5 Strategies to keep the two most common New Year’s Resolutions

No surprise that after a season of over-indulgence, two of the most common New Year’s Resolutions are: 1) to lose weight and 2)  to get organized this year! 

As a Professional Organizer, and as someone who has always watched her weight, I have noticed that the two objectives have a lot in common. So I thought maybe one can tackle both goals by applying similar strategies.

We all know that you can lose weight by taking the “fast & furious” approach. If you cut down your diet to liquids, carrots & celery and run a couple miles every day, in two weeks you’re bound to see some results. Likewise if you take the time to throw out half the clutter in a room, re-arrange the items that are left, put up shelves with bins or whatever you need to contain your possessions, you will have an organized room, even if the rest of your house is a disaster. We’ve all seen it on TV. And I think we can all imagine what happens after the dramatic make over. Visit those people or those rooms in a few months, and they’re right back where they started. So what strategies can help you sustaining the long-sought-after goals of being in shape and organized? I came up with five common principals that seem to be the key to success in these areas:

1. It’s best to set interim goals that are realistic and measurable so you feel motivated to keep up with the progress however slow it might feel. For example, “I am going to hang all my clothes in my closet and whatever doesn’t fit, I will donate.” Or, “I will stop eating fast food for the next three months.” Achieve these little goals that will help you work towards the big goal by the end of the year. Don’t expect to lose 20 pounds in a month for that high school reunion. And don’t expect to have your whole house organized in a weekend. You’ll just set yourself up for failure.
2. Daily routines will help you maintain – All the new shiny equipment in the world can’t help you if you don’t have healthy routines. I’ve seen it many times. Someone buys a new weight bench thinking, “This will help me get in shape.” Someone else buys a desk or closet “organizer” and thinks, “this will help me get organized.” Wrong. Only you can get yourself in shape and only you can get yourself organized. The equipment can help you, sure, but first you have to decide what you want and how you’re going to get there. Then buying the appropriate equipment will make sense. We’ve all heard the basic routines of dieting: eat healthy foods and exercise every day. For staying organized I recommend straightening daily, cleaning weekly and cleaning out certain areas on a seasonal basis. It’s also good to involve your family or whoever you live with so you’re not trying to do either resolution alone.
3. Other than that your just stuffing yourself and in the end you will not feel good about yourself or your environment.
4. In all things, balance – As with the crash dieting you can’t be too extreme. You have to have a balanced diet just as you have to have a balanced life in order to be organized. The best example of a balanced schedule is one that is color coded. You can do this with many applications, including Google calendars. If you designate a color for work, exercise, family time, education, etc. you can see how balanced or not your weekly & monthly schedules are. Just as a healthy plate is full of color, so is a healthy schedule. And if there is no room in your schedule or no room on your plate – your simply doing or eating too much! So trim it down to reasonable portions.
5. Reward yourself appropriately for reaching your goal. You can’t go out for a huge meal to reward yourself for losing weight. Just like you can’t go shopping to fill up a closet that you just pared down. Remember, “All things in moderation.” Reward yourself with a new dress or suit for getting to your ideal weight. And reward yourself with one decorative piece for organizing a room in your house. And that’s it. Don’t over-indulge or the cycle starts all over again!

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Debbie Lillard

Professional Organizer

NAPO-GPC Professional Development Director

Author of “Absolutely Organized”

www.spacetospare.com

So what is spring cleaning? Does it mean we have to clean up around the outside of our house? Use vinegar on the windows? Beat the carpets? Or is it that desire to air out our homes and hang our linens on the clothesline for that crisp clean smell?

I guess it means something different to everyone. Here's what I like to do once the snow has melted and the temperature rises:

1. Get outside and play & pick-up sticks with my kids. Literally, have them help you pick up sticks that have fallen all winter. Set a timer and make it a game or have a contest to see who gets the most. Then tie them up or put them in a trash can and dispose of them.
2. Give the house a thorough cleaning from top to bottom. Start on the top floor, and clean each room until you reach the basement. This may take a day, a week or a month. Also, look up in your rooms - at the light fixtures or tops of shelves. These places are often neglected during your regular cleaning. And move the furniture to vacuum underneath.
3. Clean out the closets - This is a great time to purge your clothes and the kids'. My method is to take everything out and put back what fits, box up what doesn't and give it to charity. Make a list of what staple goods you need for spring & summer and reward yourself with a little shopping spree. But bring the list!
4. Dare I say it? Put the shovels, the ice melt and the Christmas lights away. Use a cord wrap for the lights and tuck them away in the garage. Make sure spring items are easily accessible: bikes, baseball gear, roller blades, gardening supplies, etc.
5. Air out & switch out your linens. Time for lighter blankets & sheets so wash the winter ones and tuck sheets sets into a pillowcase, making it easier to find the sets together next time. Just for fun, wash the curtains, area rugs and maybe put out some spring throw pillows and blankets. Crack the windows on a nice day and you just might & catch it - spring fever!
6. As you are going through the house make a list of “fix-its” or projects you would like to accomplish this season. Then discuss priorities & budget for these with your spouse. I always get 3 quotes and then tackle one project at a time. Plan to finish before your summer vacation!

Debbie Lillard
Professional Organizer
NAPO-GPC Professional Development Director
Author of "Absolutely Organized"
www.spacetospare.com

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Babies are precious gifts and we’re all captivated by the many items created just for them.  Unfortunately tiny clothes, stuffed animals, cribs and changing tables can crowd you out in a snap. In my new book One Year to an Organized Life with Baby I offer a comprehensive guide for pregnant women and their partners/spouses.  And because the arrival of a baby takes so much preparation, my co-author and mother of five, Meagan Francis and I stay with you through the fifth month of baby’s life. From how to tell your family, friends and co-workers that you're pregnant to altering your will and packing the hospital bag, we’ve got you covered.

How to Create the Perfect Nursery

When it comes time to put together a nursery, there is something we should consider beyond the ‘cuteness factor:’ safety. The overall concern is with products that ‘off gas’ or emit toxic substances into the room.  Here are some tips direct from the new book to help guide your choices.

• Look for low or no VOC paints.  Benjamin Moore is my personal favorite. Many other paint companies offer a selection including Sherwin Williams and The Real Milk Paint Company.   Be sure you paint the room or area well in advance of baby’s arrival so that it’s free of fumes and be sure the area is well ventilated during the process.
• Real wood furniture is a better/safer choice than particleboard and once again it’s the off gassing of chemicals that’s the issue.
• As you might imagine wool carpets and rugs are safer than their synthetic brethren.

Recycling at its Best

Do you have a big dresser in another room you aren’t using at the moment?  How about the one Aunt Martha gave you that never fit in with your décor? Hasn’t it languished in the guest room long enough?  If it’s got deep drawers and a wide top, it’s worth its weight in gold.  Why not paint it a festive color that blends with the one you’ve chosen for the walls?  At The Land of Nod stores or in their catalogue you’ll find a pad you can use to convert the top of the dresser into a changing table thus eliminating at least one item from your shopping list.

In addition to your baby shower gifts, baby will no doubt be given a wealth of hand me downs from moms in your circle of friends. Mothers have a hard time parting with these items but they love to give them to a baby they know personally.  Have baby’s closet designed by someone from The Closet Factory so that the entire space is well utilized. Make use of containers to store items you aren’t ready to use.  By the time the containers have been emptied you may be ready to recycle them into toy boxes.  I like the selection at The Container Store. If you are lucky enough to have double hang rods in your closet, you can put dressy outfits or those that are a size or two too big on the bottom and keep the every day choices at your eye level.  As baby grows you will want to switch these so that he or she can start making his or her own choices.  You may discover your bundle of joy is a would be ‘fashionista.’

A word to the wise: whether it’s clothing for baby or for your pregnancy, accept items that do not have to be returned. Do promise to pass them on to another deserving mom when the time comes.  As sure as you live it’s the precious item that will be the one you spill cranberry juice on and not the top you picked up at Target for a song. If you do however feel moved to accept borrowed items try and color-code them with a dot of nail polish on the product tag.  As you or baby outgrow an item you’ll be reminded it’s one you have to return.  Mommy brain sets in early.  Don’t burden yourself with having to remember which items are yours and which are borrowed.

A Blessing on your head!

