Organize the Whole Shebang

Organizing Aftermath... a sneak peek into the home of a professional organizer

I decided it was time to tackle some of the projects I put off while in treatment. My daughter's room re-do is one of them. She's 9 1/2 and ready to transition from her girly-girl room to something a bit hipper. [yes, it makes me sad]

The purging is complete... but the aftermath is taking over my dining room. I feel overwhelmed just looking at it. #igetoverwhelmedbypilestoo

There are distinct piles at work here... I know you can't see what I'm thinking so I labeled them for you :) But none-the-less the amount of work/stuff/chaos is overwhelming me.

So I'm going to do what I do for my clients. I'm going to assign an amount of time to it. Then set my timer and do it.

I do know the overwhelm is actually much larger thant the amount of time it will take...

I'm going to say.... 1 hour to tackle this project.

AND GO!

The Organizer's House.... featuring Stephanie Calahan

A Sneak Peek into the home of Professional Organizer Stephanie LH Calahan of Illinois and Founder/CEO of Calahan Solutions, Inc.

Ever wonder how a business performance and personal productivity consultant organizes her office... Stephanie went all out giving us a personal tour of her space! I have to confess that Stephanie sent me her info a while back... I lost it. Yes. Yes I did. Thankfully she brought it to my attention and I was able to search my email inbox and find her! #whoopsydaisy #blushblush

HER ORGANIZED SPACE: Home Office

1) This is my ACTION SYSTEM. Every item of paper that requires action is in this graduated file holder. It is easily accessible and in immediate view so that I don’t lose track of important items I need to DO to move my business forward.

2) This is my EASY ACCESS SYSTEM. This cabinet is on casters and can move for easy access. Each drawer is labeled and I can get to what I need quickly. I store items that I use on a daily basis in this cart.

3) DUAL MONITORS. My main source computer is my laptop, but when I’m not traveling; my second monitor is connected to increase my ability to get things done. Microsoft researchers have found that you can increase your productivity from 9-50 percent! My active work is on one monitor while my other monitor holds the windows that I check periodically, such as social media.

4) LOTS OF WATER. One of the fastest “cures” for foggy thinking is to increase your water intake. Did you know that the average person is dehydrated? Add to that, our brains are made of mostly water. If you are dehydrated, you diminish your ability to think clearly.

5A) MODULAR FILING CABINETS. I Love my Levenger file cabinets! This particular model allows me to add drawers as I have an increased need for filing. I have them within arms’ reach so that I can get to what I need quickly.
5B) PAPER TIGER FILING. One of my favorite office organizing tools is Paper Tiger (http://www.FindInFiveSeconds.com). I use this tool both in my home and work office.

6) OFFICE PHONE WITH HEADSET. I am on the phone throughout the day talking with my coaching clients. My headset is an invaluable productivity tool! By using a headset, I’m able to be hands free to take notes. This sounds very minor, but I have many clients that have complained of back/neck pain that distracts them from their work. When they change their phone setup, their pain goes away and do does the distraction.

7) CLEAR SPACE TO THINK AND WORK. As you can see, I have two desks in my office. One holds my computer and all corresponding technology. However, when I need to really think through a project, learn new information or focus on a client problem, visual distractions would be a problem. So, I turn around and use my “executive” desk for that type of work. The clear space allows me to stay focused.

HER ORGANIZING STYLE:

This is my library. It is on the opposite wall from my technology space. One thing that surprises many people that come into my office is how I have my material arranged on the shelf. It is not alphabetical by author or title. Each shelf holds a topic – marketing and PR, organizing, productivity and time management, self-development, etc. I often forget titles and authors, so organizing by either of those methods, would make it hard for me to find what I’m looking for. I’m visual, so I can go to my time management shelf and know that the orange book holds what I’m looking for.

*If you're a professional organizer + you'd like to be featured on "The Organizer's House"... drop me an email and let me know! I've got room for you~

Want more? Take a Peeky into more Professional Organizer's Homes by clicking here.

