Time Management & Decluttering Are Keys To A Happy Life

Sep 05

Are You Ready For A Natural Disaster?

By Jonda Beattie Ask the Organizer How to Organize

September is National Preparedness Month. The 2021 theme is “Prepare to Protect. Preparing for disasters is protecting everyone you love.” While you can never be truly ready for a natural disaster, you can be somewhat prepared. Some of us might be tempted to think, “I don’t live in an area prone to natural disasters. It will never happen to me.” As someone who was once ordered to suddenly leave their house due to the possibility of a tree crashing on top of it, I can tell you that we all need to be prepared for a disaster. Natural Disasters Can…

Aug 29

Why Do We Do the Things We Do?

By Diane Quintana What is Your Reason to Get Organized?

Have you ever wondered why we do the things we do? I wonder this all the time. What drives me to do some of the things I do? Sometimes I stop in my tracks after I’ve done something, shake my head, and think to myself “why on earth did I just do that?”. We, as adults, know that for every action there is either a reaction or a consequence. This is something we learn as we grow up. As adults, we can hear in our minds our parents chiding us saying “you shouldn’t do that” or “you should hurry up…

Aug 22

5 Common Reasons You Don’t Complete a Project & How to Move Forward

By Jonda Beattie Ask the Organizer How to Organize

As Professional Organizers Diane and I often get calls from people who are overwhelmed by projects that have been hanging around for what seems like forever. It might be a huge project like clearing out a cluttered home to put it on the market, dealing with unopened boxes scattered around since a move 5 years ago, or paper that has taken over an office and spilled into the rest of the house. We have found that most people have common reasons for leaving these projects hanging. These people are not stupid or lazy so why can’t they do this? These…

Aug 15

simplify your morning so you can relax into the day

Want to Simplify Your Morning? Do These 5 Things!

By Diane Quintana How to Declutter: Use Simple Strategies

Do you dream of having a quiet and peaceful morning? Maybe you dream that you are sitting at the table enjoying the first steaming hot cup of coffee while reading the headlines waiting for the day to unfold. You can simplify your morning when you retire or maybe sooner than that by tweaking your routine slightly. The morning rush The reality is that we rush around in the morning. There is nothing peaceful about it. We gather the things we need for the day, get breakfast, and make sure that everyone else in the family is also prepared. Then we…

Aug 08

Organizing in 10 Minute Blocks: The Laundry Room Shelf

By Jonda Beattie How Long Will it Take to Organize X

Once a year I deep clean and reorganize my laundry room. Part of the process is to take a hard look to see what I am storing on my laundry room shelf. It’s a scary thought, I know, but since I only do it once a year, I can handle it! The maintenance during the year is mainly keeping the floor clean and restocking supplies. Now it has been a full year since I worked in this area beyond maintenance, and it is time to re-evaluate the space. I have open shelving in my laundry room, and it is a…

Aug 01

How to Shift Your Focus from Yourself to Your Stuff

By Diane Quintana It's All About You: A Personalized Approach to Achieving Your Organizing Goals

As a professional organizer, I often am on the receiving end of comments like: I’m so stupid, why did I let this happen? Or some people say: I’m a slob, I’m a packrat, I’m a collector just like my parents and things like: I’m so lazy, if I were not so lazy my house wouldn’t look this way. Can you relate? Do you call yourself out? What are the names you call yourself or the things you say to yourself? Are these things on repeat? Do these nasty phrases cycle through your mind over and over again? Shift your focus…

Jul 25

Create a Home Maintenance Plan Using These Four Steps

By Jonda Beattie Ask the Organizer How to Organize

I think we can all agree everyone needs to have a home maintenance plan. If you aren’t sure what it is or why you need one, read this recent post: why everyone should have a maintenance plan. Just because you believe you need such a plan doesn’t mean that you know how to create one. There are four distinct steps involved in creating a home maintenance plan. Everyone’s plan will be unique to them but will incorporate these four steps. Now let’s look at the steps to take to develop a home maintenance plan that will work for you. You’ve…

Jul 18

teaching kids responsibility making a bed

5 Fun 10 Minute Tasks for Teaching Kids Responsibility at Home

By Diane Quintana How Long Will it Take to Organize X

There’s always lots to do to take care of your home. Involving your kids in some tasks is a great way to begin teaching kids responsibility at home. It also builds your child’s self-esteem and will help to the complete your list of household tasks. There are a several things to do as you give your kids tasks. Tell them about the task Explain how to complete the task Show them how to do the task Then walk away and let them do it These are very important points to remember. If you follow your kid around supervising them as…

Jul 11

Three Reasons to Follow an Organizational Home Maintenance Plan

By Jonda Beattie Uncategorized, What is Your Reason to Get Organized?

I know I am dating myself when I say that I grew up with the idiom, “A stitch in time saves nine.” Those who have never darned a sock or sewed up a rip may not realize that this saying points out that if you take care of a problem when it is small, it will save a lot more work later. This saying also applies to things which happen in your home. Having an organizational home maintenance plan to follow helps you in a variety of ways. When you stay on top of tasks in your home that keep…

Jun 20

Why Clutter Hotspots Occur & How to Control Them

By Jonda Beattie What is Your Reason to Get Organized?

You have hotspots of clutter throughout your house, and it is beginning to really annoy you. There are three common clutter hotspots in most people’s homes: the laundry, kitchen and office desk. If you are like many people, the first thing you will do is to go out and buy some more containers to hold or sort all the stuff. Perhaps you get out one of your organizing books and decide your first step is to sort and purge. Maybe you call in an organizer with the hopes that they will make it all go away for you. Since you…

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