Press | Hack Decks®
6 Questions to Ask Yourself Before Throwing Things Away, According to a Cleaning Pro
By Mary Marlowe Leverette | Published on 12/27/24
Uladzimir Zuyeu / Getty Images
Most of us struggle with keeping an organized home because we have too much stuff. We're not talking about easy-to-toss or recyclable things like spoiled or expired foods, empty paper towel rolls, or cracked and broken dishes. It's the sentimental or "I might need this one day" items that cause us to give up and ignore the clutter.
We talked to an organizing expert to gather the best questions you should ask yourself before throwing away or getting rid of an item.
Meet the Expert
Danica Carson is an organizing expert at The Uncluttered Life and the creator of the Declutter Deck.
Will I Regret Not Having This One Day?
"People often think that organization is the most difficult part of what an organizing expert does," says Carson. "The truth, however, is that the decluttering process is far more emotionally and mentally draining for everyone, clients and organizers included."
Regret is a very difficult emotion to address and almost impossible to answer. Keeping an item or the "better safe than sorry" mentality can derail the goal of an uncluttered home. Carson reminds clients that you can't anticipate what you may feel or need in the future. She recommends, instead, that you ask yourself these important questions when deciding whether an item should stay or go.
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Can I Preserve the Memories While Letting Go of This Item?
Kristina Strasunske / Moment / Getty Images
Carson shared that she keeps two sentimental pieces of clothing that she will never wear again: her wedding dress and the dress she wore to bring her son home from the hospital. Since there are only two dresses, the collection is manageable. However, you can't hold on to every piece of clothing, book, or piece of china.
She recommends these methods to keep the memory but let the item go.
- Take a photo of the item. Place printed photos in an album or digital file with a note about the item.
- Create something new. Repurpose your grandfather's shirt to create a stuffed toy, holiday ornament, or part of a quilt.
- Frame it. If you don't have room to keep an entire set of china, frame a plate that reminds you of family dinners and hang in your kitchen or dining room.
- Put it to a different use. Use your mother's cherished silver tray to organize items on your dresser. You'll see and use it every day.
Is It Something I Can Find Online If Needed?
This question is particularly useful for paper clutter. User manuals, bank statements, investment information, and insurance documents can all be found online. Carson says when it comes to documents, ask yourself this: Can I find it online? If yes, toss it.
Documents you can need in an emergency or legal documents should be stored in an easy-to-access but fire- and flood-proof box.
The IRS recommends keeping individual tax returns and records for three years. It's a good idea to keep some documents longer, such as records relating to a home purchase or sale, stock transactions, IRA, and business or rental property documentation.1 However, if records are destroyed, you can request copies online from the IRS.
Westend61 / Getty Images
Can This Be Digitized?
Some documents such as birth certificates, death certificates, social security cards, and marriage licenses should be kept in their original form. Carson still recommends making a digital copy and storing it separately in case of a disaster.
For sentimental items like birthday cards, invitations, and letters, a digital copy will last much longer than the original paper and take up much less space.
If This Item Disappeared, Would I Notice? If Yes, How Upset Would I Be?
Carson asks, "If you are keeping something for sentimental reasons, but you never look at it, what purpose is it serving?"
She encourages clients to use or display sentimental items as long as they do not become clutter. Her number one rule for determining if a sentimental piece should stay or go is this: If this item were lost to fire or damage, how long would it take you to notice, and how much would that upset you? If you would be devastated, keep it, but store it correctly. She advises that guilt or obligation should not influence your true attachment to the item.
"Your loved ones would not want their items or gifts to become a burden to you," Carson adds. Decant Products
Carson comments that the size of the packaging is often a bigger issue than the number of items. She recommends investing in labels and glass containers that can be reused to decant products and create uniformity and organization. Matching containers minimizes visual clutter while making it much easier to implement vertical storage on shelves or in drawers.
Christine_Kohler / iStock / Getty Images Plus
Who Am I Keeping This For?
Carson's clients have attics, garages, and basements full of things they are "saving for their kids or grandkids" which is often just an excuse because they aren't ready to let go.
"The reality is that your kids or grandkids aren't going to want all that stuff," Carson says. "If you are truly keeping something with the intention of passing it on, ask the intended recipient if they want it. They may only want a few special pieces. They may want it all. You won't know unless you ask."
Whether you are keeping things because you're not ready to let go or because you haven't asked others what they want, always be honest about why you have an item.
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How to Organize Any Room That's Way Too Cluttered, According to a Decluttering Pro
By Mary Marlowe Leverette | Published on 12/17/24
Carlos Bezz / Getty Images
Meet the Expert
Danica Carson is an organizing expert at The Uncluttered Life and the creator of the Declutter Deck.
The Spruce / Letícia Almeida
Make a Plan
Before you begin, take some time to think about the space and how you would like it to look. Does everything belong in this room? Are there items that can be donated or do you want to keep everything already in this space?
Do you have time to tackle the entire room or should you work on small tasks first? Be realistic about the amount of time needed to organize the space. Take measurements and "shop" your house before you head out to purchase any new storage or organizing products.
Of course, the easiest way to organize most rooms is to get rid of as much clutter as possible. If possible, remove everything from the space. It's messy and time-consuming but you'll have a better idea of what you have and what you want to keep.
Group similar items to decide what you want to keep, donate, recycle, toss, or sell. Keep boxes or bags handy as you sort and take action promptly when you fill a box to get it to the right spot.
Once you decide what you are keeping, you can organize similar items together and follow our tips for storage or display.
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Consolidate Products
When Carson is organizing a bathroom, she may find five bottles of the same soap with just a little left. She recommends combining all of the bottles into one.
Consolidate products and recycle the empties to free up space. This also applies to cleaning supplies but never mix brands because there can be toxic chemical reactions.
Create Technology Hubs
Create technology stations to both get rid of clutter and provide a place where it's easy to find and access electronic devices. There are multiple hub styles available that hide cords, have slots for multiple devices, and keep items charged and ready to go. Tech hubs free up counter and drawer space while also acting as storage.
Mariakray / iStock / Getty Images Plus
Use Purses, Totes, and Luggage for Storage
To help hide clutter, organize items, and gain storage space, Carson recommends using empty handbags, tote bags, and luggage in your closet to store things. You can even stash smaller bags and wallets in larger purses. Make a list of what's inside for easy access when you're ready to use the items.
Go Vertical
Vertical storage is a game changer for small spaces. Investing in shelving, stacking storage pieces, and hanging storage pieces can double or even triple your usable space. When stacking storage bins or baskets, be sure that heavy items are on the bottom to prevent breakage and damage to lighter items.
LOUISE BEAUMONT / Getty Images
Decant Products
Carson comments that the size of the packaging is often a bigger issue than the number of items. She recommends investing in labels and glass containers that can be reused to decant products and create uniformity and organization. Matching containers minimizes visual clutter while making it much easier to implement vertical storage on shelves or in drawers.
Opt for Hidden Storage Furniture
Furniture that doubles as storage, like platform beds with drawers, storage ottomans, and tables with drawers can both hide clutter and organize items.
"At The Uncluttered Life, we "Decorganize" or use decorative pieces such as baskets, boxes, or hollowed-out books to store remotes, keys, and other essentials," says Carson.
The Spruce / Meg MacDonald
Store Items in Plain Sight
Show off your collection of hats, purses, or other collectibles on a wall. It will look like an art display and keep the items you use at your fingertips.
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Kindness And Compassion – The Most Overlooked Form Of Intelligence
Written by Danica Carson, Co-Owner and Creator of Hack Decks™
Danica Carson, creator of Hack Decks™, specializes in creating simple and effective ways to help others live their lives with less stress and more enjoyment. Focusing on pain points such as getting organized, becoming a mother, going off to college, coming up with fresh ways to connect, Hack Decks™ provides a shortcut to a happier, easier life.
