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.
Regina Leeds The Zen Organizer Author of New York Times Best Seller “One Year to an Organized Life”
Column on ClosetFactory.com appears every Monday & Thursday If you'd like to ask 'The Zen Organizer' a question, email info@closetfactory.com
Summer is just about over, and the new school year is about to begin, so take some time now to help your children get organized. Transition times are a great reminder to do some cleaning out & organizing. Just as the change in seasons reminds us to switch our clothes, the end or beginning of a school year is a great reminder to organize all those categories that go along with having children.
Whether you collect school papers in a bin, a drawer, a cabinet or all over your house, plan for at least a one hour project to pull them all together and sort through with your child. Make a Yes and No pile. “Yes” means you want to keep it and “No” means it goes. For those items you keep (like beautiful artwork or creative writing pieces) find a portfolio or bin big enough to hold all you have plus some more. If you have a prolific artist or writer, you may need one per school year. Label it with the grade and your child’s name. Then designate a spot where these boxes or bins will be stored, like a shelf in the closet.
If you’ve been meaning to make a scrapbook for your child, don’t let perfection stop you! Gather their memorabilia like certificates, special cards, ribbons or extra photos of your child’s special moments, create a simple scrapbook with your child. Let them decorate the pages with stickers, markers or other accessories if they like. Put in everything you have collected so far. For the upcoming school year, have a place where you will collect new items. A small desk drawer or an accordion folder work well.
If your children like to collect knick-knacks but you don’t like the cluttered bureau look, try hanging a display shelf for all their favorite items. Encourage them to keep like things together, for instance: pottery, trophies, wooden boxes or dolls. If you have too much for one shelf, hang several or put some items away and change the display throughout the year.
To get ready for the influx of papers in September have a two pocket folder for each of your children. These are great for keeping all of your reference material for the school year such as class lists, calendars, handbooks, etc. Keep all your folders in one central location for easy access and remember to clean it out each year.
To keep up with growth spurts, hang a large gift bag or shopping bag in your child’s closet. When they find something is too small, they can toss it in and when the bag is full you can drop it off at a clothing collection spot.
The best way to keep your children’s stuff organized is to teach them a daily routine as early as possible. Every day they should make the bed, put laundry in a hamper, clean clothes in the drawers, books on the bookshelf and toys in the toy bin. Keep it simple and be consistent.
Debbie Lillard Professional Organizer
NAPO-GPC Professional Development Director Author of Absolutely Organized www.spacetospare.com
In a previous article, I discussed a few key tips to keep in mind for a stress free move. In this section, it's important to know one of the most important features that will turn potential buyers around when they walk through your door...clutter.
‘Stuff’ has a ‘visual noise’ about it (to coin a phrase) that makes it difficult to think clearly. How can anyone decide if their stuff will look good in your space if that space is chock full of furniture and decorative items?
Cleaning your clutter is a wonderful opportunity for you to weed through your belongings. After all you want your next home to literally represent a fresh start.
If you're not sure where to begin, pick a simple room. Start at one end and work your way through to the other. Stay focused on small areas and allow your success to move out into the room. All those newspapers and magazines you’ve been meaning to read can go to the recycler. Whittle down your memorabilia so that you aren’t lugging too much of the past into your future.
If you already have the new space, draw diagrams and place your furniture to your liking. Remember, don't force furniture to fit into your new space. It’s time to be ruthless! You can donate, or sell, the pieces you can’t take with you. You might even fund your move if you sell enough pieces!
From the outside in…
If your home is clutter free and presents the ideal neutral image but the outside is a tangled mess of half dead plants, a broken fence and paint peeling off the sides, don’t expect the real estate caravan to make a pit stop. Your home will be the ultimate drive by!
Ask your real estate agent which exterior projects will help you get your asking price. Fixing everything may not be needed, and you can choose to focus on one or two repairs. Play your cards right and your profit will reimburse all your improvement expenses.
