Professional Organizer Somerville

by

Rainy Day? Get Rid of Magazine Clutter

Too many magazines!

It’s been raining a lot for several months now. Take advantage of those rainy days and get rid of your magazine clutter!

Gather up all the magazines you currently receive. Pull together the catalogs that have been laying around taking up space. Maybe they’re in boxes, on shelves, or piled on the floor or tables. Do you truly read and enjoy all of them? Are they a good use of your time? Or, do you let them pile up thinking you will read them when you have the time, but never do.

First, make sure the recycle bin is near where you are sorting. Then, begin by going through each magazine/catalog and put the different subscriptions into their own piles. Once you do this, take those that are over a few months old and toss them into the bin.

Even if you are itching to hold on to some of the past magazines/catalogs, don’t. Just keep a few of the most recent and relevant magazines and up-to-date catalogs. If there are a few of them that are so nostalgic that you can’t let go, that’s okay.

To cancel magazine subscriptions, call the magazine’s subscription office ASAP to stop receiving those you no longer want.

To cancel your catalogs: http://www.catalogchoice.org/

For each current issue you receive in the mail, toss old issues.

I think you’ll feel a bit lighter when you do this. Let me know the progress you’ve made on letting go.

To schedule a complimentary 1/2 hour telephone consultation, contact Judy at ClutterClearerCoach@comcast.net

Get Rid of Magazine Clutter

by

Clearing the Clutter Indoors and Outdoors

Weedy Garden area
Garden area cleaned up

Modern life is so complicated, why not enrich your life by simplifying it? So many of us are burdened by a disorganized home plus an untidy garden. By clearing the clutter and beautifying these spaces, you can gain more control of your life, leaving more time for the things that truly matter.

To achieve these goals:

• Take an assessment of your home and garden needs
• Create an action plan
• Carry out the action plan indoors and outdoors
• Hire side-by-side coaching by a Professional Organizer (if needed)
• Hire a Professional Gardener to provide on-site gardening maintenance instruction (if needed)
• Come up with organizational systems that are easy to implement and use

By clearing the clutter indoors and outdoors you will realize the connection between a cluttered environment and a cluttered life. Your end result will be a serene home and a peaceful garden, and the strategies to maintain them both. You will feel more peaceful and much freer.

Are you ready to do an assessment and create your action plan? Go for it!

To schedule a FREE 1/2 hour telephone consultation, contact Judy at
ClutterClearerCoach@comcast.net

Clearing the Clutter Indoors and Outdoors

by

Easy Things to Part with While De-cluttering

too many shoes         outdated hotel toiletries

It’s easy for some people to let go of items with sentimental value. But, others hold on to items knowing they have no real value. Do you relate to this latter reason?

What are some of your best excuses for holding onto clutter?

• I might need it someday?
• I may read this sometime?
• I could fit into this again?
• Its in good shape to use again?
• It was a gift; I can’t let it go?
• I’m saving it to give as a gift?

Below is a list of some unimportant things to part with.

• Old notes on small pieces of paper
• Old shopping receipts and unneeded invoices
• Recipes cut out from magazines but never used (take digital photos or scan)
• Cookbooks on the shelf that are no longer in use
• Outdated cosmetics and toiletry items
• Old pieces of wrapping paper being saved to use again
• Letters and birthday cards that don’t mean much anymore
• Gifts received and kept due to guilt rather than pleasure
• Scrapbooking supplies that haven’t been used in ages
• Desk clutter; too many pens, paper scraps, highlighters
• Clothing that’s gone out of fashion
• Clothing that doesn’t fit anymore

If you have items that are just taking up space, give yourself the guilt-free incentive to get rid of them.

For a FREE 1/2 hour phone consultation
to discuss your clutter issues, contact Judy at:
ClutterClearerCoach@comcast.net or 857-919-4735

by

EXCESSIVE CLUTTER and how it affects your life

cluttered office

Does having too much clutter affect your life in a negative way?

Clutter can be defined as things you do not use or need, untidy or disorganized things, too many things in too small a space, and anything left unfinished.

Excessive clutter can affect your life in some of the following ways:

Relationships:
• Can keep you from inviting people to your home
• Keeps you from being close to others

Emotions:
• Can cause feelings of embarrassment, shame or guilt that holds you back.
• Clutter drains your energy. Items that are not used or cared for hold stagnant energy.

