simple organizing Archives • Page 12 of 16 • Helpful Organizer

Why I love being a Professional Organizer

January 15, 2017/0 Comments/in Blog Posts/by Janine Cavanaugh, CPO®

Part of growing up is figuring out what we’re good at. We use our acquired skills and talents to find our place in the world. After being told by several people that I was good at organizing, I was able to admit that to myself. However, it took a while longer to realize that I could make a career out of my organizing skills. I’m happy that I did, because I love being a Professional Organizer.

Working individually with my clients and helping them solve their organizing issues and challenges is very rewarding to me. I like that each situation is unique and requires problem-solving collaboration between me and my client. Together we find workable organizing solutions. Those solutions don’t have to be huge. They have to be DOABLE. However, finding doable solutions is only part of the reason I love being a Professional Organizer. The other part is the gratitude that gets bestowed on me from my clients. Sometimes it is the littlest changes that make the biggest impact. I love when I’m thanked for those small but influential changes. For example:

I suggested placing a tray under the toaster so the crumbs wouldn’t get all over the cupboard each time it was taken out and put away. My client called me a genius.
I suggested removing closet doors that never stayed shut. My client called me brilliant.
After sitting with my client for support, while she made a few difficult phone calls, she called me her earth angel.
I suggested changing the orientation of the dish drying rack for easier fit and use. My client called me amazing.
I was told I had MAD skills when I kept track of details and sent reminders.

I love being a Professional Organizer, and I’m grateful for my clients. They make me feel so appreciated, gifted, smart, and blessed.

Do you love what you do? Please share with me.

Prevent Clutter

January 1, 2017/0 Comments/in Tip of the Month/by Janine Cavanaugh, CPO®

A great way to prevent clutter is to stop it from coming in the door in the first place. Put a trash can, recycle bin, and shred container in the garage, and use them to clean out the clutter from the car, your purse, your work bag, and school backpacks. Also use them to toss or shred as much mail as possible before bringing it into the house.

Get Rid of Stuff

November 15, 2016/0 Comments/in Blog Posts/by Janine Cavanaugh, CPO®

It’s hard to get rid of stuff. I know. Holding onto stuff is much easier. I know. Gift bags and tissue paper that I’ve received, I’m holding onto because I intend to reuse them. The same applies to the vases from flowers I’ve received. Shopping bags and take out containers have multiplied in my cupboard. Boxes from recent purchases take up valuable space in my closet. Coupons and receipts fill a pocket in my purse. Face creams, lotions, and scrubs that have been rejected, sit in my bathroom cabinet. I’m not even going to mention greeting cards, instruction manuals, catalogues, adapters, or outdated phones and other devices.

Can you relate? Do you have similar items or even bigger items? Unfortunately, stuff accumulates unless we get rid of it. We have to make a conscious effort to remove stuff from our homes, otherwise piles grow and clutter happens. One successful way I’ve found to combat the piles and clutter is to remove more than you bring in, at least one day a week. If you can do two days a week, that’s even better.

You may be asking yourself, what does that look like? Let me share with you how I removed more than I brought in for a day. Here is a list of items that I brought into my house one day last week:

prescription with receipt and coupons printed on the receipt
5 pieces of mail
one purchase with credit card slip
donation receipt

Here is a list of stuff I got rid of that same day:

everyday trash
everyday recycling
returned book to library
gave 3 lists of resources to a friend
took old TV to dump
dropped off 4 pairs of shoes for donation
dropped off 5 items of electronic recycling

I brought in a total of 11 items and got rid of a total of 16 items. I must admit, I had the urge to clean out the donations and recycling that had been collecting in my garage, and that’s what made this a successful “get rid of stuff” day. The key is to have at least one “get rid of stuff” day a week. Be consistent. That is what will help combat the piles and clutter.

Another successful way to prevent accumulation is to not bring anything in. Have at least one day a week where nothing comes in. I’m not saying leave things in the garage for a day or hid them for a day. I’m saying make a conscious effort to make no purchases and allow nothing new to enter your home for a day. It’s worth a try, isn’t it?

Pantry Organizing

November 1, 2016/0 Comments/in Tip of the Month/by Janine Cavanaugh, CPO®

Before stocking the pantry with items for your Thanksgiving feast, organize it. Clear off one shelf at a time. Check expiration dates. Remove all expired items. Donate anything you won’t use before the expiration date to the local food bank. Group like items together and put back in the pantry with the closest expiration dates in front.

Do you Reduce?

October 28, 2016/0 Comments/in Newsletter/by Janine Cavanaugh, CPO®

Content

Do you reduce?

Recycle Resource

Shoe Drive

Side Notes:

*** I have one more classe in my fall line up. You can obtain more details about this Clearing the Clutter Class on my website. I’ll be offering more classes in the spring. Hope to see you in class.

*** I’m happy to share that I’m the NAPO-New England Volunteer of the Month for my contributions as a Success Group leader, as a BCPO liaison, and for recommending SOWMA as the non-profit organization we helped through our LET’S GO campaign.

*** Question: Do you pay for off site storage? Please share your answer.

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Hi Janine,

The splendor of autumn is upon us, and I’m enjoying nature’s colorful display, but we all know what comes next… gift-giving-season. Don’t get me wrong, I enjoy the holidays, and take great pleasure in giving, but I’m not enthusiastic about being pressured to buy more, and more, and more. Therefore, I give intangible gifts. I give experience, and I give consumable items. Here is a list of Organizer friendly gift ideas that I’d like to share. I hope you find it helpful.

Do you reduce?

Let’s face it. We live in a consumer based society. It’s fun to shop. It’s fun to give gifts. It’s fun to hunt and track down the best bargains. It is so easy to bring stuff into our homes, but it is much more difficult to get it out. So, what do you do with it all?A large part of organizing is getting rid of stuff we no longer need, want, or use. I call it reducing. When we reduce, we minimize what has to be organized, and we eliminate clutter. Therefore, getting rid of stuff (reducing) needs to happen often.

When I say often, I mean weekly. We take out the trash weekly. So, reduce at the same time. Set up a donation bin by the trash, and add to it weekly. Then once a month, or when the donation bin is full, donate the items. For a few suggestions on where to donate read the blog articles listed below and click here.

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