Shows
The Clutter Fairy WeeklyPositive Psychology for Clearing Clutter from Your Home and Head - The Clutter Fairy Weekly #254Decluttering can yield many psychological benefits, such as reduced stress and anxiety and a greater sense of calm. These gains can in turn make the work of decluttering and organizing more effective and rewarding. In episode #254 of The Clutter Fairy Weekly, Gayle Goddard, professional organizer and owner of The Clutter Fairy in Houston, Texas, suggests ways to apply principles of positive psychology to clarify and energize our decluttering efforts.Show notes: https://cfhou.com/tcfw254The Clutter Fairy Weekly is a live webcast and podcast designed to help you clear your clutter and...2025-05-0857 min
The Clutter Fairy WeeklyDining Rooms: Traditional, Multifunctional, or Gone Out of Style? - The Clutter Fairy Weekly #253Contemporary home design has moved away from dining rooms in favor of open plans, great rooms, breakfast nooks, and other concepts. But some of us still live with formal dining rooms—or at least the furniture that went with them. In episode #253 of The Clutter Fairy Weekly, Gayle Goddard, professional organizer and owner of The Clutter Fairy in Houston, Texas, explores the changing role of dining rooms and how families incorporate dining-room functionality in modern homes and lifestyles.Show notes: https://cfhou.com/tcfw253The Clutter Fairy Weekly is a live webcast and po...2025-05-0355 min
The Clutter Fairy WeeklyWork with a Professional Organizer…or Organize Like You’re a Pro - The Clutter Fairy Weekly #252Working with a professional organizer can help you take the fast lane to functional, clutter-free spaces. But even if you can’t hire an organizer, you can handle your decluttering and organizing projects with a professional’s care, creativity, and attention to detail. In episode #252 of The Clutter Fairy Weekly, Gayle Goddard, professional organizer and owner of The Clutter Fairy in Houston, Texas, discusses the process of working with a professional organizer and how you can apply a professional approach to managing your own projects.Show notes: https://cfhou.com/tcfw252The Clutter Fair...2025-04-251h 00
The Clutter Fairy WeeklyBalancing Act: Managing Your Decluttering Projects and Priorities - The Clutter Fairy Weekly #251Not all decluttering and organizing tasks are created equal. Some projects give us a fresh look at our cherished belongings; others are just plain chores. But they all need to get done. In episode #251 of The Clutter Fairy Weekly, Gayle Goddard, professional organizer and owner of The Clutter Fairy in Houston, Texas, suggests ways to leverage your strengths and minimize negative feelings as you strive for balance in decluttering project priorities.Show notes: https://cfhou.com/tcfw251The Clutter Fairy Weekly is a live webcast and podcast designed to help you clear your...2025-04-041h 02
The Clutter Fairy WeeklyChildren’s Artwork | Attractive Storage | Turning Into Your Mother - The Clutter Fairy Weekly #250Children’s artwork—how much is too much to keep? Can you help with more appealing decorative storage solutions? Do I have to worry about turning into my mother? In episode #250 of The Clutter Fairy Weekly, Gayle Goddard, professional organizer and owner of The Clutter Fairy in Houston, Texas, offers guidance on how much kids’ artwork to keep and answers more questions from our viewers and listeners. Show notes: https://cfhou.com/tcfw250The Clutter Fairy Weekly is a live webcast and podcast designed to help you clear your clutter and make space in you...2025-03-2523 min
The Clutter Fairy WeeklyGive Stuff Away Through Creative Donation, plus More Short Topics - The Clutter Fairy Weekly #249We’ve talked a lot about the usual donation destinations—charity stores, creative-reuse centers, the curb, etc.—but what about unusual ideas for donation? We want to hear our audience’s favorite suggestions and share a few of our own. In episode #249 of The Clutter Fairy Weekly, Gayle Goddard, professional organizer and owner of The Clutter Fairy in Houston, Texas, discusses unconventional places to take donated items—plus other short topics suggested by our audience.Show notes: https://cfhou.com/tcfw249The Clutter Fairy Weekly is a live webcast and podcast designed to help you c...2025-03-211h 02
The Clutter Fairy WeeklyBook Club: Goodbye, Things: The New Japanese Minimalism (Sasaki) - The Clutter Fairy Weekly #248In Goodbye, Things, author Fumio Sasaki shares his personal story of becoming a minimalist. The book also offers lots of tips for saying goodbye to stuff and explores the results of Sasaki’s profound change in lifestyle. In episode #248 of The Clutter Fairy Weekly, Gayle Goddard, professional organizer and owner of The Clutter Fairy in Houston, Texas, reviews Goodbye, Things and discusses the lessons we can take from this popular book about a minimalist approach to decluttering.Show notes: https://cfhou.com/tcfw248The Clutter Fairy Weekly is a li...2025-03-131h 03
The Clutter Fairy WeeklyPaper Problems: Pile-purging Practices for Productivity and Peace - The Clutter Fairy Weekly #247It’s time once again to parse the particular problems that paper poses. We’ll examine the habits and beliefs that lead to heaps, folders, boxes, bags, bins, and drawers full of bills, receipts, records, recipes, clippings, statements, magazines, and more. In episode #247 of The Clutter Fairy Weekly, Gayle Goddard, professional organizer and owner of The Clutter Fairy in Houston, Texas, discusses the reasons we keep more paper than we need and offers pointers for purging your personal paper piles.Show notes: https://cfhou.com/tcfw247Links mentioned in this episode:Pr...2025-03-0758 min
The Clutter Fairy WeeklyGayle Unscripted: What Do We Really Need? and Other Questions - The Clutter Fairy Weekly EXTRAHer co-host was out sick, so Gayle bravely wrangled the show all by herself with only her native wit and magic wand for support! In this special episode of The Clutter Fairy Weekly, Gayle Goddard, professional organizer and owner of The Clutter Fairy in Houston, Texas, answers audience questions about the nature of “need,” shopping, keepsakes, estate and auction sales, breaking down large projects, and procrastination.Show notes: https://cfhou.com/tcfwextra01The Clutter Fairy Weekly is a live webcast and podcast designed to help you clear your clutter and make space in your...2025-02-2657 min
The Clutter Fairy WeeklyExcavate the Welcome Mat: Declutter and Organize for Entertaining - The Clutter Fairy Weekly #246The desire to open our homes to family and friends is a fundamental human need. But clutter-impaired people often let shame, fear of judgment, and the physical condition of their homes stand in the way of the fun and fulfillment of entertaining. In episode #246 of The Clutter Fairy Weekly, Gayle Goddard, professional organizer and owner of The Clutter Fairy in Houston, Texas, talks about what guests need from us and suggests ways to start entertaining even if your space is still a work in progress.Show notes: https://cfhou.com/tcfw246The Clutter...2025-02-2059 min
The Clutter Fairy WeeklySignificant Others: Decluttering with (or in Spite of) Other People - The Clutter Fairy Weekly #245Do the people with whom you share your space complicate your decluttering process? Living companions with conflicting household habits and routines can sabotage our efforts to get organized. And sometimes even those who live alone aren’t free from outside interference with our stuff. In episode #245 of The Clutter Fairy Weekly, Gayle Goddard, professional organizer and owner of The Clutter Fairy in Houston, Texas, discusses how to work with—or around—the other people who contribute to clutter in our homes.Show notes: https://cfhou.com/tcfw245The Clutter Fairy Weekly is a live w...2025-02-1256 min
The Clutter Fairy WeeklyBumps in the Road: How Major Life Events Complicate Our Organizing - The Clutter Fairy Weekly #244Big life changes can derail our productive routines, introduce new sources of clutter, and complicate the work of decluttering and organizing in frustrating and unexpected ways. In episode #244 of The Clutter Fairy Weekly, Gayle Goddard, professional organizer and owner of The Clutter Fairy in Houston, Texas, explains how major events confound our efforts to organize and suggests strategies for keeping momentum in spite of life’s interruptions.Show notes: https://cfhou.com/tcfw244The Clutter Fairy Weekly is a live webcast and podcast designed to help you clear your clutter and make space in...2025-02-0658 min
