Just Dump It All Out!!!

Isn't it so fun to pull out everything from a closet and cabinet and reorganize?? Ok, maybe it is just me. But truthfully, I think it is an enjoyable task (which is good since I'm a Professional Organizer and clients hire me to enjoy things like that).

I like pulling everything out, making the closet, shelves and space all empty and admiring the view. When's the last time you saw that space empty and cleared out -- maybe when you moved in? I like to take a moment and see it all empty. Forget the pile and mess you created when you took everything out -- just admire the clean blank slate. By doing so, you'll be more tempted to put things away sparsely, in an orderly fashion, and keep it clean.

Another good thing about 'starting from scratch' is that you see all your things, on the floor, including some stuff you thought you lost, misplaced or things that need to be tossed. You can sort through and purge more easily because it is all in your face. Clients hate when I dump out a drawer or empty off a shelf and put the contents in a big pile. It is shocking and a bit off-putting for them. But I tell them that this is the best way to deal with it --physically touching all items -- and move on.

After the sorting process, you can then return things in an organized way. You may decide to add more containers, do some labelling or add some type of product or system, or do nothing but replace the contents. But either way, what goes back in is only what you want to be there. Finally, it will give you a great sense of accomplishment. Trust me -- I do it a lot!

Make Organization a Priority

Ready for a bit of venting? Ok, here goes.

Sometimes I talk with people or hear from other organizers that clients say "I'm too busy to get organized" or "I can't handle doing organizing sessions with all that I have going on right now".

Here's what runs through my head: when you are that busy, it is even more important to becomes organized (or more organized). Don't you think that maybe if you were more organized, your house less cluttered, your time more efficient, et al, that you might be less busy? It is not that you can't do organizing because you're busy, but that you are busy because you aren't doing organizing! We have our cause and effect reversed.

To me, it's like someone saying that they're too sick to take medicine. The thing you're not making time for is the very thing that could help! Sometimes it is necessary to stop and take a look at how things are going. Stop and realize that a short amount of organization invested pays off for a lot of extra time, peace, and satisfaction down the road. I've said it before, and I'll say it again: the most organized people are the ones with a lot of free time. (Look at me -- time to write on my blog and vent!)

The Extent to which I'm Organized: Freak or Not a Freak?

I know that I am a very organized person. In fact, organized might be an understatement, but that's a good thing for a Professional Organizer, right?

It dawned on me today that my organizational personality delves into the far reaches of daily life. The reason it came up is that I was looking at our calendar. It is a calendar printout of the month as input into our Palm Pilots; whatever we have in our PDA gets uploaded into our computer, then I print out the monthly calendar and display it in the kitchen. OK, back to the epiphany: I had entered into the calendar when the TV season's premieres were on. As in, tonight, "Heroes season premiere" was logged in at 9pm. Do most people have TV shows on their calendar so they don't forget?

Oh, and it wasn't just Heroes. I also had input Grey's Anatomy and last week had Survivor. In all fairness, I also have the kids' school schedule, my husband's teaching schedule, deliveries, birthdays, social events and due dates. Normal things, regular things one would want on a calendar. But I figure, if I put something down in black and white, I won't miss anything.

My kids and husband benefit from my organizational skills, most of the time. Although for holidays, because I plan far in advance, my kids get a little confused and disappointed. I recently finished making my son's Halloween costume, and trying it on, he started to get excited for the trick-or-treating. Poor thing -- he has to wait a month and a half. Same thing happened when I hung up Christmas decorations on Dec. 1, and my kids kept wondering when is Santa ever coming?

The list of things I keep track of and have organized in my home and personal life goes on and on, so I guess the bottom line is "yes" to my title's question! Keep me in your prayers....

Organizer does not = Housecleaner

Just in case you're not clear about what a Professional Organizer does, please read my friend and colleague's latest blog entry: http://nooksandcrannieskaty.blogspot.com/

Way to go, Janine!

Guidelines for Organizing/Cleaning with the Family

I get asked a lot about how to keep a family organized when you yourself are organized, but they aren't. Some find it especially difficult when ornery teenagers or young kids are part of the household. You may have read a few of these ideas in my blog before, but they bear repeating.

