The Freq Show

44. Home: Outer order, Inner calm - 5 tips for home organization

• Sam Thurmond & Jaclyn Steele Thurmond • Season 1 • Episode 44

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In today’s episode, Jaclyn shares her personal journey of creating a peaceful, organized home and how it directly contributes to a clearer mind and a calmer nervous system. She dives into 5 practical tips for home organization that will help you declutter, create space for clarity, and cultivate a sense of calm in your daily life. From clearing out the clutter and choosing the right containers, to building daily habits that keep your home—and mind—organized, this episode is filled with actionable advice for creating a space that truly supports your well-being. Tune in to discover how organizing your home can transform not just your environment, but your entire mindset.

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Jaclyn:

Hello, hello and welcome to episode 44 of the Freq Show. This is another solo episode. I'm sure you guys are missing Sam, but I am sure enjoying being behind the mic. It's another audio episode. I know I keep saying we're going to do video and we are. Life has just been busy, as I'm sure it has been for you the beginning of the year. Goodness gracious, lots of good things happening, some stress in there, and I am just trying to get organized and try and feel like I'm playing offense instead of defense. But I'm still playing defense a bit.

Jaclyn:

Today, in episode 44, I want to talk to you about home, and I want to talk to you about outer order and inner calm and five tips for home organization, because in the chaos of life I have found refuge in organizing areas of my home. It has been just such a relief and so wonderful. If you hear my son in the background, it is because my son is home. He was sick today. This is the probably fourth time we have been sick in the last two months. We just keep catching every bug out there, so hopefully our immune systems are becoming very fortified, since we haven't been sick for so long. But he is home and it's his birthday today. He's sick for his birthday. I'm recording this. This episode is supposed to come out tomorrow, february 4th. I'm recording it today, on February 3rd, and this is just what life is right now, and so I'm rolling with it and I'm not beating myself up too much. So I hope that whatever you're going through, you are giving yourself ample amounts of grace. So back to the episode home.

Jaclyn:

I love these categories that we have introduced to the freak show because I feel like, as I'm creating content, I'm getting so many ideas from the organization of the categories, which totally ties into organizing your home. Right, everything just feels better when it's organized. To me Maybe that's my Virgo, but I think most women and men can relate to this when a space is clean and tidy and organized, it just feels like you can think better and exist better. Right? I want a peaceful home so I can have a peaceful nervous system. The nervous system is becoming a buzzword, and it's becoming a buzzword for a reason because we need to have calm nervous systems in a world that is hyper stimulating and over stimulating constantly, and when we have some outer order in our homes, it makes it so much easier to have inner calm. Like I mentioned, we have had so much happening just so, so, so much in such a short amount of time. And going through when I have some free time and organizing the different spaces I've been organizing feels so calming because it's something I can control. Most of the things that are going on in our lives right now are things that I have very little control over because so many other people are involved. Politics are involved, logistics are involved. We're waiting on a tub filler for my client's home and it's taken forever to get here. I don't have any control over that, but it feels good to control the things that I can control, and that is my space and organizing my space. I think so much more clearly when my space is clean but also beautiful.

Jaclyn:

I am an artist at heart. I am a creator at heart. If you have been following me for any amount of time or any long length of time, you'll know I was a musician, I think, once a musician, always a musician, but a songwriter, performer. I do interior design. I had a boutique marketing agency where we specialized in branding, which is also incredibly creative. Branding, which is also incredibly creative.

Jaclyn:

And when my space is not only clean and organized but it's beautiful, it changes the energy that I show up with, for instance and I need to reorganize this, so I'm calling myself out publicly but when I'm getting ready in the morning and my makeup drawer is clean and tidy and I can find everything that I want so easily, it makes for a better day. It also makes for a more creative makeup application experience. You know what I can go in and go okay, here's my eyeliner, here's my concealer, here's my foundation, here's the blush that I want, the contour that I want, the eyeshadow that I want Bam, bam, bam bam. It's easy to find, it's easy to put away, it's easy to put on, and I can spend more time creating versus finding and putting away. I love that.

