Christmas Gifts | Feng Shui | Preparing for a Yard Sale | Organizing Your Garage | My Mother's Garden | Clutter and Depression | Cash In The Attic   | Halloween   | Holidays | Paper | Get Organized Month   | Kitchen  | Taxes  | Springtime | Downsizing

Yes!  It's OK to Pitch Christmas Gifts!

Debbie Bowie - Rock, Scissors, Paper Institute

Christmas has come and gone. So have gifts. You are now the proud owner of some new things, some that you love, hopefully, and some that you probably wish you didn’t have to deal with. Such is the reality of the gift giving holiday! My question to you is, what are you going to do with the gifts that you don’t love and will never use?

In my work as purge coach I see what happens to gifts that didn’t hit the mark. They get stashed in drawers, closets, cupboards, attics, and basements. Or, they become part of the architecture of a clutter puddle. I think many people just feel guilty for not liking or needing something they are given. Rather than getting honest with themselves* and immediately donating, re-gifting or pitching the gift, they avoid the issue, and ignore the gift, whereby it becomes part of the clutter surrounding them, or they stash it somewhere. The gift, which when given was intended for good, then immediately creates a pocket of static negative energy where it lands.

*By the way, “getting honest” with the gift giver can be unnecessarily hurtful. It’s best to keep it to yourself.

Why Letting Go of Unwanted Gifts is So Difficult
You Love the Giver. People seem to get hung up on the fact that they love the giver of the gift. If they toss the gift they think they are in some way being ungrateful or indicating a lack of love for the giver. The truth is that givers of gifts cannot always get it right. People tend to give the kinds of things they like, not necessarily what the recipient might like!  Often the giver has no clue about what the recipient might like. Therefore, they are guessing when they give gifts! 
So, you get a gift from someone you love and you hate it. The giver did the best he or she could. Now you have to decide what you will do with the item. Do you have to keep it (only because it was given by someone you love)? Why would you keep an object you hate (pure negative energy) even if it was given by someone you love, which affects the love?

The Gift Holds the Energy of the Giver
Another complicating factor is that a gift holds the energy of the giver. When you look at a gift, you think of the giver. If you look at it, smile and feel good feelings, because you care about the giver and like the gift, keep it! But, it you look at the gift and feel good feelings about the giver but hate the gift, what should you do? Tossing the gift can feel like you are tossing the person. In most cases you have received other gifts from that person that you do like, gifts that can hold the giver’s positive energy in your space. If you want to keep that person’s energy in your space, keep the gift(s) you do like and let go of the hated gift. If it’s the first gift given by a significant person, I still recommend letting go of it because the negative energy of the gift will be an irritant that could affect the energy of the relationship. Let it go and give the giver another chance at another time! 
The Gift Was Given By Someone With Whom You Have a Complicated Relationship
What if the gift was given to you by someone with whom you have a complicated relationship? If he or she gets the gift right and you love it, the gift holds a positive energy about the relationship. If the giver goofs and gives you something you hate, even though you think he or she should know what you like, keeping the gift will anchor the conflict in the relationship. Is that what you want?

The Giver Went to the Trouble to Send the Gift  
Just recently I heard another reason people keep gifts. Bob and I had received two mugs from a  very special family member. When I suggested that we give them away, since we don’t need any more mugs Bob said, “I hate to do that. He went to all that trouble to send them.” Should we cram two more mugs into our cabinet just because the person expended effort on our behalf? It’s physically impossible to keep everything we are given just because people spent their time and money to give things to us. Life is too long and our space is too small! What we can do is express our appreciation to them and then make a decision about each gift that works well for us and our space. In this case I plan to evaluate the mug collection and release two mugs if I intend to keep these two.

Criteria for Keeping a Gift
Each time I get a gift I evaluate its energy. I ask myself the following questions.
–Do I love it? 
–Will I use it? 
–Will I eat it (if it’s food!)?

The recipient has no idea that all this evaluation is going on. I thank them. I add their name to my to do list so I’ll remember to write a note thanking them. We really have very limited space for incoming new items in our home. What I receive has to have “Lexus” energy–meaning top of the line! Awesome! If it does, it stays. If not, I move it along. I am lucky that none of my family comes looking for the gifts they have given me. But, if they did, I’d tell them that I passed the gift on to someone who needed it more than me. That’s the truth!

Responding to a Gift, Wanted or Unwanted
When you are given a gift, any kind of gift, the best thing you can do is say thank you. Write a thank you note if that’s what seems right to do. You aren’t thanking them for getting it right. You are thanking them for the effort they made to remember you, for the time, effort and money they expended. Then, the gift is yours. Do with it whatever you wish. If the trash seems the best location for it, pitch away! If you love it or will use it, find a place for it in your home. If you don’t want to keep it and donating it is a good option, take it to the Goodwill bag or box you maintain for just this type of thing. The most important thing is to move the gift along to the next spot, whether it that’s the trash, the donation box, your gift area or the shelf of treasures.
So, if you get a gift you don’t need, want, or like, disconnect the gift from your feelings for the giver (no easy task at times!) and the money and effort they expended. Then move it along. You’ll be honoring yourself by being honest and not holding on to something that doesn’t serve you. And, you’ll keep your life moving forward by refusing to create negative energy blocks throughout your space and your life! 

You Have Just Downsized Your Loved One – Now What?

Christie Tripp - Loftstormers

Your loved one has downsized and moved out of his/her home. Or, you have recently lost your loved one. You are left behind with a house full of memories and sentimental items. On the other hand, you are left behind with clothes, tools, papers, endless amounts of dishes and potentially a garage, shed, basement and attic full of stuff. You are responsible for making decisions about what to do with everything - what do keep, donate or sell. An overwhelming feeling begins to set in. 

What do most people do? They walk right back out the front door and the house sits for months and sometimes years because no one has the time or emotional support to deal with the contents inside the home. And, when they finally do tackle the project, they are usually in a hurry and mistakenly throw away items of value or sentimental worth. If the clean-out process is put off for too long the house will sit and begin deteriorating rapidly and so do the contents inside. 

If you can, it is important to get started sooner rather than later with the clean-out process. When you begin, tackle one room at a time - organizing and displaying everything in the home. Clean out drawers and cabinets along the way. Sort like items together throughout the home. Don’t think about what you will keep, sell or donate during this phase. Once you have sorted through everything in the home then follow these steps to help with your decision-making process after the sorting is complete.

