point in this podcast, but Cast the Clutter Bug was really the lynchman and and what changed everything for me. She had a phrase and has a phrase, and it's you're not messy, you just organize differently. And so she has four organizing styles. When I found out that I was a visual organizer and I needed to see my belongings, there's visual hidden, there's micro, macro, and micro. And um, I'm a macro and visual. You can go and take the quiz. I recommend it highly. It's free. She doesn't even ask for email address. Yeah, definitely link that. Yeah, thank you. So um, I would say that that changed everything for me. And then I slowly went through my home and set up visual systems and macro big categories instead of tiny micro categories. So when I saw the change that happened in my life as a result of that, and how our life flowed so much easier, and how my kids were able to maintain the space, it was life-changing and it opened up opportunities. And honestly, it opened up the opportunity to start this business because I had more time. Sure because you were more organized. Because I was more organized, and my house was no longer a part-time job, which is what it was. It was a part-time job. It was like I get home from my job, I work on my house, and now it it's more like uh I mean, I still have to work on my house, but it's more manageable, you know, and so and it takes far less time. So I think that that was what inspired me. So your own experience business and yeah, yeah, definitely my own experience and wanting that that same change and life life change for other people.

SPEAKER_01 4:44

I can see that in you because you're very caring. So you're like, I have this tool, let me share it. Right. And that's yeah, that's a God thing too, because that's a gift and he wants you to share it. So I love that. And I also just enjoy it a lot, yeah.

SPEAKER_02 4:56

And you just love it. Things that scare, you know, like you were saying, it might scare scare me, but it doesn't, it doesn't scare me, and it really does excite me because I see the potential and I and I know the life change that will happen, you know, after we get it under control.

SPEAKER_01 5:10

I love that. I think that's again, like if you're doing what you love is such a gift, and being able to share it with others just takes it to another level. Absolutely. So I know that's what inspired you, and you kind of let into that how that's how you got started. At what point were you like, this is I this is what I want to do to help others? Do you have like a certain timestamp?

SPEAKER_02 5:33

Well, I uh did meet a lady who introduced me to a lady uh just outside of San Antonio, and uh she had her own organizing business, and so she brought me on to her team. She was planning to launch a team in Houston here that didn't end up panning out, but in the meantime I learned so much from her and uh really started to entertain the idea that I might be able to do this on my own as a business, and uh and I think the Lord also just spoke to me about it.

SPEAKER_01 6:00

Yeah. That's great.

SPEAKER_02 6:01

No, I I share my faith very openly on the podcast, so please be definitely I uh I just feel like the Lord really told me clearly that this was the deck the direction that I needed to be going in.

SPEAKER_01 6:13

So I love that. And I feel like I already know the answer to this, but a great podcast host will ask it anyways. What's the most rewarding part of your work?

SPEAKER_02 6:21

Seeing the transformation and the lightness in people when I leave, like just seeing their their countenance just lifted and uh knowing that there's gonna be less friction in their life. Yeah, just I'm just grateful that I get to help make people's lives easier.

SPEAKER_01 6:37

Uh okay, so I feel like we might have talked about this a little bit already, touched on it, but what's the biggest misconception people have about home organization?

SPEAKER_02 6:46

Okay, so I think people think that it has to be elaborate systems that are very detailed. Um, but I'm gonna go back to the the different organizing styles and just say a typical organized, very organized person is gonna have a very detailed system that they have to maintain very carefully. But I think for most of us that's not what will work. We need a different kind of more visual macro system, and I think that's the misconception, and I think that's the frustrating part for a lot of people when it comes to organization because they're trying to make the system work for them. Oh, sorry, they're trying to make it to make themselves make themselves they they want the system to work for them, but they end up working harder for the system to maintain it than it as is actually offering back to them. Right.

SPEAKER_01 7:40

You know, like we were talking about the different personality types before we started recording and how if you're a different type of person, it makes sense that a different type of organizing would work better for you. Yes.

SPEAKER_02 7:51

Um, so I think that that's kind of where people throw in the towel and they and they when they believe and they give voice to that that misconception, um, is they go, well, it just doesn't work for me. You know, it just doesn't work. And so, but it's just absolutely not true. You can find a way to set up your house and a way that supports you, and that's that's what I that's what I preach. And that's what you do, and that's how you help people.

