Berkshire


<p>Time for the big clear up! Want to start 2023 with a home that&#8217;s organised and easy to tidy? Overwhelmed by the amount of new stuff received over Christmas and haven&#8217;t a scooby where to put it? Now is the time to declutter and get organised. </p>



<figure class="wp-block-image size-full"><img decoding="async" loading="lazy" width="1000" height="1000" src="https://dev.muddystilettos.co.uk/berkshire/wp-content/uploads/sites/5/2022/12/1-14.jpg" alt="Ruth Lawrence Happy Home Ascot decluttering and organising professional" class="wp-image-49378" srcset="https://dev.muddystilettos.co.uk/berkshire/wp-content/uploads/sites/5/2022/12/1-14.jpg 1000w, https://dev.muddystilettos.co.uk/berkshire/wp-content/uploads/sites/5/2022/12/1-14-800x800.jpg 800w, https://dev.muddystilettos.co.uk/berkshire/wp-content/uploads/sites/5/2022/12/1-14-400x400.jpg 400w, https://dev.muddystilettos.co.uk/berkshire/wp-content/uploads/sites/5/2022/12/1-14-768x768.jpg 768w, https://dev.muddystilettos.co.uk/berkshire/wp-content/uploads/sites/5/2022/12/1-14-525x525.jpg 525w, https://dev.muddystilettos.co.uk/berkshire/wp-content/uploads/sites/5/2022/12/1-14-500x500.jpg 500w" sizes="(max-width: 1000px) 100vw, 1000px" /></figure>



<p>Stand down Marie Kondo, we have our own decluttering fairy godmother – <strong><a href="https://www.happyhomeascot.co.uk/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Ruth Lawrence of Happy Home Ascot</a></strong>. Ruth takes a practical approach that focuses on what you love, need and want in your spaces. When her children went to school, she suddenly felt very lost. </p>



<p>A clear, calm space has always been the key to her mental wellbeing – so she channelled her talent for tidying and the wellbeing it creates<em> </em>into her business. Her motto: &#8216;less mess, less stress&#8217;, so who better to kick off Muddy&#8217;s Wellbeing Month than her top tips to tidying like pro… Over to you, Ruth.</p>



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-empty-the-space">Empty the space</h2>



<figure class="wp-block-image size-full"><img decoding="async" loading="lazy" width="1000" height="1000" src="https://dev.muddystilettos.co.uk/berkshire/wp-content/uploads/sites/5/2022/12/12-4.jpg" alt="Ruth Lawrence Happy Home Ascot decluttering and organising professional" class="wp-image-49389" srcset="https://dev.muddystilettos.co.uk/berkshire/wp-content/uploads/sites/5/2022/12/12-4.jpg 1000w, https://dev.muddystilettos.co.uk/berkshire/wp-content/uploads/sites/5/2022/12/12-4-800x800.jpg 800w, https://dev.muddystilettos.co.uk/berkshire/wp-content/uploads/sites/5/2022/12/12-4-400x400.jpg 400w, https://dev.muddystilettos.co.uk/berkshire/wp-content/uploads/sites/5/2022/12/12-4-768x768.jpg 768w, https://dev.muddystilettos.co.uk/berkshire/wp-content/uploads/sites/5/2022/12/12-4-525x525.jpg 525w, https://dev.muddystilettos.co.uk/berkshire/wp-content/uploads/sites/5/2022/12/12-4-500x500.jpg 500w" sizes="(max-width: 1000px) 100vw, 1000px" /></figure>



<p>Before you organise any space, you must empty it completely and split the contents into categories. The space could be as small as one drawer or an entire garage, but the principle is the same. Instead of asking ‘what shall I get rid of?’ &#8211; change the question to ‘what do I <em>want</em> in my space?’. To achieve an organised space the key is having an appropriate amount of ‘things’ within it. We must become hugely selective about the ‘stuff’ which take up room in our homes.</p>



