What About....the Other Things?

I was asked a great question today: Where do I put all the things that don't have a category? Hmm... I can understand why that can be a challenge for most of us!

As an organizer, I tend to instruct those I'm working with to start their organizing process by sorting like items together into large categories. Today, while in an office, I was asked about all the other things that end up in that space that aren't necessarily office related. We came across batteries, gift cards, change, snacks, memorabilia and more. Mostly things that aren't going to fit in a file.

First, I asked, "If you were trying to look for item 'x,' where would be the first place you'd look for it?" This tends to be a good indicator of where it makes sense to you. It's your space and belongings, so we want the organized system to work for your brain! If my client would have said, "Oh, in this drawer because (insert really clever thought process that makes tons of sense)," we would have put item 'x' there and called it a day. However, it wasn't that easy.

This particular client has a great memory and responded, "I'd look for it here, where it's all piled up, because that's where I remember putting it." Well, kudos on the good memory! Remembering the homes for items is half the upkeep battle (the other half being putting the items back into those homes after using them). However, it posed a challenge for creating homes that made sense for the owner and how he used these items.

We decided that part of the problem was a lack of boundaries. Change was piled up haphazardly, and batteries were rolling under foot. What we needed were boundaries these items couldn't cross - in the form of containers! Batteries were bagged and put in with office supplies. Gift cards were put in an old, empty business card holder and set inside a drawer near a bag that now held the change we found. The memorabilia and keepsakes we came across were also given boundaries. We retrieved a bin that fit well into the space to hold these memories. However, once it gets full, some decisions will need to be made as far as what gets kept and what moves on to another home in another space.

These boundaries are set in order for us move more freely in our space and create a system that works with our thought processes and not against them. Sometimes the problem isn't that we don't know what we have or where it is, it's that we don't have anything to hold it all together and stop it from spilling on to the floor!

*Photo by Stuart Miles/FreeDigitalPhotos


House Guests

Many of us feel rushed to make our homes look perfect before a house guest arrives, myself included. But, because we all have lives (read: work, family, friends), that's usually pretty unrealistic. Instead of aiming for 'perfect,' try to aim for 'reasonably clean and organized.' It will not only make you less stressed before your guest arrives, but it allows your guest to feel a little more at home, and less at a museum. Here are a few ways to do so:

1) Don't clean the whole house from top to bottom, if you don't have time. Instead, do wipe down counter tops, clean toilet bowls or showers that are in need of a cleaning, and sweep the floor. It should be clean without taking the time to scrub and sweat.

2) Do have clean linens available for your guest - sheets and towels. If you're short on time, don't make the bed or set up the bathroom area. Leaving a freshly folded set of linens in the bathroom or bedroom the guest will use can suffice.

3) Don't feel the need to have a major spread of snacks and refreshments available at all times. Do take the time to have a couple things on hand though. Store bought will do the trick!

4) Don't make the guest room/space immaculate, if you're pressed for time. Do make sure the space has a cleared floor to move around the room, ample lighting and ventilation. Your guest will want space to move around the bed, dress and possibly unpack a bit for longer stays.

5) Keep in mind that your guest understands that people live in this home! You have your normal routines that will likely still be somewhat intact while your guest stays with you. If it seems something your guest is unfamiliar with or curious about, explain as much as you are comfortable sharing, and even invite them to join in. For example, everyday, come rain or shin, you walk a mile before breakfast. Let your house guest know about this routine. He/She may like the fresh air, too!

Toss it Out!

This week I decided to help you make some space in your home in five easy, painless steps. No hard decisions to make! No rearranging the whole room! Five things you can toss out right now!

1) Expired food. There's an expiration date for a reason. Once you've cleared out the old food, you can see what holes you need to fill in your pantry. Read more on organizing your grocery shopping and kitchen here.

2) Expired beauty products. Many beauty products don't have expiration dates on them. For those that don't, you can find out how long it's safe to keep open beauty products here.

3) Single socks. Searched high and low, but the Sock Monster has made off with some again, huh? If
the sock isn't in the machine, the hamper or where ever you store your socks, it's probably gone. Let the singles go into a fabric donation bag or reuse (cleaning rags or sock puppets come to mind!).

4) Old newspapers, magazines & catalogs. How long have they been sitting there? When's the last time you actually looked at them? Let me rephrase: When's the last time you actually had time to look at them? If there's something in that stack that's really important, clip the single article. Otherwise, you can always get the information online and/or at the local library.

5) Broken toys. Tiny pieces and parts seem to fall off on a regular basis. Unless it's a super special toy, and easily repairable, I suggest chucking it. Replacements can be purchases if it's important, but beyond repair. Otherwise, chances are there are still other toys around.


*Photo courtesy of Gualberto107/FreeDigitalPhotos.net

Small Ways to Save Time

Sometimes I have long days. I'm sure, some times your days are even longer than mine! Here are a couple quick, small things I do from time to time to help me relax a couple more minutes longer throughout the day.

  • If I know I want to do laundry in the evening, and I find that I have 5 minutes before I need to leave the house, I'll sort it into baskets. They're ready and waiting for me when I get home.
  • The day before I want to stop at the grocery store, I plan out what recipes I'd like to make in the coming week. I list the items I'll need to buy, and stick the list, and any coupons, in my reusable bags and hang it on the door knob. It's an easy grab on my way out the door the next day.
  • If I'm taking a lunch to work, I set out my water bottle and lunch bag on the counter the night before. I'm reminded to pack something when I make breakfast.
  •  When I travel, I tend to use the same piece of luggage. In that bag, I always stow my headphones for the plane, my lap top bag and a laundry bag for dirty clothes to return home. A couple less steps in packing!
  • While working at my desk, I work through all my "to-dos" first. Things that need filing, mailing or need to otherwise be placed elsewhere are set  aside until I'm done for the day. Then I get up and put everything away in one swoop. No up and down and getting side tracked.
What do you do to save a couple minutes through the day?

On Being Nervous

Inviting a professional organizer into your space can be an incredibly nerve-racking thing. I understand that. It makes sense. I'm probably a stranger to you - at least at the start! It's absolutely okay to be nervous.

Most are nervous because they are afraid they'll be judged. Others, perhaps, are wary that I'm going to run out the door, that the project is too big and all hope is lost! Well, I can tell you I've honestly never run out of a client's space. And, the only reason I care how your space got to look and feel the way it does, is so that I can help prevent it from happening again. Things happen. People get busy. There are other priorities. Life happens. I get it. That's why my job even exists.

These are all healthy, totally expected types of nervousness that I encounter.

Sometimes, there's the less-motivating type of nerves, too. Perhaps, you haven't begun your organizing project because you feel you can't complete it perfectly. If it can't be done just so, you start to feel anxiety over even attempting to start. I promise that taking a step in the "this project is closer to done than not done" direction is just that - closer to done than where ever you were before. You have that much less on your plate, and that's a good thing!

Other times, nerves show up in the form of fear of making a "bad" decision. I say "bad" because it probably really isn't a bad decision. Recently, while helping purge some papers from many, old boxes, a client confessed that she had been paralyzed from progressing in her project because she was afraid of throwing out the wrong papers. I asked her, "What's the worst thing that will happen if you get rid of a receipt or statement that you need again down the road?" She answered she would have to call the bank to get another copy. If that's the worst thing that can happen, then we're not doing so bad. Don't get me wrong, there are certainly some things that need to be held on to. But again, that's why my job exists: to get you to where you want to be.

It's okay to be nervous. Just don't let it stop you from creating the space you want to live in.

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