Archive for category: Misc

Oh, how I dislike winter. I am not one of those Canadians that enjoy the cold. I do not skate, ski, snowboard or toboggan. I look awful in winter hats. My feet are always freezing.

So, I hibernate on my couch under a cozy blanket and stay warm. The only thing good about winter in my mind is that it’s followed by Spring.

With winter and the onset of cold weather it seems to me that things are more cluttered and dirty everywhere.

The colder weather has already settled in here in Stouffville so I hope you have started to get ready for the next 5 months of boots, mitts, scarves and heavy coats.

Get your winter gear ready

If you don`t have the closet space to keep all your seasonal wear in one front hall closet (most people don`t), or you haven’t already rotated the summer and fall coats and footwear and have the winter goods into the closet by the door, now is definitely the time to do so.

The front hall closet, which is where most of us keep our seasonal outerwear, is not normally the largest of spaces and keeping 4 seasons of coats and footwear in there will typically lead to a lot of overcrowding and frustration.

Winter coats especially take up a lot of room due to their bulk.

Help always needed

Despite small front hall closets, many of my clients try to keep all seasonal clothing in the front closet and wonder why it is such a chore to find the coat they need, why it took so long to get the kids ready to go outside and why the closet and front entry way is always such a cluttered disaster area. In fact, this is the one area in the home that almost every one of our client`s asks us for help with. We are the closet masters!

Switch it up

If space is an issue I recommend switching it up twice a year – once in the spring to put spring and summer items in the closet and again in the fall to switch it to fall and winter items. Keep everyone’s coats together so they know to go to the same spot in the closet and not have to search through many other coats to find theirs.

Keep it separated

Wicker baskets are ideal to keep everyone’s hats, scarves and mitts separated and prevent them from falling on to the floor. Another option is a hanging shoe bag. One for each child can hold their own gloves, hats and scarves and also make it super easy for them to access and put away as well.

Mom and dad can each have their own bin or basket to contain their items separately.

Don`t forget a bin for your pets as well.

Pare down properly

And while we are making the switch this is an excellent time to take stock of the items that don’t fit any longer or are out of style or you just don`t seem to wear and know will not get any more use.

At this time of year there are many charities looking for warm clothing for the less fortunate and rest assured they will go to good use. So stay warm and stay organized!

If you find you just don’t have the time or skill to handle this project on your own, just contact us here for a free telephone consultation. We can achieve order with any organizational challenge!

Labels can be an organizer’s best friend. Whether you are a professional organizer or you are just fed up with not find, stay organized and find things easier. The challenge is finding the right label that will work for you and get the job done.

Here are some of my favourites I have used and come across.

Chalkboard labels

Chalkboard labels and tags can be a life saver when you are changing your containers to hold different items. These labels are just like the description implies – write on them, erase and use them again.

They come in a variety of styles that can be attached in many different ways.

Cable ties and tags

In our home my husband drives me crazy with the number of wires that are behind the cabinet that holds our entertainment equipment. We have the TV, sound system, DVD player and cable box wires all running behind the cabinet not to mention the speaker wires for 5 speakers and a sub woofer.

Occasionally we have to access the wires for whatever reason and then the curse words can be heard until that is, I had him tag the wires so he knows exactly at a glance which wire belongs to which piece of equipment with having to play the guessing game.

Now we know exactly which cord or wire to access using tags with the name of each piece of equipment labelled directly on it. Even something as easy as those bread tags with the plastic clips on the end that you find at supermarkets will do the trick.

Clothing labels

Do you have children at home of similar size, or perhaps even twins? I found these no iron clothing tags that are laundry safe for up to 20 cycles.

Great to label clothing so there is no confusion or fighting, over who the item belongs to.

They are also great for backpacks and jackets so there is no confusion at school or camp.

Textured labels

For the artistic people who like to make gifts and give them at birthdays or Christmas there are textured labels that you can run through your home printer (or write on them) after selecting the script you want to use.

How nice would it be to receive a homemade gift with a professionally finished label?

Whatever the need there is an endless supply of labels out there to help you get and stay organized.

