Post Holiday Organizing

Organizing Tip! One last thing before the holidays are officially over...


I hope you all had a wonderful holiday season, and are doing well so far in the New Year. The holiday time is pretty much over, and perhaps you have, or are just about to, take down your decorations, put away the gifts, and get your home back to 'normal'. But.... I urge you to do one more thing! Write some holiday things down to use as reference for next year.
So, think about the information that may be helpful to you next year, so that you don't have to re-think it all through, start from scratch, or try to remember what you did last year. Some suggested items to write down:
Tips - Who did you decide to tip, and how much? Were you happy with that amount? Did you forget anyone? If so, write it down so you can replicate it next year, or make the appropriate changes.
Teacher Gifts: Again, who and what so you have a reference for next year.
Business/Client Gifts: Who, what, and why?
Family/Friends Gifts: List of who you gave to, why, and what you gave if you think it will be helpful next year.
Decorations: Did you have enough, too much? Write down what you liked/didn't like, what you were missing, or what you really have too much of, and perhaps next year, you can modify your decor, or perhaps purge a lot of it right when you pull it out next year. If you still haven't taken your decor down, then when you do it, I suggest you store items in containers based on what room they go in - clearly label the bins so you don't have to re-think next year (this of course only works if you decorate the same way each year. If you like to change things up, then I suggest you store items based on category of item, instead of room they go in).
Menu: If you hosted a holiday celebration, write down the menu of what you served, and whether or not you'd prepare or order those items next year. If you catered the event, write down who you used, did you order enough, not enough, was it a good variety of food/drink, perhaps the amount of money you spent, etc... Jot down whatever notes that will be helpful in planning next year's celebrations
Once you write all this down (or anything else useful for you), then put it all in a folder labeled "Holidays", and file it away with your other Home and Personal file folders. If you're the electronic type, then you can easily put this all in your smartphone, IPad, or a simple MS Word document. Then, when next year's holidays come rolling around, you'll be armed with all the key info from the previous year, and you won't have to re-think it all through again!

Linda English - Owner/Professional Organizer
Organizing With EASE, LLC
201-638-9593
www.orgwithease.com
orgwithease@aol.com

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(201) 666-1717

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Just Because It Fits... Organize Your Closets and Your Life

Organizing Tip! Just Because It Fits Doesn't Mean...

• you have to keep it
• you need it
• you want it
• you like it

For those that follow my tips, a little while back I wrote one about "Just because you own it, doesn't mean you have to keep it." Well, this one is similar and builds on that same concept. Look around your home. Perhaps there is a piece of furniture that fits in a room, but, you really don't like it, or need it anymore. Maybe it was from your old apartment, or a relative passed it down to you, and you kept it simply because it could fit in your home, but you neither wanted it or needed it.

  

Or, check inside the cabinets of your kitchen. Do you have extra items that fit, but your never use them? Sure they may be useful, but not necessarily to you. Maybe there are extra mugs, or an old salad-spinner that you thought you'd like to use, but never did. Or perhaps, again, some hand-me-down pots, dishes, or serving-ware that you took because it fit in your kitchen, but you neither need nor like them.

  

One of the concepts of organizing is to only surround yourself with what you truly love and use. Anything else is clutter. So think about it, if you continue to keep things simply because they fit, not because you need/want/like/love them, they are actually clutter, and over time they will get in the way and prevent you from enjoying the things you truly love and use. Take a look around, make some decisions about these items, and perhaps you can pass them along to a favorite charity or someone you know that could really use them.
Linda English - Owner/Professional Organizer
Organizing With EASE, LLC
201-638-9593
http://www.orgwithease.com/
orgwithease@aol.com

Contact http://www.thecustomcloset.net/ @ (201) 666-1717 or info@thecustomcloset.net to schedule a closet  organizing appointment .







  The Custom ClosetThe Custom Closet

Get Rid of It Even if Fits!

Contact:  http://www.thecustomcloset.net/ or info@thecustomcloset.net to get a free estimate on your closets, office, garage, pantry, playroom, mudroom etc.

Organizing Tip! Just Because It Fits Doesn't Mean...

• you have to keep it
• you need it
• you want it
• you like it

For those that follow my tips, a little while back I wrote one about "Just because you own it, doesn't mean you have to keep it." Well, this one is similar and builds on that same concept. Look around your home. Perhaps there is a piece of furniture that fits in a room, but, you really don't like it, or need it anymore. Maybe it was from your old apartment, or a relative passed it down to you, and you kept it simply because it could fit in your home, but you neither wanted it or needed it.

Or, check inside the cabinets of your kitchen. Do you have extra items that fit, but your never use them? Sure they may be useful, but not necessarily to you. Maybe there are extra mugs, or an old salad-spinner that you thought you'd like to use, but never did. Or perhaps, again, some hand-me-down pots, dishes, or serving-ware that you took because it fit in your kitchen, but you neither need nor like them.

One of the concepts of organizing is to only surround yourself with what you truly love and use. Anything else is clutter. So think about it, if you continue to keep things simply because they fit, not because you need/want/like/love them, they are actually clutter, and over time they will get in the way and prevent you from enjoying the things you truly love and use. Take a look around, make some decisions about these items, and perhaps you can pass them along to a favorite charity or someone you know that could really use them.
Until next time, wishing you an easier life by Organizing With EASE.