Jaclyn:

So for me and this is something that I've really been enjoying with the episodes too and it's harder to do when we're doing video, because generally, when we record episodes video and audio, which we have been doing until the beginning of January we batch them, and so we'll do four or five episodes in one day, because we film in our home and there's a lot of setup to that, and then we can break it down and just have to do it once a month, versus having to bring out and set everything up every week. It just is very time consuming and not the best use of time. But when I'm doing audio, I'm able to write these episodes the day before and it's all very fresh information, very fresh stuff that's going on and I love that because I've been working so much on organization. And caveat, not to say that when we do the video episodes, it's not content that's fresh in our minds, it's just it may be a couple of weeks old versus a day old. It's not like we're writing episodes six months in advance, nothing like that. A few weeks in advance maybe, but with these audio episodes I can just be. So you know exactly what is happening in this moment and you're listening to it less than 24 hours later. But the areas that I have been going through in my home because we have a lot coming up this summer which I will get into at another point in time but I have been so excited about getting my home in order.

Jaclyn:

We moved in a year ago. We love our house. We renovated it from top to bottom. I designed every corner of it. I mean even our closets. I designed on paper and drew out every square inch. So this home is our dream home. We love it.

Jaclyn:

And when we moved in last year we had a multitude of things happening, because life is life, but some really significant things. Roman got really sick, had to go to the emergency room and his recovery was a couple of weeks, few weeks, long. And then my stepdad had a heart attack and was in the hospital for over a month in January and February and then he was in rehab and so there were just so many things happening in our family that we moved in, but we barely moved in, if that makes sense. And then we were working on Villa Secreta, that enormous big project rehab that we did in North Scottsdale, and so our work kind of took over the moving in and settling in process of the house. We did all the basics we set up our beds, we put out the couch, we put out the TVs, like we did that stuff.

Jaclyn:

But I didn't do what so many women love to do, which is like go through every cabinet and organize it and get your pantry all figured out and get the kitchen all organized. I mean my kitchen is like kind of organized, but basically we moved in and I was like put stuff away and then I will get to organizing it when we have more time. And now I don't know that I have more time, but I am dedicating more time because it's driven me so crazy that now I just am taking such joy in addressing it and getting it all organized because I want to, from this point forward and look, it's going to be imperfect, because nobody's life is perfect, but I want every corner of my house to have purpose. I want it to be clean and beautiful, because it just affects me so deeply in so many ways and I know it does you too, and I'm just repeating myself here, but I have been tackling recently my kitchen, my little laundry room because our laundry room is small but it's beautiful my bathroom and then my closet, which I just ordered a light for. We have literally not had a light in our closet for the last year because I have not ordered it and I didn't know what I wanted and I just kept pushing that ball down the field.

Jaclyn:

And then next up, we're going to tackle our garage and we are going to tackle our home office, which we have not set up at all for the last year. I work out of our library dining room, which is great because I love it in here, but we actually have a dedicated home office that we have not organized or built out or done anything with. And the reason I'm starting with the kitchen, laundry room, bathroom and my closet is that these don't require a lot of investment because all of the basics are already there. We already have cabinetry, we already have washer and dryer and setup and a beautiful countertop in our laundry room and all of that. Same with the bathroom, same with the closet. But I'm getting the containers to organize all of those drawers, all of those little spaces. I'm getting the containers to organize all of those drawers, all of those little spaces. And then the garage we're going to do cabinetry in there and like make it a gym and a garage and it's going to be so cool. But that requires a little bit more investment. So that's a couple months down the line, if not six months, and then office same deal, requiring a little bit more of an investment. But I will say this and this is something I told my client today on a phone call is it feels so good to have plans for those spaces, Even if I can't tackle those plans today. I'm getting bids for the cabinetry for the garage. I know exactly where I'm gonna go for the live edge wood that I am going to put in my office, and so I've got a plan in place. I know what steps need to be taken next. It's just a matter of budgeting for when we can comfortably afford those steps.

