Blog

Whenever I do a workshop, I am invariably asked if you have to be born with an organizing gene. Although my answer to this question is no, I do think that all of us have gifts in different areas of life, and hence, we can all learn from each other.

One of the tips that I always give my clients, workshop attendees, or anyone else who has a question about organizing is NOT to buy any containers until you see what you need. Until you know what you are going to keep after sorting and purging (this includes donating, recycling, shredding, and discarding), how would you know what size container to buy, or, if you even need one? You always want to make sure it is the right size, color, and that it will fit the space.

More often than not, there will be containers left after you’ve gone through the sorting and purging steps. You would be surprised at how many you thought you needed and bought, so use those containers first. No doubt they will work if you find you need them for other items you kept to store.

Do yourself and your wallet a favor and don’t spend the time buying something that you may not need. If you do buy something and don’t use it, are you going to remember where you put the receipt? If you find the receipt, you are going to have to spend time returning the item to the store. Wouldn’t you rather spend your time and money on what you really want?

Rather than buying the product first and then trying to see if it works for what you need, figure out your need first and then decide on the solution. When was the last time an inanimate object like a basket or plastic storage container organized you?

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

When people contact me asking for organizing assistance, they sometimes indicate they have tried to get organized, but didn’t get the results they wanted. In other words, short term fixes didn’t lead to long-term results. Here are three recommendations to ensure your organizing efforts are long-term fixes:

1. Take the time to let go of the items you aren’t using
2. Use the best organizing tool(s) for the space
3. Learn to maintain the spaces so they stay clutter-free

Let me expand on these three recommendations:

1. Take the time to eliminate the things that are getting in the way and causing clutter in your home: i.e. CRAP (Clutter that Robs Anyone of Pleasure). If something does not bring joy, pleasure, usefulness, or life to your home, let it go. Regardless of its value, if you aren’t using the item, it’s just in the way.

2. Secure the right organization tool(s) for the space; not buy more plastic. In most cases, a good purging should eliminate some plastic containers and most people already have organization containers in their home such as mugs, Longaberger baskets, antique bowls, etc. In fact, LifeGetsOrganized.com lists seven reasons to NOT buy another organizing tool:
   •  It’s free
   •  It’s on sale
   •  It looks useful
   •  No plan how to use it
   •  You didn’t measure the space where to use it
   •  Someone else you know uses it
   •  It’s cute! In other words, have a plan, measure, know what you are storing, and make sure it will be useful.

3. Once you have organized your home, you’ll find it doesn’t stay that way for good. Life is busy and it doesn’t take long for houses to fall out of order.

Organizing is an ongoing job and maintenance is the key. Here are my Lucky 13 Tips on how to keep your spaces the way you want them to look:

1. If it takes less than 60 seconds, do it!
2. Commitment: Continue to practice good habits; let go of old ones.
3. Maintenance: Schedule time on your calendar for maintenance: put things back in their home, hang up clothing, and throw out trash.
4. Change it up: Life changes so if the system isn’t working, change it.
5. Be thankful: Encourage family members and acknowledge their contributions when they keep areas organized.
6. No digging: Don’t unearth or search for anything you need; keep most-used items front and center. If it doesn’t have a home, give it one.
7. Constantly purge: Keep a bag/box available and deposit items you no longer need or want; donate regularly.
8. One bite at a time: Break a larger project into smaller, manageable tasks and stay focused until completed.
9. Hire a cleaning service: A cleaning service helps you stay organized because you clear surfaces and floors before cleaning.
10. Invite company: Welcome people into your home regularly; you’ll be motivated to keep your home organized.
11. Keep it simple: Bring in less stuff, spend less time taking care of stuff.
12. Learn how to say no: When you say ‘yes’ to others, you say ‘no’ to yourself and staying organized.
13. Establish boundaries: Allowing others to step over your personal boundaries can keep you from staying organized.

Clutter Quote: “Order is never observed; it is disorder that attracts attention because it is awkward and intrusive.” Eliphas Levi, French occult author and magician

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

Save

Save

Save

Save

Save

Save

Save

Save

Save

Save

What is it about visiting a resort or spa that is so relaxing? Why is it that our moods change dramatically? Soon after arriving we begin to unwind. Our minds no longer jump frenetically from one task to the next. For some, the perfect retreat is hiking in the mountains; others enjoy a week-long yoga experience. For me, the beach is nirvana. Each can be a place that we feel a little more in touch with ourselves. Somehow our minds drift back to center. We begin to refocus on who we are, those dear to us, reestablish our goals, and step back from the pace of the world.

Resorts do their part in creating a beautiful atmosphere which facilitates this metamorphosis in us. If we pay attention, there are things we can do to borrow ideas and create our own, personalized havens.

If adopting some simple principles enables you to incorporate tranquility into your life, wouldn’t it be worth it?

When you return home, does the relief you experienced while away dissipate quickly? Here are some ways to work minimalism and simplicity into your own lifestyle.