Keep It Simple at First: Conduct a walk-through of all rooms. Don’t spend too much time in each room at first. See what you have and take in how much there actually is. Enjoy viewing everything – hopefully you’ll see some wonderful memories along the way.

Get Your Sticky Notes: Each family member should be assigned a colored sticky note or colored dot. Walk through each room again. Look at items briefly and mark anything of interest to you. At this stage, don’t think twice about it. One item can be marked by several family members and settled upon later.

Second Pass-Through: In your first walk-through - you most likely missed many things. Or, you marked too many things based on emotional attachment or memories. There is so much to look at. Take a second or even third walk-through. Take your time in each room. Look at the things you marked; Look at other items you may have missed before. Unmark items you really don’t need and have no where to display in your own home.

Get Your Note Pad: Sticky notes can sometimes fall off the item. Before you leave the house, make a list of the items you marked in each room. Review your list when you get home. Think about where you are going to store these items and where you are going to display others.

Your Second Visit: If you are not from out-of-town, you can visit the home a second time. View items again, really think hard about the items you’ve chosen to take. Make sure you know what you will do with them. The last thing you want to do is create clutter in your home. 

On the flip side, get creative with some of the items you’ve chosen to keep. i.e. sports equipment can be hung for decoration. An old chest can be lined and used to house potted plants. An assortment of items can be displayed in a beautiful shadowbox to remind you of an important event you and your family member once shared. If you think you can use an item for décor and enjoy looking at it in your home on a daily basis - keep it but do something with it immediately!

This is a start to making decisions about the items in the home. Keep working persistently until all items have been removed from the home. Do not clutter your own home in the process. Remember you are leaving a legacy for your children as well and they will be helping to clean out your home one day!

In the Springtime...

Christine Lynn - Simple Living LLC

I volunteer on Saturdays working in the Meditation Gardens at my church. One day I arrived at the gardens expecting to see lots of people to help, and was greeted only by Ayer, the Garden Team Leader. Ayer was happy to see me, but overwhelmed and frustrated with all the wonderful projects she had planned. We tried to start the tiller, but without success.

Ayer decided to give me a tour of the garden to get me reacquainted with it. I put my arm around her as we walked, “Let’s play, have some fun and they will show up.” Well, we walked about halfway around the garden, forgetting about all the work that needed doing, when one of the workers showed up! We were thrilled! Then another family came along! We had a game plan, and all of us went about our work with great enthusiasm.

One of the gentlemen from an earlier church meeting that morning, received Ayer’s note for help with starting the tiller was able to come out and get that project going. We were rolling! By the end of the afternoon, Ayer was pleasantly surprised by all the work we had done.

I am sharing this with you because doesn’t it ring a bell? I see so many of us, including myself, so overwhelmed with so much to do that we don't do anything.  Ayer taught me a lesson, when I have the attitude to play as I work, I make it fun and become nonattached to the outcome.  My excitement creates the energy to do my work.  I accomplish so much more than I could ever imagine. So, start where you are, and with what you have, and the rest will come forth…naturally and with less effort.

Use your imagination to create a joyful attitude when faced with the overwhelming task of organizing.  I like turning on music when I work.  I often light a candle, or bring in flowers to lighten up the room I am working in.  Call a friend for a short conversation of their treasured inspiration.  Also, you may want to plan a reward of some simple pleasures for yourself before you start that project you have delayed.  If you can't think of a way to bring this playfulness, ask yourself, "Well, how can this organizing project become fun for me?" and just be open to the possibilty of this burdensome project transforming to a playful event!

I received an insight that goes with this concept of "Play and make work fun" and that is, as you look at the project you are about to do, ask yourself, “What is calling to me right now?” One thing will at least pop up for you, something little such as, move a box into the room it belongs in, or donate a coat you have not worn in a year...Just Do It! Completing one task at a time leads to the awareness of the next task.  Thinking about all your tasks at one time can often block our progress. 

Another insight I am practicing is "Just Do One Thing Today". I have gotten very busy with work, yeah! I am looking at some of my projects and can’t get to them like I really want to. So I am doing at least one thing a day on a special project to show myself I will get to it eventually. This is really creating a peace of mind for me, and has given me some sense of accomplishment. 

The Springtime is bursting with all kinds of projects inside and outside the home.  Creating an organized, simple life can be an unbelievable project for anyone.  Just by staying inspired and playing with your work can bring a whole different point of view for yourself.  I can't wait to see what you can accomplish with your creativity now!

Take a breath, and relax, make life simple...

The Joy of Stress-Free Tax Preparation

Cathy LeHew- Space Matters Norfolk

It’s that time of year again when dinning room tables are taken out of commission by piles of paid bills, receipts, canceled checks, and unidentified cash register receipts for tax records.  The clutter is more that a mealtime nuisance, it could be costing you money at tax time.

Are you dreading getting ready for tax time this year?  The best time to prepare is the year before, but if you didn't do it last year, start now! The key pitfalls of poor organization to tax preparation are running the risk of misplacing important receipts, racking up hourly fees for tax preparers to wade through unorganized receipt piles and potentially miss out on maximizing our deductions.  In addition, we are unnecessarily adding stress in our lives that could have been avoided if we simply “had a system!”  With these simple tips, you'll get your taxes done EARLY and be ready to enjoy spring! Every year we avoid the tasks of preparing for April 15th, yet we could avoid most of the stress by adopting simple tools that can be maintained easily year-round.Whether you hire someone to prepare your taxes or attempt to decipher the forms yourself, it is imperative that your papers be in order.   Organizing your tax-related documents is not just a project for the evening of April 14th. Good tax organization is a year-round process.  Setting up a tax file can save you a lot of time and trouble when it comes time to file your taxes. Try organizing your files into the following categories:  

