Have you ever had a to-do list so long you needed another list just to figure out what you were going to do off the first? I love walking into someone’s office/cubical and seeing all the post-it notes covering the walls and desk. Or the kitchen counter with the one list that includes everything: groceries, errands, reminders, even goals.
I recently came across an article discussing Thomas Edison’s to-do list from January 3, 1888.
{Photo Credit: Rutgers}
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Ever repeated the location for something so many times you just want to scream the next time someone mentions the words “Where is…”? Or have you had to explain how a process works repeatedly? I love using pictures to explain. It saves time, energy, and can make it so much easier for other people to understand where items belong or how the process works.
{Photo Credit: marthastewart.com}
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No longer do you need to have donations piling up, Amazon has made donating simple! All you need to do is add gently used clothing and small household goods to your Amazon shipping box and then visit GiveBackBox.com. With your free shipping label, UPS or USPS will deliver the box to the nearest GoodWill.
Not only is this an excellent way to recycle that ubiquitous Amazon box, but it will save you time in getting your donations out the door!
Check out my ideas in InStyle Magazine on how to organize your bathroom counters! These suggestions work for more than just perfumes!
Paper clutter can pile up quickly. If filing isn’t your thing, I might recommend Continue reading
It is always hard for me to receive phone calls from people who feel like they have failed. They feel defeated by the piles and disorder around them and the inability to change it. One of the most common statements I hear, “I am an organized person but I can’t seem to get organized!”
Because of a desire to find the ultimate organizing solution, or use the best organizing technique, they end up doing nothing at all. I generally call this perfection paralysis. Continue reading
It always amazes me how much stuff can fit into one small space! This closet houses all the music, movement, and P.E. equipment for a private preschool. And while we all might have moved past bean bags and rhythm sticks there are things we can definitely learn about organizing by going back to the basics! 
{Avoid the Tuck and Stash} The biggest problem with this closet Continue reading
I love tax time, it is the perfect motivator for organizing your documents and receipts! Take this time to do a little Spring cleaning in your filing system by organizing your historical documents.
One of the main issues
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Looking for an easy, inexpensive, organized approach to keeping track of your information no matter where you are? I love Continue reading
I have been asked repeatedly to write about the best way to store photos, both digital and print. The amount of options are daunting however with a few expert opinions I hope to offer you some ideas on how to store and archive your photos.
The Rule of Two (Plus One) Ken Watson from All about Digital Photos Continue reading
I was in the process of writing a blog post on organizing the laundry room when I found an excellent article that covered everything I wanted to say with pretty pictures! Britanny Blum was spot on with her 5 Dirty Secrets to organizing a laundry room; including a work space, drying area, and cleaning supply storage. My only note to add would be that organizing is personal, so what might look good on pinterest may not work for your family. Consider habits, realistic use, and time before implementing a new system.
I hope you enjoy this post as much as I did!
~Kristin
Whether you have a small space or a luxurious large laundry room , it is still hard to stay organized and get work done. Below are my 5 dirty secrets to keeping your laundry room functional and organized.
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A few of my favorite laundry rooms:
1. Work Surface is important as that is what you can you can use to fold laundry and sort after it is cleaned. Since I currently have a small laundry room, I have to carry my clothes to my room and sort on my bed. A nice table / work surface in any laundry room will add to the ease of folding. Plus, you can put the clean clothes right back in the bins of who they belong to and they can come pick their own clean clothes up from the laundry room and put back in their own drawers.
This work surface can…
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In order to making Christmas easier and less cluttered, here are some of my go to Christmas Gifts for everyone on your list! Continue reading
{Photo Credit: http://www.pillfold.com}
I am always looking for ways to better organize my clients and I love it when something new, helpful, and stylish enters the market. Continue reading
{Photo Credit: maidbrigade.com}
Research suggests that most people understand the correlation between decluttering and an improved mental state. Studies have proven that organizing will help you feel better. Yet in a recent poll by Huffington Post, 47% of Americans worry about the organization of their home. In another study 1 out of 4 people say they feel disorganized at work. So why do we stress over something we know will reduce stress?
I believe the difficulty doesn’t come from Continue reading
When organizing a pantry I like to start with a clean slate, meaning no food past its expiration date. I know it still might be edible but I want my clients to have such confidence in their newly organized space that they don’t have to think about expired food. However, I don’t want to be wasteful so here are a few ways to use expired food for non-edible purposes.
