Get Organized: Yard Sales of the Rich and Famous

There are pairs that are meant to be together: PB & J, Bert & Ernie, Ebony & Ivory.

And there are pairs that are a less natural fit...say, Hollywood & Yard Sale?

However, last Saturday, Desperate Housewives star Teri Hatcher forged a new path and hosted her first yard sale at her home in Studio City, CA.

The event was a bit different than your typical garage sale! Shoppers paid $50 to enter, searched through upscale goods like Coach purses and Disney vacation packages, and feasted on fine food flown in from Florida.

Another difference? The sale was completely for charity, ultimately raising around $20,000 for local LA organizations.

Teri explained that she got the idea from her daughter Emerson, who was inspired by de-cluttering her closet one day.

And how did Ms. Hatcher manage to get it all done? "You get motivated by the giving. I can’t wait for the next one!"

Kudos to both mom and daughter for not only getting organized but also giving back.

Get Organized: Small Space Solutions

I recently discovered Small Space Solutions for Every Room on BHG.com, which includes 20 ideas for making the most of your space -- complete with pretty pictures!

Here are my top 5 faves from the article:


(1) Convert Wasted Space to Storage

Why let that space behind the stair riser go to waste? Work with a builder to box in the space under a few stairs and design a hinged riser that pulls open for access. It can be the perfect spot to hide away toys, books, and out-of-season items.

(2) Climb the Wall

If your bedroom is too tiny for a side table, hang a shelf beside the bed to hold an alarm clock and bedside necessities. A wall-mounted lamp provides for nighttime reading while leaving shelf space free. Add more shelves for books or more display space.



(3) Eliminate Visual Obstacles

Anything that stops the eye in its movement around the room can register as a boundary or border that limits space. Eliminate the obstacles, and you enhance the sense of limitlessness. A unifying color is one powerful means of banishing limits; glass is another. The glass top on this coffee table virtually disappears, opening the center of the room so it feels bigger. Keeping accessories and window treatments to a minimum also eliminates eye-stopping obstacles, but don't go overboard. The eye needs a place to rest, too, and that's where focal points come in.



(4) Design Rooms to Multitask

If your house is too small for a separate living room and dining room, gear the living space for double duty. Replace the usual coffee table with a tall accent table or even a small breakfast table. This 18th-century-style drum table stands 30 inches tall, which is about an inch taller than the standard dining table and works comfortably with the antique chairs as well as the sofa. If you have low chairs, look for a table 10 or 11 inches higher than the chair seats.



(5) Make Space Work Harder

Built-ins that serve multiple functions make small spaces live larger. Here a built-in bookcase defines a seating nook with storage cabinets below the bench. Wall-mount lamps illuminate the nook for nighttime reading or conversation. This unit is custom-built, but a handy do-it-yourselfer could replicate the idea by using standard cabinets for the base of the bookcase on each side of the seating nook and building shelves from 5/8-inch plywood. The long shelf above the seating nook should be anchored to the wall and ceiling as well as the side bookcases. Instead of built-in seating, use a loveseat, and stash baskets underneath for out-of-sight storage.



See 15 more innovative, space-saving ideas at Small Space Solutions for Every Room at BHG.com.


Note: Above information and graphics are courtesy of Better Homes and Gardens.

Get Organized: Pushing Past Procrastination to Get Things Done, Part 2

When it comes to organization, getting started is half the battle.

If you're procrastinating on an organizing project, the key to pushing past the procrastination is to find out what motivates you. If you know your motivators before a wave of procrastination hits, then you'll be prepared to deal with it — head on — as soon as it arrives.

So ask yourself, "What makes me want to get things done? To get organized?"

In Part 1, we discussed free time, money, and positive energy as catalysts for getting you up and moving. This time, it's...

(4) Shaping your destiny.

I realize that for some of you out there, home organization may be just about as fun as boot camp. But in this day in age, when life keeps getting crazier and crazier, you can't afford not to be organized!

Dr. Wayne Dyer once said, “Be miserable. Or motivate yourself. Whatever has to be done, it's always your choice.”

Isn't that so true? It definitely applies to organizing...

If you know you have to get organized, you can choose to procrastinate, and your disorganization will just cause you more frustration. Or you can choose to get motivated, get organized, and truly know the freedom that comes with it.

It's always your choice...

(5) Tough love.

There can be some undesirable consequences that accompany disorganization.

- Can't find your keys in the mornings = late for work

- Forget a birthday = guilty feelings (you) and hurt feelings (birthday boy or girl)

- Neglect to declutter the house = embarrassing mess to explain away to visitors

- Pack a suitcase without a purpose = too many socks and too few undies

- Pay a bill after it's due = excess late fees

- Overlook expired car registration = traffic ticket and possible fines

I'm sure you could add a few more examples to this list!