SPEAKER_01 8:17

Okay, well, I'm gonna skip a couple of these because I'm just so anxious to know how do you help business? What are your best organization tips for business for families with kids? I remember when we met previously, you were talking about different styles like a butterfly. I remember that. Can you talk about that?

SPEAKER_02 8:32

Yeah, that's the butterfly. That I'm actually a butterfly too. It's more, and my husband is, my whole family is, I think. Just a flock of butterflies. Children are usually butterflies. And what does that mean? That means that you are a visual organizer, so you need to see not everything, but you need to see your most important things that you can't forget about. They need to be visual, or you will forget about them. And that's why um people leave things out a lot that are that are butterflies, because they're afraid that they're going to forget about those things if they put them like in a folder, like in a drawer, they're gonna forget about it, and then they're just next time they open the drawer, they're gonna be like, Oh my gosh, I totally forgot about this, and so they leave it out, but you can have it out, but in a container, in a in a in a aesthetically pleasing way, right? You know, you can have a tray, a catch-all for kids specifically. That's what you're asking. Yeah, is um you need to have bins, like they don't have to be clear, but you can have bins with a label.

SPEAKER_01 9:30

Okay, okay. I have bins, but they don't have labels. They have to have a label, and I think I did that for so long because I was like, Well, my son can't read. And they can be but they can be pictures, they can be pictures, and so you're so smart. No, my literal brain was like, I can't have a label, he doesn't know how to read, but now we're getting to the point where he can read, so I really have no excuse, but pictures!

SPEAKER_02 9:51

Yes, that's genius. And I have done that for uh two girls, they shared a room. I did pictures on one side and words on the others for their different belongings, and um they have to have a super easy system, broad categories, you're not doing detailed no, not like this Hot Wheel brand 1967. All the Legos go in this bin, you know, all the dolls go in this bin, and pictures are words, so uh that's number one. But um, because if you walk into a space, like I've walked into playroom sometimes, and I think I couldn't organize this. Like if someone told me, go pick up this room, like it's not it's no surprise that things get shoved under the bed or just wherever. Yeah, because there's really not homes for things, right? And so if we can make very clear homes, like very clear, like then then our kids are capable of so much more than we give them credit for. Right. And um, yeah.

SPEAKER_01 10:46

How do we expect them to solve an organization problem that we have not figured out ourselves?

SPEAKER_02 10:52

Right. Okay, so I was gonna tell this story since we're on the topic of kids, is like my daughter, my older daughter, when we've when she was real little, I would give her a wand and like she would say yes, no to everything. And so we would just have like little decluttering sessions. We were talking about it on the car on the way here, and and I was like, actually, like with my younger daughter, I do it for shorter segments, but with my older daughter, we did her whole room at one time, which I don't recommend that, but um, but she would go through and just say yes or no, and then we would decide what to keep, what what stayed, what went. And I think as parents, it's tempting sometimes to just go in their rooms and declutter for them while they're not there, and that and I think that's fine too. I'm very guilty of that. If we want to teach our kids to have agency over their own things, their belongings, which I think is important because we're preparing them for life, right? We're preparing them for maintaining the massive amount of belongings that they're going to be responsible for right at some point, you know. Like, I mean, there's always stuff coming in, and that's not ever gonna change for them.

SPEAKER_01 11:53

It's such a blessing, but it also feels sometimes like a burden. Well, it it it can be, yes. So having them be a part of it really makes the most sense. Yes. And like that's how I mean that's just like with anything with our kids. Yeah, if we want them to have this ability to have agency, like you were saying, that if we want them to be set up for success, then we do need to be bringing them into our and yeah. For me, I just want to go in my son's room and just and like throw it all away because he's he's very attached to things, so he has a very hard time of letting things go.

SPEAKER_02 12:29

And even more important in that case, yeah, because because you want to maintain the trust. You want you don't want him to see things disappearing, and you want him to make that decision. And then you can also do a toy rotation, so where you pack some toys up, and then you you you you know, next month you bring those toys down, you put the toys that are currently out. If the space is not is overwhelmed by the amount of toys you have and they're not ready to get rid of them. So that's another idea.

