Our World Could Use a Few More Charlies

After helping "Charlie" with organizing his garage, he asked me to help his wife get her new apartment ready. I purchased new bedroom furniture, bedding and shower items for "Sandra," then returned to help get all her items put away.

During lunch, Charlie's wife began telling a bit about his life.

Charlie's father was a physicist who was in the US Defense Department working on weapons of mass destruction. Due to his father's responsibilities, Charlie spent his entire childhood under the care of the secret service. Bouncing from home to home, with a new last name each time he moved. WOW!

Sandra continued to tell how he ran off and joined the Marines at age 16. Ranking a Major in the US Marine Corps, Charlie fought in the Battle of Iwo Jima. She continued on with stories about their travels and hobbies.
I was in awe!!

Charlie gazed at his wife with such a loving look in his eyes. It was amazing to see a man care so very much about his wife. Not by anything he said or did, just his eyes. Stunning.

Sandra mentioned her back ached a bit. Charlie, speaking very slowly from the effects of his stroke, "Would you like me to arrange for a massage?"

In a flash, Sandra snapped back:
"Oh so now your gonna do something for me.
What the hell would I want anything from you? Your useless."

Charlie simply pursed his lips, nodded to me, his eyes broken.

"Sandra, why don't you eat your lunch so we can finish unpacking your room?" I stated in attempt to skirt what just happened.

Charlie went off for a haircut. Sandra and I went to her new room to get her items unpacked.

Charlie is an amazing man. He has told me he will always love his wife despite what her dementia is doing to her. My respect for Charlie grows with each meeting I have with him.
Hmmm ... funny, I randomly chose Charlie's nickname.
He is more than a good man. Charlie is a great man.

Sometimes what you learn from a stranger is priceless.

What have you learned from someone?

What Are You Dedicating Your Breaths to Today?

This clip is just too powerful to not be shared.
Please take the 2 minutes to watch.
Organizing can wait another day:



"If you feel you have something to give. If you feel that your particular talent is worth developing, is worth caring for? Then there is nothing you can't achieve." ~Kevin Spacey

Thank you Kevin Spacey for your gentle reminder.

What are you achieving today?

Organizing Your Sock Drawer with Rocket Organizing

Rocket Organizing is a new venture of Organized Solutions and a sister to this blog.  

The purpose is to have short fun organizing videos, Q&A interviews, sassy shenanigans and geez, who knows what else.  This is the first complete organizing video on organizing your sock drawer.

We believe Rocket Organizing will  lead ultimately to a TV network picking up the program and adding some sassy, sexiness to the organizing world.

.... think of the trifecta of Rachel Ray, Ellen Degeneres and Lucille Ball.

Yes, we will have action figures.

Are you ready for some reality in the organizing world that YOU can relate to? 

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?

Get Organized and Breathe Again

Maggie wanted to get organize to regain her own space again in her home which she had seem to lose to her children and grandchildren.

As I walked through Maggie's home, we entered her bedroom. She became visibly upset. This is where we needed to start. She was upset, nervous and felt overwhelmed.  Though as we continued to chat about a plan to get her bedroom organized, she had thanked me and told me she felt like there was hope ... and she began to feel better!

This is how Maggie's bedroom looked when we started.
We sorted out her dresser drawers and cleared the piles.

In the end, we had a large bag for the trash and several bags and boxes for donation.

"I can Breathe!"

We were also able to get Maggie's closet cleaned up in our 4 hours of time together, too.
Clients like Maggie remind me why I love my job.

Helping people feel better about their home is fantastic!


What client has reminded you why you do what you do?

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.