Major home clearing and organizing project

When a loved one passes away, their lifetime can be left in their home.

This is a case of extreme nature in this project.

Clearing this home took 3.5 days and the following supplies and resources:
- 2 professional organizers
- 400+ black bags
-  (3) 15 cubic yard dumpsters
- 3 pick-ups of donations by Goodwill of Northwest Ohio: 40, 50, 200 bags
- 80 lbs of new toiletries and unopened foil/baggies/plastic wrap donated to Cherry St Mission
- 3 bankers boxes of new office supplies, along with several plastic bins/drawer systems donated to local elementary school

To view all 24 before and after pictures please visit our Facebook page 

If you know of a loved one who needs help, please contact me and I will work to find a local organizer to help.

Let It Go and Enjoy!

Want to truly enjoy your new  Christmas, Hanukkah, Kwanzaa or Festivus gifts  that you will be receiving soon?
... Take this weekend to "Let Go" of items in your home
that no longer make you smile & feel wonderful
(or that you are tired of dusting)
What did you "let go" in your home?

Reward yourself. You deserve it!

Kids get rewarded all the time. Sometimes its a simple star on their paper, and that star means the world to them. Any parent with a fridge full of starred and smiley faced papers will agree. It does not take much to feel special to children because they simply enjoy the act of being honored without value being added to it.

I have found that the last person rewarded in many households is the mom. The one person busting their butt for everyone inside and outside the home. Your mom orchestrates the ballet of soccer, school projects, scouts, meals, laundry, dishes and "Oh mom, I need 12 things that start with the letter 'H' by tomorrow morning." And she does it with a smile (at least it looks like a smile).

Slowly the clutter begins to build up around the house. There are only so many hours in a day and you begin to believe you can't get caught up, so what's the point in trying?
"If you think you can or think you can't, you are right," is the famous saying by Henry Ford.

Challenge yourself to stop the "I can't" thinking and turn yourself around. It took time for the clutter to build. It will take time for it to get under control. Be patient with yourself.

Let me suggest this:1. With notepad in hand, walk through your home and note the areas you want to work on.
2. Choose an area to get organized, schedule it on your calendar.
3. Break the project down into small tasks. Instead of organize kitchen, think organize upper cabinets, lower cabinets, junk drawer, pantry, or counter top.
4. Take on one small task and complete it.
5. Schedule your next project.
6. REWARD YOURSELF!! Take a couple minutes longer in the shower, let the kids eat cookies for breakfast so you can sleep in a bit, go for a walk after dinner by yourself .... geez, sometimes going to the bathroom by yourself is a treat!
Post your list of projects to complete and put stars next to them as you complete them. It may sound elementary, though remember how great you felt in school when your teacher put a star on you paper.

Don't forget: Your home is going to be feeling better and better with each task you complete.

How do you reward yourself?

Spring Organizing Tips

Guest blogger, Stephanie Hanson is the Community Manager for George's Gorgeous Garages. George's provides custom garage storage and organization solutions for homeowners in the Lansing area. For more tips on organization visit their corporate blog.

The harsh cold and snow of winter is almost over. In just a few short months we will be transitioning to the new warmth and flowers that suggest that spring is in the air.

This time of year, many of us decide to let go of unwanted things and start new by participating in spring cleaning. With so much to do, sometimes spring cleaning takes longer than we would like it to.

Here are a list of tips you can use to make your spring cleaning more efficient:

Make A List: It’s called Spring cleaning for a reason. Realize that Spring cleaning means that you are going to be cleaning all those things that you’ve put off the rest of the year. Make a list or spreadsheet of every room of your house and all the things that need done in that room. Remember to include tasks that you don’t usually do like cleaning the baseboards, window treatments, and cleaning furniture. This list may be long, don’t let that scare you.

Give Yourself A Deadline: With so many things to do it’s easy to never actually get them done. Next to each project on your list write down a realistic deadline. If you’ll easily forget about when you are supposed to get something done, place the list somewhere you’ll see if frequently, like the fridge. If that’s still not enough, use reminders on your phone or through apps.

Get Help: It’s okay to say, “I can’t do this on my own.” Enlist the help of your children, spouse, friends, or professionals. Some of these people may be hesitant to help, especially children, but that’s okay. Realize that a big difference can be made between one person doing something and two people working together on it. 