Jaclyn:

Okay, now let's get into the meat and potatoes of this episode, which is five tips for home organization. And I bring this up because I like simplicity, and there are so many tips out there. There are so many wonderful organizers, you know. Follow them all. Do what works for you. This is what I like to do, because I am easily overwhelmed and I've always got a lot on my mind. I am easily overwhelmed and I've always got a lot on my mind.

Jaclyn:

So my first tip is start with one area to avoid overwhelm. The idea of organizing your entire home is exciting, but it can also be intimidating, so don't even try and do it all at once. Start with just one area, like the kitchen or the bathroom, and I get even more micro. I go I'm going to tackle one drawer, I'm going to tackle just the first drawer in the pantry, or I'm going to tackle the whole pantry today, but I know that's because I have extra time or I'm going to organize in my bathroom the toothbrush, toothpaste situation. You know, I get very specific so that I don't get overwhelmed. And then I would say take everything out of that drawer, out of that pantry, out of that space, and take a step back and assess what's truly needed and what can go.

Jaclyn:

If you have expired pantry items, get rid of them. If it's something you don't use, that you don't love or that doesn't spark joy, like Marie Kondo talks about, get rid of it. It feels so good to get rid of stuff and Marie Kondo's method of letting go of things that no longer serve you is such a fantastic guide. If you haven't touched it in a year, if it doesn't bring you joy, if it's expired, get it out of your space. It's taking up space energetically, so get rid of it and, trust me, when you let go of the clutter, you're going to feel so much lighter.

Jaclyn:

Next thing number two is to decide what containers and baskets you need after you take everything out and get rid of what you no longer need. What I used to do is go in measure spaces and then get all of these containers and overbuy and then realize like I don't need this much because I don't need to keep all this crap. So decide what containers and baskets you need after you take everything out and then, once you've cleared the clutter, now it's time to get organized. I'm all about saving money. I can't wait to do some finance episodes with stuff that I've learned that has made such a difference in our lives. But let me tell you, when it comes to containers and baskets, these things are an investment in your mental health. They are simple tools that make everything easier to find, more aesthetically pleasing and less chaotic.

Jaclyn:

Can I get a yes, please? Amen, yes, I've spent some time finding incredible containers. If you could say that, I feel like Donald Trump. These are incredible containers. They're the best, the bestest in the world. But I've spent some time searching for containers for my particular needs, and what I'm going to do is get my butt organized on my Amazon storefront and share all of my recent buys of these containers in my Amazon storefront and I'll link that storefront in the show notes, just so. If you want to buy them, great, but you can kind of get an idea of what I'm putting in there, whether it's my makeup drawer, pantry organizers or bathroom accessories. Having the right container really does make all the difference.

Jaclyn:

And another public call out to myself is I know I need to start posting on Instagram more. I don't think I've posted on Instagram since, like November Life has just been so busy and it is like the first thing to go. But I want to start sharing some visuals. I'm also getting the blog on beckonlivingcom up and running so that I can have running blog posts of the things we're learning, the projects we have going on, tips, tricks, an area where you can go and search podcast episodes and all of the cool things we put in the podcast episodes, et cetera. So I plan on and you can hold me to it, dm me, text me if you have my number, hold me to sharing some of this organization stuff because it is so satisfying and it's helpful, all right.

Jaclyn:

So number one was start with one area to avoid overwhelm. Two is decide what containers and baskets you need. Three, put everything back in a way that pleases your eye. It's not just about functionality and organization, it's about pleasing your eye, right? We need to have that beauty in our lives. You want to look at something and be like not only is it organized and functional, but dang, I can't keep my eyes off of it. Your home should reflect the calm and order you're cultivating internally and, trust me, the way your space looks affects how you feel and think. It is so, so, so worth it to not only take the time to organize and get the containers you need, and make that investment and put it all away in a way that makes you feel good and pleases your eye. It doesn't need to be beautiful for anyone but you, but you deserve to see that beauty every day.

