Marilyn Bohn | Creative Organizer

Recently my daughter Julie went to Western Africa to work for six weeks. She had a glorious, busy, hard working time. One of the interesting things she experienced was the glue tree.

In one of the small villages there is a tree that produces fruit. When the fruit is squeezed its ‘juice’ is glue. The man demonstrated this by gluing two pieces of paper together. I knew cork came from trees but I didn’t know glue grew on trees. Now if we could just find a money tree.

Since the first glue factory opened in Boston, Massachusetts, back in 1807 the sticky stuff has been used for every conceivable purpose and then some. The latest is surgical adhesives that seal incisions. On those pesky paper cuts you can have a drop Krazy Glue
and in a couple of seconds, forget it ever happened. It sounds kind of creepy, but it does work.

When I work with people in their homes as a professional home and office organizer I am always looking for tips to help simplify their lives. This is just another little tip. The makers of Krazy Glue are quick to remind consumers they do not market it for medical purposes, and in fact, the labels warn against touching it to the skin. Do you have a ‘Krazy’ tip I could pass on to my readers?

Are you swimming in more clutter than you can stand? Clearing it away is a breeze if you start small, think about how you want your space to function and follow these expert tips. (Article in Woman’s World 6/5/07. And editorial tips from me.

Create a dream closet: The key to unclogging your closet: Knowing that 80% of the time you probably wear only 20% of the clothes hanging there, says organizing whiz Julie Morgenstern. I say one way to figure out what your clothes you are actually wearing is to turn the hanger around after you have worn an article then you will know if you are wearing the clothes in your closet or not.

Say bye-bye to “wish clothes!” You’ll likely never wear those old favorites you once loved (and fit in) again. So toss ‘em, and make space for new things.

Think lifestyle. Organize your clothes in categories that fit how you live: weekend vs. work; summer vs. winter. It’ll help you find what you need in half the time. I say this really does save time when choosing an outfit for work. And take out all clothes that need ironing, mending or cleaning. Only have clothes or shoes in your closet that you can actually wear when you want to wear them.

Go vertical. Fill plastic bins with things you use less often and stack shelves to the ceiling. Use hooks for belts, scarves and bags.

I say, use shoe racks for you shoes, or line neatly on the floor, or use racks that hang over the door or closet rod.

Follow the 30-second rule! That’s how long it usually takes to put things away immediately. Put it off, and you could spend hours sorting through it all. I say this is an excellent habit to get in to; it really will help to find clothes faster without the hassle or stress of hunting. As a professional home and office organizer I have seen time and time again when this advise truly works. Do you have any closet tips to share? I would love hearing your success story.

A few simple tactics will keep kids’ items from being a mess, says Peter Walsh. His advice:

Get down to their level. Adults make toy storage too high. Kneel; if you can’t reach a shelf, neither can your kids.

Organize like a kindergarten. Keep kids’ crayons and markers in cans; sequins and crafts in baggies. I say as a professional home and office organizer there are so many great organizing tools in the stores have fun shopping for colorful, durable, practical storage containers. It makes organizing fun.

Make toy charity a family rule. Before adding a new toy to your child’s collection, ask her to pick an older one to donate to a child who has less. I say have a donation box or bag in your house or garage at all times. When you find something you aren’t using and haven’t used for a long time, donate it and get your children in the habit of doing this. Another rule is a toy in a toy out.

Create zones Mark areas for crafts and dressing with colored rugs; clean-up is easier when things have their own space.

These ideas are from Woman’s World 6/5/07 and from me too. Do you have a great idea that works to end kids’ clutter?

We often keep items longer than we should for sentimental reasons, says Fugen Neziroglu, Ph.D. Her surefire solutions:

Find the best tribute: Instead of holding onto every single memento—greeting cards, playbills and ticket stubs—chose favorites, store in scrapbooks and toss the rest.

I say: A few years ago I got a phone call from a friend saying she had gone back over thank you cards people had sent to her and she was thanking me for one I had sent her. Those cards are beautiful that we receive and we wonder what to do with them. I started keeping the thank you cards I received in a notebook and I was surprised at myself for all the nice things I have done for people. I keep thick stubs and mementos like that in my journal when I write about that activity. I have always joked with my girls saying, “if you can’t read my writing, you can just look at my journal as it is chock full of little mementos”. This makes it interesting and fun.

Use the rule of three: Decorators know groups of threes look best, so showcase only your top picks from each collection and store the rest. And I say rotate them in and out to keep things interesting. I have always been told to group in uneven numbers, three, five, seven and so forth. This does make the grouping more pleasing to the eye.

