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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
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ORGANIZING TIPS OF THE MONTH: June 2011
Where Do I Start?
Often the most frustrating part of an organizing project is deciding where to start. Clients often tell me this decision is paralyzing. Simply choose the place that bothers you most.
- Don’t start with paper: Although paper is the biggest organizing problem, it is also the most tedious and slow going. Pull out the bills and other immediate action papers. Put the rest in boxes and bins to be tackled later.
- Go big: Start with an area that will show immediate and obvious results. Start in the bedroom. Make the bed…always, every day. Clear all clothing off the floor and furniture. Put it in the laundry or put it away. Immediately, your bedroom is more calm.
- Go small: Some rooms, like the kitchen, contain hundreds of small items and hundreds of organizing decisions. Start small—organize the pantry or the drawers. Then do the refrigerator. Once you gain momentum, organize the cabinets—start with the one over the refrigerator.
- Go quickly: The bathroom is one of the fastest areas to organize since it is usually the smallest. Use small garbage bags for trash—bathroom items are often heavy. Be honest, if you do not like a product or it is expired, discard it.
- Work consistently: Whatever room, cabinet, or drawer you are organizing, always start at the top and work down, front to back, one side to the other. Once you establish a pattern, organizing goes faster.
- Give a good first impression: You will feel better about your whole house if you organize the entry. Remove items from the entry that interfere with your good mood.
- Organize each season: As you decorate for holidays or change of season, evaluate and purge your decorations. If items look tired or dated, let them go. Keep things that are beautiful and loved. Don’t display things just out of habit.
- Purge the paper: After you have had a number of organizing successes in your home, tackle the paper. Start at your desk or area where you pay bills. Work your way out from there.
- Simply start somewhere and stay there: Rather than fretting over where to start, just start somewhere. Then continue there until organizing is complete. Organize one room well, rather than several poorly.
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