In the book we include some Feng Shui tips from Ariel Joseph Towne, the Feng Shui Guy. I’m going to share a few here but remember to use any traditions from your family or spiritual home to add a blessing to this room.  As you put it together for example play music that you love.  If you like to read or meditate, sit in a chair in this room and fill the room with all of your hopes and dreams for this child. There is no one-way to create a sacred space.  For those who are open to it, here are four of Ariel’s favorite Feng Shui tips for the nursery:

• Avoid placing the crib so that baby’s head is either in line with the door or under a window.
• Use full spectrum light bulbs to simulate natural lighting.
• We are bombarded by electromagnetic frequencies wherever we go these days.  To counteract those in baby’s room, add a Himalayan salt crystal lamp.  Its soft glow is the perfect night-light and it will put negative ions into the room.
• Having lived in a water environment, baby may enjoy the soft sounds from a decorative water fountain in his room.  This is one of the most common Feng Shui tools used.  It is traditionally used near the entry to the home itself or the entry to an individual room.  It is meant to draw in money.  With the rising cost of college these days, it may turn out to be the Feng Shui tool of the moment!

 Your baby, your way

As you set up baby’s first space, it might be fun to take some time to remember your room growing up.  Did you have to share it or did you have your very own space?  Did you have a hand in decorating it or did your parents make all the decisions?  Were you deprived of toys or were you the envy of the neighborhood?  It’s great to stay in present time and be sure that the nursery reflects the needs of this child.  Very often we have unfulfilled needs from our own childhoods and then the space we create isn’t for the baby in our midst but rather the child we carry within. Unfinished business from the past can be as toxic as paint or formaldehyde! A baby represents the ultimate journey of discovery with another human being.  Make it gentle, safe and beautiful from the start.

Regina Leeds is a professional organizer and the author of nine books.  Number five, One Year to an Organized Life, was a New York Times best seller.  Her next book in the One Year to … series is One Year to an Organized Life with Baby.  It’s a guide through the often-rough waters of pregnancy and the first five months of baby’s life. 

www.ReginaLeeds.com

We’re in the midst of a frenzy of Christmas activity so many of you are not thinking about organizing. That’s something most people think about in January.  But I want you to know there are some things you can do right now to get a fresh start to the New Year and make next Christmas season a little easier.

What to do with all those Christmas Cards:

• Cut out the pictures that you want to save, like those from family and close friends, and put them in a photo album. This can be your regular chronological photo album or a special one just for Christmas pictures.  Looking back over the years is fun to do especially at holiday time.
• If you like to scrapbook, save beautiful holiday cards to decorate your pages.
• Save return addresses for new people who are sending you cards and for those who have moved.
• If you don’t already have one, make a Word document set up for mailing labels. Keep all your family and close friends on this file and you can use it all year. Party invites, birthday cards and thank you notes will be much easier to send.  If you have one, update it as the cards come in.
• If you really want to be organized, sort the cards as they come in using a three pocket mail sorter that hangs on your wall.  Photo cards, cards & envelopes, and Christmas letters can be the categories.

Get your decorations under control:

• Take a look at all those decorations that DIDN’T get put up this year.  Discard the broken or really old ones and donate any that are in good shape. Places to donate include: schools, community theatres, nursing homes, libraries, or any charitable organization.
• Take time to wrap up your lights when putting them away. A cable wrap can be found for about $2 at a hardware store. It’s certainly worth it not to have to detangle next December!
• Put your decorations away in categories such as:  outside, inside, and tree ornaments. Lots of home stores carry red & green plastic bins now. These make it easy to identify in your attic or basement especially if you have decorations for several seasons.  For ornament dividers, you can use the cardboard ones found inside of a case of beer or wine.

Use your time between Christmas and New Year’s wisely:

• With all those leftovers it’s a great time to clean out the fridge. Have a “use it or lose it” night and have your family pick a dinner from the leftovers.  Take stock of your plastic containers and make sure they all have matching lids or else toss them! Clear and square are the best.
• Something fun to keep away the post-Christmas blues is to plan vacations for the upcoming year. Our family likes to brainstorm on a white board.  Parents have the final say about where and when but it’s fun for the kids to come up with unique ideas each year. A couple weekend trips can really break up the year instead of waiting for one week off in the summer!

• End of the year also marks a good time to clear out catalogs and magazines. Designate a magazine rack or basket for each and every time the container is full – purge the oldest copies.

Debbie Lillard
Professional Organizer
NAPO-GPC Professional Development Director
Author of "Absolutely Organized"
www.spacetospare.com

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At this time of year most people are trying to keep their heads above water.  The TV airwaves and newspapers are full of ways to celebrate.  What if we did something a bit radical?  What if we looked beyond the holiday and found a few ways to save time, space, energy and money before the clock strikes midnight and it’s 2011? Here are some ideas to get you started.

