The Tidy Lady: Recent Episodes
Liz Bradley
Declutter Coach & Tidyness Expert. Hi, I'm a Professional Organiser based in Auckland NZ. I like to write and talk about why clutter happens and how to deal with it. Everything I talk about comes from my personal experience or from my wonderful clients. Find more here - www.thetidylady.co.nz Email - liz@thetidylady.co.nz
Feeling it? Big and small stressors are in every part of our lives. Try these quick ideas to make your home your haven from stress!
This podcast is also available as a blog post here - https://thetidylady.co.nz/blog/
What is the purpose of decluttering and organising our homes? It's to make our lives simpler, less stressful, less annoying, easier! We want to be happy in our homes! A crucial part of decluttering a home is establishing systems to make sure it stays that way. It's what I do automatically as I work with my clients. That's why I've created the Make-It-Easy Method. It's just 4 steps.
This podcast is also available as a blog post here - https://thetidylady.co.nz/blog/
Calendars & reminders are a godsend. They boss you and nag you but it's on purpose! Here's a couple of suggestions. Are you making the most of your devices? Making them do the hard work? Back in the olden days, when I was young and we wrote stuff down, I used to walk around with little scraps of paper in my pockets...
This podcast is also available as a blog here - https://thetidylady.co.nz/blog/
Decluttering Dangers?! Do not do this if you want to avoid the heartbreak of declutterer's regret. Yes, it's a thing.
This podcast is also available as a blog here - https://thetidylady.co.nz/blog
Most of us need truck-loads of self-care and we’re not doing it. Find out why decluttering is so good for you!
This podcast is also available as a blog here - https://thetidylady.co.nz/blog/
Ugh. YUK! I don't wanna declutter Liz! You know you need to do it. You WANT to do it. You've started, many times. But given up.
This podcast is also available as a blog post with awesome links and illustrations here - https://thetidylady.co.nz/blog/
There's a funny thing about life that I've learnt in my 54 years. Our lives are formed by our choices. Hard choices, easy choices, the choice to not choose at all and just let yourself go with the flow. So what are YOU choosing to do or NOT do to make your life better?
This podcast is also available as a blog here - https://thetidylady.co.nz/blog/
Want to be more organised? No idea where to start? Sarah and Rachel were in the same boat. So how did they do it?
This podcast is also available as one of heaps of blog posts on decluttering and organising right here here - https://thetidylady.co.nz/blog
Feeling bad about your home? Get annoyed when you read the word perfect? This podcast is for you...
This podcast is also available as a blog post here - https://thetidylady.co.nz/blog/
Have you ever thought "Help! My house is so messy I don't even know where to begin!"? Here's what I suggest you do...
This podcast is also available as a blog here - https://thetidylady.co.nz/blog/
What truly feeds your heart, soul or mind? Are you giving yourself the gift of time to do them? How do you even do that?!
This podcast is also available as a blog post here - https://thetidylady.co.nz/blog/
365 days. 12 months. 52 weeks. You could do ANYTHING in that time, couldn’t you? Renovate a house? Declutter a house? Let’s do December.
Read and listen to more of my podcasts and blogs here - https://thetidylady.co.nz/blog/
How To Have The Perfect Home - The Secret That No One Will Tell You.
This newsletter is also available as an email here - https://thetidylady.co.nz/subscribe-to-the-tidy-ladys-newsletter/
What is Invisible work? It's all those things that you do, that are unseen and taken for granted by those around you. Are you racing around, on the point of burnout? Here are some ideas to get your sanity back -
This podcast is also available as a blog post here - https://thetidylady.co.nz/blog
There are a few studies around that make you wonder... Between 25% and 75% of people have trouble parking their car in their garage. Why?
This podcast is also available as a blog here - https://thetidylady.co.nz/blog
My partner and I popped in to visit Costco recently. When I say popped in, we were very lucky to have hit a small gap in the massive volume of shoppers. Only around 1,000 people in the store... So what's Costco got to do with it?
