A Story of Organization in Pictures

I received an email with these pictures in it a few days ago and just had to share them with you. This "house" is the epitome of organization and efficiency. Not to mention it's just pretty darn creative! This place is a converted garbage truck, if you can believe that one!
Read the rest of this post »

Seasonal Closet Switch

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:
Read the rest of this post »

Space Treat: The Power of the Purge!

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."
Read the rest of this post »

Charity Profile: Books for Soldiers

If you love to read, I bet you've got a pretty nice stockpile of books. I'll go even further and say that I bet you only read 2-5 of those books on a regular basis, and the rest are just "dust collectors."

Am I right or am I right?

I just came across a wonderful charity that can help you downsize your library, opening up a little more space for something else! It's called Books for Soldiers.
Read the rest of this post »

Recycling Beauty Products

Are you really going to use that lotion that you got at the office gift-swap party 2 Christmases ago? Ummm…no.

Chances are, you've got some beauty products that are — but really shouldn't be — taking up some valuable real estate in your bathroom.

This week, I encourage you to go through your bathroom storage, tossing anything you no longer need, want, or use.
But don't just put the bottles and boxes into the trash! Opt to be environmentally responsible.
Read the rest of this post »

Organizing Your Life on a Shoestring Budget

"I don't know about every one else in the world, but when it comes to all of those fancy storage containers and cutesy little baskets for organizing, I cringe at the thought of the extra expense and the dent it is going to put into my budget.

Who can afford all of that stuff at one time? Gosh, by the time I made my list, if I didn’t pay any bills and eat, I could only afford to buy two-thirds of what was on my list. Help me; give me a clue how to organize within my budget!"

This is what a reader wrote to me last week. I understand completely, it can get expensive if you are going to purchase all of the cute little organizers and storage containers. However, who said you had to?
Read the rest of this post »

Space Efficient Patio Furniture

Summer is here, which means lots of evenings outdoors: barbecuing, entertaining and relaxing. A nice chair to sit in and a place to rest your drink are key to enjoying this warm, treasured season!

However, for many of us, a new, full size patio furniture set may be out of the question. Maybe for financial reasons, or maybe for lack of space, but whatever the reason, be hopeful that you can find patio furniture that fits both your patio and your budget.
Read the rest of this post »

Getting Kids Organized IS Possible!

Kids will be kids, as the saying goes. Which means it may seem like organizing kids - whether tyke or teen - requires a super-sized miracle!

Here are 3 major factors for parents to consider when trying to help kids get organized:

(1) Set the example.
Read the rest of this post »

Product of the Week: Triple-Duty Bench – Part 1 of Our Multi-Tasking Furniture Series

Have a look at my new weapon in the battle against clutter at home: Multi-Tasking Furniture!

My definition of multipurpose furniture is anything that does double or even triple-duty work to simplify your life. Pieces like this Storage Ottoman are a great place to start if you’re looking to eliminate space-wasters and get organized.

Don’t underestimate its storage abilities, here’s a list of everything I was able to get off my tabletops and shelves:
Read the rest of this post »

Household Routines Improve Your Happiness

Getting organized — specifically getting into a household routine — is scientifically proven to improve your overall well-being.

According to the book The 100 Simple Secrets of Happy People, it's important to establish a schedule to take your tasks from "To Do's" to "To Done."

Dr. David Niven writes: "We often feel overwhelmed by the chores that have to be done on a regular basis.
Read the rest of this post »

Quote of the Week

It is easier to suppress the first desire than to satisfy all that follow. ~ Anonymous

This quote speaks to a lot of tendencies in my life. Whether it’s that first chocolate chip cookie, my favorite store calling my name, or simply the desire to procrastinate; once I start, it’s hard to stop. Best just to suppress that first desire altogether.

Carmen's Favorite Organizers A to Z - Part 2

(2) B is for Bento Boxes by Plastica.

In Japan, bento boxes have long been used as lunch boxes. The structure of each bento helps to pack a meal based upon the Japanese food pyramid, which includes grains, meats, and veggies. (What?! No junk food?)

But bentos don't just emphasize a balanced diet and portion control, they also keep lunches mighty organized! And so, it's lucky for us that the bento custom has gone international.
Read the rest of this post »

Carmen's Favorite Organizers A to Z - Part 1

(1) A is for Anya Hindmarch To Do Totes.

They haven't even hit the stores yet, and the word is already on the street.

Anya Hindmarch, who started last year's I'm Not A Plastic Bag tote fad, has now moved on to bigger and better things — to do list totes!
Read the rest of this post »

Twelve Energy Boosters

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.
Read the rest of this post »

National Get Organized Month

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…
Read the rest of this post »

7 Holiday Anti-Stress Tips

Here are 7 Tips to help you ease your stress and get ready for the holidays without having a major anxiety attack:

1. Write a list of everything you need to do for the holidays. Make it a general list. For example: Don't list what you'll get for each person, just write "buy gifts".

2. Next - go through your list, eliminate anything you don't HAVE to do, & rearrange it in order of what needs to be done first. Then hang up your list where you'll see it.
Read the rest of this post »

De-cluttering Your Feed Reader

I have two gmail accounts - don't ask, it's a long story - and what I've been doing is using the one as my main Google Reader account and the other for some blogs I wanted to keep track of, but they don't post regularly so those posts can pile up.

I've been subscribing like crazy to both my Google Reader accounts so they're getting out of hand and it's not uncommon for me to find 81 items unread, which is unusual for me.
Read the rest of this post »

Does De-Clutter Equal De Stress?

For the last couple of weeks, I have been under a LOT of stress. Sometimes my coping mechanism consists of spending all my free time in bed with the television and a generous helping of something calorie laden and delicious.

