I have to say, creating this podcast has been such an unexpected adventure.

When I emailed you all in July asking if you would listen, I didn’t expect that simple question to send me on a 3+ month journey of creating a podcast this summer. And yet, I’m so glad it did!

I wanted to invite you into real organizing sessions so you could see what actually happens when we look beyond the clutter.

Not the perfectly polished before-and-afters. Not the quick fixes or organizing hacks.

I wanted to explore the real conversations. The emotions. The resilience. The unexpected discoveries. And those little moments when something finally clicks.

And wow, did our guests deliver!

We’ve explored offices, garages, refrigerators, storage spaces, and so much more. But what we’ve actually been exploring is what it means to make space for ourselves, our relationships, and the lives we want to live.

I’m grateful to every guest who trusted us with their story, and to every one of you who has been listening along.

And if you’ve been waiting for the whole season to be available so you can binge it, your moment has arrived!

All of season 1 is ready for you. Listen from the beginning, jump around on the topics that speak to you, or bring me along while you tackle an organizing project of your own.

If you’ve been listening, I would love to hear from you!

Was there a moment that really stuck with you? An episode that made you feel seen? Something you learned that changed the way you think about your own clutter?

Hit reply and tell me! I would love to know what resonated with you, and your feedback will help me shape Season 2.

And speaking of Season 2…want to be a part of it?

I’m looking for people who would be willing to invite me (and our listeners) into their organizing journey for season 2.

You don’t need to have the messiest house, the biggest project, or even know where to start.

You just need to have a space you’re struggling with, a willingness to explore what’s getting in your way, and an openness to sharing your experience with others who might be going through something similar.

And one last little favor…

If you’ve been enjoying the podcast, I would be so grateful if you would leave a rating or review on your favorite podcast platform. It helps other people discover these conversations and supports the continued growth of the show.

Icons for Apple Podcasts, Spottify, YouTube (with links to my podcast on each platform…just like we did with the launch)

Thank you so much for being a part of this adventure. I can’t wait to see what we make space for next!

The post That’s a wrap! Celebrating Season 1 of What Are You Making Space For? appeared first on Star Hansen.

That’s exactly what we’re exploring in this week’s episode of What Are You Making Space For? And I can’t think of a better wrap-up for Season 1!

On this week’s podcast, we meet Chelsey & Eric.

Chelsey has ADHD, strong emotional attachments to her belongings, and a family home filled with generations of memories. Eric is a bit more comfortable letting things go and would love nothing more than to come home to a peaceful, organized space.

And somewhere in the middle of all that is their home office, which has slowly become what they lovingly call their Room of Doom.

How do two people with different needs, different ways of thinking, and different relationships with their belongings create a home that works for BOTH of them?

Together, we explore ADHD, anxiety, sentimental attachments, and some practical strategies for tackling whole-home clutter.

But what I love the most is where the conversation takes us when we start talking about what home really means.

Thank you so much for being a part of this first season. It’s been an incredible experience, and I’m excited to share more about it with you next week.

The post When Clutter Styles Collide: How to Get Organized When You and Your Partner Are Different appeared first on Star Hansen.

You can see all the little decisions, all the steps, the tasks…all the things you need to research, sell, donate, or figure out. But before you’ve even touched a single thing, you’re exhausted. 

Things just feel too overwhelming to even begin. 

This week on What Are You Making Space For?, we’re heading into Shelby’s garage to tackle her mountain of clutter. 🏔️ 

Shelby is an avid camper, so she’s no stranger to mountains. But this particular mountain has been a little harder to climb.  

Between generations of inherited belongings, unfinished projects, and a whole lot of good intentions, there’s plenty to work through.  

And as much as I wish we could, we can’t organize her whole garage in one session. So instead, we’re going to explore how to make a project that feels impossible start to feel possible.  

Because sometimes the biggest obstacle isn’t the clutter itself. It’s figuring out where to begin.   

