Home Organizing Archives - Page 7 of 9 - Ellen's Blog, Professional Organizing for Kingwood & Houston

Minimalism, Essentialism and Simplicity

August 11, 2016/4 Comments/in Home Organizing, Wellness and self care/by Ellen

Have you heard the buzz about minimalism? The concept started just after World War II and has exploded in the 21st century. Minimalism is paring down to a minimum and living with less. It’s no surprise that according to a 2011 study, 90% of Americans admit that unorganized clutter at home or at work has a negative impact on their life. There are major benefits to living with less. However, there is more to this concept. Maybe you are not about living with the least you can, but about living with what’s essential or living simply. While you are creating a new awareness of how much you really need, you can align with decluttering and organizing cultural concepts. There are several ways to create a less encumbered lifestyle and these choices might be minimalism, essentialism or simplicity.

Minimalism

Do you embrace a life where experiences are key and stuff bogs you down? Are you a person who owns less for the sake of owning less? When there is too much around you, do you feel anxious? You may be a minimalist at heart.

Joshua Fields Millburn & Ryan Nicodemus , well known as The Minimalists, are bloggers who focus on the minimalist lifestyle. Their personal experiences about owning too much shape their writing. Their writing includes information about stuff, finances, debt and more.

Essentialism

Do you embrace a life where your essential needs are met and the stuff you own is only what is essential? Perhaps you purchase and keep only the essential items required for your daily living. You might keep only your essential items on the kitchen counter to use daily. You may be part of the essentialism movement.

Greg Mckeon, author of Essentialism shares his perspective about time and space. It’s the pursuit of ‘the right thing, in the right way, at the right time’. In applying criteria and prioritizing, we can choose what we want and what we want to do with regard to our core values.

Simplicity

Do you want to make life simpler? Are you okay with a few basic items out but keep what’s used less frequently in the cabinet? Are you feeling overwhelmed by too many meaningless activities that you used to love? You may just want to simplify your space and time.

My core belief and what we share at Professional-Organizer.com is to “keep it simple sweetie.” Our lives are enhanced by making decisions with simple choices. We are often drawn to complexity in our work and home so by stepping back and choosing simplicity, we can find happiness and balance.

It’s small distinctions that set apart minimalism, essentialism and simplicity. This granular evaluation of living the life you want can help you keep away from clutter and over-commitment. Your commitment to the lifestyle of your choice depends on where you are on the minimalism continuum.

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Insider’s Guide to Selling Clutter Online

July 28, 2016/0 Comments/in Home Organizing/by Ellen

There’s a value for everything. When we decide that it’s time to eliminate and declutter, we want to find a monetary value as an incentive to let go. We see that others are selling stuff and want to cash in on our clutter. However, although it looks like everyone is making bank for their old items, not everything will sell for what we think is its value. There’s lots of sites to use too. Here’s the insider guide to selling clutter.

Do your research

What does your item sell for when it’s purchased new? What have others sold it for? Do your research online to find out what’s the real value. Researching on Ebay, you can find completed sales to learn the price others have sold the item for or if it has sold. Once you know the amount, you are ready to set your own price. Quick sales occur by creating a great deal. It is recommended to set the price at 25% of the original cost.

Certain sites are best for certain sales. Local sales are best on Facebook Marketplace and Nextdoor. Use Poshmark, ThreadUp, RubyLane and Etsy for vintage, crafts or clothing sales. Decluttr, Swappa or Gazelle are great for selling electronics back. Choose your site for quickest sale and highest price.

Setting up your sale

Make the most of your sale by using many photos and many sites. Your area has many different sites that sell. Taking multiple photos helps purchasers learn more about your item. It’s a visual way to enhance your sale. Write a lengthy description of your item including all the bonus aspects of your item. Include the size of your item as well as many other descriptions about it. More is better here.

Keywords are important. Uses hashtags, designer names, and lots of details. A well written description with lots of information helps you sell more quickly and answer fewer questions.

