A Very Organized Conference

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Last week I had a blast at the National Association of Professional Organizers conference in Baltimore!

Over 800 organizing professionals attended, including many leaders in the field. 13 different countries were represented—the profession is expanding to more each year.

One of my favorite presentations was by Bill Rancic, the first winner of Donald Trump’s Apprentice. Bill was the keynote speaker and shared his tips for thinking like an entrepreneur. He came across as a very genuine guy.

I also loved going through the Organizing Expo to find the best new products. More posts to come on what I found!

Finally, I wanted to share that one of my favorite learning sessions was about incorporating ideas from Feng Shui into organizing. I have always been drawn to Feng Shui and now I’m excited to help clients clear the clutter and make room for positive, new energy to come into their lives.

All in all, it was a great conference – so glad I went.

A Better Errand List

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Do you feel like you are running all over town trying to get things done?

Do you keep thinking of the errands you need to do? Often my list swirls around in my head, or is scribbled on several sticky notes on my desk.

Here’s my simple 3-step system to keep the errand list under control:

Step 1: I get a piece of paper and write down all the places I need to go in the next week or two. I basically empty my brain of all the stores where I need to pick up something or return an item.  My initial list looks like this.

Step 2: Then I try to group the errands into trips. For example, one trip might be Target and HomeGoods since they are near each other.  So my list looks like this:

Step 3: The last step to really make it happen…schedule time! I get my Google calendar and look at where I have pockets of time, and slot in the trips.

This simple process helps me to get all the nagging to do’s out of my head and on to my calendar. Happy shopping!

How to Stay Sane? Tip 2: Get Rid of the Stuff

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In my last post about how to stay sane during a kitchen renovation, I shared Tip 1: make a list (or two). 

Tip 2: get rid of as much excess stuff as possible.

In going through my kitchen to pack it all up, I inevitably found a few more things that we could let go; how many cheese graters and coffee grinders does a family need? As I’ve written before, home improvement projects create the perfect time to pause and purge.

And because I needed to store the kitchen items in the attic and the basement during the renovation, I was forced to confront those spaces as well.

The books and clothes from the attic that I had planned to give away months ago – donated.  The box of dishes and vases for the consignment store – taken.  The outdated cell phones and electronics from the basement – gone!  Some items have been sold, but most have been donated.

How do we get the stuff out? I used Craigslist to sell the exercise equipment we never used, a local parents email list to get rid of finger paints and chalk, and Freecycledother random items from a full roll of shelf liner to an HP printer/fax/scanner/copier that only functions as a printer. And I’ve donated books to More Than Words and clothing and small housewares to Goodwill.

After getting the excess out I felt much better and lighter. I guess that is the upside of a major renovation project. Stay tuned for more kitchen related tips.

One Thing Leads to Another

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The time has come…we are having our kitchen remodeled!

Well, remodeled isn’t actually the best word since we don’t have much to remodel. I think of it as starting from scratch since we’ll be adding cabinets and counters, and modern conveniences like a dishwasher and disposal.

Since we won’t have use of the kitchen for many weeks, we will set up a temporary kitchen in our dining room with the fridge, microware, and crockpot. Of course, this meant that we’ve had to move things around in the dining room to make it function as a kitchen. We now have metal shelves set up, ready to hold our pantry supplies and some basic dishes. My daughter’s art table has been relocated upstairs, and the sideboard goes into the attic.

Ah, the attic. So to make room in the attic for the sideboard and all the boxes of kitchen things we won’t use during the remodel, we had to put away all those things that hadn’t found their way back to where they belong. Even though I go through things in the attic once or twice a year, they seem to multiply after I shut the door. So my other tactic has been to purge, purge, purge along the way.

And just so no floor in our house goes untouched, the kitchen project of course affects the basement, where the contractors will need to store things and come in and out. My husband has been amazing in this area, leaving no corner untouched. Screens that don’t match any of our windows – gone! Broken wood from our porch repair – gone!

I know firsthand that moving stuff from one room to another inevitably means something else gets moved or turned upside down.

If you are facing a big organization project (home remodel, turning an office into a baby’s room) don’t get discouraged. Make a plan and a list. Keep it in perspective. Work on one area at a time.  Get rid of as much stuff you don’t use as you can. And if you need help, call a friend for a few hours, or contact That’s Neat! Organizing.

