Everybody's working for the weekend!

Am I showing my age when the song by Loverboy, "everybody's working for the weekend" pops into my head? What a great catchy tune and also brings me back to those days when I had some of my first jobs and all I looked forward to was 5:00 on a Friday. That dreadful grind that gleamed with hope of better careers to come in the future. One of my first jobs, at the age of 16, was to fold napkins for a banquet hall. I was the best folder and would challenge myself to get more napkins folded than all the other half interested teenagers who were hired to fold napkins into fancy shapes. Although dreadful at the time, I still use a lot of what I learned in those long hours of folding napkins. Discipline, persistence, creativity........When you come over to my house for a dinner party, you better believe you have a fancy folded napkin at your plate!

As this economy continues to hit hard times, I am surrounded by many people who have got laid off, downsized, rightsized, company went bankrupt, etc. These people have found themselves in situations were they are doing whatever it takes to make extra money, even if they have to fold napkins. I couldn't help but reference my latest book that I am reading, "Start Where You Are", by Chris Gardner. Many people know him better by the movie, "The Pursuit of Happyness". If you haven't had a chance to watch the movie or read the book, I highly recommend it. I had the privilege to listen to him speak live. He is humble but worked hard (really hard) and made a lot of sacrifices that most people would not be willing to make to arrive where he is today. His main focus was being the kind of dad that he never had the ability to experience.

Pantries are a great space in your home to organize. Here is my favorite addition to a pantry or space in your kitchen that helps keep everything looking organized and easy to see!

My favorite kitchens

Monday, Monday

Does anyone else feel the craze of Monday? Why is it so difficult to get back in the routine after a weekend? Every Sunday, I say to myself I am going to have everything organized so that when Monday morning arrives I can get up, get ready for work, get the kids ready for school, breakfast on the table and leave happily whistling a tune to start my day. Some how that tune turns into screaming, crying and running to make it on time.

I have learned to organize myself at night, kids school items on the table ready to go, shoes and backpacks in the lockers by the door, suit handing on the valet rod in the laundry room, car loaded and ready to go. It works some days but the pressing time restraints that hit on Monday seem to alter any previous organization.

I must run since I late and I hear figting in the background. I just wanted to assure any working mom that you are not alone in your Monday scramble! As an organization guru, no locker system, custom closet, laundry room shelves, etc. can withstand the craze of Monday.

Back to school ritual!

I have fond memories of going back to school. The fun of getting school supplies, buying new back to school clothes, finding out who my teacher was and who was going to be in my class. Nobody warned me that on the other end of this was a parent who was dreading this "back to school ritual". The time, money, chaos and frenzy that all hits in a small time frame. Who ever started buying new clothes to go back to school anyway? Can't the kids just wear the same clothes they had all summer long and wait until all the fall clothes come out on sale? After all, most clothes are out a full season before you really need them. Being the organization guru, I also feel compelled that when they get their new clothes, that I need to start organizing and purging the old clothes. This, of course, has to be labeled and sorted according to what I am planning on doing with the outgrown clothes. There is a pile for "good will", a pile for my friends who have younger kids and a pile for those couple items I just can't seem to give away. I am not sure what is so sentimental about a couple of frilly dresses and a couple cute sweater vests, but I still hold onto them. I am sure that I have given some of you the advice to get rid of this stuff to declutter, but I truly understand a couple pieces that you just love to keep.

What does all this amount to? Well, I have gracefully learned to accept this ritual for what it is.....the next page in a book for your little one to enter into a new school grade and for you to realize they are one year closer to growing independent. With all its chaos and craziness, I wouldn't miss the back to school ritual. It is almost like a party to celebrate the next year in school. In fact, I think parents should start their own "back to school ritual". We could do it honor of us not being able to fit into our clothes anymore or in celebration of just making it through another year!

Summer is here! Now Lets Enjoy it!

Summer is a time for rest and relaxation. Having an organized home makes one feel more relaxed throughout the day. We have to put together a few tips to help you get and stay organized so you can enjoy the summer!

Tips for Designing a Laundry Room

Laundry rooms are typically a home organizer's nightmare. They are those little messy rooms that just keep getting cluttered no matter how hard you try to organize them. Here are a few simple and bright ideas to help you make your laundry room a better and more inviting place:

1. Good Lighting - Lighting up the laundry area can bring up a dramatic difference in the space. Also having windows through which light and air can flow in would be a good boost to the whole washing experience.


2. Orderly Arrangement - Like any other room, unnecessary clutter can give the space a dirty look. Having a closed basket for dumping soiled clothes rather than heaping them on the floor or inside the cabinet would give a more organized look.


3. Having overhead closed cabinet spaces gives more space and scope for artistic and creative ideas to flow. The cabinets can be painted in creative designs and colors to bring life to the area.


4. Keeping detergents, sewing kit, laundry shampoos, start and other such items needed in the laundry room within cabinets gives it easier access and avoids using up other storing spaces in the house.


5. The wall attached ironing board is an ideal option for laundry areas with less space. Having the iron box in the laundry room ensures that clothes leave the laundry room in wearable form.


6. Like any other area of your house, you can add to the ambience of the laundry room or area with potted plants, different color patterns.

