The Mindful Minimalist: 3 Tips for Instant Closet Space
Being a minimalist does not mean moving to a tiny house in the mountains of South Dakota. It is also not necessary to go backpacking in the Himalayas to have an epiphany to be motivated and inspired enough to follow through on a vow to adopt a minimalist mindset.
Minimalism is less about physical things than it is about removing mental and emotional clutter. Plenty of studies have shown the positive effects of decluttering your space and keeping it that way.
Closets can be your best friend or your worst nightmare. More often than not, they are a dumping ground for all the things you didn’t have time to find a real place for or got tired of looking at but weren’t ready to toss out. With busy schedules and stacking responsibilities, it can be challenging to keep your home in order. We love to see our customers happy and relaxed, so we’ve come up with a few tips to help you get started in the right direction.
Empty Product Boxes
Face it, you’re never going to send it back.
Consider tossing boxes for products that are already well past their warranty. Large, rigid and often covered in colorful graphics, remnants of well-designed packaging tends to stack up quickly under beds and in closets. The typical rebuttal is usually along the lines of, “buts it’s such a good box! I could use this to…” This is not a valid excuse for two reasons, first, anything put into that box and back into a closet will be forgotten within 14 days. The second reason is that STASH provides FREE boxes to store your items, and we’ll take them away too, anytime you’re ready.
Wishful Hobbies
How your art easel became a clothes drying rack.
We’ve all done it, inspired by a movie, a band or museum trip, we head straight for the art supply store or music shop to purchase the appropriate tools of the trade. Some may have gone as far as getting in a few lessons. Instead of continuing to put off the creation of a proper craft space, music room or art studio, consider that art supplies and musical instruments can be great gifts for kids in your family or in the neighborhood. If you still feel compelled to knit a wall mural, paint a self-portrait or write a song for your mother, then by all means, give this activity a proper place in your home where it can live, beckon and inspire you into creative reverie. Don’t bury your dreams, either pull them out or pass them on.
Last Minute Gifts
It’s the thought that counts.
It happens all the time, someone waited until the last minute to get you a gift and the result has become a trinket surrounded by a ring of dust or buried in a closet taking up space with who knows what else. According to tidying expert Marie Kondo, it’s considered proper etiquette to get rid of an item one year after the gift has been given. This rule of thumb applies more to generic decorative items than to personalized gifts like photos or travel souvenirs which, when properly placed, add a sense of character to your home.
As you begin to think about the items hiding in your closets, consider requesting a STASH box to fill with re-gift items. Save hours of shopping time and money with a STASH of ready-to-go White Elephant and Secret Santa gifts for holiday party exchanges with co-workers and friends.
To get started, create an account online and request a box. Within 48 hours a STASH team member will drop off one of our reusable storage containers and take it away as soon as it’s packed up, whether it’s on the same trip or scheduled for a different day.
Learn more about STASH Storage here or create an account today.
