Basement Reno Completed!

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FINALLY! The day has come when I can say that our basement renovation is done!!! To say that I’m relieved is an understatement. In my last blog post about this project I mentioned that the painters had to come back to repaint the entire basement. Well, believe it or not, after I wrote that post they had to return on 3 more occasions to finish spots and whole sections that they missed or failed to follow the instructions provided by the contractor. In addition, the contractor has to send his foreman back a couple times to correct some pretty poor workmanship. I remain astounded by this but realize it’s time to move on and put this behind me. With all the other outstanding issues now taken care of, its time to put our basement back together and set up the spaces in a functional, efficient and organized manner.

First came the workout area with the placement of our equipment and accessories all on one side of the back room with everything easily retrievable. Second came the playroom/tv room. I gathered all the toys we have for our visiting little ones (all contained in clear bins for easy identification) and they are now situated in that section of the basement. We are still deciding on whether we will purchase a cubby type wall unit for storage of the toys or whether we will simply leave them in the bins for the time being. For now a simple arm chair serves as a comfortable seat for anyone who wishes to “chill” down there. The third area to tackle was my husbands computer area where he checks emails, downloads all sorts of things and syncs his various technology “toys”. We placed an “L” shaped desk unit that we previously had in an enclave area of the basement which is the perfect niche for him to work in. The final area to tackle (and the most challenging at this point) is the workroom where we keep tools, household maintenance items, gift wrap, etc. and which we determined was also going to contain my organizing tools and accessories for the business. If you could only see the size of this little space – it is definitely a challenge.

At the moment everything is on shelving, but not yet organized. When we have a few hours to spare we will begin to organize that final space, using the organizational principle of SPACE (sort, purge, assign, containerize and evaluate). I’m just itching to get that done but my clients come first at the moment and I know that there are a couple of days vacation I will be taking in a couple of weeks when we will definitely get this basement organized completely! For now we live with it and function as best we can. The reality is we can only do so much in the little time we have available. Prioritize, organize and saturate your space with the things that make you happy and enjoy life!

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.

 

Gift Wrapping Centre & Craft Storage Organization

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So many of my clients request a wrapping centre and craft storage that I thought this would be a good opportunity to share what we did to organize one of our client’s storage rooms. With limited space, wrapping paper and craft products are often relegated to a closet making it difficult for clients to access and find what they need for wrapping or creative ventures.  This client in particular originally had quite a bit of craft and scrap booking products, as well as a large amount of gift wrapping and party items which needed to be contained and stored for easy access and return.  Budget played a major role in this re-organization and we were able to utilize the client’s existing storage units which is always a bonus.

It was essential that the storage was contained within a closet in the finished basement.  Hereare a couple of photos of the closet before we started the project.

Storage area Before OrganizingStorage area Before Organizing

As you can see, there was little organization and the closet was in a state of chaos.  Although the closet went quite deep under the stairwell, there was no access without moving everything out and then back again.  This system (or lack thereof) was not working.  After first sorting and editing the items we were able to see exactly what the client had to store in terms of volume.  With input from our client we were able to create a vision and solution that was workable for the way our client functioned within the space.  She specifically requested that her gift bags were hanging so she could quickly view and pick the right one for the right occasion.  Here is a photo of the closet after our re-organization. The gift wrapping centre storage unit is on the left and the scrapbooking storage unit is on the right. The second photo shows another angle so you can see how access to under the stairs is now possible.

Storage Area After OrganizingStorage Area After Organizing

Finding space can be challenging but with a little creativity, a vision and the right process of organization a workable system can be created and maintained.  Our client can now easily open these drawers, locate what is needed and return items with ease.  Don’t forget to label your drawers so that others in your household can also easily use the new system too!

My Fave 5 Organizing Products

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There are certain organizing products that I find I utilize more often due to their functionality and efficient use of space.  I thought I’d share my favorite five with you today, in no particular order.

The first is the NEATKIDS Closet Max Organizing system by NeatFreak.  It’s designed specifically to hold kid-size items, is a very functional, hanging closet organizing system that’s fun, affordable  and even more important, it can grow with your child.  It’s made of durable nylon strapping, has two different patterns to choose from, there’s no tools needed for assembly and it`s super quick to put up, hanging from your existing closet rod.   You can customize and mix and match your pieces. You can check out their website and other products at www.neatfreak.com.