Life Hack Decks™ are powerful, micro-prompt motivational cards. Each Hack Deck™ is based around a theme to make life easier. Our offerings include Date Deck® (discovering fun date ideas without doom scrolling), Declutter Deck® (getting organized by following bite-sized decluttering prompts to address all areas of your home), Dorm Deck (young adults leaving for college and living on their own for the first time), New Mama Deck (becoming a mother and reconnecting with yourself postpartum), and Random Acts of Kindness Deck (showing gratitude, connecting or reconnecting to others). Each of our decks provides tricks and tips so you can work smarter instead of harder. These five decks offer prompts to improve your routine while helping to support mental health, well-being, and connection to others.
Random acts of kindness deck
One of the topics most important to us is acts of kindness. Sometimes, it can be difficult to know how to express kindness or gratitude to others. This can ultimately lead to important and meaningful things going unsaid or undone. That’s why we’ve created the Random Acts of Kindness Deck® to provide suggestions that help you bring joy to the lives of loved ones and strangers alike.
Kindness is good for the giver and the receiver
Being kind is good for our physical well-being and mental health. Psychologists have discovered that performing acts of kindness and generosity boosts happiness. This boost also creates a sense of well-being from the spike in dopamine, known as the “helper’s high.” Acts of kindness and generosity are also linked to physical health benefits, including lower blood pressure, and lower cortisol levels (stress hormone).
Small acts, such as petting an animal, or bringing coffee to a friend have just as big an impact as larger acts of kindness. For example, helping a friend paint their garage or taking a loved one to an appointment is also impactful. Prosocial behavior toward friends, strangers, and oneself, even observing or recalling kind acts, has been shown to increase one’s sense of well-being and confidence, while providing a sense of meaning and purpose in life.
The helper’s high
Not all acts of kindness and generosity, however, are created equal. Giving directly to a person, as opposed to contributing online or taking a friend out to dinner rather than sending them a meal, offers an opportunity for social connectedness that’s particularly beneficial. This benefit is known as the “helper’s high.” A "helper's high" is a feeling of euphoria or well-being that people experience after performing an act of kindness, volunteering, or donating to charity. The idea is that helping others is an instinct that's beneficial to human survival. When people help others, their bodies release endorphins and boost oxytocin and dopamine. Being kind can also increase serotonin, a neurotransmitter that helps regulate mood. These chemicals create a "high" that motivates people to continue doing good deeds.
Being socially connected and physical health
People benefit from kind behavior when they’ve chosen to be kind rather than being required to do so. This is because they feel their actions have had a genuine impact, fostering a sense of belonging, connection, and value outside societal roles such as work or family. The lack of obligation amplifies the reward in the gesture for both parties.
On top of the psychological gains, research also ties helping behavior to better physical health. One study tracked more than 7,000 U.S. adults. Research showed that volunteers engaged in more preventive health behaviors than those who did not. Other research has shown that children regularly exposed to random acts of kindness and gratitude experience positive changes in their brain development. These changes may have long-term impacts on their emotional development, outlook on life, and resilience; Three qualities that have an enormous effect on a child’s success and happiness.
Intelligent kindness
It has been said that intelligent people are unafraid to be kind. This is because they understand that kindness is a powerful force for positive change. As all our decks address positive change during transitional times, our Random Acts of Kindness Deck fits perfectly into our line of products with a purpose.
The concept of intelligent kindness is rooted in kinship and implies that people are motivated to cooperate, treat others as family, and be generous and thoughtful. Adding the adjective ‘intelligent’ signals that it is possible to think in a sophisticated way about what constitutes kindness. Intelligent kindness is another way of describing compassion. Compassion involves treating people with empathy, respect, and dignity.
Emotional intelligence is a different type of kindness. Emotionally intelligent people have more compassion and understanding for others, which comes from a broader perspective and more comprehensive outlook on the world. These changes in outlook can apply to other things, from school, to work to problem-solving and relationships.
Why don’t people perform more acts of kindness?
Sometimes, performing random acts of kindness takes us out of our comfort zone. For example, we make ourselves vulnerable by offering something to someone we may not know well. We may feel that we’ve overextended ourselves or put the other person in an uncomfortable position. Sometimes, we are afraid that our actions may be misinterpreted. Once, a boy I knew gave a girl down the street a teddy bear when she was sick and missed a month of school. She interpreted that his gift meant he had “romantic” feelings for her when instead, he was doing something he felt was kind. The fear of having your kindness misinterpreted or rejected can prevent people from being kind, particularly with people we aren’t close to.
However, think of doing random acts of kindness from a different perspective. In other words, what is lost in not taking a step forward? Every Mother’s Day I send all my best girlfriends a Mother’s Day card. At times, I have sent out a big stack. Some people I feel closer to than others, but I always feel that people like to be seen and recognized and that sending a card is a way of doing just that. I continue to send birthday cards to all my friends, even though this is an outdated custom. I still send handwritten thank-you notes when people send me a gift or do something kind for me. Most people send a text with a happy face and a heart. While both communicate gratitude, one demonstrates an extra effort that makes others feel appreciated.
Compassion
Taking that extra step to demonstrate appreciation is an important form of compassion. People don’t need to do kind things for us. Nothing is obligating them to do that. For that reason, anyone who takes time out of their busy life to think about doing something kind for me deserves a true, thoughtful thank you. It makes a world of difference and creates a connection on a few levels. Showing appreciation, generosity, and compassion binds us together as a community, which is an important factor in anthropology.
At a recent funeral, I heard a lifelong friend talk about the friend he had lost. He talked about the way friends stay with you for life and change and grow with you. That is because, as friendships develop, each takes the time to appreciate the person they were and the person they have become. Doing acts of kindness for another, such as sending a note to tell someone the positive effect they have had on your life, deepens your relationship. The cost is nominal, but the impact is great.
Pick up a random acts of kindness deck
Our Random Acts of Kindness Deck offers free or inexpensive, easy-to-do, meaningful ways to show others that you care about them. They are also a great way to model compassion and teach empathy to children in small but impactful ways.
Do something for a stranger “just because” to make their day a little brighter. Offer kindness to a neighbor to get to know them better. Send a few handpicked flowers to a teacher who has made an impact on a child’s life and possibly their future. Tell people how you feel without being afraid of being rejected. Express gratitude. The ripple effect of kindness is extremely impactful. Don’t be afraid.
Follow me on Facebook, Instagram, and visit my website for more info!
Read more from Danica Carson
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Meet Danica Carson
November 5, 2024
We were lucky to catch up with Danica Carson recently and have shared our conversation below. (Copy of story here.)
Danica, we’re so excited for our community to get to know you and learn from your journey and the wisdom you’ve acquired over time.
Let’s kick things off with a discussion on self-confidence and self-esteem. How did you develop yours?
Over the years, I’ve learned that confidence and self-esteem are struggles for just about everyone, especially in business. But starting your own business amplifies those insecurities tenfold. The highs and lows of work are so much more intense when it’s your business or product out there to be judged and assessed by the world. You’re making tons of sales one month, and the next, you have none. The constant up and down can take a huge toll on your confidence, not only professionally but personally, too.
Two things I have come to realize over the last few years are that, first, success can’t be measured in dollars, and second, that your business is not all you are. Tying your self-worth and your business together can be more than just detrimental to your mental health but also to your business. A major aspect of business ownership is adaptability. When you take business failures personally, your perspective is muddied and you become less able to adapt to an ever-changing market.
When I finally realized those two things, it had such a liberating effect on my confidence and self-esteem. Ultimately, it made me better at running my business.
