We all fall down...

We all have those times when life seems to run ahead, just out of our grasp. We stretch and stumble a little trying to catch up. We may even fall down. But no matter how hard we fall or how long we lay there in a daze, the important thing is to get back up, dust off, and try again!

As I dust myself off and jump back into the world of blogging, I want to apologize for the gap. As life got hectic, some things had to "give" -- and one of those things was blogging. I was lacking the energy and focus, but now I'm back -- re-energized, re-invigorated, and with lots of fun organizing and design related fun to talk about :)

A good friend of mine is going on her first-ever international trip today. Yes, today! She's probably killing time in O'Hare right now waiting for her flight to Germany. Her questions as she prepared were actually a main source of inspiration for me re-starting my blog. I provided her with a few tips and a packing list...and thought, others might be interested in this too! So stay tuned...

~amy

Cut back on paper piles

In preparation for a client appointment later this week, I came across this great info on how long to keep certain paperwork, bills, receipts, etc. I found it very helpful! I know I'm guilty of keeping things much longer than I need to...

What are the time limits for keeping old paperwork and files?

Here are some broad and fairly conservative guidelines that you may find helpful in managing your bills and financial records. Before making any decision on paperwork, however, you should definitely check with an accountant or financial advisor in your state to verify that this information is accurate, as sometimes legislation varies from state to state.

Toss out EACH MONTH:

• ATM, bank-deposit slips and credit card receipts after you have checked them against your bank or credit card statements.
• Receipts for minor purchases - unless there is a warranty or refund involved.

Toss out after ONE YEAR:

• Your monthly bank and credit-card statements (unless you require proof of deductions for taxation purposes).
• Monthly mortgage statements provided you receive a year-end summary of your account.
• Pay stubs after they are checked against your W-2 or 1099.
  

Toss out after SEVEN YEARS:

• Your W-2 and 1099 forms
• Cancelled checks and receipts or statements for mortgage interest, property taxes, deductible business expenses or other tax-deductible expenses.
  

Keep indefinitely:

• Annual tax returns
• Year-end summary statements from financial institutions.
• Receipts for the purchase of any investments you own.
• Receipts for home-improvement costs or major purchases that may be needed for insurance claims or similar.

It may be helpful to download one of the publications of the IRS about what paperwork to keep. Go to www.irs.gov and search for Publication No. 552 - that has much of the information you are seeking.

Good luck taming your piles and files!
-amy

A Place for Everything...

And everything in its place! That is one of my favorite organizing-related cliches. It has a nice ring to it, and serves as a great reminder every time I set something down where it doesn't belong. (Apparently the voices in my head are also obsessed with organizing!)

But we all have those things that don't have "a place" -- look around at your clutter and you will find that this is the majority of the problem. A magazine someone gave you to read, the cap to a pen you can't find, a screw you found while vacuuming...and the list goes on.

What do you do with this random stuff? This stuff is the inspiration of the "junk drawer" which can certainly serve it's purpose. But beyond that, I encourage you to look at your random clutter and group it by similar items. You may just find a new category and a new "place" you need to create to house these items.

For example, I am always admiring pictures in magazines for ideas. And then the magazine and/or ripped out pages would clutter my desk, the dining table, the kitchen counter, the coffee table... To remedy my paper explosion, I have set up a file folder on my desk labeled "Home Renovation Ideas." Every time I see something inspirational, I rip it out and put it in the folder. The magazine then gets recycled (or filed; I do have back issues of certain ones in date order on my bookshelves) and I can quickly and easily find the inspiration photo/article by opening my folder. And I have now set up additional folders for my design and organizing business, and for our rental houses. It's working great so far!

Do you have a fun or unique way you handle the random clutter in your house?

A few short hours

We all have them. The project that needs to be tackled, but is so large (at least, in your head it is!) that you can't bring yourself to start!.I have several of them right now in fact - a basement utility room overflowing with holiday stuff and recently acquired items from my dearly departed grandma; my office that appears to be exploding with school-related stuff. And in these situations I have to remind myself to START SMALL.

It's amazing how much you can accomplish in just a few short hours. And often by chipping away at a project, you do a better job because you don't wear yourself out.





Here's an example of an office/closet area that got out of control for a friend/client of mine. She was overwhelmed, so I came over one afternoon and we tackled it together, in a matter of 3 hours. We made a goal of just getting everything sorted into "like with like" piles. By the time the trash and donate piles were removed, we were both amazed at how much extra space there was! We used the bins and boxes she already had to get things in better order for the time being. And at her own pace, at later dates, she sorted through boxes we'd labeled, "Photos for sorting later," "Toys for my niece," "Old computer software," etc.

So remember, sometimes a few short hours can make all the difference. Don't be afraid to tackle a project in stages. Better that then not at all!

Happy sorting,
-amy

Time-Saving Tips to Get Organized

I recently stumbled across this article on HGTV.com and wanted to share. It has some great ideas for how you can squeeze in tasks while you wait -- at the doctor's office, for something to finish baking, for the bathtub to fill... It can feel very satisfying to get a few important items crossed off the list!

