My Blog

Lids Off!

10/02/2012 21:49:00

Keeping your home in order is not easy but lids don't make it any easier.

Lids make perfect sense cause they cover the mess inside of a container but at the same time they cause clutter on it. The more obstacles there are it's less likely for us to place an object into it's place.

For example, I have to keep our trash can in a cleaning supplies closet (sounds fancy but it's extra pantry minus the shelves ) so our dog wouldn't get in to it. By doing that I knew the trash won't always end up there cause one (read: my husband) would find opening an extra door just to get the trash out, too much. I was right cause I find little piles on a counter next to the closet on daily bases. I optioned for the little pile made by my beloved rather than having huge one all over the place made by our dog. To be honest, I'm just happy when the little pile gets out of his office what is a topic of another blog.

Kid's and play rooms are another place where the lids are not allowed. It is highly unlikely that a child will lift a lid, put a toy back into the box and then put the lid back on. There are two scenarios how this plays off. In the first one, child puts toys on the closed container and make some more mess. And in the second one, the lid goes off and he/ she uses it as a skate board on the carpet and ends up in a ER and you get more bills to pay. So, just leave the lids in a store, your kids will get more chances to actually put the toys back into their containers. Make it easy for them.

Now you are wondering when are the lids ok to use? Use them on a containers you don't use very often (like pictures, bulbs etc) and of course when you are storing your seasonal items, extra beddings etc. To make things easier, if you use the container on daily bases, forget the lid and if you don't you can leave it on.

Organizing Recipes

09/28/2012 09:16:00

Buying recipe books used to be such a great idea but with internet and pinterest they lost it’s purpose, everything is one click away now. Still, we have recipes we got from our moms and grandmas that we use and keep. Some can easily get lost and damaged in the process of cooking and improper storage.

Last night, at NAPO vendors fair, I came across this amazing product Recipe Nest (https://reciperelish.com/rrcart/reciperelishorder.php5 ). It stores recipes (pages, copies etc.), groups them, protects from grease and flying flower and keeps your favorite recipes handy.

My dad loves sending me recipes and I’ve kept them in a binder. It has worked ok though I’ve had to keep it in a drawer and of course and finding the right one has been a little miracle. This Recipe Nest will come so handy!

I would also like to point out that I am not connected with the makers nor distributors of the product in any. I just saw it last night and I thought it would be great asset for everybody.

Thank you for your time! Let me know if there are any topics, issues you would like me to write about.

Kids School Work

09/27/2012 13:08:00

We all love our kids and we try to save every memory of their childhood. Very easily the memories create clutter and they got damaged and most likely lost.

So, what can we do with all the art we receive from their school on daily bases? I try to save only one paper a week. That is still a lot especially if you have more kids. At the end of a semester you can pick the best ones and save, and the rest…

The most of it I kiss and say good bye and some I scan first before we appart. This way I still save the best without creating a clutter.

Satisfaction

09/20/2012 10:30:00

I had a pleasure having lunch with one of my clients yesterday. It has been more then 6 months since I reorganized her pantry and her kitchen. Hearing about clients experience trough organizing process is learning time for me. Here are some of the Q/A to give you an idea what you gain trough working with me:

Q: Is the system working for you?

Yes! I made few little changes but more then 90% is still the same.

Q: Does it save you money?

Definitely yes! My grocery list is much shorter now cause I actually know what I have in my pantry and what I need to buy.

Q: Does it save your time?

Yes! Even my boys know where their school snacks are. It's so much faster to get everybody ready for school.

Q: Do you miss any of your belongings that we moved to the garage:

No. I've never even used them since. And now, when I notice something in my kitchen that I do not use, I give it a time to make sure I wont need it right there in my kitchen and after that i get rid of it by selling or donating.

This is why most of the professional organizers are in the business. We bring easiness in to our client's lives.

Thank you for your time!

Photoshopped Life

02/29/2012 13:31:00

We grow up reading fairy tales and watching romantic movies that all end with people living happily ever after. Stunning looking models all over cover of the magazines and picture perfect homes and closets all over Internet set a bar that is often unrealistic and impossible to achieve. Why? Because it’s not real but somehow those illusions make us feel like failures.

