Here I am, taking a break from organizing a kitchen cupboard because I am experiencing "technical" brain difficulties, and here you are on UA-cam, reinforcing the container concept idea. After I finish watching, I'm going to be ruthless because I'm recharged. Thank you❤❤❤❤
I recently sold HUNDREDS of books because of your "the space you have is the space you have" wisdom. New house, fewer walls for bookshelves, but your container concept made it make sense that the answer was to finally say goodbye to lots of our books. Thank you!! ❤️
@@jengryl7723 To sell books on sites I don't think makes worthwhile .. You can try of course. 😌 There's something really cool now called "Little library". 👀 I found one in my area and I know that now they are all over the places so mby You got one too. It's essentially a big "wooden cabinet" that sits outside .. 🤭 And You can choose any book You like and take it home .. You can also stash it up with Your own books for others to take home .. I have found some really good books there and soon will take them back for somebody else to read.💖
Putting likes together REALLY helps with clothes. I just helped my girlfriend downsize and organize. We went item by item in two clothes closets: keep, donate, trash. Then when I put likes together (e.g., sweaters--then sweaters by color), she said, "Oh, let me look at all those blue sweaters," and she got rid of duplicates and least favorite ones. Two closets look great and function fabulously well. Thanks, Dana!
I was like that with books. Books were sacred, books were kept. Period. Until my husband and I donated roughly 1,000 books - even though we had the space (!!) and they were neatly shelved. They still cluttered my head. Why keep books I’ll never read again? Why keep books about hobbies I’ll never engage in again? We donated to our friends of the library group for their sales. And the gift, the surprise? The books that remained, earned their spots, are even more special. And some decor items are among them. I love looking at the book cases.
Books were considered highly in our house too...in the late 1960's my mother saved up and bought us an encyclopedia set and a couple of science, natural wonders of the earth books...we cherished them...
I love your videos more than any I’ve come across!! And waiting for Reid at the end is priceless!! Thank you for all the wonderful tips and for being so genuine!!!💛
Thx! I have a creative mind for keeping things also, so when I convince myself I love it and/or can use it I remind myself that it isn't just space that is finite but also time. I call it "vain imaginations" when I convince myself I am really going to have time to do the amount of things that take up more space than I have. And I tell myself that I can share what I have so someone else can also love it and/or use it. I used to be like your mom and function meant something different, but I now have a degenerative disorder that makes it harder to do things physically. So I wish I had not only made things less cluttered before the decline, but even had thought to simplify beyond just functional. Now it is much harder to get things in order. I love your videos and your genuineness and also compassion and thoughtfulness you put into what you share. Thank you again!
I have watched your Mel Robbins podcast twice. You did an EXCELLENT job. You had great answers for all of Mel's questions and explained your method so clearly.
Not this book lover! Not all books are equal. The poetry books my mother gave me as a child are far more valuable, than the worn paperback I plucked from a Little Frre Library on a whim. I’m in my 70s and know I won’t live forever. Keeping never to be read or non sentimental books is a rotten thing to due to my survivors who will have to deal with them if I don’t.
Dana, books are my friends! And yet... I have sent a lot of them to new homes since I started following you. The (currently) last stage for me has been to let some of my old "book containers" go - bookcases I made myself out of boards and screws to hold the burgeoning book population in my 1-bedroom condo. I got some actual nice midcentury modern bookcases that look nice in my apartment, and declared those the new book containers and they are the limit. I can't tell you how proud I am of myself for having no more piles of books on the floor (or on the dresser.... or... wherever). One day soon I will have to meet the challenge of performing "one in, one out" when I inevitably bring new books home. I will apply myself to learning that new skill. Learning new skills is good for the brain!
Spotted Harry Potter immediately 😂. I’m glad someone else loves Harry too. He always has a place on my shelf too. Great video. Books were really hard during my declutter last year but I don’t think I could have done it without your knowledge. Thanks ❤
Excellent video, as usual. For all those dithering about starting the decluttering process. Think of the mess your loved ones will inherit. My Mum was like Danas Mum she (thought) she knew where everything was and could grope to the back and pull it out, rabbit out of the hat style. On helping Dad clear out 5 full car loads to the charity shop over the last 3 weeks. It's hard work. I have kept very little, my boys will not want figurines, cups and saucers etc. It's also meant I have been able to declutter at home, gifts, dinner sets and cross stitch, hand me downs I no longer wanted without causing offence. I can now do a five minute pick up in nearly every room.
