Marilyn Bohn | Creative Organizer

Remember when you were little and you would sneak into your mother’s make-up and be so proud of your red cheeks and redder lips? And why was your mother so upset you had used it to get all pretty?

Now you are past that stage but make-up can be frustrating because it takes time to find the right brush or make-up item when needed, especially when we are in a hurry getting ready for work, party or just getting ready for the day.

As a professional home and office organizer I know it is important to be able to save time and eliminate frustration when we are in a hurry. Here are easy ideas on how to organize make-up so it will save time and eliminate frustration.

1. Get all make-up together from all the places it is stashed. If you have make-up you never use or doesn’t look good on you, GET RID OF IT. If you have kept empty containers, toss. Do not clutter your drawers or containers with things you do not use or have no intention of using. If in doubt, throw out.
2. Separate by like items, brushes, eye make up, foundation, blush, and lipstick. Separate make-up from skin care products.
3. Assemble containers you have in your home (baskets, mugs, flower pots etc.) or buy matching containers; these are to put your make-up in.
4. Now start placing all like items together in different containers. All brushes together, foundation in another container, eye shadows in another container; until all make-up is separated, easy to see and convenient to reach and ready to apply.
5. This method works for both counter tops and drawers. If you have drawers measure them by width and length and then purchase containers to fit the drawers to maximize space.

Voila, you have an organized work space to apply your make-up which will eliminate frustration and save you time.
A video on how to organize make-up will be here next week.

Do you remember the days of the refrigerator freezer that took all day to defrost because the ice was three or more inches thick and there was no room for the food? Or the food was frozen to the ice so it couldn’t be used?

The invention of the frost free fridge was wonderful. But it seems we still have problems keeping it organized to find the food we have stored there. When I organize a home I like the opportunity of organizing the freezer.

Here are 5 tips to an organized freezer:

1.Turn off the freezer.
2.Take everything out of the freezer. If you have old items that are all icy, throw away. If you don’t know what something is, toss. (Before putting things in your freezer, label what it is and date it with a permanent pen).
3.Wipe out the freezer with baking soda. It is a bit hard as things have probably frozen to the surface, but persevere.
4.Put everything back in. Put like things together, the vegetables, meats, fish, and treats.
5.Turn your freezer back on.

Yea, it’s done. Doesn’t that feel good? You can watch a video of how to organize your freezer coming next week at this site.

We went to Jackson Hole Wyoming a week ago and had some great times. We saw a large heard of buffalo, a female moose standing in the small river eating, later a huge male moose thrashing about eating, trumpeter swans, and a bear.

It is the bear I want to talk about. I didn’t know Grand Teton National Park is bear country. And I mean that literally. We tent camp and we had to move everything from our camp site to our car if we were to ever leave it. We put up with that cheerfully but it was a few other events that drove us away.

On the second night we laid awake as the rain pelted our tarps, I didn’t realize how loud that could be. I counted the seconds between the thunder and lightening to see how many miles away the lightening was. It got as close as 10 miles. In the morning it was still raining hard so we went into Jackson Hole and had a delightful day.

When we got back to our camp there was a note from a ranger telling us a bear had gone through a container we had left (all perfectly legal) that had rope, a hatchet and toilet paper. As we were reading this a loud crash led my daughter to run down to the car and there not far from us was a black bear going from camp to camp. A man across the road came to tell us lightening had struck 200 yards from our camp. (That is why the firemen’s pickup was still there). That was it; we broke camp in the pouring rain and had to go 110 miles to get a motel as all the tent campers it seems were seeking shelter in Jackson.

In spite of it all we had fun in Jackson and at the Scottish Festival.

I was grateful we were well organized. We had put everything in plastic bins and had organized each meal into areas in the bins and cooler. This made it easier to transport from the car to the camp and back constantly. Organizing homes and offices are one thing, but if you are going to camp whether it is in a tent, tent trailer, motor home or trailer being organized makes the experience more fun and pleasant.

Next week school starts in our school district. I don’t have any children heading off to school this year but I remember what it was like. There was a certain feel in the air, a bit of coolness welcoming the promise of autumn after a hot and busy summer.