• Adjust your attitude. If you hate housework, chances are you will teach your children to hate it as well. If your child only sees Mom cleaning, they may pick up the idea that it is women’s work. Be matter-of-fact. Cleaning up is not a punishment but a part of taking care of ourselves and our things. Give everyone household tasks as soon as they are old enough. Rather than call them chores, call them jobs.

• Recognize that people often slide into agreements about who does what household tasks. They often resent what they “slid” into. Have conversations with the family about who is responsible for household tasks.
  

• Have patience & refrain from cleaning up for your children. It may take them some time to pick up put allow cleanup/put-away time at the end of activities. This helps them build useful lifetime habits & develop self-reliance.


• Once you assign a task, let your child decide how to get it done (within reasons). Let things go even if they’re not perfect – you can work on the finessing later.


• Don’t just say, “Go clean your room”. Kids need specific directions and, depending on their age, don’t automatically remember or know where things go. Use a timer to motivate them & give them parameters.

• Try having predetermined clean-up times. For example, the kids' bathroom floor & counter need to be cleared off every Saturday by noon. Or kids have to do a round-up of all their stuff just before bedtime; give your family a warning that you’ll be coming around to collect anything on the floor. Any items on the floor go into a bag & don’t get returned until whatever plan you’ve devised for getting back the confiscated items.
  

• Model your standards. Children learn more from what you do than from what you say. And if you expect little from children, that’s what you’re going to get.


• Think long-term. Often the thing we do as parents to make the situation better is based on short-term thinking (just stop the behavior, the crying, the whining, etc.). Ask yourself, will this help my child to become a self-sufficient older child/teen/adult?


• Implement the following policies:
  – If you put it on the floor, pick it up.
  – If you take it off, hang it up.
  – If you use it, clean it up.
  – If you take it out, put it back.
  – If you open it, close it.
  – If you put it on the floor, pick it up.
  – If you take it off, hang it up.
  – If you use it, clean it up.

Website/Catalog for "Quick & Clever Problem-Solvers"

Here's a link to a fave website/catalog of mine: Improvements. The link I provided is specifically for storage/organization, but you can check it out for a variety of solutions in and out of your home. Hope you enjoy!

A Laundry Trick

In the ongoing cycle of doing laundry, sometimes we tend to have a down-and-up, passing relationship with baskets of dirty and clean clothes -- this basket is going down to the washing machine, that one is full of clean clothes to go upstairs, etc. Especially on days we're doing several loads, I have baskets passing like ships and only I know what's going where (our house is 3 levels, with bedrooms on top and the laundry area in the basement).

If you're uber-organized, you use different baskets for dirty and for clean so there is no guess work. Or sometimes you can figure it out because, for ex., all the contents are white clothing so they must be a load of clean whites.

If things are not so straightforward, here's an easy trick to help. If you have a basket of clean clothes you have yet to fold or put on the right level or in the proper room, take an item like a shirt or pair of paints from the basket. Fold that one thing very obviously and place it on the top of the basket's pile of clothes. It provides a visual clue that the basket holds clean clothes for both you and anyone else (read: husband)!

High-Tech Version of String Tied on your Finger

I'm always on the lookout for new and interesting organizing products. Catalogs to organizing stores are a special treat for me (yeah, kind of sad, huh?!).

I came across a cool, inexpensive product for time and task management -- handy reminders by Mead. Wrist Reminders are brightly colored paper bands with self-adhesive closures that you can write a reminder on, then wear or attach to a bag. Kids can wear them or attach them to their backpack. They kind of remind me of the plastic 'bracelets' you sometimes have to wear at a bar or event or at the hospital.

Oddly enough, at the time of posting, I couldn't find them anywhere on the Mead website, but you can purchase them online at Office Depot.

Tool Holder Extraordinaire!

Today we worked on the final phase of finishing our basement. It was 90% done, with the last section left to finish being our workshop area. In fact, my side is done; we only had my husband's tool area to complete.

My contribution to his space (because I can't not give my organizing advice) was a magnetic tool holder I bought way back before we had even finished the space. I was so looking forward to hanging it up, and the reality equaled my dreams!

My husband finally admitted that he, too, thought it was pretty cool, and we're thinking we need to get 2 more. We have the one bar installed into studs above the work table surface. The additional ones to hold auxillary or less-often used tools and gizmos can be mounted above it.

