I’ll bet you are expecting an article about getting organized as part of your New Year’s resolution? Surprise! I am actually going to tell you to go shopping!! January and February are the best times to shop. The stores are marking everything down to clear out inventory and bring new items. Personally, I spend a lot of time at Target around this time, waiting for the 75 % off clearance sales to start.
Why am I telling you to buy things? Because, if you start your holiday shopping now, you will have much less stress come November/December. Here is an idea: Take several paper shopping bags and write the names of those you need to shop for each year on them (one name per bag). Keep these bags in your closet, garage or hiding spot. As you are out shopping, check out the sales with your gift recipients in mind. As you find things for your loved ones, bring them home and put them in the appropriate bag. As birthdays or holidays come up, you can go to that person’s bag and find already purchased gifts for them. Not only will you save a ton of money, but you will save a lot of time and stress. Instead of frantically running around at the last minute looking for the perfect gift, buy it when you see it. Chances are it will cost less and it will really be the ideal present.
Meagan Farrell, professional organizer, is the owner of Clear the Clutter organizing services. She can be reached at (360) 631-7268 or at clear_theclutter@yahoo.com. Check out her blog at http://cleartheclutterprofessionalorganizing.blogspot.com/
Saturday, January 5, 2008
Thursday, January 3, 2008
Everett Herald Article - January 1, 2008
Resolved for 2008: Less mess
Experts tell how to clear clutter, get organized
By Andy RathbunHerald Writer
Linda Rosander can't handle the guilt."It wears on you, having things in there that other people can use," she said. "Emotionally, it wears on you."Yes, that's right: The Marysville resident needs to clean out her garage.The space could house a car but instead has become a makeshift storage unit for everything from diving equipment to an overturned couch. Now that the new year is here, Rosander plans to work on organizing the clutter.Rosander's not alone in her plight. A poll by the effectiveness-training firm FranklinCovey found that "get organized" was among the top five New Year's resolutions for 2008. While some might think the first step should be picking up tools from the store, professional organizers in the area discouraged that path."That's the last thing that I do in the process because I have found with the majority of my clients, once we get rid of a lot of stuff, we don't need that many organizational products," said Snohomish County-based organizer Meagan Farrell of Clear the Clutter.To get started Farrell recommends simply making three piles: Stuff to keep, stuff to pitch and stuff to give away or sell.Laura Leist, an organizer in Snohomish, also is a fan of the trash bin approach. One of her mottoes is "You can't take it with you," and so she urges people to throw out items."You won't miss it," she said. "Try it."Granted, some tools come in handy. Leist, who runs Eliminate Chaos, recommended getting a calendar and drafting a schedule. Other tools should be customized to the project at hand: A file cabinet for the home office, drawer dividers in the kitchen or hooks to hang up tools in the garage.Many things can contribute to a cluttered household, Leist said, from lengthy hours at work infringing on cleaning time to momentous events such as a death or birth, which can come with an influx of inherited items or gifts. Christmas itself can bring a new wave of items that, when followed by the New Year, can call to mind a need to clean."It's more cluttered than before," Farrell said. "The combo just sort of inspires."Leist emphasized that people shouldn't beat themselves up over their messes, nor should they live or die by a New Year's resolution. After all, according to that FranklinCovey survey, 35 percent of people break a resolution by Feb. 1. Leist recommended using the word "intention" instead."A resolution is so much stronger and harsh for people, which is why people don't stick with it," she said, "but if their intention is they want to live more organized, then there are baby steps they can take along the way."That may be good advice for Rosander, who has her work cut out for her. She runs Linda's Adult Family Home in Marysville, and has taken on a glut of objects as a result. After a resident dies, families sometime donate items to her. It may take a couple weeks to clear out her garage, she said, but she's ready to tackle the task. As a society, we're hoarders, she said. She's ready to break the cycle, and donate unused leftovers.Really, she's looking forward to it."It's fun getting rid of things you don't need," she said.Reporter Andy Rathbun: 425-339-3455 or e-mail arathbun@heraldnet.com.