• Income - Every penny you earn that is reported to the IRS (salary, dividends, earnings, distributions, even that paltry $3.42 in checking account interest) comes with a paper trail. To keep it all straight, write all income sources (and amounts earned) on a single sheet in your "Income" folder as they occur. As the corresponding pay stubbs, interest statements, and dividend statements, earnings, distributions, and dividends arrive (e.g., 1099s and W-2s), verify their accuracy and check each off on your income cover sheet. These official documents for everything from freelance work, jury duty payments, and nearly every investment transaction should have everything you need to account for income when you do your taxes. Investments - Purchases, losses, interest, dividends, sales -- all stock-related activity -- will generate corresponding 1099s (or K-1 forms for certain trusts or partnerships) that the IRS will also receive. Keep proof of purchase, such as trade confirmations or annual statements; dividends paid; split/merger/buyout notices; deductible investment expenses; and proof of security received as a gift or inheritance until you sell.Medical - File receipts for medical expenses, and health insurance out-of-pocket expenses. Donations - Include receipts for both cash and non-cash donations. Real Estate - File interest statements from mortgage, tax assessments. Child Care - This file is for child care payment receipts. Tax Correspondences - Include any important letters from the IRS or your state revenue service. Student Loans - File statements of loan interest paid. Miscellaneous Receipts - Add any receipts that might be needed for deductions. Payments - Include any records of advance payments.
• Previous Tax Papers - File by year your old tax returns

 A great system isn’t worth a nickel unless you actually use it.  Schedule your monthly recordkeeping tasks and make it a habit to regularly file documents and/or make entries in your accounting software.  A good rule of thumb is to schedule at least one hour a week for recordkeeping.  If you're using a tax preparer, call in January to schedule a mid to late February tax appointment. This forces you to organize and compile all the necessary information by that date. Also, you don’t want an exhausted accountant doing your taxes on April 15th.Being organized at tax time will give you greater control over the tax preparation process. Instead of feeling overwhelmed, you will feel a sense of calm and accomplishment. Instead of frantically searching for documents, you will be able to produce them at a moment’s notice. Instead of your accountant cursing your name, he/she will sing your praises when you present them with an envelope of organized papers and receipts.The sooner you get organized for tax time the sooner you may get that big refund check. If that’s not motivation enough, I don’t know what is.  Now you can celebrate and congratulate yourself for a job well done! When spring rolls around, take your refund and do something fun as a reward for not waiting till the last minute! 

NOTE: The tips in this article work for most people, but if you have a unique tax situation or are overwhelmed trying to decide what will work best for your organizing needs, consult an organizing professional to help you set up a simple, efficient, easy-to-maintain system and ensure a stress-free tax season!

Create an Organized Kitchen… One Approach You Might Consider

Christine Lynn - Simple Living LLC

Take a look at your kitchen for a moment, that’s right, go into your kitchen. How does it make you feel when you are there? Does it make you happy, enthusiastic, and warm your heart? Does it make you shake your head and mumble “look at this mess”, feeling overwhelmed and frustrated? Or are you somewhere in between feeling “good” and “yuk”. It all depends on You. It all depends on knowing yourself, your needs, your lifestyle, and knowing how to live in balance. You created your kitchen, be it cluttered or organized, one choice at a time. The most important question here is “Does your experience in this kitchen give you thoughts and feelings of love and peace?”

I do not like clutter on my countertops, but a good friend of mine doesn’t care what her kitchen looks like for the most part. Although she is very organized and lives simply, she cleans up her mess according to her own schedule, when her daughter is away. Her value is spending time with her daughter. She decides to organize her time in the kitchen by making her meals simple, serving convenient foods, with a fresh salad. Voila! A healthy dinner is served without guilt and they spend time together, outside of the kitchen. A large part of my work is giving people permission to do what is in their heart and not what they think they “should” do. 

Decide what you value in your kitchen (and in your home and your life as well). Take your time discovering your values. This is the very foundation of the time and effort you spend on a daily basis. Being organized and living simply allows you to live the life you value. Capture for a moment what you want your kitchen to be used for, and what you do not want it to be used for as well. Is this a kitchen you want to be doing lots of activity and cooking? Do you want less time in the kitchen and more time with your passion? What tools do you value specifically in your kitchen? Scan your kitchen to identify all the items you love…and use. Let go of what you do not use. I love using mason jars for leftovers, storage, gifts, vases, etc., and I dislike using plastic containers, so I do not have them. 

You may want to start the process now. Go into your kitchen. What is the first thing you want to do to organize it? Just ask yourself this question, sometimes you only need to know the first action to take, like pairing down your plastic cups. Now take a look at what the next thing you would do in your kitchen, and so on. Each step is revealed only after taking the first step. One thing leads to another, before you know it, you have organized your kitchen. 

Ok, here are some basics for those of you who want a definite plan: 

*Everything has a place, period. 
*Pay attention where you use your tools, pair the tools with the activity, make everything easy for yourself. 
*Sort, purge and store like items together, such as baking items, glasses, food, etc.
*Making lots of little changes adds up to a big change. 
*Follow through on daily tasks when you can. Maintenance greatly reduces clutter.
* “Shop” in your own cupboards before you shop at the grocery store. See what you can use up, what you are out of and what you need for special occasions.

Organizing and simplicity is a process and not a state of permanence. When you create a kitchen that is right for you and your values, it works for You. Your new changes become a part of your lifestyle, creating your own flow and balance. May your kitchen be a place of beauty, peace, joy, laughter and good cooking for you and your family!

How "Get Organized Month" Has Changed My Business

Katherine Lawrence -Space Matters

Now for the 5th year NAPO and NAPO-Richmond prepare for Get Organized Month. Each January is “dedicated to raising awareness of the benefits of getting organized and of hiring a NAPO professional organizer” states NAPO’s official site dedicated to promoting this years event, www.napo.net/get_organized/go_month.asp. 

