Organizing From A-Z…The Letter “T”

What can I say for “T” except to Supersize your Trash Can?  What does that mean you might say?  My thoughts are this, the smaller your trash can is, the less likely you will be to throw things away.  Buy a behemoth of a wastebasket and you’ll be more apt to purge more freely! 

Supersize your Trash Cans!

  

 Happy Purging!  Bridges

Organizing From A-Z…The Letter “S”

The letter for today was pretty easy…we are going to talk about “storage”.  Not necessarily in the traditional sense, but looking at ways to maximize storage in your existing space.  I thought of terms likes “stash it underneath” and “space bags” which I thought would be fun to discuss. 

Suction bags can truly maximize storage space!

 

You’ve heard about stowing season clothes like sweaters in slim bins under the bed but don’t stop there.  You can also use storage bags that you can vacuum-suction flat and slide them beneath footed sofas, bookcases and anything else that you can come up with.  I also like the before and after picture below that shows you how to store seasonal clothes or clothes that you just don’t need to get to on a regular basis.  I found a great website for these suction bags at www.spacebags.com 

Save space with clothes that you don't wear all of the time!

 

If you have found any other great storage ideas, I would love to hear them so please share! 

Happy Storing!  Bridges

Organizing From A-Z…The Letter “R”

Recycle In Your Life!

The letter “R” for this post is for Recycle!  Since I do so much of this in my business, I wanted to share what it is that I actually do for my clients…

Some of you may or may not know that I offer a service to my clients called “Turn Discards into Dollars.”  If I work in your home we work through a process of sorting and purging.  During this process, if we find that you have discards that are duplicates, you don’t need, wear or want anymore, I will create and manage a consignment account(s) for you.  This provides you with additional income and in many cases off sets the costs of organizing.  Items not sold can be donated and you will receive the tax benefit for the charitable donation.  All of this activity I will manage and document for your records.

I have several clients that will attest to the fact that all of the work that I did for them was paid for by their “discards” and are amazed that they could recoup their money with “stuff” that was just lying around and they did not need anymore.

Think about it…do you have “discards for dollars?”

Happy Recycling!  Bridges

Organizing From A-Z…The Letter “Q”

Ask the Organizer?

My son (the awesome one, he would say) came up with a great idea for the letter “Q.”  He thought it should stand for “Questions!”  I agreed that it was an awesome idea and that is as far as it went!

So, with that said, I thought I would leave it as an “Ask the Organizer” blog question.  If you struggle with an area or are toying with the idea of starting an organizing project and don’t know where to start, fire away.  I would be happy to answer any questions that you may have!

Happy Organizing! Bridges

Organizing from A-Z…The Letter “P”

Hmmmm…should it be “Purge” or “Pegboard?”  I had to think on that one for a while!  Since we covered the word “purge” in the previous blog, I have decided to go with “pegboard.”  Most of us associate pegboard with the garage, but it also works great in a storage closet.  Think about it, you could hang up things like a stepladder, dusters, mops and other cleaning supplies that seem to get tossed into a corner.  Think about it the possibilities are endless…

Happy Organizing!  Bridges

Organizing from A-Z…The Letter “O”

What else could “O” stand for except for “Organize?” I know this is a very broad term but we are going to break it down into some basic steps so that you can start any organizing project, big or small.  The first thing to know is not to bite off more than you can chew.  Keep your project realistic for the time that you have allotted.  I use an acronym for the process and it is S.P.A.C.E.

“S” stands for separate.  As you go through the process of organizing, you need to separate everything into like items.  Everything needs to come out of the space that you are working on and then like items need to be placed together out-of-the-way.

“P” is for purge!  After you see everything that you actually have, it is easier to determine what you need to get rid of and purge.  It is at this point that I create additional piles that I am either going to donate, consign or trash.

“A” stands for “assign a home.”  Your space is cleared out, you have gone through the items in your like piles, now it is time to assign a home for the items that you are keeping.  It only makes sense at this point to put the things that you won’t need to get to on a regular basis towards the back of the area and the items that you use regularly, up front.

“C” means to “containerize.”  This is your opportunity to go shopping and buy your containers (hint…don’t purchase anything prior to this point because you won’t know exactly what you need).

And finally, “E” stands for “Equalize.”  You may find that you need to tweak some of your work so that it works easier for you.  You need to ask yourself if everything as easy as you’d like it to be?  Are you following your system?  Do the zones and categories make sense to you still?  Ask yourself all of these questions and make any adjustments necessary!

Like anything else worth doing, organizing takes time to master.  You just need to make the committment to do it!

Happy Organizing!  Bridges

Organizing from A-Z…The Letter “N”

Hmmm…I had to think about this one for a while, but the letter “N” works for Build a Household “Notebook”.  You can use either an accordion folder or restyle a three-ring binder into command central.  The best way to create this is to go through a recently created pile of paper and mail that you need to take action on but don’t know what to do with or put them.  This will help you recognize the action files that you need to create for your command central.  Label each one with a verb that best describes the action required.  For example:

1)  To Do Now.  This includes items that you can not go to bed without completing that day! 

