Basics When Working With a Pro Organizer

Wow. Check out that five head.

When clients call,  I most commonly hear...

I'm already an organized person but I need help...

I'm already an organized person but I need a system...

Calling a professional organizer is like calling a personal trainer.  We can walk into a gym and "work out." However, most people call a trainer because they need the extra push to actually get to the gym and get the proper feedback from someone who's focused on their goals.  The first step of this process when working with your organizer/trainer, is to go through everything with a fine tooth comb.  This forces you to be very specific when making decisions. When an objective-outside eye is present to assist you, you are forced to look at every item and make a  SPECIFIC decision.

Organizing is first and foremost about MAKING DECISIONS.  

Our personal stuff contains hidden meanings and values.  A professional organizer forces you to look at why any object is taking up space in your home.   I/We work collectively with you to decide whether or not something is valuable enough to Donate, Keep, or Sell. (Or what my boyfriend affectionately calls "The Donkey Kong System.)

DONATING...Goodwill, Salvation Army, St. Vincent's, etc. literally create jobs from our donations.  When something you think SHOULD be worth what you paid for it, it probably isn't true.  A classy jacket from St. John or BCBG that you spent $200+ for is no longer worth that price.  Now, someone can get a job. Someone who normally wouldn't be able to buy something that made them look professional at a job interview, because YOU donated something they could afford.  AND, Goodwill specifically has an employment program providing services to individuals with disabilities and who are seriously and persistently mentally ill.  Which, come on, is awesome.

KEEPING...You love it. It has real sentimental value.  It's worth holding on to because when it comes back into style you are proud that you've held on to vintage greatness. 

SELLING...If you believe something you own is worth selling, then that becomes a priority, ie, part of a "To Do" list.  I'm going to create a blog for my favorite places to sell, wait for it...  If it is not worth your time to sell online or take to a re-sale shop it is not a priority.  Hence, take these items to donate.  Someone will probably need that item more than you ever will. Refer to Donating paragraph above.

TRASHING... No professional organizer worth your time and money will force you to get rid of anything or do it "their" way.  I/We have made it our duty to ask the right questions to streamline your choices, and make your life more efficient.  

There is no one system to organize.  Organizing is personal and specific.  However, if you can clearly make decisions about items that enter your home you are already heading toward a clutterless and and more organized space.

Tah Dah!

Digital Photo Organization

I was just asked by the LA TImes for my opinion on storing and organizing digital photos.  Here's what I told them...

The biggest problem with organizing photos is simply taking the time to do it!  Once you've carved out some time there are many simple ways to organize digital photos.  If you have a mac, iPhoto is an easy click and drag program to add and label albums. iPhoto itself can hold up to 250,000 photos.  However, it can be difficult to search for an individual photo.  That's where Folders/Albums and Smart Folders/Albums come in. Smart Folders or Albums are more currently updated and you can search with different options (ie. date, location, face, event). So part of the organization is knowing beforehand how you'd like to divide up your images and make sure you label all of the files!  

If storage becomes a problem you can create different photo libraries that can be exported from the original library. But you may have duplicates of the original files which you should delete take use less storage.

As far as photo organizing apps go Photo Manager Pro is a great option for 3 bucks!

When all else fails just take some time letting go of the photos/albums that are of no use to you anymore.  Holding on to photos of exes, people you don't spend time with anymore, or photos that bring to mind a negative time in your life is just bad mojo!

Here's a link to the article. Some other people were quoted and have some great ideas!

http://www.latimes.com/home/la-hm-photo-management-20140118,0,4536868.story#axzz2qV9hubBd

Pinterest

Who doesn't want a Pinterest Cookie!!!?                           

First and foremost...Pinterest is the simplest way to go about organizing ideas and inspiration.  It's free, it's creative, it's visual, you can make notes on the image itself, and IT DOESN'T TAKE UP ANY ROOM IN MY HOUSE!  Also, it take less than a minute to "pin" your idea. Most of us are on our computers constantly these days.  And Pinterest makes it easy for us to "pin" pretty much anything.  