<h2 class="wp-block-heading">Does it tick a box?</h2>



<figure class="wp-block-image size-full"><img decoding="async" loading="lazy" width="1000" height="1000" src="https://dev.muddystilettos.co.uk/berkshire/wp-content/uploads/sites/5/2022/12/9-6.jpg" alt="" class="wp-image-49386" srcset="https://dev.muddystilettos.co.uk/berkshire/wp-content/uploads/sites/5/2022/12/9-6.jpg 1000w, https://dev.muddystilettos.co.uk/berkshire/wp-content/uploads/sites/5/2022/12/9-6-800x800.jpg 800w, https://dev.muddystilettos.co.uk/berkshire/wp-content/uploads/sites/5/2022/12/9-6-400x400.jpg 400w, https://dev.muddystilettos.co.uk/berkshire/wp-content/uploads/sites/5/2022/12/9-6-768x768.jpg 768w, https://dev.muddystilettos.co.uk/berkshire/wp-content/uploads/sites/5/2022/12/9-6-525x525.jpg 525w, https://dev.muddystilettos.co.uk/berkshire/wp-content/uploads/sites/5/2022/12/9-6-500x500.jpg 500w" sizes="(max-width: 1000px) 100vw, 1000px" /></figure>



<p>Is it useful <strong>to you</strong>? Do you love it? Would you buy it today if you didn’t already have it? Do you have space for it? Are you keeping the item out of guilt?</p>



<p>Once we have been through each category, curating the very best to be enjoyed every day instead of ‘for special occasions’ (life is the special occasion!), and removing the items which no longer make us happy, we are ready to reorganise the space with the correct storage (my favourite topic – but that’s another conversation…)</p>



<p>No physical item is worth more than your mental health, even if your sister bought it for you for Christmas. If you don’t like it, pass it on to someone who will! Don’t waste another moment cleaning around something you don’t love, or passing over it to find the thing you do.</p>



<h2 class="wp-block-heading">Everything needs a place</h2>



<figure class="wp-block-image size-full"><img decoding="async" loading="lazy" width="1000" height="1000" src="https://dev.muddystilettos.co.uk/berkshire/wp-content/uploads/sites/5/2022/12/8-6.jpg" alt="" class="wp-image-49385" srcset="https://dev.muddystilettos.co.uk/berkshire/wp-content/uploads/sites/5/2022/12/8-6.jpg 1000w, https://dev.muddystilettos.co.uk/berkshire/wp-content/uploads/sites/5/2022/12/8-6-800x800.jpg 800w, https://dev.muddystilettos.co.uk/berkshire/wp-content/uploads/sites/5/2022/12/8-6-400x400.jpg 400w, https://dev.muddystilettos.co.uk/berkshire/wp-content/uploads/sites/5/2022/12/8-6-768x768.jpg 768w, https://dev.muddystilettos.co.uk/berkshire/wp-content/uploads/sites/5/2022/12/8-6-525x525.jpg 525w, https://dev.muddystilettos.co.uk/berkshire/wp-content/uploads/sites/5/2022/12/8-6-500x500.jpg 500w" sizes="(max-width: 1000px) 100vw, 1000px" /></figure>



<p>Organised systems (or in simple terms &#8211; a place for everything) are essential for keeping on top of clutter, and making sure your home works for you. By knowing where everything lives, and using containers where necessary, we will actually spend less time tidying and more time enjoying our homes. I regularly declutter with my children, and have a bag on the go at any time of clothes which no longer fit, or toys which have had their day, ready to donate. Once we have achieved the level of ‘stuff’ which is appropriate for our space, regular decluttering is really important to maintain it going forward. We can’t continuously bring items in, without also removing. I see the very extreme, overwhelming effect that clutter can have on people, and implore everybody to manage this in their homes to a level which makes them feel calm.</p>



<h2 class="wp-block-heading">It&#8217;s not all Marie Kondo</h2>



<figure class="wp-block-image size-full"><img decoding="async" loading="lazy" width="1000" height="1000" src="https://dev.muddystilettos.co.uk/berkshire/wp-content/uploads/sites/5/2022/12/7-7.jpg" alt="" class="wp-image-49384" srcset="https://dev.muddystilettos.co.uk/berkshire/wp-content/uploads/sites/5/2022/12/7-7.jpg 1000w, https://dev.muddystilettos.co.uk/berkshire/wp-content/uploads/sites/5/2022/12/7-7-800x800.jpg 800w, https://dev.muddystilettos.co.uk/berkshire/wp-content/uploads/sites/5/2022/12/7-7-400x400.jpg 400w, https://dev.muddystilettos.co.uk/berkshire/wp-content/uploads/sites/5/2022/12/7-7-768x768.jpg 768w, https://dev.muddystilettos.co.uk/berkshire/wp-content/uploads/sites/5/2022/12/7-7-525x525.jpg 525w, https://dev.muddystilettos.co.uk/berkshire/wp-content/uploads/sites/5/2022/12/7-7-500x500.jpg 500w" sizes="(max-width: 1000px) 100vw, 1000px" /></figure>