Keep Track: Make sure that you mark off a project when it is completed. In addition, be sure to judge your progress to see how much more you have to do. Reward yourself when you have completed something.

Sit Back And Relax: When you’re done with your list make sure that you take it all in. Sit down and relax for a while. Realize this is a little victory. Celebrate.

Thanks Stephanie for these great Spring organizing tips.

Our crazy winter is finally coming to an end ... I hope!

What are you looking forward to doing this spring?

Organize Spring Magazine ... Woo Hoo!!

SUPER EXCITED!!!

Not only is the mother of all snow meltdowns about to begin but a national publication is hitting the book stands and yours truly is one of the "leading experts."

Woo hoo!!

You can pick up your copy at your favorite Costco, Target, Barnes & Noble and other major new stands.

I was interviewed for the section on organizing tips and tricks for storing your winter gear for the beautiful warm sunny days of spring and summer.

Also, being a single mom with any second becoming a "mommy meltdown moment" in a flash of a Nerf dart whizzing by head, I was asked about ways to find some time for yourself in a section entitled "Taking a Moment."  I laughed out loud when I read one of my quotes.

If you are looking for some great tips (and laughs) on getting organized this spring, get out and grab your copy today!

What are you looking forward to doing this Spring?

The Gift of Organizing Magic

Finding a fun, creative and appreciative gift this holiday season can be quite challenging.  With the craziness of life, many times just a little bit of extra help to ease the stress and strain of an overwhelmed world is amazingly refreshing.

An Organized Solutions gift certificate may be that perfect fit for your favorite loved one who has been dreaming of getting organized. Paypal is a fantastic feature and we are very excited to offer this element to you (See below or the top right side bar on this blog.)  Bonus:  You can use your any of your favorite credit cards, too.

Organizing Magic Holiday Special

1 hour $75.00 USD 2 hours (save $10) $140.00 USD 3 hours (save $15) $210.00 USD 4 hours (save $20) $280.00 USD 5 hours (save $30) $345.00 USD 6 hours (save $40) $410.00 USD 7 hours (save $50) $475.00 USD 8 hours (save $75) $525.00 USD

If you are thinking of purchasing a gift certificate, I encourage you to contact me to make sure your gift will be happily received. Nothing worse than getting a gift like that ugly sweater your Aunt Bonnie gave you when you were 16 year old.

After all, we all give with best intentions, though making sure your gift is perfect is priceless.

What was the best gift you ever received?

It's Spring ... Time for your organizing plan

Your house is filled, stacked with stuff.
You'd like to smile, but it's kinda tough.

Finding the time to clear this mess,
is making you feel like you're in distress.

Have no fear, help is here.
My help for you is true and dear.

Let's break it down one box, one room.
Then you'll feel like you're starting to zoom!

OK....that's my attempt at rapping (I know don't give up my day job).

Welcome to Spring!!
You have been cooped up in your home for many months now and things aren't looking like you wish them to be. The overwhelming sense of hopelessness may be setting in. You have got to SNAP out of it!

Give this a shot:
Grab a pad of paper and your favorite writing instrument (mine is a bright red crayon because it's fun). Walk through each room and write down what you done. Any little thought that comes into your head ... write it down.

BEDROOM
-hang clothes
-dust
-remove kid toys
OFFICE
-clear desk
-shred old papers
-hang pictures

Now don't be alarmed if you end up with 3-4 pages of stuff. It's OK, really it's perfect. You now have a plan. It may be a lengthy one though you can't be successful until you have a plan.

Look through the list and decide which room to start. If you just don't know, choose your bedroom. Nothing beats a tidy bedroom to aid in a great night's sleep. Second biggest hurdle is accomplished: Deciding where to begin.

Pick an task and knock it off your list. Even cross it off as you go. This will feel like you are making progress. As you make progress, you gain a sense of accomplishment. Which in turn encourages you to continue the project toward completion.

Very important point: Do not look at the entire list and begin to think, "Oh I am never going to get this done." Stay positive in your thoughts and see the progress you are making.

Little by little your home will feel better and better

What's your favorite writing instrument?