Contact us now for a free telephone consultation and for assistance to get you organized for life!

George Carlin once said “All I need is a place for my stuff”. True enough and we have become a society that enjoys our possessions. We all need a place for our stuff or we won’t be able to get around our “place”. But exactly how much stuff is enough?

There have been a lot of articles and blogs written about this.

But when you get to the point where you realize that you have too much “stuff” and are ready to do something about it, here are some tips to assist you through the project.

Look objectively

Look at things objectively. When looking at your belongings take a good look at them. When was the last time you used it? Are you holding on to it in the hopes that you may someday use it or someone else may need it? Ask the same question of all items whether they are clothing items, dishes or whatever.

Every day is special

If you know me, I will always suggest that the “special” dishes be used every day if you want to keep them because, after all, shouldn’t every day be special?

If you think someone else could benefit from an item that you have and rarely, if ever, used it why not make their day and give or gift it to them?

If you can’t remember the last time something was used it is probably time to go.

One in one out

If you love clothes, and let’s face it – who doesn’t, I like to use the one in and one out rule. In fact, if you are climbing over stuff in your home, maybe even make it one in, two out!

When you come home with a new piece of clothing go through your wardrobe and let something go to make room for the new piece. Clothing is an area where most people can make additional room in the house. Your local shelter or community re-purpose charity will thank you for any clothing donations that you can make.

Collections and technology

Are you a collector of books, records or CD’s? With today’s new technology a lot of these entertainment items are now stored digitally and can be accessed anywhere. The days of having a wall of books or CD’s to access is long gone.

Services such as I-tunes and many e readers changed that a while ago and now services like Next Issue allow you to store and read magazines on your digital device.

But let’s not preach minimalism. “Stuff” does represent who we are, what we enjoy and what successes we have had. There is nothing wrong with holding onto possessions that we are proud of and that shows to others who we are. Just don’t let “stuff” overtake your life.

Contact us now for a free telephone consultation and for assistance to downsize your possessions for an organized, stress free lifestyle!

Organizing the bathroom can be a real challenge. Generally they are much smaller in space than any other room in the house yet they have so many items that we need to have and use on a daily basis. We have all gone into a “friends” bathroom where it looks like a hurricane has gone through.

Hairbrushes and toothbrushes strewn across the bathroom counter. Wash clothes and towels hanging over the back of the door and tub.

Admit it, you have opened at least one of the drawers and thought – how do they find anything in there?

Containers and labels

If you read my blogs you know I am one for containers and labeling. One of my bathroom drawers is for my husband’s essentials where I have purchased a variety of small and inexpensive open top containers where he keeps his dental needs, shaving equipment and hair products separated.

Open the drawer and voila! No need to rifle through a lot of messy stuff to find what you are looking for.

The same for the drawer designated for my needs.

All of my hair products, nail polishes, lip sticks and make up are separated into inexpensive containers for easy access and put away. That big clunky hairdryer can be hung on the inside of a cabinet door rather than thrown under the sink or left on the counter to get in the way each day.

Decorative baskets do the trick

Do you have limited space for towels and wash clothes?

Decorative wicker baskets to sit on the floor, on the back of the toilet or on the edge of the tub will do the trick. Fold them in half or thirds and then roll them up for a nicer touch.

These baskets can also work for keeping extra rolls of toilet paper, baby wipes or any other supplies that frequently run low.

A spot for everyone

For those of you with a busy bathroom (one bathroom, many users) try a shelf or cabinet on the wall where each family member can have their own space for toiletries. Just be careful where you place the shelf or someone will be retrieving things out of the toilet.

Be creative

Lastly, here is a tip I recently saw that I love. We all have extra terra cotta pots hanging around the house. You know those small planters that we put begonias or similar small plants in? Buy a can of spray paint to match your décor and paint the pots. When dry use them to store brushes, soaps, Q tips or similar needs on your bathroom counter. Decorative and affordable.

You don’t need to spend a lot to transform your bathroom.

Contact us now for a free telephone consultation and for assistance to get your bathrooms organized for a stress free morning routine!