Donate Your Shoes!

Any size.

Any Style.

Any Shape.

It’s the perfect time to clear out those closets. And, it’s the perfect opportunity to donate them for a good cause!

Through  Soles4Souls, your old (or new!) shoes will be donated for either disaster relief or a market-based charitable program that is designed to provide impoverished people in developing nations with the resources to start and maintain their own business.

It’s a Win-Win Situation!

You have the opportunity to clear out and simplify your home, while blessings others. How many pairs of shoes do you have, sitting in your closets, bins, cubbies, garage, and cars, that have been outgrown or tossed aside by your family members? Your old shoes could make a difference in the daily lives of others around the world.

How many shoes can we collect in the next 3 weeks?

How many pairs can you collect as a family, a youth group, a civic organization or a neighborhood?

How many lives can we touch?

How many lives will be changed?

Collection boxes are at Uniontown Bible Church through the month of May.

Please call Cheryl at 410.259.1466 before Sunday, May 27th, to arrange alternate pick-up.

Shoes are being collected in conjunction with the National Association of Professional Organizers and 1-800-GOT-JUNK of Washington DC.

Happy Collecting and Happy May!

Cheryl

]]> http://inorderforlife.com/2012/05/11/we-want-your-shoes/feed/ 0 http://inorderforlife.com/2012/05/10/precious-memories/ http://inorderforlife.com/2012/05/10/precious-memories/#comments Thu, 10 May 2012 12:00:50 +0000 Cheryl http://inorderforlife.wordpress.com/?p=1318 Precious Memories………….Treasures or Clutter?

A few years ago, Hallmark came out with this sweet Mother’s Day commercial of a daughter, Jenny, giving her Mom a Mother’s Day card. Jenny gives Mom a card and a hug. Mom goes into her home, takes down a small wooden box from a shelf above her desk,  opens it and takes out all the Mother’s Day cards that her daughter has given her over the years. You see Jenny’s handwriting change from a primitive scribble, to an adolescent’s writing, to a young woman’s script. You notice both short and sweet, and longer, more sentimental notes from Jenny. Finally, you see the note that Jenny has written on this year’s card, “From one Mom to another”, along with a picture of Jenny and her baby.  A proud moment for Mom, indeed. Precious memories treasured.

As much as I love the commercial, as a Professional Organizer, what I love most is the fact that Mom can actually find, look through, and appreciate the cards that her sweet daughter has given her over the years.

Is This The Fate of Your Precious Memories?

Too often, in our sentimental fashion, and in our attempt to savor and appreciate our memories, we keep every card, letter, photograph and sentiment ever given to us. As our piles accumulate, they become overwhelming and, by the sheer volume alone, become our clutter instead of our precious memories.

It is not unusual to find a scene similar to this picture, with boxes and bins filled with memories, haphazardly stored in the garage, basement or attic, simply because they had taken over the living space.

So, how do we keep our keepsakes and precious memories from becoming clutter?

1. Keep the most precious (and be willing to toss the rest)! If you hold on to EVERY picture, note, card, and memorabilia, the volume becomes overwhelming and you won’t be able to enjoy any of them. The idea is to pick the most meaningful, organize those beautifully, and toss the rest. That way, you can actually find and enjoy your memories.
2. Dedicate a specific space and container for your memories. You might have a specific memory box in your bedroom for cards from your husband. A special box in the family room for saving notes, cards and art work given to you from your children or grandchildren.  A few beautiful, well placed, magazine holders  on a shelf might do the trick.
3. Remember that your decision to keep or throw out a card or piece of memorabilia does not reflect a corresponding sentiment for the person who gave it to you!
4. Ask yourself a few questions before storing away that card, note or picture…….

• Does it bring me joy, make me smile, and bring specific memories of the person who gave it to me?
• Does it show off the qualities or personality of the person who gave it to me?

Baroque Storage Boxes from The Container Store

Handcrafted Wood Memory Box

Vinea Magazine File Box by See Jane Work

Find a storage box that matches your personality and style. Something that you want setting out in your home. There are 1,000′s of options! Then, save and enjoy those precious memories!

Happy Mother’s Day!

Cheryl

Graduations, another year of college completed, mission trips, summer camp, a new job, a new town, …………each resulting in “The Revolving Door”, as young adults move in and out of our homes.

The Revolving Door:  “characterized by a frequent succession or a cycle of leaving and returning.” Merriam Webster Dictionary

As in college students returning home for the summer!