Let it go: Don’t just store something because “you might need it one day.” If you haven’t used it in years, odds are you never will. I have talked about this before, now days you can find anything—except family heirlooms or things your children have made for you on the internet somewhere. I recommend taking a picture and placing it in your album, it takes up less space but you still have the memory.

The comments from Dr. Neziroglu were from Woman’s World 6/5/07, the other comments were my own. Because I am professional home and office organizer I work with many different people and it is so much fun, I learn a lot as they all have ideas and tips to share with me. Do you have a great idea on how to break the clutter habit that you would be willing to share with me? I will post it if you share it.

I love saving money on one thing so I can spend it on something else. I find working as a professional home and office organizer my clients love to save money too. Here are some tips to clip from Woman’s World 6/5/07.

Free money classes: Want to learn about stocks, bonds and mutual funds? Try the free investing classes at www.morningstar.com Take the quizzes at the end of each course, and you can earn a Morningstar subscription.

Cheap glasses: Need prescription glasses? Get them for less at www.eyeglassdirect.com, where lenses and frames start at just $28.00.

Free software: Whether you want an antivirus program for your computer, or software that helps you edit photos, you can find it all—and more—for free at www.thefreesite.com

Get gas for trips: Planning a getaway? Visit www.bedandbreakfast.com and click on “Free Gas Promotion” to find B&Bs that are offering discounts or gift cards to help pay for your gas when you stay at their inn.

I haven’t checked all of them out, but they do look intriguing. Let me know if you were able to save money at any of these websites and your experience shopping here.

An elderly Chinese woman had two large pots, each hung on the ends of a pole which she carried across her neck. One of the pots had a crack in it while the other pot was perfect and always delivered a full portion of water. At the end of the long walk from the stream to the house, the cracked pot arrived only half full.

For a full two years this went on daily, with the woman bringing home only one and a half pots of water. Of course, the perfect pot was proud of its accomplishments. But the poor cracked pot was ashamed of its own imperfection and miserable that it could only do half of what it had been made to do.

After two years of what it perceived to be bitter failure, it spoke to the woman one day by the stream. “I am ashamed of myself, because this crack in my side causes water to leak out all the way back to your house.” The old woman smiled, “Did you notice that there are flowers on your side of the path, but not on the other pot’s side?”

“That’s because I have always known about your flaw, so planted flower seeds on your side of the path, and everyday while we walk back, you water them”.

“For two years, I have been able to pick these beautiful flowers to decorate the table. Without you being just the way you are, there would not be this beauty to grace the house.”

As a professional home and office organizer I see differences in people I work with and they complain about their organization skills, but we all have our own unique flaws, and that is what makes us interesting and our lives rewarding. Three cheers for the professional organizers who can be the ones to plant the flowers to help those who recognize they need help when organizing.

What a busy and happy week as a professional home and office organizer this has been. I was invited to speak at a mom’s club. They were a sharp and fun group of women.

I cut out 27 receiving blankets and sewed about 20 to send to Pappa New Guinea for new mothers who sometimes have nothing to take their new born babies home in. I can’t even imagine not having even the bare necessities for one of my babies.

I was able to watch two Canada geese with their six babies swim around and learn how to dive for food. I have watched them every morning for the past six weeks and I will be sad when they take off for the last time. But there are now four new baby ducks in the same pond learning to swim with their parents.

I also saw a beautiful four point buck with velvet horns that stood and looked at me as I walked past, a mile further on I saw a two point buck. Later there was a male and female quail with their six babies protecting them as they saw me coming. They are so cute hurrying across the lawn.

And tonight as a group of us were sewing over 200 blankets we were treated to fresh, delicious fruit. I hope you too have been enjoying the fruit in season in your area of this beautiful world as well as what is going on around you.

What a glorious sunset across the lake tonight on this the first day of summer. I hope your days are happy and interesting.

I remember driving from Oregon to Utah every summer in a small old car. My mom would pack up the back seat with boxes and suitcases and place on the top a mattress. It must have been a crib size as it was a small 1940’s Ford. That is where I rode during the LONG trip. We would play I spy games, sing and I would chatter until I am sure my mom was anxious for the trip to be at its end. This was before freeways so we traveled through every little poe-dunk town and around every river bend so it took much longer that it does today. But kid still are kids and no matter how far the destination, they want to be there NOW.

As a professional home and office organizer I am always looking for ways to simplify and help the clients I work with. In our local newspaper I read this article on tips for your driving trip from the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette. I am passing along some of their tips.

