Organize Archives

All hangers are NOT equal

April 26, 2016 by Heather Filed Under: Organize, Systems & Techniques, Tips & Resources Leave a Comment

How to create an orderly closet

This can be next to impossible with a mish-mash of hangers. When working to create an orderly closet, having only a few types of hangers will save space and time keep as well as keep your clothes more neat. I admit it, I’m a hanger snob! When I start a closet organizing project the first thing I do is try to eliminate broken or flimsy hangers (wire, warped plastic etc). All hangers are not created equally, some do a fine job for certain tasks.

Below are my six favorite types of hangers, with a little explanation of what I recommend each for and why.

Wood Hangers these are sturdy and easy to find, not to expensive and great for suits, jackets and outerwear. If you are using these you might want to get a few with clips for skirts and pants (if you prefer to hang them long).

Velvet Shirt Hangers you either love them or hate them! They’re great for keeping lightweight, loose garments on the hangers and they are super space saving! They can break easily (brittle) and some people with shoulder/arm disabilities find them difficult to work with. I don’t recommend them for pants, unless they are ultra light weight and I also don’t recommend the “gadgets” they sell to convert these into multi hangers or clip hangers, they tend to make them break more easily.

Hangers

No Slide Found In Slider.

Non Slip U-Slide Hangers are a great alternative to the velvet hangers. These are more sturdy than velvet (see above) and have grippy sections to keep clothes in place. These are an upgrade to the standard “plastic tube” hangers that deform easily and stuff slides off. The U-shape opening on one side make them easy to put clothes on and take them off.

Space saving pants hangers these are a new favorite, slimline, sturdy metal coated with non-slip rubber and easy to use. Everything you need in a pants hanger unless you like to hang them lengthwise in which case you will want a clip style (either wood above or basic plastic below).

There are a couple other hangers worth mentioning (and loads more to choose from) but there’s a reason most retail stores use these basic plastic skirt hangers. They save space, are inexpensive and do a great job holding onto your skirts and pants. Not everyone loves them but they are study, slim and keep things in place. Finally the padded satin hanger, not just for your grandmom! Although I recommend folding knits, if you must hang some of them these lovely hangers keep the shoulders from looking funny!

The closet above has a jumble of different hangers making it difficult to get clothes in and out and hard to see what’s what. Below hangers and clothes have been streamlined into 2 basic types (wood and U-Slide) to save space and make clothes easier to find and hang back up!

Do you need more tips to create an orderly closet? Sign up for my newsletter and get a free guide to Spring Closet Clean Out.

Short Organizing “Resource” books

March 15, 2016 by Heather Filed Under: Books, Inspiration & Education, Organize, Systems & Techniques, Tips & Resources, Uncategorized, Wellness & Mindset Leave a Comment

Recently there have been a lot of new organizing books published

Many people liked The Life Changing Magic of Tidying Up (which I reviewed here) but there are some other wonderful new small Organizing Books and here are two, both excellent and quite different in their layout and approach of the same subject matter: Clutter Clearing!

Never Too Busy to Cure Clutter (More than 365 Tips to Maker Room for What’s Truly Important) by Erin Rooney Doland

I kind of feel that if I were to write a book on organizing it would be similar to this in many ways. Erin’s tone here is not one of preaching or stating that in order to successfully banish clutter you must do things in A—>B—>C order. Erin explains for some people priorities may be different, with a different emphasis on areas of the, some being more or less critical depending on your lifestyle. I love that this book is broken down by area of the home, identifying the ‘everyone’s use’ spaces and those that are more ‘private’. This brings me back to my days of doing hospitality work and maybe it would be helpful for you to also think of your home in terms of ‘Public’ and ‘Private’ spaces. Public or everyone spaces such as Entry, Living Room, Dining Room Kitchen and Bath are addressed first and more private areas in the second section. Each section (chapter) is broken down into tasks you can do in 30 seconds, 1 minute, 5 minutes or 15 minutes. In this manner she successfully makes it clear that living clutter free means always maintaining your home by doing small tasks with regularity. She reminds us that tasks will take each of us a different amount of time so to be aware of what task you choose and record it right in the book if it takes you more or less time. What I think works well about this book is that by repeating the same format of steps throughout the house but with tasks specific to those areas of the home she illustrates that there is a certain mindset behind living clutter free and she helps you to begin to identify what steps you need to take in each room on a regular basis to make lasting changes in your habits. In breakout sections through out the book she gives hints and tips on resources and tools (techniques, storage, apps, programs). Finally she concludes with some great examples of sample habits and routines including tasks and estimated time that can help us identify what we need to do on a regular basis. Maybe it helps to think of routines as rituals…like our morning ritual, house cleaning ritual, travel rituals etc. I’ve read quite a few small organizing “resource” books and find this one to be jam packed full of excellent practical advice and useful information.

Clear the Clutter, Find Happiness (One-Minute Tips for Decluttering and Refreshing Your Home and Your Life) by Donna Smallin

This book is almost what I would call a “Pocket Guide” to clutter clearing. Open it to the front and you won’t find a chapter index…she dives right into small tips and motivational words to get you clutter busting any time you are in the mood. The book has a warm and cheery energy with orange and gold hues throughout …(I love a books that have creative layout’s that are different!) The whole book is loosely organized by certain areas of the home but open to any given page and on each page you will find a motivational tip, quote or thought provoking mindset topic. In a very lighthearted way she probes into the “why” behind our clutter habits. Along with mantra’s and time savers like “Don’t Just Put it Down, Put it Away” there are a variety of organizing tasks to do within one minute (aprox). By the end she is really helping you to develop new healthy habits that will keep the clutter clear for good. In summary she ends by sharing that clutter comes from our bad habits, setting things down where they don’t belong, not having permanent homes for certain items, not making decisions that will keep us clear of clutter. It really comes down to two things…Commitment to Change and repeatedly following through by acting on these clutter clearing tasks. This is a great book for anyone who struggles with small day to day clutter tasks and keeping in the mindset of changing bad habits.

