Entries Tagged 'Home Organization' ↓

I really believe that a huge part of home organization boils down to being prepared.  This little ink cartridge saved the day for me recently!   I was working away in my office, doing some printing, when suddenly I was getting the error message from my printer to add magenta if I would like to continue printing in color.  Oh shoot.  But then it hit me to open my drawer in my office.  There it sat-just the color I needed!  I realized that I had thought ahead the last time I went to Staples and purchased the two colors that were showing signs of being low on my printer.  Had I waited until the ink actually ran out, I would have been stuck in my office that day-either forced to leave my work to go purchase the ink or forced to finish my printing project on another day.  Once I’m in the swing of things, I like to keep going! 

There are so many areas where we can just think ahead a bit so we can be prepared and keep ourselves on track and organized.  Here are a few right off the top of my head:

• Purchase all birthday and special occasion cards at the beginning of the month for the people in your life so you can send them out on time throughout the month
• Keep stamps on hand at all times
• Look at your calendar on Sunday so you can purchase or prepare anything you may need for events during the week
• Have kids load up backbacks for school at night so you don’t have to rush around looking for something in the morning
• Write down what you need to bring with you to events that are on your calendar so nothing gets left behind

There are countless ways to be organized by being prepared, hopefully this just gets you doing a little brainstorming of your own!

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I imagine that when people think about home organization and professional organizers, many people think about decluttering and parting with items more than adding items to the home.   Being organized is really all about balance.  Usually by the time a professional organizer comes in, yes, there are items that need to be gone through and parted with.  Of course it’s not about just making a blanket sweep and getting rid of everything we see on the floor, tables and in the closets.  It’s really all about having our clients look at what has piled up and start making decisions regarding how useful and important each item  is to them.  So, part of the balance sometimes means there are things going out the door that don’t really belong anymore.  And it can mean some new things are going to the enter the home that have more meaning, help stretch space or create more efficient storage solutions.

 Now, when I bring something new into my home, I am always very careful to:

1. Make sure I really like it
2. Make sure I can afford it
3. Make sure I need it
4. Make sure I know where I will put it

OF COURSE, I don’t want my home overrun with clutter, but I also don’t want it to be devoid of comfort, personality or warmth.  Balance.  The above table is a new addition in my hallway under family photos.  I even put it together all by myself!  And it met the criteria:  I really like it. I can swing for a $50 table from Target.  Maybe it was a want more than a need-but I had what felt like a bare spot.  And of course I knew exactly where I was going to put it.

 My home is organized, a little prettier and I feel happy every time I walk by the table with a warm candle burning!

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A big part of creating a new system of home organization involves making changes, making decisions and that scares people sometimes.  I believe that when things get out of control, people are coming from a place of stress, feeling overwhelmed and they are afraid they will make a mistake.  Afraid of parting with something that they might need someday or afraid that they may regret parting with an item.  Afraid they won’t be able to make their space just right, afraid of not being perfect.  I’ve seen people who were afraid to add paint color in their home.  They avoided making a mistake by not adding some color to their home, but they also didn’t enjoy their space. 

But if you play it safe and stay status quo, you will remain in a home that is cluttered and brings you stress instead of providing a comfortable haven from the outside world.  Don’t we all just want to feel good when we come home at the end of a long day?  So make those decisions that you have been putting off.  It’s time to create a home that you love and to do that means taking a chance that you may make a mistake.  But I really believe that the awesome feeling you will have in an unclutter home, surrounded by belongings you love and use, will far outweigh any potential mistakes you could make.  Plus, what’s really the worst thing that could happen?  Most items you can replace if you really do find a need for them down the road.

So, push yourself outside of your comfort zone so you can create the organized home you’ve been dreaming of!

