Decluttering is the Way!

If there is anything lately that I have become obsessed with, it has to be the act of decluttering. I have to be honest, for me- it is an extremely rewarding and therapeutic experience. 

If you have been sitting on the fence and just procrastinating to dig deep to wisely organize all your essentials, here is a quick guide.

1. Approach it Right- Don’t think of it as a task whereas consider it to be an activity which will make both your mind and room or house pleasant and beautiful. It may seem like a lot of work, but if organized well- your days ahead will be much easier and peaceful as finding things you need wouldn’t be so hard.

2. Step by Step- Don’t set unrealistic goals wherein you empty out all your cupboards one fine day and crowd your bed, sofa and every possible spot. You will exhaust yourself in no time and feel overwhelmed and irritated. To truly enjoy this exercise, take a step by step approach wherein you can start with one shelf or one drawer or one cupboard.

3. Think, Segregate and Organize- At the moment a stapler may be coming out of your hair accessories or those safety pins would finally be found tucked under heaps of sheets, so it is essential to think, segregate and organize category wise. Break it down to basics. For instance:

a) Clothing- Make some sort of demarcation for-everyday casual clothes, formal shirts and dresses, Indian wear, night suits and so on.

b) Essentials- Underclothes, socks, hair clips and so on

c) Accessories- Bags, Shoes, Belts, Jewellery etc

d) Beauty- Makeup, Extensions, Styling tools and so on

While you organize your shelves, think about what you need often and make sure that those things are placed somewhere easily accessible.

4. Playing around with the Extras- This is an extremely important step. Now, there would be items which you haven’t used in years but keep hoping you will wear it someday. The chances are slim that would actually wear it now because if you had to, you would have. You have several options in hand depending on the condition of the item. You can either sell it on one of the many such portals, donate for a cause, pass it on to a cousin or friend or in the case it is brand new then do not hesitate but keep it for gifting purposes.

Also, make sure to reduce your paper load, duplicate or expired items. Do trash items which are screaming to find their place nowhere else but in the bin.

5. Reward yourself- Yes, after much hard work and distribution you may realize you need more of something- so do explore your options but make sure to first organize all what you have before you purchase more.

6. Lastly and most importantly, while you feel lighter and see some space around you after the above activity- respect it and try to not overcrowd your closets or make a mess of them as you are well aware of all the sweat that goes in getting the stuff organized. 

ON GRATITUDE

Today, I am getting back to writing for my #LoveLife series and would like to share about the concept/attitude of gratitude.

I have to say it first up, having a heart of gratitude is having the key to a happy life. Over the years, I have realized that most of us have this tendency of focusing on things we do not have. For instance, seeing the glass half empty instead of seeing it half full. However, if the focus changes to what we have or who I am- it truly can become a game changer! We shall wake up each morning feeling genuinely grateful for the little things such as the delicious home-cooked dinner we had last evening or the amazing weather in the morning or even looking forward to dressing up for work or most importantly, feeling healthy!

A heart of gratitude is truly an enriched and beautiful heart for it appreciates and celebrates life. And trust me, everyone loves to be around people who appreciate and are grateful. With gratitude being our foremost attitude not only do we feel good but instead we uplift the spirits of another life too! For instance, it maybe routine for mother to cook, but try and compliment her for the meal and see the big smile on her face!

Also, I feel gratitude reduces the room for complain for you try and look at the good or positive in every challenging situation as well.

Lastly, I would say always be grateful for this life, our families and friends, the person we have become and are becoming and cherishing each and every necessity of life we have been blessed with from our home where we live to the clothes we wear!

Having said this, celebrate the little things in life and you would realize that you are celebrating ever so often. Share your celebrations, involve others in your celebrations, make them feel a part of being the reason itself to celebrate. Also, always have gratitude for the things you wished to own one day and with your hard work have been able to!!!

For me, my heart wells up with joy and happiness each time I think about the trips I have made and I can’t be grateful enough for those plans having become a reality!

P.S. I have and shall continue to have gratitude for all my dreams getting fulfilled. And writing this makes me realize how about some gratitude for having the will and courage to dream itself?

Best,
Sonali

Address Home: Ten Glorious Years

We reckon the transformation of a house to a home takes place with love in abundance… Hence, one lands up adding some special pieces with much love to one’s haven of love. And we all like being selective and exclusive as far as our preferences for home decor are concerned as this space speaks much about us and our loved ones as well as our personalities.

A brand which has impressed us for many years, ten to be precise is Address Home for each time around we have encountered its offerings, we have only been impressed.

Address Home like most would know-creates and curates a world-class range of premium linen, dining, accessories, lighting & furniture; focusing on quality craftsmanship with an eclectic-chic design sensibility.

And there never has been or nor there would be lack of quality options at Address Home for there is always something for everyone- affluent or aspirational, traditional or trendy. Rajat Singhi, Founder & Creative Director says, “Each customer, each guest in our store is unique, and we respect them for their decorating style. And change is constant in design, especially in India. Our stores are usually in very high footfall areas and we have about sixty percent of repeat customers, who step into our store once every month or two. They want to see newness all the time. So, we have to be on our toes all the time, to keep offering newness and the quirkiness that Address Home stands for.”

The brand takes pride in ensuring top quality and worthwhile creativity with each expansion step that it takes! The brand has grown to 13 exclusive stores in a decade covering 11 cities, and with their online foray they now cater to 300 cities PAN-India and have an international presence with worldwide shipping.

The brand has reached a commendable milestone of completing ten years and reflecting on its journey so far…It all started with converting a car mechanic’s shed into a hi-end retail store at Raghuvanshi Mills, Mumbai. From the look and feel of the store, to lay- outing and visual merchandising, every little detail was seen by Mr. Singhi in person. He reminisces by saying, “It was an amazing success. I remember my first few months when I was there personally, I used to attend to each and every customer and listen to their feedback. It was very enriching to hear them gasp in awe and delight that finally something like this had come to Mumbai or to India for that matter.”

Well, that is quite a success story and here’s wishing them the very best always and hoping to newer chapters of success being added to theirs for explosive growth is expected in the coming years!!!

Also, log on to- www.addresshome.com