What Clutter Clearing books have you read or found helpful?

Do you ‘Feel’ Organized?

March 8, 2016 by Heather Filed Under: Inspiration & Education, Organize, Tips & Resources, Wellness & Mindset Leave a Comment

The other evening I was at a community event and someone came up to me and we began chatting. The conversation started discussing a common interest then turned and she was asked what I do. I said I’m a Professional Organizer and Artist and she asked…

“What do you organize? Do you work with people who are already organized or people who are not so organized“?

I loved the way she asked this and my answer surprised me because it was so simple and applies to all my clients.

I help people who have been more organized at another time in their life and want to feel organized again. This perfectly sum’s up almost all of my clients (and will become my new 10 second ‘elevator pitch’)! Some of them were organized before the got married, started a job, a family, moved, downsized into a smaller place, got divorced etc. What each of them have in common is that they KNOW what it feels like to be more organized but at this point in their life they just can’t keep up with the process, strategies they have tried or may not have the time or physical energy to do it themselves. I don’t just serve my clients in their state of dis-order or how they have felt in the past. I serve my clients by looking at who they are becoming!

NO shame in that right? I am really interested in airing out the shame side of this process…and am so tired of people making others who work with an organizer feel ashamed. It’s not fair or right and the people who are making you feel ashamed? I bet they might just be a little bit jealous:)

Feeling organized is relative from person to person but it’s a feeling we can each measure internally. Do we feel better or worse about our “State of Organization” now then we did at another point in our life? Using our own life as a gauge rather than others is the best way to determine if we feel good about where we are. Once we know how we feel we can choose to take action and change it, either on our own or with a little help.

In the Studio with Joanne Davis-Woods-Part I

February 18, 2016 by Heather Filed Under: Art, Art & Design, In the Studio, Inspiration & Education, Organize, Photography

Today’s feature interview is the first half of Art Studio Organizing with Joanne Davis-Woods who I met through mutual artist friends in Asheville. I visited her studio (which she recently moved into in the midst of a metal fabrication studio) and interviewed her while in Asheville last month. I’m thrilled to share this sneak peek into Joanne’s studio and her process and creative space in this interview. These photo’s are not styled in any way, in fact she was not totally settled into her new studio so this is typical of what her working studio looks like on an average day.

Art Studio Organizing with Joanne Davis-Woods Part I

HKPS::When did you suspect or know you were an artist?

JWD:: I realized in my early 30’s that I had been one my whole life.

HKPS:: What materials do you work with? Do you find it challenging to locate certain things when you’re ready use them and do you store things frequently used in highly visible locations?

JWD::Mainly I work with silver, copper, in both wire and sheet, and semi-precious stones–since my work space is contained within a larger business space; materials need to be locked up at end of day. For the last several years my challenge was the need to store in 2 different location–I never had all that I needed in one place! Now, in this new spot I have higher hopes for efficiency. While I like the materials I use to be handy, they do not need to be visible. What I do want to see conveniently arrayed are my tools.

HKPS:: Where do you make your art, how big is your studio and how long have you been in this space?

JWD::I have recently moved into a new space within a fabrication business. They have all the permits needed for using fuels. I have about 300 sq ft on a platform above the main floor—rather quirky but it works.

Looking into the foundry from Joanne’s studio platform

Joanne’s Studio ‘platform’

HKPS::How many projects are you usually working on at once? Is this due to space constraints, creative process, organizing systems or other influences?

Projects in process and stones

JWD:: 2-3 at a time…I read more than one book at a time also! If I am worked on a new prototype I find more satisfactory results if I give myself time to ponder between steps. So I like to punctuate with another project. Also there is cooling and other procedures which go on without my active participation.

It can be a dance.

Joanne in her Studio

HKPS::Is making art your primary “job” or source of income? How much time do you spend in your studio weekly/daily?

JWD::I would be in studio most days if I could…since I still have a part time job; I am limited to 2 – 3 days per week. Fortunately my day job lets me work with metal.

HKPS::When you began working in this space did you plan any systems for the overall set up or did you let things evolve organically? How did past studio spaces or systems influence this space?

JWD::I had an opportunity to buy equipment and work benches from the previous communal space where I rented. The choice of those pieces dictate the style of working here. The previous space was set up by others and provided for separate stations for separate processes. While I know that some like everything at arms’ reach-i prefer to move around more. It keeps me more organized also—metal smiths use an awful lot of tools!

Watchmakers Bench

Thank you Joanne for for sharing how you use your studio space and store your materials! In Part II you’ll find more from her about creative process and any tips and advice she has to share. In the meantime if you want to see more of Joanne’s work go see her Facebook Page.

*The idea for the Inside the Artist Studio series began while attending an art retreat where I curiously observed the differences in the creative cycle of order and chaos and what that looks like for different individuals. I’m very interested in sharing how organizing affects the artist’s creative process. Some systems and order are vital to our creative PLAY and learning to find a balance that works to enhance your creativity is what I hope to share with you through these interviews.

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Is there a particular artist whose ‘Tool kit’ you would like to see featured? Leave a comment below and let me know!

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.

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.

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).

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.
Consider nursing needs and housekeeping, speak to staff to be sure they can understand and maintain the system you set up.

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).

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.

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!