It's time to get organized — and stop putting yourself in situations where you wish that you had made organization a priority. Shoulda, coulda, woulda.

For the purpose of this article, I've applied the above motivators to organizing specifically. But you can relate this same formula to other areas of your life where procrastination plagues you.

Knowing your strong inner motivators + Knowing where you're vulnerable to procrastination = Knowing how to push past procrastination.

It's that simple. Although sometimes we tend to make it harder than that!

Martin Luther, German priest and scholar, opined “How soon 'not now' becomes 'never'.” Your "nows" are fleeting — don't let them slip away!

To Your Organizing Success!


Carmen Coker
Professional Organizer

Note: Image courtesy of Microsoft Office Clip Art.

Get Organized: Pushing Past Procrastination to Get Things Done, Part 1

I find that, when it comes to organization, getting started is half the battle.

If you're procrastinating on an organizing project, the key to pushing past the procrastination is to find out what motivates you. Know your motivators before a wave of procrastination hits, and you'll be prepared to deal with it — head-on — as soon as it arrives.

So ask yourself, "What makes me want to get things done? To get organized?"

Here are some possibilities...

(1) Free time.

It's well-established that if you simplify life, you save time.

But just how much time, exactly, will you save? US News and World Report recently demonstrated that the average American spends 1 year of their life looking for lost or misplaced items at home and in the office.

1 year = 365 days = 8,760 hours = 525,600 minutes = 31,536,000 seconds

Any way you put it — it's a lot of time! A lot of time you could have been doing other things...

(2) Money.

Think about your biggest organizing problem. Let’s just say, for example, that it’s your home office.

Assume that you're losing $20 a week ($3 a day) in personal resources — lost time, energy, productivity, sanity — because you don’t have an effective organizing system in place. (It's probably much more than $3/ day, but we'll go for a moderate amount.)

Imagine you decide against de-cluttering your home office and continue down the same unorganized path for the next 5 years. You will lose over $5000 of resources!

Although that $5000 is just a hypothetical figure, it puts disorganization in a whole new light.

(3) Positive energy.

According to the book The 100 Simple Secrets of Happy People by Dr. David Niven, it's important to establish a schedule to take your tasks from "To Do" to "To Done."
Dr. Niven writes: "We often feel overwhelmed by the chores that have to be done on a regular basis. We clean the kitchen, then the living room needs to be vacuumed...and 16 other things need to be done. With a routine, you will not be lost in wondering what's next."

Precisely how much will a household routine boost your level of happiness? 100 Simple Secrets explains: "In a study of families, regularity in household routines improved daily personal satisfaction by about 5%."

In Part 2: I'll cover more strategies for getting over procrastination and how you can relate them to other areas of your life.

Organizationally Yours,


Carmen Coker
Professional Organizer

Note: Image courtesy of Microsoft Office Clip Art.

Get Organized: Organize Your Junk Drawer in 10 Easy Steps Part 2

Last week we tackled the first 5 steps of organizing that old junk drawer- the Achilles Heel of clutter. It’s just so tempting to throw things in that drawer, things that don’t have a place or things you don’t have time to find a place for.

We covered the first 5 steps: finding a flat surface, setting a timer, combing through the drawer’s “guts,” spreading everything out in plain view and throwing out the trash. Here are steps 6-10 to complete the journey to an organized drawer!

(6) Sort like items. After the trash is gone, put like with like. For example, all sticky notes in one pile, all batteries in another, etc.

(7) Complete a second run-through for trash.
Once the sorting is finished, look for any leftover garbage. There will always be an elusive piece or two of rubbish! Don't let them escape.

(8) Incorporate a drawer organizer. You can either buy a drawer organizer or make one from several every-day home items.
Whichever route you choose, it's best to have an organizer with multiple compartments of different shapes and sizes to accommodate many types of objects. Another option would be to combine multiple small organizers into one large organizer.

Here's the one I use, and I love, love, love it!

(9) Place like items (sorted previously) into the individual compartments of the drawer organizer.
This is where your drawer organizing system takes shape. Isn't it mah-velous? No more clutter!

(10) MAINTAIN.
Just as you learned in kindergarten: Put things back where they belong! It's the best way to keep your junk drawer organized for life.

Bonus:
If you'd like to print out this checklist, please look for the printer-friendly version here: http://www.home-organization-online.com/printable-to-do-lists.html

Happy Organizing!


Carmen Coker
Professional Organizer

Note: Image courtesy of Microsoft Office Clip Art.

Get Organized: Organize Your Junk Drawer in 10 Easy Steps Part 1

Junk drawers — everyone's got one. (Or maybe 2 or 3!) It really starts out as an innocent act of "I'll just put this here now and take care of it later." Until, *poof* that one little thing multiplies and becomes a cesspool of trinkets, gadgets, tools, and whatnots. Who knows what's really inside!