Thanks, so before we move on maybe you can share a bit more about yourself?
Most people don’t know this, but Hack Decks™ is the result of another business I co-own with my business partner and mom, Cathy. We started a boutique organizing company in 2019 called The Uncluttered Life®. The Uncluttered Life® was initially created by my mom after years, and I’m talking decades, of organizing on the side for fun. You read that right; I did say fun. As you can imagine, I didn’t love having an organization-obsessed mom when I was younger. I used to dread the days when we cleaned out my closet. But as I got older, I saw what a huge gift it was to have an organized home, and I eventually grew to love it. I was fortunate to have her on-call to help me when I needed it, but I picked up so much of the skill just by being her kid.
I realized as an adult that organization was a skill that the vast majority of people lacked. That’s not to say that they don’t try to be organized, but it’s difficult for people to determine where things should go, what is no longer serving them, or how things can be most efficiently stored. It’s something that I had unknowingly been trained in my entire life. Most people aren’t so lucky.
As our business grew, we heard the same thing over and over, “I’m so overwhelmed. I started this big organizing project and realized I was in over my head. Do you think you can fix this?” Our response was always, “Of course! Don’t stress, don’t worry.” To my surprise, that response was often met with tears from the client. Tears of relief, tears of joy, and sometimes even tears of disappointment in themselves. Clients would sometimes sob. That’s when I came to realize that organization was about so much more than a tidy home. It was about unburdening and coming to terms with who and where you are now. It was about finding peace in your surroundings, and at times it was about letting go.
The emotional responses of our clients deeply resonated with me. I both sympathized and empathized with them because, believe it or not, I understood. Without boring readers with my life story, I’ve struggled with serious health issues throughout my life. While I may not have the same root cause, I do understand the suffocating burden of things that feel beyond your control, I understand helplessness and being overwhelmed, and I understand struggling to let go of who you used to be or hoped you’d be by now.
I sincerely wanted to help, but clients often couldn’t afford to have us organize their entire homes. I found myself staying late without charging for the extra work more and more. I didn’t mind doing it, because I could feel how this little thing I did was monumental, sometimes even life-changing, to them. But, I have a family, and my son and husband are always my priority. They needed my time, too.
So, I developed our very first Hack Deck™, Declutter Deck®, to help our clients get organized on their own with quick and easy organizing prompts. It was a way for me to be there for my clients without physically being there. Declutter Deck® was developed for our clients, but people loved it, so we decided to take the leap and pursue creating a full line of life hacks in a box, or Hack Decks™.
We now proudly offer five themed Hack Decks™, all focusing on mental health and eliminating the inherent stress that comes with various topics. Declutter Deck®, Date Deck®, Dorm Deck®, New Mama Deck®, and Random Acts of Kindness Deck®. Each deck prompts users to take proactive steps to connect with themselves and loved ones, all while having fun and addressing common pain points with little life hacks.
There is so much advice out there about all the different skills and qualities folks need to develop in order to succeed in today’s highly competitive environment and often it can feel overwhelming. So, if we had to break it down to just the three that matter most, which three skills or qualities would you focus on?
In my opinion, one of the most important skills for anyone to develop is perspective. Perspective allows you to determine what is truly important and changes how you internalize challenges. What may have felt like a “problem” becomes a puzzle or opportunity.
In my life, my creativity has been incredibly beneficial, both professionally and personally. Creativity is one of the most crucial attributes any business owner can possess. Creative problem-solving is the biggest part of my job. On any given day, you could be sourcing manufacturers, figuring out workarounds for specific customer requests, or keeping track of inventory across multiple platforms. The list goes on. Every single day presents a new challenge when you are part of every aspect of a business.
People tend to view it as negative, but accepting that you’re going to make mistakes is important. Sometimes, those mistakes are big and expensive. Sometimes they’re inconsequential. Accepting that you don’t know what you’re doing but doing it anyway is part of life as a small business owner. As they say, “You don’t know what you don’t know.” But you’ll never learn if you don’t push forward and do it anyway.
How can folks who want to work with you connect?
I love collaborating with other businesses! When we first started Hack Decks™, we were very interested in private labeling decks for other businesses and personalizing them to fit their needs. For instance, we could private label Declutter Deck® for realtors as personalized housewarming gifts. I love the idea of designing decks alongside other companies to develop something truly memorable or unique to their market.
I find collaboration is usually very beneficial to both parties, even if it’s just by getting you outside of your comfort zone and pushing you to do something you wouldn’t have done otherwise. In our organizing business, The Uncluttered Life®, we collaborate with a custom storage solution company called Inspired Closets DFW, and it is such a symbiotic relationship. They design and install gorgeous custom closets, pantries, garages, you name it, and then we go in and optimize, organize, and stage the space for their clients so that it reflects the client’s needs and personality.
If you’re interested in collaborating, reach out at hello@lifehackdecks.com, and we can brainstorm!
Contact Info:
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Website: https://lifehackdecks.com/
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Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/lifehackdecks/
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Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/hackdeck
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Check Out Danica Carson’s Story
Today we’d like to introduce you to Danica Carson
Hi Danica , thanks for joining us today. We’d love for you to start by introducing yourself.
My name is Danica Carson, and I am creator of Hack Decks™. We are located in the DFW area.
About Hack Decks™
Hack Decks™ is a line of prompt cards designed to simplify life and reduce stress. Hack Decks™ is owned by The Uncluttered Life, Inc., a boutique organizing company based in the Dallas-Fort Worth area, specializing in optimization, efficiency, and home function. Our flagship product, Declutter Deck®, was created as an exclusive tool for clients, or even secret weapon, to get and stay organized in all spaces of the home.
The mission of Hack Decks™ is simple: live a happier, more fulfilling life by skipping the struggle. Using the crowd-sourced wisdom and experience of experts in their field, each Hack Deck™ is designed to help users by offering prompts that encourage them to be proactive and work smarter rather than harder. Each prompt is a small piece of a larger task that creates a cumulative impact.
About Danica
I graduated from UC Berkeley, majoring in an interdisciplinary study that combined the practice of fine art, history, psychology, modern media, and social science. I always felt a passion for art, pursuing creative outlets such as painting, photography, graphic design, and home design, but it wasn’t until my late 20’s that I began to fully appreciate the impact visual stimulation had on me.
After getting married, the small apartment I shared with my husband in Southern California began to feel claustrophobic. There were so many gifts, and nowhere to put them. The clutter began to mount. As time went on, I began to feel more overwhelmed, more fatigued, and less productive. It was then that my mom, Cathy, who was studying the KonMari Method under Marie Kondo at the time, came to the rescue with her decades of organization experience. After three days of organizing and rearranging, I suddenly felt motivated, inspired, and energized in my space again. I was more productive, less stressed, and happier. One thing became very clear: the effect that your surroundings have on you is undeniable, and it can either make you or break you.
After researching the physical and psychological effect that surroundings have on your mental and physical health, my mom and I realized that we could combine our love of organization and interior design to create spaces that allowed people to thrive. In 2019, we decided to take the leap and open our boutique organizing company, The Uncluttered Life, Inc., in Southern California. The Uncluttered Life® has been a lifetime in the making, without either of us realizing it then.
Not long after, my husband and I welcomed a baby boy and decided to make a major move. My husband was offered a position in Dallas-Fort Worth and we decided to take it, prompting my parents to move close by. The Uncluttered Life® became a flourishing organization business in North Texas. In addition, we partnered with Inspired Closets DFW to help their clients organize who had purchased a space of $10,000 or more. Watching people struggle with clutter, we decided to create a problem-solving product for our clients, called the Declutter Deck®. It was designed as an exclusive tool for clients to get and stay organized.
