"How Clutter Costs You Money"

I came across this interesting article, "How Clutter Costs You Money".  This was published by Vanquard, an investment management company.   

Belongings are unnecessary costs when we buy duplicates, purchase items we rarely if ever use.  They devalue our home, cost us late fees, and eat up our time looking for misplaced items.  See the entire article at:  https://retirementplans.vanguard.com/VGApp/pe/pubnews/clutter.jsf

The fact that an investment company has the same views as professional organizers about all the "stuff" we collect is affirming.

Free Hazardous Household Waste Collection

We all have them, unused cell phones, household cleaners, paint thinners, etc. Collect the toxins that are no longer used and get them out of your home. Taking care of household hazardous waste products safely improves the quality of your home environment by getting toxins out of area and leaves more space for the things you use and love!
If you live in Kenosha County, WI, now is the time to get those hazardous products out of your home. Kenosha has a FREE Household Hazardous Waste Program.  
Residents of the City of Kenosha can drop their household hazardous waste at the Kenosha Water Utility at 4401 Green Bay Rd on The first Saturday of each month (except Holidays) December through April and the first and third Saturday of each month (except Holidays) May Through November from 8:00 a.m. until 11:00 a.m. 
Village of Pleasant Prairie Municipal Center is hosting a Hazardous Waste Collection for all residents of Kenosha County on September 10, 2011 8:00am - 1:00pm at 8600 Green Bay Road. They provide this service twice a year, in the spring and in the fall. See http://www.pleasantprairieonline.com/services/garbage/hazardouswaste.asp for more information.
Not from Kenosha County, WI? Google "hazardous waste collection" for your community to find services. Many counties have household hazardous waste programs. Residents must drop items at a specified location on the collection days. Types of items accepted vary by county. Contact your local town hall or sanitation company for information about hazardous waste collections in your area.
As our awareness of the dangers of disposing these household wastes improperly grows, more and more communities are providing this service.
Household Hazardous Waste items being accepted at these locations include: household cleaning products, bug sprays, batteries, vehicle fluids and cleaning products, oil based paints, paint related products, fluorescent bulbs, pool chemicals and garden/outdoor related products.
Protect our environment and keep your home safe and orderly by disposing of any unused hazardous waste properly.

Organize the Garage in Seven Simple Steps

The garage tends to be the holding spot for belongings we no longer want in the house, but aren't ready to give up yet. The "holding spot" will fill up if left unattended. Take the time to organize the garage while the weather is nice and before the task appears overwhelming.

1. When you move items to the "holding spot" in the garage, store them in a closed container, label and date them. If you haven't used the items in a set period of time, say one year, toss or donate the items.
2. Schedule a time to devote to the project. Include a backup date, in case of rain. Allocate plenty of time. Depending on the amount of belongings stored in the garage, this project could take an afternoon or a weekend.
3. Take frequent breaks and drink plenty of water.
4. Sort belongings into categories: lawn care, tools, toys, etc
5. Purge: get rid of what you don't use and items from the "holding spot" that are past their "use by" date.
6. Designate a specific area for each category – tools by workbench, toys by service door, lawn care items on shelf above mower, etc. Use containers for small items. Label containers. Consider labeling shelves also, so all family members know where items should be returned after use.
7. Reward yourself for a job well done with an activity you enjoy. (Avoid rewarding yourself with a purchase – adding more belongings to your home as a reward for getting rid of others can be counterproductive.) Read a book. Go to a movie. Play baseball. Sit by a bonfire with friends.

Prepare for Spontaneity – Invite Guests Over

The weather is finally warm and people are enjoying the outdoors. This is the time for those spontaneous gatherings. It is a bit of an oxymoron – preparing for spontaneity. Having some items on hand, so you can invite guests over, spur of the moment without a trip to the grocery store, increases the chances of actually getting together.

Think simple, throw together foods. Consider who your typically guests would be in determining the menu. You'll have a different menu for families with young children than for a group of adults. Here are a few ideas to get you thinking:

Simple meals: Hamburgers & hot dogs on the grill, tacos, pizza – Have guests make their own personal pizza.

Appetizers: Frozen appetizers that can be popped in the oven at a moment's notice, veggies & dip, chips & salsa

Desserts: Ice cream with toppings, frozen yogurt, smores: graham crackers, chocolate bars (or my personal favorite – peanut butter cups), and marshmalloww

Beverages: Sweet tea, lemonade, bottled water, soda, wine, beer

What easy foods would you keep on hand? Think simple, make a list and get your supplies. Then next time you see your neighbors out working in their yard, invite them over when they are done and enjoy catching up!

