Friday, March 11, 2011

Daylight Saving Time

Turn your clocks ahead tomorrow morning, Sunday, March 13 (or tonight)!

Wednesday, March 9, 2011

Speaking Events at Haverford Library

I will be speaking at Haverford Township Free Library on these dates:

Sunday, March 20, 2 p.m. - What Do I Do With All the Paper?: Organizing Tips to Manage Your Paperwork

Sunday, March 27, 2 p.m. - Savvy Closets: How to Organize Your Clothing to Save Space and Time

Sunday, April 10, 2 p.m. - Finding Time: Time Management Tips from a Professional Organizer

Haverford Library is located at 1601 Darby Road, Havertown, PA 19083.

The program is free, but registration is required. Call Mary at 610-446-3082 or register online at http://www.haverfordlibrary.org/events. If you do not see the event listed, click on the "Eventkeeper" link and scroll down.

Monday, March 7, 2011

Computer Recycling Event

Impact Thrift in Montgomeryville will host a Computer & Electronic Scrap Recycling Event on Saturday, March 26 from 9 am to 2 pm. Click here for details: http://impactthrift.org/news/spring-recycling-with-impact

Thursday, March 3, 2011

On Jeopardy!

Did you see Jeopardy! tonight? The category was "Special Months:"



And the answer for $200 was "Shape Up USA Month & Get Organized Month:"



Yay National Get Organized Month!

Wednesday, March 2, 2011

Nate Berkus Helps Dr. Ruth Clear the Clutter

The New York Times shared a great story about Dr. Ruth, a Holocaust survivor, transforming her apartment after the death of her husband. Nate Berkus' insights about surrounding ourselves with the things we love can be applied to all of our organization and decorating projects.

Dr. Ruth and Nate Berkus on Clearing Clutter:
http://www.nytimes.com/2011/02/24/garden/24qna.html?_r=2&src=me

Just For You: How to Create Your Custom Organizing System

There are many organizing products and systems out there, but how do you know what will work best for you? Here are some tips on how to create custom systems to organize your space.

Write down your goal. Whether your goal is to make your home look like a magazine photo or just to be able to see the floor, your goal will help you make decisions on how to organize your space. It also will help you stay focused when tough decisions arise.

Sort and purge. Before setting up a system or buying products, sort your items into “like with like” and purge what you do not need. You may be surprised at how streamlined your space feels just by clearing out the clutter.

Find a place for everything. Many of my clients say that their biggest organization problem is that they never established the right places to put their things. Failure to create “homes” for items inevitably leads to further disorganization and frustration. Take the time to find a practical place for each item. Consider where you’d keep dirty laundry, books, magazines, mail in, bills to be paid, mail out, clean laundry and shoes.

Set up a system. This is where your space meets your time. Determine how often you need to do chores, read the mail, pay bills, file paperwork, etc. Assign days of the week or dates in the month for each task. Write it down and post it in a place that will remind you and other family members to do the tasks.

Be honest with yourself. Be reasonable and have confidence in your ability to get things done. Once you have a system, it’s a matter of sticking to habits that will make your system work. If you have a good system that’s right for you, the house’s organization won’t fall apart if you have to skip a day. Just get back to it as soon as you can.

As always, call a Professional Organizer if you need help. We are trained in the intricacies of many organizing solutions and can help you discover which systems will work best for you.