Sharing solutions to organize and transform your space.
I was helping a client gather things going out of her house, and noticed her neat idea for keep track of what bags were going where: she labeled the paper bag handle.
It’s hard to see on the photo but this bag is labeled “donations,”
I often write on the side of the bag, but hadn’t thought of writing on the handle.
It was very convenient to quickly look down and read the handle as I dropped items going different places in different bags.
Clever idea!
Snow: that’s been the focus of the past few weeks here in the Boston area. Blogging has taken a backseat to shoveling, re-scheduling, more shoveling, and snow days at home with my family.
If the weather has been keeping you inside lately you may be feeling frustrated by some of those trouble spots in your home.
Here are 7 ideas for an organizing pick-me-up to help you move from chaos to calm:
If you are feeling overwhelmed and don’t know where to start, don’t worry. Give me a call at 617.905.7762 to schedule a session or create a customized action plan for you.
I noticed that this past December I got a ton of catalogs, many more than I had ever ordered from. I also seemed to be getting a lot of unsolicited phone calls to my home phone.
Time to get off the lists, and sign up (again) for the national “do not call” and “do not mail” registries. These lists are only good for 5 years so if you find yourself getting a lot of unwanted mail or calls, it’s probably time to re-register your information.
Here are my favorite resources:
And here's one to try for unwanted email subscriptions:
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1. Want to get your gift wrap supplies in order? The first step is to gather all the wrapping paper, bags, cards and other supplies you have in one place. Once you have it all together, reduce it to at least half. Yes, half! In most cases you aren't going to need all those gift bags you've saved. And if you love gift bags, you probably don't need all those rolls of paper.
2. Store the supplies you are keeping in one place. Here are some different ideas:
3. Recycle the gift wrapping supplies you aren't using, pass them on to a friend, or even donate the wrapping paper. Goodwill may take it, as will some thrift stores or charities that wrap gifts to give at the holidays. (Here is one Boston charity that can use wrapping supplies.)
4. Simplify the whole gift wrapping process with a "signature" gift wrap: use just one kind of paper or gift bag for all gifts. You can personalize with fun cards or ribbon.
5. Reuse. Turn old maps into gift wrap. A client recently told me she saves maps of certain places, like London, Paris or Harvard Square, to use as wrapping paper. It's especially fun for graduation gifts. You probably don't navigate with your paper maps too often, so consider reusing some as gift wrap.
6. Get into the zone. If you are wrapping a lot of gifts at one time, set up a wrapping zone in your office or dining room.
7. Party; throw a gift-wrapping party that is. Each December a friend invites a group over to eat, drink and wrap. Everyone shares wrapping supplies. It's a fun way to get that chore done.
This article first appeared in the November / December 2014 edition of my newsletter, The Neat Sheet.
Books, books and more books! Clients ask me all the time how to get rid of books, so for my last installment of this blog series, I’m sharing my favorite resources.
Donate:
Sell:
It’s that time again, time to de-clutter your closets and pass on your unwanted winter gear. Here are two great resources where your coats will help families in need:
Getting ready to cook a feast for Thanksgiving? Throw a New Year’s Eve dinner?
Here are 5 kitchen tips to help you get ready for the holidays.
Happy organized kitchen!
Soccer trophies. First place medals. Work recognition plaques. These tokens may be wonderful at the time we receive them, but years later they tend to be big dust collectors (aka clutter), sitting on shelves or packed away in boxes.
If you aren’t displaying them, then it may be time for them to go! (If you do want to display some, use a shadow box, hooks, clear case, or check out Pinterest for more creative ideas.)
First sort through all the awards. You may want to keep one or two, and that’s fine. You may want to toss them all, and that’s fine too.
How to get them out of your house:
If you can’t give your awards away, see if you can break apart the materials to recycle the pieces. You also have my permission to toss them out!
Older TVs and computer monitors can be heavy and bulky, and because they have cathode ray tubes, or CRTs, with toxic chemicals they can’t just go out with your trash. This means they end up in the corners of our homes gathering dust. I find often find them tucked under a chair or table in the family room, the office, or even the basement.
So how do you get these out of your house?
You’ve got no excuses now to get your TVs and old computer monitors out of your house.
I’m a big proponent of displaying kids artwork and family photos. A few months ago my hallway was painted and now my husband and I had to hang back up all our family photos.
Hanging anything in our old home is a challenge because nothing is straight or level, but we tried a new product that helped: Command™ Picture Strips. Like Command™ Hooks, you measure and adhere the strips to the wall first, and then put the other side of the strip on the frame.
The Picture Strips worked so well, and the best part is that they won’t ruin our beautifully-painted walls if we decide to take the frames down.
While working with clients to de-clutter, we inevitably come across old cell phones that are no longer used but are just sitting around. How to get rid of them?
My husband and I tackled this question recently. As we continue to clean out our basement, we found four ancient cell phones (see photo!) that were ready to go. These phones had been hanging around for years, so we finally decided to get rid of them.
First we made sure any data and personal information were erased from the phones. We knew that the photos and contacts were backed up, and were able to set the phones back to their factory settings, getting rid of the data (a quick online search helped us figure out how to do the re-sets, especially on the ancient Nokia phones, but it worked). Don’t forget to take out the SIM card if your phone has one. Good information about cleaning data off your phone is here.
Then when I was doing a bunch of errands, I dropped off the phones at our local Sprint store. So easy.
There are many options to get rid of your unwanted phones. If your phone is a newer model, you can:
Usually I see cell phones (like mine) that are just too old to sell or trade it, so they really have to go. Check with your cellular company about their recycling programs. Other places to recycle phones include Staples, Best Buy and even Target.