1. Surroundings ~ Close your eyes and visualize the last resort you visited. Chances are your surrounding were beautiful, simple and elegantly decorated. Everything you needed was within reach — no more, no less. There was no clutter to be found. The ten hangers in the closet seemed sufficient. Would you feel more peaceful at home if it were less cluttered? Would it reduce your stress level? If there were a beautifully made bed and fresh towels waiting for you at the end of the day, would your home become more welcoming? Due to flight restrictions, we’ve reduce our cosmetics and toiletries significantly. Therefore, bathroom counter clutter is cut in half as is our morning preparation time while away. What if we applied this change at home?

2. Company ~ Who were you with on vacation? Whether you’re surrounded by your family, favorite friends or fly solo, you’ve made a specific choice about the company you kept. Why do we sometimes feel more in control of our time and choices while away than when living our everyday lives? Being with people that lift us may actually make us healthier. It certainly makes us happier. Do you include these people into your daily life as much as possible? Why not?

3. Packing ~ What did you pack? Does the thought of losing your luggage make you flinch? It does for most people because we bring the best of the best. So, as a Professional Organizer I ask, what’s left over? Consider reevaluating the items clogging your closet that aren’t being used. Getting ready for the day while on vacation is easy. There aren’t many choices, and, usually, they are all good. What if you boiled your wardrobe down to the cream of the crop at home? What if you removed items that don’t fit, feel good or flatter you? What would you be left with? It’s probably the things in your suitcase. Weeding through the duds doesn’t start our day with the same sense of freedom. It weighs us down.

4. Location ~ As discussed earlier, we all have different ideas of the perfect location for our retreat. What’s yours? Are there places like it near home? Can you plan day trips there? Better yet, can part or all of your home reflect your favorite oasis?

5. Activities ~ What did you do while away? Chances are you never used the TV or iron. We’re often focused on making the most of our time while away. Was screen time on devices reduced significantly? What would it take to make similar changes at home? What were the benefits of these changes? Did you feel calmer, enjoy better connections and communication, or simply have more fun?

There’s no rule stating that retreats are limited to once a year. Take them home with you. Turn your home into your haven. Fill your life just a little bit more – with experiences, not stuff.

It’s not about a full transformation in one day. By making small comforts ordinary, our homes can become our havens and places we crave returning to each evening.

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

Save

Save

Save

My aunt’s friend Lee was driving home after having dinner with The Girls. All of a sudden she realized she didn’t have her handbag! She frantically tried to remember what was in it, especially in her wallet, but her mind went blank. Panicked, Lee called the restaurant. It wasn’t there. Although it seemed futile, she drove back to the restaurant. Between when she called and arrived, it had been found! Lee was lucky.

If your wallet were lost or stolen, could you remember all the credit and membership cards, ATM and debit cards, medical insurance, driver’s license and registration cards, and the rest? Of course not. But even if you could, would you know the account numbers and contact info to report them missing? Not unless you have hyperthymesia or are a savant like Raymond Babbitt in Rain Man. And consider the many hours it would take to figure all this out.

To protect yourself, here are 9 tips.

1. Use smartphone apps such as a mobile wallet to pay electronically or Keyring to store your reward cards.
2. Create a list of the documents in your wallet and organize by category, such as credit cards. Using a word processing program makes it easy to update the list as items change. Include the name of the issuer, account number, customer service phone number and expiration date, if applicable. Keep a copy in a secure location at home, another in your safe deposit box and give one to someone you completely trust.
3. Photocopy or scan the documents, front and back, and refer to #2 about safekeeping.
4. Remember to add new items and remove unwanted ones in whatever system you use and distribute as necessary as stated in #2.
5. Ladies often leave handbags unattended in shopping carts or hung out of sight on the backs of chairs in restaurants. Either keep your bag with you or keep an eye on it at all times.
6. During the summer months we spend more time outdoors. We’re more relaxed and perhaps less guarded when down the shore or picnicking in the park. Pay attention to your personal belongings at all times.
7. Be sure there is adequate security protection for whatever method you choose.
8. Security experts recommend keeping your social security card in a safe deposit box with other important documents, not in your wallet. (Has anyone ever asked to see it?)
9. This is a perfect time to remove rarely used cards and accumulated clutter.

If you think any of these options is too much trouble, ask yourself how much trouble it would be if your wallet were lost or stolen and you didn’t know its contents or the contact info. The payoff is having readily accessible information so you can take immediate action. We don’t intend to create opportunities for theft. But, if it happens, your record will be a vital resource. How thrilled would you be that you took time to protect yourself?

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

Save

Save

STEP ONE: DOWNSIZE

Now is the time to be selective. Plan to bring only the items you really want in your new space.

