Sunday, April 26, 2009

Getting Organized AND Staying Organized

There is no excuse for disorganization.  NONE!  Do not use your children, your work, or your busy social calendar as an excuse for not being organized.  The fact of the matter is that you are disorganized b/c you do not know how to be organized...or you are just plain lazy! 

In order to get organized you will need to devote some time to cleaning, purging, and rearranging.  Take on one tasks at a time.  For example, tackle your kitchen, then your bedroom, then your closet, etc.  until each room of your house is organized.  It's great to set up a plan before starting this project.  Focus on what your intended outcome will be and always remember why you are wanting to get organized.  

Getting organized is only half the battle.  Staying organized is the crucial process to your organizational plan.  The more you pick up after yourself, put the dishes away, etc. the easier it is to maintain an organized space.  If I use a dish, I put the dish in the dishwasher as soon as I am done.  I do not place it in the sink, to then have to spend an extra few minutes to load the dishwasher after the sink is full.  I use the hamper to hold dirty laundry.  It saves me from having to spend those extra few minutes of picking up dirty laundry and putting it in the hamper when it comes time to do laundry.  

The key to staying organized is to keep your eye on the prize and know that by taking 10 seconds now to put something away saves you the 3 minutes later of collecting everything to put away at once.  It also keeps your space looking clean, neat and organized.  

area's professional organizing service offers "Stay Organized" to all of our clients, making it that much easier to continue an organized lifestyle.  

Sunday, April 19, 2009

Green Resources (Earth Day 2009)

One of area's missions is to be a "green" company, with little to no carbon footprint.  One of our services is green organization, helping our clients reduce their carbon footprint and bring awareness to their environmental impact.  This week's blog is dedicated to providing you with valuable resources to help you GO GREEN!  Remember, Earth Day is April 22, 2009.  

The following are area's favorite Green Resources.  Calculate your carbon footprint and learn so much more!  We are proud to share them with you.
  • www.epa.gov
  • www.greenmaven.com
  • www.livinggreenresources.com
  • www.nature.org/initiatives/climatechange/calculator
  • www.earthday.net
  • www.home.howstuffworks.com/home-improvement/energy-efficiency/how-to-conserve-energy-at-home.htm
  • www.powerscorecard.org/reduce_energy.cfm
  • www.cleanair-coolplanet.org
  • www.carbonfund.org
  • www.thinkgreen.com

Thursday, April 9, 2009

New Room-No Money!

How many times do you walk into your space, whether it be your living room, bedroom or den, and wish you could have a fresh look but you just don't have the money or budget to make it happen?  The experts at area give the following tips for designing a new space at no cost!

1.  TRADING PLACES
-Take decorative items from various rooms throughout your home and move them from room to room or even from table to table.  Sometimes you will find that they look better in your new area than where you intended them to be. 

2.  REARRANGE
-The most labor intensive with the most dramatic results is done through rearranging your furniture.  It's always best to have an idea of what you would like the room to look like.  You may even think of a different layout once you start putting your pieces in their place.  Depending on what you want to be the final outcome (more space, better flow, more modern look, etc.) it may take a few tries to get what you want.

3.  REPURPOSE
-Repurpose means using something for any reason other than its intended purpose.  I have found that old filing cabinets  (2 drawer) work great for night stands and by taking a tall 4 drawer filing cabinet, laying it on it's back and placing different sized blocks of wood behind each drawer (so when trying to push the drawer shut, it stops) makes a great sofa table or coffee table not to mention a conversation piece.  Repurposing eliminates throwing it away and thus is a "green" alternative in home organization.

With an open mind, some creative juices and a little bit of time, you can make your same home look like an updated, new place for absolutely no cost!