I love lists, so of course I have a To Do list. But some projects just seem to sit on the list forever, mocking me to get them done.
I’d read a Real Simple article years ago about an editor’s “Un-procrastination” day where she and a friend set aside a full day and got all their nagging to do projects done. It pops into my head from time to time as I review my list. So last week I decided that I’d set aside at least a half a day to take care of a few projects I had been putting off. I didn’t have a friend help me out, but did treat my self to an iced chai when everything was done.
Here’s what I got off my list:
“Chunking” errands or projects can be an effective way to get things off your To Do list, as Julie Morgenstern points out in her book Time Management from the Inside Out. This strategy really can work for some people, as a client reminded me last month. I had been helping this client move, and we had made piles for items to go to her storage unit, get donated, go to her office, and get dropped off at neighbors and friends homes. After a week or so the piles were still there, but she assured me they would get done—and they did, all in one day!
What’s your strategy for working on those nagging projects?
My husband and I have been working to clean out and better organize our basement this summer. In the process we found many cans of paint that we wouldn’t use again (old colors), or were nearly used up and didn’t need to be saved.
Many people think that latex and acrylic paint is considered to be a hazardous material, but in my town like many communities, you can toss dried up paint right in the regular trash. Sounds easy…but how to dry out the paint? I had heard that cat litter would do the trick, but could take a while.
I investigated options at our local hardware store and found that we could simply get a paint hardener to add to each can of paint. This is the one we used, but the hardeners are also available (and probably cheaper) in bigger containers. This was super easy and we cleaned out shelves of old paint from our basement.
Note: oil-based paints (and paint solvents) should be disposed of as hazardous waste. Check with your local town hall for more information for hazardous waste collection in your area.
Do you know what’s in your freezer? August is the time to get it cleaned out and organized. If you’ve been travelling a lot this summer, or just out having fun, you may have forgotten what’s sitting way in the back. And as an added bonus, when it’s hot outside you’ll appreciate a few minutes in the cold!
To get started, read my blog post on organizing your freezer.
If you have a second fridge or freezer in the basement, a professional organizer friend had a simple way to keep track of what’s inside: she uses a magnetic white board on the outside of the freezer and keeps a running list. You don’t even have to open the freezer to know that you have chicken and sausages inside.
Here’s another option from my cousin Janna (organizer/photo stylist/maker-of-amazing linens): she keeps a freezer inventory in a three ring binder. Read more in her previous blog post here.
Since I often get freebie magnetic boards I’m going to try out that idea and see how it works.
Last year my daughter outgrew her bicycle. As I started to stash it away, I realized that we had 3 bicycles – all too small for her - taking up much-needed space in our basement. I had been hanging on to her first “real” bicycle for purely sentimental reasons, but it was finally time to let them all go.
If you have old bikes that could use a new home, here are a few ways to pass them on:
Do you have a torn or worn out American flag that’s been in your basement or garage for ages? In honor of Flag Day this month (June 14th), I’m sharing ideas for the proper disposal of the American flag.
US Flag Code states that unserviceable American flags should be “burned in a dignified manner.” I’m not sure how often this is feasible (or allowed by local law), so here are several places to bring your unusable flag for appropriate disposal:
And for more American flag etiquette, check out this site from the VFW.
Last Spring I started running. I hadn't really run since I was in elementary school, so it was a huge feat for me to complete half a dozen 5K races over the past year.
Organizing is a lot like training for a running race (or any competition):
This article first appeared in the Summer 2014 edition of The Neat Sheet newsletter. Sign up here so you don’t miss a Neat Sheet, and read previous editions in the archives.
Graduations, first communions, weddings, and prom—it’s the time of year for those special celebrations.
But what to do with all the special occasion dresses and suits that you (or your kids) no longer wear? It’s time to de-clutter your closet and regain that space.
Here’s how you can get rid of your unwanted formal wear:
Donate your gently-used prom dresses to Anton’s Cleaners or Jordan’s Furniture stores for their Belle of the Ball program. Prom dresses can also go to the Northshore Fairy Godmother Project (various drop off areas) or the Priceless Prom Gown Project in Lawrence, MA. These organizations also take special occasion handbags and jewelry.
Bring your women’s suits, jackets, blouses, handbags, and shoes to Dress for Success in Boston. This great organization helps outfit disadvantaged women with professional attire for job interviews. Other organizations that will take your suits include Second Chances in Somerville and Solutions at Work in Cambridge.
Have a wedding dress to get rid of? Wedding dresses can be consigned at Clever Bride Consignment in Holliston. You can also donate dresses via mail to Fairytale Brides or Brides for a Cause. Check the websites as these organizations may only accept more recent wedding gowns. Goodwill and local thrift stores may take wedding dresses too.
What about men’s formal wear? Donate items to Solutions at Work or Goodwill. You can also consign newer pieces at Buffalo Exchange in Boston and Somerville.
For you kids consignments, try the Little Fox Shop in Arlington, Fancy Pants in Chestnut Hill, and Growing Up in Belmont.
If you want to save that special outfit for years to come read how to preserve your clothes by guest contributor, Gabby Burgman, an archivist, professional organizer and busy mom.
Safe deposit box: do you have one? If you do, do you know what’s in it?
When I had to get a copy of my daughter’s birth certificate recently, I found that I didn’t know what important documents we had at home, and what we kept in the safe deposit box.
This is one of those less-fun organizing projects (even for me), but one that is critical for every family.
Now you can relax and you’ll be ready when you need to find your vital documents.
Are you spring cleaning and finding things that you don’t need anymore? There are many options for your unwanted goods to benefit others:
That's Neat! Organizing Elizabeth Goodsell 617.905.7762
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