Organized for Life

Help! I Can’t Organize, There’s Not Enough Space!

Martha — Fri, 03 Sep 2010 12:32:45 +0000

In a recent consumer survey¹ when asked, “What would you say is the biggest challenge to improving your home’s organization?” These were the answers:

32.9% – Lack of space in the home
27.3% – finding the time
25.2% – too much stuff
6.7% – not sure what product to use
2.7% – products at local retailer don’t meet my need
5.1% – other

Lack of space is #1. For real? When you don’t have places to put all your belongings, the problem can either be:

To illustrate the difference, imagine you have a good-sized kitchen. Your cabinets hold what you need to prepare and serve food. Then you decide you want more than one set of dishes. You decide one set for each season would be perfect. Suddenly, the cabinet space seems to have shrunk. You have too much stuff for the given space.

On the other hand, the galley of a small ship will have actual limited space to store kitchen-related items. Now you must critically evaluate the necessity of each item before you award a place in the tight storage available.

Where does your stuff to space quotient fall? How you would answer this question:

Have you truly pared down belongings to those items you use and love?

How much of what you are trying to cram into your living or working space are items you…

… have not used in last 2 years
… don’t really like but are keeping because they were gifts
… think you might need someday
… have no specific purpose in mind for
… would pitch if you had time to sort through

If you have quite a few things that fit into these categories, they do not pass the USE IT, LOVE IT OR LOSE IT test. It is time for a purging party.

The second question to ask yourself is:

Are you effectively using every square foot of the space you do have?

There are a few tricks that interior designers and professional organizers alike use to maximize storage in a truly small space.
These include:

going vertical
finding unused air
using dual-purpose furnishings

Read more in my post “Small Space Solutions” and listen in to Kelly Galea’s tips on Sept 8^th, see events above.

The first step in any problem solving sequence is to properly identify exactly what the problem is. Hopefully, from this article you have pinpointed whether your problem is too much stuff or an actual limited space situation. Now you are in a position to take corrective action.

Storage Consumer Survey. Homeworld Business Magazine 10/01/2008
Statistic by/from Homeworld Forecast Consumer Survey conducted by NPD Group
http://www.homeworldbusiness.com/hw/main.asp

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ThuRsday Recycle and Reuse: Refrigerators

Martha — Thu, 26 Aug 2010 13:39:08 +0000

ThuRs Recycle and Reuse

If you live in Ohio and have an old refrigerator hanging around, now is the time to get rid of it. AEP Ohio has doubled the reward for recycling from the usual $25 to $50 through the end of August.

Karen Sloneker, director of customer service and marketing for AEP Ohio, said the program gives people looking to let go of an extra refrigerator or freezer an easy way to start saving money and to make money.
‘All they have to do is schedule an appointment and we do the rest,’ Sloneker said. ‘However, the $50 offer will only be extended through July and August, so it’s important to act now.’ (Wierton Daily Times, July 9, 2010)

The old refrigerators are trucked to a warehouse on the west side of Columbus where they are disassembled by JACO Environmental. Workers separate the different elements: plastic, glass, aluminum trim, refrigerants, oil, and copper tubing for reuse. All told, 95% of the appliances will stay out of a landfill.

To recycle a refrigerator, call American Electric Power at 1-877-545-4112 or visit gridSMARTohio.com to schedule a free appliance pickup. Refrigerators and freezers must be cleaned out, operable and at least 10 cubic feet in size.

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What is your WHY?

Martha — Wed, 25 Aug 2010 14:14:17 +0000

In case you haven’t guessed by now, organizing is not an end in itself. There is always a “WHY?” that must be in place. Who wants to even get started on this thankless job otherwise? (Besides the organizer who loves it!)

Fill in the blanks to find your WHY.

I want/need to organize my _______________________ so I can _________________________.

These are some compelling reasons to organize my clients have expressed:
“… home office, so I can attract and keep more clients”;
“… closet, so I can get dressed quickly and get to work on time feeling confident”;
“… kitchen command center, so I can better keep track of my family’s activities”;
“… basement, so I can get rid of non-essentials and find what I have stored quickly”.

Think of the pain that your disorganization is causing. Then imagine what your space would be like if you could have your ideal solution come true. How would that solution make a difference in your life? THAT is your WHY!

Only when your WHY is big enough will you take action. The most common results that will stir folks to action are:

Save time
Benefit my family
Save money
Be more productive with less effort
Avoid physical pain, be more healthy
Gain emotional freedom

The best part for me is, when someone figures out their WHY and is ready to take action, I get to help – with written encouragement, group support classes, show-you-how eBooks, and 1-on-1 organizing sessions. Gotta love this job!

When you know your WHY, the pieces fall in place and you will move forward with purpose and resolve.

Please feel free to share your “why” with us, leave a comment.

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Easy and Efficient Under Sink Storage

Martha — Mon, 23 Aug 2010 15:07:55 +0000

What have you tried to store under your kitchen sink? The space is different in each house depending on where the water lines and disposal end up. You are lucky to get one skinny container on one side of the cabinet.

Then there is the mix of cleaning products; dish-washing liquids, powders and tablets; trash can liners; rubber gloves; and assorted scrubbing doo-dads. The shapes and sizes are a nightmare to organize and contain.
When you are in a hurry, something is bound to topple over. Gooey spills, dishwasher detergent powder, and spider webs conspire against you to make a sticky, dirty mess under there!