The Clutter Fairy WeeklyRe-cluttering Anxiety | Thrifting | Lasting Effects of Decluttering - The Clutter Fairy Weekly #243Do Clutter Fairy clients experience “re-cluttering anxiety”? What do Gayle and Ed look for in thrift shops? How have our lives changed as a result of our own decluttering efforts? In episode #243 of The Clutter Fairy Weekly, Gayle Goddard, professional organizer and owner of The Clutter Fairy in Houston, Texas, answers viewer and listener questions and discusses short topics suggested by our audience in our surveys and through other channels.Show notes: https://cfhou.com/tcfw243The Clutter Fairy Weekly is a live webcast and podcast designed to help you clear your clutter and...2025-01-301h 00
The Clutter Fairy WeeklyModify Your Mindset for More Productive Decluttering and Organizing - The Clutter Fairy Weekly #242The mindset with which we approach organizing challenges can have a huge impact on the results we achieve. An unproductive or negative mindset can halt our progress when we’ve barely gotten into motion. In episode #242 of The Clutter Fairy Weekly, Gayle Goddard, professional organizer and owner of The Clutter Fairy in Houston, Texas, examines the impact of mindset on decluttering and suggests strategies to shift our thinking to be more growth-oriented and productive.Show notes: https://cfhou.com/tcfw242The Clutter Fairy Weekly is a live webcast and podcast designed to help yo...2025-01-2258 min
The Clutter Fairy WeeklyHeart of the Home: Declutter and Organize Your Kitchen and Pantry - The Clutter Fairy Weekly #241In most homes, the kitchen is a hive of activity, but all that traffic can lead to confusion and disagreement about how it should be used and what belongs in this mission-critical space. In episode #241 of The Clutter Fairy Weekly, Gayle Goddard, professional organizer and owner of The Clutter Fairy in Houston, Texas, slices and dices the problem of kitchen clutter and suggests recipes for streamlining the heart of your family’s life.Show notes: https://cfhou.com/tcfw241The Clutter Fairy Weekly is a live webcast and podcast designed to help you cl...2025-01-151h 00
The Clutter Fairy WeeklyBack to Basics: The Clutter Fairy Reviews Organizing Fundamentals - The Clutter Fairy Weekly #240Getting organized is simple, but it’s not always easy. For your project to achieve its best results, you need a realistic plan and a clear, consistent process. In episode #240 of The Clutter Fairy Weekly, Gayle Goddard, professional organizer and owner of The Clutter Fairy in Houston, Texas, reviews the basic process you can follow to succeed with any decluttering and organizing project.Show notes: https://cfhou.com/tcfw240The Clutter Fairy Weekly is a live webcast and podcast designed to help you clear your clutter and make space in your home and yo...2025-01-0854 min
The Clutter Fairy WeeklyHappy New Year! Crowd-sourced Inspiration to Energize Your 2025 - The Clutter Fairy Weekly #239How can we energize and inspire ourselves to make 2025 our best organizing and decluttering year yet? We asked our audience, then gathered our favorite responses. In special episode #239 of The Clutter Fairy Weekly, Gayle Goddard, professional organizer and owner of The Clutter Fairy in Houston, Texas, shares our audience’s favorite inspirational sayings and affirmations—and where we find our motivation.Show notes: https://cfhou.com/tcfw239The Clutter Fairy Weekly is a live webcast and podcast designed to help you clear your clutter and make space in your home and your life for...2024-12-3108 min
The Clutter Fairy WeeklyHappy Holidays! Self-care Tips for the Festive Season - The Clutter Fairy Weekly #238Happy holidays from The Clutter Fairy family to you and yours! In special episode #238 of The Clutter Fairy Weekly, Gayle Goddard, professional organizer and owner of The Clutter Fairy in Houston, Texas, expresses our holiday wish that you’ll set aside a moment for self-care during this season. We hope a peaceful pause will leave you in better health and spirits and more ready to enjoy time with the people you love.The text of this message and additional information can be found at https://cfhou.com/tcfw238.The Clutter Fairy Weekly is a...2024-12-2404 min
The Clutter Fairy WeeklyStrategy for Success: Make a Plan for a More Organized 2025 - The Clutter Fairy Weekly #237We’re counting down the remaining days until the new year. This is a great time to celebrate the decluttering and organizing progress you’ve made in 2024 and to make plans for a successful 2025. In episode #237 of The Clutter Fairy Weekly, Gayle Goddard, professional organizer and owner of The Clutter Fairy in Houston, Texas, explores how to choose, plan, and strategize your next big—or small—organizing project.Show notes: https://cfhou.com/tcfw237The Clutter Fairy Weekly is a live webcast and podcast designed to help you clear your clutter and make space in...2024-12-1953 min
The Clutter Fairy WeeklyHow Many Is Too Many? Setting Limits on Your Stuff | Short Takes - The Clutter Fairy Weekly #236An audience member asked, “How many items in each category is healthy? Excessive but okay? Way too much?” To arrive at an answer, we need to consider the category, the context, and the limits of your space, money, time, and energy. In episode #236 of The Clutter Fairy Weekly, Gayle Goddard, professional organizer and owner of The Clutter Fairy in Houston, Texas, contemplates the question “How many is too many?” and discusses other short topics suggested by our viewers and listeners.Show notes: https://cfhou.com/tcfw236The Clutter Fairy Weekly is a live webcast...2024-12-1257 min
The Clutter Fairy WeeklyA Clutter Carol: How Ghosts of Past and Future Haunt Our Present - The Clutter Fairy Weekly #235Is your home a monument to the past, a stockpile for future needs, or a place dedicated to living your best life right now? Finding balance among these roles can help clarify your toughest clutter challenges. In episode #235 of The Clutter Fairy Weekly, Gayle Goddard, professional organizer and owner of The Clutter Fairy in Houston, Texas, examines how nostalgia for the past and plans for every possible future contribute to clutter and suggests way to clear space for a rich and satisfying present life.Show notes: https://cfhou.com/tcfw235The Clutter Fairy...2024-12-0559 min
The Clutter Fairy WeeklyBe Thankful for What You Do (and Don’t) Have: Gratitude and Clutter - The Clutter Fairy Weekly #234We learn a lot when we consider the emotions and feelings associated with our possessions. The U.S. Thanksgiving holiday is coming up, so let’s examine feelings of gratitude and how they intersect with the accumulation, management, and disposition of our stuff. In episode #234 of The Clutter Fairy Weekly, Gayle Goddard, professional organizer and owner of The Clutter Fairy in Houston, Texas, explores the role of gratitude in our decision-making and the work of decluttering and organizing.Show notes: https://cfhou.com/tcfw234The Clutter Fairy Weekly is a live webcast and po...2024-11-2758 min
The Clutter Fairy WeeklyBlack Friday or Buy Nothing Day: Consumerism, Clutter, and Choice - The Clutter Fairy Weekly #233Many of us love to shop, and stores and online retailers with stuff to sell know how to push our buttons to make the sale. But our spaces get out of balance when we bring home more than we’re using up, giving away, or discarding. In episode #233 of The Clutter Fairy Weekly, Gayle Goddard, professional organizer and owner of The Clutter Fairy in Houston, Texas, discusses the effects of consumerism on clutter and offers strategies for resisting the allure of consumerist influences to right-size your shopping practices.Show notes: https://cfhou.com/tcfw2332024-11-2259 min
The Clutter Fairy WeeklyAsk Us Anything: Short Topics and Viewer and Listener Questions - The Clutter Fairy Weekly #232In this week’s episode, we’ll continue answering the questions you’ve asked in our surveys, live chat, email, social media, and web site. We’re always ready to listen, and we’re eager to tackle the tough questions and issues that are giving you fits. In episode #232 of The Clutter Fairy Weekly, Gayle Goddard, professional organizer and owner of The Clutter Fairy in Houston, Texas, answers viewer and listener questions and discusses short topics suggested by our audience on our surveys and through other channels.Show notes: https://cfhou.com/tcfw232The Clutte...2024-11-1858 min
The Clutter Fairy WeeklyAsk Us Anything: Short Topics and Viewer and Listener Questions - The Clutter Fairy Weekly #231It’s time once again for us to devote an episode to answering the questions you ask in our surveys, live chat, email, social media, and web site. We’re always ready to listen, and we’re eager to tackle the tough questions and issues that are giving you fits. In episode #231 of The Clutter Fairy Weekly, Gayle Goddard, professional organizer and owner of The Clutter Fairy in Houston, Texas, answers viewer and listener questions and discusses short topics suggested by our audience on our surveys and through other channels.Show notes: https://cfhou.com/tcfw23...2024-11-0856 min