Use many sites to sell your item

Take the time to list it on 2 sites to maximize your sales possibilities. People have their favorite sites they look at regularly. Take advantage of this option to maximize your efficiency and sales.

Check for sales regularly

Being responsive to inquiries is important. Check the sites or enable the email function to have questions sent to you. You may need to answer questions about your item by email and text to hone in on a sale.

Safety first

When you are selling online, be aware of the many different possible scams. Do not send any money to a prospective purchaser. You can create a selling gmail account, such as ellensells@gmail.com, to keep your email clean. Use your intuition about where to meet, who is with you when the purchaser arrives and take cash only. Provide your address only once you are ready to make the sale and all your questions have been answered.

Good luck with your sales !

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3 Tips to Organize Your Backyard for Year Round Fun

April 18, 2016/0 Comments/in Green Organizing, Home Organizing/by Ellen

We’re enjoying our backyards and home exteriors more and more. These spaces give us room to spread out and room to connect to others in the sunshine. Summer and hot weather invite us back into our yards to enjoy time together. Your yard might include gardens, decks, a pool or a solely a green space. No matter the use, you are creating an organized and functional space to enjoy for the season. Spend time enjoying this space more with these simple organizing ideas and additions.

Freshen up

Your space needs freshening up. That might be power washing, pruning or general maintenance. Make a list of what needs to be done. Decide if you are going to do the work or if you are going to delegate it. Set a date and time on your calendar after excessive pollen has ended or other inclement weather. Working with a team makes this work move quickly. Freshening up gives your patios and gazebos appeal.

Get organized with your tools for freshening up. Set aside a space in your garage specifically for your outside tools. It’s easier to work when everything is together and ready to use. Use vertical shelving to keep your garden tools and sprays together.

Organize your zones

Just like inside your home, your outside has many different uses. Organize by zones for entertaining and activity. If you have seating, be sure you have company comforts like tables to place food or drinks. If you have sports, be sure you have bins to store rackets, balls or other accessories. Sit or stand in your spot and think about what you will use there and how to store it.

Large covered chests can help you store items. Be sure you use one chest to store a single item. Use a chest for pillows, a chest for toys and a chest for sports. Small items fall to the bottom so add a small shoe box size plastic bin to hold these. Be sure you have ample garbage cans for trash.

Amazon deck box storage

Amazon bench and deck box

What’s new this year for your family?

We’re adding more seating and community spaces to our green areas. Most popular is a fire pit with Adirondack chairs. Add small tables for placing drinks and snacks.
Outdoor games like corn hole and bad-mitten are fun family activities. Store these in your garage or a shed for easy access.
String lights or bring out candles for an invitation to meet after dark.
Inflatable pools or a sprinkler help you celebrate the joy of water.
Bring music to the party with blue tooth speakers and Yacht Rock or other summer Pandora station.

Maintain your space

Every space needs a little work throughout the season. It may be small repair or damage from storms or wind. Keep you space maintained with a quick weekly walk through that gets all items back to where they belong and organized. Have a weekly green space routine with mowing and edging your yard. Use your blower to keep the deck and chairs clean and dusted. These maintenance steps make sure that your yard is company ready.

Our back yards are becoming an oasis with freshening up, organizing and maintaining the space. You can enjoy this all year round!

Spring into Organizing

March 22, 2016/3 Comments/in Home Organizing, Office Organizing/by Ellen

It’s not been a long winter, but we are already hearing robins chirping, the sun rising earlier and the sensing feeling of change. It’s also the time we feel ready to tackle organizing in our space. It’s time to spring forward into organizing.

There’s a few important spaces that need attention. These spaces require a fresh start with a new perspective. Organizing your office space, laundry room, landing spot and linens help you get a fresh start for spring.

Office space

Your office may have become the dumping ground for anything and everything.

