Organizing Tips to Live By

1. Have a home for everything

• No halfway houses. If you have a home for your keys, shoes, etc. then you won’t spend valuable time searching for lost items.

2. One life – One calendar

• Keep one calendar for the family. This eliminates double booking or missing appointments. Keep it somewhere visible so everyone can see it. Review with the whole family every Sunday.

3. 70-80% of all paper should be read and tossed immediately

• This includes mail, flyers, newspapers and other paper items. When you open the mail, make a decision immediately to keep it or throw it away. If it is an invitation or mailing for an important date, mark it on the calendar and put it in a home near the calendar

4. Clean as soon as you clutter

• Put items away after each use. Customized storage systems give you a home for every item to put away.

5. Use clear plastic bins for storage

• Plastic makes it easier to identify items. It also saves your items from weather damage such as water or humidity.

6. Keep an inventory of what you have in storage

• This will save you from buying duplicate items. Especially seasonal items such as decorations or outdoor items

7. Limit incoming information via e-mail

• Unsubscribe from any e-mail lists that you don’t look at regularly. Unsubscribe from getting junk mail at www.dma.consumer.org. Also, make sure you are on the do not call list to avoid unwanted phone solicitors.

8. Use on-line bill payment

• Most on-line bill payments are free and will save you time from writing out bills, save you money from stamps and helps avoid paying bills late. The banks are secure to avoid abuse or hackers.

9. Keep like categories together

• When organizing your closet, put all your shoes in the same section, all pants in one section, etc. In the pantry, put all cereal boxes together, cans together, etc. This allows you to see all choices at once.

10. Have a launch pad

• Make a space in your home near the front door for items that you need to take in the morning. Set the items out the night before when you are less rushed.

 

For more information or to get additional tips on organizing:

Arranged By Erin

Erin Kelly

 

www.arrangedbyerin.com

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.

Holiday tips

Holiday Organization Tips:

It’s hard to believe, but the countdown to the 2009 holiday season has begun and planning is undoubtedly at the top of your mind. Here are some ideas to get you off on
the right foot this holiday season.

Make a list & check it twice. Don’t risk your meal planning or holiday list to memory. Great lists to have around this time of year are gift lists, budget lists, meal planning lists, holiday card lists, lists to remind you where you stowed your gifts.

Planning a party? Forget the stamps, send an online invitation! Websites like evite.com make it simple & time efficient. You can capture all of your replies in one section & even find out who has/hasn’t viewed your evite.

Send Holiday cards just in time for New Years! It will be a nice surprise for everyone & definitely stand out from the masses, plus it gives you more time to prepare.

Another important part of the planning process is simply finding last year’s decor. Searching for those extra lights, candles, stockings or outdoor decorations can be time-consuming & frustrating. An organizational system that identifies a place for everything can help relieve this added stress.

Scarey!

Are you feeling like your house fits more into a Halloween scene than a Norman Rockwell paining? As a space designer, I see more situations where the space is not utilized correctly in a home and as a result, there is no organization. Add some kids into the mix and you have a recipe for chaos. But the good news is there is hope! I have worked with many clients and this the basic plan that helps them get started:
1) Pick one room or area in the home to get started
2) Designate a half a day or a whole day to finishing the space (get a babysitter - trust me it is worth the money)
3) Start in one corner and start sorting the stuff into three piles: Throw away, Give away and Organize
4) Clear the area and look at where you can best utilize the space (baskets, shelving, drawers, etc.) If you are stuck in this area then call an expert for advice.
5) Make sure that you are utilizing all space. Think vertically not only horizontally. How can you utilize the floor to ceiling in a way that represents your style and is clutter free?
6) Put everything into a home and label any bins, baskets, etc. so you know where to find everything
7) Sit back and admire your first organized, clutter free space.

Fall is in the air!

The fall chill is in the air. The days are getting shorter and the kids will soon be inside most of the day instead of outside. What does that mean for parents? Kids are going to be inside, toys scattered everywhere and more chaos inside the home instead of in the backyard.

One of my clients recently called me about this dilemma. Wondering what she should do about the clutter of toys and small parts that land all over the house. The solution is to find any space (an open wall, an entertainment center, a closet) that can be transformed into an organizational haven. I took an empty wall (lined with toys) and designed a wall unit that could easily be used for storage of toys. The baskets are great for the odd shaped toys that don't fit neatly into the shelves. The doors help conceal anything you don't want out and keep a neat appearance to the room. Making the unit floor to ceiling helps utilize the space to its maximum.