Linda English - Owner/Professional Organizer
Organizing With EASE, LLC 201-638-9593

Call (201) 666-1717 or contact:http://www.thecustomcloset.net/ for more information



















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Back to School Organizing Tip

Organizing Tip! Create a system for school papers and artwork


Back to school time again! For those with children, from pre-school to high-school and beyond, you'll need a system for managing all the papers that come home from school. I'll focus on the pre-school thru middle-school years for this tip, since that's when most of the volume that parents have to manage occurs.

1. Action Paper Drop Spot: First - you'll need to set up a process whereby the kids immediately give you all the ACTION PAPERS from their backpacks (ones that parents need to read or take action on - not their homework or other completed work) . I would suggest children do this as soon as they come home from school. Set up a convenient place with a small bin/tray/basket/folder where they can simply drop these papers. (Should be a central place, such as on a kitchen counter, or in a mudroom.).

2. Completed Paper Drop Spot: Now.... what to do with the plethora of completed school worksheets and artwork? Again, have a drop-spot with some kind of bin. If you have multiple children, consider multiple bins so you don't have to re-sort someday. This drop-spot should be convenient, but not on the counter. Consider bin(s) in a nearby closet, on the stairs (if not in the way), or dedicate a drawer or two in a nearby room to collect these items.



3. Parent Review: On a daily basis, take action on any parent papers found in the Action Paper Drop Spot so nothing gets overlooked or turned back into school late. As for the items in the Completed Paper Drop Spot, you will need to review these at some point to decide what to keep and what to purge. As for the timing of doing this review, you have several options, depending on your personal style in dealing w/ this stuff, and available time during the day, week, month, year.

If you are the "up-front-ruthless-get-rid-of-most-stuff-right-away" type of person, then review daily or weekly and purge to your heart's content!

If you are the "every-so-often" type, then review the bins every week, month, or school marking period, and decide which items are worth keeping.

If you are the "I-don't-have-the-time-and-don't-want-to-deal-with-this-until-the-end-of-the-year" type, then no problem! Just make sure you have large enough bins, and plan on reviewing everything sometime between June and August.

Or... you may be a combo of the above - just do what works for you.

4. School Memorabilia Storage: Lastly, you'll need a permanent place to store all the school paper and artwork 'keepers'. There are many options, such as: an art portfolio for each year, a large expanding office envelope/wallet, Rubbermaid/Sterilite plastic storage containers, or a product called 'Schoolfolio', to name a few. Remember, you can also display art in frames, on bulletin boards, send to relatives as gifts, or use as wrapping paper too!

Linda English - Owner/Professional Organizer


Organizing With EASE, LLC

201-638-9593
http://www.orgwithease.com/
orgwithease@aol.com



http://www.thecustomcloset.net/

Organize your Electronic Cords and Plugs

Organizing Tip: Managing Electronic Gadgets, Plugs, and Cords

Visit http://www.thecustomcloset.net/ for more organizing ideas.
Or call (201) 666-1717 for a free estimate.

Here's another tip request from one of my loyal readers: "How do I best manage all electronic gadgets and plugs? Like iPhone, iPad, and iPods. Too many plugs and cords!"

Thanks for the question - I think we can all relate to the chaos all these devices can bring. Here are some tips to keep all these items under control:

1) LABEL THE CORDS: Immediately, right out of the box, label each charging cord. You can easily do this with a label-maker - print out a label and wrap it around the cord, pressing the sides together like a little flag. There will never be any question about which cord goes with which device.

2) CREATE 'HOMES'/CHARGING STATIONS FOR EACH DEVICE: All these gadgets and cords can easily be misplaced. Create a standard 'home' in your house or office where the device always gets charged and keep the labeled cord there. If you have multiple devices, keep all the charging cords even more organized by using a charging station like this one: http://www.amazon.com/Simply-Put-Deluxe-Charging-Station/dp/B0012Y319K/ref=sr_1_3?ie=UTF8&qid=1308187416&sr=8-3 - it looks good on a counter or desk, and functions as both a home and charging location. (Charging stations come in all shapes, styles, and price points. Check out Pottery Barn, Amazon.com, Container Store, office supply stores, etc...)

3) KEEP EXTRA CORDS AND ACCESSORIES ORGANIZED: You can easily corral all the extras in a clear shoebox (don't forget to label the items!), or use a clear hanging shoe organizer like this http://www.containerstore.com/shop?productId=10010675&N=&Ntt=shoe+bag on the back of a door. Put each item in its own labeled shoe pouch!

4) KEEP ORGANIZED WHILE TRAVELING: A simple way to keep your cords and electronic devices organized while traveling is by using Ziploc-style bags. Or.... try out this fabulous new product called Grid-It http://www.containerstore.com/shop?productId=10028414&N=&Ntt=grid+it which has a multitude of elastic straps to keep your devices and cords in place. Love it!

5) OUT WITH THE OLD: Make sure that when you get rid of one of your devices, that you also get rid of the old accessories too, so they're not cluttering up your space (if they're not compatible with the new device). Please don't throw them in the garbage, though. Click here http://www.ehow.com/how_7638847_recycle-cell-phone-power-cords.html to get some easy ideas on how to recycle or where to donate your old devices and accessories/cords.

Linda English - Owner/Professional Organizer
Organizing With EASE, LLC
201-638-9593 www.orgwithease.com orgwithease@aol.com

Wardrobe Unit for Rebuilding Together Project

The Custom Closet is proud to sponsor Rebuilding Together's home improvement project by donating this custom fitted wardrobe unit for a home in Tenafly.

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(201) 666-1717