This podcast episode is also available as a monthly newsletter here - https://thetidylady.co.nz/subscribe-to-the-tidy-ladys-newsletter/ You also get a free eBook about decluttering difficult things!
Liz.
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Frustrated, stressed and depressed with your way-too-small-home? I know the feeling. I bet you can guess where this is going...
Paperwork feels important doesn't it? We have a horror of throwing out something REALLY important. Or worse, valuable! So how do you even start?
This podcast is also available as a blog post here - https://thetidylady.co.nz/blog/
What do you do when you just can't decide what to let go of, and what to keep? Try The Big Box Method!
What does decluttering have to do with Big Feelings, our brain and our survival instinct? You'll be surprised!
This podcast is also available as a blog post here - https://thetidylady.co.nz/blog/
You can change the whole look of a bedroom or bathroom with linen right? And it's fun! It's nice to have choices, to mix and match, arrange and design. But what if you've reached Maximum Capacity?
This podcast is also available as a blog post here - https://thetidylady.co.nz/blog
Worrying that you'll regret letting something special go is a big barrier to decluttering for some people. Imagining the feeling of loss is enough to stop some people from even thinking about it! Here are some things to think about if fear of regret is holding you back.
This podcast is also available as a newsletter, subscribe here - https://thetidylady.co.nz/subscribe-to-the-tidy-ladys-newsletter
Decluttering is hard. There's so much stuff to deal with, and so many feelings! Here are some things to think about, that might make it a little easier.
This podcast is also available as a blog post here - https://thetidylady.co.nz/blog
Some people sneer, scoff, roll their eyes and get very cross at the idea of decluttering books. Which is fine if you have limitless bookshelves or storage for boxes of books that may or may not ever be read again. But what if you don't? What if you have to downsize?
This podcast is also available as a blog post here - https://thetidylady.co.nz/blog
Decluttering Difficult Things.
Everyone struggles with something when it comes to decluttering. Decluttering is my thing. I'm a big fan, but I know how hard it can be. If you're struggling to declutter, there are three things that you might like to think about.
This podcast is also available as a monthly newsletter, subscribe here - https://thetidylady.co.nz/subscribe-to-the-tidy-ladys-newsletter
Things dropping off your radar? Rushing All The Time? Are the demands of everyone around you pushing YOU out of your own schedule?
This podcast is also available as a blog post here - https://thetidylady.co.nz/blog
365 days. 12 months. 52 weeks. You could do ANYTHING in that time, couldn’t you? Renovate a house? Declutter a house? Let’s do July.
How many toys is too many toys? How many toys should your kids have? But what to do with them when you declutter?
Your Happiness and Your Home. What's the connection between YOUR happiness and a clutter free, happy home? And how can you get that peaceful, clutter-free, happy home?
This podcast episode is also available as an email newsletter - https://thetidylady.co.nz/subscribe-to-the-tidy-ladys-newsletter/
Do you look at the spaces between things in your house and think: Must. Fill. Gap? There's a bit of a mindset shift required when decluttering, especially for some special areas of the house.
This podcast is also available as a blog post here: https://thetidylady.co.nz/blog
365 days. 12 months. 52 weeks. You could do ANYTHING in that time, couldn’t you? Renovate a house? Declutter a house? Let’s do June.
Weeding shoes is HARD. It's up there with books and family photos. It might start out easy (broken strap, high heel scratched and peeling) but end up hopeless with a huge mess. There's an easier way.
This podcast is also available as a blog post here - https://thetidylady.co.nz/blog
Listen to Your Dream Home - How To Get It Without Moving House. Except the links of course, you have to read the blog to get to those! https://thetidylady.co.nz/blog
What's The Secret To Making Your Home Beautifully Easy to Manage?
I'm talking about the stuff you have to do day-in and day-out. Sometimes several times a day. But easier.