Scrapbooks, idea, and inspiration boards can all be digital.  It takes one click to see my likes.  It takes me God knows how long to even want to dig through an "idea file" that I haven't a clue what I put in there in the first place.  Another plus is that you can set any board you want to "Private."  That way you can decide who sees what.

For the hard copy sect?   Just take a pic from your favorite "Elle Decor" or "Playgirl" (do they even make that anymore?) upload it to a board then get RID of the magazine. They're heavy, they take up room, and they can overwhelm us just by sitting there.  It's like they're saying, "Hey! I'm 5 years old and you forgot why you're keeping me, but maybe one day I'll do you some good."

Here's a link to my Pinterest for some fun and interesting organization ideas... http://www.pinterest.com/brasstacksjoey/

Image courtesy of http://garrettgee.me/blog/740/ios-app-icon-cookies-pinterest/
 

Doo Doo List!

I couldn't help myself.   

Ok...It's time to change our rhetoric. Our heads create "need to," "ought to," and "should do" lists.  "Should," "ought," and "need" leave us feeling guilty and empty.   Like we are somehow OBLIGED to get a task done.  No one wants to feel that they HAVE to do something during their free/off time.  It's also not a proactive way of looking at any type of task.  "To Do" makes you Do Do!! It's a great exercise if you're feeling backed up.  Hell yeah double entendre! You take the obligation out and add forward motion.  Now go on and make a do do!!

How to Make Organizing Perfect For You and Your Brain

Being a professional organizer, I never organize the same way for each of my clients.  Everyone functions differently.  I can color code, alphabetize , and beautify everything, but the question is, “Is it going to stay that way?”  “Will I put it back in the same place each time?,” is a question you need to ask yourself.  It’s about form AND function.  For example: hair brushes. If you are honest with yourself you know that you can’t deal with brushes on the counter and you also know you can’t deal with putting them in a vanity cabinet. A reasonable alternative, in this hypothetical case, is a brush drawer or brush basket under the sink.  It’s easily accessible.  Then your  aesthetic comes through when you buy that cute little basket that perfectly fits!

The bottom line of organizing is prioritizing and decision making.  This constant decision making about what is important to us and WHY it is important to us can cause mental fatigue. Check out this article on LifeHacker.

This is why we find organizing our shit so incredibly daunting and exhausting.   Physical clutter and mental clutter cause the same final result: stress and inefficiency. 

Also, go easy on yourself. Be careful not to second guess or obsess over your decisions.  Nothing will ever be “perfect”.  Allow your space to expand and contract.  I can obsess over perfecting a space to make it look the way a picture in a magazine does. I have to remember that idea doesn't exist. Those pictures are taken with a crew and quite a bit of production. A space is perfect when it's efficient and pleasing to the eye. And even that should be constantly changing. As in everything, we expand and contract as our universe does and so do the spaces we inhabit. Sometimes we nest and sometimes we purge.  And that, is perfect.

Quotes Not to Live By

So I used a picture of my dog Zoe.  She looks like she’s listening right?  How’s that for artistic license?!
Ahem...anyway...
If you ever hear these statements in your head...abort!

1. “I might use this one day.”

This mentality gets us into trouble.

2. “I’ll save this for so and so.”

We typically forget that we are saving something for that person. Thus, causing clutter.  If you want to give someone an item that you no longer want, place that item by the door with a post-it with their name on it.  Being near the door not only reminds you to take/send it to them it also will make you nuts just sitting there. Therefore, you are more likely to get it to them faster.

3. “This (random organizey thing from Target) will make my life easier."

This statement is not entirely bad.  Just keep in mind that the “stuff” we buy often proves less efficient resulting in never ending “to-do” lists or just more “stuff”. Really think about the products you are going to buy.  Is it REALLY going to make your life easier?

Tea Drawer! Spice Drawer! Huzzah!

When working with client’s kitchens I’ve found the most chaotic minutia when it comes to spices and tea.  Tea comes in huge boxes with little packets.  Needless to say these boxes take up a lot of room!  The beauty of tea packets is that most times they are cute and brightly colored like the ones pictured above.  So I like to keep them like a card catalogue.  Now we Macguyver those boxes.  Don’t sweat going to the store to buy containers!  Just cut or rip the flaps off of one side and condense the rest of the packets.  You’ll find you have much more room left in the drawer.  Then you can keep tea strainers, coffee filters, and or sweetener and sweetener packets in the same drawer!  If you have loose or non packaged tea, keep it in the container it came in and lay it next to your makeshift containers.  I promise you’ll have more than enough room in that drawer for all you need.

