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Newsletter Archives

December 2011
Fresh Start

November 2011
Organizing for a Flight

October 2011
Closet Organizing

September 2011
Organizing for Retirement

August 2011
Warning Signs of Disorganization

July 2011
Essential Organizing Tools

June 2011
Where Do I Start?

May 2011
Reclaim the Garage

April 2011
In Case of Emergency

March 2011
Organizing for Dementia

February 2011
Organizing for Guests

January 2011
Paper Overwhelm

December 2010
Top Ten Causes of Disorganization Revisited

November 2010
Just in Case…Organizing for Death

October 2010
Kitchen Organizing

September 2010
Photo Organizing

August 2010
It’s the Small Things

July 2010
Procrastination

June 2010
Expert Organizing Tips

May 2010
Tips from my Clients

April 2010
Tips for Setting Up a Garage Sale

March 2010
Unusual Ways to Organize

February 2010
Staging your Home for Sale

January 2010
Favorite Places to Buy Organizing Products

December 2009
Wrapping It Up

November 2009
Prepare the Pantry

October 2009
Costumes & Decorations

September 2009
Enough

August 2009
Help for the Home Office

July 2009
Getting Crafty

June 2009
A Better Bedroom

May 2009
Eco Organizing

April 2009
Getting Ready to Garden

March 2009
The Path To Clutter

February 2009
Easing Into Downsizing

January 2009
Organizing For Renovation

December 2008
Organizing For Next Year

November 2008
More Of My Favorite Organizing Tools

October 2008
Making Life Easier

September 2008
Clearing The Closet

August 2008
How To Let Go Of Stuff

July 2008
Managing Medical Records

June 2008
Road Trip Organizing

May 2008
Collections Instead of Clutter

April 2008
Getting Ready for Tax Time

March 2008
Where to Begin

February 2008
When You Want to Help

January 2008
Top Ten Causes of Disorganization

December 2007
Organize for Air Travel

November 2007
Organize for Small Spaces

October 2007
When Life Happens, Reorganize

September 2007
Bathroom Organizing

August 2007
Paper Organizing

July 2007
Uncluttered Kids' Rooms

June 2007
Top Ten Organizing Tools

May 2007
Grapple The Garage

April 2007
Managing Your Time

March 2007
Spring Organizing

February 2007
Help for Caregivers of Aging Parents

January 2007
National Get Organized Month

December 2006
Year End Organizing

November 2006
Give Thanks for Being Organized

October 2006
Holiday Kitchen Organization

September 2006
In Case of a Weather Emergency - Organize!

August 2006
Back to School Organizing

July 2006
Declare your Independence from Summer Clutter

ORGANIZING TIPS OF THE MONTH: DECEMBER 2011
Fresh Start

The year end is a good time to think of fresh beginnings. Take a look at your home as if you were viewing it on a home tour. Your fresh view may surprise you. It’s time for a few changes.

Furniture placement: Can you pass through a room easily? Do you have a comfortable view of your garden or TV? Has the room had the same arrangement for several years? Consider rearranging furniture or swapping pieces from other rooms for better function or new look.
Annoyance assessment: Go through your home and write down things that annoy you about each room. Plastic ware tumbling out of cabinets, piles of mail near the door, missing drawer pulls, dirty clothes on the floor. Then make a checklist of things you can do to alleviate the annoyances. Look for ideas in the All Sorted Out Organizing Tips archives. www.OrganizeChapelHill.com
Banish boring: The smallest changes can energize your feelings about your home. If your artwork and photos are in the same place for years, change them around or change them out. If your silk or dried greenery is dusty and tired, retire it and use fresh pieces—perhaps with an entirely different look such as baskets or pottery.
Update: Look at home magazines and catalogs or take a home tour. If your décor is from prior decades, not in a good way, make some changes. Even updated lampshades and drawer pulls make a significant difference. Paint is an inexpensive way to update wall color and furniture finishes.
Lighten the Load: If your tables, counters, and shelves are full, do an experiment. Without agonizing, completely clear the surfaces. Now put back no more than half. Put away the excess you want to keep; donate or trash the rest. Open space is very liberating.
Go to the front: Often people use a door other than their front door as their primary entry. Guests do use the front door, so make sure it looks welcoming. Get rid of spider webs, fallen leaves, and dead plants. Clean the surface of the door and light fixtures. Perhaps add a new doormat, kick plate, or fresh coat of paint.
Make a sniff test: You may need to enlist the aid of a friend for this since our noses become desensitized to smells. What odors greet someone as they enter your house? The sniff test may clue you in to problem areas with mold or pet odors..
Bins can be clutter: Just because something is put away, doesn’t mean it has earned a place in your home. You could have bins and bins of stuff that take up space and sap your energy. Go through things that have not seen the light of day in years. Downsize you clutter.