 NAPO-Richmond professional organizers have participated in this event since before it was a month, and before we were a chapter. I’ll explain. Get Organized Month was at one time Get Organized Week. The week was in October. Though we were not yet a chapter, several local organizers lunched on a monthly basis. One of our first projects was to give organizing lectures at Goodwill stores. A few years later we took on the ambitious task of reorganizing the offices of Hanover Tavern, an historic 18th century landmark in Hanover County. Organizing large scale projects with a team of organizers actually transformed the way we do business at Space Matters. Working on GO projects helped me to hone my project management skills while organizing a deserving organization or family. Space Matters now offers team organizing as our premier service.  Mindy Godding, CPO® and I presented Team Organizing at the Annual NAPO conference in Minneapolis.  I relish all our past organizing projects, even more so now that we are now an official NAPO Chapter.  This year I am chairing our Get Organized Month’s committee. My objective is to have four 1-day city-wide projects that bring together NAPO-Richmond Organizers, corporate partners, and the community.  Here are the projects taking place this month:  

• A Closet Makeover by Steve Dash of Method ORG, www.methodorg.com and Karen Dash, www.karendash.com at Westminster Canterbury;
• A Messiest Garage Contest and Makeover by Rick Cobb of Closet Tailors, www.closettailors.com and Christie Tripp of LoftStormers, www.LoftStormers.com; 
• Senior Downsizing and Organizing by Susan Campbell of More than Moving for Seniors, www.morethanmovinginc.com and Susie Hayman of In Your Business, www.inyourbizness.com at Gayton Terrace;
• An Educational Seminar for Service Providers presented by Mindy Godding of Space Matters, www.myspacematters.com and Sara Bereika of Neat, www.neat-organizing.com sponsored by Ed Lawrence of Learning RX, www.learningrx.com/richmond-west/
• A Classroom Makeover by Cathy Turner of Closet Factory, www.closetfactory.com and Cathy LeHew of Space Matters Norfolk, www.myspacematters.com at Youth Life Foundation of Richmond.

NAPO Organizers wishing to volunteer on any of these projects can contact me or the organizers managing the individual projects. Please also plan on attending the program on Chronic Disorganization and Hoarding on January 26th.  To view the invitation, click here.

Does Your Paper Manage You Or Do You Manage It?

Susie Hayman - In Your Business

  Do you have piles of paper on a desk, table or elsewhere, adding to the visual clutter in your home?  Do you ever file something somewhere and then can’t remember where you filed it?  Do you waste time looking for things? Does the paper in your home manage you rather than you manage it?   Whether you operate a business out of your home or whether your home is your business, you must manage it.  Just as it took days, weeks, months or years for the piles to form, it takes time to make them disappear.  Getting organized is about taking baby steps, making small changes that allow you to take back control, so that you have more time and money to do the things you want to do.  There are many barriers that impact our ability to get and stay organized; often, these are life-changing or environmental events beyond our control – relocation, a job change, illness, loss of a loved one, or even an occasion for celebration.  Asking for help and managing a few simple tasks can get us through these difficult periods.  However, too often, we are our own barrier and we sabotage ourselves – making excuses or finding reasons not to be more organized.  By changing our mindset and focusing on one pile, one file drawer, one countertop or one over-scheduled day, we can begin to feel a sense of accomplishment, rather than overwhelmed.   “Tackle the paper nightmares” in your life by trying just a few of my tips.  Enjoy your newly found time and maybe even money.

• Separate your personal life from your professional life.  A common source of frustration is the chaos involved with business papers, personal bills, and family/children activities intertwined in one place. If you use the same room for personal and professional business or if you share the room with someone else in your household, designate spaces for each activity, task or person.  Create separate filing systems, e-mail addresses and workspaces.
• Organize your files and important documents (paper and electronic) so that you know where to retrieve them.  I often hear, “I’m afraid if I file it, I won’t be able to find it.”  Determine categories and sub-categories for your paper files -- use hanging files for the categories and file folders for sub-categories.  Keep your file tabs justified to the left, right or center; don’t stagger them.  Alphabetize and color code your paper files and be creative with naming them.  Categorize your electronic files in folders and sub-folders -- replace paper files with electronic ones when you can.  “Just in case I need it,” copies are not always necessary.  
• Keep those files and papers you refer to all the time easily accessible.  Recognizing your individual visual needs, realize that “out of sight” can be “out of mind.”  I suggest desktop file sorters, baskets or a tickler system to organize your paper “to do” and “action” files. Or, eliminate some of those piles by keeping your tasks, action items and “to dos” electronically.
• Make a master list of your files and important documents. Those of you who are part of the “sandwich generation” particularly need to be on top of what’s happening not only in your own lives, but also the lives of your children and parents. Keep your vital information organized, either in a notebook or electronically.  Share that information with a family member or friend so that if something happens to you, someone can find it.   
• Break down your “To Do” lists by project or task.  Multiple “to do” lists cause you unnecessary stress.  Having categorized and organized lists is less overwhelming, more efficient and saves time and money.  Consolidate shopping trips by making lists, planning menus and scheduling appointments and errands.  
• Pay your bills online.  A system for paying bills is another tremendous source of frustration.  The paper attached to one bill can be cumbersome and stressful.  Sign up for online bill paying with your bank; you can even get e-mail reminders for when the bills are due.  And, if you must have that paper trail, you can print a receipt of your transaction. 
• Assign a home for everything.  People always ask, “Where should I put it?” It’s much easier to put something away when you have a specific place for it; this includes all those “articles, catalogues, and magazines you don’t know what to do with or those you may want to look at later.” For those things you don’t refer to on a regular basis or you haven’t referred to in over a year, find a home either in a file cabinet, on a shelf, on a bookcase or in the trashcan.

• Open your mail over the trash can.  Sort it, purge it, and if you keep it, put it in its home.    

A little organization goes a long way. Just implementing a few new ideas for dealing with some of the paper in your home can save you time and money – the two things that we never seem to have enough of! Enjoy a renewed sense of empowerment, a restored sense of control, and the energy to create an organized lifestyle.

How to Put Joy Back in the Holidays

Cara Kinning - Organized for Life

Is the holiday season more of a drag for you than it is relaxed, fun, and memorable? I’m not talking about memorable because the turkey burned and started a kitchen fire, either! Every year we tell ourselves, “Next year will be different.” Well, this year is your chance to make that happen! Follow these tips and ideas, and make this holiday season one you’ll remember for great reasons.

MAKE IT MEANINGFUL

Sit down with your partner or family, and talk about what holiday traditions and activities you’ve really enjoyed in the last couple of years. What was really fun? What brought you together? What reinforced the idea of the holidays as a season of giving to others? To those in need?  On the other side of the coin, what was a drag about last year? What stressed you out, caused arguments or bad feelings? What made you resentful instead of joyful?

For most of us, money is a limited resource. What we tend to ignore is that our time and our energy are limited resources, too. In order to live happy, healthy lives, we’ve got to have a healthy money- time-energy balance. Decide as a family what traditions and fun activities you want to devote your time, energy, and money to. Then plan your time and budget accordingly. Schedule blocks of time for fun stuff, meaningful traditions, and memory-making events.