I love reading, after bookcases were stuffed, I discovered the library. I have listen to a couple of your book on audio from my library. I no longer buy books, but I do have 12 books of children's' books for future grandchildren. I recommend using your library and only purchasing books you want to reference, like the Bible. Love your videos. I am a new subscriber
I used to LOVE going to the library so it made it easy for me to get rid of my books. The hustle and bustle of raising children made it ok for me (in my mind) to just buy all my books which also led to an overstock of books that never actually got to read. It was so freeing to use my library card again! 😊
The usably and get-to-ably part of the container concept changed the way I looked at my closet shelves. Everything fit “just so” but it was such a pain to get things in and out I realized I had too much. Now I have space in my space.
Around our county are little self libraries. It is a bird house like cubard with two shelves that people leave books in. You can take or leave. I drop off at those and then our library. Also are Goodwill and ST Vincent Dapaul. If they are old smelling stained Garbage. I got 150 out last week.
I’m in the process of decluttering books. I literally have thousands, enough that many were double or triple stacked. I started with trash (old college texts)/recycling (books I knew I knew I would never re read- went to little free library). Duplicates and known lesser liked, went to used book stores for future credit. I also found books I had never read, they were separated out and I am now reading them and a final decision gets made as I finish each (love-stays, ehh-goes). By the time I finish the unread books, all my books will fit one deep. Then I’ll start re reading series, if they are still loved they’ll stay if not they’ll go. Eventually, bookshelves will be emptied and passed on and my container/room will have more breathing room.
Love it! I have a problem with keeping the “what if I need it?” things. With books I asked myself if I was just keeping them because they were old and part of a collection. This made it much easier to get rid of the least favourite ones.
I put the container concept to work in my stationery drawers and found I had an empty drawer and a half. Blew my mind, I feel in control and proud of myself. I also fixed the drawers so they open easily. The drawers were already pretty decluttered from what if items or so I thought.
When I was a kid, we moved almost every year. One of our decluttering questions became "is this worth carrying up the two flights of stairs to the new apartment?". So many things were not worth that effort to me. But I realize as an adult, I am carrying my crap around 2 flights of stairs every dang day. Except it looks like shuffling, tidying, cleaning up, re-arranging, stuffing in box in the corner.
I wish i accidentally had multiples that I didnt realize i had. That would make this process a lot less angsty. Although i am definitely not to the books stage yet. Nor have i even made it to stage 5. I start everytime in my room and by the time i make it through putting away clean laundry, i run out of time and energy. And by the next time i go to work at it again, more clean laundry has piled up. 🤦♀️lol apparently i need to declutter our laundry or the size of our family lol😅
This is why I never want to put my clothes away bc I don’t feel like wadding everything up and skinning the backs of my fingers pushing them in the drawer.
Step 5.9: Convert the demonstration's principles into my pots and pans cupboard and voila! makes perfect sense to me. Getting things in and out of there easily and functionally i-- making it fit -- s paramount especially when there's a bit of room to spare.
I was fingertips out to talk about how beautiful that copy of Little Woman is. I was sure it would get put by the wizard of Oz.😅 I get it though. Very helpful video :)
I am going thru same process with books 😮 now have your bookshelf organized and it all fits, I find a new book do I start another shelf or is it one in and one out? I understand from your method once we have our stuff in the container we need to manage it which goes back to one in and one out! Can you address management of your containers? Loved this video and your methods of decluttering, works for me😊
This is the part that I get hung up on. If I start going through the process and I need to put out of place items where I would look first or just back where I know they belong… that’s when my brain starts to stutter. For example, if I need to put my son’s books away on his bookshelf where he would look for them first and find 20 other things in the way. My brain says just shove it in there and worry about it later, but later never comes and I just end up stuff shuffling OR I get sidetracked and now I’m working on too many areas at once.
