You’ve probably heard of “skeletons in the closet,” but what spaces are clients most ashamed of and afraid to organize? Here’s a hint: if you have one, you’re probably not sure what’s there, and when you find out, you may be surprised. Basements. Here is some advice on how to keep one of the most easily disorganized parts of your home neat and tidy.

This week, we interviewed Hillary Denham, owner + designer of Free Babes Handmade, the “classic bows for adventurous souls.” I came across Free Babes on Instagram and quickly fell in love with these darling bows, and of course, the beautiful, organized, and heartwarming photos on the @free_babes Instagram feed. We posted a photo on our Instagram feed of some of her organized bows and are so impressed by Hillary’s success as a designer and entrepreneur. I couldn’t be more grateful to feature her on our series, The Organized Lifestyle.

There are several strategies for when you’ve missed the community yard sale deadline or the one in your head. The most important thing to remember, though, DO NOT WAIT UNTIL NEXT YEAR and hold onto your clutter. Feel free to call your favorite and most fabulous friends to discuss the utter annoyance of missing the community yard sale, and even go as far as asking to join in on their neighborhood yard sales. OR, plan your own yard sale! There are even online yard sale options.

Consigning is a great idea for clothing, shoes, purses, and even jewelry that you’ve kept in great condition, but no longer use. But you want to know the dirty truth about consigning? It takes work. A lot of work. In contrast, holding onto things because you paid X amount for them, or don’t make the time to consign, can be stifling. Once you do it, though, it’s like ripping off a BAND-AID, and you might never go back when you realize the benefits and get a good system in place.

It’s April, and in the next month, I’m organizing three corporate events, two on the same day, in different cities. This month, I organized a corporate meeting in Toronto at the Four Seasons Hotel. The vision was clear, and researching venues, photographers, and menus fulfilled my expectations. As the events piled up, along with other organizing projects, the to-do lists were endless and ongoing. So, how do you keep your cool and stay organized when planning events? What strategies can be helpful to manage your event, the plans, the timeline, and the budget?

Do you ever open up your pantry and spend a minute just staring off into space, without any idea of what to cook or eat? Maybe you’re not quite sure what you’re looking for, or you forget why you came in the first place. While each space and every person is different, here are my tips for unloading your groceries and organizing your pantry, along with some benefits.

You walk into a store for organizing products, or type in “color coded folders,” or “best storage containers” online, and your entire world turns upside down. So many choices. So many customer reviews. It’s madness. Even I can feel overwhelmed and get distracted if I don’t filter through all the gorgeous new containers to get to the ones I know will work well for my clients, their spaces, their aesthetics and their budget. Here is how I navigate purchasing organizational products without getting overwhelmed.

My clients often dread the first appointment. They are embarrassed for me to see their “mess and disorganization.” They think I will even judge them, when I am here to help. They don’t know that their clutter is not the worst I have seen in my seven years of business, and even if it were, it wouldn’t matter.