What We Have Learned
The Uncluttered Life® was typically hired to transform one space, but organization has a domino effect. Clients often wanted more help but could not afford to do their entire home. Understanding how frustrating, overwhelming, and burdensome clutter can be, we decided to create an inexpensive solution for clients. We did this because we believe that cost should never be a barrier to improving mental or physical health.
The Declutter Deck® was so popular with clients that we decided to design a line of Hack Decks™, prompt cards that address specific pain points and transition periods of life. Each deck was thoughtfully developed to be a “life hack” for topics that can cause anxiety, stress or isolation. Hack Decks™ currently offers Date Deck®, Declutter Deck®, Dorm Deck, New Mama Deck, and Random Acts of Kindness Deck.
Since moving to Texas in 2020, The Uncluttered Life, Inc. has been voted a “Readers Choice All-Star” by Arlington Magazine, and also featured in Living Magazine and Marie Kondo’s KonMari “Meet the Masters.” The Uncluttered Life® and Hack Decks™ were also recently featured in an Architectural Digest article.
Can you talk to us a bit about the challenges and lessons you’ve learned along the way. Looking back would you say it’s been easy or smooth in retrospect?
There are always struggles with any business. For one, when we started, it was in 2019, and Covid hit not long after. We had to adjust our business model because we could no longer go into our client’s homes. We, then, became a virtual organization company until restrictions were lifted.
Struggles also create opportunity. For example, because people were spending more time in their homes than prior to Covid, they needed to create some type of hybrid home that let them work during the day, and turn off at night. The lines between home and work began to blur and people wanted a place to enjoy downtime. We helped people achieve that goal.
I think people appreciate their homes more now than they did pre-Covid. And, for that reason, home organization is even more important than it was prior to 2019.
Appreciate you sharing that. What else should we know about what you do?
About Hack Decks™
Focusing on common pain points such as getting organized, becoming a mother, going off to college, coming up with fresh ways to connect, and more, Hack Decks™ offers users a shortcut to a happier life by providing easy prompts that have a lasting impact. Each is a deck of 52 cards with easy-to-do prompts that have a positive impact on mental and physical health.
Let’s talk about our city – what do you love? What do you not love?
I love the DFW area. Here’s why…I invented Date Deck® to learn about DFW even more!
A Summer in New Jersey
One summer we spent in New Jersey. Before we were married, we spent the summer in New Jersey living in a rented room. My husband was gone all day at his internship. We weren’t married at the time, but planning our wedding. While he was gone all day, I worked from that one bedroom. Space was tight so I always wanted to go out on the weekends to explore our surroundings. Lucky us, we were close to New York City. We spent many of our weekends there. Having lived on the West Coast my entire life, I had never been to the East Coast. I was excited to see the difference. I loved learning about a new culture, making new friends, and taking day trips to see areas of the country I had never seen before. It was a tremendous learning experience.
A Move to Texas
Fast forward, and we have moved again from the West Coast, this time to Texas. After my husband’s internship, we realized it would be fun to move again given the right opportunity for change. Change happened all at once: a new job, baby, and Covid lockdown. I found myself quarantined in my new house with an infant for a year. We couldn’t go out. I was in a new city with very few connections. I was chomping at the bit to find something fun to do on the weekends. Sometimes we would drive to a park in the late afternoon just to get out of the house. Most of the time, though, the three of us were stuck indoors during the week. My husband worked from home and I took care of our newborn. I couldn’t wait to start exploring a new city with my baby son and husband in tow.
What I Have Learned from Getting Out of My Comfort Zone
After Covid restrictions were lifted, I needed to find fun things to do again. I scrolled to see which places were open. And where we could spend time together on the weekend. Since I had learned this skill on the West Coast, driving almost every weekend to LA or San Diego, I learned that exploring a city is fun. Lots and lots of fun. But you need to know where to go. From living outside NYC, I learned how much fun a big bustling city can be. (Not that LA was little!) Now that I’m in Texas, I look for fun, new things to do each weekend. Some take me out of my comfort zone. For me, that’s good.
Life Hack Decks™ – How Date Deck® Came to Be
With this information, and my skill for finding fun and interesting things to do on the weekend, I created Date Deck® for life Hack Decks™. This prompt deck of 52 cards gets you moving, out of the house, and having fun. Date Deck® is filled with great, unique prompts that take the boredom and routine out of weekends. Instead of doing the same old thing, Date Deck® gives you inspiration for finding fun where you live. The deck comes with a range of ideas that get you out of your comfort zone, if only for a few hours each week. This makes the rest of the week so much better and keeps your love and connection alive with your “date.” Even with a little one to bring along, Date Deck® ideas make exploring a new city fun. Date Deck® is also great to get to know your current city in an entirely new way.
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The Story Behind Hack Decks™
Written by Danica Carson, Co-Owner and Creator of Hack Decks®
Danica Carson, creator of Hack Decks®, specializes in creating simple and effective ways to help others live their lives with less stress and more enjoyment. Focusing on pain points such as getting organized, becoming a mother, going off to college, coming up with fresh ways to connect, Hack Decks™ provides a shortcut to a happier, easier life.
My name is Danica Carson, and I am the creator of Hack Decks®. Hack Decks® are a unique line of thoughtfully conceived prompt cards designed to simplify life and reduce daily stress. Each deck focuses on a transitional period of life to help people stay organized and focused during these changes. For example, when becoming a new mother (New Mama Deck) or going off to college (Dorm Deck), we offer suggestions to ease the transition. Each deck has a keen eye on organization and adjusting to a new environment or phase of life, which is influenced by our home organizing company. Hack Decks® is owned by The Uncluttered Life, Inc., a boutique home-organizing company based in the Dallas-Fort Worth area of Texas.
The Uncluttered Life, Inc. strives to make organization a top priority during life interruptions, changes and transitions that happen to everyone. And we work to reduce what overwhelms so many. In our home organization business, for example, we optimize what a client currently owns and loves, declutter the rest, and improve home flow efficiency and function. Organization is a place where many people tend to feel overwhelmed. The Uncluttered Life, Inc. strives to make organization a top priority during life’s many pivotal situations. For this reason, we developed our flagship product, Declutter Deck®. We will expand our decluttering line in 2025. We currently see the need to help people in other transitional periods such as when downsizing or combining households.
The mission of Hack Decks® is simple: live a happier, more fulfilling life by skipping the struggle that comes with everyday living. Using crowd-sourced wisdom and the experience of experts in their field, each Hack Deck® is designed to “coach” users by offering prompts that encourage a proactive approach to life. In other words, working smarter rather than harder. Each prompt, like during the decluttering process, is a small piece of a larger task. In total, this creates a cumulative effect. As we say at The Uncluttered Life, “inch by inch, it’s a cinch.” In other words, we avoid overwhelming the user with our single task prompt cards. One small task (the deck is made up of 52 prompts) increases the likelihood of use and consistency and builds upon progress. Frustration with everyday annoyances, like needing to clean out your closet, become easy because the large project is broken into bite-sized pieces that are manageable and can be done in under an hour.
How Hack Decks® came to be
I graduated from University of California, Berkeley with a major in Media Studies in 2015. The major is an interdisciplinary study that combines fine art, history, psychology, modern media, and social science. The major was right up my alley.
Since I was a little girl, I have had a passion for art, especially painting, photography, graphic arts and home design. It wasn’t until my late 20’s, however, that I began to fully appreciate and understand the impact visual clutter has on me. In other words, too much visual stimulation, like clutter, raises my stress level and makes it difficult for me to focus and stay on task. It not only happens to me, but it also happens to many people, especially women. For this reason, I decided that if I were struggling, others were, too. I used my art and psychology background to create decks of 52 cards that, I hoped, would help people find a new approach to things that overwhelmed them.