Clothing Closet Organization Tips

It’s my favorite season…Spring cleaning. The time when we not only scrub our baseboards but also venture into those tombs of mass containment or should I say our closets. After months of putting multitudes of misc items in any open space, we realize it’s time to sort, toss, and reclaim our belongings.
So how do you get started???

DEFINE: What is the purpose of this closet? What do I want to store here?

CATEGORIZE: By keeping like items together, you will be able to see what you have. This not only saves time but also prevents duplicate buying.

BUY A STEP STOOL: One of the biggest mistakes that I see is people not using the full space in their closets. Top shelves can be used for items that aren’t used on a regular basis or are off season.

One of my favorite things to organize is clothing closets. Yes, this organizer is a fashionista. I have helped lots of men & women find their style and reclaim their wardrobe. Here are a couple of my favorite tips.
1. Use thin hangers to save space-huggable hangers are my personal favorite
2. Use your shelf space. Fold what you can, including sweaters, tanks, and jeans.
3. If your closet is very small, flip it seasonally-pack away your off season clothes.
4. If you are saving items that don’t fit, remove them from your closet until you can wear them again.
5. If you are a visual person, use open shelving to store items and label each shelf.
6. Organize your clothes by style and color.
7. Contain the shoes. Depending on your storage space, pick a proper shoe solution. There are built in shoe racks are great!
For more great advice contact Erin Kelly at 773 490 3760
www.arrangedbyerin.com

Office clutter suggestions

With spring in the air, it is the perfect time to reorganize your work space. Do you have a functional, beautiful work space that you want to go to everyday? Studies show that by having a space that is organized and provides ample room to work increases one's productivity.

Take a look at where you spend most of your time working? Answer these questions honestly:
- Do you have enough space to work?

- Is your work space covered in papers?

- Can you locate any folder, paper, file immediately? Could a coworker?

- Do you enjoy being in your work space?

- Can you find your computer? phone?

After you answer these questions, start to reevaluate your work space. How could you make it more functional and accessible to the important items that you need everyday? If you start to answer these questions and get overwhelmed, it is time to call in a designer to help you honestly assess the situation. The designer can offer design ideas and uncover unmet needs for your space. A professional designer will offer a complimentary consultation which will give a better idea of how to organize, file and bring a sense of peace to your space. Go to www.mydreamclosets.com for more ideas on how have a beautiful, functional work space.

Spring has sprung and so has the clutter

As the warm weather descends upon us, the clutter in the house starts to become more apparent. The following areas in the home are the most obvious places were the clutter starts to accumulate and grow:
Entryway/Mudrooms - This is where everything is thrown upon arrival to the home. The shoes are left in the middle of the floor, the coats thrown in a pile, the umbrellas opened in the corner and bags stacked on any empty space. This is the perfect area to have custom built cabinetry or lockers put in. This gives everyone in the household a space to place their stuff and eliminates time running around looking for lost items. Custom organizational systems or built in lockers also add a great amount of storage area to the home since this area is an open space with no purpose except to collect stuff.

Home Offices - Home offices are a great place for clutter to linger. Paper work in piles, kids toys, DVDs, bills, etc. It all seems to find a place in the office. This is an opportunity to build a custom system designed around the family. Pull out baskets behind cabinets are a great space for odd shaped toys. File drawers keep the paperwork organized and doors on cabinets offer a safe hiding place for DVDs, computer programs and any other odd items that tend to accumulate on desks.

Bathrooms - Most households feel there is never enough storage in bathrooms. As a designer, I can identify dead space that can be used to build a cabinet, linen closet or some other storage area that looks beautiful and at the same time is functional. The bathroom is one room in the house that could use more creativity in the storage area that will make life easier in the morning when getting ready for work, play or to start the day.

Garages - What a perfect time of the year to declutter the garage. This is the time of year that I get really busy finding ways to organize and design organizational systems for garages. This is also one of the most crucial places where the systems are needed (besides closets) to organize and gain some sanity in the home. A couple strategic cabinets, hooks, benches, etc. and the garage goes from a clutter dump to a beautiful functional room.

Now is the time to reevaluate your home and find areas where you can maximize the space. All About Closets offers a free quote with detailed drawings of your personalized organizational systems. Even if you don't feel that now is the time to invest into your home, it is worth having a designer come out and give you more ideas on how to tackle the clutter with custom systems. You can do one area at a time or all at once, but once you start you will be amazed how it transforms your family's life.

Little by little we’re seeing hints of it everywhere….Spring! Every year I look forward to that first day of the year when I can finally bring out the sandals and pretty colors of spring.