Moving Day......Simplify the Process!

College students often return home for the summer with more stuff than could have possibly fit into their little dorm room or apartment! Their last days at school are consumed with finals, friends, and hopefully, a little fun, and they usually aren’t too concerned with neatly packing their belongings for the summer. Oftentimes, their belongings are shoved into bags, bins, and crates in a hit or miss manner (and that’s on a good day!). So, how do you keep it (your home, your life, your car) organized in the midst of the revolving door?

Don’t allow them to dump! Gently remind them that this is your home, not a storage facility. Then, offer these 7 simple, easy, and effective solutions to storing away their college gear until the next semester.

Dorm and Apartment Supplies, School Supplies and Gear:

Pack away these supplies in clearly labeled, clear plastic bins. Sort like with like. Only then, can they see what they have, and decide what to keep. Next, ask a few questions about each item, before packing it away:

• Did you use this item last semester?
• Do you foresee a need for it next semester?
• Where would you like to donate items that aren’t needed/used?

This is the perfect opportunity to assess any needs for next semester.

College Textbooks:

If they won’t be needed in the future, suggest that they sell back their textbooks. This will result in less clutter, and can be a deposit for next semester’s books. Remember, textbooks become obsolete VERY quickly!If you missed selling textbooks back to the college bookstore, check out these easy solutions.

• abeBooks Book
•  BuybackBOOKBYTE.COM
• textbooksrus.com

Unopened Foods, Any Toiletries, Cleaning Supplies, and Laundry Detergent:

Incorporate all foods (opened and unopened), toiletries, cleaning supplies and laundry detergents into your household. Then they can start new and fresh next semester.

Clothing:

Encourage them to take a few extra minutes to sort and purge before they unpack and/or pack away their clothes. Begin by taking a hard look at the clothes they did not bring to college. Generally, these are clothes they don’t like or don’t wear as often, and it just may be time to donate. Next sort like with like. Then ask the following questions to help your student sort and purge before storing away:

• Did you wear it this semester/year/season? If you didn’t wear it last semester or season, you probably won’t wear it during the next semester or season!
• Does it fit? If not, is it within a reasonable number of size ranges of your current size?
• Do you love it? Is it still in style? Is it YOUR style?
• Is the item in good condition? Does it have stains or tears or is it too worn?
• Does it need mending? If so, will it realistically be mended?
• How many do you currently own of this type of item? How many do you realistically wear or need?
• Where would you like to donate the clothes you haven’t worn? Carroll County friends, check out this Renew, Reuse, Recycle link to some local possibilities.

Before storing away clothes, be sure to take the 3 simple steps of clothing storage, Clean, Contain, and Repel to protect them. Read more at a previous blog post,  “The Great Exchange”.

Linens and Bedding:

Use the same 3 simple steps of clothing storage; Clean, Contain, and Repel, and store linens to be used next semester in a clearly labeled container. Incorporate any other linens into your household, or donate to a worthy cause.

Microwave and Refrigerator:

Clean out the microwave and refrigerator, and any other appliances, before storing them away for next semester.

Label, Label, Label:

Before packing away the crates and bins of clothing and supplies, be sure that everything is clearly labeled.  I love, love Post-it and 3M removable and self adhesive labels . They allow you to quickly and easily label boxes and bins, while giving you the flexibility to change labels often. They come in a variety of sizes and colors.

A Final Thought:

Not only will you be taking steps to keep your home organized, just as important, you will be helping your student(s) learn and practice organizational skills, that they will use for a lifetime.

Yes, this hits close to our home! We are in the midst of the college years, with 2 students graduating within a month of each other, and a 3rd college student moving home. It truly is a revolving door!

Happy (and Organized) Living and Moving!

Cheryl

Baltimore NAPO Organizers at the 2012 NAPO Conference

Last month, over 800 Professional Organizers from around the world, gathered in Baltimore for the  National Association of Professional Organizers Annual Conference and Organizing Exposition. I was both privileged and thrilled to be in attendance, along with 20 other organizers from the NAPO Baltimore Chapter.

It was:

• A rich time of learning. I received education and skills that I can, in turn, transfer to my clients and make a difference in their lives for months and years to come.

• An opportunity to get a first hand look at service solutions and new products in the organizing community.

• An opportunity to develop new business and working relationships with my peers throughout the organizing community.

