Organizing - A Family Affair

Having an organized home has so many benefits. Your home looks good, you can find things easily, you save money by not constantly buying things that you already have and you are less stressed.

But at what cost?  Having that organized home takes time. And with everyone being so busy, time is something that most people don't have a lot of.

So how do we get around this problem?  Family !

That's right - everyone has to help. Isn't that what family means?  Helping each other?

Maybe cleaning up each persons room is "their" responsibility - but all of the "shared" spaces - like the kitchen, living room and bathrooms - should also be a "shared" responsibility.

When you are sharing space - you need to share the work of keeping it organized (and clean).

Everyone should have a "spot" in the bathroom for "their" stuff.  Everyone should pick up after themselves.

Everyone should be taught to put away their dishes in the dishwasher (or assign kitchen tasks).

Everyone should help prepare meals (either prep work, cooking, setting the table or after dinner clean up).

The kitchen is always the center of the home. Cooking together does more than get the meals on the table faster - it's a time to bond.  Or as the kids say "date time" (yes, we have exciting dates). It's a time to talk and go over your day.

In the living room - after everyone is done reading their magazines or books or playing with their toys - put everything back where it belongs.

You bring it out - you put it away !   A great motto !

Having an organized and clean (or tidy) home is a family affair.  And it cuts down on the time it takes to get things done.

Get your family involved and take the stress off of just one person.  Teach your kids something they can use in adulthood.

Organizing - it isn't just for grownups!

Have a great and organized day !




Organizational Consulting Services

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The Perfect Gift - Being Organized for the Holidays

I know - people are going to say  "What - are you kidding?  Shopping for the holidays?".  Well - yes - I have already bought some Christmas presents. But when the perfect present appears before you when you aren't even looking - you just have to buy it!  And when you have kids and something so perfect is thrust upon you - you just say "thank you" and hide it away for Christmas.

And this is where "being organized" comes into play.  Make a list !  Because if you don't - you won't remember what you bought for whom or where you put it!  And then you will continue to buy more and more presents for the same person and overspend.

Now is the time to start making lists of what you might buy (or make) your family and friends for the holidays. No - it's not too early!

By being pro-active and making your lists you will have time to buy things on your terms - without the pressure of just buying whatever you can get your hands on the day before Christmas.

Keep your eyes open for great sales or for the "perfect" present for your loved ones.

That being said - don't just buy things for the sake of buying something. You won't make anyone happy and you will be part of the "clutter" problem that exists for most people.

The perfect gift is one that the recipient wants and will use - not something that "you" want.

Keep your eyes open and start thinking about the upcoming holidays.  They are closer than you think.



Organizational Consulting Services

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Organization Means Always Evolving

Being organized is an ever changing event. It's not a "one time" event. You have to change with how you and your family live. Kids grow up and you get rid of their baby toys and their outgrown clothes. You change jobs or gain / lose weight and you swap out your clothes for ones that fit your new life.

You make lists and constantly tweak them to better suit your needs  "at that moment".

We went camping about a month back and of course my husband decided that  "yes, we had everything "  so enough with my lists already.  Thank goodness for kind friends who had extra cooking gear to loan us for the weekend!  But, this past trip he admitted he was wrong and actually asked me to double check our list. The list wins out again!

When I get home from our trips I always "tweak" our lists and add / delete things that we wished we would have had or didn't use.

I am also always rearranging our closets. Living in a smaller house means being very creative with your space. Even though I like to see everything hung up, when you have so little space it means that plastic bins are a better option for clothes that are only worn occasionally (such as clothes used for working in the yard or certain activities).

For people that hire a Professional Organizer they should realize it's not always just a one time event. As your life changes so do your organizing needs.

There's always something that needs to be organized!



Organizational Consulting Services

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Fire - Are You Ready ?

We are in a crisis here out west.  Fires are ablaze everywhere. One is only seven (7) miles from our house.  A little scary.

Most people don't realize just how far away you can smell fires.  Or how hard it is to breathe with fumes.  Or how far the ash travels.

So ....... are you ready for a fire ???

Do you have an EMERGENCY PLAN ???

Do you know where all of your important papers are ????

• passport
• birth certificate
• marriage license
• immunization record
• insurance papers (house, car, life...)
• house papers
• car papers
• papers for anything valuable ...... 

Can you easily grab everything you need - of value - in a few short minutes ???

If not - maybe now is the time to sit down and organize an emergency safety plan - including getting everything you need out of the house quickly.


Emergencies usually don't come with a warning.

Get ready !!!   Get organized  !!!

Be safe !!!





