Post Holiday Organizing

Christmas Ornament BoxCan you believe it’s the end of January already? Are your holiday decorations still up? Where are the holiday cards and gift wrap? Would a few suggestions help motivate you to take action?

1. If holiday greeting cards you received aren’t destined for a scrapbook or memory box, toss, after making a list of who sent you a card this year.
2. If you have surplus holiday cards that didn’t get sent, keep one and donate or toss the rest.
3. Save the box if the decoration is a collectible item. Otherwise, ditch the box, and pack the item with holiday linens or soft decorations.
4. Pack your decorations by room. This makes it easier to put them out next year.
5. Toss the following:
Candle stubs
Christmas lights that have lost their twinkle
Faded, worn out, or tired outdoor decorations
Ornaments that have lost their luster
Wrapping paper that’s too small or flimsy to store for use next year
Gift bags, boxes, and tissue paper that have been reused one too many times

© January 2014 Janine Cavanaugh, CPO® All Rights Reserved

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date book

Organizing Habits

writing-habitCreating habits is a great way to help yourself stay organized. Once something becomes habitual it takes less thought and effort. Here are a few good organizing habits to establish in 2014.

  • Label where items belong and repeatedly put them back in the same spot.
  • Spend 5 minutes a day per room removing items from floors, desktops, counter tops, table tops, and other horizontal surfaces.
  • Toss junk mail immediately.
  • Don’t print emails, recipes, or other information from your computer. Instead create folders and file the information on your computer.
  • Stop stockpiling groceries, cleaning supplies, and toiletries. Establish a maximum number to have on hand that allows breathing room in your cupboards.
  • Share household responsibilities with everyone who lives under one roof. Teamwork is the best approach to chores.
  • Go paperless with monthly bills and statements, and don’t print out payment receipts. Set up a folder and store on your computer.
  • Allow only one opened bottle of dish detergent, laundry detergent, soap, lotion, etc. at any given time.bin
  • Immediately get rid of junk (old, broken, or damaged items) once the replacement has been acquired. Don’t fill up your basement, attic or garage with junk.
  •   Set up a clothing donation bin by your clothes dryer and fill with clothing you want to get rid of, as soon as they come out of the dryer. Drop them off or have them picked up at your house every 3 months.

© January 2014 Janine Cavanaugh, CPO® All Rights Reserved

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Proud member of NAPO

file

Simple Organizing Solutions

fileReceiving a thank you note in the mail is pleasant.  It’s even more pleasant when you’re being thanked for something you didn’t realize would make an impact on the other person.  This happened to me when I offered a simple organizing solution to a Realtor I had met at a networking event.  She asked me if I had any ideas how she could keep all her real estate forms portable and organized.  I suggested a portable accordion file.    The next thing I know, I’m reading a very sincere thank you note that makes me smile.   It just goes to show you, sometimes the simplest organizing solutions are the best solutions.  In this case, find a good home for paper and things.
Here are a few more simple organizing solutions that I’ve offered to my clients:

  1.  Standing a baby bath tub on end, so it took up less room in the closet where it was stored.  Be creative and unconventional with your personal organizing solutions.
  2.  Moving a daily used utensil drawer up to the second spot instead of the third drawer down.  Make it easy on yourself to do daily tasks.
  3.  Asking a spouse to pay some of the monthly bills in order to spend less time on the task.  Delegate and ask for help when you can.
  4.  Tossing the brown, brittle, dead flowers in the vase on the dresser even if they were your wedding bouquet.  Evoke cherished memories with happy thoughts, not objects.
  5.  When you’ve finished knitting, put your knitting project back in the bag.  Getting in the habit of putting things back in the places we’ve assigned them to go fosters organization.

© September 2013 Janine Cavanaugh, CPO® All Rights Reserved

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Proud member of NAPO

Clearing the Clutter

kitchen cabinetWho likes to hunt?  I’m talking, in your own closets, pantry, cupboards and drawers?  Are these areas unorganized and filled with random stuff?  Is what you need, want, and use mixed in with a bunch of items you don’t need, don’t want, and don’t use?  Having to sift and hunt every time you’re looking for an item is a waste of time, not to mention stressful and frustrating.  Organizing these areas can help.  Organizing these areas can start with 3 important actions, separating, discarding, and removing.
Action #1 – Separating:
Separate what you need from what you don’t need.
Separate what you want from what you don’t want.
Separate what you use from what you don’t use.
Action #2 – Discarding:
Discard as much as you can from the don’t need, don’t want, don’t use piles.
Any remaining items should be given away or donated.
Action #3 – Removing:
Remove what you’re not CURRENTLY using from the need, want and use piles.
Now put the remainder of items back into your space in an organized way based on frequency of use.  Viola, no more hunting.

I understand this process is sometimes not as easy as it sounds, and that it is helpful to have assistance.  If you’d like my assistance, please email me to set up a complimentary consultation.  Another option is to attend one of my class on the subject.

© September 2013 Janine Cavanaugh, Certified Professional Organizer® All rights reserved.

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Proud member of NAPO

Closet Organizing

clothes hangersWhen I’m shopping, one thing that I find frustrating is looking through overstuffed clothes racks that are so tight you can’t slide the hangers, even an inch, to get a good look at what’s there.  Is this what it’s like in your closet at home?  Have you taken to not hanging up your clothes because you can’t possible squeeze anything else in?  If that’s the case, I’d recommend one workable organizing guideline, the one in, two out rule.  This means when you add a new item to your closet, you get rid of two unwanted items from your closet.  Unwanted items can be any clothing, footwear or accessories that no longer fit, flatter or suit your current style.  This one in, two out guideline will allow you to strategically un-stuff your closet over time.

Now that you’re removing unwanted items from your closet, what do you do with them?  Here are a few options:

Consignment:
Janet’s Consignment Boutique (women & men)
49 Belmont St., South Easton, MA 02375
508-238-1513
Blackbirds Consignment Shop (women)
401-353-2028
www.blackbirdsconsignment.com
Togs on Brook (women & men)
117 Brook St, Providence, RI 02906
401-274-1200

Donation Drop Off Sites:
Clothes To Go Clothing Pantry
20 Hoppin Hill Ave., North Attleboro, MA -2760
508-339-6040
Savers
1385 South Washington Street, North Attleboro, MA 02760
www.savers.com
Saint Vincent dePaul
173 Washington Street, Route 1, Plainville, MA 02762
www.svdpusa.org
The Goodwill Store
115 Washington Street, South Attleboro, MA 02703
www.goodwillmass.org

Pick up Charities:
Big Brother Big Sister Foundation
www.bbbsfoundation.org
800-483-5503
Salvation Army
www.salvationarmyusa.org
800-958-7825
Epilepsy Foundation
www.epilepsy.com
888-322-8209

 

© August 2013 Janine Cavanaugh, Certified Professional Organizer® All rights reserved.

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Proud member of NAPO