This podcast is also available as a blog here - https://thetidylady.co.nz/blog/
~ Plus your bedside table & other bedroom surfaces.
365 days. 12 months. 52 weeks. You could do ANYTHING in that time, couldn’t you? Renovate a house? Declutter a house? Let’s do May.
If you're dealing with a mountain of stuff, and you're about to be crushed under an avalanche don't rely on your kids hearing your cries for help! Declutter!
This podcast is also available as a blog here - https://thetidylady.co.nz/blog
Listen to Secret Clutter - Who has it and what is it? Find out how to free yourself from secret clutter and live your best life.
When you declutter what you're really doing is working out what your favourite things are. So why are your favourite things so important?
This podcast is also available as a blog here - https://thetidylady.co.nz/blog
365 days. 12 months. 52 weeks. You could do ANYTHING in that time, couldn’t you? Renovate a house? Declutter a house? Let’s do April.
The seasons are changing, you can feel it can't you? Daylight savings, temperature changes, and the light is changing too. It's the perfect time of year to declutter your clothes and your kids clothes.
This podcast is also available as a blog here - https://thetidylady.co.nz/blog
Listen to my Three Strategies To Help You Declutter When You Have Too Many Feelings. Sometimes they're a bit shocking!
Sign up to my newsletter here for other stuff, that can't be recorded! https://thetidylady.co.nz/subscribe-to-the-tidy-ladys-newsletter/
Yes, there IS too much to do. And it's usually boring, annoying things that have to be done over and over and over again. It's all the things you suddenly find yourself doing when you're an adult and responsible for yourself. Then you become a parent and the Things That Have To Be Done explode exponentially!
This thing is really useful knowledge. It puts things in a different perspective. It really does change everything. And you're already doing it!
This podcast is also available as a blog here - https://thetidylady.co.nz/blog
365 days. 12 months. 56 weeks. You could do ANYTHING in that time, couldn't you? Renovate a house? Declutter a house? Let's do March. The Bathroom.
This podcast is also available as a blog here - https://thetidylady.co.nz/blog/
OK, I admit it, this is going to be about one OF the Huge Secrets To Decluttering Success, but it's a biggie. It's a Macro-Level Secret. The Underlying, or Overarching Secret Thing to the tricky art of decluttering.
This podcast is also available as a blog post here - https://thetidylady.co.nz/blog
365 days. 12 months. 56 weeks. You could do ANYTHING in that time, couldn't you? Renovate a house? Declutter a house? Let's do February.
This podcast is also available as a blog here - https://thetidylady.co.nz/blog/
Most of us are pretty hard on ourselves. I bet you're tougher on yourself than you are on anyone you love, right? We always feel we could have done better, must try harder, must have a perfect house, have dealt with that pile months (years) ago... So how do you change that?
This podcast is also available as a blog here - https://thetidylady.co.nz/blog/
365 days. 12 months. 56 weeks. You could do ANYTHING in that time, couldn't you? Renovate a house? Declutter a house? Let's get started.
This podcast is also available as a blog post here - https://thetidylady.co.nz/blog/
I know, you'd really like to have the magical results you see in these TV shows in the time you watched the show from the comfort of your couch. But if you're REALLY determined to have those results, you can.
This podcast is also available as a blog post here - https://thetidylady.co.nz/blog/
You've tried, over and over. With the best will in the world, you were determined, you worked hard! You got rid of heaps, but somehow it always comes back. Or never really looks like you've done much. Especially when you show your hard work to other people...
This podcast is also available as a blog post here - https://thetidylady.co.nz/blog/
What's REALLY the cause of clutter? There's something that very few people know... Very early on in my Professional Organising career I noticed three themes that regularly came up when I was working with my clients...
This podcast as also available as a blog here - https://thetidylady.co.nz/blog/
Are you struggling with a messy, cluttered space? Have you been accused of being messy? It's all about feelings!