SPEAKER_01 12:57

Oh, that's a great idea.

SPEAKER_02 12:58

Another thing that my daughter, my younger daughter and I have started doing is um like five minutes before bed. So, you know, we do the big reset of the room, right? And then five minutes before bed, we she just says, Okay, this can go, this can go, this can go. We only we set a timer, and so they know there's an end, they know it's not gonna go on forever. Yes, and then just that little bit of maintenance every day, and like it shows them that it's actually not as hard as they think. Like me, the mental block for me unloading the dishwasher is huge. Okay, I don't know why. It's a real thing. I think it's gonna take 15 minutes, it actually takes four. Yes, and so for kids it's laundry for me, in case you're wondering. I have the hardest time. Okay, for kids to go, okay, actually, like mom mom set a timer, it's only gonna be five minutes, and then they're able to see what they can accomplish in that five minutes. Oh, I picked up all my clothes, yeah. Oh, I put all my toys away that I got out for the date in five minutes. I thought it was gonna take me 30, you know, and so and even if they can't get it all done, they can see the difference that they made, and it can be encouraging to them to make that effort in the future.

SPEAKER_01 14:00

I love that. I'm learning so much. Thank you so much for being here. I I feel like I kind of jumped around and maybe interrupted you at some point. So I apologize if you didn't get to finish your thought. I feel like we kind of talked about Did we talk about practical ways to manage school papers, toys, seasonal items? I feel like we touched on it a little bit.

SPEAKER_02 14:20

Um seasonal items, I would say decide how much real estate you're willing to give that item. Like say, okay, for Easter, one tote, Christmas, four totes. Okay, put your favorite things in first, the things that you want to use, you know you'll want to use, whatever's left, it doesn't fit. You have to respect the container, and you have to respect um how much space you have to to to give to those items. Okay, so so there was uh toys, school papers, school papers.

SPEAKER_01 14:48

Oh school papers, yes. I would say I do need to know about those.

SPEAKER_02 14:51

Right. I struggle. So you need to have like in your command center, like have a bin for school papers, throw them all in there. Do not overthink it. And then at the end of the year, you can pull out what you want. Okay. Okay. Okay. I kind of did that last year. You're already doing it. Wow. But you don't you don't want to overcomplicate that. That's just something that like when my daughter comes home from school, we just we take all her folder uh her papers out and just throw it in a bin, and then I deal with that later.

SPEAKER_01 15:21

I love that. Great tip, yeah, and that makes me feel better, and that's a very like normal, functional way for people to operate. Right. Not let's sit down together and exactly and how do you feel about this one? And yeah, because later, maybe at the end of the school year, all at one time, but not like every day.

SPEAKER_02 15:41

We have too much to do.

SPEAKER_01 15:42

Yeah, there's a lot, there's a lot. This is making me feel better already. Now, there are some people who don't have kids and we but they're just as busy. Yes, how can busy professionals keep their homes functional and clutter-free?

SPEAKER_02 15:55

Well, one thing that I always talk about is a 10-minute tidy every day. That can make a huge difference. I'm just setting a timer again and just picking up. Yeah, picking up. I I don't know if these are people that leave things out, but I am kind of that person. Like I just leave things out, and so it does help me to take that pause once a day. Maybe, maybe even in the morning and in the evening if you have quite a bit more clutter. Another tip that I recommend highly is Peter Walsh's trash bag tango, and it's a lot of fun. Trash bag tango? Yes. What is that?

SPEAKER_01 16:30

That sounds really fun, and it's fun.

SPEAKER_02 16:32

It's uh so you get two trash bags. Okay. One's for trash and one is for donations or things that need to leave your home. Love that, okay? Because we love to donate too. You just set a timer for 20 minutes, okay? And you just go through your house and just load load both the bags up. How often are you doing this tango? Once a day? Listen to me. As as often as you want. Yeah, just once a day, but you can do it for a week and you will notice a difference. You can do it for a month and your house will be transformed.