Bring out your music system to your laundry area, let the music play or get that book you always wanted to read and enjoy it while your clothes spin. Laundry time would never be a chore again!!

Source: Homedesigning.com

Why choose a closet company?

Some people ask:
Why would I go with a closet company instead of companies that will sell you the parts?
The answers are simple.
1. The company has not been to your home to see the space or inventory your items. How will you know if your space is designed properly?
2. Any place that will sell you the parts most likely will not install the units. You will either have to transport the material to your home or they will be delivered to your house in boxes from a major carrier.
3. Once you receive and install the units, you own them. If you measured the space wrong, damaged some material or did not install the units properly the responsibility is on the consumer.

The benefits of using a closet company are simple.
1. Closet companies will come to your home to see what the space is and what needs to go back in the space. Designers are trained in closet design. There is a certain way to designing closet systems that most people would not know about.
2. Closet companies will manufacture, deliver and install the systems. This is all done by trained professionals. There is a certain way to install and support the systems to ensure they can withstand the weight and everyday useage. If there is a problem with a measurement or a faulty part the closet comapny will be responsible for any mistakes and will fix it.
3. Most closet companies offer a lifetime warranty. All About Closets takes this very serious. If anything goes wrong with your system we will fix the problem free of charge.
With most services there is a reason why you should pay a bit more. You will have the confidence that it will be done right by a trained professional with a lifetime warranty.
This is one product that the old saying, you get what you pay for holds true.
I have gone to some houses where the customer tried to do it yourself and it is useally not a great result.
Do your research and pay a little more. You will not regret it.

The benefits of having an organized closet

Can you imagine having a kitchen with no drawers, cabinets or places to store food. That might make your trip to the kitchen a bit frustrating. That is why we have nice cabinets with storage for all of our glasses, plates, pots, pans and so on. We need to be able to find things with ease. This saves time and effort for everybody.
How a closet works
The same holds true for your closet. We are in our closet at least twice a day and sometimes more. You will actually save time and money having an organized closet system. Let me explain how a closet works. You should be able to go to your closet and know exactly where your shoes, dresses, pants, undergarments etc are located. Having a closet organizing system will provide specific areas for each item. This will save you time because you will spend less time looking for things. This will also save you money because now that you can see everything you will be less likely to purchase the same item of clothing twice. Numerous customers have told me that they could not believe how many of the same item they had and some even still had the price tag on them.

As with kitchens you will need to have a professional design your closet system. Each closet needs to have a certain flow for ease of access.

Spring is the Perfect Time to Simplify and Reorganize

How Do We Cut Through the Clutter?

We comb through each room and choose 5 things to either sell on Craigslist, donate to the local Salvation Army or to a friend. We choose things that are either broken, we don't love or are no longer useful. Maybe we've outgrown a throw pillow, or can accept that we're never going to fix that lamp or that the side table is really unnecessary. When we get proactive abut what we want to keep, it makes us feel empowered to get rid of what's dragging us down. When we choose 5 things (start small if you need to) it feels so good that it motivates us to keep going, making space, lightening the load.

Here are some of the things that have made it out the door over the years:

• Frames we were saving "just in case"
• Clothes that have holes or we've outgrown (no we don't hang onto them for when we lose weight)
• Chipped dishes or dishes we don't love
• Side table that ws too bulky in the living room
• Books! We keep the ones we love, not the ones to impress guests
• Old Towels (we donate them to shelters)
• Miscellaneous stuff in the bathroom

Laura Joliet

Keeping your Kids Organized!

If you can't see the floor of your children's rooms (or are to afraid to open the door) then it is time to take action! Help children organize their rooms in a way that make their space fun and easy to keep clean. Reassure them that putting their room in order doesn't mean they have to throw away any of their good stuff.

Organizing a Kid's Closet

Organizing a kid's closet presents a unique challenge, mainly because most children's clothes are smaller than standard hanging systems. In addition, the space often needs to double as a place for toys and games storage. Below are top tips for organizing a child's closet space:

• Keep in mind children grow so adjustable shelving and poles are important
• Make it kid friendly. Use baskets to hold odd shaped toys and low shelving to put their favorite toys.
• Consider safety. Make sure that the shelving is secure and that it can't easily pull out from the wall.
• Don't forget a laundry basket. Wire laundry baskets allow for ventilation to the dirty clothes and easily removed to bring to the laundry room.

New Year New Organized You!

Did you know that 48% of American's Adults say they are at least somewhat likely to make a New year's Resolution this year? What made your list for 2010? If getting organized and making more time to spend with family and friends tops your list, here are some ideas to get you started and help you find more time.

Closet Organization Tips

• If you haven't worn it in the last 12 months, it doesn't fit, if it's out of style or you don't feel good about yourself when you wear it, get rid of it!



• Store your clothes according to season you can keep your "off-season" in a different part of the house if you run short on space.



• You can organize your clothing according to purpose (formal, casual), type (shirts, pants), style (short sleeves, long sleeves) and color (light to dark).



• Seperate out catagories of clothing like men's / women's, pant/shirts by assigning each section a different part of the closet.



• You can hang just about anything from hooks or racks attached to your closet walls: purses, belts, ties, jewelry, ect.