1. Chances are good that you store your holiday decorations in the attic, the basement or the garage. As you take them down this year, why not give them the once over before you automatically pack them away?  Are any items ready for the trash? Do you have anything that could be donated? Would a family member like some of these items to jump-start their collection? By the way, do you know what’s in all those other boxes filling up the area? Now is a great time to do a little housekeeping.


2. Decorations should be packaged in hard plastic containers and well labeled. Do you have a unit with shelves so that your boxes don’t have to live on the floor? It’s also possible if you must stack your decorations to use containers on wheels.  It’s much easier to pull out a stack of holiday decorations than to have to drag some mystery containers out and wonder what your various categories are in the stack. Cardboard is a feast for critters and breaks down over time.  You’ll find a wonderful assortment of containers at The Container Store, Bed, Bath & Beyond and the Home Depot just to name a few.


3. Tax season is in the horizon.  Why not spend the week between Christmas and New Year getting your receipts in order?  If they are sorted and filed all you have to do is add them up before your tax appointment.  Better yet, create a file system that helps you stay organized all year long.  It takes some time, effort and a few dollars in supplies however it pays endless dividends all year long.  You save time because instead of searching for papers, you know exactly where they are.  And you know the old saying: ‘time is money.’


4. A solid FICO score has never been more important and one of the key ways to keep it healthy is to pay your bills on time.  Create a bill paying system now. Whether you mark on your calendar when a bill needs to be paid, do on line bill paying or have automatic payments set up (or a combination of all), make this one of the habits you cultivate for 2011.


5. If you look at your mail as you walk in the front door and toss your bills wherever fate dictates, you will find it difficult to stay current. The bills will be there and fall due whether you pay them on time or bury them under the cushions on the couch. Best to pay them and file the receipts for tax time. Another reason to take time to create a working file system this month.

You go to the head of the class if you already have a file system created. Now set aside a few hours to be sure it's updated for the New Year.  Too often files become cemeteries rather than active stores of current information. Ask yourself these questions as you peruse your system:

• Are there items you can toss into the recycle pile?  
• What needs to be shredded?  
• Have you created an area for archival material?
• Don't forget to create tax receipt files for the New Year.  The files for this year's tax receipts will soon be put away with all of your other tax back up material.  

Check with your tax preparer or tax attorney to see how long they feel you need to save returns and back up material.  The laws change and these pros will always be up to date.

• Take a few minutes before you ring in the New Year to be sure you haven't neglected any potential tax deductions.  You'll be grateful you did this in March, as you get ready for Tax Day on April 15.  What did I have in mind: union dues, charitable contributions, log the miles you drove for any volunteer work, pay all your medical expenses for the year and contribute to your child's college fund. Every year a parent can give $13,000 without paying a gift tax.  
• If you are newly pregnant, don't forget that one day this little one may want to go to college. Set up a 529 college plan and tell your family you'd rather receive a contribution to that cause than be saddled with overstuffed toys.
• These tough economic times provide us with an opportunity to teach our children about money and to demonstrate responsible ways to manage it. Here are some thoughts to get your creative juices flowing:
  • Organize the house to eliminate clutter because clutter makes it more difficult to think clearly.  
  • Be sure you decorate the home together.  If you can't afford a tree, pick up some discarded branches so you have the aroma of pine.
  • Ask everyone to find one object they could sell on E-Bay or Craig's List.  Use that 'found money' for gifts.  Set a per gift limit and have a contest to see who makes the most creative choice.  
  • Be honest with your children about what's happening and how you are handling it.  A new i Pod or laptop is a great gift.  An even greater one is having your parents treat you like an intelligent being who can handle the truth.  Learning how to make lemonade from the current crop of lemons is a life long skill.  They'll have it long after the iPod and laptop are obsolete.

Consciously Create the Future

It’s always exciting to think of a New Year.  The very idea is full of hope and renewal.  The reality however is that the same old/same old will continue its reign unless we consciously set new causes into place.  Let’s agree that no matter what age we are, 2011 can indeed be the best year of our lives.

Regina Leeds is a professional organizer and the author of eight books.  Number five, One Year to an Organized Life, was a New York Times best seller.  Her next book in the One Year to … series is One Year to an Organized Life with Baby.  It’s a guide through the often-rough waters of pregnancy and the first five months of baby’s life. 

Baby debuts at on line retailers in January 2011 and will be in brick & mortar stores in February 2011. Regina can be reached at www.reginaleeds.com.