Next on my list is a 6 shelf hanging sweater organizer.  This product hangs from your existing closet rod and is made to hold sweaters neatly in your closet.  However, I like to use it in entry hall closets to hold dress boots.  It keeps them in good shape & off the floor. Retails for approximately $ 24.00 and is available at Solutions – Your Organized Living Store.  www.solutions-stores.ca.

I also love the DAY JA VIEW Recurring Events Calendar.  This calendar won the 2011 Parent Tested, Parent Approved Award. Based on a school year, it’s great for a busy family to track recurring events, activities,  appointments, meeting and projects in minutes and is easy to use for the whole family. Retails for approximately $29.00and is available at www.mydayjaview.com.

The RISE AND HANG Action Pak Duffel Bag by Rise Luggage is an amazing new invention which you will likely hear much more about in the coming months. I’ve talked about it before in one of my earlier blogs.  Born out of the frustration of keeping organized while travelling and not wanting to put clothes in a hotel dresser for fear of germs, bed bugs or mold, the Rise and Hang system effortlessly keeps clothes where they belong.  Shelves within the luggage hold all your clothes organized and in separate compartments and the bottom can be used as a hamper for dirty ones. Normally priced at $59.99, it is currently available at Evex Luggage,Mississauga, Ontario or available at www.riseandhang.com.There is an even better deal as well: On April 29th at the Stouffville Stilettos & Sneakers fundraising event, as a show special they are providing me with a number of these bags for sale for $49.99 so be sure to stop by and grab on.  At this price they will go pretty fast!

And then there is the CLOSETMAID closet storage components. I use these products frequently in closets. Especially the 2 shelf horizontal organizer which is great for organizing shoes on the top shelf or floor of a closet to maximize the use of vertical space. This particular item retails for about $17.00 and can be found at Solutions – Your Organized Living Store.  www.solutions-stores.ca.

I’d love to hear about some of your favorite things you use to organize spaces in your home or office.  Tell me about your creativity! Send me a message and share your stories.

Top 10 Paper Items To Keep Indefinately

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Whenever I’m working in offices, whether home or business, the question always arises as to what to keep and for how long. Most people know that for income tax audit purposes you need to keep your tax returns and related papers for seven years.  But what about some of those other papers?  Here’s my top 10 paper items to keep indefinitely.

  1. Birth certificates
  2. Deeds for burial lots
  3. Inventory of household goods, updated periodically
  4. Divorce agreements and Decrees
  5. Citizenship papers
  6. Adoption and custody records
  7. Wills and Powers of Attorney (ensure someone knows where these are)
  8. Death certificate
  9. Record of Employment
  10. Insurance records for claims and payments made

Items that you do want to keep indefinitely should be stored in a safe environment, such as a safety deposit box. Safety deposit box rentals are often difficult to get from financial institutions because of the sheer demand.  Something new is on the horizon for the storage of your valuables.  Essentially a very tiny condo (square inches instead of feet) and fairly expensive, very soon you will be able to purchase one of these units to call your own. Complete with security and even your very own parking space, these mini condo safety deposit units will be on the market to purchase soon. The first one I am aware of is currently being developed in Markham, Ontario.  I’m sure many more will be developed as the demand arises. Will you be one of the first to buy your very own safety deposit unit for your valuables?

 

Storage Locker Chaos

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What I love about working in this field is not only the variety of people I get to meet and help on a daily basis, but also the challenges of working and organizing in many different spaces.  I’ve recently began a project for a friend of mine organizing his condominium storage locker.  Two lockers, actually.  One was a very small unit, and the other was a much larger unit.  For those of you who don’t know, the majority of walls in a storage locker are made of a network of wire grids.  In some instances you’ll find these similar to that of a chain link fence, and in other instances, the wire is thick, heavy duty, with no flexibility, similar to that of a dog cage. In this case, it is the latter.

My friend generally uses the smaller storage unit for long-term storage items, such as antique furniture pieces and memorabilia, but other items were thrown into the mix. When sorting through this unit , we found snowboards, old hockey bags, old jackets and a bunch of other “stuff”.  When we pulled everything out of the unit were we amazed at how much was actually packed into it.  Problem was, you couldn’t see most of it so there were some surprises for my friend.   Two of the items in this unit are wood storage trunks.  Inside the trunks we found very old record albums in green garbage backs dating back to early 1900’s.  Unfortunately, there was an extensive amount of mold damage, much of which was apparently pre-existing before even being placed in the trunk many years ago. Storing these trunks in the underground storage locker may or may not have contributed to the problem.  Although the locker did not feel as if moisture existed, it’s generally always an issue because of the concrete floors which tend to pull moisture up from the ground.  We ultimately had to dipose of many of the albums but were also able to save several. Once the moldy albums and bags were removed from the trunks, we had some new-found storage space within the trunks themselves which we utilized to the max.  Keeping in mind the ultimate purpose for this particular unit, we removed any items for which access would be frequent and designated them to the larger locker.   We even freed up space so that infrequently used items currently in the larger unit were assigned to this long term space.

