Strategies for a Stress-free Summer

With warm temperatures, no school, and family vacations, summer can be a wonderful chance to unwind and spend quality time with friends and family. But summer also has its organizational challenges thanks to less structured or at least different schedules. Here are some simple ideas for enjoying a less-stressed, more fun summer for the whole family.

Wrap Up the School Year in Style - Before you get too far into summer, be sure to wrap up the previous school year so you're not tripping over it all season long. Empty the school bags, get rid of stuff that's seen better days and store school supplies you can use again. Work with your child to review school and art work from the year - pick out the special stuff and store it in a flat box or a fun binder with plastic sleeves. Last but not least, take a rainy afternoon to review your digital photos from the year - clean them up by deleting less-than-great shots and labeling what's left. You can also take this a step further by creating a photo book with the highlights from the year.

Stay Organized with a Summer Fun Binder - While summer schedules are different, there's still a lot going on. Make your life easier by stowing all the reference materials you need such as camp schedules, babysitter contact info, party invitations, tickets and trip itineraries in a fun binder with plastic sheet protectors. If you have lots going on, you might want to use dividers to separate items by person or type of activity. This is also a great place to store ideas for fun rain or shine outings.

Gear Up for Fun in the Sun - If you haven't done so already, make sure your children's summer clothes are now front and center in their closets and drawers. Take stock of any additional items they need and be sure to donate what no longer fits. Stow warmer weather clothing in clear, labeled bins under the bed or other storage space in your home. Do yourself a favor and donate items that aren't likely to be used next season.

Warning: Summer Fun Zone – Summer comes with lots of gear - outdoor toys, beach supplies and camp equipment. To make things easy, clear the off-season gear out and set up a summer fun zone in your entry way, garage or other easy in-and-out location. Use large tubs or baskets to store items like balls and frisbees. A set of drawers or a bench with baskets can be good for smaller items like sunscreen, bug repellent, and flip-flops. Keep must-haves like helmets on easy-to-reach hooks. Get a head-start on packing for upcoming trips or camp by keeping a tote bag or bin to collect items you know you'll need or want.

Rainy Day Fun Indoors - Keeping your indoor toys and spaces under control can keep a rainy day inside from turning into chaos. Check out our Organizing Tips for Kids for a little help in this department. If you need to get out of the house, check your summer fun binder for indoor activity ideas and schedules.

Would you strip down for a better life?

A couple of weeks ago, I caught an episode of Oprah during which famed organizing expert Peter Walsh guided a ‘plugged in’ family of four through his Stripped Down program in hopes of leading them from disconnected (from each other) and disorganized to calm, cool and connected.

In order to strip down, the family agreed to the following rules for one week:

1. No cell phones or texting
2. No electronics
3. Prepare and eat healthy meals together
4. Clean and organize their home (previously covered in laundry and clutter)
5. Hug and tell each family member something they love about them (every day)

While the first two may seem extreme, the point of the above rules was to get the family’s home and routines back into shape and more importantly to re-connect with each other rather than simply living together like ships in the night. I was immediately intrigued by the program and the obvious results. With Peter by their side to help them dig out from their piles and dig into the family dynamics, it was very clear that everyone, from the parents to the 5 year old and even the fifteen year old son benefited individually and as a family. At the end of the process, they tweaked the extreme rules to be slightly more manageable in the long term, while still effective. The revised rules looked something like this:

1. No cell phones or texting between 6:00 and 9:00 pm
2. No TV before school or during meals
3. Sunday breakfast and 3 dinners together, plus a weekly meal plan
4. Saturday morning clean up and family help with the laundry
5. Keeping up with the daily sentiments, plus a weekly family night and regular date night for the parents

Would you be willing to make similar stripped down changes if it would improve your family relationships, decrease stress, and keep your home in better shape? Sign me up!

Of course, the connection between a clean, organized home and a healthy, happy family life is no surprise to me and probably not to you. As Peter and Oprah pointed out, if your home is a place you love, that will carry through to your relationships – not to mention alleviating mess and chore-related tension. Whip your home into shape one space at a time, starting with the hot spots that cause the most stress. Make it a family affair so everyone is invested in the process and the results. If you’re overwhelmed, you can always call in the professionals to help you put a plan in place and see it all the way through – we’re here to help!

