You know those magazine articles or online features that offer “Great Organizing Tips!”? They almost always include a tip that says something to the effect of: "Spend just 10 minutes throwing out unwanted items." Often they advise to “just start with the junk drawer!” A ten minute purge can be very unsatisfying without three key guidelines. So the secret to the 10 minute purge is actually 3 secrets:
The Car Seat Cooler is made by the Talus Corporation, based in Portland, Maine. In full disclosure, both my Vice President, Ben Soreff and I are sons of the great state of Maine, so it’s hard not to be biased for a Maine business like Talus, but we will try.
This past weekend an article came out in Minnesota’s Star Tribune that featured an interview with organizing guru, Peter Walsh. In it, Walsh states "Clutter isn’t really about stuff at all. Rather, it’s about our relationship to stuff. Clutter becomes a problem when people look for meaning, support and affirmation from their belongings, instead of from other people." I couldn’t agree more. I’d like to describe an approach I take, to illustrate this point.
When Peggy and Dayton Ogden decided to sell their New Canaan house, they realized they needed help to get it ready to be shown to prospective buyers.
This is my third scanner review and for a very good reason. People hate paper! If I had a dollar for every time a client asked about ditching the paper and scanning everything, I would have about $34. (I’m not prone to hyperbole.)
It’s not uncommon for clients to ask us to work our organizing magic in several rooms in their home—in one day. Our magic doesn’t come from jumping from one stepping-stone to the next, across the house. It comes from building steps and climbing up to the next level.
I am baffled by folks Read More
The Grid-It! by Cocoon is one of those organizing products that folks get excited about on sight. "Ooh, what's that?" It really is like nothing else. It's essentially a board, of various sizes, with elastic straps, cris-crossing it, in various configurations. It’s useful for holding and organizing all sorts of things, but here are my favorite uses.
Do you ever see a dumpster with stuff in it that doesn't seem to belong? Maybe it's some perfectly good furniture, some sheets of plywood, or some lightly used office supplies. It's the type of stuff that makes you think, "well I can't put this to good use, but I'm sure SOMEBODY could." That's the type of scenario that's perfect for freecycle.
One of the things I say a lot is limitations breed freedom. I've written several posts that demonstrate the value of this paradox , but here's an example you might not expect: The White Stripes.
The Anglo-Swiss design team of Black and Blum are putting the fun in "function." It's worth checking out their website to see what I mean. Exhibit A is James the Doorman, a whimsical adaptation of the classic doorstop.
Look, I don't pretend that getting organized is the hardest thing in the world. It ain't rocket surgery. But if you're not good at organizing, going the DIY route can be a bit like cutting your own hair. Yes, you CAN do it, but don't be surprised if you don't like the results.
