Tag Archive for: de-clutter

tiny house key

Daily Organizing

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DoorUpon returning home from getting my hair cut, I realized how many little things I organized.  I can name 10 steps I took:

  1.   Hung up my keys
  2.   Hung up my coat
  3.   Put my gloves and hat away
  4.   Took of my boots and put them on the mat
  5.   Put my pocketbook away
  6.   Took my check book out of my pocketbook and put it back where it belongs
  7.   Put my book away (I brought a book to read at the hairdressers.)
  8.   Wrote my next hair appointment in my datebook
  9.   Tossed the hair appointment notice
  10.   Collected the mail and put it in it’s “to sort” location (I won’t go into the steps I took to process the mail.  That’s a whole other blog entry.)

So, are you asking why I’m discussing the details of my return-home-routine?  The small habits and routines we do on a daily basis help us keep our belongings, information, and environment organized.  Without my routines, there is a greater chance of misplacing things, of appointments getting missed, and of items getting lost.  Having a home for my keys, pocketbook, checkbook, etc. is the first step to creating order, but unless I take the time, each time I return home, to actually put them there, the order doesn’t last.  It works the same for my next hair appointment.  Having a datebook for me to write in my next appointment is the first step to creating order.  The follow up steps are to write my appointments in the datebook, and to reference it daily, so I won’t miss appointments.  Therefore, I’d like to wager that if you’re willing to preform daily organizing habits and routines upon returning home, you’ll be well on your way to becoming an organizing success.

 

© February 2014, Janine Cavanaugh, CPO®  All Rights Reserved

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Ketchup & White Out

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ketchup_bottle_2white-out-bottleIt’s February and 2014 is in full swing.  Is it getting a bit busy with commitments, activities, projects, obligations and responsibilities?  Is your calendar overstuffed?  Do you have too many obligations and not enough time to get it all done?  I have a suggestion, leave space for ketchup and white out on your calendar.

Ketchup = time on your calendar to catch up
White out = time on your calendar that is intentionally whited out with no appointments or obligations

This is a helpful tool that reminds us that it’s important to purposefully  leave open pockets of time on our calendar, because this provides us with time to catch up to the fast pace of life.  By leaving blank time on our calendar, we give ourselves time to pause, breath, reflect, and organize.  Who doesn’t need that?

 

© February 2014  Janine Cavanaugh, CPO®  All rights reserved

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Proud member of NAPO

file

Simple Organizing Solutions

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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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Clearing the Clutter

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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

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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.

NAPO

Proud member of NAPO