For too many of us throwing a party is just that … throwing a number of elements against the proverbial wall and hoping enough of them stick to make the party a success.  Let’s not, as they say, go there. Take a few minutes to answer some questions in your Zen Organizing Journal.

• Do you like to entertain? If the response is ‘yes,’ when was the last time you gave a party?  Was it a success?  What were the key elements that made it successful?  If the answer is ‘no,’ where did you fall down?  Are these correctable mistakes?  We all learn through trial and error.
• Do you do it regularly? Are you comfortable having friends over?  If not, what don’t you like about these events?
• Are you known for any particular kind of party: for example, cocktail, sit down dinner or brunch? Do you want to try something new or have another bash you know you’ve mastered?
• Once you have the type party in mind, what are the elements you think will make the party a success? The most common ingredients are: food, drinks, and the right mix of people, decorations and entertainment.

1. Plan Ahead

If you are single and entertaining isn’t your strong suit, asks a friend to co-host with you.  Whether it’s you and your spouse or partner or that good friend, have a planning meeting. All of the elements you felt were important are going to cost money.  And there can’t be a party until you have a budget.  I’m not talking about figuring out how much this is going to cost after you book the caterer and order fresh flowers!  I’m talking about coming up with a party budget based on what you can afford.  These are very often two different figures.

Set your guest list and plan your menu.  Tailor both to your budget. You won’t enjoy your own gathering if you’re sitting there the entire time thinking: “How am I ever going to pay for this?” Guests and dishes can be eliminated to make your budget work.

Move on to decorations and entertainment. Think simple and elegant. The entire house doesn’t have to be festooned with flowers nor do you need a band or DJ.  Ask a friend to make up some background or dance music for you on a CD and order some balloons!

In One Year to an Organized Life I devote the month of November to working out the details for Thanksgiving. If you can give the ‘mother of all dinner parties, you can do anything in the world of entertaining. You can check out that chapter for more in depth tips.  These are the cliff notes version to get you headed in the right direction.

2. Chaos to Calm

When you have the details worked out, it’s time to make your home party ready. One of the best tips I can share is this: don’t open your entire home to your guests.  They don’t have to take a tour, see any of the bedrooms or use more than the guest bathroom.  How will you keep them out?  Lock the doors in question or post a sign that says: ‘Please do not enter.’ If you have pets you can always use them as excuses.  ‘Do not open: Cat/Dog inside!’

This will mean you have less areas to organize for the event.  Walk though with what I call ‘Fresh Eyes.’ Pretend you have never been here before. If you were a guest, how would these rooms strike you? Is there clutter everywhere or do they need to be cleaned?  If clutter is the culprit, start the process with a ‘speed elimination.’  Set your timer (if you don’t have one in the kitchen, use your cell phone) for 20 minutes.  You’d be surprised how much progress you can make when you move like your hair is on fire!  What are you looking for?  Here are some of the more likely clutter culprits:

• Newspapers older than 2 days and magazines older than 2 months.  If you didn’t make time to read them, give yourself a break.  The latest information is always available on the Internet.  Take advantage.  If there is an article you wish to keep, set that section or issue aside.  When your 20 minutes is up, cut it out and file it.
• Toss notices for sales, party invitations or any other event that is now in the past.  Need to save an address?  When you are clipping magazine articles, cut the return address off the envelope and save it in an envelope.  Tuck the envelop in your address book.  Don’t have one because you only use your computer?  Put the envelope in your to do folder.  Make a time to enter all new info in your computer or hard copy address book.
• Take items to the rooms where they belong.  Did your morning coffee mug stay in your bedroom this morning?  Is your coat waiting to be taken off the living room chair and hung in the hall closet? Did you leave a snack plate in the family room or patio?  Everything needs to be returned to the spot you designated for it.
• Junk mail should be tossed immediately. Try not to bring it into your home.  Toss or recycle it now.  Shred credit card offers.
• Set aside memorabilia and store those items later.  Now is not the time to get lost in old love letters or cards from your kids.
• When you walk past your linen closet see if you have any frayed, stained, past their prime towels or sheets.  The local animal shelter or your vet would love to have them. Just thought I’d sneak that one in here!