Jaclyn:

And then a quick tip something that I'm trying to implement in my life, that I have not done, have not been consistent with at all, but that I really want to become consistent with because it makes such a big difference, is taking 10 to 15 minutes each day to tidy up. I used to leave the cleaning for the weekend, but I found that if I can just stay on top of things for a few minutes a day, it makes me feel like I'm not so overwhelmed by mess on my days off that I'm supposed to be resting right. So one thing I started doing is doing one load of laundry a day and folding that laundry in the same day, because sometimes, you know, my husband and I will like do load after load after load, and then we've got like five loads of laundry that we have to fold and it's just totally overwhelming and then you've got to put all that away. So start small, start with one drawer, start with one cabinet, start with one area, and then clean it up each day. Take five minutes, take one minute to put your makeup away after you put it on, and then it's just going to make you feel better throughout your day and at the end of the week you're not going into your weekend going oh my gosh. Now Saturday, I have to do all this laundry. I have to put away all this laundry. I have to clean up my kitchen. I have to do all this, this, this, this. No, I want like profound rest on the weekends. That's where I'm at in this season of life, so I want to be cleaning up intermittently throughout the week so I'm not so overwhelmed to link in my Amazon storefront.

Jaclyn:

I also have gotten some great baskets from Target that are so beautiful. I got wicker baskets. I'm pointing to them, like you can see them. I got wicker baskets for organizing the area in my library that I use for like tile samples and all kinds of stuff that I don't want displayed daily. And then I also got cloth baskets from Target that are so beautiful that I use in my closet and really all over the house For Roman's toys. We've organized all of his toys and art supplies and stuff in these beautiful cloth baskets and then in my kitchen for stuff. This is a good tip too for stuff that my son, who is three years old today, can get his hands on very quickly and like snacks for him.

Jaclyn:

We put all of those in plastic. I think it's OXO or XOX, the brand containers. They're like little pop-up containers that he can easily access but they're not glass so he can't break them. So, like his beef sticks are in one of those, his I don't know whatever. He has lots of different little snacks and then stuff that we need to easily access or carry around so it's not too heavy. We have those in those plastic containers.

Jaclyn:

Then for stuff that is going to be more on display, like in my refrigerator, I have these beautiful glass and bamboo containers that I put nuts, seeds, teas in coffee in. I've got some in my fridge, I've got some on display in one of our glass cabinets in our kitchen, and for those areas I want something a little bit more elevated, and those aren't things that my son is grabbing for each and every day. So the bamboo and glass containers are perfect for that. And then another thing I love and I used these when we lived in Georgia too but our adhesive hooks for inside cabinetry, for instance. I just got adhesive hooks and I'll put these in my Amazon storefront too, but in the cabinet below my sink I have a couple of organizers that are so great because that space is usually so underutilized or super messy and mine is very clean. But then I got adhesive hooks for inside that cabinet that I put my dry brush on some of my face and body tools, and so now when I go to look for them or grab them, they're easily accessible, I can see them. It also reminds me to use them because I can see them. Before they were tucked in a drawer and they were in, like they were nicely tucked away, but because they were so tucked away I forgot about them. And now, every time I open that cabinet which is daily, because that's where I keep my face cloths to do my oil cleansing I can see like, oh, remind myself to dry brush. Oh, remind myself to gua sha. Oh, remind myself to use this body tool and it helps with lymphatic drainage. You know it's when you have stuff that is on display and easily accessible and it looks beautiful, it's fun to use and it's so much easier, right. So much easier, all right.