Honoring Your Loved Ones Memory

This is one of my favorite organizing project stories ever. Love this story, and so appropriate for this time of year. Enjoy.


"Terry" admits she get overwhelmed in attempting to stay organized. Like many of us, the dramas of life can take over and the last thing on your list of things to care for is yourself.

Terry had been hanging on to a gift certificate for my services for 11 months. The certificate made her feel good when she received it and if she used it, Terry felt it would be gone. Finally, she broke down and we met.

We talked a bit about her goals. I gave her some ideas about managing tasks to get and stay organized. Then she told me about a craft box in her attic.

This craft box was her mother's. Terry cherished this box of craft supplies. The thing is, Terry's mother passed away 11 years ago. Yes, 11 years this box sat in her attic collecting dust and funk.

She finally decided that the time had come to part with it. Terry told me she believed,

"If you release what is holding you back, good will come back."

A woman came to Terry's home from Freecycle to pick up her mother's craft box. The next week, there was a knock on Terry's front door.

The woman had returned to give Terry this Christmas display for her home. Made only from the items found in the gifted box. Terry immediately recognized certain parts of the arrangement that her mother decorated with. Needless to say, Terry was beside herself with joy and happiness. I got the chills when she told me the story.

Memories of a past loved one are good. They should be honored since they played a loving role in your life. Though if you have them cramped in a dusty, funky smelling old box in your attic, is that really a positive way to remember them?

If you are not enjoying them, perhaps it is time to part with them.
Another person will find joy in the items you give.
........ And good will come back to you.

What's in your attic?

Organizing Your Man's Tools

Surprise organizing projects are exciting!

"Carol" asked me to get her husband's tools organized as a surprise for Father's Day. This was a project he has talked about doing for quite some time, alas finding the time to organize the area never seem to happen.

Every time Carol's husband went to start a home project, he had to climb over and dig through his supplies. It was frustrating because he was constantly wasting time looking for the tools he needed. And when his project was finished, he pretty much just set his tool wherever he could balance them without everything tumbling to the ground.

Now, touching a man's tools is nearly as dangerous as messing with a woman's closet, especially if they do not know. Carol gave me some guidance on what her husband would like, then pretty much let me loose to work some organizing magic.

Nearly everything was removed from the area and grouped into like groups; paints, power tools, cords, fasteners, tapes, etc. The shelving was slid together a bit to save floor space and EVERYTHING went back onto the shelves.

Seriously, there was a small grocery bag of scrap papers and broken items removed. That was it. Hey, I know better than tossing out a man's tool without asking. The results was pretty remarkable.

Carol was so excited with the results. Better yet, her husband was pleasantly shocked at his newly organized tool room. Hooray!!

What project would you love to be done for you?

Put on Your Boogie Shoes!

Moving is stressful alone, let alone when you are rushed into it, which is exactly what happened with "Mary." The rushed moved caused her basement to become the dumping ground.














The first area we needed to pick up a bit to be able to assemble a desk. The tricky part was trying to figure out how to put the desk together without instructions. Once that assembled, Mary now had a raise working surface to sort through boxes. Later, her daughters could use the desk for crafting, games or puzzles.









Mary's daughters are big into dance and even has an area in her basement set up for them to practice. Though with the sudden move, the dance floor was the covered in boxes, bags and random household items. Box by box, we sorted through the pile, putting items away as we went. The dance floor was found again and Mary had an idea of what was left in each box she needed to sort through.

Out of all of this, there was one large bag of trash and two boxes of donation items. Mary's daughters will look through their toys and find more to donate. Mary will look through her boxes and find more to trash. In the end, the basement will be back in shape ready for practicing new dance moves and lounging around the TV.

"It's gonna take 13 hours to clean this mess up," Mary thought.
Well, we worked for 3 hours.
She has a bit more work to do, but way less than 13 hours.

What's your favorite type of dance music?

Always Best to Honor your Memories

"Terry" admits she get overwhelmed in attempting to stay organized. Like many of us, the dramas of life can take over and the last thing on your list of things to care for is yourself.

Terry had been hanging on to a gift certificate for my services for 11 months. The certificate made her feel good when she received it and if she used it, Terry felt it would be gone. Finally, she broke down and we met.