And speaking of, there is a pile of school work calling my name :)
-amy

p.s. For example, just now as I was waiting for something to print, I took the over-flowing paper recycling basket to the bin outside. Yay.

Fall Project Ideas

Lately I've been working on marketing materials for my business and while developing a flyer I came up with this list of "Great Projects to Conquer This Fall." Thought I'd share with y'all as inspiration. And if you can't tackle one of these on your own, reach out to me or another professional organizer to help you get it done! :)

• Fall clean-ups – clear out clutter and make your home cozy and efficient for winter
• Earn money for the holidays – clean out your garage, closets, storage unit, etc. and sell your hidden treasures on a garage sale or at a consignment shop or even on Craigslist
• Make space for holiday guests – furniture re-arranging, clearing out coat closets, and getting the kitchen and dining rooms ready for entertaining
• End-of-year office organizing and tax-year receipts/wrap-up
• Throw a memorable holiday party (corporate or personal)
• Clean-out your garage so you can park your car inside for the winter!
• Holiday cards/letters – get your list and process organized (or hire someone to handle this for you!)

Thanks for reading. Happy Fall!
-amy

Fantastic book on time & life management

I just finished reading, "The 10 Natural Laws of Successful Time and Life Management," by Hyrum W. Smith and highly recommend it. A bit dated since it was written in 1993, but some great advice and techniques for getting your life in order and feeling, as the author puts it, "inner peace." I especially appreciated that he focused on getting your values and beliefs in order first, and then using your values to guide your goal setting, and your goals to dictate your daily activities. It's not just about being busier or more efficient or more productive, it's about spending your time doing those things that matter most to you. Only then will you feel fulfilled.

This book really struck a chord with me. I have always had many "to do" lists going at once and managed to get a lot of stuff done...but there were many times when this still didn't leave me with a true sense of accomplishment. I'm excited to embark on this new adventure and try out the Franklin system for scheduling and task lists, tied to my values and goals (it's named as a tribute to Benjamin Franklin, by the way - because he lived his life by governing values). A side note: the book was a bit "sales-y" at times, with pushes to purchase his products like the Franklin Day Planner, but it doesn't overwhelm or take away from the book's very valuable messages.

If you're looking for some motivation and a refreshing way to look at time and life management, I suggest you give this book a read.

Cheers,
-amy

P.S. In an earlier post I included a list of time management books that my friends and colleagues recommended, of which "The 10 Natural Laws" was one of them.

Ideal Bite says hire a "Green" home organizer

I subscribe to this great service, Ideal Bite, that provides daily tips to make your life a little more "green." I love it because the tips are short and sweet, come right to my inbox, and are usually something anyone can handle adding to their routine.

Today's tip really made me smile though -- as part of their "make life easy week," they recommend hiring a professional organizer that knows how to do things green(er). Great idea! :)

The Benefits:

• A good green organizer will help you repurpose or sell stuff you don't need, so you can pocket some cash without resorting to money laundering.
• They'll help you hook up with other local eco-resources (movers, painters…).
• Many use green products such as sustainable shelving and storage containers made from materials like bamboo instead of PVC.
• A more organized house means less stress.

Thanks for reading!
-amy

My guest post on Complete Organizing Solutions

One of the more fun parts of venturing into this new business is meeting other Professional Organizers. The people drawn to this profession are not only organized and efficient (that's a given, right?!), but everyone I've met has been so nice and open and willing to share information to help me get started.

And one of those new people I've (virtually) met is Tanna Clark with Complete Organizing Solutions. She does daily tips on her blog, and is now featuring another professional organizer each week to share inside tips on what we do in our own homes. My post was featured yesterday - my tip was to create a "landing strip" at the front door to help with all of the clutter that constantly goes in and out of a home. Please check it out! :)



Thanks for reading,
-amy

Cluttered bedroom = cluttered mind

Most everyone has too much "stuff." It's amazing how quickly stuff accumulates in our modern society -- gadgets, packaging, free trinkets, papers, that random cap that went to something you can't find... -- and they take up precious space in our homes and lives.

You'll be amazed at how much better you feel if you clear up the clutter! And the first place to start is your bedroom. I've read several books on feng shui and clutter, and they say that waking up in a place that's messy is not good for your psyche. And that makes sense to me. If you wake up and the first thing you see is a mess of things to do and unfinished projects, and/or you can't find things to wear, it puts you in a bad head space for the rest of the day. You may feel defeated before you even get out of bed!

So, my challenge for you in October is to have a "Fall Clean-Up" in your bedroom. Start small. Mine is in pretty good shape, but there is a bookshelf in the corner that seems to be a "catch all" for random items and my jewelry is taking over the dresser. Time to whip it into shape!












My guiding rule for assessing "stuff" - - ask yourself these questions:

1. Do I love it?
2. Do I need it?
3. Does it (or can it) make me money?

If it doesn't fit into one of these categories, get rid of it by donating to charity, recycling, or putting in the trash. You'll feel better. Trust me!

