Being organized and free of clutter offers peace of mind and a confidence that you can get on with the things that matter, day to day. It saves you time hunting for things amongst the mess and can even encourage you to stay in touch with people, knowing that you can welcome friends into a tidy home you are proud of.

The process of getting to that point can make you feel just as good.

What does being organised mean to you?
You may not need perfection, just to be able to see the floor. Maybe aesthetics aren’t most important to you but rather function. Does cooking bring you joy but the kitchen doesn’t. Would you rather be in your garden than tidying up after the kids.
Decide what freedom within the home feels like to you.

Where to start?
Start where it means the most to you. Maybe you have a favourite spot to sit and relax. If this is cluttered with ‘unhelpful stuff’ then start here. You’ll feel good just getting started on your favourite place.

Tidy to music
Turn the radio up or tidy to your favourite playlist. If music makes you feel good, then why not.
 
Set a deadline
You’ll feel encouraged to get on with it if you know when you are going to stop. Set a timeline to be sure not to let the clutter dictate the terms.

Out with the unwanted
If you’ve collected a pile of unwanted items, make sure you get them out of the house. Arrange to donate them, bin them or take them to a recycling depot. Knowing they out of the way and not stuffed into a cupboard, to be dealt with later, will give you great satisfaction.

Weekends are for you
If you must do some sorting on the weekend, be sure to keep it short and sweet. You don’t want to get to the end of your weekend and feel like you’ve wasted the whole time tidying.

Do it with a friend
It’s easier to start organising and stick with it when you can share it with someone. Let your friends or family know you are ‘getting organised’. You might find it encourages them to get organised with you. Set up a weekly challenge and check back in with each other on your progress. Offer each other encouragement, any tips you’ve discovered on the way, or the opportunity to help each other so you can chat while you work.

Treat yourself
Maintain momentum when you’re organising by planning a treat when the job is done. Schedule a lunch out with friends. Set a date to host a get together in your newly organised home. Buy yourself a bunch of flowers or catch a movie.
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In the end, its often the simple stuff that’s tough to do. So turn the tough stuff into a process that you can enjoy. In your home, if you feel free, you will feel good.

A messy, unorganised house can be frustrating and absorb more of your time and energy than it should. It can overwhelm you and make living seem harder.

When your house gets to this point, you know you need to do something about it.

Start 2020 with a change of perspective and a fresh look. Turn your house into a home that makes you feel welcome, not burdened by the clutter.

It need only take a few hours, or a few days to make a big difference and create lovely spaces that can work for you, not against you. 

You may be able to make great changes yourself or you may need guidance and hands-on action to achieve it.

Bluebird knows how to build a good nest. Just get in touch.

Food, decorations, cake, drinks, party bags, presents... there are always so many things to plan and prepare for a party. There are also many ways to make it easier to prepare for a party.

One simple way is a permanent party supplies box!

Buy yourself a tub and stock it with all of the regular supplies you always need; cups; plates; cutlery; serviettes; table cloth; rubbish bags; balloon pump; etc.

Whether you prefer disposable items or washable plastics, it's a great way to keep your party supplies handy and ready to pick up and go.

Another great way to keep a party box is to share it with a group of friends. Make it a communal party supplies box! Each time a friend hosts a party they simply use the party box, replenish supplies and keep it until the next host needs it.

Stock it with permanent, washable plastics/picnic ware - sharing the cost among the group - and you save money; time spent buying more disposables; and, the environment.

When your home is overwhelmed with clutter and you are at the point of despair; when it’s not just a matter of organising one room but rather you need to refresh and redesign your whole home; just the thought of it is exhausting.

I myself, was a little overwhelmed thinking about how to write this and what tips to give. There are just so many ways of doing it and so many little tricks that can make it easier.

I decided to pare it back to the essentials. The intricacies and details will be ironed out as you get going.

The most IMPORTANT rules to follow when organising and decluttering a whole home are:

• Always organise first the spaces that will give you the most immediate benefit
• Divide the home and even rooms into small spaces and thus small, achievable projects
• Work on one space at a time and start small
• Set up a weekly planner so that each space is allocated a suitable period of time

 
Getting started:

• Draw yourself a mud map of your home. Sketch in the doors, windows and furniture. Jot down notes pertaining to each space. An example may be ‘move this book shelf to the study’. Put it up on a wall and check back with it each time you start organising a space.
• Itemise each space based on priority. Always start with the space most used and work out from there.
• Designate a space or room for your ‘junk’ pile. As you work on a space you will find items that don’t belong. The ‘junk’ pile will be their new home – FOR NOW. This pile may get quite big but don’t let that worry you. Just know that as you reorganise you will be creating space and homes for these things that can then be reallocated to their rightful place at the end. This is also a great way to be able to filter into sub-piles such as ‘Donate’, ‘Bin’, ‘Recycle’.
• With each space ask:
  • What is this space used for?
  • Who will use it?
  • How will it be used?
  • What furniture is essential for the space?
  • Are there adequate thoroughfares and is the floor space clear enough?