Clutter, mental health, and cortisol levels
I know I’m not unique in this respect. Articles and studies ranging from WebMD to Neuroscience News cite examples of the way overstimulation and clutter trigger stress and anxiety. Even Stanford and The National Institutes of Health (NIH) have written about this link. In fact, clutter leads to both poor mental and physical health because of an increase in cortisol levels. I decided to take this information and turn it into something that would not only help me, but also help others.
While these studies put the association in scientific and medical terms, I can say from my own experience that I feel the effects of clutter. Clutter stresses me out, and I’m sure it stresses out a lot of other people, too.
Getting married and having too much “stuff”
As I was in the throes of getting married, I realized something about myself that I had never known. The small apartment I shared with my husband-to-be in Southern California was a trigger. As the wedding invitations went out, and gifts from my registry arrived, I found that I had nowhere to put these generous and thoughtful presents. I know, it’s a first world problem, but this first world problem affects a lot of people. I’m sure it affects people worldwide. Not having enough space, feeling cramped, disorganized, and out of control overwhelmed me. It’s a common thing I hear when helping people organize their homes.
In that small apartment I began to feel claustrophobic. The more the doorbell rang with deliveries from Amazon and Crate and Barrel, the more my anxiety grew. As time went on, I began to feel fatigued and less productive. It was then that my mom, Cathy, a KonMari (Marie Kondo) Certified Master Organizer with decades of organizing experience, came to my rescue.
The two of us spent three days in my apartment with her experienced eye for clutter and rolls of trash bags, packing my car and hers with bags for either recycle, donation, or trash. Suddenly, I felt motivated, inspired, and energized in my space again. I was more productive, much less stressed and overwhelmed, and excited to put my new things away. One thing became very clear to me, and I took to heart something my mom had taught me for years: the more you have, the less productive you are. Luckily, I had the help of my mom. With a sigh of relief, I was able to integrate my gifts into my home, letting go of things that no longer served me, and making space in my tiny apartment for change. Better mental and physical health followed.
Clutter and stress
I cite the articles (above) to validate the relationship between clutter and stress. As explained, clutter leads to stress, and both poor mental and physical health. This is because clutter increases cortisol levels, especially in women.
What I found in myself is that it is difficult to concentrate when there is too much “stuff” everywhere. This means on countertops and under cabinets, in the pantry and especially in closets. Clutter accumulates, and because of this, it’s often difficult to let down, relax, and breathe. The more we accumulate, the bigger impact it has. I believe that these studies explain the recent focus on decluttering, minimalism, and the need for home organization companies.
One thing we know, for sure, is that it shouldn’t cost an arm and a leg to help with this problem. But it does because hiring a home organization company is expensive. This puts organization out of reach for many people. Those who struggle with mental health, ADHD, panic attacks, just to name a few, all need help getting their space in order. An organized, flowing, efficient life makes a world of difference for just about everyone. For this reason, and because we believe decluttering and organizing should not just be for those who can afford this improvement, we developed Declutter Deck®. Declutter Deck® is an affordable deck of 52 prompt cards that takes the “Where do I start?” out of home organization. We will get to this in a minute.
Add a baby and a pandemic
Two years after we married, my husband and I welcomed a baby boy. A month before his birth and at the very beginning of the pandemic, my husband accepted a job in the DFW area. Job offer in hand, we focused on our future and uprooted, eventually making a move from Southern California to Texas.
My husband’s job offer came at a hard time. The world was in the middle of the pandemic. Before giving notice of our move to his then-current employer, he was working from home in a space designed to be a dining room. In other words, in our 600 square foot apartment we now had the three of us and our cat, tons of baby equipment and furniture, and my husband’s work-from-home office. Personal space was non-existent. Further, complicating the issue, the baby and I had to remain quiet during the day because my husband was on round-the-clock conference calls. To put it mildly, there were too many things and too little space in those 600 square feet. It must have been the same way for many people during the days of quarantine. I was going stir crazy.
Simultaneously, the pandemic blurred the line between work life and home life. The dynamics of work shifted, and people found themselves at home for months on end. The need for a home office that wasn’t the kitchen table became a real necessity. And the mounds of paperwork and computer equipment that suddenly invaded not only my home, but many others, became a reality of life. Where were we supposed to put all these things? I think a lot of people found themselves asking the same question. The need for home and office organization became a must.
Don’t move things that you’ll just throw away when you arrive
Having the family that I do, and the fact that my brother and his wife were already living in Texas, my parents decided to move close by to be near both my brother and me in DFW. For them, moving from an organized home, was easy. My mom has always practiced Swedish Death Cleaning, meaning that she will never burden us with leaving cleaning out her home and life to my brother and me. It is truly a gift.
I, on the other hand, had a different experience. Moving from a tiny, disorganized 600 square foot apartment with a two-week-old baby was hard. In fact, it was so hard that the movers had to pack us. I arrived in my new home with boxes full of nonsense that I never intended to bring with us in the first place. One rule I learned: Never pay to move something that you will just throw away once you get to your destination. It’s a huge waste of time and money. Declutter first. It eases the transition for everyone. And makes unpacking that much easier.
The Uncluttered Life® during and after the pandemic
Prior to the pandemic upending all our lives, and while living in Southern California, my mom and I started The Uncluttered Life, Inc. The Uncluttered Life® was originally created to help people organize their homes using the KonMari Method™, made popular by Marie Kondo’s books and Netflix series. My mom had trained in Santa Monica, CA in the summer of 2019.
Because of her years-long love of decluttering and organizing, she quickly rose through the ranks to become a Certified KonMari Master Consultant. A KonMari Master is the highest level as deemed by this program. It is the culmination of 1500+ hours of tidying and organizing and very few organizing companies within the United States have this distinction. Having worked alongside her, I learned very quickly how to apply this method, among others, to our business.
Partnership with inspired closets DFW
As we grew our business in Southern California, taking on clients for in-home organization and teaching them about organization with seminars and lectures, the pandemic hit. Suddenly, we were no longer able to enter people’s homes; organizing became virtual. On an international level, even the KonMari Method™ had to adjust to this change. Instead of organizing in a person’s home, as seen on the Netflix series, Tidying Up with Marie Kondo, all tidying and organization became virtual. As a company, we were still able to help people throughout the United States get control of their home organizing, however, it had to be by Zoom or FaceTime. Most often we received requests to help people define the blurred line between work and home. During the pandemic, it was a time of change, but also opportunity.
This deep change carried over into our business in several ways. First, we moved to Texas in between Dallas and Fort Worth. And, because we brought with us a unique skillset, we established a partnership with Inspired Closets DFW. Deneé Locke, owner of ICDFW loves helping families make positive changes in their homes and businesses for a more organized way of life. As a result of our partnership, clients who purchase a $10,000 or more built-in space (closet, pantry, garage, mudroom) receive the gift of four hours of our organization services. The partnership works so that not only does a client build out a space that helps them function better, but their items are also put away and styled to fully maximize their investment.
Organizing has a domino effect
And we learned something else. Organizing one space in a house has a domino effect. Clients often wanted more help but were unable to allocate resources to do an entire home. We also realized that organization should not be available only to those who can afford to hire a professional. In fact, because cost is so often a factor, we learned that people were often desperate for help but could either not pay or were frankly embarrassed for us to see how they lived. This lack of organization, however, keeps people from being able to improve their lives. The improvement can be in the form of running a better household, keeping kids on track in school, pursuing a better job or education, or dealing with the effects of ADHD. Whatever a person’s circumstances, organization can help in ways people never dreamed possible.
