General Organizing
Smart packing tips for your next road trip
My husband and I enjoyed taking road trips to Glacier National Park, Yellowstone, the Tetons and to Yosemite prior to having our daughter. She then joined us as we traveled to Maine, North Carolina and Yellowstone/Tetons. We love seeing the U.S. from the road. The trips have been more relaxing when we brought along the following items. Food…
Read MoreBe prepared for an emergency with this simple card
Emergency medical professionals want to provide the best treatment possible to their patients and also let your loved ones know you are experiencing a crisis. This is very difficult to do when you are unresponsive. Make their job easier by taking the advice of my medical professional friend who suggests everyone carry an “in case…
Read MoreOrganizing dos and don’ts for gardening tools
Ready to get your gardening groove back on, but you’re unable to find your tools? A little organization will enable you to spend more time in the soil and less time searching. Here are the dos and don’ts of organizing gardening tools. Do make it a habit to weed out your supplies on a regular basis.…
Read MoreOrganizing a profitable garage sale
Does the thought of holding a garage sale give you goosebumps or cause you to break out into a cold sweat? Garage sales were an annual event during my childhood. My mom thought they were fun and would select household items throughout the year to set aside for the summer sale. My tips will help…
Read MoreUnique and fun gift ideas for graduates
Do you have a family member or friend graduating this year? Here are some unique and fun gift ideas for every graduate, that will be clutter-free and useful. Cold hard cash is always appreciated. If you want a clever way to present the cash, the Internet is a good place to search for ideas. (My…
Read MoreBest tips for storing your linens
Besides your everyday linens, you may be the owner of holiday-themed towels, table linens and seasonal bedding. There are options, besides closets, for storing and organizing linens. Have you looked under your beds lately? There could be less important items under there that you’ve forgotten about and no longer want to own. If you decide…
Read MoreThe Importance of Being Ready to Let Go
How do you work up the courage to let some of your belongings go? If you contact me for hands-on organizing assistance, I will ask you if you’re ready to let go and edit your things. It’s crucial for you to be in the right frame of mind in order to have a less cluttered,…
Read MoreBest Tips for Downsizing Seniors with Love
Downsizing for a loved one before a move to assisted living or other senior housing is more challenging when he or she isn’t able to wholly participate in the downsizing process. You can get through it with the following measures. Start sooner rather than later when helping sort and edit things. Shorter work sessions are…
Read More12 Days of Simple yet Meaningful Gift Ideas
Gifts can be meaningful and fun without adding more stuff to the recipient’s life. If this is important to you but you need some inspiration, use this list. Many of these gifts are available online which is perfect for last-minute shoppers. Days of Meaningful, Clever Gift Ideas A one-year membership to Amazon Prime for music,…
Read MoreClever and simple gifts that don’t add clutter
What do you give the person who has everything…..or the person that literally has EVERY-thing?! You may be reluctant to add more stuff to their life but want to express your love or gratitude. Consider gifts that are temporary, for example, consumables or seasonal plants that have a short lifespan (especially at my house…
Read MoreStart Tackling Basement Clutter Without Freaking Out
Homeowners in the Midwest are fortunate to have additional living and storage space in our basements. Basements can also be the most cluttered space in our homes because they are a super convenient area to squirrel away things we are undecided about. But basements have limits, and even though the clutter is hidden, it…
Read MoreTreasure the memories, free yourself from the stuff
It isn’t easy to part with furniture, antiques, collectibles and other inherited family heirlooms. That’s OK unless your sentimentality has maxed out your basement storage or required long-term rental of an off-site storage unit. You would think it would be simple to let these family pieces go when they don’t fit in our space or…
Read MoreOrganize and create a convenient workout space in your home
In addition to hands-on organizing with my clients, my other life-long passion is nutrition and working out. I’m not talking about hardcore, sweat-fest workouts (I don’t like to sweat) but workouts that keep me strong and healthy. My office is also my workout space because I find it more convenient. I don’t have to…
Read MoreTips to make your grocery shopping a more pleasant experience
If you arrive home from the grocery store with bags full of food, but there’s nothing in the bags that will help you put together dinner, perhaps these tips will help you. A trip to the grocery store without a list, AKA winging it, will undoubtedly cost you more time and money. I promise…
Read MoreThings to do before your baby moves in
Organize and prepare your home a few weeks in advance of your baby’s arrival so you’re able to snuggle with your new family member as much as possible. Shop early for essentials — delivery dates are only an estimate. If you’re a mom-to-be in a nesting phase, use it to your advantage instead of wasting…
Read MoreHow to simplify your laundry routine
Laundry … it’s tedious and non-ending and the last thing most of us want to do on a weekend. If it accumulates quickly, change your routine in order to keep up with the piles rather than catching up on weekends. Here are some tips to simplify and streamline laundry: Maybe life has thrown you the…
Read MoreGood reasons for not buying things ahead of time
We all have things in our home that we have purchased for the future. These may be items for a new home, a project, or future children. They were probably on sale or simply caught your eye. It’s OK to think ahead and prepare for the future but sometimes we can get carried away and…
Read MoreIt’s not the stuff in life that matters
“All you need is love,” according to The Beatles. It’s not the stuff that matters. In fact, owning less stuff will positively change your life. Short on time? Save time, shop less. Stop acquiring more things that need to be laundered, dusted, organized, etc. Short on space? Make space by decluttering and donating your excess.…
Read MoreHow To Responsibly Donate Your Things To Charity
When I work with my clients, we come across many things they no longer want but aren’t interested in selling. I encourage clients to donate as much as possible to local charities versus throwing usable items into the trash. Since 2002, I’ve become more familiar with the items charities accept and the condition they should…
Read MoreWhat does a professional organizer do and when should you consider hiring one?
Some people aren’t sure what professional organizers do. In short, get started organizing, make decisions when you’re stuck, and keep you focused. We won’t force you to throw anything out, and we don’t judge you. Bottom line, we help you accomplish an overwhelming task you may have been putting off for years. I enjoy my…
Read MoreLego Organizing Tips To Keep Them Off Your Floor
The iconic Lego bricks have been a long time childhood staple and provide hours of entertainment for kids of all ages. On the flip side, bare feet dislike them and they can be a bugger to organize. You may even feel guilty asking your kids to clean them up when they are in the middle…
Read MoreConsider Eliminating These 5 Perfectly Good Things
You own some nice, perfectly good stuff which translates into “super hard to part with.” If we hang onto every single perfectly good, useful item, even when they haven’t proven useful to us, our spaces will lose their spaciousness. A house filled with good stuff leaves little room for friends, family, and relaxation. Here…
Read MoreUntangle and Organize Cords for Your Electronics
If your electronic cords and chargers are a tangled, unorganized mess you know how downright infuriating it can be when you need to find one. Sorting out the snarl every time you need to use one is also a big time waster. Take the time to label the end of every cord with the name…
Read MoreHow to find your ideal home office space plus a peek inside a professional organizer’s office
As a professional organizer, I’ve worked with clients who have called a variety of spaces their home offices. Common spaces like kitchen tables, nooks in bedrooms and sofas tend to be used more often as a workspace for household paperwork than a dedicated room equipped with a large desk and shelving. Clients are happy…
Read MoreWeekend Mini-Organizing Challenge: Electronics Backup For Peace of Mind
Need some organizing motivation and inspiration, or a gentle nudge? Simply subscribe to my blog to receive mini-organizing challenges several weekends a month. They will be automatically emailed to you so you won’t have to remember to visit the blog. Mini-organizing challenges are doable and will focus on decluttering a tiny area of your home. If the…
Read More