Here’s to taking that first step! 

The post Making the Impossible Possible appeared first on Star Hansen.

On this week’s episode of What Are You Making Space For?, we meet Lanie.  

She’s tackling a bedroom-turned-storage-room that is overflowing with stuff. There’s no garage in her house, so this one room has slowly taken on the job of garage, storage space, craft area, donation center…and everything in between.  

It’s filled with household paper goods, party supplies, appliances, art supplies, sporting goods, toys, donations, cardboard to break down, bags of clothing to sell, and more. 

And when you have that many different kinds of things competing for your attention, even figuring out where to begin can feel overwhelming. 

As Lanie and I started working through the room, we realized that the best way to make progress wasn’t what either of us expected. 

In fact, we needed to pivot. 

And sometimes, that’s the most useful thing you can do when an organizing plan isn’t working. 

In this episode, we explore: 

• What to do when a room feels too overwhelming to start 

• How to triage a cluttered space before you organize it 

• Why not starting a new project can be a helpful organizing rule 

• How to make decisions when getting rid of something isn’t so simple 

• Why 70% accuracy can be enough to keep you moving 

• How to recognize when it’s time to rethink the plan

I hope this episode helps you look at your organizing projects a little differently this week.  

Sometimes progress isn’t about doing more.  

Sometimes, it’s about figuring out what actually needs your attention first.

The post When the Best Organizing Plan is to PIVOT appeared first on Star Hansen.

…only to get back together a week later? 🤣

We have a surprisingly complicated relationship with our stuff.

Clutter is tricky because we hate it, but we also love it. We want it, but we also never want to see it again. We want some of it, but we really don’t want to suffer through the hard work and emotional pain it takes to let the rest of it go.

So, the question becomes…

Do you need to make peace with your clutter, or break up for good?

Sometimes we don’t need to break up with all of our stuff…

We just need to break up with the unhealthy relationship we’ve developed with it.

Most people were never taught how to face their clutter head on in the most practical ways. And almost no one was taught how to de-code the deeper meaning of their clutter.

If you don’t know how to decode the deeper layers of your clutter, all the organizing bins and systems in the world won’t get you organized.

The real question isn’t, “How do I get organized?”

It’s:

Why is my clutter still here?  

In this week’s video, I’m sharing one of my favorite classes on understanding the deeper meaning of clutter:

Together, we’ll explore why clutter sticks around, the practical questions that help get you unstuck, and how to decide whether it’s time to make peace with your stuff, or finally break up with your clutter for good.

The post How to Break Up with Your Clutter (Without Regretting It) appeared first on Star Hansen.

Last week, I asked you a question…

What percentage of your stuff would you have to let go of before you would feel good in your space? 

A lot of you answered…thank you so much for taking the time to reach out and share.   

Some of you named percentages, some of you wrote me paragraphs…and a few of you even told me you haven’t been able to sleep in your own bed in years.  

The percentages were all over the place. From 0% all the way up to 98%. But the most common answer, by far, was 

50%

The post What % Would You Have To Let Go Of Before You Would Feel Good In Your Space? appeared first on Star Hansen.

Thank you all for sharing your summer plans with me last week. I loved hearing what you’re up to this summer! Travel is definitely in the air! ✈️

This system has seen me through short weekend trips (like my cousin’s wedding), as well as my 9-month digital nomad stint, including months exploring Europe. It’s not a perfect science, but it’s a far cry from doing the shuffle of shame at the airline check-in stands every trip.

If packing stresses you out, or if you somehow end up wearing the same three outfits every trip (despite bringing 15), I think you’ll really enjoy this one.

And if you feel inspired, hit reply and tell me your best travel tips. I swear, I learn more from you all than any travel blog could teach me. 🧳✈️

Are you an overpacker? What’s your just-in-case story? Comment below and tell me what makes it hard to leave things behind?

Happy Adventuring!

The post How to Pack Without Overpacking: A Professional Organizer’s Travel System appeared first on Star Hansen.