SPEAKER_01 17:01

20 minutes. 20 minutes. And we can spare 20 minutes. Yeah. Like sometimes for me, I come home after a long day and I walk in the back door and I'm like, like you said, that counting it. She's like, like, I'm gonna go sit in the backyard. You know, like I found myself sometimes retreating to the outside just so I don't have to look at the inside. Yep. And if I spent less time scrolling and more time picking up, yeah, I think my life would be better. Yeah.

SPEAKER_02 17:28

And the thing that I recommend, honestly, is um to make it fun, you know, to make it fun. Because it it doesn't have to be drudgery to declutter your house. It really doesn't. And to to do it in microverse, like you don't have to do the whole house. It people underestimate the the impact that these small like bits of effort have over time, you know. I mean, I mean, I think we underestimate that in a lot of areas of our life, but this is certainly no exception.

SPEAKER_01 17:57

So I definitely agree with you, and I know we talked before again, I should have had this microphone on long before we started recording. But if you're the kind of person that's a great starter and not a great finisher, how would you encourage them to keep up with that once-a-day bingo? Or did you find an accountability partner? What would you recommend?

SPEAKER_02 18:19

Yeah, you could do that. You could find an accountability partner. You could tell your family how important this is, and you guys together could come together and decide that you're gonna keep each other accountable if there are other people living in your house. If not, then yes, I think an accountability partner say I did my I did my trash bag tango today. Yeah, that I mean just send them that text and then and then if you didn't send it, you know, they'll keep you accountable. I think that's a great idea.

SPEAKER_01 18:46

What's your like favorite organizing tool that you purchase or you recommend to your clients? I I think it's oh gosh, you're gonna ask me. I know, I'm sorry.

SPEAKER_02 18:56

The now you said not expensive. This one is expensive.

SPEAKER_01 18:58

Okay, well, maybe maybe we'll have a high dollar, low dollar is the neat method.

SPEAKER_02 19:04

The neat method, and they have the most beautiful containers and everything you would need to help get your house organized. Okay. That is on the higher end. Okay, and I do use that for a lot of my clients and they love it. It's aesthetically pleasing. So for those visible spaces that you really do want like nicer containers, and you do need containers, that is a good option. Um, and then Walmart has these mainstays bins, they're they're like plastic. Those are great, honestly. Um and then the container store has an option that is very similar. It's like a multi-purpose bin, plastic, multi-purpose fin. And I like those too. Um, they're a little just maybe a dollar or two more. Okay. And then so those are those are fantastic. I use those a lot, especially behind closed doors, because a lot of people don't want the plastic to be visible.

SPEAKER_01 19:52

Yeah, no, that makes sense. Well, and thanks for taking that off-candid question. I just thought of it. I was like, oh, I wonder like this is a great question. Which everyday household items can be repurposed for storage? Everyday household items can be repurposed for storage. I'm like I'm thinking maybe like something on your desk in your office. Like, I'm thinking like things that you already have out. Right. Am I overthinking it? Is there something else? No, I I like that you're because you're like, maybe I don't want to go out and buy it. I don't because it's more stuff. I don't but if it's paper, I'll get it. But I don't have room for it.

SPEAKER_02 20:24

I know they don't recommend using like cardboard boxes or anything cardboard. Okay. Just because there can be like insects and in that and they deteriorate. And they deteriorate, they break down, yeah. Over time. Um, so I guess any what I've used is um like you know, the bags that comforters come in or sheets. Sometimes I use those to like just divide up sets or something, like in uh like even for games and things like that. Yeah. But um, so I guess that's one that's a good idea. I've not thought of how to use that anyways.

SPEAKER_01 20:55

Um okay. When is it worth investing in custom organization systems?

SPEAKER_02 20:59

Like when it's visual, when you're looking at it.

SPEAKER_01 21:03

Yes. Like you just said, the more hundred dollars.

SPEAKER_02 21:05

Exactly. But also if it brings you joy to open up a closet and it's beautiful and it's the most beautiful product, it's worth it to do it there too. Right. You know, like if it's in your closet, your closet that only you see every day. Well, maybe it's worth it to put some really nice containers in there because that's your space where you're getting ready, you're preparing to go out into the world, and and you want to be inspired in that space. And so I don't think it's not worth it to do beautiful containers behind closed doors, too, and in spaces that only you see.