We talked a bit about her goals. I gave her some ideas about managing tasks to get and stay organized. Then she told me about a craft box in her attic.

This craft box was her mother's. Terry cherished this box of craft supplies. The thing is, Terry's mother passed away 11 years ago. Yes, 11 years this box sat in her attic collecting dust and funk.

She finally decided that the time had come to part with it. Terry told me she believed,

"If you release what is holding you back, good will come back."

A woman came to Terry's home from Freecycle to pick up her mother's craft box. The next week, there was a knock on Terry's front door.

The woman had returned to give Terry this Christmas display for her home. Made only from the items found in the gifted box. Terry immediately recognized certain parts of the arrangement that her mother decorated with. Needless to say, Terry was beside herself with joy and happiness. I got the chills when she told me the story.

Memories of a past loved one are good. They should be honored since they played a loving role in your life. Though if you have them cramped in a dusty, funky smelling old box in your attic, is that really a positive way to remember them?

If you are not enjoying them, perhaps it is time to part with them.
Another person will find joy in the items you give.
........ And good will come back to you.

What's in your attic?

What Value Do You Put on Being Organized?

Today's world seems to function as such a crazy, fast pace. It is very easy to lose track of time and things. Just as a little snow ball rolling down Mt. Everest, it slowly builds and builds, and builds ... into this monstrosity of a beast barreling down the slope out of control.

Lack of organization in your home or office begins very small. Maybe its just setting down the mail on the counter as you walk in the door. Perhaps you go change your clothes, start watching TV, or check on your 257 Facebook friends while the mail pile waits. Then you get hungry, make some dinner, get the kids to work on homework, check on Facebook again and get ready for bed.

Waking up in the morning you rush to get everyone out the door on time, grab your keys nearly knocking all of the mail on the floor (geez, that would have been a mess) and dash out to your car.

After a day at work, you nearly get hit by a teenager swerving while texting, you make it safely home. Grab the mail and as you walk into your home ... well, mine as well set it on the counter with the other mail.  You'll get to it later. BAM! Your little organizing snow ball has just begun.

Repeat this cycle a few days and you certainly have an organizing nightmare staring at you every time you get home.  Making feel overwhelmed, stressed and not the happy person you deserve to be.

My fellow professional organizer, John Trosko, who is the founder of OrganizingLA a premier Southern California organizing firm beautifully stated the value of our services:

"Some people wonder why organizers charge so much. Well, our fees are an amazingly value when you compare it to the time, effort & worry you encounter searching for something, not to mention the cost of having to replace an item you can't locate and the discouraging disappointment that comes from this circle. A professional organizer can help you get organized faster and more thorough than doing it yourself."

Being organized is an investment in yourself.

Sure you can focus and bring organization to your home, office and life all on your own.  Though if you are struggling, frustrated and ready to wave a big white flag, find a local professional organizer. We are here to help you love your home and office, again.  Get you out enjoying the fun in life.

What value do you put on enjoying yourself?

Send in the Organizing Cavalry

One of our biggest battle as professional organizers is not stacks of papers, piles of toys, jammed closets with clothing, wall of boxes in the basement or linen closets tumbling with sheets. That's just stuff.

Husbands.
[disclaimer: True, there are many great, wonderful, supportive, loving, dudes out there]
You are embarrassed and frustrated with your home and know that help is out there. And you need and want it. At a moment, you take a giant step to contact a professional organizer.

After chatting with your professional organizer, you have a sense that the Cavalry is on its way.

Hope and relief that soon your home will feel special.

[enter your husband] He says, "No, to the project."

- If it is a money issue, completely understandable. You definitely should not overextend yourself when it comes to cash. Use the internet to find free tips.

- If it is a control issue, that is something for you to seek help.
(Been there, done that myself. Be strong)

- Perhaps your husband is embarrassed himself for the appearance of your home. Find a quiet moment to talk together about how you will both feel better with completing your organizing project.

Professional organizers are not judgemental. Our purpose is to help you love your home. We will take the time to discuss each of your goals and expectations. Getting your husband to understand the project may be all that is needed to get the supportive green light.

If all else fails, ask for an organizing project for your next holiday gift, birthday present or other special occasion. Most professional organizers offer gift certificates.

When there is a will, there is a way. And when your husband sees how great your home can be, perhaps he'll want to get his stuff organized, too!