Moving on to the larger storage locker, we sorted all the items into categories, such as sports gear, household items, automotive items, etc., and were then able to see exactly what needed to be contained in the space. Everything was put back in the unit on a temporary basis and in a temporary fashion pending the purchase of the organizing products and accessories needed to properly set up the space.  With a fairly low budget I headed out to shop. This was more of a challenge than sorting through the two units combined. The unique challenge in this case was finding the appropriate hooks in the right size to hang sports items up on the grid wall system without alot of trouble.  “S” type hooks are the quick fix option but they tend to flip right off the grid wires and get lost.  Carabiners can be helpful but only if the opening is large enough to easily hook onto the item that needs to hang.  I needed at least a 5″ carabiner to do the job.  If my client has to struggle to get a heavy item on or off of a hook or fastener, then that’s not a very good option as it will not only be frustrating but potentially dangerous as well. During my shopping extravaganza I’d be lying if I said I wasn’t getting frustrated at the lack of appropriate fasteners for the job. Perhaps this is a sign that I need to invent something!

Being inventive and creative in this industry is a necessity as we are frequently called upon to “create space” where none appears to exist. One of my colleagues had a great idea for creating storage in a locker such as this. He once used the frame of an old Ikea bookcase (shelves removed), raised it off the concrete floor to protect it from moisture, and inserted hooks on the top and sides of the bookcase framing to hang up items in a storage unit.  He then drilled holes through the framing and securely fastened the framing to the wire grid wall with wires. It’s not “pretty” but it’s functional because it made it possible to securely hold fasteners on which sports gear could be hung, which is ultimately what his client wanted.

The idea of using the frame of an old bookcase is a good option for some people, although not one that would work for my friend.  So after over 2 hours of scouring the major, and some smaller, hardware and big box stores, I came back to my office with a large assortment of hooks and fasteners, satisfied that I had gathered every possible option.  Ultimately I know that I”ll be returning some products, but at least I will be prepared. I go back to perform the final organization and set up of the locker on Saturday so I’ll let you  know how it turns out and post some pictures as well. Wish me luck!

 

#1 Way To Pack For Travel – Rise And Hang Luggage

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I am so thrilled to have discovered this amazing and very creative luggage system for travel that I must share it with you.  In fact I am so jazzed by this new product that I demonstrated it this morning live during my organizing segment on Rogers Daytime TV.  It’s the Action Pak Duffel Bag by Rise and Hang, created by a very talented young man here in Ontario, Lee Renshaw.  As a frequent traveller he was often frustrated with the packing and unpacking of his suitcase into hotel dresser drawers (as well as the fear of potential bed bugs, mold or dirt) and so he designed this hanging system for luggage which essentially involves never having to unpack your suitcase on a trip.  You simply hang up the Rise and Hang bag on your closet rod, pack it up with your clothes, toiletries, etc., and when you arrive at your hotel room, you simply  unzip the bag, pull up the interior handles and hang your luggage on the closet rod in your hotel room.

Rise and Hang Duffel

 

There is no unpacking involved as everything is already neatly sorted, organized and placed on individual shelves within the luggage unit.  There’s even a spot for dirty laundry at the bottom interior of the bag.  This bag was designed for shorter trips, but if you pack light it can easily store enough clothing for a week.  The price point is extremely reasonable at $69.99.  Rise and Hang also has other products called Insert Paks that fit inside your existing suitcase. One insert can fit inside a smaller suitcase and two inserts can fit inside a large suitcase giving you two organized spaces for clothing . They are also expanding their line of products and currently working on a design for a gym locker. It’s great to see young, local talent contributing with innovative ideas to help people stay organized while travelling. Gotta love it!

Principles of Storage

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Often times we end up storing items in the most inefficient and non-functional places.  For instance, I have a client who stores her baking items in the pantry on the very top shelf where it is not only difficult for her 5 foot frame to reach, but also problematic as she is elderly and arthritic.  Another client cannot bear to get rid of paperwork “just in case”.  These two scenarios create obstacles to organized living.

