For many of you who have been following me closely, you know that I love shopping and having the PERFECT outfit for any and every occasion… but I also appreciate having a clutter-free home. Sometimes that doesn’t coincide, I admit. But, if there’s one thing I’ve learned over the years, it is that decluttering is a MUST to reduce stress and chaos in your life. Lucky for me, I knew JUST the person to call: Megan from Go Simplified!
Go Simplified is a Calgary-based company that helps people far and wide declutter their homes and create organizational systems for ease of mind. Megan has travelled to help clients in Victoria, Tofino, Vancouver, Kelowna (including me!), Toronto, LA and many other locations near and far! Her degree in psychology and ongoing interest in neuroscience has influenced her motivation for this work. And—let me just say!—it really is such a blissful experience for your mental well-being, too, not just for your home! Because, as anyone knows (especially moms), there’s nothing quite like that big sigh of relief when your home is finally decluttered and back in standing order. Who’s with me?!
I’ve gotten a lot of questions in my DMs about my experience with Go Simplified, so I wanted to give you a recap here on the blog! (And stay tuned because we have another amazing blog about Megan’s tips and tricks for decluttering on its way!)
The ‘Cry for Help’ Moment
If you’ve been following me for a few years now, you will know that this is actually my SECOND time working with Go Simplified! How lucky am I?! The first experience stemmed from a moment any momma will recognize well: the ‘cry for help’ or ‘this isn’t working’ meltdown.
I was looking around our beautiful home that I cherish so much and realized that the space was getting unmanageable. In the industry that I work in, it’s challenging to keep things to a minimum around the house when an integral part of my job is testing items! There are a few reasons for this:
- I ALWAYS test products for the Jilly Box to ensure Insiders receive that absolute BEST quality and that they are items the team and I genuinely LOVE.
- Before saying yes to a partnership with a brand, I like to get to know their company and really understand what their brand is about to determine if their product is something I would actually use in my everyday life and if it’s something all of you will find valuable!!
- Lastly, I like to be in the know about local startup companies so that if it’s an amazing product everyone should have, I can help bring awareness to their brand!
All that to say… if there are no organizational systems in place, the house can go from clean to chaos in minutes. YIKES!!! If you’re reading this and thinking, “Oh no! That sounds like me!” please know that we are all struggling with keeping things in order. Especially when it comes to running a family household!
So, after my “ah-hah” moment, as Oprah would call it, I reached out to Go Simplified a year ago. They spent a week helping our family alongside Go Clean Co. (who actually introduced me to Megan!)! We went from room to room to room, identifying what could be given away and what I could keep. You can read ALL about that mind-blowing transformation here.
Deciding it was time for Round Two!
A year later, 70% of the organizational systems they helped me implement I have kept up. But there is still room for me to improve in some areas! And, since we weren’t able to get to every single room in the house the first time, I thought this would be a great opportunity to get the entire house in order. In light of that, I decided to reach out to Megan again for help.
How We Got the Job Done!
We start by picking our first room to tackle and get everything out, and I mean EVERYTHING! Then, we pull out Go Simplified’s AMAZING How-To Guide for that room. Here are the organizational guides Megan has on her website (and more are on the way!!):
- How to Organize Your Kitchen
- How to Organize Your Pantry
- How to Organize Your Bathroom & Linen Closets
- Bundle: Kitchen and Pantry Guides
With each item we pull out of its hiding place, Megan would prompt me to ask myself, “do I really use this?” This is a GREAT question to ask yourself. You would be surprised how many things we hold onto that we don’t even use.
The reason I loved this process is that it helped me keep things I love and take better care of them. Not only is this great to live more simply, but when I do decide to get rid of something of mine down the road, I’m not having to throw it out because it’s broken. Instead, I can give it to Tori, Sam or Steph to enjoy because I’ve cherished that item and taken such good care of it!
What About Sentimental Items?
If you’re holding onto sentimental things, I hear you! It’s not easy to part from the things we love. If you can’t bear to part with it, make sure to store that item PROPERLY! Why keep it if you aren’t going to take good care of it, right?
But what does “storing it properly” mean, exactly? Instead of throwing your sentimental items into your storage room, group them by category into clear bins (with labels!). I put Leo & Annie’s baby items in one bin, Justin’s childhood memorabilia in another and my baby things in their own bin. This way, these cherished items are protected from wear and tear.
How Long It All Took
Our home is not only an office but a shoot location, so there was A LOT for us to tackle, even with all of the great systems we kept in place from last year. In total, with four people working full time, it took us THREE DAYS to do the entire house. So, if you’re just getting started on this process, please be patient with yourself! Most people do not have a full team working on this project, so inevitably, it will take longer.
If you’re thinking about getting organized to this level, my advice would be to block off some time, arrange a babysitter and invite your best friends over for help. Pour yourselves a glass of wine and turn up the music to get the organization party started! Tackle room by room, and don’t start another room until the one you are currently working on is done! (I know it’s tempting!) Trust me! Making this a group activity will make the time fly!
Before & After
BEDROOM
BATHROOM
LINEN CLOSET
KITCHEN
LAUNDRY ROOM
Other Tips & Tricks
You may be wondering, but Jill, what do I DO with all of these items I’ve decided I can’t keep? If the items are in good condition, donating them or re-gifting them are both great options. If you are donating ANYTHING though, be sure to wash the product beforehand as a courtesy to the next owner! There’s no point in donating something if it’s not clean.
Also, if you’re thinking to yourself. That all sounds great, but I’ll do it later! I HIGHLY recommend organizing at the beginning of the year before spring comes! Seriously, as soon as Spring arrives, life gets SO BUSY. So, block out some time in your calendar now during these slower months.
As I mentioned earlier, I realize not everyone can hire an incredible service like Go Simplified for an entire team to tackle this project. But there’s still a way to implement the amazing knowledge of Go Simplified in your home! Be sure to order some of Megan’s how-to guides (ranging from $30 – $60 CAD) so you know EXACTLY how to tackle each room in your house.
I hope this recap was helpful to you if you’re tackling the big decluttering & reorganizing project in your own home! And remember, Megan has some AMAZING recommendations and resources both on her website and on her Instagram account (@gosimplified), so be sure to check out more Go Simplified content there!
xo,
Jilly
For full transparency, we were not paid for this partnership, but their services were provided to us complimentary in exchange for posting on social media! I did pay for all of the storage solutions that Megan’s team used throughout our home. But, as always, please note that all of the thoughts and opinions within this blog are my own.