<p>In many respects, I do follow the Marie Kondo mantra of ‘does this spark joy?’ – but also am realistic that a bottle of bleach or extension lead is unlikely to! That said, I believe items should have a good reason to enter our space. Use it, love it or it&#8217;s gone. be used or loved (or gone!). I generally work in one area at a time with my clients, bitesize is always easier to cope with and a finished product inspires motivation.</p>



<h2 class="wp-block-heading">Do not be selective</h2>



<figure class="wp-block-image size-full"><img decoding="async" loading="lazy" width="1000" height="1000" src="https://dev.muddystilettos.co.uk/berkshire/wp-content/uploads/sites/5/2022/12/16-3.jpg" alt="" class="wp-image-49393" srcset="https://dev.muddystilettos.co.uk/berkshire/wp-content/uploads/sites/5/2022/12/16-3.jpg 1000w, https://dev.muddystilettos.co.uk/berkshire/wp-content/uploads/sites/5/2022/12/16-3-800x800.jpg 800w, https://dev.muddystilettos.co.uk/berkshire/wp-content/uploads/sites/5/2022/12/16-3-400x400.jpg 400w, https://dev.muddystilettos.co.uk/berkshire/wp-content/uploads/sites/5/2022/12/16-3-768x768.jpg 768w, https://dev.muddystilettos.co.uk/berkshire/wp-content/uploads/sites/5/2022/12/16-3-525x525.jpg 525w, https://dev.muddystilettos.co.uk/berkshire/wp-content/uploads/sites/5/2022/12/16-3-500x500.jpg 500w" sizes="(max-width: 1000px) 100vw, 1000px" /></figure>



<p>I think we’ve all opened a cupboard, tried to ‘pick out’ what we want to get rid of, then ended up saying ‘sod this’ and throwing it all back in and shutting the door on it again. Deciding what to ‘get rid of’ has really negative connotations of wastefulness. Instead, we must focus on championing the things we really do love and actually <strong>using</strong> them and letting them shine. How many of us save our best plates for best? Use them every day, better that they are used and one gets broken than them gathering dust in a cupboard!</p>



<h2 class="wp-block-heading">It&#8217;s not about the money</h2>



<figure class="wp-block-image size-full"><img decoding="async" loading="lazy" width="1000" height="1000" src="https://dev.muddystilettos.co.uk/berkshire/wp-content/uploads/sites/5/2022/12/13-4.jpg" alt="" class="wp-image-49390" srcset="https://dev.muddystilettos.co.uk/berkshire/wp-content/uploads/sites/5/2022/12/13-4.jpg 1000w, https://dev.muddystilettos.co.uk/berkshire/wp-content/uploads/sites/5/2022/12/13-4-800x800.jpg 800w, https://dev.muddystilettos.co.uk/berkshire/wp-content/uploads/sites/5/2022/12/13-4-400x400.jpg 400w, https://dev.muddystilettos.co.uk/berkshire/wp-content/uploads/sites/5/2022/12/13-4-768x768.jpg 768w, https://dev.muddystilettos.co.uk/berkshire/wp-content/uploads/sites/5/2022/12/13-4-525x525.jpg 525w, https://dev.muddystilettos.co.uk/berkshire/wp-content/uploads/sites/5/2022/12/13-4-500x500.jpg 500w" sizes="(max-width: 1000px) 100vw, 1000px" /></figure>



<p>Another mistake I see is that people focus on how much something cost, or how much they used to love it. The money has been spent, and the item may have fulfilled a purpose for you which it no longer does. Be happy with the memory but let the physical item go, it’s getting in the way of the things you love now! </p>



<h2 class="wp-block-heading">Tidy home, tidy mind</h2>



<figure class="wp-block-image size-full"><img decoding="async" loading="lazy" width="1000" height="1000" src="https://dev.muddystilettos.co.uk/berkshire/wp-content/uploads/sites/5/2022/12/6-10.jpg" alt="" class="wp-image-49383" srcset="https://dev.muddystilettos.co.uk/berkshire/wp-content/uploads/sites/5/2022/12/6-10.jpg 1000w, https://dev.muddystilettos.co.uk/berkshire/wp-content/uploads/sites/5/2022/12/6-10-800x800.jpg 800w, https://dev.muddystilettos.co.uk/berkshire/wp-content/uploads/sites/5/2022/12/6-10-400x400.jpg 400w, https://dev.muddystilettos.co.uk/berkshire/wp-content/uploads/sites/5/2022/12/6-10-768x768.jpg 768w, https://dev.muddystilettos.co.uk/berkshire/wp-content/uploads/sites/5/2022/12/6-10-525x525.jpg 525w, https://dev.muddystilettos.co.uk/berkshire/wp-content/uploads/sites/5/2022/12/6-10-500x500.jpg 500w" sizes="(max-width: 1000px) 100vw, 1000px" /></figure>



