March is the month that I always talk about the benefits of spring cleaning and organizing and I couldn’t be more excited to talk about it again this year. However, this March, I am going to do things a bit differently than in year’s past. Today I want to talk about the emotional impact of […]

I am a brand ambassador with The Container Store and this blog was written in partnership with them. As many of you may remember from sneak peeks of my garage over the years, Jon and I had Elfa installed in our garage when we first moved in. The set up worked great for us for […]

These days more than ever a home office or desk is so critical to most of our everyday lives and the difference between an organized vs. cluttered space can make a huge difference. For those that live in apartments or simply a smaller space without the luxury of a dedicated home office, a desk space often has to play multiple roles.

True story: last week I had to take a power nap after dropping my kids off at school. The 5-minute walk home from school expended the remaining little energy that I had and I needed to fall asleep. Never in my decade of being a parent had I taken a nap “on the job”, but I could not respond to an email, get out my girls’ snacks, or deal with the mail and incoming packages at my doorstep until my body had a break. Kind of sounds pathetic, right? That kind of exhaustion is a tiny peek into what my life with Hashimoto’s disease is like.

“I want to be organized, but…”. Have you thought or said this before? I’ve heard this so many times from my clients and I’ve responded to messages and emails that start off the same way. Getting organized sounds so far-fetched because they’ve seen the “after” photos and they can’t imagine their own home being that Pinterest-perfect. I get it! Seeing a beautiful space and perfectly placed bins and color-coded closets can feel a little intimidating, but that doesn’t mean that it’s realistic for all. The good news? That’s not what organization is all about! I believe that there is potential in every home and for every person to have the organized lifestyle that they crave, regardless of circumstance.

I remember years ago during one of the first days of summer after my girls had started elementary school I heard the dreaded words: “I’m bored”.

As adults, it’s common to walk into our closet and complain that we have “nothing to wear”. I’ve been there, my clients have been there, and chances are you’ve been there on a regular basis as well.

See, for kids, their version of our closet complaints is oftentimes their play space. So many options, but for (what seems like) the majority of the time nothing seems appealing. More than likely, there are dozens of toy options at their disposal and yet as parents we hear the dreaded “I’m bored!” more often than we would like. It can be frustrating to stare at a room full of puzzles, board games, dolls, legos, and more, and  think about how they can’t find something to do, but it’s possible that it’s not what the options are but how they are being stored. Yes, believe it or not organization–or lack thereof–could be the culprit behind your kid’s boredom.

I remember years ago when I hosted my first yard sale. The neighborhood was hosting a big event where you can go between driveways to shop, making it the perfect opportunity to clear your home of unwanted items once and for all. My girls were excited and ready, because with yard sales meant a lot of fun, like lemonade stands, learning about money, earning money, and finding new homes for old things. I had organized all of our items into boxes, did an insane amount of decluttering (okay, a little more than usual), and what happened? It rained.

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.

I wanted to keep it quick since I’m sure you’ve only got a handful of minutes to spare today while preparing for the day’s festivities. If I’m being honest, I struggled with what to say today because I don’t want to come off as self-centered or braggy when listing out what I’m thankful for. The thing is, I couldn’t ignore the urge to reflect on everything that has brought me gratitude this year, and what better time to share it than on Thanksgiving?

As cheesy as it may sound, labels are the glue that hold your systems together. They are the structure to support the system that you’ve worked hard to put into place (like organizing your pantry) and keep categories together. Labels can help you save time (especially with kids), cut down on waste, save money and make daily tasks easier. I highly recommend the company Mabel’s Labels, their products are durable, aesthetically pleasing and can be applied to multiple items.