{Photo Credit: McCormick Spices}
{Photo Credit: wikipedia.org}
One of the things we organizers are frequently accused of is trying to throw away important items. However, I would like to counter that we organizers want you to have information that you need, readily available, and pertinent to the situation. This is especially true for Executive offices. And one of the most helpful ways to organize that information is by creating a reference library.
Most executives that I have worked with tend to 1) have large amounts of information at their disposal and 2) have very little knowledge of what or where specific items are kept. Most tend to form piles on the floor/desk/cabinet and hope that they will be able to retrieve it when necessary. Continue reading
In response to the recent high volume of stressed out clients and over scheduled executives, I would like to institute stress free Sunday. This might seem impossible to some but let’s start small. All I ask of you today is that you take a few minutes to stretch, then choose a nice spot, sit down, and look at the view around you. That’s it!
I would love to hear how you deal with stress at home or work!
I am not an excited grocery shopper. Some people really enjoy the experience but I find it more of a chore than a joy. So in order to get in and out of the store quickly I’ve written down my strategies for an organized shopping trip. Check out the article in Strategy Magazine!
And, as always, I love to hear your thoughts so feel free to comment below!
Clear some clutter and properly dispose of your prescription drugs at this year’s National Prescription Drug Take-Back Day, Saturday April 26th from 10am – 2pm. This is a great opportunity to rid your medicine cabinet of expired drugs, unused prescriptions, and give you the ability to environmentally dispose of these substances.
Visit the DEA website to find a drop-off location near you.
{Photo Credit: dreamfarm.com}
I am not a product person but I love it when a system comes along that makes life easier. Membo, which stands for reMEMBer to dO it, is a great product that helps you determine if a job has been done. Its especially useful in multiple person households, no more asking if someone has fed the dog. Continue reading
Weeds entangled, deprived of nutrients, in a cold and hostile environment yet this beauty can still shine. I believe so many times we let our circumstances determine how we respond. Yet, imagine if we could react like this flower. Letting growth occur in those discouraging times. Imagine how beautiful we could shine if instead of refusing change, we grow with it.
Let’s hear it for the sunshine!
Disclaimer: This photo was taken after an afternoon of weeding, and believe me, a lot of growth occurred.
What do you do when you realize that the space you are expected to be the most productive is actually distracting you from getting work done? Whether at a desk at home or a cubicle at the office, an organized work space can make a huge impact on how quickly you accomplish your to do list! Instead of a distracting desk create an efficient work station with these three simple techniques.
Don’t use Paper as your Reminder. A lot of times, people use paper to help them remember to do something. Instead, create a calendar based to-do list and then either file or discard the paper. This way you are not distracted by the pile on your desk and can think about the task at hand instead of everything on your to do list.
Hide the Electronics. The Wall Street Journal reports that workers are interrupted once every 3 minutes, either electronically or by others. And once distracted it takes 23 minutes for a worker to return to an original task. The solution, hide the electronics for a dedicated period of time. Let others know that you will be offline and give yourself time to get work done. And for those with small children try to incorporate this time into a daily nap/quiet time or even after bedtime.
Filing is fun! Filing is another way to remove the distraction of an ominous paper pile. Done appropriately, a filing system can be a huge benefit to any home or office. Using a categorical color-coded system makes information retrieval and storage easy; you can finally say goodbye to the pile and remove the distraction of looking for lost documents!
These are just a few suggestions on how to create a distraction free space, for more on office organization check out my organizing tips in Strategy Magazine.
I love comments so please let me know your solutions for a distraction free desk!
I love tax time, it is the perfect motivator for organizing your documents and receipts! Take this time to do a little Spring cleaning in your filing system by organizing your historical documents.
One of the main issues Continue reading
Ever repeated the location for something so many times you just want to scream the next time someone mentions the words “Where is…”? Or have you had to explain how a process works repeatedly? I love using pictures to explain. It saves time, energy, and can make it so much easier for other people to understand where items belong or how the process works.
{Photo Credit: marthastewart.com}
Today I want to curl up by a fire under a comfy blanket while sipping a warm beverage and reading a book. And just in case others Continue reading
Organize Professionally 