Monday, January 31, 2011

At the Office: Clutter and Time Management

Here are two great articles about getting more organized at the office.


National Survey Reveals Workplace Clutter Tarnishes Professional Image and May Prevent Promotions
http://multivu.prnewswire.com/mnr/officemax/46659/

Don't gnaw your nails; organize your tasks to control worry
http://www.usatoday.com/money/jobcenter/workplace/crom/2011-01-28-how-to-curb-worry_N.htm

Saturday, January 29, 2011

GO Event at Impact Thrift

The Philadelphia Chapter of NAPO volunteered at Impact Thrift in Montgomeryville on Friday. What a great place!

Thursday, January 27, 2011

Video from Gilda's Club GO Event

Here is a fun video of our Gilda's Club GO Event that Alix Longfellow made. Awesome!

Gildas Club Go Month Event 2011 from Alix Longfellow on Vimeo.

Wednesday, January 26, 2011

Gilda's Club South Jersey Welcomes NAPO-GPC Volunteers

I had a great time volunteering with fellow Professional Organizers Joanne Rinaldi, Alix Longfellow and Carla Shipman (all NAPO-GPC members) at Gilda's Club South Jersey on Monday, January 24. We organized their storage room in four hours! Check it out:


Before:



After:

Friday, January 21, 2011

Photos from Good Morning America

Here I am with my NAPO-GPC buddies in the audience of Good Morning America with George Stephanopoulos, Robin Roberts and Juju Chang! More photos coming soon.



Organizing for Tweens

I'm mentioned in this organizing article by Kerry Luksic:
http://www.examiner.com/parenting-tweens-in-philadelphia/tips-to-get-your-kids-organized-at-school-and-at-home

Friday, January 14, 2011

AboutOne.com Featured Organizer

I'm the featured Professional Organizer on AboutOne.com today!

Wednesday, January 5, 2011

NBC News Tonight with Lilliana Vazquez

Update: The segment didn't air on Wednesday night, but it should air tonight, time TBA.

I'll be appearing on the NBC News tonight (during the 5 p.m. hour, I think) with Lilliana Vazquez. She is doing a report on organizing your wardrobe. I hope you enjoy it!

Plus, here are some more organizing tips about closets and about saving money through organizing.

Organizing Products for Kids

There are a tons of great organizing products for kids. Stores like Ikea, The Container Store and Target have some great options, and you can find a lot of products by conducting and Internet search. Here are some fun options to store stuffed animals.

Boon Animal Bags
http://www.booninc.com/products/OttoAnimalBag/821

The Zoo
http://www.littlezookeepers.com/

Jackpopz
http://www.jackpopz.com/grandyshop.html

Ikea
http://www.ikea.com/us/en/catalog/products/90096164
...and much more!

Kids Can Organize Too

If you have children, you know that January presents some unique organizing challenges. The influx of gifts from the December holidays, plus more “inside time,” can throw a wrench into your goal of a clutter-free home. Here are some ways to help tackle your kids’ clutter while teaching them to organize.

A place for everything. It’s difficult to keep up with children’s organization systems because their possessions change so often. Give everything a “home,” though, to make it easier for you and your child to stay organized. Use bins (opaque or clear) of different sizes for toys, shoes and any items that children can put away themselves. Depending on your children’s personalities, you can sort and label, or just be happy that they get things off of the floor. Choose your battles!

Establish a routine.
Once everything has a place, it becomes easier to create times to put away items. Try to establish habits like hanging up coats and bookbags when the kids come home, putting toys away before bedtime, preparing homework and bookbags for the next day the night before, cleaning bedrooms once a week, etc. It may be a battle, but your kids will learn from experience that life is much easier when they don’t waste their time looking for everything!

Teach your kids to let go. Learning not to hoard items is an important part of growing up. For younger children, you can make items they no longer use “disappear” when they are out of the house. For older children, involve them in the process of letting go, concentrating on the fact that quality over quantity is best and that their donations can help children in need.

Teach yourself to let go.
You realize you can’t keep every toy and item of clothing that your child has ever owned, but why is it so hard? Be honest with yourself about your space and how many sentimental items you can keep. The truth is that your child probably won’t want a bin of baby clothes when they go to college or move into tiny apartments in their twenties. Save only the most important items, things that will be fun (not tedious) to look at years later.

Monday, January 3, 2011

Recent Articles about Beating Clutter

It must be Get Organized Month (GO Month)! There are lots of great articles on how to stick with your new year's resolution to organize your life in 2011.

Organize Your Finances in Five Days:

http://www.cbsnews.com/stories/2010/12/28/earlyshow/living/money/main7191582.shtml

Cleaning Out Your Makeup:

http://www.vcstar.com/news/2011/jan/01/start-with-makeup-as-you-vow-to-clean-the/

Organizing Over 50:

http://www.huffingtonpost.com/barbara-hannah-grufferman/lose-the-clutter-find-your-life_b_802994.html

General Organizing To-Do List:

http://www.delawareonline.com/article/20101230/LIFE04/12300315