I love receiving handwritten notes in the mail. It makes me so happy! 

But not all mail feels so exciting. Many times, mail can feel stressful, overwhelming, and irritating.  

Medical bills, reminders, charity requests, credit card offers, things we “should’ be handling… it can feel like a lot. 

In fact, mail is one of the main sources of paper clutter. 

I’ve worked with many clients who feel a wave of dread just looking at a pile of mail.

If this is an area where you struggle too, please know you’re not alone.

We don’t need to invent a way to eliminate all mail from the face of the Earth. Instead, what we need is to create a mail system that actually supports you. s

Step 1: Create a Place for Mail to Land

Most people don’t have a true “mail home,” so it ends up everywhere.  The counter, the chair, the floor, your bag…a random pile that seems to move around your house.

Instead, we want to create a very intentional landing spot. Think of this less like a “mail pile” and more like a landing zone.  A place where your mail can land without needing immediate action. 

Because the truth is, you’re not always going to have the energy to go through it the second you walk in the door. And that’s okay. 

Your system needs to support you on your hardest days, not just your best ones. 

So, give yourself a container that can hold at least a week’s worth of mail (larger if you need it).

If you have the energy to go through your mail as you bring it in, great! If you don’t, it has a place to go. 

Step 2: Make it Easy to Let Things Go 

You need a way to get things out as easily as they come in.

That means having a trash, recycling, or shred option right there at your mail station. 

Because if it’s not easy to throw something away, you won’t.

You’ll set it down and tell yourself that you’ll look at it again later. But then move it from one pile to another. 

We don’t want that. We want one-touch decisions whenever possible.

Get rid of anything you don’t need. 

It’s just as easy to put it in the recycling bin as it is to put it in your mail inbox. 

Step 3: Decide When You’ll Deal with It 

Mail doesn’t magically handle itself (Shocker, I know).

And it’s never going to feel “good” to sit down and go through it.

So, instead of waiting for the perfect moment, choose a rhythm.

Once a week is a great place to start. 

If this is something you tend to avoid, don’t rely on scheduling or willpower. Instead, pair it with something you already do: 

• Laundry day 

• Trash day 

• Sunday afternoon reset 

And if you need a little bit of extra support, try body doubling. Call a friend and go through your mail together. You don’t even have to talk about it…sometimes, just not being alone with a hard task can make a huge difference.

This is about more than just mail. It’s about creating a system that supports your life.  

A system that works when you’re tired. When you’re busy. When you don’t feel like being your most “on top of it” self.  

Because that’s when you actually need it.  

If your mail has been piling up or stressing you out, don’t try to overhaul everything at once. Start with three simple things: 

• Give your mail a place to land 

• Make it easy to let go of things you don’t need 

• Choose when you’ll deal with it 

That’s it. Three small steps will help you stop your paper clutter at the source. 

The post 3 Simple Steps to Create a Mail System That Actually Works appeared first on Star Hansen.

She said, “I cleared off my dining room table. It was driving me crazy.”

I said, “That’s great. I love it! What did you do with everything?”

She said, “I put it in bags.”

I asked, “Did you sort or categorize it?”

She looked at me with wide eyes, like she was about to be in big trouble, and said, “No.”

Was she in trouble? Nope. Did she accomplish her goal of clearing the table? Yes. Did she accidentally just give herself another frustrating clutter project in the meantime? Also, yes.

Here’s the thing…she got exactly what she wanted. The table was clear. She experienced immediate relief and visual calm.

That’s a big win.

But now, she has two giant bags of completely random stuff sitting somewhere else in the house, waiting for her to deal with them. And we all know how that goes…

We tell ourselves we’ll get to it later, but later never comes. And then one day, we happen upon that bag and can’t remember where or when it’s from, and what we should do with it.

Different spot, same problem.