Yep! I’m working on that ‘Remove ONE (or 2 ) EASY - (trash or duh-donation) items that will make space for it’ thing. ‘Made space, left the area no worse & the trash/donation (hopefully😅) takes me back to the original project space😊
Maybe the only smart thing I’ve ever done is not collect books, but I do have hundreds of magazines I need to get rid of. My bedroom is so hoarded, I can barely walk through it. It doesn’t lend itself to restorative sleep. I came close to not buying this house because it has a little storage, so over 25 years later, I am drowning. I can’t do it alone, and I have almost no income. I’m looking at my dresser and there are no fewer than 300 things piled on top of it. I could clear it off, and tomorrow it would look exactly the same. I know it’s ADD, grief and anticipatory grief. But it’s something more. It doesn’t help that I have regular access to beautiful, free, yes FREE designer clothes. Cosmetics and jewelry as well. I tell myself I’m taking them to give away, but no matter how many clothes I give away, there are still enough here for 10 people, and I am one woman. p.s. Your hair is gorgeous.👸🏼
Have a HORROR of the horizontal books on top of the vertical. Ruins books. Makes the whole shelf unpullable. My dear mom is queen of this so I learned to always leave empty space next to my sons books so she puts books away (horizontally? Sure) in the empty spot instead of DYSFUNCTIONALLY ATOP the shelved books.
Ah! Related question: how do you deal with going to the the place you would look for it only to find the destination being extremely full. To the point you can’t put it there 😭
@@StaringCompetitionusing Dana’s system something is chosen to leave. So the question is which do you love more, this or this? And the one you love more stays. Over simplifying, but slowly by doing that there’s progress and only progress. Her words!
So glad you are not organizing your books by color. I think that is ridiculous. I’m looking for The Sun Also Rises. I think the cover is green?? Readers don’t shelve books that way.
Here I am, taking a break from organizing a kitchen cupboard because I am experiencing "technical" brain difficulties, and here you are on UA-cam, reinforcing the container concept idea.
After I finish watching, I'm going to be ruthless because I'm recharged.
Thank you❤❤❤❤
@@kathleenmcgovern9659 I’m going to borrow “experiencing technical brain difficulties,” if you don’t mind. Thank you!
@bethjeans3780 LOL!!!!!!
I recently sold HUNDREDS of books because of your "the space you have is the space you have" wisdom. New house, fewer walls for bookshelves, but your container concept made it make sense that the answer was to finally say goodbye to lots of our books. Thank you!! ❤️
Hi what site or where did you sell your books? I have so many to sell and get rid of.
@@jengryl7723 I put mine on FB Marketplace
@@jengryl7723 To sell books on sites I don't think makes worthwhile .. You can try of course. 😌
There's something really cool now called "Little library". 👀
I found one in my area and I know that now they are all over the places so mby You got one too.
It's essentially a big "wooden cabinet" that sits outside .. 🤭
And You can choose any book You like and take it home ..
You can also stash it up with Your own books for others to take home ..
I have found some really good books there and soon will take them back for somebody else to read.💖
@@jengryl7723unless they’re rare or collectible, just give them away to a charity you believe in & move on. I’ve done this & it works
The container concept literally changed our home too🙌🙌
Putting likes together REALLY helps with clothes. I just helped my girlfriend downsize and organize. We went item by item in two clothes closets: keep, donate, trash. Then when I put likes together (e.g., sweaters--then sweaters by color), she said, "Oh, let me look at all those blue sweaters," and she got rid of duplicates and least favorite ones. Two closets look great and function fabulously well. Thanks, Dana!
I was like that with books. Books were sacred, books were kept. Period. Until my husband and I donated roughly 1,000 books - even though we had the space (!!) and they were neatly shelved. They still cluttered my head. Why keep books I’ll never read again? Why keep books about hobbies I’ll never engage in again?
We donated to our friends of the library group for their sales. And the gift, the surprise? The books that remained, earned their spots, are even more special. And some decor items are among them. I love looking at the book cases.
So glad to hear you donated to your FOL! 🤓
I am a huge library supporter and former employee (and also a volunteer). 😊
Books were considered highly in our house too...in the late 1960's my mother saved up and bought us an encyclopedia set and a couple of science, natural wonders of the earth books...we cherished them...
I love your videos more than any I’ve come across!! And waiting for Reid at the end is priceless!! Thank you for all the wonderful tips and for being so genuine!!!💛
Her books are life changing!!!