Jaclyn:

So number one was start with one area to avoid overwhelm. Number two is decide what containers and baskets you need. Number three is put everything back in a way that pleases your eye. Number four is find what works for you. Find containers and baskets and stuff that brings you joy, whatever your style is, and I shared some of my favorite products. And then five.

Jaclyn:

I've touched on this, but make organization a daily practice. I have learned, am learning, am a work in progress, but I am learning that maintaining an organized home does require consistent effort. If you take it out, you got to put it back. Please someone tell my husband that it's not a one-time project and it's an ongoing practice. And let's think of it like a practice, like we would yoga or making a beautiful matcha tea. Keeping organized and keeping your home clean is a practice, and instead of waiting for the weekend to do a big cleanup, let's just take a few minutes a day to tidy up, it feels so good, and then you wake up in the morning and it's like the day is just so fresh and new and ready for you. This small commitment has the potential to make a huge difference in how I feel and how you feel when we walk into our home and when we wake up in the morning and when we live our lives there. So the more I keep my space organized, the clearer my mind becomes. It's truly a practice of self-love and, as I've said before, if I want to live on purpose and live on a high frequency, I need to start with my environment. Purpose and live on a high frequency, I need to start with my environment.

Jaclyn:

Okay, so, to sum up, I will link those cool things that I bought on Amazon. I will, at some point in the near future, create a blog post and share some of the target baskets and whatnot. And then I want to give you one last little container tip, and that is this the container store obviously has so many cool containers, but if you're anything like me, walking in there feels so overwhelming, and so my hack is to know exactly what you need to contain before going into the container store. So, for instance, for example, I need a container right now for dried mangoes so that that dried mango bag isn't just flopping around in my pantry drawer. And I need a container for tortilla chips because we've been eating a lot of Siete tortilla chips recently, highly recommend. And I'm also about to order some more glass and bamboo flour containers on Amazon because I've been experimenting with einkorn flour from Italy and I need to contain that so I don't have bags of stuff just piling up.

Jaclyn:

I want it to be neat and tucked away and then when I go to bake, it's an experience and it's easy, and I'm not using these bags that are hard to operate. I can have a container with a beautiful measuring cup and it's all about that energy, that ritual that you can create, and when you have things that are organized, especially in your kitchen too, it's so much easier to cook. You know where everything is, it's got a spot, it's easier to put away. Side note, I have been learning a lot about einkorn flour from Italy and it has less gluten like significantly less gluten, with all flour produced in Italy has less gluten because we have GMO'd our flour and, anyways, I think that I'm really onto something with this einkorn and there's a book called Einkorn Flour or it's called einkorn. It's got a bunch of beautiful recipes in there that are all much, much lower in gluten but still are like chewy and delicious, versus stuff that's gluten-free, that sometimes can, let's face it, be like eating satan, um. So I'm gonna experiment with that stuff, see where my thyroid is at and then I'll report back. I'll probably do some blog posts on it too, because it's kind of exciting. I don't have to be completely gluten-free I don't have celiacs or anything like that but I generally stay away from American gluten because of glyphosate and how it's produced and the pesticides and how it affects antibodies for the thyroid. But anyways, totally different, totally different episode.

Jaclyn:

I hope that this has been helpful. I hope that this episode will inspire you to create outer order so you can have inner calm, and that these five tips for home organization light you up. They don't make you feel overwhelmed, they don't make you feel like you have one more thing to do, but they encourage you and inspire you to take control of your space, live on purpose, live on frequency, and I cannot wait to connect with you in the next episode. Thank you for listening.

Jaclyn:

Thank you so much for listening to The Freq Show with Sam Thurmond and me, Jaclyn Steele Thurmond. We would love to connect with you via our website, beckonliving. com, and on social media. You can find us on Instagram and TikTok @beckonliving and you can join our email list to receive uplifting messages, podcast and business updates and discounts on high-frequency products just for our freqy community.

Jaclyn:

Cheers to high-frequency living!.