Blog | Organized To Perfection

Holiday Organizing Projects

November 29, 2017 By Beth Fuchs Leave a Comment

We are upon another holiday season and I am looking forward to the gathering of family and friends and the joy of this time of year! As I was going through my holiday decorations this year, I was deciding if I still love the decorations or if I was ready to let it go. Here are 3 ideas and suggestions that I would like for you to consider this holiday season.

Number One: As you get your holiday decorations out this year to decorate your home see if you still love the decorations and if you want to use them or is it time to donate them or throw them away if they are damaged. I know that every year there is a different “feel” to the holidays depending on what has been going on in your life. So as you take out your decorations this year, keep and put up the ones you love and if there are some decorations that you keep passing up every year to put up, is it time to let them go? If the decorations are a memory item, instead of keeping them tucked away in a box maybe put them out for everyone to enjoy!

Number Two: Take inventory NOW of your wrapping paper, gift bags, name tags and bows before you go out and buy items that you don’t need. I always tell my clients before a holiday or a special event, find out how many supplies you have and if you even have to go out to buy things when you already have an abundance of supplies. Especially use up the large gift wrap rolls that are too long and do not fit in a stand up gift wrapping storage bin. Or donate or recycle gift wrapping supplies that are for a special age of kids that you don’t have anymore or the wrappings are in bad condition and you can not use them.

Number Three: Simplify your decorations, party planning and events this year! This time of year should be fun, relaxed and not a stressful time of year. There are so many events that are scheduled now and what is asked of you, it is ok to say no at times. Make time to get together with friends and family and maybe consider meeting at a restaurant instead of their home where they may feel the pressure to make things perfect. When you are putting together your shopping list of gifts for family and friends, think about what they love to do or really care about and get a gift that represents that. It should be about the thought of the gift instead of the number of gifts.

Please keep these ideas and suggestions in mind this holiday season and I am sure you will find peace and relaxation! I hope you all have a great holiday season and I wish you all the best in 2018!

Organizing Your Mind Tips

October 9, 2017 By Beth Fuchs Leave a Comment

I hope you are all having a great fall season so far! I always love when the change of seasons happen in the Midwest and the vibrant colors on the trees occur. I would like to take a different approach this month about organizing and talk about your thoughts and how you should think about tackling your organizing projects.

One important thought I would like for you to consider when you are starting an organizing project is what is the PURPOSE you are trying to achieve here with your space? Are you trying to make space so new items can be organized and fit in that space? Are you finally ready to get rid of old paperwork that is weighing you down and taking over the dining room table? The question you need to ask yourself is what is your GOAL you are trying to achieve here. Once you figure out the purpose and the goal for the space that you want to get organized, the process of sorting, purging and organizing will be easier to work on.

The second important thought I would like you to think about is what are the CONSEQUENCES if you do not have that specific piece of paper? Or what would happen if you recycled your kids old school papers from 4 years ago? This is the question that you need to ask yourself when you are looking at sorting and purging paperwork in your home or even your office. What is the consequence if you got rid of the papers? Do you need to keep the papers for your accountant, lawyer or your medical history for your doctor? If you can not think of any reason to keep the papers or there are no true consequences that you can think of, then it is ok to let it go. If you are truly in doubt then keep the paperwork but plan on reviewing the papers in about 6 months or 1 year when it may be easier for you to get rid of the paperwork.

Most of the time my clients are overwhelmed at the start of the project and do not know where to start. The best way to handle this is to take 1 CATEGORY at a time and only work on that. For example if you are working in your bedroom, only address the clothes in your room or your closet. If you are working with your papers on your desk area, only look at papers that you know are 100% recyclable and you can get rid of them. And if you are in your garage area, just look at gardening items or just the tools to sort and organize. Most people get overwhelmed and look at the picture as a whole but if you just take a small category to work on, then it is manageable for you and you get the project completed!

Try using these techniques when you are starting a project and I know they will be very helpful for you so you can start and finish the task at hand! If you have any questions about my service or would like some clarification on some points I have addressed here, please let me know and I would be happy to help you out. You can reach me at beth@organizedtoperfection.com or my business line at 630-668-0993. Thank you and have a great fall season!

Organizing Children’s Bedrooms

August 1, 2017 By Beth Fuchs Leave a Comment

I hope you are all enjoying the summer months so far! The kids are home and may be bored at times so why not give them and yourself a project to get their bedrooms in order before school starts soon. I have a few tips and ideas that can help you and your kids with organization in your kids bedrooms. The tips here are for kids in grade school all the way up to college.

