Summer’s here, and that means outdoor projects: cleaning the garage, painting siding, pulling weeds. It also means indoor projects. Projects, projects, projects! For us, this spring has been all about moving, cleaning, and completing projects. The list is never-ending. Our move into our home and our long list of to-do’s made me realize that not only are we not minimalists, but also we shouldn’t be.

 

A true minimalist probably wouldn’t own buckets of nails, would they? Well, I never really wanted to own enough tools to fill an entire tool room, but now I do. I blame it on the long-term owner (the couple who lived there before the short-term owners who sold the home to us). It’s clear he was a fixer and a doer, and an organized one at that! I was pleased to see that he was keen on organizing and labeling his tools, and he did a thorough job maintaining the structure and integrity of the house. He also left behind buckets of nails, screws, knobs, wires, and other doo-hickeys.

 

We don’t need everything he left behind; we don’t even know what half of it is. I decided to throw out or give away half of these items because I knew for certain my husband and I would never use them. The other half—well, I wanted to throw them a way. Something told me, however, to hush my desire to live a minimalist life, and accept that, as a homeowner, there are just some things I need. And those things take up space. So, I went through my inventory, decided what to keep and what to toss, separated it, organized it, and placed it in logical places.

 

Even though I’m the daughter of a carpenter, I wouldn’t call myself incredibly handy, or someone who enjoys using a power drill. However, I’ve learned that if I want something done, I need to do it myself. (On the other hand, if I want something done perfectly, I need to call my dad and ask him to do it, which means it will take about a decade to complete.) I’ve learned how to use basic tools and a couple not-so-basic tools, like a power drill.

 

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Basic Tools Everyone Should Own

 

— Screwdriver

— Hammer

— Pliers

— Tape Measure

— Adjustable Wrench

— Flashlight

— Power Drill

 

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Organizing The Tool Room

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The perfectionist in me wanted to rip everything out of this room, throw it all out, paint it, and start over, fresh, clean and empty. My numb foot, carpal tunnel, and severely aching joints, however, reminded me that I had spent enough hours toiling over this new home in attempt to fix every little knick and splotch, and it was time to just accept it as it is. At least the tool room is in the basement, at the very end of the house, hidden inside another storage room, and I can always just shut the door. Sometimes in life, you just have to shut the door and forget about it.

 

BEFORE

 

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AFTER

 

Tip: Hang cords and cables on nails — and hang them on the same wall or in the same space.

 

 

Tip: Make sure everything is out in the open, visible, and similar items are stored near similar items.

 

 

Tip: Use what you have. Tools get dirty. I didn’t want to spend money on pretty containers. These are fine!

 

 

Tip: Be like me, or don’t be like me? To label or not label? That is the question. Clearly, that is not glue in the “glue” container (and that is NOT my handwriting), but I can see that the container holds plugs and door stoppers. And, remember, the carpal tunnel? I accepted this as it is.

 

 

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Laundry Room

 

Tip: Use nails and hooks to hang your brooms, mops, and cleaning appliances together and in a space where you can easily see and grab them.

 

Tip: Only keep what you use, and decide for yourself if you need multiple products to get the cleaning job done! Turn all products so that you can read the label and they are easily accessible.

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Remember, not everything can be perfect. Organizing isn’t about perfection or emptiness or even prettiness. Organizing is about developing a system to save you time, money, space, and sanity. Toss what you don’t need, keep what you do, and separate it into similar categories, ensuring it is visible and easily accessible so you can remain efficient and productive. That way you spend less time searching, less time cleaning, and more time enjoying life’s meaningful moments.

 

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