How to survive your family summer road trip:
•Stop every so often, even if it’s just for a few minutes. Take a jump rope, a Frisbee or a soccer ball for exercise at rest stops.
•Pack a bag or backpack for each child with stickers, cards, books, hand-held games and activity books.
•Pack some special “surprises” for the little kids, and dole them out every so often. It’ll give them something to look forward to.
•A tired kid is a cranky kid. So take pillows and a blanket so they can snooze when they’ve had enough.
•If everyone will be watching the video player (except, of course, the driver), you might consider buying a car cassette adapter that allows for “surround sound”; if not, individual headphones are a good idea. And don’t rule out books on tape. Libraries provide books on tapes. (I personally like not having the children watch videos—it is a time for family togetherness and those games and songs and chatter I used to have). Parents that use a video player love that their kids are entertained and they don’t have to hear them whine and ask, “Are we there yet”.
•Remember the snacks, but avoid anything too salty or sugary. Remember the paper towels and wipes for easy clean up.

The last thing you want to happen is to have the car break down. Make sure your car is road-ready. Check the air in the tires, add wiper fluid, and be sure to have a flashlight and a first-aid kit in with the luggage.

Oh, if you need ideas on what to do before leaving home and what to pack I have a free packing list 101 you can print at http://www.marilynbohn.com

Happy vacation to you.

Fear leads to cluttering.

When I was about 10 years old I was in a recreation program. I loved going there everyday because it was fun and it got me out of picking raspberries. We would get up at 4:30 in the morning and start picking as soon as it was light. We kids got to leave the field at 9:00 to walk the ¾ of a mile (I swear it was at least 3 miles) to catch the bus to the center.

At the end of the swimming class which I loved we were required to dive into the pool, swim the length and back. I could swim, but I was afraid to dive. As I stood there looking into the pool with my arms poised to dive in yet too afraid to do so some kid a little older than I was came along and said, “its easy to dive in”, and then in he dove. Without thinking about it I dove in immediately after him, swam the length and back and passed my test.

All it took for me to conquer my fear was for someone to do it with me. As a professional home and office organizer I find people who are fearful of missing out on important information and never see it again if that certain magazine isn’t kept. All that information is available on the Internet and really how often do you go back to that article to read when it is a few months old? By that time several more magazines have arrived.

Or do you think if you don’t try that new hobby or craft you saw in the magazine you will miss out on fun experiences? Again you can go to the internet or books from your library or a local group to pick up a new hobby or learn a new craft.

How about self help articles? Tear out the article and put between plastic and save in a three ring binder. Put a sticky note on the paper and if you haven’t taken the advice or done the activity in (give yourself a time limit) say three months, then toss that too.

If you keep magazines because someday you will get to them because you spent good money for them, you can’t get your money back, so donate to a waiting room or a shelter, cancel your subscription if you don’t use the magazine and get ride of another potential clutter.

Let go a little at a time. It is less painful and overwhelming. Once you have practice getting rid of a few things it will become easier the next time. You don’t want your clutter to control you, but doubts and fears can cause that very thing to happen. De-cluttering is not brain surgery. People don’t die because they let go of a piece of clutter. However having it around can be a terrible burden on your mind and can possibly cause accidents.

As you start to get rid of things that are really just clutter notice how good you feel and compliment yourself on your progress. It can be done and you can do it.

Back in July of 2005 I found this Quiz on unclutter.com by Donna Smallin from Organizing Plain & Simple. It is worth taking a look at and using when you are in a quandary of what to do when organizing. These are the very questions I ask my clients when I am working with them organizing their homes.

A Quick Quiz: Keep Or Toss?

If you’re undecided about what to do with a particular item, it’s probably something you could give away, throw away or sell, but you just can’t bring yourself to do it. Ask yourself the following questions:

• Have I used this item in the past year? Yes/No
• Will it be needed on a definite date in the future? Yes/No
• Do I love it? Yes/No
• Does this item serve a worthwhile purpose in my life? Yes/No
• Is it more important to me to keep this item than to have the space it occupies? Yes/No
• Has anyone else in my home used it in the past year? Yes/No
• Does someone in my household love it? Yes/No
• Would it be difficult or expensive for me to get another one? Yes/No

Scoring: There is no right or wrong answers, but a “Yes” answer to any one of the above questions provides a sound reason to keep that item. If you answer “No” to every question, toss it.

I hope you find this quiz useful when you are making the decision to toss, donate, recycle, or to keep.