The Clutter Fairy WeeklyYou Minus Your Stuff: Visualize and Create a Clutter-less Life - The Clutter Fairy Weekly #230Clutter is anything that stands between you and the life that you want to be living. What new things and experiences could you make room for in your home and your life if all the clutter was out of your way? In episode #230 of The Clutter Fairy Weekly, Gayle Goddard, professional organizer and owner of The Clutter Fairy in Houston, Texas, explores how clutter interferes with our “best lives” and suggests strategies for gaining more clarity about and control over our stuff.Show notes: https://cfhou.com/tcfw230The Clutter Fairy Weekly is a li...2024-11-0156 min
The Clutter Fairy WeeklyStories We Tell About Our Stuff: Organizing Myths versus Reality - The Clutter Fairy Weekly #229Many of us approach organizing projects with our heads full of myths, legends, and flat-out lies we’ve accumulated from popular TV shows, mass-market books, nagging parents, and other people’s limiting beliefs. In episode #229 of The Clutter Fairy Weekly, Gayle Goddard, professional organizer and owner of The Clutter Fairy in Houston, Texas, uncovers the realities hiding behind popular myths, misconceptions, and limiting beliefs about decluttering and organizing our stuff.Show notes: https://cfhou.com/tcfw229The Clutter Fairy Weekly is a live webcast and podcast designed to help you clear your...2024-10-2355 min
The Clutter Fairy WeeklyA Roadmap for Downsizing: Planning for Your Smaller, Simpler Life - The Clutter Fairy Weekly #228Moving to a smaller home is a complex process that requires careful planning and tough decisions. But sooner or later, we all need to reduce our possessions, either to fit in a smaller space or so we can comfortably and safely age in place. In episode #228 of The Clutter Fairy Weekly, Gayle Goddard, professional organizer and owner of The Clutter Fairy in Houston, Texas, explains how to plan for a smaller living space and applies downsizing lessons to “right-sizing” the stuff in our cluttered homes.Show notes: https://cfhou.com/tcfw228The Clutter Fair...2024-10-1856 min
The Clutter Fairy WeeklySimplify, Relax, and Enjoy: Decluttering Your 2024 Holiday Season - The Clutter Fairy Weekly #227It's October, so we’re about to embark on the season of food, shopping, celebration, and chaos that runs from now until the new year. This year, why not plan your holiday season to include only your most beloved treats and traditions? In episode #227 of The Clutter Fairy Weekly, Gayle Goddard, professional organizer and owner of The Clutter Fairy in Houston, Texas, offers tips to streamline the season for yourself and your loved ones with simpler, more relaxing, less-cluttered approaches to holiday preparations.Show notes: https://cfhou.com/tcfw227The Clutter Fairy Weekly is...2024-10-0356 min
The Clutter Fairy WeeklyAsk Us Anything: Helping Hands, Capsule Wardrobes, Digital Photos - The Clutter Fairy Weekly #226How can I help my cluttered friend with her excess stuff? What goes into a capsule wardrobe? What’s the best way to display digital photos? In episode #226 of The Clutter Fairy Weekly, Gayle Goddard, professional organizer and owner of The Clutter Fairy in Houston, Texas, answers your questions about capsule wardrobe contents, sharing digital photos, and offering organizing help and covers other short topics suggested by our viewers and listeners.Show notes: https://cfhou.com/tcfw226The Clutter Fairy Weekly is a live webcast and podcast designed to help you clear your cl...2024-09-2754 min
The Clutter Fairy WeeklyPlanes, Trains, Automobiles…and Your House: Organizing Small Spaces - The Clutter Fairy Weekly #225Airplanes, ships, trains, hotel rooms, and other specialized spaces are designed to get the most efficient use out of limited space. Can we apply design elements of these tiny areas as we organize our own small spaces? In episode #225 of The Clutter Fairy Weekly, Gayle Goddard, professional organizer and owner of The Clutter Fairy in Houston, Texas, offers tips and techniques for getting the most and best use out of your small spaces.Show notes: https://cfhou.com/tcfw225The Clutter Fairy Weekly is a live webcast and podcast designed to help you...2024-09-2056 min
The Clutter Fairy WeeklyAsk Us Anything: Procrastination, Help Moving, Organizing Legos - The Clutter Fairy Weekly #224How do you push back on procrastination? What’s the best way to organize a move so that others can help? What tips can we offer for organizing Lego pieces and projects? In episode #224 of The Clutter Fairy Weekly, Gayle Goddard, professional organizer and owner of The Clutter Fairy in Houston, Texas, answers your questions about Legos, organizing moving help, and procrastination and covers other short topics suggested by our viewers and listeners.Show notes: https://cfhou.com/tcfw224The Clutter Fairy Weekly is a live webcast and podcast designed to help you cl...2024-09-1358 min
The Clutter Fairy WeeklyClutter Redux: How to Shift the Habits that Lead to Re-cluttering - The Clutter Fairy Weekly #223Do your decluttered spaces seem to collect even more clutter after you organize than they contained before? It can be a challenge to modify your thinking and habits to maintain clear space. In episode #223 of The Clutter Fairy Weekly, Gayle Goddard, professional organizer and owner of The Clutter Fairy in Houston, Texas, examines habitual behaviors of “clutter recidivists” and suggests strategies for breaking patterns that lead back to clutter.Show notes: https://cfhou.com/tcfw223The Clutter Fairy Weekly is a live webcast and podcast designed to help you clea...2024-09-0659 min
The Clutter Fairy WeeklyAll the Right Moves: Fresh Perspectives on Packing and Moving - The Clutter Fairy Weekly #222Nothing challenges an organizer’s professional skills and expertise quite like putting principles into real-world action to move her own household! In episode #222 of The Clutter Fairy Weekly, Gayle Goddard, professional organizer and owner of The Clutter Fairy in Houston, Texas, discusses best practices of move planning, packing, moving, and unpacking from the fresh perspective of having just moved to her new house.Show notes: https://cfhou.com/tcfw222The Clutter Fairy Weekly is a live webcast and podcast designed to help you clear your clutter and make space in your home and yo...2024-08-3153 min
The Clutter Fairy WeeklyIdentity Clutter: Stuff That Affects Who We Are or Want to Be - The Clutter Fairy Weekly #221Sometimes our emotions about certain stuff get muddled up with our sense of who we used to be, who we are, or who we hope to be someday. This “identity clutter” can be anything we’re hanging onto that no longer supports the life we really want to be living. In episode #221 of The Clutter Fairy Weekly, Gayle Goddard, professional organizer and owner of The Clutter Fairy in Houston, Texas, discusses sources of identity clutter and offers strategies for letting go of stuff without damaging our sense of self.Show notes: https://cfhou.com/tcfw2212024-08-2056 min
The Clutter Fairy WeeklyAsk Us Anything: Viewer and Listener Questions and Brief Topics - The Clutter Fairy Weekly #220How do you handle other people’s opinions about your clutter? How do you make environmentally conscious decisions while downsizing? Is there a difference between “just in case” items and clutter? In episode #220 of The Clutter Fairy Weekly, Gayle Goddard, professional organizer and owner of The Clutter Fairy in Houston, Texas, answers your questions about unsolicited opinions, green decluttering, and “just in case” stuff and covers other short topics suggested by our viewers and listeners.Show notes: https://cfhou.com/tcfw220The Clutter Fairy Weekly is a live webcast and podcas...2024-08-0655 min
The Clutter Fairy WeeklyForgotten, But Not Gone: Identify and Clear “Outdated Clutter” - The Clutter Fairy Weekly #219An audience member recently asked, “Is it time to let the Rolodex roll away?” Good question! Why do we keep so many things in our spaces long after they’ve outlived their usefulness or relevance? In episode #219 of The Clutter Fairy Weekly, Gayle Goddard, professional organizer and owner of The Clutter Fairy in Houston, Texas, explores the sources and causes of “outdated clutter”—stuff that’s overstayed its welcome but still takes up valuable space in our homes.Show notes: https://cfhou.com/tcfw219The Clutter Fairy Weekly is a live webcast and podcast design...2024-07-2857 min
The Clutter Fairy WeeklyClutter vs. Productivity: Organize to Optimize Your Daily Routine 2 - The Clutter Fairy Weekly #218Living the lives we dream of starts with making the most of every day. But cluttered spaces and unproductive habits can waste valuable time, sap our strength and stamina, and keep us from making each day count toward our long-term goals. In episode #218 of The Clutter Fairy Weekly, Gayle Goddard, professional organizer and owner of The Clutter Fairy in Houston, Texas, continues our discussion about ways to streamline our homes and lives with healthy, effective habits and routines.Show notes: https://cfhou.com/tcfw218The Clutter Fairy Weekly is a live webcast and...2024-07-0656 min
