What is virtual organizing? It is exactly as it sounds – working on decluttering and organizing tasks over the phone or via a video platform using a phone, tablet or computer. Though the professional organizer is not on site, the procedure is the same as in person: set goals, sort, declutter, organize, and maintain systems in your home. The professional organizer still provides motivation, focus, accountability, guidance, and encouragement at a distance. Here are the benefits, responsibilities and expectations. (Click on Read More to continue.)

​If you experience a lack of motivation to declutter your home try these solutions to get in gear!

    1. INVOLVE SOMEONE ELSE IN YOUR DECLUTTER EFFORTS.​ 
Enlist a clutter buddy, a friend or relative, who will work with you to keep you focused. They might even keep your spirits up and manage time for you.
 
Set up a declutter schedule on your calendar, then find someone to whom you will be accountable. Again, this might be a friend or relative. They don’t necessarily have to be physically on site. You can simply check in with them and follow up later with a progress report.
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(OR you can organize your basement!)
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1. Think before you stash
2. Label and date boxes/bins
3. Declutter regularly
4. Purge things that can be borrowed
5. Use sturdy open shelves
6. Use clear bins
7. Create zones
8. Avoid storing cloth, paper and metal if basement is damp
9. Inventory and reevaluate annually

July is here already! The past few months have incongruously flown and crawled by at the same time. It seems the COVID-19 pandemic kept me in an extended holding pattern - like a really long snow day – where I ignored lots of household tasks. Can you identify? Is it time to take control and tidy up your home?
 
Initiate a first step to get back into the decluttering swing of things. Here are some (short and sweet) ideas:
 

• Organize your car.
• Declutter a closet, bookshelf or kitchen drawer.
• Shred the waiting pile of papers.
• Clean, freshen and air out blankets.
• Re-arrange a room.
• Tidy up your house plants.
• Declutter newspapers and magazines.
• Thin out a coat rack or shoe rack.
• Clean out the freezer.
• Take a bag of donations to a charity.
• Organize hobby materials.

 
Take control - One step leads to more!

Is getting organized your number one New Year’s resolution? Here’s how to achieve it: AWARENESS! How can awareness help to declutter and organize? And how do you become aware? (Click on Read More)

​Do these things well in advance (or even a little in advance) to gain control over the season. Then enjoy!
 
1. Clean out the fridge and pantry if not already done for the Thanksgiving holiday. Open up space to make it easier to store/find holiday ingredients. Find and clean special serving ware.
 
2. Take stock of  bills and important paperwork. Many a bill has gone overdue as a result of the frenzied “clean-it-up-by-putting-it-in-a-box” style of prepping for the holidays. Make special notes of due dates and replies required on the calendar as reminders.
 
3. For children, declutter clothes and toys prior to incoming gifts.
 
4. Prepare space for guests in advance. Make the guest bed, clear horizontal surfaces, and clean the bathroom. Anticipate supplies that guests might need and purchase in advance.
 
5. Inventory the logistics of entertaining. Count chairs and place settings. Select table coverings, linens and candles. Purchase extra take-home containers for giving leftovers/desserts. Make space for extra coats/boots in entryway or hall closet.
 
6. Set up a special envelope for Christmas receipts and use it religiously as the season progresses. 

​In my work as a professional organizer, I help people declutter and organize their homes. Cleaning tends to be a small part of this process. It is nonetheless an important part. I recently read an inspiring article on cleaning, “The Powerful Psychology Behind Cleanliness” at the Psychology Today website.

​The article points out compelling evidence for cleanliness thus encouraging us to keep a neat, clean home. We all know that it is easier to keep a home clean when it is clutter free; the two go hand in hand. With this in mind, here are some time-saving methods to keep our spaces decluttered, clean and healthy. 

​(Click on Read More to continue)

​In a previous post (July 2019), I described minimalism and my beginning progress on that road. To repeat a quote from Joshua Becker of the becomingminimalist.com blog, “minimalism is the intentional promotion of the things we most value and the removal of everything that distracts us from it.” Initially, I wondered what it would look like and how it would feel to declutter the things I did not use. Slow and steady progress has marked my experience. I am hoping to find clarity toward future goals as a result of the decluttering process. (Click on Read More to continue.)

I have wanted to write a post about minimalism for a while now but found the prospect daunting. Minimalism seems like an intriguing lifestyle but I don’t really grasp what it’s all about. In my mind minimalism means painting my walls white, reducing my furniture to half (all white) and having no hobbies or interests (hence none of the supporting stuff). That scenario has seemed unrealistic to me in the past. Curious though, I recently delved deeper into the philosophy of minimalism. Here are my new understanding and personal thoughts. (Click on Read More to continue)