Goals

Get Organized Month(SM), sponsored by the National Association of Professional Organizers (NAPO), is now in full swing and professional organizers, who are also members of NAPO, have scheduled events and activities around the country to educate the public on the importance of being organized.  If you haven’t done so in the past, consider hiring a NAPO professional organizer who will work with you side by side to achieve your organizational goals, resulting in a clutter-free environment and a less-stressed lifestyle! 

The benefits of getting organized are worth the time, money and effort invested, because living in clutter can be extremely draining to your psyche. Maybe you feel overwhelmed because you have so many rooms to declutter and organize. However, I encourage you to write down your organizing goals for the year, pick one and then begin immediately. Once you begin and are successful in one area, you will feel a huge burden has been lifted and be motivated to continue!

Online organizing stores like www.HomeStorageWarehouse.com can help you to figure out ways to store and contain your belongings. They are fun to browse through and it’s wonderful being able to shop from the comfort of your own home.  Browsing through organizing products online can also help to keep you motivated as you continue working through the organizing process. 

Have a happy and successful “Get Organized Month(SM)”!

Jacquie Ross is a Maryland based Professional Organizer, writer 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 and Maryland Association of Professional Organizers, she teaches homeowners how to reclaim their time and space, and offers Time Management workshops to businesses to maximize productivity.  Jacquie can be reached at jacquie@castawaytheclutter.com. Visit CastAway the Clutter to sign up for her free organizing tips at www.castawaytheclutter.com.

It’s a New Year and time to recharge and set some new goals. Getting organized is on many people’s list of New Year’s resolutions. If getting organized is one of your goals, you need to have a plan. Begin by writing down the rooms or areas you need to organize and decide when you’re going to start. Then figure out the areas you can do yourself and what you need help with.

If you are living in a lot of clutter, enlisting the help of a friend or hiring a professional organizer can move you closer to your goal a lot faster. A professional organizer will also educate you on the principles of organizing and implement systems that fit into your lifestyle. This is an important step in the organizing process because the systems you have in place will help you to maintain order in your home, so that you won’t have to reorganize the same space a few months later.

The general rules of organizing involve sorting, purging and placing items into containers or specialty organizers. Don’t forget to keep similar items together and in a convenient place. After you have sorted and purged, shop for organizers to help you set up your new systems.

Happy New Year!

Shop for organizers for your kitchen, bathroom, bedroom, laundry, kids, office or closet  at Home Storage Warehouse.

Jacquie Ross is a Maryland based Professional Organizer, writer 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 and Maryland Association of Professional Organizers, she teaches homeowners how to reclaim their time and space, and offers Time Management workshops to businesses to maximize productivity.  Jacquie can be reached at jacquie@castawaytheclutter.com. Visit CastAway the Clutter to sign up for her free organizing tips at www.castawaytheclutter.com.

Do the boxes and containers storing your holiday decorations blend in with everything else in your attic or basement, resulting in confusion as you sort through various unrelated items when it’s time to trim the tree? This year, instead of storing your lights, ornaments, knick-knacks and garland in cardboard boxes, invest in containers especially designed for holiday décor.

What’s great about these specialty containers is that they are usually trimmed with red, green or gold and are specially shaped or sized for most holiday décor. Some even include organized dividers for smaller ornaments and breakables. You can find organizers for almost any holiday décor, including tree ornaments, gift wrap and wreaths.  Here are a few to consider:

Find these and more at http://www.homestoragewarehouse.com/holiday-organizers-c-221_307.html

Jacquie Ross is a Maryland based Professional Organizer, writer 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 and Maryland Association of Professional Organizers, she teaches homeowners how to reclaim their time and space, and offers Time Management workshops to businesses to maximize productivity.  Jacquie can be reached at jacquie@castawaytheclutter.com. Visit CastAway the Clutter to sign up for her free organizing tips at www.castawaytheclutter.com.

A classic picture of Christmas is a group of holiday stockings hung by the fireplace. It is also a wonderful family tradition. It’s so much fun to see the excitement in a child’s face as they learn what Santa has hidden for them on Christmas morning, in their own personal stocking!