So often, we feel stressed or overwhelmed by a space, so we jump into action. We just want it to feel better. So, we clear it, move it, bag it, hide it, or try to do something (literally anything) to get that immediate sense of relief.

And it works…for a minute.

But the goal is a little incomplete. Because what we want isn’t just a clear table.

We want strong systems that support our daily life. We want to be able to use that space easily. We want to know where things go. We want paperwork to be manageable in real-time, rather than turning into a pile that stresses us out.

We want the space to support us, not just look better for a moment.

When we act from that, “I need this gone right now” feeling, we tend to just shuffle things around the house.

We don’t actually solve anything…we just shift the chaos to a new container. And then wonder why it keeps coming back.

So, here’s a different approach to consider.

Instead of going big, go small…like teeny tiny. Smaller than you even think you should.

Choose something so easy it almost feels like it doesn’t count.

You could:

• Grab a handful of unwanted items and take them to be donated
• Clear dishes from the living room
• Run one load of laundry
• Make a phone call you’ve been putting off
• Throw away old bread ties in your junk drawer

That’s it.

I know that doesn’t sound like a big transformation, but it is.

Because if you do a handful of these small actions consistently, you’ll start to see real change.

And more importantly, you start to trust yourself. You start to have the experience of “I can actually follow through on this,” or “I was able to finish that,” instead of “I tried and it didn’t work” or “things always end up worse than when I started.”

Organizing isn’t just about getting your home in order. It’s about learning how to move through your space in a way that works for you, so you don’t end up burned out or overwhelmed.

If you’re feeling the urge to do a big reset right now, take a quick pause instead.

What’s the smallest thing you could do that would actually move things forward?

Start there.

It may not feel like much, but it’s a start. And that’s all you truly need.

The post When “Cleaning Up” Actually Makes the Clutter Worse appeared first on Star Hansen.

I grab my fuzzy blanket, open the door, sit down, and watch light dance around the city.

And as I’m sitting there, I catch the smell of blossoms from my lemon tree. Every time I notice it, something in me softens.

The smell of citrus makes me feel safe and happy. There’s just something about it I find so magical. I know there’s actual science around how the smell of citrus can lift our mood, but for me, it’s also deeply personal.

It reminds me of my great grandmother’s backyard and fun Easter days running around with my cousins in the Arizona heat. It smells like so many simple, yet happy moments from my childhood.

And now, it’s part of my morning routine.

What’s interesting is that when I first moved into my apartment, my patio was empty. I would still go out there, but I never really felt connected to the space. It didn’t feel like it was mine.

Adding the lemon tree changed that.

Now, when I go outside, I feel more in rhythm with the seasons. I feel more like myself. I actually want to be there.

And this is something I think about a lot when it comes to organizing.

We tend to focus so much on what to remove from our homes. What to get rid of. What to declutter. What’s too much.

But just as often, big shifts come from what we add.

Your home should feel like you.

Not just look organized. Not just be functional. But feel like a place where you recognize yourself. Where something in the space reflects who you are, what you love, what you remember, and what matters to you.

When people don’t feel good in their homes, it’s not only because there’s too much stuff.

Sometimes it’s because there’s nothing in the space that’s really speaking to them.

And if you’re in a season where clutter feels like too much to take on, or you don’t have the energy to take it on right now, you don’t have to start there.

You can start by adding something.

Add something that makes you feel good in a real, personal, and sensory way. It could be a:

• Plant
• Scent
• Color
• Texture
• Piece of art
• New set of sheets…

Something that shifts how the space feels when you walk into it.

Once your home starts to feel good to you, the rest begins to follow.

It becomes easier to let clutter go. Not because you’re forcing yourself to. But because you’ve created something you want to protect and nurture.

If you were going to add one thing to your space right now that would make it feel more like you, what would it be?

Start there. Add it and see how it changes the way you feel in your home. And if you feel like it, hit reply and tell me about it.

Small changes create big shifts.

The post What Would Make Your Home Feel Like You? appeared first on Star Hansen.