Wow! Finally the day has come. I’ve been intending on starting this blog for months now, but like many, I’ve felt intimidated by technology and the whole concept around “blogging”. But here I am, now amongst a million other “bloggers”. The whole foundation of my business is based on honesty, integrity and client satisfaction. Therefore, with this blog, my goal is to keep you posted on what’s happening in the world of professional organizers, special organizing projects, keeping you updated on organizing trends & tips, and give you some insight into the organizing projects I come across along the way. I also want to hear from you! What exciting or interesting organizing projects have you started this past week? I’d love to hear about them.
With September just around the corner, business is booming! There is a whole new set of challenges with getting the kids organized and back to school. With that in mind have you thought about how you plan on handling all that paper that comes home with your children? Here’s a back to school idea for handling the precious artwork they create.
As parents we often have a spot on the fridge for their artwork to be displayed. Once a month, go through the pieces with your children and ask them to choose which ones they’re ready to recycle and re-purpose. Through this process your kids will learn to pick out their special treasures and learn that some things are no longer valuable to them but can be re-purposed for other things. Why not recycle their art work into gift wrapping for others! For those treasured pieces of art that they choose to keep rather than re-purpose, assign a special coloured tote box to be kept in his or her bedroom closet. Each week, those pieces of art that do not make it to the recycle or re-purpose box are added to this tote. At the end of the school year, make some popcorn and help your child to go through his or her tote, review their school year and pick out their 12 most favoured artwork treasures which will be kept as their memories for the year. Store them face down in the tote. Then start the process over again for the next school year, placing the new year’s artwork face up instead. This way, when you review at the end of the year, you only go down into the pile until you reach the ones that are face down, and repeat the editing process again. Have fun, take pride in the treasures your little ones create and know that it’s ok not to keep every single piece.
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Garage Organizing – Simple Finale
/2 Comments/in Home Organizing /by ClutterBGoneThis past Sunday I completed the installation of the various items to get my son’s garage organized. Being a recently new home owner, there wasn’t an issue of an over abundance of items, but rather simply the need to organize the garage in a simple and convenient, no fuss manner for him so it could remain tidy, be efficient, and function well with his newly found hobby of stripping down classic cars. We purchased very few products and built a couple of easy shelves, organizing the garage into a section for automotive materials and tools on one side, and sports and garden equipment on the other, with a simple garbage and recycle centre in the middle. Here is a picture of the garage before we started:
And here’s a couple of pictures of the garage after we finished:
As you can see, it was a no fuss, simple, low cost and straight forward solution that achieved exactly what he wanted. And best of all was the smile on his face when he walked out into the garage to see the end result! And of course the hug I received. Now that for me, was priceless.
Downsizing And Discovery
/5 Comments/in Downsizing /by ClutterBGoneIf you’re downsizing as a result of an impending move, and you’ve lived a long time with plenty of space, when you sort through and begin culling your belongings it might well become a trip down memory lane. Many of my clients find unfinished crochet or knitting projects, unused art supplies and such along the way. This often provides inspiration to return to hobbies that have been lost. When this happens, I suggest that you create a special nook just for your hobby, such as finding a place for your easel or weaving rack in your new home. Bring these wonderful creative activities back to a place of prominence in your life by giving them a prominent place in your new space.
Garage Organizing Project Update
/2 Comments/in Home Organizing /by ClutterBGoneThis week has gone by incredibly fast. I completed my last bit of shopping for the garage makeover for my son and will be completing the installations and the organization this Sunday. I’m probably more excited than he is right now! Stay tuned as I’ll be taking photos and posting them on the Gallery page. And here’s a quick tip for your garage: install a small hand towel bar on the wall closest to the interior door to your home and hang an old towel. That way whenever you go into the garage you always have a towel handy to do a quick wipe of your hands to keep knobs and doors clean of grease and grime.
Organizing For Back to School – Inspirational
/0 Comments/in Home Organizing, Organizing with Kids /by ClutterBGoneHere’s something inspiring for your day to day living, especially now that the kids are back to school. Place a storage bench or ottoman (Martha Stewart brand has a neat one) close to your front door for your kids accessories, such as knapsack, gloves, hats, etc. This also gives you and them a place to sit while putting on shoes and boots.
Garbage Organization – Can Conundrum
/2 Comments/in Home Organizing /by ClutterBGoneOkay, so here’s the thing. I’m not lazy by any stretch of the imagination. In fact, truth be told, the extreme opposite would apply. Yet, I have an issue with our garbage can in the garage that drives me nuts. I have purposely situated the can inside the garage, lid off, directly beside the door going into the house. This way when I empty the kitchen garbage bag I can simply walk to the garage door, open it and toss the garbage bag right into the can without having to walk down the two stairs into the garage and get my feet or slippers dirty. But lately, in the heat of the summer, my husband (the helpful soul that he is) has been putting the lid on the can to control the garbage odors that I so detest. This act of kindness has resulted in my extreme frustration at no longer being able to just toss my garbage into the can. Here I was trudging down into the garage to do the dirty work. So here comes the part where they say “be careful what you wish for”. Today, the garbage can lid is now off because…………wait for it…………..the heat is no longer an issue. September has sprung, prematurely, with a string of chilly days. Although I’m happy I’m back to easily tossing my garbage into the can, I’m not so happy that it’s because the nice summer weather seems to have disappeared. Too bad for me. I wonder what other people do with their smelly garbage cans in their garage in the summer?
