Creating organization out of chaos in a 2 bedroom home

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Dining LR Before The wonderful aspect of my career in organizing and downsizing with clients is the tremendous and positive feedback received during the entire process. One client in particular that I have been working with for the last few weeks has experienced an amazing transformation, both in her space at home and in her personal life in general.

Embarrassed and unable to enjoy her home

Before she picked up the phone to call me for help she had been living in her rented 2 bedroom home for a few years without being able to actually cook meals in her kitchen, sit down in her living room or work in her office. She rarely had friends or family over as she was embarrassed by the condition of her living space and felt socially isolated in this regard.  A professional career woman with an active sports life, she was not only rarely home to tackle an organizing project, but she was also challenged with complicated family and work issues that appeared to overcome her ability to live in a healthy and functional way.

The beginning of change

Her phone call to me changed her life. Finally being able to see the problem, having the support of family and being in a position to want change to occur she called me for an initial consultation and needs assessment.

She presented as a wonderfully kind and funny individual with a great sense of humour who was clearly struggling to get her life in order.  During the assessment she became quite emotional at times, identified her embarrassment at having me see her place in the state it was yet was excited to get the project started.

Where do we start?

It was easy for me to see where we had to start in her home.  There was an extremely limited amount of storage space available so creativity was the name of the game and we targeted the only actual “storage room” (the furnace/dryer area) to begin. This cluttered, small room was the first space one actually viewed when coming in the front door.  This room had no door itself and with no effective way to store items, everything was haphazardly tossed in with little room to even reach the dryer for laundry. It certainly was not a nice view for the client when coming home from a hectic day at work.

First order of business is to create some storage space

Therefore, before we could even start to organize any other space in her home we first needed to create some functional storage in this particular room.  It currently only had one small shelf and a hanging rod which was beginning to loosen from the wall. In the space was also the dryer, hot water tank, a plethora of sports equipment, clothes, cleaning supplies, foot wear and miscellaneous items that were not readily accessible.

It’s hard for me to explain how excited I was to begin this project. I had wished I could begin that very day however there was some planning to take care of, some homework to assign the client as well as some preliminary items for me to pick up on behalf of the client so we could get that particular space set up, organized and ready for the storage of items that were in fact relevant to this client’s current life.

My client was completely on board with the project, expressed a great amount of enthusiasm and we were both itching to get started! I’m so lucky to be able to make such positive change in my client’s lives. My next few posts will follow this project along as we give this wonderful lady her life back!

Organizing Your Home Using Velcro

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organizing tools and emergency equipment using velcroVelcro can be such a wonderful tool for organizing your home.  Once you play around with it you’ll realize there are dozens of ways you can use it to keep things nice and organized.

Where did Velcro come from?

After examining the burrs left on his clothes while hiking, a Swiss engineer thought that the concept of using hooks and loops to temporarily fasten things together could have commercial use.  Velcro was invented in 1948, though it didn’t see commercial applications until the late 1950’s.

Creative uses for Velcro in your home

While there are lots of creative ways you can use Velcro in your home, below are five organizing ideas that will help get your creative juices flowing.  If you’re going to be using Velcro to attach small and lightweight items, regular Velcro is fine.  For larger and heavier items I recommend you use an industrial version of Velcro.  You can find industrial Velcro at most major hardware stores and you’ll be amazed at how strong it is.

Organizing Your Computer Desk

Oranizing office with velco for hard drive

Computers are great, the cables attached to them and all of their peripherals are not.  You can buy Velcro straps to organize your cables, but you can also use Velcro to organize your power strip, modem and more!  Attach Velcro to the back of these devices and mount them to the underside of your desk and keep your floor neat and free from cables.

Keeping Emergency Tools Handy

organizing tools and emergency equipment using velcro

This was a great tip from Marthastewart.com.  The last thing you need during a blackout is to fumble around the house looking for a flashlight.  Why not keep them handy and within reach?  Keeping a flashlight handy by your electrical panel, at the top of your cellar stairs, and in the garage, is a great way to keep you safe the next time you lose power.

 

Keep Your Drawers Organized

Organizing drawers with velco

Drawer organizers are great, the only problem is that unless they are custom fitted for your drawer, they tend to get banged around every time you open and close the drawer.  Use Velcro buttons to secure your organizers to the bottom of the drawer and have a tidy drawer every time you open it!