Let me offer a few suggestions. You are free to mix and match to come up with a solution that fits your unique circumstance.

Store only what you use in the kitchen here. If you have an adequate pantry or space in your laundry room, keep the majority of your cleaning products there. This also helps cut down on the danger of poisons a child can reach (locks are necessary, but should not be the only safeguard!)
Move trash bag liners to your plastic wrap area. These boxes should fit in the drawer on their side.
Cover the floor of your cabinet with a rubber mat or shelf liner. The spills and grit will be easy to clean with a wet sponge. Once that cheap particle board gets wet, it is never the same. A pristine cupboard looks good when you get ready to sell.
Use a slide out container with a stable bottom. Choose solid plastic, mesh, or metal stripping that is less than ½″ apart to avoid tipping.

A 6 qt plastic shoebox with no lid will do for the side of your cabinet that has the most head room. This is the frugal organizer’s option.

Lynk Professional Kitchen Under-Sink Rollout Double Drawer

The Rolls Royce of pull-outs for the tall side is the 11″ x 21″ chrome Lynk Professional Kitchen Under-Sink Rollout Double Drawer. There is an 11″ x 18″ version as well.

Finally, I love the 13″ x 13″ ITSO wide tray at Target ($5.19) This can hold sponges, rubber gloves, scrubbers on the short side.

Once you make these changes, you will be surprised at how easily and efficiently you can access everything you need from your now beautiful under sink storage!

This is a reprint of a guest post I wrote for Organize with Sandy, originally published on 8/16/10.

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Closet Storage Tip: Use Shelf Dividers

Martha — Fri, 13 Aug 2010 16:48:49 +0000

Don’t you hate it when you fold lots of towels or tees and the first time someone grabs one off the shelf the pile tips over?
That’s where closet shelf dividers come in. You can attach these to either solid shelving or the wire shelves in your closets. Just be sure you are ordering the right type! These are a few examples.

Check your big box stores first before you pay shipping.

Chrome	Chrome Shelf Dividers from OrganizeIt.com Item No: 014982186409 10” high by 12” deep Set of 2 – $6.99 These can slide on front of shelf, so fit all widths
Acrylic	Acrylic Shelf Divider from Amazon.com 8″high x 12″deep $13.75 each Pricey, but so elegant! Use for your MBR closet only?
Wire	Wire Shelf Dividers from Lilian Vernon SKU: 603989 10 1⁄2″ x 1 3⁄4″ x 12 1⁄4″ H Set of 2 – $9.98, 4 for $19.96 Expands to fit between most wire shelving slats.

NOTE: Lillian Vernon also has a solid shelf version at a reasonable price, but these fit only 12” shelves.

When you are planning the number to purchase, decide on an odd number of stacks and buy one more divider. (i.e. 3 stacks => 4 dividers)

Finally, if you want to fold with the best of them and fast, this is a neat folding tool!

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Downsizing in Place, Part 2: Tap Into Your Treasure

Martha — Mon, 09 Aug 2010 12:35:35 +0000

My daughter, Jenny, recently returned from living in Italy and was faced with the task of sorting through boxes from her college years. She had to decide what still held meaning for her and what she was ready to let go.

Making decisions about possessions that represent your life is difficult. You wonder where to start. What is the reasoning process to use?

Then you can get bogged down with the question, “If I don’t keep it, what should I do with it?” The object represents history, or still has a useful life.

One strategy to use when the task seems overwhelming is to turn the process around. Rather than looking at what to get rid of and how, start by looking for treasures.

Ask yourself:

What can I not bear to live without?
Does anything give an emotional tug that holds good memories?
What feeds my soul because it is of such great beauty?

Set aside these treasured items; these are “the keepers!”

All that remains is to determine what you use on a regular basis or you must keep to stay out of jail. The rest can go. Isn’t that a freeing thought?

Remember, you don’t have to keep inherited items or gifts if they do not hold meaning for you! Let someone else cherish those.

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ThuRsday Recycle and Reuse: Backpacks

Martha — Thu, 05 Aug 2010 14:10:07 +0000

ThuRs Recycle and Reuse

We used to get new backpacks every year until we realized that buying one of quality was worth the investment. Our backpack of choice was JanSport, but have read good things about North Face, LLBean and Dakine. By middle school, especially, the better construction is necessary for heavy use.

In any case, when you find that last year’s backpack is obsolete but serviceable, there are several ways to reuse it within your home:

Backpacks make great baby/diaper bags for younger siblings.. You can stash a lot of diapers, creams, drinks and snacks in the many pockets.
Use the pack in the trunk of your car to keep it neat while holding emergency items like: blanket, flares, kitty litter, lock de-icer, etc.
Stuff your gardening tools inside, so you can grab everything at once to head out into the garden.
Designate the backpack as the overnight bag and keep it packed with extra toothbrush, toothpaste, comb, pj’s, and change of clothes – ready to grab and not forget a thing.
Make a backpack the “home” for the best loved stuffed animals. Hang on a hook with faces peeking out. Use this as a good time to purge ratty and unused plush.

If you can’t use the backpack yourself, donate to a thrift store while summer is here so the family who needs one can find it before school starts!

One last option for conservation-minded folk is to donate the backpack to the American Birding Association. This organization’s mission is to “inspire all people to enjoy and protect wild birds.” I love it!

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