Experts tell how to clear clutter, get organized
By Andy RathbunHerald Writer
Linda Rosander can't handle the guilt."It wears on you, having things in there that other people can use," she said. "Emotionally, it wears on you."Yes, that's right: The Marysville resident needs to clean out her garage.The space could house a car but instead has become a makeshift storage unit for everything from diving equipment to an overturned couch. Now that the new year is here, Rosander plans to work on organizing the clutter.Rosander's not alone in her plight. A poll by the effectiveness-training firm FranklinCovey found that "get organized" was among the top five New Year's resolutions for 2008. While some might think the first step should be picking up tools from the store, professional organizers in the area discouraged that path."That's the last thing that I do in the process because I have found with the majority of my clients, once we get rid of a lot of stuff, we don't need that many organizational products," said Snohomish County-based organizer Meagan Farrell of Clear the Clutter.To get started Farrell recommends simply making three piles: Stuff to keep, stuff to pitch and stuff to give away or sell.Laura Leist, an organizer in Snohomish, also is a fan of the trash bin approach. One of her mottoes is "You can't take it with you," and so she urges people to throw out items."You won't miss it," she said. "Try it."Granted, some tools come in handy. Leist, who runs Eliminate Chaos, recommended getting a calendar and drafting a schedule. Other tools should be customized to the project at hand: A file cabinet for the home office, drawer dividers in the kitchen or hooks to hang up tools in the garage.Many things can contribute to a cluttered household, Leist said, from lengthy hours at work infringing on cleaning time to momentous events such as a death or birth, which can come with an influx of inherited items or gifts. Christmas itself can bring a new wave of items that, when followed by the New Year, can call to mind a need to clean."It's more cluttered than before," Farrell said. "The combo just sort of inspires."Leist emphasized that people shouldn't beat themselves up over their messes, nor should they live or die by a New Year's resolution. After all, according to that FranklinCovey survey, 35 percent of people break a resolution by Feb. 1. Leist recommended using the word "intention" instead."A resolution is so much stronger and harsh for people, which is why people don't stick with it," she said, "but if their intention is they want to live more organized, then there are baby steps they can take along the way."That may be good advice for Rosander, who has her work cut out for her. She runs Linda's Adult Family Home in Marysville, and has taken on a glut of objects as a result. After a resident dies, families sometime donate items to her. It may take a couple weeks to clear out her garage, she said, but she's ready to tackle the task. As a society, we're hoarders, she said. She's ready to break the cycle, and donate unused leftovers.Really, she's looking forward to it."It's fun getting rid of things you don't need," she said.Reporter Andy Rathbun: 425-339-3455 or e-mail arathbun@heraldnet.com.
Snohomish County Business Journal Press
Published January 2008
Turning Point
Why did you go into your profession, start your own business or change your career midstream? These are the questions the Snohomish County Business Journal wants answered in its regular feature, “Turning Point.” Have a turning point you’d like to share? E-mail it to hilden@heraldnet.com. It should be no longer than 150 words. Please include an electronic image to run alongside.
Meagan Farrell, owner of Clear the Clutter, professional organizing services operating in Snohomish County Organization has always been a part of my life. In every job I have held, organization has been a major component of what I did. After staying home for six years to raise my daughter, I wanted to get out into the working world again; however, I needed a highly flexible position. A friend pointed out that I was already a professional organizer, doing it for friends and the companies I worked for. She inspired me to start my own business.
A year and a half ago, I started Clear the Clutter, and now I get to do what I love most. At first, it was a scary step, but once it got going, I found that there was nothing better than being my own boss and doing something that I am passionate about.
Not only do I get the rewarding task of helping people get their lives under control, but I get to write about it on my blog — http://cleartheclutterprofessionalorganizing.blogspot.com/ — too.
The Marketplace HeraldnetThe EnterpriseTraffic UpdateGovernment/Biz Groups
© 2008 The Daily Herald Co., Everett, WA
Turning Point
Why did you go into your profession, start your own business or change your career midstream? These are the questions the Snohomish County Business Journal wants answered in its regular feature, “Turning Point.” Have a turning point you’d like to share? E-mail it to hilden@heraldnet.com. It should be no longer than 150 words. Please include an electronic image to run alongside.
Meagan Farrell, owner of Clear the Clutter, professional organizing services operating in Snohomish County Organization has always been a part of my life. In every job I have held, organization has been a major component of what I did. After staying home for six years to raise my daughter, I wanted to get out into the working world again; however, I needed a highly flexible position. A friend pointed out that I was already a professional organizer, doing it for friends and the companies I worked for. She inspired me to start my own business.
A year and a half ago, I started Clear the Clutter, and now I get to do what I love most. At first, it was a scary step, but once it got going, I found that there was nothing better than being my own boss and doing something that I am passionate about.
Not only do I get the rewarding task of helping people get their lives under control, but I get to write about it on my blog — http://cleartheclutterprofessionalorganizing.blogspot.com/ — too.
The Marketplace HeraldnetThe EnterpriseTraffic UpdateGovernment/Biz Groups
© 2008 The Daily Herald Co., Everett, WA
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