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A cozy and tidy girls room makeover

June 12, 2017 by Heather Filed Under: Kids & Family Organizing, Organize, Organizing Projects, Systems & Techniques Leave a Comment

In this cozy and tidy girls room makeover there were actually two spaces. Our goal was to create boundaries and storage for clothes, homework and personal space for a 13 year old girl. This is something important to every kid going into teen years!

A Cozy and tidy girls room goals::What’s Important? Boundaries, age appropriate space, homework space, easy to maintain systems, room for clothes, comfort, cute, cozy and private.

Organizing can help establish rules, show your kids you trust and value their choices and create age-appropriate systems. This space wasn’t really working all that well and didn’t feel right for her needs as her interests and maturity level change.

cozy and tidy girls room

This young lady has a really cool space, with a cozy bedroom and open “hangout” and homework area outside her room that she wasn’t really using. It always helps to evaluate how your kids use their rooms. Then you can create “zones” for them to do homework, hangout with friends (if you allow that), read, get dressed and sleep. Her desk, printer, a chair and large dresser where in the space outside her room, which also serves as a cut through to the bathroom and a guest room. Since her room has glass windows instead of walls, privacy is also an important issue! Curtains were ordered to eliminate this problem. With her help, we cleaned out her dresser and closet, the nightstand and small table at the end of her bed and decided what items (less used etc) could be kept in the dresser outside her room.

Her small built in closet cabinets also present a bit of a challenge.We re-arranged the contents to make putting clothes away easier.  We moved the sports equipment and the second night stand below out of the room (clutter collectors).

She’s got her own bathroom (lucky girl!) with ample storage and we discussed keeping toiletries in the bathroom, not the bedroom (for the most part).  As I organize with kids, I use it as an opportunity to learn why they do what they do and try to guide them to making choices that perhaps they did not realize were available, better or more appropriate? I hesitate to say right or wrong and I always defer to the parents house rules (which I determine before we begin) as well as teaching kids basic sanitary and hygienic systems (like no food in bedrooms?).

cozy and tidy girls room

By attaching a few command hook inside her cabinet doors we freed shelf and drawer space. Go vertical whenever possible! These hanging pockets and hooks held small accessories she uses regularly, like sunglasses, her wallet, an umbrella etc. We moved shoes from the floor into the closet drawers and accessories like bags and hats to the dresser. We displayed her trophies and ribbons on a shelf above the dresser, rather than crammed in drawers and boxes.  cozy and tidy girls room Since her desk was not being used in the space outside her room, we moved it to the wall opposite her bed. She now has space to do her homework in her room, on her bed or at her desk.

She’s taken to keeping things organized as much as a pre-teen takes to anything! She continues to come up with her own clever organizing solutions.

Kids love their space and value how great it feels to be organized, which creates lifelong value!

I LOVE to help kids get organized and most of the time they LOVE to be organized! Kids love structure and they love to be heard. When I work with them, I ask a lot of questions and listen so that I can help create systems that will work for them (and their parents). When we learn good organizing systems we are more likely to remain active in creating and maintaining organizing solutions!

Do you need help creating order in your kids rooms this summer? I’d love to work with your family to establish lasting organizing systems your kids will use for a lifetime! Get in touch today for a free Discovery Call.

Favorite Moving Tools & Tips

May 12, 2017 by Heather Filed Under: Move Management, Organize, Organizing Projects, Tips & Resources 1 Comment

Today, I’m sharing a roundup of some of my favorite moving tools and tips. These include basic supplies and tried and true tips to help every move run smoother.

  • A Small accordion or tickler file folder for all your important moving-related paperwork (including your inventory, moving contract, supply and to-do list, real estate agreements, etc.)
  • Notepad for inventory or digital file for inventory (of boxes and contents)
  • Sticky notes & painters tape-use these for identifying where items will go. Painter tape will not stick permanently to surfaces.
  • Eco-Friendly Boxes- Look for boxes with recycled content that can be reused repeatedly!
  • Durable packing tape-I like scotch or Staples brand and prefer clear with a handled dispenser. Some packing tape is very thin and flimsy. Check before you buy!

Favorite Moving Tools & Tips

  • Bubble wrap for very fragile items.
  • Packing paper (you can use newspaper, but it leaves your hands dirty). A mix of recycled newspaper and new packing paper is a nice compromise.
  • Blankets, pillows, towels, and other textiles can all be used to cushion and add padding to fragile items.
  • Scissors, box cutters & permanent markers with bold tips in black and color (color code boxes-use RED for fragile items, etc)
  • Trash bags-Kitchen size and larger-clear for donations and recycling
  • Cleaning supplies-glass cleaner, paper towels, gloves, rags, multi-purpose cleaner, sponges, goo-gone, and wood cleaner are all useful for wiping things down before you pack or as you unpack and put things away
  • Snacks, water/beverages, and a small assortment of paper plates and utensils- better yet, keep reusable items out for each household member and have a “kitchen kit”!

Is there anything I forgot that you think is essential to have on hand? I would love to hear your contributions! If you’re feeling overwhelmed about any upcoming move, please get in touch with me to schedule a quick consult call to learn how I can help!