What battle are you winning?

Everyone Loves Big Red Bows

Big red bows are the best. Period.

If you want to set the stage for happiness,
it might be as simple as a big red bow.

As a professional organizer, my goal is to help you love your space again. Whether it is organizing your home, office, garage, basement or junk drawer, my hope is for you to feel better about yourself because you deserve it!

Starting today ... daah da da dah ...

Organized Solutions can arrive at your home with a big red bow on the car. People have purchased gift certificates for friends, family & loved ones and I just haven't felt like we have done anything special to acknowledge or signify this gift.

But hey, I'll bust out the red bow for any occasion that you might feel the need. Heck, just even holding the big red bow makes you feel all tingly inside.

What little thing makes you feel special?

Organizing Chaos ... Oh, Yeah Baby!!

"Clouds are not spheres, mountains are not cones, coastlines are not circles, and bark is not smooth, nor does lightning travel in a straight line ... Nature exhibits not simply a higher degree but an altogether different level of complexity". Benoit Mandelbrot

The Mandelbrot Set is infinitely complex though generated from a simple equation involving complex numbers.
(OK, how many are completely lost? Please bear with this Rocket Scientist)

Fractal geometry = rough, fragmented, complex geometric shapes
Complex numbers = meet me at Panera's and I'll explain
Simple equation = Z = Z^2 + C (This explanation may require beers)

ANYWAY....What does this have to do with getting organized?!?

If you look around you there may appear to be chaos, where likely there is order. When working with clients, I notice that usually they know where things are. They have a system or method to their madness. It is when control is lost, their feelings begin to turn negative toward themselves, then I am asked to step in and help.

Chaos exists in Nature and Math, which gives us clouds, lighting bolts and really cool images. These are all beautiful results from chaos.
Chaos is good. Really GOOD!

Without chaos, life would be boring.

Look around you at the chaos in your life. Is there order to it?
Appreciate the beauty of chaos and have fun.
If you are struggling, then get a grip, take charge
and bring in some order.

Give us an example of good chaos.

Organizing Checklist

As we were organizing "Janis's" attic storage, she came across this list. We had a bit of a chuckle and she suggested I share this with you. Overtime Janis's home became overwhelmed with stuff, or junk as referred to on her checklist.

Let's look closer at this checklist:
1. Pick up our junk - A very good start, don't you think? Leaving items lying around for you to grumble as you walk past does not lend itself to help in the happy harmony of your home.

2. Put our junk upstairs - OK, this is alright though just putting item upstairs could be where this list begins to stumble. You want to put your "junk" back in its home. If you are keeping an item, the item needs to have a positive purpose in your life and it needs its own home or place to live in your home.

3. Clear our tables - Another good start. Tables and other nice flat surfaces are perfect places to set your "junk." Tables are also great places for your stuff to begin to pile upwards ... this is not such a great thing. Work to keep your flat surfaces clear by putting your items away in their home after you are done using them.

4. Do any other little think you can do - Uh oh. This will tend to lead your family to do whatever they wish, which will be the easiest, fastest path to nothing. Hey, if you gave me the opportunity to do anything I could think of ... whoa, I'm lying on my hammock to take an afternoon siesta ... zzzz... You have to give direction to what you wish to have action taken or you will end up with your teenage kid sleeping, eating, texting ... repeat.

5. DON'T YELL!!! - My personal favorite, even blogged about screaming. Yelling has it's time and place, though in the midst of your organizing project ... maybe not so much. Getting organized can be a big task and staying organized is a daily battle (even for me the professional organizer and don't let other organizers kid you. They struggle too). Take your time. Remember you will be far more successful breaking down your big organizing projects into smaller ones.

Janis thank you for sharing your family's checklist with us. You are doing a fabulous job at getting organized and staying organized.

What is your organizing checklist?

Harness Your Beast!

We all have a scary room in our home.
Your house looks great, though lurking there is ... That room.

Your scary room is the place that stuff ends up that you just can't be bothered putting away. Maybe it is a drawer, cabinet, closet, spare bedroom, basement or garage.