Organizational Consulting Services

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How Much is Enough - Shopaholic or Dementia ?

How much is enough?  A lot of people use shopping as a solution for a variety of issues. They are upset about something - so they shop. They are bored - so they shop. There's a "2 for 1 sale" - so they shop. They got some good news - so they shop. They got some bad news - so they shop.

Shopping is not a "cure all" for whatever ails you.

But some people don't shop because of any of the above reasons - they shop because they really believe they "need" the things they are buying. And some people - seniors - have problems with Dementia that are the root of some of these problems. They thing that they "need" more clothes or more food - so they buy and buy and buy.

It's on sale. It's a "2 for 1". Whatever the reason - it's not really valid. Their brain - their memory is not working properly - and no one can convince them that they don't really need 10 loaves of bread in their freezer or 75 pairs of socks.

If it's Tuesday - it must be "shopping day".  And you can't convince them otherwise. They have to shop. It's part of their routine. And don't mess with their routine.

Continuous shopping - for things that you don't really need or have room for is not only a problem for "shopaholics" - but also a problem for the elderly. It's a complex issue. An emotional and psychological issue.

We are bombarded with advertisements and brainwashed to shop. Not matter what. No matter that we really don't need all of the things that we see advertised.

How much is enough? 




Organizational Consulting Services

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School Supplies - Get Organized for the Start of a New School Year

Summer is in full swing. There are a lot of activities to keep the kids busy. Swimming, sports camps, camping and hiking, playing with friends.

Who wants to think about school starting in a month?  No one - but if you go to the stores the school lists and school supplies are already lining the aisles. 

So - take advantage of the sales and get your school supplies out of the way now! Avoid the crowds of last minute shoppers. Avoid the stress!

Why wait until the week before school starts or for some people the day before school starts, to get organized and ready for school?  Eliminate the stress by planning ahead!


If you are just starting to send your kids to school for the first time you should also think about the end of school - all of the pictures and projects that the kids will be bringing home over the next year. Think about how you want to organize everything and buy the appropriate tools now while you are buying everything else for school. This will save you a lot of time and money later.

There are many different options for organizing your kids papers and projects. A Pendaflex with space for each grade. A 3 ring binder, a file box.... Whatever works for you. By thinking about it ahead of time your year will be a lot smoother.

Clothes:  Your kids will probably have grown over the summer. Go through their closets (yes, again - and tell them to stop growing already!). Make a list of what clothes they have and what clothes you will need to buy. Keep an eye out for the sales, but please don't get carried away!  Buy only what's on your list.

Let the kids help. Tell them to keep an eye out for the sales ans teach them to shop responsibly. It's never too early to start teaching them how to be organized!

Get the shopping out of the way and enjoy the rest of your summer!

Organizational Consulting Services

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More Space - Less Clutter ?

A lot of people say "I don't have enough space - that's why my house is cluttered - if I had more closet space my house would be clean".

Well - I hate to burst anyones bubble - but space, clutter and clean have nothing to do with each other.

The amount of space that you have and the clutter all around you are two separate issues.  Just because you have a big house does not mean that you have an uncluttered house.  Or a clean house.  It just means that you have a big house.

The way that you use your space is the important issue. If you have things in a room that don't belong there - such as all of your bathroom products in your kitchen, brushes, makeup, hairdryer..... instead of in the bathroom where they belong... you will have clutter.

Oh - you don't have room in your bathroom?  Well - make some!  I know - sometimes it's not easy to find the space and sometimes you really don't have the space.  But more often than not I find that clients are not using their space effectively.  By adding some inexpensive shelving or bins you can contain all of your belongs where they belong and all of a sudden - you have space! 

"Like with like"  ..... that's an Organizers motto!  By keeping like products with like products you have solved one organizing issue.

By keeping all of the things that don't belong in a room out of the room - you have solved another organizing issue.

By neatly folding and putting things in a designated spot - instead of just shoving it in anywhere - you have solved another organizing issue.

It's not about space - it's about clutter.

And then there's "clean".   Having more space does not mean that you will have a clean house. It just means that you will have more space to mess up. Clean is a matter of degree - but that's a whole other topic.

If you can declutter your home or office first - then you can really see what needs to be cleaned and you can make all of the dust bunnies disappear. But if your home is so cluttered that you can't see the floor or any surfaces - chances are that you can't get to them to clean them.

So - the bottom line is - more space does not make a less cluttered or clean house.

So don't envy your neighbor with the big house.  They just have a lot more work to do!

Now - go and GET ORGANIZED !



Organizational Consulting Services

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