Curb the Chaos…with a swift kick!

March 6, 2017 by Heather Filed Under: Organize, Organizing Projects, Systems & Techniques, Tips & Resources, Uncategorized, Wellness & Mindset Leave a Comment

Since we are almost officially into Spring now I’ve heard a lot of people getting the itch to de-clutter and do a nice deep round of spring clean out! As we ease our way out of our winter hibernation mode, this can feel like a lovely time to focus our energy on the home front, creating a sense of order, doing a nice round of deep cleaning and giving a swift kick in the butt to the chaos in our life! Consider this a Healthy dose of Spring home maintenance!

*Note-if your feeling like you need to hire an organizer than try this technique with a small area first to see how it goes. This is more of a “Maintenance” round than a deep organizing or cleaning session.

Curb the Chaos

Here’s a little visualization tool to help you feel your home as you want it to be!

Lets start by closing our eyes, taking a few deep breaths and envisioning how we want our space to look and feel. Are you seeing a light filled space with windows that frame blue skies, puffy white clouds and tree’s and flowers budding out? Do you feel your feet sliding across floors that are clean and clutter free? Are your kitchen counters, sink and table clear of papers and anything else that might stop you from preparing and sharing healthy nurturing meals for your family? Are your clothes (dresser, closet etc) easy to take out and put away, with your go to favorites well cared for and easy to access? I hope you can see your home as a relaxing space that you can enjoy with your family in your down time. If you can envision it with your eyes closed and feel it, then you can totally create it when you open your eyes! If your ready to make this feeling a reality, take a few more deep breaths and set your intention to create this reality in your home.

Great, now lets get started kicking chaos to the curb! Give yourself a few hours for this whole house “once over”.  This can be very helpful to do before you deep clean (if that’s a part of your routine).

Curb the chaos anytime your feeling the “urge to purge”! This usually happens to me several times a year and when it does, I try to take advantage of that feeling and go with it!

Before we break it down, get yourself some water, turn on some music, light a candle or diffuse some essential oils to support your energetic work! We will not be focusing on deep cleaning here…we will be focusing on the chaos that you need to kick to the curb! That’s going to be different for each of us, take a mental tally of what that means for you and we can start right at the front door…

  • Grab a laundry basket or bin to gather things into, for putting away and trash bags for toss and donate items.
  • Empty your car so it’s ready to take donations that day or have a donation pick up scheduled for the next day. Don’t let things linger where they can be a temptation.
  • Clear away anything that doesn’t welcome you or serve a function to support your family as you come and go in your daily life. If you keep shoes, bags and keys here, that’s fine, just give them homes (hooks, shelves, a bench, cubbies, baskets etc). If you’ve got a “donation” bin started here, great, we can add to that. Remove anything that doesn’t belong. *Don’t stop now to put it where it goes, put it in your “put away bin”, toss or donate bag-this will keep you moving room to room.
  • Work your way into your home, from the “front” or whatever main entrance you use, towards the back. Leave out major storage areas like the attic, garage or shed. In this round we focus on living spaces.
  • Start from the bottom and work your way up, skimming the floors-picking up toys, clothes and anything out of place. Remove clutter from surfaces and sweep the chaos into “put away”, “toss” or “donate” bags/bins. If your not sure where something goes but you know it doesn’t belong in that room, that’ fine. Add it to the put away bin. If trash or donate accumulate rapidly, take them right out to the car or put them by the door and get new bags.
  • Repeat this process in each room, especially your main living spaces, kitchen, bedrooms and bathrooms. As you got into each new room, check to see if anything in the put away bin belongs and put it away:) Chaos need not linger!
  • Be brutal, be quick, touch each item if you need to and decide if they “spark Joy” as KonMarie has now famously en-sighted:) If not, kick it to the curb!
  • Once your done with each room, haul your trash and donate out. Scan your put away bin and see what is left. If there are things that don’t have permanent homes, think about why. What category are they? Can they be stored with other like items or someplace you commonly use them? Once everything is put away, thrown away or hauled out for donation, you have officially kicked your chaos to the curb!

Congratulation! How does that feel? Can you see yourself doing a quick version of this several times a week or even daily? They less we let our chaos build up, the less overwhelming it becomes. There will always be chaos in our life. It’s messy, it’s ugly, it drags us down and makes us feel heavy at times, but we don’t have to let it stick around. It’s our choice to curb the chaos in our life and our home. Good luck and reach out if you have any questions about this process!

Makeover Monday::Curb Kitchen Chaos

November 7, 2016 by Heather Filed Under: Home, Organize, Organizing Projects, Systems & Techniques Leave a Comment

This kitchen is a great example of ample storage but lack of good organizing and storage systems. This family wasn’t really seeing the potential for re-arranging items to better maximize the drawers, cabinets and pullout storage they had. We tackled the family “command center” first, a corner nook that seemed to capture everything from flower vases to cereal, kids medicine to keys. This area had become a “dumping ground” and was looking and feeling very cluttered. Curb Kitchen ChaosWe talked about how this space could best serve the family’s needs and started by moving the items that didn’t belong out.  This process will usually create a bigger mess initially than you have to begin with. The chaos of pulling things out and not yet having room to put them away can really turn people off …but hang in there!