3. ‘There is a place for everything …’

When the obvious debris is cleared away you can make an honest assessment of how much organizing you have to do before the party.  You’ll find step-by-step guidelines in One Year to an Organized Life.  It’s better in the long run if you assign specific places for everything you own rather than periodically do a quick tidy up before company arrives.  The latter is a quick fix that will leave you wondering where items are and why the chaos returned in less than two weeks.

4. It’s never too late.

I had a client once who told me she had always wanted to entertain but she wasn’t good at it.  I asked her about her ‘failures.’  I figured if we examined them perhaps we could correct whatever was giving her trouble in the world of party planning.  It turns out her mother had told her she wouldn’t be any good at it and so she had never tried.  She was well into her 60’s when we met.  A lifetime of fun had passed her by without her making an effort to prove her mother wrong.  If early misses wounded you or you took to heart the words of another, there’s no time like the present to make up for lost time.  Fill your home with laughter, good food, great music and happy memories. 

Regina Leeds is a professional organizer and the author of eight books.  Number five, One Year to an Organized Life, was a New York Times best seller.  Her next book in the One Year to … series is One Year to an Organized Life with Baby.  It’s a guide through the often-rough waters of pregnancy and the first five months of baby’s life. 

Baby debuts at on line retailers in January 2011 and will be in brick & mortar stores in February 2011. Regina can be reached at www.reginaleeds.com.

What skeltons are in your closet? I’m not talking about secrets from your past, but really skeletons that you may have with your Halloween decorations! And for that matter, how about candles and wreaths, or that punch bowl you need for the holiday party? Storage areas like attics, basements and garages are sometimes the most disorganized areas of our homes. Why? Because it’s easy to shove things there and not think about them for a whole year.

Here are some simple tips for using the upcoming holiday seasons to motivate you and your family to organize your storage areas:

TAKE INVENTORY

• Go to your storage areas and identify what is in there. It’s a good idea to write it down and post the list on or near the door so everyone in the family knows what is there.
• If you are not sure what’s lurking in those boxes in your basement or attic, you may have to unearth the contents. Allow yourself enough time to open each box and label it but don’t get caught up in pulling everything out just yet! Tried to avoid more than one “miscellaneous” box.

PUT LIKE THINGS TOGETHER

• If you have multiple storage areas you may find that the same category of items appears in all of them. If that’s the case, decide which area can hold all of it and move the boxes. This is like playing with the pieces of a puzzle – as one goes in another might have to come out.
• Once you are satisfied with the location of your stored items, make sure your storage boxes and shelves are appropriate for that area of your house. Basement storage should be off the floor in case of water damage. In dryer areas, a paper box is fine, but you can’t go wrong with plastic bins with lids for most types of storage.

DO TIMELY CLEAN OUTS

• Before a holiday arrives, take some time to identify what you need and what you don’t!  If you’re hosting Thanksgiving, for example, take out the platters and pans that you need.  While you’re looking at extra serving ware or cookware decide if there’s anything you can let go of and donate it to a shelter or charity. You’ll have more room in storage and someone in need will be able to make a holiday meal.

• Once you’re finished decorating, anything left in the boxes can be tossed (if damaged) or donated (if in good condition.)  Places to donate: assisted-living facilities, schools, community centers, local theatre or scouting groups.

• Storage clean outs take a little planning and a lot of motivation. In addition to your basement, attic and garage, you may want to organize the…

Spare bedroom – before out-of-town guests arrive

Gift closet –before you hit the stores for holiday shopping

Clothes closet – as the weather turns colder

Coat closet – before the first snowfall

In each area, remember to categorize, purge and then re-arrange.  (C.P.R.)

Debbie Lillard
Professional Organizer
NAPO-GPC Professional Development Director
Author of "Absolutely Organized"
www.spacetospare.com

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If you’re lucky enough to have a guest room, you’ll want to take some time to make your guests feel welcome. Now that seems like a no-brainer, doesn’t it? You’d be surprised!  Here’s what I find in most guest rooms I’m asked to organize:

• The room has become a dumping ground for items no one in the family uses but can’t seem to part with like outdated office equipment, toys and clothing.
• Someone had the brilliant idea of a multi-purpose room and now gym equipment all bur crowds out the bed.
•  Family members have been interested in various sports over the years.  The interest has long waned but the equipment lingers on.  The room and more likely the guest closet now hold long abandoned skis, tennis rackets, camping gear or even a saddle!

What stops you?

