Simplify Your Stuff…

Have you ever felt overwhelmed by all the stuff in your house? Or been late getting out of the door in the morning because you couldn’t find something? I personally can actually feel my shoulders tense up when things get out of control and spaces become cluttered, which makes me feel crazy and bogged down.

Anyway, earlier in the year I wrote a post about shoes and there was a cute comment from “Simplify Your Stuff.” I liked the comment but I liked that name even more and immediately went to the site. I mean heck, I’ve been trying to simplify my stuff and space for what seems forever, so I was intrigued. Well, turns out there’s a woman in town who does just that…

After a few messages back and forth I met Molly Orendorff, creator and owner of Simplify Your Stuff, Lifestyle Services so I could pick her brain, find out a bit about her, and share her story. And to be honest, I wanted to make sure she was a real person and someone with information I thought would be beneficial to our readers. (She is real!)

We met at the Cliff House in Manitou Springs for a bite of lunch while we visited and got to know each other and honestly, after just a few minutes, I felt like I had known Molly for a really long time because she’s just so open, honest and enthusiastic. I was struck by her passion in helping others, having the skills to do so, and the fact that she turned something that she enjoys doing into a business.

A BIT ABOUT MOLLY…

Molly and her family moved to Colorado Springs from Durango in the summer of 2012, which of course was the summer of the Waldo Canyon fire, which made some of their friends think they were crazy. After helping a friend organize a playroom, the friend was so impressed, she encouraged Molly to start her own business. At first she said she was hesitant, saying she found it hard to believe that people would pay for a service like hers. Of course Molly doesn’t think of it as work, but more as fun. After performing a few more organizational miracles, with fantastic responses, she created Simplify Your Stuff in the summer of 2014.

With a Bachelor’s Degree in Human Development and Family Studies from Penn State, Molly said she finds it a big help when it comes to helping people simplify, explaining, “The process of simplifying is strongly tied to our attachments to things and our day-to-day behavior patterns. I’m not a licensed counselor or therapist, but I do use some pieces from my counseling courses when working with clients who are struggling to let go of items.” I admit I can struggle with getting rid of things that I know I will never use but for some reason just keep keeping, taking up space in our home and in my mind.

DE-CLUTTER VS. SIMPLIFY –

Molly said, “There is a fabulous quote that says, ‘Don’t just de-clutter. De-own.'” The reason she loves that quote she explained was because “Clutter is stuff that doesn’t have a permanent place (or you didn’t put it in its permanent place!) But most of us have clutter because we don’t have enough room to put things away. Most of what is put away is stuff we don’t need or use. So…if you simplify-or downsize-your stuff, you’ll free up space to put things away.”

Now here’s what really got my attention…Molly added, “I don’t really like using the word ‘downsize’ because it sounds like you’re getting rid of everything you love to live with hardly anything…it’s not about getting rid of what you love – it’s about making space for what you love.”

Here’s an example of what Molly can do…

HOW “SIMPLIFY YOUR STUFF” WORKS…

Molly offers a FREE 1 hour consultation which gives her a chance to walk through the space you need help with, which can be a single room, an attic, the garage, or the entire house. Then she’ll sit down with you to discuss your needs, goals, and what your frustration areas might be, (you know those spaces or rooms that you just shut the door or closet to in order to stay sane). She will listen to what the client envisions for the newly organized space and help you achieve it. She also uses this consultation period to make sure it’s a good fit between the client and herself, saying it’s important that the client and organizer mesh well in order to have the most productive session(s).

After the consultation, a 4 hour session is scheduled, where you work together as you go through items, determining if it’s useful and beautiful to you. If not, out it goes, preferably donating or recycling. (Of course she’s not going to force you to toss something or bully you into getting rid of things you love. Like she said earlier, she wants you to be surrounded by things you love and make you feel good.) Molly typically schedules sessions in 4 hour blocks so you can get the most done without burning out at the end. If a space will take about 5 hours, she’ll do the entire thing at once but said really, anything past 6 hours can get to be a bit too much for everyone. (I don’t know about you but I’ve burned out before getting something totally finished and then end up tossing the stuff I didn’t get to, back into the space I was working on, and I find myself cranky and out of sorts and then don’t want to organize, simplify or de-clutter anything for another year…so I get the way she works!)

Molly is also a big believer in repurposing and finding creative storage options you already have to organize your items so there’s no need to run out and buy a bunch of containers. I mean seriously, some of those storage specialty items can cost more money than what you’re storing, which makes no sense to me at all.

SO…

If you need to de-clutter, organize, downsize, rearrange, pack or unpack a house or you just want to simplify your surroundings, clearing out the clutter that can create chaos, and feel more relaxed in your own space, I think you would enjoy Molly and what she can do for you. Remember, this is a woman who gets excited to clean out a junk drawer or organize a closet. Just like when you exercise and those endorphins kick in, Molly gets into her ‘flow’ when she’s de-cluttering and organizing, while making the process fun and fulfilling.

THE RESULTS –

I love what some of Molly’s clients have said about their own experience…

“She is crazy passionate about what she does and it shows the minute she walks through the door. She has been to my house several times and I wish she could just live with me honestly!”

And what I think a lot of us want for our homes…

“Her help has inspired me to not just organize, but to really make this space reflect us.”

If you’re interested in seeing how Molly and Simplify Your Stuff can help organize, simplify, rearrange, de-clutter, or make your own space more organized….

Check out Molly’s “Simplify Your Stuff” site for more information and make sure to click on the “Free Calendar” link for your FREE ‘4 Weeks to Clutter-Free Living’ Calendar.

http://www.simplify-your-stuff.com/