Organizing Solutions for a Neater Life!

In case you missed it!

Kimberly Elise has a neat blog on Natural Living and asked me to write about the sacred art of decluttering! (Click image below to read it)

This is my first time ever attending the annual Bhakti Festival in Joshua Tree and I’m having an incredible time meeting inspiring people and attending wonderful workshops.

I helped organize the kitchens incoming donations so they’re able to serve a few thousand meals this weekend! I’m among some of the worlds greatest yoga masters, teachers, healers and entrepreneurs, totally honored to be a part of this community.

Pics and more coming soon!

I’m in my hotel room when I realize someone has been sending spam email on my behalf! Not very nice. So I change my password and make note of it. I’ve been keeping a running document of my log in/password info for years. There are so many though and we’re supposed to change them often. I need a better solution. In this day and age, it should be easy.

One of my clients jokes that she uses the same password for everything. Of course we know that’s no bueno. If hackers find one out, they’ll likely hack into every account you have with that password.

So I put a call out on Facebook and Twitter – and the people who respond suggest either ipassword for mac users- or 1password- for any computer. Both automatically generate random passwords for you– so that you only have to remember one. But then, I wonder, what if one of these programs gets hacked? Here’s a helpful article to address and answer such questions better than I can.

Enjoy and good luck! I’m still deciding what to do.

http://www.pcworld.com/article/2061918/some-password-managers-are-safer-than-others.html

Moving is a great opportunity to shed and start fresh. It’s also one of the most stressful things a human can endeavor. It’s physical, mental, emotional and psychological. Not to mention costly. I decided in my recent move that everything, including my furniture, was going to fit into one small U-haul truck. And- that I’m not going to move again- ever. Well, for at least a year.

Then began a major purge. My, how we accumulate – and I barely shop! I’m like a magnet; people love to give me stuff. And I enjoy going to clothing swaps, where I sometimes leave with more than what I came with. Hence, 365 days later, I’ve got more than I actually need. I’m not hiring movers- I’m doing this myself, with a little help from my friends, which ultimately helps me be more relentless when deciding what to take with me.

Little by little, category by category, I begin to shed. It is the year of the snake after all, very appropriate. I start with books; they are the heaviest. I have not touched the giant dictionary or thesaurus so they are the first to go. I scan my library and sense that only 10% are ones that I actually love, reference, or really will read one day. The rest were cute gifts or ambitious illusions. There’s only so much time in a day and I don’t read that much anymore. Plus there’s always the library or kindle.

I move onto clothes. If I haven’t worn it in the last year, am I really going to wear it now? My “project” bin of clothes to repair (and never did) is the first to go. Then, I think about my style today. Given it changes daily; I don’t dress as hippie as I used to. Honoring that shift, I let go of the long skirts and dresses that no longer represent me. I release the clothes too that aren’t as comfortable or don’t fit as well. And if I own two similar pieces, I only keep the favorite one. I do the same with jewelry and accessories.

When it comes time for the kitchen, I keep in mind that I’m going from living solo to living with housemates. There will already be dishes and such there. So again, I keep my favorites and most valuable pieces and let the rest go. I figure once I move into the kitchen I can release even more as well, depending on what they have. As for furniture, I keep only my heirloom secretary desk that was grandma’s, a couple lamps and favorites; and decided it was time for a new bed and desk. I’m only moving into a bedroom, not a whole house.

I practice these methods throughout my home with all categories over the next few weeks, sometimes taking 10 minutes, other times when I have it, a few hours. Then I have a yard sale and make about $100, selling mostly small items. I post for sale on Craigslist a handful of the most valuable things (computer, music gear) that didn’t sell and place the remains on the curb for the taking.

By the time I’m done purging, I’ve reduced my belongings by at least half! We get everything into the U-haul. Well, if I’m being completely honest, I take a couple more trips with my car. Upon move in, I decide I to get rid of at least 25% more, acknowledging that accumulation and practicing the revolving door strategy (see previous blog) is a lifelong process. As things come in, things must go out. Unless I have a mansion or want to open a museum. And even then!

This type of moving strategy, which touches upon aspects of minimalism, invites us to remain open to releasing fear, doubt, shame or judgement. It asks that we get very honest with ourselves, while still having room to dream. It means having an abundant mindset, trusting that as things go, things will return. It helps to remember that we each enter this world free of stuff- and leave the same way. It’s only while we’re here on earth that we attach to objects and find our identity in them. There’s nothing necessarily wrong with that. But if it becomes unmanageable- or it’s time to move- you might think thrice! Take it from me. The moving queen.

We’ve planned some great content for this Saturday’s workshop and are excited to educate and inspire you on so many levels.

Waiting for Spring to clean?  Something you can do year-round is to keep a donation bin in your home. Then, anytime you come across an item that no longer serves you, drop it inside.

It may be a t-shirt you realize has a hole, stain, isn’t your current size or style; a chipped dish; or an old phone and it’s accessories- anything you no longer use or love.

You can place these bins anywhere, such as the closet or garage.

The next step is to develop the habit of emptying it regularly. It’s important to do what works best for you. Some wait until it’s full, then drop it off somewhere convenient, like Goodwill, Out of the Closet, or a favorite charity or shelter. Or if you have a lot of stuff, you can arrange for a Salvation Army pick up. Some work best scheduling it in their calendar seasonally or annually.

You might even browse through it and re-gift certain items to those you know personally. Perhaps your neighbor is pregnant and you’re ready to release your old maternity clothes. Some like to have friends and guests look through their bin when they visit, taking what they like.

