6 Key Back To School Organizing Tips

Where did the summer go? I know summer doesn’t officially end until late September but for a lot of you summer ends when the kids go back to school so I trust you’ll enjoy the last few weeks you have left!

Take these last few weeks to get your children organized and ready for school with these back to school organizing tips.

Train for bed times now

The young ones have been having a blast all summer long with extended bed times, sleeping in and irregular meal times. Now is the time to start getting them back into the habit of bed times and getting up earlier. You don’t want the chaos of sleeping in on the first day. Slowly start to get them to bed earlier in the coming weeks to prepare them for the first day of school.

Set up a central station

Assign an area in the home where everyone knows where he or she can get more supplies for school.

Homework station

Keep a charger there as well for cell phones, tablets and laptops. No more “Hey mom, where is …” Notes can also be posted there for all to see. Make sure they check this area each morning if you are off to work before they leave for school.

Get the homework area ready now

Set up a homework area in the home and get it stocked with the usual supplies – pens, paper, chargers – that they are going to need to complete their homework. This area shouldn’t be in their bedroom. There are too many distractions that will take away from completing their assignments.

Go thru the clothes now

Perhaps the biggest challenge for any parent at this time of year is going through your child’s clothes to determine what still fits and what needs to go. How much taller has your child grown over the summer?

Kids clothes closet

I used to love going shopping for back to school clothes with my mom. We would come home and go through all my clothes to determine what could be donated or handed down before the new clothes were put away.

Ensure emergency numbers are handy

Kids are getting phones at a much earlier age now and there are arguments for and against but if your child is old enough and responsible enough to have a phone, make sure you have stored the emergency phone numbers in their phone. These should include your home number, cell number and work numbers as well as an alternate family member. Store them in the favourites so one touch of the screen can get them assistance if required.

“Tween” kit

There are times when I’m glad I didn’t have to raise girls. Their needs are much different than boys, especially during the “tween” phase. Help them during this time by preparing a kit containing must have items. Lip balm, deodorant, minimal make up, feminine products and maybe even a small amount of cash are some of the items these girls may need throughout the day. Pack it all in a small bag that they can carry in their backpack or purse.

Going back to school can be a chaotic time in the household. Follow these tips to keep chaos at bay. At ClutterBGone we have helped a lot of families get organized for back to school. Contact us here to see how we can assist you.

Breaking The Cycle Of Clutter and Chronic Disorganization – A Case Study

 

Decluttering Services Toronto

Not that long ago we were tasked with helping a client and her family declutter and organize their home. This was a special job in that both the husband and the wife had come from a background of severe clutter in their respective family homes where they grew up. In fact, both came from homes that bordered on hoarding and were never taught the benefits of an organized home let alone how to get organized.

If you don’t live in an organized home or teach your children the benefits of being organized, the lack of organization can easily contribute to poor grades in school and may end up affecting your performance on the job in the future.

Our clients realized the importance of home organization and, with a newborn in their home, they wanted to get organized, stay organized and teach this important skill to their own child. They saw their parents living in a state of clutter and chaos their whole lives, never inviting anyone into their home for fear of being embarrassed, so our clients decided to put an end to the cycle.

organized childs room

When living at their respective family homes they themselves developed their own social anxieties and felt shame when having friends over to play. They did not want this cycle to continue.

It was hard for them at first, having a team go through the house, working with them to sort, categorize, de-clutter and at times challenge them on what they wanted to keep or where they wanted to keep it.

Decluttering and organizing isn’t just throwing items away. It’s a process of determining what is important to you, thinking about how you function in your home, what is essential, and setting up a system that works for you in order to maintain a clutter free home after our work is completed.

We pride ourselves in being friends to the environment as well so any items that are leaving the home will be looked at for possible sale or donation before it’s deemed suitable for the trash.

Our clients were determined to see this project through and quickly became part of our team working alongside us as well as being the final decision makers. They saw that we were non-judgemental and our only aim was to ensure that we accomplished their goal of creating a clutter-free, organized and functional home that they would be proud to entertain in and have their child’s friends come over to play without embarrassment.

Teamwork

With the help of a few clear bins of various sizes, we found a home for all the necessary and important items and left our clients with a system that works for them and is relatively low maintenance. We even arranged for the removal of items that were leaving the house.