I also love the idea of clearing the closet of those bulky coats and sweaters and making room for pretty tops and SANDALS! Did I mention sandals-yes, I love them! Having a shoe system in my closet makes it even better, because I have a lot more room for my shoes plus they’re all there for me to see. But this isn’t the best part… I greatly enjoy the clearing of the closet and sense of calm and joy that comes with it.

I read an article on about.com that discusses the correlation between stress and clutter. It’s true! Think of how you feel when you come home after a long day at work and walk in to the sight of piles and piles clutter.

Ok, so we did some research and compiled a few tips to help you organize your closet. Having a professional designer come to your home and create a custom closet design for your closet is first and foremost. Most closet companies, such as All About Closets in Chicago, offer a complimentary consultation where they will come to your home/office, measure your space and design a custom closet unit that maximizes your space (sometimes even doubles it) and fits your lifestyle.

In any case here are some useful tips to get you started on your closet spring cleaning:

• Put on some fun music, grab some garbage bags or storage bins , cleaning spray and paper towels or cleaning rags
• Go through your closet and sort it into three different piles

1. Things to throw away (does it have holes?)
2. Things to donate (have you worn it within the past two years)
3. Things to store (next season’s clothes)
4. Things to keep

• Wipe clean the rods/shelves
• Go through your “to keep” and “to store” piles and ask yourself

1. Have I worn this within the last year?
2. How many of these do I need in this color?
3. Does it fit? If not, set a goal for yourself of 6 months and put the date on the bag. If they don’t fit by this date- donate them.

• Finally, go through your final “to keep” pile and organize clothing by tops, bottoms and accessories
• From this set, you can furhter organize by color, outfit, etc

Bravo…spring cleaning has begun. Enjoy!

Favorite closets!

Tales from a stressed mom

I got a call from a much stressed mom and dear friend looking for solutions to her unorganized closets. She knew our story and love for closets, so as soon as I picked up the phone she began…
“We should be able to treat ourselves to an extra few minutes of sleep once in a while, but considering my morning experience I am not sure it can be called a treat….”
“As you know, I am not a morning person, so when my alarm went off at 5 a.m. I did the usual “oh no”, but responsibilities awaited, so like every morning I went to get up, but then I thought “just 5 more minutes” and so five more minutes turned into 20 minutes, there I was at 5:20 awakened by my internal clock screaming that kids had to be awakened, dressed and breakfast had to be served and somewhere in between I had to get dressed and ready to leave by 6:30…the rush began. I quickly woke everyone up and got the routine in motion. Finally, it was 6:30 a.m. and yea…we were all dressed and ready to go except my 6-year-old. She had searched and searched for her matching sock and just couldn’t find it… we all searched and searched because “no way” could she leave with mismatched socks. We searched in the closet, out of the closet, through drawers…I thought oh great it’s now 6:45 a.m. and no sock! So, I finally gave up and the child had to wear mismatched socks…there were tears and too much drama to discuss, but we had to go.
I realized this cannot happen again. I have to figure out a way to get some organization into our lives. A missing sock should not rob us of 15 plus minutes. If I add that up, let’s say twice a week for six months….we’ve lost 12 hours! That can’t be, but yes the numbers don’t lie. Messy closets and lack of organization can cost my family up to 12 hours of wasted time in just six months. Time is too precious for this. So help!”
As a designer, I completely understand, in fact, it’s this same realization- how much time is wasted searching and sorting through stuff- that often leads many of our clients to contact us. I immediately offered to come out and look at her space and design a closet system that maximizes her space and compliments their design style. Stay tuned…

Tackling a small space

We work with a lot of customers in the city of Chicago who are dealing with a small space and wondering how to maximize this space and make it functional. Today, I worked with a couple who had a beautiful condo overlooking the lake but were in need of more space. The challenge was what to do with their extra room? He wanted an office space and she wanted a guest bedroom for her sister when she came to visit. We were able to accomplish both with a custom wall unit that had a murphy bed. A murphy bed folds up into the wall so that when it is not in use, the floor space is better utilized. It also keeps the room looking neat and allows for more working space for the desk that was put in the room opposite the unit. The great part about the murphy bed is that it is comfortable and practical.
The room is now functional and meets both his and her objectives for the room. In addition, they now have some additional shelf space to house some great antiques handed down from her great grandmother.
You can view a picture of a murphy bed at this link http://mydreamclosets.com/showroom.html

Where do I start

People often ask me where to start when they need their life organized? The easiest way is to pick a room and get started! The initial first step is the hardest, but once you get going you will see what progress you will make quickly. First, you need to assess the situation. What are you dealing with? Do you need to discard some items or move items to different rooms that are more functional. For example, put the staple in the office not the kitchen. Do you need help? Is it time to call in your friends who owe you a favor or your family to support you through this cleansing?