PLAN AHEAD

Prepare for the holidays early this year. As you make your lists and plans, tuck them into a binder with folders for each holiday category:

• Travel plans
• Meal plans (menus, recipes, and shopping lists for groceries and baking supplies)
• Supplies to buy (décor and supplies listed below)
• Lists of people to send cards to
• Gift lists

Decide if you’ll be traveling, and if so, make your travel plans now. You can usually save money by booking your flight and hotel early.

Shop for supplies early, and don’t guess about what supplies you need to shop for! Get out your holiday supplies and decor in early November, and go through them one piece at a time. Make a list of things you need or really want to buy. This list should include:

• Décor, linens, candles
• Tableware / partyware
• Holiday cards
• Wrapping supplies
• Baking supplies

Shopping early ensures a good selection. If you wait to buy new décor or holiday cards, you’re going to get stuck with whatever’s leftover. Do it now, instead! 

Start writing your cards early. Make up a card-writing kit by putting cards, address book, pens, return address labels, and stamps in a tote bag, and carry it with you. That way, you can write a few cards whenever you’re waiting for the doctor, for a meeting to start, or to pick up the kids. Update your address book early, too. One of the reasons we put off writing cards is that we don’t have all the addresses handy. To make your address book update easier for next year, make up a folder labeled “Addresses” that you can tuck address info into as you get it. Then you’ll have a handy place to put that scrap of paper you jotted your co-worker’s new address onto, the corner of the envelope from your friend’s new home announcement, and the like. 

Make up your gift list early. If you don’t follow a budget and you always go overboard with gifts, estimate how much you spent on each person last year, and total it up. You’ll be amazed at how much you spend on gifts! Now, make a conscious decision as to what’s a reasonable amount to spend on each person, and write it on your gift list. If this is the only way you budget your money this season, it will still be a huge help. Commit to sticking to the budget and carry it with you at all times, and you won’t have to worry about those post-holiday credit card bills!

Get your party outfits put together early. Get your holiday clothes out of storage and try them all on. Do they fit? Do you still love them? Do you have the shoes and other accessories you need? If you don’t have a few outfits to wear, go shopping in early November before everything’s picked through. Try to purchase items you can mix and match so you’ll have what you need for both casual get-togethers and fancy soirees.

Prepare your guest room early. Clean out the closet and drawers, so your guests have somewhere to put their hanging and folded clothes. At least a few days before they arrive, change the sheets and get out towels and drinking cups for them to use. Consider buying small sized shampoos, conditioners, soaps, and lotions and putting them out in an attractive basket or dish. These touches can really help make your guests feel welcome.

Plan dinner early. Who will be attending? What parts(s) of the meal are you responsible for? Make up your menus and shopping lists while you can think about it without feeling that “Oh my gosh, it’s right around the corner!” pressure.

MAKE IT EASIER

A great way to make things easier for you and more manageable for the recipient is to buy clutter-free gifts. Here are some great ways to give charitably, creatively, or just plain easily:

• Consider sponsoring a child in need in a third world country. You can help provide a child with clean water, nutritious food, clothing, shelter, and education through World Vision or Children International. These are wonderful programs, and a sponsorship from you might be the perfect gift for someone who loves to help others.

• Donate livestock to a family in need through the Heifer Project. With your donation, the Heifer Project can provide a goat that can supply a family with milk every day. Extra milk can be sold or used to make cheese, butter or yogurt. Families use goat manure to fertilize gardens. And because goats often have two or three kids a year, Heifer partners can start small dairies that pay for food, health care and education. Who wouldn’t get a kick out of knowing a goat had been donated to a needy family in their name? Other catalog items include seedlings, rabbits, a heifer, or even an entire “ark” of animals, depending on how much you’d like to donate. World Vision has a similar program.
• When you sponsor an animal at Maymont Park through their “Adopt a Living Thing” program, you simply assume the approximate annual cost for caring for the specific animal you choose. Animals "up for adoption" range from the small American toad to the mighty black bear. A trip to the park to see “their” animal would make this gift extra special to a child!
• You can also sponsor an animal through the Best Friends Animal Society, the largest no-kill sanctuary in the country for abandoned, abused, and neglected companion animals. With a $25 sponsorship, your gift recipient receives a personalized e-greeting, a link to a biography of the sponsor animal(s), a sub-scription to Best Friends magazine, and more.

• Consider giving the gift of your talents. If you’re computer-savvy, give an older person lessons on how to use the internet. If you love to cook, make a meal for a busy friend once a month, complete with dessert. Offer to clean the house of an elderly neighbor who has trouble keeping up with the household.
• A night out on the town might be greatly appreciated by a couple with children. How about movie tickets or tickets to the symphony or a play? You can make this gift really special by volunteering to baby-sit, or paying the couple’s usual babysitter as part of the gift.

• If you know of someone who is frustrated by clutter in their home, consider a gift certificate from a professional organizer. Do you have a friend who complains regularly that she needs to get organized and doesn’t know where to begin? Or a family member whose number one New Years resolution for years has been “getting organized”? What a creative and useful gift!  Give a gift of true, lasting value to someone you love.

It’s up to you to make the holidays a time of peace, harmony, and celebration. But good intentions aren’t enough. Follow these tips, and I guarantee you’ll enjoy the season much more than you did last year!

BOO! Are you TOO SCARED TO GET ORGANIZED?

Kathy Jenkins - Come to Order

For me Halloween has always marked the beginning of the "big" holiday season. Once October hits I know I had better start organizing for the numerous celebrations that are to follow or I will be in big trouble. After all, each holiday is no more than 30 days apart from Oct through January. Let's see there is...Halloween, Thanksgiving, Hanukkah, Christmas, Kwanza, and New Years Day. And for me I get to throw in my birthday (Nov), my wedding anniversary (Dec) and my husband's birthday (Jan). So I decided this month to share with you some tips on how to get organized for All Hallows Eve and perhaps it will serve as good practice for organizing the rest of the holidays to come.

Start Early! It is so easy to look at a calendar and think "Oh, I have 4 weeks before Halloween, I have plenty of time". The problem with that approach is that time marches on faster than you think and before you know it, it is the week before Halloween and you don't have costumes or candy. And it is at that point that you find yourself trying to convince your 10 year old to be Barney since that is the only costume left on the store rack and that sugar-free Brachs candy is the new "in candy".