This podcast is also available as a blog post here - https://thetidylady.co.nz/blog/
Is your brain on overdrive? Are things starting to fall off the "I Must Remember This List", despite playing little memory tricks? Even when you're so sure that you won't forget this Very Important Thing?
You might be naturally forgetful, crazy busy, or really loathe boring stuff like shopping for toilet cleaner. But you DO like a nice clean toilet...
Life is short. It's more fun to play with your kids or read a book than tear about the world in a state of emergency because you've forgotten something or can't find the thing you need.
I've developed a few simple tricks for myself, that you might like to try if your brain is just overflowing. Or if you'd much rather dedicate your attention to something far more worthwhile than trying to remember to buy loo paper.
This podcast is also available as a blog here - https://thetidylady.co.nz/blog/
Who has time right? In fact, is there ever a good time to clean the fridge, or declutter something when you're busy? This is how I clean and declutter mine. Work from the top down, one shelf at a time. I will clean or declutter a single shelf or space one day, then another on a different day, eventually it all gets done.
This podcast is also available as a blog post here - https://thetidylady.co.nz/blog/
Do you want to feel content and happy with the things in your house? To stop the Needing and Wanting? I'm going to tell you what I've learnt about being content with the things you have...
This podcast is also available as a blog here - https://thetidylady.co.nz/blog/
Right now things might be really hard for you. Or they might be just a bit blah. Or completely suck in every way. Bring a little contentment and coziness to your day-to-day life...
This podcast is also available as a blog here - https://thetidylady.co.nz/blog/
Keeping Unhappy Things & A Story of Freedom From Bad Feelings.
This podcast is also available as a blog post here - https://thetidylady.co.nz/blog/
I know it sounds weird right? How is that even possible?! One of the problems with "Decluttering" is that it's a Thing You Must Do...
This podcast is also available as a blog here - https://thetidylady.co.nz/blog/
Why do so many women complain about their messy husbands? (and kids) Piles of stuff, everywhere! And they're a Grown-Up! They may be suffering from... Clutter Blindness! Here's how to fix it.
This podcast is also available as a blog post here: https://thetidylady.co.nz/blog/
You won't believe how easy this one simple thing is. It will stop clutter build-up forever.
This podcast is also available as a blog post here - https://thetidylady.co.nz/blog
Overthinking? You're stuck. Your clutter never gets any better, no matter how hard you work. You end up with a bigger mess than before! Guess how much better you'll feel, every single day, if everything in your home and your routine was designed to make your life easier? EXPONENTIALLY BETTER!
This podcast is also available as a blog post here - https://thetidylady.co.nz/blog/
Ugh! "Decluttering is hard. It's a crap job. I'll get sweaty and dirty. I'll have to make DECISIONS! And I'll feel so bad! What do I do with it all! Bluuurrggghhh!!"
Try This Clever Tip To Transform Your Decluttering Experience: Stop being so mean to yourself!
This podcast is also available as a blog post here - https://thetidylady.co.nz/blog/
I don't mean shut your eyes when you're sorting out things, that's dangerous! Imagine trying to work out which of your three sets of chefs knives were the best?!
This podcast is also available as a blog post here - https://thetidylady.co.nz/blog/
Have you ever had a tiny little thought, so quick, so light that it whispered through your mind like a little breeze. And then the thing you thought actually happened? That's your intuition. Let's find out how to put it to good use.
This podcast is also available as a blog post here - http://bit.ly/TidyLadyIntuition
You might be starting to feel a bit claustrophobic in your house, or your real estate agent has hinted (or told you straight out) that you need to do something to make it more appealing. Here's a bunch of ideas you can try, whether you're selling or just making your home better for yourself and your family.
This podcast is also available as a blog here - https://thetidylady.co.nz/blog/
Being surrounded by too much stuff can be toxic. Let's purify your home at whole new level. There's a free detox-decluttering checklist too!
This podcast is also available as a blog here - https://thetidylady.co.nz/blog/
I get asked this question a LOT. And my answer is always the same, it depends...