USA Today took notice, of what might be the most organized, conference around! Check out their article, “Got clutter? There are experts to help dig your way out.”

Watch for my upcoming article, “Conference Favorites”, where I will share some of my favorite products and services in the Organizing Exposition.

Happy (and Organized!) Days!

Cheryl

I LOVE the IDEA of spring cleaning and actually having every surface of my home clean at the same time! But, I must say, I have lots of very good reasons NOT to spring clean;  a full life, a business, a great family, and only one life, and this life is ready to celebrate and enjoy spring! According to wikipedia, spring cleaning refers to the,

Yearly act of cleaning a house from top to bottom, which would take place in the first warm days of the year, typically in spring, hence the name.

In the past, homes were heated by coal and wood fires and come the end of winter, there was a definite need to open up the house and clean out, top to bottom.

I have the desire to have every surface of my home clean. But, I don’t want to spend my days cleaning, during what can be the most beautiful time of the year! So, what is the alternative?

Rather than cramming all your heavy cleaning jobs into a week or two in the spring, have a year long cleaning plan. Create a check off list of ALL the jobs you wish to accomplish throughout the year. Think of it as spreading your SPRING CLEANING throughout 12 months, rather than 2 weeks. Then set aside 30-45 minutes per week to devote to heavy cleaning. With very little effort, you have set aside almost 40 hours (45 minutes x 52 weeks) which, practically speaking, is more time than you would devote to spring cleaning anyway. And best of all, you have a clean house AND you are able to get outside and enjoy spring!

Throughout the year, do the jobs that make sense for the season.

Then in March and April do only your spring jobs. They might include:

• We will be opening windows soon and getting outside, it’s the perfect time to clean the windows, sills and screens
• Clean off the porches and decks. Pull out the cushions and deck furniture
• Switch out fall and winter clothes for spring and summer. Take advantage of this time to purge and lighten your load.  Any clothes that you haven’t worn in the past season should be tossed or donated, depending on their condition. To protect clothes that are being stored, remember to wash them before packing them away and then, make sure they are stored in a clean, cool, dark, and dry place. It’s also the perfect time to take note of any clothing needs for next fall and winter and take advantage of winter clearance sales.
• Switch out the snow suits, gloves and hats for the beach towels, goggles and suntan lotions.
• Finally, get outside and begin your garden projects!

Enjoy spring AND a clean house!

Happy (and organized) spring!

Cheryl

Is the concept of spring cleaning stressing you out? Are you having trouble getting your house in order? Come on out, this Thursday, as I teach you some practical habits and systems that you can easily incorporate into your busy life to keep your home in order and your sanity intact. Enjoy an orderly home without missing out on the most beautiful days of the year!

What: “Spring Cleaning, Really?” Workshop

When: Thursday, April 5th, 7-8 PM

Where: Carroll County Public Library, Westminster Branch,  50 East Main Street, Westminster, MD In the Large Meeting Room

Hope to see you there!

Happy (and organized!) Spring!

Cheryl

A Lovely Pottery Barn Dresser

Just like your closets, your dressers are PRIME REAL-ESTATE. Treat them as such. Don’t use them as “storage”. Use them for life. Now. Use them to store those clothes that you use and wear on a daily basis. Too often our clothes get tucked in our dressers to die, never to be seen or worn again. And then, we cram our current clothes on top, making it difficult to find the clothes we wear, and to put away our clean laundry.

It’s time to start fresh. Re-group and re-organize. You’ll be happy you did.

Step 1: Empty each drawer completely, so you can see what you have, and sort into categories: undergarments, sleepwear, t-shirts, active wear, jeans and shorts, casual shirts, sweaters, etc.

Step 2: Go through each category.

• Sort into wear and don’t wear
• Separate “Don’t wear” into “give away” and “throw away”
• Pay special attention to the quantity of each category—do you actually need that number, or wear that number of items?
• Immediately, put things you don’t wear into your designated, labeled, boxes or bags

Step 3: Put each category of clothing into the appropriate size drawer.  If your drawers are too full when you complete this process, consider removing some of the bulkier items. Jeans and pants can be hung in the closet. Sweaters and sweatshirts can be placed on the shelf of the closet using shelf dividers.

