My 9-year old identical twin daughters and I were on Great Day Washington earlier to discuss spring organizing tips and to provide real-life examples of how families, including those with young children, can help out with getting organized (and not just create more chaos). Here are a few tips to get your family involved with spring cleaning the closet, toys chest, pantry and storage.

There are SO many organizing products out there, and in recent years more stores have stepped up their game to offer products that are aesthetically appealing. It’s overwhelming to know where to begin.I can hear the frustration in my clients’ voices as they describe their failed attempts to get organized on their own. If you’ve been in this situation know that there is ONE thing that you need to know to avoid this type of frustration moving forward: how to measure.

I am often faced with the “I don’t why I store this here” situations during client appointments (i.e. why lightbulbs and batteries are stored typically in 3+ areas of the home) and it just reiterates the point: when you bring an item into your house it typically lives where it lands. One of the best times to create organizing systems is also during what can be for some a very stressful period: moving time! It’s the only time you will have a completely blank space to work in and get to re-assign what goes where, which–if done strategically–will make your life easier moving forward.

You have invested time and money into your home and it ideally should be the place where you love to spend time and not a home where you find yourself avoiding areas just to stay sane. So, what can be done? Is it actually possible to fall back in love with your home? Some of my tips to clients include coming up with a strategic plan, us the products that you love to help organize and work from there. As you go through your home and identify problem areas and work through solutions, you may find that you have a bunch of stuff that you no longer like, need, or want. You may feel wasteful just giving it all away, but remember that there are so many ways for others to use items that are in decent condition. Plus, the positive feeling from giving back may make the whole process even better for you.

Over the years, I have come across interior designers, business owners, architects, and other remarkable individuals, as clients and in daily life, whose work and lives completely inspire me. After getting to know these women and men, I have found that one of the keys to their success is organization. As a result, I decided to develop a question and answer series, The Organized Lifestyle, which showcases their work and dives deep into the daily organizational systems, products, and habits they use and incorporate into their lives. I hope we can all learn a thing or two from them.

We’re kicking off December with our first ever organizing gift guide! We know that there are a ton of gift guides floating around online during this time of year, so we made sure to carefully select products that: (1) we know you’ll love; (2) are on the practical side; (3) aim to tame the clutter in the recipient’s life, not add to the clutter. Whether you’re shopping for a picky teenager or want to pick something special up for yourself, we hope that our list helps you find just what you’re looking for.

In this time of Thanksgiving, I want to thank you for supporting Rachel and Company.  Whether you are a current client, past client, potential client, newsletter subscriber, have purchased our DIY product, Organized in a Box, I thank you from the bottom of my heart.

I recently partnered with Gilt City DC and right now and Organized in a Box (OIAB), my home organizing DIY toolkit, is on MAJOR sale! I am so excited for all of you and for the first time (and probably the last), OIAB is 44% off and OIAB MINI is 40% off. But why purchase OIAB now? Besides the fact that OIAB is on sale (and who doesn’t love a sale?!), I know a lot of you have been thinking about getting better organized with the holidays coming and/or need a really thoughtful gift to give someone that doesn’t end up as clutter but actually helps prevent it.

Now that we are in November and just weeks away from Thanksgiving (my favorite holiday!!), I’ve started jotting down to-dos in preparation for our out-of-town guests. Doing things like stocking up on the basics, creating a storage plan and making your guest room homey will make your company feel more comfortable during their stay.

I don’t think it’s too early to talk about your plan on how to keep the faux spider webs, plastic pumpkins, and creepy decorations contained until next October. If there is one thing I know from organizing countless basements, garages, and storage closets it’s that a good box and a descriptive label will not only save you money in the long run, but keep you from unnecessarily adding to your collection of holiday-inspired decor. Here are 3 super simple tips that I promise will save you money and make decorating and un-decorating frustration-free.