My Techno Tip has been Published

I am now a "content contributor!" A tip I submitted for an ebook has been published. The book is: Sync or Swim: 201 Organizing Tips You Need to Survive the Currents of Change. The authors, Judith Kolberg and Allison Carter, are gurus in the organizing industry.

Sync or Swim is a practical book that addresses tons of annoying, everyday organizing problems with easy, quick "techno-lite" solutions. Topics include using technology to: manage & store info, organize finances, keep the home & family organized, and wellness. This book is especially for busy moms, young professionals with active home lives, and those of us who are not digital-natives!

Click here to learn more about this ebook.

Quick Spring Cleaning Projects

The weather is turning warmer. Now is the time to lighten the feeling in your home. Surround yourself only with belongings that you use, love, and enjoy. Making more space for your belongings will make spring cleaning faster & easier. Here are a few project ideas:
1. Garage: Grab a garbage bag and do a quick purge. Fill the bag with belongings that you haven't used in the past year. Either toss the bag or donate, depending on the condition of the items.
2. Linen Closet: Remove sheets, blankets, and extra towels that you don't use. Donation centers always need linens.
3. Bathroom: Dispose of toiletries that you don't use.
4. Kitchen: Remove pots, serving platters, and dish towels that are used only for special occasions. Store these on a shelf in the basement or attic, with holiday decorations, or in another out-of the-way location. This will provide more room for items used routinely.
5. Pantry: Check expiration dates and dispose of any food that is past its prime.
6. Bookshelf: Remove tchotchkes that have collected. Donate any books that are no longer of interest to you.
Purging will not only make spring cleaning more efficient; it may also lighten your spirits! Happy spring!

Child’s Bedroom Transformed

We were so excited to get started on this bedroom that I forgot to take before pictures. Let me describe the before: the bed and floor were full of stuffed animals and other toys, moving around the room was difficult and trying to find a specific toy was overwhelming. Getting to items in the closet was tricky.

This young man made a list of his favorite toys, which were kept in the room. The rest of the toys were removed. His special toys were containerized by category and labeled. He loves having the floor space for playing. He can put his toys away, now that he has defined homes for them. And I witnessed his enthusiasm as he hung up his shirts and put them in his closet.

This is what I love about my work. The effect of our work in the room is much greater than the actual organizing. Imagine, now this child can put away his toys and find the clothes he wants. I believe every parent will agree with me – this is priceless!

Overflowing Kitchen Drawers?

Kitchen drawers tend to collect clutter. Why? They are convenient. Items we don't know where to put are tossed in kitchen drawers. Small objects not wanted on countertops are slid into drawers. Small items that we are afraid to throw away, even though we don't know what the items are for, get tossed in kitchen drawers. Here are some ways to prevent kitchen drawers from becoming stuffed:

• Use dividers to separate items. In a drawer with all utensils, sort by type: spatulas, knives, measuring cups, slotted spoons. You will be amazed how much this helps in finding the utensil needed.
  
• Assign a specific spot for each item.
  
• Hot pads & utensils for cooking near stove
• Knives by the food prep area
• Flatware & serving utensils near eating space
• Dish clothes & towels by the sink
  
• Store items used only during the holidays. Storing those extra serving spoons and holiday towels used only a few times a year will free up space for those often used items.
  
• Keep a minimum of tools and hardware in the kitchen.
  
• Those little things that may be important, but you are not sure what for, are taking up your prime storage space. If you aren't ready to toss them, store those little pieces and parts in a small container in the garage or basement. If you haven't figured out what they are for in a year, it's time to get rid of them.

Organizing a kitchen drawer takes a short amount of time and will make using your kitchen so much more enjoyable! Which drawer in your kitchen bothers you the most? Take 30 minutes and transform that drawer into a functional space. You'll love it!

Quick Spring Cleaning Projects

It's beautiful outside today. I've got a bit of spring fever.

I started by going through my "mismatched socks" bin. This is where I toss those socks that come out of the dryer without a match. When the bin gets full, I sort through it, matching up the socks.

Then I moved to the cabinet above the refrigerator. I sorted through the medicines, removing some that had expired, put the glues in a cup to contain them, and emptied the vase I put stamps in for my husband. (He collects stamps. I put the stamps in his stamp box in the office.)

I was on a roll. I headed to the dining room to empty out the hutch. I tossed several candles that were spent, put a table cloth that I don't use in my donation bin, and added a container for my kid's airsoft gun accessories. Yes, I keep airsoft guns in our hutch. This is convenient storage, close to the backyard, which is the only place they are allowed to use them.