The Organizers House.... featuring Beth Brodsky

A Sneak Peek into the home of Professional Organizer Beth Brodsky of New York City, NY and owner of  B ORGANIZED, LLC.

I've often wondered how those NYC chicas can fit all their fashionable togs in such small apartments... Now I know. Thanks to Beth for sharing her tips + tricks with my small-closeted readers. We appreciate you allowing us to lurk in your closet!

HER ORGANIZED SPACE:  Main Clothing Closet

 

HER ORGANIZING TIPS:

1)  Make sure that every item has its own home. You need a designated area to put jewelry, scarves, belts, bags, etc otherwise they will end up on the floor or hanging over the chaise lounge in your bedroom.

 

 
2) Do an analysis of items you use and wear most frequently and put them in easy to reach places. For example I am always accessorizing with necklaces, earrings, and bracelets so I like to see what I have instead of keeping it tucked away in boxes.

 
 

3) Use the vertical space in your closet – it is prime real estate!! Most rental apartments don’t have built in closet shelving so it becomes wasted space. Invest in shelving units to double the storage room in your closet.

 

4) Spend the money and buy nice hangers.  Uniform hangers are the key to a neat looking closet.

HER ORGANIZING STYLE:  

I wanted to have a whole dressing area with all the pieces I need to get ready in one place.  Living in NYC this is no easy fete.  I chose the items that I love and wear the most to stay in the closet (shoes and purses that I wear less often reside in another closet or in storage units under the bed). I was diligent about finding space in the closet for all the pieces I need to make a complete look (tops, skirts, pants, accessories, purses, and shoes) and made sure that all items have a specific place to go so that it is simple and fun to put items away at the end of the day. I love the way my closet looks, its like my own little private dressing room – since I am so happy with the aesthetics I am constantly wanting to upkeep and maintain it.

 

*If you're a professional organizer + you'd like to be featured on "The Organizer's House"... drop me an email and let me know! I've got room for you~

Want more? Take a Peeky into more Professional Organizer's Homes by clicking here.

The Organizer's House... featuring Marcie Lovett

A Sneak Peek into the home of Professional Organizer & Productivity Consultant, Marcie Lovett, of Olney, Maryland and owner of Organized by Marcie.

I don't know Marcie yet... but after getting this full view of what she eats.. because you are what you eat right?! I think I know her... I know that we both use similar organizing techniques and that we both prefer square containers to round :) I also know she went to Pepperdine for Grad school and that my parent's wouldn't send me there for undergrad :( but I know this from her book bio and you can check that out here: The Clutter Book: When You Can't Let Go [maybe I shouldlet go of that whole 'I didn't get to go to Pepperdine' thing, you think?!]

HER ORGANIZED SPACE: Refrigerator
No one will mistake my house for Martha Stewart’s because it isn’t spotless.  Still, I want to find what I need without thinking about it.  I can identify everything in the refrigerator by its location, which keeps food from getting “lost” and turning into a science project.  I also know how much there is of any given item, so it’s easy to maintain inventory.

 
 

ORGANIZING TIPS:
1) Keep like items together.  Jams and spreads are on the top the top door shelf, condiments are in the center, drinks are on the bottom. The basket on the bottom shelf contains fruit and there’s more in the right crisper drawer, which also holds juice boxes. The left crisper drawer holds vegetables.  Sliced meats and cheeses go in the small drawer for sandwich and salad making.  Leftovers are pushed to the front so they get noticed and eaten. Yogurt and pudding are on the top, easy to grab and eat or pop in a lunch bag. Coffee is located conveniently beside the soda so I don’t have to open my eyes to find it in the morning.
  

2) Use clear containers for leftovers so you can see what’s inside.  I recommend squares over round shapes because they maximize space.  Stick with one brand so they stack well and don’t fall over. 