Get this space back to functioning with a mass purge of papers. Check out what to keep and for how long and get down to shredding. Now you know what to keep when papers come in. Keep filing simple with broad categories or just the box for the year. Simple filing makes it easier to file and takes less time.
Reset this space by moving items back to where they belong. Often offices have lots of bags and boxes that simply need to be redistributed.
Recycle your dead technology. Check on Earth.911 to know where and how to recycle items.

Laundry room

Have an overload of clothes taken over your laundry room? Is it impossible to enter? Get a fresh start in this space.

If your laundry room is really your closet, it’s time to move items back.
Set up a system with baskets, laundry sorter or other product that helps you start and finish one load at a time.
Less clothes make laundry easier. Eliminate clothes in your closet you are not feeling joy and make space for what makes you feel fabulous. Organizing your closet is a gift to yourself!

Landing spot

Winters gone and so should your heavy coats! It’s time to get the landing spot ready for spring.

Go through coats, sweaters and boots to see if these are ready to be donated and bless others.
Add a basket for flipflops and other summer shoes that gather in this area.
Add hooks for swim and other summer season bags.

Spring linens

Give yourself an extra gift with sorting through the linen closet. Often we have many seasons of linens.

Are there stained and torn towels or sheets that can be donated? How many sheet sets or comforters do you need? These are sold as rags at thrift stores and used for animal shelters.
Is your linen closet in disarray? Just a little decluttering and straightening can help.
Need a fresh perk in your bedroom? Purchase new linens and let go of your existing linens.

Choose one of these a week to spring into your organizing this year!

Check here for daily light savings time tips.

A Spa Treatment for your Bathroom

February 16, 2016/3 Comments/in Home Organizing, Organizing Skills/by Ellen

Sometimes it is the little things that matter most! Getting your bathroom and vanity area organized can make a difference in getting out the door on time in the morning and starting the day with a bright outlook! Pamper yourself with these tips for organizing makeup and jewelry. Organizing your bathroom makes it easier to get ready in the morning and get out of the house on time.

Makeup organizing

So many samples and products

We all have products we have purchased that are expensive but we decided not to use. Make a decision – toss, “gift” to a friend, or use the product. If you are still not able to decide due to the expense of the product, date the back of the box, and vow to decide in 6 months. As you are reviewing your products, check the expiration dates. Even if your product has not been opened, the expiration date of one year still applies. Remember, cosmetics have a shelf life due to bacterial growth.

Samples and gift sizes can get out of hand! Keep one container in a guest bath for pampering your guests. Give extra products and samples to college students or teenagers you know. Store the remainder in plastic containers, labeled with the type of product, shampoo, conditioner, lotion or whatever. Also consider giving sample sizes to a women’s shelter or church mission trip.

Divide and conquer

Think of the cosmetics displays and counters in the department store. Categorize the different products by their use. Keep products together for your face, your eyes, your lips, and more. Use the back of your vanity space to store the extra products, using baskets or plastic bins for each of the different types of products. For additional vertical space, retail stores have a shelf addition that will double your space under your counters.

Access for every day

For everyday use, keep just one of each product handy for you to use. Keep them in a container that can be lifted easily from below inside your vanity or in the top center drawer for easy access. Purchase containers that keep each group of products together, with an area for mascara, eyeliner, and eye shadow, another area for moisturizer, blush, and face powder, and another area for lip liner and lipstick.

Jewelry

Create a “home” for your jewels

Keep a small tray in the kitchen and on your bathroom vanity to be the “home” for your jewelry when you take off your watch, rings, and bracelets. This way you always know where to find these valuables! I always take my jewelry off as I reach home so as not to damage these doing chores and laundry. Diamonds are hard, but can still chip when hitting the center of the washing machine!

Queens jewels or not

Review your jewelry – are there broken pieces that need repair? Have you lost a stone? Is there a family heirloom that might be refashioned and worn? Keep these out for repair. Also, is it time to part with some of the costume jewelry that is outdated? Donations to worthy causes and mission trips are a wonderful way to share your blessings.