This podcast is also available as a blog here : https://thetidylady.co.nz/blog/
Why is decluttering so hard? Why are you procrastinating? Why do you pull stuff out to declutter it and put it right back? Let's look at the 5 top things I've heard from my clients about why they get stuck when decluttering and learn how you can fix it yourself.
This podcast is also available as a blog post here - https://thetidylady.co.nz/blog/
Autumn is a time of change, an opportunity to plan for the upcoming months, to declutter and design your winter home.
This podcast is also available as a blog here - https://thetidylady.co.nz/blog/
Respect. Are you getting it? I don't mean systemically, as a woman in society. That's a whole 'nother blog post or 50... although that's a huge part of it. Leaving a mess for mum to clean up is catching. Kids and partners do it automatically. They'd really rather not do it, and you always do it, so...
This podcast is also available as a blog - https://thetidylady.co.nz/blog/
Wouldn't it be great if you could really enjoy the next season and all its pleasures? Wouldn't it be so nice if your daily life was easier? Getting out the door is smooth and simple. Getting ready to do something special isn't a burden, because you've decluttered and you're organised?
This episode is also available as a blog post: https://thetidylady.co.nz/2021/03/30/the-seasonal-decluttering-itch-scratch-it/
Think you should do everything? Feel horrendously lazy and indulgent at the thought of paying someone to do something you've always thought you should do yourself? Read on...
This episode is also available as a blog post: https://thetidylady.co.nz/2021/03/23/stop-working-so-hard-start-getting-lazy/
Fairness. It's a real issue in household management. Have you had enough? The bickering and sulking and avoiding and straight-out arguing is starting to be a real problem.
Their mess is driving you crazy! Or maybe it's your mess driving them crazy? Or maybe, you're both people who accumulate things. Maybe neither of you are really interested in tidying up. What will it take for there to be peace in your home?
This episode is also available as a blog post: https://thetidylady.co.nz/2021/03/16/what-your-clutter-is-telling-you-about-your-relationship-part-1-fairness/
Hello free spirit, are you looking for a calming structure, healthier patterns, peaceful security or a feeling of grounding? You might like to try this natural, flexible and simple way to add small new positive things into your life.
This episode is also available as a blog post: https://thetidylady.co.nz/2021/02/02/if-you-hate-routine-but-need-order-in-your-life-try-this/
Feeling embarrassed about your home is not unusual. Often we feel judged by everyone, especially if we struggle with clutter. It might be your clutter, your kids clutter or your partners. There is always a way to change how you feel about your home.
This episode is also available as a blog post: https://thetidylady.co.nz/2021/03/09/are-you-embarrassed-by-your-home/
I don't care if your perfect neighbour has 7 kids, four dogs and a three-legged cat and still glides out of her house at 6:30am to go the gym looking like a Morning Show presenter. We are talking about helping wonderful you to live your best Tidy-ish life.
This episode is also available as a blog (with GIF's!) - https://thetidylady.co.nz/2021/03/02/forgetful-and-disorganised-maybe-its-not-you/
Do you want a beautifully organised home? Think it's impossible when you look at the devastation around you? Read this...
This episode is also available as a blog post: https://thetidylady.co.nz/2021/02/09/if-you-think-your-home-could-never-be-organised-read-this/
No-one talks about it... So you're stuck in a rut, so deep, so fixed, that you think you have no chance of escape? And that's all you want, to escape? For SOMETHING to be different... Maybe YOU are different.
This episode is also available as a blog post: https://thetidylady.co.nz/2021/02/16/why-your-life-could-be-making-you-feel-unhappy/
Life is change. We are constantly changing and growing and so are our children. Getting your home to a place where your home life is easy and conflict is rare IS possible. Listen to my client Chloe's story of changing family dynamics and decluttering to fit her home to her growing family's needs.
This episode is also available as a blog post: https://thetidylady.co.nz/2021/02/23/respecting-family-space-where-does-your-space-begin-end/