 

3) Have a plan for surplus food.  Take advantage of sales on items you buy often, but don’t overbuy and waste money by throwing out food you didn’t eat.  Make sure you have room to store the food until you are ready to use it.  I have 6 packages of cheese in the freezer because it was insanely cheap and I use it in so many different recipes. 

 
HER ORGANIZING STYLE:  As much as I like things to be attractive, I like function even more.  I recently dumped my old, stained food containers and replaced them with new ones that use the same-size lid on different-size containers.  That, in itself, is a huge time and space saver.

*If you're a professional organizer + you'd like to be featured on "The Organizer's House"... drop me an email and let me know! I've got room for you~

Want more? Take a Peeky into more Professional Organizer's Homes by clicking here.

The Organizer's House... featuring Margaret Lukens

A Sneak Peek into the home of Professional Organizer Margaret Lukens of Burlingame, CA and owner of New Leaf + Company .

I'm pretty sure the first time I met Margaret was in Reno at the 2008 NAPO Conference. We had a special blogger get-together... I think there were about 15 of us if that... That seems so long ago, but at the time we all knew we were trailblazers in an industry that moves cautiously and hence slower than most. We've been friends ever since :) [here we are pictured with Janine Adams + Geralin Thomas at the 2011 NAPO conference]

Yesterday there was an earthquake back east... I'm sure many were thrown off by it, but Californians, they've got it down pat and an organizer really has it all figured out. I hope you find this sneak peek helpful. 

HER ORGANIZED SPACE:  Where to store emergency supplies

 

HER ORGANIZING TIPS:

1)  Keep emergency supplies such as water, first aid kits, cash, flashlight, and comfortable shoes in several places – home, car, and office all need some supplies.

2) My car has two emergency kits. One is my “official” CERT backback, issued by my local authorities to people who have completed the Community Emergency Response Training. Its contents include work gloves, protective goggles, a hardhat, duct tape, and reflective vest, in case I need to assist in emergency response such as light search and rescue.

The other is my personal emergency kit, with jumper cables, plastic ground cloth, blanket, first aid kit, flashlight, solar cell-phone charger, water, and water purification supplies.

3) More supplies are stored in my cellar. The dog’s carry-crate is essential to keep her confined and safe during an evacuation. Then there’s water (a gallon a day per person for three or more days) and a hand-crank radio. Food is my last worry – I’ve got plenty in the pantry – but I do have instant coffee in my emergency supplies, because during an emergency is a very poor time to go through coffee withdrawal!

 

4) Keep tools close to where you’ll need them, because it can be hard to think and remember during an actual emergency. The wrench I’ll need to shut off my gas valve is stored in a plastic zip-lock bag attached to the gas pipe itself under my deck.

 

5) Don’t mingle your vital records with regular household files. In case of emergency, you’ll want to act fast. It’s too hard to find birth certificates under “B”, passports under “P”, insurance under “I”, and so on. Make a file you can grab and go. My favorite tool is the Vital Records PortaVault by Securita. Invented by a CPA, it is customizable and simple to use. I keep mine in my bedroom where I can grab and go in the middle of the night.

HER ORGANIZING STYLE:  Emergency preparation can feel overwhelming. It’s a great feeling to tackle just one small area and get it done. It gives courage to move on and maybe do a little more. Get a box and put a roll of duct tape in it. Then next month add one more thing. I’m a big fan of baby steps.

*If you're a professional organizer + you'd like to be featured on "The Organizer's House"... drop me an email and let me know!

The Organizer's House... featuring Jeri Dansky

 

A sneak peek into the home of professional organizer, Jeri Dansky of Half Moon Bay, California and author of Jeri’s Organizing and Decluttering News.

