7 hours Ago
BUFFALO, N.Y. — Amy Wopperer of Amherst knows how to simplify spaces.
"I got into this just having that realization that I've always been a very organized person," she told 2 On Your Side . "Other people appreciate organization. They want to be organized, but maybe they don't have time.
" For five years now, her business Simplify Buffalo has helped local families to do just that. This is typically a busy time of year. "I think people are stuck inside in their spaces, feeling overwhelmed from all the influx of things that have come in over the holidays," she said.
No matter the project, the first step is always the same. "The number one first thing we do is start with de-cluttering," she said. "De-cluttering is by far the most important part of the organization process.
We just help people make those decisions and let go of things that really aren't serving them, and then the organization can fall into place." She says to hold off on getting fancy bins and labels until that part is done. "People just go out and buy a bunch of bins and containers, thinking that that's going to be the magic solution to getting organized," she said.
"Again, de-cluttering is the first step, really checking what you have and what you need, and then we buy the bins and containers. That's just the icing on the cake at the end." Not sure where to start? Think small.
"Start with a space that's high traffic, impact. So something you use and see every day, but a smaller space. So a bathroom drawer, a junk drawer, just your mudroom, something that you're going to get the impact from improving and then will feul your momentum to keep going," Wopperer shared.
If all else fails, remember the following mantra. "Don't put it down, put it away," Wopperer said. "Make sure you put it away, instead of just putting it down.
It will save you a lot of time on the backend.".
