Tidy Home, Tidy Life!

Make room for better things in 2022 with a little spring cleaning. Feeling overwhelmed and don’t know where to start? Here are our fave tips to decluttering your space in style! 

Start Where You Can 

By now, you probably know that if you start with letters or sentimental collections, this tidying project will fizzle out even before it begins. So start in a place where you can let go easily—clothes you haven’t worn in years, kitchenware you’ve never touched, all the tacky wedding souvenirs gathering dust. 

Whether you choose to work by room or by category, do what works for you. Feel the stress melting away as you start to see the bottom of your closet or work desk! The initial satisfaction of making headway in your junk will give you a boost, and help power you through when nostalgia and second-guessing eventually slow you down. 

To Keep Or Not To Keep? 

The pandemic has been quite effective at helping us narrow down what is truly important. But when you find yourself hopelessly attached to too many things, ask yourself if they deserve to take up space in the life you are making for yourself and your family from now on. Is it essential? Or, as Marie Kondo would say, does it spark joy? And if you’re still on the fence about something, you’ll find it’s much easier to let go when you imagine how it can be of better use in someone else’s home. 

Buried Treasure 

Part of the joy of decluttering is rediscovering things you love and have (perhaps too expertly) hidden away. Those beautiful dishes you were gifted at your wedding? That treasured necklace from mom? Stop waiting for a special occasion; enjoy them now. 

A Place for Everything 

Once you’ve decluttered and pared down your belongings, you can assess your space and see if you’ll need the help of nifty organizers and storage solutions to keep things tidy. The key is to assign a place for everything, and make sure you continue to keep everything in its proper place. 

Remember to think of storage solutions not as temporary fixes, but home accessories you will live with, so it’s essential to buy them in the correct dimensions and style that suits your space. Some ideas:

• Instead of unsightly plastic bins, opt for sustainable handwoven abaca organizers to corral everything from home office supplies, to toys to pet accessories. Meanwhile, chic desk organizers in Tinalak weaves can inject local sophistication in your work-from-home space.

• Lined seagrass baskets are lovely to use for small linens and towels, helping to keep guestrooms looking neat, warm, and welcoming.

• In the kitchen pantry, abaca baskets neatly organize everything from teas to table linens and cutlery. Label as you please! Meanwhile, nito trays with geometric prints handwoven by Mangyan artisans make great table accessories. Use them for storing fruit and veg, serving snacks, or jazzing up your tablespace.

• In the bedroom, even the smallest adjustments can make a big difference. Replace plastic dividers with lovely mother of pearl trays to display your favorite jewelry. Meanwhile, keep a tikog or solihiya caddy within easy reach on your bed or couch to hold your current read, TV remote, mobile phone, and rosary. When your surroundings are pleasant and tidy, it helps put you in a state of clarity and ease.

Love the good energy that seems to flow about the house after spring cleaning? Make it a habit to declutter regularly so things don’t pile up. Most importantly, get the whole family involved by assigning them their own spaces to keep tidy so it’s a group effort, made even more meaningful by donating gently used goods to those in need. Streamline, tidy up, take pride in a space you love.