I always walked my children to school the first day. It was a time honored tradition I loved and felt a certain sense of satisfaction of seeing them happy to be starting another year of school. There was such excitement in the air.

My neighbor didn’t believe in taking her children to school. They always walked alone or with another group of kids.

Her children have become responsible adults. My children have become responsible, happy, productive, adventurous, intelligent adults. (It is O.K. for a mother to brag a little).

My point is we each had a different philosophy on what to do on the first day of school and both our children ‘turned out good’. We each have five children. I was thinking as a professional home and office organizer that is how it is with organizing. There is not just one right way to organize. We all do it a little differently. What works for one may not work for another person. Find your preferred method of organizing and have a good time creating space and ending clutter in your life.

Real Simple’s life coach, Gail Blanke says smart people always make everything harder than it needs to be. So stop over thinking your life and start living it. Here are some of her tips in the August 2007 issue of Real Simple.

1.Don’t overanalyze or overcomplicate situations; commit to taking the easy way. The shortest distance between two points really is a nice, straight, simple line.

2.Don’t become consumed by the negative possibilities. Assume a positive outcome. You’re much more likely to get it.

3.Don’t insist on perfection. Perfectionism isn’t fun. And striving for it will exhaust you. Nobody wants to hang around with an exhausted perfectionist.

4.Don’t do it alone. No matter what project you’re executing, get as many people involved as you can. Martyrs are boring.

5.Don’t become angry or upset when things don’t go according to plan. Just laugh, if you can, and roll with it.

As a professional home and office organizer I think these ideas apply to organizing your home as well. By following this “to don’t” list your life just got easier and less complicated which will actually free you up to organize.

I usually don’t like advertisements in magazines. In fact the first thing I do is tear them all out so I don’t waste my time when looking through the magazine. But today I found one that was educational and I thought I would share it. It is from Sherwin-Williams paint (my favorite) on 10 easy ways to a balanced home. As a professional home and office organizer a balanced home is what I strive to create for my clients.

1) What’s your favorite landscape? The beach or the forest? Choose paint colors for your home that remind you of that bright yellow sun you love or the evergreens to which you escape.
2) Don’t rush. Take yurt time deciding on a color for a room. Get a paint sample and put a little bit up on the wall or a piece of poster board. Live with it and see if under various light conditions. (I did this one time and then I went to the store and bought something completely different. I actually like what I chose-thank goodness).
3) Indulge in Zen style. To create inviting white walls select a white with warm undertones of peach, rose, ivory, or even gray verses a pure white that can look like a blizzard.
4) What kind of refuge do you need—a soothing or invigorating one? Select a relaxing, cool tone like a green or blue or an energizing, warm tone such as yellow or red accordingly.
5) Lighten up. To make ceilings look higher, paint the ceiling of a room one or two shades lighter than the wall color. Just stay in the same color strip family.
6) Don’t create a visual overload. Pick a color and a palette then define a room by altering the shades. Don’t add too many colors. And edit the decorative items you display so there’s a focus.
7) Be open to guidance. Ask in the paint store what colors are reliable or query that friend who has a gorgeous, red dining room what shade she used.
8) Take inspiration from everything. Consider your favorite painting, movie, or food. What colors are in them? If a color means something to you, it will have a bigger and more positive impact on you.
9) Experiment virtually. Take advantage of the great online resources available now that let you see a room “painted in the color you like. It will help subdue doubts about your selection.
10) Explore space. If you want a room to feel more expansive, go for a cool color. Or if prefer a cozy nook opt for a warm tone.

Home should be a calming and nourishing place especially when you lead a busy life. Luckily, just adding color with these ideas can make your home a sanctuary that brings you balance even on a hectic day.

One of my favorite magazines is Real Simple. They have a monthly featured called problem-solvers. This month they had a few that really caught my eye.

PROBLEM: Only four corner brownies, but a tableful of crust lovers.
SOLUTION: Get extra brownie points (sorry) by baking in the maze shaped Baker’s Edge Brownie Pan. It creates at least two crusty edges for every slice and accommodates most box mixes.
TO BUY: www.fredflare.com

Isn’t that clever? There is also shaving-gel tablets to go as a can of shaving cream takes us a lot of space in the suitcase.