We transformed what remained by corralling small items like kids art supplies (cute glass jars), keys (on command hooks), kids medicine (in clear bins), sun/glasses (small basket) and frequently used phone numbers (for the babysitter/nanny etc). The nearby desk drawer became more effective storage for everyday office supplies like pens, pencils, tape, scissors, the check book and the families paper calendar for quick reference.We used the larger upper shelves for less used items like serving dishes etc. e used the nearby desk drawer for everyday office supplies like pens, pencils, tape, scissors, the check book etc. This area also included a family paper calendar for quick reference. In this case, we spent two 3hr sessions on the kitchen and tackled strategic zones working our way from one end of the kitchen to the other, finishing with the fridge (no photo’s-sorry). The pull out storage cabinets were limiting in some ways due to their narrow size and shape so we took careful measurements the first session for storage supplies that would help contain smaller things like sippy cups, lids and measuring items. We moved larger items out of the pull out units into deeper cabinet drawers and created specific zones for items like breakfast, baking, spices and cooking condiments.

I generally create a system based on zones for any kitchen if possible, taking into account what the client likes to do (lots of baking but not a lot of cooking or vice versa). In the end the kitchen functions much more smoothly. Thanks to labels on all the shelves and drawers everyone knows where things belong. If your kitchen needs a bit of order, try re-thinking where you store items and create zones for more efficient use of space. Your time in the kitchen will be so much more enjoyable!

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When organizing gets personal

January 19, 2016 by Heather Filed Under: Organize, Organizing Projects, Systems & Techniques Leave a Comment

Help with personal organizing for families.

I try to keep a balance in the decision making process between sentiment and objectivity, which is not always easily when it comes to family sentiment. This past week though I wore both personal organizing and “client” hats. My grandparents have been in an assisted living facility for almost 20 years , great planning on their part! But the time finally came for them to be moved into more skilled nursing and personalized assistance. I joined my family in helping make this transition more comfortable for them by lending my organizing expertise. My mother is an interior designer and my two aunts are nurses so together we were quite a team!

I took my basic personal organizing kit along, which includes a tape measure, label maker, inventory sheets (or tablet for creating one digitally), camera, post it notes, permanent marker etc. We went through contents of their apartment determining what they would need in their room and what could go to storage. The nurses in the family knew what practical requirements were needed and my mother lent her design expertise. I learned a few things beyond the basic organizing skills I already posses to add to my knowledge base.

Tips to help organize a loved one in a senior living facility.

Many of these tips could be used in a home healthcare setting as well.

  • Included your loved one’s in this process (if possible). Ask them to select personal items they wanted to have surrounding them, such as artwork, accessories and other items.
  • Take photo’s or make copies of valuables, financial documents, vital documents and medical information (including ID’s, credit cards etc).
  • Create a detailed inventory of all contents of the living space. State regulations will differ but most facilities require a copy to be kept with the facility (for liability purposes).
  • Take photo’s of all inventory items.

Belt Buckles

  • Create a binder or folder with all the inventory lists and photo’s and give access to necessary family.
  • Be sure that vital documents are in place and up to date -such as Will’s, Trust, Living Will, DNR and other medical, legal and financial documents (copies where needed-accessible but safe).
  • Keep valuables locked and out of plain sight but accessible to family members (things like ID’s, will’s medical info, credit cards etc-see storage below), alternately use a lock box or safety deposit box.

Closets

  • Think about accessibility and ease of use for certain items. Store in open, flat bins, baskets or boxes to make items easy to use (like makeup and hair care).

Makeup tray

  • Keep it familiar, if certain habits or systems have always worked, don’t change them (modify slightly if needed).
  • Label items-keep it simple but specific (ex. Long Sleeve, Short Sleeve, Pants, Personal Care etc). Often clothing must be labeled too (use fabric markers and iron on labels). If more than one person is living in the space, label or designate shelves, closets or drawers by person.Closet organizing
  • Consider nursing needs and housekeeping, speak to staff to be sure they can understand and maintain the system you set up.Jewelry drawer Labeled drawers
  • Keep everything off floors, no rugs, UN-necessary small objects or furniture for safety and maneuverability of wheelchairs, walkers, canes etc.
  • Create an inventory of items going to storage, number boxes, list contents and make notes of family members who may be willed certain items (keep with binder of items in use).

special clothing storage

  • Check insurance policy to be sure everything is properly insured (both on site and in storage).
  • Consider creating a “Caring Bridge” or other private forum to communicate with family and friends any updates on medical status.Family photo wall

Create personal organizing and creative touches by hanging favorite art, photographs and a few accessories. Your goal in organizing the contents is to make it easier for staff or family to care for your loved one, while keeping the space neat, uncluttered, calm, safe and comforting. By the time we completed setting up their room the nurses and staff were ecstatic about how thorough and clearly everything was laid out. Hopefully this translates to more time and attention being spent on your loved ones!

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