Start thinking about where you will get your pumpkins - are you up for the hay ride and the hunt through the pumpkin patch for just the right one or do you prefer to get one from the grocery store. Either way, resist the urge to carve too soon. Depending on the weather conditions, an un-treated, carved pumpkin can have a life span any were of from a week to only a day. Fear not, there are a couple of ways to slow down the deterioration of your pumpkin. One is to coat the cut surfaces and inside with petroleum jelly. A little messy, but it works. It also helps to store them in the fridge at night. Finally, there is Pumpkin dip, now available at most grocery stores, but note that you have to dip them every night.

If you are planning a party, then begin making your lists now. Decide when it will be, where it will be, who is coming, how they are being invited (invitation, e-mail, phone call or in person), what food will you serve or what you will ask your guests to bring, and what will serve as entertainment. It doesn't have to be complicated, but it does have to be written down so that you can easily track what you have completed and what is left to do. Put a start and end date on each list so that you are sure to stay on schedule.

Decorate Light! This advise actually comes from a client of mine and I wholeheartedly agree. Decorating for Halloween has become grossly excessive, much like all of our holidays. Don't get me wrong, I think it is great to put up decorations to get into the spirit, but remember that every thing you use to decorate not only takes time to put out, but then you have to put it away and store it come November 1st. So as you stroll through the isles at Target, getting tempted by the $250 motion detector Frankenstein that will scare the begeezies out of all of the neighborhood kids, be mindful of the fact that you will have to keep him someplace in your home come November. Go Easy on the Candy! Have an agreed upon plan for the candy before the kids ever leave the house. This should include going through the treats immediately upon return from "tricking" the neighborhood and tossing away all the things that nobody likes. For the things that are left, have a place to store the candy and make a commitment to keep it only a certain period of time (1-2 months). While it may seem like a good conservation move to recycle the candy come Easter, I can tell you that it will not be appreciated.

Clean up Quickly! As I mentioned at the beginning of this article, the holidays are not far apart this time of year, so make a commitment to put away your Halloween things by Nov 2nd - that includes tossing the pumpkins! After all you don't want your Thanksgiving guests to be greeted by Frankenstein with a rotting pumpkin at his feet.

Happy Halloween!

Cash In The Attic

Mindy Godding- Space Matters

During this time of growing economic stresses, the modern American family faces the most severe financial belt-tightening in decades.  Along with many of my colleagues, I’ve been fielding a lot of questions lately from curious friends about expenses and costs related to organizing services.  Has the economy impacted your bottom line?  Are people still willing to pay for your services?   They are a bit surprised when I tell them that our existing clients remain loyal to the organizing process and we continue to hear from new and prospective clients every day.

I believe these economic times are impacting more than our wallets-- they are hitting us squarely in the value system.  Maybe we’ve just all come to our senses.  I’m hearing from people who are tired of frivolous spending and indulgent living.  In other words, economic changes are encouraging a lot of people to follow the advice that organizers have been trying to pass along for years—make wise decisions, reduce waste, reuse/repurpose, and GET RID OF EXCESS!  

A client complaining of storage space five years ago would have called our company for moving and staging, as they promptly put their home on the market in search of bigger, and therefore, better.  Today, a client with the same complaints is calling us to help them reassess systems and eliminate waste, in their existing home.  The American family is finally gaining an understanding of the important distinction between spaciousness and size, that organization, and not square footage, is the key to efficiency.

How many of us have unused items accumulating throughout our houses that might be worth something to someone else?  In fact, these items might be more likely to sell now than ever before because many people are looking to avoid retail pricing.  Goodwill Industries and consignment business sales are skyrocketing!  Organizers are on the front lines of the re-selling and re-purposing movement.  We are walking databases for consignment stores, recycling resources, and local charities.  As an organizer, I constantly challenge my clients to ‘use a critical eye’ when examining those things that seem stagnant.  Items that are clutter in your space could be found treasure for someone else out there.  I feel it is my responsibility to help facilitate the process of getting those things out of your space and into the community.

Organizers have been paving the way of simplified living for decades.  Now, due to shifting financial concerns, many people are finally ready to follow.  

Breaking the Cycle of Clutter and Depression

Cara Kinning - Organized For Life

When you’re depressed, you feel like there’s a darkness in your mind that you can’t get rid of. It affects everything you do, and every relationship you have. You may feel hopeless, have very little energy, and feel fatigued. You may even feel as though you wake up in the morning more tired than you were when you went to bed. Depression can take over your life, if you let it.

Clutter and depression often go hand in hand. More clutter begets more depression, and more depression begets more clutter. As your home starts to feel more and more out of control, you feel less able to tackle cleaning it up, and it can make you feel bad about yourself. Feeling bad about yourself makes you more depressed.

In my organizing business, I've seen that making positive changes in your environment can have a major impact on your state of mind. De-cluttering and organizing your home makes you feel like you’re taking control of things, rather than your things controlling you. Even small changes can really make a difference! Read through the following suggestions for conquering depression, then pick one or two to start with. Once you’ve established a couple of small improvements in your routines, you’ll start to feel better. Then you can choose one or two more things to change.

GET HELP

In order to conquer depression, it’s vital that you get help. Your family doctor should be your first resource. Your doctor can evaluate the severity of the depression and make recommendations accordingly. He or she should recommend that you talk with a counselor, and may even start you on medication.

TAKE CARE OF YOURSELF

Another part of treatment for depression has to do with your physical well-being. When your body is not getting proper nutrition and exercise, it can’t operate efficiently, which can lead to poor health. And how we feel physically can be closely linked to how we feel mentally and emotionally. Poor health and depression are a vicious cycle, just like clutter and depression. It's very important that you get enough sleep, but not too much. Eat several small meals a day instead of snacking frequently, and include lots of fresh fruits and vegetables. Make exercise part of your weekly routine, even if it's just taking ten-minute walk each evening, gardening for half an hour, or dancing in your own living room.

ESTABLISH ROUTINES

Daily routines can give your days structure, which can be very comforting when you're feeling blue. Make yourself get up at the same time every day, and shower and get dressed all the way down to your shoes, even if you don't feel like it (in fact, especially when you don't feel like it). Have your meals at regular times, and schedule two or three things each week to get you out of the house and around other people. Make a date with a friend to have dinner together once a week, or establish a weekly bowling or movie night. Go to bed at the same time each night, and create a routine for winding down. Get in your pajamas and ready for bed an hour before bedtime. Use this time to write in a journal each night, recording your thoughts from the day. Getting your feelings out of your head and onto paper can help you to relax, forget your worries, and sleep well. If you find that journaling causes you to continue thinking things through and worrying, then read or watch TV (something positive, not depressing or worrisome!) until it's time to sleep.