Make Use of Simple, Inexpensive Organizers

Dream Drawer Organizers by The Container Store

Slotted Interlocking Drawer Organizers by The Container Store

Firenze Drawer Organizers by The Container Store

Keep the following  goals in mind as you work through this process:

1. The 80/20 Rule. It’s true! We tend to wear 20% of our clothing 80% of the time. Make it your goal is to purge a higher percentage  of your clothing so that you KEEP what you actually Love and WEAR. (Keep this goal in mind when you shop!)
2. To be able to actually see what you have.
3. To make it easy to put your clothes away (and our kids clothes).
4. To be able to, quickly and easily,  find what you have.

Happy (and Organized!) Spring!

Cheryl

A Closet Ready for Spring

Spring is here! Well, at least according to the calender. Here in Maryland, spring has come and gone, and it’s feeling a bit like winter again. Not to worry, it will return! I have encouraged you to switch out your winter clothes for your spring and summer duds, although admittedly, it’s a difficult time to figure out which season to dress for.

So, as you follow these easy steps in bringing order and simplicity to your closet,  just be sure to keep out some of your favorite, multi-season basics for those chili spring days.

 As you begin, keep these basic goals in mind:

1. The 80/20 Rule. It’s true! We tend to wear 20% of our clothing 80% of the time. Make it your goal is to purge a higher percentage  of your clothing so that you KEEP what you actually Love and WEAR. (Keep this goal in mind when you shop!)
2. To be able to actually see what you have
3. To make it easy to put your clothes away (and our kids)
4. To be able to find what you have

Before You Begin to Sort and Purge

Before you begin the process, have a bag or bin available and clearly labeled for each of the following 5 categories:

1. Donate or Sell – consignment (if appropriate)
2. For Children:  Storage (for younger sibling) – be sure they are in good condition and clean before storing away –label by size/child or gender
3. Off Season Clothes –extra dresser or clearly labeled box/bin
4. Trash
5. To Mend (be realistic~if it’s been hanging in your closet for years waiting to be mended, it’s time to toss! If you truly are going to take the time to mend it, pull it out and put it with your sewing machine or in your car to deliver)

Step 1: Pull out everything and put like with like.

Don’t skip this step. You can’t decide what to keep, until you actually know what you have.

Step 2: Decide what you will keep.

Make quick decisions. Invite a friend to help you, if needed. If the clothes make you look and feel great, and they are in season, keep them out. If not, put them in your give away, sell, trash or off season piles. Unsure of what to keep? Ask yourself a few simple questions:

1. Is the item in good condition?
2. Does it have stains or tears or is it too worn?
3. Can it (or will it) be mended?
4. Is it still in style? Is it YOUR style?
5. Do you love it, or even like it?
6. Does it make you feel great to wear it?
7. When was the last time you wore this? If you didn’t wear it last season, you probably won’t wear during the next season!
8. How many do you currently own of this type of item? How many do you realistically wear or need?
9. Does it fit? If not, is it within a reasonable number of size ranges of your current size to keep it?

Step 3:  Organize Your Closet:  This is PRIME REAL-ESTATE. Treat it as such. Don’t use it as “storage”. Use it for life. Use it to store those clothes that you use and wear on a daily basis.

• Put everything back, so that it is both visible and accessible.
• Sort and hang similar clothes together. Choose categories that make sense to you. You may choose to arrange by item (shirts/jackets/pants/skirts/dresses), by casual/work/dress, and by color within each category of clothing.
• Hang the clothes you wear most often where they are easy to see and easy to reach when you open the door.

If your clothes are packed in your closet, it will be difficult to put clothes away, see what you have, and find what you are looking for. In this case, you basically have 2 options. Either build more closet space (not going to happen!) or make better use of the space you have available (really very simple!).

Use Simple and Inexpensive Tools to make the best use of your available space:

Use Simple Shelf Dividers to Make Use of the Shelf Above Your Hanging Bar

Spectrum Diversified Shelf Dividers

 Use Simple Scarf, Tie and Belt Hangers for Efficient and Simple Hanging Storage

Scarf Hanger

Tie Hanger

Belt Hanger

Hanging Purse and Shoe Organizers

Purse Organizer

Hanging Shoe Storage

If you are lacking space for hanging clothes, consider these alternatives for shoes and purses:

Over the Door Shoe Organizer

Use Simple Cubbies for Shoes

Handbag Storage Bin

Happy (and Organized!) Spring!

Cheryl

Check out Dresser Organization and Organizing Kids Clothes and finish the job!

Spring is in the air.........

Spring is in the air!

Are you ready?