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Just recently I was walking through Staples when I had an Ah Ha moment hit me!  Now keep in mind, as a professional organizer a trip to Staples is very exciting for me!  Right or wrong.  But as I looked around at the great variety and colors of folders, files and other organizing products, I realized why it is that so many people that I help already have products on hand.   They looked great in the store, they purchased them but they  just didn’t know what to do with them.  As a matter of fact, it’s very common for professional organizers to come across unused organizing products and books on how to get organized as we help people declutter and organize their spaces.  We know the effort and good intentions were there. 

I started thinking about why this happens.  The stuff looks great on the shelves (and it is great), but it’s a matter of taking your own work styles and habits into consideration.  Just because you purchase an organizing product doesn’t mean you will be and will stay organized.  Why is that?  Because not every product works for every person.  As an organizer, it’s my job to ask questions when I am working with someone.  I can give them the best system that works for me, but if it doesn’t work for them then what good is it really? 

So take into account how visual you are.  Take into account whether or not you feel your files will be lost if unseen in a filing cabinet.  Take into consideration if you are a piler or a filer.  Think about whether you want your files to be all one color or a fun rainbow when you open your filing cabinet.  There’s not just one way to be organized.  But there is the right way for you!

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Since the kitchen is such a vital center of the home, I look at my kitchen as an important area for home organization, which also means keeping it clean-multiple times a day.  Ug.  Did I mention that the worst chore to me is cleaning out the dishwasher?  But, since staying on top of the kitchen is a necessary evil, I love it when I find shortcuts and easy fixes!  So, here is one that I love for keeping your flat stove top clean:

Take a bottle of the spray oven cleaner that you would use to clean the inside of your oven, spray it on the burners and then turn them all on for a few seconds.  Turn them back off, let the stove top cool a bit and then just wipe clean! 

Super easy and it really works to clean quickly!

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Did you know that January is national “Get Organized” month with NAPO (National Association of Professional Organizers)?  Yep, that’s right, a whole month for office and home organization!  A new year, a new month, a time for new year’s resolutions with “getting organized” at the top of many people’s lists. 

So, the definition of ‘resolution’ according to Merriam-Webster’s online dictionary:

 the act or process of resolving: as a : the act of analyzing a complex notion into simpler ones

I find that very fitting in relation to organizing.  When I go in to help people get organized it is because they are overwhelmed, stressed and don’t know where to begin.  It’s all too much.  But decluttering and organizing really is all about breaking things down into processes, steps so it won’t be so overwhelming.  That’s what I am there for, to break things down, provide support and show people the steps that are needed to reach their goals.

Important steps:

• Create a goal
• Set up supplies
• Sort belongings
• Make decisions on what to part with and what to keep
• Give belongings a home
• Remove the items you are parting from the home
• Maintenance

Think about your home organization goals and remember to break things down into steps so you aren’t overwhelmed!

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Home organization is often at the top of many people’s new year’s resolution goals.  And why of course I think it’s a great one!  It’s one thing to have a goal but it’s quite another thing to have a plan to make it really happen.  That’s where people get stuck, they have good intentions and all but then they don’t know what steps to take to make it happen.  So, what I thought I would do today is show an example of a home organization goal and how you too can make it a reality!

1.  Write down your goal so you are clear about what you want to accomplish.  “I will clean out my closet and part with old clothing I am not wearing.”
2. Write down the reason you want to reach this goal to keep you motivated to accomplish it.  “I want to be able to reach into my closet to find clothing that fits and looks good on me without stress or stepping over clothing.”
3. Write a date on your calendar to complete this task so you have a commitment and an appointment with yourself.  January 20
4. Write down the activities you need to do to accomplish this task.  Estimate how long each step will take to the best of your ability.

            a)  I will pull all my clothes out and place ‘like’ items together so I can see how much I have.  Pants with pants, shirts with shirts, skirts with skirts, etc.    45 minutes

           b)  I will go through all my clothing and part with articles that do not fit, do not look good on me,  or are ripped or stained.  I will throw away clothing beyond repair and place remaining items in bags for donation.  2 hours

         c)  I will place all clothing that I am keeping back in the closet together according to ‘like’ items.  This will make it easy to find what I need quickly.  15 minutes

         d)  I will take all useable clothing to a donation drop off site.   30 minutes

Breaking it down and seeing approximately how long each step will take makes reaching your home organization goals more manageable!