The Clutter Fairy WeeklyWell Begun is Half Done: Organize to Optimize Your Daily Routine - The Clutter Fairy Weekly #217Living the lives we dream of starts with making the most of every day. But cluttered spaces and unproductive habits can waste valuable time, sap our strength and stamina, and keep us from making each day count toward our long-term goals. In episode #217 of The Clutter Fairy Weekly, Gayle Goddard, professional organizer and owner of The Clutter Fairy in Houston, Texas, explores ways to streamline our homes and habits to support healthy and productive daily routines.Show notes: https://cfhou.com/tcfw217The Clutter Fairy Weekly is a live webcast and podcast designed...2024-06-2656 min
The Clutter Fairy WeeklyTime to Hit the Road: Plan, Prepare, and Pack for Low-Stress Travel - The Clutter Fairy Weekly #216Leisure travel seems to be booming again—industry forecasts indicate that vacation travel is likely to return to pre-pandemic levels by the end of 2024. But if you’re not careful, the effort and inconveniences of travel can detract from your hard-earned fun. In episode #216 of The Clutter Fairy Weekly, Gayle Goddard, professional organizer and owner of The Clutter Fairy in Houston, Texas, offers advice for planning, packing, and preparing for minimum-stress, maximum-fun vacation travel.Show notes: https://cfhou.com/tcfw216The Clutter Fairy Weekly is a live webcast and podcast designed to help you...2024-06-1957 min
The Clutter Fairy WeeklyA Brighter Emotional Landscape: Declutter for Positive Change - The Clutter Fairy Weekly #215Many of us experience a feedback loop between clutter and negative emotions—we feel bad, so we ignore or exacerbate our clutter, which makes us feel worse. Living with clutter can reinforce unproductive patterns such as self-distraction, resistance, and avoidance of pain. In episode #215 of The Clutter Fairy Weekly, Gayle Goddard, professional organizer and owner of The Clutter Fairy in Houston, Texas, explains how the decluttering process can help us release bad feelings and work toward a more positive emotional environment.Show notes: https://cfhou.com/tcfw215The Clutter Fairy Weekly is a li...2024-06-1250 min
The Clutter Fairy WeeklyDeclutter to Go: Strategies for Move Planning, Packing, and Moving - The Clutter Fairy Weekly #214An impending move sharpens the urgency of eliminating stuff you no longer use, want, or need. Would you rather purge through careful, calm decisions, or in a panicked state because you’ve run out of time and energy to pack? In episode #214 of The Clutter Fairy Weekly, Gayle Goddard, professional organizer and owner of The Clutter Fairy in Houston, Texas, offers tips to optimize planning, packing, and moving your household and suggests ways to leverage moving strategies to declutter while staying put.Show notes: https://cfhou.com/tcfw214The Clutter Fairy Weekly is a...2024-05-2956 min
The Clutter Fairy WeeklyTangled Up in Knots: Creative Problem-Solving for Stubborn Projects - The Clutter Fairy Weekly #213Sometimes we make our lives harder by tying ourselves up in knots—confusing the problems we need to solve with our thoughts and feelings about them. In episode #213 of The Clutter Fairy Weekly, Gayle Goddard, professional organizer and owner of The Clutter Fairy in Houston, Texas, offers fresh perspectives and bold approaches for cutting through emotional tangles to arrive at creative, practical solutions to intractable clutter problems.Show notes: https://cfhou.com/tcfw213The Clutter Fairy Weekly is a live webcast and podcast designed to help you clear your clutter and make space in...2024-05-2254 min
The Clutter Fairy WeeklyMindful Shopping: Don’t Let Retail Therapy Add to Your Clutter - The Clutter Fairy Weekly #212Shopping is a source of entertainment, fun, and relaxation for many people. But “retail therapy” becomes a problem if it contributes to the clutter in our homes. In episode #212 of The Clutter Fairy Weekly, Gayle Goddard, professional organizer and owner of The Clutter Fairy in Houston, Texas, explores the perils of “retail therapy” and offers strategies for bringing mindfulness, balance, and care to our shopping habits.Show notes: https://cfhou.com/tcfw212The Clutter Fairy Weekly is a live webcast and podcast designed to help you clear your clutter and make space in your hom...2024-05-1557 min
The Clutter Fairy WeeklyDown, But Not Out: The Clutter Fairy Guide to Downsizing - The Clutter Fairy Weekly #211Moving to a smaller home is a complex process that requires careful planning and tough decisions. But sooner or later, we all need to reduce our possessions, either to fit in a smaller space or so we can comfortably age in place. In episode #211 of The Clutter Fairy Weekly, Gayle Goddard, professional organizer and owner of The Clutter Fairy in Houston, Texas, explores the challenges of shifting to a smaller space and applies downsizing lessons to “right-sizing” the stuff in our cluttered homes.Show notes: https://cfhou.com/tcfw211The Clutter Fairy Weekly is a...2024-05-0856 min
The Clutter Fairy WeeklyAsk Us Anything: Answers to Your Questions, Plus Ultra-short Topics - The Clutter Fairy Weekly #210Did the pandemic change the rules for keeping clothes? What’s a practical storage solution for a journal collection? And how does Ed’s (kitchen) garden grow? In episode #210 of The Clutter Fairy Weekly, Gayle Goddard, professional organizer and owner of The Clutter Fairy in Houston, Texas, answers your questions about culinary plants, journal collections, and old clothes and covers other short topics suggested by our viewers and listeners.Show notes: https://cfhou.com/tcfw210The Clutter Fairy Weekly is a live webcast and podcast designed to help you clear your clutter and make...2024-05-0159 min
The Clutter Fairy WeeklyYour Best and Your Worst: Household Sweet Spots and Problem Areas - The Clutter Fairy Weekly #209Some spaces and categories of stuff in our homes are relatively easy to declutter and organize, but some are constant sources of struggle. What lessons can our “sweet spots” teach us for managing our trouble areas? In episode #209 of The Clutter Fairy Weekly, Gayle Goddard, professional organizer and owner of The Clutter Fairy in Houston, Texas, explores household problem areas and clear zones and offers strategies for working toward a whole house that’s a clutter-free sweet spot.Show notes: https://cfhou.com/tcfw209The Clutter Fairy Weekly is a live webcast and podcas...2024-04-2455 min
The Clutter Fairy WeeklyVicious Cycle: Clutter as a Symptom and Cause of Negative Emotions - The Clutter Fairy Weekly #208Negative emotions complicate and compound the difficulty of managing our clutter. Guilt, shame, fear, grief, anger, and other painful feelings reduce our ability to focus and make decisions, and cluttered spaces and piles of stuff can aggravate our emotional distress. In episode #208 of The Clutter Fairy Weekly, Gayle Goddard, professional organizer and owner of The Clutter Fairy in Houston, Texas, offers strategies for working around or through negative emotions to move your projects forward no matter where you’re starting from.Show notes: https://cfhou.com/tcfw208The Clutter Fairy Weekly is a li...2024-04-1753 min
The Clutter Fairy WeeklyHow Much Lining Does an Empty Nest Need? and Other Good Questions - The Clutter Fairy Weekly #207An audience member asked, “How much should you keep for your ‘little birdies’ while they’re testing their wings?” There are difficult decisions and challenges to face as you transition from a full house to an empty nest. In episode #207 of The Clutter Fairy Weekly, Gayle Goddard, professional organizer and owner of The Clutter Fairy in Houston, Texas, discusses not-quite-empty nests, Earth Day organizing, and other questions and short topics suggested by our viewers and listeners.Show notes: https://cfhou.com/tcfw207The Clutter Fairy Weekly is a live webcast and podcast designed to help yo...2024-04-1056 min
The Clutter Fairy WeeklyRecognize and Avoid the Slippery Slope that Leads Back to Clutter - The Clutter Fairy Weekly #206An audience member asked, “What should we do if we notice ourselves becoming more disorganized than usual?” The good news is that you can learn to recognize the warning signs that clutter is creeping back into your previously organized life. In episode #206 of The Clutter Fairy Weekly, Gayle Goddard, professional organizer and owner of The Clutter Fairy in Houston, Texas, explores the tendency to relapse into cluttering behaviors and offers tips for maintaining good habits and routines to stay organized.Show notes: https://cfhou.com/tcfw206The Clutter Fairy Weekly is a live webc...2024-03-2759 min