Today I saw a picture of this perfect looking play room. Mine doesn’t look nearly like that because I actually have two boys playing and throwing toys around. Knowing that picture-perfect play room was not real made me feel frustrated, mostly because now we not only have photo-shopped models, but also “photo-shopped” closets and rooms that do not fit every day lives of the majority.

Often times my clients will show me picture from a magazine, wanting their closets to match. Can I deliver that? Yes, why not? Throw some money here, throw some money there and voila: a picture-perfect closet! I could go and leave my happy costumer to show her picture perfect closet to her envious friends. However, only a few short weeks later, chaos rules again. Stress and clutter have taken over and there is now a greater sense of frustration and disappointment for my customer.

In order to get the perfectly fitted clothes and home we need to take an honest look in the mirror at ourselves, be honest about our habits, needs, wants and accept ourselves for who we are. Our organization routines and storage systems should follow accordingly; they should be complimentary. Perhaps we are not picture-perfect but we are real, and we need real solutions that are functional and thus sustainable in our life.

Filing

02/22/2012 11:26:00

Important documents often come into our lives faster then we can manage. Finding the right filing system is crucial if you want to be organized. So, where do you start?

Go through all of your papers, documents and files. Determine what you need and throw away what should go in the trash. Next, group your documents, but avoid creating too many categories. Too many categories can get confusing and cause more problems. Here are a few sample categories: medical, vital, cars, home and bills. Next, assign different color folders to each group (green for bills, blue for vital etc). Now, you should have piles that are starting to make some sense. Take the files you use most often and keep them within arm’s reach (desk drawer or a small filing cabinet) so it’s easy to get a document when you need it and more importantly, it’s easy to put it back when you are done . Everything else you can file in cabinets further from you or even in a different room. Anything that’s not needed in the near future (records, tax documents), archive. These files can even be placed in a remote storage or a garage. Make sure the boxes are water/fire proof because we do not want our documents to get damaged.

Tip: do not make a “ miscellaneous” folder! We tend to put too many papers in a “miscellaneous” file and in no time you’ll have an unorganized folder and clutter on your hands again. A “working folder” is more appropriate, but make sure you go through it once a week and file the documents as needed.

Respect Your Habbits

02/21/2012 11:38:00

Be honest with yourself and embrace your habits. It doesn't matter if it makes sense to the world if it works for you.

Opening mail for example. You bought great storage for your office but then you open the mail in your kitchen. What you get is piles on your kitchen counters and waste of money in your office. Yes, the plan looked great " I'll buy this beautiful storage for my mail and then I'll just put it in to my office and va-la! no papers laying on my counters". Solution: bring the mail storage solution to your kitchen. Make it work for you.

Hanging pockets inside of my kitchen cabinet is something that works for me. It's a temporary storage, from there I file all the paperwork once a week. It takes very little effort, it's cost effective and it works!

Mine are from Martha Stewart* series and I bought them at Staples*

Start Small

02/19/2012 16:50:00

Whenever we start a project we want to see the results fast. Whether it's dieting or organizing, we give up if the goal is too far or too hard to reach. So, I like keeping tasks small and simple to keep me focused and interested.

For example, the kitchen is a complicated area. It's not only for cooking and eating but is the place where family comes together and bring parts of their days with them. I used to have this cabinet where I would put everything I didn't have the home for. It would get over crowded in days. My solution was to get inexpensive boxes from Ikea. I assigned each one for a family member, household items, cables, batteries. I also got 2 magazine holders for kids work and gift bags.

The project took couple of hours but I gained great organized space in a short time and the results made me happy. I even had this urge to keep the cabinet doors open so everyone could see how organized and beautiful it was. The most important part was that it was working. No clutter on the kitchen counters and I knew exactly where too look for things I needed and where to put things I didn't need at the moment. In order to keep it that way I have to go trough boxes every few weeks so they don't become cluttered.

The project was rather small but it kept me motivated to attack the other parts of the kitchen. It was the first small step to an organized home and life. Now my home is ready for any visit in less then 5 minutes!

Tip: the boxes should all be the same color in order to keep the look simple and appealing.