Tuesday, October 11, 2011
A 3 step process towards creating a perfectly organized pantry.
When was the last time you took a really good look inside your pantry? Do you put blinders over your eyes as you try to stuff another item in this wasteland and quickly shut the door before another can, jar, box or one of 10 bottles of ketchup topples out and hits you in the head or toe? Are you aware of how many hard earned dollars are wasted in purchasing too many duplicate items or expired items left forgotten in the deepest corners of this area? Taking the time today to clear out and reorganize your pantry will save you time and money allowing you to make meal planning easier & healthier. The following is my 3 step process towards creating a perfectly organized pantry. Empty: Arrange: Maximize: These are just a few of many steps that …
Tuesday, September 13, 2011
Steps towards transforming your bathroom into a peaceful haven.
Other than the kitchen, the family bathroom is one of the most used yet smallest and hardest-to-maintain rooms in the house. Between storing makeup, towels, medicines, hair supplies and cleaning supplies in such a confined space, it's no wonder this room can become the biggest challenge to keep organized. The biggest reward for creating an organized bathroom is that it will help to eliminate stress by streamlining the family morning routine. You will also save money by not purchasing duplicate items and be able to breeze through scheduled cleanings. The first step of transforming your bathroom into a peaceful haven is to: PURGE: Eliminate all expired medications & any makeup and mascara over six months old, worn out hair accessories, old …
Tuesday, August 23, 2011
Why every season is a clutter-free present waiting to be unwrapped.
As the lazy days of summer begin to wind down, what memories do you long to hold onto the most? Maybe it's the warm gentle breezes, the smell of freshly cut grass, the songs of seasonal birds, the time spent with loved ones on vacations or days in the park. In reality, it's a good thing that I am unable to hold on to these memories in a physical form, because my genie's lamp would become too cramped with yesterday's memories, leaving no room to enjoy my upcoming favorite season, fall. I believe the summer season can teach us an important lesson about clutter. For example, do you find it hard to eliminate items from your home because you fear you will lose the memory attached with that item forever? What if I told you I could debunk that …
Tuesday, August 16, 2011
5 Organizations that turn your clutter into gifts of hope to those in need.
Do you believe in the idiom "One man's trash is another's man's treasure?" I do. Today, most households are filled with a variety of unused items which can easily be donated and reused to make a positive impact in someone else's life tomorrow. As a professional organizer, I've heard every excuse in the book as to why one has trouble eliminating clutter from their home. "I don't have time to de-clutter," "I spent too much money on that item," "I might need it again," "my aunt gave me this item as a gift” and so on. There are as many excuses as there are items that are useless to you. What if we shifted our way of thinking and asked ourselves: "How can my items make a big impact in someone else's life?" Excuses begin to melt away when you …
Tuesday, August 9, 2011
Four steps towards reducing your book collections by discovering the books which speak to your soul.
On those dark and dreary rainy or snowy days, there's nothing better than curling up on the couch with a great book that transports us away to exciting and magical places. Isn't it ironic that over time these same novels turn against us and become daunting towers of clutter from which we wish we could escape? What if I told you that you were allowed to only keep enough books to fill up one bookcase comfortably, and the rest would have to go? Which books would you choose? After laughing or yelling at me, ask yourself, "Seriously, how many books do I really need?" New York Times bestselling author and professional organizer Julie Morgenstern summed it up best with this quote: "Save space on your shelves for the books that speak to your …
Tuesday, May 17, 2011
How to easily eliminate, reduce and organize your kitchen cabinets plastic food containers.
It happens to the best of us. After enjoying a great dinner surrounded by your family, you get up to store the leftover portions that you plan on taking for lunch tomorrow. As you open the kitchen cabinet, your mood quickly drops as an avalanche of containers and lids in come stumbling out of the cabinet only to hit you in the face before finally landing all over the kitchen floor. Ouch!! That's when your favorite game of “Does this lid match this container?” begins. Between food containers purchased at the store and the barrage of free containers we keep from grocery stores and restaurants, it's no wonder this untamed pile of mismatched lids and containers creates a ticking time bomb ready to explode from our kitchen cabinets. This …
Wednesday, December 15, 2010
Organize Now For A Stress-Free Holiday Road Trip.
As we happily sing "Over the river and through the woods, to grandmother’s house we go," our mood can quickly change from happiness to aggravation as we encounter many road delays keeping us from arriving to grandma's house on time. Although the Organizing Genie can't grant you a quick journey with a wink of the eye, I can offer a few travel tricks to make your trip to grandma's a bit safer and stress-free. Clutter creates stress and makes it more difficult to relax or focus, even in your cars. Preparing in advance will allow you to finish singing "to grandmother’s house we go" on a much happier note. Happy Holidays!
Wednesday, November 24, 2010
Savor the true meaning of this holiday season.
Tomorrow is Thanksgiving Day, in case you may have forgotten! While your family anxiously awaits a day of feasting on turkey, potatoes, stuffing, cranberries and dessert to be followed by football and planning out shopping routes for Black Friday, many tend to forget the true meaning of this special holiday. My thoughts drifted back to my childhood years to once again experience how my family spent Thanksgiving Day, as well as reflect how much this holiday has lost its importance over the years. My Thanksgiving Day was split between spending time with my mother's and father's side of the family. While each side celebrated a bit differently, these were simpler times filled with endless helpings of home cooked Thanksgiving prepared items…