“I feel like it is a miracle that we have found your company, who non-judgmentally, works with us, and allows us to get to a better sense of self-worth as it relates to controlling our clutter and developing a welcoming safe haven for our child to grow up in. ” Their words, not ours.

I can’t think of a job that we’ve completed where we didn’t feel like we had helped our clients surpass their goals and complement their lives. I’ve said it before and I’ll say it again – We love what we do! We have a passion and drive to transform our client’s lives.

Boost Your Productivity & Get Organized At Work

 

office interior

The workplace is fast-paced with a lot to do each day and we all want to be more productive. It’s not as hard to be productive as you may think with these simple ideas.

Clean up your desk

This may sound way too obvious, but many of you start your day with a cluttered desk and spend precious time getting things in order before you can start your day. Make sure you have the necessary items to keep your desk clean and clear and put them all away when you’re done. Remember the old saying, “cluttered desk, cluttered mind”.

Clean up your computer

Another obvious one but I have seen so many computers with so many icons you don’t know where to start to look for a file.

computer screen

Keep your screen clear for easy access to files and less visual distractions. File electronically when you can and delete email that you don’t need right away.

Make a list for your next day

I like lists and I don’t know how anybody can get things done without one. It gives me a sense of accomplishment to cross a completed task off the list. Take a minute each morning and make a list of the tasks that you need to complete during the day. Make sure that your list is manageable meaning you should be able to complete them all that day. Knowing what you have to do and the time in which to do them will help keep you focused.

Start early if you are constantly interrupted

I know for many of you, your day is already long but if you have one of those jobs where interruptions are expected perhaps start your day a little earlier before those “interruptions” start arriving. You would be surprised at how much you can get accomplished when left alone.

Look at email 3 times per day

Email is both a blessing and a curse. You can be to the point with an email avoiding all the niceties and avoid a prolonged phone call with it, but it can also be very distracting with the notifications, junk email and the sheer number of emails you receive.

email-marketing1

Reduce the number of times you check your email to 3 per day. The start of day, after lunch and mid-afternoon, are great times to check your email and stay focused on other tasks at hand. Turn your notifications off unless you are expecting a very important email to come.

Be healthy at work

While chained to your desk it’s certainly difficult to remain healthy at work. Get up and move around occasionally. Will your boss spring for one of those stand-up desks or an ergonomic chair? How about a live plant at your work station? They help clean the air and 12% of people with live plants in the office actually feel more relaxed at work.

Find your productive time

Not all of us have the same time of day when we feel most productive. Find your sweet spot and try to tackle the harder tasks at that time of day. You won’t be able to give your best to a task if you’re not at your peak.

Being organized will reduce wasted time and will have a big impact on your productivity. If you find it challenging to stay organized in the work place try these suggestions and let me know how you make out after a few short weeks.

Organizing Statistics That Will Surprise You

Tidy-modern-living-room

As a Professional Organizer, I’m always reading about the effect of clutter and disorganization on personal and professional lives. I thought that I’d share a few statistics that surprised even me.

You all probably know the 80/20 rule in business. 80% of your sales come from 20% of your stock or inventory numbers. Well, the same rule applies to your home. 80% of what we keep rarely, if ever, gets used. Before you make that purchase make sure you’re going to get good use out of it, no matter what it is. And remember my golden rule for clothing – one in = one out.

Paper organized 2

Almost a quarter of adults surveyed (23%) admitted that they regularly paid bills late because they lost the bill. And almost all of these had incurred late fees as a result. A system needs to be set up so you have instant access to your unpaid bills and you know when they are due. After that, a filing system needs to be in place to file these paid bills.

Save money and protect your credit score by paying your bills on time.

Here’s a stat that I love to see. The TLC series Clean Sweep conducted a survey a few years back that indicated that 90% of Americans were planning on organizing a part of their life that year. 81% planned on performing a spring-cleaning and 74% of those were doing so because they were tired of clutter in their lives.

Most people planned to pare down their wardrobe first followed by a purge of the hall closet. Can you guess the one thing most people would never get rid of? Photos of their children.