Organize Your Crafts

Organizing crafts with velcro

Crafts are fun, though organizing your craft supplies can be quite the challenge.  Keep your craft supplies organized and ready for use by using small Velcro tabs to mount them for easy reach.  Here’s a neat way to mount your Stickles Glitter Glue using Velcro tabs and an acrylic sign holder.

Organize Your Spices

organizing spice rack using velcro

If you love to cook, keeping your spices organized is a must.  Unfortunately, you may have outgrown your spice rack and don’t have the room for your excess spice jars.  You have a lot of available space in your kitchen for your spices, you just need to be creative.  From your cabinet doors to the inside walls of your pantry, those little spice jars can be mounted and organized just about anywhere in your kitchen.

Do you use Velcro to organize your home?

As you can see, there are lots of ways Velcro can organize your home and I have given you just a few suggestions.  Do you have creative ways you’re using Velcro to organize your home?  Leave them in the comments below, I’d love to hear them!

Five Ways to Transform Your Basement Into a Home Office

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Basement office ideasWorking at home can be a wonderful privilege for people who have commitments close to home.Whether you’re at home or in an office building, a dedicated workspace is a must.

Working in a cold basement with linoleum floors and exposed insulation probably isn’t very inspiring or appealing, even if it is the only place in the house that’s unoccupied. However, with some creativity and hard work, that dingy basement can be transformed into an enjoyable, efficient home office suitable for everyday use.

Here are five different ideas for transforming your basement into a comfortable environment for productivity during the day:

The Office in the Closet

This is ideal for the basement that’s already being used for other purposes. A small walk-in closet can easily double as a small study. With mounted shelves (one for a desk and one or more for books and supplies) and a small chair that can be tucked beneath the lowest shelf, you can easily create a work cubicle free of distractions from whatever else is in the basement.

 

The Murphy Bed Office

This office can quickly transform into a guest bedroom. The flip side of this desk, as well as the shelves, actually contain a Murphy bed that can be pulled out and tucked away as needed. Filing cabinets on wheels can be used for additional storage that’s both mobile and efficient.

Source: sunset.com via Mary on Pinterest

 

The Room Within a Room

Perhaps the most ideal type of basement office is the type that’s enclosed within its own room in the basement. The enclosed office can benefit from:

  • Sound proofing.  The walls can be sound proofed so as to avoid disruption from activities happening in the rest of the basement. In addition, the basement ceiling can be sound proofed. Even the type of door chosen for the office can make a difference.
  • Different flooring.   Carpet may seem desirable in this respect. After all, you’re at home, and you want to be comfortable. However hard floors are a better choice for office chairs with wheels, and are more durable. It’s easier to take yourself and your work seriously in an environment that is slightly removed from the rest of the house. After all, your non-working life is just beyond the office door.

 

Source: bhg.com via Jennifer on Pinterest

 

The Alcove Beneath the Stairs

A simple home office design that utilizes seemingly unusable space and allows for a private space for working. A desk, shelves, and storage cabinets and drawers can all coexist to provide an efficient workspace. Or, the entire alcove can be used for storage, and a desk can be placed up against the adjacent wall.

 

The Open Concept Office

Perhaps the simplest design is to have an open concept office in the basement without any walls or doors sectioning it off from the rest of the basement. In the event that the entire basement cannot be used solely for the office, a corner or wall can be used to clearly designate office space. Computer monitors can be mounted onto the wall, along with shelves, in order to save space. The desk can then be placed against the wall, or it can be created with a lower mounted shelf.

 

What Kind of Basement Office do you like?

As you can see, there are lots of great ideas for a basement office.  Which office style do you prefer?  If you would like more great ideas for creating a basement office, check out these great ideas from Pinterest.

Shannon Ryan is the online community manager for the Nusite Group, a Toronto waterproofing company.  You can find more ideas about home renovations by following Nusite on Twitter.

 

Organizing And Tracking Inventory For Businesses

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messy inventory room

If your business involves stock, whether it is products for sale or for manufacturing, keeping track of stock inventory is critical to know what you have, where it’s located and the value of the inventory you have on hand.

Not only is organizing and tracking your inventory important for customer service (to have inventory when you need it), but it’s also important from a financial perspective so you know the value of your inventory. Keeping track of your inventory will alert you to when you need to re order and give you an accurate snapshot of your inventory at any given time.

Maintenance Requires Discipline

Maintaining any inventory system requires discipline in entering all of your transactions and staying current with them. It is recommended that you set aside a few minutes each day for this critical clerical task. Of course, all stock requires a part or stock number with each transaction being posted to your system. If, even just once, you forget to enter stock coming in or going out, the entire system fails.