So here’s a few basic principles for storage of a variety of items in your home.

Items that are used most often should be stored within easy reach. Items used infrequently should be stored below the waist.  Items seldom used and that are lightweight only, should be stored above the head. Do not store anything heavy above your head as this can lead to serious injury!

For paper, here are a few questions you can ask yourself if you are struggling with whether to keep it or toss it:

  • Are there any tax or legal reasons for keeping this?
  • Can I easily get a copy elsewhere if I need one?
  • Does someone else have the information? Is this available on the Internet?
  • Can I identify a situation in which I would ever refer to this information?
  • Is it still relevant to my life?
  • What are the implications if I don’t have this?

For clothing, ask yourself these questions

  • Is it out of style, wrong size, wrong colour
  • Does it feel good when I wear it?
  • When was the last time it was worn?
  • Do I use it enough to make it worth the cost of storing?
  • Do I have more than 1, and do I need more than 1?

You can also consider adjusting your buying habits.  Before making a purchase, decide what the new item will replace and where it will be stored to avoid duplicating items.  Don’t forget the “one in one out”  rule. Avoid bulk purchases if you are challenged for space. Mega sized items take up mega space. You may be saving money but you are spending vital space as mega purchases take up prime real estate.

I know I’ve also mentioned this before but it’s worth repeating.  Ask for gift receipts to avoid storing gift items that don’t suit or fit you, are not your style or you don’t care for.  Most important is to resist storing items for fear of offending the gift giver.  Re-gift new items or hold a swap party. It’s fun, a great reason for friends to get together and you may end up with something else you can really use and enjoy.

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Clutterbgone Television Debut on Rogers

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Yesterday was an interesting day for me. I appeared on Rogers daytime TV with hosts Elaine Yim-Spencer and Jeff Moore to talk about professional organizing and to demonstrate a few pretty cool products to get your life and home organized.  Here’s the video:   http://www.rogerstv.com/page.aspx?lid=237&rid=17&gid=89952

Neat Freak was great enough to supply me with components of the Neat Kids Closet Max organizing system. Neat Kids Closet Max organizing system

I just love this product for children’s closets because it grows with your child, makes the clothing accessible to them and teaches children the skills of organizing at a young age.  The components are made of durable fabric and strong nylon strapping and comes in two patterns:  Pop Rock and Candy Stripe.  Even better is that no tools are required to assemble the system, it’s quick and easy and uses your existing rod in the closet.  It’s specifically designed to hold kid-size clothing and items and you can mix and match the different components to create your own unique and custom closet system.  The price point is amazing and you can create a very functional system in a small closet for less than $200.00 easy!

I also demonstrated the Day ja View Recurring Events Calendar which was designed by Sharon Neiss, a professional young mother of three. Day ja View Recurring Events Calendar This calendar won the Parent Tested Parent Approved award for 2011 and is currently patent pending.  It’s great for families and organizing your events and activities in minutes with its ingenious 3 step design.  It’s definitely a winner for families and retails at only $19.99.

Lastly I was able to demonstrate the Grid It! organizer generously provided by Cocoon Innovations.Grid It! organizer  It comes in a bunch of different sizes,  and is an extremely versatile and functional solution to organizing your digital devices and personal items.  It’s made of rubberized woven elastic that firmly holds your stuff in place and there are endless configurations so you can customize the product to suite your specific needs.  It’s a great idea for laptops, Ipads, travel cases, knapsacks and essentially any carrying bag.  The price point varies depending on the size, but you can get a very functional one for about $19.00.

All in all a pretty great day.  I’ll be back on Rogers Daytime TV  in February and will keep you posted.

 

 

 

 

Pantry Organizing

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We recently finished re-organizing our client’s kitchen and pantry. Many of my clients find it difficult to know where to start when re-organizing and decluttering this area of their home. For the pantry we removed every single item and placed them in categories, such as pastas, canned goods, cereals, snacks, spices, etc. We discarded those items that had expired or were no longer used. Once we saw what was left to house in the pantry, we recommended a few minor purchases that would maximize the storage space and make return and retrieval of items efficient: a graduated shelf riser as well as a couple of under shelf storage baskets were all that were needed in this instance.
Here’s a photo of the pantry before we started:
Pantry Before Organizing
And here’s how it looked when we were done:
Pantry After Organizing
Our client and their children loved the under-shelf popcorn basket!
Working on my client’s pantry has inspired me to do my own! What inspires you to get organized?