What solution have you come up with for problems you have had around your home? As a professional home and office organizer I am always learning new things from my clients and I love it and appreciate them for sharing. Click on comment and share your Ahhh solution and I will share with my readers.

This is a testimonial and review for FreedomFiler filing system. I love setting it up for my clients. I even like the mail to come as I now have a place to put all paper that comes into my home. I can’t say enough good about it. Here are some testimonials of other professional organizers who have used this system.

FreedomFiler is a revolutionary new system that eliminates the need to review and cull your files. It makes it a lot easier to think things through when the filing gets rough. I have applied it to nearly all of my filing systems.
—Shirley Freeman,
Professional Organizer,
Key West FL

What I like best about the FreedomFiler is that I don’t have to think. Its like having a full time filing assistant manage my files for me.
—Mikko Jokela ,
Property Manager ,
Oakland CA

I love the system - it’s revolutionized my approach to paper both internally and with my clients, and never ceases to amaze me how it stands up to the test time and again. Thanks!
—Leah Stahlsmith,
Professional Organizer/Stager,
Seattle WA US

Helen Yarbrough, Professional Organizer, Indialantic FL
I attended the professional organizers national conference…I was totally blown away by your product and am a true believer. I immediately came home and implemented it for myself. I have already sold your product to several of my clients… This is saving me tremendous training costs within my business.
Ellen M., Seattle WA
I love my FreedomFiler. It is a true blessing, and is helping me organize my personal finances, my new business, my resources, and most important to me, my writing. Thank you for an excellent product. How refreshing to deal with a company that is flexible and responsive…
Ray Yankowski, Carlsbad CA
The FreedomFiler has been an absolute wonder in my life. I can’t wait to change my “even” and “odd” years. Thank you!

The files and the system are as good as they sound. For more information go to my web site www.marilynbohn.com and click on FreedomFiler to find out more information on this remarkable system.

A man who moved into our neighborhood was all excited to ride the hills above his home. He bought a mountain bike and took off up the mountain. No matter how hard he tried he kept hitting all the bumps, dips and tree roots on the path.

An experienced biker told him if he would stop looking where he didn’t want to go but instead look where he wanted his tires to go it would be easier. He tried it and sure enough his ride was much smoother.

When we organize our homes this is good advice to follow. When cleaning out a kitchen cupboard instead of thinking there is not enough room and trying to make things work as is, take everything out and visualize how you want it to look. With this in mind start putting things back in the cupboard. If necessary purchase additional shelves to put in the cupboard so everything can fit. If there are stray things from other places that don’t belong, remove them to go back to their space.

As a professional home and office organizer my recommendation is to look forward toward the goal and what we want the cupboard or room to be, we will get us there faster and be more organized rather than looking at just the problem as we see it.

Friday night we were privileged to celebrate with our friends Esther and Max Peck their 60th wedding anniversary. What a treat it was to be invited to a dinner of about 50 friends and family.

Esther planned a beautiful, delicious dinner, decorations and program. Everything was perfect down to every last detail. Because I am a professional home and office organizer I especially appreciated every tiny detail she went to to make this a memorable evening. She made little porcelain baskets filled with pastel Dutch mints for each guest. She had 11 of the most beautiful family scrapbooks complied so other family members could see cousins and other relatives who lived far away. She had a piano player, flowers and a cake with a fountain underneath it. Oh she also had a large wall quilt made with all of her family members’ photos and thoughts from each family. Everything was perfect…all because two people fell in love.

The program was so much fun. She had each one of their 8 children tell something that was funny as they were growing up. The funniest one was from their oldest daughter.

When she was about 4 ½ her and her brother had twin tricycles. Esther went outside one day and her daughter had ‘rented out’ her tricycle for candy and was ridding her brothers while he sat on the step dejected.

Another time at Christmas she got up early and saw a chalk board that had her sister’s name on it. She erased her sister’s name and printed hers. She couldn’t understand how Santa knew it was not meant for her as it had her name on it.

Thank you Esther for including us in your beautiful celebration. Happy 60 years together and may you go for ten more.