Tips for T-Shirts

 

How to fold a T-shirt:

Super simple way to help get your drawers organized:

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I know it must sound silly, writing a blog post about folding a t-shirt. But believe me, you'd be surprised how many people will appreciate this little tip. Once you've experienced the joy of looking into a drawer of neatly folded, color coded t-shirts, well, your life will never be the same! The video below shows you how to get that perfect fold. Go ahead, give it a try and see how life changing this little blog post will be. You'll tell all your friends about it, (really, please tell your friends about it!) and they'll thank you profusely!

 



How to fold a t-shirt

 

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This was the result of just a few minutes of refolding. My husband often just kept wearing the same t-shirts over and over and had forgotten about some of his old favorites at the bottom of the drawer. (Sound familiar?) He now has access to his entire collection and is so happy with the new look of his drawer! Don't tell him I said so, but now he even has room for a few more.

I know this isn't rocket science, but for some people, being able to see what they have is a positive change in their lives.

I hope this tidbit helps you in even just a small way. Leave a comment if you like these types of tips, and I'll give you some more!


  





 

 

Love it, Use it or Lose it

 

How to decide if something needs to go. . .Purging 101

I often get asked by clients how do they decide what to let go of as we are sorting through their stuff. I personally live by a couple of easy rules to follow.

The questions I ask myself are:

1. Is this something I love having and love looking at?

2. Is this something I use? (or have plans to use in the very near future)

If the answer isn't yes to one or both of those questions, then you can rest assured that item's shelf life is about to come to an end.

There may need to be a little more thought put into a particular item, and if so, I might delve a little further into my attachment:

1. I try to come up with another way I could use an item. I will search online boards like Pinterest to see if I can find some way to repurpose the item. However, I won't keep something for that undefined "someday I'll use it" scenario.

 

2. I think about how easy it would be to replace. If it’s relatively inexpensive and readily available, my decision will be a bit easier than if it’s a pricey heirloom or irreplaceable antique. However, I’m still completely fine with purging those “irreplaceable” items if I honestly don’t need, want, use, or love them.

 

3. I realistically evaluate how much space the item consumes. Large bulky items have less chance to survive around the house because I’m not willing to “waste” so much storage space. However, I’ll sometimes hold onto smaller items if I have a convenient storage space for them AND if I can honestly see myself using the items.

 

4. I ask my spouse's opinion. Usually he’s also in favor of purging, but there have been times when he wants to hold onto an item for a specific purpose I didn’t realize. So before I make any major purges, I usually let him peruse through my piles. This system has worked well for us, however if your spouse or other family members tend to keep everything, I might not be as eager to let them look through my piles

That’s it — pretty simple, but unfortunately not very “black and white”.
Yes, there’s a small chance I might regret purging a specific item, and I might have a twinge of guilt as I sell or give the items away… but I always try to remind myself that someone else will be thrilled to find my cast-offs and I will enjoy all my extra space. Win-Win!

In my opinion (take it for what it’s worth) If you don’t LOVE it, and you don’t USE it, you should LOSE it! 

Is it Fact or is it Fiction?

Today I want to share with you some of the statements I hear from clients and from people that I talk to when I'm trying to educate them on what Professional Organizers do and how we can help them. 

See if you've had any of these same thoughts and if you have, whether or not the answers are indeed FACT or FICTION !

• “Organizing is a mysterious talent”

Fact: Organizing is a skill anyone can learn

 

• “Organizing is an overwhelming, hopeless chore”

Fact: No matter what you’re organizing, how huge the backlog, organizing boils down to the same very simple process. Organizing can be fun by producing a gratifying sense of clarity, focus, and accomplishment.

 

• “I have to spend a small fortune on bins, baskets and special gizmos to get organized”

 



Fiction: A lot of people already have items in their house that can be used to get you started. If looks aren’t important to you, you can recycle many items you may have around the house.

 

 

• “It’s impossible to stay organized”

Fact: Organizing is sustainable, if your system is built around the way you think and designed to grow and adapt with you as your life and work change. It requires monitoring and ongoing efforts until it becomes ingrained.