The Clutter Fairy WeeklyIt’s the Little Things: The Organizing Challenges of Small Items - The Clutter Fairy Weekly #205Do you sweat the small stuff? Little things can cause some of our biggest organizing headaches: spice jars, tiny bottles and tubes of notions and potions, jewelry, accessories, sticky notes and scraps of paper, the contents of purses, and all the various bits and bobs that collect in our lives and our homes. In episode #205 of The Clutter Fairy Weekly, Gayle Goddard, professional organizer and owner of The Clutter Fairy in Houston, Texas, offers strategies for corralling the collections of small items that present big organizing challenges.Show notes: https://cfhou.com/tcfw205...2024-03-2051 min
The Clutter Fairy WeeklyLook Good on Paper: Control the Influx and Manage What You Keep - The Clutter Fairy Weekly #204Paper is a plentiful source of clutter—and frustration—for many people. Even though our digital lives offer us more options than ever for “going paperless,” paper clutter still seems to keep stacking up. In episode #204 of The Clutter Fairy Weekly, Gayle Goddard, professional organizer and owner of The Clutter Fairy in Houston, Texas, examines habits, behaviors, and attitudes that lead us to keep more paper than we need or can manage and offers pointers for purging your personal paper piles.Show notes: https://cfhou.com/tcfw204The Clutter Fairy Weekly is a live web...2024-03-1259 min
The Clutter Fairy WeeklyConvenience vs. Clarity | Avoiding Consumerism | Cluttered Siblings - The Clutter Fairy Weekly #203Join us for another “Ask Us Anything” episode. We’ll answer viewer and listener questions and discuss short topics suggested by our audience in our surveys and through our other channels. In episode #203 of The Clutter Fairy Weekly, Gayle Goddard, professional organizer and owner of The Clutter Fairy in Houston, Texas, discusses striving for balance between convenience and clarity, how to avoid falling victim to ads and consumerist messages, and organizing and cluttering styles among siblings.Show notes: http://cfhou.com/tcfw203Link mentioned in this episode:How to Avoid the Tr...2024-02-2859 min
The Clutter Fairy WeeklySpring Is in the Air: Leap into Cleaning with a Plan for Success - The Clutter Fairy Weekly #202This month presents a rare treat—an extra day on the calendar! How about using some of that bonus time to get a jump on your spring cleaning by drafting a project plan? In episode #202 of The Clutter Fairy Weekly, Gayle Goddard, professional organizer and owner of The Clutter Fairy in Houston, Texas, peeks into often-neglected corners of our lives and shares a list of simple cleaning chores where you can rack up big spring wins.Show notes: http://cfhou.com/tcfw202The Clutter Fairy Weekly is a live webcast and podcast designed to...2024-02-2149 min
The Clutter Fairy WeeklyLove Me, Love My Clutter: Organizing Styles and Relationships - The Clutter Fairy Weekly #201We love the people in our lives—and we also love our stuff. But sometimes our feelings about and behavior with regard to our clutter can create distance, conflict, or tension with people we care about. In episode #201 of The Clutter Fairy Weekly, Gayle Goddard, professional organizer and owner of The Clutter Fairy in Houston, Texas, examines the ways in which our attachment to stuff complicates our relationships and offers strategies for defusing conflict and holding space for love.Show notes: http://cfhou.com/tcfw201The Clutter Fairy Weekly is a live webcast an...2024-02-1455 min
The Clutter Fairy WeeklyWhy We Procrastinate and What We’re Planning to Do About It…Later - The Clutter Fairy Weekly #200Why do we procrastinate? We’re probably not lazy or lacking in self-control. We know what needs to be done and why it’s important to us. So why do we go out of our way to avoid the inevitable? In episode #200 of The Clutter Fairy Weekly, Gayle Goddard, professional organizer and owner of The Clutter Fairy in Houston, Texas, explores procrastination and avoidance behavior and suggests tips and techniques for breaking an unproductive cycle.Show notes: http://cfhou.com/tcfw200Links mentioned in this episode:Why People Procrastinate: The Psyc...2024-02-071h 00
The Clutter Fairy WeeklyJust Right: Keeping Decor from Exacerbating Your Clutter Problem - The Clutter Fairy Weekly #199Well-chosen decor can express your personality and make your home feel warm, cozy, and inviting. But a lot can go wrong as you select objects, colors, textures, and materials to decorate your space. In episode #199 of The Clutter Fairy Weekly, Gayle Goddard, professional organizer and owner of The Clutter Fairy in Houston, Texas, examines ways that decor can lead to clutter and suggests strategies for right-sizing your decorative choices.Show notes: http://cfhou.com/tcfw199The Clutter Fairy Weekly is a live webcast and podcast designed to help you clear your clutter and...2024-01-3157 min
The Clutter Fairy WeeklyGood Questions: What to Ask Yourself as You Evaluate Your Stuff - The Clutter Fairy Weekly #198How do we evaluate the stuff in our lives? What questions should we be asking about ourselves and our belongings as we decide what to keep and what to let go? In episode #198 of The Clutter Fairy Weekly, Gayle Goddard, professional organizer and owner of The Clutter Fairy in Houston, Texas, explores the power of questions to unpack clutter issues and suggests queries that can get to the heart of our toughest challenges.Show notes: http://cfhou.com/tcfw198The Clutter Fairy Weekly is a live webcast and podcast designed to help you...2024-01-2458 min
The Clutter Fairy WeeklyA Game You Can Win: Using Gamification in Your Organizing Process - The Clutter Fairy Weekly #197Gamification is the practice of incorporating traditional elements of games—scorekeeping, rewards, social components, etc., to non-game contexts, such as decluttering and organizing. In episode #197 of The Clutter Fairy Weekly, Gayle Goddard, professional organizer and owner of The Clutter Fairy in Houston, Texas, explores the pros and cons of gamifying your organizing process and suggests ways to set yourself up to win big.Show notes: https://cfhou.com/tcfw197The Clutter Fairy Weekly is a live webcast and podcast designed to help you clear your clutter and make space in your hom...2024-01-1652 min
The Clutter Fairy WeeklyThree Strategies to Kick Off Your Best Organizing Year Yet in 2024 - The Clutter Fairy Weekly #196Wherever you find yourself in your organizing journey as 2023 draws to a close, we plan to be here to encourage and support you this week, next week, and throughout the year. In episode #196 of The Clutter Fairy Weekly, Gayle Goddard, professional organizer and owner of The Clutter Fairy in Houston, Texas, pledges to help and cheer on our community in making 2024 your best decluttering and organizing year yet!The text of this message and other show notes can be found at https://cfhou.com/tcfw196.The Clutter Fairy Weekly is a live webcast...2023-12-3102 min
The Clutter Fairy WeeklyHappy Holidays from The Clutter Fairy Family to You and Yours! - The Clutter Fairy Weekly #195Happy holidays from The Clutter Fairy family to you and yours! In episode #195 of The Clutter Fairy Weekly, Gayle Goddard, professional organizer and owner of The Clutter Fairy in Houston, Texas, thanks our clients, patrons, friends, family, viewers, and listeners for your generous support this year and wishes you a joyous and peaceful holiday season filled with all that your heart desires!The text of this message and other show notes can be found at https://cfhou.com/tcfw195.The Clutter Fairy Weekly is a live webcast and podcast designed to help you clear your...2023-12-2401 min
The Clutter Fairy WeeklyBalancing Functionality and Aesthetics in the Organizing Process - The Clutter Fairy Weekly #194Should your home be optimized to function smoothly, to look beautiful, or some combination of the two? Where are you willing to compromise, and what’s non-negotiable? In episode #194 of The Clutter Fairy Weekly, Gayle Goddard, professional organizer and owner of The Clutter Fairy in Houston, Texas, discusses the priorities that inform our decluttering and organizing choices and suggests strategies for finding your personal perfect balance.Show notes: http://cfhou.com/tcfw194The Clutter Fairy Weekly is a live webcast and podcast designed to help you clear your clutter and make space in yo...2023-12-2056 min
