Alternative to the yearly clothing purge...

If you're lucky like I am and have an awesome little sister who buys you cool new clothes for Christmas...well, you might need to purge a bit to make room in your closet.

Or, if you're handy...installing a double hanging rod is a great way to maximize your closet storage space. :-) They are available at Home Depot and very reasonably priced. ($22 for a 5' shelf and rod).

Also, the Container Store is having a 30% off sale on their Elfa closet systems this month. They will help you put together a design based on the dimensions. You can also hire a Professional Organizer to help with the design (we also do the installation).

Good luck!

Finances

Office organizing goes beyond just paper. Having your finances in order is crucial to any individual and business. Start with a simple Excel spreadsheet. You can download your transactions from your bank account and credit card account online. Assign categories to each item, e.g.; meals, health, groceries. Then, you can sort items by month and/or by category to see where your money is going. Also, add in any income. This will give you an accurate idea of what your earning vs. what you are spending.

Sweaters

It’s cold here in Boston today. I wore a sweater for the first time this year. The trouble is, now that my sweaters have come out of the basement storage bin, I need to find space for them in my room. I personally prefer to put sweaters in a drawer, and have a bureau with deep drawers for that purpose. If you prefer to put sweaters on a shelf, try using shelf dividers to keep them from falling to one side. The Container Store has these available: http://www.containerstore.com/browse/Product.jhtml?searchId=11085464&itemIndex=7&CATID=71921&PRODID=62786

My other favorite sweater storage shelving product is available at Target. These are great for bulky sweaters (one per shelf) or for putting two or three sweaters on a shelf. Again, these contain the sweaters and keep them from falling into each other.
http://www.target.com/24-Horizontal-Maple/dp/B0002I1NQA/qid=1193710074/ref=br_1_16/601-1885226-8551300?ie=UTF8&node=13814321&frombrowse=1&index=tgt-mf-mv&field-browse=13814321&rank=pmrank&rh=&page=5

It's only paper...

People are territorial about their desks. Often times when I am organizing someone’s office, the last place they’ll let me touch is their desk (only after a certain level of trust has been established). That being the case, I often wonder what juicy bits of information await me on that forbidden surface. Alas, I am often disappointed to find nothing more than unopened mail, and piles of printed-out emails.

Approach your desk objectively; After all, it’s only paper. Start at one end and work your way across, putting papers into categories: to file, to do. Put all those extra paper clips and other office supplies away in a drawer or containers. File the papers away and wipe down the surface. Voila!...A clean desk.

Dealing with Mail

Make time everyday to open and read the mail to keep it from accumulating to the point of being overwhelming. It's easier to find five minutes in a day, then to have to put aside 30 or more minutes at the end of the week to play catch-up.
· Open mail in one mail center area with all your tools and supplies.
· Have a wastebasket and recycling bin near to toss the mail in as you open it.
· Make decisions as you open the mail.
Scan the contents of each piece and process it appropriately:
Immediately…
· Throw out all unwanted solicitations
· Throw out the outside of the envelope that comes with every bill
· Throw out the inserts that come with every bill
· Scan each catalog and if nothing interests you, recycle it.­
Take the remaining pieces and sort into the following categories:
· To Pay
· To Do
· To File
· To Read
posted on: 10/24/2007 8:

Storing Clothes for Winter

Fall is officially here! Sadly we must say goodbye to shorts and sandals and break out the bulky, itchy winter coats and sweaters. When storing your summer clothing, it is best to use clear plastic bins that are well sealed and labeled. Don't forget to add some cedar chips to keep those pesky clothing-eating critters at bay! To keep suits and dresses from getting wrinkled, store them on a clothing rack in fabric bags. During this process be sure to purge anything you haven't worn all season. Chances are you're not going to wear it next season either. Now, bundle up and enjoy the autumn air!

Summer is here!

Summer is officially here! That mean it's finally time to put away the bulky, itchy winter coats and sweaters and bring out the comfy shorts and colorful sundresses. When storing winter items, it is best to use clear plastic bins that are well sealed and labeled. Don't forget to add some cedar chips to keep those pesky clothing-eating critters at bay! To keep coats, suits, and dresses from getting wrinkled, store them on a clothing rack in fabric bags. During this process be sure to purge anything you haven't worn all season. Chances are you're not going to wear it next season either. Now, put on those sandals and have a great summer!