If you find yourself in this predicament, take heart.  You have a lot of company.  The first step is to make some decisions.  Very often when we see chaos in a room, we’re seeing a fear manifesting itself.  Here are a series of questions to get your creative juices flowing. It’s easier to get moving and make changes when we know exactly what we want and why we haven’t yet created it.

1. How many times a year to do you entertain over night guests?  Would you like that number to be higher or are you overwhelmed with relatives and friends throughout the year?  Very often if that’s the case there can be an unconscious need to keep the room in an uproar so guests don’t stay too long!
2. Do you look at the abandoned items in this room and get overcome with guilt?  That’s one of the main reasons we get frozen in place and simply can’t make a decision about the gym equipment or the clothes we’ll never use again.
3. Are you afraid to work on this room because you feel you were born without the ‘decorating gene’ or the ‘organizing gene?’  Take heart.  I’ve got you covered.

I would be willing to bet you’ve got some magazines scattered around the house.  OK maybe a lot of magazines? Here’s an opportunity to make good use of them before you toss them into the recycle bin. Let’s face it if you were really going to read them you would have made time to do so shortly after they arrived.  Now they can serve you in a new way before they bid you adieu.

The Dream Board

I include this wonderful tool in all of my books.  It’s inexpensive to gather the supplies and if you aren’t a visual person you’ll be amazed how it will give you direction.  I’m actually a highly visual person and this exercise saved me years ago when I was stuck on the new direction I wanted my home to take.  I was open to change but didn’t have a clue what I wanted. I started simply gathering pictures I related to from magazines.  I did it without judgment or deep thought.  It was all purely emotional. It didn’t take long to discover I was drawn to colors, furniture and a design sensibility that was completely foreign to my conscious mind.  It made the process of redoing my home a time of transformation rather than drudgery.

Here’s what you need: 

• Poster Board (available at stores like Staples)
• Glue (I like the sticks myself)
• Pictures from magazines.
• Words or phrases that inspire (you can cut words or phrases from your magazines)
• Take a look at scrapbooking supplies and see if you are drawn to fun things like glitter, stickers or multi colored pens. Michaels is a fun source for such items.

There are no rules for the Dream Board.  It’s your creation and for your eyes-only.  Have fun with it.  Simply glue the images that inspire you or show you the ideal guest room onto the board.  You don’t need to find completed rooms.  You can paste together different elements from various rooms you admire.  Many of my clients do this over a weekend and then live with the board in a prominent place so they can be inspired before they go shopping.

Of course here’s a word to the wise: your Dream Board is inexpensive to create but don’t spend money you don’t have to create a room you can’t afford.  Stick to a budget! Read on to see how you might raise the necessary cash for your project.  You know what they say: where there’s a will, there’s a way.

 New Homes for Old Friends

No, I’m not talking about your best friend moving into your guest room.  I’m talking about finding homes for all those items you know you aren’t ever going to use again.  With a little effort some of them may in fact fund the room’s transformation.  There’s always Craig’s List and E-Bay when you need a little extra cash and space in your home.

But do try and think outside the box.  Here are some suggestions:

• Perhaps that furniture you inherited from Aunt Lizzie would better suit you if it were painted a bright and cheery color? 
• Would some of your items make someone else happy?  Donate then to a charity like Goodwill or your local women’s shelter. 
• Is your guest bed too big for the room and the number of guests you habitually entertain? 
• If you have items to dispose of that may be toxic to the environment (are you the one who stored paint in the guest room closet?), call your local community rep and find out how your area handles such waste. 
• Or maybe all you need to do is rearrange the furniture in the room!  If you want to divide the room into a gym or home office and guest room, try using area rugs to mark off the zones or use a screen to hide your work area from guests’ eyes.

I recently had an incredible challenge.  I had a client who insisted we have his drum set and gym equipment set up as part of his home décor.  This was a tiny two-bedroom apartment he shared with his teenage son.  We had to move everything that day several times but ultimately he had a cozy set up that just happened to have a weight bench and drum set prominently placed!

The Bottom Line

Without saying a word to anyone who stays with you, your guest room speaks volumes about how you feel about them. Here are some items for a quick welcome checklist. 

1. Is the bedding fresh, clean and inviting?
2. Do you have some space in the closet along with a few hangars?
3. If there’s a dresser in the room, is at least one drawer empty?
4. What about toiletries?  Will your guest find the basics in case he or she forgot to pack shampoo, toothpaste or a razor?
5. Is there a fresh bar of soap on hand or have you dumped all the slivers from every other bathroom here in an effort to ‘recycle?”
6. Is there enough toilet paper? 
7. Are there fresh towels in the bathroom?
8. Do you have an alarm clock by the night stand?
9. Have you put out any niceties like fresh flowers, candy or fruit? 