Several years ago a Boston marketing firm conducted a study that found that the average North American wastes 55 minutes a day looking for things. These are things they know they have but can’t find. That works out to over 2 days a year. Would you like to get this time back by being a little better organized?

quality time

In the average home getting rid of clutter will result in about 40% less housework. Who wouldn’t want that? It’s estimated that 80% of the clutter in most homes is a result of being disorganized and not having enough space.

I can’t count the number of people we have assisted who have been amazed at the space they actually have once we get them organized and leave them with a plan to stay organized. No need to move thinking you have outgrown your home.

Lastly, the US Department of Energy estimated that 25% of people who own a two car garage don’t park any cars in there at all and that 32% of owners only parked one car there. We have all seen the people who use their garages as man caves with the TV’s and smoking areas but we have all also seen the garages packed to the rafters with personal belongings. The garage is probably one of the worst areas to store goods with the changing temperatures in our country, the dusty conditions and the concrete floor that attracts moisture. If you fall into this latter category we can help you find the space you need.

I hope you found these stats as interesting as I did. I will post a few interesting statistics on offices shortly. Stay tuned for that. In the meantime, if you need help organizing any part of your home we’re here to help. Just contact me here.

 

The Difference Between Time Management And Getting Organized

 

time-management-clock

We have assisted many individuals and small offices in getting organized so they can work more effectively, find things easier and live or work in a less cluttered state. Once this is done the challenge now becomes how to manage your time, as time management and organization go hand in hand.

Busy vs. Overwhelmed
We are all judged on the actual results we produce rather than the number of hours we spend doing something or “looking busy”. Stay focused on the task at hand and minimize multi-tasking as few of us are actually very good at being able to give our all to more than one task at a time. Clutter around us is a distraction that often interrupts our focus and reduces our effectiveness on the task we are trying to complete.

Priorities And Prime Time
Identify when you feel that you are at your peak during the day. When do you feel the most productive?

Time management

Are you a morning or an afternoon person? Save the really important stuff for this time so you can give it your best. If it is really important don’t give it anything else.

Maintain Balance
Work can easily consume us and have a negative effect on both social and family lives. A Boston College Center survey confirmed that executives who are able to balance work and personal life are less stressed, feel more successful and can manage both their work and personal lives much easier. Find the balance, reduce the stress and enjoy life!

The Benefits Of Setting Goals
Setting goals is important for all aspects of your life. How else can you identify the priorities or the things that require your time now and what can wait? Schedule time for yourself, write it down in your planner and use that time to work on those priorities.

Goal

Make sure this time is blocked out and ensure that you are not disturbed. Setting goals will make you work smarter and allow you to manage your time more effectively. Achieving those goals will give you a sense of accomplishment and increase your chance of success in your personal and business life.

Personal Policies
I think it is very important to establish our own personal policies in both our personal life and our work life. These policies can help us achieve our goals and should be policies we believe in and live by. A business policy could be simply that you will not work on weekends or no more than 2 evenings a week in order to help balance your work and family time. Or perhaps you are always working on large projects so one project must be handed off if another more important project is brought to you. Personal policies can include not snacking after dinner or donating a certain amount to your favorite charity each month. Policies should be used as guidelines and feel free to change them as circumstances dictate. There may be times when working more than you want to is required and will benefit the family life.

Use these tools to bring more balance to your life, to get you more focused and organized and to reduce stress. Let us know how you make out.

The Process of Organizing – 5 Easy Steps To Follow

time_to_organize

In any business, organizing is a process of establishing work required, the flow of work and grouping of activities related to that work. It really isn’t that different when you apply this to your home or small office.

In the professional organizing industry we like to use the acronym SPACE – Sort, Purge, Assign, Containerize and Evaluate. These 5 basic principles will guide you through the organizing process and allow you to organize pretty much anything.

Sort: This is where you evaluate your items that you wish to organize and sort them into broad categories, placing like items with like items. You can then further sort your broad categories into smaller ones.

Sort

For instance, if you’re sorting clothing, begin with placing all your long, short and sleeveless tops in one pile then further refine it into 3 separate piles: one for sleeveless, one for short sleeve, and one for long sleeve. This will help you clearly see how much you have of each type of item.

I recently sorted my husband’s tee shirts in this exact same way. He was surprised at just how many tee shirts he had and was able to purge which included quite a few shirts he just doesn’t wear any longer.