Organization, too, is often the missing link in mental health, helping to reduce stress and simplify life. For this reason, we developed Hack Decks™, a way to incorporate life hacks into transitional or difficult times in a person’s life to improve and sustain good mental health practices. Our decks include Date Deck®, Declutter Deck®, Dorm Deck, New Mama Deck, and Random Acts of Kindness Deck. Declutter Deck® was Hack Decks™ flagship product.
What is Declutter Deck®?
Declutter Deck® is a prompt card deck of 52 “hacks” to help people declutter and organize their homes. Prompts are easy to follow, broken into thirty-minute increments (maximum is one hour), and guide you through your entire home organization process. From the deck of cards, just pick one several times a week, and perform the prompt. It’s that easy. Examples include working through your broken mugs, cleaning out your linen closet, or picking things off your bedroom closet floor and putting them back where they belong. Done consistently, the deck touches every major living area that tends to get cluttered and never returned to organized.
We have worked with hundreds of people to help them declutter and organize their homes. We know where the pain points are, and how many people give up before they even start. Originally given as a “thank you” gift exclusively to our clients, we now offer this deck for sale on our websites.
The transformation a person or family can make with this simple card deck changes a person or family’s living space. It stops the stress. It stops the arguing. It stops the blaming. It creates harmony for all members living under one roof.
And we created this because at The Uncluttered Life, Inc., we believe that cost should never be a barrier to improving both mental and physical health.
What’s coming next from Hack Decks®?
We are in the process of creating decks to address more pain points, especially those that occur because of clutter and a lack of organization. These include our Downsizing Deck™, Digital Decluttering Deck™, advanced versions of our Declutter Deck®, and more. Our focus is to get you in a mental and physical space that makes you feel at ease and productive and leaves the feelings of being overwhelmed at the door. I don’t know about you, but when I open my computer to thirty tabs and hundreds of emails, I want to close it and call it a day.
Why not a book? Why a deck of cards?
There is one basic reason for this decision, and that is because cards can be chosen and put back if that prompt doesn’t make sense to you that day, you are overwhelmed and need something easier to do, or you’d like to repeat the process once you’re finished. The goal is to pick a card and perform the task within thirty minutes, and at a maximum one hour. Should you have only thirty minutes, tackle a little prompt. Have extra time during the day? Pick another card. Not in the mood for that card on a particular day? Put it back in the deck and choose another. Once you have performed all 52 cards, shuffle and start again or gift it to a friend. The objective is to avoid making people feel overwhelmed. This increases productivity, consistency, and progress.
A deck of cards that focuses on mental health is a game-changer
We are all struggling with something in our own little corner of the world. Some of the most difficult times are during transitional periods or when change occurs. Young adults stress about starting college. For that reason, we offer Dorm Deck to help with good mental health practices. It’s tough to bring home a new baby from the hospital. People ask how they can help. Give them the deck of cards and ask them to do one task. Clutter pits family members against one another. Use the Declutter Deck® to get life organized and flowing smoothly. Date Deck takes the boredom out of being married for twenty years or reallocates the “having fun” task out of the hands of one person and “Delegates to the Deck®.” And lastly, our Random Acts of Kindness deck removes the thinking that many people find hard when trying to do something kind for others. It offers suggestions that are easy, inexpensive, and create good will. It’s a great gift to give a classroom of young children (or older children, for that matter). And it strives to make the world a better place.
Try one of our Hack Decks® to see how much less complicated and overwhelming life can be. There is something in our line for everyone. And watch for our new decks that will continue to improve your life. Delegate to the Deck® and find time for more meaningful, rewarding ways to spend the moments of your life. As Annie Dillard says, “How we spend our days is, of course, how we spend our lives. What we do with this hour, and that one, is what we are doing.” Overwhelmed life? Or calm, happy and peaceful? The choice is yours.
Featured articles
Since moving to Texas in 2020, The Uncluttered Life, Inc. has been voted a Reader’s Choice All-Star” by Arlington Magazine, and has been featured in Living Magazine, Voyage Dallas, Shoutout DFW, and Marie Kondo’s KonMari “Meet the Masters.” The Uncluttered Life, Inc. and Hack Decks™ were also recently featured in an Architectural Digest article and in several Real Simple Magazine articles.
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Read more from Danica Carson
Danica Carson, Co-Owner and Creator of Hack Decks®
Danica Carson is the Co-Owner and Creator of Hack Decks®, a line of prompt cards designed to simplify life and reduce stress. Hack Decks® is owned by The Uncluttered Life, Inc., a boutique organizing company based in Dallas-Fort Worth specializing in optimization, efficiency, and home function. The flagship product, Declutter Deck®, was created as an exclusive tool for clients, to get and stay organized in all aspects of the home.
Meet Cathy Orr
By Bold Journey
We were lucky to catch up with Cathy Orr recently and have shared our conversation below.
Cathy, so many exciting things to discuss, we can’t wait. Thanks for joining us and we appreciate you sharing your wisdom with our readers. So, maybe we can start by discussing optimism and where your optimism comes from?
My optimism comes from an internal feeling I have that life is about improvement, making things better. A great example of this is our Declutter Deck® from The Uncluttered Life, Inc. Declutter Deck® helps people get control of the clutter in their lives. It helps them streamline the process of decluttering by using little chunks of their time on a weekly basis to focus their attention on one area of their home. By working through our prompt decks of 52 cards, people declutter their homes and living environments in no time at all. As a result, people’s attitudes about their lives change. They improve. People feel more optimistic about their lives.
Let’s take a small detour – maybe you can share a bit about yourself before we dive back into some of the other questions we had for you?
I am a Master Certified KonMari Consultant. That means I have over 1500 hours in-home organizing experience as taught by Marie Kondo. I love her method because it makes sense to me. She is logical in her thought process. I prefer to live an uncluttered life, and for this reason, I am able to work through her system with our clients.
I have been organizing for over twenty years. During that time, I’ve also developed many other styles of organizing. I choose the best of all the methods I’ve learned and help clients overcome their mountains of clothing, unnecessary things that get in the way of progress, and even deal with some emotional causes of clutter.
At The Uncluttered Life, Inc., a company I co-founded, we have introduced a prompt deck called Declutter Deck®. Declutter Deck® is a prompt deck of 52 cards that addresses all the main areas of a person’s home that need decluttering. We are in the process of developing additional Declutter Decks® that are very focused on a particular demographic.
There is so much advice out there about all the different skills and qualities folks need to develop in order to succeed in today’s highly competitive environment and often it can feel overwhelming. So, if we had to break it down to just the three that matter most, which three skills or qualities would you focus on?
I am a highly organized person. That is my most impactful characteristic when it comes to our company. I also am a very hard worker, and for this reason, I get a lot done. Because I am organized and focused, and give a project my all, I find that I can accomplish a great deal in a short amount of time. I also have a very streamlined lifestyle, and don’t easily get distracted.
Thanks so much for sharing all these insights with us today. Before we go, is there a book that’s played in important role in your development?
My favorite book is Clear Your Clutter with Feng Shui by Karen Kingston. This book changed my life. It is about the way clutter impacts our energy. It’s worth the read. In fact, I read it every year around the Chinese New Year. It is an older book, but the message is still very relevant to me.
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Announcing Our New Partnership
We are proud to announce our partnership with Alta Daily in the DFW Area!
About Alta Daily
Alta is a personal style companion that simplifies the daily decision of what to wear, offering stress-free outfit suggestions based on your preferences and daily activities.
Alta is your personalized fashion companion on a mission to simplify your style choices. Named after the Latin word for "elevated," Alta acts as your daily style copilot, making the often stressful task of choosing outfits a breeze. In a rapidly growing $185 billion US apparel e-commerce industry, Alta stands out by streamlining your online shopping experience with tailored suggestions based on your unique preferences. With its AI-driven capabilities, Alta not only optimizes your closet usage but also serves as your helpful shopping assistant, ensuring your purchases fit seamlessly into your existing wardrobe. As Alta evolves, it aspires to become more than just a fashion tool, aiming to curate a lifestyle that enhances your daily experiences.