The Clutter Fairy WeeklyAsk Us Anything: More Viewer/Listener Questions and Short Topics - The Clutter Fairy Weekly #193Last week’s dip into our mailbag was so much fun that we’re going to do some more! We’ll discuss “decluttering clutter,” how to start clearing a jam-packed space, organizing plants and pets, and more. In episode #193 of The Clutter Fairy Weekly, Gayle Goddard, professional organizer and owner of The Clutter Fairy in Houston, Texas, is back to answer more viewer and listener questions and discuss short topics suggested by our audience in our surveys and through our other channels.Show notes: http://cfhou.com/tcfw193The Clutter Fairy Weekly is a live web...2023-12-1357 min
The Clutter Fairy WeeklyWe’re Listening: The Clutter Fairy Answers *Your* Survey Questions - The Clutter Fairy Weekly #192It’s been a while since we focused a complete episode on answering the questions you share with us in our surveys, live chat, email, social media, and web site. We’re always ready to listen, and we’re eager to tackle the tough questions and issues that are giving you fits. In episode #192 of The Clutter Fairy Weekly, Gayle Goddard, professional organizer and owner of The Clutter Fairy in Houston, Texas, answers viewer and listener questions and discusses short topics suggested by our audience on our surveys and through other channels.Show notes: http://cfhou...2023-12-0659 min
The Clutter Fairy WeeklyPlan Ahead: Hit the Reset Button for You and Your Space in 2024 - The Clutter Fairy Weekly #191The new year is a great time to “hit reset”: to refresh your priorities, revisit your goals, and reconsider your habits and behaviors. The more thought you put into your reset process, the more success you’re likely to achieve. In episode #191 of The Clutter Fairy Weekly, Gayle Goddard, professional organizer and owner of The Clutter Fairy in Houston, Texas, discusses how to hit reset on organizing projects, the pros and cons of resolutions, and tips for planning a successful “Get Organized Month.”Show notes: http://cfhou.com/tcfw191The Clutter Fairy Weekly is a live...2023-11-2952 min
The Clutter Fairy WeeklyThin the Herd: A Clutter Fairy Guide to Talking About Organizing - The Clutter Fairy Weekly #190Our recent surveys included a question inviting our audience to offer your favorite “Clutter Fairy-ism,” decluttering and organizing aphorism, or helpful mnemonic device. We collected a lot of great answers, and next week we’re going to share your favorites. In episode #190 of The Clutter Fairy Weekly, Gayle Goddard, professional organizer and owner of The Clutter Fairy in Houston, Texas, presents a primer of beloved Gayle-isms and useful phrases that help us keep focus in our organizing and decluttering work.Show notes: http://cfhou.com/tcfw190The Clutter Fairy Weekly is a live webcas...2023-11-1552 min
The Clutter Fairy WeeklyDeep-Storage “Solutions”: Why Forgotten Is Not the Same as Gone - The Clutter Fairy Weekly #189People stash excess stuff in storage units, parents’ homes, second houses, backyard sheds, garages—anywhere that’s easy to ignore. But hideaways aren’t a practical solution to clutter issue because it wastes time, money, and effort to warehouse your deferred decisions. In episode #189 of The Clutter Fairy Weekly, Gayle Goddard, professional organizer and owner of The Clutter Fairy in Houston, Texas, discusses the problems with out-of-sight, out-of-mind caches and unpacks ways to get the deep-storage monkey off your back.Show notes: http://cfhou.com/tcfw189The Clutter Fairy Weekly is a live webcast...2023-11-0856 min
The Clutter Fairy WeeklySmiling Faces and Warm Wishes: Decluttering the Holiday Season - The Clutter Fairy Weekly #188We’re kicking off the season of fun, food, shopping, celebration, and chaos that runs from Halloween into the new year. This year, why not make the holiday season exactly what you want it to be? In episode #188 of The Clutter Fairy Weekly, Gayle Goddard, professional organizer and owner of The Clutter Fairy in Houston, Texas, offers ideas to streamline the season for yourself and your loved ones with simpler, less stressful, less-cluttered approaches to holiday preparations.Show notes: http://cfhou.com/tcfw188The Clutter Fairy Weekly is a live webcast and podcast de...2023-11-0157 min
The Clutter Fairy WeeklyGet Your Motor Running: Is Decluttering a Journey—or a Destination? - The Clutter Fairy Weekly #187In response to a recent survey, an audience member asked, “How do you get your motor running? Is it okay to put the car in Park for a while? Are detours good or bad?” This prompt got us thinking about how much our decluttering process can be like a road trip. In episode #187 of The Clutter Fairy Weekly, Gayle Goddard, professional organizer and owner of The Clutter Fairy in Houston, Texas, talks about traveling light, planning your route (or relying on serendipity), and trying to enjoy the journey as well as the destination.Show notes: http...2023-10-2558 min
The Clutter Fairy WeeklyKeep the Clutter, or Give it Away? Value, Gifting, and Donation - The Clutter Fairy Weekly #186It’s October, so the season of giving—and of giving stuff away—is right around the corner. How do we decide to donate or gift something? And what does it mean when we choose to hold on to stuff instead? In episode #186 of The Clutter Fairy Weekly, Gayle Goddard, professional organizer and owner of The Clutter Fairy in Houston, Texas, discusses ownership, gifting, donation, and how our judgments of value impact our decision-making about what we keep and what we’re willing to let go.Show notes: http://cfhou.com/tcfw186The Clutter...2023-10-1846 min
The Clutter Fairy WeeklyYours, Mine, Ours: Sharing or Delegating Responsibility for Clutter - The Clutter Fairy Weekly #185There are many circumstances and relationships in which the responsibility for stuff becomes blurred—between parents and children, among roommates or housemates, between spouses or partners, in the handling of estates, and so on. In episode #185 of The Clutter Fairy Weekly, Gayle Goddard, professional organizer and owner of The Clutter Fairy in Houston, Texas, discusses how to manage and share responsibility for clutter among interested parties with clear communication and gentle negotiation.Show notes: http://cfhou.com/tcfw185The Clutter Fairy Weekly is a live webcast and podcast designed to help you clear yo...2023-10-1155 min
The Clutter Fairy WeeklyFeeling, Meaning, Value: Untangling Emotional Attachment to Stuff - The Clutter Fairy Weekly #184As we work to reduce the clutter in our spaces, sometimes we find that our relationship to stuff seems hopelessly tangled up in our memories, beliefs, and feelings. In episode #184 of The Clutter Fairy Weekly, Gayle Goddard, professional organizer and owner of The Clutter Fairy in Houston, Texas, scrutinizes sentimental clutter and offers tips for balancing emotional or sentimental attachment with the real limitations of time, space, and resources.Show notes: http://cfhou.com/tcfw184The Clutter Fairy Weekly is a live webcast and podcast designed to help you clear your clutter and...2023-10-0457 min
The Clutter Fairy WeeklyAre We Ever Finished Decluttering? Organizing With No End in Sight - The Clutter Fairy Weekly #183People who struggle with clutter sometimes get discouraged by how far away and out of reach our goals seem to be. We ask ourselves, “Will I ever finish?” In episode #183 of The Clutter Fairy Weekly, Gayle Goddard, professional organizer and owner of The Clutter Fairy in Houston, Texas, ponders the question of whether we’re ever really finished decluttering and offers tips for setting organizing goals that keep you engaged and motivated.Mentioned in this episode:DonateStuff.com—Organization committed to making the connection between people with usable items they don’t need and c...2023-09-2747 min
The Clutter Fairy WeeklySharpen Your Tools: How to Organize for Arts, Crafts, and Hobbies - The Clutter Fairy Weekly #182The activities we do to relax, have fun, and express ourselves enrich our lives in countless ways, but they can also bury our living spaces in tools, materials, supplies, reading materials, and unfinished projects. In episode #182 of The Clutter Fairy Weekly, Gayle Goddard, professional organizer and owner of The Clutter Fairy in Houston, Texas, examines the stuff that accumulates from hobbies, arts, and crafts and offers strategies for keeping “crafty clutter” from spoiling our fun.Show notes: http://cfhou.com/tcfw182The Clutter Fairy Weekly is a live webcast and podcast designed to help...2023-09-1358 min
The Clutter Fairy WeeklyA Hard Bargain: More of Your Most Difficult Organizing Challenges - The Clutter Fairy Weekly #181Some categories of decluttering and organizing are harder than others. But if we focus on the sources of the difficulty, we gain fresh insight that will help us face our worst problem areas. In episode #181 of The Clutter Fairy Weekly, Gayle Goddard, professional organizer and owner of The Clutter Fairy in Houston, Texas, explores more factors that make organizing projects and tasks difficult and suggests strategies to help you face those challenges. (This episode expands on the discussion from our August 29, 2023, show.)Show notes: http://cfhou.com/tcfw181August 29 show notes: http://cfhou.com...2023-09-0659 min
