For Mother’s Day, what do you give to the mom who appears to have it all?  What do you give to the picky mom?  What do you give to the mom with a lot of clutter? 

Mother’s Day is a day to say thank you to a special mom, but sometimes it’s hard to know what to buy.  A trip to the salon to have her hair or nails done is nice, but maybe she already visits the salon regularly.  

Giving a gift certificate to a store that carries a wide range of goods is a great way to let her decide what she needs, or would like to have. Even if the mom doesn’t have a lot of clutter, almost everyone can improve organization in at least one area of their home, so think about a gift certificate to an organization product store like Home Storage Warehouse.  Home Storage Warehouse offers organizing products for every room in the home that meets the needs of most households.  The mom can then shop when she is ready and find something that she will truly love or need, instead of accepting a gift that could otherwise end up as clutter.

Jacquie Ross is a Maryland based Professional Organizer, writer, speaker and owner of CastAway the Clutter! Jacquie has been writing for Home Storage USA since 2007. A member of the National Association of Professional Organizers (NAPO), NAPO-Baltimore Chapter, and Maryland Association of Professional Organizers, she shows homeowners how to reclaim their time and space, and offers organizing and time management workshops and group presentations. Jacquie is also the author of Take Control of Your Clutter Before it Takes Control of You: 101 Tips to Success.  Visit CastAway the Clutter to get a free organizing goals worksheet when you sign up for her organizing tips at www.castawaytheclutter.com

One of the top frustrations for moms is the never ending feeling of being disorganized and, of course, lack of time.  Learning some new time management techniques is helpful, but often it is not enough.  Having very specific organizational systems in place in your home can make all the difference between staying organized and just getting by.   Buying more stuff is not the answer, because now you have more things to clean and maintain.  The key is to buy organization products that will help you to keep the stuff that you are actually using, organized. 

With Mother’s Day coming up, it’s a good time to think about gift ideas that will not create clutter, either for you, or to give as a gift to another mom.  When considering a gift for a mom, think about what they need.  Gift ideas, like jewelry boxes, purses and bags, including laptop bags, plus make-up organizers and photo frames, make great gifts, but can also create clutter if they are not used or needed.  So what do you need this year? Or what gift can you give, that is not only functional, but will also be appreciated?  Here are some gift ideas that are beautiful and will also help to tame the clutter!

Jewelry box: Store and organize earrings, necklaces, bracelets, rings and watches.  Pick the size and style that will store all of the jewelry that you or your giftee wears, otherwise most of it will be stored “next to” the jewelry box, instead of inside the jewelry box!  Sound familiar?

Purses and Bags: These are hard to choose for someone, unless you know the person well.  Of course, if it’s for yourself, it will be easy and you can ask a loved one to purchase a specific purse or bag for you.  One type of bag that many moms can use today is a computer laptop bag or sleeve.  These come in a variety of styles and designs and may be a welcomed gift.  Check out the selection at Home Storage Warehouse.

Make-up Organizers:  Does the mom love make-up and have trouble keeping it all organized?  Then a make-up organizer might just be the perfect gift.  If storage is not an issue for her, then consider make-up organizers  which fit nicely inside drawers or on cabinet or cupboard shelves.  This will keep their make-up organized, but without the visual clutter. 

Jacquie Ross is a Maryland based Professional Organizer, writer, speaker and owner of CastAway the Clutter! Jacquie has been writing for Home Storage USA since 2007. A member of the National Association of Professional Organizers (NAPO), NAPO-Baltimore Chapter, she shows homeowners how to reclaim their time and space by solving the many issues and challenges that create clutter.  Jacquie also offers organizing and time management workshops and group presentations. Jacquie is also the author of Take Control of Your Clutter Before it Takes Control of You: 101 Tips to Success.  Visit CastAway the Clutter to get a free organizing goals worksheet when you sign up for her organizing tips at www.castawaytheclutter.com

With Earth Day approaching, it’s a good time to think about what small changes you can make in and around your home to help save the environment. 

