I have often heard that the heart of the home is the kitchen. Instead, I would like to suggest that the Master Bedroom is the true lifeblood of the home, which is why I found it imperative to start the “Around the House Overhaul” in the master bedroom. So often we focus our attention on the rooms in which everyone else sees, and put our own needs last. When your bedroom is clean and organized, you will sleep, love, and live more fulfilled. In turn you will be healthier and happier, which makes everything more manageable in life. (more…)

Has clutter caused you stress and sadness in your life? Please don’t feel ashamed about your situation. I do not follow the belief that clutter is simply caused by laziness. From my experience, my clients are mostly very creative people who actually have perfectionist issues. Often times they can’t get started because they don’t know the right way to go about doing the job. And when overbooked schedules are added to the mix, it can turn a difficult situation into a perceived impossibility.

The first step in the line of defense against clutter is to stop buying. It is like continually tossing logs onto a burning fire and expecting the fire to go out on its own. If there are particular stores that get you into trouble, stop going there. Many of my clients have dabbled a bit too much in retail therapy, and if this is a case with you, I would implore you to stay away from the places that get you into trouble. When shopping, make sure you have a list! Do not purchase things merely because they are on sale - I could probably clothe a small nation with all the unused/with price tag “clearance” items I have helped clear out of people’s homes. (more…)

The very first step in organizing a space should not be to purchase anything! Normally when I work with a client we rarely need to purchase a thing, and often times we could open up a box/organizing store of our own when we are finished. Purchasing containers and organizing supplies has become a national obsession of some kind. Now, I would not be in the organizing profession if I did not enjoy containers, boxes, files, and folders. I get as much joy as a kid in the candy store!

Do you want to get organized? There are no magic wands and no special secrets that only people with decoders can reveal. Clutter is simply the result of bringing more in then you purge. When organizing and de-cluttering, the true purpose is to create systems so that the clutter does not come back, not just to make a nice clean space. Although, the nice clean space is a true reward and delicious icing on the clutter free cake! (more…)

Whether your children keep their toys in their bedroom, family room or playroom, first I want you to come to terms with the size of the room. Although we may think that the smaller the room the more clutter there will be, that is not always the case. Often times more clutter accumulates in larger rooms, simply because it can! With smaller rooms it can appear more cluttered, but often will take far less time to keep it maintained.

The first step in any organizing project is to create a plan. What is working? What is not working? How much time do you have to finish the project? Do you have a budget? etc.

The next step is to minimize the amount of contents in the room. Decisions must be made as to what to keep, give-away, and toss. I recommend having an exit strategy; decide what you are going to do with purged items before beginning the process. Children are often better at getting rid of items than we give them credit. Whether it is for a thrift store, women & children’s crisis center or a local foster child, if you find a worthwhile cause, they will probably do a great job at letting go! If you are planning a yard sale, place price stickers right on the items and then box them up. Come yard sale day; all you will have to do is open up the box and collect your money! (more…)

Clutter is a result of bringing in more than we let go, and a good example of this is magazines! The general reason is that people are afraid to let go of a magazine because there was something of relevance inside; whether it be of inspiration (design, motivation articles, etc.) or information (recipe, tips, etc). What if you might need it someday, right? Not only is magazine clutter unsightly and a dust collector, but what inevitably happens is when you want to find the article that you saved the magazine for, you have to dig through all your saved magazines to find it! If the problem is that you don’t have time to read the magazines, it is time to stop subscribing! (more…)

One of the most repeated New Year’s Resolutions is “to get organized.” I have probably added this to my own list many times in the past. The problem is that it is such a vague resolve, and one that cannot be measured. Let’s take a look at some other popular resolutions: pay off debt, lose weight, volunteer, eat healthier, exercise more, etc. Isn’t it amazing to see how becoming organized can help achieve these resolutions?

Before I explain the steps in becoming organized, first let’s discuss what it actually means to be organized. If it is perfection you are seeking, you will never find it. If you are looking to create a world completely free from any type of clutter…good luck. So, if becoming organized will not bring you a perfect uncluttered life, what will it bring?

To become organized is to have a clear set of priorities and goals and actions that reflect accordingly. To become organized is to know what you want and be on the road to achieve it. Being organized is not the result of your achievements; rather it is the actual process. (more…)

Two years ago my sister and I wrote down our resolutions and sealed them in an envelope. We decided to open them at the end of 2006 and bask in the glory of resolutions achieved. That 2006 celebration never did take place. The problem is, I wrote down the same resolutions as I have every year…without truly examining why I always failed to achieve most resolutions in the past. The larger problem is not the topic of each resolution, but what success in each resolution actually meant. A common resolution for me was exercise more. “Exercise more” is not a clear enough definition to truly be a goal for me. And then other years when I broke the goal into “exercise 5 times a week” I would find myself doing well at first and then some event would take place, I would get off track and would realize that success in “exercising 5 times a week” was already not an option anymore…and quit. (more…)