5 Basic Organizing Rules!

We have all heard these rules before, but they begin to make
more sense when we are determined to stay organized!

1. If you open it, close it.
2. If you take it out, put it back.
3. If you make a mess, clean it up.
4. If you break it, get it fixed.
5. If you wait, it won't get done!

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posted on: 3/22/2008 10:00:00 AM  by Lauriann Davies Stepp
category: Homes

Laundry Overload Rescue!

A friend of mine called for help from beneath piles and piles of laundry. I suggested the following schedule and so far things are looking up!

First gather ALL the dirty laundry from the house into one central area. Sort them into two major piles ... lights and darks. Put one of the piles into a laundry basket or large bag until you are ready to tackle it ... and only focus on ONE of the piles at a time.
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posted on: 2/4/2008 11:13:32 AM  by Lauriann Davies Stepp
category: Homes

ONE room at a time!

For the past week, I have devoted all of my spare time to purging the kitchen for the New Year and gosh does it feel great! I have thrown away, purged, and Goodwilled enough to get the same feeling as losing 25 lbs of fat and negative energy.

I started in the pantry… taking each shelf one at a time, I asked myself how long have I had these items and will I ever eat them?  No? OK it's outta here!  I made sure all my categories were together – tea/coffee, rice/pasta, cereal/oatmeal, canned veggies/soups, snacks/cookies, juices/soda and even my diet products from last year's attempt to lose weight. ...

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posted on: 1/19/2008 10:00:00 AM  by Lauriann Davies Stepp
category: Homes

Magazines, Menus & Mail, OH MY!

Why do we allow these paper items to clog the energy in our homes? Put your foot down in 2008 and protest the paper war once and for all. How do you ask? Let's learn to LET IT GO!
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posted on: 1/12/2008 10:00:00 AM  by Lauriann Davies Stepp
category: Homes

Maintain the Organizing Process

Most of my organizing clients want to know how to create a process that works, so I've been trying to find the best way to explain it. First you should find a home or designated area for everything in your house. Once you know where everything belongs, and understand the relationship of why some things are placed with others, the process of maintaining it becomes simple. Once you use an item, simply put it back where it belongs. When it's time to clean up, it should take you half the usual time because now you know where things should go rather than just creating new piles on the floor.
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posted on: 1/5/2008 10:00:00 AM  by Lauriann Davies Stepp
category: Homes

Organizing over the Holidays!

After traveling to Florida for the holiday week, it was so interesting to visit the homes of different relatives and see their various organizing styles. Of course I couldn't resist myself in making suggestions as to a better work flow of the kitchen drawers, a different angle to furniture pieces, or rearranging a vase display. Since they all knew I had an organizing business, they allowed me to play to my hearts content.
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posted on: 12/30/2007 10:16:59 PM  by Lauriann Davies Stepp
category: Homes

Have Your Photos Taken Over?

During the holiday season, you may have taken lots of pictures at family gatherings, dinner parties, beautiful house decorations, adorable pets dressed up in Santa hats, and little smiling faces as they opened their gifts. You will eventually get the pictures developed, then they will sit in a pile on the kitchen counter, only to be stashed in a closet a few months later when it's time to clean up for the next event. Sound familiar?
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posted on: 12/26/2007 4:48:27 PM  by Lauriann Davies Stepp
category: Homes

Too Many Toys?

Christmas is coming and children are quickly realizing this means MORE TOYS are on their way! Parents have two choices … purge the old toys (especially broken or missing pieces) to make room for the new ones, or let the new toys pile up on top of the old ones and double the clutter.
I have a friend who decided to pay her kids 10 cents for each toy they gave away to charity. Another purging method is giving each child a plastic tub or toy box and allowing them to only keep the toys that can fit inside the container. Everything else gets donated to charity or homeless shelters for the holidays. ...

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posted on: 12/15/2007 10:00:00 AM  by Lauriann Davies Stepp
category: Homes

How OLD is your Medicine?

Everyone around me has been coughing and sneezing and I finally got recruited into the sick club.  While I was visiting a friend and had a coughing spell, she offered to get some medicine for me.  I followed her into the bathroom to take a peek at the medicinal choices.  When she opened the door under the bathroom sink, my jaw dropped at the collected clutter below.  Of course I couldn't resist myself ... I started organizing!!
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posted on: 12/10/2007 10:30:34 PM  by Lauriann Davies Stepp
category: Homes

Yes, I Am Guilty TOO!

Well it's that time of year when you start holiday shopping and need to find hiding places in your closets for secret gifts. So I jumped up this morning full of energy and decided to clean out the bottom of my closet to make space for anticipated packages and holiday goodies.

To my surprise, I pulled out over 20 bags of all shapes and sizes (purses, travel bags, luggage, computer bags, etc) that I haven't used in over a year! I figured I better practice what I preach ... I piled them into garbage bags and threw them in my car to drop off at a local charity spot. That was an instant transformation of WOW - MORE CLOSET SPACE!!
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posted on: 12/1/2007 10:00:00 AM  by Lauriann Davies Stepp
category: Homes