<p>I could go on for pages here! Studies show that decluttering releases the same feel-good endorphins as shopping. I truly believe that we should all be craving <strong>less</strong>, not more! Instead of treating yourself to the next Insta must-have item, try decluttering your wardrobe down to the clothes you actually wear and feel good in. If, every time we are reaching past 100 items which make us feel awful to the one item we like, no wonder we feel that we have nothing to wear.</p>



<p>Clutter creates ‘visual noise’ in much the same way as we turn the radio down to focus, we must reduce this noise in order to feel calm. This visual noise presents us with endless ‘decisions’ whether conscious or unconscious. It’s tiring, unhelpful and makes us anxious! At the extreme end of the scale, clutter can become really overwhelming &#8211; leading to shame, depression and crushingly low self esteem. I am passionate about helping people reduce this stress in their homes. In my mind, it is an absolutely essential form of self care to keep an organised home.</p>



<h2 class="wp-block-heading">Call in a pro</h2>



<figure class="wp-block-image size-full"><img decoding="async" loading="lazy" width="1000" height="1000" src="https://dev.muddystilettos.co.uk/berkshire/wp-content/uploads/sites/5/2022/12/2-15.jpg" alt="Ruth Lawrence Happy Home Ascot decluttering and organising professional" class="wp-image-49379" srcset="https://dev.muddystilettos.co.uk/berkshire/wp-content/uploads/sites/5/2022/12/2-15.jpg 1000w, https://dev.muddystilettos.co.uk/berkshire/wp-content/uploads/sites/5/2022/12/2-15-800x800.jpg 800w, https://dev.muddystilettos.co.uk/berkshire/wp-content/uploads/sites/5/2022/12/2-15-400x400.jpg 400w, https://dev.muddystilettos.co.uk/berkshire/wp-content/uploads/sites/5/2022/12/2-15-768x768.jpg 768w, https://dev.muddystilettos.co.uk/berkshire/wp-content/uploads/sites/5/2022/12/2-15-525x525.jpg 525w, https://dev.muddystilettos.co.uk/berkshire/wp-content/uploads/sites/5/2022/12/2-15-500x500.jpg 500w" sizes="(max-width: 1000px) 100vw, 1000px" /></figure>



<p>A great Professional Declutterer and Organiser will motivate and support you, stopping at nothing to achieve the space you need and deserve to feel your best. We&#8217;re not there to judge or lecture, we just know exactly how to transform your space and can’t wait for the results at the end!</p>



<p>Being invited into my clients’ homes is a huge privilege. It takes trust and rapport to go through someone’s belongings and help them in the way I do. Building a relationship, where clients feel comfortable with me is so important – and something which I am so proud of. I get my clients to focus on our end goal and treat the decluttering as the journey to get there. I would never suggest removing something sentimental. If they love that item, it is treasure! I would also never be pushy &#8211; I laugh with my clients and have a lot of fun. It’s a positive, lovely service which makes people feel relief and happiness.</p>



<h2 class="wp-block-heading">Are you an organisational saint?</h2>



<p>Contrary to what all of my clients assume, I don’t live in a perfect home! Organisation to me really isn’t about a show home. I love personality, expression and character! To me, an organised house should simply be quick to tidy (harping back to the ‘place for everything’), easy to clean and a joy to live in. We have all experienced the feeling of dread when people announce they are ‘popping round’ (please don’t) – and the panic tidying! An organised home will never be stressful in this way and that’s the beauty &#8211; far less time spent tidying purely by keeping less ‘stuff’. ‘Less mess, less stress’! </p>



<p><em>Ruth Lawrence is the founder of <a href="https://www.happyhomeascot.co.uk/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Happy Home Ascot</a>, decluttering and organising homes across Berkshire and Surrey.</em></p>



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The big tidy! How to declutter your home, wardrobe and mind

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