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8 Easy Steps to Closet Cleanout

by Filed Under: Closets, Inspiration & Education, Organize, Organizing Projects, Systems & Techniques

Tackle your wardrobe and seasonal closet clutter with these 8 Easy Steps to Closet Cleanout.

8 Steps to Closet Clean Out

Spring fever and the extra hour of daylight spur many of us onto spring cleaning, especially right now while we are spending more time at home! We are still in the height of Spring Cleaning frenzy so if you haven’t yet tackled the closets, there’s still plenty of time before the heat of the summer and seasonal vacations and kids summer breaks are upon us!

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7 Simple Steps to Your Cleanest Kitchen

by Filed Under: Organize, Organizing Projects, Systems & Techniques

Start the holidays with your cleanest kitchen, ever!

This time of year is a great time to deep clean the kitchen and fridge, especially after summer and fall trips to the farmers market and before all your holiday cooking, baking, and entertaining. This year, it’s especially important to keep our homes and kitchens cleaner than ever!  BUT, if you are reading this in the Spring or before Back to School…any time is a good time to take a deep dive for your cleanest kitchen. I recommend it at least a couple of times a year.

your Cleanest Kitchen

Your Cleanest Kitchen in 7 easy steps

  • Re-arrange as needed for things that might not be working well in their current spots-I just moved appliance I don’t need further out of the way and made baking items more accessible over the weekend.
  • Purge– including out of date food (toss), things you don’t like (give away) things like plastic cups, containers-missing lids (recycle), and cozies that somehow made their way home from summer festivities.  No thank you Freebies!
  • Tidy and sort food and other items by category. Add containers to corral and labels to identify items as needed. Post purge is the best time to do this!
  • Give everything a sanitizing wipe down including the cabinets, switch plates, counters-moving everything out from the walls, and wiping the backsplash.
  • Clean out appliances such as the microwave, oven, toaster and make note of anything broken or missing that I might want to add to a wish list.
  • Take a quick look through the pantry and make a list of staple items needed for upcoming baking and cooking (sugar, flour, chocolate chips, spices, herbs, etc), this way you can be spontaneous when the urge to get creative in the kitchen strikes!
  • Finally, the Fridge! Remove and wipe or rinse everything including contents, the shelves, and drawers. Toss expired food. If you can, remove the “parts”, clean with your favorite kitchen cleaner and scrub the crevices with an old toothbrush and baking soda. Repeat the process for the freezer, defrosting according to your manufacturer instructions if needed. If you have a water filter built in, it’s a great time to check and replace that too.kitchen deep clean

You can take each step above and break it down over a weekend or a whole week (7 steps-7 days!) depending on how much time you have.  As I do this, I pull things out and try to use up leftovers (especially in the freezer) to make room for all the great new food I’ll be preparing and eating over the holiday season.

If you ever question keeping or tossing, HERE is a great list of food expiration, etc. follows.  Safety and common sense should prevail…BUT I will say that in the age of “toss it” mentality there are probably lots of things you-should-never-have-bought AND may not need to go but I’ll bet some are on this list.  Use your judgment, and follow your intuition…and FYI-Sugar never expires!kitchen deep clean

Happy pre-holiday cleaning!cleanest kitchen

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Do I need a Home Inventory?

by Filed Under: Kids & Family Organizing, Organize, Organizing Projects, Planning & Goals, Systems & Techniques, Tips & Resources, Uncategorized Leave a Comment

Do you have a disaster plan? Wondering if you really need a home inventory? Whether you have one started or have nothing at all read on to learn why you need a home inventory and how to protect your personal property.

Almost all of us need a home inventory, whether we are renting or own your homes or businesses. If you have insurance, you need an inventory to prove replacement value. Sadly, a lot of people think that because they have insurance they don’t need to worry about a home inventory.  But unfortunately, that’s not true, having insurance doesn’t’ guarantee you will get replacement value for your property. There are so many irreplaceable things and all the little stuff really adds up. Having a home inventory will save you a huge potential headache, hours of time, or worse out of pocket expenses lost down the drain. When you’re trying to dig your way out of a disaster, that added stress is the last thing you need. When I became a professional organizer, I learned all about the different home inventory systems and tools available. I also helped clients with creating inventory systems both before and after disasters, mostly flooding, some theft. Trust me when I say, you don’t want to have to inventory your stuff after it’s been damaged or try to remember what’s missing! It’s not the insurance companies responsibility to take your word for all your personal belongings, and it’s not in their interest to help you with this. If you can’t prove you owned it (meaning tracking down receipts or charges, photo’s or other documentation) you may lose altogether.