SPEAKER_01 21:37

It makes sense to me. I feel like you can use your home to empower you, yes, and that's just another way. If it brings you joy, then why not? So, yeah, does it bring does it spark joy? I always think about that. Right. Do you like the Marie Kondo method? Do you like Marie Kondo or home edit? Okay, who do you who's your favorite?

SPEAKER_02 21:54

This is a fun question. I do not have a favorite. Okay. It's like your children, you can't pick a favorite. I love it. Like I like different things about both of them. I really do. I think uh the home edit has aesthetically nailed it. Yes. Okay, it's beautiful. Very social media like question the function at times. Ah okay. And so they don't think all the green foods need to go together. You know, like they I doesn't I can't live this way. Right. Does it actually is it functional? So uh Marie Kondo, I do think that there is something about like the spark joy thing because I will say this because when people are trying to decide whether or not to let go of something or to keep something, I can see it on their face. Right. Like how they res sometimes it's like a you know, like I'm giving it up and it's hard. Or or like this this was given to me by somebody and I don't really want to keep it, but I I feel like I need to keep it like an obligation, sense of obligation. That's happened to me. Yes, and so uh so I can see that in what and my only job is to reflect that back to them. Okay, so you're not deciding for them. I'm not deciding for them. I never decide for them. No, I am only a mirror to show you what you're actually feeling about that object. Okay, sometimes we can't see it. Like I see all the body language when we're going through things, and so it's it's really cool to be able to reflect that back to people and say, I saw you sigh heavily when you when you touched this item, you know. Like how did you feel about exactly so you're kind of also like this is therapy. In a way, we do talk about yeah, we do talk about things that and deal with some emotions because the things that we own, they do bring up emotions, and so a lot of times I'll encourage people to put things away, even if they want to keep them, that do elicit heavy emotions. So I'll I'll encourage them to maybe just put them away, and then if they want to bring them out occasionally to look at or go look at them, that's great. But maybe you don't need that in your everyday space to see every day to bring that heavy emotion up because you need to be living your best life.

SPEAKER_01 24:01

Yeah. And you're there may not be necessarily ready to part with that item, and that's okay. But how to help them manage the the feelings that surround that is sounds like a big part of your job. I can see how um especially if you may be helping people who are saying goodbye to loved ones or cleaning out a space like that, how this is a very personal experience.

SPEAKER_02 24:24

Yeah. And and and one way to deal with that, okay, so say that someone passes that you love is to decide, okay, like I'm gonna I'm gonna devote this these two totes to their belongings. If that's the case, if you're not ready to get rid of very much of their things or you want to keep things, and then just say, I'm gonna put the very you know most special things in first, and then and then you've got those two totes, you know, and then at some point you might be able to get rid of those. But I also recommend having a memory box for each family member so that as things come up, as accomplishments are are made, and you can put those items into their memory box and still have them safe and protected, but they're not muddling up the space, the everyday living space that's supposed to support you in everyday life. And uh so I I can't recommend that highly enough.

SPEAKER_01 25:13

That's that's really interesting. Yeah, like would an example of that be like my son is doing swim team and he's got all these medals that I have no idea what to do with. Yes. I have a box dedicated to his accomplishments that I keep it.

SPEAKER_02 25:27

Or his memories, and one book, which is one could be memories of him for you. Okay, so there's some things that may not be important to him, yeah, but they're important to you, like maybe his baby clothes. Okay, so that's your memory bend, and um, and so that can go in yours, but the things that are important to him need to go into his memory band.

SPEAKER_01 25:47

I love that, and again, it's teaching them that agency and they're learning great skills that they can use later.

SPEAKER_02 25:53

And they're they're like, okay, I don't have to let go of everything, and there is a safe place for me to put the most important things, you know, and so that that gives them a sense of security too.

SPEAKER_01 26:05

I like that a lot. Thanks for sharing that. And I know I kind of jumped around again. Sorry. I did want to talk about well, we kind of talked about emotional challenges people deal with. I like the rapid fire questions. Can we do some of those clear bins or woven baskets? It depends. That's not the rules on your organizing style. Okay, it does. So, like it's more aesthetic. Maybe woven basket, pantry, decanted organizer containers or original packaging. It depends. I don't like this game with you.

