Simplify Expert is Featured in ‘The Seattle Times’

While it happens regularly, it’s still always so exciting when Simplify Experts is featured in the media! Owner/Founder Denise Allan is in the July 14, 2023, issue of The Seattle Times:

The kitchen counter is prime real estate. Anything that’s out should be things you use every day, says Denise Allan, a certified professional organizer and owner of Simplify Experts in Redmond. Make sure there’s a clear landing zone for papers away from any heat source. Allan has been to two houses that had kitchen fires that were started by papers placed too close to the stove.

If you use something once a week, it can go in a cupboard. If it’s once a month or less, it goes to longer-term storage. Allan keeps her holiday dishes in seasonal bins, not her kitchen. You could get a rolling shelving unit for the garage; one shelf for Costco overstock, one shelf for small appliances you don’t use frequently.

Speaking of appliances, be honest about what you actually use, not the fantasy Top Chef version of you.

With summer quickly approaching, you’ll want to start getting your outdoor space ready and take advantage of any yard space that you have. Whether you have a few acres of land that you can utilize or a modest but cozy patio, make the most of it for you and your family to enjoy. It can be difficult to organize your outdoor area due to limited space or storage, so using up as much yard space as possible will benefit you.

An organized outdoor space will not only help to keep your yard looking prim and proper, but it’ll also help to keep it maintained at all times. Minimize the amount of clutter you have, create zones, utilize your outdoor storage, and create a safe environment for your family and friends.

home organizing, outdoor living

What Is Swedish Death Cleaning? The Trending Organization Method Isn’t as Morbid as It Sounds

May 4, 2023
by Mackenzie Schmidt
from People.com

Despite its bummer of a name, the organizing ethos that’s about to sweep the nation is actually incredibly life-affirming.

In the new show, The Gentle Art of Swedish Death Cleaning (now streaming on Peacock) three experts — organizer Ellinor Engström, designer Johan Svenson and psychologist Katarina Blom — touch down in Kansas City, Missouri, to help declutter the homes (and lives) of clients of all ages. Think: the practical advice of Tidying Up with Marie Kondo mixed with the tear-jerking personal transformations of Queer Eye.

home organizing

Paper Overload? What to File, What to Digitize, and What to Shred or Recycle

Paper. It’s one of the things we just can’t live without, though most of us try to minimize our use of it, and recycle or shred what we can. The U.S. Mail brings us an excess of paper daily, most of it junk. When any major life event happens—marriage or divorce, purchasing or selling a home, starting a business—there will be a small mountain of paperwork to contend with. And when tax season rolls around, the paper pile-up is inevitable, especially if you’ve got a complicated tax situation requiring receipts and forms. Should you keep all this paperwork in a giant file cabinet, or can some things be digitized or shredded? Our guide will help you begin the process of lightening your paper load.

paperwork, recycling, shredding

A Clean and Tidy Home Can Boost Your Mental Health—Here’s Where to Start

by Shelby Deering
February 27, 2023
from RealSimple.com

Take small steps toward a cleaner home and improved well-being, even if you’re totally unmotivated.

Some symptoms of depression are well known: lethargy, a loss of interest in things you once found enjoyable (known as anhedonia), hopelessness, and deep sadness. But there are other depression warning signs you may not be aware of: stacks of dirty dishes in the sink; a towering pile of unfolded laundry that you washed days ago; boxes, wrappers, and bags dotting the disheveled landscape of your home.

home organizing, Mental Health

How “Doom Boxes” Can Help You Tame Clutter

by Laura Wheatman Hill
December 17, 2022
from Apartment Therapy

I recently started seeing videos in the ADHD corner of TikTok about “doom boxes,” an ominous name for something I thought everyone did, regardless of their neurotypical or neurodivergent status. Turns out, maybe not.

ADHD, decluttering, home organizing

Mid-Winter Home Organizing Projects (Indoors, Where It’s Warm!)

It’s cold, it’s wet, and it’s oh-so-very cozy inside your warm and inviting home! This doesn’t mean there’s nothing productive to do. Mid-winter is an excellent time to tackle a few indoor home organizing projects, before the sun starts making a regular appearance and you’ll want to be outdoors. We’ve got some ideas for this—some will take only an hour or two, while a few could take a day or a weekend.

decluttering, home organizing, winter

A Complete Guide to Makeup Expiration Dates—and How Often to Replace Every Toiletry You Own

October 29, 2022
from RealSimple.com

It’s probably time to replace your toothbrush (and mascara and lip gloss and razor blades).

Raise your hand if you’ve had a tube of (definitely expired) mascara knocking around in your makeup bag for over a year now. Or how about a lipstick you’ve been swiping on for a decade? Unless you routinely set aside time to clean out your cosmetics stash, it’s all too easy to keep makeup, toiletries, grooming tools, and medications long after their expiration dates. We’re all guilty of it—but it’s time to make a change.

bathroom organizing, makeup

Clever Organizing Solutions for Your Crowded Kitchen Drawers

Do your kitchen drawers need a makeover? We’ve all got a junk drawer (okay, maybe two), so that’s okay. But if you’ve got more than one drawer that sometimes get stuck because it’s overfilled, or if it takes you too much time to find something in a drawer, then it may be time to do a little decluttering and reorganizing in those areas. Set aside a few hours to pare down your problem drawers’ contents, and then place the remaining contents back into the drawers. To help them stay neat and well laid out, we’ve got some clever drawer organizing solutions.

kitchen organizing

13 Lesser-Known Places to Donate After Decluttering

January 1, 2023
by Brittney Morgan and Trisha Sprouse
from apartment therapy

Decluttering your home is just plain good for the soul. For starters, getting rid of any superfluous items tends to bring more harmony into your space, since it leaves you with a more curated collection of belongings that you know you need. But there’s a more meaningful benefit as well.

decluttering, donations