Tuesday, December 28, 2010

Managing Gift Cards

Gift cards usually make a great gift. They are inexpensive to mail and the recipient can get something they really want…..usually. There is a catch to all this – when you receive a gift card to a store/restaurant/location that you do not like or that is not convenient to get to. If this it the case, I have the solution. There are three main websites that will allow you to sell or swap your gift cards for a majority of the face value: cardpool.com, plasticjungle.com or giftcardrescue.com. Simply get online and sell. Another option is to let all your friends know about your unwanted card and see if anyone wants to sell or swap that card with you. You can even post it on Facebook.

Got gift cards that you can use? Make sure you keep them in a way that will make it easy for you to remember to use them. Get a pocket sized photo wallet (places like the Dollar Tree sell these) and keep all your gift cards in that. When you are going shopping or out for dinner, pull out your stash and take advantage of your gifts!



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, November 27, 2010

Keeping up with Holiday Decor

As you are putting up your holiday decorations, set aside any that are broken or no longer appeal to you. Immediately put them in a bag and put the bag in your car to drop off for donation next time you are driving by a location.

Wednesday, November 3, 2010

5 Quick Tips to Help You Enjoy December

So often I hear people grumbling about all the they have to do in December to prepare for Christmas. With 52 days until Christmas, why not get a few things done now to make December less hectic?

1 - Get your Christmas cards done now. Pick a fun photo and order your cards. You can get the envelopes addressed and stamped and ready to send.

2- Get your shopping done now. Why wait until the malls are packed? Make a list of all you to shop for and get it done now. You may even have time to wrap before the end of November.

3 - Give your child a Santa deadline. In our house, letters to Santa must be delivered by Thanksgiving weekend to give Santa time to shop. This gives Santa's helpers time to get all that shopping done before the 11th hour as well.

4 - Even if you can't get all your shopping done, at least get the shopping done for those you have to ship gifts to. Get the items purchased, wrapped and shipped before the Post Office gets intolerable. Or better yet - shop online and avoid the Post Office all together.

5 - Shop for hostess gifts now. Don't run around hours before a party to find the perfect hostess gift. Get out there now and find a few cute things that would work for any hostess and keep them on hand for when the party inviations come in.

Friday, October 15, 2010

The Value of Donating

Something I often hear from clients who are trying to purge is “but I paid so much for that!” or “oh my sister gave that to me so I feel bad just getting rid of it.” Sound familiar? Avoid this road block by placing equal value on getting rid of the item. If you paid a lot for it then it will make a nice tax write off when you donate it. If it was a treasured gift that you just can’t use, why not pay it forward and give it to a friend who can actually use it.

Don’t let actual or emotional value of items hold you back. Remind yourself of the value in having the additional space or the value of less stress from clutter. Furthermore, remind yourself of the value of paying it forward to donating it or giving it away.



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/

Monday, September 6, 2010

Tuesday, August 31, 2010

The Life Skill of Writing Thank You Notes

Writing thank you notes is an art that need not be lost. It is a life skill that every child should learn and get in the practice of. Personally, I attribute getting jobs to the fact that I followed up the interview with a thank you note. It can’t hurt, right? So how to organize thank yous after a party or holiday?

First off make a list of the gifts received and who they were received by. Don’t have a pad of paper handy? Write what gift the person gave on the back of the card that came with the gift. After the fun, take your list of givers and put them in an obvious spot along with thank you cards, stamps and address labels. Have your child write 3 thank you notes a day until they are all done.

Again, writing thank you notes is a life skill that can only serve your child well. People appreciate being thanked in writing. Kids may fuss about having to do it, but if you make it an easy process it will be easier on everyone.

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/

Thursday, July 29, 2010

Getting Organized in a time of need

I recently got diagnosed with breast cancer. I was immediately overwhelmed with love and support. I realized that I have the most amazing people around me and they all wanted to help. Through this process, I learned a few things about how to organize and help a loved one (or yourself!) who is sick, just had a baby or suffered a recent loss.

1 - Set up a care calendar at www.carecalendar.org. Care calendar allows you to plug in the dates that you need help. By emailing the link to interested helpers, they can sign on and sign up for helping or providing meals. Care calendar even sends reminder emails to those who signed up.

2 – Set up a webpage or Facebook page to easily share updates and information to many. I created a special page on Facebook to share information about my treatments, doctor appointments, etc. I invited those who I wanted to share this information with to join the page, but kept it hidden other than that. This saved me from having to answer lots of phone calls and emails when I was tired and not up for it. It also allowed my husband to post my condition after surgery.

3 – Plan ahead! If you have the luxury of knowing that you will be in a situation like this, do as much as you can to organize ahead of time. In addition to summoning help, pay bills ahead of time if possible, make sure you have written up all pertinent information for the person taking care of things for you, etc. Another good tip – ask to borrow movies and books from friends. You will save money and have plenty of entertainment. Just be sure to label all the borrowed items so you can return them to the correct owner.