Look for more tips on how I keep my sanity during the renovation project.

Ready to Return?

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Everyone loves to leave on vacation, but few of us like to return.

Here are my organization tricks to make the “re-entry” back to reality easier:

  • Before I leave I write a list of critical things I need to do once I return (like pay certain bills, call client, etc.). All this races through my head before I leave but I can put it on the list and forget it while I’m away.
  • Clean up the kitchen before you go away. I like to come home to a clean kitchen.
  • Once you return, start laundry right away. My husband and I now bring our bags right from the car into the laundry room. We empty the dirty laundry and get at least one load started as soon as we are home.
  • Unpack as you can…laundry and clothes are first, the other items may take a few days to get put away.

Bon voyage!

Summer Entertaining

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It’s time to get together with friends! Here are some tips to organize your summer entertaining:

  • If your event is outside, be sure to have a back-up plan in case the weather doesn’t cooperate.
  • Make your lists: grocery, other shopping, to do.
  • Have your kitchen stocked with a few party favorites for impromptu gatherings. I like to always have olives, crackers and cheese ready to go.
  • Also keep your bar stocked for summer drinks. It’s easier to have a party “signature” drink (think gin and tonic or mojito) rather than offering a full bar.
  • Check to be sure you have napkins, plates and other supplies for outside entertaining.

And for some fun aprons and linens, check out my cousin Janna’s fabulous designs at Raw Materials Design.

Happy entertaining!

Martha Stewart Living Radio Interview

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I was thrilled to be interviewed on the MSLR show, "Living Today." Host Ryan Brockington and I discussed our favorite ways to get ready for summer, shared our love of lists, and I answered questions from callers. It was very fun!

Listen to the interview (about 30 minutes).

Shed a Little in the Spring

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It was a good spring for purging around my house. The last of the appreciated-but-still-unused wedding gifts went to a charity auction to support a local community organization.  Yes, it was hard to let the crystal bowls and vases go, but after much angst I did it! And I haven’t looked back: the gifts had been sitting in our attic for 15 years, so I hope they are on to a better home.

Last month my daughter also set aside no-longer-used toys for her school tag sale (fortunately she didn’t buy back any of her own items at the sale!).

And I’ve been “weeding” our garden AND our closets…which has resulted in several bags of clothes for Goodwill or the Vietnam Veterans of America (they pick up!). It’s amazing how much we can find that no longer fits or that we just don’t wear.

Why this urge to purge in the spring? It could be that the annual school tag sales, book sales, and charity auctions make me take a hard look at items we aren’t using, but that could benefit others. It could also be that after a long winter, I am tired of everything and need to pare down our living spaces.

Whatever the reason, spring has become my family’s time to shed some unwanted excess. It helps us to live a little lighter and enjoy the summer even more.

Now I’m off to weed the garden instead of our closet!

For more inspiration, read my article on spring weeding for children’s clothes.

ADD Resources

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Last week I attended an amazing seminar, sponsored by the National Association of Professional Organizers-New England, focused on successful organizing strategies for people with ADD. Led by ADD Coach Victoria Ball and a panel of experts, I learned even more tips and approaches to working with clients who have ADD/ADHD.

If you or someone you know has ADD, here are some helpful resources:

Two organizing books written in an ADD-friendly way:

  • Organizing Solutions for People with ADD, Susan Pinsky
  • ADD-Friendly Ways to Organize Your Life, Judith Kolberg & Kathleen Nadeau

Websites to check out:

Crib & Car Seat Trade-in Event at Babies“R”Us

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Babies”R”Us and Toys”R”Us are having a trade-in event  for cribs, car seats, strollers and more. From January 28 – February 21, 2011 they are giving “customers the opportunity to trade-in any used cribs, car seats, bassinets, strollers, travel systems, play yards, toddler beds or high chairs in exchange for a 25% savings on the purchase of any new baby item, in any of these product categories, from select manufacturers.”

The trade-in event “places an emphasis on specific baby products, such as cribs and car seats that, due to safety concerns, may not be the best candidates to be handed down or resold.”

This is a great opportunity to take a look at older equipment in your home and see if you can trade it in.