It’s all about access

With your remaining jewels, decide what is everyday jewelry and dress up! Separate these for access and storage. For dress up, store valuables in a locked cabinet if possible. Keep all of it together so you know where it all is, otherwise you can lose individual pieces if stored around your home in various spots. Purchase a small safe or locked file cabinet for a great storage space. Do not store jewelry in your master bedroom – this is the typical spot to check in a robbery. Depending on the quantity of dress up jewels you have, store in boxes from the jewelry store with a label on the outside, or purchase individual leather trays from Hold Everything or clear containers from the Container Store.

For everyday jewelry, store your items as if they were in a jewelry store. There are two ways to do this – store all the rings, bracelets, necklaces separately by category. Or store the items that make a “set” together – a matching ring, bracelet, earrings and necklace in one area. Inexpensive jewelry boxes are available at retail stores and The Container Store to view your jewelry for easy access. Choose what you love, either counter top or inside a drawer, to keep you organized!

You may decide to further your “Spa Treatment” in your bath and include your linen closet, medicine cabinet or other area. Please call me if I can be of assistance!

Words Matter: Organizing Mantras

February 4, 2016/8 Comments/in Home Organizing/by Ellen

Words matter! When we talk to ourselves and others about organizing, it’s best to keep a positive approach in how we describe our work. It’s in finding words that convey a positive perspective that we can be the most successful.

Start and cultivate a feeling for organizing

How can we approach getting started on organizing? Would you have to be in the mood to start? Would you tell yourself I am ready to get started? Sometimes we have to just start and then we feel more in the mood for organizing. Your organizing mantra can be “put your big girl panties on and get started” or “I envision the serenity of my space.” Get started to get your groove and feel the organizing love.

Tack on one more habit to an existing habit

Research shows that it takes 66 days to create a habit. We can be discouraged when habits don’t happen right away. The positive spin on new habits is to “hook” a new habit on an existing habit. Think of habits you already have as routines and start there.

Who can help me?

Asking for help can be hard. But it’s a lot more fun and much easier when you work with a partner to get stuff done. Look for a partner in someone who has different strengths from you. It’s not that you are any less skilled, strong or resourceful. It’s picking a partner who you work well with together.

Is this good for me?

Letting go of stuff can be hard. Smart strategies for decluttering include asking yourself if your stuff is still good for you. Is your stuff still helping you do your best? Is it still valuable and functional for you? Good stuff is everywhere in our homes and offices. It’s just not still good for you.

What works?

Something works for everyone! Dig deep if you need to but find what works and capitalize on it. You might be surprised at what is really working.

Choose your words with care. Create mantras that feel positive, uplifting and fun.

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Getting Prepared and Organized in Case of an Emergency

May 19, 2015/2 Comments/in Home Organizing/by Ellen

Disasters happen across the US and throughout the year resulting in property damage, injuries and stress. There are some tasks that you can do to keep yourself organized during these potentially high stress situations. Getting prepared and organized in case of an emergency makes everyone feel in control and as ready as possible.

Create a Kit

Include items like water, canned foods, a can opener and blankets. These are the basic necessities that can support you in case you are stranded or without power. If anyone in your family, including your pets, requires medication, make sure to grab this medication prior to exiting your home. Additional items like batteries, a flashlight, a first aid kit and wet wipes can come in handy. Consult ready.gov for a checklist.

An Evacuation Plan

One of the most challenging aspects of dealing with disasters is knowing where your family members are located and how to get to them. If everyone is in the same house, write down a plan to leave the home and get to safety. If family members are at school, work or running errands, determine what meeting place will be the central location and how to evacuate the area. It is good practice to document these processes and review them periodically.

Get Digitally Prepared

With the use of mobile phones, computers, tablets and other technology, there are a number of ways to protect your family during an extreme situation. Make an investment in back up chargers for these devices. Using cloud technology, identify pertinent documents and take photos of all your belongings and upload this information into a solution that can support photos and documents. Safely storing your information in the cloud can protect in case your home is no longer standing after a tragedy.