Not only is the magnet super strong, but no more worries about putting the things exactly in one spot. Just grab and go, or find an empty spot and return. Here are a couple of links for purchasing online: stacksandstacks.com, Lowe's

Organizing the Garage - tips from Rubbermaid

While I don't represent or particularly endorse any organizing products, I do like Rubbermaid because I've found their products to be sturdy and easy to use. Here is some advice from them about garages:

Although it’s meant to hold a car (or two), the typical garage is often so cluttered with garden supplies, sporting equipment, deck gear and…well, junk, that there’s barely any place left to park. Free up room for the car and much more by tapping some unused space—the garage walls—and getting everything off the floor.
1. CLEAR IT OUT: Set aside a weekend to sort through all of the items in your garage—if you can, get the whole family to pitch in. Have large garbage cans on hand to toss anything you really don’t use (be honest) as well as boxes for items you will want to give away or have repaired.
2. GET IN THE ZONE: Once you’ve winnowed down the clutter, think about where stuff will go. Divide the walls of the garage into zones, so you’ll know immediately where to find what you need. For example, designate one area for tools, another for bikes, skis and other recreational equipment, and a third for gardening and lawn supplies. Locate these zones where they’re most convenient; in other words, keep rakes and trimmers by the door leading to the yard.
3. AIM HIGH—AND LOW: A modular hook-and-rail system, like Rubbermaid’s FastTrack, is easy to install and makes the most of vertical space. Add shelves and baskets for smaller items. Hang the things you use most often low or at arm’s reach, and less-frequently used items high and out of the way (just be careful not to hang heavy things so high that taking them down will be dangerous). It’s also a good idea to store hazardous items—cleaning supplies, paint thinner, motor oil—on a high shelf or in a basket out of kids’ reach.
4. FIND A HOOK: Take time to choose the right hooks for the job, and be sure to check the hook’s capacity against the weight of the item you’re hanging. A plastic coating will protect the finish on bikes and such.
5. THINK SEASONALLY: A modular system lets you rearrange stuff easily. So in summer, you can keep hoses, beach chairs and bikes front and center; then when the weather changes, swap for shovels and ski equipment.

Clever -- New Use for Old Thing

Every so often I like to surf online to read about organizing tips and new organizing products. One website I like is Real Simple (as well as their magazine). Here's one clever idea I saw, using a product many of have either used or may have lying around:

Original Purpose: Keeping files orderly.

Use: Sorting cookie sheets, cutting boards, and jelly-roll pans in the kitchen.

Reward: No more cymbal-crashing sounds from your overstuffed cupboard.
Written by Elizabeth Wells

School Days

For those of you with school-age kids, you may begin to become overwhelmed with ‘stuff’ sent home from school. One of the most popular topics I get asked about in organizing classes or by clients is managing kids’ artwork and school papers. Like rabbits, papers seem to multiply in backpacks and clutter up homes. As a teacher, I can agree; as a mother; I can empathize; and as an organizer, I can offer some tips. It's the start of a new year -- perfect time to set up systems!

Setting up a routine will help control clutter of this type. Determine where school papers, artwork, and other items from children will go once it comes home. Empty out backpacks and folders daily. Don’t let the kitchen become a dumping ground. Your precious counter space is not the ideal “filing” spot! If you can’t get to the papers right away, establish an in-box deep enough to hold items until you can get to them, and make it a priority to review it frequently.

Next, sort through the papers and artwork using a 2-pronged decision-making method: either keep or toss. Although it might be hard for you to toss things for that first child going to school, imagine the amount of things you’ll have to deal with for each year of school (preschool through 12th grade) times the number of children you have. Pick representative pieces to keep – i.e. one math, one language arts, one artwork (be sure to write date on). Once you gather the keep items, sort through again where the two options are keep for you or share with others. In other words, the items are special enough to save but some can be given to other family members or friends.

What to do with the papers and artwork you keep?

• You can have a “holding tank” container (i.e. under-the-bed clear one), one per child. Put items that are worthy of keeping in the container and then at end of a school year, go through the container again to decide if you really want it long-term.
• Use photo albums and scrapbooks to save special items for posterity.
• Put up a clothesline and clip artwork up on it.
• A bulletin board is good as long as the items pinned there are rotated regularly so it doesn't become useless. Once the board’s full, no more art.

What about things you want to keep but are too bulky, large or awkward to save?

