TOO MUCH STUFF – ORGANIZE AND CONQUER!
By Sally Allen – Professional Organizer
A Place for Everything
aplaceforeverything.co
The average 3 bedroom ranch home in America has approximately 350,000 “things” that live in it. Professional organizers are a new breed of service operators that can help you find a place for all those “things”, get rid of that “stuff”, and help you organize and conquer.
What kind of questions do you ask yourself if you want to organize your home?
In the kitchen you might ask if the cook enjoys being there, or if it is a family affair. In other words does your family know where to find things AND put them back? One thing that really works in the kitchen is to put “like” items together such as small appliances, baking tools, glasses, dishes, etc.
In the closet you might ask how do you feel when surveying your closet? Is your closet a disaster that gives you the feeling of stress and confusion? It is important to sort and purge regularly and separate formal from leisure and from career wear.
In the garage, particularly at this time of the year, the snow is coming and can you park your car or cars in the garage? The garage becomes the citadel of last resort. You need to decide exactly what will be the function of your garage. Is it a storage area, is it a workshop, gardening center, then purge and sort.
Organizing tips wherever you are in your home:
- Don’t be a pack rat. Consider choosing fewer things and more time.
- Rule of thumb is: one item in – one item out.
- Purge, then sort and assign a home.
- Maintain – a place for everything and everything back in it’s place every time.
Holiday countdown
I’m going to be organized enough to enjoy the holiday season this year. Ever heard that before? Simplifying is not about learning how to do more in less time. It’s about doing less so you’ll enjoy it more.
Tips for the holidays:
- Fill your calendar with your holiday plans NOW. Schedule time for food preparation, addressing greeting cards, shopping, etc. and keep the appointments.
- Map out a street plan for retail shops to keep your shopping efficient from one place to another.
- Wrap gifts as you buy them.
- Mail packages EARLY. Schedule this on your calendar.
If you learn to make good choices, and keep those choices to a minimum, you can have your Christmas and enjoy it, too.
About A Place For Everything
A Place for Everything is a professional organizing business that helps individuals and companies to effectively arrange space and efficiently manage time by assessing environments and habits, by hands on organizing services, and by creating systems and maintenance programs to keep you on track in the home and/or office.
Sally began her organizing business in 1997 and is a proud member of the National Association of Professional Organizers.
Sally developed her organizing skills from personal experience – raising a family of five while moving 19 times, both domestic and international. Sally’s professional career includes working for the 1984 Los Angeles Olympic Committee and the 1996 Atlanta Committee for the Olympic Games while maintaining a career with Marriott International Hotels and Resorts.
Sally's Professional Associations
- National Association of Professional Organizers (NAPO)
- NAPO-Colorado
--President - NAPO Conference 2003
--Trade Show Chair - Colorado Women’s Chamber of Commerce (CWCC)
--Membership Committee - Rocky Mountain Relocation Council
Contact Sarah at:
303.526.5357
sg@apfe.co