SPEAKER_02 26:35

Because no, because I I have to ask the client. Like, I cannot just decant everything if they're not gonna decant everything when I leave.

SPEAKER_01 26:45

Okay, well, then maybe I should say for yourself. What do you prefer? Decantures decanted containers are original packaging.

SPEAKER_02 26:52

Okay, I decant my sugar and my flour. That too. I do that. I don't decant anything else. Okay. I do sugar open bins that I can see on my food in their original packaging. So both. I'm just not a high maintenance kind of I love it.

SPEAKER_01 27:09

What's one item everyone should declutter today? And if you stay stationary, we're gonna have a problem.

unknown 27:15

I'm out of here.

SPEAKER_02 27:16

A melon baller. I think a I think a melon baller. I just don't think they earn their keep.

SPEAKER_01 27:22

I'm sorry. Did you get your melon baller? No, I don't. Uh I don't, but my sister-in-law, she got a melon baller because they were serving the special drink at the tennis matches one year, and she like recreated that cocktail and she needed a melon baller. And I'm whenever I think melon baller, I think of her. So that's a really interesting okay. So, everyone, you heard it here. Throw out your melon baller. You don't need it. And to be fair, I feel like the cookie scoop kind of does the same thing.

SPEAKER_02 27:50

Exactly.

SPEAKER_01 27:51

So I have a cookie scoop. I don't have a melon baller. So I'm running down. I'm in the green. Let's not talk about the stationery. Okay, what's your personal clutter weakness? I think my car. Your car. I didn't even talk to think about car. My car is in horrid condition right now.

SPEAKER_02 28:08

Because I'm a I'm a declutter. I declutter people's houses. I and I always throw their junk in your I'm like always taking things here and there. And then uh, and then I'm always have like products in my car. And so it's it's definitely uh it's definitely in hard territory for me to keep under control.

SPEAKER_01 28:26

As a realtor and a mom, I couldn't relate to more. This morning when I was taking my son to school, he had a bin of Legos and he was just about to get out of the car and I heard them all spill, and I was like, did the Legos spill? And he's like, Yeah. I was like, okay, I'll pick it up later. Have I picked it up yet? No, it's fine. So I I well totally feel your pain. Okay. What's the most chaotic space in the average home? The pantry. Okay.

SPEAKER_02 28:48

I think the pantry or the garage. Okay, okay. Definitely that would take the cake. I feel great. But the pantry always surprises me. There can be ketchup on every shelf. There can be six shelves, and there's like a brand new thing of ketchup on every shelf or pickles. I'm like, it everything needs a zone, you know. And once we decide on the zones, it takes care of itself.

SPEAKER_01 29:09

So you're good. You're good. So when you pull, I assume you probably pull everything out when you're organizing, and do you put things in, and when you show your clients the six ketchups, how do they feel about that? Are they like, oh my god, I didn't know? Or you know, I would say yeah, sometimes you like no, because you're sweet.

SPEAKER_02 29:29

Because the thing is, is that if you don't have zones in your kitchen, you really you don't know your inventory. Who's to blame you? Right.

SPEAKER_01 29:38

This is like our conversation we had earlier. How do we expect our kids to do it if they don't have something set up? How do we expect ourselves to have something set up when we don't have a technique?

SPEAKER_02 29:48

So the thing that I do, instead of like making a big deal out of it, is we just make a backstock area. Okay, so if they run out of ketchup, they check there first before going to the store or putting their order in.

SPEAKER_01 29:58

So really, you're like, great job. You're all set. Look at all these ketchups because you're ready and prepared. And that's how you enjoy it. No shame. No shame. I love it. Well, that makes a lot of sense to me. I'm wondering, like, I have a very small pantry, and that doesn't make it easier for you would think if okay, it's a limited space. No, do you find the same people that have large pantries or small deal with the exact same issues or I I don't think so.

SPEAKER_02 30:28

In a sense, maybe, because the zones still need to be put in place. But with a smaller pantry, unless you have a place to store like backstock somewhere else that's relatively close to the kitchen, right? You just can't keep as much stuff. Right. And so and that's just um again back to respecting this the the real estate that you have for that particular function. And so I think with a larger pantry, you're really tempted to keep more inventory, probably more than you need. So so definitely different different battles.

