Organize Archives

A Playful Makeover Monday

August 3, 2015 by Heather Filed Under: Organize, Organizing Projects, Systems & Techniques Leave a Comment

I love to work with kids toy spaces and create storage systems that are fun to look at and fun to play with! So many families I work with have a great room space (open) where the kids can play while food is being prepared in the kitchen and other household activities are going on. This is great for keeping an eye on the kids and letting everyone share time together but it can be frustrating to have toys strewn everywhere from the kitchen counter to the hallway, dining room and family room. For this family we were able to start with a small but designated area where toys could be stored and we found the right type of storage to fit the toys that needed to live in the space.

Kids Playroom Makeover

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When starting a job like this follow a few simple steps.

Take “inventory” of what containers the client has and look things over to decided what needs to be stored in the space.
Pull all the toys out and sort them by types (music toys, books, puzzles, cars, blocks etc) removing any damaged or unwanted items.
Take measurements of the space; shelves, drawers, cabinets etc with width, height and depth.
Identify types of storage containers needed (if any) and locate them (I love Amazon, Container store and Ikea).
Purchase necessary storage pieces (and schedule for delivery) by your next appointment or work session (DIY or with an Organizer).
Contain toys by category (containers and shelves).
The finishing touch-Label, both on the shelves and the containers, so that parents, kids and anyone else helping with child care or cleanup will know where things belong. A common mistake

I find is that people don’t label because they think they will remember but if you have a housekeeper, nanny, babysitter or family members who come regularly they will not know where things go unless you make it simple and clear.

*Quick tip-schedule your organizing time, put it on your calender!

I have a variety of “go-to” favorite containers that I find work well for a variety of needs but we will also take into account what the client likes and if storage will be visible we look for more decorative containers that fit in with the clients decor. In this case we found cute canvas Toy Chest for larger storage under the stairs at 3 Sprouts. This job also required re-thinking the built in storage and making some changes to fit the needs of the space.

We created a “parking garage” for all the larger cars and trucks under the stairs (just simple shelves that were large enough to accommodate the largest vehicles). Other changes such as removing a dangerous cabinet door (pinched fingers-no good!), fitting bottom boards into lower shelves that were missing and adjusting existing built in shelves to fit the containers were made by a local cabinet maker. We stored “less messy” toys including books, puzzles and music instruments in the family room on both sides of the lower book shelves. Anything that requires more play space or the table (like blocks, cars etc) went into the cabinets by the stairs.

I love how this space turned out, it’s both beautiful and functional and it gives the kids the freedom to have fun in their space but makes it super easy to clean up when needed. Do you have a space that serves multiple functions? If you find these kinds of spaces challenging or need help with set up, I’d love to help you! Visit my contact page and we can schedule a time for a free”get to know your organizing needs” call.

Tuesday Quick Tech Tip!

July 7, 2015 by Heather Filed Under: Digital Organizing, Organize, Organizing Projects, Tips & Resources Leave a Comment

I come across a lot of digital files that need purging and organizing and though I’d share this Quick Tech Tip…

I’ve been working with a client recently who use to own several art galleries and is in preparation for re-launching her career. Anytime we want to share our “stuff” with our “peeps” we need to gather those peeps into a list…so for this client list-building meant reaching back into the archives of her old gallery and customers to retrieve their info.

Part of what I LOVE to about what I do is researching new/better solutions and systems for maximizing our efforts. In this case with just a bit of research I found this portable floppy drive that plugs into a USB port so we can retrieve all those old files quickly and easily.

This little device is only about $10-15. Floppy disc’s contain such a small amount of info compared to what we store today. It takes practically no time to copy this stuff onto a new hard drive or just quickly scan the files and determine if you need anything.

I’m really happy with this small tech tool! Now I have an easy solution to help you part with all those old floppy discs sitting around that may or may not have important info! Yes, there are services you can send your disc’s to to retrieve your info but some people are not comfortable with sending personal info to strangers (not unreasonable in the age of ID Theft!). I’ve established my clients trust and this solution gives me the method to solve this for my clients quickly and without getting a third party involved.

Once you have what you need, find the best solution for recycling these floppy discs and get rid of them! This is an easy project you can do for yourself. Do you have old floppy discs sitting around?

Minimalist Madness-who says you should be one!?

June 8, 2015 by Heather Filed Under: Organize, Wellness & Mindset Leave a Comment

I’m seriously sad to read the article, Let’s Celebrate the Art of Clutter in the NY Times. Here’s a case for Minimalist Madness, lets talk about it and what it means to be a professional organizer…

Where did this author (who I admire for her blogging over at SlowLoveLife) get the impression that the professional organizing industry is there to make clients feel guilty about their stuff? We have an incredible trade organization, NAPO, that works diligently to teach organizers (those who choose to invest in their career by joining) skills and mindset to help clients without any judgement and how to know when to walk away or suggest other professional’s involvement (such as Hoarding situations). Generally I try to alleviate any sense of guilt, it’s does no good for anyone and is not the motivating factor I every try to work with.