Purge: Purge can sound like a lot of things to a lot of people and can be scary to some, but think of it as the stage where you decide what will stay and what will go. It does not have to mean these are the items you are throwing out in the garbage. We want to keep as much out of the landfill as possible. Make separate piles for items you are going to donate (it can be a charity or to family); put away (those items that belong in another room or space); sell (via an on-line sale site, garage sale, second-hand store, etc.) or throw away (items for garbage or recycle). Don’t be too sentimental with items. After all, you are going through this process for a reason.

Assign : This is where you determine the best place to store items based on how you function on a daily basis. Ask yourself these questions: Where is this supposed to be stored? Where is the most convenient place for me to keep this where it is most often used or needed? Give some thought as to how you work, what your reach limitations are, etc. Don’t put items away that you need often and have to get the step ladder out for.

Containerize: Once you have completed the previous steps, you can shop your own home or office for the appropriate sized containers, or go out shopping for the containers you need to adequately store the items you have. Remember to store items in containers using the smallest possible container that will house all of the items in a particular category.

storing-winter-clothes-white-way-dry-cleaner

Try to always use clear totes to easily identify what is inside and always label containers. Choose decorative bins and baskets if you wish that will fit in with your décor if these are to be left out.

Evaluate: Now that you have completed the first four steps of the process you need to conduct regular on-going evaluations to maintain the organization that you have now implemented in your space.

These processes will give you a good start on your next project in getting organized so you can calm the chaos. Get your project started and let me know how you’re making out. I would love to hear from you.

10 Hidden Spots To Find Extra Storage

Hidden storage

 

The truth about storage is that you can never have enough. As an organizational specialist, I am constantly thinking about new and creative ways to bring more storage to your home or office. It doesn’t matter whether your space is small or large.

Even in a larger home you’ll find you seem to grow into your home, perhaps buying more than you need simply because you think you have more space. As a result, we are always thinking of new ways to store it, stack it or stow it away.

When considering storage options, keep your lifestyle in mind and you can develop rooms that are both sensible and cozy. Here are my ten hidden spots to find extra storage in your home:

  1. Wall partitions with built-in storage compartments

Sometimes you need a divide and conquer approach to cater your space to specific tasks and that suit the many needs of your family. Wall partitions are great because they not only serve to separate zones in your living space but can also be aesthetically pleasing, functional and an efficient method to store anything from books to games, decorative items, and photos.

Give yourself permission to not fill every nook and cranny. Keeping spaces open and clutter-free is the key to making this work.

  1. Vintage suitcases

Vintage leather or wicker suitcases can be stacked to serve as an end table or coffee table and also provide hidden storage for your video or CD collection, photos or files.

storage_-_suitcase

It’s a great, inexpensive way to achieve that extra storage space and create an interesting design element as well.

  1. Headboards with storage shelves

The idea here is to have pieces that are multifunctional. Especially if you’re challenged with storage.

  1. End tables or coffee tables with shelving underneath

These are great for storage of family board games or cards, videos and even those remote controls that we all seem to have a lot of.

Stylish containers with lids can be stored in the shelving and can upgrade your room’s style and serve to hide items like toys and DVD’s. More décor appealing items such as books and throws can be kept in open bins to be more visible. Choosing containers with a single, beautiful material can cut down on visual clutter.

  1. Empty luggage

Empty luggage can serve as storage for off-season clothing if your closets cannot accommodate all of your belongings. Why have empty suitcases lying around if you could fill them with your off-season items? Simply fold your off-season clothing neatly, place in the suitcase and store either under your bed, under a staircase, in the bedroom or any other space in which they will fit.

  1. Storage ottomans

These are a big favourite of mine for quick and easy storage.

Storage-Ottoman-With-Tray-Fabric

Not only with tops that open, but the ones with lids that flip upside down for multi-functional use as a tray/side table. Once again, think multi-functional, especially if you’re in a tight space.

  1. Baskets

They come in every conceivable shape and size and can be utilized next to a chair, under a bench or stool, inside a closet and even attached to a wall. They can hold everything from photos, extra paper, toys and even towels. Use them in bathrooms to store extra toilet tissue if there are no cabinets, or attach them to the wall easily with a couple of screws and they can house bath products, tissue, towels and more!