Another neat option is to re-purpose items into something useful or beautiful. Stained or shrunken pants may become cutoff shorts or patches. Chipped dishes may transform neatly into mosaic pieces to decorate a potted plant. Many find it helpful to keep a project bin for things they’re going to fix or make new again. Be selective and realistic, perhaps limiting yourself to one bin or area, or establishing deadlines (i.e., donate this if I haven’t touched it by June 2013).

The point is- you’re putting the Revolving Door Strategy into practice- meaning that as things come into the home, things are also leaving at the same pace. It’s an opportunity to be aware of everything you own and how you’re putting it to good use: creative ways of being neat.

Blogs Coming Soon…

Where to Donate?

All About Recycling

Creative Ways to Re-purpose

I stopped by a grocery store recently to grab a few things but didn’t plan on also leaving with a couple magazines. However, while in line, bright green, capital letters, appearing like a subtitle to Family Circle, shouted, “GET ORGANIZED! 20 Things to Toss Today.” Next thing you know, Oprah is grabbing my attention with a colorful, spinning flower design inhabiting the words, “So Much Stuff, So Little Space. The Key to Creating a Clutter-Free Zone.” Well. It must be a popular subject!

Being a professional organizer, passionate about the topic, I decided to investigate. What do they suggest and is there anything new or helpful for myself- or my clients?

When I got home, I made some collard greens and put chicken in the oven to bake and boy- is it summer. Note to self: wait until winter to use the oven. Then I got to reading.

Family Circle

In Family Circle, Valerie Rains article, The Clutter Cure: 20 Simple Ways to Say Good Riddance to Unwanted Stuff  lists ten areas in the home, offering two suggestions for things to eliminate from each one. Essentially, the pattern I noticed ~ any items that are broken, expired, or out of date. For example, old magazines (you can visit catalogchoice.org to unsubscribe), VHS tapes (do you have a VCR?), toys that are no longer age appropriate; and expired paint, coupons, or beauty products.

Family Circle

And alas, her Chuck-It Checklist, which many organizers would agree with:

• Is the item broken or damaged beyond repair?
• Has more than a year gone by since this was last used or worn?
• Do I own something similar that I like better?
• Are we saving this because it might come in handy one day?

When you go to Family Circle’s website, there’s even a permanent Organization section under the Home tab.  Appearing in this month’s Halloween issue: The 5-minute Clutter Cure, which offers suggestions for what you can accomplish when you only have a few minutes, such as establishing online bill pay. Well that surely takes me more than 5 minutes, more like 65, unless they mean setting up one payee at a time, as the bills come in. Baby steps are better than no steps.

Onto unexpected magazine purchase number two. The Oprah Magazine article of course features Peter Walsh, her go-to expert on the topic of organizing. I actually got to meet him recently at the grand opening of El Segundo’s Container Store. Check me out, on the left!

Members of the National Association of Professional Organizers (NAPO), Los Angeles Chapter, with organizing guru, Peter Walsh.

In my opinion, Oprah has helped mainstream the organizing profession, mainly using Peter Walsh’s expertise.  In Meredith Bryan’s article, Make Over My Weird Spaces! she highlights how Walsh is able to help two women tackle awkward spaces in their home, ones that don’t seem to serve any purpose. He transforms an extra hall closet into an office desk area; a small corner space into a child’s reading nook; and an under the stairs closet into a functional storage access area (as seen below, respectively).

For all three, he explains the challenge, possibilities, process, and result. He finds it crucial to develop very specific purposes for each area and commit to it. For example, the desk (left) was designated for sorting mail, working on her laptop, and filing paperwork. Walsh calls it “the nerve center- the place where you can run the business of your home.” Then you must make the area inviting by adding your own style and taste to the mix.

I must say for the reading nook (middle), the shelf towering over the toddlers head has me a tad nervous, so be sure to drill them safely into the wall in case of earthquakes or natural disasters. Maximizing vertical space is wonderful, when done safely.

What I like about the under the stairs closet (right) is a technique I often use in my organizing sessions with clients.  “When the volume of one category exceeds the allotted space, Sohal must make choices, trashing the excess art supplies or storing them elsewhere.” I suggest donating or recycling though, whenever possible, helping keep trash out of our landfills, something Goodwill is strongly dedicated to. With that said, I suggest practicing the Revolving Door strategy, in which you designate a bin for giveaways and make a permanent home for it in a closet or garage. As things come in, place things that no longer serve you well, in the bin to go out. More on this soon in a future blog.

Although Oprah’s website doesn’t have its own permanent Organization section, there is a Home & Garden tab which includes articles and tidbits.  You can also expect an annual  “De-Clutter Your Life” banner across the cover. Enjoy!

It’s amazing when a group of women come together and swap clothes, shoes, and accessories. Today I walked away with such cool finds! Items I couldn’t believe someone was giving up.

Sometimes we tire of something, or may think, “this isn’t really me anymore”. Perhaps it doesn’t fit well or isn’t our color. We must let it go. Anything that no longer serves us only zaps our energy and messes with our flow.  Let someone else enjoy it, a friend perhaps. Or donate! Everyone knows there are people in the world in need of basic necessities, such as clothes. Let’s redistribute the wealth a little shall we? Sharing is caring! It’s good for everyone, including you.

I have room for these awesome finds now because I cleared out my closet and made room, taking those items to the swap. Then seeing the faces of people so excited to begin enjoying what I no longer wear is priceless!

If you can’t organize your own clothing swap party (though it’s super easy and fun!) one thing I suggest is to always have a bag or bin designated for give away. Then give it a home; you can keep it in a closet or the garage, near an exit is best. You may have friends look through it when they visit. Or discover a charity that speaks to you; Goodwill and Salvation Army pick up donations as well.

Swap before you Shop!