What happens to your groceries when you bring them home from the store? Do you toss what you must into the fridge and throw the rest haphazardly into cabinets? The most important part of maintaining an organized kitchen is unpacking your groceries in an orderly fashion. You actually need to think about the organization of your kitchen, what you really can fit, before you even purchase the groceries. I have a good size kitchen, but even with the extra storage space, I’m not a fan of buying very much in bulk. There are benefits to bulk shopping, but you must really have the space and organization to make good use of it. If you buy cereal, for example, you need to make sure you’re not putting brand new, unopened cereal in front of a box that’s already half eaten. That’s how you end up with chaos. When you’re unpacking your groceries, take the time to tear off the tops of snack boxes so individual items are accessible, put like items together with newer expiration dates to the back, unpacking everything fully. Taking the time to unpack and organize after grocery shopping will not only leave you with an organized kitchen, it will save you time in the long run.

The post Unpack and Organize your Groceries to Save Time in the Kitchen appeared first on Chaos to Order, Professional Organizers in Chicago & Atlanta.

Do you ever get that musty smell from your front load washing machine? Here’s a super easy quick tip to keep the mold away. Simply keep a folded towel hanging on the door of the wash machine and it will keep the door open just enough to let air circulate.  The towel provides just enough space to let the air in. Simple, easy tip to keep your front load washing machine free of mold.

The post How To Keep Front Load Washers Smelling Clean appeared first on Chaos to Order, Professional Organizers in Chicago & Atlanta.

School’s Out–are the kids home and driving you crazy yet?  Unless your kids are in camp or summer school full time, they are around much more during the summer months, so intrusions and distractions abound. There are many different scenarios with little ones of different ages, but here are some tips to help you get work done without the guilt of closing the office door on the kids all day long.

Plan “special” time. It doesn’t have to be a full day, but an hour or so around lunch or two hours at the pool can actually help you be more productive in the long run. Your kids will have something to look forward to and feel that you are giving them attention.

Special activities with “conditions.” We all have to get work done before we can go somewhere fun — so should the kids. They are also more likely to be motivated to do chores when there is a fun reward at the end. Make a list of all the tasks you expect them to do before the outing (age appropriate of course). The kids may not do it as well as you, but at least something is getting done, it’s keeping them occupied and you’re able to get some work done at the same time!

Work in an out of the way space. Having an office on the main floor near an entryway is a recipe for disaster when kids are coming and going. If it’s possible to move to an out of the way place like a basement (which is cooler in the summer too) it will be quieter and there will be far less interruptions.

Play “bring your kids to work.” If you have an old computer around that the kids can use for playing games, you can set it up right in the office next to where you’re working. If they are able to play quietly, they can spend some time “working” with you in the office.

Change your working hours. With the kids home during the summer, count on the fact that there are going to be plenty of distractions. Plan some uninterrupted work time either early in the morning or late at night to ensure that you will have time available to be there for the kids during the day as well as quiet time to make sure work gets done and deadlines are met.

Get organized. Working with a professional organizer from Chaos To Order will not only minimize the paper piles, but setting up a good efficient system in your home office will allow you to be much more productive, thus allowing more time with the kids.

Kid swap. Make plans with a friend nearby to swap the kids. You take their kids for a day and they take yours another day. This can be fun for the kids as well as a way to squeeze in some quality work time.

Remember, the work will always be there, but kids grow up very quickly. Prioritize and make an effort to have fun with yours this summer.

This article was written by Monica Friel for NBC Chicago. Here’s the original link: http://www.nbcchicago.com/blogs/inc-well/Guest-How-to-Manage-Work-with-Kids-Home-During-the-Summer-125073434.html#ixzz2VXbu7E3G

The post How to Work From Home with the Kids around in the Summer appeared first on Chaos to Order, Professional Organizers in Chicago & Atlanta.

Schedule it all.  Put every activity, meeting and plan into your calendar. This way you’ll know exactly what is going on and what you can realistically fit in.

The post Organize Your Time appeared first on Chaos to Order, Professional Organizers in Chicago & Atlanta.

I have a plaque in my house that reads, “The Time You Enjoy Wasting Is Not Wasted Time”. It’s there as a reminder  that relaxation is a key component in the ability to work hard and do our best at whatever we do. We hear plenty about how to get more done and work harder, but the key ingredient is coming to the table with a clear mind. If you’re running on fumes and struggling to get things done, you’re not going to be as available to go to the next level. Proper rest, allowing your body to go fully through all the stages of sleep, is critical not only to productivity, but also to innovation according to Carolyn Gregoire in 5 things You Should Know About Sleep Health in the Workplace. 