Scenes From a Professional Organizer's Home: My Office

Things have been busy in Organizing Boston land, but I’m happy to report that I’m back to blogging and thought I’d jump back in with another ‘scene’ from my home. I’ll admit, I’d been avoiding showing you my office, mainly because I don’t see it as ‘finished.’ Since transitioning to working from home, I’ve made do with office stuff we already owned, rather than doing a complete office makeover, both for time and financial reasons. But the reality is, I’m using it, there are many things I like about it, and bottom line, it doesn’t have to be perfect. I can always make aesthetic and functional upgrades along the way, which I plan to do. Hopefully this inspires you to ditch the all or nothing attitude when it comes to organizing too! Here are some of my office keys to success:

Location, location, location! My office is actually a corner of the main room in our house right next to the sliding doors to our balcony. It is a space I like to be in, which is really important if you plan on getting anything done. If you don’t like your home office space, get creative and see where else you could set up shop. Otherwise, you will just do your work elsewhere (or not at all), creating extra work in shifting supplies back and forth.

A place for everything. While I’ve had to get creative (i.e. using the keyboard trays of the desks as shelves to store things), for the most part, everything as a home. This is essential to preventing the dreaded piles from growing on your desk, which then makes work challenging and uninviting. Also key to preventing pile-ups is taking 5 minutes to clear your desk top and put everything away at the end of the day. Mornings are much better when there’s a clear space to put your cup of coffee!

Form and function. Another office key to success is a comfortable chair and technology set-up. If you aren’t comfortable or there are barriers to efficiency, you’re going to be much less productive and probably won’t enjoy spending time in your office (and yes, this is possible!). While I didn’t embark on an office overhaul, I did invest in a new chair that I love – the Bungee Office Chair available at The Container Store. I also bought a wireless mouse to complement my laptop. If I end up spending more time at my computer than I currently do, I may consider a monitor and full keyboard, but this is working for now.

While I’m happily working away in my current set-up, there are definitely some improvements I plan to make. I think a new desk is in my future – for aesthetic and functional reasons - along with some wall shelving and/or additional free-standing shelves (I don’t have too many books, but I am at max capacity now, so I’d like to have a little room to grow). I also plan to get rid of my older laptop (still sitting on my desk). Let me know if you have any ideas for me and I will keep you posted on my progress this summer!

Making Time (and Space) for What Matters

As we approach this long weekend, many people are looking forward to spending time with family and friends. This, along with reflecting on the service and sacrifice so many have given to this country, makes me think about what really matters. If you haven’t recently done so, I highly recommend taking time to actually write down what matters most in your life. Who are the people and what are the activities on this list? I’m guessing that your Blackberry, sitting in traffic, and watching a marathon of The Hills are not on your list, but I’m not judging if they are. Rather, the lists are more likely to include things like spending more quality time with family and friends, walking your dog, doing something you enjoy for a living, cooking healthy meals at home, or helping others.

Often, when people are looking to get organized, it is because one or more aspect of their lives feels out of control and prevents them focusing on what matters most. If this is the case for you, the first step is really to make that list. I wrote my list in a journal and refer to it regularly to keep myself on track. This exercise can be a key component in being able to clear the junk from your house and your schedule and keep it from creeping back in because it allows you to ask the question “Does this (item/activity) support what matters most to me?” Every item in your home and on your schedule is something that you have to manage. If you don’t have time and space to waste, make sure what’s taking up your real estate is worth it. Do you have piles of old magazines? Think about why they are (still) there and whether they are really contributing to the life you want to lead. Or are they instead taking up space and adding to your to-do list (“Read 50 magazines cover to cover and absorb all useful info”)? Are you constantly on-line and/or checking your email from the time you get up to the time you go to bed? Ask yourself the same question and see if you can tweak (or drastically change) your routine to free some time for a quality phone call with an old friend or an afternoon at the park with your kids (no Blackberry allowed).

Closet Rules to Live By

Last week, we talked about the elements of an organized closet and I gave you some tips and tricks I use in my own closet. Hopefully you were inspired to make some changes in your closet too! But the fun doesn’t end there - after you’ve whipped your closet into shape by purging items you don’t love or need and maximizing the space you have, you must follow some key rules to maintain it or your closet will slip back into chaos. Here are some closet rules to live by:

Store like with like. For most people this means sorting your closet by type of item – shirts with shirts, pants with pants, etc. Do what makes sense to you (some people like to sort by color) and maintain the system so you know where to find things and where to put them away.

At the end of the day, put it away! Taking time to put away your clothes at the end of the day is the most important step you can take to prevent closet chaos. Put dirty clothes in the laundry hamper and hang, fold and put away anything you plan to use again. It is NOT easier to leave something out because you are going to use it again soon – it will get buried or dirty if left out.

Fold and put your laundry away immediately. This is typically an issue of project completion for most people, but leaving folded (or worse – unfolded) clean clothes out will only cause more work later, not to mention causing confusion and making it hard to find what you need. Carve out some uninterrupted time to get it done and enlist the help of other family members to take care of their items - just make sure they actually put things away. The good news is, folding laundry is fairly mindless which allows for easy multi-tasking, such as hands-free phone calls or catching up on your favorite TV shows.