Christmas stockings aren’t only for children!  Every member can have their own. Stockings can be filled with fun, whimsical or sensible gifts, or simply filled with candy. For your organizationally challenged family member, consider including a gift that can help them stay organized. Don’t know what to give?  Here are a few stocking filler ideas with an organizational twist:

 Click here to shop for these and other holiday organizing gift ideas and products.

Jacquie Ross is a Maryland based Professional Organizer, writer 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 and Maryland Association of Professional Organizers, she teaches homeowners how to reclaim their time and space, and offers Time Management workshops to businesses to maximize productivity.  Jacquie can be reached at jacquie@castawaytheclutter.com. Visit CastAway the Clutter to sign up for her free organizing tips at www.castawaytheclutter.com.

When visualizing a typical closet, what do you see? In many households the bedroom closet consists of one long closet rod with a shelf above, so it is often no surprise that a good portion of the wardrobe is found on the closet floor, bedroom chair or hanging on rarely used exercise equipment! One closet rod and shelf is simply not an efficient use of space, so in many cases it is not a question of the individual being disorganized, it is simply a lack of efficient space and storage options inside the closet.

A custom built closet is not in everyone’s budget. But even without built-in shelving and drawers you can still have an efficient and organized closet with the help of a few inexpensive closet organizers, found at many local discount department stores or online.

Here are a few tips on how you can maximize your closet space with inexpensive closet organizers:

• Skirts & Slacks: Maximize your hanging space with a 3-tiered skirt hanger or 5-tiered slack hanger. You can also find double hanging rods which hang onto your existing closet rod, creating another row of hanging space below – no tools required!
• Suits: For suits, you will want to keep the jacket and skirt/pant together to save time, so use either a hanger with clips or a hanger with a built-in hook designed to hold another hanger for the skirt or pant.
• Shoes: There are a variety of organizing options for shoes, including multi-level standing shoe racks and revolving shoe organizers. An over-the-door shoe organizer is one of my favorite space saving closet organizers, since it uses a generally underutilized area. Another great option is a hanging pocket shoe organizer that simply hangs onto your closet rod.
• Tops: Sweaters and tops should be folded and placed into a drawer, if possible. However, if you lack sufficient drawer space, consider a hanging sweater organizer. Similar to the pocket shoe organizer, the sweater hanger has several cubbies and hangs onto your existing closet rod. Or use open shelf baskets with “windows”, so that you can see what?s inside. Line them up on the shelf above the rod.
• Socks & Lingerie: Ideally, socks and lingerie should be stored in a chest of drawers or dresser. If you do not have either, bring in a rolling cart with drawers and store below your shorter hanging clothes inside the closet. Other options include over the door hanging pockets, or hanging pockets with optional drawers that you can purchase separately.
• Accessories: Hanging or over-the-door pocket organizers are also ideal to organize handbags and small accessories. You can also find specialty hangers for scarves and belts for around $10 each. Hats are best stored in a specialty hat box or inside a clear container. If you have space to hang items on the wall, install wall hooks to hang hats, jewelry and frequently used handbags etc.

Whenever possible, avoid storing items inside your closet that are not related to clothing, e.g. linens and papers. Store your off-season clothing in containers or specialty storage bags that can fit under the bed, or store them in another area of your home. Include mini cedar blocks to avoid moth damage.

If you find the process of organizing your closet overwhelming, call in a professional organizer. Many professional organizers will help you to completely overhaul your closet and will customize it for the way you live. Or if you prefer to do the work yourself, a professional organizer can simply provide some tips to get you started. Professional organizers generally charge by the hour or by the project.

Having an organized closet will eliminate the “I’ve got nothing to wear!” blues and you’ll find yourself spending less time staring in your closet and more time wearing the clothes you love!

Jacquie Ross is a Maryland based Professional Organizer, writer and owner of CastAway the Clutter! A member of the National Association of Professional Organizers, she teaches homeowners how to reclaim their time and space. Jacquie can be reached at jacquie@castawaytheclutter.com.

For Budget Organizing solutions please see us at www.homestoragewarehouse.com