That was all the time I had. In about an hour, I'd purged, cleaned, and organized three areas. Yippee!

January is “GO” Month (Get Organized)

Becoming more organized is a top New Year's resolution. Just like dieting, results are less painful and more lasting if done in small increments. Don't put yourself through the torture of spending an entire weekend in the basement organizing your storage area. (To me this sounds like fun, but I'm a bit unusual in that way.)

Follow these steps for lasting change:

1. Set a goal. "I'd like my storage area organized by this summer, so I can locate and retrieve any belonging from the area."
2. Break the goal into small pieces. Assign yourself one manageable goal each week. "This weekend, I'll sort belongings to categories for 30 minutes." (see Organizing Basics) Or "On Monday, I will drop any donations at the collection center."
   
3. Have an accountability partner. Check in with your partner. Let him/her know your goal for the week, the progress you've made, and the challenges you've encountered.
   
4. Stay motivated. Focus on your big goal, picture your finished project, imagine your satisfaction, reward yourself, and continue on.
   

Quick & Simple Projects

Becoming more organized is one of the top three New Year's resolutions. Here are some small project ideas. These can be completed in a relatively short time. They will increase the organization and efficiency of your home, leaving you more time for life, which of course, is the primary goal of getting organized.

Kitchen - Keep a grocery list on the refrigerator or inside a cabinet door and add items as you notice the supply is low.

Pantry – Have a tray stocked with items routinely used at meals: salt & pepper, napkins, butter knives. At meal time, simply transfer the tray to the table.

Corner Cabinets – Add a lazy susan so items in the back can be turned to the front for easy access.

Bathroom - Toss all the lotions, perfumes, makeup and samples that you haven't used in 6 months.

Linen Closet – Move sheets to the bedroom where they are used. Two sets of sheets per bed per season are plenty – donate extras. Determine how many towels you really need and donate the rest.

Laundry Room – Add a container for socks that are missing their mates and a container for items that have been left in pockets.

Clothing Closets – Donate any clothing/shoes that haven't been worn in the past year.

Living Room – Add a footstool with storage or a storage basket for newspapers & magazines. Routinely recycle publications. Cancel subscriptions that you don't consistently read.

Home Office – Sign up to receive paperless bills. Pay bills online or arrange automatic payments.

Tell me about the small organizing projects that have made a big difference in your home.

Kitchen/Dining Room Tables

Tables do tend to catch clutter. Here are a few ideas to help you resist the urge to drop and forget:

• Use an attactive table runner, placemats, and/or centerpiece to decorate the table.


• Have a designated mail/bill paying station. If the table is used for these functions, store the supplies close by.


• Create a "launching/landing pad" near the back door for items that will be leaving the home.


• When shopping, allow time for putting away the purchases as soon as arriving home.


• Plan to use the table for eating. Break out the candles and the good dishes often and enjoy the space!

10, 20, & 30 Minute Decluttering Projects

Mark your calendar for Monday, Nov 22^nd. It's National Declutter Day, a day to remove some of the "stuff" from your home. Here are a few organizing project ideas, depending on how much time you have for this venture.

10 Minutes:

Quick decluttering: Walk through your home carrying a large garbage bag. Put in the bag any belongings that you don't use or love. Donate or toss the full bag.

Organize a utensil drawer. Use a drawer organizer to separate utensils by use. Donate gadgets and utensils that aren't used. Store utensils that are used only at the holidays with holiday decorations, leaving more space for what you need.

Decrease your junk mail by removing your name from mailing lists. Include all forms of your name. Within three months, there will be a reduction in junk mail. Write to:

Mail Preference Service
Attn: Preference Service Manager
Direct Marketing Association
PO Box 3079
Grand Central Station, NY

20 Minutes:

Clear out the junk drawer. Get rid of anything that has been sitting there, unused, for more than a year. Put back only what you use in the kitchen. Put away items that belong in other areas of the home.

Eliminate some paper. Recycle catalogs, magazines, newspapers.

30 Minutes:

Select the 2 to 3 most packed shelves in the linen closet. Pull out items, sorting into categories. Determine how many towels & sheet sets you need. Eliminate the excess. Could sheet sets be stored in the bedroom where they are used? Fold and return needed items to the shelves.

Grab a donation bag and head to a clothing closets & dressers. Toss in any clothing/shoes that you haven't worn and you don't feel comfortable in.

Take a little time to do some decluttering then stand back and enjoy the order you've created!

Simplify Holiday Shopping

With the holiday season fast approaching, now is the time to start planning a shopping strategy.