Here are 6 green living tips you can apply this month:

1. Replace all lightbulbs to compact fluorescent light bulbs;
2. Switch to non-toxic cleaning products to clean your home;
3. Replace shower heads with low-flow shower heads, or decrease the time you spend in the  shower;
4. Unplug appliances, electronics and other gadgets when not in use;
5. Install a programmable thermostat so that you can better control how you use your energy throughout the day;
6. If your neighborhood allows it, dry your clothes outside on an outdoor drying rack in the Spring, Summer and Fall.  In the wintertime, dry some or all of your clothes indoors, on an indoor clothes line.  Here are some clothing lines and drying racks to consider at Home Storage Warehouse.

Outdoor drying rack

Clip drip dryer hanger

Retractable clothes line

Jacquie Ross is a Maryland based Professional Organizer, writer, speaker and owner of CastAway the Clutter! Jacquie has been writing for Home Storage USA since 2007. A member of the National Association of Professional Organizers (NAPO), NAPO-Baltimore Chapter, and Maryland Association of Professional Organizers, she shows homeowners how to reclaim their time and space, and offers organizing and time management workshops and group presentations. Jacquie is also the author of Take Control of Your Clutter Before it Takes Control of You: 101 Tips to Success.  Visit CastAway the Clutter to get a free organizing goals worksheet when you sign up for her organizing tips at www.castawaytheclutter.com

On a recent episode of the Oprah show, organizational expert, Peter Walsh showed America the very cluttered car of a busy mom.  Although, this may have been an extreme case, there are many parents with chaotic schedules who struggle to keep their cars organized and free of clutter.

Many moms are overscheduled due to shuttling back and forth to work and school and taking children to extracurricular activities on a daily basis.  Plus, they are often carrying sports equipment and eating snacks and meals in the car, making it extremely difficult to keep the clutter and messes under control.  If it sounds like I’m writing about you, then it’s time to get organized!  There are many organizing products that you can purchase today to help to keep car clutter under control.  Here are some organization tips and solutions that may help:

Cargo trunk organizer

1. Steady the Groceries:  Use a study container like the Cargo Auto Tote to keep your grocery bags from rolling around in your car or falling over.

Auto document organizer

2. Secure and organize your important documents:  Having your registration document readily available will save embarrassment if you’re ever pulled over by the police. Simply pick up a document holder or organizer to store this important document and it will be quickly retrieved without a hitch!

Car Trash Bag Stand

3. Be ready for trash: Keep a Trash Litter Bag in your car at all times to discard your trash.

Car Front Seat Organizer

4. Organize the clutter in your front seat:  Use a front seat organizer designed to store a variety of items that may be needed while on the road.  You can store your CDs, DVDs, pens, sunglasses, maps, and cell phones, while eliminating the worry of items flying off the seat at the slightest bump! Front seat organizers can also be used in the back seat for your children to store their small toys, gadgets and other supplies.

Back seat car organizer

5. Organize your back seat passengers: If your vehicle is not equipped with built-in organizers on rear of the driver’s and front passenger’s seats, pick up a back seat organizer with pockets to store cups, small toys, CDs and more. Many space saving vehicle organizers can be secured to the rear of the driver’s or passenger’s seat for easy access by back seat passengers. By adding a few simple organizers and some daily maintenance, you will be able to keep your car clutter-free and organized. 

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Jacquie Ross is a Maryland based Professional Organizer, writer, speaker and owner of CastAway the Clutter! Jacquie has been writing for Home Storage USA since 2007. A member of the National Association of Professional Organizers (NAPO), NAPO-Baltimore Chapter, and Maryland Association of Professional Organizers, she shows homeowners how to reclaim their time and space, and offers organizing and time management workshops and group presentations. Jacquie is also the author of Take Control of Your Clutter Before it Takes Control of You: 101 Tips to Success.  Visit CastAway the Clutter to get an organizing goals worksheet when you sign up for her organizing tips at www.castawaytheclutter.com