Practice What You Preach!

I practice what I preach, or so I thought. I am a firm believer in regular purging. I take pride in the fact that I control my clutter. I created a habit of clearing and purging my home on a regular basis. As I bring something new into my home, I take something out.

Don’t get me wrong, I am not a minimalist, but the clutter in my home is under control. As I write this sentence I am remembering that old phrase “things that make you go hmmm”.

My “awakening” occurred recently when a family member moved to her very first apartment. I remember how exciting it is to move to your new home but also how expensive and difficult it is to stock your new place with essential items. Wanting to help out I decided to pass on one or two items that I do not use. In the back of my mind, I thought it would be a difficult task as I am not a collector.

I started in the kitchen. I searched my kitchen drawers, cabinets and pantry. Here and there I discovered extra cups, glasses, serving utensils, extra oven mitts and even cans of food that are in the cupboard-just in case items. The small bag I had on hand soon had to be replaced with a larger, sturdier bag.

Wow! Did I just find all these extra things in MY kitchen? I felt good about passing these items on, but started to question myself and my own ability to purge.

Of course, I had to continue the process; so I found myself in my linen closet repeating the process. Two large (very large) bags later I completed my task.

I have to admit, I felt lighter. Something I visually witness with my clients when they are ready to purge. Just imagine the feeling of space and organization whenever you open your cupboard or storage area.

I enjoyed the learning experience. I was reminded just how easy it is to lose control over the “stuff” in your home. How quickly one or two items become many and the wonderful feeling that engulfs you have when you finally release your clutter.

Personalized Organization-Just For You!

I know I’ve mentioned this before, but I really love the “Before” and “After” effect of organizing. When I work with a customer who is ready to roll up their sleeves to tackle their clutter, it inspires me. I love to be inspired by my clients.


Today I am inspired by a client with 2 young children who was anxious to get organized. I received a call from her two weeks ago, she was ready and willing to get started AND finish on her own but just didn’t know where to start. After visiting her home, I set up a personalized plan just for her, based on the space in her home and her needs. She was very motivated and I had complete confidence in her, I enjoyed being her cheerleader. She told me, that she would “make me proud”.

Keep in mind, with two children, one an infant with round the clock needs and a school age child to be dropped off in the morning and after school, it is difficult to find time in the day to focus on additional tasks. I am proud to say I received a call from my client today; she wanted me to see what she accomplished in 2 weeks. I give her a huge gold star and two thumbs up. She did an excellent job and is ready to entertain guests this weekend! I had a huge smile on my face as she showed me around her new space. I have to say, her smile was just as large as mine and yes, I am very proud of her!

Lurlene Anderson
Professional Organizer
OrganizeYourWorld.CA

Need More Cupboard Space?

 A great solution for lack of storage is a pantry. In the past, a pantry was generally a separate room in the kitchen that was used to store food items-a storage area complete with shelving and a door. It is possible to purchase your own pantry and personalize it to suit your needs. There is a wide variety to choose from. Not to mention the array of colours and sizes; it is easy to find one that will fit perfectly into your space.


I am a firm believer in creative thinking and using items for different purposes. I just purchased a pantry for my kitchen and as I was putting it together, I began to think of the various uses for the one I purchased. It is a wood tone that would also be a great choice for a home office.

The benefit of a pantry is that it keeps items “out of sight” and therefore helps remove visual clutter from the room. Another great benefit is that the shelves are adjustable so you can control the height to store items by size.

Here are some ideas for “pantry” storage:

Kitchen

• Entertaining items such as serving trays, serviettes, paper plates & cutlery.

• Paper towels

• Recycle bin

• Bottles & cans

You can also store like items together in baskets. If you keep them together, you will see at a glance that you have enough and avoid duplicates and triplicate.

Home Office

• Paper

• Files

• Office Supplies

• Tax returns

• Manuals , notebooks & books

• Warranties

• Spare computer hardware, printer or parts

Laundry Room

• Detergent, fabric softener, bleach & spot remover

• Cleaning rags

Other uses

• Gift wrapping tools

• Sewing items

• Craft storage

• Christmas decorations

• Game storage

• Spare bedding & pillows


A final tip-Always store heavier items on the bottom shelf.



Lurlene Anderson

Professional Organizer, Writer, Speaker

www.organizeyourworld.ca

www.LurleneAnderson.com

Organize and Clean in Minutes!

 

Years ago a group of friends rented a lovely cottage in a popular area. It was a great location, lots of space and great bedrooms for a large group of adults with children in tow. This particular group was very unique, we shared the “everything in its place” gene. We were quite upset that the rental was not up to our “white glove” status. We all keep our homes clean & clear, so at the beginning of our vacation we spent more time inside than outside. Why? We spent a lot of time putting things in order to our liking. You have to keep in mind, if you like having things in order; it is not a chore-it’s actually enjoyable. As our time there progressed, every time I walked into the cottage, it “sparkled” or “shined” a little more each time I walked through the door. The little things you do really make a difference.
What was the difference? We were all in synch; we all naturally and without a second thought, put things away as we used them and cleaned up after ourselves and our children. This sounds too simple but it really works!
Try these tips to make your rooms “shine”.

 

Remove any clutter from the room that has no purpose in the room

 

Dust all surfaces

 

Kitchen:

 

• Wipe down counter, fridge, stove and cupboard doors
•  Clear the sink. Wash or put dishes in the dishwasher
• Change the dish towel and dish cloth every third day or right after having guests 

 

Quick Tip:

Always keep the dishwasher locked after washing before putting dishes away. This helps avoid mixing clean with dirty. If the door is locked, everyone knows it’s time to put the dishes away, if it’s open, put dirty dishes directly into the dishwasher.