A junk drawer is one of those areas that can be de-cluttered very quickly and very easily. And it can even be fun!

Involve your family in the mix; children especially love the challenge. It's not a chore but rather a treasure hunt for them! Or invite 5 of your closest friends over for lunch and an organizing power session. They just bring a brown bag lunch, a junk drawer, and supplies.

Turning the project into a social event not only makes the task more appealing, but it also imposes a deadline so you're more likely to get it done.

So your challenge is to tackle your junk drawer! You'll find the checklist for doing so below.

Supplies: drop cloth (ie. old towel, old sheet, newspaper, etc), trash bag, drawer organizers, timer, junk drawer.

(1) Find a flat surface.

Get comfortable and get ready to work! If you like to operate standing up, find your nearest countertop or table. If you prefer to sit, set up shop on the floor.

Either way, place a drop cloth on the flat surface to protect it.

(2) Set a timer for 20 minutes.

I'm a firm believer that if you set a time limit, you will get more done. Why? It forces you to focus and get moving!

(3) Remove and set aside dangerous or breakable items in the drawer.

Gently comb through the drawer's "guts."

You never know when you might come across something sharp! Getting those articles out of the way will ensure your safety. (Betcha didn't know that organizing a junk drawer could be hazardous!)

Likewise, taking out fragile items will avoid any unwanted accidents.

(4) Dump out the contents of the drawer onto the drop cloth.

Spread everything out so that you have a clear view of each item.

(5) Throw out trash.

This includes: unnecessary papers, notes; broken, expired, useless items; belongings you no longer need or use; etc.

Trash is normally pretty obvious, but when in doubt about something, ask family members to make sure it has no purpose or value.

Look for steps 6-10 in next week’s blog.

Until Next Time,


Carmen Coker
Professional Organizer

Note: Image courtesy of Microsoft Office Clip Art.

Get Organized: How to De-Clutter When You Treasure SO Many Things Part 2

Last week, we talked about the reasons people have a hard time getting rid of things and that the main reasons is attachment, especially to sentimental items.

Here are 2 more tips I recommend to help you get organized and overcome your resistance to purging:

(1) I have a feeling that you could downsize, or in the very least, re-arrange some of what you have to give you more space. Perhaps you could...

- Have your old documents and photos professionally scanned, which will save you the hassle of DIY scanning. It's well worth the investment! Afterward, you can keep the originals of some of the more special items, placing them in an acid-free scrapbook for display.

- Have some old pics and mementos professionally framed. My mom did a collage with some of her heirlooms (her mom's wedding ring, grandma's hairpin, old photos) and it looks fantastic.

With both of these examples — you get these objects out of the box, where you never see them, and into the open, where you can enjoy them all the time.

(2) Consider hiring a professional organizer in your area to assist you, even if it's just for a couple of hours. Although the organizer will not ever make a decision for you on what to keep or toss, he or she will help YOU make decisions. That may just be the push you need.

You can visit the National Association of Professional Organizers for a free local referral: http://www.napo.net/referral/

Here’s to de-cluttering and the space it brings-- not only to your home but to your life!

To Your Organizing Success!


Carmen Coker
Professional Organizer

Note: Image courtesy of Microsoft Office Clip Art.

Get Organized: How to De-Clutter When You Treasure SO Many Things Part 1

There are many reasons why people may have trouble purging things, and attachment is one of the most common reasons of all. It's also one of the most difficult hurdles to overcome, especially if that attachment makes us feel good or feel loved.

If you are feeling this way, don’t be alarmed — this is a completely normal reaction! That being said, this reaction can easily spiral out-of-control, and if taken to an extreme, the attachments can become very problematic.

Here are 2 tactics I recommend if you find yourself in this type of situation:

(1) First of all, I recommend that you pick up a copy of the book Buried in Treasures by David Tolin, Randy Frost, and Gail Steketee. It's written specifically for those who need help with compulsive saving. Inside, you'll find lots of instructions, tips, and exercises to help you manage your possessions.

Buried in Treasuresis such a wonderful resource, that I'd be remiss not to tell you about it! It covers so much that cannot be said in the short span of an article.

(2) I always caution that you don't have to get rid of everything to get organized. If something really is important to you, you don't have to force yourself to toss it out.

I'm not sure how big your "collection" of things happens to be, but if you’re running out of room, then…
- Organize it so that you know what is where, and
- Arrange to rent a small storage unit, climatized to handle old documents and photos.

I know that's just a little information, but hopefully it will get you started to a new, uncluttered you! Stay tuned next week for more tips on decluttering!

Happy Organizing!

Carmen Coker
Professional Organizer


Note: Image courtesy of Microsoft Office Clip Art.