SPEAKER_01 31:00

Different battles, but we're all struggling, and that's okay. That's what Claire's for. I wanna I'm I'm coming close, I want to respect your time here. I want to talk about your business and who should reach out to you today.

SPEAKER_02 31:13

Yeah, anyone who is experiencing friction in their home or is overwhelmed with with clutter, uh it or you feel like your home is not functioning like you would like it to. I mean, uh definitely I'm here to support and to uh to take you by the hand and go through those items and then go in and make it beautiful. And then make it work for you. Beautiful and make it work for you.

SPEAKER_01 31:40

It has to be both. It can't just be home edit pretty. Exactly. We have to also be functional.

SPEAKER_02 31:45

That is priority, yeah.

SPEAKER_01 31:47

And so what would be like the first step? So it let's say someone contacts you. What would be the first step that they they go from there? Do you set up a consultation? What does that look like?

SPEAKER_02 31:56

Yes, we can do a one-hour consultation that can be in person or it can be on the phone where we discuss the the issues that you're having in your home. And then um I would just ask for pictures if we do it on the phone. Okay. But um, I do like going to the space to kind of get a sense of the space and and how you uh feel in the space.

SPEAKER_01 32:18

Okay.

SPEAKER_02 32:18

So um, but yeah, that would be the next step.

SPEAKER_01 32:21

And do you work with all types of budgets? Like what people are, you know, there's I'm sure there's people on a very high end that need more hands-on and have the ability, but there's maybe someone that's just like, hey, I I I just love a little bit of help. Where where can I get started? Absolutely, yes.

SPEAKER_02 32:38

I I can work on with all different budgets. I even try to source cheaper containers like based on the budget. Um, it's not always possible, especially if aesthetics is a is a high priority for that client. Um, but I definitely I can come in and just do like decluttering, like if you just want a little bit of support with that. So one thing I would recommend is Dana K. White's um no mass decluttering method. I didn't get to share about that yet. But um, it's you can just you can YouTube it. It it's she's all over YouTube, but it's Dana K. White no mass decluttering method, and it that also has changed my life. So um so there's lots of different things. If you want to get started on your own, I would recommend that.

SPEAKER_01 33:21

Okay, and that's great. And there's lots of different ways that you can we've talked about a lot of great tips today that you've given the tango, you know, involving your kids, the bins, the memory bins. There's so much you can do on your own. Yeah. Um, but I feel like a lot of us have a hard time, you know, even getting started. So maybe that's where you just come in and just help kind of give that push of yeah, let's get going and make the space work for you.

SPEAKER_02 33:48

And one thing I really love to do with with clients is to if they're if they're open and willing, I don't have to do this, but I do like to teach as I go along so that you're equipped to maintain the space. Um, I set it up in a way that it you can maintain it, whether or not I teach you the principles or not, but I do feel like hearing the principles as we go through things does really solidify it and does really help you as you even go out into other areas of your home, other areas of your life. Yes.

SPEAKER_01 34:18

Excellent. I love that. And I think that you can do so much good for so many people, including myself. I'm really excited about the tips you talked about today. What we already talked about that. So let me just ask where can listeners find you and learn more about your services?

SPEAKER_02 34:32

Clarified spaces, and uh, I have it, I have my different packages listed out on the website, and I would love to hear from you.

SPEAKER_01 34:41

Yay! And then you have social media too, right? You're on Facebook. I'm getting started. You're getting started on social media, so I'll link anywhere that anyone can find you there. So let's say that you are one of our amazing clients and Charla is helping you sell your home. Claire's gonna give us some great tips like how does decluttering impact the home's value? What are some areas you know that might be best organized, and you know, just how all-around organization could help you with your home sale.

SPEAKER_02 35:10

Yes. One thing I would recommend is packing up a lot of your belongings, a lot of the unnecessary items that you don't necessarily need to live until the move, and just simplifying the space because you have to keep in mind that when someone comes into your home, they have to envision themselves living there and they have to see life there and they have to see it as a good life. See themselves in the home, not see themselves your things correct. So uh so I would say just simplifying and decluttering, that's always a good idea before a move, anyway. But it also serves a secondary purpose in that it allows people to envision themselves in the home.