Inventory Software

Anyone who owns or manages a business that has inventory should consider using inventory software. The best products will allow you to enter and view items using part numbers, let you attach important notes to each item, and help you manage recurring orders that you may have.

What to Look For

If your company keeps an inventory you definitely need to have inventory software to help you stay organized and on top of your stock of products. Inventory software can provide the basics of just keeping track of your inventory, but it can also help you manage customer relationships and even provide you with a calendar for purchasing goods.

Some of the best inventory management software is equipped with a low-level warning system that will alert you when your stock is getting low so you don’t run out of something that is selling well. You also have the ability to see, in real time, what stock you have on hand at another location and keep track of it.  If you offer item kits it’s important to use a program that will allow you to keep an eye on your sales and inventory so that your kits are all accounted for.

Other Features

When searching the for the best inventory program you should consider looking for one that will allow you to build and save your customer and supplier databases. In addition, you should have the ability to set user access rights for employees who need access to the database but don’t need to see sensitive information.

Another important feature is the ability to create and print customized reports, and you should be able to import and export inventory files and reports.

Ease of Use

Your inventory program should be easy for anyone to use. The best inventory software will offer tutorials and on-screen setup guides that will help you to incorporate all of your important information. You should also be able to find help on the manufacturer’s website with ease. Products that offer support without forcing you to buy a separate support package are also something to consider.

Options

There are many affordable software systems available for small businesses. A manual system is one option (the old Kardex system comes to mind) but with software costs being what they are today they are not recommended. Following are three options available to organize and track your inventory.

Inventory Pro ($150.00), rated 5/10, covers all the basics including PDF capability for sending invoices, but does not handle bar codes which is generally not an issue for small business.

In Flow is another option, priced at approximately $300.00, is rated 10/10 for small business but will not run on a Mac.  It does have kitting and financial options available.

Lastly, there is Small Business Inventory Control.  Priced at an affordable $100.00 this program is rated 7/10 and allows for planning as well as lets you know what item or items are slow moving so you can adjust your purchase orders.

So now you have a few ideas to organize and track your inventory.  Ultimately the one you decide to go with depends largely on the volume of your stock and your budget.  Do your research and get the best inventory management system to organize your business inventory.

 

Be The Most Organized Person In The World [Infographic]

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Who wouldn’t want to be organized? From your closets and cupboards to your computer and workplace, being organized can save you a ton of time, money and frustration and make your life easier.

If you want to take your paper piles to files and go from clutter to calm in your home and office you’re in the right place. Your computer is a great place to start, moving from desktop to actual file folders, using a variety of digital applications to help you along the way. And when you are finished with your computer and office, move on to those other clutter hotspots such as your  bedroom, kitchen etc., where clutter and “stuff” tends to pile up when there is no organizational system in place.

There are so many Apps now available to make your life easier and clutter free, why not take advantage of all that is offered up to you!

Check out the Infographic below, on How To Be The Most Organized Person In The World, courtesy of thegreatist.com

 

Infographic on how to be super organized

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

3 Tips To De-clutter & Organize Your Computer

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cluttered computer desktop

When was the last time you tidied up your desktop?

I’m not talking about the piece of furniture that you call your “desk”, but the desktop on your computer.  If you have never done so, or if it’s been so long that you really can’t remember, then it’s definitely time to take care of this organizational task.

Cleaning up your computer doesn’t have to be a scary proposition although I realize it can seem daunting, especially if it’s been a while since the last time you did it. However, by keeping your PC organized you’ll be able to retrieve files faster instead of hunting endlessly for misplaced documents or spending minutes or hours on end scanning and searching through your computer.

Think of your computer desktop as your physical desk.

Let’s start with the basics of your Windows desktop.  If your screen is full of file folders, files and shortcuts, getting rid of this clutter is a good place to start.  Reference tools, items for immediate response and files that you use on a frequent basis can stay.  However old documents, installers, files and programs can either be filed elsewhere or simply be deleted.  Think of your computer desktop just as you would your physical desk.  Most people don’t want to keep piles of paper all over their desk, so why would you want to keep piles all over your computer desktop?

Part of the desk top clean up involves emptying your recycle bin on a regular basis.  Doing so will free up more space on your hard drive which space you can then use for storing files and programs that you actually need.

Determine which virtual files are important.