"Jody's" house is fantastic.
Everything is neat, tidy and organized, except for two rooms in her basement. These two rooms are her Scary rooms. Bit overrun with seasonal decorations, home improvement supplies, kids toys and costumes. Like the old saying, "You are only as strong as your weakest link," your home is only as comfortable as your worst room.

Because of these two rooms Jody felt awful, wanted to do something about it. She called me to help her purge. And WOW, she was fantastic!! I expected about 4 hours to complete this project.

Jody and I began in the basement storage room. This is where Jody's seasonal decorations, home improvement and sports equipment is stored. The room has great shelves, though many of her items were on the floor.

We quickly sorted through the items, tossing all that was trash out of the room. Then placed all the home improvement paints, tools and such in one area. All the seasonal decorations together on the shelves and finally the sports equipment. Jody was left with plenty of space to store all her Christmas decorations.

Onto Jody's husband's desk, which we were "not allowed to touch anything." We didn't do much except clean up around the desk and get the Lego sculptures stored in a small cabinet. Though now her husband has much more room to sort out his stuff. Even with the little bit we could do, Jody felt so much better about the area.

Finally, the other storage room in Jody's basement. This is an area where many of the kids old toys and Halloween costumes are kept. Again, we began by pulling items out. Jody sorted through them, keeping and trashing. I cleaned up the area and put everything back that was staying.

All the trash was taken to garage, and now Jody is extremely pleased with her house now. No more unorganized, scary rooms.

It only took 2.5 hours!!
Time flies when you are having fun.

What beast in your home needs to be tackled?

Would You Let a Professional Organizer Handle Your Husband's Tools?

Surprise organizing projects are exciting!

"Carol" asked me to get her husband's tools organized as a surprise for Father's Day. This was a project he has talked about doing for quite some time, alas finding the time to organize the area never seem to happen.

Every time Carol's husband went to start a home project, he had to climb over and dig through his supplies. It was frustrating because he was constantly wasting time looking for the tools he needed. And when his project was finished, he pretty much just set his tool wherever he could balance them without everything tumbling to the ground.

Now, touching a man's tools is nearly as dangerous as messing with a woman's closet, especially if they do not know. Carol gave me some guidance on what her husband would like, then pretty much let me loose to work some organizing magic.

Nearly everything was removed from the area and grouped into like groups; paints, power tools, cords, fasteners, tapes, etc. The shelving was slid together a bit to save floor space and EVERYTHING went back onto the shelves.

Seriously, there was a small grocery bag of scrap papers and broken items removed. That was it. Hey, I know better than tossing out a man's tool without asking. The results was pretty remarkable.

Carol was so excited with the results. Better yet, her husband was pleasantly shocked at his newly organized tool room. Hooray!!

What project would you love to be done for you?

Learn an Organizing Lesson From Toy Story 3

Toy Story 3 what a fabulous movie!

As a professional organizer, I'm thinking a few days later what a great lesson the movie was on how to giving your cherished belongings to another.

Now without going into any spoilers, there are some crazy, bad and hilarious events that happen to the toys throughout the movie. Mr. Potato Head, you stole the show!

In the movie, Andy is heading off to college and his mom has him sort his toys for the attic and donation. (ooh, as an organizer I was riveted). Andy's toys were placed into his toy box, not played with for years. Toy boxes are playtime deathtraps for toys. You need to know that once toys, or nearly any other item for that matter, is placed into the attic. It is likely never heard from again.

A better way to honor your items is to give them to another person to enjoy. Like in the Toy Story series, You have to think of the feelings of your items. You once enjoyed them with passion and gusto. You showed them off with pride and honor.

Time has past and your items have made their way into boxes stacked up in a hot, funky smelling attic covered in layers of dust, insulation and the random mouse dropping never to be touched for years. Is that any way to treat something you once loved?

Now, think about getting your wonderful items to someone who will love, touch and enjoy them. Yeah it may be a bit of a sting to let them go. Better to let them go and see daylight, than sit around gathering dust and funk in a dried out box.

Still not convinced of the benefit of letting go?

Here's a blog post, Honoring Your Memories, from 2.5 years ago about a woman with items stored in her attic and what happened when she let a box go to a stranger.Take the time to read it. Pretty cool story.

Your loved things brought you joy and happiness at one time.

Let them do the same for another.

What was your favorite toy as a child?