Dear Joyful Surroundings, There’s an odor in my fridge. I’ve got a new box of baking soda in there but it doesn’t see to be working.  Thanks for listening, M, Colorado Dear M, We have huge fridges these days, nothing like the small, sleek models of my youth a hundred years ago in England, when…

Remember when you were a kid and your room (or the bit of the bedroom you staked out as your territory) was the only place you had to keep everything? The bed, which doubled as your couch, was squashed in between the dresser and the table, all your books and toys and projects vying for…

My son likes snakes and I don’t.  He would happily fill his room with cages full of carefully selected specimens and  meet all their serpentine needs. I’d happily never see one again. Our compromise is that he has a couple of small pet snakes in his room and I tell myself  if I can’t see…

Some days you’re just not feeling it. You’re still sick of not being able to find anything, you still really want to have your grandkids stay over, you still want to get the car in the garage and have friends over. But you look at the living room and it’s just too much. Too much…

“Want to give me the tour?” I asked as Jason stood in front of me, awkwardly shifting his weight from one foot to the other. I’d seen photographs of his house already and we’d talked about his organizing goals but I could see how stressful it was for him to finally let someone into his…

When it comes to decluttering, the focus is usually on how things look. Look at that bedroom! I can’t see the bed! I don’t see how all those clothes can possibly fit in the closet. But we have five senses and they all come into play when deciding what to do with clutter. Paying attention…

Do you continually find yourself running late despite your best intentions? Here’s how to make that a thing of the past. Side effects include improved friendships, feelings of being trustworthy and a decrease in overall stress. Your appointment with Polly Punctual is at 11 am. She’s always understanding when you end up screeching into the…

Twenty minutes decluttering a day is the slow and steady way to lasting change but sometimes it feels like you’re spinning your wheels. When you start to wonder if it’s worth it, check in with yourself and see if you’re making things harder than they need to be. Are you all over the map? If…

Coming up with the perfect outfit is too much brain work first thing in the morning. You keep meaning to set out your clothes the night before but by the time evening comes, all you really want to do is brush your teeth and roll into bed. If you create your own personalized catalog, you’ll…

If you’re a minimalist, the sort who happily gets down to one roll of t-paper before heading for the store, you’ve probably started buying a little more lately. If you’re more of a packrat, you’ve most likely struggled to find space for everything you’ve been buying this month to beef up your supplies. You know…

This stay at home order has been hell on wheels for anyone who’s been putting off getting organized. Tempers are frayed as the day starts off with a mad dash to sweep the dining room table clean before the online meetings commence. How Awesome Would It Be to Have Gotten Organized Six Months Ago? In…

You know how to get started with your decluttering project. You’ve eaten, you’ve used the bathroom, you have water with you and you’ve set your timer for twenty minutes. You’ve picked a category of things to work on and you have those things all in front of you. Now what? How do you actually declutter? Big…