1. Make a list of people you will be buying for. Try using a chart format. (See sample below.) List names across the top. (For a Holiday Shopping List Chart, email pam@simplespacesorg.com.)

2. Decide what you would like to give each person on the list. Using the chart, write the store you will shop at on the far left and the item to purchase under the name and across from the store.

Consider consumable gifts: gift certificates to a favorite restaurant, tickets to a special event, a magazine subscription, and food. Children love coupons. Be creative. Consider what the child would enjoy: an afternoon at the beach, stay in your pajamas until noon, desert before lunch.

Sample Shopping List:

Name Store	Child		Husband		Neighbor	Home
Target	Basketball				Picture frame
Toys R US	Lego car
Best Buy			A new gadget
Dollar Store	Stocking stuffers					Wrapping paper, Ribbon
Make	Coupons				Coupon for babysitting

3. Plan the shopping to prevent multiple trips to the same store. Remember to use your list at the store. Mark off those gifts you purchase and highlight those you didn't find. See if those items may be available at another store on your list.

4. Shop efficiently. Shop stores that are in the same area at the same time and when you have a bigger block of time to shop. Stop at an isolated store when you are in the area for another activity or when you have a short time to shop.

5. Relax and enjoy the holidays!

9 Ways to Prepare for Disaster

Are You Prepared? Sept is National Preparedness Month. This campaign began seven years ago, urging Americans to be ready for a variety of disasters. We hate to think of experiencing a crisis and thankfully, the majority of us will not experience a major disaster. Yet, being prepared, in the event that there is a disaster in your area, is so important. Following are 9 ways to be prepared.

1. Have a first aid kit in your home.
2. Have a first aid kit in your vehicle.
3. Keep a fire extinguisher in the kitchen. Regularly review how to use the extinguisher. Keep it in a location near the exit.
4. Keep a fire extinguisher in the garage.
5. Change smoke detector batteries regularly. (Set specific times of the year, for example, when the time changes in the spring & fall.)
6. Have a Survival Kit: Include items such as: water, food & can opener, battery powered radio, flashlight, extra batteries, first aid kit, dust masks, cell phone, blankets, whistle (to alert others), items to meet your specific needs, such as medicines or diapers & formula.
7. Make a Plan – Discuss with everyone living in your home what to do in case of:

• Fire
• Medical Emergency
• Threat of Violence
• Types of emergencies common to your region: tornado, earthquake, flood, wildfire, electrical outage, mudslide, etc

8. Designate an out-of-the-area contact. If you are separated from loved ones in a disaster, you may be able to reach a long sitance contact when local communications are not functioning.

9. Be Informed.

• What is the best/safest way to handle each of these disasters?
• What community resources are available when a disaster occurs?

Taking the time to prepare for the possibility of these disasters is important. Hopefully, you will never need to use the plans that have been made. Don't take the chance.
Go to: http://www.ready.gov/america/npm10/index.html for more information.

Items in Transition

Items that need to be taken elsewhere, fixed, or put away become clutter unless there is a transition spot for them. Do you have a place for…?

• Library books – shelf or basket where you read.
• Dry cleaning – bag in closet or laundry room.
• Items to donate – bin in trunk of car or convenient closet or laundry room.
• Items that need repair – bin in garage or kitchen.
• Purchased items that need to be returned or exchanged – bag in car or "launching pad" - a spot designated for all the items you'll need when you leave the house.
• Borrowed items that need to be returned – bag in car or "launching pad".
• Items that need to be returned to their "homes" in a different area of the house: a spot for items to take downstairs or upstairs, a spot for items to go to the garage, etc. – basket, bag hanging on doorknob, or bin near the transition area.
• Items that your children have left out and need to put away – basket or shelf in living room/family room.
• Clean laundry for family members to put away – shelf in laundry room, laundry basket in child's bedroom.

What transition spot could you not do without?

Professional Organizer’s Closet

I've been asked what my closet looks like. Here it is.

• Top shelves: Off season clothes and seldom used items.
• On the Shelves: commonly worn folded items and shoes. Dress shoes and off season shoes are on the floor at the back of the closet.
• Shelves on right: pajamas.
• Long Hanging: dresses & dress skirts, pants, robe, and clothing I've worn for a short time that can be worn again before washing. Behind are belts and necklaces.
• Top hanging – items worn more often: casual tops & jackets, purses (looped on hangers)
• Lower Hanging – items worn less often: t-shirts, blouses.
• All the clothing is in the closet – no dresser. This way everything can be seen at a glance.
• The wastebasket is for laundry. Because it's full in two days, it's a reminder go throw in a load of laundry.

