Don’t you just love getting things for free? I know I do. However as a Professional Home and Office Organizer all the time I see unwanted things in people’s homes or offices that they don’t use, don’t want or don’t like that they got for free. When I start asking questions they say it was free

O.K., that is fine but then why keep it if is something that just takes up space. And usually the person doesn’t like it…but it was free. My advice is the next time you see something free take a look at it and make sure you want what ever it is. If you don’t like it, and can’t use it, or give it to someone who would like it; then next time don’t take it. It is just another thing you’ll have cluttering your life and your space.

In a local restaurant when I buy ten entrees I get one free entrée and a free drink. I wanted the entrée but not the soft drink. I have learned it confuses the cashiers when I tell them I don’t want the soft drink. So I always turn to the person next to me in line and ask them if they would like the drink. And they always do. So free in this case is a good thing and by giving away my drink it makes me and the person I offer it to feel good. It is like doing a random act of kindness.

Before accepting that free offer or free thing being given away at a grand opening or in a magazine, or wherever; evaluate if you want it, need it, and can use it. It will be one less thing to de-clutter later.

My friend Jen has a cute 6 year old daughter. They were shopping at a large warehouse store and her daughter (we’ll call her Barb) wanted some candy. Jen told her no as she had just had a lot of candy as it was just after a holiday. Barb kept pestering her so Jen said to go and find something healthy in the store and she would buy it.

Barb looked and looked around the store and found some crackers. She asked her mom if that was healthy. “Yes” she told her. Barb walked away, putting the crackers back and getting the candy she wanted and said, “O.K. lets go buy my candy”.

She got the candy because her mom had not made herself clear on her expectations. This happens to all of us I am sure. When we are instructing our significant other or our children on how to organize something we need to make sure they understand it and are clear as to what we expect.

I find that when I work with my clients as a Professional Home and Office Organizer this is important. To be clear makes it easier to organize and things will stay organized longer if we understand the expectations.

Before:

After:

Some nights do you wonder where you are going to sleep? Oh sure you have a designated bedroom but it is full of stuff, you can’t even find your bedroom. As you are navigating towards your bed you stumble over shoes, clothes, hangers, kid’s toys, dirty clothes or other discarded items that belong in drawers or closets or not in your room at all.

Then when you are finally to your bed there is a pile of unfolded laundry, more clothes from the closet, more toys, shoes and the list goes on and on.

Our bedrooms can be our quiet Haven. That is the one room in the house that we can consider our sanctuary. But if it is like I described above it is hardly a quiet haven or a place we want to be.

Just like in the other rooms in our house, as a Home and Office Consultant I recommend everything has a place and they live in their place. Have the kids take their toys to their rooms or play areas, hang up the clothes in the closet if they aren’t being used. Fold clothes that belong in the drawer. Fold the laundry in another room, or keep it in the basket rather than throwing it on the bed in the bedroom. It will wait for you in the basket rather than on the bed and then the floor. Get a shoe rack to keep shoes contained. There are several different styles on the market, over the door, shelves, hanging ones that fit into closets, metal ones that sit on the floor under the clothes. Or just line them up nicely on the floor of the closet. Have a designated place for dirty clothes and use it.

My friend Heather allows her children to have one small ‘junk’ drawer in their bedrooms and that is all they have in the way of entertainment, other than books. Toys are not allowed as she doesn’t want that room associated with play, it is a quiet room. It makes them interact more with the other members of the family rather than isolating themselves. It also makes sense when getting children ready for bed that that room is not associated with play.

Sleep tight; don’t let the bed bugs bite.

Need to organize? Ask Marilyn
Tom Busselberg 17.APR.07
BOUNTIFUL — If you need help getting organized, maybe Marilyn Bohn, owner of “Get It Together Organizing” is your woman.

The Bountiful woman calls herself a creative professional organizer. She goes into people’s homes and offices and organizes their space.

“I make it their happy place. I also organize the personal belongings of family members who have moved to a nursing home or are deceased,” she says.

Bohn recalls her 4 foot 9 inch grandmother’s pockets, always filled with a pink semi-sweet mint for the grandkids, or a handkerchief when a nose needed to be wiped.

“Similar to the pockets in our clothing, we all have pockets of time,” she says. “We may have a 10 to 15 minute ‘pocket’ of time during the day as we sit waiting for something to get done or procrastinating the start of a large project.”

Emphasizing those pockets of time can be productive and rewarding, Bohn offers some ideas for using those pockets of time.

Take off that old nail polish, or call for a manicure appointment; read a magazine article you’ve been meaning to get to; straighten up the bathroom counter; dust the pictures in your room; call an old friend and have a short chat; crop some photos for scrapbooking, make a grocery list, and much more.

“Simply, by using these little pockets of time you won’t be so overwhelmed with all you have to do,” Bohn says. “Soon people will be saying to you, ‘You get more done than anyone I know.’ and you can think, ‘It’s because I use my pockets.’”

By the same token, not everything has to be done today, she emphasizes.

