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/
Thursday, March 25, 2010
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/
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/
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/
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.
Monday, December 21, 2009
Cleaning Up the Clutter after the Holidays
Christmas is right around the corner and your about to get slammed with a lot more stuff. Once the unwrapping dust has settled, you need to decide what you are keeping and what you are getting rid of. If you do not like or can not use a gift, DO NOT give it a home in your closet, drawer or garage. Put it right into your garage sale box or into your car to take to consignment. Websites like Garage Sales Tracker have a directory of all your closest consignment stores with directions. Check them out at http://www.garagesalestracker.com/
Thursday, December 3, 2009
Purging before the holidays
Tis the season for gifts and more gifts. While we love all the fun of giving and receiving, you may be worried that your home is cluttered enough with stuff that you don’t use. In anticipation of the new goodies, why not clear the clutter?
Spend 15 minutes a day going through one small area at a time. Pick a drawer, a cupboard or the corner of a room to do in one time period. As you are going through, keep reminding yourself that clearing clutter is also opening up space for new and useful things. Once you receive all your fabulous new gifts, you will have a nice neat place to store them.
This is a great activity to do with your kids as well. Teach them a lesson in organization by showing good clutter management habits. Set aside some time with them before the holidays to go through their belongings and get rid of what is broken, no longer used or still in the box because it was never used at all…. Not only will they learn clutter management, but they can also join in the holiday spirit by donating these no longer needed items to a worthy charity.
Don’t let the happiness of receiving be overshadowed by the stress of adding to a cluttered space. Just a small amount of time per day can transform your space into a functional and stress free environment. Happy holidays!
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/
Spend 15 minutes a day going through one small area at a time. Pick a drawer, a cupboard or the corner of a room to do in one time period. As you are going through, keep reminding yourself that clearing clutter is also opening up space for new and useful things. Once you receive all your fabulous new gifts, you will have a nice neat place to store them.
This is a great activity to do with your kids as well. Teach them a lesson in organization by showing good clutter management habits. Set aside some time with them before the holidays to go through their belongings and get rid of what is broken, no longer used or still in the box because it was never used at all…. Not only will they learn clutter management, but they can also join in the holiday spirit by donating these no longer needed items to a worthy charity.
Don’t let the happiness of receiving be overshadowed by the stress of adding to a cluttered space. Just a small amount of time per day can transform your space into a functional and stress free environment. Happy holidays!
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/
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