Blog

One of many things I love about the holidays is that it brings family, friends and people together. I’m appreciative of all that I’m blessed with and love blessing others. My most favorite is spending time with those I love and cherish. We hosted Thanksgiving at our home this year. We stood in a circle and talked about what we are grateful for and the importance of leaving a legacy for our young generation. 

Every year we adopt a family in need. It’s so exciting to see their smiling faces filled with gratitude. I tend to notice people are more kind and friendly during the holiday season. Wouldn’t it be nice if we can stretch that kindness all year round?  

This year I decided to be a little more creative with gift giving. When giving a gift I think it’s really important to know something about the person you are giving the gift to. For example, their favorite color, books they read, tech/kitchen gadgets, journal books, spas or help organize a particular space in their home. 

One of my favorite things to do is create a beautiful tablescape. This year I’m creating a beautiful table scape for my sister and best friend.  They are so elated. The best part is that I’m using items they already have and gifting the other items. Sometimes it’s the simplest things that people appreciate and love. 

Hope your holidays are filled with love, joy and peace. Be Creative. Be Grateful. Be Kind.

When it comes to washing clothes, it can be a daunting task. I’m a wife, mother, daughter, sister. You name, it, I’m it.

Let me just air my dirty laundry. It takes a lot of work to manage a home. I have a family of three and we have four to five loads of clothes to wash weekly. My son is involved in sports and camp, hubby referees basketball and works out, and I go to the gym on a regular basis.

I used to resent leaving the weekends for washing clothes and cleaning the house. I wanted my weekends for spending time with my family and doing fun stuff! As a professional organizer, I’ve learned to put some systems in place to make life a little easier for my family and me. I hope these tidbits will encourage you to do the same.

Tidbit 1:  Decide what day and time of the week you will do laundry put it on your calendar. This is crucial to avoid washing a load every day. An early bird, I prefer washing clothes early Friday mornings.

Tidbit 2:  Make sure your laundry room is organized and has all essential items to wash clothes. Decorate the room so it looks inviting. A nice coat of paint will do.

Tidbit 3:  Create a chore calendar using a dry erase board.

Tidbit 4:  Have each family member have their own laundry basket in their closet.

Tidbit 5:  Our laundry rule is: If I find tissues, erasers, pens, money, food, etc. in pockets while I sort clothes, it will cost the wearer 25 cents for each item. I have a digital coin jar that I keep in laundry room, which helps pay for detergent. It’s amazing how well this pay-up system works!

Tidbit 6:  Keep the laundry room clean at all times. Nothing is more discouraging than going to a messy laundry room. Designate a place for all items. Take a photo of the laundry room to remind the family that this is the way room stays.

I hope these tidbits were helpful!

Save

Save

Save

Save

As 2016 is winding down, we embark on a new chapter in our lives in the New Year. For most, the challenge is to figure out our purpose in life and what we would like our story to be for 2017.  We all have a purpose in life and it’s just a matter of being conscious, and knowing and believing that there is a divine order.

What is our story going to be at the end of 2017? Will we finally tackle those pockets of clutter in our homes, workplace, and minds? Or, are we going to continue telling ourselves “I’ll get to it someday?” Are we finally going to be committed to eating healthy? How about creating financial wealth or establishing loving and positive relationships? Although love, peace and harmony will be the driving force to change, making a commitment to change is certainly a step in the right direction. When we don’t go through the process of taking care of those things that are affecting our health, mindset, relationships, monies, careers and our spiritual being, it become a vicious cycle that hold us back from our goals. Once we decide to change our mindset, everything we need comes our way.

One way to start moving in the right direction is to create a vision board.  A vision board is a way to put on paper what you would like your life, home, workplace, etc., to look like. All you’ll need is a sketchbook, old/new magazines, markers, pens, scissors, glue, etc. to get started. Why not spend this holiday season creating your vision board and put on paper what you would like 2017 to look like?

Happy New Year!

Click on the title above to learn more about the featured author.

You know we always hear “Everything has its Place.”  It really does. Take a cluttered junk drawer filled with all kinds of mess. Often there are keys, batteries, receipts, tools, money, pens, gift cards, coupons, pencils, candy, stamps, unpaid bills, medicine, and restaurant menus having a conversation. You get the point. This happens when there is no designated area or system for these items. When we search for something and can’t find it, it affects our behavior and emotions. Yes, unfortunately here comes the yelling at the kids or running late for work because we can’t find the keys.

That is why drawer organizers are a great, efficient, and simple way to transform your space so everything has a proper spot. The goal is to find items when we need them. Imagine grabbing your keys and walking out the door on time for work. What a great feeling.

Here’s how to get started (once you’ve taken measurements and purchased your drawer organizers).

• Empty the cluttered drawer.

• Sort like items together — decide what you’ll keep and discard the rest.

• Take a look…no more clutter. Now grab those keys and go to work.
Happy organizing!

(Images of Organized Drawer owned by Carla Shipman aka Ms. DeClutter)

Wow! Summer vacation is right around the corner.  I’m sure we all can become overwhelmed with the hustle and bustle of chauffeuring our children back and forth and to all the end of school events.  Let alone commuting to your own appointments; the last thing most of us are thinking about is keeping our car clean and organized.  After all, being that high profile chauffer to those daily and extracurricular activities can be very tasking.  It isn’t until a friend you haven’t seen in ages comes up to your car you feel embarrassed. Then you get a frightful look on your face when you realize it looks like you’ve lived in the car for the past 6 months.  You say to yourself I’ve got to clean this car.

Don’t fret you still have time to get your car ready for the summer.  Keeping your car organized can make your travel time less stressful.  Here are some helpful tips below:

1. Sort and clean out your car: Get rid of anything that doesn’t belong.  Keep a small trash bag in the car. If you have children assign duties.  One child can take out trash and another can take out toys, groceries etc…make it a family affair.  Let anyone who comes in your know about your “trash in, trash out” policy.  Get a small car vacuum and vacuum once a week.   It will make a big difference.
2. Make sure you have all important papers in your glove compartment like car manual, registration and insurance forms.  Check every six months to make sure those documents are up to date. Keep a small change purse so you will always have money for those parking meters.  Keep your GPS handy.
3. Remember to keep your car smelling fresh with air fresheners. It adds a nice touch of clean. Look in your local coupon circular for car wash specials.
4. Keep reading material, cds and dvds to a minimum.  Too many of these items can cause clutter and end up on the car floor.  Remember to establish an in and out policy.  About 10 minutes before we make it home I ask my son, “is my car clean back there?”  Then he knows it’s time to gather up his stuff.
5. There are some really cool car storage organizers you can get at Organized A to Z that can help you save time and money to keep the car organized.
6. Here are some items that should be in your car at all times:  You can get one of those trunk organizers and place Velcro at the bottom.  Place items like first aid kit, flashlight, blanket, umbrella, neck pillow, paper towels, canvas tote bag, cleaning rag, ice scraper, empty water bottle, and jumper cables.  In addition, keep a pre-packed beach bag; don’t forget sunscreen and chairs for summer activities.
7. Lastly, we spend so much time in our car why not makes it as comfortable as possible. Once you establish a system to declutter and organize your life in your car you will feel a better.

Enjoy your summer!  Happy Organizing.