Clutter Hacks
It's That Time
Seasonal Closet Switch
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The cold months are upon us! From coast to coast, even in sunny California, it’s time to make the seasonal closet switch!
Since we are switching from warm weather to cool weather, that means it’s really time to get organized. Why? Because, quite simply, summer clothes are smaller than winter clothes.
Here are some tips on getting through the transition smoothly:
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Thanksgiving Checklist
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It’s that time of the year again, folks! Thanksgiving is a time for gathering with family and friends to give thanks for all the wonderful blessings in our lives. If you are hosting a Thanksgiving celebration this year, this is just the kick in the bottom you need to get your fall cleaning and organizing underway! Many of the Thanksgiving checklists I have seen only go one week out. For some of us, this is simply not enough time to get everything done.
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Cleaning up those unfinished projects
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If you are like me, we seem to think that the good weather is going to last forever. When the weather is nice and we have the time and climate to get those outside house projects finished; it is also the time of year, that we can go out and enjoy life.
Well, I do not know about you, but I would definitely opt for a picnic rather than cleaning out the garage. Therefore, what inevitably happens is that fall is here before we know it and the outside chores and maintenance, still is not finished.
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Vote for Stacks and Stacks for Best retailer - Please!
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I'm shouting from the rooftops, I’m so excited! Stacks and Stacks has been nominated for Best Organizing Product Retailer by NAPOLA (the Los Angeles chapter of the National Association of Professional Organizers)!
For those of you that don't know, this is like the Oscars of the organizing world! There are only four other nominees for this category out of the whole world wide web! WOW! You can vote for us here: http://www.napola.org/. You’ll need to register if you aren’t already, but it’s painless.
And please, spread the word!
Space Treat: The Power of the Purge!
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This is one of the things I just love about organizing with my clients… so, last week a client and I are elbow deep in her papers, sifting through and making sense of them when she exclaims… "It feels so good to get rid of this stuff and make some new space! I haven't used this stuff in 10 years and I've been carting it around during 2 moves! It's just amazing how you hold onto stuff that you never end up using or even needing."
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Welcome A.J. Miller!
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We have a new contributor - Please help me welcome A.J. Miller!
Please check out her bio on our "Writer's Bios" page.
Her first post is below! Thanks, A.J.!
1 Strategy to Manage Your ADD
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The one ADD management strategy that is guaranteed to make your ADD more manageable is…[drum roll, please]…self-care! Yes, it works for everyone. And small steps lead to really big improvements in this arena.
When I say "self-care," I'm talking about the three basic things that every person (ADD or not) needs to focus on in order to stay healthy and feel good: nutrition, exercise, and sleep.
Let's take a look at why each of these are so important for adults with ADD…
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10 Easy Steps to Good Note Taking
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Taking good notes can mean the difference between a passing and a failing grade. If your notes are lacking and don't have confidence in what you wrote, chances are you will not read the notes or take them seriously and only skim over them. If you have good notes that you trust, you will concentrate on what you wrote and the information will become imbedded in your mind.
Here are 10 tips on 'note taking' that will help you to study harder and more efficiently. These techniques are not only valuable for school, but for the rest of your life!
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Space Treat: Magnetic Solutions
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Right 12, Left 37, Right 16 - that was my high school locker combination.
Back to school season is here! We're surrounded by lots of new notebooks, pens, paper tablets and my favorite… magnetic gadgets for lockers!
Even if you're all grown up, you can still get a bang out of these fun and functional items. Magnetic gadgets are available all year round but right now there is an influx of bright, colorful ones marketed to students… but don't let that stop you from enjoying them yourself!
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Wanna Get Organized? 3 Must-Do Steps!
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When it comes to organizing, it's best to set guidelines for a project - guidelines that will not only help define what you want but also help determine a project's time line and framework.
Don't say: I'll organize my house completely over the next
month.
Do say: I want to organize my entire house by Halloween, and I'm starting with the garage. I'll give myself 3 weeks to finish it, and then I will move to the bathroom, kitchen, etc.
Why is the 2nd option the best? Because…
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Space Treat: Go on Vacation.
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Around this time of year I start to hear the same comment from almost everyone I talk with… that they are thinking of using their vacation time this summer to get all their piles of paper and bulging closets organized once and for all. Sound familiar?
Contrary to popular belief, you do not have to waste a week of your precious vacation organizing your stuff.
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Space Treat: Clutter to Cash
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Thank you to all who wrote in with congratulations and good cheer regarding my feature in last week's Daily News! The writer, the photographer and the featured woman, Lisa, were absolutely delightful to be with so I had a blast doing what I love most - digging people, just like you, out from underneath their disorganization.
And since the focus of the article was about turning your clutter into cash, I thought I'd follow up today's Space Treat and share the best tips for creating a successful listing on-line that sells!
Here you go:
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Last Chance to Win a TV Stand from Bush Furniture
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SORRY - CONTEST CLOSED
This time around, I'd like to hear about your favorite media storage solution (or the problem if you haven't found a solution yet).
How do you store your movies or CD's? How about and abundance of books - what have you discovered for that?
Our Grand Prize would be a great media storage solution!
This TV Stand by Bush would give you the perfect place to store movies and CD's, a DVD player or a stereo system!
Other great prizes are:
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Marcia's Virtual Organizing Seminar
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You too can have an organized work environment!
Join Marcia Francois for her next Virtual Organizing Seminar on Tuesday, February 24th from 11am to 3pm EST. This is an excellent seminar for those of you who work at home, have a small business, or simply want a more organized and efficiently run office. The seminar is divided into separate sessions with work-time in between for you to put the lessons into action!