Reid’s comments are the best bit 😂
Ps your container concept applies beautifully to my gardens, patio & yard too! Yay 🎉 for outside sanity! ❤
You could do stand up and I would go watch. 12:16 😂 your face after you were done talking about how easy going you were 😂 I do that too, cracked me up
The most relatable thing ever: toilet paper as a bookmark ❤ I feel seen 😄
Love this, Dana! The Container Concept has been such a game-changer in my own home too. Let the container be the bad guy!
Thx! I have a creative mind for keeping things also, so when I convince myself I love it and/or can use it I remind myself that it isn't just space that is finite but also time. I call it "vain imaginations" when I convince myself I am really going to have time to do the amount of things that take up more space than I have. And I tell myself that I can share what I have so someone else can also love it and/or use it. I used to be like your mom and function meant something different, but I now have a degenerative disorder that makes it harder to do things physically. So I wish I had not only made things less cluttered before the decline, but even had thought to simplify beyond just functional. Now it is much harder to get things in order. I love your videos and your genuineness and also compassion and thoughtfulness you put into what you share. Thank you again!
I have watched your Mel Robbins podcast twice. You did an EXCELLENT job. You had great answers for all of Mel's questions and explained your method so clearly.
Wow! I'd like to see that ❤
Do you know when it came out? I’m looking for it but none of the episodes have Dana’s name. I’m trying to save time by not clicking on each episode 🤭
One of my sons bought me the same special edition of "Little Women" that I see on your bookshelf. ❤
(My favorite book of all time!)
I love how you kept reassuring us that this is just for demonstration…because all us book lovers are yelling , “keep them, you have more shelves.”
Not this book lover! Not all books are equal. The poetry books my mother gave me as a child are far more valuable, than the worn paperback I plucked from a Little Frre Library on a whim. I’m in my 70s and know I won’t live forever. Keeping never to be read or non sentimental books is a rotten thing to due to my survivors who will have to deal with them if I don’t.
Reid! Do it! make up your own words! its a thing. Also, The Lady that says 'get-to-ably" speaks my language. I understand her conversation. hahaha
Thank you infinitely For your work and your books!!! My whole family’s lives have improved literally from me following your technique ❤❤❤❤
Totally agree. Me too ❤
Dana, books are my friends! And yet... I have sent a lot of them to new homes since I started following you. The (currently) last stage for me has been to let some of my old "book containers" go - bookcases I made myself out of boards and screws to hold the burgeoning book population in my 1-bedroom condo.
I got some actual nice midcentury modern bookcases that look nice in my apartment, and declared those the new book containers and they are the limit. I can't tell you how proud I am of myself for having no more piles of books on the floor (or on the dresser.... or... wherever).
One day soon I will have to meet the challenge of performing "one in, one out" when I inevitably bring new books home. I will apply myself to learning that new skill. Learning new skills is good for the brain!
I look so forward to your videos ( call it a visit from you} thanks Dana till next time..bless you
Thank you for taking the time to explain 5.1 Consolidation!
Spotted Harry Potter immediately 😂. I’m glad someone else loves Harry too. He always has a place on my shelf too. Great video. Books were really hard during my declutter last year but I don’t think I could have done it without your knowledge. Thanks ❤
I have an antique wall hanging shelf that is my Harry Potter shrine! 😂❤
@@NovasUA-camName love this❤️
After not getting some loaned volumes back, I switched “Harry” to e-books. Always have him, but less visual clutter in 3-4 different editions.
Excellent video, as usual. For all those dithering about starting the decluttering process. Think of the mess your loved ones will inherit. My Mum was like Danas Mum she (thought) she knew where everything was and could grope to the back and pull it out, rabbit out of the hat style. On helping Dad clear out 5 full car loads to the charity shop over the last 3 weeks. It's hard work. I have kept very little, my boys will not want figurines, cups and saucers etc. It's also meant I have been able to declutter at home, gifts, dinner sets and cross stitch, hand me downs I no longer wanted without causing offence. I can now do a five minute pick up in nearly every room.
LOVE the closing comments from you guys.😅
This was so helpful! I watched it three times. 😀
This video is very helpful and informative! Helps explain things even more in-depth than your "pen container" video!
