Have you ever felt that your home’s square footage–or lack thereof–was keeping you from getting organized? While I can’t help to change the footprint of your home, there are many ways that design and organization can help to maximize the usable (and visual) space in your home. Take a peek at the tips below and let me know which design and organizing hacks you are going to use to transform your small space. I promise you that even the smallest hacks can be life changing and change the way that you live and operate in your small space.

As a professional organizer, I’m always asked if I “make” my clients get rid of stuff while helping them declutter. In case you’re wondering the same thing…the answer, in short, is: absolutely not. In recent years there has been a growing interest in minimalism and a greater emphasis on “less is more”, but before you jump on the bandwagon and rid your home of anything that doesn’t bring you joy, take a moment to carefully review a couple of categories before letting them go.

When working in my clients’ homes I always take into account their existing aesthetic before introducing organizing products to their space. While I tend to lean on more a neutral palette, I also like to tie in fun prints, textures, and pops of color so that anything that is brought into the house is cohesive with everything else going on design-wise.

And just like *that* a decade has gone by. I’m sharing my thoughts on it all below, and trust me when I say that I tried to be brief. Stick around to the end of this post because there’s something in it for you!

When Monday mornings roll around I rely heavily on my family’s morning routine to get us up and out the door. After a fun weekend full of plans I know that I have to account for an extra slow pace to get my twins to school and to get my workday started. As I tell my clients and have shared on the blog before, successful organization relies on creating systems that work for YOU.

This has been a big year for me. I got married, made it through another back-to-school season, and even started the process of celebrating ten years in business (lots of changes coming soon).  Feeling run-down is the name of the game when you’re juggling a busy home and professional life, right? Pretty soon, though, I realized that I was dealing with more than just fatigue and a whole lot of stress.  After countless doctor’s appointments, I learned that I have Hashimoto’s Thyroiditis, an autoimmune disease in which your immune system attacks your thyroid, a key gland responsible for regulating many of your body’s essential functions.  On the one hand, I was grateful to finally attach a name to what I have; however, I wasn’t (and maybe am still not) prepared for all that it would take to manage this condition. Let me tell you, life with Hashimoto’s is not easy. The status quo was not going to fly if I wanted to keep my symptoms in check.  It was time to mobilize and organize!

Raise your hand if you find yourself wearing the same items over and over again, even though you have a closet and dresser full (or maybe even overflowing?) with options. Guess what? You aren’t alone! The way that you store your clothing may actually be the reason why you reach for the same pieces over and over again. More likely than not, your time is limited and you want to grab what is easy and visible.

As I’m standing at the event looking at the photographer take photos it dawned on me that my summer vacation pictures were still sitting on my phone. The photos were now so far deep in the album that I would have to scroll pretty far to find them. I had really great intentions of getting them printed as soon as I got home from my last trip, but then I got sick…and work was busy…and life was back to normal…so, it was easy to be dropped on the priority list. That’s when I decided to try a new-to-me app to preserve my photos. The best part? It takes under 5 minutes to do!

I can’t even begin to tell you how many times that people have said to me “you’re home must be so perfect and organized!” or I’ve received questions on how I balance being a full-time business owner and mom to identical twins. I am always flattered to hear that it looks like I’ve got it together and all figured out, but I would be lying if I said that it was easy and that I truly don’t work hard every day to keep my business, home, and family running smoothly. I was recently asked by Ringlet Studio to share my organizing tips for business owners, and I wanted to share a couple of the tips on the blog because I know that they can be used in your life regardless of what your work or home life looks like.

Here we are in mid-September. Summer is officially over. The kids are back in school. You can feel a hint of crispness in the air when you walk out the door each morning. I’m inspired to muse about the changes I anticipate for myself, and particularly, my business. I don’t like to let things get to comfortable and I am constantly striving to figure out new and innovative ways to expand Rachel & Company. So what’s ahead you might ask? I’m excited to create more online classes, expand the rachel-company.com Shop page, and continue to partner with other amazing groups to promote new ideas and offerings…