  1. Benches

Benches that open are another great secret storage space. With a safety latch, your kids may even think this is a great hiding place! Use one in your front entry, placing baskets inside and store hats, mitts, scarves and even your pet items for easy access when you go out the door.

  1. Trunks

Steamer trunks can serve as both a coffee table, an extra place for linen storage or serve as a great costume/tickle trunk for dress up. Make sure you have a safety latch on these trunks as the lids can be quite heavy for small children.

  1. Architectural columns

Hollow architectural columns are a great idea if you are doing some renovating and are looking for a creative way to add extra storage. Make them hollow and you can add shelves or a door on either side.

Modern Home Interior Columns Room Divider Ideas Book Storage

If you paint them the same colour as the walls they will not stand out as much and actually blend into the walls.

Stretch the storage and function of your spaces. Because small spaces can quickly turn into over-stuffed messes, organizing your space with creative solutions can go a long way to conquering the clutter.

If you are looking to simplify your home, find secret storage spaces and get rid of clutter, these ten tips for finding new spots to store everyday items will help you get organized so you have more time to relax, enjoy every day and then spend more time on the things that matter the most to you.

The Right Way To Organize Your Papers

Hands searching through file folders with personal finance documents

When computers were first introduced, they were going to save the planet with all the paper they were going to reduce. Everything would be stored on computers and trees would be saved.

Well, many years later I think we’re producing more paper than ever and organizing all that paper is still a big challenge for many of you. Let me help you with some ideas on how to organize, and reduce much of that paper.

Deal with it now

The best way to organize paper of course is to deal with it as it arrives through your door. Rather than placing everything into an in box and getting around to looking after it later, deal with it when it comes into your home or office. Separate the junk from the required paper as soon as it arrives and recycle what you can. This will save you time in filing later and reduce the urge to save what’s not needed.

Go paperless

Easy to say for those that embrace technology but many of us have a reliance on being able to touch and keep paper. It’s a tactile thing.

Paper organized 2

Take a real hard look at the paper that comes into your home each month and decide what you really have to have in paper form. Most of your bills can be sent to you electronically and can be paid that way too. If you have to save a copy for your records save the electronic copy to your computer where it can be stored and easily retrieved. Voila! Less paper right there.

Scan it and file electronically

If receiving your bills electronically isn’t for you than perhaps you want to scan the document after you have dealt with it and file it away on your computer. Dispose of the paper copy after it’s been scanned of course so you aren’t duplicating your filing system. Now you still have the document and it’s not taking up any space.

The “cloud”

For you “techies” you can store documents in the cloud.

Cloud-with-three-laptops-connected-to-it

There are a host of secure sites that will allow you to store documents, pictures and a host of other things on servers that are maintained by companies like Apple and Google. Most of these sites will give you a certain amount of free storage that will generally fit your needs for quite a while.

Simplify

Filing and maintaining paper is not your favourite chore. Keep it simple to reduce the time spent filing and accessing paper. Rather than filing everything away alphabetically, create sub sections like Utilities, Taxes, Auto Expenses and similar. Create your files within these subsections to save time when filing and retrieving.

Make it a habit

Maintenance is the key to everything and filing is no different. Allot some time each month to review your files and toss what’s not needed. Discard the oldest statement when filing the newest and perform a good purge at the start of each year.

Paper can easily get out of control but with a little bit of discipline and utilizing some of these ideas you can better control the paper monster that you have in your home. If you aren’t up to the challenge of taming your paper clutter contact me at ClutterBGone to learn how we can assist you.

Time Management And Getting Organized At Work

organize-office-pg

We have worked with many individuals and small offices in getting organized so they can work more effectively, find things easier and live or work in a less cluttered state. Once this is done the challenge now becomes how to manage your time as time management and organization do go hand in hand.

Here are some time management tips to get you on the right track.

Busy vs. overwhelmed

We are all judged on the actual results we produce rather than the number of hours we spend doing something or “looking busy”. Stay focused on the task at hand and minimize multi-tasking as few of us are actually very good at being able to give your all to more than one task at a time. Clutter around us is a distraction that often interrupts our focus and reduces our effectiveness on the task we are trying to complete.