But I found a nice wallet/planner while shopping a few days ago and found that it was just as satisfying, if not more (and a lot less fattening!) to transfer all my addresses and phone numbers from the old one to the new one.
Read the rest of this post »

Show me your desk - a challenge

I posted this picture of a minimalist desk on my blog recently and people weighed in with their comments - most said it lacked personality but some said they liked it and actually wanted theirs to look the same.

Read all the comments here

So I came up with a wonderful idea!

Let's all show off our own desks - tidy, untidy, inspirational, messy, cluttered, minimalist, etc.
Read the rest of this post »

Stacks and Stacks Helps Canadian Village Go Green

The tiny village of Whale Cove in Northern Canada is finally going to have a recycling program, thanks to the efforts of a young villager named Sarah Igviksaq and StacksandStacks.com. This new program would help Sarah's small community pay for their sports teams to travel through the territories and do their part to save our planet.

Here is the letter we received from Sarah:
Read the rest of this post »

Can't Let Go of Old Baby Clothese? Here's the Solution!

A lot of us have old baby clothes that we just can't bear to part with - a little pink Easter dress or something Grandma gave us when Junior was born…

Fortunately, I was able to narrow it all down to just my favorite few from each of my three kids, which I keep in a zippered bag in a trunk in my living room. But I know several people who just can't seem to do that.

Here are a couple of great ideas for keeping those same memories, in slightly different form:
Read the rest of this post »

An Organizing Tip From an Urban Gardener

I live in the city and have a small vegetable garden. When I first started gardening my Dad warned me that in order to grow carrots, I would need to thin them out if I wanted them to thrive. The first time my husband saw me pulling them, he protested. He didn’t want to waste those good “potential” carrots. So I thinned a few rows and left a few alone. The rows that I didn’t thin, produced underdeveloped and misshapen carrots.

Some of my clients save a lot of stuff because they don’t want it to go to waste. They plan on using it in the future. Unfortunately, they often forget they have it. When they get around to donating it, the item is yellowed, brittle or outdated. Don’t let things outlive their usefulness. “Thin things out” now and get them into the hands of someone who will use them. Then you will reap the added bonus of having less to care for and having better access to the things that are important to you.

How to Handle Sentimental Clutter

I don't know about you, but I find myself with things stashed away in cabinets that I know I'll never display or use again, but I just can't bring myself to part with them because a certain person gave it to me. Or it evokes a wonderful memory from my past.

Marcia Francios over at Organising Queen has posted a couple of times now on a great idea to reduce sentimental clutter.

Take a picture! You can memorialize it in a photo album or in your blog. This way, you keep the visual stimulus of that person or memory without taking up the space!

Fantastic idea, Marcia - thanks!

How could you use this tip in your life?

4 Tips to Tame E-Clutter

Well, what good is organizing your office and desk while your computer is spilling over with clutter?

Here are four helpful tips to move you towards electronic bliss!

1. Make time daily to delete emails. I've told you before that my goal is to delete 100 emails daily so I go through my inbox, sent items, folders, etc. every couple of days.

2. When you download photos from your digital camera, choose the best ones there and then and delete the rest. I don't know about you but I usually take about 3 or 4 pictures if I can (if the subject is not moving) so that I can choose the absolute best pictures.
Read the rest of this post »

Let Your Life In!

Knock Knock…
Who's there?
Your life… let me in!

Lamenting how you'd like to have more room for your life? Perhaps you'd like to entertain spontaneously or actually enjoy a weekend without thinking about how much you need to get organized or even find everything you want with out frustration. Sounds good, doesn't it?

Catalog by catalog and shoe by shoe, your clutter is stealing your space from you. Want to let your life back in? Then lighten your load!

When you're trying to trim your stuff, instead of thinking of it as "letting your things go", think of it as "letting your life in".

With every square foot of stuff you move out, there is the possibility for more breathing room. You'll have easier access to the things you really love and efficient use of the things you need.

Space-tacularly,
Erica

Back to School Goodies

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.
Read the rest of this post »

Buried in Business Cards?

Dig yourself out with these solutions:

· Pick up a few business card boxes from an office supply store. If you've got a knack for remembering names then organize alphabetically, otherwise organize by the event or place you would associate the contact with such as "Betty's Business BBQ" on 7/26/08. Use one box for personal contacts, one for professional, and one for lifestyle. Each box usually comes with dividers.
Read the rest of this post »

Take the Guilt Out of Organizing

I think the most overwhelming and frustrating part of organizing my messy home is that I can’t seem to stay focused on one space.

Oh, I’ll tell myself that I’m not going to overwhelm myself this time and I’m going to stick to just the desk. Well, as I’m clearing off the random CD’s and taking them to the bedroom, I notice my CD collection is all over the place and it makes me feel the need to straighten that as well. No, stick to the desk.
Read the rest of this post »

When Gifts Become Clutter

If you are surrounded by stuff, especially stuff you don't need or use (sometimes referred to as "clutter"), start with figuring out how it comes into your life. Can you put a boundary on it?

We're not just talking about putting limits on charge cards or waiting three days before making a purchase. To stop the flow of clutter into your life calls for some serious creative problem solving.
Read the rest of this post »

Space Treat: Crammed Desk?

Often when organizing clients’ desks I discover that although they have all the appropriate supplies like staplers, scissors, post-its, pens, files, a shredder, paper clips, etc., they are still missing one of the key elements – more surface space.

Once you fill a desk-top with your computer, a few papers and a few files (or piles) there often isn’t enough space left for spreading out, doing work and processing papers. Surface space at your desk is actually one of the most important components for functioning efficiently. So, if you’re struggling at your desk, the solution may be just as simple as getting a longer desk!