As soon as Memorial Day hits and the warm weather is constant, our family spends the majority of our free weekend time at the pool. Whether you’re a pool-goer like us or you’re planning a fun trip to the beach this summer, an organized bag is a must-have to corral the essentials. So long are the days where I could just toss in sunglasses, sunscreen, and a good magazine for me and call it a day. If you’re a parent like me you know that we double as pack mules and some days it feels like we’re carrying everything but the kitchen sink in our totes.  

While I can’t necessarily lighten your load, I am here to share with you how I organize my bag so that the essentials are always easy to find and so that I can have everything I need (and some things that I might need) in one spot.

My girls are heading to their first summer of sleepaway camp this year, which has brought a lot of emotions (they’re beyond excited, but Jon and I already miss them!). Once we made the decision that they would be headed out for a month of adventuring and lifelong memory-making, it hit me that there would be a lot to get done to prepare. I’ve packed my kids for plenty of family travel and quick trips, but never for such a long time period, so it was time to get in full-on organizing mode!

When I was diagnosed with Hashimoto’s disease, I was given a list of things that I could no longer eat, ingest, apply to my skin, etc.*. To say that I was overwhelmed would be a vast understatement, as the list was not only extremely long, but also included a lot of ingredients that I wasn’t familiar with. After further research, I realized that the ingredients that were found in my shampoo, lotions, storage containers, down to the type of cotton balls I use were no longer safe for me to use. Around the same time of my diagnosis, I saw an ad on Instagram for Brandless. Have you heard of the company?

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.

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.

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.

If you don’t love your closet then you can probably relate to the “band-aid” fixes. You know, the products that you think will solve your problems and while they might work a little bit, sometimes it’s the closet itself that needs to get re-done.

We recently redesigned our client’s closet because–like many of our clients–she knew that there had to be a better layout which would make it easier for her to keep up with. The thing is, not all closets are created equal. Some closets have a combination of long hang and short hang, shelves and shoe racks, but more often than not is a closet perfect for your needs without a little bit of tweaking.

I’ve noticed that having an office space that is beautifully designed and organized isn’t just a trend. Companies seem to be taking the time and are investing more in their employees and their surroundings by bringing in experts to create better work environments. From how the furniture is designed to the office, companies have taken notice of the positive impacts that organized office spaces can have on their employees and their productivity.

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.

Who has issues in the morning and would to shave off a few minutes from their morning routine? There are so many ways to make the most out of your confined space in a shower so that you are not only more organized, but you are able to speed up your daily routine (win-win!). Similar to every area of your home, organization can streamline your daily routine and help you save time, money, and frustration in the long run. And all this while in the shower!? Yes. It’s possible.