What needs to be inventoried? The quick answer is everything! You are probably thinking this will take ages and depending on how much detail you want to include, it could be a significant undertaking but really not so bad if you take it step-by-step and room-by-room.

Without an inventory, you could end up with a mess on your hands and thousands of dollars in lost assets! Don’t get stuck sorting toilet plungers from kitchen utensils, holiday decor, and more. Document what you’ve got and what would need to be replaced.

I’ve worked extensively on creating inventory for insurance claims. Here’s what you need to know. Photos are your friends! Spreadsheets are super helpful and may prevent you from having to fill out additional information in the event of an insurance claim. But there are other systems out there that are super helpful and can do more for you than just a home inventory.

As the well known Sheryl Sandberg quote goes “Done is better than perfect.” So true in the case of an inventory! Just having photo’s is better than nothing!

A home inventory Checklist can help you to understand what information will be most valuable in the case of an insurance claim. Most insurance companies would like to have the following. The more info you can provide, the more accurate your claim and reimbursement will be. Remember, the more complicated your assets and estate, the more details you will need.

It may not be necessary to have all the information below. If you’re in a disaster situation and realize you don’t have anything, the short answer is to photograph every wall of every room, even opening cabinets, closets, and taking photos of contents by shelf. Take notes on contents to help jog your memory, noting location and a general description. Photograph anything specifically valuable in each room. These photos and notes will prove invaluable if you have to evacuate quickly and end up losing property.

Remember, “Done is better than perfect!” What follows is a more detailed guide of what your insurance company might request. Not having all of this does not mean you will not get reimbursed. The more you can provide, the quicker and more smoothly things will move along.

  • List items by room- This will help qualify content damage when structural damage has been done
  • Include a basic description
  • Make/model
  • Serial or ID number
  • Quantity
  • Assign value (replacement value will be paid based on current market value-ex. electronics that may have cost you $500 might be replaceable for $200 today)
  • Date purchased
  • Receipt if available
  • Reference photo’s

Home Zada is one of the most comprehensive home management tools out there and does everything from home maintenance reminders to home inventory. If you’re on the serious side of protecting your valuable assets, I can’t recommend a better way to manage it all in one place! This is a cloud-based option so you won’t lose it if you lose your computer!

Another great comprehensive but inexpensive system is Liberty Street Home Manage software (also cloud-based). It’s under $40 and allows you to enter all the important documentation and photo’s for all your assets (at multiple locations).

Several insurance companies have their own systems, so ask your insurance agent what they offer! It will probably be free and give them everything needed if you ever had to make a claim.

Home Contents is a UK Based app that makes home inventory a snap with your digital camera in-phone. And finally, in the app department, My Stuff has several free and paid options with great features for adding items to folders, tagging, etc for easier sorting and organizing.

If you prefer to stick with a spreadsheet-style inventory, just do a quick search for Home Inventory Checklist to find quite a few good options available for free. Most of these are templates that you can download and use on your computer/device.

Spreadsheet systems (I’ve used comprehensively with insurance agents to recover contents lost) can be clunky and it’s difficult to quickly see photos of items with their description. Another drawback is that unless you backup your computer or device, you run the risk of losing your inventory (photo’s and checklist) along with your contents in case of a disaster!

If a home inventory is something you want help setting up, let me know and I’d be glad to assist!

No matter what system you choose, I hope you will make a plan, schedule it on your calendar and start your home inventory today!

A fun & easy kids capsule wardrobe

by Filed Under: Closets, Organize, Organizing Projects, Systems & Techniques Leave a Comment

More than once, I’ve walked into clients who were nearly in tears or having a meltdown over their kid’s rooms and stuff everywhere. This can be utterly frustrating, especially with most of us at home, almost all the time right now, living, working, eating, schooling together! Kids and their stuff, their messy rooms, and their over-bulging closets and drawers filled with way more clothes than needed can create the perfect storm for overwhelm and overreacting. Sadly what can often happen is parents beat themselves up, thinking “this is my fault, I let them have all these things and I don’t have the time and energy to manage it all!”  No, No, No, it’s not all your fault!

kids and their stuff

I’m thrilled to work with parents who want to model and teach their kids how to manage the stuff overload. This is not just a problem for parents and kids, it’s something we all are dealing with to some degree or another.

Today, we will tackle one category of stuff that tends to make a lot of work for all of us, our clothes! There are strategies for parents and kids to help make it easier to choose what to wear. A kids capsule wardrobe can help reduce decision fatigue, save money, and the time it takes to get ready in the morning.