Editing Your Clothing – Donation Boxes – Beware!
/19 Comments/in Home Organizing /by ClutterBGoneI’ve cautioned my clients numerous times with respect to contributing clothing to donation boxes, but with The Toronto Star reporting on this today, it deserves a further mention. Many “charity” donation boxes you see sitting in parking lots are not truly going to needy persons. Many times they are unlicensed and situated there by disreputable persons who collect the clothing for themselves to be resold in consignment stores or exported with cost. This results in legitimate charities being disadvantaged. So whenever you are making a clothing or other type of donation to these charity boxes you see in parking lots around the city, carefully read what is on the box and look for a reputable name, such as Goodwill or the Diabetes Association with a contact number to call to confirm if you are in doubt. If the box simply says “Clothing Donations” I would be hesitant to use it. Of course, you can always drop off your donations at any Goodwill Thrift Store or call the Diabetes Association who have regular pick up times for clothing items and they will come right to your door!
Deals On Organizing Products
/0 Comments/in Misc /by ClutterBGoneI’m always on the lookout for great prices on products that either I or my clients can use for organizing home or office. This week Canadian Tire has a sale on a 5 tier resin shelf at 50% off. I’m purchasing this item to organize the automotive items for my son’s garage but it’s also very useful for a basement pantry, cold storage (especially because resin is not affected by moisture as a wood or metal cabinet would be), and basically anywhere shelving is needed in basement or garage. Another product on sale this week is at Staples. Its the DYMO label maker (50% off)- great for labelling all your bins, baskets and shelving. And, with the kids back to school this week, its also a good idea to label their personal items as well.
Garage Organizing Project
/2 Comments/in Home Organizing /by ClutterBGoneThis past week has gone by incredibly fast! I have a number of new projects on the go, one of which is organizing a garage for someone special: my son. He recently purchased an old classic car which he plans on tearing down and renovating. This means getting organized in the garage so he can work efficiently and find what he needs when he needs it. One of the main points in garage organizing is to look up. Sometimes we need to reclaim valuable space with overhead storage units. Items that are used infrequently, such as fishing or camping equipment, are great candidates for loft storage. Also, we will be creating a central location to house all automotive equipment and tools needed for this classic car project. A 5 shelf resin storage unit will do the trick. Another area will be created to house his sports gear, such as balls, shoes, hats, bats. A large square net will be affixed to the garage wall which will stretch to accommodate these items very well. We’ll also be using hooks to hold gear off the floor, such as ladders, shovels, and garden equipment. And lastly, we will create a 6 foot workbench along one of the side walls above which we will be constructing two 6 foot shelving units to hold large automotive parts. I’m looking forward to getting this completed for him in the next couple of weeks and will post some photos for you to see.
Welcome to my organizing blog!
/5 Comments/in Home Organizing, Organizing with Kids /by ClutterBGoneWow! Finally the day has come. I’ve been intending on starting this blog for months now, but like many, I’ve felt intimidated by technology and the whole concept around “blogging”. But here I am, now amongst a million other “bloggers”. The whole foundation of my business is based on honesty, integrity and client satisfaction. Therefore, with this blog, my goal is to keep you posted on what’s happening in the world of professional organizers, special organizing projects, keeping you updated on organizing trends & tips, and give you some insight into the organizing projects I come across along the way. I also want to hear from you! What exciting or interesting organizing projects have you started this past week? I’d love to hear about them.
With September just around the corner, business is booming! There is a whole new set of challenges with getting the kids organized and back to school. With that in mind have you thought about how you plan on handling all that paper that comes home with your children? Here’s a back to school idea for handling the precious artwork they create.
As parents we often have a spot on the fridge for their artwork to be displayed. Once a month, go through the pieces with your children and ask them to choose which ones they’re ready to recycle and re-purpose. Through this process your kids will learn to pick out their special treasures and learn that some things are no longer valuable to them but can be re-purposed for other things. Why not recycle their art work into gift wrapping for others! For those treasured pieces of art that they choose to keep rather than re-purpose, assign a special coloured tote box to be kept in his or her bedroom closet. Each week, those pieces of art that do not make it to the recycle or re-purpose box are added to this tote. At the end of the school year, make some popcorn and help your child to go through his or her tote, review their school year and pick out their 12 most favoured artwork treasures which will be kept as their memories for the year. Store them face down in the tote. Then start the process over again for the next school year, placing the new year’s artwork face up instead. This way, when you review at the end of the year, you only go down into the pile until you reach the ones that are face down, and repeat the editing process again. Have fun, take pride in the treasures your little ones create and know that it’s ok not to keep every single piece.