Same goes for spices!!  Racks are lovely but we always have surplus because all of the spice tends to not fit in those little jars.  Also, we tend to knock over standing spices to get to the ones in the back.  That personally makes me nuts!  Lay them flat in a drawer label side up.  Horizontal or vertical works fine depending on the drawer.  Organize your spices by sweet and savory, or alphabetically (whichever works for you).  Any spices in bags or the like can lay separately in the same drawer.  NOTE* If you have bulk spices marry them to the appropriate jar and keep bulk in a separate area.  (ie.  the pantry or bulk cabinet)

Paper Problems! Minimizing Junk Mail

It all starts with the mail…

Our postal service is a free for all.  Don’t forget that Ladies and Gents.  Our personal information is out there no matter how much we try to hide it.  First line of business is to do as much “opting out” as we can.  While researching, I found this on the LAPD website under the precautions for identity theft.  I have since done it and have drastically reduced my amount of junk mail.

1:  Send your name, address and any other variation of your name to:
Mail Preference Service
Direct Marketing Association
PO Box 9008
Farmingdale NY 11735-9008

or Call 212.768.7277
or visit www.dmaconsumers.org
                                   

2: CREDIT CARD OFFERS Call 1.888.5.OPTOUT they will ask for your ss#

3:  TELEMARKETING OFFERS www.donotcall.gov or Call 1.888.382.1222

Get Rid Of That Old Makeup!!

Ladies, we spend a lot of $$ on makeup.  Because we are too afraid to throw out something so expensive, we begin to hoard makeup. Truth is, makeup goes bad.  It can harbor bacteria that can cause infections and breakouts not to mention it takes up way too much bathroom storage space.  Here’s a way to keep the clutter down.

Bad makeup is most noticeable when...
There is an odd noticeable odor.
Separation, clumping, or change in texture occurs (Don’t just add water!! These are a signs of bacteria.)

Expiration dates — beginning from the time you first open these products
Powders and shadows: Can last years
Cream shadows: 12 to 18 months
Foundation: 1 year
Lipstick: Can last 2-3 years
Lip gloss:  18 months
Mascara & eyeliners: 3 months
Makeup brushes: Clean weekly using a mild detergent
Makeup sponges: Replace weekly, or when sponge becomes soiled
Bottom line?  Only buy what you love and love to use.

I Have My Own Problems

OK so...I’ve been in the same fantastic one bedroom apartment for 5 years.  And, I’m getting itchy.  Itchy like, I’ve made the space work but now I’m tired of it, kinda 5 years itchy.  I only have one closet for clothes and one chest of drawers.  Buying the “Real Simple” hangers have saved my life with a closet the size of Danny Devito.  Now, pay attention. These hangers will save your life with a small closet.  I can keep twice the amount of clothing in half the space!  You can hang hanger on other hanger to keep (my motto) like with like. Also, the streamline shape keeps everything slimly hung.  Not to mention the velour fabric keeps the clothes on the hanger!

                                                                       

$30 for a set of 50 at Bed Bath and Beyond

                                                                                                           

SO. My current issue is housing my shoes in my Danny Devito closet.  Now, knowing that I have approximately 33 pairs of shoes.  (Ladies this does not count the boots.  I store them somewhere else.) Hanging the clothes on multiple hangers creates extra length/lateral space.  So the shoes stored aren’t as visible as I’d like them to be because the clothes hang over the shoes!  So the current conundrum isn’t, “Joey you’re a terrible organizer why can’t you figure it out?”  It’s “Joey you’re an amazing organizer!  What do you do?!”