How to create a fun & easy kids capsule wardrobe

Kids Capsule Wardrobe

Here’s a step by step plan which works best when you can involve your kids, even the little one’s can have a strong opinion about the process!

Start with clean laundry that’s been sorted, and purged in each kid’s room which will give you a wardrobe to “Shop” from. The process isn’t that different than any other organizing one, where donations, trash, and items to keep are sorted into categories. The main thing to do differently is to create a simple and easy kids wardrobe for them to look through and purge further. Count how many items in each category of clothing they have and established some guidelines for what seems reasonable for them to pick their favorites from.

Create a Kids Capsule Wardrobe in 5 easy steps:

1.  Clean all the clothes and gather in one place.

2.  Sort and eliminate any that are not in good shape, don’t fit, or are impractical.

3.  Look at the overall colors, styles your kids gravitate towards, and start gathering them into categories eliminating duplicates and oddballs that don’t fit with the scheme.

4.  Put clothes away, hanging, and folding. You might want to try the Kon-Marie method of folding (Tee-shirt video here) or use a folding board.  Arranged by category (shirts, pants, shorts, etc) and color to make it easier to mix and match outfits.

To make this work you may need to fill in some pieces if you find wardrobe gaps. Now you have the makings for a funky, fun, and easy mix and match wardrobe system! This could be a great way to simplify your kid’s wardrobe and from there, the closet’s and clothes storage might be a little easier!

Here is a general idea of what categories you might find helpful and how many of each item seems appropriate, some of these might differ for your kids:

  • Pants, shorts, and jeans-5-10 per season
  • Skirts and dresses-5-10
  • Shirts (not tee-shirts)-10-15
  • Tee Shirts-10-15
  • Sweatshirts and Long sleeve tees-5-10
  • Sweaters-5-10
  • Undergarments-7-14
  • Sports gear (yoga pants/tanks/athletic shorts)-5-10
  • Bathing suits-5-10

23 bathing suits

If your kids go to a private school or wear uniforms, that will be a separate category but manage the number of each style needed. They may also be very involved in sports and have a lot of gear, so count that as another category and keep the number of items per sport manageable.

These guidelines should help you create a basic and easy kids capsule wardrobe. These categories and quantities are a starting point for you and your kids if you think it’s still too much then whittle it down further. Less is more when it comes to maintaining an easy kids wardrobe, especially when kids grow quickly and tend to need things replaced more frequently than adults. Have fun and maybe this will inspire you to create a capsule wardrobe of your own!

Essential College Organizing (for in-person & online learning)

by Filed Under: Kids & Family Organizing, Organize, Productivity, Systems & Techniques, Tips & Resources 1 Comment

This year, in particular, transitioning to or back to college might feel particularly overwhelming for both in-person and online classes. There is a lot that has changed over the past year but keeping organized is a strategy that will help improve study skills, lifestyle habits, and time management. These skills become more important the more we have at stake and college is a time where we are asked to juggle building new relationships, living independently or with new extended families,  and building knowledge. Any of these on their own is a considerable undertaking, so approaching this transition should be undertaken with a good dose of strategy, support from people who care about you and want to see you succeed and a large heaping of self-care. If you’re feeling overwhelmed already, break it down into smaller manageable tasks and be mindful of your emotions! It’s a big change in the midst of an already crazy world, so don’t dismiss how you feel!

The intention of this post is to share some helpful strategies for getting and staying organized for both new and returning students.  Some of you may have eagerly planned, shopped and packed over the summer and are settling in or getting ready to. There are still lots of folks preparing for the new school year, either in dorms or online. No matter where you are taking classes (in person, online), these Essential Organizing tips will help you get a handle on planning for and transitioning into this experience!

Essential College Organizing

Productivity, Routines, and Schedules

By now you should probably have the school year calendar and have a target date for the start of classes and moving to campus. The following categories as they relate to routines and schedules can help make this a more mindful transition for life schedules and productivity.