2)  Calendar Entry.  Items that need to be entered into your calendar.

3)  Call.  Store phone call messaged until you have the time to return them.  This call also be a file to “capture” phone numbers and addresses to record.

4)  Coupons.  Pizza, restaurant menus, etc.

5)  Data Entry.  Items that need to be entered into your computer.

6)  Errands.  File to hold shopping lists, coupons and items you need to get and then make one trip.

7)  Family.  Have a file for each family member to keep activities, permission slips and anything relevant to that person.

8)  Online.  Websites you want to visit or emails to read.

9)  Order.  Keep confirmations of orders here until it comes or things that you want to order.

10)  Receipts.  Keep receipts for clothing and other items you aren’t sure that you’ll keep.  Go through this monthly and purge.

Remember, you can create this to fit your lifestyle and needs but it is a great way to pull all of those piles together that are hanging around the house!

Happy Organizing!  Bridges

Organizing from A-Z…The Letter “M”

I got a great suggestion for the letter “M” from a very organized client and friend, Jo Ann Loddo!  The letter “M” for today’s purpose is for Meal Planning!  It is not uncommon for people to be figuring out what they are going to throw together for dinner at dinner time.  This only adds stress to an already stressful time of the day.  Having a plan can simplify the process and eliminate that dreaded last-minute run to the grocery store.  Here are a few suggestions:

1)  Create a repeating menu for the month.  You can easily create a repeating menu every two weeks to simplify things.  I plan 5 meals for the week and always leave room for our pizza night on Saturday and leftovers another night.  I doesn’t mean that you must have a particular dinner on the actual night that you have it planned.  I am always adjusting depending on what sports and activities that we have going on that evening.  I always include a few “easy to throw together meals” on those busy nights and then few meals that are more substantial and take a little longer in the kitchen when I know we have time for a nice meal. 

2)  Use a shopping method.  I organize my shopping list by aisles at the grocery store.  I also keep staples in my pantry but I always check to see what I have and don’t have for the meals that are planned for that week.

3)  Organize you pantry and your refrigerator.  Having an organized pantry, fridge and freezer makes it easier to know if you  have the items needed for your weekly menu.  It also reduces the chances of buying duplicate and speeds up the process of unloading groceries.  When you have a home and boundary for your groceries, things are less likely to get buried, expire or go stale.

4)  Stay flexible.  The idea of having a plan should bring freedom to the meal planning process, not confinement.  Know that you always have the freedom to change the plan at the last-minute, but HAVING a plan always give you something to fall back on.

5)  Save money.  Meal planning will also cut down on your grocery bill.  Remember, you are only purchasing what you need for the week and it is not a free for all picking up items that you may or may not use, especially fresh produce that may go bad in the refrigerator.

Give it a try!  If you have any questions about the process, please free to post a comment and I will be sure to reply!

Happy Meal Planning!  Bridges

Organizing from A-Z…The Letter “L”

The letter “L” has to be for laundry!  Who likes to do laundry?  I know that I don’t but I think there a few key habits that are important when we tackle our mounds of laundry that mysteriously pile up.  I think the hardest part of the laundry process is the habit of finishing the job.  We have great intentions of getting to the laundry, but finishing up the loose ends is key to the process.  Here are some ideas to think about when tackling those mounds of clothes:

1)  First, you must have a clutter free place to start!  Make sure that you have to workspace to do your folding and hanging.

2)  This may be mundane, but make sure that your laundry detergent and bleach are above your washing machine and your fabric softeners are above your dryer.  Your tools need to be within reach for maximum efficiency.

3)  Instead of doing marathon sessions once or twice a week–and never getting through the entire pile, because, let’s face it, who wants to wash all of those clothes–designate different days for different kinds of laundry: whites, darks, towels, sheets.  If you break it down in to manageable chunks, it is easier to get through the laundry instead of it piling up on you.

4)  If you have kids, I like to designate a laundry basket for each child.  When you work the laundry, place the pieces in each child’s basket.  Make sure that the socks are together, shirts are on hangers and everything is folded like you want it to look in their drawers.  Once a week (assuming they are old enough for the job) have the kids put their clothes away, pull the empty hangers out of their closet, put them back into the basket and then the basket comes back to the laundry room for the next round of clothes.

5)  For your clothes, make a committment to put your clothes away after you are done with the laundry.  There is not a better feeling than walking into your laundry room and it is clear and clutter-free!

Happy Folding!  Bridges

Organizing from A-Z…The Letter “K”

The letter “K” was a tough one, but I came up with creating a mini “kitchen” somewhere else in your house.  Think about it, the shelf space in your kitchen is prime real estate and there are a lot of items that fight for that space.  So why not set up a mini kitchen somewhere else in your house?  This can be in a Armoire, your basement or even in your guest room if you have space.  Use this space for your entertaining pieces that you only use a few times during the year or larger stockpots or breadmakers that are not used often.  That way your kitchen workspace can breathe a little easier and not feel so cluttered! 

Give your kitchen some breathing room and set up a mini kitchen somewhere else in your house!

 

Happy Organizing!  Bridges