BE KIND TO YOURSELF

Women are usually much harder on themselves than they are on other people, and harder than other people are on them. Men are this way sometimes, too. Be aware of this, and be kind to yourself! Let’s say you’re trying to curb your shopping so you don’t keep adding to the clutter, but you bought three outfits you don't really need “because they were on sale”. You may think to yourself, “You have absolutely no self-discipline. You're worthless”. Negative thoughts like this will only sink you more deeply into depression! Instead, ask yourself why you bought them. Did it made you feel better about yourself or give you a sense of control? Did you do it to fill a void in your heart or mind? What do you really need to do to take control, or to fill that void? Truly think about this. Then return the clothes, forgive yourself, resolve to be more disciplined next time, and move on.

DE-CLUTTERING: START SMALL

Each time you make a decision to do something productive, it’s an opportunity to accomplish something, which can reduce depression. Make sure that your de-cluttering goals are reachable, taking into account that depression saps you of energy and motivation.

Choose small goals, like cleaning out one drawer instead of de-cluttering the whole bedroom; or like tossing or donating 20 items instead of trying to tackle the whole attic. Then reward yourself for reaching that goal with a bubble bath, a fancy coffee, a piece of chocolate, or some other treat. Allow yourself to feel good about having accomplished what you set out to do! The clutter didn’t happen overnight, so give yourself plenty of time and encouragement to get it cleaned up.

Depression can be very mild, or it can be very serious. If you’re struggling with depression, please get help! And if a friend or loved one is depressed, help them to get help. Depression will occasionally dissipate on its own over time, but counseling and/or medication can speed things up, and are necessary to recover from certain types of depression. I hope this article is helpful to you or someone you love.

My Mother's Garden , July 2008

Sara Bereika - NEAT (excerpted from website blog)

Recently I joined a small group of Professional Organizers to attend a screening of a documentary called “My Mother’s Garden.” It’s an amazing story about a woman with a hoarding disorder and how her family comes to terms with her mental illness.

On the road trip up to Maryland to see the film, we talked very little about the film. You see, as Professional Organizers we hear stories all the time about hoarders who can no longer sleep in their beds because the bed is covered with stuff. We hear stories about finding dead animals under piles of clothing and rotten food in refrigerators. We expected the film to give us a full view of the life of a hoarder. Not just some quick snippets of their story and some instant before and after photos. We went to see this film because deep down, I think, we wanted something more than Oprah and Clean Sweep. Ohhh and we got more!

Not only did this film give us a full view of the life of a hoarder, it gave us a full view of the hoarders family and their struggles with the disorder. On the ride back to Richmond we were dumbfounded by the extent of the pain, frustration, anger, resentment, sadness and instability that was brought on this family due to a hoarding disorder. Coming from a family of alcoholics I can very easily relate to the issues this family was having. Then to pick up a camera and document it all, amazed me. How strong this family must be to air their dirty laundry. How selfless they were to let us in on their misery. All so they can teach us what really goes on in the mind of a hoarder and how the mental illness effects the entire family.

After seeing the film the group of us were so motivated and enlightened. I think we were charged by the fact that we know we have a responsibility here. As Professional Organizers we are the ones who should be creating awareness of this disorder in our community. We need to collaborate with medical professionals and city ordinances to create a task force to educate our community. We know this is a HUGE undertaking. We see the amount of work this would take and the number of people we would need to make such an accomplishment occur. But after seeing this film, we just aren’t able to help ourselves. It’s just so fascinating!

I have blogged about this topic before. I have preached about the importance and severity of this issue. But this movie explains it all. I couldn’t ever put it into such context. Go to http://www.mymothersgardenmovie.com and find out where this movie is showing or buy the DVD. See it as soon as you can. Just about everyone I know has a family member suffering from this mental illness. Learn how this family was able to establish “some” peace. Notice I didn’t say “complete” peace. You’ll see how this disorder is way to massive for one family to handle. Not to mention, the disorder is still so new to us. We have a lot to learn and a documentary like this is a very good starting point.

Make over your Garage, June 2008

Space Matters as seen on Virginia This Morning

The purpose of a garage is to store your vehicle, seasonal storage, or create a work space, not for items that do not fit in your house. Organization is the key to a functional garage. However, before you begin organizing, you must clean and sort through everything.

Cleaning and organizing the garage can be an enormous project that could take weeks to complete if you tackle it alone and requires a lot of lifting and climbing. Therefore, get your whole family or a professional organizer involved.

• Determine what kind of activities you perform in your garage and what you plan to store.

• Move everything out of the garage:

• Remove all obvious trash.
• Sort through what is left and create groups of similar items as you go.

           i.e. gardening tools, recreation, automotive supplies, and long-term storage

          which are seasonal items such as patio furniture.

• When in doubt, throw it away. Give to a local charity or have a garage sale.

• Check with your local sanitation department or recycling center to find out how to get rid of flammable paints or oils and what precautions to take.

• Once everything is taken out of the garage and sorted through, it’s time to do a good sweep and power wash. Helpful hint: To remove those oil stains, use oven cleaner.

 Now that your garage is clean, it’s time to begin ORGANIZING!

• Keep floor space free.
• Keep as many items off the floor as possible. For larger items such as lawn mowers, store them in the shed.

• Create wall storage:
• Hooks, racks, shelves, and cabinets are a few options.
• Hang larger, but not too heavy items such as bikes and ladders on walls.
• Shelves are great to store items that are used often so hang shelving in easy to reach locations.
• Cabinets should be used to store hazardous chemicals such as pesticides so they are not visible and out of reach to children.
• Garage Tek, a national garage organizing franchise, can create a storage system that works for you in 1 or 2 days. They can do everything from shelving, cabinets, and lighting to ceiling systems and flooring.

• When storing items in plastic containers, be sure to group like items and label them so you don’t find yourself digging through each container looking for a particular item.

