Monday, May 28, 2012

Seniors - Getting Ready To Downsize - Start De-Cluttering Now

As your children grow up and move out of your home and as people age they start  thinking about downsizing. They don't need a big house, they don't want do to all of the housework and yard work anymore.

Why not start thinking about it years before you are ready?  That way there is no rush, no pressure.

If you give yourself plenty of time you can make the decisions about your belongings at your own pace instead of having to decide what to get rid of as the moving truck is pulling up.

The first and most important part of any move and downsizing is the decluttering.  Start going through each of your rooms and decide what you can get rid of.

And of course, that means, donate or give away (for the most part). If you haven't used it or don't want to take it with you, put it in the "donate" box.

One thing that you will also want to start thinking about is the size of your new home. If you have a four bedroom home now and want to downsize to a one or two bedroom home you will have a lot of things to get rid of.

Don't think that you have to get rid of the entire extra room. You can pick or choose pieces from each room that will go into your new home. Only take the things that you really love or that are functional.

Start thinking about giving away things to your loved ones now, when they can enjoy them. Why wait until after you are gone so that you won't be able to share in their happiness?  It might sound morbid, but it makes sense.  You know that you love to see the look on their faces when you give them presents for their birthdays or holidays.

By taking control of your own decluttering now, when you are not in a rush, you will be much calmer and more rational. Trust me, moving is not a fun process. Take the stress out of it by planning ahead and decluttering on your terms.

For many children that live away from their elderly parents it sometimes helps to have someone, such as a Professional Organizer help with this transition. It helps the seniors in getting the job done on their terms. A Professional Organizer with experience in working with seniors can also help in planning out the move and help in the design of the new home to be sure that everything fits and that everything has a place. Not everyone has the luxury of taking time off of work to spend a few weeks helping their parents with this process. And when they do have the time off it's better spent on visiting instead of decluttering and packing.

Start early. Take your time. Declutter without the stress of a move, before the move.

Think about it....and start decluttering......

Organizational Consulting Services

Monday, May 21, 2012

Moving - How to Protect Your Possessions

Moving  - How to Protect Your Possessions
It’s that time of year where a lot of families move. The kids are almost out of school. You can slowly start packing up your house and dream about your new home.
But before you get too happy you need to protect yourself and your possessions. Even the most organized people have lost valuable possessions in a move. Once you let your possessions out of your sight and into the hands of “professional movers" you have lost control.
When you are searching for a moving company you need to do your due diligence, read the fine print and demand references.  The companies are always nice before your move, but once they pick up your furniture it’s a different story.
There are a number of things that you can do.
1)       Make a list of everything that you are packing and where it is packed. Yes, this is time   consuming but this will help to protect you should the unthinkable happen (lost boxes).

2)      Take pictures of everything. Close up pictures to show the condition of the items.

3)      Gather all of your receipts for any big ticket items or anything of value. If your possessions are lost or damaged the moving company will demand receipts before they pay for the damage. Oh, you bought that couch five years ago and don’t have the receipt? Too bad!

4)      If you are packing yourself here’s a newsflash – the moving company won’t believe you  when you tell them that you packed (whatever – of value) in a box that was lost. Since they did not pack it, they will not reimburse you.
       5)     When the movers hand you the papework to sign when    they are loading the truck….look over the paperwork very, very carefully. Question every single tick mark on the paper. Don’t let them intimidate you into signing the paperwork unless you know what every single mark means. Believe me, you will regret it later if you do.
People think that packing themselves saves money, but if anything is lost you will have a terrible time trying to get compensated by the moving company.
Mayflower is a great example of a moving company that will not reimburse you for anything that you packed yourself because they will say that you have to prove that it was actually in the box.
The major problem with moving is that it is very stressful, even if you are totally organized.
By starting early and leaving yourself plenty of time to get your home de-cluttered and packed you will save yourself a lot of stress. Don't try to cram all of your packing into a few days.
Before you pack it....ask yourself: 
                "Have you used it, worn it or even remembered that you had (insert name of item) it in the last year?"
If the answer is "no".... re-think packing the item. Why take clutter with you to your new home?
Even if you aren't planning on moving for another year....start thinking about the processs as early as possible. You will save yourself a lot of headaches!
Happy Moving!
Organizational Consulting Services

Monday, May 14, 2012

Organizing Your Kids Summer Activities

Summertime, kids out of school, vacations are all fast approaching. You might think it’s far away, but your kids, believe me, they are thinking about summer vacations already.

If you are able to go away on vacation get your kids involved in planning it. Let them come up with some ideas on things to do. If they are old enough, put them in charge of planning the activities. This teaches them how much work is involved and also empowers them to make their vacation their own.

