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what do you know?

You know I’m a professional organizer. What else do you know? I bet you don’t know that…

1} I have more followers on Pinterest than Twitter or Facebook, but spend the least amount of time “pinning” photos.

2} I spend 30 – 60 minutes a day on my own home maintenance. I never waste time watching commercials.

3} No two days are the same. My schedule is not consistent.

4} I’m most productive at night. 

5} I update my calendar on a daily basis so I never overschedule, but I maximize each day.

6} I’ve learned when to say no.

7} My husband says I need to turn off my “on switch” once in awhile, but I never really do.

8} I’m not as spontaneous as I should be.

9} Sometimes client ideas come from my home. Sometimes I apply client ideas to my own home.

10} My favorite color is navy blue, but it’s not the color reflected in my own home.

11} I love vintage and industrial design, but only a portion of my home reflects it.

12} I have a lot of resources because I work with a lot of people. One client refers to me as a yellow page book. Another calls me the restaurant guru.

13} I love shopping for containers.

14} Organizing is not my only passion. I love travel, adventure, geocaching, photography, design, crafting, cooking, hiking, biking, drawing, writing and reading. Before all else is my family.

children’s closets

A few simple tips to keep your child’s closet organized.

1} Install lower hanging bars. This allows children to reach their own clothing.

2} Install bins or lidless baskets. Bins make it easy for children to put away and grab socks, underwear, PJs, swimsuits, accessories and shoes.

3} Catagorize. Clothing dividers are optional.

4} Rainbow color order. Children learn their colors in preschool. By color coding clothes, it is quicker to match and make outfits.

5} One laundry basket. Keeping it small will force you to do laundry more often. 

6} One out-grown basket. Children out-grow clothing and shoes quickly. A bin will allow you to store those items until you are ready to sell or donate them.

7} Hooks. Hooks make hanging anything quicker. Mount around shoulder level.

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slender book storage

Using slender book storage will make any room more spacious. Get creative! Build your own by re-purposing wood, crates, shutters and rain gutters. They take up minimal space and can be mounted at varying heights to accommodate all family members. 216838375_V2l7TgEU_c[1] 14133324_4JJYUIkS_b 216842391_4oHjYr1p_b 8826913_VjfntF5s_b[1]

children’s bedrooms

A well organized child’s bedroom will keep both you and your child happy.

1} Make use of space under the bed.  Lidless containers at your child’s level will allow him/her to easily put items away. You are also teaching responsibility and respect for things in the process.

2} Keep floor space open by using slender furniture and going vertical with storage.

3}  Limit bedding to a fitted sheet and comforter. Your child will be able to make their own bed easier {especially with school back in session!}.

4} Avoid storing toys in the bedroom unless you lack space elsewhere.

a good night’s rest

A bedroom should be a place a rest. Reduce clutter, limit colors and choose furniture wisely.

Source: google.com via Operation on Pinterest

excuses excuses

How often do you hear family, friends + co-workers making excuses? How often do you make excuses? We all make excuses for different reasons. I have clients who make excuses. Most of the excuses are over doing ‘organizing’ homework. The most common excuse? “I didn’t have time.” Indeed, you do have time. We all have 24 hours a day to work with so it just comes down to prioritizing. If something is important to you, you will make it happen!

laundry pile up

Laundry piles up fast when kids start wearing more than one outfit a day, common after kids start school and sports. Do a load of laundry every day to avoid the pile up on the weekends. Assign each family member a laundry basket. When laundry is finished, set the basket in the appropriate room for the person to fold and put away.

clothing organizers save time

How early do you have to get up in the morning to get yourself and everyone else ready and out the door? Shave some time off your morning by using clothing organizers. Set up one for each family member and label them Monday – Friday. Choose all outfits for the coming week in advance and place them in the clothing organizer (one outfit per day). This cuts down on hassling with the children over what they are going to wear and it saves you time deciding what to wear. I’ve spent one too many mornings jumping in and out of outfits, looking for part of an outfit or just plain staring at everything wondering what on Earth I’m going to wear and then I realize I’m behind schedule. Sound familiar? Planning ahead always saves time!   Note: A clothing organizer can also be used in a hall closet for all family members to store shoes or items going back and forth in the car.  

i love HOOKS

Hooks make hanging anything - towels, backpacks, coats, dog leashes, hats, belts + clothing faster to put away. No more floor piles! Hooks come in thousands of options and can be found almost anywhere. I love to use glass knobs for hooks. ETSY and Restoration Hardware are my go to stores.

Other glass options:

Pottery Barn

Anthropologie

This Old World

April Bradley Designs

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craft center

School starts soon for most of the country. With school comes reports and craft projects. So, create a craft center for kid/family projects. Keep essentials stocked – scissors, tape, glue, stapler/staples, pencils, markers, erasers, paint, glitter glue and construction paper. Not only does this allow your child the opportunity to be creative at home, you’ll never have to run out at the last minute for school project supplies!

Image Credit: Pinterest via Operation Organize