• Start with the clothes in the child’s bedroom. Determine if the clothes are too small or worn out. Then either save them for a younger sibling, neighbor or relative or donate them to charity.

• Arrange the clothes in the closet so the child can reach them and have easy access to them. For example, tee-shirts, pants or shorts. Also as your child gets taller, their clothes hang too low for some of the hanging space and the rods can be adjusted so the clothes fit better.

• Sort through all of the toys in the bedroom. Does your child still play with them? Have they outgrown them? Toys are then to be thrown away, donated or put in a memory box for safekeeping.

• Put only one big bin in the room for the toys that they play with consistently. The rest of the toys should be put in a playroom if the house has one. They should not be all over the house, but should be centralized if possible.

• Keep all books in a bookcase in the room. In a bookcase you can store books, display some memory items and papers for the child.

• If you have a desk in your child’s bedroom, make room on the desk for homework, if they are at the age for homework. A lot of the time the child has small items or things they keep on the desktop. Have a separate bin or drawer that the items can be stored in. Sometimes the child uses that space as a display area and that is fine.

• Every child’s bedroom should have a wastebasket in it. They need a place to throw away paper, tissues, etc. So when you or your child clean up the room, you have a place for garbage to go instead of on the floor.

• ASK your child what they need in their room. A lot of items land on the floor because they do not have a specific place for things. Many parents are surprised to discover that when they ask their kids what they need to keep the room tidy, the kids will tell them. It may be they need a bigger dresser for their tops or pants to fit into or need more shelving for books.

• MOST IMPORTANT— everything should have a “home.” Clothes in the closet, toys in a toy bin/basket, books in a bookcase. This will teach the child where everything should go.

These are just a few ideas and tips to help keep your kids room organized and a place where they can have their friends come over. I have worked with many families with kids and I always enjoy working with the kids and getting their bedrooms set up that works for them. Also getting it organized so they learn how to keep their clothes, books and school items in order and it is a calming place for them.

If you have any questions for me or would like additional information on how I can help you and your family with organization in your kids bedroom, please contact me. Thank you and I hope you all have a wonderful summer!

Garage Organizing

May 17, 2017 By Beth Fuchs Leave a Comment

Now that the weather is getting warmer and the flowers are blooming, I bet you are spending more time outside and enjoying springtime! Also this is the time of year when you notice your garage is in disarray and you have been piling things up in there. I know many men find the space of the garage their area and us women are not allowed to touch anything in the garage! Here are some organizing steps to get your garage better organized to where you are not embarrassed if the neighbors drive by and see your space.

The first step is to only look at ONE area of the garage to organize and not think of it as a whole. Do you want to get your tools in order, throw away and recycle old kids toys, or deal with broken garden items? If you decide to work on the kids area of the garage, throw away balls that are damaged and donate or recycle toys that the kids no longer play with. Also check out the bikes to see if the kids are too big for the bikes now. If the bikes are too small, now is a great time to donate them so other kids can enjoy riding a bike this summer!

The second step to make the items in the garage that you use on a regular basis accessible. For example, keep the dangerous tools and items away from your kids reach. And in the same context, have the kids toys and bikes easy for them to get to and put back when they are done. If you can and have space, move the snow blower and other winter items to the back of the garage and the summer items to the front. If you need shelves to hold items, measure the space and go to your local hardware stores to find the correct shelving units. Most of the time a 18″ or 24″ deep shelving unit will fit just great to hold your kids items. Also make use of your vertical space and add some slatwall to the area to hang garden items, hoses and tools.

The last step to getting your garage organized is to know that this area will always be in constant change. In some parts of the country we are dealing with winter and summer seasons and other parts stay in summer like weather all of the time. Most of the time your family or yourself need a drop zone in your garage for things that you will deal with soon or just need a place to put the groceries down as you get the kids settled in the house. This area should be close to the door going into your house and you can have a large bin or basket that can hang on the wall or a freestanding unit to place the bin. Every few weeks you will need to see what you have in that bin or basket and deal with the items. Keep it neat and organized or you will find that the items will start taking over the rest of your garage.

When you start a project always know that you don’t have to work all day to finish it. I always advise that if you have a few hours to work on a specific area to organize, only work on that area and finish it! Taking on a project as the garage will happen in several steps and work on one category at a time so you will be focused in that area and you will feel a great accomplishment in the end. Take advantage of the spring weather and enjoy getting your garage in order! If you need additional advice or suggestions, please contact me and I would be happy to help you work through your project.

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