Regina Leeds The Zen Organizer Author of New York Times Best Seller One Year to an Organized Life Column on ClosetFactory.com appears every Monday If you'd like to ask 'The Zen Organizer' a question, email info@closetfactory.com
Do you love a sport or hobby so intensely that artifacts are scattered throughout your home? Consider keeping your interests private. You don’t want to lose a sale to a vegan who doesn’t appreciate the moose heads you have mounted all over your home. You get the idea. When people enter your home, you want them to see it as a blank canvas on which they can write the story of their family and imprint their unique style.
I had a client who was involved in Eastern Spiritual philosophy. While I appreciated her artwork, I assured her that potential buyers from outside this circle might not be able to see the house because the artifacts offended them.
Alas, she didn’t listen to the real estate agent, or me, and her home never sold. Which begs the question: are you sure you want to sell?
There’s a house in my neighborhood that’s frequently on the market. It has never sold. But for over 20 years the For Sale sign periodically pops up on the lawn. I assume the owner is lonely and this is the only way he can get folks to stop by.
Regina Leeds The Zen Organizer Author of New York Times Best Seller One Year to an Organized Life Column on ClosetFactory.com appears every Monday If you'd like to ask 'The Zen Organizer' a question, email info@closetfactory.com
Tell me the truth. What did you think the ‘B’ word was? I’m going to bet you came up with the word for a female dog, right? Well, for our purposes, the ‘B’ word is Budget! It may not offend people but it certainly does strike fear in the heart. It’s too bad really. A budget isn’t a document that guarantees you will never, ever again have a good time because you are now living like Scrooge himself. It does mean that you can have the best that life offers but in a timely, sensible fashion that will not cause your credit card bills to soar or your FICO score to plummet. Never looked at it that way, did you?
In ‘One Year to an Organized Financial Life’ I go into the mechanics of creating a budget in great detail. It’s the basis of your blossoming financial acumen. How are you going to buy a house, make investments or save for a rainy day if you only have a ‘good idea’ what’s happening in your financial world each month? Let’s take a look at the simple basics.
At the top of a page or preferably in Excel, write down the amount of money you take home each month. If you freelance, take a look at your income for the past two or three months and note the average.
Now make a list of all of your expenses. You’ll remember most of them but use your check register to jog your memory: rent/mortgage; utilities; phones; medical insurance; automobile expense (repairs, insurance and payment) and homeowners insurance pop into my mind immediately. What items are on your list?
What about those items that come along periodically? Dues to professional organizations, safe deposit box rental and school tuition come to mind. What expenses do you have that need to be addressed once or twice a year?
The big culprits in the Money Drunk syndrome are the unconscious cash expenses we make. We don’t usually bother with receipts for these items because we think Uncle Sam doesn’t care about my latte consumption or how many home or fashion magazines I read. But you need to care! Get receipts for everything you buy for a week and multiply by 4 to see where your cash is going in a typical month. Do you take the receipts for cash withdrawals from your bank or ATM and note them in your check register? If not, this is another way you are feeding your cash spending frenzy. Give yourself a weekly allowance. Yes, just like your kids get!
When you add up your expenses you may find you aren’t making enough money. Your next task is to go back over your expenses with a fine tooth comb and see where/how you can save. Here are three common areas:
Do you need all of the perks you pay for on your cable or phone bill? If you pay for premium channels and watch only basic cable, you can instantly (and painlessly) start to save each month.
Take a second look at your phone bill. Or should I say ‘bills?’ Most families have a phone/computer line; a cell phone for every member of the household and in many cases a dedicated landline. See if you can cut some of these out or negotiate for a better package. Do you use for example several different providers? What about pre-paid cell phones? Call your providers once a year and ask if they have any ‘special’s they can share with you as a long time customer.