Get Your Home Prepared

With some effort, making enhancements around the home can help protect your home a little better during disasters. Add boards to windows and move outdoor furniture in or out of the line of the house when a hurricane warnings are issued. Trim back trees and shrubs when heavy winds and potential wild fires are expected. Invest in a generator if you are prone to a lot of storms which take out the power regularly.

These helpful tips can help make a difference during high stress situations. It is good to practice emergency preparedness when an emergency is not present to get in the habit when the unexpected happens.

Elizabeth Dodson is the co-founder of HomeZada, a cloud-based home management and organizational software tool. HomeZada strives to educate and provide resources for homeowners in all areas of home management, including home improvement projects, maintenance, inventory, and preparedness.

Hugs and Happy Organizing Your Command Center

April 28, 2015/4 Comments/in Home Organizing, Hugs and Happy Organizing/by Ellen

Hugs and happy organizing are client success stories. Here is a story about a client’s command center in her kitchen.

Paper is a necessary evil on our kitchens. It’s best to have a dedicated command center in our kitchen for paper, school supplies, technology and projects. A kitchen desk and cabinets make up a great station for these items.

Clear out your cabinet completely. Keep this area designated for just the command center.
Consolidate office supplies, use bins to keep them together and label the bins.
Set up bins for your kids and your incoming papers. Label the bins
Keep a daily routine to go through the mail and backpacks for 5 minutes daily.
Once a week set up an hour to work on papers and other admin tasks at your home.

All good organizing systems rely on having a place for everything. If you have more categories, you need more bins. Having a good routine for daily and weekly management makes a difference too.

More Command Centers here!

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Organizing a “Texas Basement”

February 15, 2015/4 Comments/in Home Organizing/by Ellen

It’s quite funny but in southeast Texas we have no underground basements. The same applies to southeast Louisiana. Due to the water table in Houston, our “Texas basement” is storage above the garage. (In other parts of the country this is called the attic!) It can be accessed by a pull down ladder or through a door. No matter where your basement is located, Texas or not, some of the same organizing strategies apply! Organizing a Texas basement is the same as other basements.

Partner up, partner.

It’s always best to work in a partnership with a big space. Your Texas basement can be overwhelming otherwise. Choose a partner that helps you make good decisions about your stuff. Your partner could be the owner of some of the stuff or just help you reflect on whether it can be donated. Have a conversation ahead of time about priorities and what help you need to make decisions. It’s also great to have another set of hands to help move your boxes and bins together. It helps offset accidental injury. Set a date on the calendar that can’t be changed, no matter what. Get your partner and get going partner!

Use vertical space wisely.

There’s always lots of wall space in our Texas basements. Use this vertical space well by adding storage with shelves.

5 tier shelving

Using these inexpensive, 4 or 5 shelf units in your basement or attic gives you loads of additional storage. You can stack bins on them, store luggage on them, or even place large holiday decorations on them. Line up 3 or 4 shelving units for maximum storage. Since these are light weight and portable these are a great asset for your space.

Use plastic bins to contain your goods.

Here in Texas we have a lot of big insects! We like to protect our goods by keeping them stored in plastic bins, rather than cardboard boxes. Cardboard attracts bugs and we want to be sure our items are secured away from bug stuff.

These 66 quart bins with a latch make it easy to carry your stuff up those stairs to your Texas basement. It’s not too big or heavy. It’s best to label two sides and the top of your bin to know what you are storing.

Choose wisely what you store

Because we have limited storage, we need to make good decisions about what to store. In Texas the heat is definitely a factor in what to store in our Texas basements. With temperatures in the 90s during the summer, you want to store only items that can withstand that heat.