I’ve slept on couches and felt as welcome as visiting royalty.  I’ve also slept in palatial guest rooms and been terribly unhappy because I felt most unwelcome.  Beyond the sheets, towels and toothpaste is the energy of the host.  If you’re happy to see your guests, they will feel it.  My suggestions here are simply ways to make that welcome concrete. 

I teach clients to use my CPR process, which is an acronym for: Categorize, Purge and Re-arrange.  So many times I have met with clients who know what needs to be done, but they just don’t know how to go about organizing in their home. Sounds simple enough, but you wouldn’t believe how many people start by re-arranging or buying containers before they have categorized and purged. Whether it’s a closet, a drawer, a room or a category of items you must follow the CPR process!

1.  CATEGORIZE

Let’s take a closet for example. First, make sure you have a clean surface on which to lay all your categorized items.  If you’re dealing with clothes, a clean sheet on the ground or a bed works well. In order to categorize everything in a closet, you must empty out the contents. Make sure you have a box or garbage bag handy for all those clothes you want to donate to your local charity or consign. Then begin to make categories such as: dresses, pants, shirts, sweaters, sweatshirts, belts, bags, shoes and exercise clothes, etc.

2. PURGE

You may chose to purge as you go, identifying clothes that don’t fit, are out of style or those that you simply don’t like any longer. Another option is to wait until you have seen how many items you have in each category, and then decide what to purge.  For example, if you have several pairs of black pants, you may be able to pare that pile down to the best two or three pants. If you don’t know where to donate, try the local Goodwill or the Salvation Army.

3. RE-ARANGE

Now that you are left with an empty closet and nice neat piles of all the clothes you love, begin to re-arrange your closet for optimal functionality.  At this point you may realize you need to change the configuration of your closet. If you have lots of folded clothes, you may need more shelf space, or if you have lots of accessories and shoes, you may need special racks and hooks! If you have a lot of clothing to hang, you may need more bar space. Make a list of what you need or consult a closet designer. Do not forget to put your clothes back in a temporary container until the closet re-do is ready.  If you need to pack up the out-of-season clothing, plastic containers with sealed lids work well and come in a variety of sizes. In my opinion a cedar closet is the best place to store them.

Doing this exercise twice a year will help you keep track of what you have, refresh your wardrobe at the change of seasons, and keep our closet nice and tidy. Even if you get rid of a few items each time, you will be able to have room for any new clothes that you buy!  Remember to “subtract before you add” which is one of my absolutes of organizing!

Debbie Lillard
Professional Organizer
NAPO-GPC Professional Development Director
Author of "Absolutely Organized"
www.spacetospare.com

The ancient Chinese ‘art of placement,’ known as Feng Shui, teaches that if you wish to move to a better place, neighborhood or situation, show respect and give attention to your current residence.  You are demonstrating the care you will provide the new residence you’re seeking. You are also showing respect for the person who will take over your current home. Perhaps this idea will inspire you, should you be feeling overwhelmed by the prospect of a move.

Not every move means you are taking all of your possessions with you.  You might be lucky enough to have a second or weekend house or perhaps one you visit each summer. Nothing is more confusing then wondering where you left a treasured item.

Be sure your second home has towels and linens.  Stock the kitchen with plates, glasses and some basic cooking utensils.  Each weekend or summer when you arrive, you’ll know you can settle right in!  To assist in remembering placement, make use of an Excel spreadsheet and keep a list of special items you have in this home. Next winter you’ll be grateful to discover that you didn’t lose that copy of “Wuthering heights,” you simply left it in the lake house.

In conclusion, moving is always a huge undertaking.  All of the ofromentioned tips cover the obvious elements that come into play: turning off utilities at the current address and finding new providers' Culling through years of collected memorabilia, clothing, pots, pans and photos; Looking at furniture in a new light to see what will work and what won’t.  It’s exhausting, which is why I devoted an entire month to the process.

As with any big undertaking, using a plan allows yourself to stay on schedule and achieve success easily. See this time as a positive transition to the next phase of your life.  Fill the process with joy rather than sorrow and regret.  You know what they say: it isn’t what happens to you in life, it’s how you deal with it.