After following these guidelines, be sure to maintain a clean and organized garage by sweeping and rearranging it seasonally and thoroughly cleaning it out once a year. With our society becoming more complex every day, it is that more important to stay organized. These helpful tips to organize your garage are a step to a less stressful lifestyle and more time for family and friends.

Hold a Successful Yardsale, April 2008

Space Matters as seen on Virginia This Morning

Spring is a great time to freshen up your space while making extra money. Keep in mind that getting rid of the old makes room for the new. With proper planning, yard sales can be easy, fun, and profitable. Remember-- an Organizer can help you identify items to sell and reduce stress and overwhelm while you prepare for the big day!  Here are some tips from the experts at Space Matters.

1 MONTH BEFORE

• Check for any restrictions your neighborhood association or local administration may have regarding yard sale permits. Know the rules!
• Set a date!
• Start accumulating the items you want to sell months before your yard sale. The general rule is if you haven’t used it in over a year, go ahead and sell it. Create a staging area where items can be housed that will not hamper day to day activities.
• Invite a neighbor or friend for a joint yard sale or check with your neighborhood association about having a block or neighborhood yard sale.
• Advertising:
• Place an ad in your local newspaper. Most papers offer special garage sale rates or free signs to yard sale advertisers.
• Highlight special items that will interest buyers; make your ad stand out.
• Include a start and end time.
• Advertise your yard sale on the web for free. Internet classified websites such as Craigslist.org or Backpage.com
• Post a flyer on your local bulletin boards in your community (grocery stores, community center, etc).
• Schedule your favorite charity or a hauling service (1-800-GOT-JUNK) to pickup unsold items for the day of your yard sale.

1 WEEK BEFORE

• Make lots of signs.
• Check with your neighborhood association or local administration to see if there are limitations on yard sale signs.
• To attract customers use neon poster board and wide black markers. Make sure address and date is legible.
• Hang balloons or flags on your yard sale signs.
• Avoid putting your signs on utility poles.
• Place a price tag on everything (Use labels, not tape that might damage your items).
• You don’t want customers approaching you every minute asking “What is the price on this?”
• If you don’t have time to individually price small items, group them in categories and use signs such as "all books .25 each" or "any kitchen utensil $1.00".
• The bigger the item, the bigger the price tag should be.
• On average, items should be sold at about one-third of their purchase price.
• You can always reduce a price, but you can never go back up.
• Post a sign that says, “All Sales Final” to avoid any disagreements later.

• Gather all the tools you will need for the day of your yard sale.
• Contact neighbors, your local church or community center to borrow tables for the sale.
• Find a rolling rack or rope to hang clothes.
• Use boxes or crates to keep items grouped and in order.
• Sort small toys and put them in sealed clear baggies according to type of toy or by gender and have a set price for the entire bag.

 

1 DAY BEFORE

• Check any safety hazards.
• Remove anything that can be stumbled over, keep your pets elsewhere for the duration of the sale.
• Check the driveway for slippery spots or hidden hazards.
• Have grocery bags available for purchases and newspaper to wrap fragile items.
• Keep a calculator handy to total purchases.
• Go to the bank for change.
• If you have a lot of small, low priced items, you will need approximately two $10 bills, four $5 bills, 25 $1 bills, 1 roll of quarters ($10), and $5 in nickels and dimes.
• If you have larger items such as furniture, stick to larger bills.

THE DAY OF

• Display some of your more interesting items at the end of your driveway to act as a magnet to lure people in.
• Post signs in appropriate area.
• Secure your money using a lock box, waist pack, or apron pocket.

• If you have kids, involve them by having them set up their own table selling their old toys or run a refreshment stand.  If people are eating, they're more likely to stay longer and buy more.
• Be excited and enthusiastic. Get up and talk to people, don’t just sit in your lawn chair. Play background music for a comfortable atmosphere.
• Make sure you have an extension cord or batteries handy so that people can test them when selling electrical items.
• Expect that some buyers will want to haggle prices with you. If it's early in the morning and you don't want to bargain, let them know you may lower the price later in the day if it doesn't sell.
• At the end of your sale, get rid of the leftovers. Have your scheduled charity pick up arrive at the closing of your yard sale or deliver the items yourself. Whatever you do, don't let these leftovers back in the house!
• Remove all signs, and clean up your sale site.

Now that you have the knowledge for a successful yard sale, you can confidently hold your own and perform a little spring cleaning. Remember that as you move out old, unused possessions, you make space in your life for opportunity and clarity.  Let these items back out into the world to enrich someone else’s life!

Feng Shui and Health, February 2008

Debbie Bowie- Simply Organized

Have you noticed that it seems that more and more people are struggling with health issues? At this time of material abundance and sophisticated technologies it seems we should be able to live in perfect health. And, have you also noticed that you and others are struggling to get and keep your houses clear of clutter and well maintained? Our lives are so full that home decorating and home maintenance often take a back seat to work demands, the needs of children, aging parents and a myriad of demands on our time.

Is there a price to pay for letting things slide at home, for not creating and/or maintaining a clean, comfortable and lovely place to rest and refuel? Feng shui, the study of how to arrange your space to enhance your life, teaches that everything is connected, that we are affected by the environments in which we live and work. If your home is lovely, clean, and well maintained, you are m ore likely to have good health, prosperity and good things happening in your life. If, however, your home environment is chaotic, dirty and not well maintained, you are more likely to experience health problems and other life challenges.

Did you know that water drips and leaks are a drain on energy and can lead to fatigue and other water related illnesses such as sinus problems, diarrhea and urinary tract infections? Electrical problems can manifest in nervous system problems such as depression, anxiety related disorders, hormonal imbalances and nervous or emotional breakdowns.

Perhaps the most challenging of home issues is the accumulation of clutter. Clutter, which often consists of things that are not used or even valued any more, blocks the flow of life enhancing natural energies in spaces. The energy stagnation can result in various health issues specific to the location of the clutter. Clutter in the attic, for example, is often associated w ith headaches because the attic is the “head” of the home. Clutter in hallways, foyers, stairways, and entrance ways, the veins and arteries that run through the home, can result in illnesses of the circulatory system such as high blood pressure, heart disease and strokes.

What does it take to have good health? In addition to good diet, exercise and adequate rest, add good feng shui. The first steps to good feng shui and good health include clearing clutter, getting organized and repairing anything that is broken. Add regular cleaning and you will be headed in the right direction. You will need further study to identify the many other factors that can affect health.