In addition to sleep, take a vacation! That’s just what you wanted to hear–right? Well it’s true, taking a break will rejuvenate and allow you to come back to work fresh and ready. We’ve all heard this, but it needs to be told often so we don’t forget to enjoy life as we’re trying to always keep up with crazy, hectic schedules. They say, ” life is what happens while your busy making other plans”. Enjoy today, take a break, get some sleep, go on vacation and come back more productive and ready to go get ‘em!

The post Increase Productivity: Go on Vacation and take a Nap! appeared first on Chaos to Order, Professional Organizers in Chicago & Atlanta.

I recently wrote post about how to toss all the magazines and catalogs that can clutter up your space. Once you’ve weeded them out and set parameters as to what stays and what goes, these Clear Magazine Holders are perfect to organize them all. You can also purchase them in sets of 4. Keeping your magazines and catalogs in containers like this will help to keep piles from growing. When there are too many to fit in the container, you have to choose what to eliminate. Use the container as your guideline for how many to keep. One holder of a particular magazine sounds good to me, but you can choose what works for you and stick to it.

If you want to save some cash (they can get pricey) and you’re a Do-It-Yourselfer, you can try cutting a cereal box and decorating it with wrapping paper, contact paper or even painting it to match your decor. 

Any type of magazine holder will help your collection look good on a shelf, hold the magazines nicely upright and will help keep boundaries on how many you hang on to!

The post Friday Favorite: Magazine Holders Buy or DIY appeared first on Chaos to Order, Professional Organizers in Chicago & Atlanta.

Here’s a cool idea from Martha Stewart. If you have a bulletin board and it’s filled with clutter (but important clutter that the family needs for current activities), pull down a roller shade and cover it up! Now that’s not a green light to add more junk to the bulletin board. It’s a good idea to occasionally pull everything off and tack it back up to keep it tidy. As you can see in the photo, this board happens to be divided into sections with a ribbon. That’s a great concept for families and kids, dividing up their different activities, parties, etc…  You can even cover the shade with a nice fabric that matches the decor of the room. Here’s a tutorial for making your own shade. The shelf on top of the bulletin board also serves a purpose. It adds storage above as well as a place to house the shade. Nice, organized space!

The post Friday Favorite Bulletin Board Idea appeared first on Chaos to Order, Professional Organizers in Chicago & Atlanta.

The kitchen is the most important area of the home when it comes to organization and efficiency. Think about the amount of time spent in the kitchen. Unloading groceries, food preparation, snacks, drinks and clean-up, the kitchen is 

such a heavily used area that proper organization is critical. When Chaos To Order organizers unpack a kitchen, we think not only about being able to find what you need quickly, but also about making the most out of every inch of space. Here are some things to consider when you are organizing or unpacking your kitchen:

First, make sure all cabinets and storage areas are wiped down and clean before you start putting things in them. If you’re not unpacking but only organizing, you don’t want to pull everything out. Work on one cabinet at a time. 

Next, if you want to put shelf liner down, now is the time. Shelf liner is a good option if the inside of your cabinets are wood. If the cabinets have a laminated surface, shelf liner is not necessary. Consider the purpose of the shelf liner as there are many different types to choose from. You can find everything from a super sticky contact paper to a light non-stick paper covering. We suggest a shelf liner with a light tackiness.

Unpacking boxes. When you are moving in, it’s always a good idea to ask the movers to load the kitchen boxes on to the truck last so that they are the first ones delivered into the home. We usually spend more time unpacking a kitchen than any other room, so getting a head start is a benefit. Proper packing and labeling is a huge help on the front end  and will help to keep things organized at the destination. Weeding out prior to packing up is essential, of course our organizers are pros at coaching you through this process. Having like items packed together eliminates that overwhelming feeling of, “where do I put this” on the landing side. When movers come to pack, they don’t sort and organize, they 

take the drawer and wrap all the contents up with packing paper. If your movers are helping you pack up, make sure things are placed together and organized similarly to how you want them in your new space. The more planning you can do prior to the move, the smoother the unpack will be. 

When the kitchen boxes are delivered, they can either all be unpacked at once or unpacked by zone. If the boxes are packed properly and you know that you’re not going to find dish towels with the pots and pans.  Unpack one area at a time. It can be overwhelming to have all of the boxes unpacked at once, not to mention you will run out of counter space to on which place things. 

 Dishes. Our organizers will need to know which dishes are used for every day and what is used only for special occasion. We will make everyday dishes most accessible and find more out of the way places for infrequently used pieces. 