Low Self Esteem:
• Not being able to stay organized can cause you to feel bad about yourself; thinking that you don’t have the skills that other people have.

Stress:
• When you can’t find something, or want to clear the clutter but can’t seem to do so, your stress levels rise.

Money issues:
• You buy duplicates because you can’t locate the original item you purchased.
• Bills that are paid late as they are hidden beneath clutter
• Compulsive buying via credit cards
• Spending money by moving to a larger home in order to store more stuff
• Spending money to rent storage units

Time:
• Not being able to locate things
• Having too much stuff sucks up your time
• Too much stuff leads to procrastination and being late

If you can relate to this post, and live in the Boston area,

and would like a 

FREE 1/2 hour phone consultation
to discuss your clutter issues, contact me at:
ClutterClearerCoach@comcast.net or 857-919-4735

by

‘Chaotic Clothe’s Closet’ – Ideas for Organizing

clothes in color order

Is your closet a jumble of clothes that are disorganized on the clothing rods?

Here are some ideas to change a chaotic clothing closet into an organized closet:

Before I made some order out of my clothes in my own closet, I was very frustrated finding something I wanted to wear; particularly if I was in a hurry. Some time ago, I decided to arrange all of my hanging clothing in a color coded fashion. Kind of like a full spectrum rainbow. I put all the black clothing on the right part of the hanging rod. Then the grey’s to the left of the blacks. The next color-by-number sections were the purples and dark blues. Light blue clothing was hung next, followed by reds, oranges, and then whites. The closet looked pretty as a rainbow after it rains, and it still does.

You can also group your clothing by type and then by color within the type. eg: Place all blouses and shirts together and then sort by color order, then the pants in another color grouping, etc…

Or, you can choose to group all types of clothing together regardless of their color. Pants with pants, skirts with skirts, but staggered so you can distinguish between the groups.

You can also sort your closet by garment type. Do this by grouping work clothes, dressy clothes, casual clothes and sports clothes.

Organizing your clothes closet can result in less chaos and an easier time locating your clothes; thus simplifying your life. Just, be sure you stick to one method!

How did you do with your closet organization? Let me know.

To schedule a complimentary 1/2 hour telephone consultation, contact Judy at ClutterClearerCoach@comcast.net 

by

30 Things to Get Rid of NOW!

hotel toiletries

It can be really difficult to let go of things.
But you say; I might read that book someday, I might wear that
dress someday, I might need that item someday.
You know what? You probably will never wear that dress,
read that book, or use that item again. So be realistic,
and get rid of stuff you don’t use anymore.

Here are 30 items to get rid of:

  1. Single socks with no mate, or holes in them
  2. Pencils with worn down erasers
  3. Last years magazines that take up space
  4. Checks to accounts you no longer have
  5. Shoes that are worn out, or don’t fit
  6. Clothing you haven’t worn in the past year or more
  7. Makeup that’s expired or you don’t use anymore
  8. Rusty tools and outdoor garden gear
  9. Toys kids have outgrown
  10. All those screws in that jar you will never use
  11. Last years pay stubs
  12. Old cables filling up that box
  13. Single earrings and necklaces with broken clasps
  14. Jigsaw puzzles with missing pieces
  15. Old schoolbooks and college notebooks
  16. Books you know you’ll never read
  17. Expired medications and vitamins
  18. Broken camping or sports equipment
  19. Storage containers without lids
  20. Greeting cards from years ago
  21. Hotel shampoo and conditioner bottles
  22. Unfinished projects’ craft supplies
  23. Torn towels & washclothes
  24. Old, worn out canvas and reusable bags
  25. Or, all those extra bags you hold on to
  26. Dried up magic markers
  27. Cookbooks you don’t use anymore
  28. Expired coupons
  29. Flat, stained old bed pillows
  30. User manuals to defunct appliances

There are many more things you can throw out,
donate or sell. Ignore what you want to keep,
Sell what you can, donate what won’t sell, and throw out
unimportant damaged things. Having less stuff makes it
easier to get organized!

I’d love to know what other things you can get rid of now!

If you live in the Boston area, and would like a
FREE 1/2 hour telephone consultation to discuss your
clutter issues, contact Judy at: clutterclearercoach@comcast.net