Organizing Tips and Ideas for Butterflies - ClutterBug Organizing Series

Ask me some questions and I'll be sure to answer as many as I can in my upcoming ButterFly Q&A video coming soon!

as a bee who grew up in a house where my moms lady bug organization style ran things, you are spot on when you said that visual organizers hold more personal attachment to our items and thats why we need to see them . my mom never meant to upset me by telling me to hide all of my things under cabinets growing up but it would really upset me as a kiddo and I never knew how to articulate it. As an adult I have realized it was because to me it felt like she was telling me to hide parts of myself, not just things. like she was saying my personality, likes, and interests were not important enough to be seen. obviously this was not true, in her eyes she was just asking me to remove clutter by having me put all my carefully separated piles of paints, colored pencils, paper, and pens I had laid out along the edge of my room in the one large tote she had under the sink cabinet labeled art stuff. But I could not understand her reasoning as a kid, and she could not get mine.

Summary for me: 1) Use clear container - even better - label 2) shelves system (but require more dusting and care when I choose to display things 3) take off closet doors (so that I can see everything) 4) hooks are bestfriend (put near the front door) 5) always purge (bees & butterflies) when u have too many things your brain cannot appreciate the important things, u will feel everything is invisible. Be ruthless 6) purge tips: close eyes/turn around, let family help you purge. Let it go.

Even though this was 5 years ago you just helped us resolve at least a few issues in our home. I found two unused baskets (hubby says I am a container collector) took one into the master bath and loaded it with the items I use every day. Everything else (yes counter was cluttered) is going to find a new home. Instantly felt so much better. Hubby was impressed. Then I took the other basket and loaded it with the spices we use every day. Hubby does all the cooking and he NEVER puts things back. But he thinks he could at least throw them in the basket which would make it easier for me to put back in the cabinet. Baby steps!

When you are made to feel like you are a lazy mess for well forever, this was extremely helpful. Off to get some labels and clear bins !! This series is amazing.

This makes so much sense. I am a butterfly who has bee tendencies. I have two large bedroom closets neatly organized but I go months never opening the doors. I live out of my laundry hamper and chair for “wear again” clothes. For some reason I never thought this was odd. My family has always called me lazy. I am not lazy. Look at my beautiful, micro organized closet - that I never use. I am in my sixties. I love my stuff. I am a Virgo. I love to organize. I think my problem is I organize in a way I can never use that stuff effectively again. I forget I have it. I repurchase tee shirts that live in my laundry hamper where I handle them and therefore wear them. Gosh - time to rethink my organization systems.

It's like I have ADD, i'll start something and it's like "oh, look, a squirrel!" and i'll have 5 things started going simultaneously and none will get done. I'm definitely a butterfly, things put away are out of my life, lost forever. thank you for your help here.

I think the rainbow organization method for hanging clothes is also really helpful for butterflies, because the end result is simple and beautiful. I enjoy opening my closet to a facsimile of a rainbow gradient. I do it twice so there's a section for longer and shorter clothing.

This is sooooo real. I have ADHD and it was there my whole life, it's how I operate...but I wasn't formally diagnosed until a few years ago. At 33, this is the kind of resource I have been craving my whole life! I do all of this already.... but wow! Inspired. Saved. Thank you so so much! #inspired

I have always felt like I was a mess and something was wrong with me because all my family and friends were coming to my home or room when I lived at home and would say how do you live like this? I would cry everytime. After getting your first book, I realized I was just different then they were on how I think of things and how I organize. So I had everyone take the test and then I had them read about their bug and then asked them to read mine so they could understand why I am the way I am. This has helped. Thank you.

This might have changed my life. I am not kidding. Now I understand why I have so much anxiety when I don’t see things.

I’m soooo glad I found this! Thank you for letting me know there’s nothing wrong with me and that it IS possible to be organized without feeling like I’m dying inside. Lol

I'm a butterfly and my home has most of what you talked about. Clear bins, hooks, open shelves and clothes where they shouldn't be lol. Love your videos. Thanks.

I want to thank you so much. I watch your videos for my own motivation (I'm kind of obssesed). But I recently had my 13 year old take your test. We discovered she's a butterfly! We redid her room with this knowledge. Not only does it look beautiful but it stays that way. Ending years of endless go rounds about the disorganized mess her room has always been! Thank you, thank you!

This makes so much sense! Back when i lived in a dorm in uni, my roommates always got upset with me for leaving the kitchen cabinets and closets open when i was done (my mom still does until this day)! I felt horrible and very disorganized as you said, but now it makes perfect sense why I never close(d) anything! I am also an artist, so when i (finally) deside to organize my supplies and put them in boxes, i don't touch them for weeks or even months - and this has been my biggest hobby throughout my life! I also tend to forget where things are when i "organize" and clean them up. My mom and I often got/get into fights about where i put my stuff. She thinks i will forget where something is if i put it in a random place, but i know that i will remember because i put it there you know? Thank you so much for clearing this up.

I am so glad I found you ( and Dawn, the Minimal Mom) You are both so encouraging and real! I am a Butterfly and am so relieved to learn that I am not hopeless, just organize differently! I have read and watched Marie Kondo and found nothing sparked joy. Now I realize that everything I have is because I got joy from it so it all sparks joy! 😄 I am trying to embrace The Gentle Art of Swedish Death Cleaning as I am getting older and am moving to a smaller house. My mother’s words regarding the immense amount of accumulations she had, “I’m leaving it for you girls to deal with.” still echo in my mind! It’s sure not easy and is only rarely fun, but I’m on a mission and plan to survive and thrive! Thank-you, again for being such a bright part of it all!

Started watching this while trying to organize my bathroom.....like a cricket. Had to pause when you said "we need to talk about your true organizing style; not your fantasy organizing style" so I could go get some open bags and bins. You really called me out haha!! The past week I've been trying to embrace my butterfly style and get organized in a way that I can finally keep up. Thanks for helping us butterflies not feel like crazy, cluttered, disasters.

I make room in my front closet for guests coats (especially in winter)-for some guests this works--for others not so much. Next time, I'll add an over-the-door multi-hook on a door I keep closed, so my butterfly and bee friends can hang their stuff where they can still see it, but cricket and lady bug friends can still use hangers in front closet.

Omg I’m dying over this!! I never realized I had a “style” of organizing. I just thought I was a hot mess compared to other people. And I already have had doors taken off almost every closet in my house before this 😂😂 awesome video!! So informative and helpful for this butterfly!!

I think I'm a butterfly with a bit of a bee. Listening to you talking about this just gave me a sense of relief. There is hope for me and my husband (who also is a butterfly)and it 4 kids to find some kind of organization in this cluttered house that's bursting at the seams. Thank you!