Glasses. How long has it been since you’ve weeded out your glasses cabinet? Have you noticed strange cups from movie theater promotions or restaurants make their way into your collection? Moving is the best time to clear out. You’re forced to make decisions about what stays and what goes, so take advantage of that process and edit everywhere you can. Do you like your glasses facing up or down? I like to recommend glasses facing up so the part you drink out of isn’t 

always resting on the bottom of the cabinet, but it is really just a preference. 

Pantry/Food Storage. Dry Goods. Having good pantry space is definitely a bonus, but we also love to find creative ways to maximize space. There are so many great custom cabinet options as well as terrific organizing gadgets that can help you make the most out of every corner and crevice of your kitchen. No matter how big or small your kitchen is, maximizing the space and optimizing it’s efficiency will help you save time on a daily basis. In your pantry, think not only about the space on the shelves, but every area. Vertical space on the wall and on the door can offer a great deal of bonus storage. Our organizers have a keen eye for maximizing the space to it’s potential.

Baking. Keep all of your baking goods together so you know exactly what you have. It’s best to separate baking items from the other food storage so you’ll be able to grab what you need quickly. 

Spices. Of course a nice custom spice drawer with alphabetized spices is ideal, but the best tip for organizing your spices is to know what you have and what you use. We see many spice cabinets that are filled with ancient spices, long past their expiration date. If your not sure how long to keep foods before they expire, check out this post on Still Tasty.

Pots & Pans. A lovely drawer below your cooktop is most advantageous, but other options include a hanging rack or in the smallest of kitchens, you can even use the oven to store some pots and pans.

Cookware. How many casserole dishes does a kitchen need? Treat your bakeware like your clothes, if you haven’t worn it in the past season, it’s time to move on. If you keep some pans for special occasion use only, store them high up to make what you use often more accessible.

Plasticware. Tupperware and the like are usually the hardest items in the kitchen to keep organized. My son has tried (unsuccessfully) to refuse putting it away when he empties the dishwasher. Getting all like items together and lids stacked properly takes more than the 5 seconds he allows to empty the dishwasher. Keep only matching pieces. If you’ve lost a lid or a container is without one, it’s time to eliminate it. Be ruthless with your plastic ware, especially the “disposable” ones that tend to linger on way beyond their disposable time.

Utensils. Separate utensils used every day with ones used infrequently. Those escargot tongs don’t have to be accessible if you only use them once a year.  The drawer you designate for flatware for should have appropriate dividers based on how many pieces you have. Use custom dividers if you have more than 10 pieces of each. Do you like to keep everyday cooking utensils in a container on the counter? If so, don’t let it fill up with extras, keep it specific to what you’re using most. 

Of course as organizers we always suggest keeping like things together. However, if your kitchen space is overflowing, consider thinking outside the kitchen into other rooms for storage. The nearby dining room is always a good option. Each and every space is different and how it is best used depends on your lifestyle. that’s why your best bet is to always get the professional advice of a professional organizer if you are overwhelmed in your kitchen.

The post How To Organize or Unpack your Kitchen appeared first on Chaos to Order, Professional Organizers in Chicago & Atlanta.

Take the day off Moms!

The post Happy Mother’s Day! appeared first on Chaos to Order, Professional Organizers in Chicago & Atlanta.

Keeping your gym bag properly organized can be a challenge. Emptying it out each day and clearing through it all can seem like more effort that it’s worth, and it is. Here are a few simple steps to keep your gym bag organized:

Keep it Simple. Keep only what you need in the bag. Don’t let kids squirrel odds and ends into the bag “just in case” they may need it. Go lean and keep it clean.

Know what goes. Of course dirty clothes and towels need to be removed immediately, but that doesn’t mean you have to pull everything out. Keep other items such as toiletries in separate bags within the bag so they aren’t all mixed together (also easier when you shower to have exactly what you need in a separate bag).

Have a place. When you walk in the door, have a convenient spot for the bag to hang. A simple routine of putting the bag away and pulling out laundry each day will go a long way to help keep things organized.

 Regularly empty. On a weekly basis, depending on how often you’re using the bag, go through the and eliminate anything that doesn’t belong. Make sure to be mindful of the season and take along only what you’ll be using.

 Put Kids in Control when Possible. Age appropriately allow your kids to be in control of what they have. If parents are overly participate in filling the bag and keeping it replenished, kids will not take on the responsibility and may even blame their parents when they are not prepared for their activity–yikes!

Not having your gym bag prepared and organized can hinder the ability to be successful in your workout/sport. You can lose precious practice time by not having the items you need or being late because your searching for things. Make having an organized gym bag a part of your workout routine.

The post Organize Your Gym Bag appeared first on Chaos to Order, Professional Organizers in Chicago & Atlanta.