Once you’ve gone through the desktop, the next step is to review your virtual files to identify which files are important for you to save.  Typically financial and tax documents are important to keep for at least 7 years and anything older can be filed away in an archived folder, clearly labelled and marked by year or month. Think of your virtual filing system just like you would your paper filing system and file and label your virtual filing cabinet and folders within the same as your paper filing cabinet.

As you review your files ask yourself a few questions: Do I still need to keep these around? For what purpose?  How easy is it for me to get my hands on this information if I need it again? Do I use this for reference? Should this be moved into a reference folder? When was the last time I referred to this document? These questions should give you a good indication of whether or not they can be deleted.

Back up your documents in at least two different places.

Remember also to back up your computer files, especially documents that are critical or important.  Most people now have an external hard drive or an on-line source of storage in the event your computer crashes.  It’s a good idea to actually back up your documents in at least two places.  I personally back up on an external drive and also on a secure on-line backup source.

These few tips will help you to begin to clear up the clutter on your computer in small manageable steps.  You’ll be pleased with the results when you see how much more efficient, organized and even faster your computer will operate.

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.

 

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.

 

Creative Office Organizing

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Sometimes when we’re organizing offices we need to be creative.  It may be because of a lack of space, needing the area for a multiple of purposes and activities, or simply because of the way our client’s function in the space.  For this particular project it was the latter.  Many of my clients are challenged with ADD and ADHD.   Although smart as a whip, our client is challenged with ADHD and therefore paperwork organization was difficult for him. Running a very successful business from home can have it’s drawbacks.  One of those drawbacks is that it can be overwhelming to keep up with all the paperwork that comes with the business. I can certainly attest to that in my own home office. Organization is really the key to maintaining any successful business.  Otherwise things gets lost through the cracks, including cheques!

I thoroughly enjoyed working hands on with this particular client.  He has an amazing sense of humour which can be very helpful for everyone when sorting through papers. Typically, when organizing business documents and paperwork we use file folders.  However, with this particular client, file folders was not a workable solution for him and his way of thinking and working in his space. At least not for his accounting paperwork.  He had already tried to organize with baskets and bins, however the system was not working because pieces were missing from the set up. Working with him we created a bin system of filing accounting papers as well as one special bin strictly to contain papers for filing when he just did not have the time to deal with it. This particular client was not fussy on fancy labelling or worried about aesthetics.  He simply needed a functional system for organizing his papers.  Here’s what we created and what now works efficiently for him:

System for organizing office papers

This may not be a workable solution for everyone but it proves that every client is different and we need to customize our solutions to fit our client’s needs, no matter how diverse. A simple and effective solution to organizing papers for easy filing. No fuss, no muss! What kind of filing system do you use?  I’d love to hear your creative ideas.

 

Organizing Legal Files

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Interesting how a former career path comes into play in the field professional organizing. Prior to launching ClutterBGone I worked in the field of law for over 20 years. It was in that industry that I learned a great deal about time management, file management, the importance of detail and the ultimate management and organization of legal files in general.  I recently had a client contact me looking for assistance and ideas on file management.  Specifically, this gentleman wore many hats, one of which was that of a consumer advocate providing legal representation to clients. However, without a specific legal administration background he found himself inundated with legal paper, pleadings and stacks of files with little organization and the inability to put his hand on key documents when needed.  His office was in a state of disarray and he desperately needed help from an organizer with a legal background.  A general overview of the organization of legal files in general will be helpful to many.

When organizing legal files one of the most critical elements for organization is to create one file with numerous subfiles.  For litigation files, which is the type of law this client practiced, the files would generally be broken down as follows

Correspondence

Draft Documents

Pleadings (such as Statements of Claim, Defence, Reply, etc.)

Affidavits

Affidavit Materials & Evidence

Motions & Orders

Affidavit of Documents

Mediation

Settlement Offers

Settlement Agreement

In many cases, pleadings and affidavit materials can be so thick, and files become so large that file boxes are used and clearly labelled with the client name and the contents of each box.  There may be an entire box or more of just case law!  And of course, each case must be itemized and filed for quick access and return in the proper place.  The same goes for affidavit evidence and materials.

The key with legal file organization, as with most organizing projects, is sorting, categorizing and clearly labelling all materials. I hope that in your personal lives you never have to organize a legal file (although many of my clients have family law files to sort through and organize).  But if you ever do, this general guideline should assist you in making sense of all that paper.  If you have any questions on how to organize other types of legal files, just let me know. I`m here to help.