3 – The number one thing I learned – accept the help! I have always been fiercely independent and one to take care of things on my own. However, through this process I realized that not only did we (me and my family) need this help, but those around me really wanted and needed to help me. It was good for all of us.



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/

Tuesday, July 13, 2010

http://main.acsevents.org/site/TR/MakingStridesAgainstBreastCancer/MSABCFY11GreatWest?px=17366588&pg=personal&fr_id=28076

http://main.acsevents.org/site/TR/MakingStridesAgainstBreastCancer/MSABCFY11GreatWest?px=17366588&pg=personal&fr_id=28076

Diets and Organization

We all know how diets go. You pick a diet plan, follow it closely and lose the weight. Then after a few months, you get out of your new routine and fall back to the old. What happens then? You gain the weight back. Getting organized and losing weight are the same in that manner. Both are things that require permanent changes in your lifestyle.

If you truly want to get organized in life, it all boils down to changing your ways. Just like there is no magic diet pill, no amount of cute gear from the organizing store can magically make you organized forever. You must permanently alter the way you operate.

To get organized, reduce what you have. Once you have truly weeded out what you no longer (or never did to begin with) need, organize your stuff. If you need help, hire a professional. Come up with organizational systems and solutions that are realistic for you, but remember, you will still need to permanently change your habits.

Habit changing is difficult, but if you set realistic goals, like doing 15 minutes a day of organizing, you should have no problem doing it.



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/

Monday, July 5, 2010

Getting the upper hand on back to school

I don’t know about you, but when school was out, I just took my daughter’s back pack and all the supplies that came home and set it in the garage. I was tired and figured it could be dealt with later.

Fast forward to this week when I noticed school supplies are being put out in the various stores already. This got me thinking about that back pack and back to school. I went to the school website and printed up the supply list. Today I found myself with some spare time, so I pulled out that back pack and dumped out all its contents. I used the supply list and went through to see what can be used again next year. I pulled all that out and then got rid of what was broken, empty or no longer needed.

Next I took my list and walked around the house to see what else we had. I found all sorts of things that allowed me to cross more off that once long list. I took everything and put it back into my daughter’s backpack, zipped it up and put it back into the garage. I took the remaining list and put it in my purse so I can pick up what is needed as I am out and about on regular errands.

This whole process took me less than 10 minutes. It is now one less thing to worry about come September. Not only did I save a lot of money by re-using but I am being more eco-friendly as well. I realize that most parents aren’t ready to think about back to school yet, but what better time to knock this out? Come September, you will be glad you have less to get done.


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/

Friday, June 25, 2010

How to donate old appliances

Do you have old appliances that are sitting around, monopolizing valuable space in your home or garage? Or are you about to upgrade your appliances, yet you are unsure what to do with the ones you currently have?

Below is a list of organizations that take donated appliances. Not only will you be clearing your clutter, but you will be helping out someone in need.


The Salvation Army
With thrift stores located throughout North America, The Salvation Army can schedule a pickup from the thrift store nearest you. Check with your local Salvation Army office to see if they accept appliance donations in your area. Learn more at www.salvationarmyusa.org.


St. Vincent de Paul
St. Vincent de Paul is a national organization with thrift stores throughout the country. Contact your local chapter to arrange for a pick-up or drop-off. The number will be listed in the Social Service Organizations section of your local yellow pages. Learn more at www.svdpusa.org.


American Council of the Blind
American Council of the Blind has thrift stores in a number of major metropolitan areas. You can call them at 1-800-866-3242 or visit www.acb.org.


Habitat for Humanity
Habitat ReStores are retail outlets where quality used and surplus building materials are sold at a fraction of normal prices. For more information, call 1-800-HABITAT or visit www.habitat.org.





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/

Thursday, June 17, 2010

Keeping Summer Organized

Summer can be an unstructured and relaxing time, but that can also lead to more disorganization. Here are some tips for keeping things running smoothly:

• Keep travel-sized sunscreen and bug sprays in your car. That way you never are without it.
• Buy a mesh laundry bag at the dollar store. This is a great bag to tote beach gear/toys around in. Not only will it keep all your beach toys in one place, it is easy for transport and the mesh material allows sand to be shaken out at the beach (not inside your car).
• If you are out of school and at home with the kids for the summer, keep a schedule anyway. Pick a certain time each week for cleaning, one for errands, etc. Let the kids know that despite the laid back feel of summer, things still need to get done and post your schedule.
• Another idea is to post a list of jobs that need to be done and assign prices to them. Allow the kids to earn extra money throughout the week and then make time for a trip to the store to spend their earnings. This is a great thing to send the kids to when they whine about being bored.
• Right now is a great time to do a check of all summer equipment. Take a half hour to check all your equipment to make sure it is in good, safe, operating order. If it is not, get it fixed right away so that when you are ready for fun, your stuff is ready to go too.
• Set up a box in your garage or extra space. Make this your “donate/sell” box. As you go through summer, put anything that no longer fits, works or is used in that box. At the end of the season, take any summer items not used and include them in the box. If you didn’t use it this year, you most likely won’t next summer either. Lighten your load.


