Category Archives: Living Spaces

Residential Organizing includes closets, bedrooms, playrooms, mudrooms, laundry rooms, garages

A PLACE FOR EVERYTHING, AND EVERYTHING IN ITS PLACE!

DSC05507Meaning: The notion that everything should have a place to be stored and that it should be returned there when not in use.

        The bottom line is, if something you own doesn’t have a place to be stored, it will always be out of place and cluttering up your space.

        We all know that old habits die hard BUT, if you’re ready to get better organized, here are a few small steps you could implement towards your goal.

 

  1. Make a home for everything – Designate a place for everything you own.

 

  1. Designate a place that is easily accessible – Make sure that you can find it (whatever IT may be) and get to it when you need it.
    Note* – The exception to this rule:  If there is something that you will only need every once in a while, it’s okay to assign a home that is not easily accessible, ie., the attic.

 

  1. Put it away – When you’re finished using something put it away (hopefully in the place you designated for it, see Step 1 above).

 

  1. Hang it up – Hang up your clothes when you take them off if they’re clean.  If, not throw them in the hamper or put them in a bag to take to the dry cleaners.

 

  1. Clean it up -Out of respect for others living in the same space, everyone sharing your living space needs to lend a hand around the house.
    Note* –  Every night before bed, everyone in the house can do a quick clean-up by gathering things around the house that  aren’t in their proper place and put them where they should be.

 

  1. Get help – Whether it’s asking your family members to put their things away when they’re not using them, delegating tasks to others in the household or even hiring a Professional Organizer, it’s a good idea to enlist the support of others.

JANUARY IS “GET ORGANIZED MONTH” (Really!)

I hope you all got off to a good start in 2011.

If you haven’t already heard, January is “Get Organized Month.”  New Years Resolutions aside, what better time to get organized for the year than NOW.  So, we’d like to pass along a quote which hopefully will encourage you to start: “Done is better than perfect”.  As long as you do something, anything, to get some area in your life organized, it’s better than doing nothing.

Even if you think you’re organized, there is always an area which can always use a little tweaking.

 LET’S GET STARTED

Choose a room, any room.  Then select a small area within that room (a closet, a cabinet, a tool box) .  Give yourself a half hour to go thru that small area, without interruption, and start purging.  First take everything out.  That’s right everything!  First throw away the broken, ripped, damaged items.  Then take those items that you don’t use or need and set them aside.  You can donate these items if they’re in good condition and get a write-off as well.  There are so many great charities and organizations that can make good use of the things that you no longer need or want.  Finally, start to put everything back by categorizing.  For example, if you chose to organize your tool box, separate the tools from the screws. Voila!  That’s it.  It doesn’t have to be perfect.  It just needs to be easily accessible and organized for your own use.