Typical storage includes:

Holiday decorations make of wood, metal, or fabric
Archived tax preparation papers

Typical storage should not include:

Photos
Technology

Our Texas basements make it especially hard to store furniture. But that can be a blessing in disguise. Your furniture can be donated to a local furniture bank or homeless shelter where families are setting up their new homes. It helps us make good decisions on what to keep and helps us bless others with our donations.

Whether it’s your basement or attic, be sure to check regularly for “unwanted guests”. Pests can get into your space and ruin what you are storing.

Remember that this storage, like all other spaces in your home, needs a regular review of what’s being stored here. Date your boxes and bins so that you can check in a year or two whether you need the items. Treat your storage space like all other valuable space in your home.

What do you store in your attic or basement?

15 Home Organizing Tasks that Take 15 Minutes

February 5, 2015/1 Comment/in Home Organizing, Organizing Skills/by Ellen

It’s completely paralyzing at times to think how long it will take to organize your home. It seems like every step you take and every room you enter has hours of organizing to do to get it together. But as we know from Lifehacker, there are betters way to get this job done! It can be just flitting from space to space with 15 minutes time slots to organize your home. I am obsessed with organizing in 15 minutes. These 15 home organizing tasks are an easy way to get organized.

1. Go through one pile of paper on your kitchen counter

For 15 minutes you can tackle a lot of paper. Grab a stack on your counter and let it go. Not sure what to keep, check here.

2. File 5 papers and take 5 papers out of files

Remember that awesome filing system you created in 2001? Get in there and renovate it with 5 files at a time.

3. Recycle magazines over 6 months old

Cull through and pull out last season’s magazines and be ready to enjoy the more recent ones. Recycle these when you go by to get your oil changed, visiting the doctor’s office or other places where people wait.

4. Sort through old cell phones and chargers and place in the recycle bin.

Gather up old technology and delete all your contacts. Recycle or resell your phones. Donate your old chargers because there are others who want extras.

5. Take the hard drive out of your old computer and disable it.

There may be more than one computer you need to recycle at your home or office. Your computer can be recycled or donated once the hard drive is out. Take out a screwdriver to get this done and free up a lot of office space.

6. Toss expired items on one shelf of your pantry

Take a look at the expiration dates and make a decision. There are lots of considerations for out of date food. Take out what you consider expired and toss.

7. Rearrange your kitchen utensil drawer to consolidate knives, spoons and spatulas

Have you recently purchased new cooking utensils? It’s time to divest what you replaced and send it along to donate.

8. Go through your car to toss trash and bring in items to distribute.

Our cars need a little organizing too. If there’s a trash build up, grab a bag and get it to the garbage. If it’s items that need to get back inside your home, bring a basket to gather them together to carry them inside.

9. Spend 15 minutes with your child decluttering toys

In 15 minutes your child will begin learning about decision making and prioritizing. It’s a great first step to teach organizing. Focus on letting go of 3 toys, making it easy for your child.

10. Pull out what’s too small and reorganize your child’s closet

It makes every morning easier having just what fits in your kid’s closet or dresser.

11. Sort through your single sock bag, match up what you can, then donate the rest.

This task is only worthy of 15 minutes. Reuse these socks in the cleaning area, as dog toy, or potpourri holder.

12. Eliminate towels that are worn for regular use.

You purchased new towels but the old ones are in there making the linen area look shabby.

13. Cull down to 2 sets of sheets per bed in your linen closet.

An uncrowded linen closet makes a lovely sight.

14. Go through your old home décor and donate what won’t be used.

Well used curtains? Not matching colors? Loved that back when? It’s time to bless others to bless their homes with this decor.

15. Spend 15 minutes for 5 days eliminating what you doesn’t make you look or feel fabulous in your closet. First shoes, then tops, bottoms, dresses and finally accessories.

It’s true! If you would not buy that today, it doesn’t belong in your closet. Taking your closet organizing in baby steps helps you make the most of your wardrobe. You will love this space and you will know everything you have after you organized.