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/

Friday, May 21, 2010

Clearing out old electronics

Do you have an electronics cemetery in your house or garage? You know, the place where old electronics lay in rest while you ponder what to do with them? If this sounds familiar, Costco has a solution. Costco has a trade in program for electronics, gaming systems, cell phones, etc. In some cases, you can even get money for your trade ins!

Go to www.costco.com and click on electronics. Then go to “Trade in program” listed on the left menu column. It is very simple. Now you can clear that old electronic clutter, help the environment by practicing proper disposal AND possibly help your pocketbook. Win.win.win!



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/

Thursday, May 13, 2010

Setting realistic goals

Getting organized can feel overwhelming. Clients always tell me that they feel exhausted just thinking about the process. Quite frankly, any major project or life change will feel overwhelming if it is not broken down into realistic, attainable goals. So in order to get organized, break it down and get realistic.

For example, your organizational goal is to clear off your kitchen counter and keep it that way. Break it down and spend 15 minutes a day tackling one pile at a time. When your 15 minutes is up and one pile has been managed, congratulate yourself on a job well done and feel satisfied that you accomplished the goal for the day. Keep chipping away until the entire counter is cleared.

Next, set realistic goals. In some cases, it is highly improbable that your kitchen counter will stay cleared for long. Unless you live alone, your counter may have the tendency to be a catch-all location for all other residents. So set a goal that is realistic for everyone involved. Maybe put an inbox tray or basket on your counter and let everyone know that if papers must come in, they are to be put into the basket. This way, most of your counter gets to stay clean and you are not feeling like an organizational failure every time Junior plops his school papers back on your clean counter.

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/

Tuesday, April 20, 2010

How to make your frantic times more manageable

Have you ever read any of Stephen Covey’s books? If so, you are familiar with his quadrants. Covey explains that there are 4 quadrants of operation:

1. Important and Urgent (crises, deadline-driven projects)
2. Important, Not Urgent (preparation, prevention, planning, relationships)
3. Urgent, Not Important (interruptions, many pressing matters)
4. Not Urgent, Not Important (trivia, time wasters)

Even the most organized person can be thrown for a loop in life and be forced to operate in the 1st quadrant. Things just explode and you are basically just surviving. But if your life is generally organized, than not only will you weather the storm with less fall out, but you will also recover more quickly.

Why not schedule a little time out of a 2nd quadrant day to do some organizing? Take a day that is less hectic then the rest and take a half hour to get some things in your life in order. If you do this on a regular basis, then 1st quadrant fall outs won’t be so stressful.



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/

Tuesday, April 13, 2010

Organize that Garage!

It is spring and as it warms up, it is a great time to get that garage cleaned out! Always begin any organizing project with the process of elimination. The best way to eliminate clutter in your garage is to do small sections at a time. Pick either a corner or a shelf and work on that area only. Focusing on a smaller area is less overwhelming. Take everything out of that space and divide it into three piles: keep, throw away, or donate/sell. After everything is sorted, put the “keep” pile away in an organized manner. Do not put things away as you sort or you are likely to get sidetracked from your main focus. Immediately discard the “throw away” pile, and then either drop off donations or start the selling process of the remaining items. Stay focused until the space is entirely done.

Next, consider your storage space. Shelving is always a great option. Using clear plastic storage bins to hold categorized items, such as holiday decorations or camping equipment, is the way to go. With clear bins you can see what you have inside without having to pull the bin down and rummage through it. Make sure to label all bins with the general content of the category. Another option is ceiling space. There are ceiling hanging shelves for items infrequently used or there are hooks that hang from the ceiling and hold bikes or sporting equipment.

Finally, install your storage items and put everything away in a neat and categorized way. Now that everything has a home, keep it there. Enjoy your clean and usable space!


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/

Thursday, March 25, 2010

Spring Cleaning Success

Spring is here which may put you in the mood for some spring cleaning and organizing. In order to keep the enthusiasm up and not overwhelm yourself, remember this: you don’t have to completely organize your life or even your garage in one day.

Think about it this way – on those organizing shows where they completely overhaul someone’s home, they take a full weekend with a full crew of professionals doing all the heavy lifting. Most of us don’t have a full crew to do that for us. And organizing gets tiring if you try to do it for hours on end. So make it easy on yourself by breaking it down and making your goal achievable. After all, what is more inspiring then achieving your goals?