The Clutter Fairy WeeklyA Rock and a Hard Place: Facing Difficult Organizing Challenges - The Clutter Fairy Weekly #180Some categories of decluttering and organizing are harder than others…sometimes a lot harder. But if we focus on the sources of the difficulty, we may gain fresh insight that will help us face our worst problem areas. In episode #180 of The Clutter Fairy Weekly, Gayle Goddard, professional organizer and owner of The Clutter Fairy in Houston, Texas, explores the factors that make the hardest organizing projects and tasks so difficult and offers strategies to help you face those challenges.Show notes: http://cfhou.com/tcfw180The Clutter Fairy Weekly is a live we...2023-08-3055 min
The Clutter Fairy WeeklyAsk Us Anything: Viewer and Listener Questions and Orphan Topics - The Clutter Fairy Weekly #179Do you ever feel as if you’re shouting into the void about your clutter problems? Fear not! We’re always ready to listen, and we’re ready to tackle the tough questions and the topics that are giving you fits. In episode #179 of The Clutter Fairy Weekly, Gayle Goddard, professional organizer and owner of The Clutter Fairy in Houston, Texas, answers viewer and listener questions and discusses short topics suggested by our audience in response to past surveys.Show notes: http://cfhou.com/tcfw179The Clutter Fairy Weekly is a live webcast and po...2023-08-2358 min
The Clutter Fairy WeeklyStem the Tide: Tips to Prevent or Reduce Clutter at its Sources - The Clutter Fairy Weekly #178One obvious way to avoid a clutter problem—or to get control of the one you already have—is to stop accumulating stuff in the first place. By paying attention to our cluttering history and collecting habits, we can shift our behavior to hold back the flood tide of new clutter. In episode #178 of The Clutter Fairy Weekly, Gayle Goddard, professional organizer and owner of The Clutter Fairy in Houston, Texas, examines clutter “origin stories” and suggests simple and subtle behavioral changes that can make a big difference in your clutter landscape.Show notes: http://cfhou.co...2023-08-1557 min
The Clutter Fairy WeeklyLow-hanging Fruit: Easy Wins to Start or Restart Your Decluttering - The Clutter Fairy Weekly #177The two statements we hear most from people who are struggling with clutter are “I don’t know where to start” and “I don’t know what to do next.” We’ve put together a list of fresh ideas for where to start or restart your decluttering efforts! In episode #177 of The Clutter Fairy Weekly, Gayle Goddard, professional organizer and owner of The Clutter Fairy in Houston, Texas, offers a few simple criteria for assessing your stuff and suggests easy starting places to “thin the herd.”Show notes: http://cfhou.com/tcfw177The Clutter Fairy Week...2023-08-0953 min
The Clutter Fairy WeeklyClutter Dangers: Organize for Safety, Mobility, and Ease of Access - The Clutter Fairy Weekly #176Clutter jeopardizes our relaxation, comfort, productivity, and the pride and enjoyment we get from our homes. But it can also present real threats to the health and safety of our families and guests. In episode #176 of The Clutter Fairy Weekly, Gayle Goddard, professional organizer and owner of The Clutter Fairy in Houston, Texas, uncovers the dangers lurking in our clutter and offers tips for optimizing space for safety, mobility, health, and ease of access.Show notes: http://cfhou.com/tcfw176The Clutter Fairy Weekly is a live webcast and podcast designed to help...2023-08-0255 min
The Clutter Fairy WeeklyClutter and Recidivism: How to Avoid Re-stuffing Unstuffed Areas - The Clutter Fairy Weekly #175Do you find that decluttered spaces tend to collect even more clutter after you organize than they had before? It can be challenging to shift your thinking and habits to maintain clear space. In episode #175 of The Clutter Fairy Weekly, Gayle Goddard, professional organizer and owner of The Clutter Fairy in Houston, Texas, examines the ingrained behaviors of “clutter recidivists” and suggests strategies for breaking patterns and avoiding mental ruts that lead back to clutter.Show notes: http://cfhou.com/tcfw175The Clutter Fairy Weekly is a live webcast and p...2023-07-2652 min
The Clutter Fairy WeeklyPeace Process: Reducing Household Conflict, Confusion, and Clutter - The Clutter Fairy Weekly #174Children, spouses, parents, roommates, housemates, and even unruly houseguests can muddle or add complexity to our organizing challenges. In episode #174 of The Clutter Fairy Weekly, Gayle Goddard, professional organizer and owner of The Clutter Fairy in Houston, Texas, explores these complicating factors and suggests ways to improve communication, negotiation, and cooperation to decrease household conflict and clutter.Show notes: http://cfhou.com/tcfw174The Clutter Fairy Weekly is a live webcast and podcast designed to help you clear your clutter and make space in your home and your life for more of what...2023-07-1955 min
The Clutter Fairy WeeklyReimagine Your Space to Break Free from the Clutter Status Quo - The Clutter Fairy Weekly #173Sometimes we get stuck in our patterns and habits and can’t imagine things being any different. The longer your space has remained unchanged, the more permanent the arrangement seems to be. But the power to effect change is in your hands! In episode #173 of The Clutter Fairy Weekly, Gayle Goddard, professional organizer and owner of The Clutter Fairy in Houston, Texas, suggests shaking up your “clutter status quo” and offers strategies for reimagining your space to make progress on decluttering and organizing.Show notes: http://cfhou.com/tcfw173The Clutter Fairy Weekly is a l...2023-07-1255 min
The Clutter Fairy WeeklyTick, Tock: Set Realistic Time Expectations for Organizing Projects - The Clutter Fairy Weekly #172For those who’ve made the decision to declutter and get organized, time can be a source of confusion and frustration. There’s the time you want the job to take, the time you expect the job to take, and the time the job really takes—and those figures often have nothing to do with each other! In episode #172 of The Clutter Fairy Weekly, Gayle Goddard, professional organizer and owner of The Clutter Fairy in Houston, Texas, explores the complexities of estimating and allocating time for organizing work and suggests ways to set realistic time expectations.Sh...2023-06-2854 min
The Clutter Fairy WeeklyRethink and Reframe Your Clutter Language: The Power of Words 2 - The Clutter Fairy Weekly #171The way we talk about our stuff is a clue to the undercurrent of feelings and experiences that influence our choices. Words like “useful,” “mess,” and “shame” are loaded with history, meaning, and judgment for each of us, and they can contain the power to keep us stuck or move us forward. In episode #171 of The Clutter Fairy Weekly, Gayle Goddard, professional organizer and owner of The Clutter Fairy in Houston, Texas, examines words we use to describe our clutter and suggests how to reframe language for a clearer insight into our stuff and our lives.Show not...2023-06-2156 min
The Clutter Fairy WeeklyWhat Are Your Clutter Set Points, and How Can You Change Them? - The Clutter Fairy Weekly #170The clutter set point is what we call the volume of stuff—in total or in any one category—that feels like the “right” amount to you. When you go beyond this threshold, you may find that systems break down, negative feelings arise, and stuff morphs into clutter. Your set points can change over time, and you are the ultimate authority on what you choose to keep. In episode #170 of The Clutter Fairy Weekly, Gayle Goddard, professional organizer and owner of The Clutter Fairy in Houston, Texas, talks about how we arrive at clutter s...2023-06-1457 min
The Clutter Fairy WeeklyMake Space for Your Best Life: Declutter for Health and Well-being - The Clutter Fairy Weekly #169Clutter is more than just an annoyance or inconvenience—it can adversely affect our health and well-being in dozens of ways we might not even be aware of. In episode #169 of The Clutter Fairy Weekly, Gayle Goddard, professional organizer and owner of The Clutter Fairy in Houston, Texas, discusses the impacts of clutter on our physical, emotional, and psychological health and the health benefits of taking control of our spaces.Show notes: http://cfhou.com/tcfw169The Clutter Fairy Weekly is a live webcast and podcast designed to help you clear your clutter and make sp...2023-05-3159 min