Follow the “one in, one out” rule. Having a closet that is not over-stuffed is key to being able to put things away and find what you need. But closets follow the basic laws of physics - stuff just doesn’t disappear and space can’t be magically created. To maintain order, the best policy is that if you get something new, you should discard something that has fallen off the favorites list. If you do enough regular weeding (at least twice a year) you may give yourself a little room to grow your collection throughout the season, but if you’re having trouble sliding hangers or closing drawers, it’s time to reconsider what you have.

Take a look at what’s causing your closet clutter – hopefully it can be managed by implementing some of our recent tips. If not, let us know what other closet issues are bugging you so we can help!

Scenes From a Professional Organizer's Home: My Closet

Today I thought I’d show you my closet – especially fitting since Tuesday’s post focused on my discovery of the world of consignment. So what are the elements of an organized closet?

Efficient Use of Space

If you’re like me and most others, you do not have infinite (or even ample) closet space, so it’s important to use the space you do have well! Look at all the dimensions – are you maximizing vertical in addition to horizontal space? Using walls and shelves in addition to hanging bar space? While not required (you’ll see I don’t have one), a custom-designed closet system is often the best way to make the most use of your space. The elfa systems offered by The Container Store are a great option, but there are plenty of others out there that offer different looks for different prices. If you’re on a budget, there’s certainly plenty you can do with do-it-yourself and/or free-standing bins, shelving, hooks, shoe storage, etc.

Great Hangers

One of the best investments I’ve made in my closet was to switch out all the hangers to Huggable Hangers® (the slim, fuzzy ones). I love them! Nothing slips off, they don’t leave hanger marks in the shoulders, and they work just as well for small and large clothing. I recommend buying brand-name rather than knock-off versions (sturdier and no issues with the fuzz or color). In addition to having hangers that function well, having uniform hangers is aesthetically pleasing and goes a long way toward making your closet appear organized!

Less is More

An organized closet must have plenty of space. So you may be saying, how can I accomplish that? If you’re already maximizing your space and you’re not adding additional space, there’s only one way to do this – evict items that you don’t love or need! Most people also need to store off-season clothing elsewhere – such as in plastic bins under the bed or other storage spaces. You’ve heard the rules, if you haven’t used it in a year, it’s time to move it along – donation, consignment, or swaps with friends are easy ways to do this. Review your closet twice a year (at the season changes) – if you went through an entire season and didn’t wear something, it’s time to go. This may seem scary at first for you savers out there, but you’ll be amazed at how much more enjoyable an uncluttered closet is. If you’re unsure, you can always try putting select items on “probation” – put them aside (but still accessible), set an expiration date, and if that date comes and goes without getting some enjoyable use out of the items, you know what to do!

Use the Right Tools

Since I don’t have a built-in system (aside from a hanging bar and shelf), I make use of the following tools to maximize space:

• Bins – I use small, lightweight bins on the shelf that I can easily pull down to store items I use regularly, but not daily. I also use larger bins around the perimeter on the floor for bulky items like sweaters and foldable items like gym clothes. We just have to remember to keep the closet door closed so our cat doesn’t make these bins into a comfy nap spot!
• Hooks – For belts and hats, I installed a rack of hooks on the wall behind the main hanging bar. Because the closet isn’t over-stuffed, it’s easy to see and reach these items.
• Shoe Storage – Most people have more shoes to store than can fit along the floor of a closet. We make use of vertical space using shoe shelves as well as hanging shoe cubbies. You can also try over-the-door shoe cubbies or a shoe tree for additional storage.

I hope this gives you some ideas and inspiration to improve your closet. You get dressed and undressed every day – why not make your life a little easier!

Refresh Your Closet with Consignment

I just bought my first item of clothing from a consignment store this weekend - a $14 pair of pants that fit me perfectly and filled a need in my closet. While I've been aware of the idea of consignment for some time, I feel like I've just opened a door to a whole new world...and closet!

As we've talked about before, some of the best ways to be green at home are to buy less stuff (or at least less new stuff) and to donate or recycle your unwanted items. Consignment is a great way to refresh your closet without buying brand new items and at the same time 'recycling' your gently used duds so someone else can enjoy them. The catch is that consignment stores can be pretty picky about what they will accept - usually less than 2-3 years old, must be in good or great condition and they may only accept certain brands. But shop around and you may find a store that will accept your items. Not only will you clear some real estate in your closet, but if your items sell, you will have some bonus funds to spend on some new used items. And while some consignment stores focus on high-end items, if you can find one that carries a selection of mid-range brands, you can score some great bargains while adding new life to your wardrobe.

Bottom line, if you'd like to refresh your closet regularly, but want to take it easy on your wallet and the planet, give consignment a try. Google stores in your area and check reviews to make sure clients and customers are happy with how they operate. Happy shopping!