It’s time, once again, to do “The Great Exchange”. Make life easy on yourself and take an afternoon to prepare for spring and summer. It is the time of year to pack away the fall and winter clothes and equipment, and unearth your spring and summer apparel and gear.

Begin with your clothes. While you’re at it, take a few extra minutes to sort and purge before you pack your fall and winter clothes away.

Do you remember the old 80/20 rule? It’s true! We do tend to wear 20% of our clothing 80% of the time. As you take the time to sort and purge you’re off season clothes, make it your goal to purge a higher percentage of your clothing so that you LOVE and KEEP what you will actually wear. Don’t you love it when you’re on vacation and you have a suitcase filled with all of your favorite clothes? It simplifies both your choices and your laundry.

If you’re having a difficult time figuring out if you should keep a specific item of clothing, ask yourself the following questions:

• Is the item in good condition?
• Does it have stains or tears or is it too worn? Can it (or will it) be mended?
• Is it still in style? Is it YOUR style?
• Do I love it, or even like it?
• Does it make me feel great to wear it?
• When was the last time I wore this? If you didn’t wear it last season, you probably won’t wear during the next season!
• How many do I currently own of this type of item? How many do I realistically wear or need?
• Does it fit? If not, is it within a reasonable number of size ranges of my current size to keep it?

Now that you have determined which fall and winter clothes you will be holding on to, it’s time to consider where to store them. If space allows, simply move the off season clothing to the back of the closet, bringing the spring and summer clothes to the front of the closet. Then, rotate them back as the season’s change. Alternatively, you can move off season clothes from your closet to a spare closet. If you don’t have room within a closet, consider purchasing a freestanding closet to store in your finished basement, finished attic or guestroom. Finally, you can store your off season clothes in a bin labeled with your name and “Fall/Winter Clothes”.

Before storing away off-season clothes, take steps to protect them. It’s as easy as 1, 2, 3.

1. Clean – Moths and carpet beetles are the primary pests that can cause damage, and they are attracted to natural fibers like wool and cotton. They also feed on organic stains. Always clean clothes before storing them away.
2. Contain – in a clean, dark and dry location, such as a closet, freestanding closet, storage box or bin to deter pests
3. Repel – Use all natural cedar to repel pests

It’s also the perfect time to take note of any clothing needs for next fall and winter and take advantage of those last winter clearance sales.

Next, switch out the snow suits, gloves and hats for the beach towels, goggles, and suntan lotions. Find a home for these items near the front door, where you will be coming and going all spring and summer.

Clean off the snow boards, skis, and sleds and store them away for the summer, while pulling out the volleyball nets, croquet and badminton set, lawn chairs, and charcoal.

Relax and Enjoy!

Cheryl

Spring......

70 degrees. Windows open. Spring clothes out.

Or are they? Are they still packed away?

Pause. Give yourself a minute. Now decide to do this the right way….the only way that will result in simplicity, efficiency, and maybe a little bit of cold hard cash!

Take a critical and realistic look at your child’s spring and summer clothes that you are unpacking. Then ask yourself a few questions about each piece.

1. Is it in good condition? Does it have stains or tears or is it too worn? Can it (or will it) be mended?
2. Does your child love it, or even like it?
3. Does it fit well? Will it last through the season?
4. How many does you child currently own of this type of item? How many do they realistically wear or need?

Before you start this process, create 3 separate bins; 1  for trash, a 2nd for donate, and a 3rd for clothes to be consigned.

For children’s clothes that are lightly used to new condition, clean and freshly laundered, and originally purchased within the past 2 years, consider  Thredup.com.  Thredup is an online consignment store, that makes it easy to consign your children’s clothing, without ever leaving your home.

It’s as simple as 1, 2, 3.

1. Pack up and Return – Order a free empty bag, stuff it full of outgrown children’s items and leave it outside your door for your mail carrier to pick-up.
2. Collect Funds – You earn money for every item that meets their quality standards. They’ll find new homes for your pre-loved clothes.
3. Cash Out – Claim your available cash via Paypal, or use it as credit on like-new kids clothing items that fit!

Check out the thredup website for more details on how the process works, what clothing they accept, and how to maximize your cash back.

Now it’s time to pack away those winter clothes and make way for their spring duds. Keep watch over the next few weeks for tips, tricks, and habits to prepare for the season to come, and learn how to create order and simplicity in your closets and drawers.

Happy Day!

Cheryl