Thursday, February 26, 2009

Organizing inspiration

I know we are in the middle of a project right now but I thought I would take the time and let you know how great it is that you are getting organized. Do you know how many people want to get organized but think they don't have the time or make excuses for why they just can't. I am amazed all the time with clients, online and in person who are commited to getting organized. And those on my staff who are committed to helping them. I will give you 2 examples.
We are working this week with a woman who's husband is very ill. She struggles daily to take care of him and herself. She has a beautiful daughter who trys to remind her that she needs to take care of herself but, as most of us would in that situation, we put the care of others above any of our own needs. However she did decide that with all that was going on in her life she wanted to get organized. Not only did she want to but she followed through, hired us and has worked this week with us to make that goal a reality. And even when her husband got sicker this week she stuck with it. She is so pleasant and smiling and committed even through all the chaos. And not only that but she is enjoying getting organized! Which just affirms everything I tell people; this will free you; this will change your life. It is worth every second and every penny you invest as long as it is done right. I had a client meet a friend at a New Year's party in 2008. The friend wanted to get organized and the client of mine told her all about me and how I had helped her get her kitchen organized. She went on and on about how great it was and how beautiful her kitchen looks. The friend asked her if she had just had this done to which my client responded "No, it was December of 2004". The next week her friend called me. If it is done right, it will be worth it.
My second example is my employees. All of the organizers who work for me and with me to help people get organized and change their life ar amazing. Over time I have seen each one of them go through personal problems or issues that would have others running for cover. But not them. They are as passionate about helping others as I am. They are so passionate that they feel that working helps them, during hard times in their own lives, have something to look forward to. Something they can really put their heart and soul in to. They are amazing and a blessing. And soon they will be working with me even more to reach more of you and you will all have an oppotunity to see how lucky I am. I have the best clients and the best employees and I do everyday what I love most!
And I am proud of you for taking this journey with me and for working through the organizing delimas in your life. I will continue to be here for you. Together we can make your goals a reality!
So get back to the closet. I'll meet you there!

Tuesday, February 17, 2009

Master Closet Organizing made simple!!

We are working on the master closet and if you are just joining us we discussed in the last post the first step to working on this project, which is "a plan". Now that we have a plan and you have purged we can move on to the next step. I hope the purging went well. I got several e-mails with questions about what to get rid of or where is the best place to donate. All good questions and I was glad to see everyone really getting involved. Some of you had the desire to move on to the next step and I encouraged you to go back and purge again if you were looking for something to do. I always tell my clients after we purge that it is only the first pass. Purging can be done over and over. This week your assignment is to get all of the clothes you are keeping moved over to a good hanger. I am not strict on what that has to be but I do have some suggestions. Wire hangers must and I do mean must go!! They are horrible for clothing. I would suggest getting an acrylic hanger (clear plastic) or wood hanger. You can use the tubular white hanger if you choose but they are not my first choice. We sell both the acrylic and wooden hanger on my store site www.theamandasonline.com. Here is what you need to know about the wooden hanger. The hanger I have chosen to carry is a flat slimline real wood hanger. And they are very inexpensive a box of 20 is only $14. They will not take up any more space than the acrylic or white plastic. What they will do is provide excellent support for your clothing and a sleek and gorgeous look to your closet. And best of all they last forever. For the last 5 years this has been our number 1 seller. If you have a more contemporary style then the acrylic hanger is for you and they are eaqually as durable and stylish and around the same price. As you are changing all of your clothes over you can begin to group and categorize. Place all of the white shirts with white and then follow the rainbow. Which is red, organge, yellow, green, blue, purple, pink, and then brown, grey, and black. I would also suggest putting in shirts according to sleeve length. The white shirts would all be together and they would start with sleeveless to short sleeve and end with long sleeve. If you don't put sleeve lengths together sleeveless shirts can sometimes get lost between long sleeve shirts. Also hang as much as you can. Disorganzed people do better with placing clothing back on the hanger than folding on a shelf. In fact if you are disorganized, a shelf is not your friend!! You see it as a place to pile. This is your task for the week. Take it on with passion. Be proud of the purging you accomplished! You are moving in the right direction. Slow and steady wins the race. The process of organizing and some of the simple tasks you do can be a little like the Karate Kid. Wax on wax off may teach you a great fighting move. Hanging up your clothes and grouping them will teach you about the clothes you kept, give you ideas for new outfits, remind you of items that need to be hemmed or repaired, and give you a respect for all of the things you have! Good Luck. You are all in my prayers.

Tuesday, February 3, 2009

Let's Get Organized: The Master Closet

So as luck would have it I have been getting a ton of calls and e-mails about master closets. Everyone is tired of the cold and looking forward to spring and this is leading them to think about their closet. So . . . this is where we will start. I have always said I am a big proponent of making a plan. The first thing I want you to do is make a plan. Let me tell you what I mean. Get a notebook or journal; something you can use this year as we go through the phases of organizing your home. Now stand in the door of your closet and take a good hard look. Then close your eyes and picture the closet you want to have, the closet that will make you feel better about getting dressed in the morning. The closet that will save you time and frustration as you are getting ready for the day. Keep your eyes closed and think of all of the details. What kind of hangers do you want, lighting, cabinetry, anything you can dream up. Now open your eyes and write those things down. Make every word of it positive. After you have it all down you can then make a plan as to how you will get to that point. There are some basics that will be included in every plan such as purging, getting rid of wire hangers, etc. and this is where I will help you. Follow along to get organized and don't be afraid to send your questions. I am more than happy to add answers in my blog. I am always amazed with the number of people who e-mail me and say they are embarrased to ask questions on the blog. Don't be!! Others have the same questions and we are all here with the same purpose.
For this week I want you to create a plan and then purge!. How do we know what kind of storage we need if we don't know what we are trying to store? Look through your winter clothes and see what you haven't worn this season. We are close to spring (closer in the south) and if you didn't wear it yet ask yourself "why not". Purge the items in your closet first. Then if you have spring and summer clothes packed away you can purge those. We don't want to cause a bigger mess than necessary. If you pull all of the clothes out at once and try to purge chances are you will become overwhelmed and bail out on the process. Small steps will get you there quicker than standing still. Happy purging and let me know how it goes!