Have one empty container in each room of the house. At the end of each day, go room by room, and put any clutter that has accumulated into the empty container. At the end of each week, remove the contents of each container by putting items where they belong and tossing what you don’t need.
Once a year host a party or event. This is great incentive to organize and de-clutter. In fact, having guests over is the number one motivator for getting organized.
Workbenches, craft corners, sewing rooms, scrapbook areas, and the like, are all potential hotbeds of mess. These locations are filled with tools and supplies that get used and reused often. They are also locations that house potential, ongoing, and almost finished projects. So, organizing them, and keeping them organized can be challenging.
I’ve been itching to help my husband organize his workbench for years. I understand that it’s his domain, (just like my scrapbooking area is my domain) and that’s why I didn’t take over and just do it myself. We tackled the project together. It took us 3.5 hours to work through the organizing process, but when we were finished his tools and supplies were organized, he had a list of all his works-in-progress, and he had plenty of space to actually work on his workbench.
We both were pleased with the results and considered the project a success. Here are some helpful tips that can assist you in successfully organizing your work area (whatever area that may be):
©September 2015 Janine Cavanaugh, Certified Professional Organizer® All rights reserved.
Proud member of NAPO
While looking for a list of skincare products that I wanted to share with a friend, I realized that it was time to reclaim order in my Fashion File. I knew I had tucked the list into my file somewhere, but when I went to look for it, I couldn’t find it. I quickly deduced that the main reason for this was that there was a surplus of irrelevant information in the file. It held current and relevant information, but also held some outdated information that was no longer of interest to me.
Therefore, I allowed myself 15 minutes to reclaim order. I did this by pruning each category of the Fashion File and making decisions on what information was worth keeping, and what was to be discarded. Here is a list of what I discarded: 8 outdated or duplicate business cards, 1 outdated jewelry catalog, 12 magazine clippings on products, tips, and ideas (I’m a bit embarrassed to admit I clip from magazines, but in my opinion, it’s better than keeping the whole magazine.), 1 outdated skincare catalog, 5 old purchase receipts (shred them), and 8 notes of websites to look at or items to try. At the end of a very productive 15 minutes I had located the list of skincare products that I wanted to share with my friend, and reclaimed order in my Fashion File.
By taking the time, at that moment, to reclaim order, I stopped the accumulation of paper, and prevented my Fashion File from turning into a huge, inefficient mess. This is what I call preserving the natural flow of the organizing process. The natural flow of the organizing process looks like this:
One very important factor to keep in mind when preserving the natural flow of the organizing process is to keep the duration between creating order and reclaiming order short enough, so that the act of reclaiming order doesn’t take too long, and isn’t an overwhelming task. If we wait too long, or allow too much build up, the act of reclaiming order becomes overwhelming, stressful and frustrating. If you reach this point, reclaiming order may no longer be a do-it-yourself task. Just remember, it’s okay to ask for HELP!
© August 2015 Janine Cavanaugh, Certified Professional Organizer® All Rights Reserved
Proud member of NAPO
Summer is an optimal time for many homeowners to sell their house, pack up, and relocate. Unfortunately, this is a stressful process. It’s easy for sellers to get overwhelmed by all that needs to be done to prepare their house for the market, and start the packing process. There is so much to organize, so many details to address. The 10 “Organized to Sell” tips listed below will help any seller focus on the details and take control.
1. Eliminate piles before you sell.
Don’t let paper and items accumulate on tables, counter tops, or desks. Keeping horizontal surfaces clear and clean eliminates visual clutter, and allows potential buyers to see the space without distractions.
2. Reduce before you sell.
Over stuffing closets, bookcases, filing cabinets, cupboards and other storage areas in your home is a red flag to potential buyers. It screams, “Not enough storage!” Reducing and limiting the number of items you keep in these areas conveys the message of ample and abundant storage to the potential buyer.
3. Eliminate surplus before you sell.
Why have ten of something, if two is all you really need until you move? Pack up and remove surplus or
duplicate items. A few examples are sheets, towels, dishes, mugs, utensils, toiletries, toys, books, DVDs, etc.
4. Remove before you sell.
Packing up seldom used items and seasonal items helps your house appear spacious, and that is what potential buyers like. Some examples are holiday decorations, off season clothing and footwear, archived files, and rarely used kitchen appliances, like bread makers, blenders, etc.
5. Toss before you sell.
It is perfectly acceptable to throw away things that are broken, damaged, rusty, worn out, torn, stained, or incomplete. Toss these items without hesitation. If your belongings look old and worn out the potential buyer sees the whole property as old and worn out.
6. Donate before you sell.
If you’re not using it now, you won’t use it in your new home. Ask yourself, “Will I be wasting my time, money
and energy if I pack and move this item?” Donating items is a great way to help preserve the environment, help those that are less fortunate, and feel content knowing that someone will value what you no longer use.
7. Sell before you sell.
Selling items that you no longer want, need or have space for in your new home, is a viable option. A few venues are yard sales, consignment shops, auction houses, newspaper listings, estate sales, or internet listings. Remember to be realistic about your financial expectations when selling used items.
8. Rent before you sell.
Renting a storage unit to hold equipment you seldom use and boxes of packed items will help free up space and give you a jump start on the moving process. Remember space is a valuable commodity.
9. Spruce up before you sell.
Don’t forget to reduce the clutter in your yard and outdoor living spaces. These areas are usually the first and
last impression for the potential buyers. So, make them as clutter-free as possible by removing toys, lawn ornaments, recycle bins, etc.
10. Hide before you sell.
Store as many items of daily use in your cupboards and cabinets. For example, put your tooth brushes in the medicine cabinet, your dish detergent in the cupboard under the sink, and your vacuum cleaner in the utility closet. This is more visually appealing and is less distracting for potential buyers.
©July 2015 Janine Cavanaugh, Certified Professional Organizer®. All Rights Reserved
Proud member of NAPO
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