Let them come up with a list of things to pack. Make sure to look it over and make sure that it’s reasonable and that they did not miss anything. It also teaches them to work within restrictions – such as airline weight restrictions or car room restrictions. No, they can’t take every single toy on vacation.

If you are not going away on vacation you can still plan plenty of activities to keep your children occupied.

Let them help come up with a list of things that they want to see or do in your city. Museums, the zoo, the beach are all fun activities. They can also plan “day trips” to places a bit further away. From planning on what to pack for lunches and what they will see and do.

By letting them help plan these activities it gives them ownership of their own “fun” and makes them understand how much everyone counts on them for planning a great vacation or activity.

By involving your kids in the planning stages they will be more likely to enjoy their summer. And if they don’t come up with any ideas – oh well, I guess they will be bored! And it will be their own fault.

Empower your kids at a young age to help plan their summer and you will not only have happier children who think the plans were all “their idea” but you won’t have to come up with ideas all on your own that the kids will whine about.

Summer is not about keeping your kids busy….but it’s about teaching them valuable lessons that they can take with them as they grow up.

It’s never too early to teach your kids organizational skills. And they can have fun as they are learning.

Organizational Consulting Services

Tuesday, May 8, 2012

What People See.....

Everyone has a different idea of  "clean and organized". They are not the same.

For some people, clean means that they can find what they are looking for. It doesn't matter how long it takes. Five minutes, an hour, a few days. It doesn't matter. If they can find it, the room is clean and organized.

For some of us, that doesn't exactly cut it. For me, I need to have everything in a designated place. But I don't judge.

O.K. .... I do when I'm walking around the block. I admit it. When I'm walking and people have their garages open and you can't even see the back of the garage because "stuff" is piled from floor to ceiling.... I want to secretly clean out their garage. I can't help it. It's not about them. It's about me. I have a need to see things put away in their place.

But most of all, I wonder. I wonder if they care that other people can see their disorganized space. I'm sure they don't. It only seems to bother me.

For most of the people that I work with they don't let other people see their disorganized house. It's hidden behind closed doors. But when the garage door is open, everyone can see their disorganized space.

But it also makes me think about a client that I had who had one of the neatest garages that I have ever seen and who thought his garage was messy. I told him, "it's a garage, it's not supposed to be perfectly clean".

People have different levels of  "what bothers them".  But it also has to do with "what other people see".

So if you are going to open your garage and you know it's not as organized as your neighbors would appreciate, you have two choices. Clean out your garage (and who knows if you'll find a car in there) or keep your garage doors closed.

Organizational Consulting Services

Tuesday, May 1, 2012

Clean Does Not Mean Organized

I have heard a lot of people confuse the words "clean" and "organized" lately so I thought it was time to set the record straight....again....

A lot of people have this misconception that being organized and being clean is the same thing. It's not. You can have a clean house that is a cluttered mess. Or you can have an organized house that is filthy and dusty. One does not necessarily have to do with the other.

Organization is a state of mind. It's subjective. What's organized by some people's standards isn't necessarily organized by others.

But dirt. It's sort of black and white. Mostly black. I'm sure that you have all seen the old fashioned white glove test. You can't argue with black dirt on a white glove.

Just because a space is organized doesn't mean it's clean. When you are sitting at a desk and you are wheezing because of all the dust bunnies on and under the desk...chances are it is not clean.

But when you get a manager that says "well, no one else has complained" ....obviously it must be clean and you are just too picky. Right? WRONG !

I'm sure that you have all seen the "Hoarders" shows. Those people live in their homes and they don't complain. So does that make it o.k. ?  No, is the correct answer.

Just because everyone around you doesn't complain doesn't mean your office space is clean. It just means that they don't mind living and working in a dirty environment. That doesn't mean that you have to. And your manager should be ashamed of himself for subjecting you to a dirty working environment and for making you feel like you are the one that has the problem for speaking up.

It sort of reminds me of the story "The Emperor's Clothes". Everyone just went along with the program and no one wanted to rock the boat. Until a new person came to the palace and said "no, don't see the clothes....he isn't wearing any".

Taking a stand and saying that you want a clean and organized work environment is not easy. Especially when you are made to feel like there is something wrong with you for speaking up. But your health should come first. And people will eventually thank you for speaking up and creating a safer and cleaner work environment.

Remember....being Organized involves being Clean. They are not exclusive.

My Motto:  Less Clutter  =  Less Stress.... in Your Home, Your Office and Your Life (sm)

Organizational Consulting Services