• Do I love it or need it? Consider your space and purge enough so that all your items have a place in your new home.
• Determining what to do with all of your purged items in advance and save time.  Donate, give to family and friends, trash or sell.
• Check your local donation outlets to see what they take and if they pick up.
• Be sure to ask family and friends before giving them any of your items. You don’t want to fill their house with your unwanted stuff.
• Check with your county waste to see if there are items that cannot go into the regular garbage.
• Research the value of an item. Send a photo to an auction house for a quick response. Other avenues for selling items: yard sales, ebay, letgo, Craig’s List and consignment shops.
• Give yourself permission to let go of sentimental items. It’s okay to let go of items you don’t want or love.

STEP TWO: PACK

Packing Paper vs. Bubble Wrap

• Paper for dishes, mirrors and small fragile items. It takes up less space than bubble and allows for stacking items, like dishes.
• Bubble wrap for larger items like appliances and lamps.
  It adds a layer of air cushion.

Packing Boxes vs. Plastic Tubs:

Packing boxes:

• Easy to stack and store flush in a moving truck
• Recyclable & easy store when they are broken down
• Come in standard sizes for easy moving
• Made to protect household goods

Plastic tubs:

• Great for storing items in your new home
• Inefficient and cost more to move because they cannot be stacked edge to edge
• Vulnerable to cracking and collapsing during a move
• Keep items dry

Best Labeling Practices:

• Label on the top and side of the box
• Use permanent marker
• Put your name on the box – first
• Put the name of the room on the box – second
• List the items in the box – third
• Share your floor plan
• Label the rooms in your new home

STEP THREE: UNPACK

• Put on some great dance music
• Set up bedroom and bathroom first
• Reclaim packing materials. Many moving companies will pick up moving materials and recycle them after the move.
• Avoid clutter as you unpack by giving all items in your new home a place to live. An item that does not have a home will be put down in any available space.

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

At the end of the school year, there are three things that are a given.

1. It only takes a day or two to hear, “Mom, I’m bored.”
2. Water play of any sort makes the long days more fun.
3. There will be papers, papers, and more papers sent home from school.

Here’s help for all of those papers:

Just because your kid’s papers come home in one bag doesn’t mean there is just one single type of paper. There are a few different types of papers, and each one needs you to do something different to them. Let’s break it down.

• Proof Your Kid Did Something, aka Homework. Chances are, this is just not that amazing. Most of it is probably worksheets. Review and recycle ASAP.

• Official Looking Stuff Parents Need to Know. These flyers are usually printed on colored paper. They are not usually remotely important. Do a quick sort and purge to get down to just a handful of items that may truly need your attention. These might include school-issued passwords to online programs, which sometimes apply throughout the summer and into the next year. A three-ring binder for you, the parent, is a great place to keep the true, official notices and numbers handy.

• Report Cards and Other Official Stuff. The truly official papers should be filed in a safe place, with your child’s permanent records. Most families put these in the same room or filing cabinet with the household files. If your child has an Educational Assistance Plan (EAP), you’ll keep assessment findings and other support documentation. When your child is young, if they are on track at school, their records probably aren’t critical, to be honest. But once they reach high school, every report card, activity they participate in, award they earn and reference letter they save could be part of their college application process. Help your kids learn to keep important papers safe in file folders or a file box.

• Original creations. Your pint-sized Picasso will come home with finger paintings. Your budding engineer may create entire villages from Popsicle sticks. Your author-in-residence may have written a prize-winning poem. Your kid creates work that is uniquely theirs, that showcases their own talents, that they show pride in. Take the time to praise, display and digitize it. You can create a coffee table book or other tangible work of art that will last a whole lot longer than it will if it’s stuffed under a bed or crammed into a plastic box. Digitize their creations using a scanner or take pictures with your phone right away. Or find a personal photo organizer at the Association of Personal Photo Organizers (www.APPO.org) to digitize for you.

Can you think of any other types of paper that you need to keep?

Don’t bother keeping school papers to pass down to the next kid. When their time comes, their teachers will have their own way of presenting a learning concept.

I recommend keeping recent school directories with #2 above and older school directories in #3 as keepsake items or not at all.

The half-pile I mentioned? I also end up with summer workbooks or skills packets. These might be things you buy or things that the teachers send home. They might include summer reading lists and reading tracking charts. Do yourself the favor of telling your kiddos about them, setting goals, and letting them work through them at a regular pace during the summer. We’ve had a routine of doing a couple of workbook pages each day. This year, we’re giving our kids a weekly packet to complete at their own pace. Either way, I’m grateful for the unused learning resources that the teachers sent home.

How long does it take to get through all the school paperwork? Realistically, it can take less than an hour per kid to sort into these categories and purge. It might take up to another hour to select and digitize the artwork that you’ve saved all year. If it takes much more time, you might be overthinking it. Your child — even elementary school children — can help you with this task. They’ll love telling you about all the amazing stuff they do at school.

If you haven’t unpacked that backpack yet, now is the time to dive in, sort the papers into the categories above, and reclaim your kitchen counter from school papers that have built up all year long.

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