“A few years ago on a Monday evening I was giving my 10 year-old daughter instructions on cleaning her room, directing her to the things that needed to be put away, where to put them, etc. I was going a mile a minute, picturing the progress when she asked, ‘Mom, isn’t there a Tuesday?’”

That made her stop and realize that not everything needs to be cleaned and organized at that very minute.

“This often leads to our own dismay and disappointment when we find we cannot realistically do it all right now. Remember the saying, ‘Rome wasn’t built in a day.’ Take it one small step at a time, one task at a time, one room at a time,” Bohn says.

“By taking things in small steps, you will accomplish what you wanted and get organized with the least amount of stress,” she says.

For example, that’s how Bohn’s oldest daughter and helpers eventually got things moved out of her storage unit.

As one of her daughter’s friends said, “Just like the ants do it, one thing at a time.”

For more information visit the Web site, marilynbohn.

com or call 898-7616.

tbusselberg@davisclipper.com

Do you have the Someday I’ll get to that Syndrome? Do you tell your self; someday I will read that book, someday I will take swimming lessons, someday I will take my kids fishing, someday I will return that tool I borrowed from my neighbor, someday I will get organized, someday I will clean out the garage, someday I will go through my closet and get rid of the clothes that are too small for me, someday I will send a thank you note to someone who did you a favor.

If you are like most of us who have this syndrome now is the time to turn over a new leaf because someday is now. Six years ago I was buying molding to go in our living room. We took up the carpet, refinished the wood floor and needed molding. I purchased the wood in twelve foot lengths and there was no way it would fit in my car.

As I was wondering what to do I saw a neighbor who lived 2 blocks above me who was at the lumber store with his truck. I asked him if he would mind taking my wood home for me. He readily agreed to take it and delivered it to my home. I was very grateful and vowed to myself that I would immediately take him some cookies and a thank you note.

I am chagrined to say that someday never happened. I got home and busy painting and doing other things. Now it is six years later and every time I see him I feel guilty for never taking the time to thank him the way I wanted to for this service he gave me.

My someday in this case has come. I made chocolate chip cookies today and I am going to deliver them in a few minutes. Have you ever put off doing something and it has weighed on your mind? My advice as a professional home and office organizer and as a friend is to take a weight off your mind and do something today from your list of “Someday I’ll….”

Friday and Saturday I went to a quilt retreat with some of the women from our quilt group. I got two quilt tops done and part of another one sewed. I am feeling very accomplished. It was great being in the cabin where cell phones didn’t work and we all had at least one common interest. We sewed, shared ideas, ate gourmet food prepared by our quilt president, laughed, played games and just had a great time.

On the ride to her cabin we drove over Trappers Loop, a beautiful scenic drive through the mountains. One of the women in the group pointed out the pretty yellow plant growing thick on the hillsides. She said this was a weed called Dyers Wode and is a terrible plant. Some woman had brought it to Utah because it makes a beautiful dye for fabric, but it has taken over.

If it gets in the hay or grain farmers cut and bale for their animals because it is so bitter they won’t eat it. It has become a real problem. And on each plant there are thousands of seeds which blow everywhere so the plant is being spread far and wide.

Do you ever think it won’t hurt to put something out of place just this one time, what will it hurt? Pretty soon your family follows your example and before you know it disorganization has taken over. Or I may let magazines pile up or I let a closet get messy and it becomes a bigger project than needed. (or wanted) Had I just taken the extra seconds and done what I know I should do I wouldn’t have made a mountain out of a mole hill. As a professional home and office organizer I think it is better to be organized than to become a Dyers Wode that no one wants and is hard to get rid of.

I thought this is just how it is in our homes; we all see them differently and want to improve them. As a professional home and office organizer I see this all the time. We all see that we can make changes in our homes or offices to make our lives easier or less stressful or frustrating. The trick is to recognize what we want to change and then to stay motivated to do it. This is where I come in, I have the skills, knowledge and know how to help people change their space and keep them motivated during the organizational process. Change can be a challenge and can be hard to do. But nothing is as constant as change. I also know we can accomplish what we set our minds to do.

My daughter who used to be IN the Peace Corps now works FOR the Peace Corps and she is visiting three of the countries that she is country desk for. (I have no idea what that is other than it is a lot of responsibility and work which she loves).

She is able to email which is lovely as she wasn’t able to do when she was in Eritrea a few years ago. I am including part of her latest letter:

Being in Burkina is awesome! I feel so far away! I feel like I’ve been gone for a long time and it’s really only been one week and a few days. I have a lot more to go. Burkina has been really good so far, though busy.
I have been to the West and the North and of course the capital. It’s been great. The West is really lush, cool weather and so green. I spent my first several days there, where we were surrounded by mango groves and sugar plantations. It was amazing! I swear it was around 70s or low 80s - it felt perfect. The earth is so red and colorful. I love the colors! It’s so refreshing to be in a place with a slower and more mellow pace. Everyone here rides a bike or a motorbike. The people are lean and muscular. They look healthy. It has inspired me to whip my butt into shape and get my lean body back. I hope I still feel motivated when I get back to D.C.

