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Terri Stephens, CPO, CRTS
Certified Professional Organizer®
Certified Relocation & Transition Specialist®
2011
CONSUMER'S CHOICE AWARD WINNER
(678) 513-6585
organizer@therealorder.com
www.therealorder.com | |
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WAYS WE CAN HELP | |
You can save money. You'll know what you already own, eliminating the need to buy duplicate items. A professional organizer can help you find the perfect organizing products for your space and lifestyle, so you stop wasting money on things you don't need or won't work.
You can become more productive and efficient. A professional organizer can create order and structure out of chaos. You'll receive systems that work for your dominant learning style, your lifestyle, your needs, your challenges, and your dreams.
You'll have a positive self-image and ditch the shame. Once your home or office is neat and tidy, you won't feel embarrassed to have guests visit. The guilt will fade away as you take pride in your surroundings.
You'll have a healthier environment. Physical and emotional clutter obscures your surroundings. An organized home and office is more easily cleaned. Lose the clutter and cut down on time spent moving piles of paper and stuff around.
Your stress level will decrease dramatically. When you can find what you need, are on top of your to-dos, and arrive on time, you'll feel calmer and have more peace of mind. No more feeling overwhelmed by life -- you'll be the one in control.
You'll discover more time for yourself. When you're organized, your days go as planned, and you get a lot more done. That leaves more time to indulge in a little "me time."
Your energy will shine. Clutter is a mask and a professional organizer can help you take off that mask. Once the clutter is removed, you can showcase your talents, skills, and personality and have the life you deserve. | |
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"If you are all wrapped up in yourself, you are overdressed."
~ The Wedded Unmother
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Greetings!
One of the most common areas of the home that cause frustration for many of my clients is managing their clothing. It can range from overcrowded closets to stuffed dressers to backed-up laundry spilling out into the hallway. Without systems in place, routine maintenance and good habits, managing the clothing in your household can become a nightmare! This month's newsletter includes tips and products to make your clothing and closets a source of pleasure rather than pain.
Until next time,
Terri Stephens, CPO, CRTS
Real Order Professional Organizing, LLC
(678) 513-6585
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Your family doesn't have to be a large one for the job of keeping closets organized, managing clothing and staying on top of laundry to become a daunting task. By creating a system and sticking with it, the job is much more manageable. Here are a few tips for keeping it all flowing smoothly.
Rotate clothes in your closets each spring and fall, putting the current season's clothing front and center. Store out-of-season clothing in plastic storage bins and move hanging clothing to a spare closet, if space permits. When switching out clothing, take the opportunity to get rid of anything you no longer love or don't wear.
Designate a bag or basket for clothes that need to be dry cleaned. Keep the bag/basket in a specific place, like the master closet or laundry room. If possible, set a specific day of the week to drop off dry cleaning so that your pick-up day will be part of your routine (i.e., you pick up clothes from the dry cleaner every Thursday). This helps to avoid those situations (and we've all been there) where you're packing for a business trip and all of your suits are at the cleaners!
Evaluate clothing that only gets worn on special occasions - like formal dresses, suits, ties, etc. Be realistic about how many of these items you really need to keep. These items are often expensive and holding on to them seems like a good idea, but if you haven't worn that full-length gown in 10 years, it isn't really valuable any longer. If you have a spare closet, consider storing special occasion items there so they aren't taking space from the clothing you wear regularly.
Create a "donation box" where family members can put clothing that no longer fits or that they don't like. When the box is full, dro p it off for donation immediately rather than let it pile up.
Sort hanging clothing by category, color and style. Hang similar colored clothing together in each category (such as slacks, skirts, shirts, jackets) to make dressing in the morning go more quickly. However, don't put matching tops and bottoms together, since this can stop you from seeing other ways to combine them. Arrange clothing so those you wear most often are near the front of the closet and easiest to reach.
Teach kids to organize their hanging clothes by separating school clothes from holiday or church clothes. This colorful hanging clothes organizer helps even the youngest child to sort clothes and plan outfits for the week ahead. This can be a huge time-saver on busy school mornings!
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MAKE THE MOST OF YOUR SPACE
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Utilizing a few innovative and creative storage products can help you eliminate clutter, maximize your closet space and find what you need quickly.
Storage boxes come in a variety of sizes and are perfect for storing  shoes and boots, handbags, and out-of-season items such as sweaters, scarves, and hats. Clear or drop-front boxes make it easy to identify the items inside and decorative designs can enhance the overall appearance of your closet space. If closet space is tight, consider underbed storage boxes for items you don't need on a regular basis.
 Overdoor storage makes use of often-overlooked vertical space in your closet. Using shoe bags and racks can clear floor space and can even provide a career boost - according to retailer IKEA, women with shoe racks are seven times more likely to be on time for work than women without them.
Closet rod organizers help keep items together in the way that works best for you. Use them to sort clothing by item type (jackets, dresses, slacks), season or category (work clothes, weekend clothes, etc.). These are great for kids' closets too and help them to learn important organization skills.
Shelf dividers help keep folded clothes tidy and are great for organizing handbags, towels or even books and magazines.
Open bins are useful for storing large items, handbags, sweaters - even laundry. The variety of sizes, styles and colors available means you can find just the size and shape for just about anything.
Having your accessories organized in one place is a big help when you're rushing out the door in the morning. Hangers and hooks provide storage for belts, handbags, hats and lots of other items in very little space. Specialty hangers for ties and scarves keep these items wrinkle-free and easy to find.
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| TAMING THE LAUNDRY MONSTER | |
 In a newsletter last year, I shared some tips for setting up an efficient system for sorting, washing, drying, and folding laundry. In case you missed it, here are a few that are worth repeating:
Put a hamper, basket or bin in each bedroom or bathroom. Even if you can't get every family member to do their own wash, you can save time by giving everyone a portable receptacle. Without a convenient "home" for dirty clothes, guess where it will end up? On the floor ... trust me!
Set up a central three-bin sorter in the laundry room where dirty clothes are brought and sorted into whites, wash & wear, and darks. Have a separate bin for towels, another one for sheets, and another one for hand washables.
Any family member over four feet tall should be able to do basic separating into lights and darks. It's good training and will make them better roommates and spouses later in life.
Be sure to keep dry cleaning away from the laundry room to avoid confusion and ruined clothing. A bag with handles or a separate bin, kept in the closet, works well.
Keep reading for more tips on washing, folding, hanging and ironing clothing efficiently.
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