Paring Down Your Vases?

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How many vases is too many vases?  I have been in client’s homes assisting with their organizational needs and it never fails that we come across vases in the kitchen, in the dining room, sometimes even plopped down somewhere in the basement.  We all have received them for birthdays, get well’s, anniversaries etc. yet we rarely go through them all to determine what to keep and what to pitch.  Of course, my clients are often surprised by just how many they have when we actually put them all together on a table.

I recommend to my clients that, depending on how often they receive and display flowers, they keep anywhere from 3 to 5 maximum. Remember that many vases can serve a multitude of purposes.  Also remember that if you don’t have the perfect vase you will likely have something else in your home that you could use as one.  For instance, a ceramic or glass water pitcher or cylindrical pot can work just as well.

Vases take up alot of precious space. When paring down your vases, donate those that you rarely use & don’t really like.  We all have those favorites that we continue to use time and time again.  Ideally, you want to keep a small, medium and a large in a shape that can be multifunctional. When a new one comes into the house, don’t feel obligated to keep it.  Decide if it should stay and if so, which one of your existing vases it should replace. If you never display flowers, that’s okay too.  Then perhaps you need only keep one that is multifunctional for that special occasion.  You’ll be pleasantly surprised by how much space you have freed up!

 

How To Organize Your Bag or Knapsack

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Looking for a way to organize your bag or knapsack?  The GRID IT! system by Cocoon Innovations is a versatile and functional organizing system. Made of rubberized women elastic, it firmly holds most digital devices and personal items in place.

With endless configurations you can customize to your needs. Plus, there are a variety of sizes and designs to choose from.  Great for laptops, notebooks, IPADS, travel cases, knapsacks and handbags.  Many of them also have zippered pouches on the back to contain even more items. Google it and check it out – you won’t be disappointed.

Make Money From Your Clutter

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There are lots of ways to make some cash from the excess items and clutter you have around your home. It doesn’t matter what it is, you can turn your clutter into cash. Wouldn’t you like to get some money from de-cluttering?

There are many books around that can assist you with turning your clutter into cash but I really like this particular book authored by Donna Smallin Kuper.  It helps you to do just that. Although she’s in the U.S. there are many great ideas and tips.

You will learn what to sell, where and for how much.  It has tons of advice based on her own personal experiences.

To get you started ask yourself these 3 questions to decide what to keep and what to let go:

1.  How many times have I used this in the last year?

2.  Do I have more than one of these and do I really need all of them?

3.  Is this too large or too small for me?

Now go out there and turn your clutter into cash!

 

Organizing Your Apps

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Apps drive me crazy.  Every time I open my IPAD it seems there are a bunch of app updates I need to take care of.  The problem is that my husband, as helpful as he is, can’t resist the temptation to get any new app that comes along that is free, so he takes the liberty of loading them on my IPAD without my knowledge.  If you’re one of those people that can’t resist to install “just one more” read on to see how you can strap a harness on the overabundance of apps and retain your productivity and sanity.

First of all you need to figure out what apps you actually use before you actually start to de-clutter your technology.   Any apps that you have downloaded and only used a couple of times should be removed.  Then rather than having pages and pages of apps to swipe through to find the app you want,  organize your apps into categories or groups such as “news”, “travel”, “fitness”, etc. Think of it as putting your apps into filing cabinets. This way you can stay organized and easily find them when you need them.

To do this with your IPAD, simply press and hold the first app icon until it begins to shake.  Then let go and you will notice that all app icons will now be shaking. Press the app you want to move and slide it over another app that belongs in the same category.  Once you let go, these two apps will now be combined into one “file”.  From there you will be asked to name this file.  Use the suggested file name or type your own file name that makes sense for that grouping of apps.

Once you have all your apps organized remember to perform regular maintenance to keep them under control.  Don’t feel pressured to download every new and trendy app that you hear about.  Think about what you really need and will use and let your better judgement prevail.

 

5 Easy Steps To Organizing Children’s Toys

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Organizing toys can be one of the most frustrating experiences for parents and children.  Here are some suggestions that I have found helpful when working with my clients. Think “contain, corral and control.”

  • Firstly, I think toy boxes are good for only one type of item rather than a depository for random toys, especially those with many parts.  For example, use your toy box for items such as stuffed animals or as a dress-up/costume box.  Just make sure that the lid of the box has a safety hinge that cannot close on little fingers or bang heads.
  • Organize bottom to top. Because of a child’s small stature ensure you view the room from his or her point of view.  Start organizing from the bottom of the room, and work to the top. Most used toys and belongings should live on lower shelves, in lower drawers, or on the floor. Higher levels should be designated for less-frequently-used possessions.
  • Contain items before you store. Use clear plastic shoebox containers for smaller toys like GI Joe characters or Barbie type clothing, and larger lidded bins for blocks, trucks and cars.  Not only do containers help parents control the number of toys out at any one time; (“sure, you can play with the GI Joes, just as soon as the Lego Blocks go back into their home!”), but they also help to limit the amount of items your child can acquire.
  • Place books in a bin rather than bookcase. Most young children have difficulty reading the spines on books so store picture books as a flip-file, standing upright in a plastic bin or dishpan.
  • Labels save the day!

How A Professional Organizer Can Help You

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Market research shows that 8 in 10 Canadians are disorganized, especially those with children in their household.  This results in a negative impact on their lives as well as feelings of stress, frustration and failure. A professional organizer can help individuals overcome these feelings and help people to achieve their personal and business goals.