Suggestions:

• Organize your closet in a way that works for you. The important concept is that you can see and easily reach what you'd like to wear.
• Keep enough space on hanger rods that you can easily hang clothes. The rod is not meant to be packed full.
• Keep a small container for garbage in the closet – for clothing tags and emptying pockets.
• Remove from the home what you do not wear.
• If there is enough space, keep a container for items to donate. When you put on an outfit and think, "I hate the way this looks" or "This is uncomfortable", put the clothing directly in the donation container.

Your clothing closet should contain items that you love and you feel comfortable and confident wearing.

It’s All Too Much

When I take my kids to the library, I always check the organizing books. This week I found It's All Too Much, by Peter Walsh. The book was a quick read, gives some great ideas about developing routines, and is thought provoking. Why do we (Americans) tend to buy so much? What drives us? What are we hoping to gain?

It's All Too Much looks at organizing from a different angle than the majority of organizing books. Many organizing books go through the mechanics of getting a space organizing. Walsh looks at consumerism and our emotional attachments to our belongings. I got these points from the book.

1. We often define ourselves by the things we have. You are not your belongings – maintain a comfortable amount of things and enjoy yourself in your space.
   
2. Shopping is a national pastime. Shopping for the sake of shopping inevitably results in clutter.
   
3. Replace shopping with "experience" activities – outdoor fun, family games, exercise, reading, or any activity that you enjoy. Save what you'd have spent on shopping for a vacation.
   
4. Determine the amount of belongings you have based on the space available. (Typically we overstuff our space, buy a bigger house, rent storage space, and/or complain about lack of space.)
   
5. Use the one in, one out rule. Before making a new purchase, decide if you have the space for it. For each new item brought into the home, remove a similar item. Using this method, you maintain an organized space, preventing the clutter from returning.

This book is really about changing our perceptions about belongings and their significance, thus changing our feelings about what we want to surround ourselves with. Walsh emphasizes that our relationships are what is important, and ultimately, who wouldn't agree with that!

#1 Key to Organization

The #1 Key to getting and staying organized is to simplify. The volume of belongings is directly related to the time involved in keeping those items organized. Consider shoes for example. Keeping 30 pairs of shoes neatly arranged is much easier that keeping 300 pairs of shoes under control. This holds true for all belongings. So the question becomes, how do I simplify?

• Studies show we typically use only 20% of what we own. Seriously take a look at items in your home that are taking up space and are rarely, if ever, being used. Donate those items that you don't use, love, and enjoy.
  
• Ask yourself, how many _______________ do I need? Keep your favorites and give the rest to someone who can use them.
  
• Consider renting large, seldom used items instead of purchasing. Is the rental fee worth the cost of more storage space for other items?
  
• Before purchasing an item, determine where it will be kept. If space is not available, ask (1) Do I really need this item? (2) What can I dispose of to make room for this new item?
  
• When bringing a new item into the home, remove a similar item from the home.
  
• You have permission to remove from the home items that were a great deal, were gifts, and that were expensive. If you aren't using them, they are taking up valuable space. Let them go.
  
• Store holiday serving dishes, linens, and any other items used only at that holiday with the holiday decorations. Store them in an out of the way location, freeing up closet and cabinet space for those items used frequently.

Your belongings are meant to add comfort and joy to your life. When they are falling out of the cabinets or preventing closets from being closed or stopping you from finding the items you want, they are not serving their purpose. Simplify and enjoy the calm.

Garage Sale Purge

I'm not a fan of garage sales. There is a significant time investment with the chance of a small return. We had a neighborhood garage sale last weekend. I hadn't planned to participate. My children thought it would be great fun. They found several toys they could agree to sell, so I consented.

I needed to find some items I could get rid of. I checked closets, drawers, the attic & basement asking these questions:

• When did I last use this?
  
• Do I love it?
  
• How many of these do I have and how many do I need?
  
• Is the item in good condition? (I even threw out a few items that were worn.)

I came up with several items I could add to the sale. It wasn't a huge sale. We didn't make much money. Anything that didn't sell, I loaded up and dropped at a donation station. If I'd decided I didn't need these items anymore, there was no point taking them back into my home. I gained storage space, which made all the time worth it!

Does this mean I'll have more garage sales? No. I don't enjoy it. I will look at the belongings I'm storing with a more critical eye and donate those I don't love and use regularly. Purging belongings by deciding if they had more value in my home or in a garage sale worked well. In fact, yesterday I noticed some cookie cutters that I haven't used since last summer. Time to move those to my donation bin and make more room for the items I do use.

What helps you to purge no longer used items from your home?