SPEAKER_01 35:48

I love that. And you know, I think that is so true. Whenever I hear Charlotte talking to her clients, she normally starts to have that conversation, especially if someone has lived in the home for a very long time. Uh, it can be much harder for them, and you know, maybe where we could partner together to help some of her clients because it can be like we've talked this whole time, emotional. There's a change, a season is happening. Um, and it's a lot to deal with. And some you don't have to do that alone. There's people that can help, right? Like Claire, it's wonderful. What should homeowners prioritize when preparing for showings or open houses? Kind of same thing, just putting your your big things away and just making hiding and yes, and taking away things that personalize the space.

SPEAKER_02 36:33

I think that's pretty pretty common knowledge and real estate. But yeah.

SPEAKER_01 36:37

Something Charlotte normally says too is like you can start packing up your things in boxes and moving them to the garage. Correct. People know you are moving.

SPEAKER_02 36:45

Right, exactly. They see a pile of boxes in the garage, it's not gonna be shocking.

SPEAKER_01 36:49

They know that you're moving, and sometimes I think it can even help mentally that buyer, okay, these people are packing up to leave, they are they are preparing to go. So it I don't know, I feel like that may have like a little bit of an unspoken impact as well. If I see that um I'm showing a home and the home is completely lived in, they haven't started packing, they've done nothing. I as an agent get a little overwhelmed. And I go, Oh, are they gonna be able to close in 30 days? You know, because that's the general timeline is 30 to 45 day closing. Yeah. And where do they stand emotionally with this move? Are they ready to part?

SPEAKER_02 37:29

Yeah, that's interesting.

SPEAKER_01 37:30

Yeah. Yeah, when I that is something I think I've never said it out loud before, but whenever I'm going through a space and it's very lived in, it's not not that I'm a you know, if my clients want to make an offer on it, absolutely, but for myself personally, just my own thoughts, I'm thinking, ooh, is there a little bit of a block here? Are they willing to part with the home if we make an offer? Yeah, how ex accepting will they be of terms? So, Claire, I always like to ask all of my guests on the podcast, can you tell about tell me about a favorite charitable organization if you have one? Because I'd love to share and learn more about it, and our listeners can learn more about it. Okay.

SPEAKER_02 38:03

Um Journey of a Joyful Life. It's Melody Chandler. She has a special needs school in uh in spring. And uh they're actually having their Gala tomorrow. So they're doing a big fundraising event, and um she's just an amazing person, and she has an amazing ministry to these families, and not just the kids at her school, but uh the families that are impacted through her work. So she offers a place that is unlike, I believe, any other for these families to enroll their kids and to receive the kind of care and attention that they need. And the um the progress and the improvements that that they see in these children is unprecedented. It's not something that they would probably ever see in a traditional school setting because the people that she works with are so well trained and they respond to the children's needs in the way that they need to be responded to. Yeah, addressed, addressed is um is life-changing for these kids. And so I can't recommend her organization.

SPEAKER_01 39:12

That's wonderful. Thank you so much for sharing. And I'll be sure to link that too in our show notes, and I'll give a shout-out to Melody on our page so people can learn more about her and and what she's doing because she is doing great work. And I think kind of the overall theme of our podcast today has been different systems, different people. These uniquely talented kids require different systems because they're different people. So this is just a human condition. It's just a human condition we're all working with. And you shouldn't have shame if your home is cluttered, is what I learned today. You should make the space work for you. Do micro burst. Yes, don't try to organize your whole home in one day. Set yourself up for success and for everything else that you need help with, call Claire because she's great and she's gonna take great care of you. So, Claire, I just want to say thank you so much for sitting down with me. It's been a pleasure. Chatting with you feels like chatting with an old friend. I can see why people trust you to come in their homes and help their space because you have a very inviting presence about you. Thank you so much. You're so welcome. Well, thanks again. All right, see y'all uh next week. I'm going to be having more guests trying to help you learn more ways to manage and make your home wonderful. So thanks for listening. Bye.