According to a survey conducted by the National Association of Professional Organizers, the top reasons professional organizers are hired are due to (i) too much clutter, (ii) general disorganization, (iii) difficultly in determining what to keep and what to discard, (iv) difficultly finding items resulting in wasted time, (v) the need to sell a home or an imminent move.  It’s difficult for most individuals to maintain a balance between work and home without the assistance of a professional organizer to assist with home organization and time management.

Home offices have been determined to be one of the top 5 areas in a home where organizing services are most often needed and requested.  There is just so much paper generated that comes through your door. For home businesses help is generally needed to (i) provide easy and effective ways to manage time, (ii) track projects and activities, (iii) organize work space, (iv) simplify paperwork and (v) design filing and information systems that work for you, not against you.  This will help to improve productivity in order to achieve individual as well as business goals.

If you are feeling over-stressed, overwhelmed, over-burdened or the lack the time and skills to de-clutter and organize effectively, give yourself permission to ask for assistance in creating and maintaining order in your home. Simplify your over-abundant lives, boost your efficiency and productivity and live a healthier, stress-free life!

Organizing Your Garage

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Remember when a garage was somewhere to store your car in the winter so you wouldn’t have to clear off the snow before driving away?  These days with most people utilizing their garages for everything but the family vehicle the idea of getting your car into the garage stands anywhere between “remote” and “impossible”.  So what better time than now to start thinking about getting your garage de-cluttered and organized for the approaching fall & winter season. I don’t just talk about it, I am about it. To prove this I set out to get my own garage organized.

Our single car garage is used for everything from winter tire storage, gardening, automotive, trash removal as well as seasonal storage and sports gear. Here’s a photo of our garage before I got started with my husband acting as my assistant. (And yes, we are still married after working on this project together!)  I had already cleared out quite a bit of stuff but there was still more de-cluttering and organizing to be done. Plus, I wasn’t happy with the current set up and was looking for an inexpensive improvement.

Cluttered Garage Before Organizing

I detest clearing snow off my car in the winter so my goal was to get my car in this space. We replaced the wooden shelving (which is not a good idea for garages due to the moisture and potential mold and rot issue) with heavy duty resin shelving and also used floating shelf brackets for blue box storage and organization. After setting aside items for donation and trash we were able to organize the garage using the new shelving unit and newly acquired brackets and hooks to hang items mostly on one side of the garage.  Here is our garage once we completed the improvements.

I’m very pleased with the end result and thrilled that my car can now fit right into the garage with ample room for me to maneuver. I’m not parking in there at the moment, but you can bet your booty I will be come November!

5 Tips to Getting and Staying Organized at Home

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Getting and staying organized at home is not always easy.  If you want to go from clutter to calm, here are a few inexpensive tips to get you started.

1. An old wooden stepladder is a creative way to hold bath and hand towels in a small bathroom where cupboards are non-existent.  You can event paint it to match your decor!

2. Small empty jam jars are a great way to contain cotton swabs, cotton balls and other essential and small hygiene items.

3. Takeout restaurant menus can be stored in a handy binder rather than clogging up one of the few kitchen drawers you have.

4. A coffee table that can double as a storage bench/ottoman is a great way to store video games and accessories, throws or even board games.

5. Instruction manuals (we all seem to have a lot of those) can be stored in either a binder or a clear lidded bin or basket.  I prefer the latter because then I don’t have to fuss with a binder and can just toss the manual easily into a bin.  How often do you really refer to them anyway? And don’t forget to purge the manuals yearly or when you replace old or broken merchandise.

 

3 Steps To Organize & Store Vital Documents

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I am amazed at how many of my clients do not have a system in place for organizing and storing their important papers.  I work with many individuals in creating and organizing home offices and this seems to be a consistent theme.  In order to prevent the loss of vital information there are a few steps you can take to protect your family.

First, collect and gather all your vital papers, such as wills, certificates for marriage and birth, passports, insurance policies, etc.

Secondly, anything that you find you reference frequently (such as SIN cards or medical records) should be photocopied.  You can then reference your copies rather than the originals. I also recommend that all vital documents be scanned and stored electronically (and backed up) for ease of reference when needed.

Lastly, the originals of all your vital documents that are rarely used should be stored in a safe and secure place.  This can be either a bank safety deposit box or a safe within your home, bolted to the floor.  The safe should of course be fireproof and waterproof and out of sight.

Most importantly, remember to tell someone you trust where you have stored your vital documents.

 

How To Never Lose Your Keys Again

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How many times have you been in this situation? You’re rushing around your home getting ready for an appointment, running a bit late when at last you are ready to go when you realize you don’t have your keys! Panic strikes.  Your heart drops and you think “where the heck did I put them?” In this state of panic it’s even harder to think straight and remember anything.  If only you had some system of organization for your keys to prevent this scenario ever again.

What you need is a home for your keys.  It could be as simple as hanging a hook inside your front door or placing a bowl or tray on your front hall table (f you have one) in which to deposit the keys each and every time you come home. The keys need to have a place to be deposited and not simply lying on a table – they need to be contained in something.  And most importantly, this new home for your keys needs to be very visible to you and easy to access as soon as you walk in the door.  Once you have the home for your keys set up you then need to build a new and consistent behavior as soon as you walk in the door. This does take practice but with effort and a sincere desire not to relive the “I can’t find my keys” scenario, it will work.