Jeri is the queen of organizing products... and that makes her a girl after my own heart! She's also the queen of kindness. She was so incredibly supportive of me during my cancer treatment, I'll never forget her thoughtfulness

 Jeri + I go back a while... we've got history :) A couple of summer's ago Jeri wrote a guest post for me titled Tape Dispensers Don't Have to be Boring... We also shared some limelight at the L.A. NAPO Organizing Awards in 2010. But most recently we hung out in San Diego at the NAPO conference... you can check us out in this blurry photo along with our friend Deb Lee. [I think the photographer may have had a few ;) ]

Enjoy this peek into her personal home office~

 

HER ORGANIZED SPACE: Home Office

HER ORGANIZING TIPS:

1)  Keep frequently used tools close at hand. For me, that includes my pen cup, stapler, tape dispenser and dictionary. I can reach them all without leaving my chair. They aren’t on my desktop, though, because that space is reserved for my cats.

2) Storage pieces can be fun and whimsical. That big ceramic frog, which is intended to be a planter, stores some of my computer accessories — ones I don’t use every day, but often enough that I want them stored in my office. 

3) If you spend any significant amount of time at your computer, invest in an ergonomic set-up. I use a laptop, but I also have an external display, keyboard and mouse, and a tray for that keyboard and mouse that’s lower than my desktop. A good chair makes a big difference, too.

The Organizer's House... featuring Janice Simon

A Sneak Peek into the home of Professional Organizer Janice Marie Simon of Houston, Texas and owner of The Clutter Princess. I don't have a cute pic of Janice and I together... in fact we haven't met in person. But she's WAY special to me... she's the in house organizer at MD Anderson Cancer Center and I think that's just about the coolest thing ever.

HER ORGANIZED SPACE: Salt and Pepper Collection See.... Organizer's are human, we collect things besides boxes and labels ;)

 

Her Organizing Tips:

1)  When you have a collection, make sure you only have items in your collection that you love. I don’t like every salt and pepper shaker set that I see, and I don’t buy just any pair. They have to speak to me, and I love salt and peppers shakers with personality and whimsy. 

 

2) Collections should have boundaries. I saw an interview with actor Dennis Franz who said he collected something until the shelf was full. Regularly purge your collection. Painful as it may be, you may need to ask friends and family not to buy you additional pieces as gifts.   

3) If space is an issue, divide your collection into four groups and rotate them seasonally. Then it’s like a “new’ collection every quarter.

 
 

*If you're a professional organizer + you'd like to be featured on "The Organizer's House"... drop me an email and let me know!

The Organizer's House.... featuring Aby Garvey

Have you ever looked at someone's website and decided you should be friends? Or found yourself incredibly envious because they are doing everything you dream of doing... You want to be arch enemies, but meet them and realize they are the nicest thing EVER! That's Aby. Promise me that once you visit her website you won't abandon me... #makenewfriendsbutkeeptheoldoneissilverandtheothergold:)

 The 2010 Los Angeles NAPO Organizing Awards... Aby was my roomie and winner of BEST ORGANIZING BLOG, we're pictured with my chica Deborah Shearer of Organize.com. Here's a post on the Organizing Awards  and another when Aby was a guest on The O Myth! And I almost forgot... Aby did a guest post a while back on Scrapbook Organizing. #loveher #toldyouso

Ok.Ok... I'll stop gushing over Aby and let you take a peek into her home office!

A Sneak Peek into the home of Professional Organizer Aby Garvey of Edwardsville, Illinois, owner of simplify 101.

HER ORGANIZED SPACE:  Home Office

HER ORGANIZING TIPS:

1)  The more you love how an organized space looks the more motivated you will be to keep it organized! Infuse your organized spaces with creative, personal touches. Use containers you love. Add elements that make your space look and feel like you. You’ll be happier and more productive.

 

2) Don’t spend time searching for the perfect organizing system. Instead, give a system a try and then tweak it until it works great for you.

 

3) Remember that being organized is a combination of organizing projects and organized habits.During the project phase you sort, declutter, select storage and set up your organizing systems. To stay organized, you need to develop the habits necessary to use your new system consistently and effectively.

