Exciting Organizing News

I am so excited!! First, I have received so many pictures and responses from people who are working on getting organized and they all look great! Everyone is really doing remarkable and I just want to say thanks for the compliments on how I am helping. That's really what it's all about. As I have told those of you who have contacted me we are working on something huge!! Something that will really help everyone! I can't say just yet but I will keep everyone updated as we prepare for a May 1st launch. Due to this new venture I will be changing the blog information. I will actually write more often but it will be different. I have agreed to work with those of you who are wroking through the closet and on to other spaces through e-mail and if I have missed anyone please contact me. But for everyone else just hold on. Things are going to get exciting!! Second, I have found out about a new service that will revolutionize meal prep and grocery shopping and save you big bucks at the same time! I have tried this system myself and we are working on a special program to offer this service through our website at a discounted rate to anyone who subscribes through our website.
I know this whole post is a big tease and I am so sorry but believe me it will be worth the wait.
As always I am here if you have any questions and stay tuned, maybe even as soon as tomorrow, for the details on a service that will make dinner much easier.
Also tune in to Fox 8 in New Orleans every Thursday in March for our organizing "how to" segments. This Thursday one of my organizers Heather will be on to tell you all the ways getting organized can save you money. She will also be able to tell you just how much you can save. If you miss the segment you can log on to the Fox 8 website and look us up under Morning Show. Until then . . .keep it organized!

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!

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.

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!

Getting Organized: Let's Get Started!

If you have been following my blog you can see just the mere mention of resolution sets you up for failure! But you know what I say? Start from wherever you are. Just start. If you really want something whether your goal is to lose weight or get organized; doing anything is better than nothing! One of my favorite quotes is by Calvin Coolidge which reads "Persistence prevails. Determination alone makes you omnipotent". Wow! What an amazing thought. Most of us never realize the power of our own determination to make something happen. One last thought for the day and then I promise my next entry will get started on getting us all back on the road of organizing!! A preacher appeared on The Ellen Show and discussed the power of our own thoughts. He suggested that if we take the last minutes of the day before we fall asleep to think of what we want and picture it as reality you will change your life. What can that hurt? It sure beats thinking about all the things that may have gone wrong that day.

It's Time for New Years resolutions!!!!!

I was just watching the Today Show and they were discussing New Year's Resolutions. They gave a great tip. Make small and realistic goals. This will give you a better chance of keeping them and that will make you feel better about yourself! I agree. This is the same thing I have been preaching on this blog. The number 2 New Year's resolution is to get organized. In fact January has been named GO (get organized) Month for this very reason. If it is one of your goals then great!!! I want to help make that posssible. My plan for this blog for the New Year is to take a room a month and lead discussions on how to tackle that particular space. We will take small steps and as we complete each room we will also discuss how to maintain the past rooms we have organized. Remember being organized has to become part of who you are not just something you did one weekend. I will post a new blog each Sunday. Together we will get you organized!

Kids' art work: to keep or not to keep it!

I was driving this weekend and listening to a radio talk show on getting organized. A lady called and asked for advice regarding the amount of her children's art work she had. She was overwhelmed. The host gave advice to create a zone for the art work and then set an amount like 50 and stay within the zone and the quantity. This advice is fluff. A mother doesn't think in terms of numbers or zones when looking at her kid's art; cute little fingerprint turkeys, self portraits, letters to mommy. This is emotional. There are a lot of things that have to be taken into consideration. How many kids do you have, how old are they, etc. The lady that called in said she had every piece of paper her children had ever scribbled on. O.k. this is a great start. Separate the art into piles for each child. Tackle one child's art at a time. Take the artwork and separate it again by time frames. Now take the youngest art pile and let's make some decisions. A few scribbles on a piece of paper does not make a good keepsake. Artwork that includes their finger or handprints, self portraits, drawings of family, these are good types of artwork to hold onto. As they get older creative stories become a great keepsake. Don't just go through it once. Get rid of what you can and then next year go back though it along with the new art work and continue to narrow down. Here are some suggestions if you are like a lot of my clients and need more assistance than that. When your child brings home art work pick out what you really want and then allow the cild to pick out pieces they want to give to other people. In our house we send art to grandparents, aunts, uncles, cousins, etc. We write a sweet note on the back and mail it off. The kids love sharing what they are doing with other people and you don't have the difficult task of throwing any of it away. And if you need more help ask a friend to be an objective voice.