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Something has really been on my mind a lot lately about home organization.  As I think about how we stay organized, I realize so much of it has to do with flow.  The flow of things coming into the home.  The flow of things going out of the home.  The flow of knowing where to place something when you are in the middle of dealing with it, such as mail, or when you are done using something. 

So what I often see when I am working with people on their organizing project is that there is no flow.  Things just get stuck.  If it’s mail, it ends up in piles on counters, on tables and on couches.   It’s not being processsed by recycling, shredding and filing-it just sits.  When it comes to clutter of too many belongings, it’s because decisions weren’t being made on what to do with stuff so it just sits.  It sits on shelves, in closets and fills up garages.  Here are a few decisions that can be made to keep the flow moving with your belongings:

• Does it need to be filed?
• Does it need to be recycled?
• Does it need to be shredded?
• Do you need to take it somewhere to have it fixed?
• Does it need to go in the garbage?
• Does it need to be taken for hazardous waste drop-off?
• Do you need to return it to someone else?
• Do you need to donate it?
• Do you need to sell it?
• Do you need to pass it on to someone you know who could use it?

Think about the different ways you can keep the flow going and home organization will be so much easier to maintain!

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Yesterday I had to do one of those home organization tasks that I just DO NOT like to do-put away all of the Christmas decorations and tree ornaments.  After a while it all starts to look like clutter to me and I want it put away but for some reason it always seems like such a JOB.  It was interesting to realize how many other tasks I found to do instead.  But yesterday I couldn’t take it anymore, it was time to get everything put away.  The kids are back to school tomorrow after a two week break and I needed to have all that stuff done so I could start the week fresh and concentrate on my work. 

So, I looked at the clock and gave myself 1.5 hours to get the job done.  I figured if I had an ending time in my head, it wouldn’t feel like the task was going to last forever.   So, I had all my labeled bins and tissue paper lined up so I could start packing up the decor.  Guess how long packing it up took?  Maybe 10 minutes.  All that fuss and procrastination and it only took a few minutes!   

Now the ornaments did take longer and I did get help because we separate out the kid’s ornaments from the general ornaments.  Each child has their own ornament box with a list of their special ornaments and that takes a while to hunt them down and pack them up.

My point is, sometimes we build tasks up in our heads and make them bigger and seem worse then they really are.  Once you just jump in and do it, it can be surprising how easy it really is.  So, jump in and go after those home organization goals!

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I’ve said it before and I’ll say it again and again and again: being organized is not about being perfect!  Just tonight I finally got fed up with how messy my dresser drawers had become.  I would do laundry and the clothes would make it to the drawers where they belonged, but not always in the neatest condition.  I get busy too, just like everyone else!  The thing is, I knew where everything was and could reach right in and grab just what I needed.

Everyone has a different comfort level or different goals for just how organized they want to be.  The great thing is there is no wrong answer here!  Some people may want everything folded just so, some people may want nothing at all out on the counters, some people may simply desire an empty spot on the couch where they can sit.   I know someone who likes her spices arranged in alphabetical order; now if I went into client’s homes trying to alphabetize their spices I’d probably get kicked out!  It’s all a matter of preference, time and energy that you are willing to expend. 

So, for me, tonight “enough was enough” and I wanted everything neat and tidy as well as in it’s correct place as it already was.  So, I emptied the drawers, parted with anything that wasn’t in good condition, folded everything neatly and loaded the drawers back up.  Now it’s going to look great every time I open the drawers.  Until I get busy and start doing some tossing.  Apparently, I don’t need areas that aren’t seen much organized all the time.  And that’s ok.

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