TOP 100 THINGS YOU NEED LIKE A HOLE IN THE HEAD

We are what we keep. In an age characterized by over-consumption, it appears that objects earn our affections, as opposed to people. As real life professional organizers we confront, head-on, the results of this acquisition phenomenon. Much of it defies logic, not to mention the laws of physics. After 5 years toiling side-by-side with clients, we have come to realize that the problem with too much "stuff" is directly linked to the repeat offenders!! We are talking about the things we see over and over again in homes that, to us, constitute the majority of peoples' clutter. Join us as we take you on tour of The Top 100 Things You Need Like a Hole in the Head.

Join us as we identify some of these items you will find in the *Kitchen*.

Polygamy
We might possibly be entering the age of the demise of the ubiquitous plastic bag. These environmental pariahs have come to symbolize a genuine blight on the collective landscape. Retail outlets are making efforts to replace them with re-usable cloth alternatives. Still, wherever we go, we still find hundreds under the bathroom sink, in broom closets and bags of bags plugging up the floors of wardrobe closets. It is astounding how many can be squeezed into the tiniest of spaces, similar to the surprising number of clowns that emerge from a VW Beetle in the circus. We had one client who lived in a 350 square foot apartment who was stockpiling them for when he got a dog. His landlord did not even allow pets! After a decade or two, poly bags start their own form of decomposition. Ones that once bore food develop unpleasant odors and a slimy feel. It you store things in the opaque ones, its likely that the contents will never see the light of day. You can save a couple for legitimate uses like preventing your hair gel from oozing out all over your clothes in a suitcase or for lining a garbage can.

Challenge: We have one sure-fire solution for getting rid of a big wad in one “swell foop”. When you are working on purging your collectables and bric-a-brac, why not wrap the fragile and breakable items in them, prior to taking them to consignment or thrift store. This allows you to accomplish two organizing tasks at the same time. Your junk will arrive at its ultimate destination unblemished. You will be bag free in no time. Otherwise, invest in a dog. Better still…don’t bring them home with you anymore. Try to remember to pack those reusable cloth bags in your car. Afterall you’ve been purchasing them at various outlets since they hit the marketplace. They’re the ones you remember you have tucked away in a closet at home, when you’re at the check-out counter at the local grocery store.


Mug Shots
Where would most of us be without coffee? We are among the first to admit the importance this precious liquid boasts for our productivity, not to mention regularity. Yet, the question must be raised. What is the appropriate number of coffee cups an individual need own at any one time? Yes, we acknowledge that not all coffee cups are alike. After all, there are cups with saucers, mugs, and ones for demitasse. What we see repeatedly is an army of coffee mugs hung on trees, suspended from under the counter hooks and lined up in formation in our clients’ kitchens. Some folks consider them to be collectable, hoarding cartons full of them in storage spaces. If truth be told, we probably have not even paid for most of them. They find their way in like other promotional items –giveaways at golf tournaments or mementos from conferences and trade shows. Others arrive as part of festive food baskets filled with hard candy. Some are gifts from people who lack imagination. Still others are inherited. One thing’s for sure. In all probability, you won’t find any two that match!

Challenge: If you have an entire cabinet devoted to mugs, you have your work cut out for you. The first cut are any that are chipped, cracked or have a smiley face on the surface. If you have a pellet gun, you can use those for target practice. Then toss the ones that have been through the dishwasher so many times that you can no longer make out what the picture or writing are supposed to mean. Unless you harbor a strong affection for your auto insurance broker, add any bearing the name or logo of his company to the discard heap. If your best friend asks what happened to the lopsided mug she made in her ceramics class for you, tell her it broke. She will never know.