HER ORGANIZING STYLE:  Creative and eclectic! And I have a thing metal buckets.

*If you're a professional organizer + you'd like to be featured on "The Organizer's House"... drop me an email and let me know!

The Organizer's House.... featuring Linda Samuels

I LOVE creative spaces... and it's even more fun to see how a professional organizer combines function with fabulous! Who says organizer's are all concrete-sequential? I'm also excited to check out her book... I'm a huge believer in 'People over Perfection' so I have a feeling Linda + I may just be organizing soulmates :)

A Sneak Peek into the home of Professional Organizer Linda Samuels CPO-CD, Croton on Hudson, NY and owner of Oh, So Organized! and author of: The Other Side of Organized.

HER ORGANIZED SPACE: Art and office supplies

 

HER ORGANIZING TIPS:

1) Mini Communities:Designate an area and sub-divide to group similar objects together. This 24-drawer dentist’s cabinet has been re-purposed to contain a large category (supplies) into smaller groups (scissors, post-its, watercolors.)

 

2) Eliminate Guesswork: Find your items quickly by using labels or pictures on the outside of the container. This cabinet went unlabeled for years until I used my Brother P-touch to add labels on the drawer fronts. What a difference that made. The guesswork in finding things instantly disappeared.

 

3) Dash of Chaos: The beauty of a closed drawer is that it hides what’s inside. This allows you to create the level of order that feels comfortable for you. That can range from things neatly lined up to objects tossed in randomly. There’s nothing wrong with some chaos within an area if that works for you. For example, my “Boxes/Containers” drawer is a jumble of objects, while other drawers in this cabinet like “Post-its” are more organized. For myself, I prefer mostly order with a dash of chaos. Choose the mix that works best for you.

The Organizer's House.... featuring Debra Ostrus

Some Organizer's really walk the walk! I'm feeling the need to give my pantry a serious perk-me-up! Here's an opportunity to take a look at my fellow Washingtonian's organized pantry... It almost makes me want to cook ;)

A Sneak Peek into the home of Professional Organizer Debra Ostrus of Gig Harbor, Wa and owner of Spaces Streamlined Home Staging, Organization & Redesign .

 

HER ORGANIZED SPACE:  Under-the-Stairs Pantry

 

HER ORGANIZING TIPS:

1) If possible, Keep your all of your pantry food items together in one place. A couple of large cabinets, a kitchen closet fitted with shelving or a cabinet specially designed to house food supplies will make it easy to know what you have and where to find it.

You can also create a pantry in what could be an awkward and wasted space as in my home. Here, under the stairway, deep shelves were installed and large baskets serve as drawers to turn this otherwise hard to access space into easy to use storage for bulky items. One basket is used to hold bags of snack foods like chips, granola bars and crackers, another bags and boxes of pasta and rice, a third contains paper products such as napkins, paper plates and plastic cups and the last extra baking supplies like bags of sugar, etc. These baskets serve to group loose and irregularly shaped items together and keep them from being piled in a mess on the shelves.

 

 

2) I love to keep all of my various oils and vinegars stored on turntables on the pantry shelf where I can easily spin the one I want to the front.

 

3) Because I bake quite a bit and don’t have room to store baking supplies in my prep area, I store everything I need for baking on this rollout cart. When it’s time to make cookies or bread I just roll the cart over to my work space, measure out what I need and roll it all back at once. This is a huge timesaver for me and makes the whole process easier.

 

4) I keep foods organized by storing like items together, for example canned fruit, canned vegetables, soups, boxes of cereal, etc. so that I’m able to see at a glance what I’m running low on. This way I don’t buy more of things I already have but can’t find.

HER ORGANIZING STYLE:  Keep it simple, make it easy! I set my systems up to work with the way I habitually do things so that it becomes a routine and something I don’t have to think too hard about- I just do it!