Happy Autumn,
-amy

When in doubt, label it!

Many organizing freaks, professional or not, have a love affair with their label maker. In one of the books I read, How to Start a Home-Based Professional Organizing Business, the author mentions her label maker at least a dozen times. And I've owned one for quite a few years now, long before labeling things would become part of my profession. That's because they are beyond useful -- they help you categorize items and keep an organizing system going.

I've used mine to indicate where things go on shelves and on the outside of bins, for labeling school projects, for craft projects like making our own word magnets (like the Magnetic Poetry sets you see in stores), and even labeled a bathroom light switch that had four options, so that guests wouldn't mistakenly turn on the fan or the "night light" instead. And once I even tried labeling our cat...as you can imagine, this was not appreciated by the cat even if the label said, "cute!"

My label maker of choice currently is the Dymo LetraTag because it's small and easy to handle. It has several basic font choices and the label tape is fairly inexpensive (and there are many choices of colors and finishes for the tape). That said, I will be upgrading to one with a QWERTY keyboard and more font choices very soon! When I do, I'll share my new obsession with you all :)

Happy Labeling!
-amy

Checking out the National Assoc. of Pro. Organizers

Last week I attended a meeting for the Oregon chapter of the National Association of Professional Organizers. Of course organizers would have an organization that has the very organized meetings! The meeting was held at Closets To Go in Tigard, which has a stunning showroom of closets, pantries, and garage organizing systems that are as stylish as they are functional. We got a full tour, including the manufacturing facility. If you're in the market to do a full make-over on your closet or pantry, this is the place to go for ideas. "Wow" was the most common word said that evening!

Closets To Go shared some stats from a recent customer survey they did (they do a large % of business online, plus local Oregon customers) which I found interesting - and encouraging. About 5 years ago when they conducted the same survey, most participants responded they were planning to live in their home for 3-5 years. This time around, people responded with "10+ years" - which means many of us are trying to make our current space work for much longer. And the key to that will be multi-functional spaces and organization! I'm hoping that means "job security" for me and the other organizers out there (which yes, even in this economy, most organizers are still doing quite well!).

Even though it's expensive compared to other groups out there, I'm most likely joining NAPO for the education and networking opportunities; plus, as I learned last week, it's a great group of people! What fun to be in a room of people that all get excited about drawer organizers, wall-beds, and recycling centers built into pantries - it's nice to know I'm not the only one :-)

Thanks for reading,
-amy

That Box in the Corner

Today's post is about motivating myself to finally conquer that 1 lingering box of kitchen stuff. This weekend will mark 5 months since we moved into our new home and I will not continue to be mocked by that box in the corner of the dining room!


Of course, the reason it's still there is because there is not enough room in my kitchen cabinets currently -- and that caused me to "hit a wall" after 90% completion. I think many of us battle with challenges like this and then lose motivation. But with every challenge comes an opportunity! So, herein lies my opportunity: to re-organize my kitchen cabinets so that everything fits in there, by the end of August or else! I'm counting on this blog to help keep me motivated. I certainly don't want to post on here about not getting this done ;-) I'll update on my progress and share any cool products I come across along the way.

Side note: one area in my kitchen I'm pretty happy with already is the "recycling center." We used a closet organizing system (I believe it's Closet Maid from Lowe's or Home Depot) so that we can sort as we go - and each drawer pulls out completely for easy dumping into our recycling bins outside. I also store the aluminum foil, Ziploc bags, etc. in the top drawer to keep them out of precious drawer space in the rest of the kitchen but still readily accessible.



Thanks for reading,
-amy

First adventure in blogging

Hello, and welcome to my first blog post on my very first blog!

Several friends have been encouraging me to start a blog for months now...so I finally did it. Thought this might be a good place to capture my thoughts during my adventure towards becoming a Professional Organizer (hence the name, Adventures in Organizing). Yes, that's right - faced with more weeks of unemployment than I care to count or share, it's time to take my fate into my own hands and be self-employed! I'm very excited and hope you will join me as I write about nifty organizing techniques and products I've found, "ah-ha" moments I have while learning this business and how to run my own business, and general rants and raves about efficiencies (possibly more rants than raves, we shall see!).

In true blog fashion, I will link to other blogs that offer great insights in the areas of organizing and efficiency - or even just general tips on living a better, more balanced life. Big thanks to my friend Aleta for the ongoing encouragement to start this blog - she has a great blog herself, on using social media in your marketing strategies, so if this is your cup of tea, check it out: Conversations Web 2.0 Style

Stay tuned for my many adventures ahead, including the "formal" launch of my business. And speaking of, I've found a great online resource for women starting or running their own businesses - Ladies Who Launch. They just did a profile on Angie Hicks, the brains behind Angie's List. BTW, still playing with names for my business and open to suggestions...

Thanks for reading!
-amy
Efficiency Diva and Soon-To-Be Professional Organizer