• 

  “Organizing is a non-productive use of time”

Fact: Today’s lifestyles move much more rapidly than it did 50 years ago, which provides us with more opportunities and demands on our time. In this environment, people who are organized will thrive. Those who are disorganized will have difficulty making decisions, unsure of which way to turn. Organizing has become a survival skill for the twenty first century.

 

• “I'd be embarrassed to have you see my messy house"   

Fiction: Well, that may be a fact, you might be embarrassed, but I always tell people, "Are you embarrassed to tell your doctor that you're sick?" "Are you embarrassed to tell your mechanic that your car's not driving right?"  A good organizer understands there are different issues that may have caused you to lose control of your space. They are trained to listen and to help you find effective solutions that will bring your space back into balance with your life. Professional Organizers can approach your issues with “the eyes of a stranger” and provide non-judgmental feedback that can help you.

 

No matter whether you were right or wrong in your answers, there's no better way to see how an organizer can help you create the vision you have for your space than to make an appointment with one and talk to them about your concerns. Chances are, you may be surprised how easy it can be to achieve your goals.

 

Opt Out Info

Here is some great information for you to use to help reduce some of the junk mail you receive on a weekly basis.

To get off pre-screened credit card and insurance mailing lists, go to:

 

Credit card and Insurance mail

 

To get off junk mail and unwanted catalog mailing lists, go to:

 

Junk Mail and Catalogs

What is a Hoarder?

Ever worried if you’re a hoarder?

According to the Mayo Clinic staff, hoarding is defined as – “The excessive collection of items, along with the inability to discard them. Hoarding often creates such cramped living conditions that homes may be filled to capacity, with only narrow pathways winding through stacks of clutter. Some people also collect animals, keeping dozens or hundreds of pets often in unsanitary conditions.”

Have you ever watched the TV show, “Hoarders” or “Hoarders, Buried Alive,” and thought to yourself, “That could be me”? Maybe you’re overwhelmed looking at your own piles of stuff, wanting to keep everything just the way it is, yet knowing deep down that you can’t continue living your life this way. The term “hoarder” has such a negative connotation, that people are often paralyzed at the thought of letting anyone in to see the state of their home.

 

However, there is another classification for people who like to hold onto their stuff, it’s called chronically disorganized.  You’ve tried to get organized before, and it worked for a little while, but slowly things just went back to the way they were. And then there are my favorites,  “pack rat”, or “collector”.

 

If one of the labels above rings true for you, what can you do to make a change? Whatever you call it, compulsive hoarding, chronic disorganization or collecting, they all have the same effect on you and your life. Organizing your hoarded home and improving your hoarding lifestyle are big steps and when you’re really ready, you’ll need to ask for help.  When you reach out and surround yourself with a caring and compassionate support system, you’re headed toward the change you desire.

There may have been a significant event in your life that started you down the road to hoarding, or it could have been that you recognized early on that organizing was a challenge for you. It may have started with one messy room, and before you knew it, your home was completely full of stuff and out of control. A kind friend or even a hoarding TV show may have helped you realize the truth of how you’re living.  Now you want to change your life.

Some people don’t believe that it’s possible to go into a cluttered room, and with the help of a Professional Organizer, have it completely organized in a couple of hours. Or even the ability to have an organizer get an entire house done in a matter of days. Yet it is true. When a person is truly ready to commit to a new start, and is ready to make some tough decisions, huge strides can be made each day. You can go from a home that is overwhelmingly cluttered, to one that is organized and comfortable. It can happen, and when it does, you feel so empowered to have gained control over your stuff instead of your stuff having control over you.

Just close your eyes and picture a different environment for yourself and your family – from a hoarded/cluttered home to a more livable, more organized home. Envision the improved quality time you will have to spend with your family or friends. Allow yourself to conceive of no more anxiety about inviting friends over. If all of this sounds like something you’re ready to experience, you can change your environment and your habits, and live a changed life! But just imagining a different future is only one step toward organization.

The next step is to enlist help. A Professional Organizer can help you see what needs to be done and help you develop a reasonable organizing plan. Working beside you, a trained organizer can ease your anxiety and help you take action as you dig out from the clutter.

You may be surprised that just asking for help, even if it’s just from family and friends, begins an amazing process of change!