Bathroom:

• Clean all surfaces
• Change towels
•  Check to ensure you have extra toilet paper rolls

Last but not least...

Vacuum, sweep and mop floors.

 

Remember to:

• Put things away immediately
• Wipe down counters after putting dishes away
• If it doesn’t belong in the room, it shouldn’t be there!

Enjoy the shine!

Lurlene Anderson
Professional Organizer, Writer, Speaker
http://www.organizeyourworld.ca/
http://www.lurleneanderson.com/

What is your New Year’s Resolution?

Is today the day that you are making a list of your resolutions for the New Year?

Are you thinking about a change? Has anyone asked you about your resolution today?

Every year, getting organized or spending more time with family and loved ones are one of the top ten.

Getting organized is actually a “habit” that you can develop with conscious effort and commitment. It takes 28 days to develop a habit, so why not commit to one change in your daily routine to create a new you for the month of January!

Start slow, here’s a list of small, baby steps to get you started:

• Make your bed each morning. (Even if you pull up the covers to your pillow, your bed will look better than an unmade bed)

• Put your keys in one location every time you walk in your door

• Clear your kitchen table each night

• Put your dishes directly in the dishwasher instead of the sink or wash your dishes right after dinner

• Designate one location for all your mail and put it in the same spot each day

• Recycle junk mail as soon as you receive it-put it in the recycling bin right away

• As you become more organized in your daily routine, you will find you have created more time to spend with family and loved ones. “Being organized can save you time”, according to the Fast Company magazine, Executives waste 6 weeks per year searching for misplaced documents!

This is my New Year’s gift to everyone-work on one resolution and you actually succeed in making two of your resolution wishes come true!

Lurlene Anderson
Professional Organizer
www.OrganizeYourWorld.Ca

What is a Professional Organizer?

When I am asked what I do I often hear "I need you to come to my house" or I am asked what is a Professional Organizer? What do you do?

It is not an easy question to answer. I offer many services. I help busy people who are overwhelmed or just don’t know where to start with their clutter and I help create a retreat in YOUR home or office.

Here's a short list of services:

o Home or office organization and setting up personalized systems to help maintain clutter. I organize based on my client’s needs, not my own.
o Personal assistant. I help busy entrepreneurs keep their office organized and appointments scheduled.
o Public Speaking to help deal with clutter or time management challenges.
o Published writer to provide tips to clear your clutter.
o Prepare homes for sale by painting, de-cluttering, staging and packing.

I love what I do and I am finding it difficult to choose my special niche. I’ll keep working on that...

Lurlene Anderson
Professional Organizer
www.OrganizeYourWorld.Ca

Thrilled to join other Professional Organizers for the Great Organizing Getaway

January 25, 2010 is the first day of the Great Organizing Giveaway!

http://www.facebook.com/event.php?eid=263547322425

New Year, New You!

Free Your Time to meet personal New Year Reslutions

Free your time to meet personal New Year Resolutions
• Start small
• Set attainable goals
• Share your intention; this will help you stick to it
• If you slip up, it’s okay, start again
• Set up a system that works for everyone in the household, make it fun!
How to Purge?
• Is it useful?
• Have you used it in the last 6 months?
• Do you know someone who can use it?
• Donate, donate, donate
Children’s Toys
• Right after Christmas is the best time to purge the toys
• Sort when your children are not home, you should be aware of their favourite toys, if unsure, keep those toys for them to sort
• Throw out all broken toys
• Donate age inappropriate toys and toys that are not popular with your children
Children should always be responsible for putting away their toys before going to bed or when visiting. This will develop a healthy habit.


Lurlene Anderson
Professional Organizer,
Speaker, Writer
www.OrganizeYourWorld.Ca

Hiring a Professional Organizer

Hire a professional organizer with patience & understanding. It is ok to “interview” a professional organizer to ensure you will hire someone you feel comfortable with and you feel is non-judgmental. Some people feel shame in their clutter. It can happen to anyone. Clutter can be triggered by several reasons such as a loss of a loved one, learned behaviour or past crisis, the fears are exaggerated and they need “things” around them to feel safe.

Lurlene Anderson

Professional Organizer

www.organizeyourworld.ca

Yes I am a Professional Organizer

So today I was (again) organizing my paperwork-It always feels great when it's done and I had an "AHA" moment. Even though I am naturally organized, I still have to maintain my own system. All you disorganized people out there, take note, don't feel bad, it is always a work in progress. (And yes, I do have a "junk" drawer...)

Lurlene Anderson
Professional Organizer
www.organizeyourworld.ca

Organizing tip for teachers

Here’s an organizing tip for teachers that is environmentally friendly. In every school, there is always a surplus of cardboard boxes that hold reams of paper. Use these boxes to store classroom supplies. They are easy to label-You can also use them in your cube storage counter space. Put them horizontally in the counter space, and then fill them. If you have a classroom change, you can easily remove them (most boxes have built in handles). No need to pack and unpack!

Lurlene Anderson
Professional Organizer
www.organizeyourworld.ca

Creating Space

Feeling overwhelmed by clutter? Don't know where to start?

Here's a few tips:

Hire a professional organizer-don't worry, you won't be judged. There are many caring professional and non-judgemental organizes to choose from.

Schedule time

Start in small doses

I'll be back with more...

Lurlene Anderson
www.OrganizeYourWorld.CA