Each client and person is different and those of us who are passionate about helping people organize are usually trying to help those who WANT to be helped. Most of us follow ethics that very much frown upon someone else hiring us to work with a family member or friend (best of intentions can lead to much psychological damage), I would never do it! I find the topics of organizing and stuff both very subjective. I agree that minimalism is being “oversold” in some ways but I’ve walked into many a clients homes who are frustrated and overwhelmed about all the stuff they do not cherish, but don’t know what to do with. As long as you are not a slave to “Stuff” that you do not love, want etc then why keep it? I hope Dominique Browning is leaving a sizable inheritance to her children to maintain her warehouse of stuff indefinitely, better yet she should donate it to the Smithsonian archive…I’m sure they would love that!

We all live within a spectrum of chaos and order, collecting and being minimalist…one is not right, the other is not wrong.

Saying that the entire organizing industry is built on trying to make people believe they should live a certain way is uninformed and irresponsible. What is your personal legacy? Do you want to be known for your stuff?

Recognizing Patterns in Organizing

May 19, 2015 by Heather Filed Under: Art & Design, Organize

I recently decided to submit an entry for a public art installation piece (I’ll share more about this soon!) and while writing the proposal I stumbled upon a wonderful “ah-ha” about recognizing patterns in the work and art of my life. This is what I realized.

In my former career as a textile designer my eye was keenly trained to notice and create patterns. I see the beauty in repeating forms everywhere I look and the ability to see a pattern emerge is a gift that serves me today in a completely different way as a Professional Organizer.

In my current work I spend a great deal of time helping clients to simplify, de-clutter, streamline their lives and find order where there has been chaos. When we begin together we often set an intention (or goal) to help define boundaries of the order they would like to see emerge. With that in mind I look around their personal universe for patterns and clues, noticing areas of chaos and order. I use the information that I gather in their universe to help them re-define a new sense of order in their space and life.

Above: Obscurely Relevant by Jane Allen Nodine. As objects are grouped into collections order emerges from chaos.

Helping clients free themselves of baggage, past burdens, excess and the cathartic process of releasing things is essential to the work we do together. Have you ever had a realization that helped you understand your gifts in a different way? A shift in perspective can be such a fun experience of self realization if we are open to it!

Clutter::magically transformed by some arcane formula

March 27, 2015 by Heather Filed Under: Organize

Guest post from the desk of Celeste B.

Math Number and Symbols

Wallace says tax season is not so bad but then he is treasurer of a multinational corporation and has a staff of over 100 accountants. He also likes to begin our tax returns January 1 with the close of the year. He has a shoebox of sorts into which all sorts of bits and bobs are tossed during the year and which become magically transformed by some arcane formula involving geometric progressions and quantum mechanics, of which I have no familiarity, into a sensible spreadsheet of numbers. My bookkeeping system is similar except that I hand over my shoebox to him, with helpful annotations on lined paper or stationery from fine hotels.

Since this is National Recognize Clutter Week it might be good to stress some practices for yourself to use in pursuit of orderliness. I can recognize clutter as well as the next person when it begins to slide like a glacier into the hallway or down the steps but perhaps the idea is to pause and to use one’s eyes before things reach that stage. This tactic will help avoid well-meaning interventions by family members. If psychiatric professionals enter the picture you may as well admit defeat. Until then you might start by stepping back from that kitchen drawer of plastic lids and containers and examine what is really going on there. This is one example of personal chaos that many people endure.

Tell yourself that every sturdy Chinese dinner container, yogurt tub and olive selection container does not have to be given a second chance. Recycle it, for Pete’s sake! It will have another life as an LL Bean jacket or something equally as useful so you need not feel like a wastrel for having pitched it. Unless you are packaging leftovers for a family of 10, you might want to save the space and time spent matching odd lids to odd shapes by limiting to 4 each of the basic shapes and lids. I suggest soup, personal portion size, two person portion size and flatter baked goods caddies as the ideal start. This also helps control bacterial contamination which may lurk in difficult to clean lid crevices.

Step back and examine your laundry area. Do you have multiple half-used products? It is fine to have backup supplies but don’t go overboard. The store is not far away and they will probably have what you need in stock. Check your drawers. Utensil drawers, that is. Use drawer dividers to sort every day and specialized tools. Inventory those and find homes for tools you never use, whether they were given to you by your mother or not. Put those in a wall display if you want. Eliminating clutter is about practical space saving and convenience for you in the long run. These are some of the wicked places where clutter congregates and which deserve a fresh spring appraisal. Redd up, as they say in Pennsylvania!
Kisses,
Celeste

Thank you Celeste! Your practical tips and lighthearted attitude will help us all laugh at our clutter conundrums no doubt!

*If you would like to hear more from Celeste please contact me. I’m sure she would be delighted to learn of your enthusiasm and I’m happy to pass your message along as well as ask her to join us again with more fun and lighthearted posts!