Do you know the 3 Steps of Organizing?

3 STEPS OF ORGANIZING
Brenda Rau, Let's Get Organized

1) Sorting

2) Storing

3) Staying organized  

SORTING

• get yourself set up for success 
• make the commitment to yourself to get and stay organized
• find a sitter for the kids
• gather boxes for Sell/Donate, Keep, Relocate (things that belong to other people or that belong in another part of your home), I’m Not Sure (use this box when you can’t decide quickly so that you get thru the initial sort quickly)
• put on some latex gloves if its dusty or dirty
• grab a notebook and pen to take notes about what you are keeping so you know what you will need for storing and to inventory your donations if necessary
• grab a sport bottle with water
• put on some great upbeat music, light up the room and if necessary
• hire a professional organizer to get it done faster and ensure that it gets done
• remember - when you are in the process of sorting, things may look worse before they look better because you have everything spread out and opened up, but once you finish sorting and get things stored away it will look great!  Keep the faith!!

• guidelines to consider during your initial rough sorting
• if its been more than a year since you used it or enjoyed it, you can probably let it go
• if you have collections consider keeping one or two of your favorites and let the rest go, 
• If you are storing things for sentimental reasons, keep one item and let go of the rest e.g - if you are hanging on to your first set of dishes - hang up one plate and donate the rest of the dishes to someone who could use them 
• ask yourself... Is it beautiful, useful, do I love it?  if no, let it go
• remember you don’t need to keep the item to keep the memory - maybe you can take a picture of the item if you are afraid you will forget
• use patches of your dads favorite flannel shirts to make a pillow or a quilt
• if you really don’t want to part with it, find a new use for it - maybe you have some really cute teacups that you would never drink tea from - consider using them to organize in your sewing/craft room or home office
• think about how you will be helping someone else - someone who may not otherwise be able to afford it - share it and let them have their time to enjoy the item

• After your initial sort
• break down the sell/donate pile into what you are donating and what you think you can sell either at your own yard sale or by taking it to consignment
• break down what you are keeping by what room it belongs in
• if it needs to be fixed or repaired, put it in a “goes to the car” box for the next time you are out running errands you can drop these items off
• go thru your “I’m not sure” items to see if its easier to make a decision now, if not just set that box aside until after you have put away your other boxes

STORING 

• combine items into “like” piles - office supplies, craft supplies, bill paying items, gift wrap, tools, etc. 
• relocate the items to the room where you are most likely to perform the tasks where you will be using them
• if you need to purchase storage shelves or other organizing supplies, be sure to measure both the space where you plan to put them as well as the storage bins you plan to use
• if you have more items to store than you have money to buy storage you may need to reconsider what you are keeping (you may be able to raise additional funds by selling some things)
• if the storage bins will be seen in your living space consider the aesthetics - purchase complimentary baskets that fit your decorating style
• consider the weight of the items you are storing and make sure that you can move it and your shelves will hold it
• clear storage bins are great when you have multiple shelving units with multiple bins so that you can see what is in each bin

STAYING ORGANIZED 

• schedule a regular time (weekly, monthly - whatever works for your schedule and the space) to do a quick sort of what has accumulated since your organizing day.  Consider putting an empty bin in the space to collect items.  Sort using the same process: Sell/Donate, Keep, Relocate.  Finally put these items in their designate place.
• remember this organizing principle:  A Place for Everything and Everything In It’s Place
• when you bring something new home, make a pact with yourself to donate something
• pick a single area every week to go thru - a closet (or one shelf in a closet), a drawer in the kitchen, one corner of the garage---keep plugging away and pretty soon you will have been through all the areas in your home

Let's Get Organized! can help you get it done in half the time.  It's smart to hire a professional!

Got Spring Fever? Ready to organize your garage?

Got Spring Fever?  Ready to get your garage organized so you can easily find your bike, golf equipment, sporting goods and still get your car in the garage?  

1. Remove: The first step is to take everything out of your garage.   While, everything is out give your garage a good clean.
2. Measure your car: While you’ve got everything out,  pull your cars in and mark the floor where your car ends on all sides so you know how much room you have to walk around them without scraping against them to get in.  
3. Throw Out: Decide what items are no longer useful, damaged, or have missing pieces, and dispose of them.  Paint in liquid form is toxic, but if it is solid, its ok to throw it away.  Combine all those small amounts of paint you no longer need.  You can toss it once its turned to solid.
4. Recycle: Old newspapers, magazines, glass, aluminum, old oil or paint can be recycled.
5. Donate or Consign:  If the items are still in good shape, take them to a consignment shop or donate them to a worthy cause.
6. Create zones in your garage by grouping like Items so they are easy to find: Create zones for:

• sports and recreational equipment
• garbage and recycling
• lawn and garden
• hardware and tools
• home maintenance

1.       Use appropriate storage solutions:  

Elfa Storage 

                                     Ikea storage solutions 

Sears Gladiator systems

Tips to make your garage organizing project go smoothly

1. Get help:  If you don’t have a friend or family member to help you, hire a professional organizer.  It will get the job done in half the time and you will get some great organizing advice.
2. Be prepared:  Once you have sorted your items into like categories, you will know what needs to be stored.  By having the right storage systems in place, it will make the job of putting everything back so much easier.  
3. Be ruthless:  As you start putting your “keep” items back consider carefully whether or not you are truly going to ever use it.  If not, consign or donate.
4. Use the ceiling. There are many tools on the market that are intended to utilize the ceiling for seldom used or out of season items.

 Garage Ceiling organizers 

Organizing principles for the garage

• store items off the ground to avoid dampness often found in the garage
• use vertical space on the walls 
• create zones and then remember “a place for everything and everything in its place”
• label, label, label - make it easy for everyone to put things back where they belong
• consider the user - put kids toys in their reach 
• create toolkits - put all of your car wash items in the bucket you use
• use specialized storage solutions for bikes and sporting equipment

Bikes

Racor Pro Double Folding Bike Rack: This fits two bikes and folds up against the wall when not in use. It also includes a shelf for bike accessory storage.

Dual Bike Storage Rack: It assembles in minutes and requires no mounting or tools and holds two bikes. The pole system adjusts to the height of your ceiling.

Monster Bike Hook Set: The cheapest and easiest way to get your bike out of the way is to install hooks into the ceiling. No need for racks or pulley systems

Sporting Goods 

• Ball Claws: They attach to your walls and hold onto basketballs, soccer balls, and footballs.
  
• Frisbees and discs can be stored in a nice bag on a shelf in the garage. 
• You can use a baseball and bat storage system over fence tops or on a rod
  
• A large barrel might also be nice to let air circulate around your sports equipment.

Let me know how I can help you make your garage organizing project go more smoothly.  brenda@letsgetorganized.org, 612.385.6916  www.letsgetorganized.org

Organize your craft room for National Craft Month

5 points from a Minneapolis Professional Organizer | March is National Craft Month!

As a Minneapolis Professional Organizer, 

I am also a crafter and love to make cards and scrapbooks.   

Did you know?   National Craft Month was a question on Jeopardy this month? Guess that means that we Minneapolis crafters have made it to the big time!  If you are one of the 55% of all American households that are involved in some type of crafting, how much stuff do you have related to your hobby?   

National Craft Month was created by the Craft and Hobby Association  in 1994.  Their intent was to help people enjoy and learn more about the joy of crafting and all its many benefits.  Now, it’s a celebration of innovation, creativity and enjoyment that is shared by the many crafters around the country.  

Are you fortunate enough to have a space you can call your “craft room”?

Photo Source: kevinandamanda.com

Here are 5 best practices for creating a craft room that is fun and easy to work in:

• Utilize vertical wall space 

• Use hooks, peg boards in one area for specialty items like ribbons for easy identification and reach.

• Be very aware of your visual line of sight.  All things that are used frequently should be stored or located within easy reach of your work table, via open storage and shelves with the other less used items in well-marked containers.

• Know the purpose and intent of each area of your craft room by creating zones.  This is crucial to organization.  You will always know where to find things and where to put things away.  

• When you see that you are spending time & money on things you already have (but can’t find), this is a clue that organization has taken a back seat to short term convenience.  It may be time to get organized again.

Keeping your space organized and easy to work in is what its all about so you can enjoy your craft.  

That’s where Let’s Get Organized! can help you.  We specialize in organizing your crafting space.  Whether its quilting, wood working, jewelry making, card making, scrapbooking.....Let us help you be more productive and creative in your space.

Tax time is time to get financial paperwork organized

Since its tax time, its a good time to get your paperwork systems organized.  You have to dig around to find everything, anyway, right?  Here are a few easy steps to take to make the process easier.
1.  Go thru all the folders, piles where you have your financial paperwork and review it ruthlessly.  Set up individual files for the different types of paper you are finding - like maybe you have credit card statements, bank statements, insurance statements, purchase receipts.
2.  Start one folder that is just for the tax stuff  - all of the W2s, 1099s, etc that you receive in the mail go in here, donation receipts, medical receipts - anything directly related to your tax return all go in this one folder.  Start one for the current year and one for next year.  Resolve to file things away as they come in for next year's tax preparation.
3.  Decide how much and for how long you want to keep all of this hard copy.  Here is a great article from Consumer Reports about how long to keep things http://bit.ly/ieNS9V.