“Wompy-jawed” 😂🤣🤣
That’s a phrase I use!!! 😂
I love reading, after bookcases were stuffed, I discovered the library. I have listen to a couple of your book on audio from my library. I no longer buy books, but I do have 12 books of children's' books for future grandchildren. I recommend using your library and only purchasing books you want to reference, like the Bible. Love your videos. I am a new subscriber
I used to LOVE going to the library so it made it easy for me to get rid of my books. The hustle and bustle of raising children made it ok for me (in my mind) to just buy all my books which also led to an overstock of books that never actually got to read. It was so freeing to use my library card again! 😊
I love the “get-to-ably” ❤
The usably and get-to-ably part of the container concept changed the way I looked at my closet shelves. Everything fit “just so” but it was such a pain to get things in and out I realized I had too much. Now I have space in my space.
This is very clear, and so helpful, thank you!
Around our county are little self libraries. It is a bird house like cubard with two shelves that people leave books in. You can take or leave. I drop off at those and then our library. Also are Goodwill and ST Vincent Dapaul. If they are old smelling stained Garbage. I got 150 out last week.
I’m in the process of decluttering books. I literally have thousands, enough that many were double or triple stacked. I started with trash (old college texts)/recycling (books I knew I knew I would never re read- went to little free library). Duplicates and known lesser liked, went to used book stores for future credit. I also found books I had never read, they were separated out and I am now reading them and a final decision gets made as I finish each (love-stays, ehh-goes). By the time I finish the unread books, all my books will fit one deep. Then I’ll start re reading series, if they are still loved they’ll stay if not they’ll go. Eventually, bookshelves will be emptied and passed on and my container/room will have more breathing room.
Love it! I have a problem with keeping the “what if I need it?” things. With books I asked myself if I was just keeping them because they were old and part of a collection. This made it much easier to get rid of the least favourite ones.
Love your method, your books & your videos. Thank you for “stuff sanity”! ❤❤❤
The fact that she has to go and on about books to calm people about it shows that books are often a huge problem.
I love hearing your thought process. Your voice echoing in my mind as I declutter is so helpful!
Also, yay Harry Potter! 😊
I put the container concept to work in my stationery drawers and found I had an empty drawer and a half. Blew my mind, I feel in control and proud of myself. I also fixed the drawers so they open easily. The drawers were already pretty decluttered from what if items or so I thought.
When I was a kid, we moved almost every year. One of our decluttering questions became "is this worth carrying up the two flights of stairs to the new apartment?". So many things were not worth that effort to me. But I realize as an adult, I am carrying my crap around 2 flights of stairs every dang day. Except it looks like shuffling, tidying, cleaning up, re-arranging, stuffing in box in the corner.
All my books 📚 are in alphabetical order. I might need to re watch this as still somewhat hung up on books. 📚
"The books in front of the books prevent it from functioning" true
I love Dana!! ❤ Your videos are the best!!!!
Ooooh❤ I see cobalt blue glass below! Love that stuff. Love your helpful advice in real life home life😊
Love the "no emotion" advice and it works for my Capricorn moon💫🌛
I’m a simple person: I see you posted, I like! ❤
I also like the ”what it s NOT” approach, off to actually watch! Thank you.
Hilarious 😂😂😂 also get intense! It’s important work! ❤❤❤
I wish i accidentally had multiples that I didnt realize i had. That would make this process a lot less angsty. Although i am definitely not to the books stage yet. Nor have i even made it to stage 5. I start everytime in my room and by the time i make it through putting away clean laundry, i run out of time and energy. And by the next time i go to work at it again, more clean laundry has piled up.
🤦♀️lol apparently i need to declutter our laundry or the size of our family lol😅
Cheering you on! I can relate to the cycle feeling endless and not feeling like I’m seeing progress. You’ve got this!
How would you have guessed that 'make it fit' or 'cram it in', can't mean the same thing in my hoarding mind?!
As soon as I've read a book 📕 it goes in the donate pile unless it's a reference book that I'll re look at, I've also kept a 1st edition of a book.
I re read many of my books. Those I won’t re read are now being donated.
Awesome video, Dana💕
This is why I never want to put my clothes away bc I don’t feel like wadding everything up and skinning the backs of my fingers pushing them in the drawer.
Very Helpful. Thank you.