Social Media
Website: https://www.altadaily.com/
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/altadaily
TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@altadaily
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/altadaily
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10 Simple Storage Hacks That Will Cost You $0
We are honored to have our first Hack Deck produced to be featured in Architectural Digest article by . Here is an excerpt:
When you get the urge to deep-clean a closet—or rip everything out from underneath the sink and start fresh—you might also feel compelled to buy some organizing accouterments. As far as storage hacks go, clear plastic bins are a perennial favorite for decluttering enthusiasts who want to create Insta-worthy displays, but beyond that you may have noticed there are more than a few rolling storage carts and back-of-the-door pocket organizers on the market to choose from.
Resist the temptation to add containers and shelves to your shopping cart. Instead, consider all the ways you could tidy up your home without spending a dime. Ahead, find 10 storage hacks from organizing experts that don’t cost a thing.
1. Convert an old wine bottle rack into a water bottle organizer
Have a wine rack that’s been languishing in the basement, or one that’s collecting dust in the corner of your parents’ kitchen? Repurpose it for something more practical: storing your vast collection of water bottles, say Danica Carson and Cathy Orr, founders of The Uncluttered Life blog and creators of the Declutter Deck, a set of organizing prompt cards.
Stanley cups and Hydroflasks alike can easily slide into the spaces previously reserved for wine bottles, bringing harmony to the cupboard that once sent aluminum bottles ricocheting out every time it was opened.
Click HERE to see the rest of these helpful tips.
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Daily Inspiration: Meet Danica Carson
Local Stories with VoyageDallas
Today we’d like to introduce you to Danica Carson.
Hi Danica, please kick things off for us with an introduction to yourself and your story.
I graduated from UC Berkeley. In 2020, right before lock down my husband got a job here in DFW. I was pregnant with our son, Rowan. The country went into lockdown, and being pregnant, we didn’t want to risk traveling, so we bought a house remotely in May and moved in July 3rd.
Hack Decks came about from another business my mom and I run. We have a professional organizing company called The Uncluttered Life. We have extensive experience in organization – complete with a Master Level distinction in the KonMari Method (Marie Kondo’s method). I came up with our first deck, Declutter Deck®, as a way to help our clients stay organized and for other people trying to get organized. Not everyone has the budget to hire professional organizers, but that shouldn’t be a barrier to having an organized and functional home. We distilled all of our knowledge into Declutter Deck® to come up with mini-organizing prompts to help people who don’t know where to start or what to do to get their homes in order.
After launching Declutter Deck®, I decided to create our second deck, Date Deck®. My husband and I used to do something fun and new every weekend, and with lockdown and being new parents, we weren’t getting to do that much. Not to mention, we were in a new state, and we had no idea what there was to do or where to go. So, I put 52 of my favorite types of dates that we used to go on down on paper and turned them into date idea prompts, and we slowly got to know the area and fell in love with DFW. The best thing about Date Deck®, in my opinion, is that it removes the work associated with having fun. No endless scrolling or trying to figure out what to do. Just a simple prompt to guide you on your date adventure. It removes the pressure and mental fatigue that comes with having an endless list of things to get done and wanting to maximize your personal time.
We also recently launched Dorm Deck, a deck designed to help college freshmen thrive during their first year of college.
Next month, we will be launching our New Mama Deck. This deck is so close to my heart, and I can’t wait for it to come out. It’s all about taking care of yourself after you have a baby so that you can enjoy this stage of life instead of getting through it. Mama matters, too!
Alright, so let’s dig a little deeper into the story – has it been an easy path overall, and if not, what were the challenges you’ve had to overcome?
No, definitely not smooth. Though, I can’t imagine it ever is for anyone starting a business. We had to fight for trademarks and copyrights, change the name of some decks, and even company! But here we are, and we got everything we needed.
As you know, we’re big fans of you and your work. For our readers who might not be as familiar, what can you tell them about what you do?
I have always been very design-oriented. I studied design and was even an art major for a while before switching to an interdisciplinary major. I always found being creative to be very fulfilling. I’ve worked in social media and built websites, and I truly enjoy it. When covid started, everyone started organizing their homes, and I ended up getting into something I call “decor-organizing.” All that means is that I like to make functional organization pretty. I use decor to hide organization or enhance it. That’s how I ended up a professional organizer. We have recently been awarded the Decorganize trademark, and I'm very proud of that.
Before we let you go, we’ve got to ask if you have any advice for those who are just starting out.
You’re never going to know everything you need to know. Just start and figure it out as you go. You’ll make mistakes, but you’ll learn.
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Conversations with Cathy Orr
Local Stories with VoyageDallas
Today we’d like to introduce you to Cathy Orr.
Hi Cathy, we’d love for you to start by introducing yourself.
I have always been interested in home organizing in one form or another my entire life. I was on the organizing bandwagon long before “spark joy” or any of the current trends in organizing were a “thing." In fact, my background in anthropology was probably my lead-up to organizing. Cultural anthropology focuses a lot on classifying things/people/behaviors into categories. My mind just thinks like this.
I became a Marie Kondo consultant in September 2019, and since that time have risen from the “green” level to Certified Master. A certified Master is the culmination of client hours equal to 1500+ hours of organizing. In fact, I have many more than the 1500 required for this certification. I have been organizing, in one form or another, for the past twenty years.
I look at home organizing and what Marie Kondo calls “tidying” as a way to make sense of your life. Life is chaotic, and keeping things straight makes all the difference in the world. That means instead of your things looking like hodgepodge, your life flows. You know why you own what you have and why you have it. The rest is just clutter and a distraction. Of course, there are always those few things that you just need to keep, but they are secondary to surrounding yourself with only the things that make you happy. I believe that a person’s environment should reflect who they are now rather than who they used to be or hope to be someday. This actually brings our clients a lot of happiness and peace.
There are 22 Marie Kondo home organizing consultants in the state of Texas. Of those, there are seven who are in the local DFW area. Of those, I am one of two Certified Masters who works locally in the DFW area. I work with my daughter, who has been the recipient of years of organization training by me. To say that efficiency and productivity run through our family is an understatement.
In addition, I hold two master’s degrees, one in Medical Anthropology and another in Health Policy and Law, from UC San Francisco. I have worked in the healthcare field, directly with Medicare and State agencies, and as a Patient Advocate. I am, for that reason, considered a medical paperwork expert.
I can help seniors who are downsizing or with medical bill organization. In other words, I know what medical information/bills to keep, discard, pay and what is not their responsibility. I have also volunteered both for the State of California and Texas for HICAP, which is the free Health Information, Counseling, and Advocacy Program of Medicare. I’m trained in Medicare policy from the legal/medical perspective at UCSF and am able to guide seniors in figuring out medical paperwork messes. This is especially helpful for adult children of seniors who may need direction when closing out an estate or assisting an aging or ill parent. I understand the medical nuances of healthcare billing.
A businesswoman at heart, in 2019, I launched The Uncluttered Life, Inc., an organization company with my daughter. We taught people the Marie Kondo organization technique, organized homes, and built our business in California. In 2021 we moved the business to Texas when we decided, after the pandemic, to be closer to family.
After seeing a shift during the pandemic, with my daughter, we recently launched a line of prompt cards, including one called Declutter Deck®. Declutter Deck® prompt cards are sold individually on The Uncluttered Life, Inc. website (www.theunclutteredlife.com). These easy-to-perform card prompts (52 in each deck) help people get and stay organized after we organize and leave their space. Or individuals can tackle the job themselves without our help in short, 30-minute blocks of time. After working through the 52-card deck, their home is completely organized.