Can you safely have a higher deductible on your automobile, home or medical insurance policy? Again you’ll have an instant saving in your premium. Can you be even more drastic and sell you car? If you live in a big city with mass transit would that be a viable solution for you?
If you are one of the lucky people who come up with a surplus each month, start saving for a 3 to 6 month fund that will cover you and your family in the event of an emergency. If you already have that in place, while you march to the head of the class, you can decide if you’d like to start an investment portfolio or save for a big-ticket item like a new home or car.
Your budget isn’t static. As your life, income and goals change, you need to tweak it. It’s got to be as alive and vibrant as you are. It’s a companion on your financial journey. Otherwise it’s just a boring homework assignment you did one afternoon. You don’t know where it is nor do you follow it. But then, who cares? You’re off for another latte and, like Scarlet O’Hara, you’ll think about that tomorrow. Or will you take the reins and think about it today!
For detailed instructions on how to organize your closet, pick up a copy of my New York Times best seller, One Year to an Organized Life. Looking for a specific type of tip for future newsletters? Send your ideas, comments or queries to me from my website: www.reginaleeds.com.
The first days of spring each year finds us filled with hope for positive change. A wonderful way to mark the passage is to bring order to your clothes closet. If you get dressed with ease all year, you will save time and energy. You will also save money. How? When you see those beautiful black pants in the boutique window, you won't be tempted to buy them. You will remember you already have 3 pairs at home.
Here are some tips and tricks professional organizers use to make closets not only organized but beautiful.
Group clothes by type. You can save time if all of your slacks, jeans, blouses and suits are together in one section.
Within the clothing categories you create, keep everything in the same color order. I use: white/off white; beige/brown; blue/purple; pink/red; green/yellow; and grey/black. What order will you use? Be creative and consistent.
Get your shoes off the floor! Use a shoe rack for every day pairs; hang sports/exercise shoes in an over the door canvas shoe holder and store dress shoes in an acrylic shoe drawer. These can be kept on a shelf or stacked on the floor, depending on the number of shoes and the available space.
Use one style hanger. I prefer wood myself but plastic, tubular and the hangers from the Home Shopping network all have their place.
Toss the plastic cover and the wire hanger your cleaner sends home with you. The former takes up room and seals in potentially carcinogenic cleaning agents. The latter quite simply destroys your garments.
Line your purses in color order on your closet shelf. A little tissue paper inside will help them keep their shape. Store your evening purses in an acrylic container. They will stay clean and you can admire them all year long.
Separate the items you keep on your shelf with a shelf divider. You don't want your sweaters falling onto your purses.
Sweaters can be stacked by color on a shelf, folded in a dresser drawer, tucked into sweater bags or stored in stackable acrylic shelves. It all depends on how may you have and how often you wear them. Don't forget a few cedar or lavender chips to protect them. Avoid moth balls at all cost.
Finally if you have a huge space between your existing shelf and the ceiling, pop in another shelf. It can provide a convenient area for off season storage.
For detailed instructions on how to organize your closet, pick up a copy of my New York Times best seller, One Year to an Organized Life. Looking for a specific type of tip for future newsletters? Send your ideas, comments or queries to me from my website: www.reginaleeds.com.
Have a regular “hanger rotation process” back and forth to the utility room.
Fold and put away all of your clothing after washing.
Straighten and refold stacks as needed.
Straighten and arrange drawers as needed.
Have a designated place to collect items ready for donation.
Change out clothing seasonally (as needed for your climate).
Practice the "One-In-One-Out Rule:" For everything you buy, one old thing has to go.
Use our monthly project model to keep your wardrobe maintained ongoing. We suggest these monthly master closet projects to members in our Clutter Diet virtual consulting program, and the whole Closet Maintenance Calendar plan is enclosed in the packages of our Simple Division® Garment Organizers product. For example, one month we may focus on swimwear and exercise gear, and another month you would organize your jewelry. A little over time is better than a giant overhaul all at once!
Debbie Lillard