One of my rules for books is, hardbacks only. No paperback books allowed. Also remove the jackets and the books look cleaner and more unified
The intensity is real 😂
Step 5.9: Convert the demonstration's principles into my pots and pans cupboard and voila! makes perfect sense to me. Getting things in and out of there easily and functionally i-- making it fit -- s paramount especially when there's a bit of room to spare.
I even went (thrift) shopping specifically for a 2 quart saucepan for the first time in my life after using your methods!
I was fingertips out to talk about how beautiful that copy of Little Woman is. I was sure it would get put by the wizard of Oz.😅 I get it though. Very helpful video :)
I am going thru same process with books 😮 now have your bookshelf organized and it all fits, I find a new book do I start another shelf or is it one in and one out? I understand from your method once we have our stuff in the container we need to manage it which goes back to one in and one out! Can you address management of your containers? Loved this video and your methods of decluttering, works for me😊
Mark if the Lion series is such an amazing set. Great book selection. Might have been distracting me... 😂
Always a learning opportunity 🎃 Happy Halloween 🎃
My books shelf feels seen
@@StaringCompetition 😆
This is the part that I get hung up on. If I start going through the process and I need to put out of place items where I would look first or just back where I know they belong… that’s when my brain starts to stutter. For example, if I need to put my son’s books away on his bookshelf where he would look for them first and find 20 other things in the way. My brain says just shove it in there and worry about it later, but later never comes and I just end up stuff shuffling OR I get sidetracked and now I’m working on too many areas at once.
Yep! I’m working on that ‘Remove ONE (or 2 ) EASY - (trash or duh-donation) items that will make space for it’ thing. ‘Made space, left the area no worse & the trash/donation (hopefully😅) takes me back to the original project space😊
Good morning! 😊
Simple: You put Little Women on the top shelf as decor, next to the Wizard of Oz.
Utensil drawer is staring at me like “mmmm hmmmmm”.
Happy Halloween. 🎃
I got $100 for a bunch of my old Nancy Drew's!
I have books on the floor in my room 😅 I really need to make it fit 😶
Maybe the only smart thing I’ve ever done is not collect books, but I do have hundreds of magazines I need to get rid of. My bedroom is so hoarded, I can barely walk through it. It doesn’t lend itself to restorative sleep. I came close to not buying this house because it has a little storage, so over 25 years later, I am drowning. I can’t do it alone, and I have almost no income. I’m looking at my dresser and there are no fewer than 300 things piled on top of it. I could clear it off, and tomorrow it would look exactly the same. I know it’s ADD, grief and anticipatory grief. But it’s something more. It doesn’t help that I have regular access to beautiful, free, yes FREE designer clothes. Cosmetics and jewelry as well. I tell myself I’m taking them to give away, but no matter how many clothes I give away, there are still enough here for 10 people, and I am one woman.
p.s. Your hair is gorgeous.👸🏼
Can you address the “buy another bookshelf” solution that our brains jump to?
The Bobwhite book 😂😂😂
I'm resigned to leaving my husband and all his books, dvds, and machinery to their own devices as long as they don't creep up onto the main level🙄🤯🤯
BOO! Happy Halloween!
Have a HORROR of the horizontal books on top of the vertical. Ruins books. Makes the whole shelf unpullable. My dear mom is queen of this so I learned to always leave empty space next to my sons books so she puts books away (horizontally? Sure) in the empty spot instead of DYSFUNCTIONALLY ATOP the shelved books.
Ah! Related question: how do you deal with going to the the place you would look for it only to find the destination being extremely full. To the point you can’t put it there 😭
1 for 1. One out to make room for one in!
@@StaringCompetitionusing Dana’s system something is chosen to leave. So the question is which do you love more, this or this? And the one you love more stays. Over simplifying, but slowly by doing that there’s progress and only progress. Her words!
❤
I just got rid of ten books.
Ouch! Books! It’s a literary version of Sophie’s Choice!
📗📘📖
So glad you are not organizing your books by color. I think that is ridiculous. I’m looking for The Sun Also Rises. I think the cover is green?? Readers don’t shelve books that way.
Make it fit with ease not Jenga or master of putting dishes away that have to stack just right for them to fit.
Functional bookaholics. Hi.