• Use the computer to scan artwork or take photos of artwork or 3-dimensional projects using a digital camera.
• Put printouts and photos in scrapbooks or albums. That way, the artwork can be tossed but you still have a record of them. (p.s. this method also works well when you or your child doesn’t want to part with a set of toys or a collection – take a photo of the owner with his/her special things, then donate/toss the items).

Enjoy this back-to-school time!

It's Up to You: My Perspective on Choices & Time

While having a conversation with a friend about how we spend our time, I realized something about organizing our priorities. She and I were talking about whether she would attend a family event that she really wasn't sure about. I said "you either feel obligated to go, or you want to go". If you figure that out, you'll know the answer as to whether you 'should' go or not.

We all face times when we feel like we 'have' to do something -- our mother encourages it and makes us feel guilty, peer pressure prevails and we give in, or something in our internal dialogue urges us that we can't not do it. Personally, I hate these times -- why do I have to do something out of obligation or something someone else is saying I should? Aren't I an adult who can make her own decisions?

I suppose I am suggesting that there comes a time (maybe it's as I am approaching 40!) when you don't care about doing what you feel obligated to, you just want to go to events that you want to go to. It doesn't matter if you want to spend your whole weekend with your husband and kids. It's your life! You don't have to accept every invitation or gathering. You just don't!

The second part of my thoughts on this topic are: if something is important to us, we'll make time for it. For ex., reading is something I really enjoy. I have 2 kids, a business, a house, et al, but I still read all the time. For another person, they may have a similar situation but use their time to exercise, cook or shop. Who knows -- but they will ultimately make time to do what is important.

If you are not making time for what you want to do, you are essentially making time for other things or other people. If this is the case, again -- it's up to you. You're either part of the problem or part of the solution, I always say! Ok, enough tough love for today.

Gotta Love Duct Tape!

I happen to love duct tape. I don't overuse it but I do appreciate its variety of uses. Nowadays duct tape comes in a bunch of colors, not just army gray.
We have a small patch of white duct tape in the tub where there was a tiny hole (consider that free and easy solution vs. having the plumber out!). I used more white duct tape to cover the sharp metal edges of a metal magnet board. Duct tape has also made it onto some breaks in my often-used laundry baskets. Not to mention using it for real purposes in the garage, shed, and workroom...

I bought a new gadget for fellow duct-tape lovers, my dad and my husband, called the Tape Wrangler. It is a dispenser and holder for duct-tape. How cool is that?

Ok, if you're not sold yet, consider what we recently did with duct tape in our finished basement. One small area is still in progress, and we had one of the support pipes/round poles that are common in basements (at least in New England). It was a rusty, ugly sight until my dad suggested we wrap it mummy-style in duct tape. Not only does it look better, but you don't have to worry about the blackish-red residue scraping you if you bump it. Voila!

Organizing Children's Things

This morning, instead of just helping my daughter to clean up her room, we took it one step further and did some organizing. We decided what to save and what to toss, what went where, and moved some things around.

Some of the categories were "Fairies & Mini Princesses", "Dress-Up Accessories", and "Barbies & Clothes", but it really doesn't matter what the stuff is -- as long as the categories are meaningful to the child. What's important is setting up the storage and organization together, so the child knows where things are to get and to put back.

We used plastic bins with lids for any and all items that are small and could be lost easily (think Polly Pocket et al). For larger one-piece items like My Little Ponies and books, we use open baskets and bins. Whatever can fit in the doored section of the bookcase goes there or under the bed -- the rest on shelves. The goal is to have floor space to play, and for plenty of walking room between bed, table/chairs and other furniture.

Some other tips for organizing kids' things:

• Try to keep special toys and books only in bedrooms, the rest of shared or non-gender toys in a playroom


• Switch out toys so that 1/2 of the total collection is out & 1/2 is in storage out of sight.


• Assign rules to the toys & try to stick to them: inside toys, outside toys, upstairs toys, downstairs toys.


• You can also buy plastic toy chains or hammocks to use underutilized space.


• Make sure that there are plenty of places for children to put things away at a lower level that they can use without help.


• Label what goes in each container as specifically as possible. For little non-readers, use clip-art pictures, cut from catalog, scan actual item, or cut up flashcards. If kids share a room, use their photos to label their individual items.


• For puzzle storage: mark back of pieces with a letter or abbreviation of the puzzle name, put in Ziploc bag or plastic envelope with cutout of puzzle picture; put all bags into plastic container.