Unfortunately I’m limited by space.  That closet isn’t getting any bigger.  and no matter if I decide there’s no price on a solution I’d still need a contractor in here to break down walls and extend my closet.  So my big brain has to come up with a cost efficient solution...Part 2 to follow.  And I heartily welcome comments and advice ; )

Yard Sale

I had a client that was moving out of the country into a furnished apartment.  He got so overwhelmed deciding what of his things to sell, donate, or trash.  Since he had the time to host a yard sale I said the best thing was to try to sell everything and have Goodwill pick up what’s left. This way he could give himself  an opportunity to reimburse himself for items that would go away regardless.  So I e-mailed him my easy top 10 guidelines to having an efficient, and hopefully profitable, yard sale...

1.  Post sale on Craigslist.
2.  Make like 7 easy, bold, and legible signs for the neighborhood and post the day before on lampposts etc.
3.  Go to the bank and make sure you have 2 rolls of quarters and a lot of 1's and 5's (close to $150 worth)
4.  Make sure you have a cash box to keep the $$ safe and organized
5.  Get post-it notes or little stickers to price some things.  People will always try to haggle (keep that in mind when pricing)
6.  Be sure to have the sale visible and in the front yard.  A lot of traffic will come from drive/walk bys. 
7.  Make sure you have pics of the things that are not in the yard for sale. 
8.  Placing things on the ground is perfectly acceptable.  Folding tables are a plus but not a necessity.
9.  Music really helps.
10. Get a comfy chair to sit in. Time to camp out.

Let me know your successful yard sale ideas and stories!!

It's Simple But it Aint Easy / My Philoshophy

Throughout my 20’s I organized my home with an intensely tight budget.  I feel that that is one of my strengths as a professional organizer:  organizing space on a budget. How do we become organized and not feel overwhelmed to do yet another project and spend more money getting it done?   While many of life’s project’s can be overwhelming, Brass Tacks clears the clutter so you can breathe. 

I try not to make space look overwrought or sterile.  Shoot, I love a good junk drawer!  However, the power of feeling that you own your space and feel a flow within it comes from the things we can let go.  I try to help you create and personalize that flow. 

The first step to organizing is de-cluttering.  De-cluttering is the most time consuming and emotional part to REALLY getting organized.  It is also the reason why it’s very difficult to devote the time to doing it alone. 

Even  the most organized can’t see things the way an outside eye can.  That’s why I often use my friends to remind me why I should or should NOT keep a shirt-dress that I never wear and doesn’t quite fit me the way I’d like.  I have clients that look at their space and say “I can do it myself”.  But the reality is, they HAVEN’T.  That’s why they hire me.

Sentimental boxes, old pictures and cards, that shirt we wore on our first date with an ex: these things need to be looked at. We all need help.  We shouldn’t waste our personal real estate and rent money on housing things we no longer need.

I’ll admit it, I have a mild form of OCD. There I said it.  This makes me passionately drawn to what I do and what fires that passion even more is knowing that I can help someone.  Because Jeebus knows we all need that help.

Here’s a quote from one of my first clients. “I can't thank you enough for everything you have given me with this organizational make-over!  It's such a lesson in personal growth, no?  It feels amazing to be free of the "piles" that were making me crazy. I will be ready not to contradict the goals of this overhaul - it feels fabulous!  Thank you, thank you, thank you.” 

Keepers of Too much stationary

This is a card from a client that loves to keep all kinds of stationary for “future” use.  What better use than to send a Happy New Year 2005 card to your organizer??  ; ) Ladies tend to do this more than men.  So girls, I’m talking to you. Designate 1 box or drawer to unused/reusable stationary.  When that space becomes stuffed you’ll probably start stashing those cards in other places.  This is when an alarm should sound! If that space gets crammed,  sift through the old stationary and get rid of the cards you haven’t used (especially the outdated ones).  That way you have a space for the new ones and you’ll probably remind yourself to send some of the old!! Remember ladies, it’s just paper, it’s totally recyclable.

Cheap and Classy

This idea came when working with one of my very first clients. He had little to no artwork and we wanted to give him some dimension to the wall of his entryway and keep his jacket off the couch! Flat black paint to create a frame then screw the hooks into the wall.  Use any paint, shape, and hooks to create the look you want.  These hooks were in the clearance bin at Anthropologie (shocker).