 
Now you’re on a roll:

• Label your Storage which allows you to quickly and easily scan the contents
• Make a station for keys and wallets so that you’ll always know where they are when you need them
• A place for everything and hopefully everything will go back to its place
• Likes with likes because it just makes sense and saves you time searching for things
• Keep items for your favourite activity all together as it is important to make it easy to enjoy the things you love
• Set activity zones such as playroom zones like; the lego area; reading area; construction area, etc.
• Set up vertical storage to get things off the floor and keep everything visible
• One space at a time so you avoid getting overwhelmed
• Declutter regularly to avoid clutter build up again

 
Need hands-on help? Contact Bluebird.

Is it time to sort the bday cards, letters, school master pieces, keepsakes and memorabilia?

If you don't have a regular spot to store these things and they tend to clutter in the corners of drawers and pile up on bench tops and shelves, how about getting them all together and making a home for them. You'll clear space and always know where your treasured memories are hidden.

Head to a variety store (Red Dot, Discount stores, Thingz, etc.) and collect some funky boxes. Colourful boxes are great as you can simply lift the lid, throw your keepsakes in and stack them on a shelf. They are both functional and decorative. Alternatively, fit them neatly into a spare drawer, at the bottom or top of wardrobes.

If you need larger storage, head to storage stores (Bunnings, Officeworks, Kmart, etc.) for plastic storage tubs. There are two great plastic tub options:
1. Document tubs are shaped and sized to fit A4 and A3 paper and files. Great for school reports, uni projects and the like.
2. Under-bed storage tubs are long and low. They hold a lot and are simple to roll in and out from under beds. Keep a couple under each bed and your keepsakes storage is ready to use anytime.

If you keep every little thing that comes home from school or every card you ever get, you may need to get tough, and be a little selective.

That said, whether you want to keep everything or just the best, making a permanent home for it will make keeping the memories easy forever more.

Keeping organised in the home is not just about where things go and how we use them. It is also about creating a home we enjoy being in. Indoor plants are a great way of creating spaces that feel good and compliment our lives.

By surrounding ourselves with plants, we can create a sort of natural, living sanctuary, which can help reduce stress and create a feeling of well-being. 

The process of caring for plants offers a sense of accomplishment. This is good for the soul. 

Plants help lower background noise. Plants and their leaves absorb, diffract or reflect background noise, thereby positively influencing the acoustics of the space and making the home quieter and more peaceful. 

Not only do indoor plants add colour and liveliness to your space, but they can also be used to screen unattractive areas, and moderate room temperature by shading hot, bright areas . 

Plants help improve air quality by reducing carbon dioxide levels, turning it into oxygen and thereby improving air quality. They can also reduce levels of certain pollutants in your home. Place several plants together, and you can increase the humidity of a room, which helps keep respiratory distresses at bay.

There are heaps of great places to find indoor plants, gorgeous pots to put them in, and, helpful advice and guidance on choosing them. 

​Choose just one to get started or create a little oasis in a space you love. It's so easy and so good for you.

Everyone has paperwork. Everyone can get lost in it too. Here are some simple steps to get your office sorted and keep you in control of it.

1. Purge - de-clutter, empty, shred, get rid of everything that you don’t need or want. One area at a time.

2. Gather and redistribute - gather up every item that isn’t where it belongs and put it where it does.

3. Establish work ‘zones’ - there are usually 3 main spaces in an office: 1 workspace / desk; 2 reference area with filing, cabinet, shelves, binders; and, 3 supply area with shelves or drawers.

4. Close proximity - position the equipment and supplies that you use most within reach.

5. Label - shelves, bins, baskets, drawers. This is for you and anyone else who might use the office.

6. Filing system - what can your store digitally? Are you duplicating files? You may be able to eliminate some of the files and folders you’ve used in the past.

7. Clear your work desk - remove everything, clean it thoroughly and put back only those items that are essential for daily use.

8. Organise your desktop and drawers - use desktop organizers and trays. Put items used together in the same drawer space, eg. stamps with envelopes, sticky pads with notepads. Use drawer organizers for little items like paper clips, tacks. Use a separate drawer for personal items.

9. Clear the piles - go through the pile (a little at a time if necessary) and put it in the appropriate place or dump it.

10. Sort mail - sort it as soon as you get it, into trays: Action, Read, File, Delegate.

11. Assign discard dates - mark on files or documents when they can be tossed or shredded.

Straighten your desk at the end of the day so you have a clean start for the next.