  • Transportation-Will a car be available or will is it going to be transportation by bus or college shuttle? Is there a metro or other public transportation in their new city? Be sure to understand the best method of transportation and if cars are allowed on campus (not the case for many freshmen). Work out travel transportation arrangements ahead of time for upcoming school drop off, pick up and holidays (through the end of the year). This might include airfare so book ahead and know the rules and download any useful local apps for mass transit.
  • Planner or Calendar-Decide how to keep track of calendars so that everything needed is in one place, based on what works. Use either a digital or paper planner (there is a big trend to return to paper!) to keep track of important dates, orientation, move in, class schedule (and locations on campus), appointments, projects, finals, and holidays. Consider something like a whiteboard (in the dorm/room) to track schedules while adjusting to this new way of life.  If possible, do this ahead of time before heading off to school where the tendency will be to get caught up in the excitement of new campus life! Planners are only helpful if they are with you so keep it where it’s needed (in a backpack or purse etc).
  • Activities, sports, and clubs (most will be transitioned to online or postponed this fall)-If your college planning to get involved in sports, clubs etc…get these activities booked on your master calendar along with the school schedule and decide on any necessary transportation. Cross-reference these activities with the school schedule and keep it all in one place. It’s great to get involved, but be sure there’s a sense of balance between schoolwork, activities, and “play” or free time to be with friends, socialize, relax, etc.
  • Productivity, routines, and study time– Think and Talk about to-do lists and schedule planning (daily, weekly, or monthly) to stay on top of important tasks, projects, classes, and dates. Consider what routines and systems have worked in the past and set up systems for successful and focused study time. This will be different from situation to situation but consistency is key, especially simple things like waking up at the same time daily, making your bed, weekly shopping & laundry, etc.  When it comes to studying if you are easily distracted by other people being around, have a plan to seek out a quiet place on campus or at home (dorm or with family) that will enable successful focus. Create a few simple rules and rituals, like picking up daily (5 mins/day), keeping your desk clean, empty/repack your bag daily so you have what you need ready the next day. Have a plan for note-taking, setting up binders and folders by class (color code, etc), or other systems that have been successful. Find a routine for self-discipline, this means getting 6-8hrs of sleep a night, eating regularly, taking necessary medications, self-regulating screen time (games, apps, etc), and generally acting like an adult! All the freedom is fun but when things spiral out of control have a plan to get back on track. Most of us thrive with routines and it’s even more important in transitions to implement them for our own success:)

Supplies and Shopping

This is always a big part of school preparation. If you need to order equipment, uniforms, supplies, books, etc you may already be in the process of doing so. If your state (or the one the college is in) has a Tax Free Weekend (usually in August), plan accordingly so you can make major purchases over that weekend.

  • Supplies-Create a master list based upon all the supplies needed. “Shop” your house first, gathering anything on the list into one container (box or bag).
  • Budget-set a limit (realistic) on what you can and will spend so you don’t get sucked into extras.
  • Categorize-Break the shopping items into categories (see below). E.X. categories might include books, school/desk supplies, clothing, dorm room, meals, electronics, etc.
  • Shopping-Do a little preliminary research online and either make the purchases online or decide where you will go for what.

A-Z Dorm Essentials for Cleaning and Organizing

These are great resources to have on hand and will be helpful for a variety of uses in the dorm. I’ve created an Amazon Shopping list with suggested items here.

  • Backpack or bag
  • Bedside Caddy
  • Bed Risers (optional)
  • Hooks (a variety of sizes & types including command & over the door)
  • Hangers (check to see if you need to bring them but probably!)
  • Labels (a label maker or write on labels)
  • Laundry supplies (basket/bag, detergent)
  • Over the door or under bed shoe organizer
  • Overnight bag
  • Permanent markers
  • Poster Putty for hanging decorative things on the walls
  • Power Strip-surge protector
  • Small rolling Cart (with shelves or drawers)
  • Shelf &/or drawer dividers/organizers (assorted sizes)
  • Toiletry or shower caddy
  • Trash & recycling bins/bags (so many people don’t have them!)
  • Under-bed storage bins (will fit with bed risers-wait if you don’t know)
  • Zip bags in assorted sizes
  • Zip ties (assorted sizes for cables, hanging items, etc)

ABC’s of Dorm Packing Essentials

There are a ton of great resources and lists over on Pinterest, so I won’t recreate them but here are general packing categories. It’s best to wait on things like a mini-fridge, microwave, dishes (other than a cup/mug, plate and one set of silverware), Iron/Board (unless fashion is your thing!), vacuum (maybe a dustbuster and mini broom), TV and Printer. These are all things that others or the school will have. Besides, you might not need it at all or you can get them later.

  • Bathroom-Toiletries
  • Cleaning Supplies (lots of extra or a plan to get more as needed)
  • Clothing
  • Cooking & Dining Supplies
  • Desk Supplies
  • Dorm Room
  • Food
  • First Aid Kit
  • Electronics
  • Furniture & Decorations
  • Medications (Supplements, cold & Rx)
  • Personal Items
  • School Supplies
  • Sports Equipment

This is a lot of info in one place! I hope these Off to College Essential Organizing Tips will help prepare for schedule and lifestyle changes, supplies, and shopping, and finally packing before this next adventure begins!

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