As she said she wants to get her lean body back. She is in good shape, she walks everywhere in Washington D.C. where she lives as she doesn’t have a car. I thought this is just how it is in our homes; we all see them differently and want to improve them. As a professional home and office organizer I see this all the time. We all see that we can make changes in our homes to make our lives easier or less stressful or frustrating. The trick is to recognize what we want to change and then to stay motivated to do it. This is where I come in, I have the skills, knowledge and know how to help people change their space and keep them motivated during the organizational process. Change can be a challenge and can be hard to do. But nothing is as constant as change. We can accomplish what we set our minds to do.

Do you remember the sign that said Simplify, Simplify, Simplify. Then it went to Simplify, Simplify. Then one day I saw Simplify, Simplify; with the second one crossed out. I had to laugh about that. It sure makes sense, if a person is going to simplify, use as few words as possible.

And that is a good rule of thumb to think of when cleaning out cupboards or closets. Let’s take the kitchen. One to Three spatulas are probably enough. The others are just taking up space. (I have to confess I collect different colors of spatulas so I have a jar with about 15 of them). I rationalize that I collect them so it is O.K. Do you have any thoughts to share about this? Comment and I will post it.

Look around your kitchen and see if there are old appliances you don’t like and could simplify your life by getting rid of them. Last week I bought a new blender. I love it. My other one was in perfectly good condition so I donated it to charity. My new one is easier to clean, is made of glass which I love, and it is easier to put together. It has simplified my life with just that one little purchase. Maybe you have something that could do the same thing for you.

As a professional home and office organizer I am going to ask you, what do you have in your kitchen that you can get rid of that will simplify your life? By letting go you will actually feel a sense of freedom and happiness It is hard to explain, so do it and let me know what your experience was and how it made you feel.

I was cleaning out my filing cabinets when I came across papers I hadn’t seen in years and didn’t know I had even kept. I found a poem I liked years ago and as I threw it I thought, “but what if I need this? Maybe I should keep it.” I struggled with myself, wondering if I should toss or re-file it.

My objective was to clear my files of unused or forgotten “stuff” I had kept for over 30 years. With my goal in mind, I threw away the poem. A week later, my daughter called me for some ideas for a talk she was preparing. I told her about the poem I thought would work well in her talk but remembered had just thrown it away. (I had hoped it wouldn’t come back to haunt me!)

Before tossing it I had these thoughts: 1) I didn’t know I had it, 2) if I did need it I could probably find it through a friend or on the Internet. My daughter was able to find it quickly on the Internet, but as it turned out, it wasn’t what she wanted and she didn’t use it. I had also called a friend and she gave me a web site for a plethora of stories and poems. So actually by throwing away a poem I didn’t need to hold onto– we all came out ahead! I had a nice chat with my friend, got a new web site, didn’t clutter my filing cabinet, and I reached my goal of a clutter-free filing cabinet!

I mention this one poem as an example; I actually got rid of a lot of paper that was just taking up space. And I questioned myself all through the process.This showed me again, as a professional home and office organizer, it is okay to throw things away that we haven’t used or don’t know we have. Plus, if we ever do need it in the future there are other ways of replacing it.

Garage and Yard sales are very popular and are a fantastic way to pick up bargains. I just can’t make myself have them nor do I go to them. My neighbor had one 2 years ago and I took her lunch and showed people some things in her house while she stayed outside. Now that I can handle.

Years ago we had one at our home. I got the items arranged on tables, marked the prices, advertised in the local paper, and put up posters but when it came time for it to start I was sick. I stayed in bed all day reading a book while my husband ‘worked’ the sale. (He enjoyed it). I wasn’t really sick, only mentally I couldn’t stand to have people come and bargain at already dirt cheap prices. People can act like vultures. Silly I know, but that is how it is. (We had had one a few years before this one and that is what I experienced).

However I know people love these sales and they are a good thing. Our local newspaper ‘The Clipper’ has a wonderful community service for people holding garage sales. For free they give two printed florescent posters, balloons and a set of instructions for successful garage sales.

Here is their list of tips:

-List the big items on poster as well as advertise in newspaper w/phone number. Some people are looking for specific items.
-If you don’t want Early Birds, put up a sign.
-Put the price on top of the item to be easily seen.
-The bigger the item—the bigger should be the price tag.
-Provide grocery bags.
-Have plenty of change and small bills (2-10’s, 4-5’s, 25-1’s, 1 roll quarters, $5 in nickels & dimes if you have items less than 25 cents)
-Use a money apron with different sections to sort & keep money separate. (Also avoids any chance of being robbed).
-To avoid any hassles later on, post a sign that says, “All Sales Final”.
-Provide for adequate parking.
-If it is a hot day provide a drink. People may linger longer.
-Yard Sales are more relaxing if there is some background music on. Play easy listening middle-of-the-road type music.
More Yard Sales Tips: www.yardsalequeen.com

Happy bargain hunting and getting rid of your things while earning some extra cash.