Help for Hoarders

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Recently I attended a lecture by Dr. Gail Steketee, Dean of Boston University’s School of Social Work. Dr. Steketee’s work has focused on the psychopathology of compulsive hoarding and her talk discussed the symptoms of hoarding and possible interventions. The information Dr. Steketee and her team have started to piece together about hoarding was fascinating, but there is still much to learn.

If you or someone you know may have a problem with hoarding, here are some resources.

Books:

Websites:

Making an Effective List

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Sure you can write something down, but then do you ever look at it again? Does one big list help you accomplish what you want to do?

Here’s how I make my lists work as a tool for planning and time management:

  • I create one master list for a project on my computer, making it easy to edit.  What I like about an electronic list is that it provides a place for me to quickly get out all my thoughts and then rearrange and change them later. I may print it out and cross some things off, but then it is back to the computer to update it.
  • I give the list some context with sub-headings. For example, for a renovation project I may have sections like To Call or To Research. Giving context with verbs also helps make the list actionable!
  • I break down the list into smaller more manageable tasks. This is an important part of any “big” project and makes it much more achievable. I know I’m making progress one step at a time.
  • I include some deadlines for the tasks.
  • For specific to-do’s, I put them on my schedule so they actually get done.
  • And finally, I look at my list often!

This list approach works well for me, which shouldn’t be a surprise if you’ve read Is There an Organizing Gene? I grew up seeing my Mom making and using lists all the time. Mom’s lists tended to be neatly written in black ink on pages of paper with much detail. Now that I think of it, my Dad was a list-maker too. He opted for the short-but-effective sticky note approach.

Making and using a list can be a key strategy to stay organized, but there isn’t one approach that works for everyone. The important part is to find what works for you.

What’s Your Jan Plan?

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It’s almost January! How did that happen? It’s the new year, my birthday month, and a great time to reflect on the year ahead.

What do you want to accomplish? What are your goals for the year? Write or type them out, and visit your list* often.

I’ve already started jotting down a few ideas for 2011: places I want to go, fun things I want to do with my family, goals for my business. And in the spirit of The Happiness Project, I’m going to set a few happiness goals again for myself this year.

During this holiday season, spend a little time relaxing, reflecting and then planning for the year ahead.

*Read my tips for making a list work for you!

Email Organization: 1-2-3

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Recently I wrote about how to deal with the catalogs coming into your home at this time of year.  After that post I noticed that my email was also getting quickly filled with shopping “deals” and offers.  While my catalogs were under control, my email box wasn’t.

I realized I could apply some of the same tips for dealing with catalog clutter to organizing my email:

  1. Using outlook rules, I set many of my retailer emails to go to a specific folder called “shopping”; now they don’t take up space in my in box and distract me from other tasks at hand. (Another idea I’ve heard: use a separate email address for retailer emails to keep them out of your work or main email box.)
  2. When I review the emails I delete any I know I’m not going to use right away. I can also quickly scan my new “shopping” folder and delete all the emails at once if I want.  
  3. Even better still, I took myself off several retailer email lists that I just never purchase from.

How do you keep your email in box in control? Post your tips in the comments.

Caution: Catalog Season

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‘Tis the season for tons of catalogs arriving in your mailbox. Here are a few tips for controlling catalog clutter:

  • Use the 1 in/1 out rule: when a new catalog comes in, throw the old one out!
  • Better yet, recycle the catalogs you know you won’t read as soon as they come in the door.
  • Even better still, get yourself off the catalog lists! Call the company who sent the catalog, or check out the Direct Marketing Association to get off multiple lists.

And if you do order gifts from catalogs, think about the recipient and your budget. It’s easy to get excited about the latest cookware, electronic gadget, or new sweater on the glossy pages of a catalog. Is it really something the recipient wants, needs or would love to have?

Paper….or Paperless? Easy Holiday Cards

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Like most people I use email and texting for regular daily communications. But I have a love of paper—and enjoy using it for cards, thank you notes, and invitations for special events.

Now a service promises to give you the design and feel of a paper card, with the ease of email. Paperless Post lets you select electronic cards, including photo cards, that get delivered to your recipients by email. They offer a range of great designs, and tout the ease and convenience of using email.

I’m a traditionalist, and will probably still send a paper holiday card this year. But if you are looking for a way to save time and resources, try out Paperless Post.