The Clutter Fairy WeeklyLife Is a Journey: Prepare and Pack for Smooth Vacation Travel - The Clutter Fairy Weekly #168According to a March report from Forbes, 49 percent of Americans plan to travel more in 2023 than they did last year. Travel is also expected to increase within Europe and the U.K. But if you’re not careful, the hard work that travel entails can cut into the fun. In episode #168 of The Clutter Fairy Weekly, Gayle Goddard, professional organizer and owner of The Clutter Fairy in Houston, Texas, offers tips for planning, packing, and preparing for lower-stress vacation travel.Show notes: http://cfhou.com/tcfw168The Clutter Fairy Weekly is a live webcast and po...2023-05-2456 min
The Clutter Fairy WeeklyIrreplaceable: Managing Family Photos, Heirlooms, and Memorabilia - The Clutter Fairy Weekly #167Photos, heirlooms, and other mementoes can strengthen family ties and help us connect with our history. But many of us inherit or accumulate these precious items as a seemingly random, unsorted, unlabeled, and uncurated mess. In episode #167 of The Clutter Fairy Weekly, Gayle Goddard, professional organizer and owner of The Clutter Fairy in Houston, Texas, offers strategies for managing family photos, heirlooms, and other “priceless” memorabilia.Show notes: http://cfhou.com/tcfw167The Clutter Fairy Weekly is a live webcast and podcast designed to help you clear your clutter and make space in your home and...2023-05-1751 min
The Clutter Fairy WeeklyCradle to Cane: Advantages of Organized Space in All Life’s Stages - The Clutter Fairy Weekly #166Many people come to decluttering late in life, addressing the accumulation of stuff only after it’s been piling up for decades. But it’s never too soon—or too late—to get organized. In episode #166 of The Clutter Fairy Weekly, Gayle Goddard, professional organizer and owner of The Clutter Fairy in Houston, Texas, talks about how people of almost any age can benefit from a clear, clutter-free home.Show notes: http://cfhou.com/tcfw166The Clutter Fairy Weekly is a live webcast and podcast designed to help you clear your clutter and make space in your...2023-05-1057 min
The Clutter Fairy WeeklyMay Is for Motivation: How to Energize Your Organizing Projects - The Clutter Fairy Weekly #165Are you running out of steam on long-term organizing goals, or were you short on enthusiasm in the first place? In episode #165 of The Clutter Fairy Weekly, Gayle Goddard, professional organizer and owner of The Clutter Fairy in Houston, Texas, offers strategies for finding—or creating—the motivation to keep your organizing projects and commitments going strong.Show notes: http://cfhou.com/tcfw165The Clutter Fairy Weekly is a live webcast and podcast designed to help you clear your clutter and make space in your home and your life for more of what you love. We m...2023-05-0345 min
The Clutter Fairy WeeklyEverything Must Go! Decluttering Strategies for Your Next Move - The Clutter Fairy Weekly #164The pressure of an upcoming move sharpens the urgency of eliminating stuff you no longer want or need. You can purge by making careful, calm decisions, or you can do it in a panic because you’ve run out of time and energy to pack. The choice is yours! In episode #164 of The Clutter Fairy Weekly, Gayle Goddard, professional organizer and owner of The Clutter Fairy in Houston, Texas, explains how to optimize planning, packing, and moving your household. We’ll also talk about how to leverage moving strategies even when you’re staying put.Show notes: http...2023-04-2655 min
The Clutter Fairy WeeklyEfficiency versus Effectiveness | How to Avoid Decluttering Burnout - The Clutter Fairy Weekly #163Have you ever spent hours organizing minutia, only to discover that you hadn’t made any progress toward your most urgent goals? In this episode, we’ll explore the distinction between efficiency and effectiveness, especially as it applies to organizing and productivity.When you’re wrangling a long-term decluttering project, sooner or later your energy wanes and decision fatigue kicks in. We’ll talk about causes of decluttering burnout and offer strategies to help you move past it.In episode #163 of The Clutter Fairy Weekly, Gayle Goddard, professional organizer and owner of The Clutter Fairy in Houst...2023-04-1954 min
The Clutter Fairy WeeklySpring Into Action: Small Cleaning Projects to Refresh Your Home - The Clutter Fairy Weekly #162Spring in the northern hemisphere is here, bringing warmer days, longer hours of sunshine, and a sense of fresh possibilities. Let’s take advantage of an early-spring day to “spring forward” on a few household organizing tasks. In episode #162 of The Clutter Fairy Weekly, Gayle Goddard, professional organizer and owner of The Clutter Fairy in Houston, Texas, shines daylight into neglected corners of our homes and offers a list of simple tasks to kick off your spring cleaning regimen.Co-host Ed Gumnick was out sick, so Karen Baker of Soho Productivity Solutions graciously agreed to help moderate this e...2023-04-1649 min
The Clutter Fairy WeeklyNAPO 2023 Summit Report | A Case Study in “Tetris Organizing” - The Clutter Fairy Weekly #161This week Gayle attended the annual summit of the National Association of Productivity and Organizing Professionals in Las Vegas. She’ll share a report on the latest news, ideas, trends, and products in the organizing industry.Do your closets or storage spaces resemble a game of Tetris, with every item, box, or bin carefully shoehorned into its designated slot? We’ll discuss the pitfalls of “Tetris organizing” and suggest alternative approaches that are easier to use and maintain.In episode #161 of The Clutter Fairy Weekly, Gayle Goddard, professional organizer and owner of The Clutter Fairy in Houst...2023-04-0552 min
The Clutter Fairy WeeklyOrganizing Now for Future Stuff | Decluttering Your Command Center - The Clutter Fairy Weekly #160Most of us have a “command center”—a favorite spot where we sit to read, watch TV, and manage our busy lives. We’ll discuss the stuff that tends to collect in these hot zones and offer a simple plan for decluttering your command center.Even the most perfectly organized space can’t be maintained if the inflow of new possessions outpaces our efforts to declutter. We’ll talk about how to organize now for future stuff by designing systems that accommodate both present collections and new acquisitions.In episode #160 of The Clutter...2023-03-2953 min
The Clutter Fairy WeeklyBreaking Down a Big Project | Paper Primer | Part of the Landscape - The Clutter Fairy Weekly #159Big organizing projects can disrupt your routines and leave you feeling swamped and overwhelmed. We’ll suggest tips to help you break down and keep control of big projects.Almost everyone who struggles with clutter can point to paper as one of their challenges. We’ll offer a short primer on managing the paper you decide to keep.How do you deal with things that have been in your life for as long as you care to remember? We’ll talk about dealing with stuff that’s become part of the land...2023-03-2155 min
The Clutter Fairy WeeklyOn the Spot: Ed Flies Solo to Answer Audience Questions - The Clutter Fairy Weekly SpecialGayle was out sick, but Ed decided that the show must go on! In this special episode of The Clutter Fairy Weekly, co-host Ed Gumnick answers audience questions about his decluttering journey, sentimental items, minimalism, and a lot more.Show notes: http://cfhou.com/tcfw159sThe Clutter Fairy Weekly is a live webcast and podcast designed to help you clear your clutter and make space in your home and your life for more of what you love. We meet Tuesdays at noon (U.S. Central Time) to answer your decluttering questions and to share...2023-03-1546 min
The Clutter Fairy WeeklyNAPO 2021 Founders’ Award announcementI’m delighted, proud, and honored to announce that I’ve won the 2021 Founders’ Award from the National Association of Productivity and Organizing Professionals (NAPO). I want to thank my NAPO colleagues for nominating and voting for me, and I would especially like to recognize the NAPO leaders and volunteers with whom I’ve worked over the last 13 years. We’ve accomplished a lot together! It's truly an honor to be acknowledged by such a brilliant and innovative group of organizers.I would also like to thank my clients. Your loyalty and support let me do what I love for...2021-03-2601 min
The Clutter Fairy WeeklyThe Clutter Fairy Weekly #59 - Clutter Hacks: Five-minute Tasks that Pack a Big Decluttering PunchTackling clutter is really two jobs: reducing the backlog of accumulated stuff and cultivating habits to keep the mess from getting worse. In episode #59 of The Clutter Fairy Weekly, Gayle Goddard, professional organizer and owner of The Clutter Fairy in Houston, Texas, offers a dozen five-minute tasks to jump-start your clutter-prevention strategy, plus a pet-centered Weekly Tittle.We dedicated this week’s episode with joy, love, and gratitude to Jean Kathleen Lawler Gumnick (January 31, 1932–March 1, 2021). You will live forever in our hearts, Mom.Show notes: http://cfhou.com/tcfw059The Clutter Fairy Weekly is a...2021-03-0356 min