Set aside a small amount of time that is realistic to dedicate to organizing (this means don’t answer the phone, don’t get sidetracked by children, don’t answer email). Whether it is 15 minutes or two hours, make sure that it is dedicated time where you won’t be distracted. Start with a small section at a time. Pick a closet, a cupboard, a drawer or a corner of the garage. Focusing on a smaller area is less overwhelming and more realistic. Take everything out of that space and divide it into three piles: keep, throw away, or donate/sell. After everything is sorted, put the “keep” pile away in an organized manner. Immediately discard the “throw away” pile, and then either drop off donations or start the selling process of the remaining items. Don’t be tempted to put things away in the middle of this process. That can be done later, after your time is done.

Chip away at the big project. Make your goals small and realistic goals so when you achieve them, you are inspired and motivated to continue on. Congratulate yourself on a job well done! Lastly, make another appointment with yourself to do more organizing. Give yourself the gift of that dedicated time to make your life run more smoothly and be less overwhelming. Being organized is a huge stress reliever and will save you time in the long run. Go for it!



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/

Tuesday, March 16, 2010

Managing Greeting Cards

Something that seems to haunt many clients is greeting cards. We usually find them in all kinds of places, well after the date that they were supposed to be sent. The solution? I have two options:

1 – buy a greeting card organizer and keep it in plain sight. Keep it stocked with cards and close to a calendar. When you notice that a birthday is coming up, take out a card and get it in the mail.

2 – join Send Out Cards - http://www.sendoutcards.com/celticblessings. With send out cards, you can plug in birthdays and special occasions well in advance. You can even do your Christmas cards in March and they will go out on the date in December that you choose.

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/

Wednesday, March 3, 2010

Just do it

How do you stay organized? Handle things right away. It is as simple as that and you will make others very happy in the process. Got a party invite? Sit down and RSVP right away and put the date on your calendar. Not only is it off your plate, but your host/hostess will truly appreciate your prompt response. Borrowed a book from a friend? As soon as you finish it, give them a call and arrange a time to get it back to them. You will have one less thing sitting around your house and your friend will be more apt to loan you stuff in the future. Have a bag of stuff that needs to get donated? Put it in your car right away and the next time you are driving by Goodwill, you can quickly drop it off. Goodwill can use the help and you will have less stuff in your house.

You set things aside thinking that you don’t have time to deal with it, but then it weighs on your or you forget it completely. Stop the cycle. Deal with things immediately. Not only will you be happier and less stressed, but those around you will deeply appreciate it too.


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/

Tuesday, February 16, 2010

Getting Organized to Move

Whether moving across town or across country, the preparation process can be a daunting task. However, a little planning and project management can make it much less stressful. Remember the three P’s and you will be in great shape: Purge, pack and plan.

As soon as you know you are going to move, start purging. If you have movers coming, take into consideration the cost per pound. When I moved 4 years ago, it was 60 cents a pound. At that rate, do you really want to move stuff that you don’t really use or stuff that is not worth its weight? And even if you aren’t using movers, consider the cost in sweat. The bottom line is less is better when it comes to the moving process.

Pack the things you don’t use first. Save the items that you use every day for last and put a special mark on those boxes so you remember to unpack them first too. Pack items according to rooms in your new home. For example, if you currently have books in your living room, but will have a den with bookshelves in your new home, pack the books in a box and mark it “den.” This way it will get put into the correct room the first time around.

If you are moving cross country and you will arrive at your new home before the movers do, consider putting those must have items in the car with you or in a small trailer so you have them upon arrival (and don’t have to wait for the movers to arrive with it). Throw some paper towel and toilet paper in that box too as those are must haves as well.

Like all projects, making an outline of things that need to be done is crucial. Make a master list of all that you need to do and then break it down according to when it needs to be done. List examples are: Do now, do next week, do in two weeks, do the week of the move and day of. Don’t waste energy worrying about things on your “day of” list when you are still 3 weeks away from moving. Put it all on the appropriate list and forget about it until the time comes.

Finally, make a list of all those you need to contact for address changes. As soon as you know you are moving, start jotting down the name and number of everyone who mails you anything. As bills come in, add that name/phone number to the master list. When you make the phone call to start/stop service or change your address, make a note of the name of the person you spoke to, the date and time. I know from unfortunate experience that this is completely necessary. You can refer back to it when you find out that they never got your phone service turned off and want to charge you for months you weren’t even there.

Happy Moving!!





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/

Tuesday, February 2, 2010

Quick Kitchen Organizing Tip:

Pick a cupboard or drawer to start with. Get a box and pull everything from that space. Keep it in the box unless you use it. If you do use it, then put it away after. If you don’t use it, it stays in the box. Give it a month. At the end of the month if you have not used it, you probably don’t really need it.