Catablogue: Unclutterer

Unclutterer

""A place for everything, and everything in its place' is our gospel," proclaim the bloggers behind Unclutterer, "the Web site for home and office organization" (citation). If you are a disorganized person looking for relief from your mess(es), or if you are "neat freak" seeking new suggestions to achieve organizational nirvana, you should find this blog helpful. Here are some of its features:

• a sidebar listing categories to help you find posts on a specific topic, from "closets" and "kitchen" to "hoarding" and "decluttering"
• a "Unitasker Wednesday" feature highlighting gadgets not to buy because each one serves only one function and thus gets used rarely, takes up space, and is not a wise investment (e.g., the bloggers call this $50 meatball grill basket "a solution for a problem that doesn't exist")
• a "Workspace of the Week" feature with photos of someone's house, apartment, dorm room, or office in which he/she has found a clever way to get the most use out of limited space
• reviews of products and books to help people organize their spaces as well as descriptions of resources and services related to organizing and making do with less

Just as there are some people who would see each post to Unclutterer as another opportunity to improve their spaces, there are likely other people who would see each post as just another reminder of how hopelessly cluttered their spaces are. If that's you, don't despair; all is not lost. The Unclutterer bloggers recognize that some people see organization as an all-or-nothing proposition; these people won't "try to get even a little clutter out of their lives because they can't get all clutter removed" (citation). But a little bit of decluttering is better than none . . . and a little bit of decluttering each day eventually leads to an overall decluttered space! See if this blog inspires you to start clearing--and enjoying/making better use of--your own spaces.

BONUS BLOG: Via Unclutterer I discovered The Happiness Project, a blog by a woman experimenting with others' rules for living and reporting on those ideas that work for her as she "grapple[s] with the challenge of being happier." The Happiness Project may not help you organize your office or improve your storage closet, but its ideas could help you bring peace to your life and improve your relationships with those around you.

It's interesting (to me, at least) that I was directed to The Happiness Project from a sidebar on Unclutterer (it lists The Happiness Project as one of its "Nice Sites") -- and then The Happiness Project in this post directed me back again, praising Unclutterer's post on "living a remarkable life." Which makes me wonder: although happiness doesn't cause organization, does organization result in happiness? Discuss.

(What is a catablogue?)