Priorities and prime time

Identify when you feel that you are at your peak during the day. When do you feel the most productive? Are you a morning or an afternoon person?

priorities

Save the really important stuff for this time so you can give it your best. If it is really important don’t give it anything less.

Maintain balance

Work can easily consume us and have a negative effect on both social and family lives. A Boston College Center survey confirmed that executives who are able to balance work and personal life are less stressed, feel more successful and can manage both their work and personal lives much easier. Find the balance, reduce the stress and enjoy life!

Benefits of setting goals

Setting goals is important for all aspects of your life. How else can you identify the priorities or the things that require your time now and what can wait? Schedule time for yourself, write it down in your planner, and use that time to work on those priorities.

Goals1

Make sure this time is blocked out and ensure that you’re not disturbed. Setting goals will make you work smarter and allow you to manage your time more effectively. Achieving those goals will give you a sense of accomplishment and increase your chance of success in your personal and business life.

Personal policies

It’s very important to establish our own personal policies in both your personal life and your work life. These policies can help you achieve your goals and should be policies you believe in and live by. A business policy could be simply that you will not work on weekends or no more than 2 evenings a week in order to help balance your work and family time. Or perhaps you’re always working on large projects so one project must be handed off if another more important project is brought to you.

Personal policies can include not snacking after dinner or donating a certain amount to your favourite charity each month. Policies should be used as guidelines and feel free to change them as circumstances dictate. There may be times when working more than you want to is required and will benefit the family life.

Use these tools to bring more balance to your life, to get you more focused and organized and to reduce stress. Let us know how you make out!

Exactly What Can A Professional Organizer Do?

Organized bedroom

When you hire a professional organizer you aren’t just hiring someone to come in and tell you what to keep and what to get rid of. A Professional Organizer does so much more. Most of us are trained by and are part of, the Professional Organizers in Canada.

We work with many different types of clients and deal with all sorts of situations in a professional and caring manner.

Besides the organizing and downsizing assistance that we provide, here’s a list of other services and knowledge that we bring to every client.

Moving assistance

A Professional Organizer can help you with moving, whether it’s you that is moving across town or across the country or whether you’re arranging for a loved one to downsize or move to another residence. We have the experience and training to pack safely and help you downsize and stay organized at the same time.

Organizing your crafts and hobbies

Many of you have hobbies and collections that take up a lot of space.

A Professional Organizer can help you display your treasures better, pack it for you or set up a system to help you keep track of what you love, all your supplies, materials and artistic endeavors saving you time to spend on your craft.

Home offices

Most homes now have an office that is used by the entire family to pay bills, spend leisure time on the computer or even connect to work. As a Professional Organizer, we specialize in getting filing systems implemented that work for you and your family.

home-office-desk-and-furniture

We also endeavor to create a system of paper organization such that should you become ill, someone else in your family or circle or friends can easily step right in and take over for you when you cannot.

We organize spaces to make you more productive and efficient and save you tons of time.

Small business offices

Document control, filing systems and productivity are a specialty of ours and we come into your office and first, see how you and all your staff work to come up with a system that works for all and gets the most productivity out of your office. We care for the environment and while we do that we initiate recycling and shredding policies and re-purpose items whenever possible.

As a Professional Organizer, we are sensitive to and protective of the environment and have a long list of partners and service providers that can assist if you wish to donate, sell or recycle a lot of what you have but no longer require. We can’t take it away ourselves but we do have reliable business contacts that can.

We are sensitive to your needs

We understand that for some clients it can be a bit embarrassing to ask for our help but that’s what we’re here for and that’s what we live for, to help you and transform your space and your life.

Organized space

We’re non-judgmental and also have experience in working with people that have hoarding tendencies, ADHD or just don’t have enough time, desire or physical ability to do it themselves. Sometimes you just need to bring in a professional.

In times of bereavement

When a loved one passes it can be difficult to tackle the possessions that they have left behind. Emotions can often make it difficult to take this on yourself. A Professional Organizer can take the reins to coordinate the sale, consignment or donation of items in the home paying particular attention to the wishes of the family.

These are just some of the many specialized services that professional organizers can provide. If you feel overwhelmed by an organizing dilemma, you don’t have to tackle it alone. Contact ClutterBGone here for an assessment for any of your organizing, downsizing or de-cluttering needs.