Moving - Purge and De-Clutter First

It's almost summer.  School will be out soon. This is the time that a lot of people decide to move.

If you know that you will be moving - start making some plans. When else are you going to be able to go through your entire house and make some big, cleansing decisions????

Moving is not fun. Planning for a move is not fun. De-cluttering for a move is not fun.

But by being pro-active and doing a little bit of work (and decision making) each day - the day of your 'big packing' will be much easier.

If you know that you will be moving you should immediately start the de-cluttering, purging process. It will make your move much easier. And much lighter. Which in turn will be much less expensive. Because most moving companies charge by truck weight.

I have done many move unpacks for clients that have just moved into town and I am always amazed at the things they decide to move. Old, worn out things. Things that should have been left behind. Because when you are moving it might be the only time that you really think about how often you have actually used the item.

If you know that you are moving ahead of time start going through your house and get rid of things that you have never used, aren't using, things that are old or worn out. Now is the time. Not after you move. If your washer and dryer are 15 years old why move them? It will be cheaper to buy new, more efficient appliances once you move and you will also save money by not paying to move them. 

Go through your clothes and get rid of everything that you have not worn in a long time or is out of style. You may not have ever gone through your closet before this but now is the time. Why move things that you will not wear? If you are moving to a warmer climate and won't need those 25 sweaters...donate them. That goes for the snow ski's that you won't need in Miami. Or the treadmill that you have never used.

Get rid of everything that you can before your move. It will feel good! Really it will. You will wonder why you didn't do it sooner. And be sure to keep track of everything that you donate so that you can take a tax deduction.

Moving is a stressful endeavor. Try to make it less so by purging before you even think about packing.  

Remember - "if in doubt - throw it out".  Now is not the time to say "but I might use it (need it) someday".  The reality is - you won't. 

Why pay to move stuff that you will never use - and will probably end up throwing out once you get  to your new home.

Plan ahead - purge as much as you can and start fresh in your new home. A lot of times it will actually save you money. 
 
Remember: Less Clutter = Less Stress .... in your Home, your Business and your Life

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Schools Out For The Summer - Almost

School is about to end for most schools. Kids will be cleaning out their lockers and bringing home - well, lots of stuff! Maybe even stuff that you didn't know that you were missing - like Tupperware!

They will also be bringing home lots of papers and other things that they have cleared out of their lockers, maybe even some clothes. If they are like most kids they will probably just dump it all in the hallway where they came in. And drive you nuts in the process.

So before you get too far into the summer take some time to organize the mess. And if you can, make the kids help. It is their mess after all!

First, throw out all of the garbage.

Second, take back your Tupperware, dishes, silverware...

Third, grab those clothes and throw them in the laundry. After they are clean, decide if they still fit or might still fit by the start of the next school year. Otherwise, into the "donate pile" they go.

Fourth, go through their papers and decide which ones you want to keep (things such as Art work or other papers you really want to keep). You might want to dispose of the other papers when the kids are not around. If you have a folder/box or notebook for each child you can put anything you want to save into their file (by grade).

Fifth, any extra school supplies that can be used for the next year can be put away in a bag and you will have a head start on shopping for the next school year. Be sure to keep a list of what you already have so that you don't buy duplicate when you get the rest of their school supplies.

Sixth, check the condition of their backpack and lunch box and toss it or put it away for next year (after a thorough cleaning of course!).

The mess is now gone and you can get on with our summer!

Have a great summer!



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Organizing Your Life - for Others

Dealing with our eventual death is not something that anyone really wants to think about. But it is really important and something that everyone needs to do.

Being organized and leaving your family in a position where they know what you want and where all of your important documents are - is a gift. At a time when everyone is emotionally devastated - not  having to worry about trying to find things - is one less thing they have to worry about.

Losing someone always makes people think about their own life and always makes people uneasy.

So - do what needs to be done - for your family - and get your life and your important papers organized.

Do you have a will?

Do you have a "living will" ? 

Do you have a "power of attorney"?

Where is it kept?  Who knows about it?

Does someone have the contact information for your lawyer and doctors?  What about your insurance company and any insurance policies?

Does someone know where you bank and your bank account numbers?

What about a list of people to call - to be notified?  Having a list - with phone numbers - makes it easier for someone to let people know what's going on.

Keeping a record of all of the above information in one place is essential.  It might take a little bit of time to get all of the information in one place - but your family will be very appreciative in a very stressful time.

Another important thing to consider is your online presence. If you bank online - or pay bills online - do you have a list of passwords so that someone can close all of the accounts - or continue to pay your bills - such as mortgage payments, utility bills - until such time that you no longer need them.

Do yourself and your family a huge favor - organize your life. It will make things easier on everyone.



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Organizing Your Garage for Summer Fun

It's almost May. The weather is beautiful and some of us have already started to get their gardens ready for planting.

So it's time to re-organize your garage and bring your gardening and summer sports equipment to the front of the garage and move all of that winter sports gear to the back!


It's time to summer-ize your garage and get ready for summer fun! A good place to start is by taking everything out of your garage and giving it a good sweeping.

Throw out any broken items and put any items that you no longer use in the "donate" pile. That would include any toys that your kids have outgrown.