What do you get …
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Twelve Energy Boosters
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Do you feel yourself pooping out halfway through the day? I know I do!
Here are 12 great tips for giving yourself that much needed 'burst' of energy to get you through.
1. Exercise. Just 30 minutes of walking three or four times a week will dramatically increase your energy. The exercise might tire you out at first, but in a short time you’ll feel your fatigue melt away.
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The Winners Are:
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Thanks to all of you for leaving such great comments - you have some great ideas on making the most of you bathroom spaces! I love doing these kinds of contests because of all the good ideas we can glean while having fun!
Here they are - the winners of the "Win a Vanity Set from Powell Furniture" contest!
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Get Organized: T-A-X-E-S!
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In the words of Dave Barry, "It's income tax time again, Americans: time to gather up those receipts, get out those tax forms, sharpen up that pencil, and stab yourself in the aorta."
Filing taxes = huge pain in butt. We all know it. We all go through it once a year. And while there's no way around tax season, there is a way to make the process less stressful.
P.R.E.P.A.R.A.T.I.O.N. (I'm hearing a collective sigh from all the procrastinators out there!) A little bit of preparation can make a huge difference in your tax filing experience.
Here are 5 steps to a help you file your taxes, on-time and un-frazzled…
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Win a Vanity Set from Powell Furniture!
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~Sorry, contest closed~
We've had some amazing give-aways for our contests lately! If you haven't won anything yet, don't worry - you still can!
For this contest, we'd like to hear about your favorite bathroom storage solution. Is it the cute basket for your hair brushes? The drawer organizer for your makeup? Leave us a comment below and let us know.
You could be the winner of one of these fantastic prizes:
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12 Ways to Plan Ahead and Save Money
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How early do you plan ahead for the holidays? Two months? Six?
Sara Noel of Frugal Village has an article here with some great ideas for planning ahead NOW for Christmas to save you some big bucks! Here's an excerpt:
Christmas is over, and the tree and decorations are put away. Phew. But frugal people are already getting a jump-start on Christmas 2009.
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Help Make a Dream Come True
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The Children's Dream Fund is an amazing organization that serves Florida's west coast, with the single purpose of fulfilling dreams for children ages 3-18 who have been diagnosed with a life-threatening illness. They get referrals from several hospitals in the area with a wide array of dream wishes - from trips to Disney World, meetings with celebrities, computers, play sets, cruises and shopping sprees.
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National Get Organized Month
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I would be remiss in my duties as a professional organizer if I didn't plug Get Organized Month. It's sponsored by the National Association of Professional Organizers (NAPO) and is dedicated to raising awareness of the benefits of - you guessed it - getting organized!
If you'd like to take advantage of all that GO Month has to offer, then you have a plethora of resources at your disposal. Here are just a few of those…
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Tips for a Safe Fireplace
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With rising utility costs, many homeowners are turning to fireplaces and woodstoves as an alternative or partial heating source. Woodstoves and fireplaces are built safer and more efficient than ever, but can still pose a danger to your home and family if you aren’t careful.
These tips will help keep your family and home safe while enjoying that cozy fire:
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Can I Have a Drumroll Please?
ByThanks to all of you for leaving such great comments - you have some great ideas on keeping your craft and sewing areas neat and organized! I may even feature some of these in upcoming posts!
And now, the moment you've all been waiting for - here are the winners of our Win a Singer Sewing Machine Contest:
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Organizing Fever
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Ok, so the plan was 5 minutes a day, right? Well, recently this strange phenomenon has overtaken my brain. My “5 minutes” has turned into several days of wanting nothing but to clean and organize and rearrange everything in sight!
It happens only once or twice a year. Maybe it’s the idea of starting my New Year fresh. Maybe it was that my house had reached such ultimate grossness that I didn’t want to be home anymore– I don’t know. But I’m LOVING it!
To date, I have taken down all my Christmas decorations and stored them all in my shed in these moisture resistant Sterilite bins. Then I cleaned and rearranged everything in my living room.
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Un-Deck Your Halls the Right Way!
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As you un-deck your halls this year, be thinking about improving your Holiday storage.
Do you store your decorations in cardboard boxes? Not so good if you store them outside. Plastic bins make the perfect outdoor storage solution. There are even bins with dividers specifically for delicate ornaments!
Tired of trying to fit that round wreath back into a square box? Try a Wreath Keeper!
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Resolve to Spend 5 Minutes a Day
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How many times have you looked around and thought, “I wish I had the time to organize my (you fill in the blank here)…”?
I do it often. Especially this time of year. It’s the time of year when a lot of us take stock of ourselves and our surroundings. I want to start my new year off right. Clean, organized, on top of things…or at least have a plan, right? But so often I am overwhelmed by the size and scope of the projects I’ve let pile up around me, that I soon give up in frustration.
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Merry Christmas
Have a beautiful day!!
Contest Closed
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Got a storage dilema in your kitchen? Leave us a comment telling us about your storage problem (and if you've found a solution, please tell us that, too!) and you'll be entered into a drawing for this solid rubberwood Kitchen Workstation from Home Styles, featuring locking industrial casters and all the storage space you need!
Or you could win one of these other great prizes:
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Space Treat: A Bag a Day Keeps the Clutter Away.
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Well, we're deep into the holiday season now. I've been to quite a few parties and have more to come. Every time I arrive somewhere, I've always got gift in hand and so does everyone else. You know what that means, more stuff… and where is it all going? So even if you're not hosting a party, you're probably bringing some kind of gift through your front door this time of year.
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