We also have a sister site, Hack Decks™ (www.lifehackdecks.com). On our Hack Decks™ site, we offer a number of similar prompt card decks that help with life hacks to simplify life’s transitional times. Whether it’s having a baby or going off to college, these prompt decks provide inspiration for keeping life as simple as possible during challenging times.
There is a theme that runs through everything we do. Simplify life. Lessen what makes you feel overwhelmed and fatigued. These decks, and our home organization service, provide more time to do the things you love. Too much “stuff” holds you down. We try to ease the pain points you may be feeling by maximizing your time without doing any extra work. It’s just that simple. And, as a bonus, all of it helps improve mental health.
We all face challenges, but looking back, would you describe it as a relatively smooth road?
For sure, the pandemic was a struggle. We had gone from working in people’s homes to being unable to do that. For this reason, we developed an online organization product or virtual organization. With our online product, we can work virtually with clients to help them get their lives in order. We typically work with a client once a week, provide incentives to keep them moving, organization assignments, and help them pick out organization products. Then, virtually, we help them organize their homes and put everything away.
Because of the pandemic, we also thought that it would be important for people to be able to do things on their own. For this reason, we developed prompt decks. In particular, Declutter Deck® was good for people during the pandemic. That’s because people realized that their homes were simultaneously their living and workspace. The lines became blurred, and a lot of people had trouble relaxing at home. They always felt “on” and overwhelmed. Since the pandemic social distancing has eased, we find that a lot of people are still working from home. This virtual organizing option is great for those who have limited time and/or a limited budget. We try to make everything we do affordable, and this is particularly so.
Thanks for sharing that. So, maybe next you can tell us a bit more about your work?
I am going to speak about my daughter in this section since I believe that she helps us distinguish our services from others. My daughter is an art major from UC Berkeley who comes with tremendous design experience. For that reason, we are not only able to organize a space; we are also able to make it beautiful. In other words, when we leave, the client has the “look” that so many people want. We can style an area (for example, a closet) to make it look like it’s right out of a showroom. This is a particular talent that she has. In tandem, we work particularly well together. I come with more of the organization background, and she comes with that design eye. The two meld beautifully.
For me, I was in the healthcare field for years, and I love paperwork. When we go into a person’s home, paperwork is a tough go for many. The saying goes that a single piece of paper takes up very little room. But, because people are so afraid to throw things away, they keep everything. And then, paperwork becomes monumental. Piles upon piles.
I am able to sort through that type of thing – the mounds of dreaded paperwork. I’ve done that for many people, and they are just so relieved once I leave. In fact, I’ve gone through boxes and boxes of paperwork, some of which requires a very keen eye. I am able to make sense of it all. And I also enjoy the process.
Where we are in life is often partly because of others. Who/what else deserves credit for how your story turned out?
Marie Kondo and the KonMari organization deserve credit. They brought those of us who have always loved organizing into the mainstream. And they have given us a platform to help others.
In addition, Marie Kondo recently partnered with a company that helps make the most of a client’s wardrobe using AI. We will be participating in this unique concept that has the look and feel of shopping at Nordstrom, for example, using your own clothing. The concept will appear in Vogue and launch during New York Fashion Week. We are thrilled to help bring this to people in the DFW area.
I also love Karen Kingston, who was one of the pioneers in the field of organization and energy. Her book, Clear Your Clutter with Feng Shui, is a huge inspiration to me.
I credit my yoga teacher for showing me Kingston’s book years ago and helping me understand energy flow. Energy gets stuck when you don’t discard and move things. I understand this on a very deep level.
I also thank my clients who have allowed us into their homes. It’s scary for people to go through their things. We absolutely understand that. And we appreciate that they are willing to take the risk to let us help.
And we also thank Denee from Inspired Closets DFW, who has allowed us to partner with her and her designers to organize closets after their installations on qualifying purchases.
Especially, I credit my daughter for her hard work, insight, and vision. She is a true talent.
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Meet Danica Orr
Stories by Bold Journey
Alright – so today we’ve got the honor of introducing you to Danica Orr. We think you’ll enjoy our conversation, we’ve shared it below.
Hi Danica, really happy you were able to join us today and we’re looking forward to sharing your story and insights with our readers. Let’s start with the heart of it all – purpose. How did you find your purpose?
Our sense of purpose comes from helping people. We designed Hack Decks™ to help people overcome their feelings of anxiety when approaching new situations. For example, when young people are going off to college, they may have anxiety about meeting new people, getting adjusted to a new city, or living with someone new. We designed a line of cards called Hack Decks™ that addresses a number of these kind of topics. Our decks include Date Deck™ for people who may be new to dating, or are trying to develop a deeper connection with someone. This deck also takes the chore out of finding new and different things to do on the weekend. Further, we designed Declutter Deck® to help people who may be downsizing, have trouble getting a handle on their clutter, or are combining households. In addition, we offer the New Mama Deck for first time moms. This deck helps new moms figure out how to juggle the demands on their time with a newborn. And, lastly, we have our Random Acts of Kindness deck. This deck is to help communities come together, bring kindness to a classroom, and show gratitude and compassion to others.
Thanks for sharing that. So, before we get any further into our conversation, can you tell our readers a bit about yourself and what you’re working on?
I am a mom of a three year old little boy. He is the light of my life, and part of the reason behind Hack Decks™. My son was born during Covid, and we had just moved from Southern California to Texas. I was unfamiliar with the area and unable to get out to explore my new surroundings. In California, I used to go out every weekend with my husband to learn about a different part of the city, either Los Angeles, Orange County or San Diego. When I got to Texas, I had to relearn fun spots and now, with a baby in tow.
I decided that it would be a good idea to market Date Deck so that when people could finally get out again, they had new ideas about what might be fun to do in their city. I’m a pro at finding different and unusual things to do on the weekend. It keeps the spark alive in my marriage because it triggers the dopamine response that doing something new does to our brains. The problem is that it is exhausting to look for new things that often. For that reason, I decided that others would probably like to outsource their dating ideas. From there, the idea just grew.
Looking back, what do you think were the three qualities, skills, or areas of knowledge that were most impactful in your journey? What advice do you have for folks who are early in their journey in terms of how they can best develop or improve on these?
The three qualities are creativity, a good design concept, and dedication to the concept. There is really nothing like Hack Decks™ out in the marketplace. There are motivational or inspirational cards, but nothing to help overcome an anxiety-producing situation. We break our decluttering, for example, into bite-sized pieces so that someone can actually declutter an entire house on their own schedule. The Declutter Deck® cards, too, help people with ADHD because they keep a person’s process and mind focused. We understand that there are many people out in the world who just don’t know where to start with home organization, for example. We want to help them.
My partner and I also own a home organization business called The Uncluttered Life, Inc. My partner is a Marie Kondo Certified Master, which means that she has over 1500 hours logged in the KonMari Method® of in-home organization. So, a lot of our knowledge is based in very practical, hands-on work.
How can folks who want to work with you connect?
We are always looking for people to collaborate with us. We are especially interested in working with mental health professionals who encourage people with ADHD to become their best selves. Our Declutter Deck® is a great tool to help people get in charge of their lives and focus their attention at home. We think many people would benefit from using our Declutter Deck®, as well as many of our other decks.
A school, for example, would be a great partner for our Random Acts of Kindness Deck. Our deck is 52 cards of great ideas to help build community and teach others about compassion and gratitude. Anyone who thinks that their school, foundation, or community center would benefit from a collaborative project is welcome to get in touch with us. They can reach us at hello@lifehackdecks.com or hello@theunclutteredlife.com. We are also available to private label our products.