Re-arrange your garage to put all of the summer gear where you can easily reach it. Put that snow blower and all of your shovels away for the season. Make sure that any of your equipment is thoroughly cleaned and ready to use by doing any maintenance that it might need before storing it.

Get those bike tired inflated and find your bike helmets!


By organizing your garage and bringing all of the summer gear to the front you will be ready to enjoy the weather without having to dig through your winter gear.


Organizational Consulting Services

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Organizing - Start Small and See Where It Leads You

For those people that are "organizationally challenged" the thought of starting a project seems daunting.  If they can decide on which project to start with that is.....

And that's the first hurdle people need to overcome. Where to start?  

The answer - "where you want".  "Whatever area bothers you the most".

Most people tend to over think things. Organization is very important - but if you mess up - you can easily change things. It's not a matter of life and death (unless we are talking about hoarding).

There is no "right or wrong" place to start. Every client is different. Everyone has different priorities and needs.

As I've said in the past - "just start....".  Pick something - pick something up - and just go for it.

A Professional Organizer will usually have a plan - but for most people - the fact that they are organizing at all is a great first step. The step to having things in place, to finding things, to getting to work (or school....) on time. A step closer to being "de-stressed".

Once a person starts picking things up and clearing a space - they will - eventually - see what they are capable of. They will be able to see what is possible.

Once you get moving you might not be able to stop.  O.K. - maybe not everyone gets as excited about organization as I do - but it is contagious.  A cleared and organized space shows you that you are capable of being organized and hopefully will give you the incentive to continue.

Pick up the coffee cups and snack plates from the living room. Take them into the kitchen.

Pick up your clothes on the living room floor and bring them into your bedroom. No, they don't belong on the bedroom floor - put them in the laundry basket or put them in your closet (neatly, or course).

Pick up all of the magazines laying on the floor and put them into your magazine basket (or get rid of them - let another friend read them....).

Take anything that does not belong in the room - OUT of the room and put it where it belongs.

Start small - and see where it leads you!



Organizational Consulting Services

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Working From Home - Organization Needed

A number of people work from home - either permanently or to get extra work done. Whatever the case may be - being organized and having a dedicated work space can make all the difference in how much work you actually get done.

In order to be effective in your job while working at home - you have to take it seriously.  That means no doing laundry or cleaning the kitchen between phone calls.

Working from home can be great but can also have its' challenges. You save money on gas and parking. You aren't stuck in traffic. You can be a bit more casual if you choose.

But you also have to be dedicated and not let all of the "home" distractions sidetrack your work. No sneaking off to watch T.V. or to chat with your neighbors. No letting the kids constantly barge into your office and disrupt business calls.

Even though you work from home you still want to and usually need to portray a professional image.

By getting into a "normal" routine - just like at the office - you have made the first step.

Have a dedicated workspace. Make sure that your space is functional and have all of your needed supplies within reach. Working at the dining room table usually isn't conducive to getting a lot of work done.

Make sure that your family knows when you are working and when they need to keep the noise level down.

Make sure that your neighbors know you really are working and that they can't just drop over for coffee whenever they want.

Keep the toys out of your work area. A professional workspace makes you look and a act more professional. It makes you more motivated.

Of course all of this depends on what type of work you are doing. More creative jobs have more leeway. But if you are running an accounting service out of your home you might want to be a bit more professional.

Have the proper tools available to get the job done. Have an organized and dedicated workspace. Have dedicated office hours.

Just like when you are at the office - you should take a break during the day and get refreshed.

Working from home has its advantages - just don't abuse them and you will be successful - no matter where you work. 



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Getting Organized - with Help - Don't be Embarrassed

Getting organized is a good thing !  Really!  But a lot of people are really embarrassed to call a Professional Organizer to help them. Why ?  Because they are embarrassed by their clutter or because they need help and asked for it.  Like no one should ever ask for help ?!

Everyone needs help with something - sometime in their life.   Whether it's calling a plumber or someone else to help you in your home. A Professional Organizer should not cause you embarrassment!

Not everyone is organized or can see quickly how to organize a room. Most people are not taught organizational skills as a child.

I can't fix a leaky faucet and I'm not embarrassed to admit it. I call professionals when I need the help and I know that they can do a better job (and faster and cheaper) than I can.

When I walk into my clients home a lot of them feel self conscious about their "mess".  I always try to make them feel better by letting them know that they are not alone - a lot of people have problems with disorganization.

And an interesting observation - they all think that their problem is the worst one out there. I've had people with extremely neat homes think they were messy and other clients who have kids think their home is terribly cluttered and disorganized.

It's all in "the eye of the beholder".

With kids comes clutter. There is no way around it. They usually have toys - which are usually strewn everywhere. That too shall pass! There are ways to contain the clutter. You can teach kids how to clean up after themselves.

And the people that have the neat homes - just need reassuring and maybe some fresh eyes to get things to work more smoothly in their spaces.

Everyone has a different idea of what an organized room (and life) looks like.  But the only person's opinion that matters is - yours.

Your home needs to function for how you live. Not the neighbors or an organizer. It has to be comfortable and work for - you.

A professional organizer should be able to come up with a plan that you can live with and that is easy to keep up.

So - don't be embarrassed by your clutter - get help when you need it.  When you are ready!

Happy Organizing!





Organizational Consulting Services

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